Rather than cry, she managed a nod of thanks. "Now you know my story."

"And you know mine. And, I have to say, we are two strong chicks." Erin smiled. "We're survivors, Elise. Two f.u.c.king thumbs up for surviving."

"Amen, sister."

"You should share this with Brody. When you're ready, of course. He cares about you."

Elise nodded. "I know. I'm just . . . ashamed. Ashamed that I've made so many mistakes. It's vain, I know. But I don't want him to think less of me."

"Why would he? It's a horrible thing, but you're not at fault here. You didn't do any of this. You reacted reacted to a host of things to survive. To save your kid. You did the right thing, Elise." to a host of things to survive. To save your kid. You did the right thing, Elise."

"I have failed a lot of people. I'm not enough, never enough. Couldn't save my brother and I murdered the father of my child. I dance well and, all things considered, I'm a good enough mother. But I'm a f.u.c.king washed-up failure at most of life, Erin. You're a survivor. You're strong and capable. I spend too much time reacting and pushing away my anger and resentment. I'm not good. I'm not strong. I'm just hanging on because Rennie needs it."

"Shut up. Seriously, girl, shut the f.u.c.k up. Hanging on? Coming out here and starting your life over. Doing it in a way that enables you to be with your kid while still doing what you love, that's not 'just hanging on.' Can you really not see how strong you are? How successful and accomplished? How hard you work to make a better life for yourself and Rennie?"

"I just don't see it that way. But thanks for saying it anyway."

16.

Erin had grown very close to Elise over the last eight months, and hearing that story at long last was illuminating. She knew there was tragedy, but the whole of it was huge. Brody had lucked out with this woman. She'd be a real partner when they both just finally admitted they were in love with each other.

Her brother was beyond smitten. In fact, she'd seen him smitten dozens of times. Brody was always smitten with women. He loved them, treated them well, had s.e.x with them, and moved on in a few months.

But Erin had never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at Elise. The way he gentled around her. He came alive when he spoke of her or to her. And he adored Rennie. Her brother was quite convinced falling in love meant being responsible responsible for someone else. And in a way, he was right. But it was that you for someone else. And in a way, he was right. But it was that you wanted wanted to be, not that you to be, not that you had had to be. to be.

And in the end, that's why she wanted to have a baby with Ben and Todd. She wanted to have family with them on a whole new level. She wanted to anchor herself with people she cared about.

She unlocked her front door and put her coat in the closet and her bag on the table. Moments later she heard the groan and she ran hot, knowing just exactly what that sound meant. She undressed quickly and quietly, then headed up to the master bedroom and stopped at the entrance.

On the bed, Ben and Todd rolled, the sheets tangled through legs, as mouths clashed and bodies thrust against each other. Her heart sped. Both men were so strong and big. She knew the feel of those hands on her skin, of those tongues against her own and in other places too. Knew the taste of each, his own unique flavor.

Individually they were enough to make her weak in the knees; together, they brought her to them. She stood still and quiet, holding in a gasp of pleasure at the sight of Todd grabbing Ben's hair, yanking him closer. Ben moaned, deep and taut. Erin barely managed to keep rooted to the spot and to not start masturbating as she watched.

The kiss broke and the hand in Ben's hair shoved his head down. Down to Todd's c.o.c.k. G.o.d, how beautiful were they there? She swallowed hard, watching as Ben grabbed Todd's c.o.c.k, harder than she ever did, angling it to his mouth and sucking it inside.

"f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k," Todd whispered harshly as Erin dragged in breath. "That's it, suck me harder, take more of me."

Todd was a naturally dominant man-s.e.xually too. Normally he and Ben both topped Erin, but watching Todd top Ben was on her list of very favorite things in the world. Men touched each other differently, with more surety, with more edge and strength. She loved to watch them together.

The light in the room was low, but the bedside lamps were both on, casting a golden glow against all that hard, male skin as Ben's mouth moved up and down on Todd's c.o.c.k. Each deep suck he gave tugged within Erin; her c.l.i.t bloomed, the scent of her own arousal met her nose, and that's when Ben's eyes opened and he met her gaze.

He licked the head after pulling off, and Erin caught her bottom lip between her teeth, still not moving.

Todd's eyes remained closed. "You going to join us, beautiful, or do you plan to watch like a perv in the doorway?"

She grinned and moved into the room. "You knew I was here the whole time?"

"You yelled that you were home when you came in. We might be h.o.r.n.y, but we're not deaf." Todd reached up and grabbed her, pulling her down to the bed, and she found herself wedged between two very aroused men. Score Score.

"Ben, get back to my c.o.c.k."

Ben pressed a kiss on her lips, and then on her hip, before he settled between Todd's thighs and began to suck him off again.

Erin couldn't take her eyes from it. So Todd sat up. "His mouth feels so good," Todd whispered in her ear. She turned her head and he kissed her, hard, possessive. The way he always kissed her, like she was as necessary to him as breathing.

His hands slid around her waist, pulling her close. She swallowed a deep groan, broke the kiss and looked down to watch him flex his hips, f.u.c.king into Ben's mouth.

