
Divine Creek Ranch 9
Their Divine Doctor, A Holiday Ménage
Emma Guthrie has been playing it safe all her life, watching friends marry and have families. She's dedicated her life to healing others and now it's time to heal herself.
Duke Rivers and Gage Randall are intrigued by the blushing doctor, whom they've observed in the past making a naughty sex toy purchase. Fate brings them together when Emma treats Gage for an arrow wound to the buttocks. When she moves in upstairs, they decide it's time to take a chance.
The socially awkward threesome discovers a mutual need to stop allowing life to pass them by, and they embark on a quest to accomplish each item on their "bucket list" together. From the treetops of the North Georgia Mountains to the frozen Canadian Northwest Territories and points in between, they chase their dreams as danger closes in at home. Will Emma pay the ultimate price for loving them both?
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/CowboysLength: 55,407 words
THEIR DIVINE DOCTOR,
A HOLIDAY MÉNAGE
Divine Creek Ranch 9
Heather Rainier
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
THEIR DIVINE DOCTOR, A HOLIDAY MÉNAGE
Copyright © 2011 by Heather Rainier
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-250-9
First E-book Publication: December 2011
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to every reader who has taken the time to e-mail me or interact with me on Facebook and share what my books have meant to them.
For her invaluable help with this manuscript and my crazy life as a writer, for her organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail, and for her tireless encouragement, I thank Dawn Gore Meador. Thank you also to my sweet Siren sisters, Corinne Davies, for her friendship and critique of this manuscript, and Sophie Oak, for her irreverent humor and unfailing friendship.
Thank you to the Righteous Perverts, that band of naughty, kinky, and funny cheerleaders. This loyal band of readers, ranters, and authors has made this adventure in writing a fun ride.
Thank you to my friends and family members who have encouraged and supported me.
I am very grateful to Diana DeBalko and Siren Publishing for their hard work and encouragement. Words just can't adequately express how grateful I am for the opportunity.
THEIR DIVINE DOCTOR,
A HOLIDAY MÉNAGE
Divine Creek Ranch 9
HEATHER RAINIER
Copyright © 2011
Saturday in mid-August, a week before Maya Daire's wedding...
With her phone at her ear, Emma Guthrie strolled along the rocky shoreline of Campbell Lake. She pulled her doctor's coat closed with her other hand because the wind blowing off the water had a hint of a chill to it as the sun began to set. Unseasonably cool temperatures had reached this part of the state, and when she'd seen the forecast she'd decided it was a perfect weekend to go camping. So did half of Divine, Texas, if the campground full of tents and occupied cabins was a good indicator. Feeling a slight chill, she shifted her cell phone to her other ear and tucked her forearm beneath her breasts to keep the coat closed.
"Emma, we could really use your help with this quilt fundraiser," her friend Jane Herbert said. Emma couldn't sew to save her life. She'd gotten together with Jane on several occasions with this group but didn't think it was a good fit. All they did was gossip. It didn't escape her notice that all the women in the group hovered around the same age as her and were all single.
Searching for an excuse to get out of another dose of their negativity, Emma replied, "Jane, your friends seem nice but..."
With the know-it-all tone that Emma was usually able to ignore, Jane said, "Is this about that comment Tabitha made? She's right, you know. When one woman steals three eligible bachelors in town it makes it harder for the rest of us---"
Emma cut her off, not wanting to hear the same rant again. "Not going there with you, Jane. The conversation deteriorated from Tabitha's catty little remark into pure gossip." Tabitha wouldn't have stood a snowball's chance in Hell of catching one of the Warner brothers for herself. "And in case you haven't forgotten, Maya Daire may be coming on as my RN in September, and I don't appreciate my employees being gossiped about in front of me."
Jane let loose with a big, gusty sigh and replied, "I know. I'll talk to her. You know it's really her boss, Clay Cook, who she's interested in anyway."
Emma thought Clay was a big sweetheart and couldn't imagine how his life would be if he were married to someone like Tabitha. Unfortunately, Emma had no choice but to decline when Grace had offered to set the two of them up. Emma treated Clay for allergies regularly, and she never dated her patients.
Jane broke into her thoughts, unable to let the invitation go unanswered. "Will you please come Tuesday night? Please?"
Hoping that some emergency would keep her at work, she said, "All right. But only because you're my friend."
Emma looked out over the water, glanced back at the activity in the campground, and felt completely alone. Lately, Emma felt more and more as though she were missing out on life. She kept busy with activities Jane presented them with in her off time, but she was growing increasingly lonely. Maybe it was because several of her friends had recently gotten married and started having kids. She felt like an old maid sometimes, like she was approaching her expiration date.
"I'll always be your friend, Emma. Even when we're old spinsters together," Jane said affectionately. She'd said "when," not "if," and it caught Emma off guard. Was she that far into spinsterhood? She didn't own any cats yet, but she'd been thinking about it, at Jane's suggestion. "Well, I've got to run. Mr. Snookums wants his din-din."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay, talk to you later."
Other people were walking along the shoreline, skipping flat stones across the water. For a second, she facetiously considered flinging her phone out over the water just to see how many times it would skip before it sank to the bottom but then slid it back into the pocket of her scrubs. She'd been hearing from Jane an awful lot lately.
"Spinsters," she said with a snort. "Who said I wanted to be a spinster?" Jane made it sound like a good thing.
Emma knew if she kept on the way she was, that's exactly how she'd wind up. Her life revolved around the clinic, and even though she had time in the evenings, she rarely went out unless it was with Jane.
When Emma thought about going out someplace on her own, like a nightclub, it made her feel squirmy and uncomfortable. What would she do with herself? What if no one talked to her? Worse yet, what if a man talked to her and she stuck her foot in her mouth? As a doctor, she could hold her own in a professional conversation, but when it came to social settings she was about as awkward as she could get.
Dressing up was another issue because there was only so much that could be done with her plain, pale exterior, and she never felt like she did a very good job applying makeup. Her pitiful efforts usually just left her feeling more self-conscious. Her scrubs and white coat had become her daily uniform regardless of where she had to go.
She wrapped her doctor's coat around her to block the chill of the wind that gusted off the lake and wondered why she hadn't thought to change before she left the office. The coat was a part of who she was.
She sat on a tree stump by the water and pulled her knees up to her chest. The sun was nearing the horizon, and she still hadn't started her supper preparations. Had she been on the phone that long? Time had a way of speeding up when Jane called.
"Doctor Guthrie! Doctor Guthrie!"
Emma turned at the sound of her name being hollered. A doctor's instincts took over, and her hunger was forgotten. She rose and ran toward the woman sprinting to her. She recognized her as Anita Webber, the wife and mother of a family she cared for.
"Thank goodness you're here! I'm glad I recognized your vehicle. A man has been injured in one of the campsites."
Emma caught up with her, reaching unconsciously for the stethoscope that was not around her neck but in her car with her medical kit. "What happened, Anita?"
"He's been shot."
"Shot? With what?" She hadn't heard a firearm being discharged.
Anita replied, "An arrow."
Holy crap! Once at her vehicle, she grabbed the large utility box from the front seat where she'd placed it when converting the rear of the vehicle into sleeping quarters. "Can you tell me where he was shot?"
"His...derriere," Anita said as a profuse blush spread over her cheeks. "It doesn't look deep, but he seems like he's in an awful lot of pain."
Anita led the way to the picnic table where a crowd had gathered. Emma could just as easily have followed the noise and hubbub to his exact location.
A man and woman stood over a sniveling, crying preteen boy, who must have been the perpetrator, judging by the bow in his hand. Both parents yelled and fussed at the same time. Other campers had gathered around to take in the drama.
"Pardon me! Pardon me. I'm a doctor."
Another older man stood with a group near the picnic table and seemed to be trying to establish order. "Let the doctor through! Y'all go back to your campsites. There's nothing more to see."
"What happened?" Emma asked as she placed the medical kit on the picnic bench next to the injured party. Whoever he was, he took up nearly the length of the long table.
"What does it look like happened?" a deep voice growled back. "Duke, let me up. It's not that bad." Turbulent green eyes looked up at her from a ruggedly handsome face. Before his collar-length, dark-blond hair flopped in his eyes, she saw his brows knit together in what seemed like shock or surprise before he looked away and swore under his breath. It must hurt more than he let on.
His friend Duke replied, "No. Not until the doctor looks at you. I've seen wounds like this get badly infected because they weren't treated properly. If I have to sit on you, you're staying put."
Duke looked up at her, and a smile flashed across his face. His hair was longish and appeared either dark brown or black in the fading light. He was every bit as handsome as his friend but in a different way. His dark eyebrows arched over expressive eyes, and his lips were neither too full nor too thin. A short, scruffy beard darkened his jaw. His smile was almost sensual as he gazed at her. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she met so many people every day there was no telling how she knew him.
The onlookers began to wander off, some still looking back curiously. The irate father pulled his son over to the picnic table. "My son has something he'd like to say, sir."
The handsome blond looked over at the crying boy who appeared ready to wet his pants. "What is it?" he asked softly. He seemed bent on not scaring the boy further, which Emma appreciated, considering the reaming the boy had just gotten from his parents.
She went to work examining the wound, which didn't appear to be bleeding profusely at the moment. The arrow had punctured the denim of his jeans and penetrated the gluteal muscle, but she wasn't sure how deep. Emma asked the mother to bring her one of the arrows while she continued to inspect the wound. He flinched when she accidentally jostled the arrow but said nothing. She tried to ignore how firm and lean his buttock was under her fingertips.
The boy stuttered and snorted as tears and snot ran down his face. "I--I--I'm re--ee--eally sor--sorry about shooting you, mister. Um---I'll work to pay for all your medical bills and...damages." He pointed at the arrow jutting from the blond man's ass and added, "I--I--I swear I wasn't aiming for you." He punctuated his statement with a loud hiccup.
The mother silently handed Emma an arrow, which she held up in comparison, guessing the arrow was embedded about two inches. The blunt tip on the arrow was barely pointed enough to puncture and was probably meant only for target practice. It probably hadn't done any major damage, but it must have hurt like hell. She verified with the mother that all the arrows had been tipped the same.
The blond man grunted and said, "It's okay, kid. Accidents happen."
The father insisted on getting his name and address so they could take financial responsibility for their son's actions. Duke gave his phone number to the anxious father as Emma sorted through her kit, looking for what she'd need to treat him.
"What are you doing?" the blond man asked her.
"What's your name?" Emma asked as she took a seat at the picnic table by his head to talk to him and set him at ease. His tone was cautious, and she could see the anxiety in his green eyes.
"Gage. Gage Randall. What are you doing?"
Emma placed her hand on his firm back. "Gage, I'm Emma Guthrie. I'm a doctor and I'm setting up my supplies so I can treat you. I'm going to remove the arrow and clean out the wound. Your friend is right. If it's not treated properly, the resulting infection will not be fun for you." Or for your lovely tush.
It surprised Emma to think such inappropriate thoughts over a nervous patient so obviously in pain. For the first time in a long time she felt her cheeks heat up over dealing with someone's private areas. She thought that response had been trained right out of her in medical school. As a family practitioner, she'd seen just about everything.
Quietly, in a deep, earnest voice the man said, "Not here." He sounded very serious.
Emma looked around. "Where then? I'm not kneeling in your tent if I don't have to. Wait." The light was better inside the customized tent attached to the back of her Pontiac Aztek. She could sit on her folding chair, and he could lie on the bedding on the tailgate. He was tall, so it wouldn't be comfortable for him, but it would be better than being out in the open. She looked up at Gage's dark-haired and equally handsome friend. "Duke, right?"
He nodded and replied, "Duke Rivers."
"Can you bring him to my vehicle? We'll set up there."
"Okay."
Gage grimaced as Duke helped him rise stiffly from the picnic table, and they made their way to her campsite. She unzipped the tent and directed him to the opened cargo hatch. Emma was surprised that he made little noise as he settled. He must have a high pain tolerance level. She'd seen grown men cry over much less.
Duke made himself handy with the lantern while she reached around Gage to unbutton his jeans. He grasped her hand and stilled it. "What are you doing?" His hand was strong, impeding her progress, but not forceful.
"Gage, I just need to loosen the zipper so I can pull them down once the arrow is out. I need to give myself some room to work and I'll have to clean the wound properly after the arrow is removed."
Gage seemed to debate with himself for a few seconds then gently removed her hand from his fly and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants himself then settled back down.
"So, did you just get here?" she asked, making small talk as she sanitized her hands and prepared to remove the arrow.
"Yeah. We'd just set up the tent," Duke said. "We were enjoying the view when it happened." She glanced over at Duke and saw his crooked smile curl up on one side, and mischief twinkled in his eyes. There seemed to be more he wanted to say but didn't. "This is a pretty cool setup you have."
"I got a great deal on it. The customized tent was ideal for me because I love to camp." The tent that came with the vehicle had been altered and another larger tent attached to it so that she not only had the enclosure for the back of the vehicle, but in addition, she also had a small private space at the end of the vehicle.
"We do a lot of camping, too," Duke replied as he came close and watched her work. The combined scents of the two men in the small enclosure caused her to inhale slowly and appreciatively. A ripple of awareness quivered through her at his proximity. Her nipples hardened to tingling points, and warmth spread through her core. Glancing up, she caught Duke watching her curiously, and her cheeks tingled with heat.
"I feel like I know you from somewhere, Duke," she said.
"Our work takes us all over. We're IT consultants."
She gloved up and wrapped her hand around the arrow close to the wound. To Gage she murmured, "Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Count to three." She tightened her hand around the arrow and prepared to remove it.
"One---" With one fast but careful tug, she pulled the arrow straight out. "Ow! You said---"
"I was distracting you," she replied with a chuckle as she handed Duke the arrow. "I couldn't have you clenching, now could I? Lift for just a second while I pull down your underwear and jeans."
He hesitated, and that trace of unease returned to his handsome features. He seemed more bothered by her exposing his ass than the pain of the arrow removal.
To reassure him, she said, "I'm just a doctor, Gage. I see asses all the time. Young asses, old asses, tight asses, and saggy asses. I've seen the asses of half the people in Divine at one point or another."
Duke chuckled softly at her attempt to put Gage at ease.
Gage looked up at her. "Maybe so, but I'm not used to showing my ass off. And you're not just a..."
"What?"
"Never mind. Do your thing," he muttered as he allowed her to tug his jeans and underwear down. He flinched, hissed, and cursed softly. "Stop."
She let go and watched the muscles in his triceps ripple with strength as he lifted his upper body on one arm and carefully pulled the waistband of his underwear over his groin area. Although it was dim in the enclosure, as she observed him she realized what the problem was. His cock was standing up stiff and must've gotten caught by the waistband when she'd tugged.
"Sorry." She bit her lower lip and hummed softly to herself, a habit she'd developed when she was nervous. There is no need to be anxious. You're a doctor for crying out loud. She propped her rimless eyeglasses a bit higher on her nose with the back of her hand and assisted him as he lowered the jeans and underwear and then lay back down.
Her inner turmoil because he had an erection in her presence was replaced by professional instinct as she doctored the bleeding wound. She directed Duke to bring the light closer when he inched away from her. She caught an almost imperceptible nod from Gage as he looked at Duke, and he came closer with the light again.
Gage's ass was firm and muscular under her hand as she held his butt cheek steady to clean the puncture wound. "Duke, you're going to have to come closer. I can't see what I'm---"
Scars. There were scars all over his otherwise perfectly formed ass.
Gage's voice was rough like gravel when he said, "Sorry, Doc. Duke was trying to spare you that sight."
From the look of them, the scars were old, pale, and shiny. They were round, about the size of a pencil eraser, some larger, some smaller. Some were darker and seemed like they went deeper. There were also several thin, faded slash marks against the outside of his left cheek.
Volunteering at the women's shelter in Dallas while she was in medical school, she'd seen wounds like this, only fresher, on the bottom of a little toddler who had stayed there with his mother.
Finding her voice, she asked, "How old were you?"
Gage's answer was so soft, it was impossible to determine his emotional state. "Toddler."
"I'm sorry." It wasn't her business to intrude into his personal life, but she wished she could offer some kind of comfort. She pulled her hand away when she realized she was stroking his bare ass. He let out his breath in a soft whoosh. His green eyes were shuttered by his long, thick eyelashes, and she couldn't tell if he'd reacted to her words or her touch.
"It's okay, Doc. It's in the past."
"You can call me Emma."
"Thanks, Emma, for taking care me."
"You're welcome, Gage. Have you had a tetanus shot recently?"
"Yeah."
"Good. You'll need to see your doctor about this when you get home. I'm going to clean it and bandage it. The puncture goes deep so you'll want to watch carefully for infection. You may have some lingering pain until it heals completely."
"Sure. Can I come see you to have it checked out?"
She caught movement in her peripheral vision. Duke frowned and shook his head. She pretended she didn't see it, but she got the gist of what he was trying to communicate. They needn't have bothered because she never dated patients anyway. Duke probably didn't want her to get her hopes up that she would see them again.
Focusing on her work, Emma cleaned the wound thoroughly, wondering what it must've been like for Gage as a little boy, unable to defend himself against his abuser. It made her sad. She glanced up at Duke as she worked and found him watching her again. She suddenly felt like a bug under a microscope.
After the job was done, she gave Gage an over-the-counter pain medication. Her stomach growled as they thanked her and said good night after she refused any form of payment for her services. They departed, and she made herself something to eat and perched on her bedding with her knees drawn up to her chest.
She listened to the noises of family activities beyond her campsite. Adults were chatting, and children were running off their excess energy before settling down for the night, and here she sat inside her tent, eating alone.
She wrapped her arms around her knees, and many emotions crowded her thoughts. She was troubled by the scars on Gage's gorgeous ass, curious at the way Duke had watched her as she worked, and painfully aware of her own lonely state as she looked around her tent. Being in such close proximity to two handsome men had unsettled her.
For some reason, as she turned out her lantern and settled down for the night, the "Instant Threesome" she'd purchased at Discretion came to mind. It was inside her locked cedar chest, along with the rest of her sex toys, in the walk-in closet of the apartment she'd just moved in to. She wondered what a threesome would feel like, and an image of her sandwiched between Duke and Gage came to mind.
Emma throbbed with need and wished that she'd brought it with her on this trip, even though it was totally impractical. Her thoughts returned to Gage with his turbulent green eyes and to Duke as well. In the lantern light, she'd been able to make out his slate-gray eye color. It didn't matter though. Judging by Duke's subtle reaction, she obviously wasn't their type. Their type? She put her hand over her eyes and wanted to kick herself for imagining a ménage. She wasn't that lucky.
Maybe someday she'd see them again, not that it would make much difference. She didn't date patients, and she didn't kid herself about guys who were clearly out of her league. They were nice to her because she'd done a good thing for them, but that was all there was to it. Duke had been so disinterested, he hadn't even wanted Gage to come by her clinic to be checked out later. She was used to people coming and going like that. It was a fact of life for a doctor. The difference this time was that the subtle rejection hurt her feelings.
Tuesday evening, Duke grinned as he walked in the front door of the apartment he shared with Gage and dropped the mail on the coffee table.
"Gage, you're never going to believe who our new downstairs neighbor is," he said, fighting the urge to do a fist pump. A pair of sparkling green eyes and soft-looking, kissable lips came to mind. This was the perfect opportunity to get to know the beautiful doctor better.
Gage craned his neck to see the address label on the top envelope. "Whoever it is, I hope they don't bitch and moan like that lady with the cats did. We could hardly take a step while she lived downstairs. And I swear I can still smell her cat litter box." Gage shifted uncomfortably on the couch, removing all doubt about the cause of his ill humor.
"Nope. I think you'll consider this good news, actually." Duke lifted the envelope from the stack and showed it to him. "Recognize that name?" he asked. It had only been a few days since the disastrous camping trip. They'd come to be at that particular campground because Duke had asked Summer about her doctor friend and she had mentioned that Emma favored that particular campground.
Duke had seen the interest in Gage's eyes as they'd both watched her pacing the shoreline right before Gage had gotten tagged in the ass with the arrow.
When she'd shown up with her medical kit and treated Gage so soothingly, Duke had imagined what life would be like with her around. She'd spoken to Gage in the reassuring tones of a doctor, but her voice had a sexy, low-pitched, musical quality to it that made Duke want to just sit and listen to her talk. Neither he nor Gage had been able to resist her winsome smile when she'd explained why she'd preemptively yanked the arrow out.
He hadn't missed the fact that Gage had been hard for her while she'd treated him, and had stayed hard despite the fact that he was in pain and she'd discovered his scars. Duke knew Gage was self-conscious about them and had been surprised they hadn't dampened his libido.
They'd become intrigued by Emma that day in July when she'd visited Summer at Discretion and made her unusual sex toy purchase. Emma blushed very easily, and he'd fantasized many a time about what she would look like riding the "Instant Threesome" to a moaning orgasm before climbing onto him or his cousin and doing the same with them. He stiffened now just thinking about it.
He'd barely managed the save when Gage had asked if the pretty doctor would like to check his wound for him later, if necessary. If Gage became her patient she'd never date him. Since they'd both already voiced a mutual interest in her it was imperative that they not establish a regular doctor-patient relationship.
Unfortunately, Gage hadn't been able to sleep because of the pain, and Duke had elected to drive them back to the apartment, where Gage had a stronger pain reliever leftover from a recent oral surgery. Gage had encouraged Duke to stay at the campsite and get to know the doctor a little better, but Duke had wanted to approach her with Gage.
Gage focused on the address on the envelope, and his eyes bugged. "No way."
"Oh, yeah. The doctor is in," he said triumphantly. They couldn't have asked for better luck. "I left a note stuck to her door to let her know that her friendly upstairs neighbors got her forwarded mail in their box by accident."
Duke's thoughts were interrupted by the telltale chime of an instant message on Gage's laptop computer sitting beside him on the couch. Gage sighed heavily and rubbed his hands over his face.
Duke asked, "Is Amy still pestering you?"
"Yes. I told her I wasn't interested in meeting. She is being persistent."
Duke grimaced and said, "Persistent? We know all the signs of cyberstalking. You've tried reasoning with her. You're just going to have to block her."
They'd met Amy playing Call of Duty online one night with two other friends. They had no problem playing with women on their team, and she'd done okay. Gaming had progressed to her messaging them at other times. Duke wasn't interested in an online relationship because he knew the risks and had ignored and discouraged the contact from the start.
Gage had a softer heart and had replied to her messages, trying to keep it friendly. His interaction with her had only encouraged her to contact him more often. She'd become needy to the point that he'd had to tighten the security settings on his social networking sites to stop her from spamming him, which made having them at all kind of pointless. The private messages had taken on a whinier, more desperate tone, and Gage had finally told her that it had to end. She was silent for two days and then began instant messaging him almost constantly, even in the middle of the night. She wanted to meet him face-to-face.
When the text message alert suddenly sounded on Gage's cell phone, he peered at the screen and cringed. He looked at the phone like he wanted to throw it.
Duke gaped and said, "You've got to be joking."
"She tricked one of the guys into giving my number to her. I already called him. This is what I get for being a nice guy."
"Yeah. Cyberstalked. I think we need to do a little research and then contact her to put a stop to this."
Gage shook his head. "I'll e-mail her and warn her one last time."
"Have you ever Googled 'personality disorders'? Amy sounds obsessed. Seriously."
Gage scowled as his phone chimed again. He turned the phone off and lifted the computer to his lap.
Duke hoped this time Amy got the message. Given his background in security and investigation, he felt relatively certain that Amy was who she said she was and wouldn't be difficult to find. The issue worrying Duke was that she might be more deeply fixated on Gage than he realized.
Emma climbed from her vehicle and quietly closed the door. She hadn't seen her new apartment in broad daylight since she'd visited it with the property management representative the week before. She'd come home late every night since moving in. Her lease had come up for renewal on the house she'd been renting, and she'd opted to move out of the noisy neighborhood to find someplace a little quieter.
She followed the moonlit sidewalk to the front of the building with her keys ready and waiting to unlock her door.
A folded note was slipped into the crack between the doorjamb and the door, which she removed as she slid her key in the lock. Walking in, she sighed at the stack of sealed boxes the movers had delivered that still waited to be unpacked. Her goal was to have the apartment shipshape by that weekend. After hanging her keys and purse up, she unfolded the note and read it.
Hello New Neighbor!
Your mail was accidentally placed in our box by the mail carrier today. Feel free to come by at your convenience to get it. Welcome to the neighborhood.
Your upstairs neighbors in Apt. 104B
The confident, boxy scrawl looked like a man's handwriting. Her mail had been forwarded from her old address, and today would've been the day it would start delivering at her new place. She was willing to bet her neighbors had gotten quite a stack.
Glancing at the clock, she pondered if she should go up right then to get her mail. It was after ten o'clock, and her neighbors might already be asleep. She hung her doctor's jacket on the hook beside her purse and keys, thankful she'd taken a break to eat an early supper when she had. One of her younger patients had been admitted into the local hospital, and she'd been there longer than she'd expected.
Placing a box on the kitchen counter, she slit the tape open with a utility knife and began unpacking the contents and putting them away. She heard a light thumping noise overhead and wondered if her neighbors upstairs were night owls like her.
She heard more soft thumping and made a decision. Walking to her door, she put her doctor's coat back on and grabbed her keys. She trotted up the stairs and knocked on the door of apartment 104B. Nobody had been home upstairs last week when she'd taken a look at the apartment for the first time. She'd heard them moving around a couple of times late at night, but they were nothing compared to the noise level she'd lived with at her last residence.
Jane was the one who had suggested the complex because Tabitha from the quilting circle had just recently moved out of the apartment Emma now occupied. She hoped that with time the cat box odor faded. She was relieved she'd been able to get out of tonight's quilting circle get-together. Working strange hours had its perks sometimes.
The door opened wide, and she stood there in amazement, staring at Duke Rivers. He smiled widely at her and seemed genuinely pleased to see her. She couldn't understand why, given his apparent lack of interest the other night.
"Well, hello there, Doc. Welcome to the neighborhood."
In surprise, she said, "Wow. It's a small world."
Duke backed up and beckoned her inside. "And getting smaller all the time. Look who's here, Gage."
She peered in and waved at Gage and stepped over the threshold. "I'm sorry if I came up too late. I hope I haven't interrupted your evening." Judging by the familiar soundtrack, they had a movie going.
Gage smiled and waved her in as Duke closed the door behind her. In a quiet, deep voice, he said, "Hi, Emma. It was a nice surprise to find out you're our new neighbor."
Emma gave him a little wave, feeling self-conscious as she overlapped the edges of her doctor's coat in front of her and held it closed with her forearms across her chest. Her nipples perked up and throbbed with excitement as he continued to gaze at her.
Duke placed a hand at her waist and said, "Come on in. We were just watching a movie."
"I asked for one hair from her golden head...she gave me three," said the familiar voice of Gimli the dwarf.
She cocked her head and smiled as she peered at the television screen. "You're watching The Fellowship of the Ring, aren't you? Extended Edition?"
Smiles broke out on both men's faces as if they were impressed, and Duke said, "Of course. I take it you're a fan?"
Emma nodded, thinking that was an understatement. She'd recognized the dialogue from the extended version of the movie. The ability to quote dialogue made her slightly more than just a fan. "You could say that."
Gage patted the couch beside him and said, "Why don't you join us?"
Emma wanted to in the worst way but squelched the thought. "I wish I could, guys, but I've been up since five o'clock this morning and I still have stuff to do before I go to bed. Maybe another time?" she asked, hoping they didn't think she was just making excuses. A little voice in her head asked her if that wasn't exactly what she was doing.
Duke smiled and said, "Sure. Let me get your mail." He strode off to the kitchen. Emma stood there fidgeting, overlapping the front edges of her doctor's coat again, and rewrapped her arms over her chest as she waited for Duke. She glanced up and caught Gage watching her.
"Is the arrow wound healing well?" she asked, noting that he sat on a pillow. It was second nature to her to reach for her life as a doctor as a means to make conversation. She'd always felt inept at small talk.
"It's much better. My doctor said you did a good job and prescribed an antibiotic."
"I noticed that you were both gone the following morning. Was the pain severe?"
Gage nodded and looked a little sheepish. "Yeah. We'd brought sleeping bags and I could never get comfortable so we left." He searched her eyes and said, "Are you sure you don't want to---" He was interrupted by a chime emitting from his open laptop, which seemed to annoy him greatly.
"Everything okay?"
Gage nodded and looked a little disgusted. "It seems I have an online admirer-slash-stalker."
"Oh, that's not good."
"It's a hazard of getting to know people online. Sorry to bore you with my issues."
"It's okay."
"Here you go," Duke said as he returned to the living room and placed her thick stack of mail in her hands. "You sure you can't stay for a little while?"
"Thank you for the invitation, but I need to get a little more unpacking done and I have an early morning. I wish I could, because I love The Lord of the Rings trilogy."
Duke said, "I'll walk you down."
She was a little surprised he wanted to do that. She didn't have far to go, and the stairway was well lit. Looking back at his friend, she said, "Good night, Gage. Feel better."
"Thank you, Emma. I will." His deep tone and the sleepy look in his eyes sent a thrill right through her core, and she smiled back.
"And good luck with your stalker. I'll bring the popcorn next time I visit, okay?"
Gage smiled and said, "It's a date."
Duke walked her downstairs as she pondered Gage's last words. A date? She wasn't his doctor. Would she date him? In a heartbeat!
She asked, "So, are the two of you roommates?"
Duke nodded. "We're also cousins, but we were raised together like brothers. We've lived together for about a year, since we made the move from San Angelo."
San Angelo. Who do I know from San Angelo? "Hey! You're friends with Ace Webster and Kemp Whittier, aren't you?"
Duke smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we work with them on occasion. We helped with Summer's security issues at Discretion."
Emma hoped Duke couldn't see her blush as she remembered her latest purchase at Discretion. She didn't recall seeing him there. "That was a pretty hair-raising situation. Have you done work at the hospital recently?"
"Yes, they needed a consultation and upgrade on their video surveillance system."
She nodded. "I'll bet that's why you're familiar to me. I must've seen you while I was checking on a patient." At her door, she inserted her key and turned to Duke as she pushed it open. "Thank you for walking me down."
Duke leaned against her doorframe and crossed his lean, muscular arms over his chest, mirroring her posture, only he seemed ruggedly comfortable doing it, and she only felt vulnerable and awkward.
The snug black T-shirt he was wearing stretched tautly over his biceps, and she longed to reach out and stroke the tanned expanse of his arm. He smiled at her, and she was held captive by the mischievous twinkle in his slate-gray eyes. The color was not steely and intimidating. It was softer, more earthy, and appealing to her.
His smile lifted at the right corner of his mouth, and he licked his lip a second before he spoke. "We'd like to take you out sometime."
"We as in three friends going out?" she asked as her heart raced in her chest. Is this how Grace felt the first time her men asked her out?
"We as in the three of us going out on a date, if you're not opposed to that idea. Gage would've walked you down with me but it's a lot tougher than he likes to admit to get up and down."
"Oh. Um---well...sure. I guess that would be all right. But my hours are kind of strange."
Duke's ever-ready smile reappeared as he looked into her eyes. "We keep strange hours at times too, Emma. Could I have your phone number?"
"S--Sure," she stammered. She reached for a business card in her pocket. After writing her private number on it, she gave it to him. "Wait. Why the sudden interest? I got the impression last weekend that you weren't..."
"Weren't what?"
"Interested in me. I saw you cut Gage off when he---"
"Almost became your patient?" Duke's smile was wide and confident as he said, "We're not interested in you as a doctor, Emma. We are, however, interested in you."
It was a good thing she was leaning against the doorframe, otherwise she might've fallen over. "Oh." That's all you can think of to say, dimwit?
He smiled as he tapped her card against his palm. "I'll call you." Instead of backing off to return upstairs, Duke surprised her by closing in on her. "Welcome to the neighborhood."
His lips pressed lightly to hers for barely a second before he turned and walked away. She stood there in shock. He glanced back for a second, a big smile on his face, and waved at her. She grinned, probably looking like a total idiot, and waved back at him. Still feeling his warm lips pressed to hers, she stayed at her door until she could no longer see his feet and then went inside and locked the door behind her.
