Grant pulled his truck into an empty parking space next to her car and turned off the truck. Turning towards her, he said, “There isn’t a whole lot that bothers me, Sam, but not being truthful is right at the top. Did we say something that upset you? Were the others staring at you too much or something? We can talk to them about it, but they’re just not used to seeing a woman be so open and talkative.”
She stopped him before he said anything else that he might think of that
they
had done wrong, when in truth no one had done anything. She was being petulant and silly, and she needed to get her head out of her ass.
“I swear, it’s nothing you or anyone else did. I wasn’t ready for the night to end, and I felt like I was was being ridiculous about wanting to spend more time with you. I already had two really great nights, and then tonight was really wonderful. I know you have jobs and kids, and hell, I have a job, too. I just had a little stupid selfish moment there. Ignore it.”
Aaron arched a brow at her. “I don’t remember telling you that we were just going to take you home and leave.”
She frowned in confusion. “You told John you weren’t staying because you both had to work.”
“True,” Grant said, “but he didn’t say that we weren’t going to stay for a little while.” Grant cupped her cheek and turned her head. “We’re not done with you yet, sweetheart. We want to spend some time with you, alone, before we have to go back to our cold, lonely beds.”
Her frown disappeared in a broad grin. “Really?”
They both chuckled. Aaron smirked. “Unless you’d rather us leave?”
“Hell, no!” She laughed.
After unbuckling their seatbelts, Aaron helped her from the truck as Grant snagged the key to her apartment from her hand, opening the door for them. Aaron swung her up into his arms and carried her into the apartment as Grant shut the door and followed them into the front room.
They sat on the couch together, talking and laughing for two hours before they said goodnight and left her to go home. It was nearly one a.m. when she stretched out on her bed and closed her eyes, sweet visions of Aaron and Grant dancing behind her closed lids.
* * * * *
The week passed both incredibly fast and painstakingly slow. During the day, when she would arrive at school and spend the day teaching, she would find herself looking at the clock almost constantly, certain that the minute hand actually moved backwards. When she got home from school, one of them would be waiting for her to pamper her and cook her dinner. She’d never been so tended to in all her life. They switched days so that there was always one of them home for their kids when they arrived from school.
On Thursday, Grant was waiting for her inside her apartment. She had given both of them a key so they could let themselves in instead of waiting in the parking lot for her. Grant wore a pair of dress slacks and a deep green dress shirt. “You look so nice!” She kissed his cheek and then wiped off the smudge of pink lipstick with her thumb.
“Thank you, sweetheart. You always look amazing, but I thought you’d like to go change so we can take you out to dinner.”
“Oh, really? Is Aaron here or is he going to meet us.”
“He’ll meet us there in an hour. He’s waiting for the kids to get off the bus, and then he’ll join us.”
He followed her into the bedroom and sat on the bed while she opened her closet and looked through her things. She cleaned up quickly in the bathroom and changed into a long sleeved wrap dress in a rich dark brown. Twisting her hair up, she fixed the hasty chignon with pins, reapplied her makeup, and brushed her teeth. Excitement wove through her at their first real date.
And then it hit her.
The three of them. Together. On a date.
What would people think?
She walked out of the bathroom and blushed at Grant’s low whistle. “Wow, you look amazing, sweetheart.”
“Thank you.” She stood between his legs as he sat on the edge of the bed and rested her hands on his broad shoulders. She could feel his muscles moving under her palms as he stroked up and down her sides. “Do you think that anyone will have a problem with us being out together?”
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, the three of us. Do you think someone might say something?” She chewed her bottom lip.
He used his thumb to ease her lip from her teeth. “We’re leaving Ashland, and people may be surprised to see two men and one woman together. I really don’t know if anyone will say anything disparaging about us, sweetheart, and if they do, we’ll ignore them. We’re proud to be your mates and to share you, and it’s really no one’s business what happens in our private lives. Okay?”
Relief skated through her, and she relaxed, knowing now that they wouldn’t be embarrassed even if someone
did
say something. People could be narrow minded and ridiculous, but she wasn’t about to miss out on a date with her hunky lions for anything.
“More than okay. It just crossed my mind that we’re having our first real date, and I’ve never been in a situation like this before. I’m not embarrassed by either of you, or our relationship. I just wanted you to know that.”
He stood up, towering over her, and lowered his head to brush across her lips. “We would never be embarrassed of our relationship, either, sweetheart. You’re very important to us, and regardless of what might or might not happen, we have no intention of ever letting you go.”
“I don’t want to let you go, either.”
On the drive to the restaurant, they made plans for the weekend. James, Alek, and the rest of the lions were going to take all the kids camping for the weekend, leaving right after school on Friday and coming back on Sunday night. She thought it was too cold to go camping, but Grant assured her that their bodies ran warmer than human and they were going up to a were-bear den in the town of Bracks, just North of Ashland, where they would be sleeping in a cabin instead of a cold tent on the hard ground.
“So, we’ll come to get you tomorrow after school, and you don’t have to go home until Sunday. If you’d like that.”
“I would love that.”
When they parked in the parking lot of The Italian Kitchen, Aaron was standing near the front doors waiting for them. She held onto Grant’s arm to navigate the slightly icy parking lot and then hugged and kissed Aaron before he held open the door for her.
They ate a delicious meal in a quiet corner, talking about the coming weekend. No one paid any attention to their trio, and she was relieved. The meal was over far too soon, and they parted ways at the restaurant, Grant driving home by himself and Aaron driving her home. He kissed her deeply in front of her door, promising if he stepped inside, he’d stay all night, and he had an early shift again. She watched him leave, and as she shut her bedroom door, she thought to herself,
I really wish I could be with them now.
