Chasing His Brother's Bride
Chasing His Brother’s Bride – Chapter 54

Saturday morning Jolie felt the bed dip as Malik was slipping out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” she whispered quietly.

He turned back to look over his shoulder. “Gotta hit the gym.”

She looked over and noted Brix’s side of the bed already empty. “Brix is already down in the gym?”

“Yes.”

“It’s Saturday,” she protested, pouting.

He chuckled and looked at her, “do you want cuddles?”

She nodded and held her arms out and he crawled back into the bed under the blankets drawing her close. “We don’t get a lot of time alone, you and I.”

“True,” he pulled her into his arms and rested her against his chest. He began playing with her hair and she snuggled into him.

“Can I ask you something?” she whispered as he stroked her back softly.

“You can ask anything you like,” he answered.

“Why did you want to do this? Brix, I understand why he married me. He’s a control freak and he knew in his head nobody would protect me the way he could. I’m grateful and I’m happy but I guess I don’t understand why you wanted this. You could have any woman you wanted and not have to share a wife. Why?”

He was quiet for a minute and then he spoke quietly. “I have a multitude of reasons.” He admitted and adjusted them so he could see her face. “One, I replace you incredibly attractive. Physically you turn me on. Your body is banging, babe.”

She giggled when he squeezed her butt. “And?”

“Two, you represent something I didn’t think I would ever get.”

“What is that?”

“A family.”

His words made her frown, “what do you mean?”

“I told you before I shoot blanks,” he said with his typical jokester tone. “I got sick in college. Mumps. In this day and age, I got mumps. Was in the hospital because the infection went right through my body and my testicles were the size of baseballs.”

“Really?” she knew her eyes were wide at his comment.

“Yeah. The doctors told me then I would likely never have kids. I had a girlfriend at the time. We were engaged actually.”

“You were engaged? Really?”

“Yeah. The thing is she was from a big Catholic family and she had a ton of siblings and she herself wanted a big family and I was fine with it. When the doctor told me I would likely be sterile after the mumps she called off the wedding. It was a hard line for her to not have kids.”

“Really? She left you because you couldn’t have children?”

“It hurt.” He admitted quietly. “Brix wanted to put a hit on her or at least a damn good beating but it wasn’t her fault and it’s not how our family operates. She knew what she wanted and I would have rather cut her loose to replace what she wanted than to live with a woman who resented me forever.”

“Malik,” she sat up partway and cupped his cheeks, “she sounds like a bitch.”

“Jolie,” he protested but she put her finger on his lips.

“I get she wanted a big family but there are other ways to have children than biologically. Fostering, adoption, surrogacy. There are so many different ways. You deserve to be loved for the great man you are, not for whether or not you have swimmers.”

He smiled at her, “and this is the other reason why I wanted this. Jolie, you have such a beautiful heart. You make me believe, despite all the darkness of this world, there can be light. You make me feel happy being in the same room as you. I can’t get you out of my head. Do you know how many times a day Brix or I ask each other what we think you might be doing? We are obsessed with you and how good you are.”

She smiled at his compliment.

“Jolie, I knew how strong you were from the minute we met and I was attracted to you as a person. I would have pursued you on my own but I can’t give Pia siblings and a woman with a heart like yours should be surrounded by babies. You’re such a good momma to her despite not being able to cook,” he caught her hand as she slapped playfully at him and kissed her fingers. “Sharing you with Brix lets me have the family I would never get otherwise. If you would have said you didn’t want this, I would have backed off Jolie and simply been an uncle to Pia but sweetheart, I really am grateful you accepted me too.”

“I am glad too,” she crawled up his chest and kissed his lips softly. “I’m sorry you were hurt in the past.”

“Don’t be. Retribution always comes around.” He smiled as he stared into her eyes. “My sister still keeps in contact with her and she had insisted the man she married had a physical and confirmed he could have kids. She was so desperate for it. They were married three years before he left her because she never got pregnant. Turned out she has her own fertility problems. She asked Sonya for my number. She had it in her head since we were both sterile, I’d take her back. Sonya told her to f**k off.”

“I’m glad Sonya told her off.”

“Speaking of Sonya, she wants to come next week for a visit. I told Brix I’d run it by you. She has a bunch of kids. She wants them to meet their cousin.”

“She won’t care we are a poly trio?”

“She actually said she was excited to meet the woman who can put us both in our places.”

