A Little Harmless Scandal

by Melissa Schroeder

  Her relationship with Brad had taught her that. He had been willing to wait, to work with her on building a long-lasting relationship. She hadn't wanted to even try. He had been perfect for her, but she couldn't tell him she wanted him around forever.

  She shook herself out of her funk and rose to get some more coffee. It was odd that she hadn't slept well at all last night. In less than two weeks, Adam and Mick had become such a huge part of her life that she couldn't sleep without them in bed with her.

  She'd just finished doctoring her coffee when she heard a car drive up.

  Jillian.

  She walked to the front door and watched as the mother to be pulled herself out of her car. She looked even bigger than before.

  “Hey,” she said, a sunny smile curving her lips. “Sorry for just popping in.”

  But nothing in her expression or tone of voice told Serenity that she actually felt that way. As she waddled her way over to the front steps, Serenity studied her. Was she there to tell her to back off?

  “Good lord, I think I might just burst if I don't have this child soon. I feel like a beached whale.”

  Serenity shook her head as she held the door open for Jillian. “You look beautiful.”

  “That's sweet. Did Conner pay you to say that?”

  She chuckled. “No. And you are. You know you are one of those women other pregnant women look at with hatred.”

  “Oh. That's sweet.”

  “Sit.”

  Jillian did as instructed, as a smile played about her lips.

  “Is that coffee?”

  Serenity nodded. “Want some?”

  “Want, yes. But I can't have any.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “No worries. I can at least enjoy the smell.” Then silence descended.

  “Is there a particular reason for this visit?”

  “I needed to get out of the house. I'm on hiatus from writing and it is about to drive me insane. This is my last voyage out for a while. Once Conner gets back, I will be on lockdown unless I go out with him.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “Usually I would bother Adam and Mick, but since they moved, I can't do that. So, I came over here.”

  And there it was. She knew there was a reason Jillian had come over, and it had nothing to do with being restless. She had come to warn her off.

  “Out with it, Jillian.”

  Jillian blinked, then another smile curved her lips. “I like smart women. And you are definitely smart.”

  “Are you here about the guys?”

  “In a way.”

  “I appreciate that you feel the need to protect them, but I can assure you...”

  Her voice trailed off when Jillian laughed out loud.

  “What?”

  “Oh,” she said between chuckles. “You almost made me wet my pants with that laugh.”

  Annoyance and something close to fear curled in her gut.

  “So, if not that, what?”

  Jillian sighed. “Now, I have made you angry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Part of it is needing to have someone else to talk to. As I said, without the guys there, I have no one to bug.”

  “And there's no one else?”

  She shrugged. “I like my space. I'm sure you understand.”

  It was true, having her own space was very important.

  “And you know it's hard to make friends when you work from home. A solitary job leads to a less than healthy friend list. Conner is on Maui with the guys until tonight.”

  “Should you be left alone?”

  She snorted. “I can handle anything that comes up. Plus, I do have friends, but many of them have jobs.”

  “Ah, yes. Hard to find someone who can just take off for an afternoon and go running around.”

  “My best friend, Conner's sister, lives in Miami. A huge percentage of my friends work at Rough ‘n Ready.”

  “Ah, and so not much time if you're exhausted at the end of the day. Different schedule and all that.”

  “Exactly. See, you get it. I'm getting on Conner's nerves. No writing, stuck at home. He is not used to a dependent wife.”

  “Should have thought about that before he got you pregnant a second time.”

  “I knew I was going to like you when I met you.”

  Silence descended again.

  “And the other thing?”

  “What?”

  “The other thing you were talking about. You said that it was one reason.”

  “I just wanted to check you out more.”

  “That's better. I deal better with up front questions.”

  “Then we should get along just fine.”

  “You're worried about Mick and Adam. I guess they told you we were involved.”

  “Yes, but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  She blinked. It had been so long since anyone had worried about her. At least, not unless she was involved with the person.

  “I'm fine.”

  She paused when taking a sip of water and set the glass down. She leaned forward, causing some of her braids to slip over her shoulders.

  “Are you sure? And I’m not asking because I think you are weak. I try not to mettle, but the guys are sometimes…obtuse.”

  “They've been really sweet.”

  “Please tell me that's not all they've been.”

  Even after all her years in Hollywood, she had been sheltered. She knew about things, but people rarely asked her about her sex life. Friends wouldn't. Strangers never had a problem with it.

  “Good,” Jillian said. “Just so you know, they are going to be looking for more than just a good time.”

  Yes, she had sensed that too. Serenity had no idea how to feel about a long-term relationship with one man, let alone two. Serenity knew she was not built for that kind of life anymore.

  “I don't know if I'll be ready for a relationship with them or not. One thing I do know is that I will try my best not to hurt them.”

  “Oh, honey I'm not worried about them,” Jillian said. “They've never taken this chance before, but I think both know what they want. My main worry is that they're going to rush you and you're going to freak out and push them away.”

