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  Tilly blinked away tears that had taken her by surprise. “Imagine that,” she tried to snark. “Sir Fussypants is paternal.”

  He gently caught her chin and tilted her face up to his. His green eyes bore a serious intent she hadn’t seen there since his last round of cancer treatments.

  “Love,” he softly said. “She’s our baby, for now. I never said I was against being parental. It simply wasn’t an option before now. Give me this chance, please?”

  Now she really felt like a shit. “Sorry.”

  He kissed her. “I know your emotions are all out of sorts right now. Understandable.” He reached for the baby and Tilly handed her over. “Now, show me the proper way to change our little toxic waste zone.” He smiled.

  Tilly smacked herself in the head. “That’s what I meant to get. One of those diaper disposal things.”

  “Shall I have Cris pick one up on his way home? He’s going to rent a car after work.”

  “No, that’s okay. We have extra plastic grocery bags. We can tie the dirty diapers up in those and throw them away for now. I want him home and here for the visit.” She got Landry everything he’d need to change the baby, spreading the changing mat out on the sofa for him. “So what happened today? What are the details?”

  He went through the day, step-by-step, as she supervised him changing the baby. By the time he had the onesie snapped up again and the job finished, he’d completed his story.

  “You already paid the fees, then, I take it?” she asked.

  He held the baby in his arms. “The print-out is on the counter. Now, how do I prepare her bottle?”

  Tilly showed him, including using the supplement prescribed by the doctor. A few minutes later, he was seated on the couch again, a burp rag over his shoulder, the baby happily feeding in his arms, eagerly slurping down the bottle’s contents.

  Tilly pulled out her phone, snapped a few pictures, and even took video.

  He smiled. “This amuses you greatly, doesn’t it?”

  “Uh, yeah.” She fought the urge to break down in tears again. “Not something I ever thought I’d see.” She watched him for a moment. “What do you think the chances are of her going back to jail?”

  “I honestly don’t know. I suppose if the probation officer was going to revoke her probation, she would have done so before now. I’m guessing that coming here for a home visit is a good thing.”

  “True.” Tilly hated that she felt a twinge of disappointment over that logic.

  This wasn’t like her. No, she didn’t want Katie to be separated from her mom.

  But Tilly damn sure didn’t want the baby growing up with someone not capable of taking good care of her, either.

  Someone who couldn’t even protect herself, much less a baby.

  * * * *

  Cris willed the traffic to move faster, even though he knew that was an exercise in futility on a masochistic level.

  This was LA, not Florida. Even if he could get off the freeway, the secondary roads were just as clogged this time of day.

  Landry had filled him in about Sofia and the impending probation officer visit.

  He didn’t have a good feeling about it.

  When he arrived home, Tilly already had dinner going. Sofia sat in the living room with Landry, who was holding the baby.

  Sofia looked barely vertical.

  He walked into the kitchen to greet Tilly. “How is she?” he whispered.

  “Sofia?”

  He nodded.

  She shrugged and pointed. “That’s pretty much been how she’s been since she got up from her nap.”

  “She looks like hell.”

  “So would you.”

  “Good point.” He went to change clothes and returned to the living room to talk to Sofia. They had nearly two hours still before the scheduled visit. Just as he was about to say something, the doorbell rang.

  Shit. They were really early.

  “That’s probably the deliverymen with the crib,” Tilly said.

  “Crib?”

  “Yeah, you know. A bed for a baby?”

  “Oh.” He went to open it. Sure enough, it was the deliverymen.

  Once the box and mattress were deposited in the spare bedroom, he returned to the living room and started to talk to Sofia when the doorbell rang, again.

  Tilly stuck her head around the corner, wearing a frown. “I don’t know who that is.”

  Cris went to answer it and found three women—one of them a uniformed police officer—standing there.

  The woman in front held up an official ID. “Carnie Nerzino. I’m here to do a home inspection. This is Louisa Gonzalez from Child Protective Services.”

