Emma nodded, and they turned to go. Moths fluttered around the porch light as she watched them climb the stairs. They waved one last time before they disappeared from sight. She quietly closed her door and turned out the lights. Her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest at the memory of their kisses.
After a warm shower, she climbed into bed completely nude. It took an hour of tossing and turning before she finally fell asleep. Even asleep, she dreamed of what it would be like if they did more than just kiss her chastely on the lips.
Chapter Three
Saturday afternoon, Emma removed her phone from her scrubs pocket and pulled up Duke’s phone number. She waited as the call connected, looking over at Grace Warner who sat beside her, breathing deep with her eyes closed. Ethan sat on Grace’s other side, holding her hand and speaking in soothing tones to her. His voice seemed to calm her considerably as Adam watched with loving concern on his face from the front passenger seat.
They’d just left the romantic ceremony binding Maya Daire to Kendall, Boone, and Richard Warner. Grace’s husband, Jack, had to take the bumpy journey from Divine Creek back to the Rockin’ C Ranch slower than Emma had liked, but it had been necessary for Grace’s comfort. Once they’d reached the paved drive at the Rockin’ C Ranch, Jack had been able to drive at a much faster pace.
With her eyes still closed, Grace leaned her head back and let out a long, slow breath that ended with a shaky note.
Emma patted Grace’s hand and said, “You’re doing great, Grace.”
Grace kept her eyes closed and replied, “That was a long one.”
On the fourth ring, Duke picked up. “Hello?” Even under these circumstances, his voice sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.
“Duke? Hi, it’s Emma. I’m sorry to do this but I’m going to have to reschedule our date. I’m on my way to the hospital with a patient.”
His voice held a trace of disappointment. “It’s okay. I understand. I just got off the phone with Ace. He told me that you’d just taken off with Grace. I hope she’s okay.”
“Everything is fine, but I’m really sorry about our date. I was looking forward to it.” Emma glanced at her watch when Grace signaled the beginning of another contraction.
She heard his sexy chuckle on the line, and he replied, “Me too. But we’ll make plans to go out soon. We’re not letting you off the hook.”
She could hardly contain the giddy feeling inside at the thought that they’d both asked her out for that Saturday night. But babies came when they wanted to, so here she was on her way to the hospital. “I’ll look forward to it. Talk to you soon.”
They ended the call, and she checked her watch. Grace had been having mild contractions all morning. When Emma had arrived for the wedding, Grace had reassured her that the baby was just being very active. As the wedding ceremony had drawn to its conclusion, Emma’s suspicions had been confirmed as she’d observed Grace breathing through an active labor contraction. They’d left the gathering a few minutes later.
“Jack, when you arrive at the hospital, pull around to the ER doors. I’ll let the emergency room know we’re coming so they can be ready for us.”
Jack nodded and turned on his flashers. Emma was impressed with the calm that had descended over the occupants of the vehicle. They were well prepared for this event. Emma knew this because Grace had told her at her last prenatal appointment. She’d asked Emma to sign off on all three men being present for the birth of their daughter. Unlike many fathers who were present but not necessarily all that helpful to the laboring mother in the delivery room, these men had taken extensive classes in the natural birth method Grace had chosen and knew their roles.
“Grace, let me know if you get the urge to push, okay?”
Grace hummed her assent as she breathed deep through another contraction.
“That’s good, Gracie. You’re doing great,” Ethan whispered soothingly. Emma observed the way Grace focused on his voice and managed to stay relaxed.
Less than five minutes later they were at the hospital. Because the paperwork was already filed with the hospital, the check-in process took place quickly, and Grace somehow managed to keep her calm despite the flurry of activity around her. She’d already worked into a deep state of relaxation and concentration, and her men fielded all questions so she didn’t become distracted by the commotion.
Proving once again that babies came in their own sweet time, Grace’s contractions slowed down. By the time she was in a hospital gown and in bed in the delivery room, her contractions were back to seven to ten minutes apart.
