by Ophelia Bell
“Neither of them said anything about marking you beforehand?” Nessa asked.
“No. They said a lot of odd things last night, asking me to say I was theirs and … telling me they loved me.”
Nessa laughed. “Oh, sweetie. Shifter males can be pretty backwards about the courtship part of mating. Their animals are impulsive, but they definitely know what they want when it comes to their mates, and when they find it, sometimes it takes the man some time to catch up to what his animal wants. Those marks leave no question, though. The bet is officially decided.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“The bet was off,” Bryer said when Nessa stared him down. “Ig and I agreed last night, before anything happened with Pomona.”
The petite woman jabbed a finger in his chest. “It’s a little too late for that, don’t you think? The party is tomorrow. The bet’s on until you two announce who won it.”
“Where is she?” Ignazio growled, voicing the same sentiment Bryer had held back. Bryer just wanted to fucking see Pomona, but Nessa was blocking the door to the kitchen, and they knew better than to turn around while an angry mama bear was in the room.
“She’s deciding whether or not to forgive you two idiots for lying to her. I told her it was certainly fair if she decided to leave. I’m here to back her up.”
The two fussing infants in their carriers and the giant diaper bag nearby certainly made it clear that she was prepared to stay and stand her ground.
“Nessa, please. We didn’t mark her intentionally, and she didn’t give us a chance to explain.”
“Of course you didn’t. You guys never think, do you? You’re in such tight control over your animals in a fight, but when a female is in the picture, all that control goes out the window. What would Mondaro have to say about all this?”
Bryer blanched, recalling their trainer’s colorful language that morning when he’d forced them to explain why they were off their game so terribly. He’d dismissed them, and then told them not to come back until Pomona could come assure him everything was good.
“I thought so,” Nessa said. “The damage is done, though. There’s nothing to do but wait until she makes a decision.”
“Fuck that,” Ignazio said. “Let us fucking talk to her.”
“When she’s ready to talk, she’ll talk. I’ll go check on her in a second.”
The fussing babies broke into full-on howls and Bryer winced.
“We can go find her ourselves. if you’re busy,” he said.
“Nonsense,” Nessa said, unstrapping one tiny bundle from his carrier. She picked up a bottle and proceeded to deposit the small child into Ignazio’s arms. “Sit. Bottle goes in his mouth. Rock him then burp him and he’ll go to sleep.”
Bryer started to chuckle at his friend’s bewildered expression until Nessa came toward him, brandishing the other twin.
“Oh, no,” he said, holding up his hands to ward off the threat.
“You want Pomona? You need me. And I need you to feed my cubs. Got it? I recommend getting comfortable, because it might be a little while. She’s probably packing her things as we speak.”
Bryer took the tiny child and cradled him gingerly in his arms.
“He won’t break, but if he starts to stink, the diapers are in the bag.”
With that, she turned and departed through the kitchen doors, leaving him and Ignazio staring after her, their hands full with her twin cubs.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Pomona paced the small living room of her bungalow, acutely aware of the time. She should have been prepping for lunch, and still had a million things to do before tomorrow’s party, but instead was waiting for Nessa to return and give her the verdict. Had they really meant to mark her, and what the hell should she do about it?
The other woman’s short, curvy figure appeared on the other side of the garden and Pomona opened her door, her heart racing as she watched Nessa navigate the paths at an easy pace. She was smiling, so that was a good sign. In fact, she looked a little pleased with herself.
“What the hell is so funny?” Pomona asked when Nessa stepped past her and sat on her sofa with a smug expression.
“Those two are so in love with you, you’d think the sun shines from your vagina.”
Pomona frowned. “That makes it sound like it’s my vagina they’re in love with. What about the rest of me?”
“That’s what we’re here to test. Do you have anything to drink? I’m parched.”
Pomona headed for her small kitchen. She didn’t have much because everything she really needed was in the big house, in her kitchen. “I have wine or water … I could go get something else from the house if you want, though.”
“No! Don’t go in there yet. We need to make them sweat for a while. Bring the wine and come sit.” Nessa patted the sofa beside her.
Pomona returned with a bottle and two glasses.
“If you’re so convinced they love me, why the test? Shouldn’t I just go talk to them?”
“You will. Just not yet.”
Pomona sipped her wine and fidgeted, recalling the night before and how she’d fled from them at the end because of the confusion of emotions they had caused. She never did relationships well—didn’t really know how to do them—but she was comfortable with casual sex. She’d just never actually had casual sex with anyone she felt so close to. Was it even possible to keep sex casual when you cared so deeply for a person?
“I should go talk to them. They wanted to tell me, and I never gave them the chance!” She stood up and headed for the door, but Nessa darted into her path, surprisingly quick for such a petite, curvy woman.
“They need time to absorb the consequences, sweetie. Trust me, you need to wait. Now come back and tell me a story. Tell me how you got started as a chef, tell me your dreams. Tell me what you want out of a relationship.”
Pomona downed her wine in one swallow and poured another glass as she sat down again. She couldn’t quite focus on Nessa’s questions, but answered them all while her mind remained half-fixed on what Ig and Bry were doing now.
