He froze at the soft knock on their bedroom door.
Peggy’s voice drifted through to them. “I’m gonna start the coffee.”
“Busted,” Tommy whispered from under the quilt, setting Nevvie off on a giggling jag.
She smacked his shoulder. “Thanks, Mom. We’ll be out in a little while.”
“Okay.”
When Nevvie knew the coast was clear, she lifted the quilt. “You’re
so
going to get us in trouble.”
He used the wide-eyed innocent puppy dog look on her, which set her off on another giggle fit. “Who, me?”
“Yes, you. Dammit, now you’ve got me in the mood, too.”
He crawled up the bed and kissed her. “How about we grab our shower?” He slid his hand between her legs. She hadn’t worn any panties to bed. Two fingers skillfully slipped inside her. “You’re already wet, baby girl.”
Nevvie closed her eyes and squirmed on his hand. Seven years, and he could still make her instantly wet. Both men could.
“Okay.”
He sat up and the quilt slid down his back, pooling on the bed behind him. She’d kill for his broad, beaming smile. If Adam’s birth had healed Tyler’s old emotional scars, it seemed Mikey’s birth had erased most vestiges of Tom’s trauma. He was almost completely back to his old, playful self.
They slipped into the shower. He carefully dropped to his knees and smiled up at her. “Is this what you wanted, Mistress?” he asked with a playful grin.
She nodded and ran her fingers through his hair. The tile wall felt cool against her back. “Take care of me, baby.”
His skilled tongue set to work. As his large hands gripped the back of her thighs she braced her arms on his shoulders, tightly clamping her lips together to hold back her loud moans. His tongue firmly laved her clit, from the top of her steamy folds down to the deepest recesses of her sex, burrowing deep within her.
When he slid two thick fingers inside her she exploded, his lips sucking her swollen nub as she dug her nails into his shoulder. After the final wave crashed through her she leaned back on shaky knees and took a deep breath. Tom climbed to his feet and kissed her, his stiff shaft throbbing.
“How was that, Mistress?” he asked with a playful smile.
“Very good. I think you’ve earned a reward.” She turned and braced herself against the wall, wiggled her ass at him.
Needing no further encouragement, he carefully lined up his cock with her ready sex and slid in with a soft moan. He gripped her hips and the two of them found an easy, familiar rhythm.
“Jesus, I love you, babe,” he whispered into her ear.
Nevvie rolled her hips against him. “Show me.”
His low, hungry growl told her how close he was. She met each thrust, enjoying the feel of his wet flesh against and inside her. With two more hard thrusts he came. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and moaned into her shoulder. After a minute he kissed her and stepped back.
Nevvie turned and moved to stand under the spray with him. “Better?”
Thomas smiled his handsome, playful grin. She’d never take it for granted again, that’s for damn sure.
“Absolutely…Mistress.”
* * * *
Thomas finished his shower. Nevvie was drying her hair when Tyler squeezed his way into the bathroom.
“I’m guessing the two of you have had a little fun.”
Nevvie and Thomas exchanged playful smiles. “Hey, Mistress ordered me,” Thomas said in a low voice.
Tyler grinned. “Likely story.”
“No, it’s true. I did use our little slave this morning,” she said. She knew from the front of Tyler’s pajama bottoms that he was more than ready to have some fun.
“Well, perhaps I want a little fun, too,” he said. “Love, go lock the bedroom door. Peggy’s watching the little ones.”
She eagerly raced to do it.
Tyler rummaged through their bags and found a bottle of lube. He crooked his finger at Thomas and pointed to the end of the bed.
Wearing a face-splitting grin, Thomas dropped his towel to the floor and bent over, hands on the bed.
Tyler’s low, hungry moan set Nevvie’s insides stirring. Tom began to stiffen again.
Tyler removed his pajama pants and slicked his rigid cock. “Get him ready for me, love.”
Nevvie sat next to Tom and held his cheeks apart. Tyler carefully nudged into place, waiting to thrust until Thomas flexed his hips and drove himself back onto Tyler’s shaft.
“Oh, yeah!” Tommy grunted. Nevvie watched his face. His eyes dropped closed, his bottom lip caught under his teeth. His cock had completely hardened again.
