Twenty-Two

Ann

“What’s all this?” I opened the door for Jas and Bryce and my eyes bugged out at the number of packages in their strong arms.

“This, sweetheart, is Christmas,” Jasper purred and dropped a kiss on my forehead as he walked past. “Merry Christmas, Annie.”

“Merry Christmas,” I said softly and looked up into Bryce’s smiling blue eyes.

“Merry Christmas, Ann.” His full lips spread into a sexy grin and his mouth crashed into mine, laying a hot but way too short kiss on my mouth while balancing the packages in one hand.

“Damn. Merry Christmas, Bryce.” I took a second to pull myself together after watching his ass as he walked away. If this was going to work, I couldn’t be a massive hornball every time they were both around. Down girl. My body was out of control and I probably should’ve taken a cold shower instead of a hot one. “You can set your packages under the tree.”

“Is that a euphemism?” Jasper looked up at me from his spot beneath the tree with smiling eyes.

“It could be, though I object to my girl being called a tree.”

Jasper’s lips twitched. “Even a tiny, ladylike tree?”

“Keep it up and I might not unwrap your package at all.” That pulled a laugh from Bryce too, but the moment seemed wrong. Tense. Like we were all pretending or, trying to figure out what to say or do next. “I have Christmas mimosas,” I said at the same time Bryce said,

“We brought breakfast.”

“What the hell are Christmas mimosas?” Leave it to Jasper to ask the important questions.

“Perfect. I think we all need to talk before we get on with our day.”

My legs shook, and butterflies took flight in my belly as I went to the kitchen and returned with a pitcher of white cranberry juice and champagne. I was grateful I’d forgotten the glasses because I needed another moment to get my pounding heart under control. This was it, the moment that would determine whether I lived a life where I was true to myself and brave enough to have what I wanted, or it would be the moment that would change me forever.

“Okay,” I said and set down three champagne flutes rimmed with red and green sugar.

“You look beautiful, Annie.” Jasper grinned and pulled out my chair.

“Thanks. You both look like every bad boy fantasy I’ve ever had.” Dressed in jeans and dark sweaters, leather jackets, they looked like good and evil. Jasper the fair-haired mischievous devil and Bryce, the dark-haired angel with the dirty mouth.

Bryce stood. “You pour the drinks and I’ll be back.”

Moments later we sat around my small dining room table that rarely got used except for the occasional girl’s night, which happened less and less frequently lately. Several gifts were piled on the table between us, waiting. Taunting. “I want to start by thanking you both, for being open minded and even considering what I asked of you. It took a lot of courage and it only made me realize why I love you both so much.” I held my breath, waiting for some kind of reaction but none came. “I want this to work. My feelings for you both are real and extend far beyond the bedroom. What I need to know is, what do you need from me?”

Jasper didn’t say anything, but he and Bryce shared a long, tense stare that spoke of their lifelong friendship. With a short nod, Bryce spoke first.

“When you first brought this up, I thought you were crazy. Or worse, had ulterior motives. But spending that week without you showed me how much you mean to me. It isn’t just that you’re sexy as hell, smart and probably way too good for me, being around you makes me feel like a better man. You’re never surprised when I know shit and you worry about me when I leave for my tours. You are everything I could’ve ever conjured up in my perfect woman, Ann. I love you and I want this too. All I need from you is what you’ve already given me, your love and your trust.”

“Bryce,” I whimpered as tears filled my eyes. “I love you too.”

“From the moment I saw you,” Jasper began, his voice deeper and thick with emotion, “I knew I had to have you. At first it was just because you were a sexy little number with the best ass I’d ever seen, but that weekend together was incredible. And nowhere near enough. Finding you again that night was the best night of my life. Spending time with you, getting to know you, well it changed me, Annie. You changed me. Turned me into the kind of man who would do anything to make his woman happy.”

Jasper stood and came over to me, his gaze never leaving mine as he knelt before me, hands on my thighs making it hard to concentrate. “Knowing that you were willing to give us both up to save our friendship, that shit is humbling, Annie. It took us a while to see the light, but the fact that you love us enough to give us up, kind of stole my heart.”

