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He slowly released her lips and smiled as they touched foreheads.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Trevor,” she told him and he smiled then took her hand and led her through the house and onto the side-enclosed patio. It was screened in.

“It looks like we may be getting a storm any minute.”

“I know. I saw some lightning in the distance on my way over here.”

“Saw you jogging today,” Trevor said as he led her deeper onto the porch where they had set the table and lit some candles.

“This looks so nice. You did all this for me?” she asked.

He pulled her against him and held her face between his hands. Trevor stared down into her eyes. He had so much to say. Plus he wanted to demand why she let the sheriff walk her out from work and why she stopped to talk and laugh with him? Then came the feelings of guilt. He was being insecure. Never in his life had he felt incapable or not good enough. But with Lori, he felt his own insecurities getting in the way of the more important task at hand. He should be loving his woman, and securing a good, healthy relationship with her, instead of focusing on his fears of losing her.

“All three of us did,” Charlie sated as he and Dante entered the room.

Trevor released his hold as Charlie approached, leaned down, and kissed Lori softly on the mouth. He took her hand and looked her over. “I like it,” he said. She smiled and Trevor saw her eyes light up.

Dante approached and he looked stern.

“You look gorgeous. That color is almost identical to your eyes.” Dante kissed her softly. Trevor stared at Lori, and now Charlie and Dante looked at a loss for words.

Lori clasped her hands in front of her and then looked at each of them.

“What’s wrong? Something is wrong,” she whispered.

They were silent and then Trevor couldn’t wait.

“I don’t know why this is bothering me so much. What the hell were you doing letting the sheriff walk you out from work last night, or should I say this morning?”

He was trying his hardest to not sound angry, but concerned. The moment the words left his lips, he felt guilty and realized how insecure he was. This was his first serious relationship. He wanted to give Lori every part of him, and especially his heart. He knew the culprit to the insecurity and reservations. He was scared. Scared to love. Scared to trust and scared of losing the best thing that ever happened to him. Lori.

“Trevor, he was there with friends and waited for me to leave so I wouldn’t have to walk out alone. Carl was stuck inside with some sort

of kitchen situation.”

“What about the conversation on the hill? We were standing right down the road and you didn’t even wave to us. The sheriff made you laugh and stole your complete attention,” Dante added.

Lori took a deep breath.

She stared at all three of them and for some reason she felt like laughing and like crying. Laughing over the fact that three very dominating, sexy men like these three were jealous of the sheriff and crying, because she was so touched by their care for her and their love. She needed to make them understand that she wasn’t going to hurt them, just as she needed them to show her the same.

“First of all, there was no hidden meaning about J.R. walking me to my car. You guys are the ones that demanded I remember to take precautions always. Secondly, I love the three of you and I don’t have any romantic feelings for J.R., and third, if I didn’t love the three of you, then I wouldn’t have missed you so much, I wouldn’t have looked forward to seeing you and talking about the stress I’m under and I surely wouldn’t have gone out and splurged on this new dress. Nor these sexy panties.” She lifted her dress and showed off the black lace see-through panties for emphasis on her entire statement.

Her three stubborn men stared at her, so she pulled her dress back down into place, smoothed her hands down the front then stared at them.

“Get over here,” Dante ordered. Her belly tightened and, oh boy, did she feel wet as she slowly walked closer.

He didn’t touch her. Dante didn’t pull her into his arms and kiss her breathless as she anticipated. No, not this macho, take-charge soldier of hers. Instead he made her shiver with arousal and anticipation.

“Unzip that dress, slowly.”

Oh Lord, Maggie was right. This dress didn’t stay on long at all.

She stared at him, giving him the same stern, hard expression he gave her as she reached back and unzipped the dress. Moving her hand in front of her bodice, she held it in place.

“Off, I said.”