Crescendo

by Kaitlin Maitland

  She laughed. “You guys can"t fight all my battles for me.”

  “No,” Joshua agreed. “But we can try.”

  “Go to sleep,” Seth murmured, brushing featherlight kisses across her cheek.

  “Before we change our minds and keep you up the rest of the night.”

  Though the promise of a night with her two sexy lovers was their best idea yet, it took only moments for sleep to claim her mind and body. After years of running and hiding, it seemed like everything might finally be going in the right direction.

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  Chapter Twenty-two

  Leslie sipped from her coffee mug and glanced at the clock. It wouldn"t be long, and her guys would be home. It"d only been six hours since she"d left New York, and she already missed the two of them more than she could"ve possibly imagined.

  Setting her mug back on the glass coffee table, she gazed around the living room and wondered how it was possible to feel so at home in a place she"d been for only a few weeks. She"d lived with Niles for three years without feeling such a sense of belonging. The masculine color scheme and comfortable furnishings made it seem like Seth and Joshua had imbued the rooms with their personalities. It was that vitality that drew her so forcefully.

  Sighing, she turned her attention back to the papers she was grading. She"d never thought a music teacher would have to grade so many papers. She enjoyed teaching, but it would never compare to playing center stage at Lincoln Center.

  Sensing how deeply she"d affected the audience with her music and then hearing their thunderous applause had given her a high nothing else would ever match.

  She"d jump at the chance to do it again if Professor Williamson ever offered.

  For the first time in fifteen years, a sense of freedom settled over her. It was hard to absorb the wonder of multiple opportunities for the future. She had two men she loved who loved her back, and a second chance at a musical career she"d long ago given up on.

  Not bad for a woman who figured on spending the rest of her life alone.

  Someone knocked on the front door.

  She leaped to her feet, sliding across the wood floor in her socks. Maybe Seth and Josh"s meeting had been shorter than they"d thought. Maybe they"d caught an Crescendo

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  earlier flight home. She fumbled a moment with the handle before pulling the door wide open.

  “My, my, aren"t you moving up in the world?”

  It took all of ten seconds for Leslie to recognize Mikayla, the sex kitten who had been crawling across Joshua"s desk just a few days earlier. Alarm bells clanged inside her head, and she wondered why and how this woman had wound up at their apartment door. “I"m sorry, can I help you?”

  Mikayla pushed her way past Leslie, heels clacking on the wood floor as she flung her white coat and clunky designer handbag over the back of the sofa. The dress she was wearing didn"t leave nearly enough to the imagination. The three words that best described her ensemble were short, tight, and red. The fabric was some kind of rayon/polyester blend that resembled plastic. It hugged every curve, managing to look both flattering and overblown. Her black fishnet stockings didn"t quite reach the tops of her thighs, and the clips anchoring them to her garter belt were exposed.

  She sauntered across the room toward the windows, and Leslie wondered if her shoes had been purchased from the Fuck-Me-Now department at Sachs. If so they"d have been a perfect match for the hairstyle she"d gotten at the Whores-R-Us salon. Her mousy brown hair was teased to within an inch of its life. She"d likely been going for the boudoir look. Instead, she"d managed to make it look like a trap.

  Any man who touched it was almost guaranteed to lose a finger.

  The real question was why she"d come to the apartment. A rush of possessiveness strengthened Leslie"s resolve. No cheap call-girl wannabe was going to push her around in her apartment. Propping her hands on her hips, Leslie left the front door wide open and prepared to take out the trash.

  “You need to leave.”

  A cruel smile twisted the corner of Mikayla"s red mouth. “You know, it took me a whole day to figure out where I"d seen you before.”

  “Is that right?”

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  “You were the former roommate.” She pointed a painted nail at Leslie. “To think I"d been racking my brain to figure out how a loser like Niles could hire the best lawyers in Boston to represent him in a custody case.”

  Her grating laughter lifted the hair on the back of Leslie"s neck. The pieces clicked into place like tumblers in a lock, and Leslie realized just how this crazy bitch considered herself a “colleague” of Seth and Joshua. “Don"t you think it"s a little unethical for you to be here if you"re all on opposite sides of an open case?”

  Mikayla examined her manicure, leaning on the back of the sofa until her dress made a screechy vinyl noise. “Oh I"m not here to see them.”

  The bottom dropped out of Leslie"s stomach.

  “I"m here to see you.”

  Leslie crossed her arms protectively over her chest. She"d changed into Seth"s Harvard sweat bottoms after arriving home, pairing them with a yellow tee pilfered from Joshua"s drawer. Beneath the T-shirt, she wore her favorite long-sleeved gray shirt. Despite the sun shining outside, it was a typical cold spring day. Her casual loungewear made her feel more vulnerable to this insane attack.

  “See, I thought it might be more effective for me to have a little woman-to-woman chat with you.” Mikayla"s smile could have frozen hell. “You know men; they all think with their cocks.” She gave Leslie a dubious once-over. “And you must be a real slut in the sack, since you"ve got their dicks wrapped around your fingers.”

