Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

" A lyssa… "

"Mmm…" Alyssa ignored the pull of the voice calling out to her and snuggled into her pillow.

" Wake up, baby… "

" Come on, Lyssa… "

The other voices, she could also ignore. But the touching—an ass pat here and breast squeeze there through the blanket, then a light brush of lips over her neck—not so much. After a deep breath that in no way doused her awakening arousal, she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes to…

"It’s still dark." She frowned at the shadowy figures hovering over her in the bed. "What time is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"About five-fifteen."

She squinted at Jake.

"Five-fifteen? Why so early?"

"It’s Christmas morning," Josh answered.

"And your birthday," Jonah added. "And we’ve got a present for you."

"A present? Wait…" She couldn’t see him clearly, but somehow she had the distinct impression Jonah was smiling. Big. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

"Me," Jake whispered, his lips taking hers in a tender kiss. "I pay attention to things at the bar. Especially where you’re concerned."

He must have overheard her and Becca talking about meeting…

Becca .

"How is it outside?" If the snow had?—

"Still snowing," Jonah grumbled. "And damned cold."

" Really cold," Josh added in.

"Like, Satan’s balls would freeze off, cold." Jake’s analogy managed to give the whole, how cold is it , description a bit of flare. But…

"You guys didn’t go out in it, did you?"

"You’ll just have to see," Jake said, rolling away from her and off the side of the bed where he hopped in place when he landed, while Josh and Jonah worked together to pull her from the bed—Josh tugging her feet toward the edge and Jonah doing the same with her upper body.

"Come on," Josh said once she’d stood—still in the shirt with all the buttons undone. A mere few days ago, she would have been pulling the ends around her in embarrassment. After being with the Lavertys, she didn’t believe she had another embarrassed bone in her body. At least in front of them. "Let us show you what we got."

"Okay," she said, bemused, as Josh grabbed her hands and walked backwards, leading her from the bedroom, then toward the landing overlooking the den where light shown. "But what… Oh. "

The tree was beautiful.

And big .

And looking just as perfect as she’d envisioned in the spot she’d pointed out to Jonah.

"How…" Her smile hurt her cheeks as her happy gaze bounced between the men, then back on the tree twinkling with white lights and covered in colorful ornaments. "When did you get it? And from where?" She gave herself an internal, duh . They were in the middle of the woods, interrupting quickly when Jonah started to say, "We?—"

"Well, of course I know where you got it. But seriously, when and how did you manage to do this?"

"So, you don’t like it?" Josh said, his voice full of humor.

"Yeah, I think she hates it," Jake added in, his words ending on a chuckle.

Arms surrounded her from behind and wrapped around her waist, drawing her back.

"Is it how you imagined it," Josh murmured against her ear.

"Exactly." She took in the nostalgic scent of Christmas on her next breath. "But you still haven’t said when and how."

"Well," Jake said. "First off, we experienced first-hand the whole Satan’s balls freezing off."

"All the lights and ornaments came from our mom when we moved here," Josh continued. "She’d insisted we’d need them." He sidled up beside her on her left and took her hand. "I guess she was right."

"Funny thing," Jake whispered, coming up on her other side and taking that hand. "That’s precisely the spot she’d said would be perfect for one too."

"We’ll tell her she was right," Jonah finished out, his big body pressing tight against her back and chest expanding on his own deep breath.

No matter what happened in the days, or months, or even years to come, this moment—right here—would be a memory she would never forget. The stillness—the peace. How the four of them nestled together. How the scent of pine and woodsmoke, the crackling of the fire under the mantle hung with four stockings, the tree decked out, but now blurring, settled in her heart. This was…

Contentment.

And with it came…

I do not want to cry. Not now.

But as soon as she blinked, tears fell, while Jonah’s hand crept low over her belly, his firm touch almost proprietary—right where she’d found her own hand cradling repeatedly. Was he wondering the same thing that hadn’t been far from her thoughts since their first time together?

What if I’m already pregnant?

And if she was, this time next year, would they still want her? A quiet sniffle and small shudder left her. She’d been theirs such a short time, but she already couldn’t think of a life without these men in it.

She loved them.

Oh, god, what am I going to do?

"I don’t like what you’re thinking." Jonah’s one hand remained on her belly, while the other wrapped around her ribcage, drawing her more firmly against him.

"What?" Jake asked, moving in front of her, his hand still holding hers, while his free one lifted to her cheek. "Why the tears?"

If I say anything I’m going to start full-on ugly crying.