Pulling Jack and Adam into the hallway so Grace wouldn’t be distracted, Emma instructed them to grab a bite to eat and get something for Ethan. She explained what was happening, reassured them, and told them to rest while they waited. She excused herself to get something to eat and check her messages. She smiled when she got to the message from Rachel. They were bringing her vehicle up to the hospital after the wedding reception.
Emma decided to hang out at the hospital so she could be there to deliver Rose Marie when the time came. She’d thought about continuing on with that evening’s plans but knew there was the distinct possibility she’d be called back to the hospital halfway through their meal. Duke had sounded very understanding, so she’d let the notion go.
She ate supper at the sandwich shop next to the hospital, keeping her phone handy just in case, and then returned to check on Grace. She seemed to be handling labor well, and Emma was glad she was able to relax as the night progressed. The men took turns sitting with Grace, and Emma appreciated that they let her focus and didn’t distract her with small talk.
During the night, Grace became more uncomfortable, and Emma suggested she take a warm shower after checking her dilation. Proving what a trooper he was, Ethan helped her, getting soaked in the process. Emma smiled when she heard Grace tell Ethan with absolute certainty, “Baby, I am ready to push, like right now.”
Wishing in retrospect she’d suggested the shower sooner, Emma said, “Blow through this contraction, Grace. Ethan, let’s get her dried off and in bed first.”
Less than a minute later, Grace was dried off, in bed, and ready to get the show on the road. Grace focused on the men surrounding her bed and said, “Guys, this is it. Ready?”
Emma had seen numerous fathers-to-be balk when the moment of truth came, and many of those had been with mothers who were given some form of pain relief or anesthesia. Grace was giving birth completely drug-free. Though obviously concerned for her and the pain she was in, the men never hesitated. They nodded and kissed her.
While the nurses quickly set everything up and checked Grace’s vitals, Emma checked her dilation. “Ready to start pushing?” Grace looked her way and nodded as she took another slow, deep breath. “Keep doing your breathing and start when you’re ready, Grace. There is no rush.”
Grace nodded and laid her head back on the pillow, seeming to prepare for what came next. She pulled the men close until they were stooped over her, whispering, and Emma thought they might be praying. Emma silently motioned the nurse to dim the overhead lights.
The collapsible end of the bed was lowered so Emma could deliver the baby, and Emma’s nurse nudged another stool close to Emma. The event had been textbook perfect, and Grace had asked if it might be possible for Jack to catch the baby. She looked up and saw the determination in Grace’s eyes and smiled.
“Ready to meet your daughter?”
“Yup,” Grace said with a grimace.
The rest of the birth happened without incident, Grace’s men coaching and encouraging Grace quietly. Little Rose Marie Warner made her entry into the world as the sun rose on another day.
Jack was awestruck as he held out his hands to gently receive his daughter, with just a little help from Emma, as the baby was born. Tears streamed from his eyes as he gazed on her cherubic little face for the first time. Rose Marie’s tiny chin quivered as she struggled to form her first howling cry.
Emma was warmed by a sensation that never got old, watching this baby girl be welcomed by her parents. It didn’t matter how many babies she’d delivered. This was one of the best parts of her job.
The love in the room was palpable as Jack rose from the stool and showed Grace, Ethan, and Adam their red, squalling newborn daughter. All four cried tears of joy, and Emma felt tears spring into her own eyes. She efficiently moved the drape aside and directed Jack to nestle the baby on Grace’s chest, skin on skin, where she settled quietly. Emma went back to work, finishing the job, but glanced up from time to time as the four of them bonded with their new baby girl.
Ethan reached out a tender hand and stroked Rose Marie’s downy little head as tears sparkled in his bright, blue eyes and got caught in his lashes. His lower lip trembled almost imperceptibly as he whispered, “Well, you’re just as beautiful as your mama, aren’t you, honey?” He turned to Grace and pressed his lips to her forehead and said, “Thank you, Gracie.”
