by Elisa Leigh
After twenty minutes of trying to work, I’m unable to focus on the properties we are monitoring. Cash tells me to just call Terrance in to cover my shift, so I can get to my girls. I need to get to Olivia and be there for her. I know she has Logan and Garret, but I’m the uncle, and I should be there when my niece is born. First, I call Terrance to see if he is available. He is, thank the lord, and agrees to come in for me. I text Paul and tell him to swing by and pick me up before they head to the hospital.
I can’t lie, the prospect of seeing Callie is tempting. I was green, knowing Paul was going to see her and spend time with her alone. Paul and I met Callie when Olivia was attacked by her stalker last year and ended up in the hospital. Callie came to the hospital to be with Olivia and was sitting by her side when we walked in to check on my sister.
I knew as soon as I saw her. I knew she was the woman I would want for the rest of my days. No other woman before here compared in the slightest to Callie. There was a quiet innocence about her I found tantalizing. Crazy enough, Paul was entranced with her as much as I was. That had never happened before. Paul would never poach a woman I was interested in, and neither would I. We weren’t sure where to go from there, but we were staring at an option right in front of us. Garret and Logan were trying to make it work, maybe Paul and I could too.
Since that day, we found out how shy our flaming beauty is, well only around us. In her element, and around her girls, she’s a spitfire at the best of times. We have watched her for months, and in that time, we’ve waited for the right time to claim her. Paul and I talked many times about the kind of relationship we expected and wanted from her. We were both determined she was the one for us both and couldn’t see moving forward in any other way, but together.
Callie never warmed up to us, purposely staying away and putting distance between us whenever we tried to get closer. I could tell Paul was getting frustrated with the wait, but he’s nothing if not persistent.
When Paul pulls up with Callie in the front seat, I can’t help myself. I should have sat in the back of the truck, giving her space and time like we had been. Too bad I can’t pass up this opportunity. Frankly, I’m tired of waiting for her to catch up with what’s going on between us. Seems as though Paul is feeling the same way judging by the hand gripping her thigh.
If I thought she wasn’t interested, we wouldn’t be pursuing her so hard, but sitting here next to her, she can’t hide how she’s feeling. With choppy breaths, heated skin, and a bottom lip red and tortured from the hundreds of times she’s sucked it into her pretty mouth, I know she’s affected by us.
Paul parks in the hospital parking lot and shuts off his truck. Neither of us makes a move to get out and sit silently, waiting for her to finally speak to us.
She’s squirming in her seat, and I almost cave myself, knowing we need to get inside to see Olivia. I don’t though, I can’t. Callie needs to address what’s between us. I can see it coming before she explodes, and if it weren’t so important, I’d be laughing right now.
“Well, are we going to get out of the truck? My best friend is in there having a baby, and you guys are just sitting here like there’s nothing else we should be doing.”
“There are some things that need to be said while we have you here, where you can’t run away from us,” Paul tells her.
“I don’t run away from you two. I, we…” she sputters.
“Exactly. Callie are you attracted to us?” I ask her.
“What? God no, of course not!”
I rub my hand up and down her thigh. “So, when I touch you like this, you aren’t affected?”
She shutters at my touch but shakes her head no, slowly.
“This doesn’t make your heart beat faster?” Paul asks, dragging his fingers up her thigh.
“You’re going to be ours, Calliope. We’ve let everyone know except you. That changes tonight. Give me your phone.” Paul commands.
She clutches her bag close to her chest. “No.”
“Give him your phone sweetheart. It will be easier that way.”
I run my nose along her neck, up into her hair where I pull her earlobe into my mouth, sucking lightly.
“Ohh. Ryan, what are you doing?” She asks breathlessly.
“What I’ve wanted to do for almost a year. Your skin is so sweet Callie. Are you this sweet everywhere?”
I pull her ridiculously large hoodie to the side and press open mouth kisses down her neck and scrape my teeth against the patch of skin that connects her shoulder and neck.
