Art of War (A Stern Family Saga Book 3)

by Monique Orgeron

  Theo comes back in the room. “I thought you might still be here. Have you decided where you’re sleeping tonight?”

  “Not yet. I might go home. It might be for the best.”

  “Why? What’s best is you going up those stairs.”

  “She doesn’t want me to go upstairs.”

  “That girl doesn’t know what she wants. You need to be strong and show her that you will be here every night no matter what she wants.”

  “That is easier said than done.”

  “You think I don’t know hard, son? I have loved one woman my whole life waiting for her to acknowledge me so that I could acknowledge my son. I can tell you this, if I were as close as you are to your babies, I would never let her separate me from being involved every day. Out of everything that happened between me and your mother the worst was not being there every step of the way with her pregnancy, to the birth and raising you. She might be able to shut you out of her heart but don’t let her shut you out of that experience. It only comes once.” Theo looks down. “I missed so much of your life, I missed your birth, your first birthday, I missed feeding you a bottle. I even missed spanking your ass when you needed it. I will never forgive myself for any of it. Don’t do that to yourself.”

  Theo stands to leave, then says, “I love your mother, but this has always been an obstacle in our lives. That’s why I was willing to go to war against her, for you. So, I could finally be there for you.” He turns and walks away.

  I down my drink, deciding he’s right, I need to be involved whether she likes it or not. She might be able to keep me out of her heart, but she’s not kicking me out of my babies’ lives. I head up to our bedroom with my mind set. I’m not going anywhere and she better get used to it.

  I open the door to find her sleeping peacefully. I strip my clothes off and get into bed. I stare at her for a few minutes. She’s so beautiful, I love her like this. Stripped of all her makeup and bare to me. When awake she is one ball buster, but sleeping you can see the woman underneath the armor, that’s the woman I want in my arms at night. I am willing to let her be who she is, the strong, confident, independent woman, but when we’re alone, this is how I want her, open to me. She stirs turning slightly to lay on her back. She might not want me, but she still sleeps in her bra and panties, she doesn’t try to hide herself. I lift moving the sheet, I watch as her chest rises and falls then I look down towards her stomach. My babies are in there growing. It gives me such a sense of pride. Lifting my hand, I slowly and lightly lay it on top of her belly holding my babies the only way I can. I start to rub and I feel her stir. Her hand grabs mine, but I don’t move.

  She says, “I was wondering if you were staying or not.”

  “Do you care?”

  “Stop asking me that, Zander. You know I didn’t want to get married and I never planned on having children right now. I don’t have any choice in any of this. So, quit asking me if I care. It doesn’t matter either way.”

  She tries to push my hand off, but I refuse to move. “Zander, stop, move your hand.”

  “No, you want to keep me out of your heart, fine, baby, have it your way. But these babies are part mine. You will not keep me out of their lives.”

  She looks at me, shocked. “I’m not trying to. I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Really, because you tried to leave and not tell me you were even pregnant. I know this is your body, but while my babies are inside of it, I will be here holding, rubbing and talking to my sons. When we’re in our bed you will allow me to remain close to them.”

  She starts laughing. “Sons, Zander, what makes you so sure that they are going to be boys?”

  “Hello, have you seen me? They’re boys, I was made to have sons. Plus, God wouldn’t give me girls. He knows I wouldn’t survive. I mean, could you imagine me with daughters?” I start laughing with her. This is how I wish it would be all the time.

  Our laughter ends and I look back at her stomach. “I want you to tell me when you feel something. I don’t care how small, I want to know about it. Okay?”

  “All right, I’ll tell you. Zander, I know this has to be hard for you too, but we can maybe try to be civil. At least for our babies. This can work if we try to be friends. I want you to feel free to do what you want. I mean…”

  “Is that really what you want?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I want, remember?”

  She just finished me. I’m done. I roll over because I can’t stand to look at her any longer. She just destroyed us before we even got started.

