The Baby Arrangement (A Winston Brother's Novel #1)

by J. L. Beck

  The nerves start to overtake me and before I realize it I’m on the verge of a panic attack.

  “Relax Maddie. It’s going to be fine.” Knox assures me once more, rubbing my thigh soothingly while my eyes almost bulge out of my head as I take in the twenty plus cars lined along the driveway.

  “I can’t do it. I can’t do it,” I chant mainly to myself. Caine pulls behind a BMW and throws the truck into park his body swiveling towards mine without warning. It startles me enough that my attention leaves Knox and I look up into his dark, concerned eyes.

  I want to see myself the way Caine sees me, instead of being the scared little girl that I’m acting like right now.

  “You can do it, and you will. Knox and I will be here no matter what. If you want to tell your mom you’ve found the men of your dreams fine. If you don’t, who cares? All that matters to us is you…” He growls the last words, his lips descending on mine. As soon as they touch mine, I feel this soul searing need to be everything they need and more, and I know I have to do this. I have too. Hiding my relationship with these two men isn’t an option because I never want them to think I’m ashamed of them.Not when I would do anything in my power to keep them as my own.

  “You’re right. I’m going to go in there and tell her I’m done with her bullshit and that I don’t want to be hooked up with her new husbands friends sons or whatever it is she has plans for me to do.” I hold my head high, letting the words resonate through me and watch with amazement as Knox and Caine smile at each other, an unspoken message passing between them again. I’ve noticed they do that a lot. They’ve been friends for so long, they don’t even have to speak aloud most of the time.

  “That’s our girl, and if you’re good in here, maybe, just maybe while give you a surprise when we get home.” Knox chuckles as they open up both doors and I escape out the passenger side. I smooth a hand down the front of my dress, and push away the nervous butterflies.

  “Beautiful.” Caine mutters as I kiss them both on the cheek and walk up the gravel driveway towards the big huge entrance of the house. Greg’s house is a hundred year old plantation home with big white pillars out front. The place itself is beautiful but isn’t admired by the people that own it. He and my mom worry more about making sure people know he’s the third in his generation to live here.

  I walk up the concrete steps, the sounds of muffled laughter and wine glasses clinking together fill my ears. The place is decorated beautifully, and for a moment I do nothing but stare inside, as if walking across the threshold will change everything, and it will…

  Won’t it?

  Seconds tick by and I’m greeted by one of the many caters walking around with hordevours and wine, and even though I shouldn’t drink I snag a flute off one of the trays giving the man carrying it around a friendly smile because it’s the least I can do knowing he has to deal with my mother and Greg.

  I press the flute to my lips and tip it back downing the bubbly liquid, letting it warm me from the inside out. I’m nervous but the wine takes the edge off, and just in time because as soon as I finish downing the liquid I spot my mother’s brand new husband making his way towards me.

  I have half a mind to start walking in the opposite direction and just tell him I didn’t see him in the crowd but instead I stay rooted in place, knowing wherever Greg is my mother can’t be very far behind.

  “Maddie.” Greg greets me, my name dripping from his lips. His eyes roam up and down my body, excitement showing in them as he examines me to see if I’m dressed well enough to be here. The way he’s looking at me makes me feel dirty. Not even five minutes in his company and I’m ready to burn this dress. The way he undresses me with his eyes is gross. I tried to tell my mom, but she told me to stop making trouble. She accused me of trying to sleep with him when it was the other way around.

  “Where’s my mother?” I ask skipping the pleasantries. I’m not here to talk to or be ogled by Greg. I’m here for my mother and her slimy husband just gives me more confidence that what I’m about to do is the right thing.

  “Oh she’s around…” He continues looking at me as if I’m nothing more than a piece of meat that he can devour whenever he chooses. I swallow past the lump in my throat and look at anything but him. People pass by, unaware of the things that the man in front of me has done. Unaware of how horrible he is, how corrupt he is.

