by Tamsin Baker
“You’re seeing two guys at the same time? Whoa, Laura! Since when are you a hussy?”
Heat flooded my face. “It’s not like that. I... well...”
How did I explain it?
Belle turned towards me, giving me her entire focus, and all my worries came flooding over. “Okay, it’s time for me to ask for your help Belle Belle.”
“My help? Since when?”
I laughed. “Since two brothers decided they both wanted to date me.”
“Oh, my.”
I clapped my hands on my cheeks to cover the blush I could feel spreading across my face. Just saying it aloud made me want to keel over with shame.
“Yeah. I know. It’s ridiculous.”
Belle, my airhead sister cocked her head at me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean...” How much did I reveal to my sister?
I weighed the pros and cons and realized that this was the moment I needed to decide whether I was diving headlong into this pond of ridiculousness, or if I was backing away slowly.
“I mean... I mean, who would want me, Belle? I’m over the hill. I’m twenty-seven. I’m fat. And two HOT brothers have declared they both want me.”
“Do they want you to choose between them?”
This was the harder part to admit.
“Ah... no, they want to share me.”
Belle’s mouth literally dropped open.
My stomach twisted and tightened with nerves as I thought about what I had to say next. “And that’s not the bad part, Belle.”
“What’s the bad part?”
I took a deep breath and plowed forward. I’d always been one to rip a band aid off. Fast.
“One of the guys is Brandon... the guy you went home with Friday night.”
I expected retribution, curse words and horrible things said. But instead, Belle blinked at me and said, “Who?”
I stared at her. Did she literally mean, who was I talking about? Or was she being funny?
“Brandon. You know, the guy who I had to rescue you from on Friday night? When you were super drunk and...”
I trailed off. Had I been worried for nothing? Did Belle even remember him?
Belle flicked her long hair over her shoulder and stuck her nose in the air. “I don’t remember much about Friday night. I know I went home with someone, so I have to assume he was all right to look at, but I wouldn’t be able to pick him out in a line-up.”
“Oh my God.” I let my head hang down as I laughed to myself. “I was so worried...”
When I looked up again, I had to wipe the tears from my eyes, amazed to find how much better I felt off-loading my guilt to Belle.
I hadn’t realized how worried I’d been about this part of the equation.
“I thought you’d be upset with me.”
“Upset? Because you want to date a guy I kissed when I was drunk, or—I didn’t do more than that, did I?” she asked.
“I don’t think so,” I replied.
I could always ask Brandon for clarification, but from what I gathered, he’d taken her home and she’d started vomiting.
Nothing else.
Belle reached out and grabbed my hand. “Are you sure about this, Laura? I mean, it’s not like you to date two guys at once.”
I burst out laughing. “I know! It’s not like me, at all! I don’t know what I’m thinking, but I...”
“But you, what?”
For the first time in forever I saw a hint of maturity in my baby sister. My mother’s stoic strength.
“I... want to give it a try. Even if it’s crazy, even if every part of me says that two guys like that should not want a woman like me.”
“Like you? You mean beautiful, fierce, super-intelligent and successful?”
Whoa. That’s how Belle saw me?
“No, I mean, I’m... fat.”
Belle groaned and rolled her eyes. “Not all guys like skinny, Laura. And you’re way prettier than me. I don’t know why you’ve been single for so long, but if you’ve finally found a guy, or guys, that like you for who you are, you should go for it.”
For the first time in two days, true hope flared in my chest.
“When did you get so smart?”
Belle shrugged and indicated back to the university schedule notes on the table.. “I’m not. I can’t even decide which courses I want to take.”
I smiled and pulled forward the large university catalog. “Let me take a look.”
For the rest of the evening we talked about Belle, what she wanted to do with her future, and which dorm she would move into in the fall.
But meanwhile, my head was spinning. The main hurdle for me being with Brandon and Tyler was looking to be more of a log to leap over.
I glanced down at paperwork in front of me, something else niggling at the front of my mind. “Hey, Belle.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I’m a slut?”
Belle guffawed. “You? Are you serious? How long has it been since you even kissed a guy?”
Before today? “I don’t know, a few years probably.”
“Exactly! So how can you even ask me that?”
I glanced down and away from the baby sister I’d raised. I didn’t want her to think less of me. Ever.
“I mean... If I do decide to date them—Tyler and Brandon—will you think I’m a slut?”
Belle grinned. “Laura, you know me. I say, do what makes you happy. If two brothers wanna spoil you and love you, why on earth would you say no?”
I looked up at my sister and stared at her, bewildered. “But don’t you think I’m weird? Strange? Immoral?”
Belle shook her head and shrugged. “Whatever you want, Laura, is fine by me. I mean, as long as you’re consenting adults, who the fuck cares anyway? It’s not like Mom or Dad are here to comment.”
That thought brought a lump to my throat and an ache in my heart. No, they weren’t, but they’d probably have something to say about it.
“They’d hate it, wouldn’t they?”
Laura grinned. “I don’t know. I accidentally stumbled across a suitcase of theirs one day. I was looking for a duffle bag, and instead found all sorts of stuff! Dildos, blindfolds, butt plugs. The whole shebang.”
