by Marla Monroe
Gavin signaled for the waitress and asked for a doggy bag and the check. Once everything had been taken care of, they escorted her out the door and back to the truck. She was relieved to see that they were carrying her back to her apartment. She’d been scared they would insist she come to their house. On their home turf, they could seduce her much more easily than in her home.
They walked inside even though she had tried to say good night to them at the door. Needless to say, it hadn’t worked. They made themselves at home and made coffee. When it was ready, they poured two cups then rummaged in her refrigerator. Gavin poured a glass of milk and handed it to her while they sipped on coffee.
“I wanted coffee.” She pouted, seeing that there wasn’t any left in the pot.
“Caffeine isn’t good for you when you’re pregnant,” Gavin said.
“It’s good for me. I like coffee.” Fussing didn’t seem to budge them.
Well, fine. When they left, she would fix her own cup of coffee. She drank the milk like an errant child, and pouted.
“Everyone is coming over tomorrow afternoon for a cookout. We want you to get used to being around them. You’re part of the family so you need to know who they are. You can count on them if we’re not around for some reason.” Gavin sipped his coffee while he sat back on the couch.
“I don’t know. I tend to get nervous around a lot of people. I never was comfortable when the store was crowded.”
“Yeah, well. Considering the type of clientele you had, it’s no wonder they made you nervous. It won’t be the same with the guys. Besides, it won’t be all guys. Brandy and Tina will both be there. You’ll like both of them.” Gavin seemed sure of this.
“Really, thanks, but I don’t think it would be a good idea. I still get sick at the oddest times,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it. If you get sick, either Dillon or I or both of us will help you. It’s what we’re around for. To help you,” Gavin said, sitting his empty cup on the coaster on the coffee table. He turned on the couch to face her.
“Why don’t you pack a bag and come stay with us tonight? You can stay in bed as late as you want to and then you’ll already be there for the party. It won’t start till around three or so. We’ll start grilling out around five.” Gavin squeezed her hand.
“Say you’ll stay, Briana,” Dillon said, nearly begging.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Either staying overnight with the two of you or going to this cookout you’re having,” she said.
“Why not?” Gavin demanded.
If she didn’t know any better, Briana would say he looked stricken that she didn’t want to stay with them. What had happened to the Gavin she had known that was quiet and intense? She missed him a little bit. She’d felt safe with him. She’d felt naughty with him.
“You’ll read too much into it. I’m not living with the two of you. I have my own life now. I like it.”
“We want you to be part of ours, Briana,” Dillon insisted.
“And I can be like I am.”
“What are you going to do if you go into labor here alone? By the time you call us you could have delivered. You’ll need help when the baby comes, at least at first.” Gavin wasn’t pulling any punches now.
“I still have plenty of time to worry about that,” she said feebly.
“It’s just one night, Briana.” Dillon was still trying to get her to say yes.
God, if she said yes to this, she might never make it back to the apartment. They could be very persuasive if they used sex, and she had no doubt they would get to that eventually. They were very sexual beings.
“Come on, let’s pack you a small bag for overnight,” Dillon said, standing up.
“What?” She must have missed something.
“If I pack it, I’ll make it for several days. You can pack it and you can dictate how many nights you’re staying. Personally, I think you should stay at least until your doctor’s appointment.”
“I can’t. I have to work and all my stuff is here.” What was going on?
Dillon pulled her to her feet and, with a hand at the small of her back, led her to the bedroom. It was a tiny bedroom with a regular-size bed in it and a dresser. There wasn’t room for anything else, including a nightstand.
To his credit, Dillon didn’t say anything. He just opened her small closet and looked in it, presumably for an overnight bag.
“I don’t have one. I’ve never needed one before,” she confessed.
“That’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”
“I don’t believe I agreed to going with you,” she said, furrowing her brows.
“Yes, you did.”
Briana shook her head and sighed. She reached into the closet and pulled out a shopping bag. Dillon opened his mouth then closed it. Obviously he knew better than to say anything. She gathered enough clothes for one night and then grabbed what she would need from the bathroom.
“Okay, this is it.” She said holding up the bag.
Dillon immediately took it from her. He carried it and escorted her back into the living area where Gavin was washing up their cups and the coffeemaker. He looked up.
“You ready to go?”
“All packed and ready,” Dillon assured him.
“Can you think of anything else you need, baby?” Gavin asked as he dried his hands on a towel.
“Maybe a brain would help. I must have lost mine somewhere to agree to stay with you tonight.”
Both men grinned as if they had a secret. She frowned at them, wondering what they were smiling about. They were probably smiling because they had tricked her into going with them.
Chapter Twelve
As soon as Dillon put her shopping bag of things on the bed in the master suite, she knew she was in trouble. There was no way she would be sleeping alone in that big bed. Her heart sank. If only she could believe they really wanted her and not just the baby. If only she could hear them say they loved her.
“Why don’t you unpack the bag and get ready for bed? We’re going to go look over some things business wise and will come up and say good night in a little while,” Gavin said.