Erin moved so that she was behind Todd, pressing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to his back as she dragged her nails down his chest, over his nipples, bringing a hiss from him. He leaned his head back onto her shoulder.

"I'm gonna blow. Take it all," Todd said, his body leaning against hers while his hands held Ben's head, fingers sifting through his hair.

She let all her breath out as Todd's body totally relaxed and Ben sat up, that smile of his on his face as he looked toward them.

"C'mere, you. I'm dying to get inside you."

She kissed Todd's shoulder and went to Ben, into his arms, the heat of his skin enveloping her.

"I see we share common goals." Sliding her body against his, loving the friction, she kissed him, tasting Todd when she swiped her tongue along the seam of his lips and then inside.

He sucked her tongue and then broke off to kiss her jawline, down her neck and to her nipples, tugging hard on each ring there, just the way she liked it.

"Let me taste her before you f.u.c.k her." Todd rolled toward them.

"Greedy b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You just came," Ben teased.

"When it comes to eating Erin's c.u.n.t, I'm most definitely greedy. I'm just going to make her come and then you can f.u.c.k her."

Before Ben could argue, Todd pressed her thighs up and then out, exposing her totally, before falling on her, devouring her.

One of her hands held Ben to her and her other held Todd. "Oh, yes. That's sooooo good." Pleasure sparked through her from nipples to c.l.i.t.

Todd wasted no time; he drove her up hard and fast, his mouth on her punishing in the press to bring climax. The edge of Ben's teeth sc.r.a.ped against her nipples just right. She drowned in them, until all those sparks united and exploded.

She cried out, her back bowed, and climax rushed through her; and before she stopped coming, Ben had moved Todd out of the way. He knelt and brought her up where he needed her, his c.o.c.k pressing against her entrance as he slid home in one thrust.

"d.a.m.n, nothing feels as good as this," Ben moaned as he began to f.u.c.k into her body.

Todd rolled to his knees, kissed Ben and turned his attention to her nipples. The man had a serious thing for her nipples and the jewelry she wore in her piercings. Many of the rings and bars were those he'd given her.

"Mmm, been thinking about these all day long. Had to rub one out earlier, and then of course Ben helped me just now. But now my day is complete, now that you're home too." He tongued around the rings bearing heavy beads. Beads he'd added that morning because it had pleased him to know they'd make her h.o.r.n.y all day long. Pleased him to know he'd be easing all that pent-up desire when she came home. The man was fabulously diabolical that way.

She laughed. "We had s.e.x before I went to the cafe this morning; it's not as if you haven't had it in weeks."

He gave her nipple a sharp bite, just on the right side of the pleasure/pain divide. "There's never enough of you."

Smiling, she turned her attention to Ben.

Ben's eyes took her in as he found her gaze and latched on. "Missed you today."

So wonderfully sweet and s.e.xy, her Ben. He took care of her, made sure she had enough sleep, made sure she took her vitamins and didn't run herself down. Took care of Todd in much the same way. Todd loved being loved by her and by Ben as well. They'd been best friends long before she came along and they still were. Only she was there too.

"Missed you too. But you came in for coffee, so that made my day."

"That made your day?" He thrust hard and deep. "Not this?" made your day?" He thrust hard and deep. "Not this?"

She moaned as she rolled her hips, needing more from him. She was so wet from Todd's mouth on her and her o.r.g.a.s.m, the friction of their two bodies was delicious.

"That makes my entire life." makes my entire life."

Todd stopped a moment and kissed her. "That was nice." He turned back to Ben. "Harder, make her t.i.ts jiggle." He watched them move, the beads clacking against the metal of the rings. "So. f.u.c.king. Hot."

"Yesss," Ben ground out, pressing as deep as he could while he came. Erin loved that, the way it felt as all that energy they'd been building up shot straight into her body, as his became heavier and the muscles looser.

"I keep hearing that trying to get your wife knocked up can be a ch.o.r.e sometimes. But I gotta say, not so much at this point."

Erin laughed, content to lie there, snuggled between them, the scent of s.e.x in the air, her skin warm and tingly.

"We'll see what you both feel like if I'm not pregnant within six months."

"Erin, I'd have s.e.x with you four times a day, every day, if we didn't have jobs and didn't need to leave the house. I f.u.c.k you every chance I get. Ben f.u.c.ks you every chance he gets. I'm sure if I get too tired, he can take over while I get Erin's beautiful p.u.s.s.y detox."

Ben snorted. "Sometimes you have to take one for the team."

"Did you have a good time with Elise tonight?" Todd asked.

"We had dinner and hung out with Rennie. But after we wrestled Rennie down-and I remembered what it was like to be responsible for getting a little person with her own agenda into bed and had a wee panic attack-Elise and I settled in for a chat. For several hours. I told her about Adele and she told me her story. She's a good woman, I'm glad she's a friend. Strong to have survived."

"You gonna tell Brody?" Ben asked. He and Brody were tight, so she understood why he asked.

