"Good morning love," Dave greeted Cassie as soon as she opened her eyes for the second time.
"Good morning to you too," Cassie said smiling. Cassie looked behind her but Aaron was not present. "So where is Aaron this morning?"
"He's already up and downstairs with Monica, which is rather unusual for him," Dave explained. "I'm sure that Monica will be calling us any minute for breakfast."
Cassie stomach growled on cue and she looked embarrassed while Dave snorted.
"Sounds like you're ready for some breakfast," Dave said in amusement.
"Yeah, I am, though I find that kind of surprising, considering the big lunch I had yesterday."
"But that was a long time ago Cassie," Dave told her. "We all skipped dinner because we were occupied, plus all our activities, well, you're bound to be hungry now considering what we've been doing."
"A point," Cassie acknowledged, even as she rose her movements graceful.
"What no good morning kiss," Dave asked teasingly.
"I didn't think you wanted to smell my nasty morning breath until after I brushed my teeth and used some mouthwash," Cassie told him. "Of course, if you want to smell my breath right now, I'll be glad to kiss you, but I warn you, I feel like something died in my mouth at the moment."
"Well, you better go brush your teeth then," Dave said smiling. "I'll do the same because I'm sure you noticed it's a triple bathroom."
"Yeah, I did notice that," Cassie said. "It sure will make getting dressed easier considering there's four of us in this house, all of whom are going to be using the same bathroom."
Cassie and Dave got out of bed both of them buck naked, though Cassie pulled on a clean pair of underwear and a nightgown before she entered the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"It's too bad you got dressed again," Dave said regretfully.
"I'm sure you want me buck naked all the time," Cassie told him with a grin not at all offended, "but it isn't going to happen as I'm not going to sit and eat breakfast with nothing on. Besides, it's only a nightgown and a clean pair of underwear, as I still need to get a shower, but that can wait til after breakfast. I have things to do today if you want me to move in."
"Yeah, we all have things to do," Dave agreed. "Aaron and I will at least help you pack up your apartment, as that way it will go faster."
"That would be appreciated. My deposit should cover the next couple of weeks," said Cassie. "After that, I need to talk to Gerda and her husband at least and they'll spread the word among the longtime servants. If they don't approve of my new arrangement then they're welcome to leave my employ, though they're also under a gag order not to talk about Silverthorne business. I don't see that being a major concern actually, but you never know."
"That's true, you never know how people will react to something that's outside of what's normal," Dave said, even as he like Cassie scrubbed his teeth thoroughly.
The two of them finally finished in the bathroom and then Dave put on a pair of underwear and pants, but left his chest bare making Cassie blush every time she looked in his direction.
"You're trying to torture me, aren't you?" Cassie asked, not even looking in Dave's direction.
"Of course not," Dave's smirked. "Can I help it if you embarrass so easily?"
"It's not embarrassment," Cassie said.
"Oh? What is it then if it's not embarrassment?" Dave asked.
"It's just that with you half naked all I want to do is, make love to you and play with your chest, especially your nipples and make you come so hard that you're shouting my name and you're making it very hard to resist doing that. While normally, I wouldn't mind looking at your naked chest and making love to you, you, Aaron and I have things to do today, so we don't have time to lounge around in bed all day."
"Alright then," Dave sighed in understanding. "I'll put on a shirt."
"Just for right now," Cassie promised him. "Whenever we have time to just lounge around you and Aaron can go around half naked if you like and I won't mind at all. In fact, I know I'll enjoy the show. I'm sure Monica will too."
"Definitely," Dave said with a smile.
"Let's go downstairs before we miss breakfast entirely," Cassie said, even as her stomach growled again.
"We won't miss breakfast as Monica always makes more than enough. We can always heat it up if we have to," Date promised her.
"Let's go then," Cassie said.
"Yes, ma'am," Dave said chuckling
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
"It's about time you got up," Aaron said, even as he took a bite of his breakfast.
"You're one to talk," Monica told Aaron with a smile and Aaron blushed.
