by Meg Bawden
The crowd cheered, Mrs. Fitzgerald at the very front, waving her hanky at Grayson, as though this was the 1940s and she was waving him off to war. She was a nice old lady, who’d supported Grayson’s campaign from the start though.
“That’s why I believe in being open to you and to never hide secrets.”
Blair’s shoulders tensed and he shifted closer to Grayson for protection. I mimicked him, because he knew more about this public appearance stuff than I did and if someone wanted to hurt our omega, I wouldn’t let it happen.
The crowd quieted again when Grayson held up his hand for silence. The photographers clicked away with their cameras, some even pointed at me. They had no idea why I was here yet. The guy from the Cherry Hollow Bulletin focused on me more often than the others. Did he know something already?
“I’m pregnant.”
The people surrounding the podium gasped, and the rush of voices from the news stations presenters began. They hurled questions, statements, and everything in between at Grayson, but he stayed calm, face stoic as he held up his hands again.
“I’ve never been a family man. I never imagined myself with a baby on the way at this stage of my life, but I promised you, the Cherry Hollow people, the truth. Which is why Blair and Bristol Scott are here. They are the fathers of my baby.”
This time the buzzing was louder, and Mrs. Fitzgerald was no longer waving her hanky. She’d dropped her arm, her usual cherry-red lips parted in surprise. A few other people looked on stunned, but mostly there was an outpouring of more demanding questions that made my skin prickle. I even heard a male voice yell out about the disgustingness of it. But we expected this. We’d prepared for this.
Grayson waited patiently, his hands touching either side of the lectern. He stared out at the crowd, face still placid and gentle, and only when the outbursts calmed did he speak again. “My public relations team wanted me to lie to you. To get married, to live this fake life so you never found out the truth, but I promised you complete honesty. If that makes me lose my next campaign, then so be it, but my resolution to make Cherry Hollow the best it can be hasn’t changed. Nothing has changed, except that I’m in love with two men and I’m having their baby. So this is my honesty, my truthfulness to you. I’m having this child. I’m starting this family. I’m being the family man I never expected myself to be because I’m more ready than I thought I was. Thank you for your time, and I will not be answering questions at this stage. You can talk to my public relations team if you wish to have an interview.”
The journalists still raised their voices, throwing questions at Grayson, but with one brilliant smile, he left the stage. Blair and I followed him, with his security not far behind us. He led us to the silver BMW that brought us here. Blair took the front seat next to the driver while I chose to slide in the back beside Grayson. As soon as I was in, I grabbed his hand, entwining our fingers as the car jolted forward.
“Are you okay?” I whispered.
His creamy skin had paled, and exhaustion seemed to sit heavy on his shoulders. He leaned back against the seat, his body slumping. “I told them the truth. It’s up to them what they want to do now.”
“They love you.” I raised his hand and kissed the back of it. “I doubt they’ll kick you out.”
“Mayors have been voted out for less.”
He didn’t sound angry, more resolved, and it cracked my heart a little more because I knew how much he loved his job. Maybe we should have pretended one of us was the father rather than face the truth.
“I know what you’re thinking.” He leaned into me, his cheek resting on my shoulder. His sweet scent mixed with his spicy cologne tickled my nose. “I’m okay with it if it happens. I made the choice to tell them the truth.”
“I know how much you love your job. I just don’t want you to hate us if you lose your position.”
Blair looked over to the back seat, his eyebrows drawn together in his own worry. “It’s done now. We can only wait.”
Grayson nodded and kissed my shoulder. “Blair’s right.”
I still hated it.
Blair turned back to the driver. “Take us to the farm.”
“I have work to do,” Grayson protested, but there wasn’t any real argument in his voice. His exhaustion became more prominent in his tone, and Blair had the right idea.
“The work’ll be there for you tomorrow,” Blair bit out, not bothering to look at us. “You need a rest. Bristol can take care of you for the afternoon.”
“What about you?” I asked.
