Her Guys [Blessed 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (7 page)

“No, but I’m glad to. He’s such a cute baby.” Katarina reached out and touched his soft cheek. He giggled then blew a big spit bubble as he waved his chubby arms.

Branda laughed and then looked pointedly at Rain. “I think you’re going to have your hands full with this one.”

Rain dropped her gaze to Branda’s abdomen then looked up and raised a brow. “Soon you are going to have your hands full with your own little bubble blower.”

Katarina’s brows shot up. “Are you pregnant?”

“Yes. We just found out today.” Excitement made Branda’s voice high and had her eyes twinkling.

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks, we’re all thrilled. The babies are going to be close enough in age to explore the world together, or at least our backyards. Let’s go sit down. Lando gets heavy in no time at all,” Branda declared as she looked for a table.

They all moved to a round table and had a seat. Rain held Lando in her lap. He immediately stood up on her legs. Her hands gripped his waist a little tighter right before he started bouncing. A grin crept up and crossed Katarina’s face. She loved babies.

Branda got straight to business. “The party is still on the seventeenth at 5:00 pm, correct?”

“Yes.”

The brunette looked over her shoulder then turned back to Katarina. “Good. Now that business time is over, let’s talk about you and Gaven and Lunn.”

Katarina sputtered unintelligibly then looked over her own shoulder. Cora, one of the evening waitresses, was coming to their table with a drink, cheddar spuds, and stuffed mushrooms. She placed the drink in front of Katarina and the food in the middle of the table, along with four plates.

Katarina pulled herself together. “Thanks, Cora.”

“No prob. Let me know if you need anything else.” She moved on to the next table, and Katarina wished she could go with her.

Heat throbbed through Katarina’s cheeks. “Gaven’s my boss.”

Rain gave a bite of food to the baby. “So. We saw how you looked at Gaven and Lunn.” She nodded knowingly then said, “Love struck.”

Branda nibbled on a mushroom. “Love struck sounds about right, Rain.” She looked at Katarina and then the food. “Go ahead, have some. You know how good they are.”

She puffed out a breath then scooped up a mushroom and ate it. If these two had noticed her unquenchable love for her guys, had Lunn or Gaven also seen it? God, she hoped not. “It’s not what you think.”

Rain grinned and raised a brow with flourish. “Oh, yes it is.”

“Don’t try to change our minds,” Branda countered. “Actions speak louder than words, you know. To top it all off, they seem interested in you as well.”

Unable to help herself, she asked, “Did they say that?”

“No, but they didn’t have to. You held their attention all through the game, and Gaven talks about how good you are all the time,” Branda replied with a knowing nod.

Rain wiped the baby’s mouth then said, “If you want to get Gaven over his rule of not dating his employees, then you are going to have to start acting a lot bolder. Both of them can’t resist a bold lover who knows what she wants.”

Katarina’s lips twisted nervously. “Let’s say you two were right. How would I act bolder?”

Branda was quick to answer. “Rub up against them every chance you get. Show your cleavage to them often. Don’t act scared. That will turn them away from you. Even if you don’t have much experience, act like you do.”

Rain leaned in and said, “Whisper in their ears whenever possible. Make sure your lips graze the shell of their ear. That is sure to get their attention.”

Branda tapped her fingers on the table. “If you are on the pill, take it in front of them. That will let them know you’re safe to have sex with. I know they are big into using condoms, which keeps them clean. Safe sex is always the best sex. Be bold, and always remember that they can’t read your mind.”

Her mind was overflowing with thoughts of how she could do some of what they said. Needing time alone, she said, “Thanks for the help. I’ll think about what you’ve both said. Now I better get back to work. Have a good evening. I’ll see you soon, Branda.”

Both women said their good-byes as a distracted Katarina walked back to her office. Could she pull off what they suggested?

* * * *

That night when Katarina walked up to her apartment, fear gripped her heart. The door was ajar. With a shaky hand she pushed the door open. Tears welled in her eyes. All of her stuff was scattered everywhere.
Not again.
She had to be the unluckiest person in town.

