“Get it right woman! I want two daughters,” Dale yelled from behind the kitchen window. Jace only wants one daughter.” Leif watched as Isabella took in their byplay.
“How can you be thinking of two daughters, when Kev is still in diapers? Are you crazy?” Jace asked his brother.
Karen rolled her eyes at Isabella. “What was I thinking when I married two men?” She looked over at the door of the restaurant, and Isabella tracked with her eyes to see what Karen was seeing. Leif took in Isabella’s observation, noting the smile that broke forth on her face. Butch and Betty Hutchins had arrived and they were heading straight to the table, with Joshua Parker following behind them. He came straight over to Isabella, and brushed a kiss of greeting on her cheek.
“Hey, beautiful, are you keeping out of trouble this week?”
“Parker, you have your own woman. No kissing on mine.” Joshua grinned at Leif, and he realized that besides making Isabella feel good, Joshua was trying to get a rise out of him.
“Joshua, why aren’t you in Boston with Olivia? I thought you were all trying to get her moved?” Isabella inquired, referring to the fact that Olivia and her two fiancés were moving her back to Fate Harbor.
“Joshua is in town to sell his house, honey,” Betty Hutchins supplied. She handed one of the menus to her husband as she continued. “Ian and Olivia will arrive here next week. I’m so excited to have my baby close by.” Isabella knew that Olivia was one of the foster children raised by the Hutchins. She didn’t realize that foster parents remained so close to their grown foster children, but it seemed so. Chance Reynolds and Sam Booth, also fostered by Butch and Betty, were proof of this, since they had chosen to live near them in Fate Harbor into adulthood. They were amazing people.
“Joshua, how is Olivia going to run her charity from Fate Harbor? She needs to work from Boston, right?” Isabella asked.
“Nah, she can do most of it via teleconference. She figures once a month she will need to fly out there. We arranged with Eric to schedule off duty time for one of us from the firehouse when she goes, so we can take turns accompanying her to Boston. We really can’t stand the thought of her being alone.”
Leif felt the hand before it connected, and grabbed it from the air.
“God damn it, I can never sneak up on you. Ow!” Dane groaned, as Leif bent his hand back. Served him right for trying to sneak up behind him to smack him the back of the head. He turned to his baby brother.
“You are just too loud in your approach.” He released his brother’s wrist and grinned. Isabella let out a sharp laugh, her eyes twinkling. Yep, this had been the right decision. Any morning at Hart’s Diner was always a show.
“Hey, gorgeous, have you decided to dump my old man brother yet?” Isabella closed and put down her menu, and grabbed Leif’s hand.
“Nope! I’ve decided to move in with him.” Leif’s heart leapt.
“Isabella—”
“Leif,” she interrupted. “This is not a whim. I’ve given it a great deal of thought.” He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He wanted to take her into his arms, and while it wouldn’t have bothered him to do so in front of everybody, he knew that Isabella wouldn’t have been comfortable, so he refrained. But Jesus, he couldn’t remember ever being so happy. He knew he was grinning, and he just couldn’t help it. He looked over at his brother, expecting Dane to be laughing at him. Instead he was giving Leif a warm smile and a thumbs-up, while taking out his cell phone. Leif bet his bottom dollar Dane was calling their mother.
Chapter 18
Caleb was stunned. Sammy’s friends had to be the stupidest men on Earth, and as a result Pedro was the luckiest. He had been held captive, as Sammy had said. Pedro’s captors were still awaiting Sammy’s call to inform them that either two more men or a girl had been delivered. Sammy had told them to sit tight, and that’s exactly what they were doing. Pedro wasn’t in the greatest shape, but he was alive, just malnourished and dehydrated.
When Charlie called in the state police to examine the scene and question Sammy’s friends, they readily confessed, exonerating Pedro. They transported Pedro to the hospital and Juan Velarde was driving out to stay with his son, so Charlie and Caleb were returning to Fate Harbor. When he called Leif to give him the news about Pedro, he hadn’t asked whether Isabella planned to spend the night at their house and Leif hadn’t mentioned it. So he was resigned to another night in the small bed at her apartment. Caleb sincerely hoped that they had made a breakthrough with her, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Well, he wasn’t going to give up.
