Goldie and Her Bears (2 page)

Slamming the passenger side door as he slid in, Arkadios growled, “Next time she calls I’m bloody well not going with you lot.”

“She’s seventy-five, Ark,” Mahon chuckled from his spot in the back of the SUV.

“She fucking grabbed my ass!”

Laughing nearly hysterically, Torben took six tries to get the key into the ignition. “She happens to like how tight and perky it is,” he teased, quoting Mrs. Riley. “She is a connoisseur of asses after all.”

Mahon snorted as he wheezed in laughter, “She’s had seventy-five years to become an expert after all,” he gasped.

Wiping at the tears on his cheeks, Torben looked at Arkadios and burst out howling even harder.

“You two are fucking assholes,” he growled at them. “Never fucking again. You know she fucking calls us to come and fix shit so she can make passes at us.”

“Again, I will say it once more, she’s seventy-five, Arkadios. She’s lonely,” Torben said, wiping his eyes as he got himself under some semblance of control. “Mr. Riley was her world. They came from the old country together. And you know her kids never visit except at Christmas and it's the only time she gets to see the grandkids.”

“No excuse for her to play grab ass with me!”

Mahon leaned forward, putting his arms on the back of the front seat between them, “Dude, she likes you,” he grinned. Ducking back when Arkadios came at him, he laughed.

“Quit harassing him,” Torben chuckled softly, pulling out of Mrs. Riley’s yard. “You know he has no compunction about ripping out your throat.”

“He won’t, he knows without me he’d be bored silly inside of a week. I’m the comic relief,” Mahon grinned, sitting up again. Leaning back in the seat, he gave him a cocky grin in the rear view mirror, “And so would you, you love my sense of humor. You two would mope around without me in your lives.”

The growl Ark gave left the statement in question and had Torben chuckling once more. “Okay, so we got Mrs. Riley settled for the next week at least. What’s on the grid we need to take care of?”

“We have the meeting with the Druthers tomorrow at one,” Mahon said, pulling his phone from his pocket reading off their lists of things. “Then we have to meet with the crew by three to check the progress on the new place by the river. At six we have the reception to attend at the music hall so we can schmooze the big wigs.”

Mahon tapped at his phone, “Following day, Torben, you need to get out to the new site on the other side of town by nine to supervise the ground breaking with Mrs. and Mr. Reynolds. It's the big log and rock place we’re putting in for their retirement in two years and counting, according to the missus.”

“Which she also says can’t happen soon enough,” Ark muttered, shifting to lean against the door. “Apparently, Mrs. Reynolds does not love his rather fly-by-night attitude and wants to nail him down to one place.”

“Can’t really blame her if even half the rumors about him are true,” Torben commented before looking in the rear view again. “Keep going, Mahon.”

“After that, T, you will have to go to the club for your meeting with Mrs. Johansson about her renovations to the old Walberry place she bought. That should take you through lunch given she’ll want to discuss your love life.”

“You mean lack thereof,” Ark snorted.

“And recommend every woman and girl she knows between the age of eighteen and fifty who would love to have you around. More ways than one,” Mahon grinned at him. “I have to do the books that morning, so we can hand everything over to the accountant for the most evil time of the year—tax season. And from this it looks as if Arkadios has the morning off, but will be doing a quick stop at the site by the lake before we meet him in the city for the two o’clock meeting at the office. We still have to find a new assistant who won’t run screaming whenever one of us loses our cool.”

Both he and Torben looked at Ark who just grinned. “If Ark would stop growling at them every damned time they tried to do anything, we’d keep them longer. What we need to do is find a big ass male who will just punch him in the nose when he growls.”

“Yeah, but then we’d have a body to bury when Ark goes all hairy on his ass and kills him,” Mahon pointed out, leaning on the back of the seat. “What we need is some cute little thing that has no fear of smacking him with a rolled up newspaper. He won’t kill a female but we really need to find one with a fucking spine.”

“Good point,” Torben had to admit as he sped along the road toward the house the three of them had constructed. Right after they’d made their first million, they had bought the land, and two years later broke ground. Many found it too cold from the outside but once inside, they saw the true genius about their design. It’s what they did.

Arkadios was the guy who knew just where to put a building. He knew where to drive the structure deep and keep it strong. He was brute strength. Which, when you were six foot eight with a muscle packed wide frame, it was pretty obvious he was the one people went to when they needed something hefted. His black short cut hair, dark brown eyes, and deeply tanned skin added to the image he had and one he cultivated to ensure people gave him a wide path.