  “Well if she’s not here right now then I’m leaving. I came specifically to talk to her.” Anger laces my words and I take a step back, wanting to escape Greg’s presence all together. I’m seconds away from walking away when Greg grabs me by the arm with his meaty hand, his fingers digging painfully into my arm.

  “You’re hurting me.” I growl pulling out of his grip. He’s guided us to a more closed off corner of the room, and anxious butterflies erupt in my belly because I know this is wrong, and bad, so very bad.

  “I saw you outside with those men. Two of them Maddie? Hell, if I’d known you put out so easily I would’ve fucked you a long time ago.” Greg sneers, a sinister look in his eyes. My hand twitches with the desire to slap him, but before I can two very large, very familiar bodies step in front of me, pushing me back behind them.

  They’re shielding me. Protecting me.

  “What the fuck did you just say?” Caine asks first. I peek between their arms looking at Greg’s flabbergasted expression.

  “First who the hell invited you, and second did you think I would just leave town without knowing where my stepdaughter was staying?” Greg takes a drink of the brown liquid swirling around in his glass. He’s unfazed, and completely uncaring to the fact that Knox and Caine could, and probably will fuck up what he thinks is a handsome face.

  Caine laughs at his audacity, but Knox is the one who speaks. “We don’t need an invite to some shitty party where you try and force Maddie to have sex with some young asshole that’s one of your friend’s sons.” Knox growls venom filling his voice.

  Greg chuckles, “I think it’d be best if you two left, seeing as you’re housing and most likely sleeping with the little slut.” I gasp, shocked, but not really that Greg would talk about me in such an unkind manner while I’m standing right here. “I wouldn’t have to ‘force’ her, clearly. She’s giving it up to you two neanderthals easily enough.” He’s so smug. I don’t know how he knows so much about what’s happened since he and mom went on vacation, but I don’t get a chance to ask.

  “Who the fuck do you have watching us?” Caine growls, taking Greg by the throat, the glass in his hand falling to the ground and shattering. Caine’s reaction to Greg’s comment only proves that I’ve been staying with them, and most definitely sleeping with them. I’m not ashamed about it, but I don’t want Caine and Knox to be hurt or get in trouble because of me.

  “Alright, what the hell is going on!?” My mother’s firm voice has me whirling around as she rushes through the crowd and in our direction, her eyes going wide when she sees Caine holding Greg by the throat. Knox wraps an arm around me protectively, pushing me behind him.

  “Seems your ex-husband has a thing for your daughter…” Greg chuckles, even as Caine seethes with anger, his eyes never leaving Greg’s face. I can tell the moment the words register in my mother’s mind, and within seconds she’s opening the doors behind us and ushering us into the room.

  Caine releases Greg with a shove, causing him to trip over his own feet and land hard against the leather sofa. Greg starts to get up, but Caine’s growled, “Don’t,” makes him freeze in place, halfway between leaning against the sofa and standing upright.

  I start before anyone can stop me knowing if I don’t I’ll never get the words out, “It doesn’t matter if I’m sleeping with Caine or Knox, or even both of them. I didn’t come here to discuss that. I came here to tell you that I’m not going to do this anymore. I’m old enough to make my own choices and I’m not required to be with a man that you choose for me.”

  My mom scoffs, and I turn to face her. Before I can reiterate m
y words, she steps up to me, pointing her razor-sharp nail tipped finger in my face. “You might be nineteen, Maddie, but as long as you live in my house, you’ll live by my rules.” I open my mouth to tell her that’s fine because I won’t be living here anymore, but she talks right over me. “And trust me when I tell you, if you go through with this...this...thing with these two men, you can kiss any tuition help goodbye.”

  “She don’t need your fucking money. I’ll pay for her to go to school. I’ll house her and I’ll take care of her like you should’ve been doing all along.” Knox speaks but he’s cool, calm and collective while Caine is barely containing his anger.

  “When you say care you mean fucking her right?” Greg chuckles once more, and Caine unleashes on him, his fists slamming into Greg's face, the crunching sound of knuckles against bone filling the air and yet he continues to slug him, one punch after the other.

