Babies for Nikki (4 page)

“I thought I would come in my pants when she stood between us,” Butler admitted, smiling at his triad partner. “I couldn’t resist kissing her temple.”

“I wish I had done the same,” Alex grumbled. “I have never in my life felt so calm. It felt right. I could feel her heart beating against my chest and I wanted to pull her into my arms and never let go.”

“She’s such a spitfire,” Butler said, laughing. “I love her honesty. And I can’t believe how much fun she is.”

The grin that split Alexander’s face made him smile. The three of them were already becoming aligned in both body and soul.

“She’s a good friend to Laurie,” Alex added. “She has a good heart. You saw how she hugged both Laurie and Julia.”

Butler smiled. He could sense the goodness in their mate. “The Fates have been kind to us to give us such a warm and caring woman.”

“I can’t wait to kiss her and bury myself deep inside her body,” Alex growled. “I know we have to take it slow with her, but I don’t know how much longer I can control my wolf.”

Butler nodded and looked back toward the store, smiling as he saw Nikki at the counter talking to a salesgirl. “Maybe she’ll be open to our mating once she learns of the way Laurie has found her mates. She’ll see that there’s no need to wait to be claimed. The Fates want us to be with her from this day forward.”

“And if she doesn’t, we’re going to lock her in our suite and love her until she understands that we’re meant to be together,” Alex told him with determination.

Butler laughed, but the thought of Nikki in their suite, sharing their triad bed and taking them into her sweet body, made him instantly aroused. He could tell by the flash of Alexander’s wolf in his eyes that his triad partner was in the same physical state.

A flash of Nikki smiling at both of them, her body ripe with their baby entered both of their minds at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise. The bond between them was already beginning to form. Was it possible that Nikki was seeing the vision of their future as well?

“You saw her filled with our cub, didn’t you?” Butler whispered, afraid to voice what they only in their wildest imaginations hoped for.

Alex nodded, the silver gray of his eyes swimming with need. “I did.”

A sudden vision of Nikki reaching out and embracing them filled them with instant desire and contentment. They shared the vision where they saw themselves reaching out to hold her tightly between their bodies while they stroked her swollen belly possessively.

“Look,” Butler whispered.

Alexander turned toward the store, looking through the slightly tinted floor-to-ceiling windows that served as the wall, and found Nikki looking back at both of them in stunned surprise. She blushed profusely before a deep sadness overtook her features, and she turned away from them, but not before they saw the pained expression that had immediately crossed her face.

They tried to reach out through their fragile bond that was only just beginning to form, but they could not see what was in her heart. It was too new. They needed to be closer to her, touch her, claim her, before the bond would settle into place and they would be able to hear each other’s thoughts and feel each other’s emotions. But there was no mistaking the fact that she was extremely upset about the vision the three of them had just shared.

“Butler,” Alex’s voice was filled with anguish as he looked toward the store to see Nikki disappear among the racks of clothing. “The vision of us being together has made her sad.”

“I don’t believe that.” Butler’s voice was firm and strong. “There must be another reason for her being upset. We’ll find out what that is and make sure to help her get through it. We have to give her time to understand what’s happening between us. And we will not allow her to push away what was meant to be.”

Alex couldn’t prevent the growl that escaped him. He stood beside Butler and watched the storefront in silence, enjoying every time they happened to see Nikki walking throughout the store.

As they waited patiently for the women to finish shopping, both men were careful to keep scanning the crowd to ensure the safety of the women, and both men were relieved when they saw them enjoying themselves without worry.

They smiled as Nikki came around a rack of clothing and looked up to see them watching her. She smiled hesitantly and blushed before turning and walking toward the back of the store to head toward the dressing rooms.

“She
is
drawn to us,” Alex said confidently. “She’ll soon understand that we’re meant to be together.”

“She will,” Butler answered. “And when we’ve claimed her and the bond is in place, she’ll feel and hear what she means to us. Then she won’t be afraid of what’s happening.”

“Mate.”

Both men spoke at the same time, their voices strong and sure. They looked at each other in shock then smiled as a sense of rightness filled them. And so it had begun. The bonding was already in place. Nikki was their mate. And their cub would soon be growing within her welcoming womb.

Nikki looked away from the two men who watched her with a hunger that scared her. Her heart was still beating quickly at the flash of the vision she had seen. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the vision to be true, because it really was a beautiful vision. Who wouldn’t want those two gorgeous men embracing her and touching her belly? Her very pregnant belly.

The picture that had flashed in her mind had nearly brought her to her knees. She immediately felt a heart-wrenching stab of pain and had to turn away so no one would see the instant agony that had come to her eyes.

She had to take hold of her emotions. Her imagination was controlling her again. Her mind would take the entire fantasy and play it out in her head until she had filled herself with hope that she could find a life and a future with Alexander and Butler. Two men she had just met. Her little fantasy would play out only in her mind and it would only hurt when she saw that she was once again alone.

She couldn’t do that to herself again. She couldn’t hope for a life other than what she had. It would hurt too much when she was once again alone in her apartment, sequestered in her closet, leaning against her pile of blankets to experience the only softness that would ever be gifted to her.

Walking toward the dressing rooms quickly, she pushed aside her sadness and forced herself to be cheerful. After all, that’s what everyone expected of her all the time. And she would not disappoint Laurie.

“I can’t wait to meet the two hotties that have you so in love,” Nikki told Laurie, laughing with pure joy as she stood before her and Julia in front of the dressing room entrance.

“Who said I’m in love?” Laurie turned to face her, stunned that Nikki called her on her feelings so quickly.

