Chapter Nine
When they woke the next morning they all made love again. They were all a sweaty mess when they finally parted. Brooklyn had her eyes closed and was limp against Antonio. She yawned and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I think we all need a shower. That or food. I can’t figure out which one that I want right now.”
“We should likely get food,” Stefan muttered. His hands flexed on her hips before she felt him pulling free from her ass. A kiss to her shoulder, and then he was stumbling for the bathroom. “Definitely food. I’m feeling weak-kneed from your attentions, honey,” he called over his shoulder.
“Okay, food.” She just grinned though at his proclamation of being weak-kneed. “You aren’t the only one, honey, believe me, but it’s a good feeling.” She watched him retreating into the bathroom to get cleaned up and then looked back to Antonio. “We should get cleaned up as well.”
“Yup, we should,” he said with a nod. He didn’t move immediately, though. After a minute, he finally heaved a breath and made a face. “Okay, I think I have feeling back in my limbs again. Best get moving now in case it’s temporary.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She moved away from him and rolled off the bed. “I think that I’m going to go to take a quick shower after he’s done in there. If you want, you can join me or go after me.”
“If we’re going to eat anytime shortly we should likely all shower separately. We might starve if we don’t,” he said with a chuckle. Then he groaned while climbing off the bed. After a few deep knee bends, during which he cursed a blue streak, he finally stood straight to shake out his left leg. At her look, he grinned and turned to point to a long scar down the outside of his knee. “Took a bullet. It banged up the joint something nasty, but they didn’t have to replace it thank goodness. Unfortunately, I see knee replacement surgery in my future one day.”
“I’m sorry. That seriously sucks. At least I will be there with you. I’ll be your nurse. How does that sound?” She liked the idea of taking care of him. It was something she was sure she would enjoy, or hoped she would at least. “Just no being mean to Nurse Brooklyn or no sponge baths for you.”
He stopped moving and grabbed her arm to tug her back toward him. “Naked sponge baths?” he asked with a wicked grin. “Because if you’re doing most things naked during my recovery time I’ll be on board completely.”
“Yes, naked sponge baths. That’s part of the plan for getting you well faster. Being naked is the way to go, don’t you think?” She cupped his cheeks in her hands and leaned in to kiss him. “I need to go clean up. Back soon.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips in return. “Go clean up,” he told her. “I’m going to stretch a little while I wait for you to finish. Tell Stefan to hurry up, too. The sooner we can get eating, the better. We should maybe grab some sun, too, socialize a little, and see if there’s been any news from back home.”
“I like the sound of all of that.” She gave Antonio another quick hug and was off toward the bathroom, passing Stefan along the way and giving him a quick hug as well.
His hair was damp, and when he leaned in to kiss her, she could taste the mint from his toothpaste. “Jump in the shower before Antonio changes his mind about sharing.” He gave her another kiss, and then left the room for her to have some privacy.
Brooklyn was quick with her shower, pulling her hair up and out of the way. She didn’t wash it, figuring she would do that later. Walking out with a towel wrapped around her, she grabbed her clothes and dressed. Looking at her men, she grinned. “All righty, let’s go and get some food, shall we?”
The water turned on as Antonio started the shower. Stefan was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and lounging in a chair with his bare feet crossed out before him. “Let’s give him two minutes before we head out. Come sit,” he said. Drawing his legs up, he patted one of his thighs.
She moved to sit with Stefan. She was dressed in comfortable jeans and t-shirt as well, but she had a light jacket on to cover her arms. Moving so that she was settled against him with her cheek to his shoulder, she sighed. “I could become used to this, just so you know. Having you holding me.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he squeezed her close. “I hope you do become used to this, honey. What I really want to know is how you’re doing? You’ve been through a hell of a lot in the last few days.”
Brooklyn closed her eyes and shrugged. She didn’t say anything for a long minute or two, but finally she said, “I’ve always known I was different.” Her fingers traced a design on his t-shirt. “People have always gravitated toward me, and men seemed to all vie for my attention. Getting started in Hollywood was far easier than it should have been, and now I realize why. Makes me wonder if I ever had the talent or if it was the fact I was descended from the Goddess of Love. I’m good with being bonded to the two for you, however. I love the way that it feels. It feels as if I’m home. Finally.”
