Chapter 28 #2
They all get up and come over, taking me in their arms and kissing me until I lose my breath. I laugh lightly, surprised by the intensity of their affection, but I also sense a tension underneath. I feel it in their tight shoulders. I hear it in their voices.
“Last day at the diner?” Beck asks as I take a seat on the matching rattan chair next to the sofa.
Leo pours me a glass of apple juice. I feel a tad heavier than usual, my baby bump huge and my feet cramping until I’m comfortably seated.
“Yes, sirs. Melinda cried a little,” I reply and nod at the gift bag on the glass table in front of us. “Gave me a parting present.”
“I smell pie,” Leo says.
“Your nose never disappoints,” I say and laugh .
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re done with the diner. After the kiddos are born, and when you’re ready to get back to work, the sheriff’s department awaits,” Dax says, beaming with pride.
I give him a confused look. “Wait, what? I thought they weren’t filing charges against me.”
“No, no, it’s not about Marcus or the work you did for him,” he chuckles softly. “They have an opening in their computer crimes department, and given your experience, your knowledge, and your skills with a computer, it only made sense.”
“You’re still worried about the legal issues surrounding Marcus Bennett?” Leo asks, sounding surprised. “Carlos made it clear that you were deemed a victim and a witness in the entire case. Our testimony, Chloe’s testimony… they cleared you already.”
“Right,” I reply, briefly lowering my gaze. “Sorry, my fight-or-flight instinct still kicks in at the worst possible time. It’ll take a while.”
“Trauma generally does,” Dax says. “We’re just here to reassure you that you’re going to be okay. The case has already been closed. His associates were arrested, and some have already been sentenced while others are awaiting their trials. The evidence you provided was instrumental in all of that.”
“Speaking of sentencing, how did Jocelyn fare?” I ask.
Beck sighs deeply. “She got time served. She was disbarred. I’m pretty sure she moved out of Ember Ridge. We haven’t seen her in town. No one has.”
“I want to say that I feel sorry for her,” I mumble. “But I don’t. ”
“Neither do we,” Dax says. “She got what was coming to her.”
After the motel incident, we all agreed to let sleeping dogs lie for a while, to focus on us, on building our home, our life together. We haven’t spoken much about the outcomes concerning Marcus’s cohorts or Jocelyn.
“So I’ve got a job waiting for me at the sheriff’s office, huh? Seriously?” I am already swooning over the prospect. “All the shady work I did for Marcus… I was sure it meant the end of my career. I was prepared to bus tables at the diner for the rest of my life, to be honest.”
Dax shakes his head. “You’re too talented to waste away like that. Melinda and Jim will find another girl to take your place, I’m sure.”
Chloe will soon be opening a law firm in Ember Ridge. “Chloe is going to need some help redecorating that space she leased for her law office,” I say.
Beck leans forward, giving me a worried scowl. “I’d better not catch you hauling furniture around, missy. Nor should you be inhaling any of those paint fumes.”
“I was actually hoping that the three of you might be willing to help her,” I reply with a delicate smile. “Carlos is still in physical therapy. It’ll be another month or so before he’ll be cleared for heavy lifting.”
“It’s killing him that he can’t do it all,” Dax chuckles dryly. “But he’s too proud to ask us for help.”
“We’ll help out on our days off, of course. Gladly,” Leo says.
I’m thankful for their unending support, but I still sense a tension, just scratching beneath the surface. They steal glances at each other. They fidget in their seats a little too much.
My guys are confident pillars of the community, my dashing firemen, my heroes through and through. Yet I’m seeing a side of them that I haven’t seen before.
“Okay, what is it?” I ask when the silence becomes too much.
“What do you mean?” Dax replies, his eyebrows arched in confusion.
I love the way the setting sun casts an amber glow across his handsome face, golden specks dancing in his salt-and-pepper beard as he looks at me. The steel in his eyes softens as I curl my lips into a smile.
“Come on, there’s something going on,” I say. “I’m not sure what it is, but you three are fidgety. It’s unlike you.”
“Fidgety,” Dax repeats, then glances at Leo and Beck. “Fidgety, she says.”
“I would’ve gone for nervous,” Leo replies, his dark eyes glued to mine.
Now I’m the one confused. “Nervous? What could you possibly be nervous about? I’m the one who’s going to be pushing out two babies soon. I’m going to be—what was the term again—ah, yes, a kept woman,” I laugh. “I’m not used to unemployment, my darlings.”
