She furrowed her brow. "You don't think I should be nervous of a minister at a time like this?"
I couldna help but grin at her sass. "Tis the man who avoids the parson's noose, nae the lady. Dinna worry, for the man will only change yer name, the rest," I paused and brushed her hair back from her face and then cupped my hand at her nape, "we will change as we go along. All four of us. Together."
She eyed me closely, as if testing the truth behind my words. "Surely the minister will not marry a woman to three men. The acceptance of such ways must only have a certain reach."
I offered one curt nod. "Aye." I glanced over her shoulder at Rhys and Cross, who sat casually upon the sofa, watchful yet alert at the same time. "Ye'll marry me to make it legal, but that is just paper, lass."
Voices came from the front entry and Olivia wanted to step away, so I let her.
"This is happening so quickly. It's overwhelming. All of it. I'm—"
I pulled her back into my hold, this time letting my hands roam up and down her back in a soothing way. "Ye are fine. Yer uncle is content as his only worry is for your safety and he's handed that protection to the three of us. Do ye ken we'll let anything happen to ye?" I gestured to Rhys and Cross as well as myself. "Ye are the center of our world now, ye ken."
The Tannenbaums came into the room along with the minister. Olivia stepped out of my hold and took a deep breath. The man of God was in his fifties and wore his white clerical collar along with his dark pants, white shirt and long robe. Obviously he was awakened and brought from his bed with haste, but his smile was amiable for such a late hour. It was easy to forget everything when I had my hands on Olivia, but the reason for the swift nuptials was not going to go away when the sun rose. We needed to get Olivia out of Helena and away from the bloody bastard Peters.
"...so pleased you could come at such a late hour, especially after the dance. You remember my niece?" Weston spoke with the minister as he came into the room. We stood at their approach and Olivia was pulled into a discussion with the two about some charity luncheon that was to occur later in the month.
The Tannenbaums stood to the side but seemed not the least put out by the unusual evening, even with their wardrobe of nightclothes as a reminder. Perhaps it was that their secret was shed that had them at ease.
"I am quite pleased to be woken for a wedding. Most often it is because someone has passed on in the night, and it is such a sad affair. This reason, however, and for you, Olivia, is very good indeed. Now, then, which man is your lucky groom?"
"I am." I moved to stand beside Olivia, my hand on her shoulder, there for not only reassurance but also to prevent her from dashing off if she decided to change her mind. "Simon McPherson."
I shook the minister's hand as he looked me over. If he had concerns, he kept them to himself. Perhaps he knew Weston well enough to know he wouldna just marry his niece off to just anyone.
The minister cleared his throat with mild embarrassment. "Your uncle has given me a brief history as to what has happened this evening, therefore I will not need to ask the usual questions as to the reason for a hasty wedding."
Olivia's chin came up and I saw her cheeks flush a bright red. The color crept down her neck and beneath the robe and I had to wonder how far it traveled.
"Shall we begin, sir, for I would like to finally kiss her and I'd like to do it the verra first time with her as my bride."
The minister kept the ceremony blissfully short, only asking the most minimal of questions before pronouncing us husband and wife. Cross and Rhys had stood on my right while Weston stood beside Olivia, but I forgot all of them when I cupped her jaw and lowered my head to kiss her. This woman, she was my bride. She belonged to me in the eyes of God and her uncle and nae one could change that. The thought had pride filling me, and lust as well. Her lips were soft and tentative, yet when I lifted my head from the very brief, very chaste kiss, her eyes were blurry with awakened arousal and that pleased me verra greatly. The fact that I couldn't toss her over my shoulder and carry her to the nearest empty room so the three of us could have our way with her, only had my jaw hardening. Olivia's eyes widened at my change in demeanor, but I ran my thumb over her silky cheek in the hopes to soothe her, and ease my ache to touch.
Hearing Weston thank the minister had me breaking out of my reverie. I turned to the man and thanked him for his service and Roger Tannenbaum led him away, most likely allowing the man to finally get back to his bed.
"May we remain here until the morning instead of returning to the hotel?" Cross asked. "I believe Olivia would be more comfortable doing so."
Melinda Tannenbaum smiled. "Of course. I've ordered a bath to be delivered to the blue guest room. Up the stairs and down the hall to the right. Olivia, you know where to go."
OLIVIA
Because I knew the house—I'd visited frequently all my life, and now I knew the true reason as to why—I led my husbands to the bedroom where they were going to take off my clothes and take my virginity. How three men did that I had no idea, but being the one to voluntarily guide them to my own deflowering made me very nervous. Nervous? No, that wasn't accurate. Petrified, embarrassed, worried. What if they found me lacking? What if I wasn't good at whatever I was supposed to do? How could I please them if I knew I wasn't good at…whatever? How did I make them happy when I had absolutely no idea—?
"Breathe, lass," Simon murmured, stopping before me as he passed through the door I'd opened. "Tis nae a hanging."
While I knew he was trying to make light of the situation, it didn't help. In fact, it only had me bursting into tears.
I covered my face with my hands and couldn't stop crying.
I heard one of the men swear beneath his breath, the door close quietly and then I was picked up in someone's arms and carried across the room. There, he sat and I was held, hands stroking over my body. The hands had to belong to more than one man, for I felt gentle touches on my legs, my side, even over my hair all the while being held tightly and securely within a snug embrace.
"Shh, it's all right, love, you've had quite a day." Rhys. I recognized his voice.
"Aye, verra brave." Simon's thick burr.
"You're safe with us. All will be better now." Cross. His words swiftly changed my emotion from sad and overwhelmed to anger. I lifted my head and turned toward his voice. I was held in Simon's arms with Cross and Rhys squatting before me. Con
cern was evident in their eyes, but I didn't care.