Feeling the Buzz (12 page)

It was the perfect thing to help relax her.
With the curtains and the locked door giving privacy, some of the tension in
her dissipated. The flicker of candles and the cinnamon scent they gave off did
the rest.

“Here’s a pillow.” Sebastian tucked it
under her head and smoothed a hand over her shoulder. “You okay?”

Jen swallowed. “Yes.”

“Good.” Sebastian’s eyes gleamed, even in
the candlelight. His hand moved down her arm and strayed to her breast. He
tweaked her nipple, pinching again when she groaned. “Wayne, what’s for
dessert?”

“I was thinking I’d barbeque fruit and
serve it with ice cream, but we can have fresh fruit instead.”

“Ice cream,” Jen said. “That sounds cold.”

“Don’t worry. By the time we’re finished
with you, you’ll feel so hot you’ll need the ice cream to cool you down.”

“Huh.”

“She doesn’t believe you,” Wayne said,
producing a can of whipped cream and a plate of diced fruit.

“Do we have any chocolate topping left?”

“There’s a new bottle in the pantry.” Wayne
shook the can of cream and pulled off the lid.

A spurt of excitement shot through her.
Being the center of attention was like an aphrodisiac. Two sets of eyes looking
at her with lust and desire. Four hands placing cubes of fruit on her, touching
her with teasing fingers. Two mouths to do decadent things to her trembling
body.

Oh yeah. It was good being her right at
this minute.

Wayne sprayed whipped cream over her in
swirls. Not just random patterns, but indulging the artist inside him, he
fashioned a work of art, one resembling his tattoo.

“Nice,” Sebastian said with admiration.
“You need to design one for me.”

“You’d get a tattoo, something that I
designed?”

“It would be a way of showing how much I’m
committed to you and Jen,” Sebastian said.

Jen watched her two men, a lump forming in
her throat. Once again Wayne was easier to read than Sebastian, but she was
starting to understand them both better. She caught the flash of pleasure in
Sebastian. The honesty, and then it faded into a sexy smile.

“If I get a tattoo, then maybe Jen should
get one. Maybe a small one on your hip just for us to see.”

“A brand?”

“Just like a brand,” Wayne said with a
growl of approval.

“I didn’t realize the two of you were so
possessive.” It didn’t seem the right time to remind them that she’d be leaving
next year. She liked spending time with Sebastian and Wayne, liked the way they
treated her, but she couldn’t allow herself to fall in love with them.

“You’d better believe it,” Sebastian said.

Wayne picked up one of her hands and
pressed a tender kiss to her inner wrist. “You make us happy.” He dropped her
hand and picked up the chocolate sauce. With it, he formed intricate patterns
on the cream on her torso while Sebastian busied himself with bits of fruit,
decorating her. He paused to feed her a slice of juicy peach, the tart
sweetness sliding over her taste buds as she bit down.

Sebastian watched her avidly, groaning when
a trickle of peach juice dribbled from the corner of her mouth. He bent over
and delicately licked the juice away. Her breath caught, and she wanted to drag
him closer and seduce him with kisses and erotic touches.

“No! Don’t move. Finished,” Wayne said,
setting both the chocolate syrup and the cream aside.

Sebastian drew back to stare, his gaze
roving her slowly, his eyes dark with stormy passion. “Would you let us take a
photo?”

Her heart gave a sudden thump. Did she
trust them enough? She waited for them to rush in and reassure her, to say
they’d never share an intimate photo with their friends. But neither said a
word. A direct contrast with the time Giles had tried to talk her into a home
movie. She glanced down her body. It wasn’t as if there was much of her
visible. Her chest heaved when she sucked in a breath. “All right.”

“One photo each,” Sebastian said, picking
up his phone.

“And you can take a photo of me and Seb
kissing,” Wayne said. “I know how hot that makes you.”

“Deal,” Jen said, every last bit of
apprehension leaving her. Without much fuss they’d understood how much trust a
photo entailed, and in return they were showing her that they trusted her too.
For a moment the emotion swelling in her chest seemed too big for her to
contain. It pushed up her throat and she had to swallow several times.

Sebastian snapped a shot with his phone
camera, approval showing in the way he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle
squeeze.

“Smile,” Wayne said, and he clicked a shot
too before setting his phone aside. “Now where were we?”

“Want a strawberry, Jen?” Sebastian picked
up a large, glossy red berry and swirled it across the curve of her breast. She
tingled at the contact, a wave of warmth suffusing her as she watched him bite
into the ripe berry. He smacked his lips and dipped his head to lick around the
same breast. She felt the tickle of his tongue as he cleaned away a trail of
chocolate syrup. “Delicious.”

Sebastian fed her a slice of nectarine
while Wayne feasted on her other breast. When he lifted his head, cream and
chocolate decorated his mouth and chin. His tongue flickered out and some of
the cream disappeared.

