Stealing the Show (PolyAm Fam #3)

Chapter 18

eighteen

raine

As Leo walked the kind IU police officer out, I made an important realization. I was no longer in desperate need of money.

Panic sank its claws right through my skin, freezing me in place as thoughts raced through my head. Was I really doing the right thing? Was this too weird? What would happen if I got pregnant and decided I wanted this baby for myself?

Could I actually give my baby, a tiny human I grew in my own body, to someone else to raise?

Would I be a part of their life? What if I took a job thousands of miles away?

My mom gave me away when I was born, and now I was going to do the exact same thing to my child?

Leo arrived in the room after shutting the door, and the clicking sound the lock made almost felt like a prison cell door slamming shut. But he appeared with a beaming smile, rubbing his hands together with obvious excitement.

“Well, ready to get started? Where do you want to be fucked, my dear?”

I slowly backed away, palms raised toward him, shaking my head. I didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know what to say.

Maggie. If Maggie were here, she’d talk me down. She’d have all the right words. Her silver tongue would validate my concerns, and then, one by one, they’d melt away.

But Leo was standing here with a predatory gleam in his eye, and all I could think about was his breeding fetish, and I felt like prey, a deer in his shiny headlights.

“Raine?” He stepped closer to me still, holding a hand out to me. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I don’t know if I can do this,” I barely gritted the words out.

“What? Why?” His formerly excited expression transformed into pure confusion as he rushed toward me, his arms open wide. He gathered me into his embrace, holding me close to his chest as my entire body was racked with sobs.

“I’m so, so sorry,” I kept blubbering as I spread tears and snot all over his chest.

He let go of me and took a step back, but my eyes were on the floor. He reached for me, tucking his finger under my chin and lifting my eyes to his. “Let’s go talk about this, okay? Do you want some breakfast? Did you eat at home already?”

I shook my head as another tear dripped down my cheek. “No, I came as soon as I saw the test was positive. I mean, after I texted with you and Maggie. I didn’t even have coffee.”

“No coffee? Well, we can’t have that. Come on, let me make you something to eat.” He reached for my hand, and I let him take it. He guided me into the kitchen and gestured toward one of the barstools. “Here, have a seat. What sounds good?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Nothing really.”

“That sounds like omelets to me. That’s what I heard.” First he put a new pod in the Keurig and placed a mug under it before turning it on. Then he grinned as he began to take things out of the refrigerator: eggs, cheese, milk, some sausage, green peppers and an onion.” He started slicing and dicing and cracking eggs, and before I knew it, the whole kitchen was filled with a savory aroma.

And I was sitting there sipping my coffee that I couldn’t even remember him handing to me, but he must have, in the expertly choreographed breakfast ballet he was performing before my very eyes.

There was something about watching him move that calmed me down. He’d taken off the button-down shirt he was wearing when I arrived, and was now simply clad in a white t-shirt. The bands of the short sleeves hugged his biceps as he wielded the knife and spatula, and I was mesmerized.

“Maggie would probably never admit this,” he leaned on the counter in front of me, “but I’m a much better cook than she is.”

“Well, I’ll believe it when I taste it.” I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. Though he did grill a mouthwatering steak when I came for dinner after our hike at McCormick’s Creek.

“My dad was Jewish, and my mom’s family is Italian,” he explained. “Trust me, that’s a formidable combination when it comes to feeding people.”

Clearly, my panic attack was subsiding because I found myself answering, “Feed people what, exactly?!”

He plated the omelets and turned back to me, smiling. “Ready to talk about what just happened in there?” He carried the plates over to the small glass table in the breakfast nook. “Go ahead and get started. I’m just gonna make some coffee for myself really quick. You need a refill?”

I shook my head and picked up a fork. “This smells really good.”

“Bet it tastes good too.” He gave me a cocky grin as he pressed the button on the Keurig to make another mug of coffee. A few minutes later, he was carrying that and some buttered toast over to the table.

