The Luck of Love

by Serena Akeroyd

  “Oh, baby,” she said breathily, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “You’ve no idea how much.” As their mouths met and entwined, she felt Josh at her back. He rested his hands on her shoulders, and she felt his silent support, even after she’d insulted him to his face.

  Well, she had her back to him, but she’d told the truth.

  Gia kept a tidy house, but Josh had to have it cleaner. There were days when the steamer couldn’t get the floor sparkling enough. She could concede defeat and hire someone to do it for her, but it was her home. Her place. She took as much pride in it as Josh. Only at times, she wanted to shove the steam-cleaning rod up his ass and tell him to do it himself.

  Luke balanced all Josh’s flaws, added equilibrium to hers.

  He was the perfect middle.

  Sometimes the woman, the so-called weaker sex, went there. Sandwiched between the two strong he-men, she was protected. Kept secure from all dangers.

  But in this case, Luke went there.

  Not because he was a wimp or weak. He’d reached lieutenant colonel on his own merit and could kick ass with the rest of them, yet he was a soldier not to make war but to make peace.

  And he did that in their household.

  Without them, the house of cards would tumble.

  Why couldn’t he see that?

  Chapter Four

  “Where’s Lexi?” Lucas mumbled the question against her lips.

  “She’s reading in the family room.”

  “Oh thank God.” He groaned, the words a faint vibration against tender skin that had already been sensitized by Josh’s earlier attentions. That groan also told her what was about to happen, and her body did a Mexican wave.

  She was sore. Josh had fucked her so well that everything was aching. But there was no way she could deny Luke, not at this moment when he needed her.

  She knew exactly what was going on as well. And though she was thrilled at the notion of being made to experience more mind-imploding pleasure, her entire being vibrated with joy because she knew her men were about to fuck, and she’d get to be involved.

  That was more than worth walking a little stiffly in the morning.

  The beauty of living out of town and having a daughter thoroughly engrossed in her books was that the outside wasn’t a no-go zone.

  And this seating area had an intentional high back and was cemented into the ground, so they could use it as a shield from the kitchen patio.

  They didn’t often fuck in the great outdoors, but it was designed to hide from little eyes.

  She knew it was irresponsible to do it out here, but this felt like a victory. Somehow, they’d taken a step forward in the battle to bring Josh back to them, and she wasn’t about to stop that.

  Especially when she knew Lexi would be occupied for at least two hours. Their little girl was utterly obsessed with books. Gia usually had to remind her to come for dinner at least twice. Lexi would have read at the table if Josh hadn’t forbidden it.

  Feeling a little better at that, she allowed herself to fall into Luke’s kiss.

  He was different from Josh, not as dominant or aggressive but equally demanding. He needed something different from her though, and that was the best part of their relationship. It was symbiotic.

  When she needed rough, Josh gave it to her. And when she needed to make love, to be cherished, and to experience orgasms so intense she wanted to sob, then Luke was the man for the job. And when she wanted to fuck, to party hard, then both of them worked her over better than a stallion did a mare.

  She groaned as Luke's tongue penetrated her mouth, and was obscenely grateful that she hadn’t dressed in anything other than her lover’s BDU jacket. It meant easy access and little to no time wasted in undressing.

  Fingers suddenly appeared at the zipper, and she felt it being pulled apart. The naked curve of her back was bared to the evening sun. It warmed her through, not making her sweat but making her glory in the sun shining on her back. Calloused hands waved along the length of her spine, dragging the flesh to attention, making her shudder at the sensitivity the gentleness inspired.

  As Josh watched, enjoying the show between his lovers, Luke whispered against her lips, “I need you, baby. I need you so badly.”

  “I’m here, love. I’m here.” Hurting for him, hating his father for what he’d done, she wished like hell Luke had had the confidence to come to them sooner.

  A thick finger speared her pussy with barely any preparation. She cried out in discomfort, and he garbled against her mouth, “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

  The litany continued as he lowered his head to pepper her throat with kisses. He sucked her earlobe, nibbling the sensitive morsel. He suckled her neck, and she knew in the morning she’d have to cover up a boatload of hickies.

