Charlie’s brows raised.
“Really?” he rumbled. “That’s too bad to hear because I was about to offer you a position as a junior scientist with my company. You know we do cosmetics, sweetheart, so we’ve got an R&D team that’s always puttering around in the lab.”
My cheeks flushed. That would be amazing! A job in a lab without having to get a degree first? It was like winning the lotto or finding a golden ticket under a rock somewhere.
But my mind hesitated. I didn’t want anything from the alphas, not after everything that had happened. They had another girl already. The men had moved on just like that, ruthless and opportunistic.
Don’t forget, the voice in my head warned. They replaced you the minute you didn’t show.
So instead, I nodded stiffly.
“Thank you,” were my curt words. “But like I said, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to be a chemist anymore. I’m going to be a writer. Maybe I’ll write about chemistry,” was my confident statement.
But there was a waver in my voice because chemistry’s been my dream for so long. To see it presented on a silver platter with no way to accept broke my heart. But I couldn’t risk everything, not without losing myself all over again.
So trying to seem lighthearted even while blinking tears back, my lips turned up in a smile.
“So what brings you here?” was my merry question. “I take it you have a new flight attendant for the airline. Is she doing a good job?”
Oh god, the words tasted like poison in my mouth, choking me with the noxious fumes. But it was what it was. I’d seen the blonde with my own eyes, coming into the elevator. And if it wasn’t her, then it was some other trashy whore.
But who was I calling a trashy whore? That’d been me one a upon a time, and I’d loved every second of it. So instead, I smiled lightly once more, even though my heart was shattering into a million pieces.
“What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
The billionaires were silent, gazes searing my form. Oh god, suddenly it was sweltering in this dorm room, so small and stuffy. I longed to open a window, but there was no way to do that without giving away my shape. Or maybe it was just pregnancy hormones and its attendant hot flashes.
So I forced another smile.
“Well, if there’s nothing, I’ll get back to work,” I trilled merrily, nodding towards the door. “It was good seeing you again.”
But the alphas didn’t budge an inch.
“Sweetheart,” began Nick. “We didn’t hire anyone else.”
What?
I must have gasped because their eyes focused, becoming laser-like.
But who had been that girl in the elevator then?
There’s only one penthouse on that floor. She’d definitely been at the apartment.
Tom corroborated Nick’s statement then.
“Sweetheart, you’re our one and only. Sure, we had a string of girls before you but there’s been no one since. No one as sweet and innocent. No one as amazing,” he growled with finality, staring at my curves. “We can’t get you out of our minds.”
I didn’t know what to say. Literally, words wouldn’t form.
“Bu-but,” I stammered. “But.”
“But nothing,” swept in Damien, those blue eyes intense. “But nothing. You’re our one and only and we want you back. We want you to work for us again, but you don’t have to if you don’t want. We want you to live with us. To laugh with us. To spend your days with us. Does that make sense?”
No, it didn’t at all. This was a one eighty turnabout from my expectations.
“I’m sorry,” were my slow words. “But I don’t understand. When I came back that day, there was a girl ….”
The billionaires looked stumped.
“Who?” asked Andrew.
“What did she look like?” asked Aaron, genuinely perplexed. “There have been no females since you’ve been gone. Not in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, or anywhere else for that matter. Nowhere.”
But I shook my head slowly. I hadn’t been hallucinating. She was real. Opening my mouth, I began slowly.
“When I came back the morning after the fight, I took the elevator up to your penthouse. And when I got to your floor, a woman was coming out. She got into the elevator with me. Tall, blonde, and real curvy.”
The alphas were genuinely perplexed.
“Are you sure?” rumbled Andrew, brow creased. “I sure as hell don’t remember anyone.”
If they were gaslighting me, then it wasn’t gonna work.
“I know what I saw,” was my firm tone. “The woman was blonde, dressed in a pink sweats with rhinestones on the back.”
Realization dawned in their eyes.
“Oh yeah, the rhinestones,” groaned Tom, rolling his eyes. “Those were tacky as shit.”
“Didn’t the rhinestones say something like “Lovergirl” or “Hello Booty”?” asked Andrew. “Superlame, that’s what fourteen year-old girls wear.”
I shook my head.
“I have no idea what was spelled out on her jumpsuit. All I know was that she came from your apartment,” I said vehemently. “And the six of you were inside.”
The billionaires nodded. But they weren’t worried at all, instead passing it off as no big deal.
“No worries, sweetheart,” rumbled Tom dismissively. “That hooch was nothing compared to you.”
“In fact, we ran her out after fifteen minutes, isn’t that right?” drawled Nick. “We got her out of there asap, as far as I can remember.
But I wasn’t going to let it go so easy.
“Listen, I don’t know anything about her. But what I do know is that you interviewed a girl the moment I disappeared. After she left, pressed my ear to the door, eavesdropping. I heard what you said. I heard you talking about her like she was … she was going to be the next stewardess.” The words choked in my throat, but I couldn’t help it. The lump in my throat was too big, making it impossible to talk.
But Nick shook his head.