"Not unless it's necessary. I don't think it will be. It's her story, her choice to share it, or not. I think she will. It's not a poor reflection on her, what happened. I can see she feels the weight of it anyway. She and Brody don't look it on the outside, but they're so much alike, it's scary. She loves my brother, even if she can't admit it to herself. But she's afraid, I think. Afraid he'll judge her or that she'll be too much of a burden on him. I do hope she'll share with him now that she trusts him. Once she tells him, she'll see he wants more of her, from her."

"He's been in love with her for a while now." Ben kissed her shoulder. "I'm glad you could share your own story with someone. I'm glad you have another friend. I like Elise."

"She's a good addition to the family. Eventually it'll be glaringly obvious and they'll admit it." Todd idly slid a fingertip along her nipple. "Some people are just clueless and stubborn." He referred to how long it took him to realize he was made for Erin, and she laughed.

"Let's hope it won't take them them ten years, huh?" ten years, huh?"

17.

"Come by the shop and take me to lunch today."

Elise looked at her phone a moment and then put it back to her ear. "Am I your sugar momma now?" She didn't have cla.s.ses on Wednesdays and Rennie was in school until after three. An afternoon with Brody Brown sounded pretty awesome.

Brody laughed. "You know I have a sweet tooth. I haven't seen you for three whole days. You haven't been to the shop yet. I'm hungry. We can combine these things for maximum efficiency."

How dumb was it that her heart sped when he said he'd missed her? They had such busy lives and she hadn't seen him since Valentine's Day, when he'd shown up at her door with flowers for her and for Rennie, telling Rennie he'd never forget his two favorite women. After Rennie had gone to bed, he'd made love to Elise for hours, leaving long after midnight.

Three days without Brody sucked. And she was wary of that. Wary of her need for him. But it was there and he filled it. And she liked that he filled it.

"All right, handsome. I'll be there in about forty-five minutes. Are we storming the cafe to bother Erin or heading somewhere else?"

"I'm dying for a slice of pie. How about Zeek's? Since you've been with me, I eat so good I rarely get takeout anymore."

She was with him? Like with him with him with him? That made her smile. She was such a fifteen-year-old girl sometimes, but there was no one to see her slide back to teenaged girldom, so she wallowed in it just the same. "I'm having ice cream too then. I'll just have to work it off later. You coming over tonight?" with him? That made her smile. She was such a fifteen-year-old girl sometimes, but there was no one to see her slide back to teenaged girldom, so she wallowed in it just the same. "I'm having ice cream too then. I'll just have to work it off later. You coming over tonight?"

"If that's an invitation to dinner and s.e.x? What do you think? I'll see you in forty-five." He hung up and she grinned as she went back to loading the dishwasher.

Brody heard her; above the general din of chatter and the buzz of the needles, he heard that petal-soft voice.

He stood, moving through the shop, caught in the pull he always felt when she was near. She wore her hair down, and it shimmered against the bright red of her sweater. Even in faded jeans and flats she looked like she was royalty or something. So elegant and pretty. That he'd touched and kissed every part of her, that he'd been beside her as she laughed, that she trusted him enough to give herself so freely, just floored him.

She was speaking with Arvin as he approached, and when her eyes met his, that smile deepened, changed into something intimate and innately sensual.

"Hi there. I'm here to sweep you away to lunch. But you should show me around first."

He took her hand and kissed it. "You look pretty."

"Thanks." Arvin winked and Brody rolled his eyes.

"Not you, douche bag. Scrounge your compliments from your gorgeous and totally-too-good-for-you wife."

Admittedly, he was sort of nervous to show her the shop. He wanted her to be impressed. Hoped she would be.

"Are these pictures of tattoos you've done here?" she asked when he led her past the front where clients waited. The wall held photographs of various tattoos.

He nodded. "Yes. We have to do a 'best of' wall at this point. All the stuff we've done is in the book up front. Books Books." He laughed. "This place has been mine so long we've got seven binders' worth of pictures."

She looked close at his stuff, smiling. "You have every right to be proud of what you've built here. You're really good, Brody. I've obviously seen your work on Erin and Ben, but this is absolutely amazing. So much talent. I'm in awe."

"Hi, Elise." Raven approached and put her arms around Brody's waist. It wasn't unusual, Raven was physically affectionate with most of her friends. At the same time, it made him uncomfortable, it felt forced and for an audience. She knew he was seeing Elise. Knew because he'd told her that several times.

Elise's gaze went to those arms, even as Brody removed them and stepped closer. Then her eyes moved back to Raven's face. Her back straightened, and her eyes, just warm and sweet moments before, went hard. "Raven." Even her tone had gone hard. Which was sort of odd. Except for the call he'd overheard with her ex-in-laws, she was nearly always nice to people.

Though Elise and Raven didn't have the friendship each had with Erin, he'd expected them to at least like each other. The tension between them didn't shine much light on that particular hope. Worse, he got the distinct feeling Raven wanted it that way.

"Where are we headed then?" Raven asked, inviting herself along.