Pressing her fingertips to her lips, she whispered, "Wow."
A date? Hell yeah. How long had it been since she'd been on a date? Forever.
Friday evening, Emma grinned as she pulled in to the parking spot designated for her vehicle next to her apartment building. She'd gotten home while the sun was still up. She grabbed her grocery bags and juggled them as she checked her mail then headed inside. The dark apartment was blissfully cool as she closed the door behind her. She wondered again if the smell of the previous occupant's cat litter box would ever dissipate and added scented candles to her shopping list on the refrigerator.
After changing into a tank top and snug, stretchy pants, she set to work unloading her groceries on the kitchen counter. A growling rumble sounded from her stomach, and she pondered what to make herself for supper. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
She peered through the peephole and gasped in delight at what she saw. It was her handsome neighbors, with a pizza box and a bottle of wine in hand. A thrill raced through her as she whispered, "Awesome."
She opened the door and immediately wished she'd stayed in her scrubs when they both looked her up and down and smiled. Duke said, "Hey, pretty neighbor! We saw you were home early and thought you'd like to share our supper with us."
Self-consciously, she braced her forearm against the door to cover her nipples which had peaked at the sight of them. Dressed in her sports bra and a tank top, there was no doubt they'd be able to see them. "Sure! Um---Let me go change real quick, though. I was about to start supper and then unpack some boxes---"
"No!" Gage interrupted, then clamped his lips together before continuing. "I mean...don't change on our account. What you have on is...just fine with us." His cheeks turned a little ruddy as he spoke.
Duke chuckled as he glanced at Gage and said, "Yeah. Don't go to any trouble because of us. After a long day, you're allowed to get comfortable. Why don't we eat, and then if you'd like we can help you unpack some boxes." His gray eyes seemed hopeful and a little hungry as he glanced at her clothing again. Emma bit her lip as her nipples responded with another wave of throbbing awareness.
Emma beckoned them into the kitchen. "Sure. I hope you don't mind eating on paper plates. I still haven't unpacked everything in the kitchen. But I do know where my corkscrew is. You're sure you don't mind helping me?"
Gage replied, "Not at all." He looked around, and his eyes rested on the boxes in the living room next to her couch.
Gesturing to the stack, she said, "Those are all my books, music, and DVD collection."
Gage grinned and said, "This should be fun and a great way to get to know you."
Emma thought she might enjoy this evening, until she remembered what was in some of those boxes Gage had eyed.
She got paper plates and plastic cups from the pantry as she pointed at the drawer that she knew contained the corkscrew. Duke and Gage quizzed her about her day as they consumed the pizza and the bottle of wine. By the time she'd finished her first glass of Barbera d'Alba, she'd decided that having their help unpacking would be a fantastic idea. They set to work in the kitchen first, as Duke and Gage put away the groceries she'd been unloading before they arrived. Duke pulled the produce from a bag and held up a rather large cucumber, and Gage followed suit.
"Mine's bigger," Duke said with a chuckle.
Gage smirked and replied, "Mine's thicker."
Emma let loose a giggle that ended with a snort and said, "That's okay, they'll both get devoured." Did I just say that out loud? Both men groaned as they put them in the produce drawer and helped get everything else put away. Duke unpacked a box that contained her limited supply of alcohol and other odds and ends.
He pulled the long, skinny bottle of Galliano liqueur from the box and said, "You don't strike me as the 'liquor cabinet' type."
"I'm not. I wound up with it in a white elephant gift exchange one year while I was in medical school."
Duke grinned when he saw the liqueur bottle and said, "I can make you a mean Harvey Wallbanger with that." Duke winked at her as Gage pulled her bottle of Southern Comfort from the box.
"Or I could make her a Sloe Comfortable Screw with this."
Emma slammed her mouth closed on the response right before it popped from her lips. How about we do both? Instead, she pointed at the Southern Comfort and said, "I have that for medicinal purposes."
They kidded with her a bit over that response and had the kitchen unpacked and put away in no time at all. They teased her with perverted, alternative uses for her kitchen gadgetry, and she'd felt heat steal into her cheeks a number of times. The wine relaxed her and sang a sweet, sensual song in her blood as they moved to the living room, taking their refilled glasses of Barbera d'Alba with them.
She tore open the first box and breathed a sigh of relief that she'd found this box of books first so she could get them stuck on their shelf and out of sight as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Duke and Gage must have picked up on her facial expression, because they both peered into the box as she turned to put the books on a low shelf.
"The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A. N. Roquelaure. Hot damn," Gage said as he lifted it and the other two titles in the trilogy from the box. He glanced knowingly at her, and the naughty little grin she now recognized as his trademark stole across his lips.
Emma simply said, "I like to read all kinds of books." She wanted to go splash cold water on her cheeks, grateful at least that she'd gotten her copy of The Story of O put away before they'd seen it. It was a little early for them to learn of her interest in BDSM in erotic fiction.
They must have noted her flustered state and said no more as they removed her erotic romance collection from the box and stacked them for her to place wherever she wanted them. She turned from the bookshelf in time to catch Duke as he held up a hardback copy of The Kama Sutra for Gage to see.
She gulped when she noticed the thickening ridges at their groins as she lifted a stack of books from the table. She bit her lip and busied herself with the books as she grouped them with care based on size. It might just have been the wine, but the tension sizzled in the air.
Duke brought an opened box and squatted beside her as he placed books on her shelves. He glanced at one and read the cover. "The Boy Scout Handbook. Handy for camping?"
"Oh, very," she said with a smile and a nod, grateful they'd moved on from the erotica. She had a feeling that there were more of them in another box somewhere in that stack, though. "My dad gave me his copy. I used to take it with me when I went camping. Great reading, too."
"Is there a chapter on arrow removal in there?" Gage asked with a chuckle as he brought a box and knelt carefully on her other side, still favoring his injury. She unpacked the medical textbooks she'd held on to after she'd graduated and her other medical references.
"Bartending 101: The Basics of Mixology?" Duke said as he held it up.
Emma chuckled and replied, "It came with the bottle of Galliano."
"You also have the biographies of Golda Meir and Winston Churchill. This is quite a varied library you have here, Doctor Guthrie. What's this---hey! Tom Clancy's Net Force!"
"Seriously?" Gage asked in surprise. Duke held up the copy of one of her Tom Clancy novels.
Gage nudged Emma's arm and said, "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Doc."
Duke laughed out loud as he held up her copy of 101 Aggie Jokes and Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible. "Your tastes are certainly eclectic, Emma."
Gage opened the lid on a box filled with compact discs. "Florence + the Machine, Three Doors Down, and Elton John."
Duke sat back on his heels and said, "You are a mystery, Emma."
Emma lifted the CDs from Gage's gentle hands and placed them on a shelf as they pulled more from the box.
"The soundtrack from Rocky Horror Picture Show, Taylor Swift, and Mediaeval Baebes. Wow. Wait a minute---no Gaga?"
Emma nearly choked, she laughed so suddenly. "No. Sorry. Although that one song is kinda catchy."
During the course of the evening they helped her organize her book, music, and DVD collections. When she found out that they were both fans of it, she put on Shaun of the Dead. While they watched the movie, Emma discovered that Gage was every bit the neat freak that she was, as he organized her movies alphabetically and by genre. She laughed as Duke and Gage debated whether Caddy Shack and 10 Things I Hate About You deserved to be on the same shelf as Firefly, Farscape, and the first three seasons of Fringe.
It was past her bedtime when Gage finally said, "I suppose we should leave you to get some rest, huh, Emma?"
Honestly, Emma was tired, but she could have talked with them for several more hours. Even though they'd mostly just talked about her collection of books and entertainment, they'd learned a lot about each other. The other box of erotica and erotic romances had finally been discovered, but they'd said hardly anything about it as they helped her put them on the shelf space she'd reserved with the others.
Duke got up and sat on the sturdy coffee table so that he faced her with Gage sitting beside her. He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and caressed her knees with both hands. He glanced at Gage and then said, "Emma, we'd like to invite you out on a date tomorrow night. The three of us."
"Re---Really?" she asked, clearing the frog from her throat. "You both..."
Duke and Gage nodded together. Duke's thumbs stroking her knees were hypnotic as little tingling rivulets of heat travelled up her thighs to her center. "We'd like to take you to supper, then...maybe...I don't know---for a drive or a movie?" His uncharacteristic uncertainty somehow made her feel more at home with him. More comfortable. She understood how he felt and didn't hesitate.
"I'd love to, Duke, Gage. I have a wedding to attend in the afternoon, but I'll be free after that. I'd like it very much. Of course, that's provided I don't get called in, since this is my on-call weekend." She hadn't planned to stay for very much of the reception since she was going alone and didn't dance.
"Fair enough. We know how that goes," Gage said as he rose from the couch. She walked them to the door and came to a sudden stop when they both turned to her and, one at a time, leaned toward her for a soft, sweet smooch. No tongues, no arms flung around each other, or bodies pressed tightly together. Just simple, affectionate gestures that inexplicably shot her libido through the roof as though they had done all those things to her.
"We'll talk to you tomorrow?" Duke opened the door, and the humid evening air surrounded them. The scent of someone grilling steaks for a late supper nearby lingered in the air.
Emma nodded, and they turned to go. Moths fluttered around the porch light as she watched them climb the stairs. They waved one last time before they disappeared from sight. She quietly closed her door and turned out the lights. Her heart was fluttering wildly in her chest at the memory of their kisses.
After a warm shower, she climbed into bed completely nude. It took an hour of tossing and turning before she finally fell asleep. Even asleep, she dreamed of what it would be like if they did more than just kiss her chastely on the lips.
Saturday afternoon, Emma removed her phone from her scrubs pocket and pulled up Duke's phone number. She waited as the call connected, looking over at Grace Warner who sat beside her, breathing deep with her eyes closed. Ethan sat on Grace's other side, holding her hand and speaking in soothing tones to her. His voice seemed to calm her considerably as Adam watched with loving concern on his face from the front passenger seat.
They'd just left the romantic ceremony binding Maya Daire to Kendall, Boone, and Richard Warner. Grace's husband, Jack, had to take the bumpy journey from Divine Creek back to the Rockin' C Ranch slower than Emma had liked, but it had been necessary for Grace's comfort. Once they'd reached the paved drive at the Rockin' C Ranch, Jack had been able to drive at a much faster pace.
With her eyes still closed, Grace leaned her head back and let out a long, slow breath that ended with a shaky note.
Emma patted Grace's hand and said, "You're doing great, Grace."
Grace kept her eyes closed and replied, "That was a long one."
On the fourth ring, Duke picked up. "Hello?" Even under these circumstances, his voice sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.
"Duke? Hi, it's Emma. I'm sorry to do this but I'm going to have to reschedule our date. I'm on my way to the hospital with a patient."
His voice held a trace of disappointment. "It's okay. I understand. I just got off the phone with Ace. He told me that you'd just taken off with Grace. I hope she's okay."
"Everything is fine, but I'm really sorry about our date. I was looking forward to it." Emma glanced at her watch when Grace signaled the beginning of another contraction.
She heard his sexy chuckle on the line, and he replied, "Me too. But we'll make plans to go out soon. We're not letting you off the hook."
She could hardly contain the giddy feeling inside at the thought that they'd both asked her out for that Saturday night. But babies came when they wanted to, so here she was on her way to the hospital. "I'll look forward to it. Talk to you soon."
They ended the call, and she checked her watch. Grace had been having mild contractions all morning. When Emma had arrived for the wedding, Grace had reassured her that the baby was just being very active. As the wedding ceremony had drawn to its conclusion, Emma's suspicions had been confirmed as she'd observed Grace breathing through an active labor contraction. They'd left the gathering a few minutes later.
"Jack, when you arrive at the hospital, pull around to the ER doors. I'll let the emergency room know we're coming so they can be ready for us."
Jack nodded and turned on his flashers. Emma was impressed with the calm that had descended over the occupants of the vehicle. They were well prepared for this event. Emma knew this because Grace had told her at her last prenatal appointment. She'd asked Emma to sign off on all three men being present for the birth of their daughter. Unlike many fathers who were present but not necessarily all that helpful to the laboring mother in the delivery room, these men had taken extensive classes in the natural birth method Grace had chosen and knew their roles.
"Grace, let me know if you get the urge to push, okay?"
Grace hummed her assent as she breathed deep through another contraction.
"That's good, Gracie. You're doing great," Ethan whispered soothingly. Emma observed the way Grace focused on his voice and managed to stay relaxed.
Less than five minutes later they were at the hospital. Because the paperwork was already filed with the hospital, the checkin process took place quickly, and Grace somehow managed to keep her calm despite the flurry of activity around her. She'd already worked into a deep state of relaxation and concentration, and her men fielded all questions so she didn't become distracted by the commotion.
Proving once again that babies came in their own sweet time, Grace's contractions slowed down. By the time she was in a hospital gown and in bed in the delivery room, her contractions were back to seven to ten minutes apart.
Pulling Jack and Adam into the hallway so Grace wouldn't be distracted, Emma instructed them to grab a bite to eat and get something for Ethan. She explained what was happening, reassured them, and told them to rest while they waited. She excused herself to get something to eat and check her messages. She smiled when she got to the message from Rachel. They were bringing her vehicle up to the hospital after the wedding reception.
Emma decided to hang out at the hospital so she could be there to deliver Rose Marie when the time came. She'd thought about continuing on with that evening's plans but knew there was the distinct possibility she'd be called back to the hospital halfway through their meal. Duke had sounded very understanding, so she'd let the notion go.
She ate supper at the sandwich shop next to the hospital, keeping her phone handy just in case, and then returned to check on Grace. She seemed to be handling labor well, and Emma was glad she was able to relax as the night progressed. The men took turns sitting with Grace, and Emma appreciated that they let her focus and didn't distract her with small talk.
During the night, Grace became more uncomfortable, and Emma suggested she take a warm shower after checking her dilation. Proving what a trooper he was, Ethan helped her, getting soaked in the process. Emma smiled when she heard Grace tell Ethan with absolute certainty, "Baby, I am ready to push, like right now."
Wishing in retrospect she'd suggested the shower sooner, Emma said, "Blow through this contraction, Grace. Ethan, let's get her dried off and in bed first."
Less than a minute later, Grace was dried off, in bed, and ready to get the show on the road. Grace focused on the men surrounding her bed and said, "Guys, this is it. Ready?"
Emma had seen numerous fathers-to-be balk when the moment of truth came, and many of those had been with mothers who were given some form of pain relief or anesthesia. Grace was giving birth completely drug-free. Though obviously concerned for her and the pain she was in, the men never hesitated. They nodded and kissed her.
While the nurses quickly set everything up and checked Grace's vitals, Emma checked her dilation. "Ready to start pushing?" Grace looked her way and nodded as she took another slow, deep breath. "Keep doing your breathing and start when you're ready, Grace. There is no rush."
Grace nodded and laid her head back on the pillow, seeming to prepare for what came next. She pulled the men close until they were stooped over her, whispering, and Emma thought they might be praying. Emma silently motioned the nurse to dim the overhead lights.
The collapsible end of the bed was lowered so Emma could deliver the baby, and Emma's nurse nudged another stool close to Emma. The event had been textbook perfect, and Grace had asked if it might be possible for Jack to catch the baby. She looked up and saw the determination in Grace's eyes and smiled.
"Ready to meet your daughter?"
"Yup," Grace said with a grimace.
The rest of the birth happened without incident, Grace's men coaching and encouraging Grace quietly. Little Rose Marie Warner made her entry into the world as the sun rose on another day.
Jack was awestruck as he held out his hands to gently receive his daughter, with just a little help from Emma, as the baby was born. Tears streamed from his eyes as he gazed on her cherubic little face for the first time. Rose Marie's tiny chin quivered as she struggled to form her first howling cry.
Emma was warmed by a sensation that never got old, watching this baby girl be welcomed by her parents. It didn't matter how many babies she'd delivered. This was one of the best parts of her job.
The love in the room was palpable as Jack rose from the stool and showed Grace, Ethan, and Adam their red, squalling newborn daughter. All four cried tears of joy, and Emma felt tears spring into her own eyes. She efficiently moved the drape aside and directed Jack to nestle the baby on Grace's chest, skin on skin, where she settled quietly. Emma went back to work, finishing the job, but glanced up from time to time as the four of them bonded with their new baby girl.
Ethan reached out a tender hand and stroked Rose Marie's downy little head as tears sparkled in his bright, blue eyes and got caught in his lashes. His lower lip trembled almost imperceptibly as he whispered, "Well, you're just as beautiful as your mama, aren't you, honey?" He turned to Grace and pressed his lips to her forehead and said, "Thank you, Gracie."
Grace bore the ecstatic look many new mothers had as the euphoria of the moment washed over her. Her cheeks were flushed from her exertions, which made her eyes seem an even brighter blue. She smiled up at him, and tears trickled from the outer corners of her eyes.
Adam Davis was a very tall man and could easily have held Rose Marie in one of his large hands. This gentle giant placed a hand on the baby's back and in a shaky voice said, "Look at those little rosebud lips. She's the image of her mama." Tears streamed from his eyes as well.
Grace gave a watery chuckle and said, "Not entirely. Look closer, Adam. That's your nose."
Grace had refused DNA testing, telling Emma that it didn't matter which of her husbands had provided the sperm to fertilize her egg. As far as Grace was concerned, they were all the fathers equally.
The tiny infant looked up at Adam and started squalling again. The little family all softly chuckled as Rose Marie began rooting around.
Emma chortled as she worked and directed the nurse over to help Grace. "Looks like she's a hungry girl, Mom."
The men moved over while the nurse bundled Rose Marie into a receiving blanket and topped her little head with a stocking cap, then helped Grace with positioning the baby to breastfeed her.
Emma smiled as she watched the family observing Rose Marie take her first meal and felt such a yearning course through her that it stole her breath away. She was blindsided by it because she'd delivered so many babies and it had never happened before.
These four individuals were now five. Emma had agreed with Grace when she'd said she was the luckiest woman in the world to have those three men in her life. They would be there for her and for each other and form a secure home in which Rose Marie would thrive. Her heart yearned for what they had. Hell, she yearned for a life that included something other than her job and the hollow existence she led.
Grace caught her eye and smiled at her then whispered, "Thank you."
Emma removed her eyeglasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose as she walked along the sidewalk that led to her front door. Grace, the baby, and her men were all back at the hospital getting to know each other, and it was eight o'clock on Sunday night. One patient emergency after another had kept her at the hospital or her clinic all day. She'd only managed a few hours of sleep in the doctor's lounge, so she looked forward to sinking into sleep in her own bed after eating supper. Emma stretched her stiff neck from side to side, replaced her glasses, and fished in her bag for her keys.
The apartment was cool and dark when she went in and turned on the light. There was another note attached to her door, and she peeled it off before closing the door.
Hi gorgeous,
We have something for you upstairs. Regardless of what time you get home, come knock on our door. Come upstairs hungry and that would be even better.
Duke and Gage
Smiling, she rubbed her stomach after taking off her doctor's jacket and hanging it up. She was starving. Grabbing her purse and keys, she locked the apartment and hurried upstairs, making sure her phone was in her pocket, in case she was needed.
Duke yanked the door open a mere second after the second rap of her knuckles and greeted her with a big smile. The warmth in his eyes communicated itself to her, and her core turned warm and soft for him.
"Hi. I got your note," she said, waving it as she stepped over the threshold. "Sorry about last night."
As he closed the door, Duke said, "I'm not. Grace needed you. And you're here now."
A moment later, she found herself wrapped up in his lean, strong arms. She was tall for a woman, at five feet and nine inches, and he was still taller than she, at six feet two or three inches. Duke surprised her with the way he'd taken charge of the moment.
He tightened his arms, and her body came alive as though she'd been touched by an electrical current. He didn't waste any time, groaning softly as he squeezed her to him and laid his lips on hers.
She was shocked for a second, but her body willingly responded to him, and she lost herself in the kiss, parting her lips. Her pussy reacted with a rushing, swelling sensation, and she melted against him. If dating him was going to be like this, she would be a total pushover. There was no resistance in her for him.
He caressed the back of her head, his fingers sinking through her hair to lightly rub her scalp and the base of her head. How did he know that's where all my tension centers? She moaned blissfully at his continued rubbing and knew she was putty in his hands.
Duke's chest was muscular and firm with her breasts pressed up against it. She ran both hands up his arms, enjoying the definition of his biceps and shoulders, until she had her arms wrapped around his neck. The rigid line of his cock pressed against her mound, her pussy quivered with heat, and moisture pooled in her cotton panties. Duke gentled his kiss and trailed a line of damp kisses from her lips down her throat to below her ear.
A powerful quiver shot through her body when she felt a second pair of warm hands settle at her hips and caress upward to her waist. Her pussy convulsed with want when Gage's hands continued in their upward quest until they barely cupped the undersides of her breasts. His fingertips stroked in a semicircular arc beneath them until she would've sworn they'd swelled, trying to fill up his hands.
The sensation was indescribable when Gage pressed against her from behind and she was engulfed in their reassuring body heat. She moaned when Gage pressed his lips against her shoulder, and fiery tingles coursed through her body as he traced his hot mouth up the other side of her throat.
Rhythmic pulses raged through her cunt at the pure sensuality of the encompassing embrace, and she gasped in shock, wondering if she'd just had a small climax or not. How long had it been since she'd been this turned on in a man's arms? She was hard pressed to remember her last date, much less the last time she'd ever felt like this.
When they removed their lips from her throat, she almost complained because she immediately missed their closeness and warmth. To be embraced like that was unspeakably intimate and not at all what she'd expected when she'd come upstairs. She wanted more.
Finally opening her dazed eyes, she found Duke gazing at her with satisfaction written plainly on his handsome face. Gage snaked his hands around her torso as Duke released her. The rumble in Gage's chest could be felt against her back as he squeezed her gently from behind. She alternated her gaze between Duke and Gage and said, "Wow."
Gage chuckled and said, "Yeah. Major understatement."
She laid her hand almost shyly on Gage's cheek and drew his lips to hers for a kiss as she turned in his embrace. Wanting the same thing with both of them seemed right. She didn't feel any qualms for giving Gage the trust and passion she'd also given Duke.
When she gazed up at him, Gage smiled at her. He was slightly more reserved than his cousin, but she could see the heat in his eyes. The stiff cock pressed against her communicated that he wanted her just as much. The thought thrilled her instead of intimidating her. Emma laid her head against his chest and he held her for a few seconds.
She didn't want him to let her go at all. Instead she wanted more kisses and touching and to forget about work and life for a while and just be with these two men.
She murmured, "I'm sorry about our date getting messed up."
Gage chuckled and replied, "It doesn't feel messed up right now. Can you stay for a while?" He released her, and she stepped up to the counter and took a seat on the barstool he offered her.
"Yes. I'm on call but I can stay. Oh! These are beautiful!" she said as she admired the flower arrangement on the counter. The pink roses were so pale they were almost white.
"They're for you," Gage said as he sat down beside her. When he stroked her thigh gently she wanted to lean in to him so he would hold her again.
Duke said, "We're making you supper. Hope you're hungry and you like sirloin steak." He lifted a steak from its wrappings with a fork and turned to her.
Emma smiled and replied, "I'm starving, and I love steak. I'm definitely a carnivore."
Duke gave her his crooked grin and asked, "How do you like your meat?"
Gage's cock hardened further behind his zipper as Emma moaned again. He loved watching a woman enjoy her meal, and Emma was clearly enjoying the steak Duke had grilled for her. Gage sometimes wondered if Duke had missed his calling as a chef because the guy could cook. And the ecstatic sounds Emma kept making as she ate were beginning to get to him. He kept imagining her making those sounds as she took something besides a bite of food into her mouth. He glanced at his cousin and found Duke watching Emma eat her medium-rare sirloin with something bordering on fascination.
"Duke, this is so good." She sat on the couch with them as they watched the third movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. Duke sat on one side angled slightly toward her with a knee resting on the couch cushion, and Gage mirrored his posture on her other side. This way they could see each other and her.
"I'm glad you like it. I'll cook for you anytime you want. I enjoy it."
"You would spoil me rotten. I'm used to eating cold food and lots of takeout."
Gage asked, "You don't like to cook?"
Emma scrunched up her nose as she finished chewing and smiled at him. "Cooking is not one of my natural skills. I'm great with a sandwich or cracking open a container of yogurt but unfortunately I'm not much good with a stove."
Gage took the plate from her when she was done, and they quickly became engrossed in the movie which had been on, playing in the background, since she got there. Duke smiled as he reached out and stroked the top of her hand where it lay on the couch cushion.
Emma slipped her colorful clogs off and pulled her feet up in front of her, with her knees pressed to her chest. Gage grinned when he saw that she wore cheery, striped toe socks with little smiley faces on the top of each toe.
"I hate this part," she said with a giggle as she put her parted fingers over her eyes then looked through them.
On the television screen, the deep, guttural voice of the Mouth of Sauron spoke. "The halfling was dear to thee, I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host."
Gage smiled when she whispered on with the dialogue. She looked up at him and smiled, a twinkle in her eyes, as he and Duke both inched a little closer.
Emma peeked at the screen and whispered, "Come on, Aragorn. Cut off his head." She shuddered as the hideous masked character grinned perniciously. Gage had to hold back a chuckle, she was so cute.
Because she was so into the movie, Gage and Duke let her watch to the end without distraction.
While the credits rolled, Emma asked, "Do you ever feel like you missed the adventure in your life?" Her voice was soft, and Gage could tell that her mood had mellowed from earlier.
They'd spent time with her Friday evening, but this was the first time she'd ever seemed introspective. Emma hummed softly for a second and said, "Like you've missed the chances you were supposed to take?" She hugged her knees as she looked from one to the other of them.
Duke replied, "Yeah, I think I know exactly what you mean."
Gage wondered what Duke was getting at but held his tongue to see where the conversation went.
Gage noted that Emma spoke with her hands, communicating a lot about her emotions, as she said, "I graduated from high school early. I went straight into college and then medical school and finished early with my degree. I set up my medical practice and opened the clinic while many of my high school classmates were still in those years where they had the freedom to party and be social with few responsibilities. Don't get me wrong, I consciously chose that course and I'm happy and proud of where I am today. I just wonder sometimes about what I missed."
Gage noticed that her hands were trembling as she said, "I sometimes feel geeky and...socially awkward and I wonder..." When she paused, Gage kept silent because he could see the sheen of tears in her eyes and wanted to let her finish her thought. "It's my own fault that people know me only as Doctor Emma. In social settings that's who I am."
Gage could relate to what she was saying. He and Duke weren't exactly the suave and debonair types either. They were more comfortable playing Call of Duty online with their friends or going to the movies.
One little elderly lady in their apartment complex had even mistaken them for a gay couple because they usually did everything together. Since they'd corrected the misunderstanding, she'd been trying to set them up with her granddaughters. After finding out that the granddaughters liked to go dancing, they'd been making excuses. Neither of them knew how to dance.
Quietly, Duke asked, "When was the last time you went out with your friends and danced, or had a date, Emma?"
"Grace has invited me to The Dancing Pony, but I don't go places like that by myself. My girlfriends, if you could call them that, don't generally do those sorts of things. They..."
Gage gently prodded. "What?"
Emma rested her cheeks in her palms, which distorted her response in a way he found very endearing. "They quilt. And they have cats." She hid her face in her palms and through her fingers she said, "I'm no good at sewing and cats make me sneeze. I'm not sure where my life is going these days. I'm thirty-three years old. I should have an idea by now, right? I dread waking up at forty-three and saying, 'What the hell?'"
Duke nodded. "Yeah. I do know exactly what you're talking about."
Emma said, "You know I can't talk to you about patients and all that, but you're both friends with the Warners and Ethan and Adam. You should see Rose Marie." Emma held her hands before her as if she were holding the tiny little infant. "She's perfect and so precious. I watched them become a family and it just hit me, how truly empty my life is. All my accomplishments are tied to my life as a doctor. Above and beyond that, with the hours I keep, who could put up with me?"
Duke closed his hand over hers on her knee. "I could."
"I could, too," Gage replied, nudging her shoulder and smiling at her, hoping she would smile back.
She grinned, removed her glasses, and wiped carefully with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so depressing. The end of the movie just got me thinking. If I reach the end of my life and look back, knowing this is it, will I be satisfied that I took every chance that life gave me or did I squander them? My friend, Jane..."
"The quilter with cats?" Duke said with a chuckle.
Emma nodded and said, "Yes, that one. It seems like she's resigned herself already to be a spinster. She acts as though she's given up. And her friends...ugh."
"More quilters?"
Emma nodded. "If all they did was get together and quilt, that would be great. But they like to gossip. It's silly, what they do, and not what I want."
Gage said, "I think I know what you need." Emma and Duke looked at him expectantly as he continued, "You need a bucket list."
Emma gasped and said, "Actually, I have one. I was at a seminar a couple of years ago and we had to brainstorm a list of fifty things we wanted to do before we died as one of the activities for the weekend. I still have it. Do you have a list?"
Gage laughed and said, "Yeah, I made one after The Bucket List came out. It's in my bedroom. You, Duke?"
Duke nodded, "I made it one day while we were on a surveillance job. Do you know where your list is, Emma? I have an idea."
"I think so."
"Go get it."
Emma smirked and said, "Uh-oh. What have I gotten myself into?"
Duke nudged her. "Some fun. That's what. Go get it."
Emma grabbed her keys and trotted out the door.
Gage turned to Duke and said, "What are you up to?"
Duke chuckled as he went down the hall to his bedroom, calling, "You'll see. Get your list."
Emma came back with a large brown envelope and dug through it as they rejoined her on the couch. Gage had found the list on his yellow legal tablet in his desk, and Duke had his in his planner. Duke's looked more recently compiled.
"Here it is," she said as a folded piece of paper fluttered onto the couch at her feet, which were once again in front of her on the cushion. She seemed to enjoy being bunched up in a little ball in the middle. Gage liked the grouping but hoped to see her a little more relaxed between them someday.
Duke said, "This is what I propose. Let's compare our lists. Whatever items are duplicated on each other's lists we will do together, if at all possible."
Duke rose from the couch and beckoned them to come to the dinner table. Emma unfolded her list, and they lined them up together. Looking over Duke's shoulder, Emma suddenly squealed and slapped her hands down on her list.
"Oh, my God! Don't look! Let me have it!" She was hunched over Duke with one arm over each of his shoulders. Gage envied Duke the position he was in, with her full, round breasts pressed against his back.
Gage chuckled when Duke looked up at her with pure evil intent in his eyes. They'd both already seen one of the first items on her list.
Duke said, "Too late."
Emma cringed. "Oh, no." But she didn't have any real fear in her eyes. "I wrote this list two years ago after Grace got married and Teresa...and Rosemary. Oh crap!"
Duke could not have looked more triumphant. "You want a threesome." Ever sanguine, Duke took up his mechanical pencil and mouthed, "Bow-chicka-wow-wow," then began writing. "That's going at the top of the list."
The color rose in Emma's pale, soft cheeks as she looked up at Gage. He didn't glance away but held her gaze instead. She averted her eyes quickly but then looked back at him. Duke's hands stilled on the paper. He laid the pencil down and circled both of her wrists gently with his hands. She stood, but he didn't release her wrists, and he gazed up at her and then turned to Gage.
Gage could see what was in Duke's eyes. They were talking about bucket lists and living life with no regrets. The time to start was in the present, but Gage thought tonight was much too soon to fulfill the number one item on their list. Emma looked ready to bolt. He could hear her breathing.
Duke said, "We're ready when you are, Emma." Still holding her gaze, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the tops of her fingers. Gage's cock hardened at the way Emma bit her lower lip and sighed shakily.
"No regrets, ever, Emma," Gage murmured, drawing her gaze. Her eyes were bright green with striations of gray around the pupils, which were now dilated. She was feeling it, too. "We aren't after a one-night stand. We'll do whatever you want."
Gage could almost hear the wheels turning in Emma's mind. She glanced at the clock, then at the lists lying on the table, at him, and then down at Duke. She stroked Duke's chest and drew in a shaky breath.
"Can we start slow?" Her voice was low and quivered with emotion. "I'm...a little out of practice."
