She tangled her fingers in his hair, loving the silky-soft texture. “Can I watch the two of you make love to each other?” she softly asked.
“Of course.” He nuzzled her neck, gently nipping and kissing her as he took several slow strokes. “It certainly won’t bother us if it doesn’t bother you.”
Her lower lip caught under her teeth. “Maybe one day I’ll want…that…too.”
He nodded and gently kissed her, tracing her lips. “If, when, that’s up to you, sweetheart. I promise we’ll never, ever force you to do anything. We’ll never hurt you.”
Nevvie touched his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For saving me. For loving me.”
He stopped again, meeting her eyes, his heart breaking for her. “You never have to thank us for loving you, angel. We are the ones who should be thanking you for allowing us to be a part of your life. Simply let us love you. Let us take care of you. All the thanks we need is for you to be a part of our lives.”
He rolled to his side with her cradled in his arms, murmuring to her, understanding her emotions. To live her entire life not feeling truly wanted—worse, unwanted—then to have their unconditional love must be overwhelming.
His stiff member was still inside her and after a few minutes she gently rolled her hips against him. He touched his forehead to hers and carefully reached between them, gently stroking her.
“Let me love you, my sweet, beautiful angel,” he whispered. “Let me show you how you make me feel.”
Drawing slow, sensuous circles around her swollen nub, he held her with his other arm, his lips pressed to her forehead. “Just let me love you, angel. It’s all I want to do.”
Her breath quickened, gasping. Her other arm tightened around him and he felt her muscles contract as she cried out, burying her head against his shoulder.
“That’s it, darling,” he said. “Let me love you.”
When he knew she’d finished he carefully rolled them over and took long, slow strokes into her. He propped himself on his elbows and looked into her green eyes while her hands traced aimless circles across his back. She wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping him there.
“I love you, Tyler,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain why it’s different from what I feel about Tommy.”
“You don’t have to.” He kissed her, never closing his eyes, not wanting to miss a second. “It’s the same way I feel about you and Thomas. The same way he feels about us.” His climax built. He slowed, trying to prolong it, wanting to savor having her alone for as long as possible. He could let Thomas have her first because he knew he would be able to spend more time alone with her like this over their many years together.
“You know my soul,” she whispered.
He kissed her and couldn’t contain himself. With several long, deep thrusts he came, calling her name. He lowered himself to her chest, breathing hard, his skin damp with sweat while she clung tightly to him.
They eventually made it to the shower. Without talking they held each other under the spray, months of built-up emotions freed. They dressed without speaking, content to frequently kiss or simply meet the other’s gaze. This was what neither had with Thomas, that unspoken bond.
Before he went to his office to try to work she put her arms around him and kissed him, smiling, finally breaking their comfortable silence. “Let me know if you need your muse to come in and inspire you.”
He laughed. “Sweetheart, I won’t hesitate, believe me.”
Chapter 19
That afternoon, Thomas fiddled with the slip of paper. Tyler had taken Nevvie shopping a few weeks earlier, stopping by a department store jewelry counter on the pretense of looking at watches for himself. He’d nudged her around the counter as he browsed until she saw the display of ruby rings—her birthstone—then he insisted on buying her one.
Now they had her ring size.
Damn, he was good.
Thomas walked into the jewelry store and looked through the displays, afraid the ring he’d seen was gone, but then he found it. It was perfect. Two diamonds on either side, with an unusual arrangement of amethyst, rubies, and emeralds—their three birthstones—circling a central diamond.
It was fate. It must be. Tyler didn’t even ask to see it, trusting Thomas’ judgment.
“I know you would never pick something gauche, Thomas,” he’d said. “You love us. Your heart always does what’s right. If you say it’s perfect, then I know it is.”
It amazed and touched him that Tyler let him do this, but he’d make sure Tyler did the talking. He didn’t want to screw it up.
He caught the clerk’s attention and pulled the slip of paper from his pocket. “I’d like that ring, please. In a size six.”
She took it from the case, looked at the tag, and smiled. “It is a size six.”
He slid his platinum AmEx card across the counter. “Then it’s mine.”
He sat in the truck and opened the box. The stones shimmered and shifted colors in the sunlight. It was beautiful, like their Nevvie. How long until they asked her? He knew it would take Ty at least a week or longer to perfect something. He trusted Tyler to do it right. Look how great everything had been so far, Tyler was right yet again, doing it the way they did. That was one of the many things he loved about Tyler, that he took the time and cared enough to put the effort in. Ty was fantastic at that kind of stuff.
Thank God Tyler’s first two wives were too stupid to appreciate that, or he might never have met him.
Tyler was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Thomas hugged him, kissed the back of his neck.
“Where is she?”
Tyler tipped his head to the backyard. “I made her relax. She spent the morning cleaning, damn near wore herself out.” Nevvie was stretched out on one of the lounges. “Did you get it?”
Thomas slipped the box from his pocket. He watched Tyler’s expression as he opened the box.
Tyler’s jaw dropped, his eyes misting. “Oh, Thomas,” he whispered, “it’s perfect!” Tyler threw his arms around him. “You’re absolutely amazing, lover. It’s simply perfect.”
“Did I do good?”
Tyler kissed him. “You’re brilliant. Now go tuck it away in your office until later.”
He put it in his desk then helped with dinner. Before they called Nevvie in to eat, Tyler swatted his bum. “Go get it.”
“Get what?”
Tyler stopped by the back door and shooed him toward his office. “The ring!” he whispered.
“What?”
“The r-i-n-g. Have you forgotten?”
“Tonight? We’re doing this tonight?”
Tyler glanced out the back door. “Yes, tonight. Do you want to wait?”
“I figured you’d have something all planned out.”
“I do. You’re going to propose to her for us.”
“What? No, I–”
Tyler kissed him. Thomas stopped resisting as his cock stiffened against Tyler’s hip. Tyler stepped back and held his gaze. “Thomas,” he whispered, “any man who can pick a ring that perfect for the woman we love will have absolutely no problem finding the right words. They will be as true and real as any I could ever think up. I have every confidence that you will say the perfectly right thing to her.”
Thomas flushed, simultaneously puffed with pride at Tyler’s confidence in him and scared shitless. “You always do this kind of stuff. You’re good at it. This is your department.”
“Thomas, you are the one who asked me so many years ago if we could make our relationship permanent and exclusive. You are the one who had me in a puddle of tears when you slipped the ring on my hand. I have every confidence if you could melt me like that, you will have no problem with our Nevvie.”