  “So, you're not worried that I might hurt them?”

  Jillian shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “Being hurt, it's part of being in love. You can't have one without the other, just the way it goes.”

  Serenity wished she could be so laid back about falling for them. Knowing that pain came with the relationship and that it was worth it. But, they had her head and her heart twisted around.

  “I can see that you have a lot of craziness going on in that head of yours.”

  She focused on Jillian, who offered her an understanding smile.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I've been there myself. One man is hard enough to deal with, but two would make me insane. You have a lot to deal with, Serenity.”

  “Yeah.”

  “And I know it isn't easy. My best friend has a relationship with two men.”

  “Conner's sister?”

  She nodded. “He wasn't exactly happy about it, especially since both work for the company. But, once he saw how they felt about her, it was enough to convince him. Well, mostly. Every now and then he gets a little grumpy about it.”

  “I can’t even think about siblings. Sometimes I thought I would want one. It wasn't easy being an only child. Now, though, as an adult, I’m not sure I'd like the idea that he or she might feel the need to pass judgement on my choices.”

  “Weird, right? I don't have any either, but Conner is a bit older than his sister. He helped raise her after their parents died, so he is somewhat more protective.”

  She rubbed her hand over her stomach and Serenity followed the motion. “Oh, God, this Demon Seed is going to kill me. Kick, kick, kick.” She smiled at Serenity. “Want to feel?”

  Her first response danced on the tip of her tongue. No. Not because she d
idn't want to, but she had decided a long time ago not to have children. She just wasn't built for it. But...

  She reached her hand out and placed it on Jillian's tummy. It only took a second before she felt the kick.

  “Oh, wow.”

  “Yeah, so I haven't slept through the night in a long time.”

  Just that simple touch did exactly what she didn't want. The longing to have a child had been something she had fought for years, but now that she had started this relationship with Mick and Adam, her mind kept straying to the idea of a little one.

  “Hey, Earth to Serenity.”

  She blinked and focused on Jillian once more.

  “Sorry.”

  “No worries. You just looked sad there for a moment.”

  “Just an odd thought.”

  Jillian looked like she wanted to say more but she refrained. Thankful, Serenity stood.

  “I have some mac bread I made up. You want some?”

  “God, yes. I didn’t like sweet stuff up until last week. All of a sudden, I feel a need to suck down sugar by the pound.”

  As she went about the task of cutting the bread, she decided to push the thoughts of babies or long-term relationships out the window. Going down that road was going to lead to heartache. Hell, both had it written all over them. But thinking about a tiny little person with curly blond hair, or a dark-haired baby with striking blue eyes would depress her. She could deal with a death of a relationship. The death of a dream was something different and she’d had that happen in her life already.

  “Here you go,” she said, handing the bread to Jillian.

  She took it with a smile, but it faded when she saw Serenity’s expression.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head.

  “No,” Jillian said. “Tell me.”

  “I just don’t want to think about certain things.”

  “Certain things like a future with the guys?”

  She shrugged and sat down again. “I learned a long time ago that hoping for things don’t make them come true.”

  Jillian sat back and stared at her. “Just remember that sometimes things work out. That maybe, just maybe, the guys are exactly what you need.”

  She wanted to argue, but Jillian’s determined look kept her from saying anything. She was close to tears and she didn’t know why. If she had to argue with the other woman, she might start sobbing.

  “You’re right. Do you want anything to drink with that?”

  “Water would be great.”

  She went to get the water for Jillian and pushed her worries aside. There was nothing to be done about it anyway. She’d enjoy the moment with these two men and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mick grabbed his overnight backpack and followed Adam and Conner out the door of the private jet. It had been a long four days in Maui, but both he and Adam had made a good amount of money. One more week on another job in Kauai, and they would have enough money saved up for a vacation.

  “It seems like we've been gone for weeks,” Adam said.

  Mick nodded, knowing exactly what he had been talking about. They’d always had each other, and while they often took separate jobs, having someone waiting for them at home made a difference. Just knowing that Serenity was there waiting for them had his libido humming. It also warmed his heart. She had added a dimension to their relationship that had taken them by surprise.

  “Next week you're going with Jake,” Conner said as they approached their vehicles. “I'm staying close to home for the next few weeks.”

  “Yeah. I wouldn't want to deal with Jillian going into labor and you being on another island. Somehow, I think we might get blamed for it.”

  Conner chuckled. “More than likely. See y'all later.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Mick climbed into the passenger seat as Adam started up the SUV.

  They drove out of the airport up onto H-1 in the direction of Pali Highway.

  “I am so fucking tired,” Adam said.

  “Yeah. We might be getting too old for this.”

  He smiled as he sped around a pokey sedan. “Why don't you call Serenity and let her know we're back on the island?”

  He said nothing for a moment, which gained him a side glance from Mick. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “No. That silence meant something, especially coming from you. You are never quiet.”

