“Chief finallyburied the hatchetwith Clara.”
“Oh shit!” Taylor looked as excited as a puppy. “Is this a metaphor? Is the hatchet his penis?”
“Shut up and move out,” I said while climbing out of the fire engine.
The two of them continued laughing and congratulating each other while we approached the house.
And me? Well, I couldn’t stop smiling.
27
Clara
“I need your honest opinion,” I said with grave seriousness. “If I’m being dumb, then don’t be afraid to tell me. Okay? Here goes. I’m dating three men at the same time.”
Baby Anthony stared up at me from his bassinet.
“It was their idea!” I said defensively. “Theywantto share me. They don’t even seem weird about it, aside from some joking comments to each other. Is that so wrong? Is it totally scandalous and crazy?”
Baby Anthony scrunched his face up like he was trying to fill his diaper.
“Yeah, well, nobody asked you,” I muttered to him.
I kept replaying the night in my head. It felt like Derek and I had gone from polite acquaintances to lovers in the blink of an eye. I guess all that awkward sexual tension really was real all along.
And boy was it worth the wait!
All three men were good in bed.Betterthan good. But Derek had a confidence unlike the other two. A deliberateness that was incredibly sexy. If that’s what came from an extra ten years of age, then sign me up.
I glanced at my watch. It was one-thirty. When I had woken up an hour ago, I was anxious and filled with stress. Now everything seemed like it would work out.
I guess a girl just needs to get laid sometimes.
Derek came home and joined me in bed some time later. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“Kitchen fire,” he said while slipping under the covers with me. “Already put out before we got there.”
I sniffed. “You smell like smoke.”
He froze in the process of pulling the blankets over him. “I already showered, but I can take another one…”
“Shut up and cuddle with me,” I said. “I don’t mind.”
The scent was a little distracting, but it was worth it to have his warm, powerful body spooning mine. As long as I was cuddled up into his frame, I felt safe.
And happy.
When I woke up the next morning, I wondered how I was going to bring up the subject to the other two. It seemed uncouth to blurt out, “Hey, I slept with the Chief,” while eating bacon and eggs.
But when I went into the kitchen, the three men were already awake and talking about it.
“Heard you had a busier evening than us last night!” Jordan said with a knowing smile.
Taylor was bouncing the baby against his chest. “He finally opened up, huh? Well, I think it’s great!”
“We don’t need to discuss it,” Derek grumbled while sipping coffee. “This isn’t a town hall meeting.”
Jordan clapped him on the shoulder. “Aw, come on, Chief. We’rereallyteammates now.”