Many Blessings

  Mandaline went upstairs to find Brad had been busy in the warehouse. Wearing nothing but shorts, and with sweat pouring down his handsome body, he’d dug out two dressers and rearranged the furniture and boxes enough to give him a small, clear working space.

  She leaned against the doorway. “Wow. You’ve been busy.”

  He walked over and leaned in for a kiss. “I won’t give you a hug. Don’t want to get you all sweaty.”

  She grinned. “I don’t mind sweaty sometimes.”

  He laughed. “This is the bad kind of sweaty. I wanted to make an area to work so you didn’t have to go through everything just for me.”

  “I appreciate it, but I still have to sort through everything at some point.”

  “I don’t want to make more work for you.”

  “I think I need more work right now.” She let out a sigh. “Keeps my mind occupied.”

  He touched his nose to hers. “I can think of plenty of ways to keep your mind, and body, occupied.”

  “I’m sure you can. After the dry spell I’ve had, you never know. Might be you two asking for mercy in a few days.” She reached down to the front of his shorts, where a large bulge had grown. Cupping him through the fabric, she found him very hard and ready. She stared into his sweet brown eyes. “Mercy, mercy, mercy,” she teased, squeezing him with each word.

  His brow furrowed. “You’re playing with fire.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him. That quickly devolved into a startled shriek as he threw her over his shoulder in one sudden movement. Kicking the warehouse door closed behind him, he carried her to the bedroom as she laughed.

  “Warned you, baby,” he said. He pulled the bedroom door closed behind them before dumping her on the bed.

  She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Thought you said you were all sweaty?”

  He pulled his shorts down and off. His stiff cock sprang free. “I am.” He knelt over her and pushed her back down onto the bed. “And soon, you will be, too, little witch.” He leaned in and kissed her, hard, taking her breath away.

  He also moved fast. Before she could recover from that, he’d turned around, pulled her skirt up, and yanked her underwear down so he could bury his face between her thighs.

  She let out a loud moan as he shoved her thighs apart, his tongue quickly finding her clit. He spread her lips with his fingers, completely exposing her to his eager mouth.

  Looking up, she realized his cock bobbed between his legs, mere inches above her mouth.

  She didn’t care how sweaty he was. She wiggled an arm free and grabbed his cock, guiding it down to her lips.

  His turn to let out a moan. As she swallowed his shaft, the sound of his pleased noises reverberated through her pussy. He lowered his body onto hers, pinning her in place. All she could do was lick and suck while he licked and sucked her. And when he pulled the first orgasm from her and she tried to move away, he wouldn’t let her escape, forcing her to lie there and let him quickly draw a second orgasm out of her even as his shaft stubbornly remained hard and ready between her lips.

  Not that she didn’t enjoy sucking him, because she did.

  She just wanted that cock inside her, fucking her.

  He laughed at her plaintive whines after orgasm number three left her breathless and shivering under the weight of his body. He lifted his head. “Oh, baby, you just stay right where you are. I’m not nearly done with you yet.”

  She let out another whine as he once again began licking her, gently nibbling and sucking on her clit while inserting two fingers into her sopping pussy and slowly fucking her with them.

  Her hips tried to rock in time with his motions, making him laugh. “See? You know you want more. Don’t try telling me it’s too much pleasure. I know better.” He finger-fucked her harder, faster, inserting a third and drawing yet another climax out of her after several minutes.

  That was when he suddenly got off her, startling her.

  He stood and flipped her over, pulling her to the edge of the bed so her feet were on the floor. He shoved her skirt over her back and pulled her panties all the way off her. When she tried to push herself up, he put a gentle but firm hand between her shoulder blades and pushed her back down. “Stay, baby. You teased me, this is my time.”

  She heard the nightstand drawer open and after a moment, he stepped between her legs. She fisted the covers as she felt the sheathed head of his cock pressing against the entrance to her cunt.

  Then he hooked an arm around her waist. “You got yours, now it’s my turn.” He thrust hard and deep, making her cry out with pleasure. His fingers and tongue had more than prepared her pussy for the sudden intrusion.

  He folded himself over her back, his lips in her ear. “You like that, don’t you, baby? You like us taking you like this?”

  She closed her eyes and tried to fuck herself against him. “Yes!”

  He grabbed her hips and took several long, hard, fast thrusts into her pussy before stopping again. He shoved her shirt and bra up before reaching under her to find her nipples. He cupped his palms around her breasts, his thumbs and fingers rolling and teasing her aching peaks. “Reach between your legs, baby. Play with yourself.”

  She needed no further encouragement. She slid a hand between her legs and found her clit and started eagerly rubbing it.

  “That’s it,” he said. “I’m not coming again until you do—”

  They were both startled by the sound of the door opening and Ellis laughing. “Well, now I know what’s on the menu for lunch.”

  “Come and get you some,” Brad said. He pinched her nipples just hard enough to get her attention. “Who said you could stop playing with yourself, baby?”

  Her hand had fallen still when Ellis walked in, but now she started again.