“So where do you want me to drop you off?” Damn even Charlie sounded sympathetic. How low can a guy be when Charlie Meade was feeling sorry for you?
“My house. I have to clean up.”
“You know, everything is going to work out. That girl loves you. I don’t know why, but she does. She’s too damn good for either of you, much less the both of you at the same time.” Caleb grinned over at his childhood friend.
“You’re just saying that because you were hoping you had a shot at her.”
“Well, duh!” Charlie said as he looked over at Caleb.
“Eyes on the road!” Caleb damn near shouted. “Jesus, you’re going almost ninety miles an hour!”
“The road’s deserted,” Charlie said calmly. “You’re such a baby.”
Caleb knew that Charlie did that shit on purpose.
“Look, I just want to live, all right?” Charlie laughed as he lifted his foot off the accelerator.
By the time they got to Caleb and Leif’s house, all Caleb could think about was getting to the bottle of antacids. He saw Leif’s truck and perked up. Maybe Isabella had agreed to spend the night after all.
“Well, it looks promising. I wish you luck.”
“Thanks, Charlie. Thanks for everything.” Caleb shook his friend’s hand, and double-timed it into the house.
Leif was in the living room with his feet up on the coffee table, watching a black-and-white movie.
“Where’s Bella?”
“Asleep.”
“And you’re not with her?” Caleb couldn’t believe Leif had given up an opportunity to be in bed with their woman.
“Stayed up to talk to you.” Leif took his feet down off the coffee table and faced. “You look like shit. Do you want to get cleaned up and come back to talk?”
“Is she leaving us?”
Leif stood up and started talking at the same time. “God no, I would have called and told you, if something like that were happening. Jesus, Caleb, you know that.”
Caleb felt himself slump over in relief.
“Would you please go take a shower? You’ll feel better.”
“Yeah, I will.”
He took his time getting cleaned up. As he was shaving he wondered what it was that Leif wanted to talk to him about. He knew it had to be serious. As long as it wasn’t Bella leaving, he really didn’t mind. It amazed him that in less than six weeks, a mere slip of woman had come to be the center of his world. He didn’t know how that was possible, but there it was. She held his heart in the palm of her hand.
Leif was in the kitchen, and there was a huge sandwich and a cold beer waiting for him. He started to eat standing up at the counter as Leif pulled another beer out of the fridge for himself. When he was halfway through the sandwich, he felt human again, so he turned to Leif.
“I’m ready, spill it.”
“Isabella is feeling like shit. I’m just warning you now, and you can either make her or break her.”
“What are you talking about? I would never hurt her.”
“Look, when we were at Hart’s Diner this morning, Dane was making dumbass comments again about how she should dump me and go for him because he was younger.”
“Did you pound on him?
“She told him she was moving in with us.” Caleb felt his whole being begin to shake. The widest smile he could ever remember took over his face.
“Jesus, talk about bur
ying the fucking lead, Leif! Why didn’t you two call me the second that happened?”
“Cause she immediately started to cry, realizing she hadn’t told us at the same time. She thought she was the worst person in the world, and I had to take her home. It took me hours to get her settled and to sleep. She begged me to wake her the second you got home so she could beg your forgiveness.”
“Fuck that shit! Who cares? She loves us! She’s going to marry us. Well, one of us, but she’s ours forever!”
“Whoa man, she just agreed to move in with us.”
“Don’t be stupid, Leif. Bella would only do that if she were in love with us. A woman like that, well, if she is in love, she will eventually want marriage and babies.” Caleb felt like he was going to come out of his skin. “I’m older, she’s going to marry me.”
“I’m wiser, she’s marrying me.”
“She decides,” Caleb replied.
“She’ll never decide, and then we’ll never be married.” Leif laughed. “Even after I explained that both of my dads felt equally married to my mom, she still asked me if the one who was only bound in a commitment ceremony and not legally married to her, didn’t feel left out. Nope, we have to have made the decision before we ask her. We’re going to handle it like we’ve handled every major life decision, including if it was the Army or the Marines.”
