She sent the message, then put her phone down on the duvet and grabbed the book she was reading from the nightstand and settled back into the pillows with a contented sigh. She figured she ought to make the most of having some time to herself—no doubt with three, maybe four men in her life, it would be scarce.
But then, would she actually see any more of Elias and Alex than she did now, either together or separately? Yes, Elias’s job was much more nine to five, so it would be possible to see him at weekends and maybe sometimes evenings during the week if she needed to go into London. Though, would people find it odd if they didn’t live together? Elias’s job was in London, hers was here. Granted, she could work remotely to a degree, but she liked to be hands on. Would people expect her to give up her job altogether, since she was marrying a wealthy man? Christ, she hadn’t even thought of that. She’d been so focussed on fulfilling the stipulations in her father’s will that it hadn’t occurred to her what Elias’s parents might think of their son getting married, then essentially carrying on the same way as he was now. And they didn’t know the half of it…
Then when it came to Alex… well, his working hours were impossible to predict. She had a sneaking suspicion that last minute arrangements with him would become the norm, that they would squeeze in time together around his work at the hospital. But perhaps that would even settle down as he became more established in his career. Or would it get worse, as his reputation grew and he was more sought after?
She let out a growl of frustration and slammed her book closed. “Let it go, Mia,” she muttered, “just let it go. It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks, or expects. As long as you and your men are happy with the way things are, it’s all good. After a while, everything will fall into place. And, honestly, as long as they all get to the wedding on time, what do schedules matter?”
As long as they all get to the wedding on time. She wasn’t sure where the thought had come from, but now she’d had it, it was flashing incessantly in the forefront of her mind. Although she’d thought about the wedding a lot, she hadn’t gone much beyond it happening—no consideration of where, when, how, or who would attend. But now she was considering it, it was blatantly obvious that, just as much as Gabrielle, Phoebe, and Lucia would be bridesmaids, Alex and Thomas, maybe even Arjun, would be ushers—providing they all agreed to it, of course. They were the obvious choices. Then there was the not-inconsiderable matter of who would be her maid of honour. And who would be Elias’s best man? He’d hardly mentioned his siblings, which was ridiculous in itself, but if he had a brother, would he be best man?
She shook her head. Unlikely. If Elias had a brother, but hadn’t mentioned him, that told her they weren’t particularly close. Whereas he and Alex were. So surely that made him the top candidate? But then would that make it weird—having to give a speech about Elias and Mia as though they were a typical couple?
Another thought barrelled into her head, unbidden, and made her stomach lurch.
Who the hell would give her away? She certainly wasn’t going to ask any of her uncles or cousins—she didn’t even like them enough to invite them to the wedding, never mind anything else.
Would it be strange to ask one of her male friends to do it? Would it make them uncomfortable? She wasn’t sure she was keen on the idea, either. But then nor did she cherish the thought of walking down the aisle on her own, not even knowing that, when she reached the other end, her four men would be there, waiting for her—if everything worked out, that was.
Ugh. The more she considered it, the more eloping appealed. To hell with the consequences.
Realising she’d dropped down the rabbit hole of what-ifs yet again—God, this seemed to be a regular feature of her life just lately—she shook her head hard and tried to turn her mind to something else. Anything else. But her brain stubbornly hung on to an image of her men lined up at the front of a church, all looking incredibly smart in matching tuxedos.
All looking incredibly sexy.
Mia closed her eyes. The image remained, but the church, and their clothes, had disappeared. They were now lined up at the end of her bed, gloriously naked and erect. Four gorgeous men, all so different, and four delicious, hard cocks. All for her.
