"Do you like it, little girl, when we both enter you at once? Do you like having us fill you in both holes at the same time? Wait until you feel what it's like to have two cocks in your pussy."
"Yes, Daddy," I whimpered, as his lips covered mine in a kiss that was both tender and punishing. At this exact moment, I would let them do anything they wanted, for the rest of my life, and I certainly was beginning to understand Blake's earlier explanation of a punishment fuck as I could literally feel the pleas forming on the tip of my tongue.
There was something about having both of them inside me that pushed every subby button I had and made me feel owned and thoroughly dominated.
"Please!" The cry fell from my lips outside of my own volition. "Please, I'll be good from now on!"
"Damn straight, you will," Slade muttered gutturally, just as I felt Blake's cock leave my ass and thrust into my pussy, leaving me stretched and full as they both pounded into me at once. I realized from Slade's voice that he was hovering on the edge of release, and I reached to cup his balls, giving them a gentle tug, just as Blake's lips found the sweet spot on my neck, pulling me into ecstasy with them.
Their bodies tightened against mine, pushing them deeper inside of me while they swelled with their release.
My body tingled as they filled me with the juice of their arousals, and I tossed my head back, crying out with release as they came inside of me.
And then, we all sort of collapsed as one, exhausted and panting, in a sweaty tangle of limbs across the king sized bed.
I was numb and tingly from head to toe, but I knew that when the glow wore off, I would be in a great deal of pain, at least in my posterior, if not a few other places, as well.
One thing was sure. Every twinge of guilt and thought of insecurity had long since faded. All the angst that had built up over the day had melted away, and I couldn't even remember what had gotten me so upset in the first place.
I tried to rack my brain for the events of the day but came up short, instead, thinking of a whole barrage of unrelated questions that had me gasping aloud as I untangled myself from them as best I could and pulled myself into a sitting position. Suddenly self-conscious, I grabbed a pillow and held it over my chest.
"That was...wow," I began dumbly, not having accurate words to describe the entirety of what I was feeling.
Slade and Blake nodded knowingly.
"Should we go home now?"
"What? Why?" Slade's face filled with concern.
"I don't know. What about Nan? Is she okay to stay alone overnight?"
"Audra's there by now." Blake's voice was dull and tired. "She always comes early and helps prepare. It's their tradition."
"Oh." I nodded, remembering. I vaguely remembered the older lady from the few Christmases I spent there. Thinking about Nan reminded me of something I had wanted to ask for a while. Shooting up on the bed, I leveled them both with a glare. "You got me here by saying Nan was dying, and that this would be her last Christmas, but she seems fine. Did you lie to me to get me back here?" At this point, I didn't think I could truly be mad, even if they had, but I still wanted to know.
Slade sighed, his face grim. "Merry, Nan is almost eighty. She's not sick or in danger of dying, tomorrow, by any means, but her health isn't perfect, either. She's at the point in her life where she believes in treating every Christmas like her last. And this one just might be. She's getting worse, not better. But, yes, for right now, she's as okay as she can be."
My eyes narrowed as I mulled over his answer and found it to be true. "Well, then, I still don't feel right about leaving her overnight. We should make the most of every minute."
Blake snorted. "I'll have you know, baby girl, that she all but kicked us out the door. She does every year. She and Audra like their alone time together and, according to Nan, she needs the break from all our fussing."
"Besides," Slade added. "We have plans for you, tomorrow."
I narrowed my eyes. "You do? What kind of plans?" At this exact moment, I genuinely hoped they weren't the same sort of plans they'd had for me tonight. I honestly didn't think I could take more of it.
"We're taking you Christmas shopping," Slade explained.
My grin filled my face. "You are? Really?"
I leaned back on the pillows and took stock of my surprise field trip—Margaritas, butt plugs, paddlings, soap, blow jobs, hotel rooms, enchiladas, a threesome, and now, Christmas shopping with my two favorite men. It was certainly going to be one hell of a weekend.
