What She Wants (23 page)

"No homicide necessary." Packer actually reached for the phone, calling in carrot cake, death by chocolate, and strawberry ice cream. Bless him.

She leaned over, kissed Packer, pouring everything she had into it. She could tell he got it, because he held her against him, his mouth taking hers, his hands shaking a little when they slid down her back. They settled together, her legs draped over Ades', cheek on Packer's chest. Perfect.

This was perfect.

Calleigh sat on the toilet. Staring.

Well, fuck.

She opened the third box, took the stick out and read the instructions. Good thing she'd just peed into a cup, because there wasn't any urine left in her. The first test had two lines. The second a plus sign. This one, just said pregnant. Christ.

Okay. Okay.

She…

She wasn't okay. She was pregnant. What the fuck? She wasn't fertile, right? And...

Oh, god.

Calleigh dropped her head in her hands and sobbed, her entire body shaking with it. What was she going to do?

A soft knock made her start, Ades calling to her. "Baby? We're heading down for the show. Did you want to ride with us or get a cab when it's actually time?"

"I... I think I need a shower, Ades. I haven't been feeling so great." And she needed to think, to figure out how to tell them. Separately? Together? Would they be mad? Adrian never talked about having babies after that first year when they'd tried, and Packer... Well, they'd never once discussed it. Ever.

What if Adrian said he didn't want a baby? What if it had been Adrian all this time and not her and it was Packer's kid and-- Oh, god. She was going to throw up.

"Are you all right?" Ades sounded worried now.

"I'm fine. Just sweaty and gross." She stood up, wiped her eyes and went to the door, opening it a crack. "Go get ready to ride. I want you and Pack to pick up fried chicken for supper; we can eat in here, together."

That way they could talk.

"Okay, baby." He pressed his face to the crack in the door, which should have been creepy like
The Shining
,
but was cute instead. "See you in a bit."

"I'll be there with bells on. I love y'all. Good ride." She kissed his nose. It would be weird, but they'd figure it out, right?

They loved each other, all of them, didn’t they? And they'd figure something out. She had faith in that now, what with Packer saying the words. She had a feeling he never said what he didn't mean.

Or was that the hormones talking?

What if she was going out of her mind? What if it was just sex? What if she said baby and they ran?

What if…

She was going to puke.

"Okay, baby girl. Get you some juice, you're pale as milk."

"I will." She waited for him to go before venturing out of the bathroom. Maybe she'd have some juice and a wee nap. She found a cardigan -- it was chilly in October in New England, surprisingly so, and she couldn't imagine being here in the winter -- and headed downstairs to the little gift shop. She could get crackers and juice there, maybe even a Sprite.

Something bubbly wouldn't be amiss.

She slipped into the elevator, texting Brittany and Packer, saying hi to one and good luck to the other, humming softly under her breath. When the door opened, then closed, she didn't really look up as she checked Facebook, chuckling as Cotton posted a picture of his wife's little baby bump.

That was gonna be her.

"You're Adrian's wife?"

The words surprised her and she looked up, meeting the pale eyes of Rick Bell, the brand new CEO of the league. Hell, she hadn't even known he was actually working, much less working enough to figure out the wives. "Uh-huh."

He grunted, the sound a little... rude. "I thought so."

"Calleigh Roberts." She held out her hand, offering a smile.

He shook her hand, but there was this look in his eyes. All business. The elevator stopped on the ground floor, but he kept hold of her hand, tugging her to one side. "Can I give you some advice?"

"I. Sure." Advice about what? Christ, was she dressed weird?

"Whatever it is you and your husband have going on with Packer Stephens is your business, but I think you ought to keep it at home. Packer needs this job to stay in the States. If he got sent down for inappropriate behavior, he'd lose his visa. This is a family show at the end of the day."

Her lips parted, and she felt like she'd been sucker-punched. "What?"