Where was the fluffy cat? “Here kitty, kitty. Are you here?” Her heart sank when the cat didn’t come. Although she’d only been around the cat for a short time, she felt a bizarre connection to it. Had the robber taken him? She hoped not.

Backing away from the door, she pulled out her phone and called the police and gave them her location. Looking around, she noted several creepy shadows. Needing to hear a comforting voice, she told the 911 operator that she needed to make another call. After convincing the woman she was all right, she dialed Gaven’s number.

“Hello.”

The sound of his voice made her feel safer, but it also reminded her of how much she loved him. Too bad he didn’t seem to love her in return, unless Branda and Rain were correct. Maybe he did have feelings for her. “Hi, Gaven. It’s Katarina. I was just calling because…” She stopped talking for a moment when she heard a siren. “Wow! That was quick. The police are almost here. I was just calling because the last time my place was broken into you told me to call if—”

Gaven didn’t let her continue. “Your place was broken into again?”

“Yes. When I came home tonight, the door was ajar, and when I peeked in I saw my stuff scattered everywhere. Hey, the police are approaching. I better let you go. I’ll be in tomorrow.” She hung up and told the police officers what had happened then stood outside as they instructed. She hoped she hadn’t been wrong in calling Gaven. Even though he’d told her to call, that didn’t mean he’d meant it.

While the officers were investigating, she called her dad to fill him in on the possible robbery. She didn’t want to make the call, but she knew he would be super mad if she waited until tomorrow to tell him. His reaction was just as bad as she thought it would be. As he ranted and demanded she return home, she rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes wearily. Exhaustion was setting in by the time she got him calmed down and reassured him she was all right.

After hanging up, she tiredly opened her eyes. She needed a place to stay. A slight movement caught her attention. Did that shadow just move? Instinctively she stepped back. The shadow moved again. That creeped her out even more. Her pulse started pounding as she took another step back then another. One more step and she backed into a solid body. A scream erupted from her throat, and she tried to run. Strong arms locked her in a heated embrace. She tried to twist out of the steel bands that bound her.
No way am I going to let him take me.
Raising her foot, she prepared to stomp his toes.

“Whoa! Katarina. It’s me, Gaven. Calm down, honey.”

Gaven?
She eased her foot down and savored the feel of his arms around her.

He turned her around and hugged her tightly. His scent calmed her frazzled nerves, and the strength of his body made her feel protected. In the background she heard the officers come out and start talking to someone. At the sound of Lunn’s voice, she melted into Gaven. She loved being near both men. Her need for them was growing more by the day.

“Are you all right?” he asked right before he loosened his grip and leaned back.

Katarina looked up into his delicious brown eyes and had to force herself not to stroke his body.
He’s your boss, dum-dum.
That cleared her mind—a little. “Yes. I just got spooked by a shadow. It’s silly now that I think about it.”

“It’s not silly. You just had your second breaking and entering. Anybody’s nerves would be on edge after that.”

One of the officers called Gaven over. To her sorrow, he released her and went to talk to them.

Lunn walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Your apartment is all clear, but the cops are going to need you to closely inventory your stuff. If this is the same person, he or she may be taking something you’re not aware of.”

His arms held her more tightly than Gaven’s had. She loved being held by both of them. She felt his arms loosening and took one last deep breath of his comforting scent before he released her.
What did he want me to do? Oh yeah, see if anything was missing.
“I’ll thoroughly look at my stuff tomorrow. Tonight I’m going to stay at a hotel. One with triple locks. Do you know any like that in town?”

Gaven had been headed their way and must have heard their conversation. “You’re not staying at a hotel. You can stay with me.”

Lunn was quick to respond. “Your place is too small. She can stay at my place. I was just about to offer her one of my guest rooms.”

Gaven ran his hand through his hair. “I want to be near her. What if this is more than just a random B&E?”

He looked thoughtful for a moment then said, “My place has plenty of room for all of us. You two can take the bedrooms closest to mine. That way we can both watch over her.”

Katarina’s heart thudded with excitement. Her living with Lunn and Gaven! It was like a dream come true. She didn’t really think she was in danger. She was just going through an unlucky spell, but if it helped her to get closer to them then she’d let them think what they wanted. Didn’t Branda and Rain just tell her she needed to be more aggressive to get these two strong men? Aggressive people jumped at any opportunity to get what they wanted.