  My mother’s voice pierces the air as Knox tries to separate Caine from Greg. Panic gripping me from moving even moving an inch.

  “If you don’t want to live by my rules and standards, dating someone acceptable that will help further your stepfather’s career instead of being with your ex-stepfather…” Her face sours, “and his friend then you can leave right now. I will not have such a disgraceful child mare my precious appearance.” She crosses her arms over her chest and I see the distaste in her eyes. She really means what she’s saying and if I’m being honest her words hurt more than I thought they would.

  It’s not that I thought she would be accepting of our relationship, but I didn’t think she’d be so upset and basically disown me. She’s my mom. Isn’t your mom supposed to love you no matter what you do? Apparently not when it might make people talk.

  Though I prepared myself for this response, knowing all too well that what other people think will always outweigh her love for me.

  “If that’s what you want, so be it.” I hide the pain in my voice, moving towards the door without realizing that I am. I need to leave, to get out, to be free of my mother’s precious world, with her so-called perfect husband and appearance.

  She never loved me, not really. I was never anything more than an item she could parade around to make her look better for her friends and husbands.

  “It’s what I want.” Her words pierce my heart and I’m running from the room, hate igniting a fire deep in my belly. I don’t slow down until I reach the truck and I realize then that everything’s going to be okay. I’ve got Knox. I’ve got Caine.

  They’ll protect me.

  They’ll provide for me.

  They’ll love me.

  And I’ll always be good enough for them, even though I wasn’t good enough for her.

  She cries the entire way home, her tears staining mine and Caine’s heart, while anger and rage simmer deep inside our bellies. Caine is pissed over the things Greg said about Maddie while I’m enraged that he had someone spying on us.

  I’m going to need to up the security on the house and make sure Maddie is with Caine or I at all times. We’ll no longer be leaving our girl alone in the house, no matter what we have to do. We snuggle Maddie between us on the couch, undressing her and leaving her in nothing but her bra and panties with a blanket wrapped around her.

  I never knew love could feel like this, not until tonight when I watched Greg guiding Maddie away from us. The instinct to protect, and maim any man who touched her nearly consumed me. She’s ours and no man will ever touch her, or talk to her in a disrespectful tone again.

  “Make me forget about it. About my mom. About Greg. Remind how much you love me, and let me show you how much I love you too.” Maddie whimpers, standing from the couch and shrugging out of the blanket leaving her nearly naked in front of us.

  I palm the front of my sleep pants, my gaze shifting away from Maddie over to Caine.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this? Both of us? Together? Fucking you at the same time into sweet, sweet oblivion?” Caine rasps, reaching out and skimming his hand across her creamy white skin. She nibbles on her bottom lip while thinking, then nods her head yes, her big doe eyes gazing down at us.

  Innocently she slips her bra off, letting the black lace fall to the floor. A groan escapes my lips as her perky tits come into view, my eyes honing in on the pink pebbled nipples.

  “We want to take you together…” I growl, reaching out, and taking one of the pink colored tips between my fingers. I roll it, watching with amazement as a soft sigh falls from her sweet fucking lips. I am rock hard and ready to fuck her until she feels nothing but Caine and I between her legs.

  “We need to take you together….” Caine leans forward, sucking the other nipple into his mouth. I smile watching as her eyes roll to the back of her head.

  It won’t be long until she’s in orgasm heaven, forgetting all about her shit mom and the things that were said tonight. We’ll be sure of that.

  “Come on, princess.” I hold out my hand for her to take, and once she does she holds out her other hand to Caine.

  Together we lead her up to what will now become our room, not just Caine’s. Leaving her with him, I let him lead her over to the bed while I go around the room lighting the candles I set up earlier knowing this moment would come sooner rather than later. We’re getting ready to do some pretty dirty fucking, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any romance.

  Once the room is lit to my satisfaction, I go over to the bed and join them. Caine helps her get situated in the middle so we can lie on either side of her. It takes only seconds for us to both shed our clothes and we cuddle up to her together, almost like we’re in sync. Maddie purrs at the feel of our skin against hers, arching her back so she can get closer.