He shrugged, his gaze focused in front of him. “I need to sort this out. Organize interviews with the news stations and magazines that want answers.”
“Maybe that’s not a good idea. You are one of the fathers.”
Blair snorted. “I know what I’m doing, Bristol. It’s my job.”
I knew when not to argue with him. Once he had a bee in his bonnet, he was unstoppable.
***
A few weeks later, Grayson had numerous interviews under his belt, varying from TV programs to newspapers to magazines. They all wanted to know about the mayor who’d fallen in love with twins and was having their baby. The news spread viral across the United States, and even though he had requests to attend talk programs, he rejected them. Grayson stated he had no intention of going interstate in the news, but it was too late.
Over those weeks, when he wasn’t wearing his favorite suit as he sat in front of a journalist, sprouting the glorified truth in the most professional way, he was at the farm with either just me, or me and Blair. He’d told me he enjoyed the quiet and I wasn’t going to deny him what he clearly deserved.
It was early in the morning, sun peeking over the short mountains to the west, when I’d just finished milking Daisy, one of five cows we had. Once I finished running the milk through the strainer and pouring it into the bottles, I headed inside, only to find Grayson already waiting for me at the table. He wore his pajamas, the cute powder blue pants with bright yellow ducks on them, and a plain gray T-shirt. His ruffled hair stood in all directions, his long fingers curved around a mug of steaming coffee.
“Good morning,” I said cheerfully. The greeting earned me a foul glance.
“It’s too early.” The first night he had slept over, he’d asked why I was up so early. Explaining the work I did only made him cringe.
“Why’re you awake?” I placed the bottles on the kitchen counter and strolled over to him, pressing a kiss on his cheek.
“I can’t sleep without you or Blair beside me.” He glared, as though it was entirely my fault. “I’m used to your warmth now.”
“Sorry?” Laughing quietly, I kissed him on the lips this time.
He leaned up toward me, seeking another kiss, which I happily gave him. “You should be. You and your brother have ruined me.”
I cupped his jaw, inhaled him, and slanted my mouth across his. I devoured his lips until they were red and swollen, his eyes half-lidded, but not from lack of sleep. “It’s the best kind of ruin.”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
I ruffled his hair and stood straight, heading back to the bottles. “Did you want fresh milk?”
Grayson hummed. “I’m not allowed it. Raw milk is bad for the baby. I can get some sort of infection. Listeriosis or something. Doctor Tanner warned me ‘cause you work on the farm.”
Shame flowed through me, hot and sickening in my stomach. “I didn’t know. I should have known that.”
The words earned me raised eyebrows. “Why should you have known? Have you had a pregnant partner before?”
Heat attacked my cheeks and I turned my back on him, focusing on divvying the milk into smaller bottles. I felt his gaze on me, waiting for an answer, and I knew I wasn’t getting out of this one. Walking back to him, I fell to my knees in front of his chair, hands seeking his belly, which had barely begun to curve. It was enough to tell me there was a baby on the way, though. I slid my fingers under his shirt, stroking the warm skin u
nderneath.
“I’ve researched. I’m going to be a father, Gray. I need be ready. So, no, I don’t know how I missed that information.”
“You will be ready. We just need take it a day at a time. You’re allowed to learn things as I progress through my pregnancy.” He leaned closer, his breath mixing with mine. “If I’m being honest, I think you’ll be more ready than Blair. He’s avoiding me.”
I cringed. So I hadn’t been the only one to notice. He came up with all types of excuses, but mostly it came down to work. When Grayson offered to come and help, he demanded he rest. According to Blair, the entire team wanted Grayson to relax while they ran the office for him. But it didn’t work that way. A mayor needed to be present.
“He’s busy,” I offered quietly, attempting to sound more confident than I felt.
I knew by the look he gave me that Grayson could sniff out my bullshit. “Is he avoiding me, or the baby?”
I had no idea, and that’s the problem. Every time I messaged him, he “read” the text and ignored me. When I called him, I got a curt response that he couldn’t talk right now before he ended the call. I’d tried multiple times, only to receive the same treatment.
