Hanging On 2: Surreal Neal [Awakenings 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Michele Zurlo

  Then I positioned her on her hands and knees and took her from behind. She started out bracing herself on her palms, but soon she put her head down and used only her elbows to prop herself up. I clasped one of her shoulders, holding her for leverage as I thrust into her. I aimed for her sweet spot, and judging from the high-pitched squeaks she made, I hit it each time. When she came again, convulsing around me, I couldn’t resist. That sweet heat shot up my spine. My balls lifted, and my climax crashed into me.

  * * * *

  Sophia’s family was very Italian. Both of her parents were first-generation Americans. Though neither one spoke anything but English, they both placed a lot of importance on traditional values. Family came first, always.

  Perhaps that’s what made them so accepting of the fact that both of their children chose to embrace alternative lifestyles. Sophie’s brother, Daniel, lived as part of a triad. He’d married his high school best friend and the woman of his dreams. The three of them were very much in love with one another. Sometimes I envied their arrangement, not because I wasn’t content with Sophia, but because they didn’t have to go outside of their bedroom to fulfill all of their needs.

  At first, sharing Sophia with subs hadn’t been a big deal. I had spent years sleeping with couples, and I didn’t see a distinction between what I had done and what I was doing.

  But now that we’d met Neal, my opinion on that had changed. He completed us. I didn’t just want to date him, I wanted him to join our family.

  I might not be Italian, but my family was the most important thing in my life. Sophie came first. Our extended family came second. I loved them, but I worshipped my wife.

  I think that’s why her father liked me so much. I didn’t hide my feelings for Sophia or pretend she wasn’t the nucleus of my world.

  Anna and David, her parents, were the first to arrive. My parents had a standing invitation, but they were in Mexico this week.

  I answered the door to hugs from both of them. I took Anna’s bags from her. She always made pies, and we started with dessert. Sophia’s family was huge on dessert.

  Walking through the foyer and hall behind Anna, I noticed that she was thinner. Sophia’s mom had always been a plump little blonde. She was charming and pretty, the quintessential grandma type.

  “Anna, you look fabulous.”

  She turned without stopping, throwing a beaming smile over her shoulder. “Thank you, Drew.”

  David smacked my shoulder. He was a large man. I wasn’t small, but he dwarfed everyone I knew, including his son. “Watch it, Snow. That’s my wife you’re ogling.”

  I don’t think the fact that we had a rotating third person in our bedroom sat well with David, not that we discussed it. I know he’d mentioned it once to Sophia, and she’d set him straight about what was his business and what wasn’t.

  Still, I wasn’t going to hit on my mother-in-law. I gave him the stink-eye. “You’ve lost weight too.”

  “We’re on a diet,” Anna said. “Portion control. I only brought two pies. That gives everybody one big slice.”

  In the kitchen, David patted his stomach. “When Anna was pregnant, I gained weight too. Anna aims to keep Danny and Evan from becoming unhealthy. Alaina, on the other hand, she says doesn’t eat enough.”

  Anna frowned. “She’s eating for two, and yet she looks like she’s eating for a two-year-old.”

  Sophia entered the kitchen using the back stairs. She’d been cleaning up the dungeon. I hadn’t practiced much last night, and she’d put me through my paces this morning. My shoulders and back were sore from swinging the flogger. I’d been so focused on finding a rhythm and hitting my target that I hadn’t hit the sheets with Sophie this morning.

  “There’s my little girl.” David swallowed Sophie in a tight hug.

  Anna was next. Her short stature couldn’t swallow Sophia, but she managed to exert a motherly dominance. Sometimes I wondered about David and Anna’s relationship, but Sophie had assured me that her parents were very vanilla or very good at hiding their activities. If they didn’t want people to know, then people didn’t need to know.

  We chatted for a little while. Anna put on an apron—I kept one just for her—and started emptying the cupboards of the ingredients she wanted. If she couldn’t find something, I told her where it was. I’d long ago learned that my kitchen was Anna’s when she was over and in the mood to cook. I wanted to have her on my show, but I hadn’t been able to charm her into it yet.

