Chapter 34
34
Elise
O nce the madness clears and the investigation is closed—much to the work of Sheriff Van Pelt and his deputies—the town of Rustic regains its tranquility on the eve of Thanksgiving Day.
Michael decided to join us for Thanksgiving dinner back at James’s place, while Kara and Andrei have returned to Chicago with Lev and a captive, still healing Igor. Peace finally weighs gently over our side of the mountain, a calming mist settling outside while Janice and I work to serve everyone.
“Cranberry stuffing!” Tricia exclaims as Janice adds a serving to her plate, then Ainsley’s.
“Our favorite!” her twin sister declares.
“Don’t think we didn’t keep that in mind when we organized this wonderful feast,” Janice says with a bright smile.
“More wine?” Roman asks, an open bottle in his hand as he moves around the table.
“None for me, thank you,” Michael raises his water glass with a wry smile. “I’m still under twenty-one.”
Oliver chuckles. “We both know old man Lev’s got a bottle of something waiting for you back in Chicago.”
“I’ll never tell,” Michael coyly replies.
“Of course not,” Roman quips, skipping my glass as well. “None for the mommy-to-be either.”
“We’re gonna have baby brothers!” Tricia tells Michael.
“Or sisters,” Ainsley adds with a serious frown. “We don’t know yet. I want sisters.”
“And if you get brothers? What then?” James asks his lovely, ginger-haired daughters, both looking ridiculously sweet in their soft brown velvet dresses. “It isn’t like we can give them back.”
“No, no, we keep them!” Ainsley declares.
“We just can’t dress them up,” Tricia sighs, downright disappointed.
James leans closer toward me, a devilish grin splashed across his handsome face. “Meh. We can keep trying until we get you a sister, too. How does that sound?”
“That…” I pause to laugh, my plate full of turkey and stuffing, my mouth literally watering. “That sounds like a lot of work, but if it’ll make the girls happy, sure. We can try. I’ve always wanted a big family anyway.”
“YAY!” the twins throw their little fists up in the air, genuinely delighted. “We’re gonna get sisters, too!”
Janice gives me a cool grin. “Okay, now I’m really looking forward to that ultrasound.”
“That makes two of us,” I shoot back.
“Five of us,” Oliver quips.
“Seven, with the twins,” Roman says and rolls his eyes as he takes his seat.
“Okay, fine, eight,” Michael chimes in, chuckling. “Actually, I think I’ll go ahead and add three more from Chicago who will be equally excited about the gender reveal.”
“Good grief, eleven people on the edge of their seats waiting to find out what I’m going to have,” I say, cradling my belly. The bump isn’t showing yet, but it will be soon enough. Judging by my growing appetite alone, I reckon the little ones are going to get big and strong fairly quickly.
Janice uses a fork to clink on her glass, calling for our attention. “Alright, folks! Time to say what we’re grateful for this year.”
“I think we all know what we’re most grateful for this year,” Roman says, smiling as he lovingly glances my way.
I say, “I’ll go first,” and stand, holding up a glass of apple juice in lieu of wine. Looking around at all of the faces surrounding the gorgeous table, candles flickering on the mantle while a fire burns below, I find plenty of reasons to be grateful. “I’m thankful for the storms I’ve had to weather, for the trouble I’ve endured that led me into this town. It may sound weird, but I’m thankful for the pain and the fear, too, because it made me who I am today. A survivor. I can still smile and keep building toward a better future. I’ve found three men whom I love dearly and deeply, men who have become my rocks, my protectors, my saviors, and my best friends,” I say, smiling at them. “I am thankful for you James, Oliver, and Roman.”
“Needless to say, we’re thankful for you, too,” James replies, love burning brightly in his blue eyes as he raises his glass to me.
“I’m also thankful for these two beautiful little ladies right here, Tricia and Ainsley,” I add, making the twins blush. “You’re both funny and sweet and such a wonderful handful. My life would be grey and boring without you. I’m thankful for Janice. And I’m thankful, most of all, for my brother, Michael. We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?”
“We have,” he says, lowering his gaze for a moment.
“Through thick and thin, however, we’ve survived. Together or apart, we’re right where we’re supposed to be,” I tell him. “And I think Mom and Dad would be proud.”
Roman clears his throat and stands up. “There’s actually one thing and one thing only that I’m thankful for this year.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” I ask.
“I’m grateful for those mountain lions that kicked you out of your place,” he replies. “We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”
That gets a laugh from everyone.