Recognising the inevitable, Mia groped around in the direction of her bedside table and switched off the lamp. Then she slipped her right hand under the duvet and sought out the waistband of her pyjamas. Once there, she dipped beneath the material, reached down, and cupped her rapidly-awakening pussy. She continued drinking in the sight of the men in her mind, thoroughly enjoying herself. A squeeze of her crotch caused her to let out a little gasp as the action sent bolts of intense pleasure zinging through her body. An unexpected giggle escaped her, sounding high-pitched and slightly hysterical even to her own ears. What the hell was going on? She had multiple boyfriends, lovers, whatever, and not one of them was here, leaving her to daydream about them while she touched herself.
Fuck that. I’ve got my imagination, they’re here in spirit.
Focusing on the foursome in her mind, she bade them touch themselves, as she continued to squeeze her pussy, which grew slicker by the second. Eight strong hands began to explore masculine bodies, some hard, others a little softer; some pale, some darker. Mia gulped at the idea of exploring them for herself—all at once. Would it ever happen? How would it work? One cock in her pussy, one in her arse, one in her mouth, and one in her hand. God, if that was the principle then technically speaking she could manage a fifth! It was pornographic.
She moaned as juices seeped out onto her palm, then bent two fingers and pushed them deep inside, gasping at the sensation both in her pussy, and on her fingers. She was hot, wet, and tight. Her clit throbbed, and she ground the heel of her hand against it as she began pumping her digits.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, she finger fucked herself with increasing speed as the men in her imagination wrapped their fingers around their own erections and stroked them. The vision was lewd, obscene, and Mia loved it—it provided perfect fodder for her to get off to. And get off she would. She added a third finger to her soaking snatch and shifted her left hand to her clit, enabling her to stimulate it more accurately as she masturbated her way towards climax.
With the erotic images continuing to play out in her mind, it didn’t take long. The men shuffled up close to the bed, some even clambering onto the mattress, surrounding her and wanking themselves off over her. She worked her own hands faster and harder still, carrying on through the tightening of her abdomen and the tingles between her legs, stopping only when her orgasm burst through her, leaving her writhing on the bed and calling out into the quiet house.
The images in her imagination had sadly disappeared the moment her climax had taken hold, but as she wriggled down beneath the covers in a blissful post-orgasmic haze, she grinned widely to herself at the thought that she had four men so fucking sexy that they didn’t even need to be in the room—hell, they didn’t even need to be in the county—to make her come.
With that thoroughly satisfying thought in mind, Mia allowed sleep to claim her.
Chapter Fourteen
The day had lasted at least a week, but finally, Elias and Alex were here. Mia had just buzzed them through the gate and they were, at that very second in time, motoring up her driveway. Butterflies whizzed madly around her tummy, and she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet, suddenly understanding what Tigger felt like. She hurried out to the hallway and checked her reflection in the mirror that hung there. She looked fine—hardly a surprise since all she’d done since styling her hair and applying her makeup was walk down the stairs, lay the table in the kitchen and begin preparing a simple meal—and she took a deep breath before heading to the door. She wanted to open it and watch them approach, greet them on the doorstep, but it was way too cold for that. She’d just have to be patient, hang on a few seconds more, until they knocked.
When they did, she didn’t even bother to pretend she hadn’t been wait
ing right next to the door. She flung it open, a broad grin on her face, to find two handsome guys standing there, wearing expressions much like hers. “Hello, you two!”
“Hi, Mia,” they chorused. They both wore jeans and shirts—Elias must have popped up to his apartment to change before they left—as well as casual jackets against the winter chill. Elias clutched a bottle of wine, and Alex what looked like a huge box of chocolates.
“Come in, come in! Get out of the cold.”
They did so, and she closed the door before turning to them, still smiling.
Elias kissed her cheek, then held up the bottle. “We decided to divide and conquer. I brought wine…”
“And I brought chocolates,” Alex finished, leaning in to press a kiss to her other cheek. “I would have brought flowers, too, but figured there’s only so much room on your desk, huh? They still going okay?”
Mia nodded, a warm sensation seeping through her at how bloody adorable the two of them were. She’d tell them some other time what her true feelings on flowers were. “They sure are. I’ve been giving them some TLC every day. Thank you, guys, that’s wonderful. Come through to the kitchen. I’ve got a pasta dish ready to go—I hope that’s okay with you? Since it’s getting late, I didn’t want anything that would take too long to cook.”