  Alaina came next, flanked by Evan and Danny. Zach, her twelve-year-old brother, trailed behind. While he technically wasn’t David and Anna’s grandchild, he was the closest thing they had to one, and they’d assumed the role wholeheartedly.

  Anna descended on the towheaded boy, enveloping him in her arms. He was nearly her height, and though his bleach-blond hair didn’t match hers, they did look like they could be blood relatives. She kissed his cheeks and fussed over him.

  When she let him go, David shook Zach’s hand. “Congratulations on making the basketball team. Hard work is always rewarded.”

  He blushed and mumbled a thanks. I felt like I had missed something.

  “I didn’t know you were going out for basketball,” I said. “Congratulations.”

  “Yeah. Poppa and Danny helped me practice and get into shape. I hadn’t played before.”

  Daniel could have been Sophia’s male twin. He was the masculine version of her, not as pretty, but definitely handsome. He was my height—five eleven—and we shared a similar build. Our main difference lay in coloring. Danny had an olive complexion, and dark hair and eyes like Sophia and their father.

  Evan was the quiet one. Sometimes I wasn’t sure I knew him too well. He was slightly taller than me, broader shouldered, and built. He was seriously hot. If Danny hadn’t scooped him up, I would have tried to talk Sophia into some kind of fling with Evan.

  Alaina, the woman they’d both seduced and married, was tiny. Though she had a curvy figure, she couldn’t have been more than an inch or two over five feet. She had brown, shoulder-length hair that shone with red highlights in the sunlight. If I had to describe her in one word, I’d go with one that emphasized her mind. She was smart. Funny and cute, but very intelligent. She could speak knowledgably about pretty much any topic.

  She looked tired. Bags hung under her eyes. I saw that Anna noticed them. She led Alaina to the seating area on the other side of the kitchen.

  “You’re not getting enough sleep,” Anna said.

  Alaina laughed, but it was a tired one. “Night sweats wake me up. Having two heat factories lying beside me doesn’t help. I took a nap.”

  I glanced over at Sophie, who rolled her eyes. Now that Alaina was pregnant, Anna had taken that as permission to go into motherly overdrive.

  Daniel seemed oblivious, or maybe he was just used to his mother’s fawning. She definitely heaped attention on her children, and that included me. While I enjoyed a close relationship with my mother, she’d stopped fawning over me once I hit fifth grade and informed her that I was not a child anymore. She’s a psychologist, which is how she had a professional association with Alaina, so she had taken it in stride. If either of Anna’s children had tried to cut the cord like that, she hadn’t listened.

  Danny picked at the foil covering the pie. “What kind did you make? I call dibs on this one.”

  David smacked his son’s hand away. “One slice per person. Your mother is on a diet.”

  “I don’t see how that affects me.” Danny grinned mischievously. “Unless I get her portion.”

  “Touch that pie and you’ll see exactly how it affects you.” David didn’t follow up with a grin, and though Danny had a strong martial arts background that his father didn’t share, I didn’t believe Daniel would win against his father in a fight.

  “No pie for me,” Alaina said as she rubbed at her side. “You can split my piece with Evan.”

  “And me,” Zach chimed in. “I’m a growing boy.”

 
Before there could be anymore arguing over the pie, Sophie said, “I’m expecting another guest. Two, actually. One should be here any minute, and the other won’t be here until dinner.”

  I didn’t think Neal could get out of work in time for dinner, but I did not contradict my wife. There were some things a married man just did not do. I’d set aside some food for him before the masses could inhale it.

  Daniel lifted his brows. “Another guest? Who?” Then a realization dawned on him and he scowled at Sophia. Daniel didn’t bother to hide his disapproval of our lifestyle. He’d been under the impression that hooking up with me would rein Sophie in, not reinforce aspects of her sex life he didn’t like. He’d mellowed over time, but he hadn’t changed his mind.