“Honey, you definitely have some serious talent. While I love you to pieces, I would still tell you if you were a stinker, which you are not. I’m sure the genetics didn’t hurt any, but you still have to have some sort of talent to get as far as you did. Not everyone is affected by the DNA you carry, same as not everyone is affected by Aphrodite unless she turns the power up on her natural abilities.” He pressed a kiss to her hair and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “I will say that I’m really glad you’re getting out, though. The idea of all those men around the world ogling you doesn’t sit well with me. But I am a pretty possessive asshole when I want to be.”
She looked up at him and grinned. “Then it’s a good thing that I decided to get out before you even walked into my life then, huh? Otherwise later down the road, we would all wonder if I got out because I wanted to or if I got out because I wanted to please you.” Which she did, but that wasn’t why she was getting out. She was getting out because she was tired of Hollywood, period.
“You would have done it for you,” Antonio said. He came out of the bathroom scrubbing a towel to his short, dark hair. “While you would have taken our feelings and thoughts into consideration, you’re a strong woman who can make up her own mind. We wouldn’t have pressured you one way or the other, so it would have been entirely your choice. We love you, sweetheart. If it had made you genuinely happy to keep going, we’d have stood by you for the duration.”
Stefan nodded and kissed her temple. “He’s right, you know.”
“How did I end up so lucky? To have two such amazing men, that love me as much as I love them? It’s just mind-boggling to me that I have the two of you for the rest of our time here on Earth.” She was grateful, thankful to have them.
“And whatever comes after,” Antonio said. “The bond is eternal. Not only during life but during the afterlife, too, thus negating his hold on you forever, baby. So if you had your eyes on some hottie ghost, you’d better think again, sweetheart. We will kick his disembodied ass with great pleasure.”
That had her laughing. “Right, so the hottie ghosts have to go and find someone else. Maybe they will all be lining up for Marilyn Monroe, God rest her soul.”
“I’d get her autograph, but that would be about it,” Stefan said. “I have you. I don’t need anyone else. Now, let’s go get something to eat and see how the others are doing.” Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he boosted her off his lap before pushing to his feet.
“Yes, food is good. That and making sure that they know that I haven’t killed you guys yet.” She was teasing them, her grin wide on her face. “But the first one that mentions us bonding and I might break out in a massive blush, or I might smack them on the arm. One or the other.”
“Do both, they’ll expect nothing less. You’d better get used to the teasing, too,” Antonio warned. “What these guys will do is nothing compared to the daily shit that goes on at the house when we’re all home. This will only be the warm-up.”
“Okay, I think that I can handle that,” she said with a grin. “Teasing and being part of a big family is something that I’m going to have to get used to. I look forward to that, having people around that I can joke and have fun with and not have to watch every move that I make for worry of someone snapping a photo of an embarrassing moment.”
She caught the look they shared and let out a groan, which only got louder when Antonio said, “I didn’t say we weren’t into capturing embarrassing moments.”
Stefan laughed when she covered her face. “Our entire place is wired for picture and sound. We can pull up any frame, at any time, and make a still from it for the books. We all also have phones with cameras, so don’t expect to be able to pull much over on any of us. One huge difference is, we don’t sell anything to anyone, ever. It’s for our own private collections.”
“Exactly, that’s what I’m talking about. The embarrassing moments put out for the world to see. That or the moments of doubt that I have that people put out with some of the silliest captions ever. I swear people are just far too damn stupid at times.”
“No more worrying about shit like that.” Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Stefan squeezed her close. “We don’t do it for anything but our own entertainment. And if you ask real nice, we’ll even get rid of all evidence, too.”
“Good.” She laughed and shook her head. “Naw, no need for that. I love joking and having fun with people, so the candid photos and embarrassing shots will be good. It will make me appreciate the family that I’m going in to even more.”
“They are going to love you,” he said softly. Still holding her close, he walked her into the kitchen where Thomas was reading the paper and Lincoln was at the stove.
“Holy shit,” Thomas said when he looked over. “They’re alive!”
“Well, of course, they are. They are far better trained than I am, so there’s no way that I could have taken them out.” Brooklyn popped back, “So instead I surrendered to their masterful tactics and became their willing and able partner for a game of canasta.”
“Is that what they’re calling it now?” Lincoln asked. He turned to lean a hip to the counter and snorted. “Thomas wanted to call in the troops since he figured she had you two tied up and held hostage up there.”
“We’re saving the bondage until we get home,” Antonio said with a grin. Winking at her, he went to the coffee maker to grab a cup.
“Yeah, they promised me soft cuffs since I’m not the Dominatrix sort of woman.” She was a strong woman who knew what she wanted, but she didn’t want to be the Dom in the relationship. That was all for them if that’s what they wanted. She would happily submit to them.