Mahon was their money guy. He wined and dined people and got into their heads. He found out what they really wanted and needed in a home. People felt comfortable around him, his looks helped with the persona. He had dirty blond wavy hair and deeply tanned skin. The swimmer physique gave him a surferesque look even if he was six foot six and much too tall for the sport. A relaxed personality, calm blue eyes, and an easy smile made him the perfect one of the three of them to talk to people, calm them and get them to agree to whatever the men wanted to do.

Then there was Torben. He could stand on a plot of land right where Ark had picked the spot and feel the building around him. He was the designer. At six foot six, dark brown shaggy hair to his collar and a rich tan along with his deep green eyes that were often focused on things others just didn’t see, gave him a dreamer quality. He was also right in the middle of the personalities of the three men, not as tense and rough as Arkadios, but definitely nowhere near as relaxed and easy going as Mahon. He was the balance and often mediator when Mahon got Ark going on one topic or another.

The three of them handled all phases of the construction with their fifty man and woman crew. Once the building was up, it was left to the designers who they employed or the ones the client preferred.

Turning onto the road to their place, he had to smile. It was a giant glass structure, and yet it wasn’t cold. It just seemed to fit into nature. From within the glass walls it felt like nature was crawling right up to them.

Parking out front, he slid out and stretched. “Alright, guys, we got shit to do tomorrow.”

“Barbecue,” Ark said and got nods from them. “I’ll get the steaks if you guys want to get the rest ready.”

“I’ll clean up from earlier. Since we ditched lunch I’m thinking we need to get those steaks on the grill pretty damned fast.” Mahon looked at them as they pushed into the house.

They never locked the door, who the hell was going to steal something out in the middle of nowhere? You couldn’t see the house from the road, and no one coming through the woods was going to be able to haul anything of worth out of it. Especially since most of it was nailed down and heavily alarmed. The house could be turned into a lock-box in under ten seconds.

Part of why they didn’t mind the glass windows, was because it wasn’t actually glass. A product, which didn’t chip or ding but could quite literally stop a bullet. Chuckling, Torben stepped into the house, then came to a stop right behind the others and inhaled.

“Someone’s in here,” Arkadios snarled around fangs that already filled his mouth.

“Calm down, Ark,” Torben put his hand on his very volatile friend’s shoulder. “I’m going upstairs, you two check down here. Do not hurt the person. They could be looking for assistance or help. Don’t jump to conclusions either,” he warned and headed for the stairs yelling over his shoulder. “And don’t eat them, Ark! Mahon keep an eye on him.”

Jogging up the steps, he checked all the rooms, wincing at the bright pink room that was Arkadios’s niece’s room when she stayed with them. Closing that door, he kept moving on light feet until he was standing over his bed and staring down at the little human woman. Growling low in his throat, he leaned in close. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to crawl into a strange man’s bed, little girl?” he whispered next to her ear.

Goldie’s scream caught in her throat when the growl and deep voice spoke. She jerked up in the bed, her forehead connecting with his and dropping her back on the bed. “Son of a bitch,” she muttered. “Damn it, you could have at least pulled back.”

“Why?” he asked, staring at her. “You’re in my bed, in my home, and I don’t recall inviting you in. Besides, it didn’t even phase me,” he murmured before his eyes began a roam down her body. “Care to explain why you’re hiding out in my bed?”

Goldie narrowed her eyes, so far, she was still alive, and he wasn’t on the phone calling the police. She figured honestly was her best policy at this point. If she did the crying thing, for sympathy, she may get on his last nerve and he would kill her. Some guys just didn’t respond to a good sympathy act. He may be overbearing, but she didn’t feel like he was gonna hurt her, she felt and instinctive pull towards him.

“Because it was comfortable,” she said with a shrug. “Look, I just wanted in from the rain. I will pay you back for the food I ate. I just had to get away from some perverted assholes who thought that by me agreeing to go camping with them, I was agreeing to share their sleeping bags. It wasn’t what it meant. I just simply wanted to come to the forest. I love being out in nature and while I typically spend my weekends outdoors, I’ve never really been able to come to the forest because I don’t have a car. So when they offered this overnight camping trip even if on a work day, I jumped at it without thinking it all the way through.” Simple and pure truth, Goldie hoped this worked.

