“And it paid off,” Dominic laughed.
“Yeah, who'd have thought that, huh?” Nathaniel laughed.
As we talked and ate, I heard the sound of footsteps coming our way. My eyes fell on the doorway, and Ember smiled at me as she stepped through. She was wearing a dark purple robe with black trim, probably bought to match the lingerie we'd torn off her last night. The robe fell to about mid-thigh, bringing out the paleness of her skin.
She walked toward me, her hips swishing as she moved through the dining room. All of our eyes were on her and the room fell silent. Every single man was watching her walk. Not that I blamed them, she was easily one of the sexiest women I'd ever laid eyes on.
Ember walked over to me and laid a kiss on my cheek. I turned my head, taking her face in my hands, and kissed her lips instead. She nibbled on my lower lip before her tongue brushed against mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
When the kiss ended, she turned to the others with the same enigmatic smile.
“Good morning,” she said.
She squeezed Nathaniel's shoulder before sitting down beside me. Our hands found each other's right away, and I held onto her, proud to have her at my side.
“How'd you sleep, my goddess?” I asked.
“Like the dead,” she said, laughing.
Her hair was disheveled and dry, meaning she hadn't showered yet. The knowledge that she was still dirty from what happened the night before caused my cock to stiffen in my pants.
“How about you guys?” she asked.
Her gaze moved over my friends, who were in varying stages of awe. Dominic was grinning like a fool. Zane looked serious but intrigued. Nathaniel looked utterly smitten with her – not that I could really blame him after last night. The two of them had had a real connection. I noticed it right off the bat. It was something I'd encourage, if it brought happiness to Ember's life. After all, I wanted her to be happy and satisfied. That was all that mattered to me anymore.
She was my world. My love. I knew my friends would take care of her, and be good to her. If she wanted them, we could share her, but at the end of the night, it was my bed she would be crawling back into. I was the one who held her heart.
Chapter Twelve
Ember
“So, wait, you're dating four different men?” Talia asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “And one of them is your stepdad?”
It had been two weeks since the best birthday party of my life, and my best friend had just gotten back from her trip. I couldn't wait to call her and make a date, so we could catch up on everything. We went out for lunch one late July afternoon, visiting one of our favorite little cafes downtown. When I told her everything that had happened while she'd been away, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head and her jaw nearly hit the top of the table.
After she managed to recover her senses though, she started having a kick teasing me about the situation. I guess until that moment, it hadn't even occurred to me how crazy the situation was, how crazy is must sound to her.
Well, maybe it had occurred to me a little bit – there were times I had to pinch myself because even I didn't believe. But, seeing the look of shock on her face had reminded me of how unique my situation actually was.
“He's not my stepdad, Talia. Not anymore,” I chuckled. “And when you say it like that, you make me sound like a character in some porno or something.”
Talia's face hadn't changed. “Well, if the shoe fits – ” she started, but broke into a fit of giggles, shaking her head. “Nah, I'm just messing with you, girl. If you're happy, I'm happy for you. Besides, those men are hot. Like really hot.”
“Aren't they?” I said, feeling the smile growing on my face.
“So, which one if your favorite?” she asked.
Her eyes sparkled with a deviousness that made me think she was jealous. Hell, if I were in her place and she in mine, I know I would be. I sighed and leaned back in my
chair, taking a drink of my tea as I tried to explain it to her.
“That's like asking who your favorite child is,” I said. “I care for each of them, in my own way. Each of them have something different and special about them. And they all bring something unique to the relationship –”
“I mean in bed, silly,” she said, throwing her straw wrapper at me from across the table.
I felt my face redden. I knew that's what she meant, but it was a question I wasn't sure I wanted to answer. I could see by the look in her eyes and that stubborn set of her jaw though, that she wasn't going to drop it until she got the answer she was looking for. I let out a breath. Better to bite the bullet now than have her continue to hound me about it, I supposed.
“Well – they all have their talents,” I mused. She shot me a glare that was supposed to be fierce, but only looked silly. So I decided to tease her some more.