I sighed as I chewed my first bite of the tasty omelet. The cheese and sausage were kicked up a notch by the green peppers, onions and whatever seasoning he added. It melted on my tongue. I grabbed a piece of toast. “This is amazing, actually.”

“You doubted me, didn’t you?” He took a bite, chewed and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. “Hot damn, I really outdid myself!”

We both ate in silence for a few more minutes before he set his fork down and cleared his throat, drawing my gaze. “Did you have a change of heart after Beau’s news?”

I collected my thoughts. Everything that had swirled in my head in such a jumble of nerves and regret had stabilized, and I only felt silly at this point.

“I think I had a panic attack,” I admitted. “I’m feeling…well, nervous. I feel a lot of pressure to make this happen for you guys. I know I don’t really have control over whether or not it works, but it’s like I want to do my best. Like an exam I want to ace. I don’t want to disappoint either of you, and…I also have questions about what’s going to happen after. You know, like if I have a kid in the world.”

Leo smiled and covered my hand with his own much larger, warmer one. “I’d think you were crazy if you didn’t have reservations and second thoughts, Raine. This is a huge commitment. After this is all over, if we’re successful, you’ll still be a mom, even if Maggie and I are raising the baby. Is that what you’re worried about? Changing your mind about the baby? Or are you thinking, if you don’t owe the money for the jewelry, maybe you shouldn’t have agreed to this in the first place?”

I shouldn’t have been surprised that he was so good at reading me, considering his job. But I didn’t know how to tell him he was right, while also being wrong about me changing my mind. I hadn’t changed it. I signed a contract, and I wasn’t one to go back on my word.

He was right, though, about it being normal to have second thoughts.

To be anxious.

To feel this much pressure, so much pressure, I had a panic attack.

This was a lot to ask of a person. And he knew that, acknowledged it.

“Well, first I thought about the money. And, well, even if I don’t have to give some of it to IU…it’s not like I have a full-time job yet. I need to start looking, of course, though that’s going to be difficult if I’m pregnant, you know? But you’re compensating me for my time and efforts. In some ways, it’s ideal because it buys me time to find the perfect job. I figure I have a year, really. Not that many graduate students can be so relaxed during their job searches.”

“Right.” He patted my hand and smiled. “Well, I hope that makes the time commitment easier for you. What about the other stuff, the after the birth part?”

“I’m worried about that too,” I admitted as I took another bite of the delicious omelet, even though I was already getting full.

“Tell me what you’re worried about,” he offered, “and I’ll see if I can alleviate your fears.”

“Well,” I began as I swallowed my food, “what if I want to be part of the baby’s life after he or she is born?”

“That’s an easy one.” He grinned. “You wanna be part of it? You will be. Simple as that. Done.”

“Do you mean like…how?” I blinked, confused about how he could be so sure.

“I know it might be hard to believe this,” he began, “but Maggie and I have discussed this a lot, and we don’t intend to raise our child or children as a monogamous married couple. We’re polyamorous, and we plan for our child to know from the beginning.”

“I see.” It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him, just that I wasn’t sure how I fit into their plans.

“Do you?” He reached over and grabbed my hand. “We want you to be part of the baby’s life, Raine. We don’t expect you to pop out the baby and then hand it over, sight unseen, and then we dump you like you were just a baby factory to us.”

I chuckled because it reminded me of Maggie’s chained-to-the-bed sex slave comment.

“Unless you don’t want anything to do with the baby,” he continued. “We won’t force you to be part of their life either.”

“But the contract,” I argued. “It stated clearly that you and Maggie would be the legal guardians.”

“Yes. Maggie wasn’t sure the best way to word that in the contract, but the way the law is written…you can’t have more than two parents, at least not in Indiana. It’s not the most progressive state, as you know. Now, in California, you can have more than two parents. Some other states are starting to recognize more complex families, such as polyamorous ones or children conceived with donor eggs or sperm.”

“I see. So I couldn’t have any legal rights as a parent?” I clarified.

“Is that what this is about?” He leaned toward me. “Or is there something else?”