“And mine,” Bryce added with a smile.

I tried to blink back the tears but too many fell too fast. I reached out to cup Jas’ handsome face and slide my thumb along his bottom lip. “I love you, both of you, with all my heart.”

They looked at each other for a long moment before Bryce stood and grabbed the boxes, setting all three in front of me. “This gift is from me.”

I pulled it to me and quickly pulled off the red and gold wrapping paper. Lifting the lid from the box, I gasped at the silver cuff bracelet inside, with a red topaz in the center. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful. Inside and out. I know you think you can’t pull it off, but you can. You don’t have to believe it, because I do.” He kissed me long and slow, pouring everything he was too shy to say in that kiss and I returned it in kind.

“You’re amazing, Bryce.” A blush stole up his cheeks as he stood behind me, hands on my shoulders as Jasper pushed another box my way.

“This is from me.”

The teal blue box was the most recognizable jewelry box on the planet and I swallowed hard. Shaky fingers pulled off the white ribbon and flipped off the lid to reveal an amazing pair of sapphire chandelier earrings.

“Jas, they’re gorgeous.”

“They are the exact color of your eyes, Ann. My favorite color blue. I could stare into them until the end of time.”

Damn. How could I not love a man who said such sweet things to me? “You guys, I couldn’t have asked to fall in love with anyone better than either of you.” I stood and went to the living room.

“We’re not done,” Bryce called out.

I rushed back in with four gifts, two for each of them. “Okay, sorry!”

Bryce moved around the chair to stand beside Jasper. They were so big and strong, handsome and so masculine, I could feel my body responding to their nearness. “This is from both of us,” he said softly and nodded toward the third box.

It was a bigger box but extremely light and when I removed the wrapping paper, I realized the box was a misdirect. Inside was another box, a much smaller box. Small as in the size of a ring.

“Oh. My. Goodness.”

It was a gorgeous ring, a platinum setting with a large cushion cut diamond in the center and tiny emeralds and sapphires surrounding it and two smaller diamonds on either side, almost standing sentry. “It’s gorgeous.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Jasper insisted as he grabbed my hands. “You are everything we could ever possibly want in a woman. Beautiful and smart, driven and determined, plus unapologetic about what you want in life. That is so damn enchanting.” He pressed a kiss to one palm and then the other. “We’re so helplessly in love with you, Annie, that neither me nor Bryce could ever imagine a day when we don’t want you as much as we want you today.”

“I like that sound of that, Jasper” I told him and he smiled.

Bryce knelt beside him and took one of my hands. “We know and accept that you love us both. We love each other but more importantly we love you and we want to make this work. So, Annabeth Olivia Specter, this ring is a sign of our commitment to you. To each other. To this relationship.”

“Forever,” Jasper added softly.

Tears fell down my cheeks as I looked at both men, so strong and beautiful, so willing to accept something new and nontraditional for me. “I promise to make sure you never regret choosing me, or choosing to take this journey together. It won’t always be easy or fun, but if we can have more easy days, more fun days, than hard ones, I think that’s pretty great. I love you,” I brushed a kiss against Bryce’s lips. “I love you,” and then Jasper. With both hands held out to them, I held my breath to see where the ring would go.

Jasper plucked the gorgeous ring from the box and slid it on my hand. My left hand. Ring finger. My heart galloped as at least ten different emotions flashed through me; at the top was a deep love and intense happiness that I had taken a huge risk and it had paid off.

Spectacularly.

I took each man’s hand and placed it over my heart. “I promise to make this a day we’ll never forget. But first, I need food.”

“You hear that, Jas? I think we wore her out last night.”

I shivered at the wickedness in his tone. “You definitely did.”

Jasper stood and moved the glasses to the side. He picked me up, set me on the table. “First we’ll eat,” he said and placed a hand to my chest, gently pushing until my back rested against the cool table. His hands ran up and down the inside of my thighs.

Bryce stood beside him, his gaze turning my entire body to mush. “Then, after we eat. You can eat.”

And right there on Christmas day, Bryce and Jasper set about making another one of my fantasies come true, as they both settled between my legs and licked me. Together.

Best. Christmas. Ever.