“Have you let anyone touch you like this, baby?” Paul asks on the other side of her, where he is kissing her wrist.
She shakes her head no, dazed and confused. I know it’s wrong, because I’m far from pure, but I hope she saved her cherry for us. Anything else would drive me insane with jealousy, and I choose to think of her as pure.
I kiss her shoulder and watch Paul love on our woman. I’m hard watching him bring her pleasure. He kisses her palm and places it into his hand, bringing it up to his chest. She watches his every move while leaning her body into mine.
“You ready to accept this is happening Calliope? That there is something between the three of us?”
She nods, but Paul needs more from her, and he pushes.
“Give me the words Precious. I want you to say it out loud.”
She clears her throat and then whispers. “There’s something between us.”
Using the hand in his, he pulls her body to his chest where he kisses the side of her head. “Thank you for admitting what we have known to be true since we walked into that hospital room months ago. Fitting, isn’t it?”
“What is?” she whispers into the quiet cab of his truck.
“You finally admit your feelings for us at the same hospital where we met.”
Our shy girl says nothing, and blushes further, not that I thought it were even possible.
He grabs her phone from her hands and puts in our numbers. “You’ve got our numbers baby. Call us for whatever you need.”
Her eyebrows pull together like she wants to ask something, but she holds back.
“What is it, Callie?” I ask.
She shakes her head and looks down at her hands, but I refuse to let her shy away from his conversation. I lift her chin so she’s looking at me. “Ask.”
“Don’t you need my number too, if, like Paul said, ‘there’s something between the three of us’?”
I run my thumb across her bottom lip and catch myself wondering for the thousandth time how she’d taste. It’s torture, knowing how soft her lips are. Caught in a daze, Paul answers for me.
“We don’t need your number Calliope.”
“Why?” She snaps and pulls away from my touch.
“We don’t need it because we’ve had it for months now.” I clear up for her.
I don’t miss the small smile that ghosts across her lips. I open my door and pull her hand, so she’ll slide out my side of the car. I get out first, and before I move to let her out, I look her in the eyes.
“I have wanted you for a long time, Callie. We aren’t going back to the way it was before. We are moving forward and seeing where this connection goes. You on board with that?”
“Ryan, this is crazy. You guys barely know me.”
“You’re wrong, Angel. We know you are only shy when we are around. We know you are fiercely protective of those you love. You are smart, caring, and sweet. We’ll learn the small things, the more time we spend together, but we know what’s most important. Promise me that we are moving forward, that you are okay with moving forward with Paul and me.”
She nods and then gives me a quiet yes.
I give her a smile and kiss her cheek. Good, she’s catching on quick.
“Let’s go meet our niece then. Little miss Winnie Grace will be here before we know it, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss this.”
Chapter Four
Paul Spader
I’ve wanted C
alliope Reid since I saw her teary green eyes look up at me from the side of her best friend’s hospital bed. I could see how affected she was by what Olivia had gone through. Her pain touched a part of me I didn’t know was there. I’ve never been particularly interested in any woman for longer than the few hours it would take to have a mutually beneficial one-night arrangement. I’ve never cared about a woman’s past, present or future. Those encounters were few and far between. Hell, it’s been a couple of years since I’ve even slept with a woman.
This woman though, she’s different, and I need to know everything about her. When I looked over at Ryan and saw he was having a similar reaction, I almost gave up on her, ready to give the chance to have a beauty like her, to my broken-hearted friend. He had just found out his girlfriend he had been with for a year was cheating on him with some rich asshole. But as I watched him hang on her every movement, I knew his pain was gone, replaced by something far more powerful.
The more time we spent in the same room with her, listening to her fierce protection of Olivia and her acceptance of the love between Logan, Garret, and Olivia, I hoped maybe something similar could emerge between Ryan, Callie, and I. The months that followed involved some in depth conversations with my best friend. We have never shared a woman sexually or otherwise. We had seen how Garret and Logan had gone about it, busting their balls the entire way. Now we are planning our own ménage relationship, making sure we are on the same page before we approach the woman we intend to share indefinitely.