  I answered for Sophie, who I knew would say something to fan the flames. She and Danny often found it fun to push each other’s buttons. “An up-and-coming chef. He’ll eventually have a spot on the network. Right now, he’s training with me. His aunt should be here soon, and he’ll stop by when he’s finished working.”

  That mollified Danny a bit. He turned his smirk on me. “Competition?”

  I didn’t think of Neal as competition. He was an excellent cook, but he was still developing his style. There was enough room on the network for the both of us. I shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  The doorbell rang. Sophia went to answer it. Most of the family gathered at the seating area around Alaina.

  Danny moved closer to me. “Seriously,” he said, lowering his volume. “Who is this guy to you?”

  I lifted a brow and tried to affect the most condescending expression I could manage. “You assume we’re after the guy? How narrow-minded of you.”

  His expression turned dark. I almost laughed at how similar he and Sophie looked when they were pissed off. “Drew, inviting those people to a family event is crossing a line.”

  I agreed, which was why we’d never invited our thirds to interact with us socially. Neal didn’t fall into that category. “Look, he’s a great chef, and he’s not from around here. He has no friends, and his aunt is his only family in the area. Surely you can’t begrudge him a little time spent in the bosom of your wonderful family?”

  Danielle came in with Sophia. She was a pretty little thing with hair a few shades lighter than Sophie’s and the same deep blue eyes as Neal. Now that I was seeing her in my kitchen, I was struck by her similarities to Alaina. She was more Danny’s type than mine.

  She shot me a friendly smile and brought over something packed into a plastic bowl. “Hey there. I made tabouli. It’s not as good as Neal’s, but it’ll do.” She stuck her hand out to Daniel. “I’m Danielle.”

  “Daniel,” he said, accepting her hand.

  “No,” she said. “Danielle.” She emphasized the “elle.”

  Danny laughed. “I’m Daniel. You can call me Dan if it’s easier.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Dan. You’re Sophia’s brother?”

  Sophie chimed in. “He’s older and married.”

  I coughed. “Let me introduce you to everybody.” I took her to the seating area and did the honors.

  David eyed her with open speculation, as did Anna, but neither one said a word. They were all cordial, but not overly friendly. I mentally kicked myself for not protesting when Sophie said she’d invited her. Asking an outsider to these meetings was like throwing an innocent to the wolves. I felt protective toward her. She was Neal’s family, and that made her special to me, even if I barely knew her and wasn’t sure she liked me.

  Anna got up and headed back to the kitchen, towing Sophia, Zach, and Daniel with her. I pointed Danielle toward the sofa, seating her in the place Anna had vacated. I leaned against the arm of the sofa, ready to spring to her defense. I didn’t think they’d attack her—they weren’t mean—but they also didn’t accept people into their fold who hadn’t proven themselves.

  “Hi,” she said to Alaina, smiling in that plastic sort of way people adopted when they were uncertain of the social situation. “So, did I hear right? You’re Dan’s wife?”

  “I am,” Alaina said. She let go of her side and reached for a glass on the table in front of the couch. “Evan’s too.”

  Danielle looked at Evan, confusion crossing her features. Seated on the other side of Alaina, he smiled and waved. Such reactions were normal, and for the first time, I wondered if I would soon be in that boat.

  To her credit, Danielle seemed to get with the program rather quickly. “So you landed not one, but two hot younger men? Wow. I am impressed.”

  Alaina laughed, a husky chuckle. “I didn’t do anything. They landed me.”

  “Yep,” Evan agreed. “We had a plan and everything. She was a challenge.”

  Alaina slipped her hand into Evan’s, and they exchanged a significant look. It was very sweet and full of love.

  Danielle turned back to me, but she nodded her head in their direction. She didn’t say anything, but she lifted her brow in a silent question that I had no trouble understanding. She wanted assurances that our intentions toward Neal were noble. I answered with a small nod.

  She blinded me with a brilliant smile, and I saw her resemblance to her nephew at last.

  “So what do you do?” David asked.

  Danielle turned back to him. “I’m a massage therapist. I work through a physical therapy center. Most of my clients have been through some kind of trauma.”