Chapter 5
Friday afternoon, as Sam walked out of the school building, scrunched into her coat against the bitter wind, she unlocked her car door and sat down, shutting the door and pushing the key into the ignition. She looked through the windshield and frowned, thinking that the view in front of her was tilted. She realized quickly that it wasn’t the landscape that was tilted, but her car. She got out and looked at the front tire and found it flat, as well as the back tire. Her car was tilted because two of her tires were flat.
She’d never changed a tire before in her life, and even if she could, she only had one spare in the trunk. Turning off the car, she pulled her cell from her purse and hurried inside, calling Aaron because he was still at work and knew the man who ran the tow truck company in town.
Within a half hour, she was sitting in Aaron’s patrol car while he and the tow truck operator, Freddy, changed the tires, exchanging them for brand new ones that Aaron had asked Freddy to bring. She watched Aaron pull out a credit card from his wallet and give it to Freddy, who swiped it across the top of his smartphone and then handed the phone to Aaron, who used his finger to sign it.
Waving at Freddy, Aaron got into his patrol car with a sigh. “Freddy said the tires are trashed. Someone stabbed them with a large, thick blade, maybe a hunting knife with serrated edges, and they punctured each tire more than once. I want to have you fill out a police report, Sam.”
“Oh,” she said in surprise. “Do you think I need to?”
He looked at her incredulously. “Yes, love. It wasn’t as if you just drove over a nail accidentally. Someone meant to ruin your tires and did.”
As he filled out the report, she chewed her lip in thought. She didn’t have any enemies as far as she knew. Yes, she and her ex-husband hadn’t parted on the best of terms, but he had moved on and other than school-related discussions, she hadn’t spoken to him. Had she offended someone?
When Aaron finished the report, he said, “Sam, I’m sure that you didn’t do anything to encourage someone to slash your tires. It was most likely just random vandalism. This is a small town, and when there aren’t a lot of activities for people to engage in, some people will choose to be destructive for no reason other than the thrill of it.”
She half-smiled. “I didn’t think I’d pissed anyone off lately.”
He ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “Of course not, love. You’re amazing, sweet, and kind.”
She kissed the tip of his thumb. “You’re kind of biased.”
Aaron wiggled his brows and kissed her lips. “I am. But it’s entirely true, too.”
“I’ll pay you back for the tires,” she promised.
“I didn’t ask you to, love. You’re my mate, and I’m going to take care of you in any and every way that I can.”
Warmth spread through her at the sincerity of his words.
He walked her to her car and followed her home. As he walked her up to her door, he promised to pick her up for their weekend on his way home from work. She couldn’t wait to spend the weekend with them and explore their new relationship.
Showering quickly, she dressed in the clothes she had set out the night before: a black lace corset with matching garters and a burgundy-colored sweater dress that hugged her curves. She slipped on the soft corset and garter, and then lifted the thong panties, debating on whether to wear them or not.
Excitement shivered through her as she tossed them onto the bed and attached the thigh-high stockings before pulling the dress on over her head. Black stilettos completed the outfit. Leaving her hair plain, she put on makeup and then finished packing her overnight bag.
She had walked into the front room when there was a knock at the door. As she opened the door, she’d never been so nervous and excited at the same time. Even when she was a child playing in piano recitals before hundreds of people, she’d never been nervous. This weekend was going to solidify their relationship. They were going to make love together, the three of them, and she had no idea what exactly would happen, but she couldn’t wait.
Aaron looked dashing in his uniform. She’d seen him several times during the last week in his black uniform, and every time her eyes felt like they would pop out of her head. He looked taller and broader, with an air of authority that made her stomach flip. Aaron made her feel safe in the way that a police car when you’re in trouble can. He just oozed safety and security. Grant made her feel safe, too, but born more of the cowboy coming to rescue the damsel in the distress.
Heat flooded her body as Aaron helped her into her coat and shouldered her bag. She held his arm as they walked down the stairs to his car. When he helped her inside and then sat down behind the wheel, they talked about their days as he drove the short distance to the boarding house. The kids and adults had left after school was over for their camping trip, and only Grant’s pickup was parked in front of the house. Aaron carried her bag and then hung up her coat, holding her hand as they walked into the kitchen.
Grant put the lid back on a pot and came around the counter to hug and kiss her, his handsome face smiling broadly. Within minutes, she had a glass of wine in her hand and was sitting on a barstool at the island while Grant finished making dinner and Aaron went upstairs to change. She admired the way that the dress slacks hugged his ass, and two buttons of his black dress shirt were undone, leaving just a teasing glimpse of the smooth chest she adored.
She and Grant talked and then Aaron joined them, wearing a dark green sweater and dress slacks. For dinner, they sat at the big table, Sam at the head with Grant and Aaron on either side of her. She ate a delicious roasted pork loin, with steamed veggies and baby red potatoes. When the meal was over, Aaron and Grant cleaned the table, insisting she not lift a finger. Musing to herself, she thought about their behavior. They had an almost compulsive need to take care of her, to dote on her, to see to her every need. Not that she was complaining. She found it endearing and sweet, and a bit addicting.
She realized the kitchen had gone quiet, and she glanced up to see both men staring at her. Desire twisted though her, and she set her wine glass down and stood. She hadn’t ever wanted anyone as much as she wanted Grant and Aaron. It wasn’t just that they took such good care of her and treated her like a goddess, but because she was falling in love with them. They stood rooted in place, uncertainty flashing through their eyes. She smiled inwardly. They were nervous, too, and that helped to relax her some.