  Cris stepped aside. “Please, come in.”

  He didn’t miss how the woman was already looking around, even as he closed the door behind the three of them.

  “I know I said eight, but I prefer to do a surprise inspection. It was also easier for Ms. Gonzalez to make it now rather than later.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “And you are?”

  “Cris Guerrero. I’m Sofia’s cousin.”

  She consulted a file folder in her hand. “Yes, you were listed as a contact.” She spotted Landry. “Mr. LaCroux.”

  Tilly emerged from the kitchen. “Hi. I’m Landry’s wife, Tilly.”

  “You two are the baby’s legal guardians now?”

  “Yes,” Landry said, handing the baby off to Tilly and retrieving a file folder of his own from the counter. He handed it, and another sheet of paper, to the probation officer. “All three of us, actually. And there’s the receipt from paying her delinquent probation fees earlier today.”

  She glanced through it, handed the folder off to Louisa Gonzalez, who scanned it, then returned everything to Landry.

  Louisa Gonzalez turned to Tilly. “Can I see where the baby’s things are?”

  “Sure. The crib literally just arrived a few minutes ago, so we have to assemble it. The baby slept in our room last night in a portable crib.” Tilly handed the baby off to Cris before she led the woman down the hall toward the bedrooms, leaving Cris and Landry in the living room with Sofia.

  Sofia still didn’t stand, sitting there staring at her hands, which were twined in her lap.

  “Unfortunately,” Carnie Nerzino said, “I’m going to have to take Sofia into custody. When I looked into the circumstances of her previous living situation, combined with her own admissions as to what happened, I cannot overlook it. She put her baby in jeopardy, and she was affiliating with not just one, but multiple known felons. A judge is going to have to hear her case. I’m ordering her remanded until the judge can hear the circumstances and rule on it. Plus, she’s wanted for questioning as a material witness in Monroe Cord’s arrest.”

  Sofia nodded and slowly stood.

  Cris’ stomach hit the floor. “Isn’t there anything we can do? Post bond? Something?”

  “No. There’s no bond in a probation revocation case like this. She’ll go before a judge within two weeks and he’ll decide her case disposition.”

  “No offense,” Landry said in a tone Cris could tell meant he was reining himself in, “but then why do the home visit at all? Why bring the CPS officer?”

  “Because I wanted to be able to swear that the baby was safe. This will be a point in her favor when she’s in front of the judge. I will be happy to testify on Sofia’s behalf that it looks like her baby is safe and in capable hands. Unfortunately, her choice in living arrangements before now and her multiple violations of her probation mean I can’t give her any leeway. I did ask my superiors for their opinion before coming here, and they said she should be brought in.”

  “It’s okay,” Sofia said to Cris. “I knew the risk.”

  “I’m sorry, Fi,” he said, feeling helpless and heartsick. “We’ll talk to Dale Waters and see what he can do.”

  “I’ll ask that she get fast-tracked,” Nerzino said. “Hopefully we can get a hearing before a judge next week. But i
f the state attorney’s office asks for her to continue to be held as a material witness, that’s likely going to overrule anything I say.”

  The police officer frisked Sofia, then let her hold Katie one last time. Sofia kissed the baby’s forehead. “Love you, KC. Be a good girl.” She handed her back to Cris. “I know you’ll take good care of her. Thank you. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Fi. Always. You know that.”

  The officer cuffed Sofia’s hands behind her. When Tilly emerged a few minutes later, following the CPS investigator, she pulled up short.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’ll fill you in shortly, love,” Landry said in a tone Cris hoped Tilly would recognize as the “don’t ask questions” tone. Cris handed the baby over to her, hoping that would keep Tilly’s ferocity in check.

  Nerzino turned to the CPS investigator. “Well?”

  “I don’t see any problem leaving the baby in their care. They have a valid guardianship order, and this appears to be a perfectly acceptable home. They’ve got another appointment with the pediatrician next week, but the baby seems to be in good health.”

