Page 18 of Room Six

“Yes, I’m ready. But to be fair, I want you to know I don’t want anything else other than this. Our time together is more than I could ask for.” I run my fingers through both and hold Rune’s eyes captive. Their massive amounts of body heat wraps around me.

“Your sweetness does naughty things to a man’s control.” Danika moves me higher up his lap and I understand what he’s referring to quickly.

“Oh!” I giggle and tuck my face into his neck.

“Is it the dress?”

“It’s you and everything you are,” he answers honestly. “Your gentle way of viewing the world. That southern drawl. Fuck, your voice makes my dick hard every time you open your mouth. And your heart, Magnolia.”

I murmur a soft laugh and the way he inhales when I sigh makes me feel like he’s pulling me into him and filling his soul.

Rune traces lazy circles on the back of my hand and Oliver’s eyes haven’t left my face this whole time.

His eyes are hooded in a way that conveys he agrees with everything Danika said. A hand moves up my arm until he’s cupping my face. He leans forward until his shoulders connect with Rune’s and Danika’s. Tucked inside their cocoon of warmth Oliver whispers, “You’re the one reason we wake up in the morning.”

Not I, but we. These men are a unit. I know this, but seeing them speak for each other and treat themselves as one is a foreign notion to me.

It’s comforting and sets me off kilter at the same time.

The lights dim twice, signaling the start of a show. Oliver and Rune move to sit on either side of Danika. I rest my head on Rune’s shoulder and my feet settle in Oliver’s lap.

Whatever show this is, I’ll pretend to enjoy a bit of it and then I want to drop the curtains and find my own happiness.

A beautiful woman steps on stage. She walks to the middle where a spotlight highlights a beautiful royal blue settee. Curls spiral down her left shoulder and her eyes glitter even from this distance. She’s stunning. A couple of twists and she unties the front of her robe. It drops in a puddle of snow white silk at her feet and then she is suddenly joined by three powerful men.

But that isn’t what captivates me.

Her middle is beautifully round.

“She’s pregnant.” About seven months. I sit up, entranced by the attention to the pregnant woman’s needs. None of the three men let her take a single step without their help. The moment she lifts a foot to move from the fallen robe, a hand is extended.

I gasp lightly. “She’s beautiful.” My fingers come to my mouth. I can feel the heat of Danika’s eyes on me, but I can’t break away from the sheer strength and an air of nobility about the men. They carry themselves with so much confidence it saturates the room. If I had to guess, I would say they are in the military.

“This is my Christmas Gift?” I look at Danika first and then Rune and Oliver.

“Do you like what you see so far?” Danika is not looking at the stage. His eyes are on me.

“You knew she would be pregnant?” My pulse hammers so hard I can feel the rush of my blood speeding through my body. They don’t mean what I think they do. We’ve never talked about a family. I’ve only just met them. Three weeks is nothing. They could not be suggesting what I think they are. I can’t think in terms of forever. I want to, but I told myself on the plane ride here that nothing good lasts forever. I swallow past my nervousness and ask a question I might not be strong enough to know the answer to.

“Guys, why did you want me to see this show?” My voice is soft and barely reaches over the sound of the soft music and growing moans of the surrounding booths. The performance on the stage has begun, too. But my attention is fully on my three men.

Danika reaches up and pulls the silver snake clip out of my hair. Blonde curls tumble free. He gathers a thick lock and twirls it around his finger before answering. “We wanted to show you how it would be to be round with our child and us worshiping the ground you walk on. The way Rush, Aziel and Gage treat Belle is the way you would be with us.”

Whoa. Wait. What? Forget that they know the performers for a minute. Danika is blowing me away with what he is saying. I’m not prepared for his honesty and my heart is dripping with so much hope right now I’m afraid it’s oozing into my bloodstream. Other people might find comfort in hope, but I’ve been let down too many times in life to give it space in my adult years. It’s easier to live with your feet firmly on the ground.

Ha. And how is that going for you, Magnolia?

Living it up with three criminals who worship your body isn’t living on hope?

Okay, so the irony is not lost on me, but how long will it be before I’m drowning in the stuff and unable to see through the veil of this whirlwind romance? When reality sets in, the pain and hurt will be that much greater.

“We want you to be our everything, Magnolia.” Danika leans in and kisses the spot over my heart. One arm is around my back and the other lays over my lap. He grips my thigh and I can feel the heat of his touch branding me while his words drip more hope into my system.

Their everything?

Drip. Drip. Drip.

I swallow thickly. “Do all of you want this? Me? Like they have her?” I look at the stage.

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