“I’m sorry.” I leaned my forehead against his chest, shifting closer to him. “When he said he was ready for this, I believed him.”
“Me too.” He hooked his thumb under my chin and lifted my face, laying his lips across mine in a short, sweet kiss that made my belly jump in excitement. “He does have a lot of work to do. Maybe we’re overreacting.”
I knew my brother. Blair hid himself away in his work. He’d done the same thing after our parents died, but instead of work, it was leaving Cherry Hollow completely. He ran from things he considered too hard to deal with. But I didn’t tell Grayson. Instead, I smiled and nodded. “Hopefully.”
His gaze told me he knew we were both lying to ourselves.
“You shouldn’t be drinking coffee,” I muttered, nodding at the mug sitting in front of him. “The caffeine is bad for the baby.”
He laughed and stood, pulling me up with him. Curling his arms around my shoulders, he shoved himself up on his tiptoes and peppered his lips against my cheekbone. I hadn’t trimmed my beard this morning, which meant it was hairier than usual.
I melted against him, a sucker for anything to do with him. He’d quickly learned how to play me like one of his fans and I was nothing more than putty in his hands, and he knew it. Luckily, his fans didn’t get to kiss him the way Blair and I did.
“Can you show me some more stuff you do around the farm? I’d love to learn.”
“What did you want to learn?” I murmured, trembling when his teeth nibbled on my earlobe. Fuck, that was my weak spot, and the cheat knew it, too.
“Show me your animals? I know I’ve helped you before, but how often do you milk your cows?”
“Usually about twice a day. Once in the morning, once toward the afternoon. I do other things in between.” My hands slid down his gorgeous curved spine and rested on his asscheeks, giving them a good squeeze. He groaned beside my ear.
“And what about your bees? When do you collect the honey?”
He slid his palms over my chest, moving one of his hands to cup me through my jeans, and it felt fucking amazing when he gave it a good squeeze.
“You’re insatiable.” I laughed but it quickly transformed into a moan when he unzipped me.
“No one’s here. Emily’s sleeping over a friend’s house, right? It’s not going to hurt.”
I didn’t have time to argue when he slid to his knees and dragged my hardening cock out of my underwear and jeans. He licked the slit of my cock, the flat of his tongue working me, before he took the head in the heated suction of his mouth. He knew where my secret spots were, grazing his teeth over those sensitive veins that made my body convulse with an attack of pleasure. While he did this, he played with my balls, rolling them in his palm and squeezing them just right.
He popped my cock out of his mouth and smirked up at me, his swollen lips slick with spit. “You taste so good. I want you to come in my mouth. Pretend you’re breeding my ass all over again. You’re the only breakfast I need.”
I groaned, the words doing things to me I’d never experienced before. My body reacted as though I was nothing more than an animal, my cock hardening even farther and my balls tightening. It was a reminder that either Blair or I had put a baby inside him, we’d staked our claim on one of the most eligible omegas in Cherry Hollow and filled him with our spunk at both ends, and fuck if that wasn’t arousing.
He sucked me in again and I grabbed the side of his head, using it as leverage to fuck into his mouth and throat. He kept his lips open, eyes closed as though he was there for me to use him, and I did just that. With each thrust, I felt the head hit the back of his throat, and even though he gagged, his chest heaving, he didn’t move until the pressure had built up inside me and I couldn’t contain my orgasm any longer.
Every one of my limbs stiffened and my cock jerked in his mouth, painting the inside of it with my cum. Grayson moved to his feet when I fell back onto one of the dining chairs, slumping into it.
“Fuck. I love your mouth.”
He swallowed around the cum, moaning as he licked his lips. “And I love your cock. You and Blair complete me.” He sat in my lap, trapping my cock between us, his feet on either side of the chair, and he ground his still hard cock against me. “Jerk me off?”