  David nodded thoughtfully. “Why did I think you were a chef?”

  I stood and took a seat on a nearby chair. “Her nephew is a chef. He’ll be here later. Right now, he’s working at Sensual Secrets.”

  Leaning close, David whispered, “Is he going to bring some of Ginny’s treats?”

  “Not if he values his life,” I said. “Gin has her orders ready for tomorrow morning. Heads will roll if someone touches her merchandise.”

  “Damn.”

  I caught Alaina rubbing her side and her neck. I lifted my chin in her direction. “Lainie, are you okay?”

  “Just a little sore,” she said.

  “Somebody hit her car two days ago. The doctor said it’ll take a week for the aches and pains to go away,” Evan added. He put a hand on her neck. “Want me to rub it, honey?”

  Alaina shook her head. “That doesn’t make it feel better.”

  “An anti-inflammatory would help,” Danielle said. “Alternate heat and cold until the swelling goes down.”

  “I’ve been doing that.” Alaina said. “I’m pregnant, so I can’t take much for it.”

  David rose to his feet. “I’ll get you some ice. You sit there and take it easy.”

  I hadn’t heard about the accident, and I was glad Alaina was okay. “What happened?”

  She sighed. “I was coming out of the hospital. Somebody wasn’t observing those big yellow arrows painted on the road that direct the flow of traffic. They went the wrong way and plowed into my car. On the plus side, I’m getting a new car.”

  Concern and anger rushed through me, but I squelched anything I might have said about the other driver. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Thanks. The other guy got his leg pinned and had to be cut out.”

  “Then they gave him a ticket,” said Evan. “Idiot bastard.”

  Danielle leaned forward, her eyes blazing with somber intensity. “Once, when I was in high school, I was cutting diagonally across the student parking lot and this car came out of nowhere. She was doing at least forty-five. I shot out from behind some parked cars and hit her. We were both at fault. My car slid all the way down hers, caving in her driver-side door. I had a tank, and she had a Dodge Daytona. It had one of those peace-sign steering wheels, and she was a real big girl, tall, with huge boobs. They had to cut her out of the car because her boobs got stuck in the peace sign.”

  The outrage we all felt that could have cast a pall over the entire evening lifted. After three seconds of stunned silence, we all burst out laughing. Across the room, the rest of the family joined in.

&n
bsp; Two hours later, we were in the middle of dinner. Food littered the long table in my kitchen that could seat twelve comfortably, and more took up space on the nearest counter.

  Daniel and Sophia were over there, arguing about how to cut the pie pieces fairly. I didn’t think either of them was interested in fairness as much as they wanted to make sure they ended up with the biggest piece.

  Danielle looked at them and shook her head. “My brother and I used to fight like that. He’s fifteen years older than me, but I came out bossy and knowing how to do everything better than him, so the age difference didn’t really matter.”

  I knew Neal’s father was alive and well. “You guys get along better now?”

  She shrugged. “We still argue, mostly friendly disagreements, some are more serious. He wants Neal to go back to college. I think he should stick with cooking.”

  “I agree.” I had attended college for two years. My calling had been cooking, and when I’d told my parents that I wanted to attend culinary school instead of a university, they supported my dream. “It’s good he has you to support him. This business is hard enough without having to fight with your family to get them to understand why you want to spend hours and hours sweating in a kitchen. Sometimes the future a parent wants for a child isn’t the one they want for themselves.”

  Across the table, David shot me a warning look. Daniel and I had bonded over many things, but one of the issues that reinforced our camaraderie was the fact that we’d both abandoned college to follow our hearts into careers our parents hadn’t envisioned. For Danny, that was running a martial arts studio. His father hadn’t approved of that decision, though he hadn’t stood in Danny’s way, either. It was still a sore subject.

  “I just want him to be happy,” Danielle said. “Neal’s different from the rest of us, and he’s still searching for his bliss. I want him to find it.”

  The doorbell chimed. Sophia abandoned her fight with Daniel. “I’ll get that.”