Nodding, he finally pushed back and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m guessing you managed to lose them since you don’t appear injured,” he said. “As for the food, don’t worry about it. You needed it and it's all that matters.” He stared at her for a time before getting to his feet, “I’m Torben by the way. Bathroom is through there if you want to grab a shower. We’re throwing steaks on the grill if you’re at all interested. After dinner you can tell us just who you came out with, what all they suggested, and where last you saw them. Food will be ready in half an hour. Beer is in the fridge if you want one, and we’ll be out back.” Pivoting on his heel, he left the room pulling the door closed behind him.

She looked at the door after he left, her mouth fell open as she did so. “Holy shit what just happened?” she asked herself but scooted to the edge of the bed. Shrugging, she said, “What the hell, why not?” She moved to the bathroom and decided to go ahead and shower, she might as well in case they decided to have her arrested anyway. She would be in lockup for a while and who knew hard long she would have to go without a shower. If they killed her, at least she would be fresh, maybe that would cover the death smell a little. Besides, she still felt that trust, Goldie was pretty sure he would not follow her, and the door had a lock, which she secured and prayed he didn’t have a key. For good measure, she moved the chair in the corner and braced it under the handle.

Stripping out of her clothes, she looked at the back of the bathroom door and snagged the robe that was hanging there as if it was just waiting for her to put it on. After finding a towel, she then got into the shower and let the hot water cascade over her body before getting clean.

****

Goldie paused on the stairs. She heard three distinct voices—all male. Well shit, had he invited his murder partners to torture and kill her? Maybe it was the police he called and they were drinking coffee waiting to arrest her. Her first instinct was to run, but she knew that would be wrong if it were the police. Goldie had to face her fate either way, she would go down swinging. Pulling the robe she was wearing closer and tighter, she took a deep breath, stepped down the last couple of steps, and turned so she could walk into the kitchen. Lifting a hand, she said, “Hi.”
Holy hell
, t
hese men
are
smokin’ hot
, was all she could think.

“Our unexpected house guest,” Torben said to the guys. “Arkadios and Mahon, this is... Well, honestly I have no idea. Woman that was in my bed, this is Arkadios and Mahon,” he indicated each of the males. “How do you like your steak?” he asked her as he moved to the stove to pull out the corn on the cob, dropping them into a bowl.

“My name is Jacilda. However, everyone calls me Goldie. I prefer Goldie to Jacilda because the name just frustrates the hell out of me.” She shrugged. “And what’s your name, guy whose bed I woke up in?” she shot back at the massive man.

“Torben,” he said moving the pot off the stove. “Grab a beer or something else from the fridge,” he told her.

Goldie nodded and walked to the refrigerator, “Just to be clear, are you calling the cops, or are you serial killers. Want to make sure we are all on the same page here.”

The three men looked at her with an amused expression. Torben laughed aloud and said. “Neither, we are just trying to figure out how you found us.”

“Why is she running around in your robe, Torben?” Mahon asked curiously, darting looks back and forth between them. “'Cause I have to say this is a shocker honestly. Not that I mind the company for dinner given she’s prettier than you two, but still totally shocked.”

“Because he scared the bejesus out of me and felt bad, so he told me I could use his shower,” Goldie said as she reached into the fridge and pulled out a beer. “I’m the one who broke into your house. Although, I didn’t technically break into the house since the door was unlocked. Why the hell was it? Don’t you guys lock your doors?”

“Never have,” Arkadios said, inhaling deeply while quietly watching her, his arms crossed over his chest, his senses went into overdrive when he smelled her. “Most people around these parts know about us and know better than to steal shit. And if they don’t know about us and steal something, we track their asses down to introduce ourselves. Up close and personal.”

Goldie stared back at the big one speaking. He could crush her with his arms no doubt but she had just showered and he kept sniffing as if she smelled bad. It was kinda pissing her off. Forgetting she was in their house illegally, wearing a bathrobe, she stood her ground.

“Well, I wasn’t planning on stealing shit,” she muttered and got right back into his face. “If you didn’t notice, it was raining cats and damn dogs out there. I was wet. I was cold. This place was empty so deal with it, big boy. You have a guest even if it is unexpected so get over yourself.”

When Arkadios growled, Mahon put a hand on his shoulder, “And you are a lovely guest. We were not accusing you of anything,” he smacked Arkadios when he growled again. “But he is right, means you’re not from around here. Which means you have a story to tell,” he smiled. “So tell.”