“With pleasure, Mr. Mayor.” I released his hard cock from his pajama bottoms and spit on my hand, wrapping it around him. I jerked my hand over his shaft, and he groaned, leaning into me. He gripped my shoulders, his fingernails digging into the red plaid shirt I decided to wear today. It stopped him from leaving marks on my skin, which was a pity.
It didn’t take him long, but I knew when he was close by the way he shuddered against me. Then his panting grew louder and his arms curled around my shoulders, and he planted himself against my chest. His teeth dug into my neck as he came, cum shooting from his slit and painting both our shirts.
“Oh fuck. God, you’re so fucking amazing.”
“Mr. Mayor, I didn’t know you swore.” I grinned and then kissed him delicately on the lips, while I helped tuck him back into his pants. “Did you want to learn how to do a few things around the farm today?”
He returned my smile lazily, looking as if he’d been fucked thoroughly instead of just getting a handjob. “Yeah. Can you teach me how you collect the honey from your bees? Blair’s right. I think the farm would be the perfect place to raise our child. I don’t know what’s going to happen with my mayorship, but I want to be prepared for anything.”
I brushed a hand through his hair and laid another kiss on his forehead. “They love you.”
“They love me until they find a silly reason not to.” He sighed. “I’m not going to pretend that it won’t hurt if they do clamor for my resignation, but I have to be prepared for any scenario. Me being in a relationship with two men is one thing, Bristol, but with not only brothers, but twins? That’s something else entirely. It’s taboo for a lot of people.”
“Then fuck them. If they don’t want you as their mayor because of who you choose to be with in your personal life, then fuck them. You deserve better.” I helped him stand and I followed, tucking my sticky cock back into my underwear before I zipped my jeans back up. “Let’s give Blair a call, see what’s happening.”
He nodded with an appreciative smile.
I grabbed my phone and hit Blair’s number in my contacts. He answered it in a few rings.
“What? I’m busy, Bristol.” His sharp voice was loud enough that Grayson could hear it. He cringed.
“Stop being an asshole,” I snapped, eyes narrowed. I turned my back on Grayson and muttered into the phone dangerously, “I see what you’re doing. I don’t know what your issue is, but our omega needs his other alpha at the moment.”
“I’m working. I’m making sure we spin our relationship in the
right way for the media.” Blair heaved a sigh. “Tell Grayson I’m handling this.”
“This isn’t just about his job. This is about us. He misses you. You keep coming up with excuses and we’re sick of it. Either you want to be with him, be the father of his child, or you don’t, Blair.” I squeezed the bridge of my nose, a stress headache throbbing at my forehead. No one frustrated me more than this bastard. “I had his mouth wrapped around my cock moments ago, and I jerked him off. When was the last time you touched him, or you let him touch you? Do you even know he’s starting to show?” My voice became louder with each word. “The only time you see him is when you get him ready for an interview. You haven’t asked him how he’s feeling, or what type of pregnancy symptoms he has. You haven’t been here for him!”
By the time I was done, my chest rose and fell in quick, sharp, and angry breaths. Grayson touched my shoulder blades, but I concentrated on Blair and his own deep breathing through the line. The silence was louder than any words he could have said, and I could hear my heart throbbing in my ears, until finally, he spoke.
“I’m busy.”
My fist tightened around the phone. “Fine. You don’t deserve him, Blair. Walk away while you can, and I’ll claim him as my own.”
I ended the call and resisted the urge to throw my phone. Shoving it into my pocket, I spun toward Grayson, lips downturned and heart sinking. “He’s an ass.”
Grayson’s eyes glittered, but not in the sweet tenderness I was used to. A sadness lingered in them and I didn’t like it. “It’s fine. He’ll come around.”
Bullshit. I knew Blair. He let his feelings fester until he found a quick fix, a way to pretend they didn’t exist. Whether the answer was running, or drinking himself into a stupor, he always did something stupid.
I cuddled him closer. “Did you want me to teach you how to harvest the honey?”
His grin brightened a bit, but not as much as I wanted it to. “Yeah, I’d love that. Will we get stung?”