  She reveled in the attention, flinging her head back to give him more access. And all the time, his finger stayed there deep inside her, a gentle reminder, a soft presence.

  When he raked his teeth against the sensitive sinews of her throat, her pussy finally got the memo. Juices gushed onto his palm, welcoming him, and his chuckle said it all. But it wasn’t arrogant; it was victorious and content, a claiming.

  His finger started to move, and her hips jerked with it. Out of nowhere, the aches disappeared, to be replaced with a bone-deep need.

  “Take me. Please, Luke, please,” she mumbled in his ear, frantically pressing open-mouthed kisses to his hot spots.

  A low grunt escaped him, a sound that told her he’d reached the end of his tether, and she felt herself falling backward. Knowing she was safe, protected in his embrace, she relaxed. Let him move her about to his satisfaction.

  It came as no surprise to find she was lying on her jacket, a move Josh must have made, and that she was flat on her back, eyes narrowed against the bright sun and the piercingly blue sky.

  She lowered her gaze, content to watch as Luke desperately worked at his fly. She spread her legs, slipping her hands down to play with her pussy, using her fingers to slide through the mess both men had created.

  His hands froze, his stare glued to her cunt. He dropped down, his mouth suddenly slurping her up, and she was too far-gone to care about anything. All she could do was revel in the lips against her clit, in the sounds he made.

  She wriggled, luxuriating in the sensations, of the heat of the evening, and her lover’s caresses.

  Gia saw movement in the periphery of her vision and looked at Josh as he stalked behind Luke, whose ass was in the air thanks to his position between her legs. Josh pressed a finger to his lips, and she smiled a cat’s smile of satisfaction and nodded in understanding. He reached into his jeans pocket for the ever-present tube of Vaseline he kept there. It was only a small cylinder, and it wasn’t intended for this purpose, but he’d used it more than once in an emergency. She often thanked God he sometimes suffered from chapped lips, because many impromptu fantasy-inspiring sex marathons had occurred thanks to that little pot.

  Tonight was another memory to add to the pile, and she embraced it like she did every single one.

  She licked her lips when he unfastened his zipper, revealing his cock to her. Her eyelids fluttered to shield her eyes from the sun but also to hide from the excruciating pleasure Luke was making her feel. She moaned when he nibbled gently against her clit, then squealed when his tongue—a hot, branding presence—slid inside her cunt. A muffled groan escaped him. Her eyelids popped open, enabling her to see that Josh’s cock was slick with the petroleum jelly, and she knew what was going on, because Luke’s pants were already about his lower thighs.

  Josh did not waste time. Though her arms felt shaky, she forced herself to sit up and rest on her elbows. She couldn't see a damn thing, but she could easily imagine Josh’s thick shaft penetrating the tight rosette of Luke’s ass.

  She moaned at the thought, but it was nothing to the sounds of ecstasy keening from Luke, which were mumbled against her pussy. Gia grabbed his head, and she forced him to look at her
. “Fuck me,” she demanded. “Please.”

  When he looked at her, obviously dazed by the unexpected reaming Josh was making him endure, he leaned up and covered her. She helped, scooting down so their sexes brushed. When his cock was at the gate of her cunt, she cried out, delighted by the sensation of his hardness against her, even though she was still tender.

  Slowly, carefully, he pierced her. She wanted to weep; her eyes burned as the desire overcame her.

  Josh began to fuck Luke in earnest, which made Luke’s shaft thrust randomly inside her. Sometimes going deep, sometimes stretching her wide. It was a rhythm she was used to, and her pussy welcomed it.

  A groan escaped her as, with each stroke, new areas of her cunt were claimed. Josh’s pace increased until all three of them were juddering with the ricochet of each pounding.

  She’d regret it in the morning, and a hot bath was most definitely in her future, but she didn’t care right now.

