Protecting Lexi (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (16 page)

Alexis woke up the next morning to breakfast in bed. She was surprised that Maria was the one who had brought it to her.

“May I come in, Alexis?” Maria asked as she stood in the doorway of the bedroom holding a tray of food.

Alexis sat up and pulled the sheets up to cover her naked upper body. She had woken up to an empty bed.
Where are Kane and Max?
Kane and Max had awakened her in the middle of the night for some lovin’. After they made love, Kane had gone and made them sandwiches while Max washed her back for her in the shower.

She looked at Maria who was waiting for her response. “Thank you, Maria. Umm, where are Kane and Max this morning?” she said as Maria slid the tray onto her lap. Maria had made her favorite breakfast. Eggs over-easy, maple bacon, hash browns, and a side of sourdough toast to soak up the leftover yoke on her plate.
Yum, I’m starved
. Maria always remembered her favorite foods.

“Max and Kane said they had to run into town for something and said they should be back before you woke up. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be in to get your dishes when you’re finished.”

“Oh no, thank you, Maria. This all looks so perfect. Thank you for this nice surprise. You are so sweet.”

Just before she disappeared through the door, Maria turned. “Lexi, can I speak freely with you?” she asked, smiling.

“Like I’ve said before, I have no secrets. Ask away,” Alexis said as she took a bite of her bacon.

“Kane and Max are like my own sons. I never was able to have children of my own, so I decided to stay on at the ranch and keep working for them after their parents decided to move away. I watched them grow up on the ranch, first as boys, then as randy teenage boys. But when they both returned home after they enlisted in the Marines, they came home responsible, honorable men. I was never so proud of them as when they came back home as men. I prayed every night they were away that they would make it home safe and in one piece. I told God that they had many years left here on this earth to raise a family and live life to the fullest.”

Alexis watched as Maria wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She knew how much Maria loved and adored Kane and Max. She had come to love and need them as well.

“Anyways, what I wanted to say to you was, I’m so glad you’ve all found one another. You were brought together by a stronger force than Lenny Cook. He had something to do with bringing you into this situation, but it was God’s way that willed you all together. Please give this a chance to work with the three of you. It may not be conventional. However, their parents have proven it works. It seems to be in their blood to share their love with one woman. The three of you have been through hell and back and downright deserve one another. Enjoy the love and happiness you were destined to share with one another.”

Alexis had to choke down the piece of bacon that was lodged in her throat. Maria was so sweet and thoughtful when it came to her boys’ well-beings.

After she took a sip of her coffee to wash down the lump in her throat, she said, “I appreciate your concern, but I assure you, I love them as much as they love me. I was so scared that their job was done when they discovered Lenny was dead. I thought my world was coming to an end? My world had been taken away from me when I went into hiding and now…I’ve never been happier in life than being right here with Kane and Max.”

Just then, the two men she spoke of appeared in the doorway next to Maria. She could feel her heart beat faster. They always did know how to make an entrance.

“Were you talking about us two sexy retired Marines?” Max said as he entered the room. He walked toward her and leaned over to kiss her on the lips. “Mmm, you taste like bacon, baby, sweet maple bacon.”

“That’s my cue to go finish my chores. I’ll get the tray later, Ms. Lexi,” Maria said as she walked away.

Kane walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. “Sweetheart, finish your breakfast. We have some things we need to discuss with you,” Kane said as he walked to the bathroom. “I’ll start a bath for you so you can have one after your breakfast.”

“I can share it with you. You both have been so nice in sharing yourselves with me. It’s the least I can do to repay you,” she said with a wicked smile.

“Aww, Kane, can we play with her a little bit before she gets into the bath? I can tell she’s feeling frisky right now,” Max said as he slid his hands under the sheet to touch her weeping pussy.

“Nope. We have things to talk about first. Sex with our woman can wait,” Kane said as he came out of the bathroom.

“Party pooper,” she said as Max retrieved his hand from under the covers. Max kissed her cheek and left the bedroom, claiming to have left something in the truck.

