Blackjack and poker were her two games of choice when it came to gambling and Cole and Lucas bankrolled her willingly. She had to admit to a decadent thrill to have two gorgeous men hover at her sides, watching over her while she played. She drew looks of envy from women and undisguised interest from males.
They spoiled her shamelessly, getting her drinks, making sure she was comfortable, her every whim satisfied. But the nights when they were back in their suite, alone, sheltered from the world, were her favorites. Those were the times they demanded her obedience, showered her with love and gave her all she needed and more.
In the elevator, rushing down to the casino level floor, she nestled closer to Cole’s side, enjoying his scent and the natural warmth that radiated from his body. He curled his arm around her waist just as the door opened and she exited, flanked by both men.
They walked through the busy crowds, past blackjack, roulette, baccarat, pai gow and craps tables. One arm was linked through Lucas’s while she held Cole’s hand on her other side. Cole scowled when one man who’d obviously had too much to drink teetered too close into Ren’s path.
Once they reached the exit, they ushered her to a waiting limousine where the driver stood holding the back door open for them to duck in.
Ren settled back, content to await whatever the night held for her.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of Lucas’s nightclub that was just a block off the strip. The car pulled to the very front and Ren frowned to see the parking lot completely empty save for a few other limousines.
The door opened and Cole got out and reached back to help Ren. Lucas climbed out behind them and then tucked Ren’s hand into his.
She glanced sharply up at Lucas because she could swear the man was nervous. His grip was too tight and his whole body language was tense like he was uneasy.
She glanced over at Cole, trying to get some clue as to what was up, but he looked similarly unsettled.
And then the doors to his club swung open. Two men, dressed formally in dark suits, held the doors open as Cole and Lucas started forward again, bearing her with them.
When she stepped inside, she gasped. It was Lucas’s club, but then it wasn’t. It had been completely and utterly transformed into something she couldn’t quite describe. Magical. Fairy tale. Something straight out of a book. And then she realized it was out of a book. Her book.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “Oh my God!”
She took another step. And another. Shaking off their hands, moving further into the wonder before her.
It was her garden. The magical place she’d created within the pages of her story. The place her characters—and she—had retreated to. A place of comfort and refuge.
It was her drawing come to life.
There was an honest to goodness koi pond to the right with a fountain spilling water over its sides. Flowers. Flowering vines. Stone benches. A beautiful flowering archway.
“How?” she whispered. She turned round and round, staring up at the ceiling where it gave the appearance of a beautiful sky just after sunrise. “How on earth did you do this?”
Cole and Lucas stood smiling, their eyes bright with excitement as they watched her. It was only then she realized they weren’t alone. She turned again, suddenly taking in that there were many people here. People she knew.
Damon and Serena, their baby daughter nestled on Serena’s hip. Micah and Angelina, their daughter held securely in Micah’s arms. Other friends she’d gone on to make in the year she’d been with Cole. Connor and his wife, Lyric Jones, the famous pop star. Nathan Tucker and his wife, Julie. Gray Montgomery and his wife, Faith. And Pop. Surrogate dad to them all.
The management team from Lucas’s Houston club. His employees here at the Vegas club. Two people from his Dallas club.
And they were all looking at her, smiling, excited.
She sensed this moment was huge, but she couldn’t make her mind work beyond the shock of the setting and the crowd of people assembled. She turned again in bewilderment, seeking out Cole and Lucas who were now mere feet away, their expressions serious.
They both reached for her hands, simply holding out theirs. She didn’t hesitate, sliding her fingers over their palms.
Lucas cleared his throat, and again he looked nervous. It was odd to see him appear anything but self-assured and in complete control. Cole looked little better.
“Ren, we—Cole and I—brought you here tonight because it was important to us to have a symbolic ceremony that binds us together. We brought our friends here, not only to witness our binding but to celebrate our union and our love for you.”
Cole squeezed her hand and took over as Lucas went silent. “We love you. We want you to marry us and of course the only way to legally do so would be for you to marry one of us. We don’t want that. We want you to marry us both. We don’t give a damn about society, legalities or what anyone thinks. We want a wedding. We want one hell of a reception to celebrate our marriage and we don’t give a damn if we don’t have a piece of paper that declares it all legal and binding. All we care about is that you pledge yourself to us and that we pledge our lives to you. That we’ll promise to love, cherish and take care of you for the rest of our lives. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or knows or accepts. It only matters to us that we know and that you know how much we love you and are committed to you.”
Her heart pounded furiously. She battled tears, biting her lip to keep from ruining the moment by bawling like a baby. Her nose burned. Her eyes burned.
Then before she could respond, they both slowly went to one knee, each holding one of her hands. Cole reached into his pocket and pulled out a glittering diamond ring. Lucas took out a platinum band with three intertwined ropes.
“Marry us, Ren darling,” Cole whispered.
Lucas found her gaze and stared intently into her eyes. “Marry us tonight. Right here in front of the people we care most about. Let’s throw one hell of a party to celebrate your marriage to two men who love you more than it’s humanly possibly to love anyone else.”
No longer able to control herself she rushed forward, nearly tripping as she threw her arms around them both. They caught her against them, ensuring she didn’t fall.
“Yes,” she whispered fiercely. “Yes!”
They held on to her as tightly as she held on to them. She buried her face in Lucas’s neck, trying to compose herself but she shook uncontrollably.
When she was finally able to pull away, she still shook. Shook so badly she couldn’t get to her feet without their help. They slowly rose, holding tightly to her and they held her between them. Safe. Protective. Always a shield. Constant.
She wiped her face, not caring if it messed up her mascara or smudged her eye shadow. To Lucas and Cole she was perfect. The rest of the world? Didn’t matter.
An older man pushed forward to stand just underneath the floral arch. He smiled at Lucas and motioned them forward.
“This is Father Hillman,” Lucas said in a low voice. “He’s a good and loyal friend of many years. When I explained our situation, he was more than happy to perform the ceremony so that we are joined in God’s eyes as well as ours. All we lack is paper, Ren. Just paper.”
She turned, love shining in her eyes. “We lack nothing, Lucas. We never will.”
She stepped to the priest, her hands tightly in the grips of Lucas and Cole. She glanced between them, love overwhelming her, welling from so deep that she couldn’t contain it. She didn’t want to. Now more than ever she wanted them to be able to see, never to doubt, how very much she loved them. How much she trusted them and that she embraced their lives together with no reservations.
She pulled their hands until she held them both in front of her, clasped tightly to her heart. Then she smiled and nodded at the priest.
“Dearly beloved …”