If he played his cards right, Robert would never have to meet the man. Meeting the buyer in two days time was a little too close to his deadline, but if all went well, that would leave him a whole day to get the money to Mr. Porello. Of course, Robert had no intentions of waiting until the last minute. As soon as the money was in his hands, he was heading straight to pay the man.
Now that he had the place and the time, Robert just needed the perfect opportunity to grab the baby. He quickly got dressed and headed back to Sarah’s brother’s house. He didn’t want to miss any opportunity. The first chance he got he was taking it.
* * * *
The knock on the door woke Steve up bright and early. Not that he had gotten much sleep anyway. He had been up all night tossing and turning, thinking about what had happened the day before between him, Nadia, and Greg. Was it possible to fall instantly in love with someone you’d just met? That was what he’d contemplated all night, and if he was honest with himself, the answer was yes. Somehow Nadia had wormed her way into his heart, and Steve had no clue what to do about it. What if he was the only one that felt that way? What if he wasn’t? What if this whole foursome was just something Nadia was doing for fun? All these questions rumbled through his head all night long. Surprisingly, the one question that never came up was whether they could make this relationship work. Thinking back to yesterday, he realized he’d never once felt uncomfortable or out of place with Greg there beside him. It was actually a turn-on to know he had someone there helping him pleasure their woman, and that was how he saw Nadia, not his, but theirs.
Grumbling, Steve rolled out of bed. He recognized the knock and knew, if he kept his mom waiting any longer, he would never hear the end of it. He smiled to himself. His mom had just returned from a two-week cruise the night before and couldn’t stand being away from her “boys,” as she called them, a minute longer. She had no idea what was going on with Jackson’s sister and Addison.
Boy, is she in for a surprise.
It had been his idea not to tell his mom about everything that had happened. The cruise had been a Christmas gift from him, Greg, and Steve, and she had only been gone for a few days when Jackson’s sister died. Steve knew if he called and told her what happened she would have found a way off the ship even though she had been in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Once his mother was determined to do something, there was no stopping her.
“Hi, Mom,” he said as he opened the door. His mom had tons of bags in her hands, and he immediately grabbed them and helped her inside. “Did you have fun on your trip?”
“Oh, I had a great time, but I’m glad to finally be home. I missed my boys.” She gave him a tight hug when he set the bags down.
If she noticed he squeezed her a little tighter and held on a little longer than normal, she wasn’t complaining. Steve didn’t care how that made him look. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he had missed her.
“Where are Greg and Jackson? Are they still sleeping? Go wake them up while I get breakfast started, and then we can talk. I will tell you all about my trip.” His mom didn’t wait for an answer, just turned and headed straight for the kitchen.
Steve followed and watched as she pulled everything she needed from the refrigerator. “You need to make enough for another person. We have a guest, and we have some news we need to share with you as well.”
She was getting pots and pans out of the cabinets. The banging instantly stopped, and he knew he had his mom’s attention. Laughing, he headed down the hall to wake the guys and Nadia. He knew he only had a few minutes before the suspense got to his mom and she tracked them down.
After waking Greg and Jackson, Steve peeked in Nadia’s room but saw that her bed was empty. He went to Addison’s room and found Nadia changing and cleaning the baby. He stood at the door and watched her for a moment. Nadia was beautiful, and it wasn’t just her looks. He loved her personality. The way she was caring, compassionate, and just down to earth. She knew exactly what to say to him to pull him out of his shell. No other woman had ever been able to do that. When she looked up at him and smiled, his heart began to beat so hard he was sure she could see it beating against his chest. That one look answered the question that he had lain awake all night asking. Yes, he was in love with Nadia.
“Hey. Who was at the door?” she asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Was it too soon to tell her how he felt? “My mom,” he answered instead.
“Your mom? Oh my God, Steve. Why didn’t you tell me sooner she was coming? Look at me. I need a shower, and my hair is probably a mess. Here, take Addison. I need to go get cleaned up.” Nadia held the baby out to him.
Steve laughed and pulled them both into a hug. “Don’t worry. You look great, and my mom will love you. What’s not to like? Besides, she doesn’t know about Addison yet, so I’m pretty sure once she finds out she has a granddaughter, all her attention will be on the baby.”
“Are you sure? I mean I would love to meet your mom. I just figured I would have time to prepare for it.”
“I’m sure. Now come on. If anything, my mom is determined, and she is not a woman to be kept waiting. She will track us down if she has to.” Steve smiled and led Nadia down the hall.
He could hear his mom talking and knew Greg and Jackson had already made it to the kitchen. When he turned the corner, her back was to them as she stirred something on the stove. Nadia handed the baby to Jackson and then stepped back into Steve’s arms. He beamed with pride that she felt comfortable enough to stand in his arms as she was introduced to his mother.
Addison chose that moment to let out a squeal, demanding to be fed. Steve watched as his mom turned and gasped in shock at what she saw. He laughed because, for the first time in as long as he could remember, his mom was speechless. Jackson stood and walked over to her and took the spoon from her hand.
