by Eileen Green
Jake turned onto his side to face her, his hand finding hers. He intertwined them as his lips captured hers. His tongue tangled with hers briefly, a loving kiss before pulling away. “I’m glad you liked it. That means we can do more of it.”
Laughter escaped her at his words. She was glad they felt comfortable to make jokes around her. The bed dipped behind her as Andrew joined them. Glancing over her shoulder, Gwen smiled. “I get you tomorrow, big boy.”
Andrew moved in to spoon her and used his hand to hold her head in place. Covering her lips with his, he sensually kissed her, his tongue sweeping through her mouth. She teased back with her own tongue before he pulled away abruptly.
“No, baby girl. You’re not ready for more, so that was your good night kiss.” He kissed her shoulder before reaching up to the head of the bed and hitting a switch. The lights went out but he had left the light on in the bathroom and pulled the door almost shut so she’d at least know where that was.
“Good night. I love you both.” Her words were slurred as she spoke, tiredness overtaking her.
“I love you, too,” Andrew said pressing another kiss to her shoulder.
“I love you also,” Jake said. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We are so thankful you came into our lives.”
They each held her, their breaths the only thing she could hear as she let sleep envelope her.
Chapter Fourteen
The incessant ringing of someone’s phone woke Gwen. She knew it wasn’t hers for it was still in her purse, which was in the truck. Andrew moved beside her, turning over and rising from the bed.
“Damn it!” he muttered as he shuffled around.
Snuggling up to Jake, Gwen smiled at Andrew’s adventure in the dark. She hoped as soon as he got rid of whoever was calling him, they’d have their own adventure.
“Hello,” Andrew said, sleep still tinging his voice. After listening for a moment, he seemed fully awake as he exclaimed, “Really? We’ll be right there.”
“Everything all right?” Gwen asked sleepily as Jake’s hand grazed her hip.
She felt Andrew sit on the bed as he seemed to be putting on his pants. “Light’s coming on,” he warned before she could see illumination from beneath her eyelids.
Turning over, Gwen’s eyes fluttered open. She found Andrew standing to fasten up his jeans then grab his shirt from the floor and slip it on over his head.
“What’s up, buddy?” Jake asked sitting up.
“Unexpected visitor. She’s been ringing the doorbell for the last five minutes.” Andrew’s voice sounded anxious.
“How come we didn’t hear it?” Gwen asked as she slid off the bed, looking around for her clothes. Heat rose in her cheeks as she realized they were in a heap next to the front door.
“This room is soundproofed. We didn’t want people hearing what happens down here,” Andrew explained as he headed to the bathroom. He emerged quickly with a white terry cloth robe—the type you use in a fancy hotel—and handed it to Gwen. “We’ll stall her while you get dressed.”
“Who is it?” Gwen asked as she slipped on the robe.
“Your daughter.” His answer was flat as he tried to contain a smile.
Turning, she glared at Andrew first and then Jake. She knew her cheeks were bright red by the way heat infused her face and neck.
“Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!” she exclaimed as she rushed to the door. Opening it, she ran up the stairs to the hallway. Glancing at the front door, she could see her daughter’s silhouette in the frosted glass and then headed up the stairs to the second story.
By the time she dressed and then made her way down the back staircase, she found her men and her daughter sitting in front of the fire one of them must have lit. Heather was sitting on the couch while Jake and Andrew sat in their recliners.
Heather was on her feet by the time Gwen hit the bottom step and was rushing to her. Preparing herself to keep from being bowled over, she stepped into her only child’s embrace. Her daughter held her tight, as did Gwen.
“I’ve missed you, Mom,” Heather said against Gwen’s neck.
“I’ve missed you.” Gwen fought back the tears that were threating. She was happy to see her daughter after all that had happened, but she didn’t want her missing school. “You should have stayed at school.”
Heather pulled back slightly, her brown eyes seeming to search Gwen’s face. “My professor’s wife went into labor yesterday afternoon, so we had today off. I thought I’d come for the weekend to visit you guys.”
Jake and Andrew had come up behind Heather, smiles on their faces, their hands in their front pockets. Gwen pulled out of Heather’s arms. “Well, I guess the guest bedroom will need to be aired out,” she said. “We can do that later.”
“How about I rustle up some breakfast for us,” Jake said. “Then you can show Heather the new baby and we’ll see about the rest of the day.”
“What?” the younger woman exclaimed, looking at her mother quizzically. “New baby?”
Gwen giggled as she slipped an arm around Heather’s waist and led her over to the stools at the counter to the kitchen. “One of the horses had a baby the other night and Andrew gave it to me. He said he was going to teach me how to ride.”
“Really? My mother, riding a horse. Hmm.” Heather looked as if she was trying to form a picture in her head. “That I would like to see.”
“Well, Heather,” Andrew began. “There are plenty of horses here. Perhaps next time you come we can all go for a ride.”
“That sounds nice. I’ve only ridden a pony at the county fair when I was little.” Heather sat down as Gwen released her.
