Chloe’s New Beginning (8 page)

“Mmmm…I can’t wait. However, I have to since there seems to be a big dinner tonight that you forgot to mention. I’d better go get ready.” She pulled away from him, and Adam lowered his arms, letting her go. He looked torn, the way she felt. He nodded, and she turned at headed out of the room, back to the bathroom to enjoy a quick shower.

* * * *

She belonged to him. Their lives tied together. Her happiness, her pleasure, was now his responsibility. If Adam knew one thing, it was how to fulfill his responsibilities. He watched her go, watched her hips sway, and he had to make himself stay in that spot until she disappeared from view. Every cell in his body was yelling at him, telling him to grab her and throw her on the bed. He took a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly until he regained his power. She was weakening him, the pull to her growing stronger every moment she was in this house.

He looked around the room, realizing that he was standing in the middle of Conner’s old bedroom. He hadn’t been in here since his brother left for his mission. They kept the door closed since his death. He only had the housekeeper clean it when he knew that Chloe was going to be arriving. He wanted to give her time to adjust to him and Brandon. She was adjusting quickly, which gave him hope that the ceremony would be a success.

Adam waited another minute, until he heard the bathroom door close, then he went to his room to change. Tonight she would meet some of the elders, some single males that might ask to enter the competition, and a few members of the clan. He’d been worried most of the day, thinking that there might be quite a few single men that would ask to be a part of the ceremony. He hated thinking about other men wanting her, but he could handle the challenge. He welcomed it because in the end, Chloe would be in his bed.

Chapter 6

Chloe leaned against the cold shower tiles and let the hot water massage her shoulders. Having the little run-in with Adam had been exhilarating. He’d been so serious but at the same time playful. He aroused her in ways she had never been, the way he watched her and followed her with his eyes. She also thought of Brandon, his wonderful lips and his happy nature. Both of them were so different, and she couldn’t help but want them both. Maybe she was selfish that she couldn’t choose between them, but she wasn’t going to back down. It was all or nothing.

Chloe began quickly soaping up. She wasn’t sure when the guests would arrive. Did they plan to have the ceremony tonight or was she just meeting the rest of Conner’s family? She felt a little awkward, especially after practically throwing herself at Brandon. How was she supposed to face these people? Should she keep her distance from both Brandon and Adam so that nobody became suspicious? Did it matter what other people thought? Probably not…well, only if it affected Adam and Brandon in a negative way.

She decided to hold back, enjoy dinner, and wait to see what happened. She wouldn’t jump to any conclusions right now. Chloe quickly jumped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her body, and headed back to her room. She wasn’t sure when she had first thought of the room as hers. She stopped at the bathroom door, looked both ways, and ran to the room.

She was relieved and disappointed that nobody had grabbed her and ripped the towel off her. She felt giddy and started moving around the room, getting dressed in a pair of tight jeans, a black V-neck sweater, and boots. She wanted to look cute but modest, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention. It was time to go out and meet everyone. Normally she would feel anxiety at this point. New people did that to her. Knowing that she would have Adam and Brandon standing by her side made her feel strong.

Chloe walked down the hall, looking at all the family pictures. Everyone looked so happy, and their family so close. She smiled, thinking about her own family, especially her younger sister, Katie. What would Katie think about her being here in this cabin with both Conner’s brothers? Would she be supportive, would she be shocked, would she consider moving here? So many questions flew through her mind, and she regretted not calling her sister.

When Chloe walked into the living room, multiple sets of eyes captured her. She hadn’t been expecting so many people to already be at the house. She took a step back, feeling like a rabbit being watched by predators. It was an unsettling feeling, especially since there were mostly men in the room. Maybe a V-neck hadn’t been the best idea.

One man stepped forward, and Chloe froze in place, not moving, as if her actions might startle him and he could lash out and swipe her. He closed his eyes and, standing right in front of her, inhaled deeply. She couldn’t breathe, didn’t make a sound, and after a moment he opened his eyes and shook his head. He seemed disappointed, and she couldn’t understand what she must’ve done to make him almost look sad. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I just needed to know. I hope you have a nice visit.” He stepped around her and left, and two men followed behind him.

After three large men left the room, she looked over and recognized the other two men right away. They stood next to a beautiful, tall woman. She was about five foot eight and had short, black hair and light blue eyes. She smiled and walked over, embracing her. Chloe hugged her back and then looked over, waiting to hear what the men would say. Stan Miller, the lawyer, and Jacob Miller, the man from the airport, stood there looking at her.

“Please excuse my husbands. Both of them wanted to come over and make sure you were okay. My name is Erin…nice to meet you.” She had a warm, inviting smile, and Chloe felt herself returning it. Even after her rather weird encounter, Erin’s outgoing, happy personality was infectious.

“Honey, that’s a little overdramatic. We just wanted to check on her.” Jacob came over and wrapped his arm around her waist. “The last time I saw you, you seemed really upset. I just wanted to make sure you were being treated right.” He nodded his head.

“How did you know I was here? Wait…Stan is my husband’s attorney. This is too weird. Either the world is small, or you were both following me. And…who the hell were those guys?” Chloe cocked her head to the side and waited for an answer.

“Those were our cousins.” Adam’s voice interrupted her conversation, and she moved to see him standing behind her.

“Couldn’t you tell? All those Novikov men have the same eyes,” Erin added.

“No…I couldn’t tell. I didn’t want to look him in the eyes. I thought he might rip my throat out.”

“Nothing that serious I promise. He thought that maybe you might be worth fighting for.” Adam told her, and Chloe felt a little disappointed. What…she wasn’t hot enough?