  Gia enjoyed the moment, reveled in teasing and taunting and exciting Luke, and when he came, his roar of ecstasy went bounding into the yard. She felt the slow, sluggish pelt of his cum filling her and wanted to roar herself.

  Her cunt clamped down on his cock, milking him, rejoicing in the moment enough to experience a gentle orgasm, one she hadn’t known she was capable of after the afternoon’s entertainment.

  This climax was night to that one’s day, but this one was soothing, cleansing. Just like Josh had claimed her earlier, it was Luke’s turn.

  And Josh, well, he’d reaffirmed the bond between the two men.

  She prayed that this time, Luke’s seed would take and she could come to him and tell him the good news before he deployed.

  If ever a man was made for a large family, it was Luke. She wanted to give that to him. She wasn’t religious, but she prayed every day for him. And at that moment, when Josh’s own bellow of glory echoed around the yard, she murmured inwardly, “Please, God, keep him safe, bring him back to me, to us all. Let him be a father.”

  It wasn’t that Lexi wasn’t enough. Gia knew any second child they had would be equally adored. To be a father to his own flesh and blood was something Luke needed. As he always did his best to give her everything she needed, Gia couldn’t quibble over this.

  Did it hurt her Lexi wasn’t enough?

  Maybe, a smidgen. But Luke wasn’t perfect; he was human, and he needed this.

  That was all that mattered.

  Chapter Five

  “Rocking the prune look, babe.”

  Gia rolled her eyes. “Your ass was fucked once, Luke. I’ve had my pussy pounded three times today and my butt fucked. You’re lucky I’m not crying into my pillow. I refuse to leave the water.”

  He snorted. “Good thing you have two sex slaves.”

  Grinning, she flicked some bubbles at him. “Okay, slave, pour me some more hot water.”

  He winked but leaned over to release the faucet.

  Gia sighed in relief as the heat seeped into her bones and sank between her legs. It was the only way to dispel the ache of a serious fucking session with these two. After the amount of sex they all had together, it would have made sense for her pussy to be accustomed to such treatment. But nope. Her bits were still inordinately tender, usually taking her out of the game for a good two days.

  It sucked.

  Although she did get to watch Luke and Josh beat out their sexual tension on one another. She could come from watching Josh suck Luke off, and when Luke fucked Josh? Oh man, the look on his face was like a bomb to her libido.

  These two were walking porn flicks, tailored specifically for her needs.

  She rested her head on the ledge and studied Luke's calm face. Ever since Josh had fucked him, he’d been a lot more relaxed. If she’d known it was that easy, she’d have bought a goddamn strap-on.

  The nature of Josh’s work meant he wasn’t there every day. Sometimes he slept on the base. He had a bedroom off his office, and there were occasions, late nights and early mornings, when he would stay there rather than make the forty-minute commute.

  Luke always came home. He was like that. It might have meant him losing sleep, but he’d still rather be at home with his family than at the base. It would be hard to be without him on this deployment. She was used to him being here, to always being at her side during an evening.

  In fact, hard wasn't the word. Doing without him was going to be hell.

  His last tour had only been a short one, three months. This was closer to a year.

  Nine months without seeing him.

  Her stomach clenched at the thought. She pressed a hand to her belly, realizing if they’d made a baby tonight, if a miracle had happened, Luke wouldn’t be here to see the child born.

  And like that, she burst into tears.

  It had been an emotional day. It hadn’t started out that way. If anything, it had been a regular old hump day. She’d had her chores, had ended them with her stint in the garden, and then Josh had come home and everything had tilted upside down.

  She hadn’t cried this much since Lexi’s birth, when postpartum depression had bombarded her with the ferocity of a turn on the bumper cars.

  Luke’s head shot up at the sound of her tears. He immediately knelt down by her side. “What’s wrong, baby? I don’t think I’ve seen you cry this much in years.”

  She raised a hand and covered her face. “Don’t look at me,” she sputtered. “Please, let me burn this out.” Hell, why hadn’t these thoughts come to her while he and Josh were downstairs, warming up the dinner she’d prepared for them today?

