Thrill Me

  Thrill Me

  Copyright © October 2011 Dahlia Rose

  Cover Art by For the Muse Designs

  ISBN 978-1-936668-86-1

  All rights are reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Portia looked at herself in the mirror one more time apprehensively. The sexy bunny costume hugged her curves like a second skin. The white boots had heels that were way higher than she was accustomed to, and when she put on the bunny ears over her hair, she decided not to go. It was the fifth time she thought about staying home, but after a mental conversation with herself, the part of her that wanted to let loose won again and told her it would be fun. She brushed her hair until the black waves hung loose on her shoulders, and she put on soft pink lipstick. Portia firmed her shoulders and walked out of her apartment to her car. She clipped her ID so she could get on base to her chest and headed to Offutt Air Force Base.

  At the end of October, Nebraska was already cold, and snow fell twice in two weeks. Portia loved it. The chill in the air and the brisk weather was why she asked to be transferred there. Being a nurse in the military hospital gave her life meaning, helping men and women who came back from overseas injured. Yet in the two years since she’d lived and worked there, this was the first party she attended. Heading to a costumed party, girl! Portia giggled at her mental cheer. It was so unlike her. Men called her sweet and shy, but when she saw herself in the mirror, she felt sexy and alive.

  The guard let her through the gates with a raised eyebrow and a smile. Portia drove her four wheel drive truck to the main hall where parties and events were held and parked. She’d moved to Nebraska with a little Toyota Camry in tow on the back of her U-haul. After the first heavy snow, she figured out quickly that it wasn’t going to cut it sliding on city roads. So she traded it in for her Dodge truck. Music filtered from inside, a lively beat for dancing. She took a breath and walked up the stairs. When Portia pulled the heavy door open, she grinned at the sight. Bats hung from the ceiling with cobwebs. Orange and black streamers and balloons were everywhere. The costumes were great, soldier zombies with bloody uniforms, witches with tall hats, vampires, Thor, a few dressed like batman, and one really huge gorilla strolled by. She walked through the throngs of dancing people and noticed a few men trail her with their eyes. Portia stepped up to the bar, and the bartender dressed like a rock star with pink hair smiled at her.

  “A bunny babe, nice, what can I get you?” He put a napkin in front of her.

  “I don’t know actually.” Portia laughed. “Surprise me. What’s good at these things?”

  “Ahh you’re a newbie, even better. I’ll make you the witch’s brew,” the bartender said.

  She watched him mix drinks in a tall shaker and pour it over a tall glass of ice. He put a straw on the side and handed it to her. “Try this and I’ll make sure that’s your drink for the night.”

  Portia took a hesitant sip and looked up in surprise. “Wow, this is really great. It’s sweet!”

  The bartender laughed. “It packs a punch, but enjoy the night, ok? Gotta go water down the hordes.”

  She watched him walk away and turned to the crowd. Everyone seemed to be having fun, and for a moment, she wished she was closer with some of the nurses at the hospital. She felt very brave being there by herself though, so that was one thing in her favor.

  “You look good enough to eat.” A man came up behind her, and she turned to face him.

  “Thank you, I guess.” She smiled tentatively.

  “Do you want to hook up? I could make sure you have a real good time.” He reached his hand out to touch her, and Portia moved back in disgust.

  “First, you don’t have permission to touch me. Second, get lost, creep,” she snapped.

  His smile left, and his face looked angry. “You think you’re too good for me. What, you’re looking for some soldier to tramp with?”

  “Whoa you don’t know me, and I so don’t want to know you.” Portia might be shy, but she had no problem defending herself. “Step away before I mace you.”

  “She’s with us, and I have no problem taking you outside personally.” Another man walked up, and he had two others behind him. They were all in dark jeans and tight black T-shirts. The masks on their heads had to be expensive. The opened mouth faces of wolves looked like real and wolf fur that covered them. When the man who spoke took off his mask, his eyes were dark and deadly. His friends did the same, and she met one blue gaze and one green. They were handsome as hell, and right now they were focused on the guy who tried to accost her.

  “Whoa, guys, I didn’t know she was with all three of you. Maybe I can be a fourth?” He leered at her. “You know we could all take a turn hitting that.”

  “No, leave now.”

  This was all that was said, and the jerk who tried to hit on her. His face turned white before he went quickly through the crowd. Sexy-Blue-and-Green-Eyes moved from behind their friend and stood next to her while tall, dark, and mysterious stood right where he was and blocked her view.

  “Doesn’t she look amazing in that costume?” he asked his friends but never took his eyes off her. “I knew we made the right choice.”

  “You sent this?” She gasped, and her gaze flew to each of their faces. “Why?”

  “It was a gift for a simply gorgeous lady,” Blue Eyes murmured and raised his hand to his lips. “My name is Michael.”

  “You don’t remember us, do you?” It was the green-eyed man who spoke now. “Eight months ago in the hospital, one hot nurse, three guys flown in from Germany after being injured in Afghanistan. She took care of us, read the paper with us, and snuck in snickers after hours….”