Grace bore the ecstatic look many new mothers had as the euphoria of the moment washed over her. Her cheeks were flushed from her exertions, which made her eyes seem an even brighter blue. She smiled up at him, and tears trickled from the outer corners of her eyes.
Adam Davis was a very tall man and could easily have held Rose Marie in one of his large hands. This gentle giant placed a hand on the baby’s back and in a shaky voice said, “Look at those little rosebud lips. She’s the image of her mama.” Tears streamed from his eyes as well.
Grace gave a watery chuckle and said, “Not entirely. Look closer, Adam. That’s your nose.”
Grace had refused DNA testing, telling Emma that it didn’t matter which of her husbands had provided the sperm to fertilize her egg. As far as Grace was concerned, they were all the fathers equally.
The tiny infant looked up at Adam and started squalling again. The little family all softly chuckled as Rose Marie began rooting around.
Emma chortled as she worked and directed the nurse over to help Grace. “Looks like she’s a hungry girl, Mom.”
The men moved over while the nurse bundled Rose Marie into a receiving blanket and topped her little head with a stocking cap, then helped Grace with positioning the baby to breastfeed her.
Emma smiled as she watched the family observing Rose Marie take her first meal and felt such a yearning course through her that it stole her breath away. She was blindsided by it because she’d delivered so many babies and it had never happened before.
These four individuals were now five. Emma had agreed with Grace when she’d said she was the luckiest woman in the world to have those three men in her life. They would be there for her and for each other and form a secure home in which Rose Marie would thrive. Her heart yearned for what they had. Hell, she yearned for a life that included something other than her job and the hollow existence she led.
Grace caught her eye and smiled at her then whispered, “Thank you.”
* * * *
Emma removed her eyeglasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she walked along the sidewalk that led to her front door. Grace, the baby, and her men were all back at the hospital getting to know each other, and it was eight o’clock on Sunday night. One patient emergency after another had kept her at the hospital or her clinic all day. She’d only managed a few hours of sleep in the doctor’s lounge, so she looked forward to sinking into sleep in her own bed after eating supper. Emma stretched her stiff neck from side to side, replaced her glasses, and fished in her bag for her keys.
The apartment was cool and dark when she went in and turned on the light. There was another note attached to her door, and she peeled it off before closing the door.
Hi gorgeous,
We have something for you upstairs. Regardless of what time you get home, come knock on our door. Come upstairs hungry and that would be even better.
Duke and Gage
Smiling, she rubbed her stomach after taking off her doctor’s jacket and hanging it up. She was starving. Grabbing her purse and keys, she locked the apartment and hurried upstairs, making sure her phone was in her pocket, in case she was needed.
Duke yanked the door open a mere second after the second rap of her knuckles and greeted her with a big smile. The warmth in his eyes communicated itself to her, and her core turned warm and soft for him.
“Hi. I got your note,” she said, waving it as she stepped over the threshold. “Sorry about last night.”
As he closed the door, Duke said, “I’m not. Grace needed you. And you’re here now.”
A moment later, she found herself wrapped up in his lean, strong arms. She was tall for a woman, at five feet and nine inches, and he was still taller than she, at six feet two or three inches. Duke surprised her with the way he’d taken charge of the moment.
He tightened his arms, and her body came alive as though she’d been touched by an electrical current. He didn’t waste any time, groaning softly as he squeezed her to him and laid his lips on hers.
She was shocked for a second, but her body willingly responded to him, and she lost herself in the kiss, parting her lips. Her pussy reacted with a rushing, swelling sensation, and she melted against him. If dating him was going to be like this, she would be a total pushover. There was no resistance in her for him.
He caressed the back of her head, his fingers sinking through her hair to lightly rub her scalp and the base of her head. How did he know that’s where all my tension centers? She moaned blissfully at his continued rubbing and knew she was putty in his hands.