"Not only that, but Adrian relies on those sponsorship opportunities to support both of you. I've had complaints, and I've tried to ignore them, but I can't condone this nonsense where the fans can see. There's a picture of the three of you dancing together with Packer's hands altogether too familiar. It's on Facebook."

She was going to throw up.

His hawk-like face softened a little, sympathy flashing in his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry if this comes as a surprise, okay? I found when I was working at the network I used to run that the wives are always the sensible ones. Do what you want to do at home, or even on vacation, but not on the road with the league, okay?" He patted her shoulder before heading off, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

She reached behind her, fingers slapping at the up button, praying with everything she had that one of the doors would open before anyone saw her.

God, what had she been thinking? They could make Packer leave the country and Adrian would never forgive her. Never. And this was all her fault. She was the one who had come to them, she was the one who had blackmailed them into a threesome. She was the one who was pregnant.

With Packer's baby.

The doors opened with a ding and Calleigh stumbled inside, jammed her floor button and doors closed, letting the elevators close on the buckle bunnies trying to catch it. She wasn't sharing. Not this ride.

She managed to hold it together until she got into the hotel room, deadlocking it before she bolted to the bathroom and lost it, heaving over the toilet until she was shaking. It wasn't until she was in the shower, the icy cold water pouring over her, that she knew what to do.

She had to go.

Just walk away.

Adrian could have Packer. She'd have the baby. They could all just move forward. They would be hurt, but in the long run, it would be for the best. They'd done just fine without her before.

They could do it again.

***

Adrian slammed into their hotel room, Packer at his heels. Damn it all, he'd known Calleigh wasn't feeling good when she'd left, and she'd never shown up at the event, and now she wouldn't answer her phone. "Calleigh? Baby girl? Where are you?"

They stared at the empty bed before Packer went to the bathroom.

"She's gone, Chook. Where the hell is she?"

"Gone." Her stuff was gone -- computer, purse, suitcase, phone. Gone. He grabbed his phone again, calling her, cussing when it went straight to voice mail.

It wasn't until he slammed his fist on the table and heard the clatter of her ring on the Formica that he saw the note, the tear stains muddling the words.

"Y'all. Something happened. Someone caught us, and there's pictures and I can't get Packer thrown out of the country or Adrian's sponsors gone. I'm leaving. You two ride and know I love you. I'm not coming back. I can't. You be good together. C."

Packer crowded up close to him, staring. "What? She left? Adrian?" He didn't think he'd heard panic like that from Pack since the first time Adrian had gotten hurt after they hooked up.

Adrian read the note again. Fuck. Fuck -- Ace had been at the event, so had Troy, so it was either the press or the suits that had hollered at her. He handed the note to Pack, picked her ring up. She was going to have to stop losing that.

Pack made this low, hurt noise. "She didn't talk to us at all?"

Snorting, Adrian started stripping off his belt. He hadn't changed at the event. "She's running scared. She does that."

"What did we do?" Packer looked at him, so serious, so scared. "Chook, what did we do?"

He stopped on the way to the bathroom, going back to Packer, hands on those wide shoulders. "We didn't do anything to make her leave, mate. Believe me. Someone really did say something to her, and we have been acting out."

"So, what?" Packer looked at him like he'd grown a spare head. "We just say, right-o, see ya sheila, have a good 'un?"

"No. No, we track her down. No worries, huh?" He'd call her tomorrow when she settled herself in at Brittany's, and it would be fine.

"No worries. Right." Packer wasn't looking like he was on board with the plan. In fact, the man looked panicky as a fractious horse who'd seen a rattlesnake. All whites of eyes and flaring nose. It was kind of adorable. "Got to say, mate. Makes me wonder if you'd be this upset if I was the one gone."

"Don't be a fucking idiot, Chook. You I would just hunt down and fuck until you came back."

"Pack." He stared at his best mate, his lover. "We'll give it a couple days, let her cool down, let things cool down. I'll call her again tomorrow, and figure out where we'll meet up. Tell her to head to your place, wait for us there after finals."