Briana eyed them warily. Something was up. She was sure of it. They wouldn’t be this accommodating otherwise.
“Feel free to enjoy the whirlpool tub. I’m sure you could use a nice, relaxing bath. There are bath salts in the jar on the ledge.”
They turned and walked out, closing the door behind them. She sighed and emptied her shopping bag of her things and put them away so they wouldn’t be in plain view. Then she shut herself in the luxurious bathroom and turned the water on in the whirlpool tub. She lifted the lid to the bath salts and frowned. They smelled like hers. They had gotten them just for her. It twisted her heart just a little to know they had done something so personal for her.
She sprinkled the salts into the churning water then waited for the tub to fill. As soon as it had, she turned off the water and slipped into the tub. She wasn’t sure if turning on the jets was a good idea with her being pregnant. She knew there were some things not recommended for pregnant women. She would have to ask the doctor. She sighed. She should have gotten a pregnancy book herself, but she had been waiting for another paycheck before she bought anything like that. Now she felt guilty. Tears blurred her vision for a few seconds until a solitary tear ran down her face. She brushed it aside and willed herself not to get emotional.
There was a bath pillow on the ledge behind the tub. She reached for it and laid it against the back of the porcelain and leaned into it. It felt so good to just relax in the warm water. She was sure she was dozing when she thought about the guys in the tub with her. They massaged her feet and legs and gently rubbed her belly as if massaging the baby as well. Somewhere in her dreams, they were a happy family.
“Baby, you’re going to turn into a prune. You’ve been in the tub for at least an hour,” Dillon said.
Briana startled and nearly slipped under the water. Gavin grabbed her
by the shoulders and pulled her back up.
“Easy, Briana. You’re going to drown yourself.” Gavin reached beneath her arms and hauled her up until she was standing.
He didn’t let go of her though. He kept a steadying hand on her until Dillon returned with a towel.
“Let’s get you out of the tub and dried off, baby.” Gavin helped her step over the edge and to the floor.
“You scared the hell out of me,” she accused them.
“Sorry. I thought you heard us knock on the door. When you didn’t answer, we came on in.” Dillon helped Gavin dry her off before Gavin picked her up.
He carried her into the bedroom, and Dillon hurried ahead to pull back the covers on the bed. Gavin laid her down as close to the middle as he could reach.
“Wait,” she said.
“What?” Gavin asked, looking puzzled.
“My sleeping clothes. They’re in the top drawer of the dresser,” she told them.
Dillon walked over to the drawer and pulled out the old ratty T-shirt and pair of boy-shorts underwear she liked to sleep in. He looked over at Gavin who shook his head.
“No way you’re sleeping in that. You don’t need to sleep in anything, baby. Just cover up and go to sleep.”
Gavin pulled the covers over her and tucked them beneath her chin. He kissed her softly on the lips.
“Good night, baby.”
Dillon kissed her as well, but he also laid a hand over her belly and smiled. Then he took her sleeping things out the door with him. Gavin shut the door, and she was alone in the dark.
* * * *
The dream seemed so real. Her men were kissing her all over her body. They worshiped her with their hands and their mouths. Dillon sucked on one breast while Gavin took the other. They tickled and teased her nipples until she was writhing between them. They both worked their way down her body to her abdomen where they covered her belly with kisses. When Gavin continued on to settle between her legs and licked her pussy, Briana came fully awake.
“What in the hell are you all doing?” She gasped.
Gavin took that opportunity to lick over her clit then back down between her pussy lips again.
“Making love to you, baby,” Dillon said, then continued his assault of her breasts.
“Did you sleep in here with me?” she asked, trying to scoot away from Gavin’s talented tongue, though only halfheartedly.
“Not all night, baby. We let you sleep till around one this morning, and then we couldn’t take it any longer and climbed in bed with you,” Dillon explained.
“Oh, God. Gavin. You have to stop. You can’t do this.” Briana was going crazy inside.
On one hand she wanted them to stop because she wasn’t going to get back involved with them. On the other hand, she wanted them never to stop because she loved them and always would.
He didn’t stop. Instead he seduced her with his tongue and fingers. He brought her to a screaming orgasm when he latched on to her clit and curled his fingers inside of her to stroke her G-spot. With Dillon stimulating her breasts, she didn’t have a chance at pulling away from them. As they gently brought her down from the heights of bliss, she felt the tears slide from her eyes. Why couldn’t they love her back?
“What is it, baby?” Dillon asked “Did we hurt you?”
“No, I’m just emotional.” It was the truth in theory.
“The book said she would be,” Gavin confirmed.
They cuddled up to her on either side of her. She had expected they would want their turn now, but they seemed to be content just to hold her. It confused her. Then she thought about the fact that she hadn’t been to a doctor yet. They were probably just waiting for the okay from a doctor that it was safe for her to have intercourse. If only they loved her.
“I don’t think she’s going back to sleep, Gavin.” Dillon’s voice sounded sleepy on the other side of her.