“Rock, paper, scissors, it is.” Caleb laughed. “Let’s go wake up our beautiful woman. I don’t want her worrying a second more than necessary. You know she’s probably worrying in her sleep about having told just you, instead of the both of us.”
“Guaranteed. You going to finish that?” When Caleb shook his head, Leif took his sandwich and ate the rest in three bites, washing it down with the rest of his beer.
They both made detours to brush their teeth before going to the master bedroom. They laughed at one another when they saw that they were both wearing fresh sweatpants, as well. When Caleb opened the door, he wasn’t surprised to see his Bella tangled in the blankets, a sure sign that she hadn’t been sleeping peacefully.
Each man climbed in beside her, and Caleb worked the blankets out from around and under her. She whimpered his name and he kissed her. She woke in an instant, and threw her arms around him.
“Caleb, you’re not a dream. I’ve been dreaming about you, but you’re not a dream! But you are my dream.” He actually understood because she was his dream, as well. He leaned in and brushed his lips against her rosy mouth. At the same time, he reached down and started pulling up her sleep shirt. He had to see her breasts. Looking at her lips always made him want to see her nipples, always. It was a wonder he wasn’t in a constant state of arousal around her. “Wait a minute,” he thought, grinning into the kiss, realizing that was a precise description of her effect on him.
He had the shirt pulled over her head, and then she pulled her arms from around his neck and crossed them in front of her body. “Bella, what?”
“Oh, Caleb.” Her lower lip trembled.
“No, baby, Leif told me. You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. I love you. I’m thrilled that you want to stay with us.” He was careful not to say live with, wanting her to gift him with that word.
“You’re not mad? You’re not disappointed in me?” she asked, as she slowly relaxed her arms. He stroked her cheek.
“How could I be mad or disappointed when you gave me everything I wanted, Bella?” She turned her head to look at Leif, and gave him a joyful smile.
“You were right.”
“I’m always right.”
“Don’t you believe that, Bella!” Caleb moved his hand downward, cupping the lush flesh of her breast. He watched as Leif cupped the other. There was something so erotic about seeing his black hand and Leif’s white hand cupping her cinnamon-colored breasts. In perfect synchronization, they started to pull on her dusty rose nipples and it was a carnal fantasy come to life.
“Ohhh, I can’t talk, I can’t think, when you do that.” Caleb loved how Isabella whimpered. He treasured the sight of her eyes glazing over. “Please stop. Just for a minute. Please.” They paused.
“I need to be with you, but I’m worried that I’m broken, that I’m holding onto the thought that you won’t want me.” She looked so sad. As one, they wrapped their arms around her, each kissing a cheek.
“Isabella, you’re not broken. You’re just wounded, like I was. Like I am. There are still times when I don’t feel safe. Do you think I’m unworthy of love? I still need help.”
“Of course not, Leif.” She turned her head, and peppered him with kisses. That was Bella, the most compassionate and loving woman in the world, and she was worried that they wouldn’t love her, that they would somehow judge that she didn’t deserve their love. That was unimaginable.
“I’ve never told you. I’m so sorry. It was just another thing I was scared to do. But I love you. I love you more than my life. You mean everything to me.” They gathered her close and held her for long minutes. The moment was meant to be cherished.
Caleb felt her breathing change, and her nipples pebble against his chest. Bella’s leg relaxed, and he realized that this solemn moment was becoming charged with sexual tension. Although Caleb was sure that he and Leif were already on that page, he was just surprised that Bella had gotten there without them working to arouse her.
“Bella?”
“Caleb. I want you.” She paused for a moment. They both waited. “That’s wrong. I need you. Please?” Ahh, there was just that hint in her voice. Even now, she was unsure that she was wanted. He cut his eyes over to Leif, noting that his brother had heard it, as well. Instead of sadness or empathy, he saw that harshness cross over Leif’s countenance.