"One of us had to stay to make sure Cassie didn't wake up alone," Dave told Aaron firmly.
"Once she's been here awhile then we can both come down to breakfast and leave her sleeping, but she doesn't know her way around yet."
"That's exactly what I told Aaron too," Monica said from where she was sitting beside him enjoying her own breakfast.
"It shouldn't take me long to learn my way around, as Silverthorne Manor is pretty large and complicated to," Cassie said.
"I still stand by what I said," Dave said. "It would've been rude to leave you alone, especially considering this is our first night together. I don't think any of us want you to think that we didn't care about you enough to stay close by until you woke."
"That was really very sweet of you Dave," Cassie said kissing his cheek, even as she served herself some breakfast from the dishes on the counter while Dave also served himself.
"So what are the plans for today?" Monica asked, changing the subject.
"Dave and I were just discussing that upstairs," Cassie said. "I need to go into town and start packing up my apartment, I need to talk to Teri to let her know I'm moving in with you.
"I've heard you mention her, who is she?" Monica asked.
"She's my best friend in the world," Cassie said. "Teri, short for Terina. Yes, I know, weird name. I don't know what her parents were thinking when they named her that. We've known each other since childhood. She really helped me when my parents died. Actually correction, we helped each other, as she was close to them to. My parents considered her a third daughter and we did everything together."
"So is your friend going to approve with you moving in with two guys?"
"She won't care so long as I'm happy," Cassie said considering the question. "She's very open-minded just like I am, which is one reason we get along so well, though it's only one of a thousand at least."
"That's good," Monica said.
"Yes, it is," Aaron commented, as he finished his breakfast. "We wouldn't want Cassie to lose her friend just because she's close minded."
"We never would've been friends this long if she was," Cassie said. "I would never be friends with someone who doesn't always keep an open mind or at least not the good friends, we are. We are much alike in many ways. Of course, allowing her to visit every once in awhile will probably help cement the fact, that I'm happy and you aren't keeping me prisoner."
"She wouldn't really believe that would she?" Dave laughed after nearly choking on a bite of his breakfast.
"Well, you never know with Teri, as she might. She does have a very suspicious mind and a wild imagination. I'll just tell her to call in advance before she comes, because this place is quite a ways outside of town and there's no point of making the trip if we are busy," Cassie explained.
"So what is she going to think about you living out in the middle of nowhere?" Aaron asked.
"She'll think it's strange at least, but once I explain my reasons she'll accept it," Cassie said. "If she knew about the dracon she would understand better why you guys live all the way out here and not just for the privacy."
"We might tell her one day, but let us get to know her better first," Dave said calmly.
"That's fine with me," Cassie said agreeably. "I think we have enough going on right now that we don't need to worry about sharing such a major secret, not right now anyway."
Cassie told Monica and Aaron all about what she and Dave had discussed and both Aaron and Monica nodded when she was done.
"It sounds like a sensible plan," Monica said. "We won't get you all moved out in one day, so we might as well take our time."
"We can get most things I need right now, in one trip clothes, toiletries, makeup, a few personal items," Cassie said. "Also, the boys promised to show me their dragon forms last night, but that can wait until later. Not too much later mind you, but later."
"I'll be happy to show you mine as well," Monica said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that," Cassie said with a nod. "Let's talk about it later though, as we have too much to get done today. I definitely need to talk to Teri today and probably Gerda. The boys have volunteered to help pack up my apartment so that will make things go faster."
"I can help to," Monica said. "Now that you know about me and my relationship with Dave and Aaron there's no reason I can't join you."
"That's true," Aaron said.
"You're welcome to join us, sweetie," Dave told Monica. "It'll at least get you out of the house for a few hours.
"Oh, I've hardly been a homebody," Monica told Dave. "Who do you think does the grocery shopping and so forth?"
"Yeah, but that's just to the grocery store, which is hardly relaxing," Aaron put in.
"I also go to the movies, stuff that you guys don't want to see," Monica added with a wink at Cassie.
