Their Treasured Bride (Bridgewater Ménage 4)

"I'm glad you are here to keep me company," Laurel told Rebecca as she opened her front door and pulled her into an hug made slightly awkward by the size of her belly. Rebecca stood there stiff and surprised by the spontaneous affection. Laurel stepped back and Brody came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I would have come to your house, but it seems I am not allowed to go outside in this weather." She rolled her eyes at us and it was good for her that Brody couldna see it.

"We have the luxury of remaining inside and staying warm as the men go out in the cold finding lost cows," Rebecca told her. "I think we have the better arrangement."

God bless her diplomacy, for while Laurel wanted to go out and wrangle the cattle all on her own, Brody and Mason wanted to tie her to their bed to ensure nothing happened to her or their baby while they were gone. Rebecca was skilled at soothing the woman who was eager for freedom. When Brody silently mouthed 'thank you' from over her shoulder, I knew bringing Rebecca was a wise choice.

Mason came into the entryway, shrugging into his coat. "You're sure you're feeling all right? No pains?"

Laurel shook her head and shooed the men out the door with motions of her hands.

"Then Rebecca will have you take a nap before lunch, then feet up for the rest of the day," he ordered.

Laurel nodded and it was obvious she hadna actually agreed with her husband.

"Shall we go?" I asked, for it would be noon before we pulled Mason and Brody away at this rate.

"Quinn is at the stables today tending to the lame horse. Porter and two others are nearby as well," Dash added. "Say goodbye, gentlemen."

I kissed Rebecca on the head, and patted the pocket where I'd tucked the larger sized plug. We'd wanted to fill her arse with it first thing, but having it inside her while visiting was too long, so we had her put it in the pocket of her dress. We wanted her to feel the hard wood and be reminded of it, to think about what it was for and that we would insert it when we returned.

I went out into the cold, lifting my collar up around my neck, Dash following soon after. We stood there as we heard Mason and Brody saying their goodbyes. "A month to go?" I murmured to Dash. "They'll surely kill each other before the babe is born."

Dash chuckled as we unhitched our horses.

REBECCA

"What shall we do?" I asked, unsure what one did with a very pregnant woman. Cards? Embroidery?

I followed her into the kitchen, where she plucked a muffin from a basket on the table before carefully lowering herself into a chair. She offered me the basket and I took it from her.

"Eat," she replied, breaking off a piece of the muffin and stuffing it into her mouth in a most unladylike fashion. "I'm always hungry these days." She chewed, then asked with her mouth full, "You can't be anything but fastidious, can you?"

I put my muffin down on the table, took a cloth napkin from a pile at the center of the table and wiped my fingers. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm the one who lived at a boarding school just like you, remember? I'm the one whose father had no interest in me until it suited his purposes. I had the older man wanting to marry me solely because I was young and would do whatever perverted things he wanted."

We did have quite a bit in common, even while being raised on different continents. "I doubt the man who was to marry me would want to do anything immodest," I countered, thinking of the earl. "He wanted an heir."

She eyed me like I had two heads. "How was he going to go about getting that heir if you were modest?"

"Under the covers and in the dark." I frowned at the thought of the earl touching me, but then my mind shifted to Connor and Dash. "Do you think...? Never mind."

"Oh no," Olivia said around a mouthful of muffin. "Out with it."

I glanced up at her through my lashes as I picked at my muffin. "Do you think I'm immodest?"

"Do you think I am?" she countered.

I ate a bite of muffin to give myself a moment.

"You were yesterday in the pantry," I said finally.

Instead of being embarrassed, she had a dreamy look come over her face. "Oh, yes."

"It doesn't bother you?"

/> She frowned. "It used to, but no longer."

"Is what Connor and Dash do with me...normal?"