Chapter 33
33
CHARLIE
I ’d never been happier to climb into Patrick’s SUV. Miranda scooted in beside me and propped her head on my shoulder. “How are you?”
“Fine.” She’d said that everytime we asked, but I couldn’t help asking over and over again.
I slid an arm over her shoulders and let her head drop to my chest. “Watching you fall and not get back up again was the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“I’m sorry.” She nestled in closer and sighed. “I’ve wanted to tell all of you about the twins since I found out. I didn’t want you to find out this way.”
I waited for Duncan to come off with some smart remark about her putting it off, but he sat in the front passenger seat beside Patrick, his mouth a flat line and his gaze straight ahead.
“Thank you for not calling Austin.” She squeezed Duncan’s and then Patrick’s arms before stretching out her feet and lowering her head to my lap.
I played with her hair, fanning it across her shoulder, then sweeping my hands through the long strands. “Are you going to tell him?”
“Maybe. I just don’t want him to freak out. He’ll have a million questions about why I was on the ice with you three, and that conversation needs to be done in a way where he can’t come after you with any kind of blame. It’s not like I can tell him everything at once, you know?” The way she spoke reminded me of Austin, how he planned things out and executed them according to the setup. It served us all well on the ice, but I didn’t have the same confidence as Miranda that breaking things to Austin in bits and pieces was the best way.
“While we’re on the subject.” Duncan turned to face us. “I’d like to ask that we not take paternity tests.”
“What? Why?” Patrick concentrated on the road, but concern laced his voice.
Duncan remained resolute. “Because it doesn’t matter. If all three of us will be in the babies' lives, acting as fathers, then it does not matter who shared the biological DNA to create them.”
“He has a point.” Miranda raised her head, then sat up fully and snapped her seatbelt into place. She should have done that from the beginning, but none of us mentioned it. “We’re still working out how this relationship works. We don’t need any added drama or angst. You are all their fathers, no matter what a test might say.”
“Equal parental consideration.” Patrick rocked his head to the side.
I considered the situation and the relevance of Duncan’s request. “I agree. I don’t want to know.” The joy of being a father was enough. I had no use for a piece of paper that might declare otherwise.
Patrick pulled into the drive and parked as close as possible to the steps.
I slid out and motioned for Miranda to follow me, my hands out and ready to catch her if she stumbled. Patrick joined me while Duncan jogged ahead to unlock and open the front door. I knew his actions without a word from him. We’d learned how to read each other years ago, and we’d only gotten closer as time passed.
“I’m not an invalid.” Miranda groused, but her eyes lacked any kind of venom. Her hands grasped mine as she dropped to the loose gravel. “See. Perfectly healthy.”
“Only slightly concussed,” Patrick added with a chuckle.
“Exactly. Nothing to worry about.” She tugged a hand free of mine and waved it around. “Already feeling like my old self.”
“You should probably lay down and rest.” Duncan started back down the steps, leaving the front door wide open.
Right on cue, Miranda yawned. She batted the air in front of her face. “Stop that. I’m not really tired.”
“Doesn’t matter. Rest is the quickest way to recover, even if you don’t sleep.” He stood back when Miranda walked toward him. “I remember when they used to warn you not to fall asleep with a concussion. Glad they realized that was a load of shit.”
She snorted and shook her head slowly side to side. “I’m not even dizzy anymore. I’m fine. Feeling great. Could probably run a marathon.”
“Riiiight.” Patrick followed us up the steps and into the house, closing and locking the door behind us. “Let’s hear you say that again when you reach the top of the stairs.”
Miranda’s head lifted, her gaze tracking up the steps leading to the bedrooms. “Ugh. Maybe I’ll rest in the living room.” She turned that way, stretching her arm behind her when I refused to release her hand or follow her.
“Nope.” I reeled her back in and swept her off her feet. “Your room. It’s dark, quiet, and you won’t be disturbed when Austin comes home or when Mrs. Dominico drops by to cook.”
“Yeah, good point.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. “Plus it’s pretty romantic getting carried around like a sack of flour.”
“What, every woman doesn’t dream of this?” I jiggled her higher in my arms, drawing out a giggle.
She batted her lashes at me. “It’s really not super comfortable. But it’s sweet and I don’t mind a little discomfort for the sake of feeling your arms around me.”
In that case, I might make it a point to carry her around at least once a day. I’d dreamed of having her in my arms so long that it made the reality even sweeter.
The four of us made it into her room without any mishaps, and I lowered her slowly onto the bed, not at all ready to release her and walk away. But she needed her rest, and her needs outweighed my own. Nestling her into the covers and pulling my ams free, I kissed her forehead. “We’ll be close by if you need anything.”
