Team: Echo (30 page)

Dieter reached out and smacked James’s head, muttering
something she couldn’t quite catch.

“
I didn’t tell her shit,” James glared at Dieter. “She
guessed, she’s very good at guessing if you hadn’t figured that out
yet. But the rest she won’t be able to dig up, not without actually
talking to those two. Which,” he looked to her. “I probably should
mention are very tight lipped about it. We know a bit more than
average just because we were part of the op. But even we don’t know
the whole story or just what happened between them.”

“
That’s okay I will figure it out,” she said with a grin.
“Somehow and someway I will figure it out.” She didn’t know how she
would figure it out but she would. She was sure of that. “All that
I know is that I have you boys with me, you boys are in my life and
everything else is just cake.”

“
Mm,” Dieter paused with his fork up. “Cake,” he smacked his
lips. “Is there any more of that chocolate sour cream cake Mik made
earlier?”

“
There was about six pieces left in the
kitchen when I was there. When I came up it was down to three.” He
shot them both looks before getting a
I know something you don’t know
look
on his face.

“
Oh please tell me that you brought me cake up here.” She
licked her lips and laughed. “Please?” Oh she was so very hopeful,
if only she could somehow get cake out of the deal. “Oh and
pickles. Really tart ones. Or better yet salt and vinegar chips
with cake.” Oh yes, that was the ticket.

“
What do you thinks under the last cover on the tray,” he
pointed up onto the dresser. “But you can’t have any until you
finish your dinner. All of it. I want to see that plate practically
licked clean before you get any cake and any of the other stuff
under the lid.”

“
Well hell,” she muttered, pouting a little. “Okay. I will
make sure to get everything eaten. Don’t worry about that. I am
totally starving so it will all be eaten okay? Just, show me?” Her
mouth was watering, just the thought of the cake made her mouth
water.

“
Nope, eat that first and then you can see it,” James said.
The look on his face said he wasn’t budging on his stance. Damn
stubborn male. Then he smiled at her and it all seemed to be okay.
“Don’t worry darling, I made sure your piece was the biggest of the
three.”

“
Damn you are far too stubborn, but you are a total sweetheart
and I’m so glad that you are mine.” She admitted happily. “All
right. I will finish eating, promise. Just make sure that you boys
eat too. I mean it. Time for you to eat and enjoy as well as
me.”

“
Done,” Dieter said licking his lips. He set his plate aside
and, other than a small smear of sauce, was completely empty.
Looking to James’s she saw he was close to being done as well. And
they’d both had nearly double what she’d had on her
plate.

“
Are you freaking kidding me?” She asked with a laugh. “Holy
hell you boys are too much.” She giggled but she did eat. She
didn’t gulp her food down, but she came close to it. She finally
finished her food and looked to him with a grin. “See, food is all
gone. Now, gimme cake. and salt and vinegar chips.” Damn if she
didn’t know better she would swear she was pregnant.

Laughing James collected their dishes and then handed her the
slice of cake. He also passed her a small bag of the chips she
preferred. Dieter though was watching her with an odd look on his
face, like he was trying to put two and two together but kept
coming up with a wrong answer.

Penny took a bite of the cake and sighed happily. She then
took another forkful of it and put it onto a chip and ate it as
well. “Oh that’s so very, very good. The tartness, the sweet. It’s
perfect. I so needed this.” She did too. So very much.

She caught the look that passed between the men, but couldn’t
decipher it. “Have we mentioned to you darling, you are very
strange?” James made a face at her. “That is just so many ways of
wrong I don’t even know where to start.”

Penny laughed, “It’s delicious.” She shrugged and continued
to eat. “Salty, sweet and tangy. How much better can life get? I
don’t even know what made me think of this combination but damn
it’s good. I’m very happy to have thought of it.”

“
Babe, I love you, but that is just pushing the boundaries,”
he chuckled. “I won’t be kissing you until you’ve brushed your
teeth, thoroughly I might add. It’s just too weird to contemplate
for me,” he told her wrinkling his nose up. He set his plate aside
and leaned back on his hands.

She shrugged. “I would have thought so too. The craving just
hit me out of the blue though so I wanted it, had to have it so
here it is.” She scooped up another bite and sighed happily. “Now
then. What happens when we have finished our meal? And I have
brushed my teeth of course.”

“
Not much really planned, but since we had a horrid day, maybe
just watch a movie,” Dieter said with a shrug. “Or we strip you
naked and give you a massage. Your choice on that one but I do know
James was looking forward to watching a movie.”

“
How about the movie first and then later I am totally down
for you giving me a massage.” She cast James a loving look and
added. “I would never want to get between my men and their
needs.”

“
You sure,” he said, watching her. She stared into his eyes
and nodded slowly. “Cause if you want the massage first or instead
of I’m good with that. Despite what Dieter says, I don’t need to
watch a movie. Here,” he held out the rest of his cake. He hadn’t
had a big slice but he’d only eaten half and, as was normal with
him, he gave her the other half always.

“
It’s all good honey. I love the idea of a movie first. You
can rub my feet while we watch and I will rub your shoulders. It
will all work out wonderfully well in the end darling. Promise.”
She said happily and grinning.

“
You say that now but you know as well as I do we’ll end up
interrupting the movie. It always happens once you get your hands
on one of us,” he chuckled. He didn’t really sound all that upset
at the idea of a movie being interrupted. He actually looked like
he was looking forward to it.

“
Aww, and are you really upset about it? I mean really?” she
teased him. “I know that I’m really not. I think that it’s a great
deal of fun to be able to interrupt our movies, our dinners and so
on and on. You boys love it when I do, admit it.”

“
Of course we like it,” Dieter was the one who answered. He
licked his fork and set the plate aside only to lean back on his
elbows in a lazy pose. “Anything you do with us, to us we like.
We’d be idiots to say otherwise because you’d probably stop just to
torment us.”