  Leslie opened her mouth, but no words came out. She had a feeling she knew where this conversation was headed. And it was nowhere good.

  “So let me cut to the chase.” Hands planted on her narrow hips, Mikayla got right in Leslie"s face. “If you continue this ridiculous relationship with two men that are way out of your league, your little friend will never see his son again. If you do the right thing and walk away, he"ll have full custody in time for spring break.”

  The world seemed to slide into slow motion. Like the night Leslie"s father and grandfather had argued, the night her mother died. Or the moment she"d known that Grandfather was gone forever. And again when she broke into her father"s Crescendo

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  office and lifted La Bella Ragazza from its stand, knowing she was risking everything for that last piece of Grandfather"s legacy.

  Now Mikayla was threatening Niles. Leslie didn"t want Caleb to lose his father. She"d never wanted that. It was why she"d risked everything to secure Seth and Joshua"s representation. Niles was a good father. Good fathers deserved to raise their kids. Even kids with shitty fathers deserved to be happy with someone who loved them. She deserved to be happy.

  Anger flared red-hot inside her chest. It lit a fire that seared through her veins and smoldered inside her heart until she thought she might reach out and strangle Mikayla with her bare hands.

  A week ago, she would"ve taken Mikayla"s deal and never looked back. A week ago, she hadn"t believed in long-term relationships, true love, or even basic fidelity.

  She was tired of giving up what she wanted just to make everyone else happy. After everything the three of them had been through, one crazed, horny freak wasn"t going to ruin it all now.

  “Well?” Mikayla asked.

  “Oh. My. God.” Leslie couldn"t take any more of her cackling. “You sound like a fucking hyena. Do you know that?”

  Mikayla"s red lips snapped shut.

  “And do you really believe for one second that even if I walked out that door and never looked back, Seth or Josh would go for you?” The dynamic between them shifted, and Leslie leaned forward until Mikayla was bent backward over the sofa.

  “Niles is going to win custody of Caleb because he"s a good father.”

  “He"s gay, and he has
almost no income.” Mikayla"s voice increased in pitch until she was practically squealing like a pig. “You sold yourself like a whore to get him a lawyer!”

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  may have introduced them, but any relationship between Seth, Joshua, and me is completely separate from their contract with Niles. They"re professionals. They don"t mix business with their personal lives.”

  “That"s not a concept you really grasp, is it, Mikayla?” Joshua asked.

  Tears burned in the corner of Leslie"s eyes when she heard the familiar timbre of his voice. She turned away from her insane visitor to find her men in the doorway.

  They stood like avenging angels on either side of the front door. It was tough not to run to them, to huddle in the embrace she knew they"d offer if she asked. Her pride balked at the idea of showing weakness in front of Mikayla.

  “Are you all right, Leslie?” Seth held out a hand.

  She couldn"t have kept away from him if she"d wanted to. Her fingers laced with his, and her whole world seemed to right itself. “I"m fine. Just glad you"re both home.”

  There were several ways Mikayla could"ve chosen to handle the situation.

  Nobody in the room seemed surprised when she picked the overconfident option. “I was just offering Leslie some advice. Seeing how her involvement in your client"s case has made me question your ethics.”

  “Our ethics?” Seth"s voice dripped sarcasm.

  “How about your ethics?” Joshua asked.

  With a triumphant smile, Mikayla played her trump card. “I"m not the one accepting sexual favors in exchange for legal representation.”

  Joshua scoffed. “If you could prove that, you"d have done it in court.”

  She waved her hand at Leslie. “The proof is right here!”

  “Josh and I have done some thinking on this.” Seth crossed his arms over his chest. “And the way we figure it, if you actually had the power to negotiate, this case would be a done deal.”

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  Mikayla shifted, looking a bit like a cornered rat. “You"re making a big mistake here, Joshua.”

  Josh was plainly amused by her warning. “That"s the thing, Ms. Stevens. I"m not. From the moment you found out we were on opposite sides of this case, you"ve been after one thing.”

  “Us.” Seth seamlessly picked up the threads of his partner"s conversation.

  “You"ve been single-mindedly pursuing us. Every meeting strays from case negotiations to blatant attempts at seduction or entirely inappropriate conversations.”

  For Seth to mention something as an “inappropriate conversation,” it had to be outrageous. Leslie made a mental note to ask them both to give her a few more details about their business dinner that night. Even though she knew very little about Mikayla, she was starting to think the woman was mentally unbalanced.

  Joshua flicked his gaze toward Seth, and it was if they had an entire conversation without saying a single word. “I"ve been doing some checking around, and it seems to me as if your client is no longer interested in pursuing full custody.”

  Mikayla blanched, her red lips becoming like a bloody slash in her white face.

  “We"re keeping our options open. That"s all!”

  Joshua took a step toward her, running his fingers through his blond hair.

  “You"re keeping your options open? As in your clients have already decided to downgrade their suit to visitation, and you"ve been trying to capitalize on their decision by pretending to negotiate while trying to get something for yourself in the bargain.”