“Mrs. Dalaney, this is Addison, my sister’s baby. Well—” Jackson stopped and took a deep breath. “She’s mine now. My sister didn’t make it.”
Steve’s heart clenched at the pain in Jackson’s voice. He couldn’t see his friend’s face because his back was to him, but whatever his mom saw had her grabbing Jackson and pulling him into a tight hug. Jackson buried his face in her neck, and Steve could tell from the way his shoulder shook he was crying. Steve was truly grateful his mother was there at that moment. She was exactly what Jackson needed to help him grieve, and he was happily willing to share his mom. “I’m so sorry for you, baby. I know how much you missed your sister and wondered what had happened to her.” She rubbed Jackson’s back. She held him like that until he finally sniffed and pulled away.
“Now, let me see this baby.” She gently lifted Addison from his arms. “Oh my. She is so tiny. You are so adorable. I can’t wait to show you off. Everyone is going to be so jealous of my new grandbaby.”
Steve smiled as he watched his mom with Addison. He had no doubt she would accept the baby as her own. He had a feeling Addison was going to be one spoiled baby by the time his mom got done with her.
Clearing his throat to get his mom’s attention, he led Nadia over to her. “Mom, this is Nadia. We hired her to be Addison’s nanny.” He would have rather introduced her as the woman he was in love with, but he didn’t think Nadia was ready to hear that just yet. “She lives here with us.”
“Hi, ma’am.” Nadia waved.
Steve watched and held his breath as his mom gave Nadia a once-over. His mom had a way of determining if she liked someone or not within the first few seconds of meeting them. Her judgment was usually right nine times out of ten. When she pasted a huge grin on her face and pulled Nadia in for a hug, Steve let out the breath he had been holding. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Greg and Jackson had done the same thing. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who wanted his mom to like Nadia.
“It’s nice to meet you, honey. You are just gorgeous. Isn’t she gorgeous, boys? Come on. Sit down and tell me all about yourself. The boys can finish breakfast while I get to kn
ow you and my new granddaughter.” She didn’t wait for an answer as she led Nadia and Addison into the living room.
The look of disbelief and shock on Nadia’s face caused Steve to laugh. Based on what she’d told him of her background and how her own mother treated her, Steve knew she was completely out of her element. He knew that his mom would never say anything to hurt her, so he just waved as she was dragged out of the room, and then he turned to the guys.
“Well, that went just as I expected it to go,” he said, laughing.
“Yeah, I knew your mom would be all over Addison, but I didn’t know how she would react to Nadia,” Jackson said as he stirred the pancake batter Steve’s mom had started.
“Do you think she knows?” Greg asked.
He didn’t have to elaborate for Steve to understand what he was asking. “I don’t think she does. It’s not like we look different or have a sign hanging over our heads that says ‘in a foursome relationship.’ I think mom sees us with a pretty girl living in the house and sees it as her duty to try and fix her up with one of us.”
“Yeah, but how do you think she is going to react when she finds out it’s either all of us or none of us?” It was Jackson that asked the question this time.
That was a question Steve had thought of and couldn’t answer. “I’m not sure how she will react. I’m hoping she will take it like she takes everything else and accepts it and moves on. Mom is unpredictable though, so I have no idea how she will react.”
They finished cooking the rest of breakfast in silence. Every now and then, he would hear Nadia or his mom laugh. At least they are getting along. That was a step in the right direction in his book. He knew his mom wanted him to be happy, and hopefully, when she saw how happy all three of them would be with Nadia, maybe she would accept their relationship.
Once breakfast was finished, Steve stayed behind to help his mom with the dishes while Jackson helped Nadia put Addy down for a nap. Greg had left to go run errands, so that left Steve alone with his mom.
“She means more to you that just being the nanny,” his mom said without looking up from the plate she was washing.
It was a statement not a question, but he answered anyway. “Yes, Mom. She means more to all three of us.”
His mom nodded, and Steve waited for her to say something. He had never been able to keep anything from his mom, and he needed her to know about this. Right now the relationship he and the guys were starting with Nadia was the most important thing in his life, and he needed his mom’s approval.
“You know, you boys have never been able to hide anything from me. I saw the way all three of you watched her during breakfast. You hung on every word that came out of that girl’s mouth. I can see why, too. She is beautiful, inside and out. She would make the perfect daughter-in-law.” His mom winked at him.
Her playfulness gave him hope, but he needed to know. “So, it doesn’t bother you that we are all attracted to her and want to be with her?”
“Honey, you boys have been inseparable since the second grade. It’s only natural you do this together as well. I say it’s no one else’s business but yours what goes on behind closed doors. All four of you are consenting adults, and if you agree this is what you want, who am I or anyone else to judge? As long as you are happy, I am happy.”
“Thank you, Mom,” he said, pulling her into a tight hug. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“If it’s anything like what your father and I had, then I do. You can’t help whom you fall in love with, but I can guarantee you will have people trying to stick their two cents in without being asked. Don’t let them. Whatever doubts or worries you have, you have to talk them over with your partners. That is the only way this relationship will work. It will definitely be hard, but if you love each other, you can work through anything.”