"Oh, chick flicks," Cassie said smiling understanding Monica's point immediately.
"Something the guys hate," Monica added with a smirk at her two men. "We actually have a lot more options for entertainment and then we did hundreds of years ago. There weren't movies or TVs or even electricity back when I was born and definitely not when Dave and Aaron were born."
"So we had to find our own entertainment," Dave shrugged. "We swam in the lake that was close by in human form in the daytime but often in dracon form at night."
"Those were the days," Aaron agreed smiling softly in remembrance. "Even if somebody spotted some strange shape in the water they would never be able to identify what it was, not late at night when it was pitch dark."
"Somebody could've cried they'd seen a monster and they would be dismissed, because it had been late at night with only the stars to see by and perhaps a torch," Dave agreed.
"It must've been fun skinny dipping in the lake," Cassie said with a wistful expression.
"Yeah, it was," Aaron said smiling in remembrance. "But it was just us boys, not the girls."
"Females, particularly young unmarried ones weren't allowed out after dark," Dave explained. "There were many dangers back then just different ones from today."
"I bet you some girls still sneaked out," Cassie said knowingly. "Women haven't changed that much in centuries that we always listen to authority, even if it's to keep us safe. Young people don't always do well with restrictions and I know that females had far less freedom back so many centuries ago then they do now."
"Yeah, they did and if they were caught well they were in a great deal of trouble," Aaron said smiling. "If it could be proved they were seeing a man without their father's approval they could be thrown out and disowned."
"That is so sad," Cassie decided. "To be disowned just because they snuck out to see their boyfriend."
"I'm afraid it was quite common back then," Monica said. "Most families of a certain class were very strict with their daughters especially. They weren't allowed to see a man without a chaperone."
"For the poor it didn't matter so much, though getting pregnant without being married was still a sin," Dave added.
"But they weren't cast out and disowned," Callie guessed.
"They were disgraced certainly but no, for the most part they weren't disowned, mostly because they needed every hand they had to do the work in most poor families. Of course, if one of that family got married they had their own home," Aaron added.
"A lot of times the kid was treated as a disgrace to, when really, the only thing they had to do with the process was be conceived and born," Monica added.
"I think that's enough history for the moment we have a lot to get done today," Dave said finally.
"Yeah, we do," Cassie agreed, as she finished the rest of her breakfast. "You're a stupendous cook Monica. We're going to have to discuss recipes sometime soon."
"Oh, you can cook to," Monica asked seeming surprised. "I know that a lot of modern women can't."
"Absolutely, I'm not as good as you are, but what I cook is certainly edible. Gerda, the cook at Silverthorne Manor, taught me a few recipes when I was younger. She was like a second mother to me and Rena."
"She's a really nice older woman," Aaron mentioned. "She accepted Dave and I right away and didn't seem to disapprove of our relationship with someone who is technically her mistress."
"So long as I'm happy she won't object," Cassie said "And she'll be thrilled if there are some children running around the manor again in a few years. Gerda adores children and had a quite a few of her own that are all grown up now."
"It's definitely too soon to discuss children," Dave said. "I think that subject can wait at least a few months. You have just joined us Cassie and we don't want to push you into anything."
"We can discuss that later," Cassie said calmly. "I suggest we wait a year at least. We don't want people to suggest that the only reason you're with me is that I got pregnant deliberately to force you to stay. It might not be true, but you know how people like a scandal. It doesn't help that the Silverthornes like to keep to ourselves. At least I know why now."
"So do we and nobody had better try to start a scandal, just because we like our privacy," Aaron said.
"So we'll just sue their butts off if they do," Dave said calmly. "Especially if it's someone like the local paper that should know better."
"That's more likely to be a tabloid, not the real paper," Cassie said. "Of course, the paper that I get delivered every day has to follow certain guidelines. They can't just make stuff up, not if they want to stay in business. Tabloids however, are a different matter entirely."
Cassie got up and headed back to the master bedroom without another word to get dressed for the day.