“Let me,” Sebastian said in a hoarse voice.
He grabbed Wayne and licked away the last of the chocolate. “Tastes much better
eaten off skin.”

“You go on that side, and I’ll stay on this
side of the table,” Wayne said.

“That way you can kiss each other too,” Jen
said.

As usual, watching the two men interact had
a predictable effect on her body. The two men fed her and each other pieces of
fruit, gradually removing the cream and chocolate to uncover skin beneath. They
worked down her body, each lick and brush of fingers stoking the desire within
Jen. She could feel the distinct dampness between her thighs and longed for
them to reach the good bits.

“Just as well you’re not ticklish,” Wayne
whispered.

Sebastian kissed her hipbone. “I’m sorry
we’ve finished dessert. That was very appetizing.”

“Not quite finished,” Wayne said. “Part
your legs for us.”

“So pretty,” Sebastian said, idly trailing
his fingers over her upper thigh while he studied her pussy. “She’s all pink
and swollen.”

“Look how wet she is. She liked us touching
her.” Wayne caressed her clit, the touch featherlight.

A tremor zapped Jen. “Please make me come.”

“Our pleasure,” Sebastian purred.

Wayne parted her legs a fraction more and
both he and Sebastian started to lick. They laughed when their heads collided,
gave a collective groan when they tasted her. Then without verbal communication
they concentrated on getting her off. Wayne focused his attention on her clit,
stroking and teasing, while Sebastian fucked her with his fingers. Each stroke
went in and out. In and out.

“Oh god,” Jen muttered. Every time was
magical. Being the sole focus of both men—just the thought of it was enough to
send her flying. The reality propelled her into orbit. A moan slipped free. She
bit down on her bottom lip, trying to hold back the surge of pleasure
threatening to sweep her away. But it was too much. Too big. A drag of a tongue
over her sweet spot and a thrust of a finger and climax crashed over her. Huge
waves dragged her under into a place where only sensation ruled. She gasped,
feeling shattered yet weightless and so happy she could burst.

Chapter Eleven

Six weeks later

Jen woke up alone. She patted the bed each
side of her, groping for a warm male body. It took her a few seconds to
remember that Sebastian and Wayne had started early in a push to complete their
current contract before the due date. Wayne wanted to have a romantic weekend
away, and Sebastian had agreed, sweeping her along with his enthusiasm. All
going well they were off to Queenstown in the South Island for a romantic break
where they didn’t have to hide or worry about local gossip.

The alarm went off, the strident demand for
her to wake bringing forth a curse. She staggered from bed and sniffed. Her
head ached and her stomach roiled. Damn, she couldn’t afford to get sick, not
with exams coming next week.

After a maths class, she joined Gerrard,
Stan and Justin, during morning break. They sat outside, enjoying a quick ten
minutes of sunshine before their next class forced them inside again.

Justin blew his nose. Seconds later Stan
sneezed, spraying her and Gerrard.

“Damn, Stan,” Gerrard muttered. “I don’t
want the flu.”

“I think it’s too late for me,” Jen said.
“I’ve felt dreadful all morning.”

“We can’t miss exams,” Justin said. “We’ve
never studied so much. I want to make my mother proud when she sees my
results.”

“You’d better tell Wayne that the other
kids gave you the flu. He doesn’t need any ideas in his head about us kissing,”
Gerrard said.

Jen barked out a laugh then sneezed. She
dragged a packet of tissues out of her bag and handed Stan some before wiping
her own nose. “He trusts me. He knows I don’t fool around.”

“I wish I could say the same for her,”
Justin said, scowling in the direction of a group of giggling girls.

“Her loss,” Jen said. “Concentrate on your
exams and beat her out of the top of the class spot. That will piss her off
more.”

“Yeah,” Stan said. “Especially if we all
beat her ass.”

“We will,” Jen said. “I intend to earn a
scholarship for varsity. Failure is not an option.”

The bell went and they wandered back to
class. Jen prayed for the weekend to come because she felt like crap.

* * * * *

“Do you want to go out to the Cricket for
dinner tonight?” Sebastian made the offer to Wayne and Jen even though he
didn’t want to go to the pub. He preferred it when they were at home, and he
could touch Jen and Wayne without worrying about what other people might think.

Jen sneezed and grabbed for a tissue. “Nah,
I’ve caught the flu that’s going around school. I’m gonna have an early night.”

Sebastian shared a concerned look with
Wayne. “Do you want something for dinner?”

“No.” She swallowed, the color seeping from
her face before she took off at a run.

“Shit,” Wayne said. “She really is sick.
I’ll see if I can do anything.” He disappeared, only to return a few minutes
later. In the distance, a door slammed.

