by Leah Brooke
She really wanted to believe.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him close, blinking back tears. “If you change your mind and decide you don’t love the woman I’ve become, I’ll kill you.”
Lifting his head, he touched his lips to hers in a tender kiss that brought tears to her eyes. “I know you, Natalie. I know you. Every time I visited, I fell deeper in love with you. So strong. So sweet. So incredibly beautiful. You’re everything I ever wanted.”
Tears blurred her vision, the surge of love for him making it hard to breathe. Blinking them away, she sniffed, and hurried to lighten the mood. “You’re turning me into a blubbering mess.”
Hoyt smiled indulgently. “I’m honored that I’m one of the few people on earth who can do that.” Touching his lips to hers again, he held her face between his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the two tears that had escaped. “Since you’re uncomfortable, and desperately trying to change the subject—are you ready for some breakfast? I make great omelets.”
Nat couldn’t even think about eating with the butterflies still fluttering in her stomach. Blinking the last of her tears away, she smiled in gratitude. “I’m not hungry. I’ll eat something later with Jesse.”
Hoyt frowned, lifting her face and studying her features critically. “You really should eat something. You hardly touched your dinner last night.”
Shaking her head, Nat smiled and pushed his hands away. “You always did see everything. Jake’s a lot like you in that respect, but I have to assume that being in the SEALs for all these years has made you even more observant.”
Hoyt’s lips twitched. “A bit, perhaps. I think I’m going to enjoy fussing over you, but for now, I’ll give you the space you obviously need.”
He moved the neckline of her robe aside and brushed his lips over her shoulder. “Why don’t you go get dressed and I’ll walk you to work? I’m not quite ready to let go of you yet, and I want people to see us together. I’m not going into this half-assed.”
Chapter Eight
Nat walked down the street with Hoyt, and although the heat of his hand around her waist permeated her light jacket, it was the look in his eyes that warmed her all the way through.
Holding her close, he slowed his steps to match hers. “Jake’s a hell of a man. He loves you so much that he’d do anything to make you happy.”
Smiling at the affection in his tone, Nat nodded. “He’s wonderful. I love him, Hoyt. So much. More than you can imagine.”
“I know that, baby. You’re everything to him.” Hugging her, he studied her features. “You do realize that what happened this morning wasn’t just about sex?”
Nat’s face burned at the memory. “I know.” Looking away, she scanned their surroundings, unsurprised to find the streets of Desire bustling with shoppers. “He wanted to make sure that I knew that he accepted the fact that we would be lovers. He knew I was embarrassed that I responded to you last night so easily. It wasn’t easy for me to let him see that. I feel guilty about wanting you. I’ve felt guilty for years because I had a man as wonderful as Jake, and, no matter how much I love him, I still couldn’t get over you.”
Running a hand over her hair, he smiled down at her. “We stayed up most of the night talking about you.”
“I know.” Nat eyed him warily. “The last time the two of you sat up all night, you agreed that I would marry Jake.” Shrugging, she looked away. “I’ve never regretted that decision, but if the two of you try to decide my fate again, I won’t be so agreeable.”
Chuckling, Hoyt pulled her closer. “Yes, baby. We know.” Bending, he touched his lips to her temple. “Jake and I talked about the future. Evidently, you really shook him when you thought he might be sick. He’s worried that something like that could happen, and he said it makes him feel better to know that you and Joe would be taken care of.”
Nat blinked, pausing to stare up at him. “What? Oh, my God.”
Hoyt rubbed her back. “It’s another reason I didn’t want to cause trouble between you and Jake, and why I agreed to let him marry you. I had a dangerous job, and knowing that Jake would take care of you and Joe was a great source of relief to me.”
Shaking her head, Nat swallowed the lump in her throat. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She glared up at him over her shoulder. “I’m still mad at you for not letting us know when you were shot.”
Hoyt shrugged. “I did what I could to protect you. I told Jake then that I’d always be part of your life, and would fight him tooth and nail if he ever tried to stop me.” Meeting her look of surprise, he raised a brow. “Did you think I’d just walk away from you? I told him that I’d be back, but I think Jake hoped I’d fall in love with someone else. I couldn’t.”
