Teacher's Pets [Unlikely Bedfellows 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (18 page)

“I had no idea.” But flashes filled her mind of episodes in her youth. Her father cancelling dinner with the family in order to attend a banquet somewhere else. Her mother’s traveling to conferences instead of staying home to attend her children’s recitals or school events. And they never expressed affection with each other. It was always air kisses or quick waves goodbye.

“I expected your mother to announce a divorce for years after their marriage. But eventually, neither could afford a divorce. They needed each other for the cachet.”

That word again!
“I’ve tried so hard to please them, Joshua.”

“Forget it, sweetheart. No matter what you do, you never will. With each step up the ladder of acceptance you climb, they add another rung. Do what
you
want to make yourself happy, and don’t regret a moment.”

Her heart swelled and her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you, Uncle Joshua. I think I will.”

“Now.” He sounded more jovial. “If you want advice on how to keep two men extremely happy, you should have a talk or two with Evelyn. But if you need advice on how to live with someone who’s the polar opposite of you and drives you crazy each and every day of your life, I can fill you in.”

“I heard that!” Harve yelled in the background.

“The man is enough to make a rabbi cry.”

Leah laughed. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have called you, Joshua.”

“Me, too, honey. Let me know how things work out, okay?”

“I will. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She hung up and sat thinking. What would she say? How could she show Steve and Beau that she loved them and wanted to come to an agreement?

Dashing to her bedroom, she chose her sexiest underwear, a matching garter belt and black stockings to match her black four-inch heels. Wearing only that, she slipped her raincoat on over all, and walked to the car.

She would get them back, if she had to talk them to death or sex them to death. In the end, they would be hers.

Steve doodled on the paper before him. Midterm exams would be coming up in another few weeks, and he was less prepared than he ever thought he would be. The longer Leah stayed away, the more his focus changed from where it was supposed to be to getting her back. But how? He wasn’t going to give up his principles, and they were entwined in the Corps. He believed in duty, honor, and sacrifice for one’s country. Surely Leah could see that and understand.

“Hell with this.” He took to his feet and grabbed the car keys from the bowl by the front door. Yanking open the door, he was faced with Leah, hand raised to knock.

For a moment they stood staring at each other. She was a sight to behold, a little thinner than she had been, maybe, but still as beautiful as an angel.

“You’re here,” he said and then shook his head. “I mean, come in.” He stepped back to allow her room to get by.

“Thanks.” Brushing past him, she clutched her shoulder bag as though it were a lifeline. She must be as nervous as he was hopeful.

“Have a seat.” He placed his keys back in the bowl and gestured for her to go farther into the room.

“Okay.” She went to the bar where she had sat a couple of weeks ago but then stopped and changed direction, heading for the living room couch instead.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“I’d
like
a double whiskey, but no, thanks.”

“Okay.” He sat in the chair across from her. “Did you come to talk to me, or do you want Beau here, too? He’s in the library.”

“I’d hoped both of you would be here, but I wouldn’t want to disturb him.” She twisted her hands in her lap.

“Look, Leah. Don’t be so nervous. It’s just me, Steve. There’s no need to be afraid of anything. I’m sorry I hurt you by what I said.”

She leaned forward. “No. I’m sorry for what
I
said. Can you forgive me?”

“Honey, I can forgive you anything. I’m asking the same of you.”

She nodded her head. “Yes.” She leaned back, looking more relieved. “You understand, we didn’t
know
what you knew when we protested. We marched because of what we were told was happening over there. There was no way to understand your true conditions or your feelings, though I do believe in certain cases we were lied to by military and government officials. Still, if what I did caused harm, I’m truly sorry.”

Steve nodded. “And I got carried away when I heard you had been part of the protestors. I know neither the government nor the military is always right, but I still believe in the flag some people burned over here. I stay in the service because it’s my way of serving, but I’m not a mindless robot, following whatever orders I’m given. Do you understand?” He hoped she did and could live with his feelings.

“I do see. You protect and serve, like my uncle, but in a different service.”

“Leah, I love you. I know when we disagree we fight like demons, but it doesn’t stop my love.”

She smiled, thank God.

“I love you, Steve, very much.” And she sighed. “We’ll always have Beau to calm us down.”

For the first time in weeks, laughing felt right. “I think we scared the life out of him.”

“Congratulations on winning the best chemistry student award.”

He couldn’t hide his surprise. “How do you know? It isn’t going to be announced until midterm.”

“Beau has called me every day, leaving messages about what was going on with the two of you.”

“He did?”
Well, damn.
He owed Beau big time for that good thinking. “Thanks. Turns out, instead of distracting me, I did my best work while we were involved. If you stay with us, I could win the Nobel Prize for chemistry.”

She laughed. “I’ve missed this,” she said. “I’ve missed you and Beau.”

As though she spoke of the devil, Beau burst into the house. He focused on her right away. “I saw your car out front and could hardly believe it.”

“Your phone messages finally did the trick. I’m sorry I was such a jerk.”

“Not you,” Beau said.

“He means
I
was the jerk,” Steve said dryly.

“Yes,” Beau agreed. He looked from one to the other. “So, are we a family again?”

“Yes,” Leah and Steve said in unison.

“Hot damn.” He looked at Leah. “He’s been a royal pain in the ass to live with.” Beau sat on the sofa, near but not beside Leah.

“Before we go much further, one thing I learned from this episode is how little we know about each other. For instance, I don’t even know what you’re doing after graduation. What are your plans?”

