“It really is.” Dante walked into the room and immediately took his seat. “I was resistant at first, but now I can eat a whole plate of them—hell, I don’t even need a fork.”
“Please use a fork tonight.” I glared at him as he put food on his plate.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be civilized.” Dante picked up his knife and started to cut.
“Okay, that’s freaking amazing.” Brianna’s eyes lit up when she took her first bite. “I mean, holy shit.”
“If you like that, then you’re going to love the rest of dinner. I fried everything—just like they do where I’m from.” I chuckled and sliced into my appetizer.
I could tell Brianna had never had real southern home cooking because she quickly devoured her appetizer and finished her meal before either of us. My grandmother would have been proud of how quickly she destroyed a plate of country fried steak, especially when she started sopping up the gravy with her biscuit. We kept the conversation light over dinner, and the nervousness was starting to linger. I exchanged a couple of glances with Dante as we reached the end of our meal. We both understood that what we said could ruin our relationship with Brianna, but the discussion had to happen.
“I hope you saved room for dessert.” I reached over and picked up Brianna’s plate.
“What did you find to fry in the dessert aisle?” She raised her eyebrows and reached for her glass of wine.
“I wish I could say I made it, but the bakery downtown has apple pies that would put mine to shame.” I stood and walked towards the kitchen.
“We add ice cream, though.” Dante chuckled.
“I’m going to gain ten pounds before I leave here tonight.” Brianna laughed as I walked back in with the ice cream and pie.
“I’m sure we’ll find a way to work it off.” Dante winked at Brianna and held out his dessert plate.
“I can think of a few ways.” Brianna smiled until the slice of pie hit her plate and I covered it in ice cream. “Although, from the looks of this, I might need to run on a treadmill after we’re done.”
“You’ll be fine.” I shook my head back and forth.
“So, why did you decide to do all of this tonight?” Brianna looked back and forth between us as she swallowed her first bite of melted ice cream and hot apple pie. “Is there some sort of special occasion I don’t know about?”
“Sorta.” I nodded and put down my fork.
This is the right time to bring it up, even if we haven’t finished dessert.
“We want to have a serious discussion with you.” Dante put down his fork as well. “It’s time we talk about what’s going to happen next month.”
“You’re really not going to let me live in ignorant bliss until I have to leave, are you?” Brianna’s lips twisted into a slight grimace. “I’ve been trying ignore it as long as possible.”
“I’d like that, but we care about you too much to let this just dangle out there without discussing it.” I sighed and took her hand. “You’re very special to us.”
“And we don’t want to keep you from going to school or anything like that. That’s definitely not what this is about. We’re not asking you to choose.” Dante reached over and took her other hand. “We just want to know if you’re open to finding a way to make this work, even if we’re separated by a lot of miles for a little while.”
“Two years.” Brianna nodded solemnly. “It’ll take me that long to finish school. Where will you two be by then? Probably moved on to another house?”
“Yes, I’m sure we will be.” I nodded quickly. “But the next house could be in California—maybe even within driving distance. It won’t take us two years to finish this place up, so we won’t be separated for the entire time you’re away.”
“You would do that for me?” Brianna reached up and brushed a tear that was trying to form in the corner of her eye.
“We would do about anything for you. That’s what we’re trying to say here.” I exhaled sharply and smiled.
“He’ll do about anything. I’ll do absolutely anything.” Dante grinned and squeezed Brianna’s hand.
“Then yes, we will find a way to make this work.” Brianna smiled and looked down at her pie. “Now that the serious stuff is out of the way, can I please have my hands back so I can eat this before the ice cream melts?”
“My grandmother is going to adore you.” I released my grip on her hand and laughed as she reached for her fork.
There was a weight lifted off my soul. I felt like I was allowed to be happy again. Brianna truly was amazing and there was no way I could let her go without knowing we had something on the horizon. It would take time for the pieces to fall into place, but the puzzle was one we could assemble. Overlook Mansion would be our masterpiece, but Bakersfield had given us something much better than the old house on the top of the hill. It had introduced us all to our destiny. Dante and I finally had the perfect girl that understood us both, with desires that matched our own. I could stand to be separated from her for a while if that was what it took to bring us back together.
22
Brianna
Two months later
“Okay, I need a favor from you before I leave.” I walked into Overlook Mansion and dropped my backpack on the coffee table in the living room.
“Did you bring gifts?” Dante leaned forward and peered into the bag.
“Better.” I smiled and pulled out two stacks of paper. “I have the first draft of my manuscript ready, and I’d like you to be the first ones to read it.”
“Wow, you work fast.” Shane extended his hand and took one of the copies.
“I’ve had a little extra time now that school is over. I figured there was no reason to waste it since you guys are usually busy on the house all day.” I handed the second copy to Dante.
“We’ll start reading it as soon as you’re gone.” Dante smiled weakly and took the manuscript from my hand.
