Chapter Thirty One
“Where’d McKenna run off to?” Cole asked his stepbrother when he approached him at the bar a short while later.
“Dancing,” he answered, turning to face the overcrowded dance floor behind them.
Cole chuckled as he searched the floor for Tag’s fiancé. “Don’t dance, huh?”
“Not the kind of dancing she’s talking about,” Tag said honestly.
Cole watched as the pretty red head in the brilliant emerald green dress moved gracefully around the dance floor with Trent. He found it odd that Tag was even letting another man touch her. Although, Cole would probably do the same. He was equipped with two left feet and dancing was clearly not in his stockpile of skills.
Cole took the beer the bartender handed him and turned to face the crowded place. They’d had a better turn out than he expected. Although only about one-third of the people in attendance were actual members, he had a feeling that would probably be changing fairly quickly.
The atmosphere was significantly different from the fetish club, and he found that he liked this one better. There was a different air to the people in the much more elegant setting. First of all, there were more couples than he was used to. More importantly, there were a large number of ménage relationships in attendance. Since Cole knew that Luke specifically wanted to target that demographic, he wasn’t surprised. Not that he had an issue with his relationship or the fact that most people looked at them strangely when they went out in public, but Cole liked the opportunity to be around like minded individuals.
They weren’t just a ménage club. They’d managed to keep a lot of the fetish elements, along with the BDSM aspect that drew a significant amount of interest, or so it seemed. Simply put, they were a sex club, incorporating a vast number of preferences and desires.
Xander’s intimidating form caught Cole’s eye from across the room. Turning to see who he was talking to, Cole noticed the woman on his arm. She wasn’t substantially tall, probably close to a foot shorter than Xander. The black flowing gown she wore accentuated her generous curves and Cole appreciated the fact that she wasn’t one of the model thin women whom a man of Xander’s size would likely break in two. There were many times that Cole feared he and Luke would hurt Sierra, being as small as she was, but this woman looked like she could easily handle a man like Xander. He found it interesting because he’d never seen Xander with a woman, but these two looked fairly intimate.
His attention turned to the most beautiful woman in the room. He watched as Sierra gracefully moved toward the area that had been sectioned off for the night to be used for a few people to address the attendees. Standing behind the podium was Logan, holding a microphone which meant they were about to introduce the owners.
“See you in a few,” Cole told Tag, turning to head in Sierra’s direction. He wasn’t the type of man who enjoyed being the center of attention, and he’d tried numerous times to talk Sierra out of this meet and greet introduction, but as with most things, she’d won that argument.
There was a tap on the microphone, followed by a squeal that got most people’s attention although it didn’t seem to be the intention. Choosing to stand off to the side, Cole watched as Logan handed the microphone to Sierra. He’d half expected Trent to do the honors of introducing the club, but during a brief conversation the day before, everyone felt as though the club would get more attention without the famous actor standing in front of the room.
“Where’ve you been?” Cole asked Luke as they waited for the crowd to gather around and quiet.
“Just talking to a few people.”
Before Cole asked for specifics, Trent commanded the attention of the crowd by his mere presence.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” Sierra greeted the group. “I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself and my wonderful husbands.”
Cole’s breath lodged in his chest. Did she just refer to the two of them as her husbands? His heart did that strange swelling thing, and for a second he thought he was going to pass out.
“I guess that’s our cue,” Luke said, taking Cole’s hand and pulling him toward the front of the group of at least one hundred people gathered around.
“My name is Sierra, and many of you have already met my husbands – Luke McCoy and Cole Ackerley. If you haven’t, well, then I’m not exactly sure how you got in here tonight.”
The group laughed at Sierra’s joke. Cole went to stand on one side of Sierra while Luke stood proudly on the other. He couldn’t help but wonder how this turn of events had come about. If he remembered correctly, he’d insisted he not be brought forward to have to address anyone. If someone needed to speak publicly, Cole was more than happy to hand the mic over to the famous actor who seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight.
“First of all, I’d like to welcome you all. I hope you’ve had a chance to look around, you know, if that’s your thing.”
Another round of laughter.
“In any case, if you haven’t, I urge you to. My husbands have put a lot of themselves into this place, and I’m so very proud of what they’ve accomplished. Many of you might not realize it, but this club is like a second child to us. A lot of blood, sweat, and yes, tears have gone into this place.