“Elise,” James says, getting up from his seat. “There’s something I’m particularly grateful for and it’s that you survived. You survived, so buying this for you wasn’t a waste of time.”
He takes out a small velvet box. I gasp.
The girls are mute and wide-eyed, practically holding their breaths, but nowhere near as breathless as I am. I quickly realize that they knew this was coming. Of course, they did. They’re the most important people to him, the first ladies of his life. He would’ve asked for their permission first.
“Oh, my God,” I whisper.
“I love you more than I ever thought I could love another woman again,” James says, opening the box to reveal a gorgeous, tear-shaped diamond ring. “ We love you more than we ever thought. And we would like to spend the rest of our lives making you the happiest woman who ever lived. If you’ll let us. If you want us.”
“We?” I manage, tears of joy pricking my eyes.
“We’re all proposing,” Oliver says. “I mean, legally speaking, it’ll just be James but—”
“Technically, it’s the three of us,” Roman cuts in. “We want you, Elise. In our lives. In this house. In our hearts. There’s no one else. Marry us, baby.”
“This is insane,” Michael whispers. “Weird yet sweet.”
“Definitely sweet.” Janice is already crying with joy as she affectionately pats him on the back. “Welcome to our weird but sweet little family, kiddo.”
“Will you marry us?” James asks, undeterred and determined to get his answer. There’s no way I’m walking away from this. I can’t. I won’t.
No more running away , I tell myself.
“Yes, I’ll marry you. I’ll marry all three of you. A thousand times, yes.” I burst into tears as James slips the ring on my finger. A split-second later, they’re holding me and kissing me, filling my heart with everything true and pure in this world. “You know something? I’m thankful for those mountain lions, too.”
We all laugh again, and damn, does it feel good.
As we feast and drink and share stories, we let the past settle behind us, preparing for a better future ahead. My brother gradually becomes accustomed to the fact that I’m in love with three wonderful men. Roman is right—those mountain lions indeed changed my life in the best possible way.
Once the twins and Michael are fast asleep, my men and I retire to my room.
A candle burns by the window, where Roman stands, unbuckling his belt.
James comes over and runs his fingers through my hair, gaze traveling downward as he admires my pink lace bra and matching panties. “Dammit, woman, you’re too good to be true,” he says, his voice husky, dripping with desire.
“How does your brother feel about us?” Roman asks, now naked and making me salivate as he slowly walks toward us. “I assume our secret is safe with him.”
“Absolutely,” I reply, my breath faltering as James’s hands follow the quest of his eyes, settling on my breasts first, while he trails kisses down the side of my neck. “Mikey will keep this to himself. It just felt right that he should know.”
“Of course. He’s your brother,” Roman says, then joins James in a most deliciously tantalizing foreplay as they shower me with hot, wet kisses. “He should know everything.”
Oliver enjoys watching, one hand stroking his massive erection. “You should tell the rest of the Konstantinovs too. At some point anyway. The fewer secrets between us, the better.”
“Really?” I say, surprised.
My brain doesn’t function well when two of my men are peeling lace off my body, lips closing around my tender nipples and suckling voraciously.
“Can we talk about this later?” I gasp when James’s fingers slide between my slick folds, finding me burning hot and ready for him, for them. “Oh…”
Roman cups my face with both hands, beckoning me to look up at him. I lose myself in the dark pools of his eyes. “Understand this, Elise, I love you to death.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper.
“Nobody will ever hurt you again. Not while we’re still breathing,” James says as he kneels behind me and spreads my cheeks wide.
“I’m safe with you, I know that.”
I whimper and shudder as James’s tongue works me into a heated frenzy. I lose my mind as Roman fondles my breasts and squeezes my nipples until the sweetest sting travels through my ribcage. By the time they lift me off the ground and settle me on top of Oliver, I’m already slipping over the edge of delirium.
“Come for me, baby,” Oliver says, his voice gruff as he fills me and stretches me into madness. James climbs up behind me and joins him inside while Roman takes the top position so I can take him in my mouth.
“I love you all so much,” I cry out, my grip tightening on the base of Roman’s massive cock. “So, so much.”
“That’s it, baby,” James’s fingers dig into my hips as he thrusts into me.
I give in and explode, an overwhelming orgasm taking over as they fuck me out of this world and claim me—body and soul—late into the night.
I feel their love burning through me just as mine burns through them, filling us with an immortal kind of light. The storm has passed, and we survived it.
Now we have a whole life ahead of us.