  The words sent Mikayla into a fury. “Oh, fuck my clients!” She clenched her fists and stomped her foot like a toddler about to have a tantrum. “What do you see in her?”

  Josh eyed her as if she were about to explode. He stood between Leslie and the ticking Mikayla bomb. Behind Leslie, Seth grew tense. She drew his comforting 188

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  arms around her. It was bizarre to think they were shielding her from a lunatic lawyer.

  “Look at me!” Mikayla ran both hands down her sides and gyrated her hips like a stripper begging for tips. “I could satisfy the two of you any way you want. My lips, my cunt, my ass, you could have me however you wanted, and I"d beg for more!”

  “Okay, this is getting ridiculous,” Leslie muttered. “Did either of you think to call security?”

  Seth kept his voice low. “They should be in the hallway by now. Building policy says we have to evict her ourselves. Then she"s their problem.”

  Leslie didn"t even want to debate the stupidity of a policy like that, though it explained why the two of them were trying to reason with Mikayla. Leslie, however, was done being reasonable.

  Mikayla lunged at Joshua, and he stepped quickly out of range. “Please! I can do more with my tongue than that cheap trash could ever dream of. Just give me a chance!”

  “Okay, I"m done.” Leslie stepped away from Seth"s embrace. “This is our house, and these are my men, and you need to get the hell out of here before I beat the shit out of you.”

  Unsteady on her stilettos, Mikayla wasn"t able to dodge when Leslie reached in and grabbed her by the arm. The slippery fabric of her dress was impossible to get a good grip on. It was like trying to wrestle a roll of plastic wrap. Finally Leslie managed to twist Mikayla"s wrist. The angle forced the other woman to follow or lose an arm.

  “By the way.” She grunted as Mikayla tripped along behind her. “You need to seek counseling or something. This behavior is absolutely insane.”

  Joshua and Seth leaped back as Leslie shoved Mikayla out the front door into the hall. Two beefy men in blue shirts with taser guns on their belts stepped from the shadows and caught her.

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  “Could you please help her out?” Leslie kept her voice as polite as possible. “If she gives you trouble, just call the police. I"d be happy to file harassment charges if necessary.”

  The larger man nodded while his partner eyed Mikayla like she was a freak-show oddity. “Yes ma"am.”

  Leslie snatched Mikayla"s coat and purse from the sofa and tossed them to the guard. “And I"d be careful. There"s no telling whether or not she"s had her shots.”

  The front door slammed shut on Mikayla"s roar of outrage and Leslie leaned back against it, breathing deeply. Sometimes being a bitch was the only way to get your point across.

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  Chapter Twenty-three

  Seth watched Leslie gather her composure before stepping away from the front door. If he"d had any remaining doubts about her commitment to the relationship, they would"ve been put to rest by the satisfaction on her face.

  But he didn"t have any remaining doubts. Any reservations he might"ve felt had gone up in smoke when he"d woken that morning in a tangle of bare limbs belonging to all three of them. Waking slowly with Leslie"s firm backside pressed against his groin while she used Joshua"s shoulder for a pillow had given him a sense of contentment he"d never dreamed possible.

  “Remind me to stay on your good side, sweetheart.” Joshua grinned. “When you decide to evict someone, you don"t kid around.”

  “Me?” She poked him in the chest. “What about the way you two just worked some bizarre Jedi mind trick on her?”

  “Mind trick?” Joshua gave her his best innocent look.

  Leslie suddenly sobered, looking troubled. “What if you were wrong and Caleb"s grandparents aren"t willing to settle for visitation?”

  Seth closed the distance between the two of them. “Don"t do that, Leslie.”

  “Don"t do what?”

  “Don"t try to anticipate everyone else"s problems so you can fix them.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “The Leslie wh
o moved in a week ago would"ve taken Mikayla up on her offer in a heartbeat. She would"ve traded her own happiness without giving it a second thought.”

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  Pulling away, she wrapped her arms around her body. “It sounds like I was a lot less selfish back then.”

  “You"re not selfish.” He captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger, coaxing her to meet his gaze. “You"ve done more for Niles than any friend has a right to expect. You cannot continually sacrifice your happiness for everyone else. It isn"t healthy for any of you.”

  Joshua moved to stand behind her, rubbing his big hands up and down her arms. “If we"re wrong and we wind up in court, we have a very strong case in Niles"s favor if he"s standing on his own two feet. If that happens and we win, Niles is going to have the satisfaction of being in the right. He"ll have won because he"s the best one to raise his son, not because his friend was afraid to let him stand the test and made other arrangements.”

  “Besides.” Seth lowered his head, brushing his lips against hers. “How could it be selfish when you refused to give up our relationship?”

  “I love you.” She reached up and locked her arms around his neck. “I love both of you. How could I choose anything else?”

  Emotion swirled inside Seth"s heart until love, lust, and everything else coalesced into a desire to show Leslie beyond doubt that the three of them belonged together.

  She turned, including Joshua in her next words. “Take me to bed and love me.

  I need you both.”

  They"d made love a dozen times in this bed. Somehow, this time seemed different.