He waited until another group of people passed them before continuing. “I knew that he wouldn’t take it well, but we understood each other. Neither one of us is willing to give you up, and we’re both desperately, hopelessly in love with you. Nothing’s more important to either one of us than your safety and well-being, Natalie. Your happiness. We want this to go as smoothly as possible for you. I can’t stand the thought of you being uncomfortable around me, and Jake doesn’t like feeling as if you’re putting on a show for his benefit. Just relax. The three of us can build a wonderful future together. Life’s too short for regrets.”
His eyes narrowed, his gaze lowering to her breasts, a small mischievous smile curving his lips. “The three of us can make a great life together, and have a hell of a lot of fun while we’re doing it.”
Snorting inelegantly, Nat turned to look straight ahead again. “Like this morning?”
Throwing his head back, Hoyt laughed out loud. “I don’t know what you’re bitching about. You got to come.”
Enjoying herself, and thrilled to be in Hoyt’s company, Nat laughed, feeling more lighthearted than she had in years. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him so relaxed before, and it made her feel good to know that she’d played a part in it. “Yeah, I did. Felt great, too. Too bad you didn’t fuck me when you had the chance. Poor baby. You still aroused?”
Hoyt gave her a playful glare. “I’m always aroused when I’m with you. It’s made for some damned uncomfortable moments.”Gathering her close, he bent to touch his lips to her ear. “I reach for you in my sleep.”
Stunned, Nat turned to look up at him, struck by the love and hunger in his eyes. “Hoyt, I—”
Pressing a hand to her back to urge her forward, he sighed. “I just wanted you to know, Natalie. This isn’t a whim for me. I’ve ached for you for years, baby.”
“Hey, Nat!”
Nat spun toward the masculine voice, amused that Hoyt’s protective arm around her waist tightened. Waving to Logan James and Beau Parrish, who stood across the street on the sidewalk in front of their stores, Nat smiled in greeting, keeping her face averted so that Hoyt couldn’t see her blush.
Beau stepped forward. “Hey, is that you, Hoyt? I was beginning to think we’d never see you again.”
Hoyt smiled, not easing his hold. “It’s me. I’m here for good now.” He lowered his voice, touching his lips to Nat’s ear. “I’ll bet Jake’s going to be busy on the phone today.”
Nat grimaced. “They’ve never seen me with anyone but Jake before. You know Logan and Beau?”
Chuckling, Hoyt ran a hand up and down her back. “I know both Logan and Beau very well. I sent Beau and his new bride a wedding present. They invited me to the wedding, but I was in the middle of something and couldn’t leave. I’ve made it my business to know the people who live here. Where did you think I went when I used to leave the house to go walking around?”
Logan grinned. “Stop by when you get the chance, and we can catch up.”
Hoyt lifted a hand. “Will do.”
Looking down at her, he frowned. “You’re blushing. Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“No, it’s not that.” Nat rushed to reassure him, wondering how the hell anyone could handle two men
and their egos. “It’s just that I know they’re all curious, and they’ll be calling Jake. He’s going to spend the day explaining that he’s now sharing his wife with another man. It won’t be easy for him.”
Hoyt touched his lips to her hair. “I know, baby, but it’s better to get it out in the open. I’ll do whatever I can to help him, but they’re his friends, and they’re going to want to hear it from him. But, I’m not going to hide what I feel for you anymore. I’ve done it for too long.”
Nat whipped her head around, struck by the hard edge in his tone. She knew Hoyt well enough to know that he wouldn’t take any crap from anyone, and hoped like hell that no one was stupid enough to confront him.
“Nobody said that we had to hide anything. I just know that Jake’s afraid that he’s second best. He knows that I would have married you if you hadn’t gone into the service.”
Tilting his head, he regarded her steadily. “Would you have? I’ve often wondered.”
Frowning, Nat looked up at him, surprised that he’d tensed. “What do you mean?”
Hoyt shrugged. “There was always an electricity between you and Jake.” Shaking his head when she started to speak, he hugged her close. “I didn’t really think either one of you would have ever done anything about it, but it was there. Yes, I had a few bad moments wondering if he was Joe’s father, but once I cooled down, I knew neither one of you would betray me. I often wondered if you would have married me if I hadn’t already signed up, or if you were using it as an excuse. You wouldn’t believe me when I told you that I would have married you when I got enough money.”