Chapter 18
Merry
It was a few days later, when I realized that Blake and Slade had done me a giant favor by getting me off the ranch for a day before the slew of guests began to arrive. They had probably seen the depths of my stress, long before I had.
Between working with the kids, trying to be a good sub for them, and helping Nan prepare for the shit storm that was her annual Christmas party, I had been a wreck. And don't even get me started on the fact that I had to eventually make a decision about where to go from here. They had seen it all. I appreciated how much they had done and how hard they had worked to lay everything on the table, making sure that I had no doubts about where I stood with them and what they wanted from me.
It still didn't make the decision any easier. Staying felt safe. Like it was just me taking the easy way out and hiding from the harsh reality that was life outside the ranch. And yet, staying felt so hard—impossible, even. Having to balance two amazing men and live up to their expectations of me, all the time, while trying to set a good example for dozens of foster kids who looked up to us to be their mentors and the only safe space some of them had? Just the thought of all that expectation was exhausting.
I knew they believed in me. I knew they wanted me. I didn't know what to do about it. And I was about to crawl out of my skin, thinking about it all.
Sipping my coffee, I sighed deeply, regarding the whiteboard that held the list of today's preparations. So many things. And guests were starting to arrive. The house was still empty, except for Audra and her daughter, April, but there were already a dozen trailers scattered around the property and more to come, by the end of the day.
"What's wrong, dear?" Nan's voice interrupted my thoughts as she entered the kitchen with Audra right behind her.
"There's just so much to do," I sighed.
"And so many hands to do it," Nan reminded me, coming up behind me and rubbing my back. "That's why people come early. To help."
"But they are your guests!"
"They are my children, my family, and, for a lot of them, this is the only Christmas they have. So they come up early, because they want to be a part of it all. Because they enjoy it. We want you to enjoy it, too, sweet girl, not be stressed by it."
"I don't know how you do it every year," I sighed, still staring at the white board with tears in my eyes. Why was I so weepy?
"With love and a plan, child. Love and a plan. Speaking of plans, here's mine. Audra, April, and I will start the cooking, today. A few of the others will join us, after lunch. Blake and Slade are going to go out and get the tree, today, and when Mitch gets here, he will bring the decorations down from the attic. The teenagers from the program will come over this evening. We will have hot cocoa, popcorn, cookies, and gifts for all of them, and they will help us trim the tree. Who knows, maybe Santa will make an early appearance?"
"Okay, great," I grumbled, unable to shake the bah-humbug spirit that had washed over me in the past few days. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You, sweet girl, need some space and some peace and quiet. It's as plain as the nose on your face. You are on errand duty and present wrapping duty with April and Jane, later. You'll meet Jane, soon. She's only a bit older than you, I think. Last child to leave the ranch before you came. Now, finish your coffee, and go upstairs and get ready. When you come down, I'll have the list ready for you. You can take Slade's truck to town. He left the keys for you, this morning."
I had to admit,
out of everything on the board, errand duty sounded the most enticing. There were just so many people here. And most of them knew each other. I knew no one.
"Fine," I agreed, heading up the stairs, already.
Was it a sign that everyone seemed so preoccupied with getting me off the ranch all the time? A sign that maybe I wasn't supposed to be here? I didn't even know anymore.
Merry
The little drugstore was packed with people, and for a moment, I wished I had made the hour long trek into the city and then I came to my senses. It was probably worse there.
Nan's list was long, and everything needed to be purchased in mass quantities. We needed a Costco or something. Twenty rolls of wrapping paper, five bags of bows, ten rolls of scotch tape and a thousand gift tags. Popcorn, cranberries, gift cards, and more. Thank God, the gifts had already been purchased. I couldn't imagine having to buy gifts for all the kids who frequented the ranch. I didn't know how Nan did it. I had asked her, and she had laughed and replied, "Amazon, of course."