No one wanted to see that. Meaning, she absolutely could not break down in front of them. It didn’t help matters it was right there, waiting to bubble up to the surface at any second.

And if she attempted to answer Jake?

It wasn’t happening. So, she shook her head—kind of knocking Jonah in the nose in the process—while her lips trembled and…

Too late.

Her face crumpled, while she did her best to keep her lips tight in a futile attempt to control them and her whimpers.

" Lyssa …" Josh moved in front of her too, near panic on what she could make out of his features through her watery gaze. "What’s wrong."

"Shh… Shh… Shh…" Jonah’s attempt at soothing her only made it worse, sending her uncontrollable ugly-cry into a whole new realm of wracking sobs that shook her whole body as she bent her head.

"What’a we do?" Jake’s clearly alarmed question had her shaking her head again, while the men enveloped her on all sides in more than just a group hug. Light kisses brushed over her brows and cheeks, while soft words of comfort left all three of them. They had no idea what had set her off—although Jonah probably had his own suspicions, which was only one a small part of it—but they were doing all they could to console her.

To make it better.

It made her love them even more.

"Tell us, Lyssa." Josh’s urgent whisper reached down into her heart where she was ready to burst with the need to tell them. But it was his, "Please," that finally broke her.

"I just…" A huge, uneven gulp of Laverty-laden air didn’t help to calm her as much as she’d hoped. "I… I love you so?—"

Josh’s lips landed on hers, cutting those few stuttered words short. His kiss ate at her mouth, completely swallowing up any remaining blubbering on her part, while a growl sounded from Jonah kissing her nape through her hair and Jake’s groan hummed against the side of her neck where he nipped and kissed.

"Mmm…" Another hum from Jake coasted over her skin. "We love you too."

"We do, baby."

"So much," Josh breathed against her lips. "So very much."

"But—"

A squeeze around her middle stopped her.

"What have I said about those buts of yours?" Jonah nuzzled into her hair. And that wasn’t the only place she felt a part of him nuzzling . "That word has no place here. Not with us. We won’t let you put it between us."

"Lyssa."

Focusing on Josh wasn’t as easy as she’d have liked. Jonah’s and Jake’s hands had gotten busy—delving down and up and behind—too many hands to even know whose was whose. Their mouths joined in, Jake suckling at her breast while Jonah dropped to his knees from his place at her back. His hands went to her ass. What was he…

"Ahh…" Her lids drooped, lips parted, and head tilted up, her panting breaths making her lightheaded.

" Oh, god ." The glide of his tongue where no man had done more than barely touch her before only intensified the need welling up inside her. A need only these men could satisfy. It flowed through her, overwhelming her senses even more when Jake’s fingers found her core.

" Ohh… "

"Lyssa."

" Josh ," she moaned, while the dual assault from Jake and Jonah pulled her deeper. Only Josh’s hands cradling both sides of her face, urging her head down where she fixed on his loving gaze, kept her grounded in the whirlwind of sensations created by his brothers. It held hers steady, when all she wanted to do was close her eyes and let herself float away.

"Let us love you." His low words thrummed over her senses. "Let us make you ours."

" Yes ," she practically wailed as her body cried out for release. Anything to ease the empty ache needing to be filled. "Take me."

She quickly found her quivering, limp body being lifted by Jonah, who didn’t waste any time getting her to their bedroom and placing her as far toward the middle of the bed as he could, followed closely by Josh, who laid himself out on his back.

Josh’s solid cock waited for her—long, thick, and beautiful. And for a woman who had never been the aggressor when it came to sex, she didn’t waste any time taking hold of him and straddling him. Josh’s slumbrous eyes narrowed and hips squirmed under her as she placed him at her core and slowly fed him into her body.

A long sigh left both of them, as Jake crawled onto the bed from the other side. He came toward her on his knees, then took her chin in one hand and kissed her, his tongue working in and out of her mouth just like Josh’s cock did her pussy as she rode him.

Then he was easing back onto his calves, his cock jutting forward and hips rocking in a temptation too decadent to resist. She leaned toward him, swiping her tongue over the pearly drops coating the tip of his cock.

"That’s it," Jake murmured, his hand going to her hair—his fingers twisting the strands until her scalp had the slightest of tingles—as she opened her mouth around him. "Take me in."

And she did, her eyes closing at how good his throbbing cock tasted and felt. Only the sound of a drawer opening momentarily gave her pause and she opened her eyes.

In time to see Jonah pulling a bottle of lube from the nightstand.

Oh, god, this is happening.