After a few minutes, she noted the growing damp patches on the front of Nessa’s blouse.
“Nessa … Where are the babies? You look like you’re leaking …”
Nessa glanced down at her breasts and sighed. “It’s feeding time, but they’re in good hands. Mama will have to deal a little while longer. But if you have a towel, I could use one. Now, keep talking. You were just getting to the good part.”
She retrieved a towel for Nessa and sighed. “It’s the hard part. I didn’t come here looking for a relationship. Falling in love with my boss … or bosses … was never part of my plan.”
Nessa shook her head. “I could have told you this would happen. Gerri Wilder’s the one who found you this job, right? When I met Gaius, I was already working for Ignazio’s family at their estate in the South. I moved up here to take over for Ignazio, and he hired Gaius to renovate the kitchen for me. Gaius and I definitely got off on the wrong foot, but the worst part was that I knew he was the one, even though I hated the idea—he was so rough around the edges, you know? I come from what I thought was a classier family. Turns out my family’s a bunch of pompous snobs, and Gaius was the classy one. Anyway, Gerri’s the reason we’re together—she somehow manages to maneuver couples together whether they like it or not. If she’s involved, you can bet your ass it was meant to happen.”
“That doesn’t make this easier for me. Where I come from, love at first sight is a myth.”
“Bry and Ig waited for a reason. They can use as many excuses as they like, but they still cared about making sure you were comfortable with it. Would you have agreed to mate them that first day, if they had told you?”
Pomona’s body heated with the memory of that first day. If they had asked, she had no idea what she would have said.
“They can be pretty convincing when they want something,” she said.
Nessa laughed. “Say no more. Gaius never outright asked me to stay with him, but his tongue convinced me, nonetheless. I don’t think there’s a single surface in that kitchen that hasn’t … what?”
“Nessa! In the kitchen?” Pomona exclaimed.
“It’s our kitchen! Or it was before it was yours. He built it for me. And don’t tell me you didn’t imagine sex with them in there.”
“Never!” She toyed with her wineglass and couldn’t help but smile. “I imagined sex with them while I was in there, but the scene was …” She trailed off, remembering her fantasies that had always begun after one of their late-night dessert conversations.
“Where? Girl, you can’t leave me hanging.”
“On the dining room table. Where we actually did it last night.”
“Oh, that’s just wrong. People eat there!”
“How is that worse than the kitchen? When was the last time you did it in there?”
Nessa’s eyes sparkled with humor. “I’m pretty sure we made those babies inside the pantry, but it may have happened on the prep island. There’s no stopping a male shifter when he gets hungry for a certain dish.”
Pomona laughed, her mood lighter than it had been all day.
Nessa set her wine glass down and patted Pomona on the knee. “Time to get you ready. Come on.”
“Ready for what?”
“To dazzle your mates, sweetie. Today is all about reminding them how special you are. A couple strategically placed infants, a missed meal, and a dress that’ll wake up their dragons. Let’s see what you have in your closet.”
“Nothing dazzling, I’m afraid,” she said, following Nessa into her bedroom. The other woman flipped through the hanging garments and frowned.
“There used to be some fantastic ones in here. Mrs. Karsten liked to have a variety for guests.”
“There was some stuff when I moved in. I put it in the trunk.” She went to the huge, antique-looking trunk and cleared her stuff off the top, then opened it. “None of these things made any sense, though.” She pulled out a neutral toned pile of fabric and held it up.
Nessa’s eyes lit up. “You just have to know how to wear them. Strip.”
Chapter Thirty
Ignazio drowsed in the shade of the umbrella, grateful that the tiny weight of the baby resting on his chest had finally grown quiet. The urgency of his need to talk to Pomona still burned inside him, but he couldn’t exactly abandon this little cub whose mother had put her trust in him. He was almost more afraid of Nessa’s wrath than he was afraid of … well, almost anything.
There was only one thing that terrified him more, and that was losing Pomona after what had happened. Even more so now that he knew she was meant for both him and his partner. But if there was anyone he trusted more than Bryer in the world, it was Nessa, and she had promised to help, so he had to let her. And if Pomona decided to leave, he and Bry would just have to go after her.
In the meantime, they were stuck here until the babies’ mother returned. He opened his eyes a slit and glanced over at Bryer, who was in a similar position on another lounge chair on their deck. The twin of Ignazio’s charge was sound asleep on Bryer’s chest, his tiny fingers clutching at Bryer’s thumb while the big man napped.
“I’m no more napping than you are, brother,” Bryer said through their link, obviously conscious of disturbing the babies. He opened his eyes slightly and gave Ignazio a sardonic smile.
The sound of heavy footsteps made Ignazio tense and turn his head. A low chuckle sounded from nearby, and a familiar, broad-shouldered figure came into view, leaning against the railing.
“Shh,” Ignazio said, glaring at the big man who’d arrived and stood shaking his head at them.
“I always knew my Nessa had you guys wrapped around her little finger, but this beats all. What did you two do to piss her off?”
In a loud whisper, Bryer said, “Dammit! It took us an hour to get them to settle down.”
