Family Values (6 page)

And they had pleasured her. His ears still rang with her cries. Her face and body were lax now. And her brothers were slowly disengaging, holding her hips and setting her on her feet. Only when she reached up and placed hands on both their chests to hold them off did they give her room.

Her gaze didn’t connect with any of them. Her face, which had been tinted a pretty rose before, was ashen. Reality was creeping in.

Brand caught his brothers’ gazes and tilted his head toward the path leading away from the pond.

They quickly gathered their clothing and walked away, Nate cursing about the gravel digging into his tender soles. But Brand didn’t care. Angelina needed him. “Come here,” he said, holding out his hand.

She glanced at his hand, and then her gaze slid to the pond. Her arms came up to cross over her chest. Like she could hide her body from him. Or her devastation.

“Come.”

She straightened her shoulders, dropped her arms and slowly made her way toward him.

When she was near enough, he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. He leaned back and then gripped her waist. Although she tensed, she allowed him to pull her over his lap, her legs spread so that her pussy rode the placket of his blue jeans.

Only now that he had her here, he didn’t know exactly how to soothe her fears. Words froze in his throat. Tension gripped him too hard. So rather than words, he pulled her closer and cupped the back of her head, fisting his hand on her hair.

His kiss was brutal. He knew it.

But she didn’t seem to mind.

Their mouths ground and circled, and before too long, her tight little nipples were scraping his shirt, and she was moving on him, rubbing her open pussy atop his clothed cock.

“That make it better?” he whispered.

“Please,” she said, her voice edged with a sob.

She eased up and he took care of opening his belt, button and zipper and pushed his jeans down just far enough to free his cock.

Angelina gripped his shoulders and waited as he centered the tip of his cock between her folds, and then she slid, circling to screw downward.

Her channel was hot and slick and already pulsing around him. And he was quickly losing his mind because he was inside her. At last. Her hot body pressed so close, but not close enough.

She must have felt the same way, because she unbuttoned his shirt, spread open the sides and moaned as she slid her breasts against his naked chest.

Brand glided his hands down her back and cupped her sweet, round bottom and began lifting and lowering her, taking charge of how deep she sank, until she leaned toward him and bit his earlobe.

“Deeper, Brand,” she whispered. “I need you all the way inside me.”

Brand held her against him, lurched upward and turned to lie her on the rock. Then he began moving the way he had to, the way she craved, giving her deep, lunging thrusts that gusted her breaths.

She widened her legs, her toes pointing, and scratched her fingernails across his chest.

He wished he had a bed, wished his clothes were gone, because more than anything, he wanted to flip her and take her from behind, because then he’d give her goddamn deep. Instead, he cupped her ass and lifted it, holding her lower body still as he powered into her.

She took everything, every slamming stroke, drawing her knees toward her chest and cupping her own breasts now as her eyelids fluttered downward and her mouth formed a pretty O.

He felt the faint ripples inside her slick, hot channel and shortened his strokes, taking care to end each thrust with a rub against her clit. Her head thrashed, her nose scrunched and then she arched hard. “Brand!”

Her orgasm forced his right along, and he gave a muffled shout as the pressure in his balls exploded and come shot deep into her body. He continued rocking against her until the pulses waned and he could catch his breath.

Then he leaned down, pushed away the hair sticking to her face and kissed her.

Chapter Six

The ride back to the ranch passed in a lovely haze.

Angelina felt relaxed, only that wasn’t nearly a strong enough word. She was replete. Happy. Unable to think about her worries. She had more immediate things on her mind, like how firm Brand’s belly was as she felt him up. How hard his back was. Her nipples appreciated pressing against all that muscle.

When they neared the house, she noted sounds coming through the open kitchen windows and knew the younger brothers were already there, probably making a mess as they tried to put something together for them to eat.

Brand raised an arm and waved over a ranch hand who’d been mending the corral fence.

He swung his leg high over the saddle horn, slid to the ground and turned and reached up for her. She let him take her weight.