“Well, of course they did,” Thomas said. Folding up the paper, he tossed it aside and grinned at her. “Wouldn’t want to mark up your lovely skin. Besides, once you get twisting and writhing those metal ones are brutal, whereas the soft cuffs have a bit of give for extended lengths of time in them.”
“Really, now? Sounds as if you have done that with someone once or twice. Want to give me some more ideas on what I should be expecting from Antonio and Stefan?” She liked Thomas. He was a funny man, but there seemed to be sadness around him as well. He looked as if his whole world was missing and he didn’t know how to get it back.
“Not me personally, but I’ve seen a demonstration or three in my years. Even did a workshop that was very informative. I feel like we got a lot out of it, actually,” he told her. “We had a true master showing us rope work, how best to use the cuffs, and a bunch of other stuff. It was one hell of a wild weekend.”
“That’s freaking awesome. I don’t think that I would like the whole rope tied-up thing, but I think it’s cool. I’ve read books about it. Never seen a demonstration of it, but I have read books. Lots of them.” She was a closet sub and knew it.
“The same folks that did the one we went to are doing a class in Houston in about a month. If you’re interested talk the guys into taking you,” Thomas suggested. “If nothing else you’ll get some more information. And if you’re really lucky maybe they’ll use you for some of the demonstrations.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her before getting up to go to the coffee maker.
“There are only two men that I would let tie me up. I don’t trust very easily, and that’s something you would have to give the people a hell of a lot of trust for. I adore those men, so them I trust.” Although the thought of them doing things to her in the middle of a room of like-minded people made her panties wet and made her want to go back upstairs and see if they could show her just how good that it could be.
“They would be the ones to tie you up,” Lincoln said before slapping Thomas’s hand with the spatula he held. Giving his friend a glare, he then pointed the utensil toward the table and waited until Thomas moved off. “They do the classes for those who want to know more about the lifestyle, so they take the volunteers from the class to teach everyone. Antonio and Stefan would be the ones tying you up. It’s a skill to know how tight, and where the ropes have to be placed to ensure comfort while preventing your movement, and yet without causing harm to you in any way.”
“We could do the private classes, too, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of twenty strangers standing around watching,” Antonio told her. He came to her and handed over one of the two mugs of coffee he held. “It would be us and an instructor only in the space. We could even have one of the women that teach there be our instructor if that makes you more comfortable.”
“I don’t know. Is it bad of me to admit that I would like to have people watching us? Just the thought of them seeing the three of us up on a stage together gets my engine revving if you know what I mean. I could wear a mask if you wanted to hide my face, but yeah.” She blushed as she told Antonio that she would like that, worried that they might think differently of her.
“I think I just had an orgasm,” Thomas muttered.
“Shut up, Thomas,” Antonio said over her head. He was grinning, though. “While I seriously dislike the idea of anyone seeing your super smoking hot body outside of the two of us, I could potentially be talked into that idea. You do realize that you’ll be naked except for panties, though, right?” He cocked a brow and lifted his cup to take a noisy sip while his lips kept curling higher.
“You probably should have waited on telling her that part,” Thomas commented. “But if she says yes I’m totally there.”
“Shut up, Thomas,” the other three men all said at once.
“What? You guys are disgusting. I meant I’d be there for moral support,” Thomas said. “We could likely talk the others into coming, too, so she’d have some familiar faces in the crowd thinning out the number of strangers for the first time.”
“I do realize that I would be naked. The panties aren’t even needed either if you are both going to be taking me. I guess I have an inner exhibitionist side that I didn’t know about until the two of you. With the two of you, I could totally do that. Not every night, but at least once.” She wasn’t touching Thomas’s comment.
Stefan moved closer to her and trailed a finger up her arm. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We’ll see if they have openings, and if you truly are open to it, we’ll see about getting in for one of the courses. Depending on what’s on the schedule we might have to plan a little differently, but we’ll make it happen if it’s viable for us to do so. Grab a chair, honey. Lincoln’s about ready to plate up our breakfast.”
“What’s for breakfast?” she asked and looked at the men that were settling down around her. “Because I’m starving.” She took a seat between Stefan and Antonio and crossed her legs, waiting patiently.
Lincoln came to the table and set a plate before her. On it were waffles, fluffy scrambled eggs, sausage links, and golden-brown hash browns. He gave her a wink before heading off for the other plates.
