Mikayla [Orchidea: Love on the Bayou 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (7 page)

How was she going to keep her hands off of him?
You made your decision. No sex tonight. Now be good and suck it up.

“First I think we should explain what our intentions are and why we want to explore a mutual relationship and share one woman,” Pierre continued, and she felt an ache in her belly. He was so serious. God, he was a disciplinary man she could tell. What would his demands be in bed? She wondered as she recalled some of the things Justin had wanted her to do before he left her. She often wondered if she had allowed him to do those things, if he would have stayed with her.

God, why do I keep thinking about that asshole?

“It’s obvious that we’re attracted to you. We’re ready to explore that option if you are. Before you make a decision, know that we’ve talked about this between us. We all have very busy professions and feel that a relationship with a woman should show commitment and dedication. We want to ensure you that you’ll never be alone. There’ll always be one of us taking you out or spending time with you, and sometimes there’ll be more than one of us, and other times we’ll all be together with you.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. He was being kind of businesslike, and it gave her an uneasy feeling. But staring at each of them she knew that she wanted to give this a try. It would be good for her and would put Justin and her broken heart behind her. Or it could make her life even worse. Looking at them she couldn’t help but notice that they were individually perfect specimens of men. How could she keep them interested in her? She couldn’t keep Justin interested for long either.

“Mikayla, what’s wrong?” Michael asked.

She stood up and took a deep breath.

“You sound like you’re making a business deal. I don’t want to be a business deal. If this doesn’t work, you guys get to move on with your lives, I’ll be…” She didn’t know how to complete that sentence. The words “used,” “heartbroken,” and “ruined for any other man ever again” crossed her mind.

In a flash Pierre was in front of her. His expression of determination and purpose exploded from his eyes. He placed his hands against her cheeks and stared into her eyes.

“This is no business deal.”

Then he kissed her, hard on the mouth, letting her know exactly just how much he was interested in her.

She held on for dear life as his hands explored her body while his kiss spoke in volumes. His tongue was merciless, the feel of his hands running along her spine and then her ass cheeks, squeezing and kneading her flesh against his erection, had her weak in the knees. How could his kiss alone and the feel of being in his arms break down her defenses so easily? She wanted him, and she was ready to throw everything to the wind and take him right here, right now.

The kiss lasted a few minutes when finally he held her around the waist as he hoisted her up against him and slowly pulled his lips from her own. He didn’t stop there though. He trailed soft, sporadic kisses along her neck then whispered in her ear.

“You are an exceptional woman and not a meaningless fuck. Remember that because we are going to get to know one another very well.” Her heart pounded in her chest at the intensity of his words as he nipped her earlobe before slowly setting her feet back onto the carpeting and bringing her back to earth.

It took her a few moments to gather her wits about her and not be utterly embarrassed or offended by the smiles on the surrounding faces.

“You’re going to have to trust us, Mikayla. You can’t hold anything back. We need to know that you can be trusted in return. A relationship built on trust and commitment can withstand anything,” Michael told her.

“This is a lot to consider and we understand that. We’re in this together,” Antoine added.

She was silent a moment as a series of questions entered her mind. “Have you done this before?”

“We have shared women before. We needed to know if we were capable of such a thing.” Pierre looked her over with intense eyes. She couldn’t help but feel a tingling sensation from his perusal. She was not a confident person. Not when it came to her feelings, her heart, or her body. She knew that, but she also knew she had to be a strong woman. The world could be a cruel and unforgiving place.

“What happened to her? The woman you did this with? What did she do wrong to make it fall apart?” she asked before thinking. God, she could be so mouthy sometimes. She hoped her words didn’t reveal her weakness in the relationship category.

She felt the hands on her shoulders then turned to see Douglas was there.

“We’ve never done this together with a certain woman. He said we shared women. Sometimes two of us at a time but never all four of us together. That would take someone very special,” he told her then squeezed her shoulders.

“Are you not interested in this, Mikayla? Tell us now and we won’t go any further,” Antoine stated.

“No, I’m interested. I’m just concerned that you may lose interest in me as time goes on. No, forget I said that. The past doesn’t matter. I want to give this a go. I want to trust you, each of you.” She lifted her chin with confidence she truly didn’t have. She could be making a major mistake here.

They looked as if they might question her more, but instead Douglas explained their ideas about how the schedule might work and how she would have time to get to know them individually. She was all for that.

A while later, they sealed the deal with some dessert and another round of kissing before Pierre had Isaac drive her back to the office.

* * * *

“So what did you think?” Michael asked his brothers as they all sat down in the living room enjoying another round of drinks.

“I didn’t want her to leave, if that tells you anything,” Pierre stated, and they all mumbled in agreement.

Michael ran his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe this. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

“Now that it’s here are you having second thoughts about sharing her?” Douglas asked. Michael knew this was coming. He knew that Douglas was holding back his upset with Michael and Antoine until Mikayla left. That in itself spoke volumes coming from Douglas.

“Of course. We discussed this hundreds of times over the past few years. Your questioning has nothing to do with Mikayla and the relationship. You’re still pissed about Bryant Vergos when you should be relieved that we stopped you from making a bad decision.”

“Fuck you, Michael! I didn’t know he was an international smuggler. His company seemed legit, and he offered high-tech security and great profit,” Douglas replied, staring angrily at Michael and then Antoine.

“You have to get over this constant trying to prove yourself. Your business is doing great. You’re making a lot of money and legally. You don’t need to get involved with international bullshit.” Antoine guzzled the last two sips’ worth of cognac from his glass.

“I’m not having this fucking conversation with you. Let’s finish talking about Mikayla.” Douglas stood up from the couch.