“Would have been easier letting me dismount first,” she said, rubbing her cheek against his chest. She drew a deep breath. She’d always loved the way he smelled. Earthy, horsey. With that hint of sage…

His arms were looped loosely around her lower back, and he bent to kiss her temple. “I suppose we could stand here all night.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” she said, hiding a smile.

“I have everything I need right here,” he whispered.

She didn’t need him to say the words to know she was loved. She felt them.

The ranch hand cleared his throat, and Angelina’s cheeks burned as Brand handed him the reins of his horse.

Then together, her hand enclosed inside his, they climbed the steps. The AC hit her when she entered the living room, making her shiver.

Inside the kitchen, Eli and Nate stood beside the table.

“We opened the windows so we’d know when you arrived,” Nate said, sweeping a hand toward her chair, which he’d pulled out.

Feeling like a queen, she glanced at the table. They’d sliced the roast beef she’d left in the slow cooker overnight, added thick slabs of cheddar and made sandwiches. Iced tea was poured. She let go of Brand’s hand and settled in her chair, aware of all the gazes trained on her as she sat. “It looks nice, guys. Thanks so much. I’m starving.”

“We all worked up an appetite,” Nate said.

Eli swatted his upper arm. “You don’t have to embarrass her.”

Nate laughed. “You’re not embarrassed, are you, Angel?”

Her cheeks had to be beet red, but she shook her head and smiled. She was equal parts embarrassed and pleased. They were all making an effort to get along and make sure she was taken care of.

“Why don’t we eat?” Brand said, his voice a low growl.

She shot him a look, worried about his reaction to Nate’s tactless remark.

He winked at her.

Her jaw dropped an inch and then she snapped it shut. Was he teasing her? Brand was the one whose reactions she worried over most. She knew the men had made a mutual decision, but Brand was a possessive man. Could he really share her in the long-term?

They ate in companionable silence. The late afternoon sunlight winked through the windows, reminding her that the night was still to come, and she was already growing nervous and excited about what would happen next.

“We should talk about some rules,” Eli said.

“Rules?” she repeated, not understanding at first. “Oh.” Apparently, their thoughts had followed a similar path to hers. “Um, before we start…” She bit her lip and dropped her gaze. “I enjoyed today. But I do have concerns.”

“Then we talk,” Brand said, reaching for her hand.

Just that light contact gave her courage. She offered him a slight smile and then glanced at the other brothers. “This might be…fun…for a while, but what happens if one of you changes your mind?”

“Are you afraid we won’t be faithful?” Eli asked softly.

“I’m afraid you won’t be satisfied.” She held up a quick hand to forestall Nate making a joke. “And I don’t mean sexually. I’m sure…well, I hope…that you’ll be satisfied with what happens when we’re…intimate.”

Her cheeks heated more, but Brand squeezed her hand, telling her silently to continue.

“It’s lovely you all care about me, but what happens,
really
, if someone else catches your eye?” Her gaze went to Nate, whom she thought the most likely to stray—after all, he was youngest. “I don’t want you to feel as though you’re trapped. That you can’t change your mind because you think you’re going to damage our family.”

Eli nodded. “We talked about that. While we all feel very committed, we know time can change things. But we were more worried that
you
might draw closer to one of us.”

She blinked, because she hadn’t considered the possibility—she’d loved them all for so long. “I will tell you now, there’s not a chance I’ll stop loving any one of you. But I also want you to know that anytime you want to change things, to see someone else, I’ll be okay. I want you all to be happy—even if that means you’ll be happier with someone else.”

Nate leaned forward, about to speak, but she held up a finger to stop him. “There are two more things…”

Eli’s mouth pressed into a straight line as though he was trying not to smile. Nate gave her a crooked grin. Brand held still, his hand squeezing hers just a little harder.

“I always dreamed of marrying you, each of you, wearing a white dress and walking down the aisle of the church in town. But since that’s impossible, I won’t marry any of you. I won’t choose, and you won’t be flipping any coins.”