  54

  Murphy

  I’m fourteen weeks pregnant now and life has been pretty quiet. The casino is starting to slowly thrive and construction is underway for the new restaurant. Today is Sunday, family day as Catherine calls it. Mom is still here, she wants to look for another place to stay, but the family will not hear of it. Not until the person responsible for the threats on me and the family is found.

  It’s starting to get so hot here in Louisiana that when Avery and Fallon invite me to go swimming with them, I jump at the chance.

  The men even decide to join us. We all meet after changing into our swimwear. My belly has a nice size bulge, but I still look great in my two-piece so I decide to strut while I still can. They all start to whistle when I arrive even Fallon and Avery. Zander comes down shortly after.

  He looks at me and asks, “You really going to wear a two-piece pregnant?”

  Gabriel comes to my rescue. “Zander, what the hell man? Murphy looks incredible in her bathing suit.” I smile at him and wink.

  Zander then tries to cover his shit. “I never said she didn’t, I just…aww fuck it.”

  Fallon and Avery start to laugh. Avery says, “I never thought I would see a jealous streak in Zander.”

  Fallon says, “He deserves it.”

  “Why, what do you mean?”

  Fallon turns to me and says, “You’ll see before the day is over Zander will be pushing Gabriel’s buttons. He likes to make him jealous. Everyone knows it’s just the way he plays, it doesn’t mean anything, but Gabriel gets pissed. I, however, love it because it makes Gabriel hotter than hell.”

  “That’s interesting to know.”

  After we swim for a while, the girls and I decide to lay out. Fallon and Avery are great. I am loving spending time with them, the men too. I really like all of them.

  I start to notice what Fallon was talking about. Zander goes out of his way to make Gabriel jealous of him and Fallon. It’s subtle, but it is definitely done to push Gabriel. I think it’s hysterical. I’m not a jealous woman and I know Fallon would never be interested in Zander like that. But then I feel sorry for Gabriel. He allows Zander to fuck with him. Maybe I should help out.

  “Hey Fallon, I see what you’re talking about with Zander and Gabriel. I think maybe Zander needs a bit of his own medicine, do you mind?”

  Avery and Fallon both sit up and look at me. “What do you have in mind? I’m all in.” I tell them just to be patient and we will see how jealous Zander can get.

  The guys are at the bar, but they keep looking over here. So, I start rubbing suntan lotion all over myself, making sure it’s done to draw them in. I hear Avery giggle.

  Fallon looks over to see what they are all looking at and she says, “Damn, woman, if those boobs get any bigger you won’t be able to stand straight. But I like what you’re doing. I can feel Zander shooting fire this way.”

  Liam, Gabriel, and Vin walk over to us, handing the girls their drinks and me my soda. We’re all laughing and having a blast when Zander comes over and offers Fallon another drink. Gabriel’s eyes flash to Zander like he’s ready to attack.

  So I begin, “Hey Gabriel, I was wondering if you would spend some time with me this week going over some preparations for the casino? I’d love to have your input and of course I trust your judgement completely.”

  I look down at my body and start seeing all the changes. I tell Fallon, “I guess you’re right, my boobs
do look like they’re getting bigger. How did you still feel sexy in your body with it growing larger every day?”

  She says, “Gabriel, he made me feel sexy and desired. It was such a turn on.”

  “I can see that, I mean I can see Gabriel making you feel sexy. I’d feel sexy too if I had a man like that.”

  The girls start laughing, but the men stand, waiting for Zander to explode. Serves him right.

  “What the hell did you just say?” Zander is pissed. “What does that mean if you had a man like Gabriel?”

  I stand winking at Fallon. “I thought it was obvious. I don’t understand why Gabriel allows you to get to him the way he does. I personally think Fallon is a lucky woman to have such a strong, confident, powerful, sexy man like Gabriel. And the stories I’ve heard, damn.” I grab my towel and walk past them. I stop and give Gabriel a kiss on the cheek and whisper in his ear, “You’re welcome.” Then strut myself right back in the house. That should put big boy in his place. I hear yelling as I go up the stairs, I laugh all the way to the room.