“You’re having twins in a few months,” Beck reminds me. “Pretty sure unemployment should be the least of your concerns, especially since we’re building a family together here.”
“My bad,” I shoot back. “You’re absolutely right. ”
“For what it’s worth, your independence is one of the things we love most about you,” Dax says.
“And there are so many things that we love about you, baby,” Leo adds.
I lose my breath as Dax takes out a small blue velvet box. His strong hands tremble ever so slightly as he opens it. It’s a simple gesture fraught with so much meaning that I already know what’s going to happen.
“And because we love you, because we love every single facet that makes you so wonderfully you, we figured we’d make it official. As official as the law will allow us, anyway,” Dax says.
“What are you saying?” I whisper, my heart throbbing, my pulse galloping beyond my control as I take it all in.
The ring is gorgeous. A pear-shaped diamond crowned by tiny sapphires and mounted on a slim and elegant white gold band. My fingers tingle with excitement as I stare at it for what feels like forever, the silence between us growing thick and heavy.
Anticipation builds, and I know there’s a question coming.
I’ve already got my answer.
“Will you marry—” Dax is about to ask, but the word escapes before I can even register it.
“YES.”
The guys look at me for a second, then at each other before they burst into laughter.
“Can you let me ask the full question first?” Dax says.
“Whatever it is, it’s got everything to do with spending the rest of my life with you. It’s a resounding yes, obviously,” I reply, doubling down since I’ve already jumped on this track.
“Will you marry us?” he asks anyway.
“Yes. Three times, yes. A thousand times, yes,” I insist.
Beck eagerly takes the ring out of its velvety nest, blooming with joy as he puts it on my finger, then kisses me. Deeply, wholeheartedly, fully. I feel his every emotion transferring from his lips to mine, wrapping my very soul in the comfort of his love.
I kiss him back with everything I have. I give all my love, giving every unspoken word a chance to seep into his body, my energy flowing freely as I welcome this new chapter of my already-peculiar life.
“I love you so much it hurts,” I tell Leo as he comes in for his kiss.
His lips are sweet and tender, his breath spicy and warm as he takes me into his arms, damn near crushing me in his embrace. I melt against him, eager to surrender, to open myself up and become one with him, with Dax, with Beck.
The ring twinkles whenever I move my hand.
Tears tickle the corners of my eyes. I taste happiness in every kiss. I feel it in every breath as we go inside and close the door behind us.
“This is only the beginning, you realize that, right?” Dax asks upon reaching the bedroom.
“We’re off to a good start, I’d say,” I quip, then pause to listen for Luke’s footsteps. It’s quiet in the house. “Wait, where’s Luke? He should be busy with his homework. ”
“He’s spending the night at his friend Andy’s house. It’s Friday,” Leo laughs. “Look at you, already mommy-ing at full speed.”
“I’m taking my role seriously since Luke said he wants to be a good son to me.”
“And we want to be good husbands,” Dax says and pulls me close, fingers already fiddling with the buttons of my shirt.
It’s the last time I’ll be wearing Melinda’s diner’s turquoise and powder-pink shirt, and I’m certainly enjoying the way it’s coming off me.
“You mean, good fiancés,” I correct him. “You’ve yet to make an honest woman out of me, sir.”
“All in due time,” he growls as he captures my mouth in a greedy, desperate kiss.
“Ah, you taste like heaven,” I moan against his lips.
My hands move of their own accord, peeling the shirt off his chiseled torso. My fingertips register every inch of skin—a silky smooth surface stretching over hard muscles before they tangle with the salt-and-pepper curls across his chest.
In the meantime, Leo gets behind me, unbuttoning my jeans with exceptionally deft movements. Beck whispers in my ear before he nibbles on the lobe.
“We’re going to be more careful now that you’re farther along, baby.”
“I’m fine, Beck. I’ll be a lot better once I have all three of you inside me,” I promptly reply, the hunger building up.
Heat unravels in my core as Leo hooks his fingers into my panties and pulls them down. My eyes close as Dax’s tongue makes love to mine, as Beck trails kisses along the side of my neck, as Leo spreads my legs and slips his fingers between my wet folds.
“Fuck, Olivia,” Leo hisses, finding me hot and ready, my clit swollen and begging for release. “I’ll never get tired of this.”
