Babies for Nikki (30 page)

* * * *

Butler stepped up onto the deck and walked to the lounge chair where Jace sat with Laurie on his lap. Alex took his place beside his triad partner, unable to keep the smile from his face as he saw how Laurie was cuddled against their alpha, her belly gently rubbed as Jace showed love to their cub growing within her. Seeing something like that used to send him into deep sadness, knowing such things were not meant for him and Butler. Now his heart was light, and he knew Butler could sense his happiness at the thought that they would soon be experiencing the same thing with their Nikki.

Butler turned to him and nodded, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly. “Soon, Alex,” he said quietly.

Alex nodded. He really liked how the bond between them was strengthening and was looking forward to being able to hear Nikki’s and Butler’s thoughts and feel their emotions once they finally claimed her. He wanted to be able to talk to them no matter where they were or what they were doing. He wanted to be able to send his thoughts and feelings to their mate so she would always know that she was loved.

“Nikki came back just a few minutes ago,” Laurie told them both as she rested against Jace’s chest. “What did you two do?”

Alex looked down in shame, but Butler held his ground. “We just told her that she shouldn’t have stepped forward to help us. She could have been injured.”

“Were you outnumbered?” Laurie asked them quietly.

“Yes.” Butler’s voice was hesitant.

“Were you being attacked, Alex?” she continued, waiting for the answer she already knew would come.

“Yes, but I am more than capable of defending myself, Alpha,” Alex protested.

“I don’t doubt that for a minute, Alex. And I know Nikki feels the same way. She knows both you and Butler are capable enforcers.”

“Nikki is more than precious to us,” Butler added. “We explained to her that she was to stay in the water, out of danger.”

“And when she came to your aid, instead of thanking her, you went all macho on her and demanded that she do what you tell her to do. Is that about the gist of what happened?”

Both men nodded curtly, remaining silent.

Laurie removed herself from Jace’s embrace, standing before Alex and Butler. She reached out and touched their arms gently.

“You have to understand that Nikki has been taking care of people her whole life,” she explained softly. “She doesn’t know any other way to be. When she cares about someone, she doesn’t think, she acts. And she couldn’t stop herself from helping you any more than you can stop your hearts from beating. It’s her nature. You need to accept that.”

“Laurie, she could have been hurt worse than she was today,” Alex protested quietly. “What if she tries to help when she’s carrying our cubs?”

Laurie smiled at his words. “Nikki will put your baby’s safety before her own, Alex. She has wanted children for a long time. To find herself pregnant will send her over the moon with happiness.”

Alex turned to Butler and saw the slow smile that crept over his triad partner’s face.

“But you won’t have that future if you continue to prevent her from being who she is,” Laurie cautioned them both softly. She turned and leaned down to kiss Jace’s lips tenderly. “I’m going to go and lie down. Our baby is demanding I take a nap.”

Jace smiled up at her, leaning forward to kiss her belly gently. “Go ahead, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Go rest. You and our cub both need it. It’s been a busy day.”

Laurie nodded and leaned down to kiss him sweetly one last time. Turning, she walked toward the back of the house and slid open the sliding glass door, squealing in surprise as Jackson’s hands reached for her and spun her around to kiss her soundly.

“Where you going, darlin’?” he asked, nuzzling against the side of her face as she laughed against his chest.

“I was going to lie down and take a nap,” she answered breathlessly.

“Want some company?” he teased.

“Now, you know if you come upstairs with me, I won’t get any rest,” she whispered against his neck, kissing it gently.

Jackson’s growl of need filled the air. “Baby, you’ll be naked so fast, you won’t have time to blink,” he warned her as he licked at her neck and bit down on it lightly.

Laurie laughed and hugged him to her tightly before leaning back to look up at him. The smile left his face as he saw the exhaustion that was evident on her face.

“Are you all right, darlin’?”

She nodded, reaching up to kiss his lips lightly. “Just a little tired.”

“Come on, sweetheart,” Jackson said quietly, turning her to guide her inside. “I’ll tuck you into bed and make sure you get some rest.” He turned to look back at Jace and saw him smiling at them. “I’ll be back down as soon as I get our mate settled.”

Jace nodded.
Kiss our daughter for me.

Jackson smiled and turned back to follow Laurie into the house, leaving the sliding glass door open. He could think about nothing but following their pregnant mate up to bed.

“Jace, we need to talk to you about building a home on our section of land at the lake’s edge,” Alex spoke up as Jace stood and watched Laurie and Jackson leave them.

“I was hoping you would say that,” Jace told him, turning to smile at him. “Nikki will be a good mate for you both.”

Butler stepped forward and set a comforting hand on Alex’s forearm. “She will,” he agreed. “As long as we let her be herself, we’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know how to step back if she’s going to put herself in danger, Alpha,” Alex spoke up, his voice filled with worry. “I would lose my mind if anything ever happened to her.”

Jace nodded solemnly. “I feel the same way about Laurie, Alex. I can only advise that you try to give her the freedom she needs. Nikki is strong. She’s used to protecting people. But I think she’ll be open to be cautious once she realizes she has all of us to look out for her. Don’t worry too much about it. The Fates know what they’re doing. The three of you will form a triad that was destined, and you will all be exactly what the others need. And I think Laurie is right. When she finds out she’s pregnant, she’ll be more concerned for the safety of your cub and will do everything she can to ensure the cub will be healthy and happy.”

“Cubs,” Butler corrected.

“What?”

“We’ve seen in our visions that Nikki will give us a daughter and a son through her first pregnancy,” Alex explained.