  Nerzino scribbled a case number on a business card and handed it to Landry. “You can have her attorney contact me here.”

  And in less than five minutes, they were gone.

  Tilly stood there, shock on her face, the baby tucked against her shoulder. “That’s it? We just let them walk out of here with her?”

  “Not anything we can do, love,” Landry said, his tone sounding resigned as he retrieved his cell phone. “I warned you this was a likely scenario.”

  “Yeah, but I thought with the home visit—”

  “It was just to buy her time to get her supervisor to weigh in so she didn’t feel guilty about it,” Cris said. “And to make sure they didn’t have to take the baby.” He turned to Tilly. “She’d probably planned to revoke Sofia’s parole as soon as she heard about Monroe. Legally, Sofia violated her probation. Multiple times.”

  Landry stepped into their master bedroom and shut the door for his talk with the attorney. Tilly headed for the kitchen, but Cris stopped her. “Sit down. I’ll finish dinner.”

  He hated that she looked so conflicted. It didn’t take a mind reader. Tilly wanted Sofia to be able to raise Katie…and she wanted to be the one to raise her.

  Hell, it mirrored his own conflict. If Sofia couldn’t get her life together before now, who was to say she’d get it together enough to take care of a baby?

  Tilly sat on the couch while he finished preparing dinner. By the time it was ready, Landry had emerged from the bedroom.

  “Dale assured me he’ll follow up in the morning,” he said. “Perhaps he can talk the judge into releasing her and reinstating her probation. It depends on what the state attorney wants to do with her.”

  “What do you mean, wants to do with her?” Tilly asked.

  “Dale did some more research. Monroe and his brother are claiming Sofia helped them sell drugs. Named her as an accomplice.”

  “Dammit,” Cris muttered.

  “I don’t think she did,” Tilly said.

  “Neither do I,” Landry agreed, “but there’s nothing we can do about it tonight except continue with our lives.”

  “And we have a crib to assemble,” Cris said.

  There was a whole bunch of stuff they had to unwrap and put away that Tilly had neatly stacked in the office earlier. “We’ll need to get some furniture for in there, too. A dresser and stuff.”

  “We might be moving her into the other bedroom,” Landry said.

  “Well, let’s wait on that. Not like she’ll be up and walking around and trying to suck on electrical cords in the next couple of weeks.”

  “Giving her Sofia’s room isn’t jinxing anything,” Cris told her.

  She glared at him. “Quit reading my mind. It’s spooky when you guys do that.”

  The men smiled. “We’re Doms,” Cris said. “It’s kind of our thing.”

  Chapter Eleven

  That night when they went to bed, Landry had plans for them to keep their minds off the latest developments.

  More specifically, plans for Tilly.

  With the baby monitor turned up to full volume on the bedside table, and with Tilly and Cris both wearing their leather collars, Landry issued his instructions.

  “I’m in the mood for a sandwich tonight,” Landry teased, smacking Tilly on the ass with his hand. “Someone is going to get double-stuffed.”

  He wasn’t sure he had the physical or emotional energy to full-on scene with them tonight. But he did have enough energy to fuck Tilly’s beautiful brains out.

  Pulling her into his arms, he headed for the bed while he nibbled on the side of her neck.

  Then he switched to French, her Kryptonite. “Who is going to be a very good girl for us tonight?”

  “Me, Sir.”

  From her tone of voice, he could already tell she was dropping hard and fast.

  Perfect. “Yes, you are.” He backed against the bed and sat, putting him at the perfect height to engulf her left nipple with his mouth.

  Cris pulled her wrists behind her as Landry teased her, moving back and forth between her breasts, sucking and nipping at her nipples and pulling soft, needy moans from her. When he reached between her legs and stroked her clit, she tried to rock her hips against his finger as he slid it along her silky folds.

  His own cock had fully hardened, aching and ready for a little action. He missed them when they weren’t home, and even having only one of them still wasn’t the same.

