Chapter Eleven
Later that night, the three sat close together on the sofa, with their feet on the table in front of them, not really talking, just wanting to be close. The flames of the fireplace had their attention most of the time.
Beau stroked his thumb over the back of her hand as he compared the difference in their sizes. “Will you tell us about your childhood, Jayla?”
She sighed. “It was lonely, but I had the best education in one of the best schools in the US, so I can’t complain.”
“I don’t care about your education, sweetness. I want to hear about the emotions.”
Jayla turned her head toward Beau. “What can I say? I was a child without a family or confidence. I was picked on because I didn’t have parents come visit me, and I always had security around me.”
Diego nudged her with his shoulder. “Did you have any friends?”
“Yeah. Tami.”
Diego could tell from the tone of her voice, it made her sad. “What happened?”
“After Christmas break one year, a few men came and packed up all her things. I never saw her again. I asked, wrote, begged for information, but no one would tell me anything. That was the only time I asked the director for help. I pleaded with him to help me find her. The next day, I got a note from him. He had checked on her, and she was doing well but had to go to school overseas.”
“No one told you anything?” Beau asked, angry.
“No. I even asked Finn, the head of my detail, if he could check. He tried but got blocked. I cried for days. Besides Finn, she was the only other person who cared about me.”
“We met Finn,” Diego drawled.
Jayla sat up a bit. “You did? When?”
“The night you got released from the hospital.”
“He was there?” She couldn’t believe it.
“Yes. You didn’t know?” Beau asked.
Jayla shook her head. “No. I wonder what he was doing there?”
“He was there for you,” Beau informed her.
“But why? He has his own life now. He’s with a good woman who hopefully will be able to have kids. I don’t want to mess up his life. I already took fifteen years from him. He was the only one who stayed the whole time. I can’t remember half the others that had been hired.”
Beau tugged on her hair. “Did you ever think he might just love you?”
A line of shock hit her in the chest. Love. She knew he cared, but she thought she was just another job for him. A very long one, but still a responsibility he was getting paid for. “No, I didn’t consider that.”
“I not only think Finn loves you, but I really think Joseph does, too,” Diego murmured with his eyes closed.
“I can’t even think about that. Maybe someday, I’ll feel strong enough to ask questions, but not now.”
“But now you have us,” Beau commented. “Use our strength and know we’ll back you no matter what.”
She tipped her head back to look directly at Beau. “You promise?”
Beau nodded. “Yes, honey. We promise to always be there for you.”
She tried to blink away the tears that stung her eyes and glanced at Diego. Thankfully, his eyes were closed because she didn’t want to get that ridiculous lecture about not crying again right then.
Diego sat up and stretched. The muscles in his back and shoulders flexed, defining his already buff body into someone people would use to sculpt. It was perfectly proportioned and solid.
Beau stood and pulled Jayla up. “Let’s go to bed. I think we’re all pretty beat.”
Jayla used the bathroom first. Both men stared when she came out in just the shirt Beau had given her.
Diego smacked her butt as he passed her to go into the bathroom. “Get under the covers before you get cold, baby.”
Jayla flattened her hands over her ass and turned shocked eyes toward the now-closed doors. “I can’t believe he slapped my ass.”
Beau laughed. “Oh, he’ll do that a lot more, so get used to it.”
“I don’t know if I can. I’ve never been spanked in my life.”
Beau walked to her and tilted her chin up. “You’ll get used to it because we’ll use it as a way to punish you.”
“Punish me? For what?”
“That’s to be determined. But we’ll also use it to make you come.”
Jayla tried pushing his hand away from her face. “No way. I can’t believe a woman would enjoy being spanked.”
“We’ll just have to show you. Now, if I were you, I’d have my butt under the covers as he told you, or you’ll get your first lesson on spanking tonight.”
A startled and angry hiss slipped from her mouth, but she hurried to the bed because that’s the last way she’d want her night to end.
Diego came out of the bathroom. “It’s all yours.”
Beau walked past him. “She was shocked you spanked her ass, and she doesn’t understand how we could get her to enjoy it.” He chuckled at the glee that came over Diego’s face.
“We’ll just have to show her.”
Beau laughed and shut the door.
Jayla watched in fascination as Diego started pulling weapons from all parts of his body.
A gun from the back of his pants, one in his boot, several knives slipped out too.
How had she not known or felt all the weapons?
She knew they had to be armed, but they made it seem so natural, she hadn’t paid enough attention to notice them.
The bathroom door opened, and Beau came out, pulling out weapons as he went.
Both set them on the tables beside the bed, then reached for their clothes.
Jayla sat up with the covers up to her neck and watched as they both took off their shirts.
Her breath caught in her throat. Oh, my God.
Both were so well built. She’d only seen them in long-sleeved shirts, so hadn’t yet caught sight of their tattoos.
Beau had two. One on his right bicep and the other was large, but the colors and artistry were amazing. It was a bald eagle that curved over his shoulder. The tail feather and one wing went down his back. The head landed on his pectoral, and the other wing ran down that arm.
Diego had a lot more. One of his arms was covered from shoulder to wrist. He had another one across his chest and a few on the other shoulder. She could spend hours looking at all the details and was hoping she’d get a chance.
Right now, her gaze was drawn down as they pulled off their jeans. Thankfully, they left their boxers on, or she would have fainted. Both were so beautifully made. Diego was a little more compact but had abundant muscle, whereas Beau was taller and a little leaner.
Beau chuckled. “Breathe, sweetness. Nothing’s going to happen tonight. We just want to hold you.”
Jayla swallowed and nodded. She felt like she was going to snap. She was so stiff.
Both slipped into bed on either side of her and lay facing her.
Diego bit back a smile. “Jayla, look at me.”
She slowly turned her head, her eyes wide and her bottom lip between her teeth. She jumped when his hand landed on her lower stomach, but relaxed a bit when it didn’t move.
“We’re just going to go to sleep, so relax.”
Jayla snorted. “That’s easy for you to say.”
“I know. We just don’t want you to ever fear us. Okay?” Beau said.
Jayla’s face turned to Beau and nodded. “I’ll try my best.”
Beau nodded. He relaxed back on his pillow and placed one hand on her arm before lifting his head to Diego’s. “What the hell is going on with the Vikings?”
Jayla relaxed as they talked about sports, and soon her eyes grew heavy and then closed.
“Is she asleep?” Diego whispered.
Beau nodded. “Yeah. I guess she doesn’t like sports,” he said and chuckled softly.
“It was a genius way to relax and then bore her to death. You just pissed me off with that crack against the Dallas quarterback.”
Beau snorted. “Good night.”
“Night.”