“Like I told you upstairs, I really wanted to come to the forest.” She began, “You see I don’t drive except for when it is a necessity. I get panic attacks when I’m behind the wheel of a car so I figure it’s better that way.” The inability to control the other drivers was what made her go bat-shit crazy and panic. “A friend of mine from work said he and some friends were coming camping overnight and invited me. I figured there would be no issues. Boy was I wrong,” she mumbled. “Assholes brought me to be their fucking amusement—literally, so I told them to fuck off. I told them I would rather be mauled by fucking bears than stay and be their plaything.”

Torben snorted and beer shot out of his nose before he started choking and coughing all at the same time.

“Well there are only a few bears in these woods, so as long as you don’t poke them they won’t eat you,” Mahon said with a sneaky looking grin.

Ark inhaled deep and then grunted, “Steaks should be done,” and headed out the back door to the patio.

“And that is our cue to go out and pull up a chair,” Mahon said, moving to pound Torben on the back. “Geez man, pull in some air. You’re starting to look a little pasty and blue all at the same time, seriously not your color.”

Goldie snorted and shook her head, “Are you brothers or something? With the easy way that you tease, I would think you were either brothers, very best of friends, or lovers.” She hoped that it wasn’t the last one because they were seriously damn hot, and she wouldn’t mind being stuck with them for a day or five. She was worried about that pick girly room. “And do you think I will be able to use your phone? My cell has crappy reception out here, and I really do need to call for a cab sometime soon.”

“There are no cabs out here,” Torben said once he managed to pull air into his lungs. “And the closest cell tower is nearly six miles from here thus the spotty if not nonexistent service. We’re best friends and partners in business. This,” he waved a hand at the house while Mahon grabbed the corn and left them alone, “was one of our projects, a personal one. We bought the land once we had the money, and then broke ground and started to build it between jobs, on weekends, and in the dead of the night. Pretty much any chance we had we were out here putting it together. Phone’s on the wall there,” he pointed past her shoulder, “if you want to call someone else to come out and get you. Or we can give you a lift into town in the morning when we head in for our meetings and such.”

“The morning would be fine, if you guys don’t mind that is?” Goldie asked quietly. A little embarrassed that she didn't have any close friends to call or any family left, being alone in the world sucked. And even with the hot men being so nice, she really hoped she wasn't setting herself up for the same situation as with Barrett and the rest of the jerks. “If you do, I can make a call but I would really rather not have the ‘I told you so’ debate with any girlfriend anytime soon if you wouldn’t mind,” she grumbled." “You’re welcome to stay, Goldie,” he told her. “Grab your beer and let’s get out there before they eat all the meat.” Snagging his bottle, he tipped his head. “Come on,” he said and headed for the back door. Stepping out he held it and waited on her to decide.

She moved outside with him and to the table that was laden with food. Taking the seat offered to her, she settled in and smiled. “Thank you for letting me stay with you guys, even though I did just kinda broke in and all that.” She lifted her beer for a toast and said, “To your hospitality.”

Tipping their heads, they began piling food on all of the plates. Passing her one of the plates, Arkadios eyed her before nodding and settling into his chair.

“So, Goldie, what do you do to keep yourself busy?” Mahon asked her curiously. “School, work, finding yourself in the woods without a vehicle?” He grinned.

“I’m actually a personal secretary,” she told him. “Not very glamorous, I know, but I love it. I’m able to keep people in line that need to be kept in line. I don’t take shit and they know it.” Although, more than likely, her job would be forfeited as soon as she got back since asshole number one who brought her to the woods was the boss. “I work for an architectural firm that has a division for builders as well. So yeah, I kinda know what you guys do.” She had a feeling she knew the men too. Their names were sparking some memory but she couldn't fetch it out of her mind...yet.

They all looked at one another and brows went up before she was the focus of three pairs of eyes. Torben licked his lips, “If you’re ever looking for a job, we have a position continuously open. Ark tends to scare off our assistants, so we’ve been hunting desperately for another. So far we haven’t had much luck and beyond putting a muzzle on him, we aren’t sure anyone will survive his snarky growly ass.” Only half joking about the muzzle.

“Damn, now I remember why you seem familiar.” Her eyes went wide and she began to snicker. “My bosses hate you guys. Take it as a compliment because they are utter assholes and they don’t understand honesty and integrity. I’ve been looking for another job for like a year and can’t find one. I think they have blocked me at every turn because I’m damn good at what I do, plus I know a lot about their dealings.”

“Who are your bosses?” Mahon asked, leaning forward. “And do tell us more of all the reasons why they hate us,” he grinned eagerly. “Come on, dish. Tell us all the rumors and such. Anything and everything they’ve ever said about how they hate us.”