Tyler’s eyes also fluttered closed. As Nevvie moved her hands out of the way she turned around and slid under Thomas, sucking his shaft into her mouth. He needed no encouragement to drop his lips to her mound, where he eagerly laved her clit with his skilled tongue.
Nevvie closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations, reaching between Tom’s legs to stroke both men’s sacs. Their low, responding moans sent deep waves of need through her. This many years later and they still responded to her slightest touch.
God she loved them.
It didn’t take Tom long to make her come. When she did she sucked his cock deep into her mouth, muffling her moans with his man-meat.
“That’s it, love,” Tyler whispered. He picked up the pace of his thrusts, knowing Tom wouldn’t be far behind Nevvie. Tom buried his face in the quilt and moaned, his hips jerking spasmodically against Tyler. Tyler took two last thrusts and came deep inside his lover.
They didn’t move for a moment, catching their breath. Nevvie was the first to untangle herself from the bottom of the pile.
“Great,” she joked. “Now I need another shower.”
Tyler laughed and carefully withdrew. “I’d be more than happy to shower with you, love.”
* * * *
Nevvie left all her boys at the house and went shopping in Savannah with Peggy and Karen. It was fun having a day out with “the girls,” something she had rarely experienced in her life before Tyler and Thomas. While they ate lunch in a small sandwich shop, Nevvie looked out on the quaint street with a little melancholy.
“What’s the matter, sugar?” Peggy asked.
“I wish we lived closer. I love Florida, but it’d be nice being closer to you guys.”
Karen grinned. “What, now that I’m taken you think it’s safe to let Tyler be closer to me?” She’d introduced her new boyfriend to the family and they all adored him.
Nevvie laughed. “You know what I mean. I want the boys to know their aunts and their grandma, not just see everyone at the holidays.”
“Well,” snarked Karen, “most of their aunts.” She took a sip of her coffee to hide her evil glare.
Peggy let out an exasperated sigh. “Come on, girls. Let’s not ruin our afternoon talking about Emily, all right? That’s in the past. She’s not gonna be at dinner, so why let her mess up things when she’s not even here?”
Nevvie nodded. “Agreed.” Emily was the last person she wanted to give thought to.
Unless that thought was of giving her a good, hard slap across her face.
When they returned later that afternoon, everyone had gathered out back to play touch football. Tyler sat on the sidelines, watching Adam, Mikey, and two of the younger kids.
Nevvie winced as Tommy went down while leaping for a pass. She breathed a sigh of relief when he stood and walked without more than his normal limp.
“Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it love?” Tyler murmured, slipping his arm around her waist.
“You did it again, Evil Genius.”
His spooky blue eyes turned on her. “We’ll always have that as our special thing, I should think.”
Nevvie nodded and let him pull her tightly against his side. “I hope to hell so.”
They watched for a few more minutes, then Tyler helped her get the boys inside and put down for a nap. Adam didn’t go willingly, kicking and complaining that he wanted to watch a little longer. When Nevvie pointed out he could sit in the window seat in his room and watch, he sullenly agreed.
Twenty minutes later, when she went to check on him, he was sound asleep.
Nevvie was closing the kids’ room door behind her when Tyler walked up, a grim look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
He shook his head and motioned her to follow him onto the front porch. Emily’s husband, Clay, stepped out of his truck. He looked damned uncomfortable and hesitated before walking up to the porch steps.
“Hi Tyler. Nevvie.”
Nevvie forced her voice to stay calm. She didn’t have anything personal against her brother-in-law, he was just another of Emily’s casualties.
But he slept with the enemy, so to speak.
“Hello, Clay.”
Tyler didn’t speak.
Their chilly silence forced Clay to forge ahead. “Look, Emily doesn’t know I’m here. I’d like to spend Christmas with my kids, not with my bitchy, hard-headed wife.”
Tyler snorted and tightened his grip around Nevvie’s waist, but said nothing.
Nevvie paused before responding, drawing out Clay’s wait. “Why don’t you talk to your kids, then? Why are you talking to us?”
“Because they won’t come home for Christmas. They’ve refused to speak to their mom since she pulled that stupid stunt of hers. I’d like to know if I could spend the day here. With all of y’all.”