“Don’t be depressed, guys. Please…” I looked at them with a sorrowful expression. “We swore that our last night together was going to be a good one.”
“I know.” Shane forced a smile. “And it will be, because I made you another wonderful southern dinner.”
“Awesome!” I grinned and nodded quickly.
“Did you check the oil in the car?” Dante tilted his head to the side.
“Yes, Dad.” I narrowed my eyes and mocked him. “Trust me, my real dad asked me that same question five times yesterday and three times today, then he just checked it himself.”
“Gas?” Shane stood and started walking towards the kitchen. “Money for gas?”
“Both are taken care of.” I nodded again.
“Wiper fluid?” Dante stood and smirked. “Maybe I should just go have a look for myself.”
“Seriously!? I’m not the irresponsible cheerleader you like me to pretend I am!” I grumbled under my breath and walked towards the dining room.
I had celebrated Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve with Dante and Shane. It was hard to get away sometimes, but I couldn’t stand being apart from them with so little time left before we were separated. I badly wanted to introduce them to my family and just come clean about our unique relationship, but I wasn’t sure my parents were ready for that sort of thing. Jackie had been more open and stopped by Overlook Mansion a few times to hang out with the three of us.
Saying goodbye was going to be hard, but it wasn’t going to be forever. I had waited my whole life to meet them, so a couple of years wasn’t going to make things that much worse. I could chase my dreams while my ultimate fantasy waited on me, and I certainly wasn’t going to waste any opportunity to come home while they were still in Bakersfield.
“So, what did you prepare for me this time?” I sat down at the table and smiled.
“Fried everything, just like always.” Shane chuckled and uncovered the dish in front of me.
“Then I’m going to take you upstairs and paddle you so that you think about me the who
le drive to California.” Dante chuckled and put his hand on mine.
“Another paddling? Boring…” I smirked and winked at him.
“You won’t be saying that when I’m done.” Dante growled under his breath as he spoke.
“Yeah, yeah—big talk from someone who always makes me cum when I’m over their knee.” I bit down on my lip and grinned.
“Can’t we just have dinner like normal people?” Shane shook his head. “There will be plenty of time for all of that when we get done eating.”
“Sorry.” I reached over and nudged him. “Unless you’re going to punish me if I keep it up, then I’m not going to stop.”
“You know I don’t punish you.” Shane chuckled. “But I can always tell Dante to make that paddling you’re going to get harder than normal.”
“He’d just make me cum quicker than I already do.” I giggled and shrugged. “But do what you have to do.”
It was the end of my time in Bakersfield, no matter how much we wished it wasn’t the reality in front of us. We made light of it and tried to maintain our normal jovial approach to life, but the sadness did linger. It would be months before I got to see them again, especially since I had my internship to look forward to when summer break finally came. I would get a couple of weeks at home, but that would be about it. There would be some time for us to see each other, but I still have to visit with my parents and I definitely couldn’t ignore my best friend. Those were challenges, but they weren’t impossible to overcome. I would do everything in my power to keep the three of us together.
All I can do is make sure the last night we spend together is one that none of us forget until we’re together again.
Epilogue
Brianna
One year later
“You’re here! Oh my gosh!” I ran towards Dante and Shane when I saw them standing outside my apartment. “I’ve missed you both so much!”
“You act like this is the first time we’ve been to see you.” Shane laughed as he embraced me.
“Yeah, but you’re not leaving this time!” I turned my embrace to Dante.
“I know, now open this door and show us your new apartment.” Shane nudged me with his elbow. “I’m really excited to see the king-sized bed you can’t stop talking about.”
“It’s the best part, trust me!” I nodded and pushed my key into the lock.
My life took an interesting turn after I left Bakersfield, and it was Overlook Mansion that set the stage for a future I never expected. I went to college, finished my first semester, and then started my internship. I did my best to socialize with all of the writers that were working on the television shows, but they didn’t seem to pay much attention to me unless I was bringing them a cup of coffee. I learned a lot, but the main thing I learned was that I had no desire to work with people like that. I still wanted to write, but my heart was in my words, not in the drama that went along with bringing my words to the screen. I saw enough of that in the television studio to last a lifetime. Even if I got a voice, it would just be one of many, and by the time the words were actually recorded on air, they wouldn’t be mine.
“Okay, this place is nice. I hope you kept some of that advance to pay the electric bill.” Shane chuckled as he walked into the living room.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already got another project in the works, and I’m busy turning Abigail Herrington’s story into a book to go along with the release of the movie.” I looked over my shoulder and winked.
“I feel like we should get some of the proceeds—especially me. I found the damn diary.” Dante gave me a half-hearted growl, but I knew he wasn’t serious.