“It’s the effect you have on me,” I reply, glancing over my shoulder as he hugs me from behind and keeps me upright while Dax gets down on his knees in front of me.
We lock eyes on each other as Beck massages my left breast. Leo’s got the right one firmly in his hand—both tender, full, and brimming with sensations as my whole body responds to their possessive touch.
At the same time, Dax licks my clit, and I damn near fall apart.
It’s the subtlest flutter, yet it triggers an avalanche of ripples through my core. Leo penetrates me with two fingers from behind, just as Dax locks his lips around my swollen nub.
“Oh, fuck…. Oh, don’t stop…” I moan in sweet agony as Beck takes my nipple in his mouth, suckling harder and harder until the most delicious sting spreads through my ribcage.
Leo finger-fucks me without mercy while Dax presses his tongue against my clit, sucking at the same time. Beck bites into my nipple.
I explode, crying out as I convulse in the tidal wave of a devastating orgasm, trembling as my three men hold me upright.
Soon, we’re on the bed and I’m riding Dax’s cock while Beck takes me from behind. They’re both hard as rocks as they pump into me, the rhythm building into a veritable frenzy as they stretch and fill me to the brim.
My mouth is filled with Leo’s cock, and I lick and suck it before letting it slide down my throat until tears burst from my eyes.
“You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen,” he whispers, knees planted into the bed while he runs his fingers through my honey blonde hair.
I feel Beck’s hands caressing my growing belly, so loving, so tender, while he thrusts himself deeper inside of me.
“I don’t want this to ever end,” I say, my breasts bouncing with every movement as I look down at Dax. He smiles at me lovingly.
Both of my hands are wrapped around the base of Leo’s cock. Dax’s fingers clench my hips, holding me in place so that both he and Beck can go as deep as possible.
“It doesn’t have to. We’re not going to let it.”
“No way… fuck, you’re incredible,” Beck says as he pumps deep into me. His hand comes down and playfully slaps my ass.
I welcome the sting and take Leo in my mouth again, stroking him with both hands. Determined to watch him unravel, I tighten my grip and suck the tip, harder and harder as I taste his salty desire on my tongue.
We lock eyes, their panting breaths sweet music to my ears.
Leo stiffens and spills down my throat. I swallow every drop, savoring the pleasure I brought him .
Beck comes next. I feel him pulsating in me, giving me every inch of himself in the process. My clit presses against Dax’s groin, Beck’s last thrust nudging me into a friction that unleashes a chain reaction.
My head falls back as I surrender to another climax. My body twitches as Dax joins us in this absolute heaven as he spills deeply into me.
“You really were made for us,” Dax manages after what feels like an eternity’s worth of sweet silence.
“And you were made for me, because otherwise, none of this makes sense,” I reply, leaning against Beck for balance.
Leo cups my face in his hands and comes down for a kiss. He can taste himself on my lips, and I love the way he smiles whenever I finish him off. That lazy, satisfied grin. That warm twinkle in his brown eyes. The ecstasy seeping through every pore.
I love pleasuring them as much as they pleasure me.
“Of all the universe’s grand designs, I think we’re the strangest,” Beck says, planting a kiss on my bare shoulder as he wraps his arms around my generous waist. “And the fact that we’re about to welcome two new souls from this love feels like the supreme confirmation. ”
“I never pegged you for the spiritual type,” Dax quips.
“Olivia helped me find myself again in many ways.”
Evening finds us splayed across the bed, spent and basking in a golden afterglow. Sweat drips from my temples as I rest my head on Dax’s chest.
“When should we have the wedding? Before or after the babies are born?” I ask .
Beck raises his head to look at me. “It’s completely up to you. We can do it tomorrow at the courthouse, if you want.”
“I’m fine either way,” I reply, trying to seem cool but concern still drawing my brows close together. “It’s just that…”
“What?” Leo asks.
“I’ll need to custom-fit the wedding dress,” I sigh deeply. “If we do it before the twins come, I’ll be huge.”
“You’ll get the wedding of your dreams, baby,” Dax lovingly reassures me. “Only the best for the woman of our dreams.”
The woman of their dreams.
That sounds so beautiful. I used to dream about hearing those words from the man I loved. And being able to believe them, too. Funnily enough, I never believed Marcus on the rare occasions he paid me a compliment. And now, I’m hearing them on a regular basis from three incredible men.
My heroes.
My future husbands.