Authors: Marla Monroe
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Gray met Clint at the bottom of the stairs.
“Was she in the tub?” Gray asked.
“Nope, she took a shower. Said she was too dirty to get in the tub to soak. I got her in it now, though.”
“Good. I have the sandwiches ready to make. I want her to relax some tonight. Did you get the bed ready?”
“Yeah, I put the towels down and have the lotion by the bed. She’s going to love being pampered.” Clint walked into the kitchen and poured a glass of tea.
“Well, she’s got a lot of work ahead of her between our stuff and Lacy’s house. I’m sure she won’t have much time for relaxing after this for a while.
“I found some prints of one of those wild-looking dogs not far from the garden while I was out checking the area,” Clint said. “Looked just like the ones in the book.”
“Damn. I was hoping we wouldn’t see anything around here. I suppose that was too much to ask for.” Gray leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms.
“It’s the first sign of any wildlife we’ve found so far.”
“True. I was still hoping we wouldn’t run into anything.”
They discussed the various creatures that had been seen around the area, and Gray once again decided to warn Elissa to stay in the yard and not to venture out anywhere. But not tonight. Tonight was all about her relaxing. He’d warn her tomorrow when they were on the way over to Cam and Phillip’s house.
“Has it been thirty minutes yet?” Gray asked.
Clint looked at his watch. “Yeah, close enough.”
“Let’s go get her out of the tub and start on her massage.”
Clint followed Gray up the stairs to the bedroom. Gray gestured for Clint to go on to the bed to get ready. He would get Elissa out of the tub and dry her off. He just hoped he could restrain himself from attacking her in the process. He was harder than a rock. His cock was pressed tight against the zipper of his jeans.
When he walked in the bathroom, it was to find Elissa almost totally submerged in the water with only her face exposed. He smiled. He knew she might not hear him with her ears underwater, so he knelt by the tub and quickly slipped his arm beneath her neck so she wouldn’t startle and drown.
She started and would have sunk deeper without his arm there. She screeched.
“You scared me to death.”
Gray helped her to sit up. “I kept you from drowning. I knew you wouldn’t hear me if I said anything without yelling.”
“Is it time to get out?” she asked with a frown.
He chuckled. “Yeah. I came to get you out and dry you off.”
He helped her stand up then step out of the tub. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her hair, then nabbed another one to dry her body. He gently patted her free of water, wanting instead to lick her wet body. His cock stirred painfully against the zipper of his jeans.
Once he had her mostly dry, he unwrapped the towel on her hair and rubbed it until most of the water was out.
“Want me to dry it with the hair dryer for you?” he asked.
“I can do it.” She grabbed it and turned it on. Gray watched her run the brush through her hair as she waved the dryer back and forth over it. Once it looked mostly dry, Gray took it from her and turned it off.
“That’s enough. Come on. We’ve got a treat for you.” Gray pulled her out of the bathroom into the bedroom and steered her toward the bed. “Climb up and lie on the towels on your stomach.”
“What’s going on?” she asked in a cautious voice.
“We’re going to give you a massage,” Clint told her from the other side of the bed.
“You don’t have to do that. The bath was really great.”
“We want to. Now climb up,” Gray insisted.
Elissa sighed and climbed up on the bed and lay on the towels as Gray had directed. She turned her head toward Gray and watched him as he poured some lotion in his hand before handing the bottle over her to Clint. He rubbed it in his hands before starting on her arms and massaging the lotion into her skin. He worked one arm as Clint massaged the other one. He enjoyed the feel of her skin in his hands. They moved down her arm to her shoulders next. Gray took her shoulders while Clint massaged her lower back.
He was careful not to dig too deeply as he manipulated her shoulders with his hands. He wanted to massage out any tension without making her sore. Once he was done there, they stopped to add more lotion. They moved to her buttocks then her legs. Each one rubbed the lotion into her skin all the way down them. They had her lie there for several seconds to let the lotion dry.
“Okay, turn over,” Gray told her.
She turned over with a relaxed expression on her face. He smiled. This was what he hoped to see. Once she was on her back, they started over with first her arms, then down to her shoulders, and on to her neck. They each took a breast and took extra time massaging in the lotion there. Her nipples peaked. Gray grinned over at Clint. She was turned on. He wondered if they would find her wet.
He massaged her upper abdomen as Clint took her lower abdomen. They spread her legs some and began on her thighs. Gray couldn’t help taking a peek. Sure enough her pussy was wet with her honey. Clint grinned across at him. He could tell his friend wanted to taste her. He shook his head. They were relaxing her, not stirring her up.
They finished her legs and feet, and Gray told her to lie still again while she dried. He watched her breathing to be sure it was slow and easy. He was pleased to see that it was. She might even fall asleep. That would be good, but then they would have to wake her up to eat.
After a minute, he decided she was dry enough to put on one of their overly large T-shirts to eat in. He decided at the last minute to let her wear panties so she wouldn’t have to sit on a cold chair.