Sighing, Packer nodded, starting to work off his clothes. "I guess, yeah."

"Don't worry about it, mate. She's a bit of a drama lover. She'll be tickled when we come for her." Calleigh loved them, loved them both, and hell, they needed to focus on the ride and not her fine body. He actually had a shot at making them some good money. That was what he did, taking care of business. The heavy-duty histrionics he'd leave to his two lovers.

Packer moved a little closer, that surprisingly big body hot, and amazingly bare. Someone needed some reassurance. Good thing Adrian was good at that, too.

He reached down, rolled Pack's heavy balls in their sac. "I got you, mate."

Pack's eyes went wide, then heavy-lidded, those pretty lips pursing up. "Chook..."

"Mmmhmm. I got you. Let me have you." He leaned in, nuzzled one nipple.

"Yeah. Yeah, I need it." Pack was gearing up for a hot, hard fuck. Adrian knew that look well. He was all over that. He hated thinking about their girl, traveling, upset. He needed to forget, too, for just a little while.

Packer grabbed the back of his head, dragged him up, tongue fucking his mouth with a wild desperation. He opened right up, letting Packer in, knowing he could take what his lover dished out. They stumbled back until Adrian slammed against a wall, Packer jerking against him.

He pulled at Packer's ass, hands squeezing the firm muscles. Their cocks rubbed together through his jeans, hot as fire.

"Tell me it's going to be okay, Chook."

"It's going to be okay." He pushed back, making Packer work to keep him in place.

Packer grabbed his hands, tugged them up and he didn't fight it too hard. That collarbone was still tender, he knew. He leaned his head back, offering his neck, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Oh, Chook." Packer leaned in, bit at him, careful not to bruise.

"Just do it where it won't show, mate." He wanted the bright little pain Packer could give him.

Packer groaned, shoved his shirt aside and tugged the neck of his undershirt so hard the seams creaked before those lips grabbed a bit of his skin and pulled.

"Fuck, yeah, Pack." He pushed his hips forward hard, knowing the cloth covering him would frustrate Pack to death.

Pack rocked into him, rubbing hard, teeth making his skin burn.

"I'm not naked, mate." He groaned the words out, his hips shaking like he was dancing as he tried to get some kind of touch.

"You noticed." Packer wasn't slowing down at all, laughing at him.

"I did. My hands, Pack, Let me have my hands." He didn't really expect Pack to let go, but Packer did like him to beg.

The only answer he got was another bite and then Packer spun him around, grinding against his ass. His hands smacked against the wall when Packer let go, and he leaned forward, resting his cheek against it so he could reach down and struggle with his jeans.

Packer did the same, and Packer's hard cock rubbed between his cheeks, sliding along the crease of his ass.

"That's it, Pack. Need that in me. Come on. Please."

Two spit-slick fingers pushed into him, drove into him, scraping just like he needed. He went up on his toes, his ass pushing back, opening up for whatever Packer wanted to do with him.

"Crikey, gonna eat you up, Chook. Fine fucking arse." Pack finger fucked him as the other came down with a pop, warming his butt.

"God. I'm good. Fuck me, Pack. Need it." He needed everything.

The hard, rough press of Packer's cock made him hiss, push back, the raw scrape of it fucking soothing his nerves. Crazy, how that worked. Adrian moaned again, panting, cock so hard he could drill a hole in the wall.

"Love." The single word hung there for a second and then Pack started humping him hard, driving into him.

Yeah. They were-- This was definitely love. Packer was his and Calleigh's. Adrian pushed back, slamming back, forcing Packer deeper. The burn made him cry out, made him buck like a rank bull.

One of Pack's hands pushed between him and the wall, fingers wrapping around his cock. That callused hand made him groan, the pleasure going through him like lightning.

"Come on. Come on, now. Give it to me." That hard cock pegged his gland, Pack's thumb pushing at his slit, and Adrian lost it, his spunk spilling out all over the damned place.