  Ellis walked around the bed, his blue eyes dark and smoky with desire. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it over a chair before kicking off his shoes. “I don’t have a lot of time,” he said. “Have a client due in less than an hour.” He shucked his slacks and also neatly draped them over the chair. Then he pulled off his briefs. His cock also rigidly stood at attention.

  She licked her lips.

  He crawled onto the bed in front of her, his legs spread, and gently cupped her head in his hands. “I think I want this right now.”

  Her hand moved faster between her legs as she opened her mouth wide, eager to taste him on her tongue. He slid his shaft over her tongue, taking over and fucking her mouth as Brad slowly began fucking her pussy again.

  Oh…my…Goddess! Was this really happening? These two hunks wanted her? Her eyes dropped closed and she let out a cry, muffled by the cock in her mouth, as another orgasm washed through her.

  “That’s it, baby,” Brad encouraged, picking up speed and driving her deeper onto Ellis’ cock with every stroke. “Nothing but pleasure. Think about nothing but how good it feels having our cocks in you.”

  Her fingers now had a life of their own, a series of smaller orgasms rolling over and over, one into another, until her entire existence felt like nothing but a blaze of pleasure keeping her suspended in a sweet bubble of passion between them. Their energy flowed over and through her, mixing with hers and pulling more sweet release from her body.

  Ellis’ hands tightened on her head. “Getting close,” he grunted to Brad.

  “So am I.”

  She let out another cry as the most powerful climax yet ripped through her.

  “That’s what we like to hear, sweetie,” Brad said. He released her breasts and returned his hands to her hips, fucking her cunt hard and fast as her muscles squeezed his cock. Every stroke bottomed out inside her, stretching her pussy, filling her, while Ellis deeply fucked her mouth and grew harder and hotter against her tongue.

  Brad came first, his fingers digging in as he let out a long groan. Then Ellis exploded, his cum splashing across her tongue as she struggled to swallow it all. Winded, she limply lay and sucked on his softening cock while Brad caught his breath. br />
  Ellis stroked her hair. “Wow,” he whispered.

  She opened her eyes and looked up at him, his pleased smile and gorgeously clear aura breaking her heart with its beauty.

  If she could do that to him, to both of them, bring them that much joy, she’d never again question the whys or hows of them coming together.

  If being with her healed them, and maybe herself in the process, then it was right no matter what anyone else thought or said.

  Ellis made her let go and leaned in, kissing her sweetly, deeply, tenderly. “I love you,” he said.

  Brad withdrew and placed a kiss in the center of her back. “Love you, too,” he echoed.

  She fumbled for and found their hands, squeezing them. “Love you both,” she said.

  They all jumped at a knock on the bedroom door. “Not to be a buzzkill,” Sachi said from the other side of the door, “and I hope I waited long enough to interrupt, but someone better put a gag in her mouth next time. Sound carries.”

  Mandaline felt her face go supernova hot, but the two men laughed.

  “Sorry,” Brad called out. “We’ll be quieter next time.”

  “Thanks, Tarzan,” Sachi replied. A moment later they heard her going back down the stairs.

  Ellis snickered.

  She rolled over onto her back and clapped a hand over her eyes. “Oh. My. Goddess. How the hell am I supposed to go back downstairs?” she whispered.

  Brad leaned in and kissed her. “I would suggest a shower first. And don’t forget, you are the boss. If you want to do the sweaty with us up here during lunchtime, it’s your prerogative.”

  Ellis kissed her again before getting out of bed. “I’ll make us some sandwiches.” He grabbed his shoes and clothes and headed for the bathroom.

  Brad, the condom still on his wilting cock, stretched out next to her with a pleased grin on his face. “I did warn you, baby. So did Ellis. I believe fire hoses and cold water were mentioned.”

  She studied his face, his sweet brown eyes. His aura also seemed clearer, although he hadn’t been in as much emotional pain as Ellis had started out with. “You two won’t get jealous of each other and get in a fight over me, will you?” she softly asked. “Although I guess it’s kind of late to ask that.”

  He laced his fingers through hers and drew them to his lips. “Never, baby. I don’t think we could have made it work with two different women, to be quite honest. I think we always were meant to share the same love.” He kissed her again. “He needs someone to help look after me. In his mind, he does,” he added. “Maybe he’s a little right. And face it, you’ve been through a lot. I think two men need to tag-team you. I think you’re such a strong person, whether or not you realize it, that you’d inadvertently chew one man up and spit him out. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, either. You never were meant to be with Carl. He wasn’t strong enough for you in more ways than one. I also don’t think there are many women out there who would support and encourage my relationship with Ellis the way you can.”

  He sat up and pulled her up with him. “Let’s eat and grab a shower. I’ll go down first and suss things out before you come down.”

  “I really don’t want to screw this up,” she whispered.

  He frowned. “Screw what up?”

  “This. Us. The business. Everything.”

  He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. “You won’t,” he assured her. “We won’t let you. None of us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sachi was ensconced in a reading when Brad sounded the all clear around one thirty for Mandaline to come downstairs.

  Although Paige pursed her lips together in an attempt to hold back her smirk, she didn’t say anything to Mandaline about the incident.

  Mandaline’s eye fell on the plastic crate full of cards below the register. She pulled it out.