Nevvie exchanged a brief glance with Tyler, who shrugged. She turned back to Clay. “You’ll have to talk to Tommy and Peggy. Frankly, I don’t want to see your wife’s face anywhere around here. I especially don’t want her around my children.”
“I understand that. I couldn’t believe it when she told me what she did. Look, I’m really sorry—”
“Don’t you dare apologize for her.” The hard edge in Nevvie’s voice surprised even her.
“I’m not, Nevvie. I’m apologizing…well, for being her husband, I guess.”
Nevvie walked down the steps and motioned Clay to follow her around back where the others still played. When Thomas saw him, he immediately left the game and angrily strode over.
“What the fuck is he doing here?”
Tyler stepped in front of him, his hands raised to ward him off. “Hear him out, love.”
“Why should I?”
Nevvie met his angry eyes. “Because you should.”
Thomas set his jaw but stepped back.
Clay repeated his apology. The twins weren’t there, they’d gone into town with two other cousins, but they were due back at any moment.
Thomas turned and took a few steps away from them. Nevvie knew from the set of his shoulders that he needed a few minutes alone. Then he finally turned back. “Okay. If it’s all right with Momma.”
Peggy and most of the others had gathered around by this time. Peggy also nodded. “I don’t want Emily here.”
Clay shook his head. “I have a feeling I might be getting a divorce for Christmas, but I want to see my kids.”
* * * *
On Christmas morning, Nevvie left her men in bed and arose early to help Peggy with preparations. Predictably, Tyler joined them in the kitchen a few minutes later. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed the back of her neck.
“You’re sneaky, love.”
She patted his hands. “Thought you needed a little rest.”
He gave Peggy a peck on the cheek and poured himself coffee. “Do we make wagers on whether or not Emily tries to make an appearance?”
Peggy shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. She’s not setting foot in my house.” She was about to say something else when Danielle walked in, looking like she just woke up.
For the first time since her first visit to Peggy’s home, Nevvie felt nervous. The twins knew their dad was coming for dinner, but the unknown factor was Emily.
Thomas and the boys awoke a little later. Adam ran into the living room and screamed, “Santa came! Mommy, Daddy, Poppa, Gwamma!”
Peggy laughed. “Let the games begin.”
Thomas changed and dressed Mikey. The three of them, with Adam’s assistance, helped Mikey with his presents while the twins and Peggy took turns with the video and digital cameras.
Nevvie had walked into the kitchen to refill her coffee when she looked out the window and saw Clay’s truck pull into the yard. She intercepted him at the front porch. He carried a few shopping bags full of presents.
“Thank you, Nevvie. I really appreciate this.”
“She’s not showing up here, is she?”
“She doesn’t know I’m here. She went to church this morning. I left her a note that I’d be back later today, that I went fishing.”
Nevvie stepped aside and let him pass. Thomas frowned, but after a few minutes he relaxed. They had a good morning. Clay had even brought presents for Adam and Mikey, boy toys she suspected he’d shopped for and wrapped in secret judging by his handwriting on the gift tags.
Once presents were opened, Nevvie and Peggy returned to the kitchen. Nevvie noticed the older woman wiping her eyes.
“You know,” Peggy softly said, “Adam—my Adam, Tommy’s dad—probably wouldn’t have agreed with Tommy’s choice in Tyler.” She shook her head. “But he would have supported him and loved him, and he would have welcomed Tyler into our home. He would have loved you, and he would have adored those two babies.”
Peggy sniffled and turned to the kitchen window, removed her glasses to wipe her eyes again. “And he would have snatched Emily bald for what she tried. It would have broke his heart that one of the girls turned on Tommy like that.
“I thought my world ended when Adam died. There’s days I wanted to walk down to the road and step out in front of a truck myself just to be with him. It took me a long time to want to live again.” She turned back to Nevvie. “Not once,” she whispered, “not one single pea-pickin’ time in all these years since he died have I
ever
even thought the phrase, ‘Thank God your father wasn’t alive to see this,’ because the first thing I do every morning is wake up talking to him, and the last thing I do every night before I go to bed is say good night to him. Even this many years later.
“Until she did that to y’all. Until all of that happened. I never thought I’d live to see the day one of my children would do something like that. Thank God Adam wasn’t alive to see it. It would have just plumb broke his heart.”