Stepping around into the kitchen, Gwen began cracking the eggs that Jake had set out on the counter and dumped them into the bowl setting there also. Jake was frying up sausage patties at the stove. As she salted and peppered the mixture before whipping them, she looked up to find Heather gazing at her with a smile on her face.
“What?” Gwen asked with a smile, not sure what was going on in her daughter’s mind.
“I’ve never seen you so happy, Mom.”
Heather’s words filled her with contentment. After the incident with Virgil on the mountain, while she was in the hospital, Heather had come to visit and take care of her. Jake and Andrew had visited also, making their interest in Gwen known. A discussion with her daughter was imminent but they hadn’t had the chance before Heather went back to school.
“I am very happy, princess.” Gwen looked from her daughter to Andrew, who was now sitting next to Heather and then she glanced over at Jake, who was now looking at her. Looking back at Heather, she went on. “We have some things to discuss, and I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about them.”
A smug smile appeared on the young lady’s face. “There is really nothing to discuss, Mom. I just need to know that they make you happy and that their intentions are honorable.”
Gwen’s mouth dropped open in shock at her daughter’s words, her hand stopped in mid-whisk. She had no idea that she even suspected the truth. The sound of chuckling brought her out of her shock. Even Heather giggled.
“We knew she was a smart cookie,” Jake said as he turned back to the stove.
“How?” Gwen started to ask.
Heather smiled. “First off, you’re here with two men first thing in the morning. Second, the attention they paid you when you were in the hospital was a good indicator on how things were going to go. I put two and two together and got three.”
Jake came over and took the bowl of eggs from Gwen and went back to the stove. Gwen wasn’t sure what to say or do. Needing to do something, she moved to the cabinet to pull down the plates, then over to the silverware drawer to grab what was required there.
Turning back, she found three sets of eyes watching her. Setting the silverware on the counter, she tried to gather her thoughts which seemed to have deserted her.
“It’s okay, Mom. Like I said, I’m happy for you. You deserve a
ll the love in the world after going without all these years.” Heather’s words sounded genuine. “And I don’t think you could have done better than these two.”
Tears stung the back of her eyes. No, she couldn’t do better than Jake and Andrew. They were the top of the line in her book. They were chivalrous, kind, loving, and most of all, they were committed to her.
Jake came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. Leaning back, she laid her head on his shoulder. The love radiating off of him was overwhelming and she basked in it as if she were a flower in the sun.
She was glad the truth was out where Heather was concerned. There had been times in the last few weeks she had wondered how she was going to tell her daughter what was going on. The thought that Heather would think she was a slut for being with two men after making the one mistake in her life that had nearly ruin it had terrified Gwen. She didn’t care what other people thought of her, only the person who had mattered the most in the past nineteen years.
Now that she knew Heather was all right with it, the last reserve that had been living in her mind broke free. A calmness drifted down like a soothing rain upon her soul, freeing her from all her past digressions and guilt. Freedom to live her life as she wanted to and not have worry about what anyone thought of her.
Coming out of her thoughtful daze, she realized at some point she had gone limp. Jake was holding her up from behind while Andrew stood before her with a stethoscope in his ears and the disc on her chest. Through a film of tears she saw his eyes lift to Jake’s behind her, his eyebrow cocked in bewilderment.
“I’m fine, guys,” she said softly. “Now that Heather knows, I feel free. I know it sounds funny, but I do.”
Andrew pulled the stethoscope off and folded it up carefully, placing it on the counter. He cupped her cheek with one hand and looked down into her eyes. “No. It doesn’t sound funny. We knew you were holding back a bit because of Heather. You had to raise her on your own, so it’s only natural that you would need validation from her. You wouldn’t want to hurt her in any way, so you felt you had to protect her from the stigma that comes from ménage relationships.”
“Not only is Heather very smart,” Jake said next to her ear, “but, she has your heart. She cares very much for you and wants you to be happy.”
“I saw how concerned these two lugs were about you the first time you were in the hospital. I could tell they were already falling in love with you. You deserve their love, Mom. You went without because of me,” Heather said, holding up her hand, indicating she wanted Gwen not to say anything. “Not only did you hold yourself back from love and friendships, you did without new clothes, entertainment, and even meals when money was so tight. You have earned this and I am so glad that you have accepted these two, because if you hadn’t, I think they’d pursue you until you got a restraining order against them.”
“And then we still would pursue her,” Andrew said. “She’d be worth having to go to jail for.”
The lump that lodged in Gwen’s throat at their words was hard to swallow. She knew the three loved her, but hearing their declarations caused her heart to flip in her chest, swelling with pride. “Thank you. All of you,” she whispered, trying to hold back her tears. “I love you all so much.”
Andrew leaned in and kissed her cheeks, then laid tiny soft kisses to her eyes before covering her mouth with his. His lips moved gently against hers in a soft show of his love.
Gwen had to keep from ravaging his mouth knowing Heather was near. She hadn’t gotten what was promised to her earlier, and any time these two men were near her drove her libido, but she could wait. There was no hurry. They were hers forever.
“Yuck!”
Gwen pulled away from Andrew quickly at the one-word exclamation from her daughter. They were all adults, but she didn’t want Heather to feel uncomfortable with their outward show of affection.