"Well, I guess that is the end of conversation," Monica said amused.
"I think she just wants to get everything that needs to be done, accomplished," Aaron suggested. "She just feels she doesn't have time to relax right now."
"Well, she doesn't if she wants to get anything done," Dave's said. "Once she's all moved in she can relax a little."
"I suppose we should all get ready, if we're going to help her pack up her apartment," said Monica.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~
"So how was it?" Teri asked as soon as Cassie knocked on her friend's apartment door and it was opened. Hugs were then exchanged before Cassie entered the apartment closing the door behind her.
"It was spectacular," Cassie said with a rather goofy grin. "They have this huge house that's just inside the city limits and they gave me a tour after Monica, their cook, fixed this huge lunch."
Cassie went on to describe what had happened, though leaving out the intimate details of their bedroom activities.
"Well, it sounds like you enjoyed yourself," Teri said.
"I did," Cassie agreed. "They actually asked me to move in with them and since I love them both dearly I agreed."
"You're moving?" Teri asked surprised.
"I'm afraid so Teri. You're welcome to visit of course," Cassie assured her friend.
"Isn't it a little soon to move in with them?" Teri asked.
"Not really, we've been dating for quite awhile if you remember," Cassie reminded her friend.
"Well, yes, but do you have to move so far away? You said that their home is just inside the city limits, which is quite a distance from the city itself," Teri said.
"Yeah, I know," Cassie said. "Their home is really nice though, even though it's so far from the city."
"Why not just live in Silverthorne Manor?" Teri asked trying to understand why her friend was moving so far out the city limits.
"I would think that would be obvious," Cassie said.
When Teri didn't answer Cassie said simply, "No, privacy. Besides, do you think that the servants wouldn't gossip about how their mistress is in a relationship with two men? Before you know it, I would be a scarlet woman or a whore and I'd have women coming up to me just to tell me off either because they were envious, jealous or upset simply because they're more traditional. At the least, I'd have people shooting me disapproving looks when they learn who I am and even though the servants at the manor are under a gag order not to discuss Silverthorne business it doesn't mean they won't no natter how much trouble it will get them into. While I would sue that servant the damage would be done."
"That's one way to put it," Teri finally giggled. "Personally, I would've used something like shrews."
"That too," Cassie agreed with a giggle of her own.
"I understand better now," Teri said, though she still looked a little sad.
"We'll still be able to visit, share lunch and go places together," Cassie promised. "We'll keep in contact as my cellphone should work even out in the boonies. Perhaps, we can even do the occasional sleepover."
Teri seemed to cheer up at that. "So long as you're happy then I'm fine with it."
"Don't worry we'll still be close I'm just moving to another stage of my life," Cassie said. "I never imagined meeting two guys that are perfect for me. I thought Dave was perfect sexy, intelligent, well off, attentive without being overbearing about it and loyal, then I met Aaron..."
"And he turned out to be just as perfect," Teri said knowingly and Cassie nodded.
"With the bonus that he and Dave have been friends for a long time so Dave had no objection to me getting involved with Aaron as well as him," Cassie added. "He wasn't even jealous."
Of course, Cassie didn't bother to tell her friend why Dave hadn't been jealous of Aaron.
"Wow! That's pretty amazing!" Teri said with envy in her tone. "You are so lucky to have two guys that are not only friends, but agreed to share you. You know this means you can't make it official so any children will be illegitimate?"
Cassie shrugged not really caring. "It doesn't matter, not really. Anyone who makes an issue of it, well, they'll regret it. Dave's already sworn to sue the butt off if anyone makes too big a deal about it. If somebody does, it's likely be somebody in my social set, because most middle-class people might not approve but they also won't bother me with it, because people like that tend to stay out of the affairs of the wealthy, who have a lot more power and money then they do. I mean seriously, I, Dave or even Aaron and could make their lives miserable for sticking their noses into things that are not their concern. With all three of us against whoever it was it's likely they... well, they may not be poor afterwards, but they sure would have to give us a huge financial settlement, which should teach them not to meddle in our affairs."
