Reid grumbled something under his breath, she took that as an agreement.
There was a short knock on the door before the doctor poked her head back in.
“Okay good, you're dressed,” the doctor smiled and walked up to Everly. “Everything looks great, and as I said the baby is developing fine, your blood work is being sent off, I will have results by tomorrow. Of course, I will call if I see anything abnormal,” she gave Everly a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. “But don’t worry, everything seems perfect. So, unless you have any other questions for me, you are free to go.”
Saying their goodbyes, they were directed to a counter to pay and pick up more vitamins the doctor prescribed. Standing next to Reid as he paid, Everly couldn’t help but feel that everything felt so surreal right now. She was actually out of the cabin, in society around other people who she could run up to and scream for help. If she wanted, this could be her chance to run. So, why wasn’t she?
Was it comfort? Driving into town through the light falling snow, Everly watched a woman carefully cross the street pushing a covered stroller while holding tight to her toddler’s hand. The scene silently captivated Everly while Zane and Reid discussed their upcoming building project. That could easily be her, Everly thought, but instead, she was cozily tucked in the middle of two powerful men who told her countless times a day how much they loved her. Instead of struggling through the winter alone through her pregnancy, Everly was wearing brand-new black leather knee-high boots over her new fitted maternity jeans and a waist long cream pink cashmere sweater. A part of her hated that she shuddered at that poor woman’s real representation of what her life could be, she hated that she subconsciously snuggled into Zane’s muscular frame for protection. But she loved how Zane, despite being mid conversation, pulled her close without hesitation. Everly loved how Reid held her hand and comforted her entire time of her appointment.
She didn’t want to think about leaving, not right now, not just yet.
“Oh, I wanted to give you this,” the brunette nurse that assisted her during the exam came up to her and handed Everly a slip of paper. “It’s for free sandwich at the deli, they are amazing.”
“Oh, okay thank you.” Looking at the yellow slip, Everly peered out the partially frosted glass office door that led to the building’s communal lobby area. She did remember seeing a little eatery when they walked in.
Looking back to Reid, who was still talking to the office attendant, Everly walked out the office. The lobby was more crowded than before when they first walked in. Looking at the lobby clock Everly could only assume it was due to the lunchtime hour. Squeezing past a group of people standing around talking with coffee and pastries in their hands, Everly stepped in line. The menu featured everything from breakfast to lunch foods with a side menu hosting an assortment of desserts. At this point everything sounded good to her, the breakfast she had that morning was light, and now she was realizing she was hungry again.
“I hope they haven’t run out of the tuna salad,” the voice behind her said.
Turning to look over her shoulder, Everly was greeted by a nice smile by the gentleman standing in line behind her. Tall, dark, and handsome the description fit him perfectly. Wearing a business suit and a lanyard with his work ID and what she assumed was his company’s logo emblazoned down the length of the cloth, the man stood with his hands thrust casually in his pockets.
Not really sure what to say, Everly gave an awkward smile.
“Are you going to get the free sandwich option?” He leaned forward and gestured to the yellow slip in her hand with a nod of his head.
Taking a second to analyze the handsome face, Everly allowed herself to relax, the man just seemed keenly excited about lunch.
“I was thinking about getting the club sandwich,” she replied.
“Oh yes, that one is good too, especially since you can get it with pesto,” he stared back above her head at the menu thoughtfully. “Now I think I may want the club.”
The employee behind the counter waved her forward as the lady in front of her grabbed her food and stepped aside. Handing in her slip, Everly ordered the club sandwich. Stepping to the side to await her order Everly turned back to the gentleman to thank him for his suggestions.
The firm grip on her shoulder spun her around.
Startled, Everly looked up to see Reid standing there holding her jacket in a tight grip. It only took one glance at his wild expression to realize her mistake. Grabbing her tightly just above her elbow, Reid began to pull her out of the deli.
“Hey,” the alarmed voice of the man that was behind her, stopped Reid in his tracks, but he didn’t turn around. With his grip securely on her arm keeping her pinned close to his side, Reid’s body stiffened like steel. Alarmed, Everly looked up to watch Reid’s profile harden and his eyes narrow as he stared out unseeingly ahead of him—waiting.
“Are you okay?” The man was talking directly to her now. She could feel Reid’s body tense all over—like a coil ready to snap.
Dear God, the man thought Reid was harassing her.
Quickly she looked to the worried stranger and stammered out a hurried assurance. “Yes of course, thank you.”
The man didn’t look convinced.
Reid didn’t wait for the man to say anything else. Never turning to acknowledge the man, Reid continued walking away with her in tow. It wasn’t until they were hidden around the corner, near the entrance, did he stop.
“I turn around, and you were gone,” Reid’s voice was so deep and soft she could barely understand it.