“We’ve been too busy with other things,” Steve said, winking at her. “Maybe I was trying to make up for lost time in that department.”

“And I loved it, but I need to know. Are we staying together?”

Beau spoke up. “The Corps paid for us to finish our degrees. Even though we’re in the reserves now, we still owe them something for our education. That probably means working in the D.C. area. I have interviews at the end of the year with the DoD. Geography is used in military planning and in war games. I know that might make you uncomfortable, but war games are necessary for the protection of the country. When we do go to war again, I want to help ensure there are fewer casualties.”

“War changes a man, there’s no question. I know my knowledge in chemistry can help the military—in good ways,” Steve quickly assured. “Chemistry can make better materials, lighter in weight and more useable. I already have a position in the DoD as soon as I graduate.”

“So you’ll be in the Washington area, too?”

“Looks that way.”

“To answer your question, Leah,” Beau said, “we definitely want you in our future. Forever. We want you with us.”

Leah sank back into the sofa and closed her eyes. Steve looked at Beau, who stared back. He raised his brows in a
what now?
look. Steve shook his head. He had no idea how this would go.

Leah opened her eyes and divided her attention between Beau and him. “I don’t think I can get a teaching job if we’re going to be moving a lot.”

Steve let out a breath of absolute satisfaction. She was coming back to them.

“We should stay put, pretty much,” Beau said.

“We aren’t full-time military, so we won’t be transferred like they are,” Steve added.

“Reserves aren’t shipped overseas, anyway,” Beau said, smiling. “Steve and I might—I say
might
—have to go into the field for testing once in a while, but that should be the worst of it.”

“Then I can apply for work in the D.C. area, too.” Leah seemed pleased. “I’m still not sure how I feel about the military or reserves. But I know how I feel about you two. I love you. Being without you was horrible.”

“For us, too,” Steve said, and he meant it.

“It sounds wonderful hearing you say you love us,” Beau said. “I love
you
. You’re my world.”

“Just be aware that I will
not
always agree with you on the military or politics in general. Don’t expect me to bend to your opinions.”

“Perish the thought,” Beau said, grinning.

“I have a feeling you two are a bit more conservative than I am.”

Steve couldn’t help his grin. “Honey, disagree all you want. We’ll make sure you don’t go to bed mad or unhappy.”

“Don’t forget, you have the book to finish.” Beau smiled. “There’s still a lot of bedroom work to do on it, I hope.”

“Oh! About that, the proposal was accepted. Whitestone Publishing wants it.”

“Hey,” Beau said. “Congratulations! What can we do to celebrate?”

She smiled. “Well, I’m a little horny. Can we celebrate by taking care of that?” She stood and removed her coat.

Steve had noticed her black stockings and high heels right away. But he’d had no idea that stockings and a bra were all she wore. His cock immediately rose, long and hard. He wanted to be inside her in the worst way.

“I think we can take care of that, sweetheart,” he said.

“Absolutely,” Beau agreed. He reached up and pulled her coat the rest of the way off her arms.

She was beautiful. “We’ve missed you,” Steve said.

Leah held out her arms, one toward him and one toward Beau. “I’ve missed you, too.”

The men stood and stepped into her outstretched arms. Steve kissed her first then surrendered her lips to Beau as he bent and concentrated on her nipple through the lace of her sexy little bra. She twisted her fingers into his hair and held him in place.

Using one hand, he undid the only hook holding her breasts encased in the lace, and then he sucked her nipple into his mouth. Scraping his teeth across the firm tip, he felt her tremble beneath his hands, which roved her stomach and hips.

“Bedroom,” Beau muttered.

“Right.” Steve picked Leah up and carried her to his room. As soon as he set her on her feet, Beau had her panties off. Steve grabbed two condoms. Tossing one to Beau, he moved back to tease her lips with his tongue. He heard Beau open the drawer in the bedside table where he’d put a jar of cream, and then Leah moaned into his mouth. Seconds later, as Beau pressed his advantage and eased into her ass, Steve took his cue.

He lifted her foot to the edge of the bed and smoothed his hand up the silkiness of her stockinged leg. Her pussy was wet and hot, her clit extended and hard. Probing her passage with his cock, he rocked in and out of her sweet cunt.

“Oh, yeah. Oh, shit, yeah,” he murmured. He felt Steve pushing from behind, and they soon found their rhythm. In less than a minute, her pussy gripped him. Her breathing was shallow and hard.

“Oh, baby,” he groaned and shot off. Seconds later, he sensed Beau doing the same.

When they pulled out of her, Steve captured her in his arms. “Welcome home,” he said in her ear.

* * * *

Eighteen months later

“How’s Chicago?” Beau asked when he answered the phone.

“Lonely without my three men,” Leah answered. She had arrived that afternoon and went straight to the hotel to rest before her interview on one of the local television stations later that night.

“We’re lonely without you, too. Can you say hello to mama, Evan?” he asked of their infant son.

“Hi, Evan,” she said into the phone, tears welling in her eyes. “Mama loves you and misses you.”

“I think he just shit,” Beau said with a laugh, “but I’m sure he would want me to say he misses you, too.”

“Oh, I wish I was there with you.”

“You will be soon. But first, you’ve got to strut your stuff in your hometown. I’m going to turn you over to Steve while I go change the kid,” he said. “Love you, babe.”

“Love you, too.”

“Have you seen your family yet?” Steve asked right away.

“Not yet. I called my parents and asked if they wanted to have dinner, but they were busy.”