his eye every time he looks at you.”
Dakota bit her bottom lip but couldn’t stop the grin.
“Oh, Mom…” She met her mother’s gentle brown gaze. “I’ve wanted to tell you. I just didn’t know how.”
“It’s the playful one, isn’t it? Gunnar? He seems your type.”
Dakota shook her head, and her throat was so tight, her answer came out as little more than a hoarse croak.
“It’s both.”
Her mother stared at her, her brow slightly furrowed. She raised her beer and took a longer drink this time, watching Dakota over the top of it. When she finally set the bottle down, she nodded slowly, spread her hands over the wooden countertop and let out a long, slow breath. It was the kind of reaction she used to have when Dakota was a teenager and dropped some bombshell, like when she’d come home at seventeen and asked her mom what she thought about her going on birth control.
The question was, would Mom stay calm or explode like she had when Dakota told her she wanted to be an ad executive instead of going to college to become a doctor or nurse or lawyer.
“What, exactly, do you mean by
Her mom’s voice was way too calm. “I love them both.”
“Do they know this?”
Dakota nodded.
“And the ring?” she pointed to Dakota’s finger.
Dakota leaned over the island and fingered the strands. “Them. Me.”
“What— Wait a second.” She turned away, then back, a look of total confusion on her face. “Which one of those older gentlemen is their father?”
She’d wondered how long until one of her parents picked up on the fact they were both called “Dad” by the seven adult children. Dakota shrugged. “Both.”
Her mother’s lips twitched slightly then broke into a grin, and she laughed. She laughed so hard tears came to her eyes, and she swiped at them with the back of her hand. “Oh, wow,” she said when she calmed, but her smile stayed in place. “So it’s a family thing, huh?”
Mary shook her head, showing her disbelief.
“Polygamy is illegal, you know.”
“That’s why there won’t be any official marriage.
Nothing filed with the state.” She placed her hand over her heart. “But it’s in here, and it’s forever.”
Her mother’s expression softened. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I love them, Mom, and they love me.”
“I can’t say I expected
Dakota laughed and hugged her mom. “I’m
Heidi has told me horror stories.”
Her mom laughed and pulled back, still holding Dakota by the shoulders. “Okay, sweetie. If you’re this sure, then you have my blessing. I’m not saying I won’t worry a little. I will, so you’ll just have to accept that. And I think I’ll wait until we’re back in Boulder before I tell your father, okay?”
A giddy giggle slipped out of Dakota as relief flowed through her. “Please!”
“Everything okay in here?” Axel asked as he and Gunnar came through the door.
Dakota grinned. Mary let go of her and walked up to the men. They stood a good foot taller than her petite mother, but it was obvious who held the power right then. Her big, strapping lovers looked as scared as she’d felt all day.
“My daughter tells me I have two sons-in-law instead of one.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they answered in unison.
Dakota tried not to giggle at their worried expressions. She couldn’t see her mother’s face, but she had no doubt it was the same look she’d given Dakota just minutes before.
“You two going to take care of her? Treat her right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said again.
“And you both love her?”
Axel said, “With all our hearts, ma’am.” Gunnar nodded and placed his hand over his heart.
“Then I suppose you should call me Mom instead of ma’am. And knowing my daughter, it’ll probably take both of you to keep her in line.”
“Mom!” Dakota said in mock outrage, but she doubted her mother noticed, since her big, brawny lovers were taking turns hugging Mary and laughing.
Her mom would convince her dad everything was good, and maybe she could get them to come visit for Christmas to see her new home.
Warmth filled her to brimming as she watched her men tease her mom about how unruly her daughter was, regaling half made-up stories about her, talking over one another.
She walked up to the trio and was immediately brought into the group when Axel put his arm around her and tucked her against his side. She’d never been happier in her life.
Thank God they hadn’t accepted no for an answer when she’d first walked away.
About the Authors
Anna Leigh has been reading and penning romances for as long as she can remember. After she met and married her very own real-life hero, romance took on a whole new meaning. She now knows married life can sizzle, and romance can be erotic—even in her own home.
Madison Layle avoided her childhood chores on the family farm by curling up with books and disappearing into other worlds of fantasy, adventure and romance.
With maturity came the love of her own real-life hero (aka “my darling hubby”), and a real understanding of why her parents locked their bedroom door.
Madison and Anna Leigh write erotic romance both as a team and individually. They’ve consistently been on bestseller’s lists with their coauthored books and have won numerous awards together, including the 2009 EPPIE Award for Erotic Romance and the 2007, 2008 and 2010 Lories Best Published in Erotic Romance Awards.
The pair first met online through a critique group, a meeting which sparked a strong friendship and a fun partnership. Together, their writing has taken on a spicier flavor, so while their hubbies are off at work, they let their imaginations soar...
Visit them anytime at any of their online haunts: www.pumanights.com www.madisonlayle.com www.annaleighkeaton.com Or “Unleash Your Darkest Desires” by joining http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/desires_unleashed.