  “Fuck off,” he said with little heat. “I'm just happy you seem to be accepting Serenity.”

  “I never said I didn't accept her. I just worry that everything happened so fast, that she might get overwhelmed.”

  He nodded as he called her. She answered on the second ring.

  “Hey,” she said, her voice husky with sleep. “Whatcha doing?”

  “We just landed. Adam wanted me to let you know.”

  “Okay.”

  “You were sleeping?”

  “Yeah. No. I'm not sure.”

  He chuckled. “Go back to sleep.”

  “'kay. Love you guys.”

  Then she hung up the phone. Adam took the Pali Highway exit and still, Mick hadn't hung up the phone.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing, just she was sleepy. Never mind.”

  “No, something happened.”

  Mick hesitated, thinking about the words again. “She told me she loved us.”

  Adam blinked. “Loved us?”

  “Yes, she said, ‘love you guys,’ then she hung up.”

  A car horn sounded behind them, so Adam snapped out of it and turned onto the highway.

  “She was asleep when you called?”

  “I think so. If not, pretty dammed close.”

  “Uh.”

  “Yeah.”

  At first, there were no feelings at all. He was stunned. She hadn't given him any inkling that she had those feelings. Sure, there was that connection in bed, but she hadn't said a word about it.

  “What's wrong?” Adam asked.

  “It's kind of fast.”

  “Really? You’re worried about this going too fast? Are you kidding me?”

  Joy danced around the edges of his heart, but there was also worry. Did she really love them or was she just half asleep and not knowing any better? Or maybe, she was confusing lust with love.

  “It figures you're having second thoughts.”

  “And you don't?”

  He shrugged. “Not really. I told you. There was this connection with her. We both said we felt it.”

  But did they feel it because it was real, or was it because they wanted to feel it? That she made them feel so good because together they made a good threesome?

  “Hey, babe, stop worrying.”

  He glanced at Adam. “That's usually my line.”

  “Truth is, you're worrying because this is real. Before it was always just for fun, but now things are real. We aren't just hooking up for a good time.”

  “I guess so.”

  “I know so. Stop worrying. That's usually my job.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah I guess so.”

  “And don't let it mess up tonight. I know both of us have been hankering for her.”

  That much was true. They'd been so tired on the job that they had fallen into bed together and not done much of anything else. Still, without her there, it felt like something was missing. That had never happened before.

  “I guess so. But she was sleeping.”

  “Like we would let that stop us. I can't wait to sink inside of her.”

  Just hearing Adam put his own thoughts into words had his cock twitching. They’d made love every night they were gone, but as he had thought before, there had been something missing. Even when they were just sleeping, he knew both he and Adam had missed having Serenity in bed with them.

  “Okay, I'll stop worrying, at least for tonight.”

  It was so late that it only took them another twenty minutes to make it back to the house
. Adam parked the SUV in front of their house. Mick slipped out of the vehicle, then grabbed his overnight bag out of the backseat. He started to follow Adam up the steps to the house, but stopped.

  It didn’t feel right. And that was what had been freaking him out. Being in their house together, in this one and the ones they had lived in before this one had been one of the comforting feelings Mick had had. Now, it wasn’t the same if Serenity wasn’t there.

  That one thought should have freaked him out a little. He liked to jump before thinking. It had worked for him in the past. Ignoring all those warnings, he made an easy decision.

  “Hey, take this,” he said waiting for Adam to turn around before he tossed the bag toward him.

  He turned on his heel and strode to her house. When he reached her front door, it was locked, of course. He knocked on it. Something crashed to the floor and then he heard a very grumpy Serenity cussing.

  She opened the door. Her hair was a mess of curls on top of her head and she was wearing an old tank top with lettering so faded he couldn’t read it. It skimmed her thighs, and he noticed she was only wearing panties with it.

  “What?”

  She didn’t look like a woman who was welcoming one of her lovers home.

  And in that instant, he knew he loved her. It had really crept up on him. Mick felt almost blindsided with the revelation.

  “So, you just decided to knock on my door and stand there like an imbecile?”

  That grumpy voice, along with her appearance, made it impossible to hold back. He grabbed her, then cupped her face with his hands. He couldn’t say the words, not yet. So, he dipped his head down and kissed her. Even irritated with him, she didn’t hesitate. Opening her mouth to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Slipping his hands down her body, he lifted her against him. Again, no hesitation. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

  The kiss was sexual, but it was also so much more. He poured his feelings into it, letting her know without words what he felt. He wanted her. In their bed, and in their lives.

  When he finally pulled back, they were both breathing heavily.

  “Come home with us.”

  She peeked over his shoulder and he knew without looking that Adam was here. Then, she met his gaze again and gave him a small smile. “Of course.”

  Adam grabbed her keys and phone, locked the door to her house, and followed Mick as he carried her back to their house.