When Ryan and Callie round the truck, I see Callie’s hand in Ryan’s. I walk to her other side and pull her free hand into mine. Her delicate fingers lace through mine, and although they’re small, she’s gripping my hand firmly. With Callie between us, I feel whole for the first time in years.
We find Olivia’s room with the help of a judgmental twat of a nurse. She helps us to the room, but you can’t miss the sneer on her face when she leaves us. Good thing most everyone missed it, paying attention to Olivia. Judging by the tick in Garret’s jaw, he missed nothing. He excuses himself, probably to take care of the bitch nurse. I admire the man for many things he has done over the years but taking care of his family is at the top of the list.
I shake hands with Logan who is stationed to Olivia’s right, then give Olivia a quick kiss on the cheek. “How are you feeling darlin’?” I ask, and she scowls at me. “How do you think I’m feeling Paul? I’m about to push a baby out of my lady parts.” She hisses at me. I hold my hands up in front of my chest, palms out. “Just checkin’ on ya’ girl.” I back up and lean my back against the same wall Ryan is stationed at.
“Baby Girl. Be nice to our friends. They are here to support us.” She pouts at Logan but melts when he kisses her forehead and whispers something in her ear. She looks over at me “I’m sorry Paul. Logan’s right. I’m not feeling like myself right now. These contractions are a bitch. I’m seriously thinking about getting the epidural.”
From Olivia’s other side, Callie sits and laughs. “Uh uh, Olivia. You told me not to let you get drugs. You wanted to have Winnie Grace naturally. Suck it buttercup.” Callie sing songs with a demented smile on her face.
Olivia sneers in Callie’s direction. “Bitch. When you are where I’m at, I’m going to laugh in your face just like you are doing to me right now. I’m going to tell your doctor to hold the drugs. Trust this. You’ll want them, but you. Will. Get. Nothing. Ahhhhh!” Olivia screams and grabs Callie and Logan’s hands. Hard, judging by the pinched look on Callie’s face. Hmmm, it must be a powerful contraction.
Callie’s smile fades into a frown as she watches Olivia in pain. “Shit Logan, get her an epidural. Where in the hell is Garret when you need a doctor? Call that snotty ass nurse in here to make it happen if you have to, but she’s getting the flippin’ drugs!” Callie says panicking.
“I’m right here Sunshine. Don’t you worry. I’ve got our girl taken care of. I just spoke with the doctor. He will be in as soon as he’s set up to give her the epidural.” I smile approvingly at Garret. The man can’t bear to see his wife in pain. He walks behind Logan and kisses Olivia on the forehead and the lips. Then he massages Logan’s shoulders. The gesture is so intimate. I turn my head, not wanting to intrude on their moment.
We all knew Logan and Garret wanted to share a wife. We would joke with them since it wasn’t a relationship any of us at Panthera were familiar with. Logan’s twin fathers married the same woman, and that’s how he and his sisters grew up. It wasn’t weird for him or Garret, who was Logan’s best friend through high school. What we weren’t expecting was for Garret and Logan’s relationship to change when they met Olivia.
I’ve never talked to them about it because frankly, it’s none of my damn business. They are the same guys I served with in the Marines, the same guys who are a part of Panthera. I could care less if they are fucking each other along with their wife. They make it work, and that is all that matters to any of us. We all want the same things. To do our part protecting our country while living a good life with the people we love.
I look over at Ryan and catch him in a dead stare at Callie, who’s watching our friends with a look I can’t comprehend. Suddenly she looks up at us with a hopeful expression. It’s a look that tells me all I need to know. I wink at her, and she blushes, looking back at Olivia.
Chapter Five
Paul
Seven Hours Later
I’ve been watching Callie holding Winnie Grace for a while now, and I can’t help but picture her holding our own child. The smile that’s been plastered across her face since she met that little girl is doing things to my heart that I didn’t know I was ready for.
“Alright Aunt Callie, Uncle Ryan needs a turn. You’ve been hogging her long enough,” Ryan jokes.