  He’d admit it. He was greedy. He loved having both of them there, loving him and each other, four hands and two mouths to double the pleasure they brought him, and each other.

  No way would he apologize, ever, for how things worked out in the end. He would always carry regrets about the way it had to happen, that Cris had left her, but that was years behind them now. Cris had not only proven himself to Tilly, but to her friends, overcoming their initial hatred of him at Tilly’s behest.

  He knew Cris was kissing the nape of her neck and along her shoulders as he kept her wrists pinned behind her. She loved losing control to them, being helpless and restrained as they relentlessly pleasured her.

  Landry reached up, grabbed her hair, and guided her down onto her knees. Behind her, Cris followed, still restraining her.

  Cradling her head in his hands, Landry pulled her delicious mouth onto his cock. She eagerly sucked, her soft, happy moans a tantalizing vibration all the way through to his balls.

  “That’s our good girl. You’ll get me nice and hard, and then get Sir’s cock nice and hard, and then we’ll fill you with those two cocks and fuck all the stress out of you.”

  She whimpered but her mouth worked harder, faster, sucking more.

  Before she accidentally made him come, he pulled her off his cock and motioned for Cris to move. Cris stood again, and they turned her around on her knees, Landry now in control of her wrists as Cris grabbed her head and slowly fucked her mouth.

  “Such a beautiful girl you are,” Landry whispered in her ear. “My beautiful, cherished girl.”

  One thing that was theirs alone, and he never did with her in front of Cris, was the comforting Daddy/girl dynamic she sometimes needed. Something he’d accidentally stumbled upon in their early days together, and something and he never abused or pressed. When they were alone, and she needed it, she always let him know. Either by asking for it, or by her actions.

  That was another reason he was fine with Cris and Tilly having certain things that were theirs alone. Just like he and Cris had a few things reserved for their alone time.

  Mostly because Landry worried how Tilly might view them if she was privy to those times, when he would pull Cris viciously fast and deep into subspace in what might appear to someone who didn’t know better to be a brutally cruel and cold-hearted way. To use him, hard, mercilessly, leaving Cris happily spent and sated afterward.

  In a way t
hat would make their cuckolding of Cris on their wedding night look like a fluffy basket of kittens bathed in unicorn farts by comparison.

  And he already knew how Tilly felt about that night, that it was something she didn’t want to repeat, especially now that she and Cris had mended fences.

  Cris finally pulled his cock from her mouth, having to hold her off to keep her from going after him again. Working together, they got her standing and up onto the bed. Landry stretched out on his back and pointed at his cock.

  Landry pointed. “I want you right here.”

  She eagerly impaled herself on him. Once his cock was buried all the way to the root in her hot, wet pussy, he grabbed her hair again and forced her to remain still.

  Didn’t hurt that he kissed her, too.

  Cris grabbed the lube and a condom and started prepping her for a nice, hard ass fucking.

  She was trying to fuck Landry, but he reached his free arm around her and held her in place. “Build up a nice, hard orgasm for me, love,” he whispered. “Hold onto it. I shall let you come soon enough, but for now, I want that sweet pussy and ass to wait until they’re full of our cocks before you come.”

  She whined, still trying to grind her clit against his body, but he didn’t loosen his grip on her.

  Once she and Cris had started rebuilding their relationship, Landry had set to work reinforcing her older sexual trigger cues, the same ones Landry had set in Cris during their first time together.

  There was something deliciously devilish about being able to talk her into an orgasm in the middle of the grocery store.

  Which he’d done twice, so far.

  Each time she’d playfully called him an evil bastard after, but she hadn’t safeworded during.

  Landry spread his legs, forcing hers wider apart so Cris would have more room as he moved into position behind her. Then he felt the delicious sensation of Cris’ cock breaching her ass, her loud moan as he slowly started making progress, and Landry found he was having a hard time holding back.

  “Hold it, love,” Landry warned through gritted teeth. “Do not come yet.”

  She was nearly mindless with need, now speaking French, too, as she begged for relief, for permission to come.