The wrapping supplies were all in front, but the stand with the gift cards was towards the back of the store, near the register. Dodging frazzled shoppers, I turned down the least crowded aisle I saw and looked down at my list while I walked.
"Ooomph! Hey, watch where you're going!"
"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, looking up into the angry eyes of a frazzled sounding familiar looking teen. I wracked my brain for her name. "Mariah!" I exclaimed as it came to me. One of the mean girls I had yelled at last week. Great. I had already been dreading seeing them back at the ranch, and now, I had to run into her today. I smiled, re-uttered my apology, and tried to wedge past her, but she stepped in front of my cart, blocking the aisle.
"It's Merry, right?"
"Yes, or Meredith, I guess. Either way."
Mariah nodded. The unease was evident in her eyes and matched my own, but she wouldn't let me pass. "Meredith…I…can you help me with something?"
Shit. There went any hope of escape. I looked at her, then—for real, this time—and my heart broke for the young girl, as I saw little bits of my old self in her. Her hands shook, as she waited for my answer, and her eyes were guarded from a lifetime of disappointment. She could hardly look at me, and I wondered what had happened to the snotty girl I had met back at the ranch. And then, I realized it was all just a front. A way to guard off the pain of being rejected, cast aside like she didn't matter, or worse. It was a pain I knew all too well. I forced myself to smile, and found that it actually felt genuine.
"Sure, Mariah, what can I help you with?"
The sigh of relief wracked her body, and she finally raised her eyes from the scratched linoleum floor.
"I, um, I need to buy a gift," she rushed. I frowned. It was painfully obvious from the moment she spoke that she was lying, but she just kept going. "For Tobias, and one for Nan. I'd get one for Slade and Blake and you, too, but I have a small budget and all, and I wouldn't know what to get, anyway."
"Well," I began carefully, trying to keep the suspicion out of my voice. "That's very nice. You don't need to get Nan anything. I know that. She always said her gift was being able to give you guys a real Christmas at the ranch experience."
Mariah narrowed her eyes.
"And you know what?" I whispered conspiratorially. "She means it."
"But, I can," Mariah argued. "And I want to. Nothing big. Just, I don't know. I barely know the woman, but I know she does so much for us and doesn't get much in return."
My heart was melting, but there was still something that felt off. In that moment, she actually seemed genuine, so I moved forward as if I believed she was.
"Well," I pondered carefully. "Nan really likes her tea and her knitting. Also, her crossword puzzles. Maybe one of those things?"
"That doesn't seem like much."
"Well, maybe not to you, but besides her soaps and her Christmas party, those are the things that bring her the most joy."
"I guess I could get a book of crossword puzzles, a skein of yarn, and a tin of tea. That would be okay."
I smiled. "If it's in your budget, that would be a lovely gift. She will really appreciate that, Mariah."
"Okay." Her smile was quickly replaced with the same skittishness that had made me think she was lying. "And what about Tobias? I know you don't know him, like you do Nan, but I don't know. I just thought you might have an idea or two."
"You want to get Tobias a gift?"
She looked quickly down at the floor. "I feel really bad about what we did. It was stupid, and he's a good kid. He's been through just as much as the rest of us, if not more, and we shouldn't beat him up just because he manages to still enjoy life and have a good attitude. My grams would have said that those are things that should be celebrated about a person, not something they are hated for."
"Nan would say the same thing." I softened, suddenly understanding why the young girl wanted to buy a gift for an old woman she barely knew.
"Tobias really likes horses, superheroes, and baseball," I added, remembering an interaction I had heard between him and Slade. "Maybe some baseball cards? Or a superhero poster?"
Mariah shook her head. "We're not allowed to have things on our walls at the group home. Maybe the baseball cards. Do you think they have those here?"
"I'm sure they do. Probably near the registers. I better get back to shopping so I can get back to the ranch and help Nan get ready for the tree trimming, tonight. I'll see you there." My hands were already back on my cart, pushing forward slowly.