Callie glares up at him but changes her expression when she looks back down at that little girl. I watch as she rubs her face against Winnie’s cheek softly, and then lightly kisses the top of her head, before walking over to Ryan and placing her in his arms.
I look around the room, and I’m amazed that this is my life now. This could be us soon. We could be in this very room, welcoming our first born. Olivia looks happy but exhausted, as she watches her baby in everyone’s arms. Garret and Logan are sitting next to their wife, looking happier than I have ever seen them, including their wedding day.
Eventually, Logan stands up. “Alright y'all. Olivia needs to rest before the rest of the family starts making their appearances. Callie, you know you are welcome anytime, but let’s let momma and baby get some sleep. I’m sure you could use some yourself, before school tomorrow.”
“You might be my brother-in-law, but you don’t get to tell me what to do. I can decide when I need sleep,” she huffs.
“Sunshine…” Garret says sternly, almost letting a smile slip. “Fine. I’m only leaving because I can tell Olivia needs some sleep, and she won’t do that with all of us here.”
Ryan hands Winnie Grace over to Logan, and we all say our goodbyes to the happy, but tired family. I don’t miss the looks Logan and Garret give Ryan and me. “We’ll be talking soon,” Garret says, watching Ryan lead Callie out the door. I nod, knowing he sees her as his sister and needs to pull his weight to protect her.
As soon as we exit the room, I catch Callie by the hand and pull her next to me, not letting her hand go as we walk towards the truck. The closer we get to my truck, the more the excitement of the night begins to wane, and Callie’s stride begins to slow.
When we get into the truck, Callie sits up stiffly between us, not touching us in the close quarters of the front seat. Not, ten minutes in, Ryan looks over at me with a huge grin on his smug face. Callie has fallen asleep and is leaning into Ryan, with her head on his shoulder. Instead of being jealous, I’m surprisingly happy knowing he gets this stolen moment with her.
I pull into her drive and sit for a few minutes, not ready to wake her and leave her here while we go back to our house. It unnerves me to leave her when her
place is in our home.
“Baby Doll” Ryan whispers to the woman taking up all the space in my heart. I look over and watch him gently push the hair from her face and behind her ear. “Callie, wake up darlin’.”
She moves slightly but then readjusts on Ryan’s shoulder, as if she’s settling in for a good sleep. Ryan, the goof laughs. “I guess she was pretty tired, huh?”
As much as I’d love to stay with her for the rest of the day, we’re all tired, not having slept in over twenty-four hours. “Calliope, wake up baby,” I say firmly.
I can tell the moment she wakes when her soft body becomes tense, and then slowly raises from Ryan’s shoulder. He watches and quirks an eyebrow, watching her panicked face. “Oh, you weren’t bothering me. Paul figured you might want to sleep in your bed more than my shoulder though.”
She nods her head sleepily. “Let’s get you to bed Precious. Come on.” We walk her to her door and wait while she clumsily tries to find her keys in her purse.
“We got it love.” I open the door for her and follow her in and watch as she pulls her hoodie from her sexy body, flinging it on the floor of the hallway. She turns at the first door and immediately crawls into bed.
After she’s settled and is no longer wiggling around the bed like a puppy trying to find the perfect spot, I cover her up. Once again, her auburn hair is in her face, so I push it from her eyes, where it fans against her pillow. My fingers linger on the shell of her ear and I trace a path across the soft freckled skin of her neck. When she moans sleepily, my dick hardens in my jeans, and I curse the need flooding my veins.
Pulling myself away from her is the hardest thing I’ve had to do in years. It’s easier tonight though, knowing she isn’t going to be running from us anymore, I won’t let her. I kiss the crown of her head and walk out of her room as Ryan gets his goodbye too.
The thirty-minute drive is unusually quiet, but one I’m thankful for as I replay the night we had in my head. When I park in our driveway, I turn off the truck and sit, waiting for Ryan to get out whatever it is he needs to say.
