“Boys drool over him, too,” another voice said. Evan opened her eyes to find Andre lounging in the doorway, his hair sticking up every which way. “Looks like I’m missing the party.”
“Yes, we’re having a wild time. About to break out the nipple clamps and whips,” Evan said, patting the spot next to her on the floor. “Care to join?”
Andre sauntered inside, all sleepy sexiness, and settled down next to her. “Not tonight. We’re saving that for next weekend.”
“What?” She turned to him, unable to hide her surprise. Over the last few months, none of them had exactly had the energy for anything more that sleepy, half-exhausted lovemaking—and not very often at that. If not for the fact that there were three of them, it would’ve seemed downright vanilla. But she knew it was just a temporary phase. They were giving her time to adjust both physically and mentally to everything. But she couldn’t help smiling at the thought that maybe that was about to change. “Next weekend?”
“Yep. Cela has threatened that if I don’t let her babysit her niece soon, she’s going to tell my parents about that time I wrecked their car trying to drag race and blamed it on a deer. So she’s coming over Friday to watch Lu while Jace and I take you out for the night to The Ranch.”
“Really?” she asked, maybe a little too much enthusiasm in her voice. She knew that when the day came, she’d be all kinds of anxious leaving Lucy with anyone. But on the flip side, some adult time with Jace and Andre sounded heavenly.
Andre leaned over to kiss her. “Really. We never got to have a proper honeymoon celebration after the wedding since we needed to be careful with you. But now . . . well, now you’re fair game, bella. No more restrictions. And we’ve got lots of ideas.”
She sighed. “That sounds kind of amazing.”
“Good. Because we weren’t exactly giving you a choice in the matter.” He tempered the command with a tilted grin. “A night off is good for the soul.”
“I’ll be a nervous wreck leaving her.”
“And we’ll make sure to get your mind off all those things until there’s no room for worry. We’ve got some tricks you haven’t seen yet, you know,” Jace said from above her, his hand still stroking her hair.
“I have no doubt.” She linked her hand with Andre’s, rubbing her finger over his wedding band. Husband. In the end, Jace’s plan had involved her legally marrying Andre to get the benefits that came from being married to a cop. But the ceremony they’d held on Grant’s vineyard hadn’t distinguished whose name was on the marriage certificate. All three had exchanged vows together. They’d found an open-minded minister, who happened to be a member of The Ranch, to bless their union, and their family and friends had attended—none of them the wiser that there was a kink resort housed on the other side of the gorgeous property.
It’d been perfect and magical. A fairy tale. But the white dress, pretty flowers, and all the pomp and circumstance couldn’t compare to this moment. Here, huddled in the nursery in the middle of the night, bone tired and half delirious, with her guys and Lu surrounding her. This was all she ever needed.
Well, this and maybe those trips with them to The Ranch.
Because she was a mom. And their wife.
But she also was still their girl.
She’d always be their girl.
She reached up for Jace’s hand. “Lu asleep yet?”
“Yep. We’ve bored her.”
“Good.” She turned around until she was on her knees in front of the chair. “Then put her in her crib. I think it’s her mama’s turn to get a little skin-to-skin contact.”
Jace’s lips curled as he stood and lay Lu in her bed. “Are you going to drool on me, too?”
“If you’re lucky.” She got to her feet.
He turned and gathered her to him, his gaze so intent it made her chest constrict. “Oh, I’m lucky, Ev.” He pushed her hair away from her face and kissed her. “So. Damn. Lucky.”
And with that, he picked her up like she was as light as Lu, cocked his head at Andre, and all three of them went into the bedroom to remind themselves just how lucky they were.
And how sweet forever could be.
Dear Reader,
First, thank you for reading FOREVER STARTS TONIGHT. I hope you enjoyed discovering more about Jace, Evan, and Andre!
This has been a project that I’ve wanted to do for a while now. As soon as I finished writing M
ELT INTO YOU in 2011, something told me this triad’s journey wasn’t quite over. But I didn’t know if there was a place for a “beyond the happily ever after” story.
Then you guys began to email me. You wanted to know what was next for these three. What would happen with their unconventional relationship? You had many of the same questions that had been bouncing around in my brain. And that made me excited to write more about them and find out the answers. This novella exists because of your feedback and letters.