  Once back in my room, I start stripping out of my bathing suit. In the bathroom I look at myself in the long mirror. I can’t help it, seeing Zander so upset has turned me on. I take this time alone to run my bath and then get my little vibrating friend. I have a couple. Don’t judge me. I have been a single woman all my life. You do what you have to do and right now I need my vibrating waterproof friend. When the tub is filled, I get in and start rubbing my breasts and body. I close my eyes and picture Zander. I can’t help it, he is all I think about these days. Every night he gets in bed with no clothes on and I have to try as hard as I can not to want to practically rape him. He is driving me so insane, but I think I’m hiding it well. I turn my friend on and picture Zander entering me. I start to picture him on top of me, kissing down my body. I pretend I feel his beard tickling down my legs. Licking every part of me. My hand moves faster over my clit as the vibrations send me over the edge. “Oh, shit!” I cum, but it feels like it’s only a small substitute for what I know Zander feels like in the flesh.

  But it’s when I open my eyes that I jump and scream!

  55

  Zander

  I watch as she lays there in her skimpy two-piece bathing suit. I see my brothers looking at her and it pisses me off. I’m not jealous, but I am so hungry for attention from her that it simply fucking gets to me. I made a comment about her wearing the damn thing. It wasn’t that I don’t think she looks good in it, it’s just that she looks too good in it. Pregnant women aren’t supposed to look this sexy. The bathing suit is almost skin color so it even makes it worse. When she gets out of the pool it’s glued to her body hiding nothing from view. When she and the girls lay out I watch as my brothers take particular notice to the way she puts her lotion on. I know Liam and Gabriel are faithful to their wives and even Vin wouldn’t touch what’s mine. But they can’t help but look, I am a sucker too because as much as I’d like to not pay attention, my eyes are drawn to every curve of her body.

  Vin asks, “So, Zander, how is it working out with you and Murphy, have you made any headway yet?”

  I fucking growl! He gets his answer and asks nothing else. Liam breaks the rest of their concentrations off my wife and turns them towards me. “How do you sleep with that every night and not touch?”

  “Shut up, Liam.”

  “I was just asking, man. I couldn’t do it.”

  “How do you know I haven’t?”

  Gabriel answers, “Because a man that would be sleeping and having sex with that woman would have a smile on his face. He wouldn’t look like you do right now.”

  “Oh yeah, brother, how is that?’

  “Like you want to kill someone,” Gabriel says and laughs.

  They all make their way to the girls with drinks for them. I stay for a few minutes longer, deciding I need to fuck with Gabriel a little harder today to get my mind off Murphy. So, I make Fallon her favorite drink. When I bring it over, Murphy asks Gabriel to come to help her at the casino and then tells him how she trusts him. What the fuck. Then she brings his attention to her breasts right in front of me. She then gives me some bullshit about Gabriel being strong and sexy. I know she’s trying to fuck with me, and damn it’s working. So much so that when she kisses Gabriel on the cheek, I go crazy. She walks away, leaving me to fight my brother.

  Once I calm myself enough, I go upstairs. I don’t see her anywhere. But then I hear a moan and then another. The bathroom door is ajar so I walk over and peek through. I see Murphy in the tub. She’s touching herself and I can’t tear my eyes away, the woman is gorgeous. I push the door open and as quietly as I can walk into the bathroom. Her eyes are closed and she is so in the moment of passion that she never hears me come into the room. I stand above her and watch her fondle her breasts and then I notice she has a vibrator, she’s using a fucking toy instead of me. I am becoming so jealous of the fucking thing, how it gets to be inside of her instead of my cock. As I stand there watching I can’t help but get so turned on my swim trunks are growing a tent. She’s beautiful like this. She starts to speed her movements, I know it won’t be long. Then she cums; I can tell the way her body is writhing under the water. But I promise it is far cry from what I can make her body do.