“Mersberger and Associates is the company I work for.” She snickered and said, “One of you stole one of their dates one night, and I guess that was what sparked their hatred for you. From then, they keep trying to undercut you.” Blushing she added, “I might have lost a message or two from their people on the zoning commissions when you guys were putting in sealed bids.” She wasn’t proud of it, but she didn’t believe in all the foul play that was happening. “So I seriously doubt you guys would want me working for you. I have a very, very strong sense of right and wrong, and don’t mind losing messages or rerouting couriers if it should happen.”

“Actually, I think you’d be perfect for the position,” Torben said and he looked over to Arkadios who was staring at her. “Ark, Mahon and I are on board with giving you a job. You know it has to be unanimous, what do you say?”

Chewing a piece of steak, the big bear nodded after a moment, “Yeah I’m cool with it,” he said. “As long as she doesn’t piss her pants every time we look at her.”

“Only one guy did that, Ark,” Mahon said with a shake of his head.

“So the job is yours if you want it, Goldie,” Torben said, looking her way again.

Leaning in and bracing her elbows on the table, she looked at each one of them. “Good thing for you guys that I really don’t scare all that easily, huh? Or is it good for me?” She shrugged. “Besides, if you give me any shit, I will roll up a newspaper and smack the back of your head to make you shut up and listen to me.”

Torben and Mahon were grinning wide and then burst out laughing. “I hate you two. I have no idea why we’re fucking friends at all,” Ark muttered, glaring at them. “You two planned this, you told her didn’t you?” he asked, leaning in closer. “You did!”

“Planned what? Huh?” Goldie was completely and totally lost. “You guys seriously act more like brothers than friends. That’s why you guys are friends. You are all three so much alike it’s not even funny. Even I can see that, and I’ve only just met you.”

“Ignore him,” Torben said, throwing a kernel of corn at his friend. “He’s just remembering something Mahon commented on this morning. Mahon said we needed to find an assistant for the office; one that wouldn't be afraid of Ark’s mood swings and would just roll up a paper and whack him. He,” he pointed at Arkadios, “is under the delusion that we told you before now and you’re toying with him.”

Goldie looked from one man to the other and then began to snicker. Seeing Arkadios’s face thundering she began to full out laugh, she couldn’t help herself. “Oh man, that’s utterly and completely priceless. You. Oh that’s too funny.” She snickered again, “No they didn’t tell me about that. It really is something I would do without question if you got out of line. And no, you don’t scare me. To be honest with you, you should scare the living shit out of me but I feel rather comfortable around you,” shaking her head, not really understanding the instant attraction or the feeling that she has known them before. The whole situation was absurd.

“Oh, I really like her,” Mahon chuckled, shaking his head with a huge grin at Arkadios. “Come on, Ark, you have to admit, she’s got a set on her.” He looked to her and explained, “By this point, most people are pissing their pants and running for the nearest exit.”

“Well, good thing for you I’m not most people, huh?” Goldie asked and looked back at Arkadios. “I don’t want to fight with you, I really don’t; however, I won’t let you run over me either. I give as good as I get—in all things. Just keep that in mind.”

Torben threw another kernel at Ark and grinned when the man caught it and threw it back. “He’s a pain in the ass and snarly but you’ll eventually like him, or try to kill him every chance you get. With Arkadios there really are only the two options,” he said to her, flicking the kernel right back across the table.

She snickered, unable to help herself. Leaning forward, she braced her elbows on the table and asked, “All right, I have to ask because it’s driving me crazy. Why the headache-inducing pink room?” Torben and Mahon snickered and look to Ark to answer.

“My niece chose the color and happens to love it, is there a problem?” Arkadios asked her with a lifted brow. “She’s six and happens to love pink at the moment. Two years ago, it was neon yellow. Who knows what the hell the next color will be.”

“Oh, you poor man.” She reached out and touched his hand with hers, smiling as she gave it a squeeze. “I think that it’s sweet you are willing to cater to her like that. It makes me see the man you are instead of the growling beast you are putting forward. I like the man, you should let him show often,” Goldie eyes twinkled for the big guy that would bow to wants of a six year old.

The three shared a look before Arkadios looked at her, “Darling, you are in for one hell of a shocker,” he told her, pulling his hand out of her reach. Snagging his beer bottle, he took a drink as he watched her carefully.

Shrugging, Goldie went back to eating once more. “Yeah, well, it’s pretty hard to shock me,” she told them simply. “I mean like seriously hard. I think I’ve just about seen it all in life, which is sad if you think about it.”