“No, that’s not true,” he said forcefully. “Not true at all. Well, some of it is true. Because, you see, Helena set up an interview for us. We don’t even do these things usually. But for some reason, Helena broke from standard process, and sent this chickadee to Nick’s apartment that morning.”
“We tried to cancel,” growled Tom. “But it was too late and the girl didn’t get our texts. So we did a quick interview. What were our options? Refuse to open the door?”
I shrugged slowly.
“I’m not sure,” were my words. “It depends.”
The alphas continued, eyes fixed on my form.
“She showed up, and the minute Crystal, or whatever her name was, set foot in the door, things were all over. Actually, they were over before because we want you,” rasped Aaron. “We want only you sweetheart. But in the meantime, we had to ask her some questions to put on a show if nothing else. So we did, and she failed. End of story,” he shrugged.
My look was skeptical.
“Really?” I asked, brows raised. “You don’t have to play it down. You don’t have to pretend that Helena set you up. If you want another girl, it’s fine. It’s your prerogative, as the owners of the company. I work for Elite Air, remember? I’m just an employee, and employment is at will. You can terminate me if you want.”
The billionaires stared at me then.
“Is that really what you think?” drawled Nick.
“Do you really think we’re such heartless bastards?” added Andrew, brows raised.
The pain in my chest increased with each moment. But I was firm in my reply.
“It’s about money for sex,” were my words, eyes clear and direct. “I didn’t want to accept the cold reality, but it’s the truth, and I’ve come to terms with the situation. You paid for access to my body, and I agreed. There were no promises, no suggestions that it was anything more. So I accept the situation,” were my final words. “It is what it is, and it’s important to move on now.”
There. That was delivered with firm conviction, like I believed the words. But inside, my soul quivered and broke into a million pieces. How could this be happening? How had I gotten into such a sordid situation?
But it was a wretched situation of my own choosing, and truth be told, I loved every moment of it. I loved being with the billionaires, feeling their big bodies on mine. I loved chatting with them, laughing with them, and even watching them argue, positions so intense and fierce, refusing to take no for an answer.
And that was the crux of the issue. Because Nick gazed at me then.
“Is that all we are to you, baby girl?” he said quietly. “Just a source of sex?”
The lump in my throat was now so big that it was impossible to hide. So my next words were croaky.
“What else would it be?” I managed. “You never offered anything else.”
The alphas shared a meaningful glance.
“Well how about love?” drawled Nick slowly. “What do you think about that?”
My jaw dropped to the floor, unable to believe the words. Love? As in they loved me? How was that possible? This was a money for sex type of exchange, with nothing so messy as emotions thrown in. Were they insane?
“Listen,” I said, swallowing heavily. “You don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to make things up to make me feel better. I’m a big girl,” I said, chin lifting bravely. “And I can handle the truth.”
Their eyes looked over my form speculatively.
“Well, how’s this truth?” growled Andrew. “We got into a massive fight over you, Joanie. Over you, and only you, sweetheart, because my bro and I wanted you so badly. What do you think of that?”
“Or how about this?” added Damien, voice casual although his gaze was intense. “Me, Charlie and Tom flew in the moment we realized there was trouble in the air. The second word hit that you were in distress, all six of us convened to figure out a good path.”
“That’s what you mean to us,” rumbled Charlie, blue eyes fierce. “We dropped everything to come to your rescue. How about that?”
My jaw dropped to the floor once more. Because was it true? Yes, the twins had come storming into Nick’s apartment, demanding their time with me. And yes, I’d heard myself the six voices in the apartment the next morning. So something had called the men to New York, something compelling and immediate.
Was it me?
Could it be?
Did they care so much that I was their first priority?
And slowly, tears began to run down my cheeks.
“Do-do you mean it?” I stammered. “Because if you did, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why didn’t you come find me?”
Oh god, the pleading tone of my voice was so embarrassing. But I hurt so bad that it didn’t matter anymore. I just needed to know the truth, and nothing but.
The men nodded.
“Sweetheart, it’s absolutely true. We didn’t come sooner because we were waiting for you,” rumbled Damien’s smooth voice, head cocked to one side. “No pressure, sweetheart, but we wanted you to come back on your own.”
That old saying huh? Let a bird fly, and if it comes back, it’s yours for keeps.
But my wound was too deep, the ache too excruciating.
“It’s been three months,” was my painful whisper. “You can’t imagine what it’s been like.”
And suddenly, all six men were on their knees surrounding the desk.
“Sweetheart,” rasped Nick, taking one small hand in his. “We know. We’ve been feeling the same. It’s been pure torture, like walking on coals with bare feet.”
“Every day has been torture,” added Charlie, eyes piercing. “I should have gone back to Chicago. Tom should be back in Tucson. Hell, all of us should be somewhere else. But no. We’re here because we love you and want you to come back. There’s no one for us but you, Joanie.”
“That girl was nothing,” ground out Tom seriously again. “She was nothing but an unfortunate coincidence. The timing was fucking awful, and we kicked her out asap, not realizing that you’d bumped into her in the elevator. For that, sweetheart, we apologize. I can’t even bear the thought of that woman laying eyes on you.”
But that’s the thing.
