18. Harper
HARPER
The moment we exited the coffee shop, Ghost grabbed me around the waist and twirled me around. “That was one of the most badass moves I’ve ever seen. You say that you’re not cut out for this world, but from what I saw back there, you could have men like Francois wrapped around your finger.”
I couldn’t help but giggle at how silly Ghost was acting, but I had to admit, I agreed with him. I’d handled myself well back there.
“Does that mean Magnus will let us do some shopping and get ice cream?” I asked, peering up at the man in question.
Magnus reached out and brushed my hair out of my face from being whirled around. “Yeah, doll, we can do that. The day is still young, and this place has lots to see. If you want, we can even head to the beach.”
“I didn’t think to pack a suit,” I cursed. “If I’d known, I would have just worn it under my outfit.” Jaxson groaned at that. “What?’ I demanded.
“Gorgeous, just the thought of us getting to see you strip out of your clothes to see the bikini you might have hidden under there is getting me hard,” Jaxson wined.
Ghost wrapped an arm around Jaxson’s neck and tugged him down for a noogie. “Then be glad I’m a guy who likes to be prepared for all things, so I packed all our swimsuits.”
Jaxson wrestled him off, only to grab his face and plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek. “You’re the best little brother ever,” he declared in a baby voice.
“Get the fuck off me,” Ghost grumbled, shoving him away. “Let’s go shopping for a bit, then we can hit up the beach.”
Surprising me, Magnus caught my hand before Ghost could make his move, and together, we started to wade through the people wandering the sidewalk. He took the lead and tucked me in right behind him so I had an easier time walking through the crowd.
“Call out when you see something you want to look at,” Magnus called over his shoulder.
I gave his hand a squeeze and let my attention wander, knowing he would take care of me.
Hours later, happily licking an ice cream cone, I watched the guys pack all the things I’d picked out into the Jeep, almost filling up the back seat.
Watching them experience shopping with me for the first time had been far more entertaining.
We’d gotten matching shirts, identical handmade bracelets, and even talked them into getting a hand-carved wooden penis bottle opener.
I stumbled upon a store filled with silks and other woven, hand-stitched fabrics I couldn’t pass up.
Visions of new designs filled my head as I directed them with how much of each I needed.
Regardless of what the future might hold, I knew the call to design was never going to leave me.
It set my soul alight to know I could create something out of nothing but a bolt of fabric.
That is what took up most of the space in the Jeep, but I regretted absolutely nothing.
“Can we go play now?” Ghost whined, letting his head fall to rest on my shoulder. “You should have warned us that shopping with you is an experience not for the faint of heart.”
I offered him a bite of my ice cream, which he accepted. “Don’t be such a baby. This was nothing. Until you come with me to France or Italy when it’s fashion week, you know nothing. Or LA, for that matter, when I go fabric shopping, there is just so much to look at.”
“What I want to look at right now is your ass in a bikini out in the ocean with me,” Ghost countered, grabbing a duffel I hadn’t noticed out of the front seat. “Let’s go find someplace to change, and maybe I can teach you how to surf.”
“Is this my learn-to-have-a-life moment? Wasn’t dealing with a mobster good enough? If I wanted to learn how to surf, I could have done it back home,” I pointed out.
Ghost clutches his heart as if he’s been wounded. “You can’t say things like that to me, angel. Surfing is one of my favorite pastimes, and Bali has some killer waves.”
“Can I just be your super-hot cheerleader instead? Or maybe I can paddle out there but not ride the waves? Wes tried to teach me, and I was awful at it. I’m just not wanting to relive that moment in my life again,” I explained.
“Wes is a good guy and all, but I’m not sure he had the right skills to teach you,” Jaxson interjected. “You tend to dig in and refuse to listen when you get nervous. He wouldn’t have been able to work that nervousness out of you like we can.”
My eyebrows rose at this information. “Are you saying I need to be sexually stimulated in order to calm the hell down?”
Ghost and Jaxson just grinned, refusing to answer. Magnus, on the other hand, caught my chin with his fingers, lifting slightly so I looked him in the eye. “It certainly helps, doll. Getting you all hot and bothered turns you into a good girl. You can’t deny it. We’ve all seen it first-hand.”