"Well, I've never heard you sound like that," Teri said blinking in astonishment.
"That's because I've never needed to," Cassie told her friend. "Anybody who sticks their noses into things that are none of their business are going to get what's coming to them. If they dare throw my parents in my face saying how they wouldn't approve when I know they would have they're going to deserve what's coming their way."
"That's a point," Teri admitted. "You don't stick your nose into other's affairs, particularly those with a lot of money and influence. They could sue you for harassment and a lot of other charges to."
"True and some people, typically those with a lot of money can be very be very thin skinned and will sue you just for a supposedly looking at them wrong. Yes, normal people are thin skinned but they don't have the power that those with wealth and political connections do," Cassie said. "Let's not worry about it though, as that might not happen. We intend to keep our relationship quiet."
"So why do they live so far out of the city limits?" Teri asked suddenly. "Why not live closer to town?"
"Well, one of the reasons they gave me was they like their privacy," Cassie said flickering one finger into the air. "They told me that they didn't want some unmarried woman showing up and asking for a cup of sugar just to flirt with them. Apparently, it's happened before. That kind of woman can apparently be quite persistent. Also, there is less of a chance that someone will break into their home. I admit it isn't likely, but it has happened to people like them before. Even the best security system can be defeated you know, so long as you know what you're doing. Also, people can't gossip about us if they don't see us together. Or if they can't prove we're anything more than friends."
Teri laughed, even if she knew that kind of thing did happen.
"I guess I can't blame those women," Teri admitted. "Some women are so desperate to tie the knot that they flirt with any man they believe is available, well, so long as they are handsome and financially solvent anyway. As for somebody breaking into your home I can definitely understand why they would be concerned. Dishonest people are always finding new ways to take from others that have more than they do so I would say that your lovers have every right to protect themselves from people like that, though I still think there should be another way to do it then living out in the boonies. People also like to gossip and if you guys live somewhere with no neighbors That will keep such things to a minimum."
"Sometimes those woman I mentioned even flirt with those that are married or at least in a serious relationship," Cassie added responding to her friend's earlier comment. "Some women and men have no shame and don't care whose marriage or relationship they might break up. As for the rest of it there might be another solution, but this is the one they decided on. Their home is very comfortable and except for being out in the middle of nowhere it's perfect. They own a lot of land and there's plenty of room for any children to run and play."
"So what's the other reason?" Teri asked.
"Well, think about it, they are fairly wealthy, because they're in a business that makes a lot of money if you know what you're doing and they also have plenty of investments. I have no idea what they're really worth, but I'm sure they have several million dollars at least between them. It's probably much higher than I'm estimating actually because the jewelry business is a family one and they've been in business for centuries."
"So they don't want people coming after them just for their money," Teri said.
"You can't really blame them for that," Cassie said and Teri nodded.
"I can't blame you either if you wanted to live out in the middle of nowhere considering I know that several men from wealthy families tried to get your dad to sign a betrothal contract between you and their sons."
"Boy, they sure did," Cassie said making a face. "Their thinking was way back in the past, where betrothal contracts were more common. Luckily, my father didn't go for it and said that me and Rena would be allowed to marry whoever we liked and it didn't matter if the man we chose was as poor as a church mouse so long as we loved each other, as I would have plenty of money to support both of us. Those sons wouldn't have loved me anymore than I loved them and it would've been a marriage of convenience nothing more."
"Marriages like that almost never work out at least from what I've heard," Teri said. "I wouldn't be surprised if the man didn't have a woman on the side. I believe the term is mistress."
"Yeah, it is," Cassie said laughing at her friend's words. That it was so true was partly what made her laugh. "Some of them tried to convince me to marry them but a lot of them weren't very subtle about it. They seemed to think that I wouldn't be able to run my father's affair's just because I was a woman that I would be suspectable to any man's influence so long as they treated me well. They tried to convince me that I needed a man to help with my parents wealth."
"I know you sent them packing," Terry snickered.