I sighed. It wasn’t about that. It was about feelings and attachment and…ownership of sorts. But not about the baby.

I didn’t know how to tell Leo that I was afraid of falling in love with him.

Of falling in love with Maggie.

Because then what?

Before I could say anything else, or Leo could try to allay any more fears, our phones both buzzed at the same time.

Maggie: So, Round 1 is done, yes? Please confirm.

We both stared at our phones, reading the message, before our eyes locked.

Leo smiled and stroked a finger down my cheek, closing his eyes as he relished the feel of my skin against his. “If you don’t want to do this, or you’re unsure, I’m not going to pressure you.”

“You’re not pressuring me.” I glanced at the text again. “Maggie might be…but she doesn’t mean to.”

“Maggie will understand if you want to back out,” he told me. “We still have our appointment with the agency in November. That’s only a few months away. We can do this that way, and go back to just being friends with you. We don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to.”

His smile was sincere. His words were soothing. But what did he mean about going back to just being friends?

What if “just being friends” wasn’t enough for me?

I fell back on my initial assessment of this entire thing: how could I not want to help such an amazing couple bring a child into this world? They wanted to be parents so badly. I had it in my power to make that dream come true—well, I had a pretty good shot at it, as far as I knew. And I’d be benefitting as well, financially speaking.

What were the risks? That was what I kept trying to figure out.

Were there any risks at all? Or just benefits?

Maybe the biggest risk was falling in love with Leo and Maggie…or with my own child.

leo

“Well, what do you think I should tell her?” I held my phone up. “If I don’t answer her soon, she’ll start calling.”

“Well, we don’t want that,” Raine joked.

I took a good look at her in her feminine floral dress, her legs crossed primly with her napkin in her lap. She’d eaten most of the omelet and a whole piece of toast. She was fueled with food and caffeine now, and I was sure her head was much clearer.

But what of her heart?

I knew that was what really mattered when it came to this decision.

“Tell her to give us a minute, geez!”

The brightest smile spread across my face as I typed out a message to my wife. She sent back a stopwatch emoji and teeth-clenched-with-anxiety face.

I stood up and offered Raine my hand. “Let’s just go lie down and cuddle, okay? And we can go from there. No need for pressure, just two people who find each other attractive going for a cuddle. Does that sound acceptable?”

She nodded, a small smile on her face as she scooted her chair away from the table and allowed me to guide her down the hall to the master bedroom.

“Naked cuddle?” I asked, hoping she would agree.

Trying to conceal a sheepish grin, she reached around to unzip the dress, letting it fall to the floor. Her beautiful curves were on full display under pink satin and lace. Her bra molded to her perfect breasts like it was made especially for her, and the matching panties hugged her hips. I could barely breathe as I watched her unhook the bra, tossing it onto a nearby chair, and step out of the panties, leaving her wearing nothing but a smirk.

I tugged off my white t-shirt and pants—yep, I’d chosen to go commando when I had the unexpected company earlier—and pulled back the comforter and top sheet. She slid under the blankets on her side, gasping when the cool bottom sheet met her bare skin. I joined her, rolling to my side to face her as I pulled the covers over us.

“Well, are you gonna cuddle me or what?” Raine snarked. She tried to be completely serious but then burst into giggles when I looked surprised.

I slid my arm around her and pulled her flush with me. This close, I could smell her cherries and vanilla scent, and her hair looked so smooth and silky, all I could think about was running my fingers through it and then yanking it in my fist as I pounded into her. That thought alone sent a rush of blood to my cock, making it twitch to life, then swell. But I was gonna try to stay in cuddling mode as long as I could.

“Raine, I’m so glad you came into our lives. No matter what happens from here on out, I just want you to know how lucky I am to know you,” I told her. “You are so giving. The fact that you would even consider what was, by all reason and logic, an absolutely crazy proposition on my part just shows how open your mind and heart are.”