Duke’s chest was muscular and firm with her breasts pressed up against it. She ran both hands up his arms, enjoying the definition of his biceps and shoulders, until she had her arms wrapped around his neck. The rigid line of his cock pressed against her mound, her pussy quivered with heat, and moisture pooled in her cotton panties. Duke gentled his kiss and trailed a line of damp kisses from her lips down her throat to below her ear.
A powerful quiver shot through her body when she felt a second pair of warm hands settle at her hips and caress upward to her waist. Her pussy convulsed with want when Gage’s hands continued in their upward quest until they barely cupped the undersides of her breasts. His fingertips stroked in a semicircular arc beneath them until she would’ve sworn they’d swelled, trying to fill up his hands.
The sensation was indescribable when Gage pressed against her from behind and she was engulfed in their reassuring body heat. She moaned when Gage pressed his lips against her shoulder, and fiery tingles coursed through her body as he traced his hot mouth up the other side of her throat.
Rhythmic pulses raged through her cunt at the pure sensuality of the encompassing embrace, and she gasped in shock, wondering if she’d just had a small climax or not. How long had it been since she’d been this turned on in a man’s arms? She was hard pressed to remember her last date, much less the last time she’d ever felt like this.
When they removed their lips from her throat, she almost complained because she immediately missed their closeness and warmth. To be embraced like that was unspeakably intimate and not at all what she’d expected when she’d come upstairs. She wanted more.
Finally opening her dazed eyes, she found Duke gazing at her with satisfaction written plainly on his handsome face. Gage snaked his hands around her torso as Duke released her. The rumble in Gage’s chest could be felt against her back as he squeezed her gently from behind. She alternated her gaze between Duke and Gage and said, “Wow.”
Gage chuckled and said, “Yeah. Major understatement.”
She laid her hand almost shyly on Gage’s cheek and drew his lips to hers for a kiss as she turned in his embrace. Wanting the same thing with both of them seemed right. She didn’t feel any qualms for giving Gage the trust and passion she’d also given Duke.
When she gazed up at him, Gage smiled at her. He was slightly more reserved than his cousin, but she could see the heat in his eyes. The stiff cock pressed against her communicated that he wanted her just
as much. The thought thrilled her instead of intimidating her. Emma laid her head against his chest and he held her for a few seconds.
She didn’t want him to let her go at all. Instead she wanted more kisses and touching and to forget about work and life for a while and just be with these two men.
She murmured, “I’m sorry about our date getting messed up.”
Gage chuckled and replied, “It doesn’t feel messed up right now. Can you stay for a while?” He released her, and she stepped up to the counter and took a seat on the barstool he offered her.
“Yes. I’m on call but I can stay. Oh! These are beautiful!” she said as she admired the flower arrangement on the counter. The pink roses were so pale they were almost white.
“They’re for you,” Gage said as he sat down beside her. When he stroked her thigh gently she wanted to lean in to him so he would hold her again.
Duke said, “We’re making you supper. Hope you’re hungry and you like sirloin steak.” He lifted a steak from its wrappings with a fork and turned to her.
Emma smiled and replied, “I’m starving, and I love steak. I’m definitely a carnivore.”
Duke gave her his crooked grin and asked, “How do you like your meat?”
Chapter Four
Gage’s cock hardened further behind his zipper as Emma moaned again. He loved watching a woman enjoy her meal, and Emma was clearly enjoying the steak Duke had grilled for her. Gage sometimes wondered if Duke had missed his calling as a chef because the guy could cook. And the ecstatic sounds Emma kept making as she ate were beginning to get to him. He kept imagining her making those sounds as she took something besides a bite of food into her mouth. He glanced at his cousin and found Duke watching Emma eat her medium-rare sirloin with something bordering on fascination.
“Duke, this is so good.” She sat on the couch with them as they watched the third movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. Duke sat on one side angled slightly toward her with a knee resting on the couch cushion, and Gage mirrored his posture on her other side. This way they could see each other and her.
Rainier, Heather - Their Divine Doctor, A Holiday Ménage [Divine Creek Ranch 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4