Gage's dick swelled to near-painful proportions at her whispered words, but his heart went out to her. She was embracing the idea of fulfilling her bucket list and stepping out of her comfort zone. Like him and Duke, she'd been playing it safe for a long time, and he didn't for a minute doubt that she was sincere. They needed to take very good care of her, no matter what happened tonight, so she wouldn't regret it later.
Duke rose from his chair, still grasping her hand to his chest, and said, "We don't have to do anything tonight, Em."
Emma smiled at Duke and then placed her hand on Gage's chest. "Oh, yes we do. Who has the biggest bed?"
His dick pulsed, ready to explode, as Gage replied, "They're both king-size."
"Begin as we mean to go on, right?" she asked as she took her phone from her pocket and laid it on the table, eyeing it as though she was praying no one would call her tonight. "I want you both to make love to me. One at a time, if that's okay?"
As if voicing her desire had unleashed something inside her, Emma removed her glasses and left them by her phone, then slipped her scrub top over her head. The expanse of her ivory torso and her cute little belly button were exposed and then the pink, stretchy sports bra she wore beneath her top. Her nipples were hardened little points, and he could see the flutter of her abdomen as she held the wadded-up top to her chest.
Duke exchanged a glance with Gage, and Gage saw the surprise in his eyes. They hadn't even spoken about this possibility yet. Duke replied, "Whatever you want, Em. We have condoms in the medicine cabinet."
The practical doctor said, "I'm on the pill but we'll use condoms...for now. Whose bed is closest?"
"Mine," Gage said. "Are you sure, Emma? This is going fast and we don't want you to look back and regret it."
Emma splayed her fingertips over the three wrinkled sheets of paper on the table. "Are we going to do these things together?"
"Yes," Duke replied easily.
"Absolutely," Gage said. They could start the list right now and tick off an item a day as far as he was concerned. The moment suddenly seemed like the great turning point in his life.
Emma smiled and said, "Then this is the perfect place to begin. I want to make love with both of you tonight."
A wave of anticipation swamped Emma, waiting for one of them to make the first move. She felt like she'd jumped off into the abyss as she'd voiced her need and now waited for one of them to catch her. As a unit, they took her hands and pulled her to the bedroom. Duke left and returned a moment later with a box of condoms as Gage turned on the lamp in the bedroom. Confirming her suspicion that he was a bit of a neat freak, she saw that his bed was made and everything had a place in his room. She'd be willing to bet his closet was categorized, too.
The scent of fabric softener wafted up to her as he turned down the burgundy-colored comforter and sheet. Not realizing she was so jumpy, Emma gasped when Duke laid his rough hands on her hips from behind. She closed her eyes and stifled a moan when his warm lips pressed against her shoulder.
"Shh, baby. We're going to take good care of you." She leaned against him and realized he'd removed his shirt when the comforting heat of his bare chest permeated her skin. Her pussy quaked with longing as he slid his hands from her hips up to her sports bra and slid it off of her and over her head. Duke's hands returned to her breasts and squeezed them gently. "I love these."
She was self-conscious of her large breasts and had always kept them tamed in a sports bra. He caught her turgid nipples between his fingers and pinched slightly as he dragged his fingers across them, pulling until she felt fiery tingles shoot from them straight to her clit. Her pussy responded with a pool of wetness that seeped through her swelling lips. She wanted them in the worst possible way.
Close to her ear, Gage whispered, "Emma, you're beautiful. You know that?"
She flashed her eyes open to gauge his words. She didn't need platitudes. She knew she wasn't coyote ugly, but she was looking for honesty in his statement. Did he really believe that?
She'd developed early and had always felt uncomfortable with both her height and her woman's body. Honesty shone in his eyes, and she did her best to not shiver at the way he looked at her, fighting the urge to go hunt down her top. She'd heard what he'd just said, but it was hard to believe it about herself.
Gage reiterated, "You know that, right?" Was he persisting so she would respond in the affirmative and he could move on, or did he really want the answer?
Duke never ceased his stroking. In her ear he whispered, "Answer him, Emma." The gentle command in Duke's tone made her cunt pulse again.
"Um..."
Gage's eyebrows knit together. "You don't believe that?"
Emma valued honestly, so she replied, "No. I don't believe that. I'm passable."
Gage pounced on her without warning, and his lips and tongue plundered her, his onslaught leaving her breathless and a little dizzy. He seemed upset with her. Her heart pounded as he took her jaw in his strong hands and slid his fingers around to the back of her head, lightly tugging at her hair. Instantly she felt the tension begin to dissipate as he took control of the kiss and she responded to him. She didn't mean to piss him off, and she gave in to his kiss completely. As if sensing what she was trying to communicate, he finally backed off.
"You will. By the time we're done tonight, you will believe it."
Duke grasped her wrists, and Emma realized at some point she'd lifted her forearms and had used them to cover her chest. She allowed him to lower them, and he continued to play with her nipples as she watched Gage slip his T-shirt over his head and toss it to a chair. Duke had teased her nipples into hard points by this time, and as Gage stared, they tightened further until they almost stung.
Her nipples had always been a source of embarrassment to her because they were very sensitive and hardened easily. They were also oddly colored, not quite brown and not quite pink, sort of a mottled mixture of the two colors. She'd had to wear a bra early because they'd darkened during puberty and had been easily visible under white tops, which she'd found embarrassing until her sweet mother had noticed her slouching all the time and realized the cause.
Gage captured her gaze, smiling slightly as he also stroked her nipples. He licked his lower lip as though he wanted a taste, and her pussy responded with another wave of heat and moisture. They were going to make her come just teasing her body like this.
A groan escaped from her when he bent down slightly and latched on to her left nipple. He tugged at it fiercely, licking and sucking as a wall of heat slammed into her. She hadn't expected him to be so forceful, but she loved it. He released the suction after a minute, and her nipple tingled as he gently licked it and played with it before sucking it into his mouth again. Her juices were soaking her panties, and she desperately wished to be naked so someone could touch her clit, which throbbed incessantly.
Leaning back against Duke, she felt the ridge of his erection and smiled slightly as she rubbed her derriere against him. Duke slid his hand down to her hip bone and pressed her to him as he ground his cock against her. Duke slipped his fingers into the waist of her scrub pants and panties to pull them downward, and she trembled as his fingertips left a sensitized trail in their wake. Once the pants and undergarment were down to her knees, she wiggled out of them, brushing against Duke some more in the process. His cock felt very hard and hot through the denim of his jeans. She stepped out of the clothing as Gage switched to torturing her other nipple, leaving the one he'd been sucking on to throb and tingle as the cool air kissed it.
"I need to take my socks off."
Gage released her nipple with a pop and said, "I'll do the honors." He dropped to his knees, and she gasped as she realized that lined his face up with her pussy. He stared hungrily for a moment then looked up at her, smiled, and slid his hands down her calves, catching one sock after the other and slipping them from her feet. "There isn't a part of you that's not beautiful."
Gage gazed at her, and she couldn't see any duplicity in his clear, green gaze. By this point she was pretty much a sure thing and lying to her wouldn't have made it any easier for him to get her naked and on his bed. She was already practically there. Her heart lurched as she smiled back at the truth she saw in his eyes. He thought she was beautiful, and that was enough.
Duke stroked her ass, and she did her best not to dwell on what he thought of the generous size of it. He wanted her, too, or he wouldn't be here right now and he wouldn't have looked at her the way he did earlier. She slammed the door on her negative self-talk and realized they'd both stilled again. Emma looked back and found Duke watching her and saw that Gage was doing the same.
"Welcome back, Em. Where you been?" Duke asked as he slid his hands over her shoulders soothingly and began stroking her neck where tension had formed again.
"Duke, how do you know precisely where I'm tense? That feels so good." She could feel the tightness loosening under his grasp.
"Because of the way you hold your shoulders and sometimes tilt your head to stretch your neck muscles. Sitting behind a monitor for long hours does the same thing to mine. Gage's too. It's a job hazard, sort of. You worry too much, Em. We think you're beautiful because you are. Accept it."
Gage nodded from where he knelt in front of her and then leaned forward to kiss her hip. His trailing fingertips pulled a whimper and shudder from her as he traced them from her ribs down to the top of her curl-covered mound. One gasp piled on top of another as he slid a finger over her slit and then gently parted her. Involuntarily she went on tiptoe and tilted her head back against Duke's shoulder, crying out softly as she felt Gage's warm breath at her cunt. Gage slowly stroked her clit with the tip of his tongue, and she stopped breathing entirely. He did it again, and she went higher on her tiptoes as echoing waves rippled with certainty through her pussy.
One more. Just one more!
Frozen, she stood vibrating with tension as his warm breath wafted over her pussy and he dragged his tongue from her inner lips up to her clit in another leisurely stroke. The tip of his tongue flicked at the bundle of nerve endings, and her orgasm broke over her in waves. She cried out as he licked at her clit repeatedly as each pulse of her orgasm swept through her pussy.
Nearly desperate for one of them to make love to her, she grasped both their shoulders and whispered, "Please." She wanted them both so much, and it didn't matter which one took her first.
Gage rose, and they helped her to the big bed. She climbed over the dark-red sheets until she was in the center of the bed. Her pussy trembled with an aftershock as she watched them strip their remaining garments off. Although they both worked in the field of computer technology, it was obvious they spent plenty of time outdoors, judging by their tanned, fit physiques. They were both tall, around six foot two or three, and very lean and muscular. Duke's biceps were large, and she wondered if he was a rock climber.
Her mind went blank as she stared at the hard-ons that both of them now stroked. Their cocks were both standing at attention, looked rock hard, and well up to the task at hand. Gage's cock was thick and heavily veined with a dark-purple head while Duke's was smoother but darkly colored from root to tip. Their chests were covered in curls that matched their hair color and extended in thinning trails down to the base of their cocks. Because his hair was nearly black, Duke's happy trail was more noticeable as it extended down his abdomen to the dark nest his cock jutted from.
Desire and intent were clear in their eyes, and she watched as Gage came to her side and lay down next to her as Duke tore open the box of condoms. She was pleased to note that it was a fresh box and was glad she hadn't had to share the condoms with some other woman they'd had up there recently. Gage stroked her inner thigh then slowly trailed his fingers up to her drenched pussy.
Duke climbed onto the bed and kissed her. "I'm going to fuck you first, Em. Then Gage is going to fuck you. Then you'll be ours."
His quietly spoken, vulgar words combined with the desire in his eyes shot an arrow of lust through her body, and her pussy gushed for him.
Gage murmured, "Oh, baby. You like that idea, don't you?"
She rubbed against Gage's fingers and whispered, "Yes. Yes, I do. I want you so much I ache."
Duke smiled and sheathed his cock quickly. "Has it been a while, Emma?"
He already knew the answer to that question, but she smiled at him and bit her lower lip as she nodded slowly. "A long, long time."
"I can't wait to slide into your tight little cunt."
Her clit throbbed at the stimulation Gage continued to provide, and she spread her legs to give him easier access as Duke took his time moving into position. He loomed over her and kissed her lips and then knelt with his ass on his heels between her parted thighs.
Duke smiled with pleasure as he gazed at her spread open like that and said, "This is the prettiest little pussy I've ever seen. Is she nice and wet, Gage?"
Continuing to stroke her with a fingertip, Gage said, "I'm about to come just from touching her slick, little cunt. I can't wait for my turn."
Emma's pussy walls clenched in anticipation as she watched Gage and Duke stroke their hard cocks. Duke moved closer to her and rubbed the head of his cock against her clit and opening, teasing her with it. Gage played with her nipples and gave her a soft, slow kiss as Duke gently grasped her spread upper thighs and pressed the thick head of his cock to her cunt. Duke groaned as he applied more pressure when her body resisted him at first.
"Fuck, but you're tight."
Her pussy rippled and grew hotter and wetter at his guttural words, and the head of his cock slipped in on his next thrust.
"Oh yes, Duke," she moaned.
His cock filled her almost to the point of pain at first, and she appreciated the time he gave her to adjust, carefully watching her before thrusting again at her nod. He felt huge inside her as he slowly claimed more and more ground with each pass.
Gage watched and then came near and whispered, "Your pussy is so pretty taking his cock, angel. You've got nearly all of him. Is he filling up your little cunt?"
She would've thought she'd be inhibited by dirty talk, but the exact opposite was true. It revved her up like she would never have believed possible. "He's filling my pussy so tight, Gage. Duke, your cock is so huge."
Duke groaned and chuckled as she felt his balls press against her ass. "Take it all, baby, every inch."
"Oh, yes," she moaned as he looked down at her.
His gray eyes smoldered as he stilled and then pulled out and thrust his entire length inside her. Pleasure coursed through her veins as he did it again, almost pulling out his full length then ramming it home again. Each time he did so, the heat and tension in her body increased. Her juices dripped down into the cleft of her ass, and she was more drenched for him with each slick pass of his shaft.
He stopped for a moment and lifted her left thigh so that her ankle rested on his shoulder, and he fingered her clit with each stroke as he resumed thrusting. His touch on her clit sent the tension inside her spiraling.
Gage leaned down and nibbled at her tight peaks, biting down gently every so often, spiking her arousal in great waves until she couldn't contain it any longer.
Duke grasped her thigh firmly and thrust with great strength and speed as he gritted out, "Come for me, sweetheart."
The old-fashioned endearment did it for her, and her body exploded with a massive, tumultuous wave of pleasure as she arched her back and ground against his cock, no longer in control of her movements, allowing him to control her.
She panted voicelessly as she undulated with each wave and finally found her voice on the last pulse as she lurched into Gage's gentle arms. She pressed her forehead against Gage's chest and cried out as one last pulse hit her, and Duke shook mightily against her and groaned loudly as he came.
Emma placed her hand over Duke's on her thigh and caught her breath, reveling in the moment. It might have been a while for her, but this experience totally made up for the dry spell. She flopped her head back and looked up at Duke and Gage. Duke looked utterly sated.
Gage looked a little overcome by the experience, too, even though he hadn't climaxed yet, as he wiped her sweat-soaked hair away from her face. He whispered, "That was intense to watch."
Duke stroked her thigh lovingly and said, "That was amazing, Em. You okay?" As he caught his breath, Duke pulled his softening cock from her and disposed of the condom.
"Yes, Duke. That was...beautiful." Blushing, she put her fingertips to her lips and said, "I have a dirty mouth."
Duke chuckled as he stroked her abdomen and gazed at her with bedroom eyes. "Hardly. But we'll remember that you like that. Ready for Gage? I think he's about to burst."
Emma reached for Gage as he finished rolling on a condom. "I'm very ready for him." And that was the honest truth because she wanted his cock inside her now as much as she'd wanted Duke's earlier.
Gage took her wrists and gently held them above her head and kissed her until her head spun. She relaxed her thighs and tilted her hips when she felt the broad head of his cock at her opening. He was very thick, and she moaned happily as he slowly inched every bit of his big cock inside her. He went slow and deep, working with short thrusts until she thought she had him all. He pulled out and plunged in even deeper, and she cried out at how much more of him there was to take and wanted to beg for still more. She wrapped her legs around his waist and smiled as she noticed Duke watching her pussy as Gage pulled out again and slid back in.
"Damn, that is something to see. I've seen plenty of porn, but I'd rather watch the two of you fuck all day long. He fills your pretty little pussy up perfectly. Does he feel huge, Em?"
"Yes and so hard too. I love it! You fuck me so good," she murmured as Gage stared into her eyes. She knew instinctively by the intensity of his green gaze that he was holding back, trying to be gentle with her. She appreciated that because she knew she'd feel this the next day.
"Angel, you're so soft and hot. I wish I could stay inside your tight cunt all night." He released her hands and wrapped his arms around her torso so her back was arched and she felt trapped, held utterly captive beneath him. He could do whatever he wanted to her.
She placed her hands on his cheeks and whispered, "Fuck me, Gage. You feel so good inside me. Fuck me good."
She kissed him, and he thrust against her in a grinding motion that applied pressure to her clit with every movement. She gasped around his kiss as the tension swelled inside her to the bursting point. He didn't change up his strokes as he watched her eyes, and she knew she could trust him to get her there.
She arched and thrust against him as he continued the slow grinding motion until the tension sprang inside her and she came again with a hoarse cry of ecstasy. Stars lit up behind her eyelids, and she thrust hard against him as her pussy rhythmically clenched around his rock-hard shaft. His breathing grew harsh and his thrusts grew more forceful until he groaned long and deep with his own release and finally relaxed over her.
He pulled her with him so that she was on top and not crushed by his weight and then lay there panting from his release. She could still feel his cock pulsing inside her and wondered what it would be like to be able to watch as her body took his in. Maybe Duke or Gage had a mirror they could use next time. And there was definitely going to be a next time.
A week later, in early September...
Duke smiled sympathetically at Emma as she stared up at him with big, terrified, green eyes. Duke knew that if she had any idea how Gage felt about this particular adventure it probably would change her outlook for the better. But the "I will kill you and hide your body where no one can find it" look in Gage's eyes told him he'd be unwise to share that insight with her.
Duke's instructor, Gus Baker, grinned and gave him the thumbs-up, letting him know that it was time, which Duke verified with his gauge. They were nearly thirteen thousand feet above ground level. Gus knew exactly how Gage felt, which was why he grinned. Gus's philosophy was to face your fears, and this was one Gage needed to face, too. Hell, he put it on his bucket list, so he has no one but himself to blame.
Frigid air blew through the open door of the twin-engine airplane, and he patted Emma's hand when she held on to his forearm. Duke was certified to solo skydive, and Emma was tandem jumping with his instructor today. Gage was also tandem-jumping with another instructor, like it or not.
Over the noise of the aircraft, Duke said to Emma, "You know you're safe with Gus, right?"
Emma never blinked as she stared at him with round, frightened eyes and nodded. "Uh-huh!"
"You okay, Em? You're not going to pass out on me, are you?" He had to speak loudly over the wind.
"Uh-uh!" she hollered as she shook her head negatively. She was pale, but Emma's skin color tended to be that way. Her eyes were slightly dilated as she licked her lips and hummed to herself as she looked toward the open doorway. She looked back at him as though she wanted to say something else but seemed hesitant.
She had pulled her hair into two neat ponytails behind her ears to keep it out of her face during the jump, and he gently tugged at the ends as he said, "What's got you looking so scared, Em? You know we've got you, right? Gus won't let anything happen to you."
"Uh-huh!" She looked around self-consciously at the other occupants of the small plane.
"Can you tell me?" he asked, pointing to his ear as he leaned down close to her. Gus approached, looking ready to hook Emma's harness up to his. Duke held up a hand, and Gus nodded and stopped to talk to one of the other instructors.
She glanced at the others again, who were all lining up near the open door, waiting their turn, then turned to him and said, "What if I pee?"
"Huh?"
"What if I freak out and wet my pants?"
Duke schooled the smile on his face, not wanting her to think he was laughing at her. He recalled being pissing scared the first time he jumped out of an airplane. "Do you have to pee?"
"No."
"Then I doubt you will. But if you do, we will say we encountered a duck up there and he peed on you."
In the height of her adrenaline rush, she seemed to mull that over for a moment and nodded her head. "Okay."
"Is there anything else that has you worried?"
"Besides jumping out of a perfectly good airplane?" She adjusted her goggles and smiled sheepishly and said, "Thank you for not laughing at me."
Duke grinned and wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her reassuringly. They'd made love for the first time the weekend before. Unfortunately, his and Gage's work schedule had taken them out of town on a surveillance and investigation job with Ace and Kemp that had wound up lasting most of the week. The frustrating thing about it was that the job had been mostly sitting around, watching and waiting, which left him with a lot of time on his hands. The same was true of Gage, who had been even more quiet than normal.
The only good thing about the time away from Emma and Divine was that it gave them ample opportunity to talk about the intricacies of a ménage relationship. They'd known from the outset that last Sunday night wasn't a one-night stand, and Duke had made it clear to her afterward because he knew Emma was prone to worrying.
She'd been disappointed about their trip out of town but had understood completely and reminded them that her hours could be just as strange and brutal at times. If they were willing to deal with that, then so was she.
They'd made it up to her as much as they were able by calling her several times in the evening during the week. Her sexy, velvety-toned voice on the phone had a torturous effect on both him and Gage as they'd taken turns talking to her. They talked about all sorts of things, but her soothing voice kept him semierect the whole time. One night, when they'd talked about the ménage, he'd needed relief in a hot shower afterward and wondered if she'd felt the same way.
Perhaps she'd opted to play with the unusual sex toy they'd watched her purchase while they'd been doing surveillance work at Discretion. Thoughts like that had only served to fuel his own fantasies of catching her in the act and providing her with the real thing.
While away, he'd also set up the little adventure they were now on, crossing off the second item on the to-do list since she didn't consider making love to both of them separately in one night to be a true ménage. That was okay by him. They'd get to it eventually, judging by the twinkle in her eye.
When it was nearly time for them to jump, Emma asked, "Gus, how many times you have done this?"
Gus had hooked up to her harness and made sure she was secured properly, and then they'd scooted closer to the doorway as skydivers began exiting the plane. "Doc, I've made six thousand jumps in the last ten years."
Duke grinned because he could tell she was doing the math in her head when her fingers twitched slightly. "That's a lot." The notion seemed to settle her a little. "Duke, how about you?"
"One hundred and thirty-three jumps in the last five years. Gus took me on my first tandem jump."
Emma smiled and seemed much more at ease. She reached out a hand to Gage and said, "And you and I are the newbies, huh?"
Duke laughed when Gage rolled his eyes and grinned back at her. "That's right, angel. You and I are the newbies."
Emma snorted, beckoned him close, and said something in his ear that caused him to laugh and nod.
Soon it was their turn at the door. Duke was wearing a wingsuit and packing a drogue to help control his speed to give Emma and Gage a chance to catch up to him before they had to deploy their chutes. Their group moved to the door, Duke took his position, leaned back for a kiss with Emma, and then leapt into thin air.
Exhilaration filled him as he flipped and held his arms out to brake slightly. He watched Emma's mouth open wide as she and Gus jumped.
Emma finally closed her sandpaper-dry mouth once she'd exhausted the long scream that pumped wildly from her throat. The chilly wind buffeted around them, and she felt strangely buoyant and not like she was falling at all.
Gus helped her position her arms and pointed at the videographer who had jumped out a few seconds after Duke. She waved and smiled for the camera and gave it a big thumbs-up. She needed to remember to send a copy of the video to her mom, dad, and little sister.
Her heart burst with weightless joy as Duke entered her field of vision on the right and Gus steered her so she could see Gage and his tandem-jump partner nearing them on her left. Gage grinned at her, and for several seconds both of their jump partners allowed the three of them to hold hands in formation.
The little triangle they created symbolized their decision to chase their bucket list dreams together. In her heart this moment was also a celebration of the deeper feelings that were growing between the three of them. She held on as long as she could, unwilling to part from them until it was necessary. It was the most exhilarating experience of her life so far, and she was beyond euphoric that she was sharing it with these two wonderful men.
She could tell prior to the jump that Gage was almost as nervous as she was. She had beckoned him closer and had said, "Goody! We get to pop our skydive cherries together." The warmth in his eyes as he laughed with her had eased her own tension.
This moment wasn't about doing something that scared her spitless. It was about chasing dreams so she could look back someday and say she'd taken every chance she'd been given. It was a huge thing but nothing when compared to the fact that she experienced it with these men who had already given her an amazing experience with them.
Duke's dark hair flapped in the wind around him, and he smiled at her and squeezed her hand. Gus gave the hand signal for them to let go so they could put some distance between each other before deploying their chutes. Gage gave her a big, wide smile, and Duke blew her an air kiss as they let go at the same time.
She blew them both kisses and then squealed in glee as Gus pulled the lever and the big purple-and-blue canopy billowed out into the air above them, hastily putting the brakes on their descent. Gravity caught up with her and tugged her to Earth as she looked around and watched Duke's and Gage's green-and-yellow parachutes open up above them.
"You did great, Doc," Gus said over the wind as he steered them in the direction of the landing zone. She smiled when she saw the sun sparkle on the waters of Ivie Lake in the distance.
"Thanks. I hope I didn't shatter your eardrum with my screaming."
Gus chuckled as he maneuvered them and caught wind currents that swept them over neat geometrical fence rows and plowed fields. "Nah, Doc, you were nothing compared to some of the others I've jumped with over the years. Look." He pointed to the shadows cast on the ground by their three parachutes as they circled the landing zone. The shadows danced and swirled around each other.
Emma followed Gus's instructions as they made the approach to land. Once her feet touched solid ground, she was grateful but bounced with anticipation as both Duke and Gage landed nearby. Gus chuckled as he released her harness from his. As soon as she was free, she pecked Gus on the cheek, thanked him, then sprinted to Duke and Gage, not caring what any observers thought of their reunion. Emma couldn't wait to be alone with her men.
Gage's heart was still hammering in his chest, but it wasn't with anxiety this time. He was only half paying attention to the instructor he'd jumped in tandem with as he unhooked their harnesses and congratulated him on his first jump.
His attention was caught up with watching Emma as she ran to them. Her little brown ponytails bobbed up and down, and the look of pure, unadulterated joy on her face was heart stopping. Her arms were out as she ran, and he knew if she'd had wings she would've been flying to them. Duke was nearest to her on the landing field, so he made his way in that direction.
He caught up with Duke just as she flung herself at both of them at the same time, wrapping an arm around each of them as they caught her.
"Oh, my gosh! I can't believe we did it! We did it!"
Her eyes were sparkling green gems, and her cheeks were rosy as she chortled with glee. Duke's green parachute billowed around them, forgotten for the moment.
"You did it, angel," Gage said as he kissed her temple. She was so excited she practically vibrated in their arms.
"We did it!" Looking at Duke she added, "And I didn't pee!"
Duke broke out in laughter and hugged Emma tight and replied, "Of course you didn't pee, Em. You did great. I wish you could've seen your face when you jumped. I've gone skydiving a bunch of times but this was the best one, by far." Looking at Gage, he murmured, "She was worried she'd get so scared she'd pee."
Gage would never admit it, but he could commiserate with her. He chuckled and said, "I think this calls for a celebration."
He and Duke had decided in advance to spend the night at one of their favorite Concho River campsites, and he was certainly ready for some time alone with their beautiful doctor.
He'd missed her like crazy all week, and they had yet to be completely alone. Gage was grateful this was her weekend off, so they didn't have to worry about her phone ringing. She'd been enthusiastic when they'd asked her to pack a bag to go camping overnight.
Every time he turned his phone on, he received text messages from Amy, who was still pestering him online as well. He'd left it turned off while he was out of town and planned to change the number on Monday. Gage was dumbfounded by her interest in him when he'd made it clear that it wasn't reciprocated. Somehow she'd gotten it in her head that playing online video games with him and chatting casually equated a romance of some sort. She was acquainted with Marcario and Jelani, who they regularly played Call of Duty with, but neither of them had drawn Amy's notice, only Gage.
They'd picked Emma up downstairs very early that morning and made the drive to the skydiving center outside Eden in less than two hours. It wasn't even noon yet, and they had the whole beautiful day together.
They departed the skydiving center a few minutes later and made their way toward the Concho River arm of Ivie Lake. Gage and Duke had always enjoyed the thickly treed shoreline and the quiet of the older campsite, which was some distance from the more heavily traversed, newer recreational areas and campgrounds. They'd called ahead to reserve the same campsite as last time, and the person he'd spoken to had told him that with the school year already started, the area would probably be deserted all weekend. That suited Gage just fine.
They pulled off of the paved road and threaded their way back through the thickly treed area and finally rolled to a stop on the loose gravel beside their campsite.
Emma opened the car door and sighed happily as she stretched. "I've never camped here before. It's very pretty and secluded." The sexy way she drew out the word "secluded" made his cock tingle as he watched her stretching. Her breasts pressed forward in the neckline of her top, almost begging to be caressed and suckled. He muffled a grunt as he ran into the car door because he wasn't watching where he was going.
Gage pointed toward an opening in the trees. "I think you'll like the view from there." He smiled when Emma grabbed her camera from her bag and went off in the direction he pointed.
Duke chuckled when they heard her gasp in delight and call back, "It's beautiful!"
They'd just completed construction of their tent when they heard a splash and a gleeful squeal. Emma's sexy, low-pitched laughter drew his attention to the opening in the trees, and his cock hardened at the sensual sound. Both he and Duke were drawn by her siren's call as she giggled again.
They walked through the opening in the tree line, and Gage groaned when he saw the pile of clothing and her camera at the water's edge. A splash and ripple of water drew his eyes, and he was treated to the view of her lush ass as she dove under the water's surface and reappeared a little closer to them. As she broke the surface, her dark hair slicked back by the water, she smiled at them, and his heart skipped a beat. Her playful smile begged him to ask, "What are you doing, angel?"
A mischievous giggle rippled across the water to him, stirring his cock to greater hardness. "Number ten on the list."
As if the clothes on the riverbank didn't already tell the story, Duke playfully asked, "Emma, are you skinny-dipping?"
Gage scanned the shoreline up and down their stretch of the river and ascertained what she must have already. There was no one else in sight. Emma backstroked out a few feet, smiling at them as her lovely, naked breasts made a brief appearance above the water, and then stood up in the slow current. The gurgling water flowed around her, giving teasing views of her tight, pretty nipples. Her hair skimmed down in watery waves, freed from her ponytails, to frame her breasts and her cleavage. He could almost feel her satiny flesh under his tongue.
"Care to join me?"
Gage and Duke glanced at each other, and Gage said, "Number ten on the bucket list...check," as he removed his shirt, dropped it by her clothing, and then unbuckled his belt. Duke yanked his T-shirt over his head and dropped the rest of his clothing in a pile by theirs and waded in. Gage glanced up and down the riverbank one more time and then joined them.
The water was cold but didn't affect the state of his hardening cock at all. As playful and mischievous as she'd been before, Emma's mood was now sensual and seductive. As they reached her in the meandering current, Emma looked from him to Duke with clear green eyes that smoldered with desire. Beneath the water's surface, Gage slid his hand around her bare hip and squeezed her ass cheek as she took his other hand to keep from drifting away from him.
Duke slid a hand down her torso beneath the water's edge, and Gage knew when Duke reached her pussy because a shuddering sigh erupted from her soft lips and she closed her eyes. Duke pressed kisses beneath her ear and licked her throat as she wrapped her other arm around his neck and arched her back, which gave Gage easier access to her asshole. She bit her lip and moaned when he rubbed the tight ring of muscle with his middle finger then rested her forehead against his bicep and leaned against him.
She whispered, "Feels so good."
Gage pressed his lips to the crown of her head, her unique, sexy scent filling his nostrils and hardening his cock further. He remembered the effect her fragrance had on him when she'd treated the arrow wound. It had hurt like hell, but his pain had been eased when he'd breathed in her scent on her pillow while he lay on the little bed she'd made up in the back of her Aztek.
She trembled against him and moaned as he stroked her back opening and Duke teased her pussy. Even though they stood in cold water, Gage felt like his blood was rapidly heating to boiling point. "Angel, I need you."
"Come back to the tent with us, Emma. We have everything set up," Duke said as he gazed into her eyes.
She closed her eyes again and nodded in what seemed liked relief. Need was something the three of them had in common. Gage wrapped his arm around her back and the other under her knees and lifted her from the water. She gasped and her arms tightened around him, but she didn't protest. She gazed into his eyes as they strode from the water.
Gage loved the seductive side of Emma, but carrying her protected her feet and took away the worry she might feel about stepping naked from the water. He thought she was perfect just exactly the way she was, but he could respect her feelings because he was embarrassed by his scars, though not so much around Duke or her. He didn't want to cause her that worry and ruin the mood. Once they were within the thickly forested campsite she would probably feel less exposed.
"I put a towel in my bag," she said once they were under the cover of the trees.
A warm breeze blew through the oaks and cedars, and shade dappled their picnic area. Gage placed her carefully on the cement slab the wooden picnic table was anchored to, and she reached in her bag where they'd placed it earlier. She gazed at them standing naked waiting for her as she dried off. When Emma stared at his cock and licked her lips, Gage groaned and reached down to stroke himself. He was as hard as he'd ever been, and the thought of fucking her outside in broad daylight was making him even harder.
"We didn't eat lunch," she whispered as she laid the towel to dry on the picnic table and turned to them. "Want to lie down in the tent? We can eat later."
