I followed the line of her pointing finger to the front door and the warmth of the evening, the happiness that had clung to me the entire day fizzled out of existence. My mood slipped into one of apprehension even while I fought my face not to show it.
“I’ll be right back,” I told my cousin before pushing my way to my husbands’s side. I plastered a bright smile on my face. “Alejandro. Have you come to join the party?”
Those dark, unfathomable eyes drifted away from Nero and focused on me. “Perhaps another time. I apologize for interrupting your celebration I won’t be much longer.”
“Not at all. Please. You’re welcome to stay. I insist. We have too much food.”
I still didn’t trust him. There was a chill about him, an absence of warmth that didn’t feel natural and he always knew too much. It was creepy.
“That’s very gracious of you, however, I must…”
I never did find out what he must do. The rest of his words faded beneath the tangle of music and chatter. His attention had abandoned me to fix on something just over my head, something that had his brows furrowing in puzzlement. It was the look of someone trying to decode a piece of art, mesmerized, yet baffled by its existence.
But as quickly as it had appeared, and before I could turn to see the object of his fascination, he was facing me once more, face back to its usual nothingness.
“No,” he said once more with firmness. “I have other matters that require my attention. Thank you.” Before I could make another attempt, he’d turned to Nero. “Does that time work for you?”
Nero drew in a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll see you there. Thank you, Alejandro.”
With a fleeting sidelong peek I was sure he didn’t think anyone noticed, he shot another glance over my head before spinning on his heel and marching from the apartment.
I glanced from Nero to Davien, hoping one of them could explain.
“Maybe he saw an ex?” Davien hazard, squinting over the crowd.
“That was not the reaction of a man escaping an ex,” I argued.
“It could be if he still loved her … or him,” Nero chimed, closing the door behind Alejandro.
I looked over the crowd again, scanning the faces, trying to find the one most likely to have captured the ruthless man’s attention. I caught Liana’s gaze and she gave me a small wave. I waved back before signaling that I would be right there.
“Well, whoever it was, needs to leave, along with all the other people,” I said, facing my two men. “I want to be alone with my husbands on our first anniversary night and, since this party was your idea, you do it while I wait up in our room for you … naked.”
Kissing both their mouths softly, I left them standing in the foyer as I cut through the crowd to where my cousin waited. I took her hand and tugged her along with me; it was going to take them at least an hour to clear the apartment out. That gave me enough time to spend a few more minutes with Liana before returned home and I didn’t see her again for months.
“I’m sorry mama couldn’t be here,” she said for the ninth time that evening. “She’s just so busy at the clinic and—”
At the top of the glass stairs, I stopped and faced her. “It’s okay. I know Aunt Victoria is still upset with me for making my decision, but I’m glad you’re here.”
She took both my hands in hers and squeezed. “You’re my sister. There is nowhere else I would be.”
Grinning, I nudged her towards the bedroom, pausing briefly to glance back to where two pairs of dark, hungry eyes watched me. I blew them a kiss before following Liana into the room.
“I can never get over how enormous this place is,” Liana breathed, flopping down on the end of my bed. “What I wouldn’t give to stay here with that view.”
“Then stay,” I blurted. “I mean it,” I insisted, moving to sit next to her. “We have so much room. I would love the company during the day while the boys are working. Please?”
“Mia!” Liana giggled and nudged me with an elbow. “You’re not serious. You are still technically newlyweds, and there are three of you. You need your space, and I am not ready to walk in on something that might scar me.”
“I am very serious,” I assured her. “Move in. It’s time you had your own place and moved out of Aunt Victoria’s house. You need to experience the world, find a gorgeous man, or woman, settle down and be happy.”
“I am happy!” she protested.
“I mean really happy.” I took her hand and gently squeezed. “You’re twenty-three. It’s time, and I’m here for you. Whatever you need so you’re not alone.”
Liana opened her mouth only to have the bedroom door fly open. We both jumped and turned just in time to watch Nero and Davien stalk in. Davien already had his dress shirt unbuttoned and was yanking the hem out of the waistband of his trousers.
“Davien!” I squeaked, bursting into a fit of giggles as Liana slapped a hand over her eyes.
“Anyone not ready to see anything better leave now,” he warned, fingers on the fasten of his pants.
“The guestroom is already made up for you,” I told Liana. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Hands still shielding her eyes, Liana darted past the two men. Nero closed the door behind her. Then I was finally alone with them.
“Everyone gone?” I asked, leaning back on my hands. “It’s barely been five minutes.”
“Most of them,” Dav assured me, kicking out of his shoes. “The rest will get the hint.”
I hummed and watched as they undressed for me, discarding each article of clothing until they were perfectly and gloriously nude. I loved them like that, like a buffet just for me.
“Who’s ready to practice making a baby?” Davien asked, moving towards me.
Nero raised an eyebrow. “Is that what we’re doing?” he asked me.
I glanced from Davien to him, hesitating all over again. All the nerves Davien had calmed bristled, and I sat up.
“We don’t have to talk about that right now.”
He moved towards me, a mountain of raw muscle and power. I loved watching him. Then he was kneeling in front of me, taking my hands in his.
“I want to talk about it,” he said. “There’s nothing I want more than to start a family with you and Davien. But I can also wait if you’re not ready.”
I searched his eyes for signs that he might only be saying that to make me feel better. “You really want to?”
He lifted my knuckles to his lips. “I do.”
“Even if we never find out who the father is?”
Nero blinked. “Why would we want to?”
Feeling suddenly foolish, I shrugged. “I just thought you’d want to know if it’s yours or Dav’s.”
The two exchanged looks I didn’t understand, but when Nero returned his attention to me, there was firm understanding there. “It would be both of ours. He or she would have two dads. DNA means nothing. We,” he gestured to himself and Davien, “know that better than anyone. It takes more than blood to make a family. They will be ours and that’s all that matters.”
Overcome by emotion, I took his face between my palms and kissed him. Behind me, the bed dipped and I knew Dav had joined us, and a thrill went through me.