Looking across the counter, she found Heather trying to hold in her laughter. Shaking from behind her told Gwen that Jake was doing the same. Oh, she knew all three of them were going to keep her on her toes, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
* * * *
After breakfast, Heather helped Jake clean up the kitchen while Gwen and Andrew put new sheets and blankets on the bed in the guest room. Andrew had brought up Heather’s bags so she would be ready to use the room whenever she needed to.
When they finished with the bedroom, Andrew grabbed hold of Gwen and pulled her into his arms. His mouth lowered to hers before she could react and she opened up to him. A moan emanated from her as his tongue swept through her mouth, tasting, savoring her flavor. The taste of breakfast mixed with her essence, which he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of.
Gwen let him sup from her as her arms wrapped around his waist. His hands moved down her back, caressing her lovingly. When her hands moved downward, slipping past the waistband of his jeans and grabbing onto his cheeks, he groaned.
Ripping his mouth from hers, he opened his eyes to find her greenish-blue eyes looking up at him, desire burning in their depths. Everything about this woman kept his fire stoked. All she had to do was walk into a room or look at him and he was hard.
Now, she had her hands on his ass and with her hands down his pants, his cock was imprisoned so tightly he thought he would burst. “Darlin’, if you ever want me to fuck you again, you need to remove your hands.” His voice was breathy and deep as he tried to control himself. “My cock is squeezed so tight.”
Sheepishly, she gave his cheeks a tight squeeze, causing him to rise up on his toes as a growl vibrated in his chest. When she let go, he was able to regain some composure until she left up on her toes and slid her tongue upward on his neck, over his Adam’s apple.
Her hands disappeared from his jeans, giving him some breathing room, but he was still ready to burst. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the privacy to do anything about it. Practicing control, he pulled his arms from around her soft body and placed them on her upper arms. A whimper sounded from her as she licked him again.
“Baby girl, I know you didn’t get what you wanted this morning, but we don’t have privacy right now. If you keep that up, I’ll end up embarrassing you in front of Heather, and I don’t want to do that.” Andrew had to keep his voice steady, trying hard to sound sincere, but it cracked. “I promise you that tonight I will give you want you want.”
Her warm, wet lips pressed at the hollow between his clavicles. “It’s not just what I want,” she whispered. “It’s what I need.”
Damn! If she only knew what she did to him. Gazing into her eyes, he saw that the vixen knew exactly what she did to him. Leaning down, he gathered her mouth in his again, ravaging her with promises to come.
Pulling away, Gwen sighed as her eyes closed and her head pressed against his chest. He held her again, lovingly. “We will always fulfill your needs, baby girl. We’ll just need to bide our time today. Okay?”
The slight nod against his chest was all he needed. Their woman’s desires had been awakened and they wanted to fill all of them and push her limits, but they had the rest of their lives to do it. Life would interrupt them as it had today and they would deal with it as it came along, even if it meant his cock might explode in the process.
“I love you, Gwen. You mean the world to me.” His words came out nearly choked, for that’s what her love did to him. It took his breath away and sometimes he felt as if he was fighting for air when it consumed him in such a way.
Tilting her head up to look up at him, she smiled. “I love you, too. You’ve both made me so happy. You’ve accepted me with all my baggage, and you’ve accepted Heather as if she were your own.”
“You belong to us now. Heather is a part of you, so she is ours by proxy. She will be loved and protected like any child should be,” he said, his words heartfelt. “Even if she is an adult.”
“Thank you,” Gwen said breathily. Tears had formed in her eyes at his words.
“Don’t cry, darlin’.
I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“They’re not bad tears. You have made me so happy.”
Heartfelt words from his woman stirred a pride within him he didn’t know he possessed. He had been called immature and crass in the past, and he knew he had been. Even a few weeks ago he wasn’t sure if he could love a woman enough to consider a lifetime with one. But he knew something had snapped within him while they waited for Gwen to recuperate.
She not only held his heart in her hands, but his life also. He would be thankful forever for his baby girl.
A feminine throat clearing behind them alerted them that they weren’t alone. Turning, with Gwen in his arms, he found Heather leaning against the door jam, tears in her eyes.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Gwen asked, concern lacing her voice, yet giving her daughter space.
Nodding, the younger woman held up her hands in defense. “I wasn’t spying, and I’ve only been here for a minute, but I heard what you said, Andrew.”
Andrew’s eyebrows drew up in confusion, for he wasn’t sure what she had heard. “About what?”
“About me being your own. Thank you. You don’t know what that means to me.” Heather’s tears were trickling down her cheeks, her words choppy.
Releasing Gwen, he stepped over to Heather and drew her into his arms. Holding her, he rubbed his hand up and down her back, comforting her as a father would a daughter, for that’s what she was to him despite the short age difference.
“I meant what I said, Heather. Anytime you have a problem with anything, you can come to Jake or myself. You don’t have to call us father, or dad, but please think of us as such.” He kissed the top of her head and then pulled away, not wanting her to feel awkward.
“Thank you. I will. You have only been in our lives a short time, but you are the only fathers I have known.” Small hiccups sounded in between her words.
