Page 14 of Room Twenty-Eight: Her Beautiful Surrender

Her head shakes as she tries to speak. “I don’t…I don’t know.”

I see the moment the challenge hits my friends, and I relish the storm that’s about to rage. While they’ll be the thunder and lightning crashing and burning around her, I’ll get to be the steady rock for her to lean on.

Leaning forward, I lick along her jaw before hovering over her lips. “You do, sweet girl. You just need a steady hand, or hands, to guide you. Let us take care of everything.” She blinks as her phone begins to ring in Diesel’s hand. He hands it to her as Major begins walking towards the locker room with her still in his arms.

We follow behind, knowing that she’s about to be thrust into our world with almost no traction to slow the slippery slide of fame that’s about to come her way.

FIVE

Asta

“Are you listening to me, Asta?” Leon’s exasperated voice penetrates, but no, no, I’m not.

“Uh-huh.” Diesel smirks when he notices my distracted stare at his hot physique. Despite the fact I’ve had each of these men inside my body, this is the first time I’m really seeing them naked.

Major brought me into the locker room, hid me inside his stall, and the three of them proceeded to undress while blocking my view of all the other naked men surrounding me. I’m not complaining because I only want to see my three men, anyway. But it’s cute how possessive they seem to be.

Leon curses over the line. “How the hell do you know them, Asta?” His question drags me out of my daze.

“Uhm, I met them last night.”Sort of.“But I saw them in the Quarter when we were having lunch yesterday.” Not a complete lie.

“So you decided to fuck all three of them?” He shouts this question, and they each freeze, turning to stare at me and the tears I’m sure are filling my eyes.

“It’s not like that,” I whisper.

“So tell me what it’s like then? Cause it ain’t looking good.” He grunts, and I hear a crash. He must have thrown something at a locker.

“I can’t.” Leon and I have always been close since he came looking for me. He’s never been angry with me, never yelled, or lost his temper. This is new, and I’m unsure how to react.

“Can’t or won’t?” Pressing my head into my raised knees, I feel a heavy hand on my head, massaging my scalp before another takes the phone from me. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I cry silently as I listen to Major talk to my brother.

“Listen, Broussard, you call Asta back when you can calm down and not make her cry.” There’s a pause. “The fuck we did. You’re the one yelling at her and saying some seriously shit crap.” Another longer pause. “We aren’t using her.” My heart stutters, picking up pace as I listen to him claim me to one of the few people in my life that matter. “No, she’s not coming to see you tonight. Not until you calm the fuck down and can respect her and her choices.”

Someone sits in front of me, dragging me into their lap. It’s not until I inhale deeply that I realize it’s Diesel. His masculine scent holds a hint of spice, and the calluses on his hands as he sticks them down the back of my shorts are rough on my skin.

I’m not sure how long we sit like that: me wrapped up in him, face buried in his neck, and him with his arms around me. The locker room begins to quiet down, and when I feel us moving, I tighten my hold on him, not wanting to let go.

“I won’t let you go, Asta. Never letting you go,” he whispers into my hairline, kissing my temple. The move is so soft and sweet that I sigh and melt into him.

Before I’m aware of where we’re headed, I’m in the back seat of an SUV, buckled in, and we’re moving in the direction of my hotel.

My nerves get the best of me, and I pop out a question I might not want the answer to. “Why were you there last night?” They’re basically gods, they don’t need to take a woman by force, no matter how willing I was; women can and will lay down for them without complaint.

“Same reason you were,” Diesel says cryptically. “I think the better question is, why wereyouthere?”Now, there’s a loaded question if I were ever asked one.“What in the world is a virgin wanting that kind of experience for?” I’m definitely not ready to delve into that so deeply.

“A girl can’t have fantasies?” I try to joke, but it sounds tortured, and I get a look from all three of them that says I’m not fooling anyone.

“You’re gorgeous…” Diesel says.

“Smart as hell…” Colton continues.

“Too sassy for your own good,” Major finishes.

“So why did you need or want to lose your innocence so brutally?” Diesel questions.

Glancing out the window, I press my forehead to the cool glass before giving somewhat of an answer. “It wasn’t brutal to me. It was beautiful. It was…” I need to think of the right word. “Fulfilling.” I can feel their penetrating gazes on me, searing into me so they can get a glimpse of what’s inside my mind. “You wouldn’t understand,” I finally reply. “Not really. No one does.”

I’m met with silence at that as we continue to our destination, and I’m pretty certain I’ve lost them. They couldn’t possibly understand what appeal there would be to me to lose not just my virginity but the belief that something was wrong with me. I’m broken. My entire life, I’ve been unloved and shoved to the side. They wouldn’t have any idea what that’s like.

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