“Oh my God... you’re kidding me?”
I’d never thought of my parents as being kinky, in any way.
“Nope, wish I was. But look—long story short, I don’t think you can guess what Mom or Dad would say. As far as I know, they only wanted us to be happy... and safe.”
I reached over and squeezed her hand. “You’re right. So, let’s see about getting you settled for school.”
Belle rolled her eyes and we spent the next two hours talking about university and which dorm she’d move into. After several years of being my sister’s guardian, I was finally going to get my life back.
FOR THREE DAYS, I FLOATED around the clinic with my mood on cloud nine. Brandon sent me dirty, crude, super-hot messages every day, while I got the most beautiful, heartfelt texts from Tyler.
Every time my phone beeped, I’d play a game with myself and guess who it was from. I could never decide who I wanted a message from more.
I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to choose between them, even if I had to. Just like Tyler and Brandon’s mother had said last Sunday, between them, they had every base covered. I couldn’t imagine ever needing something that these two men couldn’t give me.
“Hey, Laura. There’s a Tyler in the waiting room asking for you.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face when the receptionist told me I had a visitor.
He’s here.
“Thanks.”
What did he want? I walked through the clinic doors and into the waiting room with eyes only for the beautiful man standing in the center of the bright, white room. “Hey, Tyler.”
He grinned that mega-watt smile he possessed and walked toward me. Every part of me ached to reach out and touch him. My fing
ers actually tingled with longing, yet my need to be professional in front of my staff and patients won out.
“I was hoping you’d have time to go out for lunch?”
“Oh, well...” I did have a longer than normal lunch break today. “That would actually work. I had a few last-minute cancellations.”
Tyler stepped forward and I pressed my lips together to stop the giggle that rose as I took a few steps back, away from him.
There were people sitting in the waiting room and their interested eyes followed me, including the gaze of my receptionist. I had three patients remaining to see.
“Give me half an hour, and we can leave.” I grinned at him, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. Despite all the messages lately, Brandon and Tyler and I hadn’t been able to pin down a date to catch up again.
I’d had work and Belle to sort out, and they’d had work, gym and family stuff too.
My next three patients were easy cases, thank goodness, since my brain was a bit preoccupied.
Each time I entered a new room or got a glimpse of the waiting area, my belly heated up and a sudden awareness prickled along the back of my neck.
Thirty-five minutes later, I stuck my head into the now empty waiting room, grinned at him and held up a finger. “Just give me one more minute.”
Then I twirled and practically ran to the staff room.
My vet tech, Mary, was there getting ready for her lunch break. “Who’s the hottie, Doc?”
I took off my white lab jacket and grabbed my handbag. “Tyler. He’s an architect.”
I turned around and headed toward the door, amazed at the words that had just left my mouth. I sounded like a snob, only interested in money and prestige, which I wasn’t.
So I added, “And the biggest sweetheart on the planet.”
Mary, grinned at me. “Slept with him yet?”
I waggled my fingers at the cheeky younger woman. “Bye, Mary.”
I pushed through the door, hearing the giggle behind me. I stepped into the waiting room and walked over to Tyler. “Ready?”
Tyler slipped his hand into mine and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
The sensation of his skin on mine sent a shiver of longing through my body, but that initial electric current was blessedly gone.
Tyler looked at me with interest. “How’s your day been?”
I forced myself to relax a little. I’d never been pursued by any man like this before. His enthusiasm made me excited much quicker than it probably should have. My natural instincts said to trust him, and compounded by all the things I’d learned from his mother, I wanted to allow him into my life.
“Really good. No real problems so far. How ‘bout you?”
Tyler’s eyebrows rose up a little. “Ah, good, thanks.”
I squeezed his hand. “Any interesting projects you want to tell me about?”
We walked into the local café and sat down in a corner booth.
“Hey, Laura. The usual?”
I looked up at the familiar face and beamed. “Yes please, Tania. Tyler, I highly recommend any of their grilled sandwiches or the all-day breakfast.”
Tyler scanned the menu, then dropped it back on the table. “The Rockin’ Big Breakfast and a chocolate milkshake, please.”
Tania smiled and moved away with a wink at me.
Freaking small towns.
This would be the talk of the town and my friends for the next month, which I kinda understood.
I hadn’t openly dated anyone since moving back after my parents had died and I finished vet school several years ago. This was going to be an epic problem if things didn’t work out. I hated people asking personal questions, and I could imagine the commiserative words I’d get from everyone if they found out I’d been dumped.
I shook myself and tried to focus on something positive. “So, tell me about your job.”
Again, he gave me that weird look—part confusion and mostly surprise. “Okay. Well, I'm currently designing an art gallery in Toronto.”
Now that is cool!
“Oh, wow. So, the lighting and height of ceilings is really important?”
Tyler’s eyes lit up and he leaned forward. “Yeah, as are the materials we use for constructing the building, since so many artsy types want to be as green as possible.”
I sighed as my own big breakfast was served in front of me—no mushrooms and extra bacon. The rich scent of the cooked meat wafted up and I picked up my knife and fork, saliva gathering in my mouth.
