vittanos willow (7 page)

amazing confidence.

Osten took in the red shirt he wore as well as the biscuit he was

holding in his hand. “Oh,” he lied. “I didn’t know you had company.

I’ll see you later.”

“Who are you?” the question was asked immediately.

“Who is it?” another masculine voice yelled.

The man behind CJ hollered back. “Don’t know. Some guy.”

Osten heard chairs sliding across the floor and within seconds

he found himself under the furious scrutiny of three men. Three big and

strong men. One Asian, one African-American, and one Caucasian.

CJ licked her lips and looked behind her at the men glaring be-

tween her and Osten before she glanced back at him and sighed.

“Osten, I’d like you to meet my brothers.”

Brothers! Brothers?
Only Osten’s expertise of controlling his emo-

tions allowed his surprise to be kept off his face.

Chantoya pointed over her shoulder at each man as she named

him. “Ajani, Thurston, and Binh. Guys, this is Osten Scoleri.”

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Aliyah Burke

The grins that crossed their faces worried Osten. They were ones

of men laying a trap.

Jesus, I feel like I’m sweating!

Ajani reached out with his hand. “Nice to meet you, Osten. We

were just sitting down to breakfast, why don’t you join us. There’s

plenty.”

Impressed by the strength in the hand shaking his, Osten replied

easily. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

The blond man shook his head. “Nonsense. We would
love
to get

aquatinted with you. Hear
all
about how you know our
little sister

here,” Thurston assured him.

Ajani pulled him past CJ and into the apartment. The door

closed behind him and he found himself being escorted to the table. He

shrugged out of his jacket, thrilled that even amid the tension in the

room, CJ couldn’t hide her appreciation of his body from him.

As she took his jacket and hung it up, Osten shook hands with

the other two brothers. He waited while they brought another chair to

the table.

When the five adults sat back down, Osten was at the other end

from CJ. Not directly across, that was Ajani. No, he was between Ajani

and Thurston, directly across from Binh.

If I ever wanted backup…
“This looks wonderful,” he told CJ with

a smile.

That was the last thing Osten said to her for close to an hour.

The brothers were
very
protective of their baby sister. Osten truly

believed if he hadn’t survived BUDs, he would have bailed at the very

idea of any further relationship with CJ.

But, damn it all, he
did
survive. And he
was
a Navy SEAL, a

SEAL who was falling in love with their baby sister. So…
they
had better

get used
him
being around her.

With his natural calm and confidence, Osten answered each one

of their personal and probing questions. CJ remained silent as she ate

and then began cleaning up.

Osten was amazed they helped her clean. All of them removed

their own dishes. When he tried to help as well, Binh was there to keep

him away from his sister.

Thurston wiped down the counters and the table; Ajani put the

extra food—of which there was very little—into containers and placed

them into the refrigerator; and Binh helped her with dishes, and yet—

all without ceasing their litany of questions.

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Coffee was made and poured by the time clean up was over.

This time the last seat available was next to CJ and Osten willingly sat

in it. He sent her a reassuring smile as Binh set out the dish of caramel

glazed cinnamon buns.

He added the most recent photo to her shrine wall. In the back

room of his place, he had dedicated a wall to his perfect woman. The

fact she had been defiled by another’s hands didn’t deter him in the

slightest. He knew just how to cleanse her and restore her to her pure

state.

Photos taken with students at biology fairs, newspaper clippings

in which she was merely mentioned, found a place upon the wall. Her

old college photos were scattered among them as well.

Hanging in the closet was the pristine outfit she would be wear-

ing when she became his for all time. The dress was going to be perfect

on her. It had taken him a long time to find the right wedding dress. But

he knew it would fit, for Chantoya took care with her body and hadn’t

gained any weight since college.

It was an ivory beaded lace, halter sheath dress with a pearl-

encrusted collar. The chiffon Watteau train was detachable, but he

envisioned her wearing it. And for her head there was a rhinestone and

pearl metallic tiara. Perfectly dyed shoes waited to be placed upon her

feet.

He even had the appropriate underclothes to go along with it—

two sets at that. He couldn’t wait to see the garter set upon her flawless

dark-toffee body as he took off the dress. Everything was concealed in

plastic to keep it free of any type of dirt. The other set he kept by his bed

for his pleasure. Most nights he brought himself to release holding one

of the silk articles against his erection as he imagined it was CJ stroking

him.

“It’s only a matter of time now, my love. Soon we will be togeth-

er; I just have a few more things to get ready.” He reached out to touch

a photo of her smiling face. It was a close-up of her and another teacher,

but he had cut away the other person. “I want it to be perfect for us.”

Opening a box in the closet, he pulled out the ties that she was

going to wear. The softest leather he could get lined the inside of them.

His excitement grew as his eyes traveled over the rest of the items in the

storage chest. She might resist at first, but he would teach her that he

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Aliyah Burke

was her lord and master. Once she learned that, he would allow her

more room to roam.

His fingers trailed over her leather outfit she would wear after

they were in their new place. He would be able to take her at any time

without needing to remove any of her clothing, for it barely covered

anything, for the body suit left her breasts and crotch free. Yet knew it

would be exquisite on his queen.

The images of her dressed in that had him jerking off in front of

her shrine, where his mind envisioned her calling out his name in

ecstasy as he pleasured her in ways she had never experienced.