“Is she okay?”

“Grumpy. After spewing up her guts, she
told me to piss off and leave her alone. Then she went into her bedroom.”

“And slammed the door,” Sebastian said.
“Let’s leave her alone for a while. With any luck she’ll go to sleep.”

“She’s been pushing herself, studying for
exams.”

Sebastian grabbed a couple of beers from
the fridge and handed one to Wayne. “Getting a qualification means a lot to
her.”

“But what about next year?” Wayne asked. “I
get the feeling she’s intending to move to Auckland and leave us behind.”

Sebastian’s gut bucked at the thought. For
the first time in years, he felt happy. Secure. Jen’s leaving would destroy
everything. Hell, it would rip apart his heart as well. He loved Jen. “We’ll
have to think of a way to compromise because I don’t intend to let her go
without a fight.”

Wayne nodded, his normal carefree mien
absent for once. “She could commute if she wanted too.”

“It would make the day long, especially if
she had to drive in the traffic.”

“Depends on her class schedule. Some days
are shorter than others,” Wayne said. “Maybe she could commute with other
people. Share expenses and driving.”

“It might work or we could buy an apartment
in Auckland. We have to drive up quite a bit to visit suppliers anyway.”

Wayne nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.
Something to think about.”

Sebastian twisted the top off his beer.
“It’s good to think about this now. We’ll have a solid argument if Jen tries to
dump us.”

A sneeze echoed in the distance.

“I hope we don’t catch that,” Wayne said.

“If you do, I’m sending you home to your
mother. You’re a real baby when you’re sick.”

“You’d miss me.” Wayne smirked. “No one to
warm your feet on. And speaking of my mother, I promised her I’d drop in and
help Dad with some heavy lifting around the garden. If it’s okay with you, I
might go now then we have the rest of the weekend to ourselves.”

“Go. I’ll keep an eye on Jen.”

“Do you think she needs to go to the
doctor?”

“Maybe. We’ll see how she is tomorrow
morning.”

Wayne pushed away from the counter he was
leaning on and set his empty bottle on the top. “Call me if you need anything.”
He advanced on Sebastian and pulled him in for a quick kiss before grabbing his
keys and sauntering away.”

“Nice ass,” Sebastian called.

Wayne laughed and kept walking. “Later,
Seb.”

Sebastian made a quick sandwich and ate it
before going to check on Jen. He paused outside her closed door to listen. When
he couldn’t hear anything, he carefully opened the door and peered inside. Jen
was asleep, face pressed in her pillow, a muffled snore coming from her open
mouth. Smiling, he closed the door again. The sleep would do her good. She’d
been working extra hard and combined with the flu, it had knocked her out.

He returned to the kitchen, and sent Wayne
a text to let him know Jen was sleeping.

As he tidied the kitchen and checked
through the mail for the day, he realized this was the first time he’d been
alone for ages. He paused, tensing a fraction. The black dog of depression
hadn’t stalked him for months, not since he’d hooked up with Jen and Wayne.
Even now a sense of happiness filled him, a belief in the future. He was
building a family, no matter how unconventional. Now he fit in a way he never
had before. He belonged, and the feeling was all he’d hoped it would be during
his lonely years of growing up without a family.

* * * * *

“When are we going to meet your girlfriend?
Bring her to your father’s birthday party next week.” Wayne’s mother beamed.
“She sounds like a lovely girl. Gerrard talks about her all the time.”

Alarm stirred in the pit of Wayne’s
stomach. He didn’t think introducing Jen to his mother was a good idea. And
what about Sebastian? The last thing he wanted to do was push Seb into the
background. “I don’t know. I—”

“I want to meet the woman who has put the
sparkle in your eyes,” his mother said firmly. “She has been such a good
influence on Gerrard and his friends. You invite her. I expect to meet her the
Sunday after next.”

“Sure, Mum.” Wayne gave up trying to argue.
“Can Sebastian come too?”

“As long as he doesn’t bring one of those
dreadful girls.”

Irritation started a slow simmer, and he
bit back a retort. As much as he loved his mother, she’d never been more than
lukewarm toward Sebastian. He could never figure out why, although he’d noted
his mother’s approval rating was higher with friends who had Maori or Island
ancestors. Certainly all his adopted brothers and sisters bore Maori blood.
“Sebastian won’t be bringing a date.”

Two of his sisters walked into the kitchen.
Even though they weren’t blood related, with their long, dark hair and similar
heights, they could have passed as twins.

“Are you bringing the girl that Gerrard
keeps talking about?” Marie asked.

Janie grinned. “I think Gerrard is half in
love with her himself.”

“I’ll ask her,” Wayne said.

“Did she grow up in Sloan?” his mother
asked.

“Yes. She’s lived there most of her life.”