“
Nope, I am totally good,” she said with a grin. “I’m glad
that you boys are happy to have me doing whatever I want to you,
whenever I want to do it to you but that lane goes both ways. I am
so very down with you boys doing anything at all to me, when you
want to do it to me.”

“
Remember that the next time we throw you over our shoulder
and make off with you,” James said with a chuckle.

“
Good point,” Dieter said waving a finger. “The last time she
nearly screamed the house down. Thankfully it wasn’t Mik who came
running or we’d likely still be limping.”

“
I think we scared her, but really, she should know better by
now,” James retorted, looking to his friend.

“
That also is a good point,” Dieter looked her way. “Why would
you shriek at such volume when you well and good knew just who had
you?”

“
I honestly don’t know why I had screamed my head off.” Except
for the fact that she had been having some terrible nightmares. “It
has to be the dreams. They had gotten terrible for a time but are
better now.” The memory of being shot, of what could have happened
lived with her and was in her waking moments far more than he
possibly knew.

Dieter sat up and James turned in his spot on the floor to
look at her. “Why didn’t you tell us that?” Dieter asked, moving to
the edge of the bed. “Penelope, you have to share these things with
us. We’re not exactly mind readers little one.”

“
I don’t know. Dreams and nightmares aren’t something I’ve
ever really shared.” Penny winced and ducked her head. She had
fucked up again. “I’m sorry. I just have never shared nightmares
with anyone else. I didn’t know that I should. I’m
sorry.”

There was silence and then a large hand landed on her back
gently. “Babe, you have to share so you can work through it. It
could have a purpose or it could just be your brain terrorizing
you. But if you don’t share it and get it out, it will fester and
eat you away. Not something either Dieter or I want.”

She leaned into James and felt markedly better. “Well
whatever happens, happens. All that I know is that I have the two
most amazing men in the world as mine.” It had never once dawned on
her to talk to them, to share her anguish with them. “I promise I
will talk to you about them from now on.”

“
Doubtful,” he said and shrugged when she looked up. “It’s not
who you are P,” he said softly. Moving in front he took her plate
and then pulled her up off the chair. “Go and snuggle in with
Dieter and pick a flick. I’m going to take the dishes back
downstairs and grab some popcorn.”

“
And because I have you two in my life I am an ever changing
being. Remember that James. So when I wake you in the middle of the
night from a nightmare, just remember that you asked for it babe.”
She teased him. “Because I will. From now on I totally will wake
you.”

“
Just remember, he shoots first,” Dieter grinned. Both she and
James stared at him as he wiggled his brows.

“
Ha, ha,” James said. “Asshole,” he muttered under his breath.
Gathering up the tray he paused at the door. “Water for everyone
good or do you guys want a beer or something instead?”

“
Beer for me,” Dieter said, rearranging pillows as James left
the room.

“
James would never in a million years do anything to hurt me.
He might jump but the fact is that he would never, ever harm me. So
it’s all good. I will wake him and he will cuddle with me while I
tell him whatever the dream is that I’m having.” Because she now
couldn’t recall them, just that she was having them.

“
I know he wouldn’t,” Dieter said, tugging her onto the bed
next to him. Leaning over her he kissed her cheek gently. “Don’t
worry, I was just trying to get his sheep. He and I both know that
he’d never do anything to hurt you. He’d rather cut off his own arm
before causing you harm.”

“
Goat honey, it’s get his goat.” Penny teased Dieter with a
smile. “I love you Dieter and I love your euphemisms. I think that
they make you so amazing.” She leaned into him and gave him a
gentle squeeze. “Now then, just know that after I wake James I’m
waking you too.”

He was frowning at her correction but his eyes went wide at
her last words. Shaking his head he groaned. “Please don’t. I love
you a lot Penelope but really, waking me up is not necessary,” he
said with a hopeful smile.

“
But just think of all of the ways that we will be able to use
to get back to sleep. I think that the ways that we will have to
wear ourselves out, the ways that we will use to wear each other
out. Oh yes, I really think that I should wake you as
well.”

He groaned and stuffed his head under a pillow. He was
muttering something but she couldn’t quite make out what it was. If
it was even in English to begin with. When he came back up for air
he lay there staring at her. “Woman, there are times,” he shook his
head letting that thought trail off.

“
That you drop to your knees and thank god for bringing me
into your life? That could be it, don’t you think?” she asked
happily. “Honestly I think that we will be able to have a great
number of amazingly fun times together in the middle of the
night.”

“
Yeah, we’ll say it’s something to that effect,” he muttered.
Hauling her closer he kissed her hard. “There are many things we
can do in the middle of the night. Just not when I first wake up.
You know me, it takes me a solid ten minutes to even remember my
name and to speak in English.”

“
Oh honey the things I am thinking of have nothing to do with
talking and everything to do with just how hard you are when you
first wake up. That’s what I am thinking of babe.” She loved to
tease her big German, loved the way that he acted when he got all
hot and horny.

He cocked a brow at her and smiled slowly. “Well if you plan
on waking me that way then I won’t worry about what language I’m
speaking. You can just do whatever you want and however you want.
But if you plan on actually holding a conversation then you’d
better give me a good ten minutes.”

“
Nope, no conversations needed necessarily, just you being
mine. That’s what matters to me.” She looked at him however and
winked. “Yep, this is something that I truly love. Being able to
know that I will wake up with you, knowing that you are always hard
just with the slide of my hand to your body. Yep, it’s freaking
amazing.”

“
Involuntarily reaction,” he chuckled softly. “A man can’t
always control what his body does when a beautiful woman gets her
hands on him. Especially when she’s feeling amorous towards him at
that particular moment.”