Taking her now badly wrinkled coat from his tight grip, Reid forced it up and over her arms with a few jerks.
“I was just getting a sandwich,” Everly tried to make eye contact with him, but Reid refused to meet her gaze. Instead, he kept his hard-blue eyes trained on the task of buttoning her jacket.
“My mind went crazy when I couldn’t find you. I thought you had tried to run from me.”
Everly didn’t get to respond, Reid was already leading her out the building’s entrance into their large black truck. The ride was silent and awkward, Everly wasn’t sure what to say. The anger and pain on Reid’s face when he admitted he thought she ran was apparent. The guilt she felt however warred with her pride, she didn’t do anything wrong. She was the pregnant one, she was technically the hostage, and she was hungry darn it.
“This is ridiculous, you cannot be angry at me because I went to get a sandwich,” turning in her seat, Everly glared at his silent profile, daring him to argue with her about this, challenging him even.
Sparing her a glance as he merged onto the city’s main street, Reid sat back stiffly in his seat.
“I’m not angry with you,” he finally replied, his body relaxing slightly. “When I couldn’t find you…”
She waited, but he didn’t reply.
Looking up in the rearview mirror Reid’s normally stoic eyes went wide. Furrowing her brow, she turned in her seat prepared to attempt to see what he was seeing out the back window. The hard pressure of his grip bit into her knee. Pulling the truck over, Reid gave her a desperate look.
She had never seen him with such an anxious expression, it made her stomach knot with anxiety.
“Reid…” She began worriedly.
“Everly you can’t leave me, we need you,” the grip on her knee was bruising, and his voice was hoarse and desperate. “You know that we love you.”
The hard knock on the driver side window made her jump. Standing outside the truck was a grim face police officer.
Reid never moved his grip from her knee as he rolled down the window. “Officer,” he acknowledged curtly.
“I got a report over a possible domestic abuse situation that happened at the Medical Plaza office tower down the street,” the officer looked from Reid directly at her, his eyes traveling over her until they landed on Reid’s hand still gripping her knee. Pointedly the officer looked back at Reid with a narrowing gaze. “The person that c
alled it in said a man fitting your description was seen roughly handling his female companion. The person also provided your vehicle description.”
“Well as you can see officer…” Reid’s eyes flicked to the man’s metal nametag before landing caustically back on the officer’s gaze. “…Daniels…that individual was grossly mistaken.”
The invisible but palpable tension between the two only increased.
Stepping slightly back from the driver’s door, the officer looked at her now. “I know it’s cold ma’am, however, could you please step out of the vehicle so that I may come around and speak to you privately.”
Reid tensed in his seat, the anger on his face was lethal.
“She is pregnant, she does not…”
The tension between the two men was escalating to a dangerous level, the officer’s expression was starting to match Reid’s. Making her decision, Everly pulled the door handle with a loud audible click.
Already turning her legs outward to step out, her knees slid out from under his grip. “It’s fine Reid, we just need to clear up the misunderstanding.”
“Everly,” there was so much pain and meaning underlined under that simple word. A need, a warning, a plea: and she heard all of it.
Standing on the muddy embankment, she gave Reid one last glance before shutting the heavy truck door.
±
Holding his arms out to either side, Zane greeted them when they walked into the hotel room. “What the hell took you two so long?”
Walking directly past him, Reid plopped exhaustedly onto the bed with a tired sigh.
Zane watched his brother’s unusual behavior before turning back to her with a questioning frown.
Reid had his arm thrown over his eyes while laying perfectly still across the bed. Feeling drained herself she sat heavily onto the sofa in the living area, Zane sat next to her.
“Okay, it all started because I only wanted the free sandwich that was offered,” Everly made sure to lace every word with accusation loud enough for Reid to hear. “And, by the way, I still haven’t gotten a sandwich out of all this.”
Reid’s guilty groan made her smile.
“I ordered you one at the front desk,” his tone was almost pleading.
Ever since she got back into the truck after assuring the officer that Reid wasn’t abusing her, Reid had not stopped apologizing for being a jerk. Starting from the beginning, she recounted every detail of her appointment and the debacle that followed, every detail except one.
Shocked Zane sat back against the sofa blinking. Running a hand through his wavy gold locks, he gave her a growing smile that quickly turned carnal.
“Well I’m not sure what his issue is but I’m happy,” Zane prowled forward along the tiny sofa until he had her pressed back against the armrest. Caging her with each arm on either side of her head, Zane fluidly lowered himself, giving her a loud, firm kiss. “To know that you chose to stay with us, to come back to us, makes me immeasurably happy.” With a low groan, Zane dropped his hips to hers, letting her feel the hard bulge under his jeans. “And horny,” he added wickedly.
“You know as well as I do, you would’ve most likely gone to jail today if it was you and not me,” Reid groused from his position still on the bed.
