My Bad Boy's Secret: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (137 page)

“Have you known her long?” Alexander asked, several hours later. Greg opened his eyes and looked over at the man who was staring into the dying fire pensively. It was approaching midday and the sun was at an angle where it could provide a comfortable temperature for the house without the fire, so Alexander was allowing the fire to die down for a while before they needed it again.

“No. Met her a few hours before the ceremony. I’ve known
of
her for a while, though.” Greg said. Miranda listened to the men try to strike up a conversation about her from her post just out of sight beside her bedroom door. She had slept for several hours and while it wasn’t a full eight by any means, she had become accustomed to minimal sleep over the years while working toward becoming Ambassador. She waited a few minutes longer, waiting to hear if the conversation would go anywhere else. She chewed her lip and the silence dragged on and she sighed when she realized no more was going to be said about her. She started to walk out when Greg spoke again.

“You want her.” He stated evenly. Miranda froze and pressed herself up against the wall separating her from the sitting room. Her stomach did anxious flips as she waited to hear Alexander’s reply.

“So do you.” Alexander said, his tone just as even and cool as it had been during the car ride. Miranda held her breath.

“I cannot ethically act upon it. She is in my care and any action on my part would be taking advantage of her situation.” Greg said. Miranda’s heart fell and she looked down at the wooden floors disappointedly.
Well, maybe Alexander will feel differently,
she tried to encourage herself.

“Agreed. I too, am in the same position you find yourself. So both of us want her: she’s beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly strong willed which I respect—but neither of us can act upon it.” Alexander said. Miranda let out a soft breath and wanted to bang her head against the wall. Men were so stupid. They just admitted she was strong and intelligent, did they seriously believe that if she accepted their advances it would only be because she was in a vulnerable position? Honestly, it wasn’t like she felt like she couldn’t tell them “no” if she wanted to. She supposed she admired their honor and code of ethics, it was reassuring to know that she was in the care of two men who took their jobs and her safety—all aspects of her safety—seriously and with great consideration. Miranda smiled to herself and squared her shoulders.
Well, they may not be able to act upon it, but there’s no reason I can’t
. She thought to herself. She strode out from her hiding place and smiled at the two of them. The only problem she was faced with now was, which one? They were both very kind and attractive. Greg was more outgoing and made her feel at ease with his charming smile, but Alexander’s reserved silence and respectfulness made her knees weak.

“Good morning, Miranda. Or, perhaps I should say, good afternoon.” Greg greeted, standing from his chair and offering it to her. Miranda smiled and accepted, watching as he dragged a wooden chair over from the small table in the kitchen. Alexander watched her quietly for a moment and she could see the gears in his head rapidly turning.

“Did you sleep well enough?” He eventually asked. Miranda smiled at him and nodded.

“I did, thank you. The clothes were a huge factor in that.” She said, gesturing down at her comfortable attire that he had found her.

“I’m very glad they work for you.” Alexander said, his blue eyes roaming over her body again and making her blood heat so she felt like she was on fire. Greg returned to the room with a glass of water for her and handed it to her as he took his seat on the chair he had pulled over.

“Thank you.” She said, smiling kindly at him as she accepted the glass. Her throat was parched and not just because she had been asleep for the past few hours. She felt like she could scarcely swallow around them.

“So, what made the two of you join your respective agencies?” She asked, trying to get to know them a little better. Greg gestured for Alexander to answer first and he accepted the invitation.

“My grandfather was a part of the first SAS regiment back in 1941. When I was a boy he would tell me stories about the war and his time in the SAS and I knew that I wanted to do the same for my country as he did.” Alexander explained swiftly. Miranda nodded and felt her heart soften even more towards him. She turned then to Greg, waiting for his response.

“I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself and contribute to the safety of my country and my family.” Greg said simply. Miranda smiled and drank her water. They really were both honorable men.

“What about you, Miranda. Why did you want to become Ambassador for the United States?” Alexander asked, leaning forward in his chair and bracing his elbows on his knees. Miranda sighed heavily and pursed her lips in concentration.

“I guess, because like both of you I wanted to help my country but I also wanted to help the world. I think communication and diplomacy is the best way to do it, so instead of becoming just another politician, I wanted to be in a position where my voice could carry a little more weight and reach a few more ears.” She said. Alexander’s eyes softened and he smiled openly at her for the first time since she met him.

“That’s a mighty good reason, then.” He said, leaning back in his chair. She returned his smile and glanced over at Greg.

“I completely respect and admire you for that.” He said to her. Miranda blushed and tried to wave it off. She’d always been so focused on achieving her goal she never really stopped to explain to anyone—including herself—why she worked so hard to get to where she was. She looked at the two men sitting quietly beside her and her heart twisted. They were both so wonderful and it would be impossible to choose one of them. Perhaps they were right, maybe it was better to leave it the way it was and not complicate or cause pain with romantic entanglement. Miranda looked down at her hands and sighed.

“Is there something wrong?” Alexander asked, concerned. Miranda glanced back up into his blue eyes and her heart clenched. She debated lying, making something up and going back to sleep. She looked out the window as the afternoon sun passed over head and knew that this was probably going to be her only chance. If she didn’t make a move now, none of them would and their feelings would all go unmet, unquenched—unfulfilled.

“It’s just, I feel very close to both of you. Not just because you save my life, but because I feel comfortable around you: safe. You’re both wonderful, honorable men and I’m horribly attracted to both of you.” She confessed, her heart racing. She tried as hard as she could not to stammer over her words but expressing her feelings wasn’t a situation she found herself in often. Greg looked over at Alexander who met his eyes with a stoic expression. Miranda bit her lip as the two men seemed to communicate with one another wordlessly.