  Caine cups her cheek in one hand, using it to turn her head so he can take her lips with his. The sounds their mouths make have my already hard cock lengthening further. I trail kisses down her jaw to her sensitive earlobe, biting down gently and making her gasp into Caine’s mouth. We both cover a breast with one hand, me kneading gently while he handles her roughly, like we’re two sides of the same coin. I continue kissing her sweet-smelling skin, alternating between light kisses, gentle licks, and hard bites from her shoulder to her collarbone.

  I’m not paying much attention to what Caine is doing, but I know he’s abandoned her mouth to do much the same thing I am. We reach her firm breasts at the same time, and while I suck light marks into the skin around her nipple, he sinks his teeth into the underside of the breast closest to him. The two contrasting feelings have Maddie writhing on the bed between us, one arm wrapped around Caine’s shoulders, the other gripping my arm, her sharp little nails leaving half-moon indents in the muscle.

  Looking up her body, I meet her eyes as I pull her nipple into my mouth. It stiffens more the harder I suck, and I can’t resist scraping the sensitive bud with my teeth. Her mouth drops open at the sensation, but when Caine’s hand travels down her flat stomach to delve between her thighs, her head drops back against the pillows and she moans loudly.

  This time, I’m the one watching as he abandons her tit to kiss his way down to her pussy, lifting one of her legs so he can get between them. I use my hand to roll her neglected nipple while he runs a finger from the top of her slit down to the spot we’re both going to be fucking soon.

  “You’re so damn wet,” he groans. “Damn, baby girl, you’re soaking my hand already.” Caine looks up at her, studying her face so he knows her true answer. “You really do want this, don’t you?” Maddie nods, but that’s not what we need and she knows it. As soon as Caine smacks the inside of her thigh, she yelps out a, “Yes Daddy,” making both of our control fray at the edges.

  He doesn’t give her any time to change her mind before his mouth is on her. I turn my attention back to her breasts because if I keep watching what he’s doing I’m going to blow my load against her silky smooth skin, instead of deep inside her like I want to.

  “Please,” Maddie whimpers, pulling at my arm, the one she’s b
een digging her nails into all this time.

  Dropping a kiss on her lips, I grin down at her. “Please what, Princess?” I love the nickname I picked out for her. It fits her well, and is something I love using in and out of the bedroom.

  Her small hand trails down my abs to wrap around my dick and when I lift my eyes to her again she's looking up at me, licking her lips. “Can I suck it, Daddy?”

  The innocent way she asks has me thrusting into her grip. I don’t know if I’ll be able to last in her warm, wet mouth, but now that she’s asked, it’s all I can think about.

  I move so I’m straddling her chest, my cock resting between her perky tits. I’ve been dreaming of doing this to her since the first night she was here, and I’m about to make it a reality. “Press your pretty tits against me, Princess. Squeeze me tight. I’m going to fuck them.”

  Maddie looks up at me trustingly as she does what she’s told, a small pout on her lips. “But...what about what I wanted?”

  “Trust me.” I grin.

  She smiles brightly at me. “I do, Daddy.”

  My hips flex at the word, sliding through the valley she’s made for me. I push until the head of my cock presses against her pillowy-soft lips. Her smile widens for just a second before she opens for me, taking the head of my cock into the cavern of her mouth.

  I thrust between her breasts and into her mouth over and over her tits squeezing me tight while her wet mouth beckons the tips of my cock.

  Six strokes in and I can tell she’s about to orgasm from Caine’s mouth and tongue eating her pussy and the pleasure she can see on my face from what she’s doing to me. One more swipe of his tongue and she loses it, convulsing around his fingers while her mouth sucks me harder, her moans vibrating around my hard flesh.

  Looking back over my shoulder, I meet Caine’s eyes and he nods, straightening as he wipes his arm across his mouth. Now that’s she come and Caine’s worked her over, we can get to the dirty stuff. In seconds he's moving off the bed while I move to her side.