Duke pulled her to him and placed little kisses along her throat. "No, let's stay out here and eat."
"You don't want to---"
"Don't worry. We intend to fuck you, Em. Right after we dine on your pretty pussy."
"Oh. I thought you'd changed your mind."
Gage said, "Never, Emma. Food can wait. We both want you like crazy." When she shivered, he asked, "Are you cold, angel?"
Emma shook her head and said nothing more. Duke looked at her beach towel spread on the table and said, "Sit on your towel, Em. Let's have our little meal al fresco."
Emma looked around, and a blush stole over her cheeks. Gage saw the sparks of lust that glittered in her eyes as she smiled at them. "Out here in the open?"
Almost overcome with hunger for her, Gage nodded then watched as she bit her lip and climbed up to sit on the picnic table facing them with her feet resting together on the bench. Once she was situated, Gage and Duke seated themselves on either side of her closed legs.
There was a hint of merriment in the sparkling depths of her eyes as Duke asked, "Are you wet for us right now, Em?" At her eager nod, Duke continued. "You're a naughty little thing for being naked out in the woods with us, aren't you?" She nodded again and bit her lower lip, letting them know with that telling gesture that they were on the right track.
Gage slid a fingertip across her tightened nipple and then down her torso to her slit and murmured, "Anyone could see you like this, angel. They could come upon us here in the open." He raked the top of his knuckle over her outer pussy lips and slick, hot moisture coated it. His dick twitched, and he forced himself to stay where he was instead of diving mouth first on her pussy.
"Someone might see you letting us eat your pretty, little pussy," Duke continued as he motioned for her to scoot her tush closer to the edge of the table and rest back on her hands.
"They might see you fucking me?" she asked with bated breath.
Duke nodded slowly. "They might watch us fill your pussy with our cocks." He lifted her ankle and placed it on his outer shoulder so that she was partially opened to both of them.
"Oh," she responded weakly, her breath coming in small pants. Her exposed pink flesh was already glistening with her slick, sweet juices.
Gage urged her a little closer to the edge to give them greater access to their play area and then lifted her other ankle slowly and whispered, "And if they're very lucky they might watch us take your sweet little ass, too." He placed her ankle on his outer shoulder so that she was spread just about as wide as she could go. Her pussy was becoming even more drenched with her aromatic honey. "That makes you hot, doesn't it? Have you been thinking about one of us fucking your ass, angel?"
She nodded and smiled. "Yes."
Duke wet his thumb in her copious juices and began stroking her clit. She arched her back and smiled at him.
Gage wanted to beat his chest and howl like a caveman at the lust he saw in her eyes. "Have you ever had anal sex before?"
She panted and shook her head negatively. "I never thought I'd want to but with the two of you I want it very much. It's one step closer to a ménage."
Biting her lip, Emma whimpered as Duke used his other hand to stroke and pet her pussy lips before sliding a single finger into her cunt. The sweet scent of her aroused pussy lingered in the air, making Gage's mouth water for a taste.
In the heat of the moment he didn't want to do anything she might regret later. "Angel, do you want it this weekend, out here, or would you rather wait until you're in a comfortable bed at home? The first time sometimes hurts a little."
Emma vehemently shook her head and pulled them a little closer with her legs. "That sounds lovely but right now all I can think about is having you do whatever you want to with me. I'm imagining someone watching while you eat my pussy and later fuck my ass on this picnic table."
Gage could tell Duke was just as inflamed by her words as he was. Duke slid a second finger into her cunt, and judging by the sultry sound she made in her throat, he began stroking her G-spot.
"Duke." His name slid out in a long, low-pitched syllable, and both men groaned at the sexy sound of her desire. Her head fell back on her shoulders, her damp hair hanging in locks against her beach towel as the breeze began to dry it.
Duke softly mouthed, "Lube, condoms, vibrator," to Gage.
Gage nodded, realizing they'd come to the table unprepared. He grabbed the needed articles from where they'd placed them in the tent and returned with a hand towel as well. By this point, Duke had his mouth on her, making a feast of her succulent pussy, and she loved every second of it judging by the sexy sounds she made.
Gage lifted her leg and replaced it on his shoulder as he sat down and watched Duke send her higher and higher. Duke was thorough and took his time, never rushing her as he licked and sucked her flesh slowly until she was muffling her cries with her hand and her juices drenched his fingers and his lips. Her pussy was swollen and brighter pink, and Gage watched avidly as she flexed her hips with each stroke of Duke's fingers in and out of her cunt.
To Emma, Gage whispered, "You have the most beautiful pussy I've ever seen, angel. There's nothing more gorgeous in this world than you spread open for us like this."
By this point she was flat on her back, and she reached for his hand to hold. He entwined their fingers and stroked her arm gently, knowing exactly when she crested the wave of her orgasm because she gripped his hand hard and muffled a wail behind her other hand.
"Oh, Duke," she exhaled as he fingered her through each pulsing convulsion of her wet cunt.
Duke looked very satisfied with his efforts and licked her clean with gusto before sitting up and smiling at her where she lay on the picnic table. He signaled to Gage to take his place just as they'd agreed during the week, taking turns to pleasure her even if it meant holding off their own orgasm. They owed her that much for her trust in taking them both on. There would be plenty of time for give and take later. Right now they wanted to make her happy and feel no regrets.
Gage leaned over her, bracing a hand on either side of her. Emma looked beautiful, flushed, and sated. She smiled up at him, and he asked, "Ready for my cock, angel?"
"Mmm-hmm. Where do you want me?"
"This table is just the right height, I think. But let's move to the end so the bench isn't in the way, though." He helped her as she sat up and assisted her when she wobbled a bit. He moved the towel to the end of the table, glad she'd packed it because splinters would have rendered this experience less pleasant. Duke helped her to sit on the table once more and held her feet as she scooted as close as she could to the edge. Gage rolled a condom onto his weeping shaft, gritting his teeth at the stimulation.
The sun shone through the branches, illuminating her flushed face and torso as she watched him. Duke sat beside her on the picnic table, and she smiled up at him and took the hand he offered as Gage lifted her long, satiny legs and wrapped them loosely around his waist and held them there.
Emma moaned as he maneuvered his cock to her cunt, pressed slightly, and just barely breached her opening. She wiggled against him and said, "I wanted you both so much this week, while you were gone."
Gage gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to come before he'd even gotten started because Emma's slick entrance felt so good. His cock slid into her tight, engulfing heat, and he had to pause and concentrate on not losing it. "I missed you too, angel. I thought about last Sunday night constantly. God, you feel good."
He groaned when she clenched her pussy muscles to tug on him as he pulled out. She moaned low in agreement and did it over and over again with each thrust and retreat until he'd broken out into a sweat. He wished he could last all night because what she did to him with that little pussy was addicting.
Emma practically purred as she said, "My pussy loves you and doesn't want you to leave. Fuck me, Gage."
She reached down to finger her clit, but Duke removed her hand and held something up for her to see. "I got you a little something new for your collection, Em."
"Oh!" she gasped as Gage gave her every long, hard inch, and said, "A present for me. You're so sweet."
"I'm going to try it out."
Gage slid home, and Duke applied the little clit stimulator to her swollen bundle of nerves at the same time.
"Oh, yes!" Her pussy clenched hard, and Gage growled in pleasure as her pussy grew tighter and tighter with each stroke until it felt like she ruthlessly fisted him. The muscles in her legs tightened up, her back arched off the table, and Duke leaned down to catch her cries with his kiss as she came violently undone.
Her pussy muscles rippled and clenched in rhythmic pulses on Gage's cock. He pistoned faster until he thought he'd scream as a bolt of heat shot down his spine and his whole body clenched in orgasm. Cum jetted from him in searing streams inside her hot, silky cunt. He grasped her hips and leaned forward to rest over her for a moment, needing to feel her skin on his.
She slid her arms around his neck and pressed soft kisses to his throat as he caught his breath and shuddered with satisfaction.
The sounds of birds and the river beyond the trees came to him, and he remembered that the three of them were outside, naked, fucking in broad daylight. He glanced up at his cousin, and Duke smiled at him.
It occurred to Gage that though he had no problems with lovemaking at all, he generally preferred to do it in a dark or dimly lit room. He was self-conscious of the scars his father had inflicted on him as an infant and a toddler. They covered his body, and he hated to make his lovers uncomfortable by revealing them under brighter light. Many times they'd never even known. But Emma knew.
She lay beneath him kissing the burn scar on his pectoral that Roger Randall had gifted him with, probably for doing nothing more than making too much noise.
With Emma, none of that seemed to matter. He didn't talk about what had happened to him to very many people. Even on the night they'd met at the Campbell Lake campground, he hadn't felt like that was a part of himself he needed to hide from her. He recalled the way she'd laid her hand on his back that night and reassured him, and the gentle way she'd stroked his ass as he'd told her what had happened. She hadn't felt sorry for him in a way that made him feel pitiful. And she'd let it go after he'd offered an explanation, accepting it as fact and moving on. It hadn't changed the way she responded to him like it did with others who had found out.
Here lay the woman he loved, kissing his scars. He let out a shuddering breath realizing that was true. He loved her. He loved her self-conscious little habits, the warmth of her smile, the way she squealed as they'd jumped from the plane, and the way she crooned to him softly as she allowed him to draw close to her beautiful body.
Maybe it was the fact that they were on this bucket-list quest to live with no regrets, to stop hiding from life and live it to its fullest. Gage was willing to take his life in his own hands that morning and jump out of an airplane for the first time, so he decided to stop hiding from love as well.
He kissed her and murmured, "I love you, angel."
Emma's heart lurched at his words. She looked up into his green eyes and saw such vulnerability there. She wouldn't let them make love to her if she wasn't certain that they felt something for her, but she never expected him to make such a declaration so soon. It felt good to hear him say it prior to her own declaration of love. She didn't have to wonder if he was saying it just because she'd declared herself first.
He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "I know it's soon but there was no point in holding it back if I knew it was true. I probably could've picked a more romantic spot, though, couldn't I?" he said with a chuckle. Gage tended to be more serious minded than Duke, although Duke had his serious moments as well.
"I'd rather that you say what's on your mind than wait for the perfect location, Gage. I love you, too."
Gage's eyebrows knit together for a second. "You don't have to tell me until you're sure."
"I was sure an hour ago when I was running to you after landing on the ground. I love you both and if I was following your example, I would have told you then. I'm positive that I love you, both of you." Gage pulled out and removed the condom, and Duke helped her to rise to a sitting position. "Duke, don't say anything you're not feeling, okay?" She could see it in his eyes that he was about to speak and needed him to know she wasn't expecting simultaneous declarations. She hadn't expected to do more than to check skydiving off her bucket list when they'd picked her up that morning.
Duke slid an arm around her back and pulled her so her upper body was pressed close to his. "My way of thinking is that I've got you both beat."
"Huh?" both Gage and Emma replied simultaneously.
A sheepish grin crossed Duke's face, and his crooked smile curled up as he glanced at Gage and then looked her in the eye. She looked at him in confusion at his cryptic words.
He gently stroked her shoulders and said, "I have a confession to make." He almost looked pained by what he had to say.
Emma couldn't imagine what would cause him to look so guilty. "What do you need to confess?"
"That I've been in love with you since the moment I laid eyes on you."
Emma frowned and said, "Really? At the lake? I looked like crap after a long day. I was windblown and someone had an arrow in their ass as I recall." She glanced at Gage and schooled her grin. "I thought it was a gorgeous ass, by the way." She made squeezing gestures with both hands. "Nice, tight buns. Hard muscles..."
"Em---"
"Sorry," she said with a chuckle as she put her hands to her cheeks. "I was having a moment. So you fell in love with me then?"
"Not exactly." Duke looked down and bit his lip as though he were forming his words carefully. "I've seen you before then."
"Where?"
"At Discretion."
"I never saw you at Discretion. I only saw Summer that day. I've only been out there one time---" She clapped her hands on her mouth and slammed her eyes shut. She curled up into a tight little ball on the end of the picnic table and hid her face.
Duke caressed her knees. "Someone had set the shop on fire, and broken in, and assaulted Summer. Gage and I were tasked with keeping an eye on the interior during business hours. We kept an eye on the ladies too, for their own safety. That's all."
"I'm so embarrassed."
"Why? I couldn't take my eyes off of you. Actually neither of us could."
Emma looked at Gage, and he nodded. "Where were you?"
"In the landscaping van parked next to you. It was from there that we monitored the cameras in the store. I know it was wrong but I turned up the volume on the monitor so I could hear you. You giggled at something Summer said and..." She looked up and saw the distant smile on Duke's face as he reminisced.
"You had a crush on me?"
Duke rolled his eyes and grinned. "It was more than that, Em. More grown up. I asked about you one day and Summer must've clued in to my interest. She hinted to me that you might be at that particular campground out at Campbell Lake two weekends ago."
"I thought she took a lot of interest in which campground I chose for that weekend, when I mentioned it to her. We got set up!"
"Kind of."
Heat filled her cheeks as she remembered reacting to the "Instant Threesome" the first time she saw it. "And you probably saw what I bought at Discretion, didn't you? You must have thought I was a pervert. Oh! Is that the reason why you both came after me? You thought I'd be interested in a little threesome action?" Duke looked at her as though she'd grown another head, and her shoulders slumped. "That was hypocritical."
"We 'went after you' because we were attracted to you, Em. Lots of women have threesome fantasies. I didn't fall for you at first sight because you have a ménage fetish---" He dodged successfully when she tried to punch him and chuckled. "I fell in love with you at first sight because you were concerned about Summer, you had a great sense of humor, you're gorgeous, and I love the sound of your voice. The fact that you're a pervert is just an added bonus." He dodged her again, and this time she laughed.
"My name is Emma and I'm a pervert."
They drew near to her as they laughed, and Gage kissed her temple. "Then it's good that the three of us are all on the same page. I felt guilty about watching you in the store but we couldn't help ourselves once we got a good look at you."
The timing of their love declarations really didn't matter. The truth was that she loved them and they loved her, despite her perverted fantasies. Her stomach suddenly growled loud enough for all of them to hear, and she laughed.
A chuckle rumbled in Gage's chest. "We'd better get food in this girl if we want her to have energy for tonight."
"What about my ass?" she asked cheekily, even though she was secretly a little nervous about the first time.
Duke chuckled and kissed her. "Food for you first, Em."
She smiled a little shamefacedly. "I ruined the mood overreacting, didn't I?"
Gage replied, "Actually, I was a little worried that you would be really pissed off at us when you found out we were watching you that day."
"You're not making fun of me or trying to make me feel bad for what I bought. Why would I be mad? With that said, don't eavesdrop on my visits to Discretion anymore. That place is a sanctuary for me."
"Where you can be your perverted self?" Gage asked.
"Exactly," she said with a giggle. She knew there would be more visits to Discretion. Soon.
"So, are you going to include us when you play with your toy some time? What was his name? Enrique?"
"It was, but I changed it to Danté. Enrique was not a good fit for me," she said, then snickered. "For some reason, I just like Danté better. And of course I'll let you play, the next time I get Danté out, but I was hoping the two of you would sort of make him obsolete."
Gage chuckled lustfully. "Oh, no. Danté just adds to the variety and viewing pleasure." His cock bobbed, showing his excitement at the thought.
Her cheeks grew hot at the thought of them watching her pleasure herself. Just then her stomach growled again, and Duke patted her on the derriere. "Why don't we eat and then we'll see about your ass."
"Can we eat naked?" she asked as she stroked a finger along his still rigid length.
Duke's eyes glittered, and he said, "Just for teasing me, you're sucking my cock first."
Emma giggled and climbed down from the table as she said, "Yum. Teasing gets me what I want! I'll remember that." Becoming more serious for a moment, she kissed them and said, "I love you both and I'm so glad I told you." Maybe that was the biggest item that should have been on her bucket list.
Emma did suck his cock for him a little while later, experimenting on him and Gage both on the dappled shade of the picnic table, trying to discover what they liked, which was pretty much anything she chose to do to them. She sucked Gage until he climaxed and got her first taste of his cum as she swallowed him down. Duke, however, had plans involving her ass. After asking her again if she preferred the greater privacy of the tent, she assured him she was thoroughly enjoying their "al fresco" afternoon.
"Lay on the towel, where you were before, Em," Duke said and then kissed her while holding her as though she were the most delicate piece of porcelain china. His fingertips grazed over the upper swells of her ass, and she shuddered with delight. His gentle touch communicated passion but also tenderness and caring.
Gage brought several towels and laid them over the towel she'd used earlier. At her inquiring look, Gage said, "A little extra cushion for you, angel, and also in case company shows up."
That made sense. The longer they were out in the open the greater their chances of discovery. The thought sent a thrill through her cunt, and she bit her lip and looked at him naughtily.
Duke and Gage must've caught on because Duke said, "You naughty girl. You like the thought of getting caught, don't you?"
She imagined someone sneaking up and peeking through the trees, and her pussy lips swelled a bit more. Nodding cheekily, she turned and lay facedown over the soft pallet, balancing on her tiptoes with her legs close together.
"Pretty," Gage said, and she looked behind her and saw him lean down to kiss her ass cheek.
Chortling at the sweet gesture, she said, "Damn! I could've had 'getting my ass kissed' on my bucket list!"
Duke smiled at Gage as he stroked her ass with lazy touches and said, "What do you think, Gage? Should we let her add to her list?"
She and Gage nodded eagerly, and Duke laughed. "Ass kissed. Check! Anything else?" he asked suggestively as he squeezed her ass cheeks firmly.
"Oh," she murmured shakily, loving the strength in his hands. "There is this one other thing. Um...since you already know I'm a perv..." She never knew that about herself but found she was just fine with it. Perviness was in the eye of the beholder.
"What, Em?" Duke's hands were enthralling her as he worked her ass cheeks until they tingled.
"Spank me?"
"Oh, hell yes, angel," Gage muttered with a heartfelt tone as he laid his palm down on her lower back and stroked gently. "You like to be spanked?"
"I've never been spanked. Why don't we try it and see what I think." She wiggled her ass enticingly at him.
Duke groaned and said, "I'm loving this 'add to the bucket list' idea more and more."
When the first pop landed, she lifted her head from the soft cushion of the towels and sucked in a breath of air. It hardly even stung but definitely got her attention. She waited long seconds before the next pop landed on the fleshiest part of the other cheek. A wave of gooseflesh traveled down the backs of her thighs as Duke gently stroked the areas he'd applied his hand to.
"Doing okay, angel?" Gage asked as he trailed his fingertips up her back.
"Yes. Keep going. Please don't stop yet."
The next pop landed in a different place on the same cheek as the first one. Duke continued on, letting Gage take turns, evenly placing the licks until her ass felt like it was on fire. One pop jarred her mound against the towel, and she moaned as the vibration and heat seeped into her pussy. She squirmed against Duke's hand as he kneaded her red-hot ass and felt her juices leaking down her inner thighs.
"Emma," Duke groaned. "Did you like your spanking?"
"Mmm-hmm." She squirmed again and moaned when she felt gentle fingers, she wasn't sure whose, at her pussy, stroking the slick moisture that was seeping from her slit. Those same fingers slid back to her asshole and gently massaged until every nerve ending there was lit on fire. More gooseflesh raced up and down her back.
Letting her know it was him at her ass, Duke said, "We're going to get you good and ready, Em. It may be uncomfortable at first but we'll take it slow. Gage is going to help too."
Emma moaned when she felt a hot mouth on her cunt. "Oh, Gage!" She parted her thighs a bit more for him, and a shudder rippled through her as Gage nibbled, teased, and licked until she was on the verge of begging for penetration. Gage stroked her drenched pussy with his fingertips as Duke lubricated her rear opening, getting her good and slippery for his cock.
He slowly penetrated with one fingertip, easing it in as her body resisted the burning, naughty intrusion. Just as the sensation began to grow into arousal he withdrew and replaced his finger with two and continued working them in and out with gentle strokes until she felt sure she could handle him. He worked her ass so thoroughly, while Gage played with her cunt, that she felt the flickers of an orgasm bloom deep within.
"Doing okay, Em?" Duke asked, and she heard the sound of a foil wrapper opening. This was it. She laid her head on the towel and nodded.
Gage sat on the bench beside her and stroked her back. His hand was warm and helped her feel grounded.
Emma smiled at him and said, "This is nothing like when you were laid out on a picnic table at the Campbell Lake campground, is it? What I'm getting in my ass, I want there." Gage rolled his eyes wordlessly and shook his head.
"Oh, the irony," Duke said with a soft chuckle. His thumb pressed against her pliant and ready asshole. "Ready, Em?"
Emma looked back at him and was entranced by the heat in his gray eyes. She returned his smile and nodded. She rested her cheek on the towels and groaned softly when she felt Duke's blunt head at her anus. He felt enormous, but she was sure she could handle this. She breathed deep and willed her body to give in to him.
"Good, Em. You're doing great."
Duke pressed on her asshole and began to rock against her. The lubricant he'd worked into her did its job, and she could feel him gaining ground with each shallow thrust. Her heart was pounding out a rapid rhythm as his breath grew deep and raspy. "Oh, fuck, yes, Emma."
His impassioned words made her want to give everything to him, to them both. She clasped Gage's hand and made eye contact with him as she arched slightly and carefully pushed back on Duke's next thrust. His cockhead slid through her resistant opening, and she gulped in a breath of air and moaned.
"Fuck! Yes," Duke crooned as he stopped thrusting for a moment. "Don't move, Emma. Give me a few seconds. You feel...amazing."
Emma focused on breathing as she grew accustomed to the feeling of him in her ass. She became antsy for him to move and experimented with grinding back on him gently, working him in and out with tiny undulating movements.
Duke moaned softly. "The way you move, Em. Damn. I'm addicted to you."
She knew exactly what he meant. "Can I have more?"
Duke laid his hot hands on her hips and caressed her. "Yes."
He must have bent over her, because she suddenly felt his lips pressed against her shoulder, and then his chest made reassuring, warm contact with her back. He thrust in gentle, smooth strokes, and her breath rasped in and out in a staccato rhythm as she took more and more of him.
"Oh, yes, yes, yes, Duke." She arched, wanting him all, feeling stretched nearly to the point of pain. Finally, his balls rubbed against her pussy and she thought she had just about all of him.
He drew back and thrust one last time and groaned. She reached back and caressed his cheek as he pressed a kiss against her shoulder then stood once more.
"Fuck me, Duke."
He pulled back and thrust to the root again and growled deep in his chest. "You're killing me, Em. You feel so good."
She moaned as he thrust again and allowed it when he drew her back slightly on the table. She understood why a moment later when she felt Gage stroking her sopping-wet cunt from underneath while Duke stroked into her ass.
In a husky voice, Gage said, "What a hot little pussy you have, angel. Are you looking forward to us fucking you together?"
His words brought to mind what she imagined the three of them would look like together, and her pussy swelled and throbbed almost unbearably. Duke's long, slick strokes over the sensitive nerve endings in her ass were creating a tidal wave of tension inside her.
"Yes, Gage. I want to feel you both inside me." His gentle fingers stroked and teased at her cunt until she was sure she was about to come.
"Soon, angel."
Duke ground out, "I'm about to come, Em. You ready?"
She hovered on the brink of orgasm and whispered, "Yes, Duke. I'm---I'm, oh, Duke..."
He gripped her hips and began thrusting harder. It was just the push she needed when she heard the tiny whir of the little vibrator being switched on. Her pussy clenched before it even touched her, and when it did, she went off like a rocket, screaming against her fist as Duke growled, thrust deep twice more, and cried out in ecstasy. He wrapped his arms beneath her torso and squeezed her to him as he ground against her ass. His passionate groan filled her ears, and she smiled as he pressed his parted lips to her shoulder blade.
Stars swam in her vision, and they both shuddered in pleasure together. Finally, he released her and braced his hands on either side of her and heaved shaky breaths. "Thank you, sweetheart." His voice was low and filled with love.
Nobody ever showed up at their campground that evening. They had the whole quiet place to themselves. As Gage lay with Emma cuddled between him and his cousin, he listened to the soothing sounds of the river flowing past them just a few yards away. They'd grilled burgers for supper then sat around the fire telling stories until Emma yawned. She hadn't protested when they put her to bed and expected her to do nothing more than go to sleep.
Gage loved that she was so willing with them, seizing every opportunity she was presented to be with them, but he didn't want her to feel like they were using her. Her animated face during the sky dive came to mind, and Gage smiled in the dark. No wonder she was so tired that evening.
"Gage?"
He'd thought she was already drifting toward sleep. "Hmm?" he murmured, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Can I ask you about what happened? With your mom and dad, I mean?"
Gage looked over Emma's head and caught Duke's gaze in the dim moonlight. Duke lay there awake as well and nodded at him, encouraging him to tell her. Duke had always been there when Gage was growing up and had seen how he'd struggled with being bullied by other larger kids in school. Duke had also encouraged him when he'd asked if he could talk to a counselor when he got older. Duke wanted him to trust Emma, and that was the least he could do.
"What would you like to know, angel? Ask me."
"Tell me about your biological parents."
Gage released a soft, deep breath. "I barely recall my father. His name was Roger. I was almost three when Duke's family took me in. I've been told he was sadistic, and as you can imagine, I believe it. He's dead now. He died in a prison fight."
"What about your mom?"
"My Aunt Mary's sister, Regina. Aunt Mary always smiles when she talks about her younger sister. I miss her, even though I hardly remember her. I do recall her hugging me a lot. She met Roger and his friends and made a mistake getting tangled up with him. He got her pregnant with me. She never even finished high school. He moved her away from San Angelo for a year or so to find a job. When that didn't work out we came back. My aunt told me that it was obvious he'd gotten Regina hooked on heroin, which he was dealing by that point." He was ashamed that he was related to anyone who'd resorted to dealing drugs to make ends meet, but it was part of his history, so he told her.
"Did Regina try to get help once she came home?"
"Yeah. My aunt and uncle would give her money for food and clothes for me. Regina was pretty closemouthed by that time, but when Aunt Mary offered to take her to a doctor and a counselor, she accepted."
The grief he felt for his mom that never quite went away surfaced, creating a lump in his throat. Aunt Mary had assured him as he grew up that Regina had loved him and had taken as good a care of him as she'd been able. Regina Randall had been every bit as powerless as her toddler son, and addicted to heroin besides that. Even though it meant wishing he'd never been born, Gage wished that she'd never met his father because then she might still be alive and happy.
"Was your dad in prison for dealing drugs?"
"No. He'd been in jail on drug charges before but that's not what landed him in prison. Aunt Mary had taken Regina to see a doctor and a drug counselor one day. I was left in my father's care, because nobody knew just how brutal he was. Uncle Joe told me once just a couple of years ago that they felt guilty for years. They were so happy to have Regina and me back that they somehow overlooked signs that Roger was abusive."
"They didn't want to rock the boat for fear he'd take off with the two of you again?"
"I suppose. Roger was sneaky and they wouldn't have known I was being abused unless they stripped me naked, which they didn't do. They both wish they had now. Anyway, I don't remember very much of what happened that finally got him arrested. I was too little, or my mind shut off the memories...I don't know."
Emma stroked his shoulder and murmured, "It happens. So they left you with Roger to take Regina to an appointment and something happened?"
"Yeah. Aunt Mary walked in the house with Regina and they found Roger passed out on the couch with his belt in his hand. They found me in a closet."
He told the tale with a mixture of emotions. It had been so long ago that he normally looked at it very clinically, but this time he imagined being his aunt or uncle searching for the little baby whom Roger was supposed to be watching over and finding him terrified and injured, hiding in a closet.
"He had harmed you?"
Gage nodded. "Aunt Mary said I was covered in welts and I had cigarette burns all over. I was still in diapers at that age but they said I was naked when they found me. They looked me over and discovered healed burns as well as the fresh ones and a laceration from his belt buckle on one side of my buttocks. When pressed, Regina finally told them that Roger had been abusing both of us and my uncle called the police. I went to the hospital and Aunt Mary and Duke never left my side. She tells me that Duke insisted on sleeping in my hospital bed with me. I don't remember."
Gage wiped the tear that strayed down his cheek. The thought that Duke had felt so protective of him even though they were both little more than babies had always touched his heart in an unspeakable way. He supposed that was why he'd always felt closer than a brother to Duke. Emma stroked his chest and let him be for a moment.
"Regina went to rehab and Roger went to jail and later prison, where he died. I joined Duke's family and was never returned to Regina's care. She never kicked her addiction and died of a heroin overdose. She's buried in San Angelo."
"I noticed that you refer to them all by their proper names."
"I do that to make it easier to explain. I refer to Aunt Mary as Mom and Uncle Joe as Dad, the same as Duke. They insisted on it when we were little and we reaffirmed it when I got to be in middle school. I asked to go to a counselor and they took me and we hashed out issues I was having with being bullied at school. I was small for my age and an easy target. I told them then that I would always consider them my mother and father."
Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe were his saving grace, taking a scared little kid and helping him to grow into a man. When he'd had struggles as a geeky teen, they'd gotten him the help he'd needed, and he knew deep down he owed them his life.
"What did you do about the bullying?"
"The counselor noticed how close Duke and I were, and she suggested that we take martial arts training or self-defense classes together. We learned how to defend ourselves and each other. It also helped me to build up some muscle mass. When bullies find out you'll stand up to them they back off."
"So you and Duke have been close since you were little bitty. Is that why you went into business together?"
Gage saw Duke smile at her question and grinned himself. "Actually, we kind of...backed into that. Ace and Kemp knew Mom and Dad. They were the ones who taught us how to defend ourselves. I think they got more than they bargained for with us. We hung around them as much as we could and learned from them and got interested in the field. Of course our specialty is really the technological end of special investigation but we've gotten in our fair share of interesting places, too."
"I'll bet you have. So you help Ace and Kemp?"
"As much as we can. Besides subcontracting for them we also have our own IT consulting business."
"Which explains why you stay so busy. Which part of your job do you like best?"
Gage didn't even have to think about the answer to that question. "Helping people who can't defend themselves or don't know how. Helping good people out of tough situations."
The case Gage and Duke had been working on the week before came to mind. They were helping Ace and Kemp in a situation involving the father of a toddler who had just discovered that the little boy he'd always thought was his son actually had been fathered by another man. The biological father was currently in jail along with the boy's mother for a vast array of charges.
Ace and Kemp's future bride, Summer Heston, was indirectly involved with the case, which had placed her in a lot of danger at one point. The mother and biological father of the boy had been behind numerous attacks on her and her business. Duke and Gage were working with Ace and Kemp on the case and were hopeful that it might possibly never reach the court system. That all hinged on them discovering enough information to dissuade the extended family from choosing to pursue custody of the boy, who was better off with the man he knew as father.
Emma yawned sleepily and said, "We need heroes in this world." A few seconds later she said, "Gage, if you ever need to talk to someone in the future about what happened to you, I have a friend, a counselor who is very good at listening. Just remember that, okay?"
"Sure, angel."
Being bullied as a teen had dredged up all kinds of hurt and anger from his early trauma, and he'd benefited from counseling then. He didn't discount the possibility that it might help in the future, too. Some wounds went deeper than humanly imaginable.
Emma wiggled around between them, finally got comfortable, and drifted off to sleep a few minutes later.
"She's something, huh?" Duke whispered in the dark.
"Yeah."
A couple of weeks later, in mid-September...
Emma shifted her yellow-and-black Aztek into park in front of Grace Warner's house. She pulled up her planner on her smartphone and checked her to-do list. Duke and Gage had asked her in advance to make preparations for a night out on the town.
At first, she'd been filled with trepidation because that meant dressing up. Dressing up meant makeup. Dressing up and makeup generally involved high heels of some kind. The thought of having to put all that together made her cringe, but at least she had someone to go to. Several "someones," in fact, but Grace was her go-to gal of choice for today. Plus, she had a baby gift to deliver and a little one to coo at.
Besides the night out, Duke and Gage had also asked if she was taking a vacation in the fall, because they wanted to knock a couple more items off the bucket list. So she'd actually taken the red pen and marked a whole week off in October for their next adventure. They didn't hint at what they'd planned, but she had big hopes.