“Okay, baby. Let’s get you dressed to eat dinner.”
“Hmmm, thanks, you two. That was wonderful. I’m ready for bed. I think I’ll skip dinner tonight,” she said in a soft voice.
“No you don’t,” Gray told her. “You need to eat.” He helped her sit up then scoot across the bed to the edge. “Sit here and I’ll bring you some clothes.
He procured the T-shirt and a pair of her panties. When he took them to her she frowned at him.
“Is that all you got? Where are my jeans?
“You don’t need them just to eat dinner. We’ll go to bed right afterwards. Come on, the T-shirt will cover you down to your knees.
She capitulated and pulled on her panties then raised her arms as Gray slipped the extra-large T-shirt over her head. It did come to her knees. Gray decided it was perfect, and she was perfect in it.
Chapter Six
Early the next morning, the three of them set out across the field to meet their neighbors and the guys’ bosses. Elissa was nervous about meeting Lacy, but excited, too. She hoped she could handle whatever it was she would need to do for the other woman. The men had assured her she would be fine, but they didn’t know her that well yet, either.
They made it across the field and walked up to the door. Gray knocked, and it was opened almost immediately by Cam.
“Hey, come on in. We just finished eating. Lacy is in the living room with her feet up.”
They walked in, and Cam introduced them to Phillip.
“Good to meet you all. Come on, Elissa. I’ll introduce you to Lacy.”
Elissa followed Phillip after looking at Gray and Clint. They urged her on. She would have felt better if they had been along with her.
“Lacy, here is Elissa. Elissa, my wife, Lacy.” He kissed Lacy’s forehead and patted her on the shoulder before leaving them together.
“Come on it, Elissa. Sorry, but I’m just too fat and tired to get up. I feel like a tugboat marooned on an island.”
“You’re really not that big to be due next week.” Elissa had seen much larger women who weren’t as far along as Lacy was.
“Thanks. Have a seat. Let’s get acquainted. I’ve been here a little over a year now and I’m looking forward to having another woman around. The men can be overwhelming sometimes. Plus, they’re overly protective.”
“I’m sure they mean well.”
“Oh, they do. Still, it gets exasperating sometimes. So tell me about yourself.”
“Oh, well, there’s not much to tell. I really hadn’t planned to come to Alpha, but they sort of talked me into it.” She winced. “It seems I’m highly fertile, according to their tests. Did they do a lot of testing on you before you came?”
“No, just an initial exam and blood work. Why?”
“Things have changed. They test everyone, and all fertile women live in the underground bunkers. Then they test you constantly to be sure you don’t develop Shear’s disease while you’re there.”
“Goodness. Things have changed.” Lacy shifted on the couch.
“Do you need help?” Elissa asked.
“No, there is no getting comfortable.” She chuckled. “I just manage the best I can. I can’t wait for this little rug rat to be born.”
“I know you’re excited.”
Lacy smiled, but then it faltered. “I’m scared, if you want to know the truth about it. I don’t know the first thing about babies, and all the books on the planet won’t prepare me.”
“I understand, but between the six of us, we should be able to handle it. I know your husbands will lend a hand.” Elissa figured she felt about the same way Lacy did.
“Look, why don’t you go up and look at my nursery. I can’t get off this couch or Phillip will have my ass. It’s the second door on the left. Tell me what you think about it.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back down.” Elissa didn’t really want to wander around their house, but she wouldn’t say no for anything. Lacy seemed overly emotional right then.
She climbed the stairs and found the second door on the left. She opened it and stepped into a land of dreams. There were clouds painted on the ceiling with a sun in the corner. There were trees and animals walking around the walls with all the baby furniture imaginable. She ran her hand over a rocking chair and smiled. Lacy had everything she needed.
After checking out the baby clothes in the chest of drawers, she hurried back downstairs to let Lacy know it was a beautiful room.
“I love it, Lacy. Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”
“No. We decided we didn’t want to know. As long as it is healthy, we’re all happy.”
“Well, whatever it turns out to be, it has the world’s best nursery. I love the clothes. I had to peek.”
“Aren’t they adorable?” Lacy grinned. “The guys couldn’t stand it until we got some. I said we needed to wait to see if it was a boy or girl, but they decided to get yellows and greens for now.”
“Well, they are so cute.”
“So, how are you doing settling in? Did you get your garden planted yet?” Lacy rubbed her belly.
“Yes, it’s all planted. I wanted to ask if I needed to come plant yours next.”
“Thanks for thinking of that, but the guys planted it last week. I will need help with keeping it watered and the grass out. I know it’s going to be hard for you to take care of both of them, but I really would appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’ll do yours one day and mine one day. It will all work out. My husbands are going to work the fields so that both of yours can go with you to have the baby,” Elissa assured her.
“Cam and Phillip are really relieved you all came. They’ve been worried about it for months now. They were afraid there wouldn’t be anyone on the next shuttle that had experience in farming.”