“Told you we were getting her up too early,” Gavin said. “Briana, are you ready to get up, or do you just want to lay here for a while?”
“I’m just going to stay in bed for a while. You two can get up if you need to. I’m not ready to just yet. What time is it anyway?” she asked.
“Hmm, seven,” Dillon said.
“Are you hungry? I’ll fix you something to eat and bring it up here,” Gavin suggested.
“Thanks, that’s really sweet of you, but I’m not hungry right now. Maybe when I get up I’ll be hungry.”
The men turned over, and each laid a hand on her belly at different places. If things were different, she would be thrilled at their attention to her pregnancy, but they weren’t different. She sniffed and closed her eyes, praying she could go to sleep for a little while longer. Unfortunately, He wasn’t answering her prayers today.
Finally, she struggled to a sitting position until the men woke up and helped her.
“I’m getting up. Feel free to sleep in.”
She was angry now, angry at them for treating her so nicely and angry at herself for letting them. She had promised herself to hold out for love and nothing less than love, but she’d caved at the first touch of their hands and mouths. They had been seducing her ever since that first kiss. Deep down, she had known it, but stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. Now she was in over her head. She loved them and wanted them any way she could have them, even if it meant living with them without their love.
And what is going to happen when they actually fall in love with someone else? Then where will you and your baby be?
They would never abandon their child, but she would be passed over as their child’s mother and not their anything. Could she risk it for a few weeks or months of happiness? Was it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? She would give anything for her baby, but…
“Easy, baby. Let us help you up.” Gavin scrambled out of the bed and scooped her up in his arms before letting her down to stand on her own.
He held a hand on her shoulder until he was sure she could stand up without falling. Dillon got out on the other side of the bed. He padded around to stare at her.
“You look mad, Briana. Why? Were we keeping you awake?”
She huffed out a breath. What was she going to say?
“No, you weren’t keeping me awake. I’m just angry at this entire situation.” She pulled away from Gavin and walked over to the dresser where she pulled out her clothes for the day.
“What do you mean?” Gavin asked in a neutral voice.
“You claim you didn’t know about the baby, and I guess I believe you because I hadn’t told anyone, unless you guessed it when I called you.” She paused, thinking it over. It was a possibility.
“I never asked you for a promise of marriage. I just asked for fidelity while we were seeing each other. It was a responsible thing for me to do. In today’s world of diseases, you’re stupid if you don’t.” She pulled on her panties and then her jeans. She jumped up and down, trying to get them on over her belly. “But now you’re telling me that you really do care for me and want to take it to the next level and live together. Why the sudden change of heart after all this time? What happened to make you change your mind?”
Briana finally managed to get the jeans fastened with a lot of effort and breath holding. The damn things were baggy in the ass and legs, but tight around her belly. It didn’t make sense. Tears threatened to fall again. She gritted her teeth and grabbed her socks and shoes. She walked over to the chair and dropped them all on the floor in front of it.
Dillon walked over and gently pushed her down on the chair, then knelt and started putting on her socks and shoes for her. He looked up at her with a sadness in his expression that squeezed her heart.
“We were stupid, Briana.” He looked over at Gavin as if telling him to say something.
Gavin sighed and walked over to kneel in front of her next to Dillon.
“I was scared, baby. I’ve never cared about another woman like I care about you. When you asked me to promise that I woul
dn’t see other women while we were seeing you, I panicked and lashed out at you. I’m sorry. I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t.”
He took both her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. Then he leaned in and kissed her jean-clad belly.
“Just give us a chance to show you how important you are to us. We want to be a family, Briana. The four of us. Me, you, Dillon, and the baby.”
“And what if there were no baby, Gavin? What then?”
He looked stricken but continued holding her hands.
“Then it would be the three of us. We’d still be a family.”
Dillon had finished putting on her socks and shoes and was waiting on her and Gavin to decide where to go from there. Briana looked at Dillon and asked the same question of him with her eyes.
“I love you, Briana. With or without a baby, I’m still going to love you.”
Her heart swelled at his admission. The moment would have been perfect if Gavin had said the same thing, but she knew he probably never would. He was a hard man with different values. Love, evidently, wasn’t one of them. Could she live with half of their love? Briana pulled her hands from Gavin’s and rubbed her face in an effort to shove some answers into her head.
“Look, let’s go one day at a time for right now. I need a little space. It would probably be a good thing for the two of you to get dressed.”
They looked at each other and then at themselves and grinned.
“Good idea,” Dillon said. He stood up and kissed her on the top of the head.
Gavin stood up and kissed her on the lips. “Make yourself at home. There’s plenty of juice and milk in the kitchen.” He started walking off. “Oh, and decaf coffee if you want coffee. Decaf only, though.”
She waited until they had walked out of the room to stick her tongue out at them. Then she stood up and rubbed a hand over her belly. The jeans really were too tight for her. She would have to go shopping soon. That would eat at her dwindling savings account. Still, it couldn’t be helped.