“I can share.” Greg said, breaking the silence. Humor made Alexander’s eyes sparkle and he nodded.

“So can I.” He agreed. Miranda looked at both of them in shock. What exactly did that mean? She wondered as the two men stood up and walked over to her. They helped her out of the chair and Greg leaned down, his face pausing an inch away from hers. His warm brown eyes stared deeply into hers and her breath stopped.

“Are you okay with this?” He asked. Miranda glanced over at Alex who was standing beside her and she nodded.

“Yes, I want you both.” She said breathily. As soon as the words escaped her lips Greg crashed his lips against hers. She moaned against him as he wrapped her in a tight embrace, his tongue dancing with hers. She felt hands on her hips, gently caressing her and her body ignited. She broke away from Greg’s kiss and turned to be pulled into Alexander’s arms. Greg had kissed her passionately and roughly, while Alexander kissed her deeply with such a sweetness it almost made her heart break. Greg trailed kissed down her throat and lifted up her shirt to kiss her stomach and hips. Miranda shivered and pulled back from Alexander so that he could lift her shirt over her head. Greg pulled her pants down and she worked on undressing each of them as well. She’d never done anything like this before but with the two of them it just felt… right. She couldn’t imagine just being with one and not the other. Greg continued to plant kisses along her stomach, her neck, her breasts. He took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked on it as Alexander came to stand behind her and Alexander’s hand dipped lower and slipped inside her. Miranda gasped and grabbed on to Greg’s shoulders to stabilize herself.

“Greg, Alexander.” She moaned. Alexander removed his hand and she let out a disappointed gasp just before he thrust inside her. She grabbed on to Greg tighter and pressed herself against Alexander to take him deeper. Greg claimed her lips in a kiss and she reached down to please him with her hands as Alexander brought her to the brink of pleasure and then pushed her over it. She let out a cry and he thrust inside her until he found his own release and Greg wasn’t far behind. The three of them stood there a moment, catching their breath and relishing in their pleasures. Miranda lifted her head from Greg’s chest and looked into his eyes.

“What will happen when we return to the embassy?” She asked, her heart clenching at the thought that this might be her only day with either of them. Greg looked over her head at Alexander and smiled. She glanced back at Alexander and saw that he was smiling, too. Whatever they had come up with in their unspoken way, Miranda had a feeling she was going to like it.

“Well, you travel a lot. I’m happy to share you when you’re overseas.” Greg said, kissing her gently. She smiled and kissed him back before breaking away and looking back at Alexander.

“And I’m happy to share you when you’re overseas as well.” He replied, kissing her deeply. Miranda’s heart felt like it was so full she could burst.

“I’m so glad, because I can’t imagine losing either of you.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around both of them.

“Luckily, for the next several hours you don’t even have to consider it.” Greg said, stepping back and guiding her toward the bedroom. Alexander followed behind, chuckling.

THE END

Protected By A Seal

Today as Sarah paced back and forth, wringing her hands nervously. The day she had spent eighteen months undergoing rigorous training to achieve. Today was the ceremony where she was going to be the first woman awarded with the Navy SEAL badge. She took a deep, shaky breath in and bent over, her hands on her hips to balance her. She felt sick to her stomach. There was so much pressure riding on this one ceremony. No woman had ever been allowed in the SEALs before and she had to fight her way tooth and nail to prove that she was just as good as the men to get here. Now that this day finally arrived, she was terrified. The eighteen-month training with an eighty percent dropout rate was pie compared to what came next. Sarah took another deep breath in and stood up. She resumed her pacing—movement helped calm the nerves twisting her stomach.

“Alright sweetie, are you ready? The ceremony is about to begin and they’re calling for all SEALs to report to the front.” Her father said, rushing toward her from where he had been taking pictures of the stage. Sarah nodded and straightened her uniform. Her father beamed at her and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. She closed her eyes and let his comfort wash over her, quelling her fears and doubt. “We are so proud of you! You deserve this.” He said, pulling back and kissing her forehead. Sarah gave him a small smile and kissed his cheek.

“Thanks, Dad. See you after!” She said, trying to sound enthusiastic and forcing a smile. Her step-mother lurched forward and gave her a quick hug, with a peck on the cheek.

“We’ll be right here.” She said, tears filling her eyes. Sarah nodded and her father wrapped an arm around her step-mother and waved. Sarah took another deep breath and made her way toward the other graduating SEALs. This was it. They assigned her a seat alphabetically and she took her position and waited stoically for her name to be called. The other men graduating with her barely acknowledged her presence. She wasn’t surprised—most of them didn’t speak to her during training, why would they suddenly be chatty with her now? It didn’t matter anyway. Sarah just focused on her breathing and listened to the names. She watched as man after man took the stage, standing straight and militant while they pinned the badge to their breast and saluted. She could do this. She
earned
this.

“Sarah Harper.” The officiant called. Sarah stood up and stiffly walked across the stage. She was acutely aware of the hush that fell over the crowd at the sight of her. It seemed the entire arena was holding their breath as the coveted SEAL trident was presented to her. She faced forward and maintained her composure as the Major pinned it to her uniform. He took a step back and saluted her. She returned the salute and made her way across the stage. Once she stepped off, the collected breath that had been held was released and the area clapped for her as they had for all the men that came before or after. Sarah felt a small smile come to her lips as she resumed her seat.

“Congratulations.” The man sitting beside her whispered. Shocked, Sarah looked up at the large man. He was staring straight ahead and the only indication that he had spoken at all was the slight upturn of his thin lips. Sarah faced forward, a larger grin now threatening to break out onto her face.