“Wayne, are you coming to help or not?”
Gerrard yelled from outside.

Saved by the bell
. “Coming.”

Gerrard spoiled his demand by sneezing and
their mother started muttering about mustard plasters. Wayne wouldn’t mention
that Jen had the flu because he’d suffered through a mustard plaster or two
while growing up. He wouldn’t want to inflict them on Jen.

As he drove home Wayne thought about the
potential problems of taking Jen and Sebastian to his father’s birthday party.
No matter which way he looked at it, introducing his family to the equation was
a big mistake. He, Sebastian and Jen were starting to gel into a unit.

Hell, Jen was still talking about moving to
Auckland next year.

Leaving them.

The welcoming lights gleaming from the
house eased some of the tension in him. He strode inside, dropping his keys on
the counter and heading for the lounge where he heard the low hum of the
television.

“Hey.” Sebastian glanced up and smiled. It
seemed natural to kiss him hello and drop onto the couch beside him.

“How’s Jen?”

“Still sleeping. I checked on her a few
minutes ago. Things okay with your parents?”

Wayne sighed. “Gerrard told Mum I have a
new girlfriend, and she wants to meet Jen. She wants me to take her to Dad’s
birthday party.” Wayne searched Sebastian’s face, saw the quick realization in
his lover of the problem.

“Take Jen with you,” Sebastian said.
“Introduce her to your family. Your parents will love her.”

Wayne shook his head, seeing the pain
Sebastian was trying to hide. “Mum invited you too.”

“I won’t be able to touch either you or
Jen.”

Pain wrenched at Wayne, stealing his
breath. His chest rose and fell and he couldn’t tear his gaze off Sebastian. “I
don’t think my parents are ready for an announcement like that. I don’t like to
keep secrets but—”

“You don’t have to explain. I get it. I’d
mostly likely do the same thing if I had a family. Don’t worry about it.”

But the situation worried Wayne for the
rest of the evening. After checking on Jen, he and Sebastian went to bed. They
kissed and jerked each other off. Sebastian fell asleep soon after, but Wayne
remained wide-eyed for what seemed like hours.

No matter how he looked at the situation, a
ticking bomb came to mind.

* * * * *

By Monday, Jen felt better and she drove to
school prepared to sit the first of her exams.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Gerrard said when they
met up after leaving the exam room.

Jen nodded, her stomach roiling without
warning. She swallowed rapidly and breathed carefully through her mouth, and
luckily the nausea seemed to settle.

Gerrard let out a huge sneeze, and Justin
poked him in the ribs.

“Damn,” Gerrard muttered. “I thought I’d
shaken this stupid flu. If I cough when I get home Mum will make another
mustard plaster for me. The cure is way worse than the flu.”

“Is that what the weird smell is?” Stan
asked.

Justin sniffed. “I can’t smell a thing.”

“You’re lucky. Think smelly socks and add a
bit more,” Stan said.

“It’s not that bad,” Jen said. “Anyone want
a drink at the canteen? My shout.” Maybe a ginger beer would settle her
stomach.

It helped a little and she managed to get
through her next exam—chemistry. But on the drive home she had to pull over.
She barely got the door open before she vomited.

She groped for her water bottle and swished
some water around her mouth. “Damn flu.”

Jen drove the rest of the way home without
mishap. At least she could sleep in a little tomorrow before she started.

* * * * *

One week later

Jen sucked in a harsh breath as she fought
the nausea tap-dancing through her stomach. She stared into the toilet bowl,
helpless as the queasiness rose up and burst from her throat. Her shoulders
shook with the force of the convulsions, her throat raw by the time she stopped
dry-heaving.

A truth slid into her brain. This wasn’t
the flu. This was much more.

She was pregnant.

It was the only realistic answer because
women didn’t go around chucking up for no reason at all.

Satisfied she’d finished throwing up, she
dragged herself over to the hand basin and washed her hands and face. Pregnant.
She’d ring the doctors’ surgery for an appointment—no. A pregnancy kit from the
chemist would give her an answer and keep the matter a little more private.

Besides, she needed to go to school this
morning. It was just lucky that Sebastian and Wayne were starting work so early
and hadn’t twigged to her constant vomiting yet.

Foregoing breakfast in favor of some dry
crackers, she packed her books for school and headed out. On automatic pilot, she
got through the day, and on the way home from school, she stopped at the
chemist. Ignoring the speculative glance from the woman serving at the counter,
she shoved the test into her handbag and left.

Neither Sebastian nor Wayne was at home
when she arrived. Thank goodness. This could be a false alarm. She really might
have the flu.

It wasn’t.

Jen stared at the stick. The result read
positive.

Tears started rolling down her face. One
after another, they plopped onto her arm. This was going to screw up all her
plans for the future.