"Boy did I," Cassie said grimace her laughter cutting off. "I informed them that my father had taught me and Rena everything he knew and that if I needed advice I would never trust someone like them not to rob me blind. I also informed those hopeful prospective grooms that if they thought I would marry the first man that offered then they were not as intelligent as I believed them to be. I believe I told them, that I wasn't about to agree to a marriage of convenience where I, at least, would be miserable. I also told them that if they didn't back off and quit harassing me I'd have a lawsuit heading there way before they knew it."
"I bet you, they didn't like that," Terri giggled.
"No, they didn't as they believed they were so utterly irresistible, though to be truthful a couple of them only asked me because their fathers in particular insisted. They didn't want to marry me anymore then I wanted to marry them. Now, those, I respected for being honest and having enough brains to talk to me like a human being and not a brainless bit of fluff. The others however, were condensing and assumed that I didn't have any brains at all because after all I was a woman and it was obvious that too them I was only good for one thing. If they had been less condensing then I wouldn't have been so sharp with them. I mean seriously, if they think most women are that stupid I can't see any intelligent woman wanting anything to do with someone like that, as this isn't the 18th century this is the 21st. Woman don't need a man, just to get by in life."
"That's just idiotic," Teri said shaking her head. "Look at all the women that are successful. Some women own companies that make millions with no man to help, though I won't say that they don't have men as employees. I mean there are thousands of different jobs where women are very successful and those idiots that were so condensing had to know that. Unless of course, they're really so self-absorbed, that they don't pay attention to anything outside themselves."
"Yeah, that's true," Cassie agreed. "It's not my problem though, thank goodness. I'll simply be happy with Dave and Aaron in my life and leave those that choose to marry some piece of brainless fluff to others. Let them make their own beds and if they're unhappy it's hardly anybody's fault but their own. I have more ambition in life then to be a society wife, raise the kids or be seen on my husband's arm at social functions. I'd be bored out of my mind in no time. I was raised to think for myself and not just adorn my husband's arm at social functions. Besides, I have no doubt that their fathers put them up to it."
"Probably hoping to get at least part of the Silverthorne wealth," Teri said. "I don't know of any other reason for them to approach you, when your parents were barely cold in the ground."
"It was probably cooked up by Paul Gibbons," Cassie said. "He has no respect for women as you well know. I wouldn't be surprised if he forced the others into it or at least convince them to send their sons to try to get me to marry one of them. Gibbons has been a thorn in my side for a long time."
Teri knew this to be true, even though she had never met the man, though she had certainly heard Cassie make nasty comments about him a lot over the years.
The two talked for some time and finally Cassie looked at her watch.
"I'm afraid I need to go, as I'm meeting Dave and Aaron across the hall, so we can start packing things up.
"I can help," Teri offered.
"If you want," Cassie said, "but both Dave and Aaron and also Monica are going to help me pack up. I'm going to have to store a lot of things like the furniture. It's not going to be done all in one day, so we are just here getting the stuff I want to take with me clothes, books and a few important pieces."
"Your CD collection," Teri said.
"My DVDs," Cassie said.
Cassie adored music mostly rock'n roll or easy listening, even country, so she had quite the collection of music discs. She also liked movies as well, like some of the old-fashioned ones in black-and-white that had come out on disc.
The two young women got up and exited Teri's apartment only to go across the hall where three other people were waiting.
"I hope we haven't kept you waiting long," Cassie told the three.
"No we just got he'll couple minutes ago," Monica said.
"Teri this is Monica, one of the best cooks I've ever known," Cassie introduced. "You already know Dave and Aaron."
"Its nice to meet you Teri," Monica said blushing at Cassie's compliment.
"It's nice to meet you to Monica," Terry said.
"Well, let's go get started shall we gentleman?" Cassie suggested, even as she unlocked the apartment door. "Ladies?
"Yeah, let's get started," Aaron said.
Cassie opened her apartment door and escorted everyone inside.
~~~Dave, Monica, Aaron, Cassie~~~