No more salads for me. Screw it.
“Wow. That sounds amazing... challenging, too, which is great. Nothing worse than being bored or not enjoying your job.”
Tyler chuckled and began eating with gusto, the food disappearing off the plate and down his throat as though he were inhaling it.
I took a few bites of my lunch and had a sip of my fragrant peppermint tea. It was so nice to slow down and relax a bit. Most of my lunch breaks were spent reading notes or answering phone calls. I rarely sat and really became present in the moment. When Tyler didn’t continue, I cocked my head and asked the question burning in my brain. “Why do you seem surprised that I want to know about your work?”
Tyler looked up at me, his brown eyes sparkling in mischief. “I’m not sure I should say anything.”
I shrugged and continued to eat. I wasn’t in the mood to push at the moment. My empty belly was filling with warm food and I was settling into the booth so comfortably, I was considering never moving again.
“It’s just...”
I glanced up and waited for him to continue.
Tyler cleared his throat. “I’ve never had a woman care about my work, let alone one be clever enough so that I could discuss concepts and ideas with her.”
I shrugged again. “So, you’ve been dating the wrong women.”
Tyler burst out laughing, the sound so rich and beautiful it caused shivers of awareness to creep over my skin.
He shook his head and went back to eating with a sigh. “Ain’t that the truth?”
I ate as much as I could, which wasn’t as much as normal, thanks to the jumping frogs inside my stomach. I laid my cutlery aside and picked up the cup of tea. I nursed it in my palms, warming them on the heated porcelain.
“Tyler, what did your mom mean about you and Brandon being destined for only one mate?”
Mate was such a weird word to use for a human.
Tyler stilled like a deer caught in the headlights, then began to move again, slowly and carefully. “She meant that because we were born a perfect pair twin set, Brandon and I won’t be happy unless we find a woman who will complement both of us.”
I nodded, cross-referencing all the information I had and still coming up short. “But I’ve never heard of twins being described as a perfect pair before, and polygamy is illegal.”
Tyler sucked down his milkshake and placed it back on the table. “Our kind are rare, and the general population wouldn’t know much about how we do things.”
Were they in some sort of cult or something?
“You mean you all worship some demigod and have six wives?”
Tyler laughed again, loudly enough to draw stares. Heat flooded my cheeks, yet I remained focused on the man in front of me. “No, not at all, but good guess.”
My cell phone beeped and I glanced down to see a message from the clinic. A few swipes and presses later and I groaned. “I’ve gotta get back.”
A dog had been brought in with a snake bite. I was needed ASAP.
Tyler stood up and moved over to the counter, paying the bill before I’d even gathered my things and made it to the front of the café.
“Thanks so much for lunch, Tyler, you didn’t need to do that.”
We made our way out the front door and began the short walk back to the clinic. When my clinic came into view, Tyler stopped us both. I turned to say goodbye and Tyler lifted his hand, stroking my cheek with his fingers.
I couldn’t resist the urge to touc
h him also, so I reached up and cupped his jaw, drawing his face to mine for a kiss.
A soft, purring noise escaped his lips as I nuzzled his cheek and kissed the spot beneath his ear.
What the hell is that noise? Brandon does that, too!
“What are you, Tyler?”
He drew back and stared down at me, his brown eyes wide and searching. I held his intense gaze and didn’t back down. There was something different about Tyler and Brandon, and it wasn’t just the fact that they believed in weird ménage relationships, like some sort of backward sister-wives.
“I...don’t know what you mean.” Tyler stepped back and swallowed awkwardly, his throat working hard.
I placed my hands on my hips and tapped my foot against the concrete.
I didn’t like being lied to. I was a big girl, I could handle the truth, and I’d prefer to hear it now, before I fell head-over-heels for these guys.
“Yes, you do. You said something about our relationship being normal for your kind? What kind is that, Tyler?”
Tyler took another step back and bit his lip. I continued to stare at him, putting as much strength into my “schoolmarm” gaze as I could.
He’d crack. I’d make sure of it.
“We’re...” Tyler cleared his throat with a rough cough and looked around as though checking to make sure no one was watching.
Then he squared his shoulders. “We’re animal shape-shifters.”
I tapped my foot again. What a crock of shit.
“Seriously, Tyler, I trusted you to tell me the truth and you come up with some bullshit like that?”
My rage mounting like a boiling pot, I turned around and marched back to the clinic. I must have been kidding myself to believe I was special to them.
Tyler’s strong hands grabbed my arm and whirled me around before I made it to the front door. “I’m not joking, Laura. Would you come to our place for dinner tonight and we’ll show you?”
He didn’t look like he was lying. His eyes were guileless, his hands moving over his hips and thighs with restless, anxious motions. The longer I looked at him, the more I saw the truth.
He actually looked hurt that I didn’t believe him.
Oh my God... maybe he meant it... metaphorically.
I huffed out a breath and tried to be as reasonable as possible, considering the circumstances. “Okay, I’m sorry. But you cannot expect me to believe that you are a...what did you say?”