Nat shrugged, her stomach clenching as she thought back to those days. “If I hadn’t been pregnant, and you hadn’t been leaving, I probably would have married you. Eventually. Maybe.” Blowing out a breath of frustration, she continued down the sidewalk. “I was afraid that one day you’d realize that you only married me because I was pregnant and blame me for not being able to have the life that you wanted. I knew you wanted to get away from your father, and I didn’t want to stand in your way. I had to watch out for Jesse and I didn’t want to be a burden to you while you started your new life.”
Hoyt’s jaw clenched. “Neither you nor my son could ever be a burden to me.”
Looking straight ahead, Nat bit back a groan at the sight of Jared and Erin Preston approaching from the other direction. “We might as well meet this head-on.”
Erin, dressed in a thick jacket that did nothing to hide her advanced pregnancy, blinked as she approached. “I wondered if being pregnant had ruined my eyesight.” In her usual outgoing way, she extended her hand to Hoyt. “Hi, I’m Erin Preston. and this is my husband, Jared. Who are you?”
Hoyt shared a look of amusement with Jared. “Hi, Erin. I’m Hoyt Campbell. Jared and I already know each other.” Shaking hands with Jared, Hoyt grinned, some of the tenseness leaving his body. “Congratulations on your marriage and your upcoming addition to your family.”
“Thank you.” Jared frowned when a cold gust of wind blew, and wrapped Erin’s scarf more securely around her neck. “I didn’t know you were coming back for a visit. You haven’t been here for a long time.”
He met Erin’s glare with a raised brow, and continued to fuss with her scarf as he turned his attention back to Hoyt. “I thought you’d given up on us.”
Hoyt pulled Nat closer, relaxed and smiling. “I haven’t been back for a while because it was too hard to see Natalie.” Looking down at her, he smiled and touched his lips to her forehead. “I love her too much, and walking away from her was getting harder and harder, but not as hard as seeing her and not being able to tell her how I felt.”
Jared nodded, apparently unsurprised. “I suspected as much. I saw your eyes whenever you talked about her.”
Erin just gaped at him. “Why didn’t I know anything about this?” Turning to Hoyt, she scowled at him. “Did Jake know anything about this? Is that why he’s been in such a bad mood lately?”
Hoyt smiled, nodding once. “Natalie and I were together a long time ago. Jake and I were best friends. That’s how they met. I retired from the Navy this week, and wanted to come here to be with her again, but Jake and I had to work it out first.”
Erin’s jaw dropped. “So, the three of you are together now?”
Unable to hold back a smile at the shock dancing in Erin’s eyes, Nat nodded, pressing a hand to her stomach and blowing out a shaky breath. “It looks that way.” Her stomach fluttered every time she thought about it.
Jared extended his hand again, his eyes sharpening with interest. “Congratulations. I’ll go see Jake later.” He winked at Nat before smiling at Hoyt. “You two certainly have your hands full.”
“Typical man.” Erin wrinkled her nose at him, glaring at Jared as she defiantly loosened her scarf. “You’re going to go see Jake? Don’t tell me that you’re actually going to leave me alone for five minutes.”
Jared tapped her nose, his lips twitching at her resigned sigh as he adjusted her scarf again. “Duncan’s waiting for me to bring you back home. He’ll have lunch ready by the time we get there. Then you can take your nap.”
Erin shook her head in exasperation, but it was obvious she adored her husband. Turning to Nat, she gripped her hand, grinning. “They’re always trying to get us into bed one way or another, aren’t they?”
“Very funny.” Jared smiled indulgently, holding her close as he faced Hoyt. “Her sister, Rachel, had some issues with high blood pressure late in her pregnancy, and the doctor’s watching Erin closely. He wants her to have a nice, leisurely walk in the afternoon, and for some reason, my darling wife doesn’t understand why we want to watch over her.”
Hoyt’s arm tightened around Nat. “I don’t think they realize just how fragile they are.”
