“Are you upset with me?” he quietly asked.
“No. Why would you think that?”
“Well, from the other morning, and considering you flew through the kitchen without giving me a look, I thought perhaps I’d done something.”
More guilt. Just dump it in a big, steaming pile. “No, Tyler, I’m not upset with you.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I’m moody. Like you said, it’s a phase.”
He enveloped her in his arms and she hugged him back. He felt sooo good. And he always smelled good, too. Was it weird she could identify either man by his unique scent?
God I’m such a stupid dumbass.
“I’m sorry this is difficult for you, sweetheart.” He met her gaze. “Please believe me,” he whispered. “It’s only been a few weeks. You haven’t even begun to deal with what happened.”
“Let the future happen. Yeah, yeah.”
He kissed her forehead. “Dinner’s ready. Did you fix it?”
She nodded.
“It’s wonderful—you did a fantastic job.”
She waited a moment to catch her breath before following him out to the kitchen. It was stupid, she admitted it, but any time one of the men paid her a compliment it caught her off-guard. It always did even though she knew she should be past that. They didn’t heap false praise on her. They showed her appreciation, something she’d never had from Alex.
Or anyone.
Over dinner, Nevvie’s mood lightened. They were together again, her and her boys. It felt right, there was no denying it. Maybe Tyler had a point and she needed time to get her head on straight. Better to enjoy what she had than mope.
She decided to focus on the present, not the past or the future. Most women would kill to have what she had.
Her boys.
At least she didn’t have to worry about sharing them with other women.
Chapter 9
The next Saturday morning, Tyler and Thomas surprised her with yet another treat. After breakfast they led her out the front door, where a limousine waited.
“What’s this?”
“We’re pampering you today,” Thomas said.
Tyler nodded. “You are getting the princess treatment.”
They gently cut off her protests. “Nevvie,” Thomas said, “we’re giving you every reason in the world to never leave.”
“The two of you are reason enough to stay. You don’t have to bribe me.”
Tyler’s blue eyes twinkled. “But it doesn’t hurt.”
They rode with her to the Palimo Sands Spa and left her in capable hands after each man kissed her cheek.
“We’ll be back for you later, sweetheart,” Tyler said. “You’ll also get something to wear. They have all the instructions and everything you’ll need. Simply do exactly what they tell you. We’re taking you out to dinner and someplace special.”
She hugged them one last time before the men returned to the limo for the ride home.
“Did you see her, Ty?” Thomas said. “She was so surprised!”
“She’s never been to a place like that. Never been in a limo before. Time our sweet girl gets a taste of the finer things in life that we don’t normally indulge in. We can afford it, and what better way to spend our hard-earned money?”
Thomas leaned back, smiling. “She’s going to look beautiful tonight in that dress.”
Tyler agreed. “We’ll have a hard time keeping it in our pants.”
Thomas leaned over and kissed him, then knelt on the floor in front of him. “You know, I don’t think we’ve ever done it in a limo before.” He unzipped Tyler’s slacks, looking up at his lover.
Tyler leaned back and smiled. “Then why don’t we take care of that right now, Thomas?”
The day wouldn’t end when they picked her up. Tyler had carefully planned the evening. First dinner, then South Pacific at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The limo dropped the men at the house and would return for them at three. Tyler inspected their dinner suits one last time, checking the pants and shirts to see if they needed pressing. James Bond never looked so damn good. Tailored exactly, the perfect flattering style for each, Nevvie wouldn’t know what to do.
He hoped.
Tyler tried to write and couldn’t, wondering how Nevvie was enjoying her spa treatment. He’d ordered the complete works from hair to nails, full massage, make-up, everything. Then they would give her the dress and shoes he’d picked for her. She would look gorgeous.
His beautiful angel.
He found Thomas napping in their bed. Tyler curled next to him and Thomas stirred, draping his arm over Tyler’s hip. Then he opened his eyes.
“Oh, hi there.” He smiled. “I had a great dream.”
Tyler slid his arm around his lover’s waist. “What?” He kissed his neck, lightly running his tongue over the base of his throat.
Thomas wrapped his arms around Tyler. “You and me making love in the back of that limo again.”
He kissed Tom’s neck. “That sounds lovely.” He moved lower, brushing his hand over the front of Tom’s now-tented shorts. “Very lovely indeed. Do tell.”
Tom rolled onto his back, hooked his thumbs in his waistband to pull his shorts down, then moaned as Tyler gently ran his tongue along the tip of his cock.
“I think you’re reading my mind, sugar,” Thomas gasped. “Why don’t you turn around here and let me have a little fun?”
Tyler paused, slipped off his shorts, and settled on top of Thomas with his stiff shaft over his lover’s mouth.
“That’s more like it,” Thomas growled, enveloping him with his lips.
Tyler moaned and set to work on Thomas. A few minutes later, both men climaxed, clutching each other until Tyler’s knees finally gave out and he rolled off Thomas.
“You are amazing,” Tyler gasped. “Simply amazing.”
Thomas turned to lie beside him, enveloping Tyler in his arms. He fit perfectly like that and it felt right holding him. “So are you.”
Nevvie sleepwalked through the day. That’s the only explanation she had. Maybe Tyler had meant anything. A car, now this—it overwhelmed her.
They’re just being nice, girl. Don’t get your hopes up.
It didn’t stop her from fantasizing. She wouldn’t deny how they made her feel. Loved. Cherished. Like she belonged with them. Was that one little thing really worth agonizing over? That’s what vibrators were for, right?
Up till now, none of the guys she’d slept with ever came close to making her feel this good. How fucking sad and pitiful did that make her, that she’d settled for less than simply to have someone in her life?
Alex.
Blech. Boy, if he wasn’t a mistake of the most dumbass order. She hadn’t known how to get rid of him. He soon seized the advantage, knowing he could make her flinch and cower. Once he had that control he didn’t budge and she was stuck with no escape.
She sighed. If she had to trade feeling like this for getting laid, it wasn’t worth it. She was simply emotional the other morning, and having Tyler in bed with her like that, with his sweet blue eyes, it was too much.
Suck it up, girl. Be happy with what you’ve got.
That’s what she should do, what any person with a fraction of intelligence would do. Settle for the fantastic instead of bitching and moaning about what she didn’t have.
It’s what she would do. She had no right to bitch. She’d enjoy this dream she’d dropped into and quit worrying about what she didn’t have.
She took a deep breath and relaxed.
The spa staff led Nevvie through the day. They brought her lunch—apparently Tyler had placed the order, a turkey wrap made exactly the way she liked. She felt even more spoiled than normal, something she didn’t think possible. This had to be Tyler’s idea, it was something he’d come up with.