by Trina Lane
Miranda’s channel locked down, and Vic’s cock was bathed in her release. The heat of her body scalded him, and her inner muscles contracted with a strength had him moaning. Once Miranda’s pussy released its death grip on him, Vic bounced her up and down till the tingling in spine worked its way down to his groin and erupted in a gut-wrenching explosion. His head arched back against Chase’s shoulder and he roared out his orgasm, coming so hard he actually worried for the integrity of the condom. Chase’s fingers clawed at Vic’s hips and Vic tried to protect Miranda as he jerked with the force of Chase’s thrusts. Miranda’s hands unlocked around his neck as she pulled Chase into her embrace as well. Chase impaled Vic with his rigid length one last time before Vic felt Chase’s cock pulse deep inside him.
They all stayed still, one leaning against the other till their breathing slowed, and their heart rates returned to some semblance of normalcy. Chase slowly withdrew. The sting in his well-fucked ass made Vic hiss. Miranda’s legs seemed to lose all strength, and if Vic hadn’t been holding her up, she would have fallen into a heap on the floor of the shower. Vic removed his condom then handed it to Chase, who took care of disposing them outside the enclosure.
Vic held Miranda close, their bodies swaying in the warm water. Another benefit to the tankless heater meant no shortage of hot water. If Vic wanted to stay under the water till he became a prune, then he’d shrivel up under a waterfall of warmth.
“I love you,” Vic whispered to Miranda.
“I love you, too,” she mumbled into Vic’s chest.
Chase came back in, stood to the side of them and wrapped both Vic and Miranda in his embrace. “My loves, my treasures. You’ve made my life complete.”
* * * *
Chase leant back against the padded bench at the quaint little bistro in Beacon Hill where he and Vic had decided to take Miranda for brunch. His lovers sat across from him, and the sight of their clasped hands on top of the white linen made him smile. Vic was pointing out items on the menu that he recommended, while Miranda was playing footsie with Chase under the table. The waiter approached with the glasses of orange juice all three of them had ordered.
He set the glasses down on the table then pulled out his notepad. “Have you decided what to order?”
Vic looked over at Miranda and she nodded. “My girlfriend would like the roasted mushroom omelette with cheddar cheese, egg whites only please. And I’ll have the roasted pepper frittata with onions, potatoes and cheddar cheese.”
The waiter looked over at Chase. “And you, sir?”
“I’m going to have the open-faced grilled chicken with mint and almond pesto, and mozzarella. And a side of fresh fruit please.”
Chase watched the kid scribble away before he flashed a tip-winning smile and said the food would be out shortly.
Once alone, he placed his hands on top of Vic’s and Miranda’s. “So loves, I was thinking that since it looks like today is going to be top out around eighty-seven that we spend the day in the pool at my building. You can bring Axel over, and we’ll all spend the day drinking and frolicking in the water.”
“Sounds perfect to me,” Vic said.
Miranda chewed on her lower lip for a second. Chase could see the wheels in her brain spinning. He wondered what she was thinking about. Did she not want to spend the day with them? Were they moving too fast for her? He’d heard Miranda tell Vic that she loved him that morning and, while he thought she felt the same for him, he was still waiting to hear those all-important words.
“Honey?” Chase asked, softly.
Miranda smiled and met Chase’s gaze. “I think that would be fun.”
Chase released an internal sigh of relief. He gave Miranda’s hand a squeeze then sat back against the cushions once again. Their plates were delivered in short order and the smells from the food made Chase’s mouth water. He set the bread away on a side plate and proceeded to cut into his chicken breast. He moaned as the first bite hit his tongue, and the flavours of the pesto mingled on his taste buds.
Miranda and Vic appeared to be enjoying their meal as well since they both dug in with gusto. Then again, we all did use up quite a few calories over the past fourteen hours. He smirked and Vic lifted his gaze to Chase’s with a questioning look in his eyes. Chase shook his head and stabbed a piece of cantaloupe then shoved it in before his mouth could get him in trouble.