They murmured assent as the three of them made their way into the kitchen, where Mia took the wine and chocolates and placed them on the worktop. “Take a seat,” she threw over her shoulder as she busied herself with putting the pasta on to boil. “I’ll just get this on, then I’ll pour the wine.”
Alex’s voice came from so close behind her that she jumped, almost spilling the water out of the saucepan as her hand nudged the handle. “Let me help. Oops, sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump.”
She glanced at him, his proximity sending more warmth coursing through her veins. He had on some kind of spicy scent, and looked just as good as he smelled, albeit a little tired, no doubt due to his recent workload. “It’s all right. No harm done. Glasses are in there.” She pointed to the relevant cupboard, then a drawer. “Bottle opener’s in there.” Then she returned her attention to her task. “So, how have you been? It feels like forever since I saw you last.”
“Tell me about it,” he groaned. “Work has just been insane. I mean, hospitals are always busier this time of year, because of flu season, but that doesn’t affect theatre and surgery. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, of course. If it makes you feel any better, I haven’t seen anyone that I don’t work with, not even him.” Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him jerk his thumb towards where Elias was looking around the farmhouse-style kitchen. “My mother won’t be at all impressed if she finds out I was given some time off and didn’t go directly home. I’m heading there on Monday,” he added, “so hopefully she won’t ever find out.”
Mia tipped the jarful of carbonara sauce into another pan and set it on the hob, then turned to watch as Alex skilfully opened the wine and poured three glasses. She took the one he handed her. “Thank you.” Shifting her attention across the room, she added, “And thank you, Elias, for bringing it.”
He smiled, then strode over to collect his drink from Alex. “You’re welcome, darling. Least I could do, since you’re hosting.” His smile dimmed when his gaze flickered to her left hand, which was holding the glass, and noted the absence of the ring. She gave him a meaningful look and patted the right-hand pocket of her jeans, causing him to give a tiny nod of understanding.
“Mmm,” she said, having taken a sip. “Nice choice—this is delicious. I look forward to enjoying the rest of it with my dinner. Alex, could you pop it on the table for me, please? I need to be ready to stir this sauce once I start heating it, otherwise it’ll burn.” She put the glass down.
“Of course.” He did as she’d asked, then said, “Mia, where is the nearest bathroom, please?”
She told him. As soon as he’d left the kitchen, she looked over at Elias, who stood off to her side, a few paces away. “Don’t worry,” she said quietly, in case Alex was still in earshot, “it’s safely in my pocket, ready to be put back where it belongs the moment we’ve told him.” She kept the fact that it had been sitting in the safe all week until she’d retrieved it not half an hour earlier to herself. No point upsetting or antagonising him, especially not since she’d managed to mollify Betty by promising to introduce her to Elias as soon as possible. She needed him on side in order to get her housekeeper back on side. The older woman hadn’t mentioned the scene with Thomas again, so Mia wasn’t sure if Betty believed her or not, or suspected there was more to what had happened than Mia had let on, but unless Betty mentioned it again, Mia had decided not to bring it up.
“Good,” Elias replied, reaching out and taking her left hand. He brushed his thumb lightly over the bare skin of her ring finger, leaving tingles in his wake. “It looks so good there. Beautiful, just like you.”
He leaned in and gave her the briefest of kisses, then immediately returned to capture her lips with a groan, as though he couldn’t resist her. If she was honest with herself, she couldn’t resist him, either. The pasta momentarily forgotten, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily, pressing her body tightly against his.
She was only vaguely aware of approaching footsteps. “Oi, oi,” came Alex’s voice, “get a room, you two!”
