It’s chilly, but it’s nothing like a late January is back home. It’s cool enough to wear a sweater, but warm enough to sit on the patio and eat brunch.
As they leave, Corbin throws a piece of egg at Wren who dodges it effortlessly.
“What the hell?” Corbin growls.
“You started it,” Wren points out, smiling mockingly.
Ray grins as he stands. “I think I’ll join Melanie and the girls.” He grabs all four plates and carries them inside like a true gentleman.
Ash settles in next to Tag when he puts his arm around her. Bella just grins, loving the drama fest I’ve brought her to.
“Britt,” Dane growls.
“I’m still a virgin,” she says, eating her food like nothing is going on.
Rain bursts out laughing, and Dane rolls his eyes at her. Tria and Kode have no idea anything is going on, because Kode’s lips are on her neck, and she’s oblivious to the world around her as she curls against his side.
“Someone change the subject,” Dane grumbles.
“This French toast is the most awesome thing I’ve ever eaten,” Bella says, supplying the requested subject change. “What do you do different than me?”
Ash grins over at her, and with a straight, honest face, she says, “Most people use milk, eggs, and cinnamon. I use everything except for regular milk. I use breastmilk instead.”
My stomach lurches, and Bella drops her fork back to clatter on her plate at the same time I do. Bile rises to my throat as Wren’s fork pauses inches from his lips, but he waits a beat and then pops the bite into his mouth.
What the hell?
Every guy at the table, except for Wren and Tag, start gagging. Tag continues eating as though she hasn’t just destroyed everyone’s appetite.
Even Kode starts gagging, and he runs off the patio, heading for the beach to probably hurl. Rye follows, leaping over the last few steps that carry him down, and makes it five more feet before I have to turn away from the retching.
In seconds, the table has mostly been vacated except for the girls, Tag, and Wren.
“Why’d you that?” Tag asks Ash, pulling her onto his lap after she stands up and laughs.
“It wasn’t my idea.”
My stomach is still churning, but Wren seems to eat as though nothing is wrong. He’s a sicko. I’ve finally found a flaw.
“Don’t worry,” Britt says, her eyes scanning my face. “If that’s worry you’re exhibiting, I mean. Ash doesn’t lactate and never breastfed Trip due to a biological chemical imbalance that made her milk undrinkable. And she won’t start lactating again until her child is born, unless my data is incorrect. I realize there are exceptions to almost every rule. But in this case, it was apparently a lie to leave the men in a state of disgust.”
“What?” Bella croaks, spitting something into a napkin.
Ash bursts out laughing harder right along with Brin. “Sorry I couldn’t warn you,” Ash tells Bella and me. “There wasn’t time.”
We were alone with her in the kitchen. There was time, damn it!
My eyes flick to Bella, and realization dawns when I see Ash casually glance her way. Ahh. Ash is pregnant and not acting jealous of a woman who has slept with her husband. But this was sort of a genius way to be mean without actually being mean. I can’t say I would have been able to pass up the opportunity if I had been in Ash’s shoes.
Rain is grinning, apparently having been in on the joke. I wish I hadn’t been collateral damage.
This is the last time I bring Bella with me to Tag’s house. At least until Ash isn’t pregnant anymore.
“I owed Rye big time,” Brin announces. “The rest of the guys were just a bonus.”
“You knew that? How?” Bella asks Wren as he swallows down another bite. I’ll never eat French toast again, but I am interested in his answer.
“I stayed with them some when Trip was still a baby. There was… stuff going on, and they needed help. I made several bottles for Trip, and none of them were made from breastmilk.”
Wren smiles at me, but I can’t seem to get my stomach to settle down. He leans over and kisses the corner of my mouth, before pulling me out of my chair and tugging me into his lap. Everyone grows silent when they return, all eyes on us as I get comfortable.
Angel is too far away to see us, so I’m not worried.
“You lied?” Rye demands questioningly. “For her?”
He points to Brin, and Ash laughs harder as Brin beams up at him with the fakest innocent smile I’ve ever seen.
“That’s for turning my feet black,” she says so casually.
Immediately, I bend over, looking under the table, and Wren grunts when my ass digs into his very hard erection. I really wish I hadn’t noticed that.
Brin’s wearing tennis shoes though, so my curiosity isn’t sated when I lean back up. The guys all gulp down orange juice to rid their mouths of the foul aftertaste they must be suffering.