She finished her breakfast, alone. Kane had told her that he and Max had work to finish up in the barn and mentioned that they would be back by the time she was done with her bath.

She took her time soaking in the bath full of bubbles. Although she enjoyed spending time with her men, alone time in the bath was a nice change of pace. After spending twenty minutes soaking, she toweled off and lathered lotion onto her body. Alexis exited the bathroom after dressing in jeans and a black, lace tank top. She grabbed her cheetah print shoes with the red heels and slipped them on her feet. She could hear voices coming from the kitchen as she walked toward it.

“Ah, there you are. Are you feeling better now that you are fed and clean?” Kane asked. He was sitting at the kitchen table next to Max. Maria was nowhere in sight.

Alexis grabbed a mug from the cupboard for a cup of coffee. “Yes, I enjoyed my morning so far. So what’s up for today?” she said as she sat in the vacant chair next to Max.

Kane put his coffee cup down and addressed her. “Well, my parents want to have us over for a barbecue today. My sister and her family will be there. Will that be okay with you if we go there today?”

Alexis enjoyed visiting with their family. “Sure, I’d like that.”

An hour later they arrived at their parents’ beautiful lakefront home. On her previous visit, she had hadn’t really had a chance to appreciate how warm and comforting the inside of their parents’ home was.

Their mother had decorated in natural, warm shades of mocha. The couches and curtains were accented with reds, gold, and greens. There were lots of pictures of the three siblings growing up scattered around the house.

Everyone was outside enjoying the weather while it was still warm. Winter would be here soon enough, and the lake would be too cold for the kids to swim in. Alexis admired the grandchildren’s school pictures and colored pictures they had drawn for their grandparents. She couldn’t wait to have her children’s photos displayed alongside them.

Alexis enjoyed the day, watching Max and Kane chase their nephews around the yard and throw them around in the lake. She enjoyed the quiet time getting to know Ginny and Amy without the men and kids around.

“I’m so glad this whole incident is finally over, Alexis. Now you can enjoy your time with my sons,” Ginny said as she picked up the empty plates from the table. “Let me just take this inside, and I’ll bring out some dessert. Why don’t you and Amy go round up the guys from the lake so we can all sit down for dessert?” she asked as she went inside the kitchen.

She and Amy got up from their patio chairs and started walking down to the water. “Alexis, it’s so nice having you around. I have never seen my brothers this happy in all my life. You are to blame for the constant smiles that are on their faces now,” she said as she squeezed Alexis’s hand and hugged her to her body. “Thank you. Thank you, for awakening them. I was so pleased to hear that you had decided to be a permanent fixture in their lives. I think you are all perfect for one another.”

“Thank you, Amy. They make me so happy. I never realized how much was missing from my life until I met them,” she said as she looked at Kane and Max. They laughed at the boys as they played in the water.

“All right, Grandma says it’s time for you all to get out of the water now. Dessert’s being served to anyone interested,” Amy yelled.

Alexis watched as they all scrambled to get out of the water. Toys were being flung onto the dock and towels were being stolen from each other as they all laughed and joked with one another.

They all ran past them and headed toward the patio. Alexis just laughed. “I guess everyone enjoys Ginny’s desserts, huh?”

“Mom’s cooking is the best. Anytime she offers the invite for us to come over for a meal, we don’t decline, for sure.” Amy snickered.

Kane offered Alexis a chair as he and Max sat on the chairs opposite of hers. Ginny came out of the back door holding a white sheet cake.

“Mmm, looks yummy. I love a homemade cake. Is that whipped cream frosting or buttercream frosting, Ginny?”

Ginny replied, “Buttercream, of course. I make my cakes from scratch.”

“Mom makes the best desserts. They’re always made with love. Each one of them is special in their own way. Right, Mom?” Max said.

“Very special, indeed, Max,” Ginny said as she placed it in front of Alexis.