Shivers ran through my body at his words, telling me he was right. “It’s all your doing. I was never like that before I met you three.”
Magnus kissed me nice and slow as his other hand ran down my back to grab my ass.
“You have no idea how delighted I am to hear you say that, doll. Now be a good girl and play with Ghost. He survived your shopping trip, which wasn’t easy for him or us.
We did something you enjoyed. Now it’s our turn,” he murmured against my lips.
Instantly, my body sagged, and I was nodding in agreement before I realized it.
Magnus chuckled as I swore under my breath and attempted to push him away, but he didn’t budge.
“You’ve made your point. Let’s go so I can make a fool out of myself learning to surf.
” The three stooges all tried to keep their faces void of the laughter I knew was hiding behind their smiles, but they managed.
When we reached the locker rooms the public beach had that also doubled as bathrooms, we divided up the contents of the duffle bag and went our separate ways. “If you need us, just scream, and we’ll come running,” Ghost called after me as I entered.
Flipping him the finger, I continued on.
There could only be so many times a strange man comes after me in the restroom, right?
Like I’d told myself after the situation of being held hostage in my own house, I wasn’t going to live my life in fear.
The triplets had also seen to it I was getting back out there, living a full and happy life.
Maybe I should ask for more self-defense lessons.
It was becoming clear that while knowing how to shoot a gun was good, it wasn’t always available to me.
Taking a deep breath, I shook out those worries from my mind and took another glance at the mirror in the locker room at the suit Ghost picked out.
It was pure white, and while it was a bikini, the two pieces tied together at the waist. The top crisscrosses came down from the bustline, and the bottoms did the same but up from the hips wrapping around the middle in a neat little bow on my lower back.
I’d designed this for the woman who liked to be at the pool but not in the pool.
It was for show, not the best in utility, so this was going to be interesting.
I slipped on a sheer coverup with high thigh slits letting it flow easily over my body.
“Oh my God, did you see them?” A woman asked her friend as they entered the locker room.
“Girl, how could I miss them? There were three! I thought I’d had one too many pina coladas for a second,” her friend answered. “I wonder who they’re waiting for and which one they are with?”
Unable to help myself, I interjected into their conversation. “Oh, some hot man-candy out there?”
Both women stopped, loving the excuse to gush. “You have no idea. There are three of the hottest men I’ve ever seen out front. The best part is they are identical triplets.”
The other woman gave me a salacious grin. “Do you think they’re identical in every way?”
“Oh, are you talking about the tanned, blond-haired guys who are hotter than a human should rightly be?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.
“Yes, that’s them. I’m not sure there could be a better description of them than that,” the first girl answered, waving her hand excitedly, almost bouncing up and down.
I leaned in a little closer and lowered my voice so they had to listen carefully. “To answer your question… yes, they’re identical in every aspect physically. They do not disappoint, ladies,” I shared with a wink. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
With that, I left them slack-jawed, staring after me as I strutted my way out of the building to find the three men in question waiting for me.
None of them were wearing shirts, just their swim trunks and sandals, letting the sun glisten off their bodies.
I paused a moment to take them in and had to keep from licking my lips because of how yummy they looked.
The knowledge they were all mine helped a little too.
“Angel, why do you look like a cat who was given a bowl of cream?” Ghost asked as he held out a hand to me.
Slipping mine into his, I let him pull me against him, grinning like a fool. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just… I finally see why being able to boast to people that you’re with someone as amazingly sexy and sweet as you three is so much fun. It’s a bit of a high if I’m being honest.”
“Is that so? Are you saying you’re finally ready to admit your claim over us is officially official?” Jaxson asked as he stepped up behind me, placing his hands on my hips, pressing me into his brother.
I leaned my head back to look up at him. “Let’s just say if another woman dares to think she has a chance with you, I’m more than happy to correct her.”
Magnus pushed his way in on the side, so I was now the center of the circle. “Is that so? What about if a man thinks he has a chance with you? Are we allowed to correct him?”