WITH EVERY MILE the RV heads south, I feel the joy and warmth of the McNeill’s welcome fading as anxiety creeps in.
The hugs, smiles, and casual acceptance Lori and William extended to me, and to Michael and Nathan, are not going to be present with my parents. The conversation I had on the phone with them where I explained I was bringing not one, but three, boyfriends home for Christmas went over exactly as I’d expected. They were absolutely stunned.
My parents aren’t heavy communicators anyway, and they certainly don’t yell, but their silence is painful. On that call there was a whole lot of dead air. Like the kind where you actually think your connection has dropped because there’s just… nothing.
Crew is driving the RV and Nathan is sitting in the passenger seat next to him because he doesn’t trust Crew driving. They’re talking hockey, with lots of phrases being thrown around that I don’t understand as a newbie hockey fan. It’s me and Michael in the back, watching It’s a Wonderful Life on his laptop, his arm around me.
“Hey,” he says softly as the movie ends. “What’s going on?”
“Hmm?” I look up at him. His dark brown eyes are filled with concern. I lean into his chest and breathe in Michael’s scent. He always smells like leather and books and sandalwood. It never fails to both calm me down and turn me on.
He strokes the back of his palm down my cheek. “You’re getting more and more tense by the minute, and you’ve sighed about fifteen times. Are you nervous about seeing your parents?”
Of course, Michael is tuned into my emotions. He always seems to know how I’m feeling. I pull back a little so I can see him better, biting my lip. “Yes. I’m starting to think this was a mistake. Not even Nathan’s enormous poinsettia is going to make up for the fact that instead of bringing one guy home, I’m bringing three. I don’t think my parents even knew that could be a possibility. I have officially blown their minds and not in a good way.”
“Are you afraid they’re judging you or that they won’t want a relationship with you anymore?”
“Both.” I almost choke on the word. “Not that they said anything like that, but they just didn’t say anything at all.”
“Yet they agreed we could visit.”
I nod, but he doesn’t understand. My parents would agree to a potluck with Satan rather than risk being seen as rude.
Michael sets his laptop down on the table and turns to face me more directly. He studies me. “I’m worried about you. Your face is all flushed and your shoulders are up to your ears.”
He tries to rub my shoulders and I realize he’s right. They’re locked.
“I just…”
I don’t finish the sentence because I’m not sure what I even want to say. I feel like I can’t breathe.
“Crew,” Michael calls out. “Can you find a rest stop or an exit to pull over?”
“Bathroom break already?” Crew asks. “Can’t you hold it? I worked really hard on letting all the speed demons pass and not allowing myself to get boxed in by semi trucks. I found a sweet spot, and I’m making good time in this bad boy right now.”
“It can’t wait,” Michael says firmly. “Dani’s upset.”
“What’s wrong?” Nathan asks, his head whipping around.
I shake my head, my throat tight. “I don’t think visiting my parents is a good idea. They didn’t react well to our relationship at all. We probably should get a hotel tonight.”
“Why would we get a hotel when we have this awesome RV to sleep in,” Crew jokes, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. His eyes display concern his casual tone doesn’t convey. He’s already exiting the highway.
Nathan is up and out of his seat, striding to the bench and taking the seat beside me opposite of Michael. “Danielle, why didn’t you tell us you were worried? I don’t like that you’ve been bottling all this up.” He takes my hand. “You can tell us anything, sweetheart.”
Taking a deep breath, I try to relax my shoulders while I try to find the words to convey how I’m feeling. “I know that. I do. But I’m hurt and embarrassed, and I didn’t want any of you to feel bad about that. But avoiding the problem makes me feel like I just set you all up accidentally to be in the most awkward Christmas Eve dinner ever.” I groan, closing my eyes briefly.
“Literally fifty percent of my Christmas Eve dinners have been awkward,” Nathan says. “Maybe sixty. Don’t worry about me. I can handle angry parents. I’m a pretentious asshole, remember?” He gives me a smile and brushes my lips with a kiss.
The RV turns into a parking lot of a fast-food restaurant and Crew puts it in park.
“You’re not an asshole,” I tell him. “Quite the opposite. And my parents weren’t angry. They were just… silent. Like they didn’t say anything at all. They acted like I never told them.”
“So, they’ll be polite but disapproving,” Michael guesses.
“Exactly.”
“No mother disapproves of me,” Crew says as he unbuckles his seat belt and strolls down the aisle. “I told you. Moms dig me.”
I want to believe him. “You are pretty charming,” I tell him. “Especially when you’re trying to get what you want.”