She grabbed the handles on the big pink gift bag and climbed from her vehicle. Jack answered the door when she rang the bell, and she smiled when the first thing she heard was the sound of Rose Marie squalling.
"Hi, Emma! Come on in. Grace is expecting you. Pardon the noise."
"Don't apologize, Jack. That's the sound of a healthy, hungry baby. I love it."
Jack directed her into the living room, where Grace was seated in an upholstered chair, arranging Rose Marie so she could nurse. Emma giggled when the caterwauling ceased in midwail as Rose Marie's meal began. Grace smiled in relief and beckoned Emma to come sit down.
Emma patted Rose Marie's head gently before placing the gift within Grace's reach and then sat nearby. Grace draped a receiving blanket over three-week-old Rose Marie and her shoulder and peeked inside the gift bag. She gasped and pulled the baby quilt from the bag and said, "Did you make this?"
Emma snickered and said, "Grace, I couldn't quilt to save my life. I found it at that new baby and children's store in Divine."
Grace laughed. "Aren't you worried Jane is going to be pissed off if she finds out you bought a blanket instead of making one? Or you could have had 'the quilters guild' make you one."
The last time she'd encountered one of the members of that group in the grocery store, Tabitha had asked Emma if she'd decided against hiring that "bigamist Warner woman" as an RN at her clinic. Emma had bitten her tongue and politely told her that Maya Warner had graciously agreed to join her staff even though she no longer needed to.
Emma snickered. "I think Jane's just about given up on me joining her little group. I can sew on a button. That doesn't mean I want to quilt. Bunch of frumpy gossips."
Grace burst into giggles, and Emma joined her. Her friendship with Jane had been strained lately. Because she was spending her weekends and even some of her weekday evenings in Duke and Gage's company, she didn't get to see as much of Jane as she used to.
Emma had finally nixed joining the quilters group altogether. That was time on her evenings off she couldn't get back, and spending it with gossips wasn't her cup of tea. Besides that, she loved Maya and wasn't about to support an organization that was so unfriendly to other people in the community. She could only imagine how Jane would react when she got word that Emma was dating two men.
Emma did a double take when she noticed a tiny pair of sandals on the table beside Grace. "Are those what I think they are?"
Grace chuckled and held them out to Emma to inspect. Small enough to fit in the palm of her hand were a pair of teeny-tiny Birkenstock sandals. Grace said, "My friend Nell Flanders from Colorado sent those for the baby. She's concerned about Rose Marie's environmental footprint and said that they were biodegradable."
"Wait. Is Nell the one who wanted you to ask me for..."
Grace bit her lip. "Rose Marie's placenta? Yes. She promised me that if I buried it at the base of one of the oak trees in the backyard it would grow taller. She said that might offset Rose Marie's methane gas output."
Emma blinked a couple of times. "Her farts?"
"She asked us during a video chat. You should have seen the guy's faces. It's hard to look someone that sincere in the eye and lie, but they did it. If you ever meet Nell, just remember that I told her you helped bury it...at midnight on a full moon, okay?"
"You did not tell her that!"
Grace nodded with all sincerity. "Be glad I didn't promise her that we would do a dance around the tree afterward. The guys adamantly but lovingly refused that request. Can you imagine those guys dancing around a tree?" Grace burst out laughing and Emma joined her, finally wiping tears of mirth from her cheeks.
They spent time talking about the baby and getting caught up on how things were progressing with Duke and Gage. Grace marveled that the three of them had gone skydiving together.
"Emma, I swear I never saw that one coming. You, with Duke and Gage. I don't know why I didn't see it before."
Emma smiled and replied, "We do have a lot of similar interests. I need to ask for your help with something. Your hands are full, I know, but if you could at least point me in the right direction..."
Grace's blue eyes sparkled. "Sure. What do you need?"
"The guys are planning a big night out. It's a large step out of our comfort zones for all of us."
"The bucket list you mentioned?"
"Exactly. They're taking me out and we're supposed to be going dancing too. I---um. All I wear are these---" She gestured to her scrubs and white coat and zebra-striped clogs. "I hardly ever wear makeup. My closet should be declared a clearance-sale disaster area, it's so full of hodgepodge and chaos. And don't even get me started on shoes..."
"Makeover time?"
Emma slumped and said, "I stood in front of my open closet this morning after they told me and realized that is exactly what I need. I'm a terrible clothing shopper. If it's not jeans and a nice sweater or my scrubs...I'm lost."
Grace pondered what Emma said for a few seconds as she put Rose Marie over her shoulder to burp her. Somehow Grace Warner managed to look sexy as hell, even in a nursing bra and top. Emma honestly didn't know how she accomplished it. Grace obviously was losing sleep like any new mother did, caring for an infant around the clock. Emma could only attribute it to the fact that the men were taking turns staying home to help out around the house and with the baby.
Once Rose Marie was burped and happy, Grace took her to her daddy, who was in the study working on a house plan. Jack beamed at the baby when Grace turned her over to him, and he laid his pencil down and put his boots up on the corner of his desk to cuddle her in his arms while she fell asleep. He pressed a kiss to the top of Rose Marie's downy little head.
Emma thought this was where new families sometimes went astray. That moment of discovery and wonder when the baby came quickly turned into reality, when work sometimes had to wait and interruptions happened and a mother and father and other family members had to pull together to make it happen. Mom couldn't do everything all the time.
Grace said, "Come on, Emma. I have a website to show you. Thank you, Jack. I'll be in my office with Emma."
Grace bent to kiss Jack, and then he replied, "Okay, darlin'. Y'all take your time. Me and sweet pea got some talkin' to do about icky boys and how she's never gonna date."
Grace giggled and replied, "Poor girl. She doesn't have a chance with three protective daddies." She led Emma across the house and down a hallway to one of the bedrooms on the back side of the house.
A double bed made up with a plush comforter and pillows rested against one wall, but the room was clearly used as an office, judging by the large oak desk that dominated one corner of the room. Tall windows provided natural light, and books lined an oak bookshelf nearby. A large framed boudoir portrait of Grace hung on one wall, in which she was dressed in a pink nightie and pink satin robe.
Emma was in awe of the change that Grace had gone through in the last couple of years. She remembered her being shy, downtrodden, and overworked. Unhappy. All of that had changed since she'd met her men. The difference in her was almost miraculous.
She was now invested in two different businesses, Harper's Embroidery in Divine and Discretion in Morehead, plus she was a best-selling erotic romance author, writing under the pseudonym Caressa MacFarland. Emma owned all her titles. The same was true for Rachel Wolf, Grace's friend, who was known in the e-publishing world as Jane O'Malley. Grace and Rachel had introduced Emma to the world of erotic romance, and she was eternally grateful.
"So this is where it happens, huh?"
Grace chuckled. "Yup. This is Jack's bedroom, but he hardly ever uses it, so he had Wes and Evan Garner build me a big desk since the light is so good in this room. Have a seat." Grace offered her a chair and then pulled up another and opened her laptop. "I want to show you a website. We'll start there for basics."
Grace clicked on a browser bookmark and a web page loaded on the screen. "Hips and Curves dot com. I've heard you mention them before."
"I love them."
"Oh wow, look at that gorgeous model."
Grace clicked through various pages showing her around the website, giving Emma an idea of what they offered. All the models were built like her and Grace with curvy hourglass figures. Grace suggested some basic foundation garments and apparel items. With a twinkle in her eyes, she clicked on the Halloween costume page. They both giggled when a naughty nurse costume came up on the screen, and it gave Emma an idea.
Grace printed out the items Emma was interested in and turned to her with speculation in her eyes. "Exactly how far do you want to go with this makeover, Emma? Are we talking about a new outfit for one night out or do you want to go 'whole hog'?"
Emma thought about that for a moment and knew she could do with a full makeover. It didn't have to mean getting rid of who she was, but she definitely needed help in the style and poise department. "Whole hog," she replied decisively.
"All right. I have connections that can help." Grace slipped her phone out and started dialing.
Oh, shit! What have I gotten myself into?
The next day after work, Emma checked the clock in her phone as she pulled up in front of the white house set back amongst thick shade trees in the older residential neighborhood.
Rachel and Grace had suggested Emma visit their friend Camilla O'Neal, who was an assistant manager at The Dancing Pony. Prior to taking that job, she had worked her way through college as an exotic dancer at a club in Morehead.
Camilla didn't broadcast that part of her life far and wide, but she did offer private striptease and pole-dancing lessons to interested women.
"You can do this, Emma Guthrie. If you can skinny-dip and have outdoor-in-broad-daylight sex, you can certainly handle shaking your booty a little."
She stepped from her vehicle, checking her bag to make sure she had all the things she'd been asked to bring. Trying to imagine herself moving like a stripper, she somehow managed to trip over her feet as she walked up the shady sidewalk to the front porch. Who in the hell am I kidding? Heat stole over her cheeks, but she took the last few steps with determination.
The doorbell echoed inside the house, and a few seconds later a gorgeous, petite strawberry blonde answered the door. She had to be at least nine or ten inches shorter than Emma. Soft music played in the house as Camilla held open the screen door for her.
"Hi, Emma. I'm Camilla. Don't look so worried. I'll have you gyrating and grinding in no time." She had a twinkle in her eye and an easy smile that helped put Emma at ease as she stepped into the living room.
Emma said, "Gosh, I hope so because I'm as clumsy as I can be." Please don't let me break my ankles wearing the hooker heels in my bag.
Camilla giggled and replied, "No more talk like that. You just have to find your rhythm, that's all. You've probably been trying to fit into somebody else's idea of what is sexy. It's time to find out what works for you. I'm glad you wore something comfy and easy to take off."
Emma's eyebrows shot up at that comment, and Camilla giggled playfully. "What? That's part of it. You want to learn how to get out of your clothing in a way that has your men's jaws hanging open and them begging for more, right?" she asked encouragingly, like the only answer to such a question was "Yes!"
She pictured Gage with his intense green eyes riveted on her, ready to pounce, and Duke's sensual gray gaze as he watched her peel off each layer. A little seed of confidence began to grow inside of her. "Yes, I do!"
Camilla beckoned her and said, "Then come on back to my studio and we'll get started."
Late September...
Duke stood at the living room window watching the activity below. "There they go again, Gage. What do you suppose is going on downstairs?" Duke asked as he observed Summer Heston, Maya Warner, Rachel Wolf, and Camilla O'Neal carry another round of full black trash bags to the back of Rachel's SUV.
Their apartment complex was built on the outskirts of Divine. A pecan tree orchard was located on one side, an open pasture was on the other side, and across the road was a field used for growing hay. Parked on that side of the street was a faded, blue van. It had been there when he'd seen the girls take out the first load of bags.
"She just moved in," Gage said as he looked over Duke's shoulder. "What could she be clearing out already? Was that blue van there earlier?"
"Yes. I don't recognize it. Someone was looking at the vacancy in the other building. Maybe it belongs to them."
Emma had been tied up for a couple of weeks working on a special project and had promised that she would be ready for their big evening out, which wasn't until that weekend. They had asked her in advance so she'd have time in case she wanted to shop for a nice outfit.
"I think she's planning something," Duke said. "She sounded bubbly on the phone earlier."
"I miss her."
"I do, too. Want to hit up Jelani and Marcario? They're back in Toronto for a couple of weeks before leaving for the Congo."
Gage sighed. "Cool. I guess. For some reason Call of Duty doesn't appeal to me lately."
Duke stepped away from the window. "I know. Me too."
It didn't really interest him tonight, either. It was more of a fallback option since Emma was tied up. Duke sat back on the couch and put his boots up on the coffee table, feeling a funk coming on. It had only been a couple of weeks, but it felt like a month. He missed Emma.
"Go big or go home, right?" Rachel asked as she stood next to Emma, gazing at her now blessedly empty closet. It had been packed from floor to ceiling with odds and ends from two decades of buying and not wearing. She'd get brave, buy something, be too afraid to wear it for fear of being noticed, and then let it languish in her closet until it went out of style.
"The vintage clothing store in Morehead is going to love you, Emma," Rachel said. "Now you have room for the things that worked and room to buy some new things. Want to open your box from Hips and Curves?"
Emma squealed, "It came?"
"Yeah, UPS just brought it," Rachel replied then chuckled. "Duke and Gage are wondering what is going on down here, I bet."
"How do you know that?"
"Camilla said one of them peeked over the railing when she opened the door for the UPS man."
Emma fought the urgent need to rush upstairs. She knew the old saying that "absence makes the heart fonder" was true because she was missing her men like crazy this week. In order to accomplish her makeover, she'd needed the evenings free and wanted it to be a surprise for her men, so she had been keeping them in the dark for the time being.
"Aw, you miss them, don't you?" Rachel asked as she rubbed her lower back.
Emma nodded, "I do. You okay?"
"Yes, my back aches, that's all. This little guy has been jumping on my bladder all day long. I'll bet you have more than your fair share of aches and pains too, don't you?" Rachel asked knowingly.
"Mostly in my legs. Camilla really knows her stuff."
"It will help with your balance and walking too. How is it coming with the shoes?"
Emma giggled thinking of last night as she rubbed her aching hip. "It was great. I only fell one time! And you're right. The lessons are helping with my balance and poise. I never learned how to walk in heels properly."
"Practice makes perfect. Ready to get to work?"
Emma smiled and nodded. If she was going to do this thing, she was going to do it right. She could keep doing what she'd been doing and accept her own personal status quo, or she could make some changes that might knock her men, and maybe herself, for a loop.
Rachel cut the tape on the box and dumped the contents on the bed. Soon Maya, Summer, Camilla, and Emma were squealing over the contents.
Later, after everyone had gone home, Emma looked around her bedroom with fresh eyes. Her closet was positively spartan now, but she looked forward to her shopping excursion with Summer and Maya. They were hitting Discretion, Macy's, and points beyond the next day.
She slipped her unreasonably priced, but fairly comfortable, high heels from her feet and placed them on their shelf then removed her clothing and put on her comfy SpongeBob SquarePants pajama bottoms and a snug white T-shirt that she'd been sleeping in.
She'd bargained with Rachel to keep these two pieces. Emma let them take everything else they thought didn't work for her, but she'd held her ground on her jammies. Rachel gave in, making her promise that since the satin pajama pants and camisoles had arrived from Hips and Curves she would save the jammies for emergencies only. This wasn't technically an emergency, but she didn't want to go upstairs in her scrubs and she didn't want to give her surprises away.
She took one last look in the mirror and smiled at what she'd accomplished with her hair and makeup on her own tonight, without any help, then brushed out her hair and washed her face. Slipping her feet into her bunny slippers, which she'd hidden in the pantry because she knew there was no way the girls would let those stay behind, she grabbed her keys and looked at the clock. She heard a soft thump directly above her, so Duke and Gage must have been up late watching television.
Quietly, she slipped out of her apartment and tiptoed up the stairs, her bunny-ear slippers flopping with every movement. She rapped lightly on the door and giggled to herself when she felt the vibrations as they must've both jumped up and ran for the door.
The door jerked open, and they both stood there, looking so happy to see her all she could do was fling herself at them. "How have you been?"
They simultaneously wrapped their arms around her and buried their noses in her hair. Duke growled, "Better, now. We missed you."
Gage chuckled and murmured, "Emma's feeling frisky tonight."
Emma turned to look into his mischievously twinkling green eyes. "How can you tell?"
"You've got the bunny slippers on."
That weekend, in early October...
Saturday night, Emma stood in front of her mirrored closet door making a final inspection. Half her closet was filled with her work clothing. The other half was now occupied by the items she'd gone shopping for with Maya and Summer. She'd almost felt foolish as the girls had demonstrated how she could mix and match all the pieces she'd purchased.
She'd been so enamored with reading and learning as a child that she'd never gotten into playing dress up and learning about fashion like other girls did. Her mom had always assisted her with putting her clothes together, and she'd just never worried about it.
Once she was in college she'd always worn blue jeans and T-shirts, besides the required clothing for medical students. Her roommate had offered fashion help with special occasions, and Emma had honestly never given it that much thought as long as she was decently covered. As an adult the pattern had only been further ingrained.
Feeling like a new woman, she gazed at her reflection and smiled. She was still the same person, and still Doctor Emma, but she liked this new facet of who she was, too. It was healthy to break out of ruts, and she'd discovered while shopping with Maya and Summer that one of her ruts was buying clothing that was too large for her. When they'd asked why she wanted to try on such large sizes, Emma had told them it was so she could be comfortable. But she knew deep down that she was also hiding inside her clothing because she was self-conscious about her curvy figure.
Looking at herself in her sleek black dress, Emma was glad that all the voluminous tops and bottoms and matronly dresses were gone from her closet. The girls had also confiscated almost all of her shoes, even her floppy leather sandals. When they'd gone shopping, they'd made a point of buying comfortable, casual clothes and shoes that fit her properly since she enjoyed so many outdoor activities. The excursion hadn't been just about buying sexy dress-up clothes and high heels. It had become a full wardrobe overhaul. Her pocketbook had squealed in protest, but she hardly ever shopped for clothing and had determined she was long overdue.
Of course the overhaul hadn't ended there. Meeting Camilla O'Neal had also had an impact on her. The striptease lessons had gone a long way toward building confidence in the way Emma handled herself and the way she moved. She only had basic moves for pole dancing down, but Camilla had helped her master the art of striptease, which she planned to try out on Duke and Gage soon.
A thrill raced through her when the doorbell rang. She grabbed her evening bag and her overnight case, because she'd promised to spend the whole night with them. Her cell phone was turned off because she was not on call for that weekend. She turned out the lights in her bedroom and hustled down the hall to answer the door.
Duke and Gage stood there looking like movie stars. Gage was dressed in a long-sleeved, white button-down shirt, worn untucked over gray trousers, and Duke was dressed in a lightweight, black sweater that hugged his biceps and lean, muscular chest.
Her jaw dropped, and she smiled when they had the same reaction to her. "Come in. You both look so handsome."
"Emma. Wow," Duke said as he took her overnight bag from her shoulder. He gestured for her to turn for them, and she complied, ignoring the self-conscious voice that whispered they would see all her flaws as she turned. Emma fought down the urge to self-consciously wring her hands together, remembering Camilla's instructions. "You're...stunning."
Those two simple words made all the expense, work, and sore muscles worth it. Both men kissed her gently as though they were concerned about messing up her hair or makeup.
She took a slow breath and felt herself relax as she replied. "I know this is not how you are used to seeing me. I'm glad you like it."
Duke's eyes shone with approval as he said, "This is just another part of you that we get to enjoy, Em. In different ways, we were all out of our comfort zones. We'd usually be dressed in flannel and jeans on a Saturday night, playing Call of Duty with friends, not dressed up to take you out to a five-star restaurant."
Admiration glimmered in Gage's eyes as he nodded in agreement and said, "You look sexy as hell in those high heels. You're absolutely beautiful, angel." Their words filled her with pleasure, and she felt herself stand up a little straighter because of them. Gage pulled the bouquet of red roses from behind his back and held them out to her. "We brought you something."
With a gasp, she took them and lifted the fragrant flowers to her nose and, with heartfelt gratitude, murmured, "They are beautiful, thank you."
Gage asked, "Ready for your evening out?"
Emma nodded and said, "Let me put these in a vase." While seeing to that task, Emma asked, "Where are we going first?" They'd asked her to be ready at four o'clock, which led her to believe that their plans included a drive somewhere.
"Our first stop is Tessa's, a little out-of-the-way place in Morehead that was highly recommended. We're getting there early so we can take you out for a night of dancing afterward."
"Oh, I've heard of Tessa's!" Boy, have I heard all about Tessa's!
Duke chuckled and said, "We have a table reserved in the main dining room. We had to get on a list for one of the private dining rooms. I hope you're not disappointed."
"Not at all, Duke. I'm sure I'll love it."
"I did put us on the waiting list, though," he added as she placed the rose-filled vase on the kitchen counter. The girls had hinted at the intimate dinners several of them had enjoyed at Tessa's, and her heart thrilled that they had that experience to look forward to.
"Ready to go?" Gage asked as he reached for her hand. A flush warmed her cheeks as they looked her over appreciatively once more.
Duke couldn't believe his luck as he drove his truck down Main Street in Divine. Between him and his cousin sat a woman who constantly amazed him.
The relationship forming between the three of them was unlike anything he could've imagined. Maybe it was because they had started out with the idea of tackling goals and dreams with their bucket lists.
Playing it safe and developing a regular routine hadn't happened. Because of their work schedules, they'd had to seize any moment they had together. Their adventures had added an element of "comfort zone-less-ness" to his life that he never would've thought he'd be at ease with. He knew, and hoped, that eventually they would settle into the flow of a normal relationship, but these excursions forced the three of them to explore what was really important to them in their lives.
For Duke it was making a difference with the technological talents he possessed. Gage had voiced similar thoughts, and Emma had told them she loved being a healer. But in the process of helping others they'd lost that little spark in themselves. They were reigniting that inspiration with these adventures.
In his eyes, Emma was the girl next door. Fresh faced, ponytailed, always ready with a smile and an encouraging word. It was exciting to discover this other facet of her persona. When she'd opened the door he'd been floored by the difference in her. Since the other night when she'd surprised them with a visit, he'd noticed there was a new confidence in her, in the way she moved and how she responded to them.
Tonight she'd transformed herself into a sultry temptress in a little black dress that fit her sleek curves so well his cock had stirred instantly to life. She was wearing high heels that nearly brought her to eye level and made her legs look even longer and so incredibly sexy.
He caught Gage's glance and could practically read his mind. Someone else was antsy to get the evening started as well. He decelerated as he caught up to a slower-moving vehicle in front of them. The road and speed limit didn't really allow for passing and they were in no hurry, so they traveled the short distance through town behind the little silver Mazda sedan. Gage sighed softly, and Duke grinned to himself.
They drove through the busiest part of the shopping district, pausing for stoplights and the heavier weekend shopping traffic. A cool front had blown in that weekend, and the cooler temperatures had brought out more shoppers to the area. Evidently the owner of the Mazda was new in town because the driver braked repeatedly as though unsure of where to turn. Duke backed off to allow ample room for them and to avoid having an accident in case the driver slammed on their brakes. Adjusting her eyeglasses, Emma leaned forward and squinted at the vehicle.
"They must be lost," Gage said distractedly as the vehicle suddenly turned into the parking lot of the large shopping center where Stigall's was located.
Emma frowned and pulled her phone from her purse and said, "Something is wrong with the driver. Slow down, Duke." Her phone beeped as it powered back on. "Oh, no," she said as she pointed.
The three of them watched in surprise as the driver slumped over behind the wheel. The Mazda sedan swerved, barely missed a parked car, and careened into the limestone and glass windowed storefront of Clay Cook's Jewelers. The bumper took out a few of the bricks, and the large plate glass window shattered and collapsed onto the hood of the vehicle.
Emma dialed nine-one-one. "Stop the truck, Duke."
Duke pulled into the parking lot a safe distance away and parked. Gage helped Emma out, and they ran to the car. Others had already started to gather.
"Damn it. I wish I had my kit---Dorothy, this is Emma Guthrie," she said into the phone to the emergency dispatcher. "I'm on Main Street. Single-vehicle accident, in front of Clay Cook's Jewelers. Send an ambulance. The driver appears unconscious."
Mindful of the broken glass, Gage opened the door of the vehicle, and Emma crouched down to check the driver's pulse. The passenger-side door was pulled open by another man who had run out from the jewelry store. "Female driver, mid-to late-thirties...no sign of head injuries, the vehicle wasn't moving very fast when it struck the building."
Duke stepped away to keep the crowd back that was gathering while Emma worked, checking the woman over as she filled the emergency department in on the details. Gage shifted the gear lever into park and shut off the ignition.
Emma interrupted her conversation with the dispatcher to admonish a woman who looked vaguely familiar away from the vehicle. "Tabitha, stop taking pictures. There's glass everywhere and you're going to get cut. Move over there." She pointed back to the doorway of the shop where the woman had originally come from, armed with her camera phone. It hit Duke suddenly that this woman had been their downstairs neighbor for a while. She pouted a little but did as Emma asked, while sending a text message.
The hospital was close by, and almost immediately he heard the sound of a siren. A police car pulled up, and Duke greeted the sheriff as Hank Stinson took over the scene.
Duke returned to Emma as the other man assisted her in carefully laying the woman on her side in the vehicle. Emma asked, "Clay, do you know this woman?"
The man, who must be the owner of Clay Cook's Jewelers, gently swiped the woman's wavy brown locks from her face and looked closely at her. "No, Emma. I---I don't think---actually, I'm not sure. Something about her is...familiar. It doesn't look like she hit her head or anything. She's awful pale." Duke noticed the man, who was evidently Clay Cook, stroked the underside of the driver's chin.
Checking her pulse, Emma said, "Rapid heart rate. She's in shock."
EMS arrived, and Emma gave them a rundown of the woman's condition. After she was finished, Hank took a report from the three of them regarding what they'd seen. The EMTs carefully removed the woman from the vehicle and lifted her onto a stretcher. Clay grabbed her purse and handed it to one of the technicians. He stood there, seeming at a loss, as they loaded her into the ambulance.
Duke started the silver Mazda and parked the vehicle beside the store. It appeared to Duke that the driver of the vehicle might have been in the middle of moving day. Boxes and luggage filled the backseat of the sedan. The damage was mostly to the front bumper and the hood, but Clay's window was a total loss.
Clay asked, "Did you see it happen?"
Duke explained what they'd seen and that Emma had asked them to stop.
Clay stuck his hands in his pockets, watching the ambulance with a faraway look in his eyes before turning back to them. "Oh, so you're friends of Emma's?"
"Yeah. You?"
"She treats me for allergies. She's a good person. That's obvious, since she stopped to help someone she didn't know."
Duke was relieved the guy was her patient. He'd felt a mild prick of jealousy when they'd spoken to each other like old friends earlier. Duke locked the doors on the car and handed Clay the keys. "Not sure what to do with those. Do you have any plywood for your window?" Clay put the keys in his pocket and watched distractedly as the ambulance pulled away and then realized Duke had asked him a direct question. "Huh? No---I mean yes, I do."
Duke looked around for Emma and saw her still chatting with Hank. Gage nodded at him, and Duke turned back to Clay and said, "Looks like Emma is still tied up talking to the sheriff. Why don't we help you with the window?"
When it was all said and done, they were an hour late for their reservation and lost their table at Tessa's. Sitting in a secluded table in one of the smaller dining rooms at O'Reilley's, Duke said, "That was a nice thing you did, stopping to help that woman. Do you have any clue what happened?"
Emma shook her head. "Her symptoms indicated she was in shock, but I couldn't find any outward cause. It could have been from an infection or internal bleeding. The emergency department at the hospital has probably already determined the cause. I'm sorry about our reservations. This is what happens when you're a doctor."
"That's okay," Gage replied. "We're still on the waiting list for one of the private dining tables at Tessa's. We'll get there eventually."
"Speaking of lists," Emma said as she glanced at the party of five at the table next to them, "I know something else I want to add to my list."
Gage and Duke both leaned toward her when she beckoned them, and Duke asked, "What's that?"
Surreptitiously, Emma pointed in the direction of the table next to them. "I've been watching that family while we've been talking."
They sat back and got a look at who she was talking about. The group consisted of two adults, probably in their late fifties, a younger couple, and a toddler seated in a wooden highchair.
The younger couple sat close together and the husband's arm was around his wife's shoulders. Duke watched as the young woman gazed up at her husband as though she wanted to drink him in. Her eyes were shiny, and her chin trembled a bit as though she fought back tears. The husband was clad in the green-and-tan battle uniform of a senior airman, indicated by the green patch with three blue stripes on the sleeve of his jacket hanging on his chair.
Judging by the deep tan from many hours in the sun and the sandblasted, worn appearance of his uniform, he had just returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. He looked at his wife as though he wanted to devour her on the spot. He leaned toward her to whisper something in her ear, and the young woman blushed.
The older man spoke to the young man, and Duke could see great pride evident in his eyes. Duke and Gage looked back at Emma when she nudged them and gestured in another direction across the small dining room.
Next, she pointed at another table where three more elderly couples sat. "See those three men sitting with their wives?" At their nods she continued, "I'm acquainted with all three of those couples. The men all served together in Korea and two of them did tours in Vietnam. All three are decorated combat veterans." She smiled as though at a memory and said, "You should hear some of their stories. Anyway, they are my heroes. So is the airman at the other table. I'd like to do something for all of them."
Duke got their waitress's attention and made the necessary arrangements with her. The three of them watched with enjoyment as the groups at both tables finished their meals and then got the news that someone had picked up their entire bills. Emma bit her lip, trying to appear nonchalant as the recipients of her random act of kindness looked around the room, probably wondering who would do that.
Emma smiled when they both clasped her hands under the table, and she asked, "So what's next?"
Duke murmured, "The Dancing Pony."
"I've always wanted to go there," she said, clapping her hands. "I learned some dance moves this week, so hopefully I won't embarrass you too much."
Gage grinned in appreciation and said, "You did?"
Emma nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I was afraid of stepping on toes or falling on my face. The girls taught me how to two-step and waltz. I think I shocked them that I didn't know how, but I've never been to a place like The Dancing Pony where I could learn."
Duke grinned, wondering what she would think if she knew that Summer had taken them both in hand the weekend before and showed them the very same dances. The woman was wily with her matchmaking. Duke just hoped and prayed he didn't look like Wile E. Coyote out on the dance floor, a disaster waiting to happen.
Emma felt heat steal into her cheeks when she caught Duke and Gage gazing at her admiringly as she rose from their booth to visit the ladies' room. The lessons with Camilla had helped a lot with her body confidence. There was a time when she'd have been terrified of every awkward step she'd take in the high heels she wore tonight.
As she made her way gracefully through the main dining room at O'Reilley's, she remembered what Camilla had taught her. Back straight, breasts proud, relaxed hips, and tummy tucked in. She could hear the dance music playing in her head that made a perfect rhythm for walking, which was how Camilla had her practice. She made it to the ladies' room without landing on her ass and was quite proud of it.
She was lathering her hands in the sink when the restroom door swung open behind her. "Oh, my gosh. It is you!" her friend Jane said as she walked in.
"Hi, Jane. How have you been?" She watched Jane in the mirror as Jane looked her up and down with a frown on her face. Emma looked down, disappointed by the reaction. It would've been nice if Jane had complimented her improved appearance.
"Great. Why haven't you returned my calls?"
"I've been busy in the evenings. Work is the same as usual." Truthfully, Emma wanted to avoid being around Jane's constant negativity. Her comment about being spinsters together had really bothered Emma. Things had changed a lot in her life in a short period of time. It was obvious Jane didn't completely approve of the changes.
Jane crossed her arms in front of her and shrugged as Emma turned to face her while drying her hands on a paper towel. "So...you're here on a date. I saw those two guys. Are you meeting someone else here? Maybe you and I could double-date with them sometime."
Emma nearly swallowed her tongue at the thought and covered for her reaction by fiddling with the closure on her evening bag. Jane was the type that never let go of something once she'd latched on to it. She'd expect a response to her suggestion.
"I'm sorry, Jane. I'm out with them. We're not meeting anybody." Emma bit her lip, hoping that there was no one privy to this private conversation in any of the stalls.
Jane's eyes got big, and then she rolled them and put out a hand when Emma would have said more. "Say no more. Have fun. Talk to you later."
Emma frowned in disappointment as her friend stalked out of the restroom. Jane was jealous and probably a little hurt because Emma hadn't spent much time with her. Leaning against the vanity, it occurred to Emma that if Jane was really her friend, she'd eventually understand. If she wasn't, this was as good a time as any to let her go.
An hour later, Duke helped Emma from the truck, admiring her long, shapely legs once more. He and Gage escorted her through the front door of The Dancing Pony. The rhythm of an upbeat country song pulsed in the air as they entered the dimly lit nightclub.
The bouncers, two very large Hispanic men, took one look at Emma and smiled. She greeted them both as though she knew them, and the taller of the two started talking a mile a minute to her. Duke recognized Mike and Rogelio but didn't know them personally. He'd spent numerous hours observing the nightlife in the club while trying to pinpoint the person who'd been taping the girls dancing then posting inflammatory articles about them on the Internet.
Duke's attention was drawn back to their conversation. "Thanks, Doc, for texting me a picture before you removed it. I was eating lunch at the time."