She smiled, “I’d like for her to come. Pia would love to have cousins to play with and I’m sure with Elio and Rosa around they’ll be spoiled.”

“They’re already spoiled. Also, my sister is a bit much. My parents died when we were kids and we moved in with Elio. While we were in school, we all lived on an estate, not in the Cacciola Tower. We had nannies and Elio kept us away from Chiara, who usually stayed at the tower. Brix stayed with us every other week but he was over through the week when he was supposed to be with his mom. Sonya was raised like me and Brix and she is tough. Even though we have a rule about the girls not being part of the business, she knew how to defend herself, fire a weapon and hold her own. She was really one of the boys, mostly because Elio didn’t know how to treat her otherwise.”

She giggled, “you’re saying she’s a female version of you?”

“No. I have better manners. She and her kids are heathens.”

“Well, I look forward to them coming.”

“I’ll let her know.” He stared into her eyes. “You are incredible, Jolie. Every day I fall a little more in love with you.”

She blinked at his words, “oh.”

He chuckled at her surprise and he rolled her over onto her back and rested his elbows on either side of her head, pinning her with his torso. “Don’t look so shocked, Jolie. Did you doubt I love you?”

“I,” she blinked back tears, “I guess it never dawned on me you could love me.”

“I love you, Jolie.” He gently pressed his lips to hers.

She couldn’t look away from his gaze, “I love you too, Malik.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

“Am I interrupting?” Brix’s voice carried into the room.

Jolie and Malik both looked at him and Jolie immediately noted his cool expression. She smiled warmly at him and patted the bed, “I convinced Malik to stay for cuddles. Come cuddle.”

“We’re supposed to be in the gym. I thought he overslept.”

“Brix, come to bed,” she wriggled her fingers. “Please?”

He pushed off the door frame and came in and sat on the bed. She could tell he was pouting and she knew why. She hadn’t shared her feelings with him outright yet either. He had walked in on her and Malik declaring their feelings.

“Malik was telling me about the b***h from college. You should have ignored him and put the hit on her.”

He chuckled at her words, breaking his irritated expression, “is this so?”

“It is.”

“Our wife is overprotective, Brix.” Malik commented as he looked at Brix’s sour gaze. Jolie could tell he could read the man’s face as well. Jealous boob.

“No,” she frowned and then shrugged. “Maybe over the people I love.” Brix started to get up and she yanked him back. “Don’t go. I didn’t get k****s this morning. You bailed out of bed.”

He frowned at her, “Jolie, you have a Monday to Friday job but my job is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I can’t afford to not train. It’s part of keeping my family safe.”

She made big eyes at him. “And I appreciate very much how you train.” She looked over his bare torso, “so very much. But despite all this beautiful physical stuff, once in a while, I want cuddles with the men I love and you both bail out of bed at ungodly hours. You have to give me my cuddles and the emotional connections I need.”

“Well, Malik is here.”

“But I want you both.” She hissed, “dude!” as he tried to get off the bed.

“Did you just dude me?” he lifted an eyebrow at her.

“Yes. You’re not hearing me you jealous oaf.”

“Jealous?”

“Yes. You heard me tell Malik I loved him and you got pissy.” At his raised eyebrows she continued, “but you didn’t hear what I said.”

“Yes, I did.”

“What did I say?”

Malik was sniggering at the way Jolie was giving it to Brix. Her own lips were twisting.

“You said you need the emotional connection from cuddling.”

“I said I wanted cuddles with the men I love. Men. Not man. Men. I love you, Brix. You both know this because you listen to my conversations all the time with Opal and Keely and you listened in when I told Macey off. Why do you doubt me? I don’t expect you to love me too, Brix but I need you to know I love you.” Her words were quietly spoken but had she shouted them from the rooftops they couldn’t have been clearer.

He closed his eyes as a hint of red coated his cheeks. “Move over,” he shoved Malik and crawled onto the bed. He touched her face softly and stared at her where she was curled onto Malik’s bicep. “You love me, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Hm.” He shook his head and looked to Malik. “She doesn’t miss a beat. We’re f****d, aren’t we?”

“Hopelessly.” Malik chuckled.

He looked back to Jolie and pressed a k**s to her forehead. “I love you too, beautiful. Never doubt how much I love you. You’re right. I overheard you both in here making declarations and it bugged me. Almost as much as if he were making love to you without me. I am not ready for that to happen yet either. It’s why I came upstairs.”

She reached her hands up and touched both of their cheeks, “I love you both. So much. I never want to be without either of you.”