“Isabella!” Leif said sharply. Her head whipped around and her whole being focused on him. “After tonight, you will never again question how much we want and need you.” Caleb saw the hope on her face. “What are your words?” Again, Leif was demanding, and Caleb marveled at how this woman’s entire being soaked up his determined tone like the dry earth soaked up rain.
“Green, yellow and red, Leif.”
“What color are you now?”
“Green.”
“Good. We’re going to push you tonight.”
“He’s wrong, Bella. We’re going to love you tonight. It’s all about love, sweetheart.” Isabella turned her liquid brown eyes to Caleb, her heart radiating through them. “Everything we ever do in this bed, whether Leif and I dominating you or we’re at our most passionate, it will always be done with love.”
“Caleb.” Her voice was hoarse. “I couldn’t be with you, I could never have been intimate with either of you if I hadn’t loved you, if I didn’t think you loved me a little,” she said tremulously.
“You’re wrong, baby. We gave you our hearts from the very start,” Leif said. Then he breathed a kiss against her dark, rosy lips.
Caleb couldn’t stand it a moment longer. He reached down and hooked his fingers on the waistband of her panties, and pulled them off. Then he traced her core and found her slick with need. He watched as his best friend continued kissing the woman they loved. He found that despite his own ramped up desire, he was finally calm, because Caleb knew this was the start of the rest of his life.
* * * *
How could you want to cry and laugh and sing and make love all at the same time? But that’s where Isabella found herself as Leif continued sliding his tongue against hers, while his fingers plucked at her sensitive nipples. He lifted his head. “Don’t move.” His voice was so commanding, and then he crushed his mouth back down on hers and she fell into the mattress, letting him pull on the turgid tips of her breasts. It stung, but it also increased her desire, and she felt even more liquid spilling from her pussy. Caleb’s fingers were gliding through her juices, reminding her of the deliciousness of the perfect tart and sweet dessert, vanilla ice cream topped with raspberries. She kept her torso on the bed but lifted her pelvis up, as Leif pulled harder on her nipples, and then Caleb
licked and she rushed into rapture.
“Leif, get the lubricant.” She shivered, hearing the sharp command in Caleb’s voice. Because it was rare, it was precious and oh so arousing. She lifted her hips for more of his delicious ministrations, and when she did, she was astounded to feel her clit pinched sharply.
“Did I tell you, you could move, Bella?” She slammed her hips back into the mattress, trying to determine if she had liked the sting or not. Then she felt Caleb take her sensitive bud into his mouth and suckle and she knew that she had liked it. She felt the bed dip and saw that Leif was naked. His erection looked so big as it came closer. She loved the look of his penis. It held the classic beauty of a sculpted pillar. Both of her men were beautiful. Her men, she thought with such joy, and then Caleb started to use the edge of his teeth and her eyes drifted shut.
“Stop, let’s turn her over.” No, don’t stop.
“You will let us do what we want, Isabella.” She must have said that aloud. She felt a delicious tug on her scalp, as she was rolled over onto her tummy. “What color are you?”
“Green, Leif.” A hard spank stung her ass.
“And?”
“Green, Leif and Caleb.” She was losing the ability to concentrate on her surroundings, yet she was laser-focused on these two men. It made no sense.
“Good girl,” Caleb crooned. “Spread your legs really wide, Bella.” It didn’t even occur to her to do anything but what he demanded, and she loved the forcefulness of his tone. “God, you’re gorgeous. Every part of you is gorgeous, Bella, but your cunt is a thing of beauty.” Isabella felt his hands gently grip her waist, pulling her backward and as that happened, she could feel the cheeks of her buttocks parting. As he continued backing her into position, eventually her bottom was in the air and she had never felt so exposed in her life. She let out a long moan.
“Are you scared, Isabella?”
“Yes, Leif and Caleb.” She now knew that when one asked a question, he was asking on behalf of both of them. She felt a finger, she was positive it was Leif’s, trace down the crease of her bottom, and pause at her puckered bottom hole. “Do you remember when I licked you here?” When she didn’t answer, he started to press inward. “Answer me, my good girl.”
Isabella's Submission [Fate Harbor 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 26