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Eleven
DELILAH
We finished our burgers and beers, and even split one of those pretzels before we left. It was dark and cold by the time I climbed into the back seat of the Audi A7, but Liam had auto-started it well before. The heated leather felt absolutely amazing on my ass and back.
One smooth, five-minute ride later we were back in the magnificent circular driveway, pulling up to the house. I could see it was lit up partially from within: all warm and cozy on one side, but dark on the other. It made me wonder how long they’d been working on it.
I’d agreed immediately to their proposal of course, because it was a no-brainer. My parents had gleefully hammered a FOR SALE sign into the lawn the day after my high school graduation, and my sister’s family was now in Maryland. There was nothing left for me in Nassau county. Zero reasons to stay.
Even better though, I could save money. If they paid me even half as good as they were hinting, I could put enough tuition together to get back to Stony Brook in the spring. Just the thought of it had my adrenaline pumping again, and it had been a long time since I’d been pumped.
In more ways than one.
I shoved my filthier thoughts aside, fueled by a couple of beers and by ogling the guys all dinner long. They looked extra hot in their tight jeans and clean T-shirts, although I still missed the sweat and sawdust clinging to their half-dressed bodies. Julius looked like he could fit two of me on each shoulder, and every muscle on Liam’s arm had its own muscles. As for Duncan, my eyes had become lost in his magnificent chest more than once during the evening. It was so impossibly big and broad, I was sure it had its own zip code.
For now though, I was just plain curious. I’d told the guys I wanted to see where I’d be living, just to make sure I’d have enough space. In truth they could put me in any one of the mansion’s closets and I’d still have more room than at my shitty basement apartment. But they didn’t know that, and according to my mother a girl should always play at least alittlebit hard to get.
“So you can have any of these rooms that you want,” said Liam, stretching one beautiful arm down an empty hallway, “but the ones on the left overlook the water.”
“Okay,” I nodded.
“And the last two have fireplaces,” said Duncan. “In case you—”
“Yes!” I clapped my hands together. “Please.”
He laughed. “Okay. We’d planned on getting the chimneys swept all at once, but for now we’ll call them in to service whichever room you choose.”
“And Julius here will stock it with firewood for you,” Liam jerked a thumb. “He’s kind of obsessed with the axe outside.”
I looked up at Julius, who was making a wry face in response. His hair was so thick, his eyelashes so long, he looked like a Pantene commercial. Almost on cue, he ran five thick fingers through his sandy mane.
“My own personal lumberjack?” I smiled at him, adding a flirtatious wink. “I can live with that.”
They opened both doors, and I chose the room that was bigger. Rather than take an extra room as an office, I wanted to set up my computer desk near the sweeping stone hearth. I’d grown up with fireplaces, and I’d always dreamed about having one in my bedroom. One room was more than enough space for me.
“I will say it gets pretty cold here on the water,” said Liam. “The house can be big and drafty, and the heating system isn’t fully upgraded yet. So—”
“I’ll bring extra blankets,” I said, closing the door behind us. “Don’t sweat it.”
We walked the rest of the house, including the common areas where we’d all be living. The guys’ bedrooms were at the opposite end of the hall from mine, and the children were sharing a large nursery nestled right between us. It was an ideal spot, really. At any given time, any one of us could hear them crying.
I’d also met Mrs. Whitney when we first arrived, who was sweeter than any woman had a right to be. It gave me an additional sense of security, knowing she’d never be far away if I needed her. Sometimes you just wanted a woman to talk to, especially where childcare was involved. I suspected she had motherlyandgrandmotherly wisdom that could be imparted, and I was prepared to take full advantage of that.
We discussed days on, days off, scheduling, and of course, payment. The guys were even more generous than I expected, and they’d be paying me more than double my other salaries combined. I was still determined to keep my data-entry position, if for no other reason than I was good at it and loved moving my fingers. The extra cash wouldn’t hurt either. Tuition related to any sort of medical field could pile up quickly.
“Any questions?” asked Duncan, as we finished walking our tour.
“A few,” I admitted. “But I’ll ask the big one for now.”
The guys looked wholly intrigued. Liam’s brow arched. “Which would be…?”
“Is the twins’ mother still in the picture?” I asked. “And if so, what does that look like?”
I’d promised myself beforehand that I wouldn’t pry, even though I was dying to know. I wasn’t sure which — if any of them — was the twins’ biological father, or how they somehow arrived at a shared-guardianship arrangement. All I knew was that all three of them were calling themselves fathers, and that was good enough for me.
“No,” Liam said awkwardly, after a glance at Duncan. “Their mother’s not in the picture. And she won’t be in the future, so you don’t need to—”
“Come with me.”
Before I knew it Julius had taken my hand and pulled me gently out of the kitchen. I followed him through a sitting room, or parlor, or whatever the guys had called it earlier, and into the far end of the living space where we’d watched television several nights before.
He stopped before the wall containing all the medals and citations. Displayed neatly on one of the shelves, a folded flag in a mahogany case was presided over by an 8x10 photo of a smiling, happy couple.
“This is Roman Jackson, and his wife Kara.”
I peered into the photo, which was taken outdoors. The man was tall and well-built, way beyond handsome, and his wife was equally beautiful. Both were blonde. Maybe even a little familiar.
“They’re Jace and Courtney’s parents,” Julius continued solemnly. And then I knew.
“Unfortunately for all of us, they’re both gone.”