Steve didn’t bother to ask how his mom knew he was in love with Nadia. It would have been a pointless question.
“She feels the same way about you, you know,” his mom said like she was reading his mind. “She looks at you three the same way you all look at her. She loves you, and she loves Addison like her own. In my opinion, you couldn’t ask for more than that. Now, that’s enough advice for today. I’m going to go see Addison before I leave.”
With a pat on his jaw, his mom strolled out of the kitchen and left Steve leaning against the sink. He was so lost in thought he didn’t hear Nadia come in until she was right on him. When he looked up, he saw her standing there, looking confused as to whether he wanted her company or not. He opened his arms, and she didn’t even hesitate to walk into them and wrap her arms round his waist. Coming from a family that never showed signs of affection, Nadia had confided in him that she enjoyed the hugs and touches she got from him and the guys. He had to admit he liked being able to touch her as well.
“I really liked your mom. She is very easy to get along with,” she murmured into his chest. “Just like you.”
“You don’t know how glad I am to hear that. I told her about the relationship the four of us have.” Nadia stiffened and tried to pull away, but he just held her tighter. “Don’t worry, baby. My mom totally approves of the relationship. She said she didn’t care as long as we were happy.”
“Wow.” Nadia sighed as the tension left her body. “Your mom is awesome. My dad would have been screaming at the top of his lungs about how I was going to shame the family name while my mom just stood back and let him. There is no way she would ever approve of this relationship because my dad wouldn’t. It’s a good thing I was disowned last night.”
Steve could hear the hurt in Nadia’s voice and knew she was trying to hide it. Greg had told him about the confrontation with her parents after Nadia had gone to bed the night before.
“What they think doesn’t matter. We are your family now.” He kissed her forehead. “Besides, my mom is just as in love with you as I am, so knowing her, you are officially her daughter now.”
Nadia gasped and pulled away from him. The look of shock on her face confused him and had him thinking about what he’d said to cause it. When he realized what he’d said, he froze. He hadn’t meant to say it like that. He had just been talking trying to cheer her up, and it had slipped out. He looked closely at her expression to see if she possibly felt the same way, but he couldn’t tell.
“You do?” she finally whispered.
No sense in denying it. “Yes.” He nodded, taking a deep breath. “I know it’s probably too soon, and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I can’t speak for the other guys, but I do love you, Nadia. I want to see where this relationship goes, not just between you and me, but all four of us. It may sound crazy, but I think we were all meant to be together, and this relationship wouldn’t work any other way.”
Steve watched as emotions he couldn’t name flitted across Nadia’s face. He kept telling himself it was okay if she didn’t love him yet, but he still held his breath as he waited for her to say something.
“I can see myself falling in love with all three of you, but I’m scared. All my life I have been hurt by people that either claimed to love me or were supposed to love me unconditionally.”
It wasn’t the declaration of love that he wanted, but Steve understood. It hurt she didn’t say it back, but he didn’t let it show. He had no doubt Nadia would tell him when she was ready. In the meantime, he would just have to show her that love didn’t have to be scary and that his love for her was unconditional. Leaning down, he gently pressed his lips against hers. He kissed one corner of her mouth then slid his lips over and kissed the other. When she opened her mouth and sighed, Steve took advantage and slowly slipped his tongue in. He took his time mapping her mouth. When Nadia tried to deepen the kiss, he pulled back.
“No, just feel. Let me show you how it feels to be loved.” Steve didn’t wait for an answer. He just grabbed Nadia’s hand and led her down the hall to his room. He took her following him without complaint as permission to continue when he closed th
e door behind him.
“I want you to take all your clothes off and then lie on the bed,” he told Nadia as he headed into the bathroom to get the supplies he needed.
He had no idea where this take-charge guy was coming from, but he liked it a lot. When he came out of the bathroom, he stopped in his tracks. He caught Nadia just as she was bending over to take off her panties. He could see full curve of her bottom and a slight glimpse of her tiny pink pussy peeking from between her legs. It took all the willpower he had to not drop everything in his hands and go over and take her from behind. Somehow, he was able to stay put and watch her finish getting undressed. When she was done, she turned and gave him a questioning look. Instead of saying anything, he went around and laid a towel down over the sheets.
“Lie down on your stomach,” he said hoarsely. His mouth and throat had gone dry at the sight of her naked body.
Once Nadia complied, Steve took a minute to stare at her. She might not love him yet, but she trusted him. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have come in his room and stripped naked with no questions asked. Trust was a step in the right direction as far as he was concerned.
“I want you to just relax and let me take care of you. I promise you will like it.” He hoped and prayed that she liked it because he had never given any type of massage before, let alone a sensual one like he was planning on giving Nadia. It was something he had seen online before and always wanted to try. Steve opened the bottle of baby oil he’d found under his bathroom sink and poured some into his palm. Unfortunately, half the bottle seemed to squirt out and spill on Nadia’s back.
Midnight Call (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 11