"See you there," Mariah repeated woodenly, turning her back to me as she started to walk away. Suddenly, she pivoted on her heel and turned to face me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Wait." Her whisper was desperate and broken. "I lied. I mean. I didn't lie. I'm gonna get those gifts. It's just, there's something else."
Her eyes darted around the aisle, settling on the shelf behind me. I turned to look. Pregnancy tests. I looked back at her with questions in my eyes. She nodded.
"I-I have a boyfriend. A football player. And I thought he really liked me. He took me to a dance and told me he loved me. I should have known he just wanted to sleep with me. I should have at least made him wear a condom." Her chest heaved with broken sobs as she poured out the story. "And now, I'm late. And I feel so stupid, and I hate myself."
Not knowing what to say, I opened my arms, and she stepped into them. "I'm sorry that happened," I whispered, feeling confused. I still didn't know what she needed help with, why she was asking me, or what the hell I was supposed to do with an emotional teenager in the middle of a drugstore.
"So," I guessed, taking a stab in the dark. "You're pregnant?"
She shook her head against my chest and then pulled away, looking up at me. "I don't know. I came in here to buy a test, but there are so many kinds, and I don't know how I'm supposed to know which one is right. Then, I saw you, and I just panicked, and I don't know why I'm even telling you all this, but since I did, can you tell me how to pick out a freaking test?"
I blinked, turning towards the wall behind me. She was right. There were at least twenty different varieties. Plus and minus signs, one line or two. Ones that turned pink and ones that turned blue. Digital ones, and ones that worked before you were even late. Geesh. Who knew there were so many different ways to present the same information? No wonder she was overwhelmed. My own stomach was in knots, and I was probably no more qualified than she was to pick one out. Still, she had turned to me for help, and I was going to help her. Scanning the boxes, I zeroed in on a mid-priced one that claimed to have a 99% rate of accuracy. Accuracy was what we were going for here. I plucked it off the shelf and handed it to her, conveying far more confidence than I actually felt.
"This one."
She nodded and tossed it into her basket, without even looking at it. "Thank you," she whispered.
I turned to go, and, again, she stopped me. "Merry, would you? Do you think you could…stay with me while I take it? I planned to just
buy it and then run next door to the ice cream parlor and take it in their bathroom."
I eyed the contents of my cart, thought about my massive list, and resisted the urge to look at my watch. "Absolutely," I answered, without wavering.
Slade
"A little to the left, maybe."
Blake looked at me, rolled his eyes Heavenward, and shifted the tree in the stand. I was knelt at the base, waiting for Nan's final approval so I could secure it in place and start hanging the lights.
"Hmm, that may have been a little too far left. What do you think, Audra?"
Audra Dean, the ranch's first-ever foster child, now, a fifty-five year old feisty widow, cackled with delight. "I think it was fine the first five times, and it's fine now. Now let these poor buys put it up, so we can all get on with our day! There's lots to do!"
"You're right," Nan sighed. "But maybe just a little to the right."
I held my breath as Blake tipped the tree ever so slightly to the right, and when he gave me the nod, I screwed it in, not waiting for Nan's approval. I didn't want to be here all night. What I wanted to do was go find Merry, who had spent hours in town on Nan's errands and ran up to her room without a word to any of us, the second she had returned.
Something was off and, as her Daddy, I wanted to know what it was.
I secured the bolts holding the tree in place and stood. Turning to Nan, I kissed the top of her fluffy white head and grinned. "It's perfect, Nan. A beautiful tree. Now, for the lights." I dug in the bin and extracted four tightly coiled strands of white twinkle lights. The tree stood almost nine-feet-tall, brushing the top of the arched ceiling. "Where's the ladder?"
"That's what I forgot," Nan grumbled, even though she wouldn't have been able to haul the seven-foot hunk of metal into the house by herself, anyway.
"It's in the garage. I'll get it."
Winterland Daddies (Second Chance Ranch Book 1) Page 16