“What? I’m not? That sucks.” Everyone stared at her and then started laughing. She joined in, halfheartedly. It was odd to hear that men were sizing her up, possibly wanting to fight for her. Although, to be honest, that would make most woman feel incredible, her included.

“Well, Jacob…didn’t I tell you she was fine? You were worried for nothing. Both Brandon and I are taking good care of her. Aren’t we, baby?” Adam didn’t look at Jacob. Instead, he focused on her, crossing his arms, waiting for an answer.

“I don’t know. I’ve been under quite a bit of peer pressure since I’ve been here.” She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip and pretending that she was under a great deal of stress. She even gave a deep sigh to get her point across.

“Oh really? I don’t believe I’ve had any part in that. Brandon making you come, how unfortunate for you,” Adam shot back, arching his brow, daring her to continue. Erin laughed outright. She obviously enjoyed their little battle of wits. Knowing she wouldn’t win this argument, she turned her attention to the other men in the room.

“I’m fine.” Chloe turned to face Jacob and Stan. “What I want to know is why you both have been following me. First Stan comes to my house pretending to be Conner’s lawyer then Jacob follows me on my trip to Alaska. Why?” Instead of answering her, they both turned to look at Adam.

“I sent Stan with Conner’s will and the letter he wrote. I wanted you here. Jacob was an extra precaution, just in case you needed someone while traveling. You’re a woman, and you’re special to us. I had to make sure that you were safe.”

“Really? I’m a woman and therefore I need a man watching me at all times? That’s your answer?” She tapped her foot, becoming slightly irritated.

“You were a woman in serious emotional distress, under those circumstances I didn’t think you’d be able to watch out for your safety.”

“Emotional distress? How the hell did you know that? Oh…Stan told you I was hysterical.” She shook her head, remembering Stan’s sad eyes watching her closely, and he reported everything back to Adam and probably Brandon, too. Shit, she was embarrassed. Her house had been a mess. She’d been drunk and crying nonstop. Of course, she was in serious emotional-distress-overload zone.

“That’s their job. They report to me, and I was concerned about you. Don’t be mad at them. It’s my fault.” He walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her toward his chest. His actions deflated her, making her realize that he was a sweet man.

“Now…it looks like dinner will be ready soon. Stan and Jacob can join me to make sure the table is set. Why don’t you and Erin have a seat and relax.” Adam kissed her forehead and walked out of the living room, both of the other men following him.

* * * *

“Adam and Brandon have been waiting a while for you to arrive.” Erin pulled her back to reality suddenly. She hadn’t moved from the spot Adam left her in. Chloe moved to sit down, looked toward the mantle, and saw the urn. She smiled and sat down, leaning back to relax in the comfortable recliner.

“I have no idea why they’ve been waiting for me. I keep hearing something about a ceremony. I’m not sure if they plan to scatter Conner’s ashes or just have some sort of service.” She looked at Erin’s face change from interest to shock in a matter of seconds. Her eyes became wide and her mouth opened in a slight
O
. “What? What aren’t they telling me?” She knew her voice became slightly pleading, but the look on the other woman’s face was enough to startle her. Chloe sat forward, putting her elbows on her knees. “Tell me what I’m missing. It’s something big isn’t it?” She closed her eyes and cursed repeatedly in her mind.

“It’s not really my place to say. I’m sorry.” Erin shook her head. “Fuckin’ men.” She said that last part under her breath, but Chloe heard and realized whatever the big secret was it must be serious.

“Listen…if the roles were reversed, would you want to know? Would you want me to tell you what was going on?” She was close to begging. Her stomach rolled and pitched, and she felt like she might puke.

“I’ve been where you are. Stan and Jacob, they were the ones that explained everything to me, before the ceremony, our ceremony. This isn’t about Conner, this is about you and Adam and Brandon.” Chloe stood up and went to be closer to Erin. She needed to coax her to say more. She needed details.

“Okay…Let’s not talk about me, let’s talk about you. So…you have two husbands, and the three of you were involved in a ceremony. What’s the ceremony called specifically? What happened during
your
ceremony?” She felt clever, having changed the subject a little and focusing on Erin. Maybe that way she would feel comfortable telling her something.

“Well…there really isn’t a specific name for the ceremony. It’s a bonding ceremony, or as some refer it “a mating.” I’ll only tell you about the ceremony, the other stuff is really a conversation best had with Adam and Brandon. I freaked out a little a first. I hope you’ll handle things better. The ceremony took place on the full moon. It was a competition of sorts.” She pushed her hands through her hair, looking like she didn’t really want to talk about it, but Chloe wasn’t going to give her a way out. She needed to know what this whole thing was. It couldn’t be that serious…could it?

“Maybe competition isn’t the right word. It’s more like a game that everyone in the community plays when they find the person that’s meant for them. Oh, jeez, I’m butchering this, but I really don’t want to say too much.”

“Cut the bullshit…I want details. Don’t sugarcoat anything. Go for it. Pretend we’re BFFs and tell me what happened.”

“All right! Jeez…you’re a pain in the butt. Fine. Stan and Jacob both found me when I was visiting my sister in Anchorage. She’s in the air force. We went to a bar in town, and they were both there. They just walked up, smelled me, which was freakin’ weird, and told me that I was theirs. I scoffed at first, thinking they must be crazy, and left. They both followed me around the whole time I was there visiting, everywhere I turned. It became a game, and I started looking for them as well. The night I was scheduled to leave, my sister took me to the airport, and they kind of kidnapped me.”