  “Don't hide from me, honey. What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t want to put this on your shoulders.”

  “They’re broad. They can take it.”

  “Not after everything we’ve done today.” She shook her head, and her hair made the water ripple. Digging her fingers into her eyes, she tried to stop the tears, but she couldn’t. They were in for the long haul. She gulped. “I don’t want to spoil it.”

  “You could never spoil it.”

  “Liar,” she whispered around a watery smile. “I’m tired of crying. Today has been too heavy. I wasn’t prepared for it. It came out of left field, but I know things have been weird recently. I didn’t expect it all to hit the fan today.”

  He sighed. “Don’t prevaricate. Come on, love. Talk to me.”

  She reached for his hand, slipped it through the oily water, and rested it on her belly. “What if I’m pregnant? You won’t be here for the birth.”

  He was silent for a second, and then he blew out a breath. “What did I do to deserve you?”

  That made her cry all the harder. Her sobs were loud in the quiet room. “Nothing. You’re wonderful. I don’t deserve you. Please, don’t leave me. Us. I know you have to go, but don’t…don’t think you’re going to leave us forever. Don’t think that way. I can’t stand it. Knowing you’re going over there believing…” She shook her head again. “Don’t. Please, don’t.”

  “I should never have said anything,” he murmured, regret lacing his tone.

  “Of course you should. I’m not a weakling, Luke. I don’t need protecting. But I can’t handle you thinking this is it. That when we say good-bye, it’s forever.” Her chest heaved at the thought, and she sat up. The water displaced, shooting over the sides of the tub. It was hard for her to breathe through the notion. Harder still not to panic. She clutched harder at his hand. “I-I…please, marry Josh. Do it for me.”

  He frowned. “Why would that make you feel better?”

  “I don’t know,” she bawled. “I think it would make you feel better, and sending you over there feeling more positive is what works for me. Luke, I love you so much. It kills me to think of you not being here at night with me, holding me while we sleep. Waking up Lexi together.

  “I have to cope with nine months; I don’t have a choice. I know that, and I’m not… I don’t want to make you feel guilty for having to go. But it’s going to be hard. You don’t k
now how much.” Her mouth worked. “You have to come back. I can’t live without you.”

  He sighed and pressed a kiss to the back of her slippery fingers. “You’re strong, and you have Josh and Lexi.”

  “No!” she shrieked, pulling her hand away to slam it down against the water. More tumbled over the side, and this time it drenched Luke’s shirt. She did it again and again, each time yelling, “No!”

  He grabbed her hand again, but she moved over to the other side of the large tub, away from him and his reach. “You’re doing it again. You’re thinking this is it.”

  “I don’t know what I’m facing over there, Gia. I have to be realistic, and you do too.”

  She stared at him. “I’m not strong. Not really. I have Josh and Lexi, yeah. But I need you. Don’t you understand that? You’re my strength. You.

  “Tomorrow, when I go into that principal’s office, I’ll focus on you. I’ll think what would you say, what would you do. And then, I'll do it. I don’t always do it well, but I try. When I’m writing and I get stuck, I think, what would Lucas tell me to do? Then I do it. You’re my strength,” she repeated. “Don’t you see that? Can’t you see it?”

  “I love you too.” The words were gravelly, filled with the force of his love for her.

  She closed her eyes. “I need more than your love. I need your faith. You have to believe you’ll come back to me. For me.” She blinked, looking at him, piercing him with her regard.

  For the first time, his hesitation was less pronounced. He nodded, slowly, but it was affirmative nonetheless. The sight of it made her heart pound. She pushed off the wall and moved toward him. Half leaning over the tub, she grabbed his face and held his cheeks tightly. She peppered them with kisses. “Thank you, thank you,” she whispered, letting their mouths touch.

  It was a gentle kiss. Just the faintest pressure, but it felt good.

  “I’ll come back to you,” he murmured.

  “I believe you.”

  He sighed, then stilled. Pressing his forehead to hers, he asked, “What do you write?”

  She tensed, pulled away. “What do you mean?”