“If it’s not too much trouble, I wouldn’t mind moving in with both of you. I’d feel much safer.” She made an effort to look innocent, but on the inside she was dancing. It looked like her luck was changing.

Lunn looked at Gaven. “She’s willing. How about you?”

He grinned at Lunn’s words. “Sure, I’m willing. The police are just finishing up. Why don’t you go on and take her to your house. I’ll go home and pack a bag then head over there myself.”

The white cat bounded out of the apartment and circled Katarina’s feet. “There you are. I thought you were gone. We’re going to have to work on you coming when I call you.” She stroked the cat’s fur and grinned when he purred. “You must be one lucky cat. I was just about to leave,” she said as she picked the cat up and kissed the top of his head. She looked into Lunn’s eyes and grinned. “Is it all right for my cat to come? He just came into my life yesterday, but I’m attached to him.”

Lunn petted the cat, and it purred. “Yeah, he can come.”

“Thanks, and thanks for letting me stay with you. I appreciate it.”

“Anything for you.” Lunn ran his hand down the cat’s back then said, “Let’s go home.”

Home with the two of them. It sounded right. She hoped one day soon they felt the same way.

Katarina felt like she was walking on clouds.

Wandering around the guest room, she ran her hand along the length of the queen bed and wished the guys were laid out on it—naked.

A sharp rap on the door had her jumping guiltily. “Come in.” A look at the cat proved he wasn’t interested in anything other than his pillow. Strange. Shouldn’t he be concerned or curious about their guest? Leave it to her to take in the laziest cat in the city.

Lunn opened the door and stepped inside. “If you need anything, I’ll be next door. Feel free to roam around the ground floor tomorrow. I have the alarm set, so please don’t open any of the doors that lead outside or any of the windows. With the possibility of you having a stalker, it’s better for you to stay inside anyway.”

Heat sped to her cheeks. She felt bad about dreaming of his naked body when his main concern at the moment was her safety. She also felt bad for letting him think she could have a stalker. Who would come after her? She wasn’t anyone special. Sure, she had some powers, but she sucked at using them, and most people didn’t even know she had them. That made her normal, right? Regular folks didn’t have stalkers, but they did have bad luck. Surely it was no more than that.

“Thank you. I won’t go out or open any windows.” She saw his eyes cut to her cheeks and knew they had to be pure red.

Gaven appeared in the doorway, startling her. She jumped then laughed. “Gaven, you spooked me. You are a very quiet walker. I’ll have to try and remember that.”

“Sorry. I was checking in on you. If you need anything I’ll be next door.” He smiled then brushed his light-blond hair out of his eyes. She always thought it was cute when he did that.

She couldn’t help it. She licked her lips and glanced at the bed longingly. If she wasn’t so shy around them and they weren’t so big, she’d throw them on the bed and explore every inch of their hard bodies.

Lunn cleared his throat. “Well. I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”

Gaven walked over to her and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re all right. See you in the morning.” After releasing her, he turned and walked out of her new room.

Lunn followed, and she desperately wanted to call them back. Instead, she called out, “Good night.” She looked at her watch and noticed that it was three in the morning.

Going to her suitcase, she pulled out her nightshirt and headed for her bathroom. Lunn had remodeled the house beautifully in mostly cream and raisin tones. All the bedrooms also had their own bathroom, thank goodness. She didn’t think she could share with them and not attack them.

Mmm…If she’d been good at the witch thing, she could easily cast a spell that would strip them and lay them out on the bed for her to enjoy. That was something she should work on. Even if it took her ten years to figure out, it would be worth it.

Living here was going to be hard on her libido and heart. Slipping out of her clothes, she quickly took a shower and then pulled on her nightshirt. When she walked into the bedroom she didn’t hear any noise. Dropping onto the bed, she let herself fall back. As she stared at the ceiling she wished they were in bed with her. The cat jumped on the bed, and she stroked its fur. “At least I have you. Tomorrow I’ve got to figure out a name for you.”