The men shared glances. All three narrowed their eyes.

“You can assure my future some other way. Legally. I don’t care how. But I’m standing firm. I love all of you and I’ll commit to all of you, but I won’t marry you.” Her voice thickened toward the end, and she paused to swallow the lump settling at the back of her throat. “And I will know who fathers my children. That won’t be left to chance. I will know whose name to have typed on the birth certificate.” She cleared her throat. “And since Brand and I have already had unprotected sex, his child will be first.”

“You’re not on the pill?” Brand asked, his voice gruff.

“I haven’t been since you sent me away. For now, you two,” she said, giving Eli and Nate hard glances, “are wearing condoms if you want me.”

She sat back and waited. Her gaze once again on her plate.

Beside her, Brand let out a deep breath and slowly untangled his hand from hers.

Afraid to look at him or his brothers, she held still. Now that this was becoming real, would they change their minds?

“Your mama will expect a weddin’,” Eli said, his voice even.

“My mother knows I love every one of you. I think that so long as she knows I’ll be cared for and respected, she’ll be okay.”

“But what if we want to see you wearing that white dress?” Nate said.

His voice was so soft and so troubled she couldn’t help but raise her gaze. They were closest in age. Had been playmates, best friends, co-conspirators—she probably knew him better than either of his brothers. He was serious.

“I won’t choose. And I won’t have one of you resenting the other’s…status in my life.”

He nodded sharply. “But we can have a wedding. One that means something to us. Do you think you’re the only one who has fantasized about you walkin’ down the aisle?”

“It doesn’t have to be an aisle,” Eli said, drawing both their gazes. “We could hold a wedding here. Invite our friends. Say our own vows. Whoever comes comes. I don’t give a shit who disapproves. This is about us,” he said, glancing at her before looking at his brothers.

Beside her, Brand pushed back his chair and stood. His brothers followed suit. Staring upward as they all surrounded her chair, she didn’t know what they were doing. But by their tightening expressions, she knew it was something important.

First Brand, then Eli and Nate went down on one knee beside her. They touched her hands, her knee, their gazes locked on her. At last, realizing what was coming, she blinked against the tears that began to fill her eyes.

“Will you marry us, Angel?” Brand asked, his voice filled with tenderness.

“Will you marry us?” his brothers repeated.

With tears spilling down her cheeks, she nodded. She’d given them an out. She wouldn’t feel guilty about grabbing happiness in both hands. “Yes. Of course, I will.”

Nate leaned close and slipped a hand beneath her hair to cup her neck and draw her in for a kiss. Then it was Eli’s turn, and lastly, Brand’s.

She shook her head. “I still have doubts.”

“It’ll take time to trust. We understand,” Eli said, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “We’ve been rubbing the wrong way against each other since you went into puberty. Took us a while to figure out why. Wasn’t just that we all wanted you. We didn’t want to take anything away from anyone else. We all love you. We’ll all care for you, sweetheart.”

Brand kissed her cheek. “Trust us,” he repeated. “We’ve got it figured out. We’ve shared a ranch, responsibilities. We’ve shared heartache. Now we’ll share joy.”

She hiccupped and gave a quick, bobbing nod. “I don’t care what anyone thinks about this arrangement, except my mama.”

“Then you better call her and tell her there’s gonna be a wedding,” Eli said, with a waggle of his eyebrows.

* * * * *

Her conversation with her mother lasted well over an hour and was filled with tears and laughter.

“You’re sure you’re okay with this, Mama?”

“I would be more worried if you’d chosen one. The other two would have been heartbroken. I love those boys like my own sons. Now we’ll be a family. Complete.”

Angelina shook her head. “I can hardly believe this. Three husbands.”

“You’re a strong girl,
mija
. With a very large heart. There’s room for all of them.”

After she ended the call, she went in search of the guys. Excitement fluttered in her tummy. Happiness kept her steps light.