  Portia gasped as the memory flooded her, and she recognized their faces. They weren’t bruised and bloody anymore. Even when they left the hospital their faces were still puffy, and they were healing from their injuries. Now they stood big, tall, and oh so handsome.

  “I remember you three. I never saw you again after that,” Portia said. “I assumed you’d forgotten about your Florence Nightingale.”

  “I’m Brady, and we could never forget you,” he replied. “We were back in theatre soon after.”

  “But you guys were pretty banged up,” she commented. “I thought for sure you’d have a few more months to recuperate.”

  “Air rangers never get breaks for too long.” This time it was the dark-eyed leader who spoke. “I’m Colby. Should we be upset you forgot our names?”

  Portia laughed. “I never knew your first names only your ranks, soldiers. Well I guess I should thank you for the costume. I wouldn’t have thought about coming here without it.”

  “We wanted to see you and talk to you about something. It’s actually a bit of show and tell,” Colby said.

  The music got louder as a dance beat filled the air. The bartender tapped her on the shoulder and handed her another drink. He glanced at the three men and gave her a wink before walking away. She was curious to know what they meant.

  “Do you want to step outside and we talk?” she asked.

  “A little later. How about we enjoy the party for a little bit? Care to dance?” Michael asked.

  “With all three of you?” she asked. Portia felt her face warm at the thought. Oh boy I’ve never been in a situation like this.

  Colby bent low to whisper in her ear. “You don’t have to be shy with us, darlin’. We won’t hurt you in the least.”

  Portia nodded slightly as they took her hand and led her to the dance floor. The soft country twang in his voice was endearing. She felt Michael’s warmth behind her. The heat of his body made her breath hitch. Jeez, what am I getting myself into? Still w
hen he felt Michael pressed closer against her and his hips begin to move, her body followed in response. Portia bit her lips as they each took a turn to hold and dance with her. Colby was the one who stood in front of her with his hands on her hips to hauled hard against his body. Unable to resist she pressed her face into his neck and inhaled his scent. He smelled good enough to eat, and with a bold move, she kissed the skin on his neck. Colby groaned in response and so did the other two men. She tensed wondering what that was about but didn’t have time to ask. Colby took her lips in a kiss that seared her nerve endings. He fisted his hand in her hair and devoured her mouth like a man dying of thirst.

  He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “I think we’re all done dancing, don’t you?”

  “We should leave anyway, things to discuss and all that,” Brady said. “People are starting to stare, and we don’t need that, do we?”

  Brady was the quiet one, but when she heard his voice, she remembered it from when they were in the hospital. Even though he was in pain, each time she came around to their beds when she was on shift, he had a joke or a flirtatious remark. Most women would ask if she was crazy leaving a party with three men, but she knew them when they were at their worst and under her care. She watched over them like a hawk for the first two weeks they were in the hospital. How could I have forgotten their faces? She didn’t think she actually let them slip her mind. It was simply putting them out of her mind. That was the thing with being an army nurse, you formed a connection and then usually you never saw the men you took care of again. Never get invested, and while she wondered once or twice how they were, that was life. Who knew they would cross paths again.

  “You drove here?” Michael asked.

  “Yes, that’s mine over there.” She pointed to her truck.

  “How about I ride with you and show you how to get to our place,” he offered.

  “You all live together?” Portia asked.

  “Yeah, we bought a small ranch about twenty miles away from base,” Colby replied and smiled. “Portia, after we talk if you decide to leave we wont stop you, but hear us out, ok?”

  She nodded. Just so you know I am a fifth degree black belt and can probably kick your asses. Don’t think because I’m shy I’m an easy mark.”

  Brady laughed out loud. “I love it, fire underneath all that sweet.”

  “You are so safe with us, darlin’,” Colby said. “It’s against our honor to hurt anyone, especially someone we care about.”

  “You care about me?” she said.

  “You’re the only thing that kept us going when we went back to Afghanistan,” Brady replied.

  Michael held out his hand. “Come with us, and you’ll see.”

  Portia took his hand and nodded and walked to her truck with him. The two vehicles left base and turned toward the interstate. She looked into her rearview mirror and saw the headlights of the truck that held Brady and Colby.

  “Turn here. This road leads to our home.” Michael pointed to the right, and if she had been on her own, she would have definitely missed it. She made the turn, and after a few minutes on the road, it opened up to a wide cul-de-sac that circled the front of the house. Lights were built into wide brick columns that framed the steps of a ranch style house she could only call magnificent. The structure had a warm feel and reminded her of the Spanish style homes in New Mexico and Arizona. It was completely out of place in Nebraska, yet it fit in perfectly. She parked her truck, and when Michael helped her from the car, she looked around. She heard the soft whinny of horses coming from a building close to the house.

  “You guys have horses?” she asked excitedly as Colby and Brady walked up to stand beside her.

  “We have several, and anytime you want to go riding, you can pick the horse of your choice.” Brady smiled.

  “That sounds nice. Isn’t it too cold for riding though?” Portia said.

  “We’ll find a way to keep you warm.” Colby took her hand and led her up the steps while the others followed.