“Oh, God, this looks so good.” She looked up at Lincoln and smiled. “Thank you for cooking for us. This all looks yummy. I love waffles.” She looked around the table and then looked at Thomas. “Will you pass the blueberries? I want some on my waffles.”
He passed over the dish while Lincoln passed out the other plates. Then it was requests flying around as they all fixed up their waffles to their personal preferences. Silence fell during the first bites.
“Holy shit, these are good, Lincoln,” Antonio said with a hum of happiness. He grinned and took another bite.
“Figured you might need something a little heartier than normal after all that activity,” Lincoln said.
Brooklyn laughed and waved her fork at Lincoln. “Hey now, no picking on my guys. They rocked my world in the best of ways, so no giving them trouble if you don’t mind.” She continued to eat however and made sounds of her pleasure as she did so. “God, this is really magnificent. I would even do dishes for you after this meal.”
“Glad you’re enjoying it,” he said with a smile. “I’m actually surprised. I figured after all that shouting last night you’d be a little hoarser. Actually, maybe I should say I’m impressed by your stamina.”
“She was rather vocal. We had to talk a neighbor down who was sure someone was being murdered over here,” Thomas said. “We assured him that you were fine. A few ‘oh, God, yes’s later, and he was convinced that nothing of a bad sort was going on. Good thing, too, he was really close to calling the cops.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, shut it. The house is soundproofed, goofball,” she teased. “Besides, with the neighbors I have they’re, like, ninety and all have hearing aids. I picked this house for a reason. I wanted to be near the old crew instead of young pups throwing parties and stuff all the time. So, they couldn’t have heard us. Right? I mean the house really is soundproofed.” She then flushed. It hit her at that moment. “Shit, the rooms are, but the doors aren’t. Oops.”
“Told you,” Antonio said softly. He then grinned and stuck some sausage in his mouth.
“She doubted us entirely,” Stefan said with a chuckle.
“We actually didn’t hear much,” Lincoln said. “After the first rather loud demands we went and hung out in the furthest corner of the yard for a time. When we eventually came back inside due to starvation we made sure to turn the TV up loud.”
Brooklyn just shrugged and laughed. “I was loud because they are very, very damn good.” She wasn’t going to apologize. “I hope that they were just as loud as I was. Were they?” she asked with a forkful of waffle paused just before her mouth.
Thomas shrugged. “It was hard to tell over your screaming. We caught a few things, but they were pretty indistinct. I guess that whatever you three were up to was a good time. You’re looking very relaxed, and happier than you were when we got here, so that counts for a lot.”
“We bonded last night,” she confessed quietly. She was a bit shy about that part because it meant that the woman that was meant for Thomas and Lincoln was out there without protection, well except for that of their god protector who was in their life. But she knew from personal experience that they couldn’t step in and stop it if someone wanted you dead.
Lincoln reached out to touch her hand. “It was time,” he said softly. “You shouldn’t have waited as long as you did. We know why you did, and we’re proud of you for it. Now it’s up to Thomas and me to do our part.”
“But you don’t even know who she is.” She turned her hand so that she could squeeze Lincoln’s. “She could be out there right now in need of you guys. Will the person who’s been watching over her come out now? Is that what happened with me? Did Dion bring me out of the shadows, so to speak, after the people before us bonded?”
“The gods don’t control when the next one appears. That’s all on the Fates. They are the twisted ringmasters of this whole thing. They, too, have rules they have to live by, but they were also the ones to up the ante with giving Hades his out clause. When it’s time the gods will have the last of the women revealed to them, and then it’s all hands on deck. It could happen next week or two years down the road. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to when the women become known. We only know that eventually she’ll be revealed, and Ares will maneuver us into place to meet her.”
“I hope for you guys it’s sooner rather than later.” Brooklyn hated to see people who weren’t connected and in love. It made her heart hurt. She now knew it was because of who her ancestor was, but that was neither here nor there.
Squeezing her hand, Lincoln smiled gently. “It will happen when it’s right. We can’t rush this process no matter how much we would like to. Now eat your breakfast. I have a feeling you’re going to need the energy sooner than later.”
Brooklyn grinned and then looked at her guys. “I hope sooner.” She leaned back once more and finished eating.
When they finished breakfast Stefan and Antonio did the dishes. They wouldn’t let her help. Instead, they insisted she relax and drink more coffee. It gave her a chance to sit with the other two men while her two chatted at the sink. Soon they would start for the farm.