“Tonight is all about giving you a glimpse into what it is like to live our lifestyle and the various other lifestyles you might not be familiar with. The three of us have spent the better part of the last year learning to live openly in a ménage and quite frankly, not one of us was quite equipped for what that meant when we went into this.”
Cole listened intently, suddenly confused as to the description of their relationship. They didn’t make a habit of sharing the most intimate aspects of their lives and quite frankly, he’d have been just fine with a brief name introduction.
“We knew that we loved one another. Knew that we were devoted to one another. We even knew that we wanted to have children together, but as you can imagine, it hasn’t been a smooth road the entire time.
“This is one of the reasons we opted to add some variety to our club that, if you were a member of Club Destiny, you wouldn’t have seen. It isn’t just the ménage lifestyle that people don’t understand; however, it is one that the three of us are intimately familiar with.
“Which brings me to the reason that I am standing up here before you tonight, introducing you to my husbands.”
Cole glanced down at Sierra again at her reference. His heart was beating wildly in his chest.
“I’ve had the honor of meeting several of you who are much more familiar with what we go through on a daily basis, and it was during these conversations that I’ve learned a lot about options.”
Cole stared down at her confused, his expression mirroring Luke’s almost perfectly. He had no idea where Sierra was going with this. By now he expected their introductions to be complete and for them to be standing back watching someone else in the spotlight.
“As you can tell by the complete look of shock on their faces, neither one of them has a clue where I’m going with this. Since I know all of you are probably ready to get on with the evening, I’m going to ask for your attention for just a few more minutes.”
Cole glanced up at Luke, their eyes meeting over Sierra’s head. What the hell was she talking about?
Sierra turned, putting her back to the crowd as she faced both of them at the same time.
“I know that the two of you weren’t expecting this, but I need you both to listen to me for just a minute,” Sierra said seriously, and Cole’s heart pounded even harder than before. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to make him have a panic attack right here in front of all these people.
~~*~~
Luke stood as still as he could in front of all of his guests who were giving the three of them their undivided attention. It was eerie, to say the least.
Sierra’s smile was bright, and the sheen of tears in her eyes put him on edge. One thing he couldn’t handle was when Sierra cried. His heart broke each and every time it happened and now, standing before her, completely unaware of what she was doing, he felt as though he was about to have a heart attack.
Thankfully, she handed the microphone off to Sam, who handed her something in return, but Luke could only make out that one of the items was a sheet of paper. Great. Maybe she’d prepared a speech.
“It’s not a secret that I’m not the dominant one in this relationship,” Sierra said with a huge smile. “In fact, I’ve always willingly handed the control over to one or both of you, and I happen to prefer it that way. However, I needed to make a stand, and this was the only way that I could come up with.”
Luke watched her, feeling the eyes of the group behind her boring into him.
“I need you to let me get through this before either of you say anything at all.”
Luke nodded, as did Cole, but neither of them said a word. Luke wasn’t sure he’d be able to find his voice if he had to.
Sucking in a deep breath, Sierra took the piece of paper and unfolded it, glancing down as she did.
“Back when the three of us made this official,” Sierra motioned the three of them with her hand, “the two of you gave me rings which I proudly wear each and every day.”
At the mention of her rings, Luke glanced down at her finger, expecting to see the two bands they’d given her, but they weren’t there. His heart skipped a beat, and he wondered whether they’d be making use of those defibrillators they’d had installed.
“I won’t lie, I’ve always dreamed about having a wedding, wearing a white gown and walking down the aisle. However, all of those little dreams of mine seemed so insignificant when I met the two of you and fell in love with not one but both of you at the same time. I decided I could easily live without that tradition because it didn’t mean anything if I couldn’t have both of you.
“However, one thing I’m not willing to sacrifice in this relationship is the comfort and reassurance that the little piece of paper that so many people take for granted can bring to a relationship. Having that paper might not be necessary when it comes to explaining my love for both of you, but it is something that would help us not to feel so temporary.”
Luke swallowed hard as he watched a single tear streak down Sierra’s face as she glanced back and forth between them. He no longer felt the stares of the people behind her because somewhere along the way, he’d tuned out everything except this woman and the man standing beside him.
