by Marla Monroe
Granger stiffened beneath her. “Why are we going to need the other room, Destiny?”
“Well, I figure I’m going to want to keep the baby in with us for the first few months, but after that, she’ll need to be in her own room as she gets older.” Destiny held her breath, wondering how they were going to take her news.
There was absolute silence for several long seconds. She thought she was going to have to say something when Marty rolled away from her and jumped off the bed.
“Oh, hell. Why didn’t you tell us before we did that to you? I might have hurt the baby. Fuck! Granger. Were you as rough as it felt like you were?” He paced back and forth in front of the bed.
“Well, hell, Destiny. You got him stirred up again, babe.” Granger’s chest started shaking, and she realized he was laughing.
She pushed off of him and scowled down at the man. “Why are you blaming this on me, and why are you laughing?”
“Settle down, D…”
“And when in the hell did you and Marty start calling me D?” she demanded.
Granger started laughing harder, then threw up his hands in defense when she started slapping at him.
“Answer me you, you Neanderthal!”
“Marty, help, man! She’s going to hurt herself,” Granger called out between chuckles and grunts from her strikes.
Marty stopped pacing and hurried over to the bed to pull her gently off of Granger. “Easy, ladybug, or you’re going to get hurt. You have to be careful now that you’re having our baby.”
“I’m not made of glass, guys.” Destiny wanted to scream at them. If they tried to treat her this way her entire pregnancy, she’d go stark-raving mad.
“It’s a good thing we’re staying in the lodge this winter,” Marty said. “I sure as hell wouldn’t want you out here while you were pregnant until we have it completely insulated and the doors reinforced.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it now. We can go ahead and move out here as far as I’m concerned,” she said with a sweet smile.
She knew they wouldn’t do that, but she took a small measure of perverse pleasure in seeing Granger pale at the thought.
“Oh, hell no!” he bellowed. “We’re not moving out here until it’s as safe as we can make it. No way, no how.” He shook his head and crossed his arms.
He looked hilarious sitting there like that with his chin lifted and his arms crossed, wearing nothing but his stubborn expression. She started giggling, and they both froze, panicked expressions poured over their faces.
“What’s wrong?” Marty asked, easing closer to her.
“Nothing. I was just so worried you’d be angry with me for getting pregnant that seeing you both like this in daddy-bear protective mode is cute,” she said.
“Daddy bear? What the hell is that?” Granger asked with a huff.
“Never mind. So you’re both okay with us having a baby so soon?” she asked.
She gnawed at her lower lip as she watched their faces for any hint of their true feelings. Marty’s face softened, and he smiled. Granger’s features relaxed as much as she’d ever seen them.
“Honey, you’re having our baby. We’re more than okay with it. We’re proud as that papa bear you said something about,” Marty said.
“Never thought I’d ever have kids, baby. The idea of a little girl with your beautiful eyes and the way they sparkle when you’re excited or mad makes me sigh deep inside. I can’t believe it,” the big man said.
“I figure I’m due about the middle of June, but I could be off some. I, uh, was never very regular or anything anyway.” Destiny knew by the heat rushing to her face that she was blushing.
“Fuck, you could be even further than that along, babe. I don’t remember you ever having your period,” Granger said with a frown.
“Yeah, well, I spotted here and there, but that’s about all I usually do when I have one. Can we change the subject?” she asked. Her face felt as if she was standing in front of a blow torch.
“You’re so cute when you blush,” Marty teased.
She slapped at his hands when he pulled her into his arms. It didn’t bother him. He just grinned and kissed her.
“Don’t be embarrassed about that, darling,” Granger said as he climbed out of bed and pressed his hot body against her back. “It’s just another part of you. We love all of you, D.”
“Why do you keep calling me D? My aunt used to call me Dessie, but no one has ever called me just D before.”
“It’s short for Destiny and darling. If you don’t like it, we’ll stop,” Marty told her, a serious look in his eyes.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. I just couldn’t figure out where it had come from all of a sudden,” she said.
“Oh, we’ve been calling you that behind your back for a long time, babe,” Granger said with a chuckle. “You know, ‘D is driving me crazy with her nagging all the time.’”
She growled and tried to turn so she could hit Granger. Marty laughed and held her tight between them.
“Easy, honey. You know he’s teasing. You’ve got to be careful with our baby inside you. No horsing around anymore,” Marty admonished.
“I don’t horse around.” She frowned at him.
“We’d better get back before it gets too late. It’s already growing dark out there.” Granger backed away from her to start getting dressed.
Marty kissed her and grabbed her underwear from the floor. When he handed it to her, she smiled gently at him and pulled him back to her for another kiss.
“I love you, Marty. I love all of you.”
“I love you, too, ladybug.” He got on his knees and kissed her belly. “I love you, too, baby bug.”
“Hey, Marty. While you’re down there, you need to propose to her, too. Make it official and all,” Granger said, standing in just his jeans next to her.
“Get your ass down here, too. You have to propose to her, too,” the other man said with a smirk.
“She might say no to one of us, but if she says yes to you, that includes me.” Granger’s grin was engaging, but Destiny was having none of it.
She walked around behind him and kneed him in the back of his knees, making his legs fold. He didn’t fall, but he did ease to the floor and look up at her with what could only have been adoration in his eyes. Destiny blinked back the tears in her eyes then waited for them to speak.
“You know we both love you, Destiny, with all of our hearts and souls. We will do anything to make you happy and keep you safe,” Marty said.
“And the baby, too,” Granger added, pushing on Marty.
Marty frowned at the other man. “I was getting to that.”
“Well, hurry up already.”
“We want to spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much you mean to us. Will you and baby bug be ours?” Marty asked.
“Forever,” Granger added.
“I love you both so much. I’ll always be yours. Both of yours.” Destiny sank to her knees to hug them.
“You’re our Destiny, baby. And we’re yours.” Granger wrapped his arms around them.
Destiny smiled in the huddle. She didn’t know what the future held for the three of them, now four, but she knew she would never regret trusting them with her safety and her heart.
THE END
WWW.MARLAMONROE.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marla Monroe has been writing professionally for about ten years now. Her first book with Siren was published in January of 2011. She loves to write and spends every spare minute either at the keyboard or reading another Siren author. She writes everything from sizzling-hot contemporary cowboys, to science fiction ménages with the occasional bad-ass biker thrown in for good measure.
Marla lives in the southern US and works full-time at a busy hospital. When not writing, she loves to travel, spend time with her cats, and read. She’s always eager to try something new and especially enjoys the research for her books. She loves to hear from readers about what they are lo
oking for next. You can reach Marla at [email protected] or visit her website at www.marlamonroe.com.
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