Miranda’s cell phone buzzed on the table. She’d set it down after calling Calleigh to let her know that the three of them would be over in about an hour to pick up Axel. When she picked up the phone and looked at the read out, she frowned. Chase set his fork down and took a sip of his water, keeping a watchful eye on Miranda’s expression as she flipped open the phone and put it to her ear.
“Hello?”
Miranda was silent for a minute and Chase saw her fingers tighten on the napkin she’d placed on the table. When her eyes went wide and started to fill with tears, he kicked Vic under the table to get his attention. Vic looked up and Chase nodded at Miranda. Vic immediately put his fork down and placed his hand on Miranda’s back.
“I understand. I’m not really sure what to say. We’ve been divorced since January. Are you sure there’s nobody else?”
Chase didn’t like the sound of this conversation. If it at all involved Miranda’s ex, he knew nothing good could be a result. Since he and Vic had met and started to woo Miranda back in May, they’d slowly seen her shed the emotional baggage the bastard had left her with. The frightened and traumatised woman who’d run from them upon their first meeting had slowly blossomed into a vibrant person, whose self-esteem and confidence had grown incrementally day by day.
“Yes, I’ll take care of it. I’ll see about making arrangements and getting to Chicago as soon as I can.”
Chicago? What the hell?
Chase met Vic’s gaze and saw a mirror of shock and concern looking back at him. If Miranda had to return to Chicago, there was no way Chase would to allow her to do so alone. Either he or Vic would be going with her. Miranda shut her phone and stared down at the table. She pushed her half finished plate of food away.
“Princess? What’s going on?”
Miranda swallowed once, then again, and when she couldn’t seem to find her voice Chase pushed her glass of water towards her. “Take a sip, honey,” he said softly.
Miranda lifted the glass of water and placed it against her lips, but didn’t drink. She set it back down then looked at Vic and over to Chase. “Drew’s dead. Apparently he slept with the wrong woman, and a jealous husband took offence. They’ve arrested the husband and he’s made a confession. That was the police, they’re asking me to come back and make arrangements since I was still listed as Drew’s next of kin. They say there’s nobody else.”
Chase was caught off guard. This was probably the last thing he expected to hear. One part of him was glad the son-of-a-bitch was gone and out of Miranda’s life for good, and another could see that despite everything, Miranda was upset by the news and that saddened him, making him want to reach out and comfort her.
“Okay so we’re going to the windy city. I always have wanted to visit Navy Pier,” Vic said.
Miranda’s head jerked up and Chase smiled at her. “You didn’t think we were going to let you do this alone did you?”
This time Chase could tell that the tears filling Miranda’s eyes were of happiness and relief. He wished that the infernal table between them would disappear so he could pull her into his arms. Vic had no such restrictions and Chase watched as his partner gathered their woman into a hug. Miranda’s head was turned towards him, and Chase gave her a wink to let her know that everything was going to be all right.
Chapter Ten
Miranda stood beside the hole in the ground where Drew would be laid to rest in a matter of moments. She looked up into the clear blue sky filled with the bright sun, and had trouble reconciling the beautiful day with what should be sombre moment in time. A warm hand rested on the small of her back and she le
ant into Chase’s touch. She heard the minister’s voice as if he spoke from a great distance, not really able to focus on his words.
Over the last few days, her emotions had run the gamut from anger at Drew’s continued reckless behaviour to sorrow that such a young life had ended violently. However, deep in her heart—in the part she was actually afraid to examine—Miranda knew a black hole existed where a demon resided, laughing in glee that karma had caught up to her ex-husband.
“Ms. Green, are there any words you’d like to say?”
“No, Father. I’ve made my peace with Andrew Harper.”