Jace smiled broadly. “That’s wonderful. Her first pregnancy, huh?” he teased.

“We hope there will be more than one pregnancy,” Butler explained hesitantly. “Although, if we don’t apologize to Nikki and sincerely explain that we will try to respect her nature, there won’t even be the one pregnancy.”

Jace laughed as he turned to look out across the lush expanse of the pack land. “Don’t worry. It will work itself out. Now what about your new home? Do you have any ideas for its design?”

“It has to be big enough for a large family,” Alex spoke up immediately. “If Nikki is willing, we’ll be having lots of cubs, starting with twins.”

“We have a blueprint already made up,” Butler added. “We can get it and have it adjusted to make sure that the rooms are big enough and there are enough bedrooms to allow for a growing family.”

“Be sure you consult with Nikki before you finalize the design. Every woman wants to have input in what their home will look like,” Jace cautioned them.

“We will,” Alex promised. “We’ve had this home planned for years, just waiting for our mate to make it a reality. We’ve got enough saved to not have to worry about the expense of the construction itself.”

“The cubs she’s going to bless us with will be what will make our house a home,” Butler added. “We just have to make sure it will be exactly what she wants as well.”

“Sounds like you two have plans for an outstanding home,” Jace told them, impressed by their thoroughness. “The land you’ve claimed will be perfect for it. The cost of this home sounds like it will be pretty steep though.”

“We have nothing to worry about,” Butler assured him. “It will be well worth the price. It’s going to be great, and Nikki will be the main contributor. We would have no possibility of ever having this home in our future if it weren’t for her.”

The thought of all the cubs running through their home and cuddling with them in their bed on a lazy weekend morning sent a sudden rush of emotions through him. Butler’s heart swelled at the thought of Nikki making their house into a home. He just knew that it would be a home filled with laughter and love because of her.

* * * *

Nikki came down the stairs slowly. She was freshly showered and had changed into her black jeans and red baby-doll top. As she entered the kitchen, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight before her. Martha, Julia, and Tammy were elbows deep in dough.

“What are you guys making?” she asked, stepping toward them and inhaling deeply. There was nothing like the smell of fresh dough.

“We’re making bread,” Martha answered. “Tammy likes raisin bread, Julia likes cinnamon bread, and I like garlic bread, so we’ve decided to make all three.”

“Want to help us, Nikki?” Tammy asked her excitedly.

“Sure, honey,” Nikki answered, smiling happily. “I’ll open the oven door for you when you’re ready, and then I’ll help you eat them when they’re cooked.”

Julia’s burst of laughter made Nikki laugh, too. She stood to the side of the counter and waited while the women worked. The kitchen already smelled so good with just the ingredients of the bread. She couldn’t imagine how much better it would be once the loaves started baking.

Stepping closer to the sliding glass door to make sure she was not in the way of the determined cooks, she closed her eyes and allowed the soft breeze that came through the open door to wash over her.

Jace’s voice filtered in through the open doorway.

Sounds like you two have plans for an outstanding home. The land you’ve claimed will be perfect for it. The cost of this home sounds like it will be pretty steep though.

We have nothing to worry about. It will be well worth the price. It’s going to be great, and Nikki will be the main contributor. We would have no possibility of ever having this home in our future if it weren’t for her.

Butler’s words knifed through her, sending pain deep into her heart. It took every bit of her strength to remain standing. Every moment of anguish in her life could not compare to the absolute devastation she was feeling at that moment.

They know. They know about my money. They’ve always known and they want it just like every other man. They don’t want me. They want my money.

The words screamed through her mind. She couldn’t stop them. They continued on in a constant loop until she thought she would go mad. She had to leave. She had to get away. She had to go now.

As Alex and Butler walked into the kitchen, they looked at her with concern. She nearly laughed at her thoughts. They had no concern for her. She was just seeing what her delusional mind wanted her to see. To them she was just a means to an end. All the intimate moments meant nothing to them. She was just a convenient sex partner. She would have continued to fool herself into thinking that they really did have feelings for her, but she knew better now. She should have known better all along. Her money had been the reason for their attention.

When she saw them both walking toward her, she took a defensive step back, making them halt in their tracks. She turned to face Jace and ignored the two men who had truly broken her heart.

“Jace, would you mind taking me back to my car at the mall? I need to get ready for work.”

Alex and Butler stepped toward her immediately. Before they could touch her, she sidestepped them and stood before Jace.

“I need to go now,” she told him, her voice strong.

“Are you sure, Nikki?” Jace asked her quietly, looking at his lieutenants with concern.

“Absolutely,” she insisted. “I have the late shift tonight and tomorrow. I have to get back to my place to get ready.”

Jace nodded, reaching out to gently stroke Tammy’s hair before he looked one last time at Alex and Butler. He had no choice but to honor Nikki’s request.

“I’ll be out front in just a minute. Get your things together, and I’ll take you.”

Nikki nodded and turned without looking at the two men who stood silently beside her. She could feel their confusion and their anger. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she felt pain as well, but that could be her own emotions because she was certainly experiencing a good amount of it at the moment.

She walked out of the kitchen quickly and made her way up the stairs to the suite she had shared with Alex and Butler. It had been an incredible few days, but it was time to get back to the real world.

Reality was not her friend. Actually, reality was a bitch, and she should have known better than to think her reality could be anything other than a life of loneliness. She had learned the hard way throughout her lifetime that men would only be interested in her because of the money she had and the future she could provide for them. A future that would not include a family life, and certainly not children.