Chapter 292
The threesome: lion, tiger, and bear, oh my! sat around the coffee table eating pizza. The two guys each had a large pizza to themselves while Francesca took a piece from each. Those two had to work just to support their food intake.
“So,” Francesca said, “you two have been practically brothers since childhood.”
“More than that, it seems.” Theo shared a look with Marcus that she didn’t understand the meaning behind. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Not with her body still humming from both men touching her.
“So, tell us about you,” Marcus said. “You're clearly looking for a mate if you went to Gerri. Are you looking to get married? Have a bazillion babies and settle down?”
She raised her brows. Her heart slowed a little. “I would like a mate, but I don't know about marriage and kids. I have never really been around children so I'm not sure how I feel about them.”
“Babe,” Theo said with a grin, “You'll love kids. They're adorable and bring out the parent instinct in everyone.”
Marcus snorted. “Speak for yourself.”
Francesca blinked. “Don't you want kids?”
Marcus shrugged. “Yeah. I definitely do, but not a bazillion of them. I think starting with one is a good idea. Though, I know for sure two is a must.” He pressed his lips into a thin line. “I wouldn't want my kid to grow up alone. That really sucks.”
She nodded. “Yeah, but you'd also not want your child to have a solo crazy sibling he or she might not talk to.”
Theo rubbed his jaw and picked up another slice of pizza. “This tells me she wants three kids. That's a great number.”
Francesca laughed nervously. “Whoa there, Romeo. I don't know about that. I just said I don't know how I feel about kids. For all I know, I won't want any.”
Both men stared at her in shock. Crap. What now?
Theo waved a hand dismissively. “Not gonna happen. I can sense your tigress is going to want a bunch of cubs herself. You just need to spend time with them.” He winked. “Then you'll be all over me, begging me to give you a dozen babies.”
Marcus elbowed him. “Hey! Maybe she'll be all over me asking me to make her pregnant for the next ten years.”
She chewed her slice of pizza slowly. “This is a good time to ask, what happens if I don't want children?” She glanced from Marcus to Theo. “Will you not want me anymore?”
“Never!” both men said in unison.
Theo pulled his chair closer to her, as did Marcus. Both men were now squishing her from both sides.
“Listen to me, Francesca,” Theo said, wiping his hand and picking up hers. “You could decide you will never want children and I will still want you. My animal and I are one hundred percent sure you're our mate.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, his eyes never straying from hers. “I want you. Only you. Nothing will change that.”
Marcus picked up her other hand, ignoring the napkin she held and brought it to his chest. “Children would be a bonus.” He met her gaze with his own unwavering one. “But they are only a small part of what we would be. You mean more to me than you will ever know. And as much as I may want children, I want you more. More than anyone. More than anything.”
“And that's settled,” Theo grinned and handed her another slice. “Kids are not a deal breaker for either of us.”
Lord. For a second there she thought they were both trying to sell her on a relationship between the three of them. She had mental problems. That would be…so sexy. No, no, no. That would be wrong. Not what she wanted. Right? Maybe.
“Are you busy Wednesday night?” Marcus asked.
Besides her nightly TV dramas, she never had anything going on. “I could be free. Why?”
“The family gets together every Wednesday to eat and socialize for a couple hours. Would you like to go? I’d love for you to meet the family,” Marcus said.
Meeting the family already. To make matters worse, it was the same family for both men. How awkward was that? Would she cause a civil war within the family, picking sides on which man she should choose? But then again, no matter which guy she picked, she’d be with the same family. Why not just get it over with?
“Sure,” she said. “I’d love to meet your family.”
Theo sat, chewing on pizza, not looking thrilled. “Marcus, don’t you have some super important case you’re working on? Shouldn’t you get back to it?”
Marcus glared at him, but said nothing.
“Don’t let man or my mate get in your way,” Theo said. “In fact, Francesca, would you like to go to the firehouse with me and meet some of my other family?”
She nearly choked on her pizza. Her? Go to a place where the men would be freaking hotter than shit? “Sure, that’d be great. We can let Marcus get back to work then.”
“Yea, great.” Marcus looked to shoot daggers at his roommate. Oh god. How was she going to get through this?
\---
Instead of the motorcycle, Theo drove his truck to the station. After Sunday’s show, she became a fan of big-ass trucks and riding motorcycles. So sitting in his decked-out Ford 350 diesel pickup truck felt almost boring. He had a lift kit high enough that her head met the door halfway.
“Is this even street legal?” she asked, being playful.
With a seriousness she hadn’t expected, he took her hand and kissed it. “Baby, I would never put you into anything I felt wouldn’t be safe. Same for Marcus. His car is five-star rated crash tested. We’ll keep you safe.”
They pulled into the station’s parking lot already filled with several big trucks. Must be a firefighter thing. Pretty kick-ass, actually.
After opening her door, Theo lifted her from the seat and slid her down his front side, his flaccid cock still a good size for her to feel. He flashed a wicked smile. Dog. Now she was all hot and bothered. He popped open the metal toolbox across the back of the truck and took out some gear, tossed it over his shoulder and grabbed her hand.
A few guys were out back of the house and whistled as they walked up. A strapping redhead wearing suspenders leaned against the brick.
“Well, looky here. I’m not sure which is prettier, Surfer or his dazzling young lady friend.”
The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Red. Nice to meet you, young lady. A word of advice for you.” He pulled her away from Theo. “I’ve known this kid for a long time. I suggest you run as fast and far as you can.”