Zane just ignored him, kneeling between her legs Zane pushed his hands under her shirt, searing the warmth of his strong hands across her soft flesh.
“Zane wait!” She tried pulling away from his questing hands, but he had her securely trapped against the sofa as his thumbs found her sensitive nipples. “Wait… I have a surprise for you.”
“Mmm baby, I have a surprise for you too” lifting up to stand on his knees, Zane grabbed the edges of his shirt and lifted it up and off, tossing it behind him.
Hovering above her, Everly stared in awe at his beautiful defined body. Just like his brother, Zane kept his body like a work of carved art, and it never failed to amaze her. Traveling down the space between his swollen pecs, Everly’s eyes traced each indentation of his abs until they dropped to the prominent strips of muscle delving into his low-slung jeans. God, she was a fool for these two men.
“Zane,” she managed between a small moan, as his hands pushed up her bra. “Your penis is not a surprise.”
“Ha Ha,” he laughed out loud dropping his head against her shoulder as his body shook with laughter. “I love it when you talk about my dick all proper like that.”
She blushed with embarrassment.
“But,” his eyelids lowered heavily again. “Trust me, I will give you one helluva surprise.”
“Fucking hell,” Reid grumbled from across the room.
The bed squeaked as Reid sat and stood up, walking to where they were, he leaned one hip onto the back of the sofa and folded his muscular arms. “Zane, do me a favor and pull your dick out of your head and listen, she really does have a surprise for you.”
Scowling at Reid first, Zane leaned back on to his haunches and looked at her expectantly.
Smiling, Everly tried to control the butterflies in his stomach. “Grab the envelope in my front right pocket.”
Dutifully, Zane reached into her pants and pulled out the doctor’s monogrammed envelope.
Questioningly, he looked at both of them as he tore open the envelope, looking down he read the contents. The responding smile was contagious, both Everly and Reid leaned forward with eager excitement.
“Come on man, don’t keep us waiting,” Reid huffed, shifting on his feet impatiently.
Looking up from the note finally, Zane looked at her before letting his gaze fall to her stomach. Reaching out, Zane tenderly stroked the rounded flesh. “It’s a girl.”
Everly immediately started crying, Reid responded by leaning over the sofa and raining tiny kisses along her neck as he whispered how happy he was. And Zane— Zane started listing all of her possible names, all starting with the letter Z.
Chapter 16
Perfection, she realized didn’t feel real. It felt like she was simply floating through the minutes and hours of her life. All of Everly’s worries and problems were alleviated, taken from her and handled by the two colossal men she once viewed as sentries.
Captured and imprisoned by two strangely obsessed men, Everly never expected it to turn out like this. To have two men utterly devoted to her in every way, to not only tell her how much they loved her but to show it daily. Though their love was dark and overwhelming, Everly couldn’t help but admit that she was happy.
It had been two months now since they brought her here. Her pregnancy was going along perfectly according to her doctor, at five months her belly was much more noticeable now—a trait both men were in love with. Everly read somewhere that some expecting mothers felt uncomfortable with the change in their bodies during pregnancy, thankfully that was not something she had to worry about. Whenever the brothers were near their hungry gazes and searching hands found her, gently caressing the curvature of her stomach as if “their baby girl,” as they referred to her, was already there. The fact that they could make her feel sexy and desired on top of making her heart ache at their sweetness was mind-boggling.
Life on their island was surreal but never idle. During the day they all spent the majority of their time in the office. With her headphones on, Everly balanced taking her online digital art courses and working on her blog while Zane and Reid worked at their own desks making phone calls and drawing up plans for future projects. Nights, on the other hand, were what Reid called “family time,” everything at that point was done together whether it be watching TV, playing classic video games that Zane insisted she familiarize herself with or make love.
Since that day they confronted her about their insecurities and jealousy neither male took her solo. Each time she was rendered to complete exhaustion as both men pushed and pulled her greedily between them forcing her to reach multiple shattering climaxes until they were satisfied. And each time they held her tightly that night in bed one whispering their love to her in on
e ear and the other whispering their love to her unborn child.
Normally, once the sun started to drop all work stopped no matter what they were doing, a fact Everly learned the hard way. Once, she tried finishing one of her assignments past the unofficial timeframe, Zane was only too happy to grab the back of her office chair and roll her into the kitchen right up to the dining room table. The table she eventually picked out as promised.
The long rectangular kitchen probably would have been better suited for one of the popular long wooden farm tables with an accompaniment of chairs or the one with long picnic-table style benches on either side. Everly didn’t like any of those options. Just the sight of the long medieval tables brought back memories of her father sitting at the head, flanked by his wives while his army of children filled the sides. The memory disgusted her. Everly chose a simple round oak table, where they could all sit as equals never giving anyone the feeling of being left out.
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