“How close?” The bold innocence in her eyes captivated me.
Patrick snorted and sank onto the foot of the bed. “You can call us, and we’ll rush right over.”
Miranda slowly met my gaze, her hands fluttering across the blanket Duncan had tossed across her lap. “And if I don’t want you to leave?”
“Then we’ll stay.” I didn’t give a rat’s ass about the others’ thoughts. If she wanted us here, we’d stay. We’d spent the morning at the rink, and a large chunk of the afternoon at the hospital. We were all coming down from an abundance of stress and nerves, and I for one wasn’t ready to leave her alone anyway. I dragged a chair over and sank into the plush interior. My thoughts backtracked to the last time I’d been in this room, when I’d had Miranda in the chair. I crossed my ankle over the opposite knee to try and hide the growing erection.
Miranda patted the bed on either side of her. “Will you come closer?”
Duncan moved first, easing across the bed to stretch out beside her.
She ran her hands over his back and leaned down to kiss his lips. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Her head lifted. “All of you. I wish I’d told you sooner about the babies.”
“It’s okay.” I rushed to reassure her. Anyone would be hesitant to reveal she’d gotten pregnant during a one night stand with three men her brother adamantly demanded she stay away from. “What matters is that we know and that you understand you can trust us with anything.”
“How long can you stay?” She feathered her hands through Duncan’s hair.
Patrick joined them, sandwiching Miranda between himself and Duncan. “As long as you want.”
“What if I want more than this?” She stretched between them, her legs shifting beneath the blanket until she’d tossed one covered leg over each of them.
“You need rest.” I reiterated the doctor’s orders, but my heart wasn’t completely in it. We had the rest of our lives together, but I wanted her more now than ever before.
“I am resting. I’m resting with the three men I love, and I need to be comforted. I want to be held and loved.” She held out a hand to me, wiggling her fingers in a ‘come here’ gesture.
I complied, my will to argue draining away at the sultry look in her eyes. “You’ll stop if you get tired or need a break.” I turned it into a statement. “There’s no reason to push yourself.”
“Kiss me, Charlie.” She held out her arms to me, sitting up to grasp me around the neck and pull me closer. I joined them on the bed, being careful not to press too hard when I leaned over her and propped my weight on my hands and knees.
Duncan peeled the blanket down over her shoulder, pulling the sweater along with it and kissing the curve of her collarbone.
I sank into the feel of her lips, the acceptance that came with her kiss and her touch. More was never enough. No matter how often I kissed her, I’d always want her. She’d lived in my heart for years, and nothing had the power to tear her away. My love was too strong. So strong that it had worried me sometimes, but now that she’d accepted me and loved me back, I lost my ability to fear. I slid a hand around the back of her neck and stabilized her head to deepen the kiss. Her moan and the slight lifting of her hips heightened my arousal.
Patrick’s hand moved between us, helping Duncan pull the blanket down around her waist. The sweater lifted up to reveal her stomach, then her breasts. I broke off the kiss and helped her sit upright, giving them room to remove it and toss it aside. The sweater hit the floor, followed by her bra.
Duncan and Patrick each took a breast, sucking and kneading it as Miranda bucked beneath me. I traced the line of her lips, teasing as I kissed until she locked her arms around my shoulders, her nails digging in through my shirt. She gathered it up by the fistful, pulling and tugging until all the material rucked up around my neck. I ducked my head and put all my weight on one arm to help her pull it off. Grinning up at me, she chucked it across the room. “I want out from under the covers. Clothes off.”
“No need to rush.” Duncan’s slow grin matched my current state of mind.
I planned on enjoying every single second of our time together. Still, I rolled upright and pulled the covers down, exposing her long legs.
Duncan worked the button on her jeans and tugged them down over her hips. I took them from him when they reached her knees and finished peeling them off, along with her socks and panties. Her glorious body on display, Patrick still sucking her nipples and licking a trail along her stomach, brought my cock to full arousal.
Our mutual need scented the room, bringing awareness with every breath. I ran my hands up her legs, along her inner thighs, and up over her hip bones. Her head fell back, her arms going wide to grasp onto Duncan and Patrick.
“We’re going to make you feel so good, sweetheart.” I’d never let the endearment slip past me before, but I had no reason to hold back anymore.
“I need you.” She licked her lips and rolled her heels up over my thighs, fondling my cock with the bottoms of her feet. “I need all of you.”
“You’ll have us.” I placed my hands behind her knees and lifted them into a bent position, holding them there as I stared down at her exposed sex. “You’re going to get everything you need.”