Emma snorted and said, "It's not every day you see a bean shoved up a kid's nose actually sprouting. I thought you'd want to see before I removed it."
"We still haven't figured out which of Cole's brothers talked him into doing that. They stick together."
Duke chuckled along with Gage, getting the gist of the conversation. He imagined Emma probably had seen just about everything as a family practitioner in a small town.
Mike reached out and shook his and Gage's hands and said, "It's getting busy but you shouldn't have much difficulty getting a table."
They seated Emma and themselves at one of the tall tables against the back wall. Duke noticed that she eyed the dance floor and looked a little nervous. He felt for her. The dancing couples all looked comfortable as they swayed and danced together, looking as though they'd all been born knowing how to dance.
He leaned toward Emma and said, "You look gorgeous tonight. I can't wait to get you on the dance floor."
He was telling a small lie. He couldn't wait to draw her close to him, that much was certainly true. He'd never spent any time in dance halls or nightclubs unless he was working. His choice of venues for dates usually revolved around dinner and a movie, not stepping out of his comfort zone.
He had other cousins who had learned to dance as teenagers, but he and Gage had never been interested when they were growing up, and so he'd spent his twenties and early thirties avoiding places like this because he didn't want to embarrass himself.
Summer had been very patient and kind when she showed him and Gage some dance moves and encouraged him to just listen to the music and let the rhythm of the dance provide its own inspiration. Summer had asked if Emma knew how to dance, and Duke had told her no, that he knew for a fact she didn't. Summer had smiled and told him, "Well then, she'll never know the difference if you're both beginners, will she?" That was true, and now the moment to test that theory had come.
"Emma, want to dance?"
The hunted look in Emma's eyes was confirmed in her reply. "Already?"
Gage smiled in commiseration and said, "It's better to rip the Band-Aid off, right? Angel, you look really beautiful tonight and even though this is a stretch for me also, I'm seriously looking forward to getting you out on the dance floor."
Emma bit her lip and smiled at his compliment. "If I could jump out of an airplane, I can do this too, right? I'm sorry I'm such a socially stunted geek, guys."
Duke laughed at her description of herself. She hid it well. "Geeks 'R' Us, Emma. The dance floor is full and nobody will notice us stepping on each other's toes. Want to wait until some friends show up?"
Emma hopped from her seat. "No! Let's do this."
Glad his question had the desired effect, he nodded when Gage said that he'd order a round of drinks for them. He held Emma's hand and ignored his own self-consciousness as they walked together to the dance floor. Her hand was just as clammy as his, so they both knew how the other felt about this adventure.
Situations like this were more difficult for someone who had spent so much time in isolated settings, like behind a computer monitor. Emma had dedicated her youth and young adult years to her education and believed she was socially stunted because of it.
He smiled reassuringly at her when she bit her lip and held tight to his hand. He pulled her into the crowd, ignoring his own nerves in his determination to do this. Summer had suggested staying to the center of the dance floor because they'd be less likely to get run over by other dancers and could take the dance at their own pace.
Consolation came when he looked into Emma's eyes, and he pulled her against him as the song changed. The Band Perry's "All Your Life" began to play, and he cupped her neck and drew her to him for a brief kiss. Her neck muscles were stiff, and he left his hand there for a moment, rubbing gently as she settled her head against his chest. She bumped the toe of her shoe against his and briefly clutched at his shoulder.
"Would you walk to the edge of the ocean
Just to fill my jar with sand?
Just in case I get the notion
To let it run through my hand..."
"No one is going to care if we're here in the middle stepping on each other's toes. Relax, Em." His cock tightened when she wrapped her arms around his waist and they began to move together to the music.
"Well, I don't want the whole world
The sun, the moon, and all their light
And I just want to be the only girl
You love all your life..."
She gradually relaxed, and at some point during the song he realized that while they might not be moving with the same steps as everyone else, they were definitely dancing together. Their bodies were pressed against each other from knee to chest, and when he advanced, she molded herself to him in retreat and allowed him to lead.
They knocked toes on a couple of occasions, but each time she'd look up at him and smile as they regained their rhythm and continued on. The song was over too soon.
They returned to the table and sipped from the drinks Gage had procured for them. Emma looked much more settled, and he felt relieved. It was just as Summer had said. They would all three learn together.
Gage got out of his chair and held his hand out to her. Emma smiled and took it as she rose. Duke couldn't resist a soft stroke on her ass when she winked at him as she walked past. She giggled and followed Gage to the dance floor. Duke wondered if Gage knew that the next song was a waltz.
A hand clapped down on his shoulder. He chuckled when he turned and saw that it was Ace Webster. Accompanying him were Kemp Whittier and Summer Heston, as well as Ace's sister Lydia and her men, Chance and Clayton Carlisle.
"Hey!" Duke said as he rose from his chair to greet the ladies and shake hands with the men. Pointing at the recently vacated table next to them, he said, "Care to join us?"
They slid the square tables together, and the men seated Summer and Lydia before Chance left to place an order for drinks at the bar.
Summer leaned toward Duke and asked, "Not nearly as nerve racking as you thought it would be, was it?"
Duke shook his head. "Nope. It was worse. But then we got on the dance floor and it just...worked."
Summer's lovely face broke into a wide grin, and she sat up like a proud mama. "See? It wasn't so bad! Oh, I see Emma out there with Gage right now. Aw, look. They do fine together. Everybody else is too wrapped up in each other to notice how anyone else dances. They look like all the others. I told you that you both had natural rhythm."
Kemp snickered. "Duke, it never occurred to us in all these years that you two had never learned how to dance."
Duke's eyebrows shot up. "Probably because it's kind of embarrassing. We were busy building the 'geekdom.'"
Ace chuckled and said, "Maybe we should have let them out of the surveillance van more often, Kemp. If we'd known, we would have taught you ourselves."
Duke laughed at Ace's teasing and replied, "Thanks, man. The self-defense lessons were enough. I think we're holding our own tonight."
Lydia snorted and pointed at Gage and Emma, who were kissing as "Cowboys Like Us" by George Strait drew to a close. "Uh, yeah. Looks like it. Is he swabbing her tonsils?"
Duke had known Lydia since he was a teenager and looked upon her as a younger sibling. He poked her in the ribs, and she giggled as she patted his shoulder. "You and Gage seem very happy, Duke. It's good to see you getting out and socializing in the land of the living."
"Damn, were we that antisocial?"
Lydia smiled at him indulgently. "No. We always knew where you were. It's just nice to see you out and about is all. I had no idea you didn't know how to dance."
Duke grinned at Lydia and replied, "That's because we hid it well behind out sarcastic, geeky wit." He shrugged and added, "It's not like we were deprived or anything. And now that we know Emma enjoys dancing we'll bring her here again."
Lydia nudged him with her elbow and said, "I like that she seems to understand that part of you. And you aren't as sarcastic as some geeks I've known. At least when you crack jokes I get them most of the time."
Duke and Gage had friends growing up who hid behind their cerebral wit to the point that no one got their jokes but themselves. At that point they were no longer fun to be around and wound up ostracizing themselves socially. Luckily Duke and Gage had never felt the need to be like that. They liked computers and technology, but they liked having friends, too.
"That's because I'm such a nice guy, sweetie," he replied. Lydia rolled her eyes and laughed as he added, "If you'll excuse me I'm going to go claim another dance from the gorgeous doctor." Duke leaned over and kissed the top of Lydia's head and nodded at the others. He met Gage and Emma halfway as Gage took his phone from his pocket and frowned at it.
Duke asked, "Everything okay?"
"I'm going to have to change my phone number, again. I don't know how Amy could've gotten my new number."
"Did she ever respond to your last e-mail?" Duke asked, already guessing the answer which was confirmed by the brief negative shake of Gage's head.
Emma reacted to the name and said, "That's the one you told me about, right? She's really stalking you?"
Gage nodded tersely then slipped the phone back in his pocket. "It looks like you're going to spend most of your time on the dance floor, angel."
Gage kissed her quickly, and she replied, "That would be just fine with me, honey." Emma put her hand in Duke's, and he led her back to the dance floor.
"Whoo. That was fun. I do believe I could grow to love dancing with the two of you," Emma said, obviously relieved. Duke pulled her into a dance embrace as "Tomorrow" by Chris Young played.
"Summer and Lydia just arrived with their men. We broke our 'dance cherries' in the nick of time," Duke said as he watched Gage slip into the club foyer with his phone to his ear.
Emma snickered at his word choice and looked toward their table and waved back at Summer, who looked very proud of herself. "Our 'dance cherries'? We're just popping cherries all over the place."
Duke chuckled and kissed her throat. "We're pervy that way."
"The bucket list has been good for all three of us, hasn't it?"
"It has, Em. I'm looking forward to the next one on our list."
"For vacation time, right? I wish you'd tell me what we're doing."
Duke grinned and replied, "And spoil the fun we're having teasing you? Never. Just pack for camping and you'll be in good shape. Let us take care of everything else."
"I can't wait."
Duke slid his hands down to her ass and stroked her garter belt through the silky fabric of her dress and said, "I can't wait for tonight."
Her relaxed hold on him and her contented sigh against his chest made him smile. Not every item on their bucket list had to be earth shattering or life threatening to be fulfilling.
"Tree camping? Oh, excellent!" Emma said excitedly as she looked up into the tree. "This is why I needed gloves and long underwear, huh?"
Duke and Gage looked very pleased with themselves as they set their supplies at the base of the tree. Their adventure had begun with a nearly twelve-hundred-mile road trip that brought them to Helen, Georgia. From there, they'd entered the Chattahoochee National Forest.
They'd made one overnight stop along the way to Georgia, so they didn't arrive at their destination exhausted and wound up spending a good portion of their afternoon actually exploring. They'd hiked around Anna Ruby Falls during the afternoon and had done some fishing but had no luck. Emma had thought it odd that they didn't set up a campsite first, until they led her to the base of the tree and introduced her to their climbing and camping guide, Jenetta.
Emma was friends with a couple who had gone tree camping in California and had told her all about it in colorful detail. It was one of the big items on her bucket list, and when they'd entered the Chattahoochee National Forest, she'd begun to get her hopes up.
Emma turned to Duke and Gage and hugged them both, doing her best to curb her ardor in front of their guide. "Thank you so much, guys."
"Ready to climb?" Jenetta asked enthusiastically.
At Emma's eager nod they got into climbing harnesses and hooked up to the lines hanging from the high branches of the oak tree. Emma had basic tree-climbing skills learned in the Girl Scouts and wasn't surprised to find that Duke and Gage also possessed the same knowledge. Their love of the outdoors was one of the interests they'd shared.
Jenetta instructed them as they made preparations to start their climb. "You'll need to stay in your harnesses, attached to the lines, for your own safety once you get up there. The temperature is only supposed to get down to the low fifties tonight, so with the insulated gear you brought you should be fairly comfortable. Keep your cell phones handy in case you run into any trouble and I'll contact you in the morning. Just follow my lead up the tree and rest when you need to. We have plenty of time. Your portaledge is about fifty feet up. Anybody need a pit stop before we start climbing?"
Emma laughed. "I didn't, until you mentioned it."
Jenetta giggled and pointed the way to the facilities and said, "It's better to take care of it now than realize it once you're up there."
Five minutes later, Jenetta was helping her into the basic safety harness and then getting her rigged for the climb. Emma was grateful for the safety equipment because climbing without it was not part of the thrill of tree camping that she'd wanted.
Emma paused as often as she needed to on the climb up, taking time to enjoy the view around her. The mirrorlike surface of the lake came into view, and she could see the outlet into the lake for one of the waterfalls in the park. The lake was surrounded by trees in various shades of autumn colors. Duke and Gage checked with her frequently, and although she was doing fine, she was certain she'd feel the climb the following night. She smiled, thinking she'd have to talk them into a rubdown to avoid having too much soreness.
The bright-red portaledge came into view as they reached their destination. Jenetta stopped with them on the sturdy branch above their nest for the night and gave them the basics on the portaledge itself.
"Your portaledge is suspended from that branch," she said, gesturing to the thick oak tree branch. "But you're also anchored at all four corners. That will minimize swaying with the wind but don't be surprised if you feel it rocking, especially if you close the canopy."
Jenetta demonstrated lowering the canopy to cover their ledge in case it rained or the temperature dropped. Emma doubted that she would feel the cold very much between these two hot-blooded men.
They watched over her as she lowered herself to the portaledge and hooked her safety harness onto it as instructed by Jenetta, and then she removed her climbing rig. She was thankful that the camping service Jenetta represented had a portaledge that would safely hold three people. She would have been willing to do this in separate quarters, but doing it together was the whole point of the adventure.
Gage smiled at her as he lowered himself next to her and divested himself of his climbing gear. Duke followed soon after, and then Jenetta lowered herself and made sure they were harnessed properly to their safety lines, had everything they needed, and that they could reach the supplies tethered nearby. Once all was secured, Jenetta bid them good night and began her climb down the tree.
For the first time ever, Emma ate supper fifty feet up in a tree as the three of them watched the sun set on the Blue Ridge Mountains. They'd picked the perfect season to come on this adventure.
The rolling hills and mountains surrounding them were blanketed with trees in various stages of turning autumn leaves. The hills were a beautiful, undulating palette of red, russet, green, gold, yellow, and brown. In the fading light she could make out the reflections of the trees on the smooth mirror surface of the lake and took several pictures.
After their meal, they joined their sleeping bags into one big, cozy goose-down nest. Emma looked around anxiously, and Duke said, "Jenetta told me that there were no other tree campers in our immediate vicinity. We should have total privacy up here. Of course that doesn't mean there's not someone with binoculars on one of the hills across the lake watching us right now."
Emma chuckled at his sly reference to her public-exhibition kink and slipped her sweatpants off and stuck them in the duffel tethered to one of the nylon rope loops on the structure. Gage considerately slipped her eyeglasses off and put them in their case in the duffel for safekeeping. If it fell over the edge, it wouldn't go far, and they could suspend anything by the loops if it got in the way. The cool air brushed her bare skin, and her center throbbed with anticipation.
"Naughty angel," Gage murmured as he cupped her ass with his callused hands. "You're not wearing any undies."
"Nope. I figured they would just get in the way."
"True," Duke agreed as he dotted her throat with soft, damp kisses that sent delicious heat through her body.
On the way up the tree, she'd wondered if they'd want to make love tonight, and now she had her answer as she placed a hand over both their groins and found their hardening erections. "Can we?"
With a crooked little grin on his handsome lips, Duke replied, "We're as safe as we would be in one of our beds at home and we brought everything we need. Have you ever been made love to in a tree before, sweetheart?"
Duke's occasional use of that old-fashioned endearment never failed to thrill her, and she shook her head playfully as she thought of how it would feel to make love up there.
Gage pressed kisses to the other side of her throat. "Hold still, angel."
She did as he asked, and he unhooked her safety harness and slipped it from her so they could peel the rest of her clothing off. They reattached and adjusted it so it fit her properly. She shivered as she simultaneously felt a cool breeze blow over her and a hot wave of warmth and moisture to her pussy.
Duke bent his head and sucked one of her nipples into his hot mouth as Gage latched on to the other one. She shivered with lust and need as Gage's fingers sought out her pussy and teased her lips before he slid two fingers into her. The portaledge rocked and wobbled gently, and her whole body trembled as she gave over to the sensations they created inside her.
Duke released her nipple and said, "Into the sleeping bag with you, Em. We don't want you to get chilled."
They helped her into the bag and arranged her lines so she'd be comfortable then stripped down to bare skin, showing her firsthand how turned on they were by the idea of fucking her up in a tree. Both their cocks stood rigid and erect.
"I see I'm not the only one who went commando tonight," she said with a giggle.
Gage's eyes glittered with desire as he slid in beside her and said, "One less thing to worry about, angel."
Duke climbed in as well and they turned her so that Gage was pressed to her back and Duke was pressed to her front.
Gage stroked her hair away from her throat and laid kisses there as Duke kissed her and then murmured, "Would you like to finally mark number one off our bucket list, Em?"
A wave of sizzling heat passed through her body as she replied, "You have no idea how much. It would be perfect." The Blue Ridge Mountains at sunset would be an idyllic setting for her first ménage.
Duke kissed the corner of her mouth and said, "Just close your eyes and relax, Em. Let us take care of you."
"Oh...that can be arranged," she whispered as they continued to ply her with heady, sweet kisses.
"We have plenty of room to maneuver on the portaledge, and we're all harnessed safely, but for tonight just let us do the work, Emma."
"Mmm-hmm." Their cozy, goose-down nest warmed up just fine as they heated her up as well. Duke kissed her and rubbed her neck and shoulders soothingly, and Gage played with her nipples and teased her wet pussy with his fingers until she was arching and wiggling between the two of them, trying to get relief from the fire building inside her.
Every sensation was magnified as she lay with them, listening to the sounds of the forest settling into dusk. The canopy was still gathered up at the rope pinnacle of their portaledge above them. They were concealed only by the sleeping bag and held cupped inside the hammock-like confines of the red canvas-covered metal structure.
She detected the scent of wood smoke on the air from a nearby campsite, and a lusty thrill went through her that while nobody could see them way up in the tree, they were still surrounded by campers on the ground. She chortled softly, wondering if people might hear her when she came.
When Duke asked what made her laugh, she replied, "There are campers nearby, aren't there?"
Duke's responding chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Another exhibitionist fantasy, Emma?"
She didn't deny it and nodded as she sighed luxuriously. She heard the rip of two foil wrappers and waited as they both rolled the condoms on. The cap on a bottle of lubricant popped open. Gage must've carried the lubricant close to his body, because she was surprised when the lube was body temperature instead of cold. She was touched by his consideration as he applied the slick gel to her asshole and began stroking. This was only the second time they'd had anal sex, and he took his time preparing her as Duke kissed her over and over as he played with her slippery cunt. Emma gazed into Duke's gray eyes when he opened them, and she could see the desire simmering there. He smiled at her and kissed her again.
Against her shoulder, Gage murmured, "I love you, angel. The last two months with you have been the best time of my life." Oh, mine too. He pulled away and looked over her shoulder and into her eyes. "I mean that. You make me a very happy man. When I'm away from you I feel like part of me is missing."
Duke nodded as he pressed kisses to her throat. "Me, too, Em. There is nothing like being with you. Loving you is so easy."
Emma felt like warm, pliable taffy between them as she whispered, "I never thought I'd be so lucky, to be loved like this. You two mean everything to me. My life is better because you're in it."
Gage slid his warm hand around her waist and used the other hand to position his sheathed and lubed cock at her back entrance. She tilted her head and kissed him as he thrust against her tight asshole. The lubrication worked wonders, and she delighted in the sensation as he thrust against her again and again, gaining ground in her tingling ass with each motion.
She moaned at the exquisite sensation as his cock finally slid past her tight muscles. He inched in by degrees, and the slow burn inside her flamed higher. She arched her back and wiggled against him, trying to take more, until he growled and stilled her movements.
He slid his hand down the back of her thigh and lifted it to open her for Duke as he prepared to enter her, after he'd used a little of the lubricant, too. Gage shifted their combined weight so she lay against his chest, impaled on his cock. She gasped as the portaledge swung gently and then settled again.
"That's the other reason we wanted you to just relax and let us to do the work tonight. We can try wilder ménage positions once we get home," Duke murmured with a chuckle as he positioned his cock against her wet opening. "But we wouldn't want to flip out of the portaledge, lose our sleeping bag, and be hanging out in the open buck-ass naked, when we could be cuddled together fucking, fifty feet above the ground."
Emma whimpered as he thrust gently. "Makes perfect sense. Oh, that feels so good." His cock slithered against her lips, and he thrust again. While she knew they would both fit, she was shocked by how tightly filled she felt as he slid in. She undulated her hips, causing Gage to groan, and took a bit more of Duke until they were both lodged deep inside her. Her hands shook, and hot and cold tremors raced through her body. She responded with an answering groan when Gage thrust against her then pulled out.
"Oh, Gage," she moaned when he pushed back inside, and she bit her lip as Duke thrust as Gage pulled out. They established a gentle, slow rhythm that quickly had her begging for them to move faster.
Gage pressed his parted lips to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. "Angel, you feel so fucking good."
All she could do was try to lie still between them as they slowly fucked her to near insanity. The portaledge gently swayed, and she couldn't tell if it was from a wayward breeze or if it was due to their movements. The blaze inside their little haven grew into an inferno.
Her legs trembled and her pussy tightened as her orgasm threatened to erupt. "Oh---I'm coming, I'm coming, oh---"
Her breath exploded from her a second before Duke kissed her to muffle her moans and cries as the tension within her finally sprang loose. Her body went rigid between them, and the pulses raged through her as Duke and Gage thrust in hard, pistoning strokes until they both froze and groaned at the same time. Duke tilted his head back, and every muscle in him strained as he came, growling lustily. Gage squeezed her tightly from behind, and she could feel the tension inside him vibrating against her back as his cock pulsed deep in her ass.
She went limp against Gage, unable to move as the forest grew gradually darker around them. She realized she'd dozed off when she felt Gage gently withdraw. She snuggled down into the pillow as she listened to the sounds of a Ziploc bag opening, which both men placed their used condoms in.
"I'm going to move you for a second, angel. Just relax." She smiled blissfully, thinking she could do nothing else but relax considering the altered state they'd worked her into. Gage fiddled around with another bag, and then she felt the unexpected sensation of him cleaning her up with wet wipes. "Just cleaning up real quick," he murmured as he brushed a soft kiss to her neck. Once the job was done and the Ziploc put away, both men cuddled close to her.
"You okay, sweetheart?" Duke asked as he tenderly kissed her cheek.
She burrowed her forehead against the crook of his shoulder and said, "Oh, yes. That was incredible. I love you." The last thing she remembered was whispered endearments from both of them and kisses to her face and shoulders before they bundled up together and fell asleep.
Gage lifted Emma's camera from the café table and shot a picture of her with powdered sugar dotting the tip of her nose while she happily nibbled on her beignet. He chuckled when he pointed it out to her, and she crossed her eyes to see as he snapped a picture.
Laughing at her antics, Duke removed the piece of yellow paper from his pocket and unfolded it. Gage handed him a pen, and Duke said, "Beignets and café au lait at Café Du Monde, New Orleans. Check."
Emma giggled and wiggled in her seat as she crowed with a mouthful of beignet. "Yeah!"
Watching her enjoy herself was worth so much more to him than whether or not they ever completed every item on the list. They'd taken a different route through Louisiana on the trip to Georgia, so on the journey home they'd driven through New Orleans so they could stop at the legendary French Market coffee stand.
Gage looked at the list and said, "We'll have to swing back through here one spring and mark Mardi Gras off our list."
Duke looked up from the page and grinned. "You won't have to twist my arm to come back to New Orleans. You know, it's not technically a bucket list item, but next stop..."
Gage laughed out loud and said, "We could probably time it so we hit Henderson at suppertime. Mmm."
Emma licked the confectioner's sugar from her upper lip and asked, "What's in Henderson?"
Duke rolled his eyes dreamily and replied, "Only some of the best crawfish étouffée to be found in the Atchafalaya Basin, and crawfish pie that will bring tears to your eyes, sweetheart. I guarantee you have never seen anyone put away as much Cajun food as we can."
"I've never had crawfish before."
Duke grinned at him, and Gage said, "Well, angel, this is your lucky day. They have all kinds of seafood there, plus chicken and steaks. Although, I think you would like the crawfish. They make it more ways than any other place I've ever been to."
Emma had spent two nights with them in the Chattahoochee National Forest in the North Georgia mountains, hiking, fishing, tree camping, and making love until they could barely breathe or move. Now today, on the way home, she looked more relaxed and contented than Gage had yet seen her. The time away from the stress and long hours of work had been good for her.
The second night they tree camped, a rainstorm had come, and they'd barely gotten the canopy down before it reached them. They'd made love to the sound of the fat droplets landing on the canopy, leaves, and branches around them. Snuggled up in their warm little haven had been a magical moment that he'd never forget. Thankfully, the temperatures never dipped below the fifties either night.
Emma said, "I'm up for trying something new. Crawfish it is."
Later that evening, after a supper at Pat's Fisherman's Wharf that was fit for a king, the three of them decided to stay overnight and have breakfast in Henderson before making the last part of the journey home the next morning.
"My stomach is so full I could bust, guys. I'm glad we decided to stay," Emma said sleepily as they carried their bags into the motel room at the Edgewater Inn, next to the restaurant. "Do they serve breakfast?"
Both men chuckled, and Gage said, "That's how you know she liked the food. She's stuffed but she's already asking if they serve breakfast."
They showered together and fell into bed in an exhausted, overfed coma. It rained on the way home the next day. Even though it was a long drive, riding with Emma cuddled up next to him in the truck was a nice way to end the first vacation any of them had taken in years. The thought of her parting ways with them when they got home came to Gage, and even though she would be mere feet away from him, it brought a lingering pain to his chest. She could come home with them. She should come home with them. Gage pondered it for a while and, not for the first time, thought what it would be like if they did live together.
He shook his head unconsciously, knowing that as a doctor in the community she couldn't just move in with them.
Quietly, Duke asked, "What's on your mind?"
Emma didn't stir, and Gage realized the look on his face must've clued Duke into his thoughts.
Gage sighed softly and replied, "Just thinking I'll miss her when we get home. I like having her...so close by." Gage stroked her hair and gently kissed the top of her head.
Keeping his eyes on the road, Duke said, "I was thinking about that earlier."
"I'm going to miss her, more than ever."
The kinds of hours the three of them sometimes kept had been a constant challenge, though making time to be together had never been a point of contention. Sitting on the bench seat of the truck, Gage had never felt so relaxed, but he couldn't account for the hollow feeling in his chest.
"I know what you mean."
Emma sighed heavily as she placed her luggage on the bed to unpack. She should feel happy, relaxed, and refreshed right now. Why did she feel so depressed? She'd just had seven solid days with the men of her dreams. She'd been made love to six ways to Sunday. She should be craving rest, but she just wanted more of them. She heard footsteps above her as she unzipped her bags. If they knew about her pathetic thoughts, what would they think?
While putting her belongings away, she recalled the way the fog had risen during the early morning hours when they'd tree camped. The fog had rolled in and blanketed the water all the way up the tree line so that it felt like they were floating above the clouds. She'd lain there for a few minutes, just staring in wonder at it, and then took pictures so she'd always have the memory.
Once she was done unpacking, she went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of chamomile tea. After she popped the teabags in the steaming water she looked out the window at the overcast sky and decided to crack it open a bit and let in some fresh air. The tea was brewing when she noticed two shopping bags on her kitchen counter. Before the trip, she'd purchased supplies for restocking the medical emergency box she kept in her Aztek. Thinking that might be a great way to distract herself from her Sunday evening blues, she lifted her keys from their hook by the door and went outside to bring the big utility box in.
Stepping out over the threshold she noticed a faded blue van parked across the rural road from the apartment building. The windows on the van were tinted, but she could see someone sitting in the front seat. She thought she'd seen the van parked there before but couldn't be sure.
Shrugging, Emma walked around the building to the parking lot. The temperature was mild, and the scent of rain was in the air. The cup of tea brewing in her apartment fit her mood. While she was out there, she also checked her mailbox, which was stuffed. She followed the sidewalk back around to her front door and halted in her tracks when she saw a woman dressed in sweats and a man's heavy camouflage jacket waiting by her door.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Emma asked, a shiver of unease running up her spine as the much shorter woman made eye contact with her. Intuition told her to back away, but before she could, the woman lifted a revolver from the voluminous folds of the coat and pointed it directly at her.
"Yes. You can do exactly as I say. Turn around and walk casually with me back out to the blue van. Don't you dare make a sound or I'll shoot you where you stand."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Gage's girlfriend. I already know who you are and what you've been doing with him." Righteous anger rang in her clear voice as though she'd somehow caught Emma in wrongdoing.
Emma didn't believe the woman could be Gage's girlfriend even for an instant. There was something not right about her. The zealous gleam in the woman's eyes cautioned Emma to not push her too hard, but she had to know. "I've been dating Duke and Gage for a couple of months now. If you're Gage's girlfriend, where have you been all this time?"
"Waiting for him to come to his senses. Obviously you've been a distraction but not anymore. Do as I said." She motioned with the revolver for Emma to turn and walk down the sidewalk out to the main road.
The woman nudged her with the muzzle of the revolver, and Emma stepped off the concrete porch and walked past the stairs that led up to the two apartments above hers.
"What is your name?" Emma asked as she turned to look back at the woman. "Where are you taking me?"
"My name is Amy. Not that it is any of your business," she sneered. "I'm taking you someplace where we can have a chat in private."
Recalling the instruction from a self-defense class, Emma was relatively certain that what Amy meant by "somewhere private" was a place where she could kill her and dispose of her body unseen. She looked back at Amy and happened to glimpse Duke in her peripheral vision, standing outside his front door upstairs.
Amy walked closely behind her and nudged her with the weapon again. "Keep walking. They're upstairs gaming with their online buddies and don't have a clue. I can hear them from down here. They'll probably be on for hours."
Duke put his finger to his lips and nodded. Emma bit her lip and turned to walk down the sidewalk, hoping Duke had some kind of plan.
"How do you know that?"
"Because that's how I met them. They can play those games for hours."
All the pieces fell into place, and the name suddenly clicked with Emma. This was Gage's cyberstalker. "He believed you had moved on. He asked you to not contact him anymore." Way to provoke the gun-wielding crazy person, Emma!
"Then he changed his number so I couldn't even talk to him about it."
"You tricked his friends into giving you his number. He changed it because what you were doing was wrong. You need help, Amy. I know of several doctors---"
The solid, metal muzzle of the revolver pressing against her spine silenced her as Amy stepped close to her and said, "I don't need a doctor. I need Gage. And I need you to shut the fuck up." The woman's voice shook, and Emma could tell she was becoming emotional. Perhaps she was realizing she was in over her head and rethinking her plan.
Emma knew if she got in that van she was as good as dead. Turning to look Amy in the eye, she pleaded with her. "You really don't want to do this, Amy. You don't strike me as the type to hurt other people. I can get you help, Amy."
Tears flooded Amy's eyes, and a red flush came over her face. "I've had enough 'help' to last a lifetime. I don't need anything but Gage and he needs me in order to be fulfilled. When we talk it's like our souls have always known each other. All I have to do is meet Gage face-to-face and he'll understand that we were meant to be together forever. Our hearts are bonded and we have a lot in common. Keep walking."
Keep her talking, Emma. "What? Like camping, hiking and fishing? Are you an IT consultant and help people like he does?" Emma wracked her brain for ways to persuade the woman from her intentions.
"No," she sneered again. "Computers, gaming online. We used to instant message all the time...until you came along."
That was right about the time he'd told Emma that he'd asked Amy to stop bothering him constantly. Emma wished now that Duke had followed through with the offer to trace Gage's cyberstalker and have a serious talk with her and the authorities. It was obvious that Amy hadn't been convinced by Gage's repeated attempts to cease communication with her. Amy had simply used whatever skills she had to locate him, and there was no telling how long she'd been in Divine.
"Everything was going along fine and then you came along and he just cut me off, like he didn't need me anymore. You poisoned him against me!" Amy's voice trembled, but Emma could hear the unreasonable anger in her tone.
"Amy, put the gun down and we can talk all of this out. Give Gage a chance to explain. Maybe you just didn't understand." Emma wished now that she'd talked about it more with Gage so that she could find some common ground with Amy. Emma hadn't wanted to know all the details behind their online friendship because frankly it had made her a little jealous to think of Gage chatting with another woman.
"I don't think you understand, dear doctor," Amy said as they reached the van and she opened the back door. She jerked the utility box out of Emma's hand and placed it inside then held out her hand. "Give me your cell phone."
Emma shook her head. "I don't have it. It's inside my apartment." Over Amy's shoulder she saw blond hair and movement alongside the van. Please be careful, Gage!
Amy sneered and said, "I don't believe you."
Trying to be brave, Emma replied, "Search me, if you don't believe me. Make sure and wave that gun around some more so people can see it. I don't have my phone. I was checking my mail and getting something from my vehicle when you accosted me."
Amy blew out through her nostrils angrily and gestured with the revolver. "Empty your pockets."