“You two are going to make plenty of damn money when the house goes on the market after the movie comes out. People are going to be clamoring to buy that place.” I walked up to him and grinned. “Especially when they find out some authentic stuff is still left in the punishment room.”
Dante and Shane had a lot of people interested in buying Overlook Mansion once they finished restoring it and turning it into the masterpiece of their dreams, but one particular buyer proved to be more interesting than the others. He was a former movie producer named Dallas Stanford who was looking for a place to retire, and Overlook Mansion caught his eye when he saw the pictures on Dante and Shane’s website. When he saw one of the screenplays I had given them to read laying on a bookshelf during his tour, he was intrigued. He was even more intrigued when he found out it was a screenplay about the house he was interested in buying. Needless to say, I almost lost my mind when Dante called to ask if it was okay that the producer took a copy with him.
A few weeks later, I got a call from Dallas asking if I would be willing to sit down with him and discuss the script. I was nervous, frantic, and nearly threw up before I made it to the meeting. His offer was generous. Apparently, Abigail Herrington’s story was the kind of movie he had wanted to produce his whole life. He called it authentic and real, with enough grit to make people nervous. He wasn’t sure if it would be a hit, but he was willing to make one more movie before retirement, and it was going to be the one I wrote.
That put a full-stop to the plans in front of me, and school was temporarily put on hold because the opportunity was too amazing to ignore. The advance was enough for me to get my own apartment which was big enough for three, because there was no way I was going to stay in California unless Dante and Shane joined me. Dallas convinced them not to sell Overlook Mansion because it was going to be worth a lot more once the movie came out. While Dallas was interested in the place, he didn’t want a house that would ultimately become a tourist attraction. It was going to be a waiting game until the movie was finally released, but if there was one thing we were good at, it was finding ways to spend our time when we were together.
“Before we take this to the bedroom, since it’s obviously going to end up there very shortly, we have a question for you.” Dante smiled and looked at Shane.
“You do?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Yes.” Shane nodded and started walking towards me.
Before I really knew what was happening, Dante and Shane took a knee and opened a small black box to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring. I thought I was going to fall out of my high heels before I got my composure. It would be a different kind of ceremony, but it didn’t matter to me. I took the ring, put it on my finger, and hugged the two men that wanted me to be their wife. Meeting them had completely changed my life, and there was no way I was going to decline their proposal. We belonged together, even if our relationship was what some would call unconventional. My heart was equally shared between them, and I got both of theirs in return.
“So, this other project you’re working on. What’s it about?” Dante pulled me close and started kissing my neck.
“Is it going to be an original story, or are you going to find someone else to write about?” Shane started kissing the other side of my neck.
“Well…” I gasped and smiled. “It’s sort of a sequel to Abigail’s story, I guess you could say. It’s about a woman who falls in love with two incredible men.”
“I like it already.” Dante nibbled my earlobe. “Is it a true story?”
“The truest story I know.” I moaned when I felt Shane’s lips moving up to my other ear.
“Maybe we should go act out the good parts right now.” Shane put his hand on my stomach and slid it down towards my legs. “It’ll give you some inspiration.”
“I like the sound of that.” I purred and let out another gasp.
I like the sound of that a lot.
The End
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Temptation & Trouble: Sneak Peek
Kacey
“Are you drunk? Kacey, look at me!” My mother met me at the door and caught me before I could stumble into the wall. “This again?
You’re twenty years old! You’re not even old enough to drink!”
“I’m fine, I just want to go to bed.” I could still taste the alcohol on my tongue when I spoke, so I knew there was no hiding my intoxication.
“You’re not fine!” She held my arm as I tried to pull away. “We’re going to have a long conversation about this tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to talk.” I broke free from her grasp but stumbled again. “Just leave me alone!”
“This is the last time you come home drunk, Kacey. I’m not putting up this kind of behavior anymore!” My mother folded her arms across her chest as I walked towards the hall.
“What’s going on?” I heard a squeaky voice and looked down the hallway to see my younger sister rubbing her eyes. “Why are you yelling at each other?”
“Go back to bed, Lucy.” I stumbled past her and grabbed my doorknob. “I’m fine.”
“Mommy, what’s wrong with Kacey?” Lucy’s voice was agitated and confused.
“I said I’m fine!” I turned and yelled at my sister before slamming my door in anger.
“You heard your sister—go back to bed.” My mother’s voice echoed in the hallway and then I heard her door close with a thud.
I walked across my bedroom and started peeling off clothes as I continued to stumble. I managed to strip down to my panties before crashing into the bed and falling across the mattress. I knew the morning would be filled with regret, but I needed to sleep before I faced my mother’s wrath. I was sure her threat was an empty one. It wasn’t the first time I had come home drunk and it wouldn’t be the last. It had been an everyday occurrence for so long that I lost track of the last time I went to bed without enough alcohol in my system to pass out.
Secrets & Sin: A MFM Romance Page 12