Michael sighed. Would Douglas ever get over the competitiveness he felt toward him and Antoine? Their parents loved him and treated him as if he were their own. They did the same with Pierre, and he was fine.

“Well, we toss for the first date. I think it should be Michael or I since we found her first and she’s more comfortable with us,” Antoine stated.

“She was pretty damn comfortable in my arms, and while I was kissing her, so your point is meaningless,” Douglas blasted back.

“Actually, I’m the one closing a multimillion-dollar deal with her this week so I might as well bring her on a celebratory dinner date.” Pierre smirked as he raised his eyebrows as if waiting for their argument.

“Dr. Fromm, could you grab a pen and paper? We need to pick names in the order of dates from a hat,” Michael said, and they all chuckled.

Mikayla couldn’t believe how she felt. She was sitting in her office, the weekend was approaching quickly, and she spoke to Antoine, Michael, Pierre, and Douglas over a dozen times since Monday. Like it hadn’t been bad enough when she left their house Monday that she was so damn horny that she took out one of her vibrators for relief. She hadn’t found any relief, just further frustration, and had decided that she’d truly lost her mind. Every time she dreamt of one of the men, Justin’s face would pop into her head. He would say things like, “sucker,” “they’re going to use you,” and the worst was “you’re just not good enough for me, there’s way better-looking women out there.”

Damn, her subconscious could be such a fucking party pooper. She had never suffered in the self-confidence category until Justin. He left her for Clare, the blonde model from New York that was his “soul mate.” That was until a few months later when he showed up on her doorstep pleading for forgiveness. She had been so in love with him and so desperate she fell for his lies. She let him stay with her, and while he was there, he hid his secretive phone calls from her and lied about finding a job and staying in Orchidea. Then one day she came home from work and he was gone. He didn’t even leave a note or anything. For days she prayed that he was safe and that he would return. Then she got her phone bill and saw a New York number listed on it. She called, and the answer machine went off. It was Clare. Perky, blonde, model Clare and Justin’s voice following suit.

What was she? Chopped liver? Why would these four gloriously amazing, perfect men, who could have their choice of any woman, want her? Suddenly she felt sick, and it was a pitiful feeling. But then her phone rang.

Mikayla answered it, unaware of the caller, and she hadn’t recognized the number.

“Mikayla, you’ve been too busy to track down. Ya need to visit with ya sistas,” Marie Cherise Laveau stated firmly. Mikayla was shocked that she’d called her.

“Oh my God, Cherise, how are you? I have been so busy with work. It’s crazy.”

“Yeah, yeah, so ya say ya busy. I busy, too, child, and too old ta be chasin ya round da place. Ya listen, child. With success comes jealousy from others. Ya be aware at all times who ya taking up time with. Follow that gut, child. Ya sistas and I love ya. Be strong and succeed. Watch for da ones that appear to bring ya greater financial success. Dey may not be whom ya think.”

Mikayla began to ask her what she meant when the phone clicked.

What the hell was that all about?

“Why do you look so grim? We’ve got calls coming in like crazy, and four people just answered the ad for the two new agents’ positions,” Betty stated, pulling Mikayla from her moaning, groaning, daydreaming, and her chitchat with the voodoo priestess. Cherise was always spouting jibber jabber that made no sense. She’d analyze it later. Right now she had to focus on work.

“Oh my God, that’s great. I hope at least two of them work out so we can keep up with all the new clients. This is overwhelming,” Mikayla told her assistant, Betty.

“Well, I can tell you that they all have experience, but some may stand out as a better fit for the crew here,” Betty added.

Mikayla chuckled. “You’re probably right. We have a pretty awesome crew of workers here. Get started on clearing my schedule to set appointments for interviews on Monday, okay? In the meantime I’m going to leave after lunch for the two appointments I have with the Carsons and the Mackerlys. I shouldn’t be done until six, so I’ll just head home. Can you or Mack lock up?”

“Of course. No problem.”

“Thanks, Betty, for everything you do around here.”

Betty smiled then left the room.

Mikayla heard her cell phone vibrate, and as she glanced down, she saw that the text was from Michael.

Can’t wait to see you. We’re going to Gabriel’s Pub. Very casual and the owner is a good friend of mine. See you at seven.

She smiled then thought about Gabriel’s Pub. It was a nice place, really lively with jazz music and some of the best pub cuisine around town. She was getting excited, and she realized that having these separate dates would truly help her to understand each man’s individual personality. She texted him back then grabbed her things to head to her appointments.

* * * *

Mikayla loved clothing. She sometimes spent way too much of her income on it, but she wanted to always look her best. For tonight’s date with Michael she chose a pair of hip-hugger, slim-fitting white jeans, a pale-pink stretch shirt that showed off her flat belly, and a beige zip blazer that cuffed at her elbows and tied in front and accentuated her narrow waist. It was her big ass that she was always annoyed with. She could give JLO a run for her money in that department. She sighed as she added her accessories. She wore a multicoin bracelet and her gold watch that her sisters had bought her when she bought into the real estate business. Along with her beige high-heeled sandals, she thought she looked like she’d stepped out of a Cino catalog. She wanted to impress them and make herself unforgettable so that they wouldn’t want to replace her. Sure it was kind of lame, and despite her lack of self-confidence showing itself, she was a woman of action.

The doorbell rang at exactly seven o’clock, and when she answered it, she nearly lost her breath. Michael looked gorgeous. He was wearing a pair of designer blue jeans, dark boots, and a button-down blue shirt. His hair was spiked in the front as if he just had a haircut, and his eyes sparkled. She noticed that one hand was behind his back.