Feeling a little anger of her own, Emma said, "I just got back from my vacation. There is nothing in my pockets. If you don't believe me, why don't you check them yourself?" Emma, shut your crazy mouth before she shoots you instead!
Emma was afraid for a second that Amy was considering it. Gage was on the other side of the opened van door. Emma saw his shadow on the ground in her peripheral vision. Pointing the gun right at her, Amy cautiously leaned forward to pat Emma down. She stood stock-still waiting for Gage to make his move. Amy's shoes shifted on the gravel as she half squatted to pat down Emma's pockets. Gage chose that moment to act.
He stood and gestured silently for Emma to jump into the van as Amy's head was turned away from him. He held up three fingers, then two, then one. He leaned back to kick the back door hard, a split second after Emma jumped into the back of the van. Amy grunted in surprise as she was knocked away from the van, evidently to the ground. Emma heard shouts and a struggle outside and the blessed sound of sirens in the distance.
Looking around for something to aid in the struggle, Emma noticed a box of large, industrial-sized black trash bags, and a cardboard box that contained several saws and other tools. Her eyes rounded in shock, realizing that if Duke and Gage hadn't known what was going on, she might have met her end in this van.
Growling, she turned the handle on the back door and pushed it back open. Unfortunately, her appearance was ill timed, and she hit Duke in the face with the other half of the door as she flung them open. Gage and Amy were struggling for control of the gun. Gage was speaking calmly to her, trying to not hurt her. Amy took advantage of his concern for her and kneed him in the balls, threw her weight against him, and wiggled free. Her eyes were wild as she focused on Emma, pointed the revolver, and pulled the trigger.
Gage howled, "No!"
Pain blossomed raggedly in Emma's chest, and she fell back into the van.
She heard Duke shout, "No!"
"Angel!"
A cacophony of noise surrounded her, sirens, the screeching of tires, the firing of a weapon, and much hollering. It all came to her from a distance even though she knew it was close by. She put her hand to her chest and saw blood when she lifted it. She reached for her medical kit as Duke shouted her name and hurriedly climbed into the van. Her slippery fingers skidded uselessly across the plastic surface of her utility box, leaving a wet, bloody smear.
When she spoke, her voice was nothing more than a whisper over the ringing in her ears. "Duke. Stop the bleeding. Shot." Stars began to form in her vision, and her hands fell limply to his as he checked her wound. Everything went black.
Duke's heart froze in his chest when Emma's head lolled to the side and her hands stilled on his. "Emma! Emma! No! Oh, God! Emma!"
He fumbled with the latch on the medical kit she'd been reaching for and got it open. He found what he needed and ripped open a large square gauze pad. Peeling back the T-shirt he'd helped her don that morning after making love to her, he groaned when he saw the bleeding bullet wound on the right side of her chest. He pressed the pad to the wound and looked behind him as emergency responders pulled open the back doors of the van. Two paramedics climbed in beside him, immediately going to work.
He told them what he could, and then one of the men looked at him with all seriousness and said, "We'll handle it from here. You can ride with us if you want to but you're going to have to stay out of the way. Your nose is bleeding. Are you okay?"
Duke nodded numbly. "Yes."
He touched his face and looked at his hands. Emma's blood and his coated his fingers. He'd forgotten about the pain when the gun had gone off. He crouched and turned to the back opening of the van and climbed down with help from Eli Wolf.
Eli looked over Duke's shoulder at the occupants of the van and said, "David and Carter are some of the best paramedics in the area, Duke. They'll take good care of her. Come on."
Duke turned back to watch the paramedics as one of them spoke rapidly into his radio. He wanted to stay as close to Emma as possible, but Eli pulled him away and said, "I know how you feel, Duke. I've been in your shoes. If you believe in God, prayer is your best bet now. Come on. Gage is talking to Hank Stinson. You can ride up front in the ambulance with me."
Blankly, Duke looked around at the chaos on the front lawn of their apartment building. Gage stood speaking with the sheriff. Two sheriff's deputies stood near the sheet-covered body of the woman who had tried to abduct Emma. Other law enforcement officers blanketed the scene and diverted traffic through the area.
He looked up at the door to his apartment. What could he have done differently? What if he'd charged the woman before Gage shoved her with the door? What if they'd disarmed her more quickly? God, what if they hadn't had the windows and balcony screen door open and overheard the entire conversation between the two women? They'd noticed the blue van before and had been curious about it. What if he'd run the plates? They might have had a little warning that Amy was in the area if it was even registered to her. They'd never even known Amy's last name. Online she was known to them only as "Amyp1620." He'd missed the signs.
Eli spoke with Hank and Gage, went to the back of the ambulance, and then returned to Duke's side. He handed him a cold, wet compress. "That's for your nose." The tall man leaned down and looked at his nose, pressed around a bit, and said, "I don't think it's broken. Put that on it. Gage is not done giving his statement. He's pretty antsy about Emma too, so Hank will probably bring him to the hospital and take your statement later. They're loading her onto a gurney right now. Come on, we want to be ready to go." Eli handed him Emma's stack of mail. "They recognized Emma and said this was lying next to her medical kit."
Duke looked down at the thick bundle. This time, instead of drawing her to them like the first batch had, these blood-spattered envelopes in his hands might signify them losing her completely.
Feeling eyes upon him, Duke looked up, and Gage nodded at him, looking worried and haunted. Heavy blood spatters covered one side of his T-shirt. Duke followed Eli to the ambulance and climbed in the passenger seat. He looked back between the seats as the paramedics jerked open the doors and loaded her quickly into the treatment area. A deputy closed the door behind them, and Eli pulled away.
Duke couldn't take his eyes off of her as they treated her, what little he could see of her. He couldn't understand what they were saying over the radio chatter. Eli called in to let the emergency room know they were in transit.
Eli said, "Your nose isn't bleeding anymore."
Duke remembered the compress in his hand and placed it to his nose, which was beginning to throb. "You said you'd 'been there' before?"
Eli nodded. "Yes. Rachel was involved in a serious accident on FM 709. That was back before you and Gage moved to town."
"Oh." Duke nodded. "The accident with Ace? So you really have been there, haven't you?"
"Yeah. When I saw her as they pulled her from the ambulance, they had to restrain me. You're handling this well." Glancing in the rearview mirror, he gestured to the working paramedics and said, "Don't worry. They're good at their jobs. Prayer helps."
Duke closed his eyes and prayed like he'd never prayed before.
Eli hit a button as they neared town, and the siren started wailing. Luckily it was a Sunday evening and there was very little traffic on the streets. They pulled up to the emergency room bay, and a team of doctors and nurses stood waiting as the paramedics unloaded her and began their rundown on her condition. Duke saw one of the nurses react when she saw Emma, and Duke realized that treating her would be personal for them. They would do everything they could for her.
Duke tried to follow them, but Eli directed him through the automatic glass doors and into the main waiting area for the ER. "Check in and they will let you know as soon as they have news about Emma. I let Rachel know and she said she would be up here as soon as she could. She said she would call Summer and the guys. Emma has been really good to us. I'll be praying for her too, man."
Duke slumped in a chair to wait for Gage to arrive. He'd looked so distraught earlier, and it occurred to him that his cousin might have been the one who shot Amy. The noises of the hospital went on around him, people coming and going, talking and asking questions. He was startled from his thoughts when Ace, Kemp, Summer, and a very pregnant Rachel showed up. Summer and Rachel sat on either side of him, and he filled them all in on what had happened.
Gage and Hank Stinson arrived, looking grim.
Gage anxiously asked, "How is Emma?"
Duke replied, "We haven't heard yet."
Duke peered at Gage and asked, "Everything happened all at once. Can you tell me?"
Gage leaned forward and said, "Amy fired at Emma and I reacted. My reaction seemed to...cause her to snap. I was trying to get the gun away from her, to keep her from shooting one of us, and she turned it on herself." Gage let out a shaky breath, sat back in his chair with his head against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Hank sat down with them and said, "Amy Patterson has been staying at the Motel 6 on the interstate. They were going through her belongings and found her laptop computer. It seems she outlined her plans on it, even had checklists." With a sad shake of his head, he added, "There was also a journal."
Summer excused herself and a few minutes later returned with a fabric bundle. She reached out to touch Gage's shoulder, and he opened his eyes.
"I got this for you, Gage. It's a scrub top, in case you wanted to change," she said, gesturing to his bloodstained T-shirt. Gage thanked her and went in search of the men's room to clean up and dispose of his ruined shirt. He returned a few minutes later, looking drained.
Duke and Gage both sprang from their seats when one of the ER nurses called Duke's name. Duke's heart was in his throat as he approached her. The nurse told them that Emma had already been rushed to emergency surgery.
Emma laughed softly as Duke's sexy, deep voice echoed from the hospital room doorway. "Trick or treat."
"Are you here to trick me or treat me?"
"Treat you, of course," Gage replied as he followed Duke into the room. The temperature outside must have turned chillier because they were both clad in sweaters and jackets. Gage even wore a stocking cap, which he removed before he kissed her. Emma smiled from Gage to Duke as he bent and kissed her also.
She felt very blessed as she gazed at her men, now that she knew how easily she could have lost them. They'd had to revive her twice on the operating table, but she'd pulled through.
Almost two weeks in the hospital had done wonders in how she felt, and she was waiting impatiently for word on when she could leave. The staff had hovered over her a lot, especially in the beginning, but the attention and inactivity was driving her nuts.
Duke said, "We brought you something." He placed a handled bag on the bed next to her. She smiled when she saw the store name and slogan on the bag. Discretion...we put the risk in risqué.
"Oh, what did you get me?"
Gage grinned like he had good news for her. "We got you something that you can wear home...today."
Emma sighed in thankfulness that she didn't have to spend another night in the hospital. She had received excellent care while she was there, but doctors made the absolute worst patients. She was sick of being hovered over and told what to do. When to eat. When to pee. They treated her like she was made of glass. She knew it was out of affection, but it was driving her crazy. "That is wonderful news."
"But..." Duke began.
"But what?"
"You're coming home with us, angel," Duke said firmly. "We can't stand for it to be any other way. We almost lost you."
"Twice," Gage cajolingly added. "Open your gift and say you'll come home with us."
She could've argued, laying claim to her right to independence, but Emma remembered the depression and loneliness she'd felt while unpacking after their tree-camping vacation, right before she'd been accosted by Amy Patterson. She could accuse Duke of being pushy, but the truth was she couldn't imagine anywhere else she'd rather be. Her freedom and independence were pretty empty if she enjoyed them alone in her cold apartment.
"You're going to get sick of my compulsive neatness."
Duke scoffed and replied, "Once you're up and out of bed, you and Gage can compete for the title of Neat Freak."
Emma chuckled and dumped the luxuriant bundle of black lace from the bag. She lifted the first piece and realized it was a full-length, silky-soft lace robe.
Moaning in delight, she brushed the black lace against her cheek and said, "It's gorgeous." The other bundle was a matching long, black lace halter gown that had a split on one side all the way up to the hip. "My goodness! This must have cost a mint." It didn't escape Emma's notice that they'd made sure to buy a style that would de-emphasize the healing incision over her breastbone.
"It was worth it," Duke replied. "We can't wait to see it on you."
Emma held the gown up in front of her face and smiled at her handsome men, who were clearly visible through the fine lace. "I can't wear this home. Everyone will be able to see my goodies."
Both men chuckled, and Duke placed another, larger shopping bag on her lap. "That's what these are for."
Emma peered in the bag, saw her jammies, and squealed in delight. "How did you know?"
Duke replied, "We remembered that you wore them a few weeks ago when you came upstairs. You said something about them being the equivalent of comfort food, but in clothing. We probably should've brought them before now."
Emma hugged her bunny slippers and her SpongeBob SquarePants jammies gently to her chest. Not only had she required surgery for the bullet wound, they'd had to perform emergency open-heart surgery on her, which was why her stay in the hospital had been prolonged. In all, she was lucky to be alive and only a little worse for the wear. Fortunately, she also had a new lease on life. Her men and their bucket list had better hold on for dear life.
Gage kissed Emma's forehead and said, "Duke is going to help you get ready to leave and I'll start carrying your massive collection of flower arrangements down to the truck."
Emma pointed at one of two separate groups of flower arrangements. "All of those I plan to donate to other patient rooms. I have all the cards from them. I'm only taking home your arrangement of roses and the lilies Dad sent me."
Her parents and sister had come immediately from Dallas when Duke had called them. Emma remembered waking up groggy in the hospital and feeling so relieved to see the people she cared for most in the world all gathered around her bed. She'd previously confided in her sister, Desiree, about Gage and Duke. Desiree's reaction to finally meeting them had been entertaining to say the least. Emma's mother and father had been a little more reserved in their opinions of the situation but not any less loving toward her because of her men.
On the last day of their stay, her father had spoken privately with her and told her that he didn't understand how Duke and Gage could share and not get into a competition for her attention. She had done her best to reassure him.
The day after they'd returned home, her dad had sent her a gorgeous arrangement of lilies. The card had stated that her happiness mattered more than anything else and he had been able to tell that Duke and Gage felt the same way.
Gage carefully lifted the two arrangements from the shelf. "I'll be right back."
Once he was gone, Emma turned to Duke. "How is he doing?"
Duke sat beside her on the bed and lifted her hand into his. As he stroked her fingers one at a time, he said, "The nightmares are not happening every night anymore but he's still having trouble sleeping. I hear him up and moving around sometimes at night. He blames himself for you being hurt."
Emma shook her head at that thought. Gage had no control over what one obsessed woman had planned to do. "And you?"
"Bad dreams here and there. It's just going to take time for those memories to fade," he said, looking at his hands as if he could still see her blood on them. "How about you? You seem to have bounced back with hardly any trouble at all, and you were the one who got shot and nearly died."
Emma knew they probably both thought that. "I process trauma a little differently than most people. I suppose it's because of the training I've received as a doctor. My residency was at one of the busiest hospitals in the Dallas area. Dealing with gunshot wounds and other intentionally inflicted injuries were a daily, sometimes hourly occurrence. So was dealing with mentally unstable patients. I've dealt with people like Amy Patterson before.
"I gained great experience working in that environment but it also trained some of the normal stress-like reactions out of me. Those traumas were a fact of life for me. I dealt with them and moved on. My reaction to what happened may make me seem sort of callous, but I'm not hung up with questioning why this all happened, so it's a little easier for me to move on than it would be for someone not used to dealing with trauma on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, it was terrifying being on the receiving end of her plan to do away with me and have Gage, but I know there's no point in trying to reason through why it happened. I'm mostly just grateful I'm still alive."
She recalled Amy Patterson's furious, ice-cold eyes staring at her as she pulled the trigger. Emma pushed the memory away. "I'm ready to be out of here and back home, and anxious to get back to work."
"Not too fast, Tiger," Duke commented as he helped her from the hospital bed. "When we get home, we're just going to put you right back into bed so don't get any ideas."
"Bed. I've had enough of bed. I've got a bucket list to work on."
Thanksgiving Day, the Rivers home in San Angelo, Texas...
Duke couldn't help the undoubtedly sappy smile on his face when Emma crowed proudly as she removed the sweet potato pie from the oven. "See? There is one thing I can cook!"
Dressed in her clingy russet-colored sweater and snug, shin-length black skirt, Emma was flushed and beautiful and more precious to Duke each day. She had progressed well in her recovery, balking at times when they'd made her rest.
He sat on one of the barstools pretending to watch the football game when most of his time was actually spent watching her. They'd come so close to losing her, and at times he found himself wondering what his life would've been like if she were no longer in it. The thought always brought a painful burning to his chest.
The turkey sat in its roasting pan on the stove, waiting to be sliced. The scent of baked sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and freshly baked rolls filled the air, reminiscent of all the past Thanksgivings they'd enjoyed in this house he'd grown up in.
His mom exclaimed over the pie's flaky, golden crust and applauded Emma's efforts. She glanced at her son and winked, merriment in her eyes as Emma placed the pie on the rack to cool.
She came over to give her son a hug and whispered, "We love her, Duke. You did good."
Emma joined them at the bar and said, "Mary, everything smells so good. Is anyone else feeling a little warm or is it just me?"
Mom patted Emma's shoulder and said, "Call me Mom, sweetie. It is a little warm in here and you have on a turtleneck. Why don't you and the boys take a walk outside? That should cool you down before we have dinner."
Emma looked to Duke, and he heard Gage rise from the sofa and say, "Dad, I think I'm going to take a walk with Emma and Duke."
"You're sure that you don't need any more help in the kitchen?" Emma asked.
Mom shook her head and gestured to the turkey. "The bird is resting right now. We'll slice it when you get back. Go get some fresh air."
After putting on their coats, Duke, Gage, and Emma headed out the door and down the front steps. The sun was bright, but the afternoon temperatures were still frigid. She hooked her arms through both of theirs and allowed them to lead her down the walk. There were people here and there, arriving or departing, loading sleepy kids for the drive home or letting them loose from their car seats to run after long drives. Christmas decorations were being put up at a couple of the neighboring houses.
Gesturing to the homes up and down the street, Emma said, "It's like a scene from a Rockwell painting."
Duke smiled and nodded, seeing it with new appreciation. "This is the neighborhood we grew up in."
Emma replied, "Really? So your friends lived in these houses?"
Gage said, "Oh, yeah." He pointed to a brown house next door to theirs. "Adam Rankin lived right next door. He was our best friend from kindergarten on. He's in the Army and expected back from Iraq sometime hopefully before Christmas. That," he said, smirking as he pointed to the blue house directly across the street. "That is where Jessica Silverman lived. And she---"
Crap.
Duke put a hand out to stop Gage and said, "---was my first girlfriend in sixth grade."
"Really?" Emma said then chuckled. "Do tell."
Duke nodded. "She broke my heart. Our relationship lasted two days. She left me."
"She left you? For who?" Emma said with a disbelieving scoff as though the girl must have had no sense whatsoever.
"For him!" Duke chuckled and pointed at Gage. "It seems she had a thing for brooding men with green eyes."
Emma laughed gaily, and Duke loved the sound of it and wanted to make her laugh more.
Gage said, "Yep. And we lasted for three days. She broke my heart, too. She said neither me nor Duke understood women." Gage threw his hand in the air in a surrendering gesture.
With a giggling snort, she asked, "So, what happened? Did she just work her way down the block?"
Duke shook his head. "No. She gave Adam a go. Turns out she had a thing for blue-eyed men, too. They stuck together and got married after college. She's expecting their second baby around Christmas," he said, pointing to a very pregnant blonde helping a little blond-haired boy from a minivan parked at the house next door. "Hey, Jess!"
The blonde looked up and grinned widely when she saw them and waved. "Hey, guys! Happy Thanksgiving!" Her little boy was talking a mile a minute, tugging on her hand, and she shrugged apologetically as she was dragged inside. "Take care!"
"She's lovely."
Gage replied, "We were better off as friends. It was doomed to failure."
"Oh?"
Gage said, "Yeah. It turns out we have a thing for a beautiful, green-eyed brunette who loves to play doctor."
Emma nodded and clutched their arms close to her. Duke brushed his nose against her cheekbone, kissed her temple, and murmured, "And has a pervy streak a mile wide."
Emma gave him a crooked little grin and replied, "Which you love about me." Duke agreed enthusiastically because it was the truth. Emma turned to Gage and asked, "You slept through the night last night, didn't you?"
Gage sighed softly and replied, "I did. No nightmares." Gage seemed hesitant but smiled reassuringly at her, and she paused for a step to give him a soft kiss. Gage's fingertips feathered against her jaw with great tenderness, and Duke wished they were alone in her bedroom so they could kiss her the way he and Gage really wanted to.
Emma wrapped an arm around his waist and said, "It just takes time, doesn't it?" Gage nodded silently. "I'm glad that talking to my friend helped."
Emma had suggested that Gage talk with a friend of hers who happened to be a psychologist. Gage had privately told Duke that he did indeed feel responsible for Emma being shot. He'd confided that being in such close proximity to Amy when she'd shot herself had been very disturbing for him and the main cause of his nightmares.
Gage seemed lost in his own thoughts as they strolled along. Finally, he said, "I know I was not responsible for what Amy did, or what she intended to do to you. What matters most to me is that you survived. That's my bottom line. I love you, angel."
"I love you, too. You know, it's been a long time since my pervy side got any attention at all," she said as she stroked her chest over the spot where her incision had healed. They'd slept with her every night but had held off from sex because she'd been cautioned by her doctor about strenuous activity. The wait was becoming a bit of a strain for all of them. "I am recovered well enough for sex. Give me another month on the threesome but I could really do with getting laid sometime soon."
Gage groaned, and Duke's cock reacted to this stellar news, rising to the challenge. Unfortunately they still had Thanksgiving dinner to sit through. "That's good news, Em, but your timing sucks." He didn't think his mom and dad would appreciate having to eat a cold Thanksgiving dinner because he needed to make love to Emma.
Emma burst into giggles as they continued down the block before making their way back. They returned to find his mom and dad in the kitchen, laughing and teasing over some joke as Dad sliced the meat off the turkey. It was just the five of them for the meal, which was uneventful---until dessert.
His mom served pieces of Emma's sweet potato pie topped with real whipped cream. They waited until everyone had a piece and then dug in enthusiastically.
Over her first mouthful, Emma said with a groan, "Don't eat it."
His dad took a bite and suddenly sat up straight in his chair but kept chewing.
"What's the matter, Emma?" Duke noticed his dad shudder.
Emma's flushed bright pink. "I did something wrong. This is awful."
Everyone kept chewing, so Duke said, "I'm sure it's just fine," and took a big bite. His taste buds revolted, and his eyes watered copiously, but he wouldn't hurt her feelings for the world. He kept on chewing.
Emma struggled to swallow and took a big gulp from her water glass. "Please. You don't have to spare my feelings. I did something wrong when I was putting the ingredients together."
His mom swallowed and prepared to take another bite, soldiering on as Duke and Gage kept eating. At the last second, his mom wiped a tear from her eye as her shoulders shook with restrained laughter.
Emma put her face in her hands and said, "I'm so embarrassed! All I was responsible for was dessert and I ruined it!"
Duke's mom put a hand on her arm. "Let's see what happened." She held up fingers as she ticked off the ingredients one by one. "...and you added sugar, right?"
"Right."
Mom shook her head. "There was no sugar in this pie. Something else took its place. Where did you get the sugar from?"
Emma pointed toward the kitchen at the canisters lined up on the counter. "The little ceramic house sugar bowl."
"Oh, Lord have mercy!" his mom said and began laughing. "That's not sugar, sweetie. That's a salt cellar."
Emma held her napkin to her face and groaned miserably. "How stupid! I'm so sorry!" Duke stroked her shoulder, hating to see her upset over something so small, but he could see why this would be a big deal to her. She was trying to make a good impression. She needn't have worried because she'd already accomplished that. "I've ruined Thanksgiving. I wanted you both to like me---"
Gage took her hand and said, "You didn't ruin anything, angel."
Duke's mom said, "Sweetie, we already loved you. One little pie isn't going to change that."
Emma took another gulp of her water and grimaced as she swallowed then said, "Really?"
"Really."
"Is it too late to make something else?"
"Nope. Let's see what we can put together. We didn't need to eat dessert so soon anyway." Emma teared up a little when his mom added, "Welcome to the family, Emma."
Duke and Gage smiled at each other when Emma rose from her chair and hugged his mom. "Thank you. Let's try this again."
The men gathered the plates, utensils, and the offending pie and carried everything back to the kitchen.
Duke heard Emma chuckle softly to his mom and ask, "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
Mom snickered and said, "Oh, no. Not for a million years. If I'm presented with the opportunity," she said, looking pointedly at Gage and him, "I'll teach you how to cook all their favorite foods."
"Subtle, Mom. Real subtle," Duke said as he kissed both their heads, made himself a mug of coffee, and left them to their efforts.
Duke's parents had known Ace and Kemp's parents, who lived just a few blocks over, for many years. His mom and dad knew about Ace and Kemp's relationship with their fiancée, Summer. When Duke and Gage had sat down and explained to his parents that they had a similar situation, his mom and dad had taken it fairly well.
A few days later, in late November...
Emma stretched after stepping onto the hospital elevator. The metal doors swooshed closed silently, and she folded her arms over her head one at a time as she stretched from side to side. The incision had healed nicely, but she felt the ache in her sternum as she moved. She smiled, thinking that her tight, achy muscles might be a good excuse for a rubdown that night.
As she rode down in the elevator she got her mind on the task at hand. This would be her second delivery of the morning. Her mind automatically ticked through procedure and protocol for early labor. She smiled as she recalled the conversation she'd just had with one of the nurses in the labor and delivery department.
"Registration said the husband is an EMT. Mrs. Wolf has been in early labor since last night. The contractions are four minutes apart since they arrived. They said they're checking her in and asked if we could come down and get her right now." The nurse's eyebrows had been raised speculatively, and Emma volunteered to go down there since she was friends with Eli and Rachel.
The elevator slowed, settled, and then the metal doors reopened with a soft swoosh. Emma was greeted by the sound of a familiar, angry-sounding voice.
"---flirting with my husband? I don't think so! If I wasn't in labor, I'd kick---Ooooh!" Rachel Wolf let out a long, low moan and then took several slow, shaky breaths. Emma followed the sound to the registration desk near the waiting room where several people sat listening with round eyes.
A pretty nurse with long blonde hair sped past, red faced, toward the emergency department. The recently hired nurse, whose name was unfortunately Barbie, had a reputation for being flirtatious. Emma imagined that she must've been paying attention to Eli and had come into contact with Rachel who had a reputation for being possessive.
"Did I arrive in time for the smackdown?" Emma asked as she located Rachel and Eli in registration. Eli was talking softly to Rachel as he attached the hospital bracelet around her wrist.
Rachel looked ready to spit nails. Between deep breaths, she said, "That woman...was flirting with Eli! Right...under my nose."
"Angel, she saw me dressed in my uniform and probably thought I was here working. I've never seen her before. I don't think she made the connection until it was too late."
The administrator behind the computer caught Emma's eye and made a face like she was glad she wasn't the one getting an earful. Emma chuckled as she squatted down to look at Rachel. It was obvious she was in pain as another contraction started and Rachel said, "I know that, but I'm not in the mood for bullsh---Oooh!"
Rising, Emma nodded at Eli, who appeared concerned as he stood and looked at Emma. "We thought they were Braxton-Hicks contractions, then during the night they started getting more regular and more painful." Emma walked with them as Eli pushed Rachel's wheelchair toward the elevator.
"Don't worry, Eli. We're ready for her upstairs. We'll monitor her and see if the contractions stop. If not, at thirty-seven to thirty-eight weeks, she's far enough along."
Rachel breathed deep as the contraction passed and softly said, "I want my epidural."
Eli squatted down next to her once they were on the elevator and tipped his head toward his wife's. He spoke comfortingly to her as Emma watched the floor numbers change on the panel.
Rachel's contractions stayed regular, and as she progressed, Emma had the anesthesiologist notified. Once she was given her epidural, Rachel was much more tolerant of the surreptitious but appreciative glances cast Eli's way by the nurses who came and went from her birthing room. Two hours later, Levi Elias Wolf made his way into the world with a little help from his father.
Impressing Emma with his relatively cool head, Eli caught his son and placed him gently on his wife's belly. Eli followed Emma's instructions in clamping the cord, and then cut it. Emma completed the task at hand, and Eli moved so the nurses could do their work assessing the slightly preterm baby. He sat at Rachel's shoulder, and they both stared in awe at the tiny, bright-red, raven-haired infant.
"He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Rachel said in a trembling voice as she stroked his head lovingly. Eli looked from his wife to his son with such love it brought a lump to Emma's throat. The nurses cleaned the baby up, wrapped him in a receiving blanket, and laid him in Eli's arms.
Technically, Emma was off duty once she was done with Rachel's medical care, but she hung around for a few minutes and took pictures of the baby with both parents so they'd have them to enjoy later. At one point, Emma caught Eli standing at the window looking out as he held his tiny son in his big, powerful arms.
To Emma, Eli seemed to be a genetic combination of Native American Indian and Northern European, like a Viking with Native American facial features. That would account for his extreme height and body type as well as his high cheekbones and angular features. He was extremely easy to look at. The light caught his pale-gray eyes, and Emma snapped his picture at the precise moment a small, satisfied smile crossed his full lips.
Emma smiled with triumph that she'd captured the moment. She glanced at Rachel and saw that she was entranced watching her husband hold their son, and Emma captured Rachel's beautiful image on the camera as well.
Eli had brought Rachel's laptop computer with them, and at that moment, it began beeping and chiming with the familiar ringtone of a Skype video call. A beautiful woman with long black hair and a pale ivory complexion appeared on the screen.
"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me---I mean see me? Is this thing on?"
Rachel chuckled softly and said, "Hi, Nell. How are you?"
"I'm fine, sweetie. I'm dying to know how you are. Did everything go okay?"
Emma recalled her visit to Grace a couple of months before. This was the same Nell who gave Rose Marie tiny Birkenstocks and was concerned about offsetting Rose Marie's methane output.
"Perfect, Nell. How's Henry?"
"He's fine. Mel came over a little while ago, convinced that aliens had landed in the wooded area near our house. He had the new alien detector Stef designed for him, and Henry was going to help him patrol the area." Nell made it sound as if alien hunting was an everyday occurrence in Bliss, Colorado.
From where she sat, Emma squinted at the screen to get a look at the face that she could've sworn belonged to one of the Disney princesses. Eli shifted by the window and grinned at Emma as he moved across the room toward Rachel's bedside.
"Where is the baby? How is little Levi Elias Wo-Woo-Wolf." There was a trace of a tremor in Nell's voice as Eli perched next to Rachel on the bed.
"Hi, Nell."
"Nell, this is Eli," Rachel said, obviously struggling with amusement as Nell's mouth opened and closed several times without making a sound.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face...sort of," Eli added.
"Um---um. It's a pleasure to meet to---you---to---too, Eli! Oh, drat. I'm so embarrassed!" The little, nymphlike woman was charming in her stammering disconcertion. "Shoot! It's nice to meet you, too. Oh, and is that little Levi? Show me, show me!" Nell balled up her little hands under her chin and cooed as Eli handed the baby off to Rachel and she held him closer so Nell could see. "He's so beautiful!"
Eli rose and said, "I'm going to step out and give you two a few minutes to talk. Need anything, angel?"
"Another pillow, if they have any."
"Another pillow, it is. It's nice to meet you, Nell."
Nell waved. "It's so nice to meet you, too, Eli. I'm so sorry about my reaction. I'm appalled that I may have objectified you. I'm sure your soul is every bit as beautiful as your---um. Shoot! I just objectified you again!" Nell put her palms to her cheeks, which even Emma could see were beet red. Considering her coloring, it made her look even more like Snow White. The only thing missing were little woodland creatures frolicking around her. "Take care, Eli."
Eli smiled and exited the room with a chuckle.
"Shoot me now, Rachel. I'm so sorry I objectified your husband! Oh, and don't tell Henry. He's been so possessive lately. I think my last topless protest on Rachel and Paige's behalf might have unleashed the Neanderthal in him."
Rachel chuckled softly and caressed Levi's fuzzy little head as she replied, "Trust me, Nell. A little Neanderthal in your man isn't necessarily a bad thing. My doctor is in the room, and I'd like to introduce you."
Emma shook her head and pointed vehemently toward the door. Rachel grinned knowingly and crooked her finger at her, not taking cowardice for an answer. Emma moved from her chair and came to the bedside. "Nell, this is Doctor Emma Guthrie."
"Oh! What a pleasure to meet you, Emma! I hope you were able to save the placenta for Rachel. It's very good for nourishing a tree and will help to displace Levi's impact on the environment..."
Emma nodded in agreement whenever Rachel did, following her lead for the next five minutes. Nell finally signed off when Henry and Mel returned empty handed except for what looked like an old part to an abandoned vehicle. Mel said he was certain that it was an alien anal probe. Emma thought he was quite a character. Nell extended the invitation for Rachel and her family to come to Bliss for a visit, and Mel even offered to scan little Levi for alien DNA when they came.
After the computer screen went blank, Emma voiced the question that had been burning in her mind since she'd gotten her first look at Mel. "Was that what I think it was, sticking out from under Mel's hat?"