  Paige’s expression turned somber. “Yeah,” she said. “There is that. We’re still getting them every day, brought in and by mail.”

  She let out a sigh. “I guess I know what I need to handle.” She carried it upstairs to the apartment. Spreading out on the couch with a letter opener, she began the emotional process of going through them. She didn’t know what to do with them. There were a few from suppliers, more generic ones that were polite but not necessarily ones she felt strongly enough to save.

  Most were cards from customers and friends expressing their condolences with their names, and sometimes a short message.

  Then…

  Then there were the long personal notes, sometimes additional letters tucked into the card as well. She knew some of those would need personal responses. With those, as soon as she saw a block of writing, she tucked the card back into the envelope and put it aside to deal with later. The first one almost had her in tears, a long, sweet note from a reading customer of Julie’s who talked about how wonderful an impact Julie had on her life.

  I can’t deal with that right now.

  It was too much, too soon. She finally felt a little like she’d regained most of her emotional footing. She didn’t want to shake her soul up any more than necessary at this point.

  She heard the door to the stairwell open, followed by Sachi’s voice. “Boss?”

  She sniffled and sat back. “Yeah, it’s okay.”

  Sachi emerged from the stairwell, her serious-friend expression in attendance. She nodded at the crate. “Paige told me you brought it up here. You all right?”

  She let out a deep breath. “I guess.”

  “If you want to leave the rest for me to go through, I will.”

  “Yeah, but you’ve done so much already.”

  She shrugged. “That’s why I’m here.”

  “You could have warned me sooner, by the way.”

  Sachi didn’t need a map to follow her train of thought. She grinned. “I thought about it, but I didn’t have the heart to. You sounded like you were having too much fun.”

  “How many people heard?”

  “No customers, don’t worry. Just staff out by the counter.” She jammed her hands into the pockets of her slacks and approached the couch. “I think you need a vacation.”

  “Says the woman who won’t take a paid day off if I threatened her.”

  “I like what I do.” She knelt in front of Mandaline to pet Pers. “Just remember, those two are good for you. And you’re good for them.” She smiled. “And I don’t just mean good for their prostate health, either. You all were meant to be together. Enjoy it.” She stroked the dog’s head. “You know she’d want you to be happy.”

  “I know.” She hesitated, then packed away the cards she hadn’t opened, as well as the ones she couldn’t deal with yet.

  Sachi stood and held out her arms. “Gimme. I’ll take it and put it back down there. You need to do something fun this afternoon. Or at least non-sad.”

  They heard what sounded like a large truck behind the building. When Mandaline looked out the window, she saw a UPS truck backing up to the door.

  “Uh-oh.”

  “What?”

  “Tom backed in today.”

  Sachi laughed. “Guess we just got part of our replenishment order.”

  “Yeah.” The driver opened the back door and unloaded a dolly first. Then he started unloading box after box…after box.

  Mandaline headed for the stairs. “Putting away stock will help take my mind off things.”

  “But that’s not fun.” Sachi followed her down. “I can cancel skeet and stay and—”

  “No. You need time off to unwind.”

  “But I feel bad about this. Like I’m abandoning you.”

  “You’re not. Go have fun, and that’s an order. Hey, it means more stuff to sell so I can keep you gainfully employed and support your skeet habit.”

  “Oh, true. Well then, carry on, boss.”

  * * * *

  Ellis volunteered to cook dinner that night while Brad helped Mandaline and the others verify the huge shipment and begin the arduous task of entering
it all into the computer, pricing it, and putting it away. Finally, at closing time, they still only had a quarter of the shipment put away. Mandaline called it quits for the night and ordered everyone to go home and leave the rest for the next day.

  Upstairs, Ellis had timed things perfectly so that the roasted chicken and vegetables were done when they were.

  As Mandaline tiredly collapsed in her chair at the table, she stared at the layout. He’d set the table with real plates and silverware, and used serving dishes for everything, instead of paper plates and having everyone dip out of pots and pans. She felt touched that he’d taken the effort.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she and Julie had used something other than paper plates.

  “This is…this is really nice. Thank you.”

  He leaned in and kissed her before taking his seat. “You’re welcome.”

  Brad chimed in. “I’ll do the dishes, don’t worry. You two can go get started without me since I got first dibs earlier.” He smiled at her.

  She stared at him.

  He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She surveyed the table again. “I…” She sat back. “I guess,” she finally said after composing her thoughts, “I’m just trying to pound it through my thick head that this is all real. It doesn’t seem real. That something so wonderful, meaning you two, can happen on the heels of something so horrible. In my life that kind of stuff usually happens the other way around, something horrible happening after something really good got my hopes up.”

  After dinner, Ellis stood and held his hand out to her. “Come with me, m’lady.”

  She let him take her hand and help her up.

  Brad started clearing the table. “Try not to wear her out too much,” he joked. “I won’t be that long.”

  “Don’t worry. I plan on taking my time.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into his blue eyes.

  How’d I get so damn lucky?

  He led her into the bedroom, where he pulled her into his arms. “Tired of us yet?”

  She draped her arms around his neck. “Not even.”