She seemed to melt into me, pressing her lips to mine for a sweet, lingering kiss that stole my breath. My fingers slid through her silky raven tresses, tilting her head so I could access the tender skin on her neck. Soon she was sighing, arching her pelvis toward where my cock strained for her warmth. She lifted her thigh, wrapping her leg around my hip and dragging herself closer to me, close enough to feel my hardness press into her.

“Fuck, Leo,” she let out a soft sigh, “I can’t help but want you… even if it is crazy and I’m still confused about everything.”

“We can do other things,” I assured her. “We don’t have to, you know… I want you to be sure. But I wanna make you come either way.”

She groaned as my cock throbbed against her, then she rolled onto her back, trying to pull me on top of her. She couldn’t quite get the leverage to move my heavy frame, but I swung my leg over her hip and hovered over her, leaking precum onto her thigh as I captured her lips in a kiss that left her panting.

“Please, Leo…”

“Tell me you want my cock inside you.”

“I want your cock inside you.”

“I don’t believe you,” I growled near her ear as I rubbed myself against her mound. “Convince me.” There was no way I was going to fuck her and come inside her pretty pussy unless she really, truly wanted me to.

She reached down and wrapped her fingers around my cock, notching it at her entrance. “I need your cock inside me, Leo. I want you to come in me. I want you to get me pregnant.”

Fuuuck, she was so wet. My cock throbbed at her entrance, waiting for me to be certain this was what she wanted. She lifted her hips, trying to swallow me as I held my breath, forcing myself to hold back when all I wanted to do was push deep inside her.

“Fuck me, Leo. Breed me. Drain your balls inside me, baby. I need your cum,” she whimpered, grinding up against me. Her pussy lips wrapped around the head of my cock, giving them a tight, wet kiss, and I didn’t know how much longer I could resist.

“God, I’m gonna come just from grinding against you, fuuuuck,” she moaned. “Leo…I’m ready. I want to do this for you and Maggie. It’s not just lust talking, though I need to come too… I just had a panic attack, but I’m over it now. I need you.” She let go of my cock, and her gaze locked onto mine.

I searched her face for any signs of deception, but all I saw was a young woman who had struggled with some anxiety but had figured out a way to soothe her nerves. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “God, I really do want you,” she said as she breathed out.

This time, I fisted my cock and notched it at her entrance, the heat engulfing me, sending a desperate shock of need throughout my body. My balls tightened as I clenched my jaw, hoping I would be able to make her cum before emptying inside her.

“Let me get you off first.” I hesitated over her, pulling back slightly till my cock wasn’t touching her lips any longer.

“No, I’m gonna come as soon as you slide into me,” she vowed. “You’re driving me absolutely mad.”

“You’re sure?” I met her dark, lusty gaze again.

She wrapped her legs around my hips and arched up into me. “What do I have to do to prove it? Fuck, Leo, take me. Have your way with me!”

That was it. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I guided myself to her entrance again and plunged inside her, feeling her walls tighten around me and suck me deeper. “Oh, god…why do you have to feel so fucking good?”

“Breed me,” she growled in my ear as she began to writhe against me, hands on my ass as she tried to take me deeper.

“Grrrr….” I slid part of the way out and then slammed back into her again, reaching her depths as she cried out, convulsing in my arms as her pussy rhythmically milked me.

“Now, Leo! Now,” she cried out as she thrashed, her orgasm making her a feral creature, desperate for my cum.

I pumped as hard and fast as I could, getting off on my goal of spurting as much seed into her as I could. My orgasm hit me like a bolt of lightning, an exquisite shock that rolled through my body from my dick to the tips of my fingers and toes, resounding in spine-tingling pleasure again and again and again until it slowly subsided.

And when I tried to move, she gripped me tight, not wanting to let me go. “No, stay. Make sure every drop gets inside me.”

“Oh, god…” My dick pulsed at the idea. It wouldn’t be long before I was hard again, and I could go another round.

But for now, I held her, kissing her neck and breasts and telling her over and over what a good girl she was, praising her for how well she took my cock.