“In the last couple of months, the three of us have finally come to terms with our own insecurities, and honestly, I wasn’t surprised to find that each one of us felt exactly the same way. This isn’t temporary. It never has been. I know we’re feeling our way through this, but one thing I’m not willing to do is to let either of you think that we won’t get through the ups and downs. Together.”
Glancing down at the piece of paper and then back up at them, Sierra smiled. It was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.
“I’ve learned from some very open and honest people, who have been so kind as to share their experiences with me, that we aren’t the only ones who have wanted something more… how should I say this? Permanent?
“Hold this,” Sierra handed him the piece of paper, “but don’t read it.”
Luke grinned. He was just about to do exactly that. Watching her, he noticed that she had a small black velvet box in her hand that had been hidden behind the paper. She slowly opened the lid and reached inside before looking back up at them both.
“I’m not willing to marry just one of you because I wouldn’t be able to choose and quite frankly, I don’t want to. I want to marry both of you. I don’t need the State of Texas to give me permission to do this in order for me to make it official. When you read the paper – not yet, when I tell you to,” Sierra inserted the last part as Luke was just about to look down at the paper.
The crowd behind her laughed.
“I want this to be binding because no matter what, my heart belongs to both of you and it always will. I know that the two of you feel the same about me, as well as one another,” Sierra said as she swallowed hard. Luke wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. He fought the urge.
Sierra reached out and took Luke’s hand, sliding something over his left ring finger and then doing the same to Cole before she looked back up at them, more tears filling her beautiful blue eyes.
“What you’re holding might not be a marriage license honored by our great state, but it is a legal contract. It’s real. Paper or not, I need you both to understand that you belong to me. Today, tomorrow, forever.” Glancing down at the rings and then back up at them, Sierra continued, “I had them engraved.”
Sierra pulled her ring from her finger and held it up for them to see. Luke noticed that she did have the original rings they had given her, only now they were soldered together to form one.
“All three of them say the same thing,” she said, her voice breaking. “Everlasting Devotion.”
As though her last words opened the dam, Sierra’s tears began flowing steadily, and Luke was unable to stop himself from reaching for her at the same time Cole did.
Applause broke out behind them as the three of them stood motionless in front of a sea of people witnessing this moment right alongside them.
~~*~~
“I have a question,” Cole said when they took a step back from one another after she managed to silence her sobs somewhat.
Startled, she looked at Cole as he stared down at her, a serious expression on his handsome face.
“Did my mischievous brother help you to get this taken care of?”
Sierra noticed Luke glance her way, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Cole. She settled for a sheepish little smile, one that she hoped would soften the lines on his face.
When she’d talked to Tag, he had been more than happy to help her get the legal documents necessary to make the changes and he’d actually been happy for them. Tag had told her that although they’d had a reception of sorts, he felt as though they’d possibly missed a step. Sierra took that to mean that Cole had obviously talked to his stepbrother at some point, which only reaffirmed her reason for wanting to do this.
In their attempt to ensure their friends and family were at ease with their decision, they’d managed to deny themselves one thing. Granted, they didn’t need a piece of paper, or even rings, but they did need the openness that they’d been missing all along.
It was clear that what she felt for them, they felt for her, but they hadn’t confirmed as much in words. Now, they had the opportunity to go beyond words, making it as legal as they possibly could to show that they were in this together.
“So, what do you think was going through Tag’s mind when I asked him to help me?” Cole asked, reaching beneath his tuxedo jacket and pulling a piece of paper from his back pocket and holding it out for her to take.
Sierra cocked an eyebrow as she took the paper from his outstretched hand, feeling the presence of so many eyes still on her, probably all waiting for this to be over with. She unfolded it slowly, then started at the top. Cole had essentially had the same contract drawn up as she had, only there was one addition. Out of all of the legal mumbo jumbo listed, the one thing that stood out clearly was the request for a name change from Hannah Gabriella Ackerley to Hannah Gabriella McCoy-Ackerley.
With tears in her eyes and a sob escaping, she handed the paper to Luke and moved into Cole’s arms, her eyes never leaving Luke’s face.
She knew the instant he read that part because his eyes got wide and she was almost positive she saw a sheen of moisture, but he quickly masked it and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him at the same time he pulled Cole in close. Sierra wished she could be as strong as they were, but she couldn’t control the sob that tore from her chest. Never had she believed she would be so lucky as to share this unconditional love.
And the fact that these two men had enough love in their hearts to share with her and each other only made it that much more significant.