“Oh, come on,” Nikki snorted. “Look who you’re talking to, honey. I’ve known you forever. You’ve never been so happy. Certainly not with Pigface.” Nikki smiled when she saw Laurie laughing, exactly what she was trying to make her do.

“Nikki, I never said I loved them,” Laurie protested again halfheartedly.

“Right,” Nikki answered quickly, waving her hand at her friend, dismissing her words. “Honey, you and I both know you would never be intimate with those men without truly caring about them.” She crossed her arms across her chest and stared at her friend. “Go ahead and tell me otherwise.”

“Tell me, too,” Julia chimed in, taking the exact same stance.

Nikki’s blue eyes flashed with defiance as she dared Laurie to try and lie to her. She looked at her best friend and waited.

“Okay, I give,” Laurie admitted. “You’re right. I
do
care about them very much.”

“Aha!” Nikki shouted.

“Quiet!” Laurie hissed. “Don’t go advertising it to the world.”

Nikki leaned in and whispered so that only Laurie and Julia could hear her. “Sorry, honey. I’m happy for you. You deserve to be loved.”

Laurie smiled. “You do, too, Nikki,” she said finally.

Nikki’s face registered a brief moment of sadness before she turned to face Julia. “Let’s get the same negligee in another color. And we need to pick out some toys, too.” She reached out and took Laurie by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror. “Take that off so we can pay for it. Do you want anything else?”

“Whatever you think, Nikki,” Laurie told her honestly. “I really wouldn’t know what else to pick. It’s been so long since I’ve bought anything pretty for myself.”

Nikki’s eyes softened as she looked at her dear friend. “Leave it to me,” Nikki told her, winking. “I’m sure your men will thank me later.”

Going back out to the front of the store, Nikki grabbed several items she knew Laurie would never think to buy for herself. Julia walked over to her and handed her the negligee Laurie had just tried on then laughed when she saw the toys Nikki had placed on the counter, winking at her before heading out into the racks of clothes to search for some other morsel of beauty they could get for Laurie. Nikki knew Laurie’s two mates were going to appreciate her wickedness and enjoy the toys.

Her mind wandered as she waited for the salesgirl to ring up the purchases. Nikki was going to have to wrap her mind around the fact that Laurie had two men who were her mates. According to Laurie, these mates were destined by fate, and she was the third member of the destined triad. Laurie had explained that these triad matings were the norm in the group of people that populated the Circle Three Ranch.

Interesting.

Looking out through the glass walls, she spotted Alexander and Butler watching her. Their vigil of protection made her uncomfortable but, at the same time, made her feel safe. She wondered if those two men would soon find their triad mate. What a lucky girl she would be. Shaking off the sadness that overcame her at the thought, she walked toward Laurie and Julia, chastising herself for even thinking about the men in that way.

Nikki stood before the two women, several bags hanging from her hands, smiling as if she were the cat who ate the canary. “You guys ready to go?” she asked, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

“What have you done, Nikki?” Laurie asked her warily, knowing her friend was up to something.

“Nothing much,” Nikki told her, laughing. “Be sure to open all the bags when you get home. I put in some toys I think you’ll be needing.”

“What kind of toys?” Laurie’s voice was wary as she faced her.

“Oh, just some different sized butt plugs,” Nikki told her innocently. “You’ll need them to prepare yourself for some really hot nights of sex.” Nikki smiled at her and took her arm as she led her to the front of the store. “I made sure to get several bottles of lube, too,” she whispered, making Laurie blush and Julia laugh out loud.

“Laurie, I really like your friend,” Julia said, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

“Well, what have we here?” a deep voice bellowed, making Laurie freeze in fear and Nikki stop and sigh with disgust.

Nikki looked up and saw the one person that she knew Laurie never wanted to see again.
Her ex-husband.

“What could you possibly want to buy in that store, Laurie?” he practically sneered at her. “There’s nothing in this world that would make you look appealing. Why would you even bother trying?”

Patrick reached out and tugged at the bag from the boutique. “Don’t you know that dressing up a sack of shit doesn’t change anything? It’s still a sack of shit.”

“Back off, Pigface!” Nikki stepped forward to put herself between Laurie and her ex. She was not about to allow Patrick to show his violence toward Laurie again.

Patrick reached up and pushed his hand against Nikki’s chest, shoving her hard. She fell backward, slamming against the store wall. Then all Nikki knew was darkness.

Laurie reached out to grab for Nikki, but he wrenched her wrist back and squeezed with all his strength, making her cry out in pain. Julie reached out to try to pull his hand from Laurie’s wrist, but he turned and backhanded her, connecting with the right side of her face. She staggered and fell forward, going down to her knees.

Fierce growls filled the air as Alexander and Butler burst forward and pulled the assailant away from the women and slammed him down onto the ground. Alexander held him by his throat, squeezing tightly, uncaring that they had a crowd gathering around them.

Butler rushed to Nikki and gently pulled her into his arms, lifting her to cradle her against his body as he turned to face Laurie and Julia. Reaching down, he helped Laurie and Julia stand and cuddled them against his massive chest. Julia reached out to pull Laurie into the safety of her arms as Butler held them both. Laurie held her wrist against her body as tears fell down her face.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, reaching out to touch both of her friends, her concern for them outweighing the concern for herself.

“I am the one who should apologize, my Alpha,” Butler told her quietly, closing his eyes as he fought to control his anger. “We should have been closer. That man would not have been able to touch any of you if we had done our job.”

Laurie looked up at Butler and saw the raw pain that filled his face. “No, Butler,” she stopped him. “You’re not to accept blame for what my ex-husband did,” she said, indicating the man who lay pinned by Alexander’s hand. “It was my fault for telling you to stand against that far wall while we shopped.” She waved her hand, indicating the wall of stores across the mall walkway that faced them.