Rachel nodded, biting her lip. "Aluminum foil. Yes. It blocks the alien rays. If I could live anywhere else besides Divine, Texas, it would have to be Bliss, Colorado. They have the best nudist colony in the world. Not that anyone is ever going to see Eli nude but me. Nell said they have more recorded sightings of Sasquatch there than anywhere else in North America."
Eli returned just then and, thinking that they needed some time alone, Emma asked, "Are you hungry, Rachel?"
"I'm starving." She also looked really tired.
"Get some rest. I'll arrange for a light lunch, and then you can eat supper when it comes in a little while."
"Thank you, Emma," Rachel said with true affection brimming in her eyes. Eli echoed her words, and Emma nodded happily and left the room.
An hour later, after eating a very late lunch, Emma was at the clinic, sorting through a stack of mail when she heard a tap at her office door.
She looked up and smiled at Maya Warner, who stood there in her cute red-and-white Santa's elf hat and peppermint-candy-striped scrubs. "Doctor Guthrie, two patients are waiting for you in Exam Room Three. They asked to be seen together because they're presenting the same symptoms." Maya put her hand to her mouth, and Emma thought she detected a snicker in Maya's tone, which was unlike her.
"What are the symptoms?"
"Chest pains and lower abdominal aches, but they didn't look like they were in pain to me," she added as she walked with Emma down the hall. "It's a little after five and I'm headed home, if that's all right with you. The guys want to go Christmas shopping tonight."
"Your guys want to go Christmas shopping? How did you manage that?"
"They want to shop for Rachel and Eli's new baby. The goofballs want to buy him a little motorized Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, the kind built for toddlers."
Emma laughed. "Eli will love that! Yeah, you can head out if this is the last one. Is Felicia still at the front?"
"Yes, I'll have her lock up behind me. Sorry about this. They showed up right before we locked the front and...looked desperate."
There was no file left in the box outside the exam room door and Maya said, "Oh, I must have left it in the room on the counter. I think it's a pretty simple case."
Emma hated entering a room without looking at the patient's paperwork first but wanted to get home to Duke and Gage so didn't belabor the point. They'd told her earlier in the day they had a surprise for her, and she was anxious to find out what it was.
Duke and Gage had been seen by their doctors recently, and Emma had seen no reason to continue using the condoms when they were monogamous with each other. They were just waiting on final test results. Maybe that was the good news they had for her, so they could finally throw caution to the wind.
"That's fine, Maya. Have fun tonight." She tapped on the door then stepped into the room. The door closed behind her, and a sexy voice whispered in her ear from behind, "Surprise, doctor." Duke. His voice had that smooth, velvety quality to it when he whispered, and it never failed to shoot a delicious thrill up her spine.
Another voice closed in behind her on the other side and said, "Doctor, I have an ache. I hope you can fix it." Gage's West Texas drawl made a happy shudder ripple down her spine.
"What in the world are you two doing here?" Gentle hands slid her doctor's coat from her shoulders and removed her stethoscope from around her neck.
"We couldn't wait to share our surprise with you."
"What is it?"
"We've made travel arrangements. While your clinic is closed over the New Year's holiday we're going to see the Aurora Borealis."
"We are?"
Duke and Gage nodded, looking very pleased with themselves. "We'll spend Christmas with your folks and then fly out of Dallas to Calgary, Alberta, and then on to Yellowknife in Northwest Territories. We'll be able to watch the northern lights from our hot tub on New Year's Eve."
Emma squealed in delight. They distracted her from further comment about the trip as Duke helped Gage unbutton her blouse. Emma asked, "What are you up to now?"
Duke replied, "Haven't you guessed? We're playing doctor, sweetheart."
Gage placed the stethoscope's earpieces in his ears and placed the diaphragm over her heart. "My goodness, Doctor Emma, your heart is pounding. Don't you feel well?"
Not only did she feel well, Emma felt positively scandalous as they continued disrobing her. Lust shot through her as Duke's lips descended in a trail of hot, damp kisses from her shoulder to her breasts as he revealed more and more of her flesh.
"Oh, Duke. Gage, what are you doing? Felicia is---"
"Felicia and Maya promised they'd lock up for us after you came in to examine us," Duke said reassuringly. "Maya told us you preferred to treat patients separately but we assured her you could handle us together with no problem at all." Emma chuckled, thinking that Maya would be able to identify with handling multiple men since she was used to dealing with three husbands herself.
Emma arched an eyebrow. "I understand you have chest pains?"
Gage removed the stethoscope and replied, "Yes. It's spread from there to just a little bit lower." He took her hand and trailed it down his abdomen to the very hard ridge at his groin.
"Oh, goodness. You do need help, don't you?" she asked, getting into the spirit of their little game. "I'll need you to undress so that I can examine you properly." She heard the metallic click of the door as Duke locked it and then joined his cousin in removing his clothing.
Emma took a seat on her rolling stool and patted the exam table. "Have a seat."
Before she'd returned to the clinic, she'd re-dressed in her silky red blouse which Gage and Duke had already removed, revealing her red lace push-up bra underneath. She wore a formfitting black skirt and a pair of red "come fuck me" peep-toed pumps. She no longer wore scrubs unless she was actually working at the hospital.
The makeover a couple of months ago had done wonders for her confidence as a shopper, and she'd gotten plenty of guidance from her girlfriends along the way. Unfortunately, she hadn't heard from Jane since her friend had asked about double-dating with her.
Emma inched her skirt a little higher on her thighs so she could scoot close to the exam table and to tempt them with the garter she wore beneath the skirt. Her hair was pinned up in a bejeweled clip, which was fortuitous because it would keep her hair out of the way.
"I love our sexy doctor, don't you, Gage?"
"Mmm-hmm," Gage answered as they seated themselves on the exam table. "I wonder what she's wearing today underneath that skirt." He drew a single fingertip up her inner thigh, and her legs trembled as he neared his destination.
They both sat in front of her nude with their cocks at rigid attention waiting to be touched. She reached out and trailed fingertips up their inner thighs in the same manner and smiled when their bodies reacted just as enthusiastically as hers was. Hot moisture pooled in her opening, wetting her satin thong as she watched their cocks bob eagerly. Duke slid his palm up the inside of her other thigh, and she cried out softly when his and Gage's hands met in the middle, sliding under the skimpy satin fabric.
Duke growled. "You're drenched, aren't you, Doctor?"
"And so hot, too. Maybe you're running a fever," Gage murmured as he stroked and petted her pussy.
"Maybe we can make each other feel better," Emma murmured as she leaned forward with both of their fingers slipping and sliding in her pussy and swiped her tongue up Duke's hardened shaft.
She took turns between their cocks, sucking on them as they teased her closer and closer to the edge. Spreading her thighs wider, she stroked one shaft while she worked the others one's cock with her mouth and tongue until they were all three groaning with need.
Duke stopped her and said, "Time for your exam, Em. It's going to be a very thorough exam, because we have other good news. We both got the 'clean and clear' from our doctor. No more barriers."
"Oh, baby, yes!"
They rose from the table and placed her across it on her back. Duke took a seat on the stool and placed her thighs over his shoulders. He pulled the thong aside and descended on her pussy without preamble, his hot breath on her clit and pussy lips making her ache to be filled by one of them. Gage's cock brushed against her lips, and she turned and eagerly opened her mouth for him and sucked him down.
"Suck me, angel," Gage grated out as he reached inside her bra and tweaked her nipple. She shivered and undulated between them as Duke licked, Gage played, and she sucked. Her pussy grew slick with her moisture, and Duke growled, sending deep vibrations through her clit that made her soar over the edge.
She groaned loudly around Gage's cock as she came for Duke, grinding her pussy against this face through wave after wave of pleasure. Without warning, Duke stood and thrust his hot, bare cock into her trembling pussy. Duke pulled out and thrust in again, holding her hips in his hands and tilting her so he rubbed her G-spot with each stroke. A delicious idea filled her mind, and it must have shown in her eyes as Gage watched her. She sucked the head of his cock once more and released it from her mouth with a juicy pop then smiled up at him.
"Why did you stop?" Gage asked.
"I have a treat for you, if you can wait."
Gage nodded, and she gave her full attention to Duke as he fucked her with wild abandon. She wanted to say more, but words failed her as her orgasm built up inside her. She arched against Duke, her body stiffening and bracing for the wondrous explosion. The paper covering the table made crackling sounds and bunched up beneath her. She grabbed the edges of the table and thrust back against him.
"I'm going to fill your tight, little pussy with my cum, Doctor. Will that make you feel all better?"
His words and the imagery sent her over the edge, and she sobbed in ecstasy as her cunt tightened and pulsed until she felt as though she exploded. Duke growled his approval and lifted her knees to press her thighs against her chest. This changed the angle of his thrusts, and he moaned blissfully as he dug his fingers into her thighs and thrust hard. He looked down at where they were joined and then tilted his head and cried out in fulfillment.
"Oh, God, yes!"
Ecstasy washed across his features as he finally stopped thrusting and leaned down to her. Emma sighed deeply as Duke rested with his head pressed between her breasts and recovered and then pulled from her to sit on the end of the exam table. Gage sat down by her shoulder, and she gazed up at him and took his hand. "I think you're in need of some special healing, Gage."
The hungry gleam in his eyes sent a quiver through her. "Oh, yeah. The swelling is only worse, Doctor," he growled as he slid the fingers of one hand into the lace cup of her bra and stroked his erection with the other. She sat up slowly and returned to her spot on the rolling stool. Her pussy still throbbed from Duke's attention.
"I know a special cure," she said as she slid open a drawer under the exam table. Both men watched her curiously as she reached in the drawer for what she would need. Emma watched Gage's cock go from straight-up rock solid to granite hard and ready to burst in the matter of a few seconds.
"Oh, holy shit," Gage murmured as Emma withdrew her hand from the drawer, bearing a sterile glove and a tube of lubricant.
Emma's heart sped up as Gage's respiration sounds increased and he bit his lip as he watched her. His cheeks even grew a little flushed.
"Do you trust me, Gage?" she asked as she silently gloved her right hand. Gage loosed a shaky breath and answered her by slowly lying back on the exam table, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. She stroked Gage's hip and smiled up at Duke briefly when he rose from the exam table and kissed her temple. He sat in one of the patient chairs and silently watched them, taking on the role of voyeur.
Emma rolled close to the exam table and adjusted the stool so she could easily reach his cock with her mouth from a sitting position. With the glove on her right hand, she lubed her middle finger and returned the tube to the drawer.
Feeling sexy and powerful, Emma rolled over a few inches and kissed Gage on the lips. She licked at his bottom lip and teased the tip of his tongue with her own. His abdomen shuddered when she laid her left hand on him and stroked his firmly muscled torso. Moisture flooded her pussy again when he groaned softly as he slid his hands into her hair.
She lingered over the kiss and tucked her left forearm under his neck and laid her upper body against his. "You're so warm," she murmured. The sterility of the exam room and the cold tiled floor seemed to fade from notice as he stroked her hip and then cupped her breast in his big hands.
"So are you, angel."
She could detect the arousal in his voice, which sounded even deeper than normal.
"I want to do something for you, if you're willing."
Gage brushed his fingertips across her forehead as he gazed into her eyes. "Anything you want."
Relieved that he was willing to try it, Emma smiled and sat up a little. She positioned his left thigh so that it was bent at the knee and rested against the wall. To keep him from being distracted by the feel of the latex glove, she only stroked him with her left hand, not wanting him to be reminded that he was in a clinical setting.
Noting the pearl of pre-cum at the slit of his cock, Emma rolled back down so she could pay attention to his poor, distended shaft. He gasped when she lightly feathered her gloved knuckles against the exposed portion of his ass cheeks to prepare him for the presence of her fingers there.
She knew this was going to be a stretch for either of her men because of the deeper level of trust and intimacy involved in playing with them anally. As a woman, she was used to being on the "receiving end," to being penetrated, but she knew it would be harder for them to wrap their minds around being the receivers. Maybe that was why his trust meant so much to her.
Emma wrapped her left hand around his erection and lifted it to her watering mouth to lick the pre-cum from it. She hummed at his salty, creamy taste and laved him again as he groaned and arched his back. The rapid rise and fall of his abdomen told her he was very aroused by what was about to happen.
She glanced back at Duke and found him watching closely, like a man in a trance, riveted to the scene that was about to play out. His cock was already halfway hard again.
Licking Gage's cock with a long, leisurely stroke of her tongue, Emma made a yummy sound and slid his cock between her lips and flicked her tongue against it, getting him nice and wet.
At the same time, she stroked her knuckle more deliberately between his ass cheeks, closing in on his anal opening. An urgent-sounding moan came from his throat, and he flexed his hips, moving against her knuckle. Sensing his acquiescence, she uncurled her finger and stroked his tight asshole with her lubricated fingertip. She'd used plenty, so there was no chance of discomfort.
She took her time, stroking his sphincter until he writhed and flexed with each pass. At times he seemed to want to quell the display of pleasure he felt with her doing that, but he gradually gave over and moaned loudly as she pressed for entry.
"Oh, God! Emma!"
The office door was locked, but Emma hoped like hell Felicia and Maya were indeed already gone. If they weren't, his little outburst was going to be nothing compared to the one that would be coming soon.
She took her time sinking her finger in, teasing his opening as she stroked in and out. She flicked his burgeoning cock with her tongue where it lay rigid as a steel pole on his abdomen, and he gasped and jerked, taking her finger deeper.
With her palm facing upward, she caressed his dark passage, curling her finger in a "come hither" motion, finding the slight bulge of his prostate gland. Gage's eyes flashed open and his jaw went slack as she made eye contact and smiled softly at him.
Leaning down, she kissed the faded scar above his belly button, and his abdomen fluttered at the contact. He laid his hand on her back and stroked her shoulder blade, and she noticed the definite tremble in his hand.
She sat up and repeated the motion with her finger and gloried in the wonder that showed in his eyes. Over and over she stroked his prostate until his eyes rolled in his head and he tilted his head back. The tension increased throughout his torso, and he gripped the edge of the table so hard the wood frame creaked.
Emma chose that moment to take his cock in her mouth to the back of her throat and caressed him with her tongue. She could feel the tension vibrating through him as she continued fondling that innocuous bulge in a way that was guaranteed to make his cock feel like it was exploding. She sucked lightly on his cock.
"Uh!" Gage cried out and slammed his hand against the wall and braced himself for what she knew would be the granddaddy of all orgasms. He panted hard, trying to gain control again, and she stroked on, not allowing it. She sucked his length in long, measured passes, feeling like a goddess as the tension in him coiled tighter and tighter.
Come on, baby. Let it go. You know you want to.
She adjusted her position so she could see his face and feathered her tongue against the underside of his cock, which felt much harder and even heavier than usual. She teased at the sensitive spot near the head at the same time she concentrated her stokes on his prostate. He froze, and she got ready to swallow as his back suddenly bowed, his muscles went rigid, and his panting turned to howling.
"Oh, my God! Oh, fuck! Fuck! Angel! What---Oh, God---"
Emma felt positively victorious as Gage's prostrate throbbed in time with each surge of cum that spurted in great hot streams into her mouth. She sucked and swallowed each one down as she continued milking him of every drop of cum he would give her. On and on it went, much longer than a typical orgasm. His flavor was milder, like his pre-cum, and she continued massaging him because she knew he wasn't finished yet.
"Emma! Oh, my God! Emma! Angel! Holy fuck! Oh---" He punctuated his outburst with a loud wail as his cum continued spurting in hot surges as she swallowed.
His salty essence filled her senses, and she wanted to wallow in this experience with him as tears streamed from the corners of his clenched eyelids. She applied gentle pressure to his pulsing gland as the spurting waves of his climax gradually subsided and his body fell limp beneath her. He was bathed in sweat, and she wanted to take her clothes off and curl up with him. She gently withdrew her finger from his ass and removed the glove quietly as she licked his softening cock clean.
He gasped and moaned at another aftershock, and she hummed at the taste of his final spurt of cum, then kissed the tip of his cock. She felt his hands on her upper arms and allowed him to draw her as close as he could on the table.
"Emma." His voice was gravelly and hoarse sounding from shouting so much.
She smiled when her name was all he could manage to say as he wrapped his strong arms around her. His body still trembled, and she could hear his heart hammering in his chest. He held her tight and just lay there recovering for a few minutes. Once he relaxed, she sat up and gazed into his bewildered eyes.
"You okay, Gage?"
"What in the fuck was that?"
"I massaged your prostate."
"I understood what you were doing, but still...what in the fuck was that?"
"Um...I'm hazarding a guess that it was an orgasm of volcanic proportions."
"You got that right. Holy fuck. Where---Where is Duke?"
Duke murmured from the chair behind her in a deep, mesmerizing voice. "I'm here. I wouldn't have gotten up and left for anything. That was amazing, Emma." Duke stood and crossed the room as Gage finally sat up, still a little shaky.
Emma felt her cheeks fill with warmth as Gage looked up at Duke like he'd been to Heaven and wanted to tell him all about it but couldn't find the right words.
Duke chuckled quietly and said, "You've made him speechless, Em. It must have been really good."
Emma gazed up at Duke and saw the need in his eyes. His shaft was fully erect, and she giggled as she winked at him and licked the length of his shaft. "I think you need a doctor's tender loving care, too." Turning to Gage as he climbed from the table, she asked, "Did Doctor Emma cure you?"
Gage smiled as he swiped a lock of her hair from her cheek, and she realized her hair clip had come loose at some point. "I'll say you did. It was a miraculous healing."
Duke kissed her as he sat down on the table, his cock standing up stiff and ready.
Emma chuckled and drew on another glove, giving it a melodramatic snap for effect. "Make yourself comfortable, Duke. I feel another miracle coming on."
Christmas morning...
In a husky voice, Duke whispered, "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
Emma awakened to the sensation of lips trailing soft kisses over her breasts and her throat. It was still dim outside, and she smiled as they slowly roused her to wakefulness.
Gage released her nipple and murmured, "Merry Christmas, angel."
Emma rolled to her back on the crowded queen-size bed in her old room at her parents' house in Dallas. She sighed luxuriantly as their kisses headed farther south. "It is a good morning. Merry Christmas." She panted happily as Duke raised her calf, parting her thighs, and lavished long, slow licks to her pussy.
Duke toyed with her clit with the tip of his tongue and then sucked lightly on it, while Gage gently slid two fingers into her cunt and stroked her in a leisurely fashion while he kissed her good morning. The scruff on Duke's chin tickled her inner thighs and her mound. Her men patiently took her higher and higher, whispering naughty, sweet words in her ear and licking her to the very edge of orgasm.
She reached down to Duke and caressed the closely trimmed beard on his jaw and whispered, "Please."
His sensual gray eyes promised he'd give her what she needed, and then he closed his eyes and gradually increased the pressure of his suckling at her clit, drawing her flesh into his mouth and flicking it with the tip of his tongue until she covered her mouth with her fist and came with a panting, heartfelt sob.
When she could breathe again, she whispered, "I have surprises for you downstairs. They're probably waiting for us already."
Duke shook his head. "We set the alarm so we'd have time to make love to you this morning. We have plenty of time," he said as he slid his cock deep in her slick pussy. "And surprises can wait, when we have you in our arms."
"Very true," Gage murmured as he knelt beside her. His cock was thick and very hard as she took it in her hand and kissed it before licking him. "No gift compares to the way you make me feel, angel."
Christmas night...
Gage rolled his eyes at Emma as she hid her laughter behind her hand. Emma's father did his best to keep a straight face as he explained again to Emma's partially deaf grandmother. "Duke is Emma's boyfriend and Gage is Duke's cousin."
The sweet, but opinionated, gray-haired lady said, "Why in the hell is his cousin traveling with them to Timbuktu? Doesn't he know they want to be alone?"
Desiree, Emma's little sister, looked ready to choke on her candied yams as they all sat talking at the dinner table on Christmas night. "Grandma, it's not every day you have the chance to see the northern lights. Maybe they wanted him to come."
Emma made eye contact with Gage and splurted her iced tea as some went up her nose. "Oh! Ouch! I'm so sorry. Oh my goodness!" She held a napkin to her face. Emma's sister proved that a perverted sense of humor ran in the Guthrie family when she kept letting little innuendos like that slip.
Gage laughed, marveling that Emma could turn that deep of a shade of crimson. Her eyes were watering, and he couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying. Sitting beside her, playing the part of adoring boyfriend, Duke patted her back and offered her his napkin as well.
They'd had a choice to make. In deference to her extended family, they'd needed to determine who got to play Emma's boyfriend. The choice had been made after a bottle of wine had been consumed, and they played spin the bottle.
Duke had won the honors, and Gage got to play the sexy, unexplained cousin at all the gatherings who got hit on by all the single women in the family. Emma had a large extended family and several single female cousins, as well as one gay male cousin, and all of them had been checking him out the night before, on Christmas Eve.
Emma made it up to him when he snuck into her bedroom with Duke later that night. Emma's parents had set Duke and Gage up in the guest room and, with equanimity, told them that as long as they didn't know or hear who went where, they didn't care, just as long as Emma was happy.
Diffusing the moment, Emma's mother, Roberta Guthrie, said, "We're just so glad that they could all come. Gage is considered a part of the family, too."
Gage smiled at the secret sincerity in her words. Despite the unorthodox nature of their relationship, Emma's parents accepted Duke and Gage both equally. Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe were his mom and dad, but it was an unexpected bonus that he was accepted by Emma's family, too. Neither he nor Duke had allowed themselves to believe that would happen when they pursued Emma.
New Year's Eve, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada...
Emma reached out to Duke and Gage as she stepped into the hot tub located right outside their sliding glass door. She quivered with delight as the frigid breeze blowing over her bare skin was replaced by the languid heat of the water. She sank to her neck in the frothing water, and they settled on either side of her. Duke reached for the switch and turned off the lights on the deck. Emma had debated about leaving her glasses on the vanity inside their room but was glad she'd left them on now.
Tilting her head back, she looked up at the sky, and her heart was filled with wonder. "Oh, would you look at that."
Shimmering, swirling shades of green danced in slow, undulating motion across the night sky. They were far away from city lights and the weather was clear enough that their view of the aurora borealis was nothing short of magnificent.
Emma let her breath out slowly and allowed herself to relax in their arms and take in the shimmering, scrolling curtains of light. At times, she was sure she could reach out and touch them as they swept by. At other times, she thought she could somehow see the very darkness that seemed to move independently of the shimmering skirts of light. It was an entrancing display, and she felt hypnotized by it.
She smiled when she saw the lights shining on the faces of her sweet, handsome men. They gazed at her like there was nothing else in the world they wanted to look at, and she temporarily forgot about one of the natural wonders of the world as the wonder she experienced in their arms superseded it.
"I love you," she whispered as she looked from one to the other. "I'm so happy when I'm with you."
Duke pulled her into his lap so she faced him, straddling his thighs. Tenderly, he kissed the healed incision over her breastbone. The position made her feel opened and vulnerable to him, and her pussy swelled and tingled with the need to be taken. She gasped when he held her to him and slid his back up the side of the tub until he sat perched on the edge, the water cascading down their limbs. His cock was pressed against her mound, and her body felt superheated in the cold air. She braced one knee on the decking around the hot tub and groaned softly as he slid his cock in one swift, hot stroke deep into her pussy.
"Oh, Duke, yes," she whispered.
She heard a small popping sound then shuddered at the feel of warm lubricant being applied to her asshole. It made her feel special when they remembered the small things like that. Lubricant left out on the deck while they'd soaked would have been shockingly cold on her nether regions. Gage stroked her back opening, and the stimulation to those nerve endings made her antsy to move on Duke. He held on to her hips and patted her ass and chuckled. "In a hurry, sweetheart?"
Emma bit her lip and whispered, "Oh, you feel so good. I can't help it. Fuck me." She shivered lightly and then smiled when Gage pressed his warm body against hers. One of her legs was still in the water, and one was on the deck. The temperature difference confused her senses, and she felt hot and cold all at the same time. She crooned in relief when she felt Gage's cock at her asshole.
Duke wrapped his arms around her torso, and she hung on to his shoulders, concentrating on relaxing for Gage. She undulated and arched her back as he pressed against her with his big, hard cock. Always gentle with her, Gage thrust in shallow strokes until his cock slid in completely.
"Oh, fuck. She feels so good," Gage groaned.
"I'm holding on by a thread, already. Too good." Duke's strong hands grasped her ass cheeks, and he ground against her.
Gage placed his knee on the deck outside of hers and angled with her and began moving in counterpoint with Duke. Emma found her place in the rhythm and felt the tendrils of her orgasm begin to wind around her. She threw her had back against Gage's shoulder and gazed up at the slowly undulating waves of light that had held her transfixed earlier. She felt so blessed that they both loved her and cared enough about her to chase all the dreams on her bucket list with her. They were everything to her.
In a deep, breathless voice she murmured, "You're my world, both of you. I love you. I need you so much."
Gage slid his fingers over her mound and stroked her throbbing, swollen clit. The tidal wave of emotion and energy inside her expanded until she felt her heart might burst. Her cunt convulsed, and her movements slowed until she merely received from both men what they would give. One of the men groaned loudly, and the storm inside her built to a crisis point. Her orgasm shuddered through her in great sinuous waves, and she rocked between them ecstatically. Both men let loose deep cries of passion as they came inside her pulsing body. They held on to each other, shuddering blissfully.
"Sweetheart?"
"Hmmm," she murmured as she listened to Duke's heartbeat and felt Gage's exhalations against her back.
"Will you marry us?" Duke murmured softly against her temple.
"Huh?"
"Marry us, angel. We love you so much," Gage whispered.
Still connected intimately to both of them, her body throbbed with sudden awareness and clarity. "Marry you?"
They both breathed a deep sigh and nodded as they held her tightly. Gage reached behind Duke and revealed a velvet box. He opened it, and she gasped as the glow of the northern lights was reflected in the gold setting. The diamond solitaire flashed with green-and-white fire as the lights above suddenly flared bright for a few moments.
Duke chuckled and said, "We won't let you go until you say yes."
She touched a finger to the ring and then looked up into Duke's eyes and Gage's eyes then said, "Yes. Yes! I'll marry you. But..."
"But what, angel?" Gage said, not as a worried question, but more of an affirmation that whatever might keep her from marrying them they would somehow overcome.
"We've been working our way through the bucket list. Where do you propose we get married?"
Late January...
To the tune of cheerful Caribbean music, Emma stepped down the narrow walkway on the arm of her father. Looking over the side of the large boat, she saw more dolphins trailing along, making their way to the stern. At the steps that gave access to the water, her father took her arm and helped her in then joined her mother on the deck of the boat with the rest of the wedding guests who were able to make the trip to Grand Cayman Island.
Duke, Gage, and Blake Gray waited for her in the water, surrounded by friendly, seemingly excited dolphins.
"I think this is the most unusual locale for any bonding ceremony I've officiated at, so far," Blake said as he treaded water in his safety vest with the others.
A dolphin gently bumped him from behind and squealed. Everyone including Blake laughed at the dolphin's impatient prompting to get the show on the road.
Duke and Gage reached out for her and drew her between them until the three of them were all before Blake. The crystalline, blue waters off Grand Cayman rippled and shimmered around them.
Blake asked, "Do you have the rings?" Emma removed their rings from the pocket in her safety vest, giggling when a dolphin tickled the bottom of her foot.
She remembered wondering what it had been like for Maya, watching as she bound her heart to her men back in August. Now she knew.
Because they were floating in the Caribbean Sea, the men were not able to kneel, but everything else went according to plan. Everyone chuckled when dolphins squealed in apparent delight as Blake declared them bound to each other.
Blake congratulated them and then left them to spend some time with each other and the dolphins before they returned to the boat where the reception was getting underway. Her immediate family, including her hearing-impaired grandmother, was all able to attend.
Emma and her men chuckled when her grandmother asked, "What kind of a wedding was that? No matron of honor and the bride kisses the best man, too? What is this world coming to?"
Emma squealed when two dolphins nudged her feet so that she actually rose on the water's surface.
Gage said, "Looks like they want to play, angel."
Emma replied, "They sure do!" as she rose in the water again. "So what's next on our list?"
Duke laughed and said, "We still haven't sung karaoke."
Gage chuckled and said, "I still can't believe I agreed to add that to the list. I think you're going to do that one without me."
Emma shook her head and replied, "Oh no, mister. We do everything on our bucket list together."
"Okay, but can it be something besides 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor?"
Desiree giggled from the boat and said, "Oh! I love that song! At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side..."
Emma's mom jumped in the act next, melodramatically singing, "And then I spent so many nights, thinking how you did me wrong, and I grew strong, and I learned how to get along..."
Summer took the next few lines, until finally at the chorus they were all singing along, while Emma, Duke, and Gage looked on from the water, in amazement. Some of them had even started dancing while they sang.
Gage asked, "Is your grandma doing the running man?"
Emma giggled. "I don't know, but now you know where I got my dancing talent from."
Next, the musicians got into the spirit of the song, and before they knew it, everyone on the boat was line dancing to "I Will Survive," even Ace Webster, Kemp Whittier, and Emma's grandma, who could cut a rug when she set her mind to it.
While they were all distracted, Duke and Gage drew close to Emma in the water, and Gage murmured, "So, angel, was it everything you hoped it would be?"
Emma shook her head as the music played on. "No. It's much more than I ever expected, Gage."
Duke pressed his lips to her temple and said, "You're stuck with us now, sweetheart."
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Duke." She kissed them both, lingering at their lips as a sweet languor began to steal over her. Suddenly she gasped and giggled.
"Did one of the dolphins goose you? I think one nipped my butt a minute ago," Duke said with a chuckle.
Emma shook her head. "Nope! Now I know what we have to sing at karaoke together. Sugarland's 'Stuck Like Glue.' Whoa-oa, whoa-oa, stuck like glue, you and me baby we're stuck like glue...What?" she asked. "Everyone knows that song! Come on," she urged with a giggle as she wrapped a forearm around each man and kissed them gently one more time.
Duke slid a warm hand around her waist and kissed her throat. "You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue."
Gage mirrored Duke's hold on her other side and whispered softly, "There you go making my heart beat again, heart beat again, heart beat again..."
Emma giggled, and the three of them put their heads together. She whispered, "I'd still be hiding if it wasn't for you two...and a few friends." She giggled as she looked toward the boat at the group still gyrating and line dancing.
THE END
WWW.HEATHERRAINIER.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Rainier lives and writes in South Central Texas. Her stories offer up the content of her fantasies, with autobiographical humor, triumph, and tragedy mixed in. With great pride, Heather writes erotic romances exclusively for Siren Publishing, under their Ménage Everlasting and Everlasting Classic imprints.
Heather's love of romance fiction began as a teenager when her mom gave her copies of Kathleen Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower and Bertrice Small's Skye O'Malley. To this day she's pretty sure that was her mom's version of the "birds and the bees" talk.
Heather writes the type of novel she loves to read: more erotic and edgy than the mainstream, with plenty of sweet romance mixed in and a happily ever after guaranteed. Heather's favorite type of hero is the gentle, lovable giant, but readers will discover a wide variety of heroes and alphas on the pages of her novels, from nearly perfect to very flawed. Heather hopes that readers relate to her heroines and the challenges and dilemmas they face head-on.
Heather believes that life doesn't always present love to us in neat little sanitized packages. Sometimes we have to seize the day, live life with no regrets, forget the past, never give up, learn to trust, and dare to live, even in outrageous circumstances. Those themes are woven throughout her Divine Creek Ranch Collection, which debuted in November of 2010.
When not happily typing at her keyboard, Heather is usually busy corralling her kids, volunteering as a reading tutor, or loving on her smokin' hot husband, who thankfully loves to cook.
Also by Heather Rainer
Ménage Everlasting: Divine Creek Ranch 4:
Rosemary's Double Delight
Everlasting Classic: Divine Creek Ranch 5: Spurs and Heels
Ménage Everlasting: Divine Creek Ranch 6: Maya's Triple Dare
Ménage Everlasting: Divine Creek Ranch 7: Summer's Indiscretion
Ménage Everlasting: Divine Creek Ranch 8:
Lydia's Twin Temptation
For all other titles, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/heather-rainier
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