She found them inside the master bedroom, Brand’s room. His was more of a suite, with a king-size bed and a sitting area. The men were seated on the leather sofas and chairs, and Eli was taking notes.

When he saw her hovering in the doorway, he waved her inside. “We’ve been making plans.”

“Without me?”

“Had to do something while we waited,” Nate said, one eyebrow arched high.

She laughed. “Is there anything I should be worried about?”

“Eli’s going to be your wedding planner.”

“He is?” She laughed. “I promise I won’t turn into a bridezilla so long as you keep it simple.”

Eli closed his notebook and settled back. He patted the empty place beside him.

She settled against him, liking the warmth of the arm he draped over her shoulder.

“We figure Mama Amelia will be home before Christmas. How about we marry Christmas Eve?”

“I’d like that.”

“Will you take our name?” Brand asked from the chair opposite her and Eli.

“Of course.”

Silence stretched. The atmosphere in the room crackled with electricity. She didn’t dare look at the men when she was already wondering what else they had planned for the evening.

Nate leaned forward in his chair and gave her a steady glare. “You’re wearin’ too many clothes, Angel.”

She glanced at Brand and Eli, who both gave her equally pointed stares.

So that was how it was going to be…

Angel scooted from under Eli’s arm and stood. She moved toward the large bed, not looking behind her, and began to strip, hanging her clothing on one of the large bed’s posts. When she was nude, she turned slowly to face them.

She felt no embarrassment, no shyness. She was theirs as much as they belonged to her.

Brand raised a hand and curled his fingers, beckoning her.

Heat curled inside her belly as she strode toward him. Maybe her hips swayed a little more than usual, but she liked the thought of the other two men watching her ass. When she stood between his spread thighs, she shivered.

His gaze trailed down her front, halting on her breasts as he caressed them, then moving downward again to her pussy. He fingered the narrow strip of her pubic hair. “Before the wedding, I’ll shave this. And that’s how we’ll keep it.”

Liquid pooled between her thighs at his low, rumbling voice. The sharp bite of his blue gaze challenged her, and she shifted on her feet, wanting to settle across his lap, but she could hear movement behind her. His brothers were dragging away furniture. The question of how they’d all have room to play was answered.

When the sound of clothing sliding from skin began, she quivered. Latex snapped.

“This is our future,” Brand said softly. “You’ll never be lonely. Never be left unsatisfied.”

Hands cupped her ass from behind. Brand dropped his to his belt buckle and slowly opened it. He unbuttoned his jeans and slid down the zipper. Lifting his hips, he pushed down his jeans, just far enough to free his cock.

A hand pushed on her shoulders, and she went to her knees. Without any further encouragement, she took him into her mouth.

He dug his fingers into her scalp and controlled her movements, up and down, up and down. She sank and then drew on him, sucking hard when she rose.

Behind her, someone patted her ass until she lifted it. A cock nudged her entrance and then slowly filled her. She didn’t know who fucked her. Didn’t care. Still hot from Brand’s fierce loving at the pond, she groaned as shallow thrusts opened her and she sank her mouth deeper on Brand’s cock.

In moments, she could no longer think, just feel. Brand’s musk filled her nostrils as his thickness stretched her mouth. More liquid flooded her channel as the thrusts behind her quickened and deepened. She was on fire. Filled. Slowly losing her mind to the pleasure.

And then something cold slid between her cheeks. Gel. She tightened and held her breath as a finger slid inside her ass. But she didn’t demur, didn’t come off Brand’s cock to complain. The pressure increased with the addition of another finger, and all she could do was moan, growing more delirious with pleasure.

Brand fisted her hair and pulled her off his cock.

The fingers and cock filling her below withdrew.

He fisted himself and gave his brothers a nod, and she was pulled upward while Eli moved beneath her. Again, no words were spoken. She lowered and mounted Eli’s cock, giving a muffled groan as she slid down his thick shaft.