Nat snorted, but was inwardly thrilled at the way he held her close. “Please.”
Erin grinned and gestured toward where Logan and Beau stood whistling appreciatively at her, yelling out admiring comments about rounded pregnant ladies, much to Jared’s obvious amusement. “Idiots. I can’t walk twenty feet without running into someone I know. What the hell do you think could happen to me here in broad daylight?”
Jared pulled her collar up against the sudden gust of wind. “We won’t have the chance to find out, because you’re not going anywhere alone. It’s getting colder out here with this wind. Let’s get you home so you can have your lunch and take a nap. You’re getting grouchy again.”
Erin grinned at Nat. “Whenever they can’t handle me, I’m grouchy. He’s cute, isn’t he?”
Jared threw back his head and laughed, extending his hand to Hoyt again. “Now that you’re living here full-time, I’m sure I’ll see you soon. Welcome to Desire.”
“Thank you.” Once they said their good-byes, Hoyt chuckled and, with a hand at her back, guided Nat down the street. “I like her. She’s a lot like you. Jared, Duncan, and Reese sure as hell have their hands full, too.”
“So does she.” Shaking her head, Nat smiled up at him. “Having three husbands would be a hell of a balancing act. I’m just realizing how hard having two men in my life will be.”
As they made their way down the sidewalk toward Indulgences, the store Jesse and her friend Kelly owned together, Nat discovered a newfound respect for her sister.
When Nat had taken a shot at matchmaking and introduced Jesse to Clay and Rio, she’d liked knowing that her sister would have two delicious men madly in love with her. After a hellish marriage, Jesse deserved all the happiness in the world.
Nat sure as hell hadn’t considered the complications involved with juggling two arrogant men.
Hoyt pulled her closer and bent toward her. “I’m going to be thinking about what happened this morning all day. I want to take my time with your breasts.” He brushed his lips over her jaw. “And then your pussy.” Nibbling at her ear, he tightened his arms around her when she shivered in delight. Raising his head, he pushed back a tendril of hair that the wind blew
over her face. “I’ve got to make up for a lot of lost time. I’ll never be able to make up for all of it, but I’m going to do my best.”
Sliding his hand over her jaw, he lifted her face to his, his eyes hooded and filled with possessive heat. “When Jake and I take you together, you’ll really know that you belong to both of us. Have you ever fantasized about it?”
Nat gripped his shoulders to steady herself against the wave of lust that slammed into her. “Damn it, Hoyt!” Looking around to make sure no one had heard his provocative statement, Nat blew out a breath of relief to find the sidewalk around them empty. “Hell, yes, I’ve thought about it. How can I not think about it? The two of you are going to drive me crazy.”
Chuckling softly, Hoyt hugged her. “Poor baby.”
Nat led Hoyt down the alley toward the back of Jesse’s store, grimacing when she saw Clay’s and Rio’s truck parked in the parking lot.
Usually, they dropped Jesse off in the morning, and on occasion, came back to have lunch with her.
Apparently, this was one of those days.
“Shit.”
Hoyt’s brows went up. “Problem, honey?”
Nat sighed and gestured toward the truck. “It’s almost lunchtime. I’m late, and Jesse didn’t call to see why, which means she knows I got tied up with you and Jake. I forgot that Clay and Rio come on Saturdays. They’re going to bombard you with questions, and give me weird looks.”
Pausing, he frowned, gripping her arm and turning her to face him. “What kind of weird looks?”
Shrugging, Nat pulled away. “Like they want to make sure I’m okay because I was upset when I went over there yesterday. I hate getting those kind of looks.”
She was a grown woman, for God’s sake, not a child to be fussed over.
Hoyt smiled and hugged her. “They’re just concerned about you. I wouldn’t have expected anything less. They know me, but I’m sure they’ll want to make sure I really care about you. You worried I can’t handle myself, baby?”
Nat couldn’t hold back a smile. Having Hoyt as her first lover had pretty much ruined her for weak men, and being married to Jake had cemented it. “I have no doubt that you can handle yourself in any situation.” She hoped Jesse and Hoyt got along. She felt like she was bringing a boy home to meet her parents, which was ridiculous under the circumstances, but she couldn’t help it.