“She was there for a reason,” was my low whisper. “And that was to interview with Elite Air. So what happens now?” I asked in a pained voice. “What if I don’t want to fly anymore? Do you find someone else?”
The men shared a glance.
“Sweetheart, we sold the company. Without you, it meant nothing. None of us even wanted to step foot on one of those planes again, not if you weren’t there serving us nuts and drinks,” said Aaron, just a hint of a smile playing at his lips.
I blushed immediately. The things we’d done on those planes were amoral and unbelievable, but oh so delicious as well. Unbidden, my insides began to grow warm, dew forming on my nether parts.
“You sold the company?” was my quavering voice. “Because of me? Oh my god.”
Their nods were immediate.
“Like we said, sweetheart,” Tom rumbled again. “Elite Air was meaningless without you. It was nothing but piles of scrap metal whizzing through the air. Worse than that. Your ghost was on each and every plane, the memories so fresh and tantalizing. We couldn’t take it,” he intoned, “so we sold it.”
And that broke my barriers completely. Because how many airlines get sold every day? How many men love their woman so much, that they’re willing to part with a prized asset?
But that’s what the billionaires were saying. They adored me to the point where Elite Air was now nothing but junk metal with wings. Without their favorite stewardess, the girl who made them happy inside and out, the company was zilch.
So half-crying and half-laughing, I threw myself into their arms.
“Damien, Charlie, Aaron,” was my emotional sob. “Andrew, Tom and Nick. I’ve missed you so much, you can’t imagine. I love you and miss you.”
The billionaires cuddled me, stroking my hair, my breasts, and my thighs. But suddenly they stopped, the air quivering with suspense.
“What?” I mewled, lifting my head. “What is it?”
I was cradled in Nick’s arms now, already splayed open for their touch. But suddenly, realization returned and my cheeks flushed.
“Oh, I forgot,” my voice came, small and meek. “I’m pregnant. You’re going to be daddies soon.”
The men looked thunderstruck.
“Are you for real?” rasped Damien, eyes on fire, hand shaking a bit as it crept to rest lightly against my tummy. “Is this our son or daughter?”
“Daughter,” I nodded, biting my lip. “And I’ve decided to call her Elita, to remind me of how we met. Or to remind us,” I said tearfully. “Because I thought I’d never see you again.”
And with that, the billionaires descended, hands caressing my bump, kissing my forehead tenderly, while worshipping my form.
“Yes sweetheart,” they breathed. “Yes, this is what we want.”
“It’s a dream come true,” they marveled. “Finding our girl again, and with a baby on the way too.”
And finally, the last sentence before we fell into ecstasy:
“A miracle,” they rasped in unison. “A baby. Elita. Yes, it’s right.”
I cried then, but they were tears of joy and happiness. Because against all odds, I’d overcome our sordid beginnings. I started as an innocent stewardess, a girl out to serve drinks and warm nuts as she flew over the United States. But on the way, I met six men who swept me off my feet. Yes, there were trials and tribulations, mix-ups that seemed ridiculous now, fights and spats that were the product of ego.
But that was over now. Because we’d endured three months apart, and in those three months, several truths became evident. I loved them. They loved me. And with a baby on the way, nothing would stop us now. We’d form a family, somehow, someway, even if it was spread across six different cities with six different fathers.
So no
, I don’t know how this is going to work, not exactly. I don’t have all the answers. Because there are logistical issues, geographic issues, as well as the sheer complexity of navigating a relationship with seven people. But our love will persevere because that’s what love does … and with six men, it’s six times stronger.
EPILOGUE
Joanie
Eighteen months later …
“Elita, be good,” I admonished gently. “Be good and eat your cake with a fork.”
But did my little girl listen? Of course not. The blonde cherub grasped greedily with one hand, stuffing cupcake into her mouth.
“Mama!” she chortled gleefully. “Mama!”
The billionaires and I shared a knowing glance. Elita calls everything and everyone Mama. It could be a footstool, the doorman or one of her dads. She would still call them Mama.
But Tom came up behind me then, pressing two hands on my waist.
“Sweetheart, this is Elita’s birthday party, but you wanna come to the back with us? Because we got you a present too. For being such a good mother,” he rumbled into my ear, discreetly so that only I could hear.
My cheeks blushed. Looking around, I surveyed the shindig. There were kids and guests everywhere, presents scattered on the floor with dozens of balloons floating.
“Are you sure?” I whispered. “It’s the middle of Elita’s birthday! People will notice.”
But the alphas won’t take no for an answer, and Andrew was already leading me by one hand.
“Sweetheart, it’ll just take a sec,” he soothed. “We have your gift in the back bedroom, come on.”
I gasped, tripping along behind him.
“Okay, but it’s gotta be quick,” I whispered. “Really fast, we have guests.”
“Of course,” tossed off Damien nonchalantly. “Just two minutes, sweetheart, two minutes.”
And in no time, we were ensconced in the back bedroom, the sound of the party dim and muffled. Because the billionaires bought me an apartment of my own in Manhattan, a luxury pad high in the sky. So Elita and I live together in this eight bedroom spread, even though there’s only two of us.
The President and the Starlet: A Forbidden Romance Page 39