Chase pulled Miranda close, and she was thankful for his support. She was glad that Chase had been able to rearrange his schedule so he could be there. Unfortunately Vic hadn’t been so lucky. Instead of focusing on Vic’s absence, Miranda wanted to use this time to strengthen her bond with Chase. Her eyes widened as she realised she was contemplating using this little get away to spend time with her new boyfriend, while standing over the grave of her ex-husband.
Dear God, what kind of woman am I?
She tried to listen to the priest’s words. To soak up their reverence and remember the good times she and Drew had before things turned bad, but unfortunately they’d had more bad times than good and despite wanting to find a kernel of warmth within her to mourn, all Miranda felt was numbness.
Finally the service—what there was of one with only her, Chase and the priest present—ended. Miranda stared down at the gunmetal grey casket.
Goodbye, Drew.
And that was all she could think of to say. Miranda turned and started walking back towards their rental car. The cemetery was one Miranda was unfamiliar with, but had been recommended by the police detective she’d met with upon arrival. Apparently it got used often for individuals who didn’t own or have the means to pre-purchase family plots. Price was a concern because Miranda had to pay out of her pocket, and while she didn’t intentionally want to cheat Drew of a comfortable final resting place or casket, neither did Miranda feel the need to spend more of her hard-earned money than necessary.
Chase opened the passenger car door and as Miranda moved to step in, a car came around the corner of the drive at a rather quick speed. Chase moved behind Miranda as though to shield her when the other car’s brakes screeched when it pulled up behind them. A middle-aged gentleman with salt and pepper hair and designer suit quickly approached them.
“Mrs. Harper! Please wait! I’m so glad I caught you!”
Miranda straightened her shoulders and turned to face the frazzled arrival. “It’s Ms. Green. Drew and I were divorced as of January.”
The older man stopped suddenly and had a confused look on his face. “Really? My client never mentioned getting a divorce.”
“And you are?” Chase asked.
“Sorry, how rude of me. Albert Thomas. I’m an attorney Mr. Harper retained about three years ago. I need to discuss with you his last will and testament.”
Mr. Thomas looked back and forth between Miranda and Chase. He frowned, but the expression disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
“And you sir?”
“I’m Doctor Chase Pruitte, Miranda’s significant other.”
Miranda crossed her arms. “Chase will be present for anything you have to say to me. You’re not the attorney who mediated our divorce. I didn’t even know that Drew had a will.”
“Be that as it may. It doesn’t change the conditions of the will. Mr. Harper, rest his soul, made some stipulations I think you will find very interesting.”
“Mr. Thomas I can’t imagine anything about my ex-husband’s life that I would find interesting. I divorced him for very good reasons, and if you truly knew your client then I think you’d probably not think so highly of him.”
Mr. Thomas stared at Miranda with a blank look, and she knew she’d made the man uncomfortable but at that moment she couldn’t have cared less.
“I can’t answer that for you, Ms. Green. However, the fact remains that Mr. Harper did leave a will, and you are named as the beneficiary. When I read of his death in the papers I tried to contact you, but was unsuccessful with the information we had on file.”
“I moved to Boston four months ago.”
“Well, that explains a few things. It was when I called the police that they told me I might find you here, today. If you’d be so kind to accompany back to my office I’d like to go over everything with you.”
Miranda looked up at Chase. She wasn’t quite sure how to react. Was this guy for real? It wasn’t too much of a surprise that Drew had made a decision such as this and never said anything to her. Miranda had accepted that she never really knew anything about her ex-husband’s life.
“Let’s follow him back to his office, and see what he has to say, honey. Then we can put all this behind us.”
She looked back at Mr. Thomas who stood there nodding and smiling. “Okay.” She slid into the car and leant back against the head rest with her eyes closed. She’d developed a killer headache in the last ten minutes and wanted nothing more than to find a quiet place to rest for a couple of hours, but it seemed Drew had one last trick up his sleeve.
Miranda heard the driver’s side door open and the car rocked as Chase sat in the driver’s seat. After closing the door, he started the ignition and cool air blew over Miranda’s heated skin. She sighed and opened her eyes when Chase lifted her hand to place a kiss on her knuckles.