He leans on the table in front of us and reaches out to tuck my hair behind my ear. “Which is you. That’s what I want for Christmas, and I don’t mind if your parents don’t welcome us with open arms. I’m good at filling the silence.”
“You definitely are,” Nathan says wryly.
That makes me chuckle softly in spite of my nerves.
They’re already making me feel better. My throat doesn’t feel like it’s being squeezed by a boa constrictor.
“I deal with people in awkward situations all the time,” Michael says. “Players who don’t want to hear they’re on the bench, social media, team owners who think they have a medical degree and know when a player should be on the ice.” He side-eyes Nathan.
Nathan ignores that. “Exactly. I’ve kissed ass with charitable donors, I’ve negotiated with hostile coaches, and I’ve had to explain about my grandfather’s prognosis over and fucking over. Silence can be dealt with.”
“I promise there won’t be any silence,” Crew says with a wink.
“They didn’t forbid us to visit, so maybe they just need to see us all together to wrap their heads around our relationship,” Michael suggests. “We’ll make the best of it, Cookie.”
God, these guys. They take such good care of me. In their very different ways. Michael is calm and soothing, Crew always makes me laugh, and Nathan’s confidence reassures me every single time.
“I love you so much,” I say, glancing between all three as tears well up in my eyes. “I’m the luckiest girl ever.”
They all chime in with a chorus of “I love yous” and each man gives me a kiss.
My toes curl. “Maybe we should get a hotel anyway,” I suggest, tilting my head flirtatiously. “Last night was so long ago.”
“Your turn to drive, Nate,” Crew says, tossing him the keys before dropping down on his knees in front of me. “I know the perfect stress reliever, Dani.” He eases my knees apart.
I shiver, eager to be pleasured, eager to be distracted. “What is it?” I ask teasingly, even as I ease my skirt up my thighs, exposing my pussy for his view. Since the RV can act as a home, Crew put forth, and the guys all agreed, that the no panties at home rule applies here.
Nathan curses, but he stalks to the front and gets in the driver’s seat as Crew starts to kiss the inside of my thighs. “You’d better hope I don’t hit a pothole, McNeill.”
Crew flicks his tongue over my clit before easing into my tight channel.
I groan as he strokes in and out. Michael takes my chin and turns me toward him for a deep, lingering kiss that mimics Crew’s tongue in my pussy. I’m suddenly on fire.
The RV rumbles to life and the motion of the vehicle only adds to the sensation of spiraling out from my core, both men penetrating me with their tongues, until I’m flying. The orgasm sweeps over me, and I shudder into Michael’s mouth, fingers in Crew’s long hair with a white-knuckle grip.
I tremble before my whole body goes slack with relief, and I sink into Michael’s arms.
“Better?” he murmurs as he nuzzles my ear.
I nod. “Much.”
Crew pulls back and wipes his mouth, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.
But then he tries to stand up right as we turn out of the parking lot. I reach out to stop him when it’s clear he’s going to hit his head. “Crew, wa—
It’s too late. He cracks his head on the underside of the table.
“Fuck!”
“Are you okay?” I bend down, reaching out to massage his skull and check for injuries.
He shakes his head like a dog after a swim. “I’m fine. I’ve been hit a lot harder than that.” He crawls out from under the table.
“Is he okay?” I ask Michael, needing a physician’s reassurance.
“He’s fine.” But he looks toward the front of the RV. “Though maybe that turn was taken a little too hard, Armstrong.”
“I’m getting used to this beast,” Nathan says. “There’s a learning curve.”
Our whole relationship has a learning curve. I need to remember that. There is for the four of us. We’re all still learning how to maneuver this dynamic, so of course there will be questions and concerns for my parents as well. But they love me and want the best for me, so hopefully this will turn out better than I’m expecting.
And if not, we may be sleeping in the RV tonight because it’s probably too late to find a hotel anywhere given it’s Christmas Eve and we’re in rural Indiana.
Knowing my guys, they’ll make even that special. The RV is already bursting with poinsettias and presents, and the colorful string of holiday lights Crew hung.
Nathan has even turned on Christmas music.
“Let me make you a Christmas cocktail,” Michael says, getting up and heading to the kitchenette.
Michael makes great craft cocktails. He’s as creative in the kitchen as he is in bed.
“Something with cinnamon,” he adds. “And whipped cream.” He tosses me a sensual smile.
Oh, yeah. Everything is going to be very merry tonight. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life and these guys are the reason.
“I would love lots and lots of whipped cream, thank you.”
“That’s our good girl,” Crew says, bending over to kiss me hard. “Good girls get lots of presents, Dani. Keep that in mind when I tell you to get on your knees and suck my cock later.”
“Why wait until later?”