Closing the door behind her trio of big brothers, CJ released a

huge sigh, opting to remain facing the door and placing her head on it

while she tried to control her emotions. “I thought weekends were

supposed to be relaxing,” she bemoaned to the room.

They had insisted Osten leave before them. Thurston had quite

delightfully walked him out.

Tipping her head back she looked up at the ceiling. “I should be

happy they love me so much. But damn, they are draining!”

Moving through her domicile, CJ turned on some smooth R&B,

stretched out on the sofa, and closed her eyes when a knock came at her

door. Her eyes flew open. “Probably one of my brothers making sure

Osten stayed away…”

Walking across the carpet in her socked feet, she opened the

door with a sharp, “What?”

“Am I disturbing you?”

The man and the voice that belonged to him sent shivers

throughout her body.

“What are you doing back? I thought you left.” A brilliant smile

filled her face as her insides trembled at the thought of being alone with

Osten again. Her eyes slid around his fine body to check out down the

hall.

He stood there grinning mischievously. “I am not about to let

your brothers run me off. I did leave; Thurston saw me go in my green

car. I just came back with the one I take to school.”

She chuckled as her hand reached out to pull him into her

apartment. “Get in here. I thought it was one of them coming back to

make sure I wasn’t with you!”

He shut the door behind him. Winking, he licked his lips. “I

wanted to spend the day with you and so I came back.” Slipping out of

his jacket he added, “You have some very protective brothers.”

Accepting his arms around her body, she nodded as the scent

she was fast learning to identify as Osten surrounded her and filled her

senses. “You have no idea. They have got to be impressed you didn’t

take off running. Most guys do.”

“Well, they were stupid. It would take a hell of a lot more than

that to get me to run from you.” He tilted her head up so their gazes

could meet. “I don’t plan on going anywhere.” His lips swooped down

for a tender yet explosive kiss.

Her arms tightened around his waist as she responded imme-

diately to the kiss. When he pulled back, she whimpered in disap-

pointment. His lips brushed against hers lightly before he swept her off

her feet and carried her screeching to the couch.

Osten dropped her on the soft cushions before joining her. “Tell

me about your family.”

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Aliyah Burke

She cuddled up against him and placed her head on his lap. One

hand stroked her soft hair as he waited for her to begin talking.

“Our parents were missionaries. I know we look kinda weird for

a family, but we are one. Ajani and I are blood and our mother married

Thurston’s father. Later on, they adopted Binh. I was only a little kid,

one or two when she remarried.”

She turned her head so he could look down onto her face. “Papa

died in Malawi when she was pregnant with me, which is why she

wasn’t on the trip with him. But she met David at a huge meeting of

missionaries. It lasted for a week and after that both of our families

ended up in the same place, Vietnam. Since they sort of knew each

other, they hung out, traded off babysitting duties and such. Eventually

they fell in love and got married.”

Chantoya reached up and wrapped her hand around his, seek-

ing out comfort. “I think Thurston’s mom died from cancer. About three

years after they were wed, when I was five, they adopted Binh.”

Rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, Osten digested

what she had said. “How old are they?”

“Ajani is thirty-nine, Binh is thirty-three and Thurston is thirty-

six.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch.

“And are any of them married?”

Chantoya shook her head. “Nope.”

“Not in any rush?”

“I think they are more concerned with what is going on in my

life. Since our parents died, they have taken the role over with a ven-

geance.”

“So they are all the family you have now.” It wasn’t a question.

Her brown eyes opened, brimming with love. “Yes. Our parents

died five years ago in a plane crash. So I am blessed to be so well

protected by my brothers. I know they would die for me.”

“I am so sorry for your loss, baby. So sorry.” He brushed a light

kiss over her forehead. “I can tell that all of you share a very strong and

deep bond of love.”

“We do.”

They sat in silence for a short time, enjoying being together.

“So basically, you’re telling me I have to convince your brothers

I’m good enough for you?” Osten asked after a few moments.

CJ gave a short bark of laughter. “Good luck with that. If you

stood a chance, then yes, that is what I would tell you.”

He huffed. “What, you don’t think I can?”

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53

She looked up to view his narrowed gaze. “Don’t take it perso-

nally, but they don’t think any man is good enough for me.”

“And that keeps the men away.”

Sadness flickered across her beautiful face. “Yep. No one wants

to date me…and my overbearing brothers!” Chantoya looked away

from his face to stare across the room.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Look at me.” His tone changed to a

command, but it was still gentle. When she complied, he murmured,

“I’m in it for the long haul.”

CJ smiled softly as his finger twirled the chunk of her hair that

was dyed red.
We’ll see.

“Come out with me for the day?” he asked.

“To where?”
Does it really matter? You will be with that mouthwa-

tering hunk of Italian fineness.

“Washington.”

Chantoya sat up on the couch and looked at him. “Why Wash-

ington?”

“I figure your brothers won’t be looking around any corners up

there. Whaddaya say? Are you game?”

It took her less that a second to decide. “Sure, just let me

change.” She got off the couch.

“You look fine to me,” he told her as she went to her room.

“I’m not going to the capital in a torn shirt and these pants.”

CJ changed and grabbed her purse. Glancing at her reflection

she shook her head. “Oh, well,” she uttered as her feet took her back to

the living room.

Osten had groaned as he envisioned pulling her clothes off of

her toned body. The draw to head to her room had been strong. Some-

how he ignored it and he sat down to wait instead. He passed the time