“Hopefully this won’t take very long then we’ll go back to the hotel so you can rest for a few hours. I know you’re trying to process all this and can see the tension in your shoulders. You have a headache, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“When we’re done for the day, I’ll give you a massage. We’ll order room service and spend the night alone in our room. It’ll be quiet and peaceful. I think that’s really what you need most right now.”
Miranda smiled for what felt like the first time since she got the call at the restaurant three days ago. “Thank you. I know I should be reacting, but it’s as if my emotional slate has been wiped clean when it comes to Drew. Do you think I’m a bad person because of that?”
Chase squeezed Miranda’s hand. “No, honey. I’m no professional counsellor but I imagine that, with everything you dealt with as Drew’s wife and how hard you’ve worked to overcome those effects, maybe it simply means you really have moved on with your life. Maybe you’ll get to a point where you want to cry, maybe you won’t, but neither possibility makes you a bad person in my eyes or Vic’s or anyone else who truly knows you.”
Miranda thought her mother would most likely disagree with Chase’s opinion, but she really didn’t want to open up that can of worms. She looked out the window. Here she was, back in her hometown. Maybe twenty minutes away from the house she was raised in, and yet Miranda had no desire to contact her parents. Did that make her a terrible daughter?
They drove in silence, following Mr. Thomas’ car back into the heart of downtown. Miranda let Chase worry about navigating the crazy streets, and was very glad to find that he wasn’t easily rattled. They pulled into a parking garage and a few minutes later Miranda stepped into a large suite with a wall of glass facing Lake Michigan. She found herself looking out at the view rather than peeking around the obviously well-appointed office. Miranda had come to love Boston Harbour with all its rich culture and history, but there was something to be said about the blue expanse of water of her home town.
“Please Ms. Green, Dr. Pruitte, have a seat.”
Miranda and Chase both sat on a sofa along one wall and Mr. Thomas retrieved a folder from his desk before sitting across from them. He opened the green file and looked down at the contents for a second.
“Now I could read this word for word, as sometimes families prefer to hear the actual words of their loved one, but I get the feeling that in your case that wouldn’t be appreciated, am I correct?”
Miranda nodded. “Please just tell me what I need to know.”
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Mr. Thomas picked up a pair of glasses on his desk. “Very well. The long and short is that Mr. Harper left to you one hundred percent of his estate. Since you and Mr. Harper were legally divorced at the time of his death, you will not be responsible for any of his incurred debts. However, Mr. Harper did take out a whole life term policy shortly after your marriage, and according to my documentation you are listed as the beneficiary. I have a copy of Mr. Harper’s death certificate, and if you have the time, we can visit the insurance company’s office immediately. They are conveniently located in the building.”
Miranda didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t even quite sure what to think. The concept of Drew in essence giving her a gift was such a foreign concept that her mind had trouble processing the information. Still, her and Drew’s relationship issues had nothing to do with Mr. Thomas or the insurance company, so she simply nodded her head and Mr. Thomas escorted them up to the eighteenth floor where Miranda, Chase and Mr. Thomas were shown into the office of Mr. Wynn who worked for Lakeland Term Life. Mr. Thomas showed Mr. Wynn Drew’s death certificate and in short order they were all seated.
“Now, as a matter of protocol I must ask you a few questions. May I see some identification to verify that you are in fact Miranda Green formerly Harper, the true beneficiary listed on the policy?”
Miranda took her wallet out of her purse and removed her driver’s licence then handed it over to Mr. Wynn.
“Thank you. You needn’t worry that this will be a complicated process. Mr. Harper had a whole life insurance policy with us. In the event of his death, the beneficiary of the policy—that would be you—is the recipient of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. You have two options in regards to the payout. We can do an electronic transfer for the lump sum or you can set up monthly instalments. There are no taxes on the benefit, so the decision is strictly based on whether or not you want a secured income or would rather receive the bequest all at once.”