Lex blows out a huge breath just as Michelle and Chloe come back.
“I’m going to tell them,” she smarts at Michelle. “But only because they’ve dragged it out of me.”
“Fine.” Michelle scoffs while pulling her hair up into a bun. Michelle is gorgeous with her deeply bronzed skin, her lips glowing a healthy shade of pink. “Tell them how you threw yourself at my husband. How you propositioned him. How you brainwashed him into thinking I wanted a three-way with you. Then tell them about the compromising position I found the two of you in and the fact I’ve contacted Olivia Harrison to represent me in the divorce because I am not tolerating your bullshit another second longer!” she bellows that last part out.
“Oh my God, Lexy!” I bark over at her. “Could you not control yourself?”
“I couldn’t help it,” she shouts right back. “I want me an Oliver, and God knows you and Chloe aren’t giving up the ones you’ve got.”
Chloe chuckles. “Now, now. Skyla’s got two gorgeous sons coming up in age. Soon enough, they’ll be the studs of Paragon every girl at West will want to ride.”
“Stop.” I kick up sand her way. She’s right, though. Nathan and Barron are as gorgeous as can be. Dare I say, their looks are just a tad more refined than that of their father. Take that, Gage Oliver. You needed my genes to take yours all the way to perfection. Not that he’s not perfect, but my mother found a way to improve upon it. “The boys are taken. I’ve got one for Charlie and one for Tobie.”
“Ew,” Chloe grunts. “They’re practically siblings.”
“They are cousins,” Laken muses.
“I don’t care. I like those girls. I’m the mother and I’ve spoken. I don’t want more trouble in my life.”
Laken chuckles. “You are delirious. Speaking of delirious.” She looks out at the waterline and I know she’s scouring the surface for Coop. “They sure have been gone an awful long—”
Before she can finish, a couple of pale, rather overdressed familiar faces land their chairs in our midst, Ezrina and Nev. I sigh as I see them. I’ve spent so much time trailing Ezrina in the lab these last few weeks, I feel as if I’ve grafted myself right into their family. And in turn Ezrina has been siphoning stem cells from me, from my bones, my skin, my blood. Every last part of my genetic material is needed to help fight the bastards who have gutted my people. And hopefully soon, we’ll hide the markers completely.
Lexy grunts, “Heathcliff, what in the hell are you wearing? Capris?”
“The sun shorts of my generation.” He pulls off his shirt and blinds us with his paper-white skin. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to affirm the fact the sea is still salty and wet.” He takes off as Ezrina plops beside me. Little Alice waddles out of her arms and busies herself with a bucket and shovel. Alice is just as much a fiery redhead as Ezrina is, was, and is again thanks to a box of hair dye.
Alice is the only child I know who can keep herself occupied for hours without uttering a single peep. And the way she follows her mother around the lab assures me she’ll take over one day soon.
“Ladies,” Ezrina grouses as she inspects us one by one. “Chloe.” Her head tips back and I sense trouble. “Have you heard the news?”
Chloe settles back in her seat with a thunk and twitches her inflated feet. “Yup. Lex is gunning to be the new Mrs. Liam Oliver. Where is the two-timing rat so I can drown him?”
“Not that news.” Ezrina slits her gaze my way. “Skyla has opted to have a home birth.” She bleeds a dark smile and my heart grows cold at the thought. Ezrina has mentioned it once in passing and I’ve since declined, but I see she’s motivated to taunt me with the idea.
“No, I’m not. I’m giving birth at the very same hospital that brought Nathan and Barron into this world. As much as I hate hospitals, they have all the right equipment to ensure a safe delivery—that and the fact a drug-fueled time is had by all, and when I say all, I mean me.”
Ezrina’s lips twitch. “I’ll give you the best quality medication I can provide. I’ll have you numb from the waist down as soon as your earliest request. You won’t feel a thing.”
“Ooh!” Bree waves a hand. “Count me in. I get to hold the shit net.”
“Nobody is holding the shit net.” I cringe at the memories of my mother giving birth in a tiny toy swimming pool set up in our living room. Of course, Demetri was there to greet his baby daughter with wide-open arms, devil’s horns, and a tail. “Ezrina, it sounds as if we got our wires crossed. I don’t want to have the baby in the Landon house, nor the lab.” I decide to cut her off at the pass in the event she wants to prop me up next to Gage’s floating head. By the way, that head belongs to me no matter how much baby Alice has taken a liking to it.
“What’s this?” Marshall pops up in our midst, dripping wet and shaking his hair out like a dog. Half our circle moans with delight. His abs are the things that dreams are made of. They were mine. But now that Logan and I enjoy a healthy sex life, I seem to have found the off button on the teacher-student porn session that spanned for years. “Ms. Messenger, feel free to give birth in my chambers. My bed will be ready when you are.”
I bite down on my lower lip, hoping that last sentence won’t sponsor another regularly scheduled coital collision later tonight.
“Hear that, Skyla?” Chloe manufactures a grin. “Mr. Dudley is volunteering to strap your limbs to his bedposts. It will be just like old times. I hear sex makes labor move along quicker. I’m sure he can help in that area, too.”
“Maybe you should get it from him?” The words eject from me faster than I can process them. “Rumor has it, you’re not getting it from Gage.” Bree hinted at it a few times and I can only pray it’s true.
Her eyes flit to Brielle just as Gage and Logan come up on us. The rest of the guys are treading behind them.
Gage casts those cobalt eyes to mine and they widen just a notch. Huh. I know that look on his face. He’s been caught red-handed—and I do mean red-handed. If he’s not giving it to Chloe, he’s putting Rosie Palm to the test. I bet he’s thinking about me. Wow, wouldn’t I love that. Repaying him torment for the torment he’s given me.
“What’s going on?” Logan sets his towel down and falls next to me. Logan is tan, olive skinned, and his eyes glow resplendent. Nobody has ever looked at me quite the way Logan does. Not even Gage. There is no hesitancy in his eyes. No wavering, guessing about our love. It’s just there, immovable as a boulder, forever implanted in both our hearts.
Lex leans forward, her tiny little boobs jutted out at Logan as if they were a snack just waiting to be devoured. “Skyla just agreed to have the baby at Dudley’s house. In his bedroom while he lashes her with his tongue.”