  She opens her eyes and sees me. She yells out because I scared her, but then she gets pissed. Then I start to get pissed.

  I look down at her still in the tub and ask, “Who were you thinking of?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me, who were you thinking of?”

  She stands, grabs a towel with her small vibrator in her hand as she heads to the bedroom. “That is none of your business, Zander.” She throws the toy in her nightstand. I take notice that there are more, well fuck me. This is how she has been able to keep me at bay.

  “Why won’t you answer me?”

  “Because you don’t deserve an answer. What I do in my private time is my business. When I close my eyes and see whoever, it is my business, not yours. Those choices are the ones I have left. You can’t take them away from me.”

  “Oh yeah?!” I practically run to the nightstand, I pull the drawer open and see not one or two, but three vibrators. I start stripping them of all their batteries.

  “What are you doing? Zander, what the hell are you doing? Leave those alone!”

  She tries to grab them from me, but she has no chance. As soon as I get the batteries out of them, I throw them on the bed.

  “You have no right, Zander, you hear me?”

  I start to walk off with the batteries in my pocket when I feel one of her toys hit my back. I open the door and turn to tell her I’ll be back when I see her go to throw another one. I duck and it barely misses my head. When I look to see where it landed, Liam is standing there.

  He goes to bend down to pick it up and says, “Nice, having a little fun, are we?”

  “Brother, don’t you dare pick it up!” Avery walks up and sees what’s going on. She sees Liam bent over and then sees what he was about to pick up. “Liam, leave that alone!”

  Murphy runs out the door to pick it up wearing nothing but her towel. She sees them and says, “Sorry, guys.” Liam is just staring at her cleavage and wet skin.

  Avery waves her hand in front of Liam and says, “Down boy, come on before Zander wants to knock you out too.”

  “Oh, baby, I was just looking, but it might be worth it.” Avery laughs and continues to pull Liam down the hall.

  Once they’re gone from sight I return to the bedroom and slam the door. I grab the toy out of Murphy’s hand and push her against the wall, trapping her between my arms.

  “Who were you thinking about?”

  “I’m not telling you.”

  I yank the towel from her body and throw it to the floor, my chest touches her breasts. She starts getting nervous, I can feel her body trembling.

  “I don’t want you using those fucking toys without me! I’m right here, baby, the only thing that gets to fuck y
ou is me. Not anyone else or those toys unless I’m the one using them to fuck you.”

  I pull my swim trunks down.

  “Zander, what are you doing?”

  She tries to push against me, but that shit isn’t going to work. I grab her wrists and hold them in one hand, pinning them to the wall above her head.

  “You want it this way, Red? Then I’ll give it to you. You’re not allowed to touch anyone else and I won’t either. But if you’re going to use this body to turn me on, then you will help me to release myself. I won’t force myself on you, I won’t even touch you, but you want to tempt me then you will pay a small price.”

  I grab my cock in my hand and start rubbing and tugging, working my hand up and down my length. Just feeling her against me gets me so close to the end. I bend and whisper in her ear, “I know I fuck you better than that toy. I know you want to feel my cock deep inside you. Oh, fuck, Murphy, you’re drive me crazy.”

  I feel her chest rising under me, and I feel her breath on my neck. “Look at me, baby.”

  She lifts her face and I want so bad to kiss her. One look and my hand moves faster with images of her eyes on me the last time we slept together. Remembering every sound she made gets me right where I need to be, I can’t help but explode in my hand and on her. My head falls down into her neck.

  She starts to whisper to me, “How did you like your hand? Was it as good as my pussy, baby? Was it as warm as I am, did it squeeze you just right? Come on, baby, look at me.” I lift my head and look into her eyes. “I hope it felt just as good as me because that is all you will have for the rest of your life. Now let me fucking go!”