  The way he said it made her body flush. The three of them had the possibility of making so much heat, she could probably melt. Would you really take on all three of them? Is that where this is heading? Portia chose to hear them out first before she made any decisions, but the fantasy of being taken by three men was right at her fingertips. The house was spacious inside, and the masculine colors of beiges and hunter greens practically screamed three men decorated the home. There weren’t recliners sitting all around. It was tastefully done and made her feel warm and invited. She turned when she was in the middle the room. Michael walked over and built a fire in the massive stone fireplace.

  “Ok, so I’m here and….” She waved her hand around. “What’s this thing I have to see?”

  “You should sit down.” Michael had the fire roaring, and he stood to face her.

  Portia’s eyes widened when they all began to unbutton their shirts. She sank weakly into the chair not knowing what to say as shirts were flung aside to expose toned sculpted chests and rippling abs. She was riveted by their hands while they undressed and kicked off their shoes. Colby wore a pair of cowboy boots, and for a moment, her gaze stayed on their feet until it traveled slowly up their bodies. Three pairs of hands went to the buttons of their jeans, and the men pushed them down lean hips. She had a moment where she wanted to bite her finger and then lick her lips watching them. Hot, sexy, manly, and definitely looked delectable enough to eat.

  That was not the last of her surprises. The men were completely nude. Instead of coming over to her, Michael, Brady, and Colby bent to a low crouch. Her heart skipped a beat, and she clasped her hands in her lap. She thought for a moment that they were going to pounce on her, but what happened next was more amazing than she could ever describe. Their bodies began to change, legs shortened and took on the shape of an animal’s, and they bent their heads while their muscles shifted and bunched. With a small cry of alarm, she scrambled back on the wide sofa until her back was in the corner and there was nowhere else to go. Thick fur replaced skin, and their faces had the definite look of a wolf. My God, holy mother of… She couldn’t believe her eyes. Three men becoming wolves before her was hardly what she thought they wanted to talk about. Yet they stood larger than any of the animals she had ever seen at a zoo or on TV, and they blinked at her with yellow eyes full of patience.

  Why would they show me this part of themselves? The black wolf, the one that used to be Michael, moved forward, and she climbed up on the back of the chair. He laid his head on the cushions and looked up at her. Even in wolf form she could see the humanity in his eyes, pleading for her to understand. The other two came forward, one wolf, grey and black who was Colby, and one pure white wolf that was Brady. They followed what Michael did, and now all stared at her, waiting for her to make the next move, to understand. She should have climbed over the back of the sofa and across the mahogany table which held a lamp and a large fern to hit the door running. Instead she could sense they meant her no harm and moved cautiously to her knees on the cushion in front of them.

  With trembling fingers Portia reached out and rubbed her hands through the black fur of Michael’s head, and he closed his eyes and growled. The other two pushed at her hand with their noses until she stroked them as well. An amazed laugh escaped her lips. This so can’t be happening. Yet here she was touching three wolves who had been men standing on two legs moments before.

  “All three of you are so beautiful,” she marveled. “How is this even possible?”

  She took her hand away when their bodies began to shift again. In less time than it took for them to become wolves, they were human again kneeling at her knees with smiles on their faces.

  “There are more possibilities in this world than meets the human eye,” Brady murmured. “We’re shifters. We are our own pack.”

  “There are others out there like you?” Portia asked.

  “Yes, all over, but we found each other when we joined the military. None of us exactly kn
ew who we came from since we were all orphaned,” Colby explained. “So we formed our own pack and made sure we were always in the same unit to have each other’s back.”

  “In packs isn’t there an alpha who leads them? I mean from what I watched on Animal Planet, that’s what I assumed.” She shrugged. “It’s probably different for human shifters huh?”

  “No, it’s not actually. I’m the Alph, the dominant of the three,” Michael answered.

  “How did you choose?” she wanted to know.

  “It’s kind of a sense thing, plus his coloring. When we all met in boot camp, instinct just led us to each other, and Michael was the leader,” Brady explained.

  “This is all so....unbelievable.” Her brows furrowed. “But what do you guys want with me? I’m not a wolf. I think I would have noticed by now.”

  Michael laughed and took her hand, kissing the knuckles gently. “We want you to be our mate, sweet Portia.”

  She shook her head in amazement. “All of three of you, how is that going to work? I thought you wanted a quick roll in the hay or something along those lines.”

  “There’s nothing quick about us loving you,” Brady said huskily. “Ours is a unique situation. There was no pack to give us guidance. But when we were all at the hospital and you cared for us, it was as if it hit us like a hammer. You are our mate. Not for one of us but all of us. It’s how we’ve always been. There is a bond that has gone past friend or pack. We’re brothers, and we want you to be part of it. It’s a decision that we all made together. Not just for one night but for always if you’ll have us.”

  “Be with us. We’ll love you like you’ve never been loved before,” Michael said.

  “All that we are will be yours, and we will in turn treasure you,’ Colby added. He reached up and cupped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a soft kiss. “Be a part of our family, say yes.”

  As if their instinct was in her, she just knew that this was right. For all the times she had been searching for someone to love her, there were three offering her happiness and fulfillment in their arms.