Alexis saw that there was writing on the cake. She leaned in to see what it said.
Will you marry us, Lexi
? Hearts surrounded the writing.
What the heck
? She looked to see everyone around the table smiling at her. Ginny and Amy were hugging each other with tears in their eyes. She then saw that Max and Kane had both gotten down on one knee beside her chair, and Max was holding open a small box that contained the most beautiful diamond solitaire ring she had ever seen. It had to have been about three carats. There were two smaller diamonds on either side of the larger one.

Max was the one who spoke first, “Lexi, you know we love you more than anything in the world, and if it takes all our lives, we will prove it to you. You should know by now that we protect what’s ours, and Kane and I will never let anything or anyone ever harm you. Even though this may not work as a normal marriage in others’ eyes, we will know in our hearts that we will both be married to you.”

“What my brother is trying to say is…will you make us the happiest men in the world and agree to marry us? You would marry me, since I’m the oldest. However, your heart and soul will forever be bound to the both of us until the day you die. What do you say, baby? Will you marry us?” Kane asked with pleading eyes.

Alexis felt herself begin to cry. “Of course I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Max. I love you both so much,” she said as she hugged the both of them. She could hear whoops and hollers all around her. Everyone congratulated them with hugs and kisses. This was one of the greatest days of her life. Life was turning out better and better with each growing day she spent with the Walker men.

It had been a long time since Kane had a bad dream. If anything they were replaced by sweet dreams and memories of their woman.

Two months after they had proposed to her, they were married on their parents’ property. It was the perfect setting, and Alexis had asked Kane and Max’s parents’ permission to have their wedding by the lake. And of course they were completely accommodating to their request.

Lexi had requested that they keep the wedding simple. Ginny helped her organize her dream wedding. Kane was so glad that his family loved and adored Lexi as he and Max did.

Ginny, Trent, and Carter had invited Alexis’s parents to come stay for the weekend of the wedding. Alexis’s parents were so grateful to Kane and Max for taking care of her while she was hiding from Lenny Cook. Even though they were surprised by their daughter’s sudden marriage to Kane and Max, they came to love and understand their relationship the more they got to know them.

As a surprise, Peter and Jane were able to attend the wedding. They made the drive with Caroline and her boyfriend, Tim. Caroline was her maid of honor. Kane and Max’s nephews, Ryan and Blake, were the ring bearers.

Caroline had become her new business partner. Kane and Max had surprised Alexis the night after their marriage proposal with the note to her second Sweet Surroundings
store
.
Caroline had agreed to manage the store in Nebraska while Alexis ran the one in Buffalo.

After Kane had taken her to the empty storefront the night of their proposal, Alexis had had gone crazy, spouting out all the ideas she had for the store. The only thing Kane and Max thought about was how happy they had made their fiancée. They only wanted to see her happy like this for the rest of their lives. Kane always liked the saying, “a happy wife makes a happy life.”

Their wedding day was the happiest day of his life as he watched her walk down the aisle in her long, flowing, white, form-fitting dress straight toward them. He thought nothing could ever compare to the way he felt about Lexi. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And he couldn’t wait to share the rest of his life with her and Max.

Kane and Max had decided to go to the Caribbean for their honeymoon because that’s where Alexis had always dreamt of spending her honeymoon. They left the ranch in the hands of Billy and Maria while they enjoyed their time in the Caribbean.

Their cabana, or hut as the staff had referred to it, sat over the water. They were able to jump off their balcony anytime they wanted. When they wanted to get out of the ocean, all they had to do was climb up the ladder, straight into their private hut. The three of them had complete privacy. Kane and Max made love to her on the deck day and night without any onlookers. They took long walks along the beach and spent many nights sleeping under the stars after their insatiable lovemaking.

Kane and Max had insisted they wanted to start a family as soon as possible. Neither of them was getting any younger, and they asked Alexis to stop taking the pill. Alexis wanted that as much as they did. Kane was sad that their honeymoon was coming to an end and they would have to return to reality the day after tomorrow.