He chuckled when they broke apart, then strode towards the table, where he’d left his own wine next to Mia’s. He took a sip before returning the glass to the table. Elias flicked the ‘v’ to his friend, and Mia just smiled and turned back to the hob, where she saw the pasta was far enough along that she could start heating up the carbonara. She switched on the second burner, then grabbed a wooden spoon and began stirring the creamy sauce. “Hey,” she said to Elias, “do you need to use the bathroom, too? This will be ready in a few minutes, so if you do, I’d go now.”
With a mock salute and a cheeky grin, Elias left the room. His footsteps echoed in the hallway before gradually dying out.
“Alex?” she said, looking over her shoulder. “Would you be able to grab the colander for me, please? On the hook just there.” She pointed.
He complied wordlessly, then brought it over and placed it on the worktop beside her. Leaning in, he sniffed. “Mmm… smells delicious.” He met her eyes. “Food smells all right, too.”
She swapped the wooden spoon to her left hand and used her right to swipe at him. “Very funny.”
“I like to think so. Humour is supposed to be a great way to get women into bed.”
Quirking an eyebrow at him, she shot back, “You usually have problems in that department, do you? You know, what with being so ugly, dull, unintelligent and all?”
“Touché. Also, just to be clear, I’m no longer looking to get women into bed. Just one woman.”
“Oh yeah?” she said casually, suppressing a smirk as she switched the spoon back to her dominant hand and continued stirring the sauce. “And who might that be, then? Anyone I know?”
Alex let out a peal of laughter and slapped his hand down on the work surface, causing the colander to rattle. “God, Mia, I’d almost forgotten how funny you are.”
Turning her head so she could meet his eyes, she said, “Well, humour is supposed to be a great way to get men into bed, too.”
“Well it clearly works for you, since there’s two of us!”
Yeah, that’s what you think… She chuckled, but it sounded lame, even to her own ears, and she hoped Alex hadn’t noticed. A glance back at the hob told her that dinner was imminent, giving her the perfect excuse to change the subject. “Excuse me, please, Alex. This is almost ready to be served—I just need to get the plates.” She’d put them towards the back of the hob to soak up the residual heat, so once Alex had moved away, she grabbed each of them in turn and put them on the work surface, ready to be loaded up with food. She glanced over at Alex. “Go take a seat, hon.”
When he hesitated, she flashed him a war
m smile and wafted a hand at the table. “I can manage. But thank you for being so sweet. Go on now, you’re my guests. Ah, and here’s Elias.” As the other man entered the room, she turned her smile on him. “Dinner’s coming right up, Elias, so go sit down, please.”
“Do you—”
“I already asked if she needed any help, mate, and she’s insisting we’re her guests and have got to sit down,” Alex put in as he sat down.
“Ah, yes,” Elias said, walking over and joining his friend at the table. “She gets bossy at times, remember?”
Both men laughed, but Mia shook her head and ignored them, concentrating instead on plating up the meal. As she poured the sauce over each of the mounds of pasta, her stomach rumbled, making her smile. It did smell delicious, and she normally ate much earlier than this, so she was definitely ready for it.
And afterwards, she reminded herself, it was time to talk. Ugh—yet another serious conversation. She was getting incredibly fed up of them, especially this week. But, she supposed, with each one that was crossed off her mental to-do list, she grew closer to not having to have them anymore. At least not when it came to her personal life. Serious conversations and sensible decisions would always be a part of her working life—it was one of the few downsides to being the boss.
She carried the men’s plates over to the table and placed them down to murmurs of thanks, then returned for her own. Once she was seated, she smiled at each of them in turn, then picked up her cutlery. “No need to stand on ceremony, gentlemen—dig in! I just hope it tastes as good as it smells.”
“I’m sure it will, Mia,” Elias said, reaching for his knife and fork. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Mmm,” Alex said around a mouthful, drawing Mia’s attention. He swallowed, then smiled broadly. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, sweetheart, it’s bloody delicious. It’s the first proper homecooked meal I’ve had in ages, and I can’t think of anything better to break that unpleasant streak.”