Nessa’s mate just grinned. “They’re my boys. You think they haven’t learned there’s no point to waking up until Mama’s coming to feed them? They’ll wake up when she gets here and no sooner. Sleeping, shitting, and eating—those are their priorities at this age, and not necessarily in that order. If you haven’t had to change a diaper yet, that just means she took pity on you.”
Ignazio rested a gentle hand on the back of the little sleeping bundle of warm and watched the baby sleep for a few seconds. He certainly didn’t show any sign of waking, even at the sound of his father’s deep, booming voice.
“Did you talk to Nessa? When is she coming back?”
“You mean, when is she bringing your mate back? That’s entirely up to her … I can’t pretend to guess, but if the babies aren’t waking up, it could be a while. She’s got them well-trained to know when it’s feeding time. Kind of like the two of you, huh?”
Ignazio’s belly rumbled loudly at the suggestion of food. He scowled at Gaius’s laugh.
“So this new chef of yours seems to be working out. Does that mean I can have my mate back for good?”
“You know she does what she wants,” Ignazio said.
“That’s what we love about her,” Bryer said. “She’s better at guessing what we need than we are.”
Gaius regarded them thoughtfully. “Are we talking about Nessa or Pomona here?” He let out a sigh. “You’re right. But for the record, I’m all for you two convincing Pomona to stay if you can. If it means I get more time with Nessa, just let me know what I can do.”
Ignazio glanced down at the sleeping infant and back at its father.
“Right,” Gaius said with a chuckle. He scooped the baby up, deftly cradling it in one arm, then picked up the other from Bryer’s chest, making it look easy to juggle a pair of delicate two-month-olds, neither of which seemed the least bit fazed at being moved. Gaius cradled the babies against his chest, and they both made soft cooing sounds and snuggled deep into the crooks of his arms.
Babies seen to, both men jumped up and started for the door, only to stop in their tracks when they made it inside.
Bryer’s mouth fell open, and Ignazio felt the air leave his lungs as though he’d been punched.
Pomona stood in front of the still-swinging kitchen doors, staring at them with a nervous smile. She was flushed, her chest gently heaving and her lips parted. And she wore a russet-toned dress that perfectly hugged all her glorious curves, accentuating them in a way that made Ignazio’s blood heat. But his cock could wait … he needed to make sure she was planning to stay, first.
Pomona cleared her throat. “I’m listening now, if you two want to explain what happened. And just so you know, I’m not planning on running away, but it all depends on you. So … these little marks on my back, I take it they mean something?”
Ignazio nodded. In a gruff voice, he said, “They mean everything.”
She sighed and gave them a pained look. “Why couldn’t you just tell me to begin with? I was already falling for you two after my first night here. You would have had me weeks ago if I’d known.”
“We’re fools,” Bryer said. “Too proud to admit we loved you … to each other, or to you.”
She took a deep, shaky breath. “It wasn’t just sex, was it?”
“Never,” Ignazio said. “Knowing you were the one made going to bed alone all those nights worthwhile. Just knowing you were here let me sleep.”
“Seeing you smile gets me hard,” Bryer said, and shrugged. “I’m not too proud to admit it.”
She laughed. “That’s a relief.”
“No, you don’t get it,” Bryer said, taking a step toward her. “Before you, nothing worked. It isn’t just my cock, Pomona. My life … our lives … only work with you in them. We’re just a couple limp, impotent idiots witho
ut you. Please tell us you’ll stay.”
She raised an eyebrow and quirked a smile at them both. Ignazio gave his friend an exasperated look.
“You do have such a way with words, how could I resist?” she said. “So, tell me, how is this mating thing supposed to work?”
“Well, the formality is pretty much done …but traditionally, we stay in bed for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Oh, really?” she asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
Ignazio threw up his hands. “Dude! You’re not helping.”
Bryer lifted one shoulder. “What? It isn’t a lie. Don’t humans do something similar?”
Pomona relaxed. “So it’s like a honeymoon period? And it’s only a day?”
“It’s as long as we need it to be,” Ignazio said, hesitating until he saw her expectant look. “Until you’re pregnant.”
Pomona bit her lip, her cheeks flushing as she glanced beyond them through the wall of windows that looked onto the deck, where they’d been biding their time with the napping twins.
“You’re good with Nessa’s babies,” she said softly. “That had to be the most ovary-melting sight I’ve ever seen, to be honest.”
Ignazio frowned. “That sounds painful.”
She came toward him, her eyes brimming, but a sweet smile graced her lips. Reaching out toward Bryer, she tugged him closer by the hand and rested her other on Ignazio’s cheek.
“No, you fool. It’s good. But we actually only have twenty-four hours, remember? The party’s tomorrow. If you want that …” She pointed out the window to where Nessa and Gaius were now curled up together on one of the two-person loungers, snuggling their children. “… then we’d better get started, don’t you think?”
Chapter Thirty-One
Pomona laughed as the two of them practically pounced on her, pushing her back toward the dining table. She pressed a hand to each man’s chest and gazed up into two pairs of eyes filled with equal parts love and desire.