“You never have to.”

“We need new rules though.”

“Do we?” Malik questioned her demanding tone.

“Yes. I need one morning a week with my husbands for me to reassure me for my emotional wellbeing please.” She held both of their gazes, “if you’re going to be working every Saturday and running out of bed at five in the morning then Sundays, you owe me cuddles until at least seven and preferably until eight.”

“Yes ma’am,” Brix chuckled at her directorial tone.

“Also,” she was feeling smug now, “I want a date night once a week. Pia eats at Nonno’s multiple times a week. There is no reason she can’t stay a night there while we have date night.”

Malik tickled her ribs, “you’re getting bossy.”

“Anything else?” Brix questioned brushing her hair off her forehead.

“I know we have an amazing s****l connection but I really want to build our emotional connections, please.” She took a breath, “I want one-on-one time with you both. Not sexually but to learn about each other. It shouldn’t have taken me an entire month to know why Malik was ready to jump into a ready-made family. We have loads of s*x but we need to talk more. You’ve both said until death do us part and I need this to be something we all work on. When I am having one-on-one time getting to know you, each of you can take time to have one-on-one time with our daughter. Pia needs you both.”

“We can do this, love.” Brix promised. He looked to Malik, “but you need to get up and get downstairs. We have a lot to do today. Tomorrow we can lay in bed but today we do have to get a move on.”

“Fine,” she grunted her displeasure, “can I at least be kissed good morning?”

“Yes, but keep your hands where we can see them, seductress.” Brix laughed at her as he leaned over her and kissed her softly. “Love you, Jolie.” He stroked her cheek.

Malik leaned over and kissed her mouth, “I love you, sweetheart. Stay in bed until Pia comes and wakes you. You need the rest after the workout we gave you last night.”

She nodded with a smile on her face. She waved her fingers between them.

“What?”

“I want to hear you tell each other you love each other.”

“Um, no.” Brix protested immediately as Malik’s snort echoed the man’s words.

“I don’t expect you to be kissing and making out. I mean let’s be honest, even when we’re piled up in this bed, I rarely see your mouths connect but I want you to be more emotionally connected.”

“Sweetheart, you realize we kill people together. If we are all soft and mushy with each other, it might kill the terror our enemies have for us.” Brix mocked her.

She held their gazes and didn’t back down. “Say it.” When they both lifted their eyebrows at her she grunted, “is this what our sons will be like. Incapable of expressing their emotions?”

Brix grinned, “sons?”

“I’m not having babies with men who are incapable of expressing themselves to each other.”

Brix rolled her so she was sandwiched between them, laying atop her while she was pressed against Malik. “You want a son?”

“Malik made a good point earlier. I’m a good mom to Pia. I definitely think we should have more. Also, the little madam needs to be taken down a peg. A sibling will help slow her reign of terror. I caught your father and Rosa having a conversation about whether or not the family would have it’s first Dona. She’s ruling the men in this house with a fist full of stuffy toys.”

Brix laughed at her words, “yeah, yeah, she’s ruthless. I want to talk about baby making.”

Malik chuckled from behind her. “We both had a huge conversation earlier this week about how you would look pregnant. I think he’s been beating off to it.”

“I have been,” he didn’t deny it.

“I have bad menstrual cycles though. For every month I’m not pregnant, I demand you both take care of me.”

“Do you know what the best cure for cramps are?” Malik questioned her from behind his shaft growing rigid against her backside. “O*****s, sweetheart. Plenty of o*****s.”

“I don’t want to know how you know this but wouldn’t it get messy?” both men chuckled at her question and she grunted. “Right. Both of you are mobsters who make messes all the time.”

“A little b***d isn’t going to scare me,” Brix laughed. “We will keep you fed on wine and chocolate and as many o*****s as you can count.”

“Good.” She wrapped her legs around his. “Now, one last question.”

“What?”

She could feel Malik grinding upwards under her. “Do you really need to workout in the basement or can you start here?”

Brix shook his head, “seductress.” He punched Malik in the shoulder. “Get out of bed. We have stuff to do today and it doesn’t involve s*x right now.” He kissed her nose. “You have a way of making us lose track of time. I have a meeting at nine and I need my enforcer with me.”

She watched as Malik begrudgingly gave in to Brix’s orders before planted a k**s to her mouth. As she watched the two men of her life walking away pushing and shoving each other she couldn’t help but feel smug satisfaction of how special their lives were.