Langley Circle Beginning Ch. 21

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"Shit!" Beth's nose twitched, breaking her out of her daydream.

She retrieved the slices of burnt toast and flung them in the bin, wincing as the cremated bread singed her fingers. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed the smoke gradually building up on the ceiling. She opened the back door and let the wispy grey tendrils curl out; at least she had caught it before the smoke alarm went off.

Beep-beep, Beep-beep, Beep-beep...

Or not. She grabbed up a tea towel and hurriedly wafted the smoke away from the sensor. She glared angrily up at the screeching alarm. "Shut up!" To her surprise, the device chirped once more and then fell silent; she sighed in relief.

Dropping four more slices of bread into the toaster, she adjusted the setting, and depressed the lever, then checked on the rest of the breakfast. Satisfied nothing else was about to combust, she stood in the doorway to the garden, and turned her thoughts back to her dilemma. She was a melting pot of powerful emotions this morning.

The events of last night were still very fresh, and unanswered questions buzzed around her head. The most prominent and troubling of which was, 'Was it wrong?' In her mind, she knew it to be wrong, but the way her body reacted, and the feelings in her heart, didn't align with this.

The self-doubt was worse when she was alone with her thoughts. When she had been with Nicky, her heart and body had been the driving forces; then she had been resolute, happy, and far more confident in her choices. The same was true around Bella and, to a lesser extent, Dean. Truthfully, despite what he had said last night, Beth still worried what he truly thought and felt about her and Nicky. He did seem to come to terms with it on some level, or maybe Bella had simply distracted him from thinking too hard about it.

Beth smirked. How easy it was going to be to twist Bella and Dean around her finger from now on; all she needed to do was express a view one way or the other about their entanglement, and they would be putty in her hands. She had to admit though, watching Dean Fuck Bella this morning had been hot as hell; that girl was an utter nympho. Her smirk softened into a smile; it had been so adorable to watch Bella breakdown with joy after finally realising her fantasy of bedding Dean.

Did the fact that Dean was enjoying the pleasures of a woman half his age, make her situation with Nicky any more justifiable? She frowned; Best not to think about it. It all felt too raw, too intense to pick through at the moment. Besides, all this thinking was in danger of spoiling her otherwise jubilant mood. For now, she would just go with it, and try and enjoy the highs. Who knew what would happen tomorrow, or even today for that matter. Life was full of surprises at the moment.

She was drawn from her thoughts by Strong arms that curled around her waist, hugging her from behind. She smiled and sank back into Dean's embrace.

"You were miles away there," Dean whispered in her ear.

She turned to face him, staring up into his smiling eyes. "Stuff on my mind," she said trying to keep her tone light. He pursed his lips and nodded stiffly. Did he understand what was going on inside her head?

"Need any help with breakfast?"

"You could lay the table, thanks. Are those girls even close to coming down?"

"Well," Dean said, trying but failing to hide a smirk. "When I left the bedroom, the noises in the shower definitely suggested they weren't far off coming."

Beth giggled, some of the anxiety melting away. Things were better now Dean was here, and soon Nicky and Bella would join them, then she wouldn't be left alone with her thoughts anymore.

Dean pulled away and began gathering plates and cutlery. "I'll get a pot of tea brewing too."

"Good idea," Beth said, noticing a thin coil of smoke drifting up from the toaster. She popped the slices up, not too bad. They'd have to do, that was the last of the bread.

"So, anymore thoughts on last night?" She kept her back to Dean as she cut the toast.

"Honestly no, I think I said my piece. I am just here to support you two whilst you figure out what it is, and where it's going."

She glanced over her shoulder at him. "What about the actual er, stuff we did?"

Dean grinned. "Well, it was all very eye-opening; I can't say any of it particularly upset me."

Beth snorted a laugh. "It's a good job Bella was around. I think she helped a lot."

"Yeah she did," Dean said distractedly, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Beth rolled her eyes. "I meant psychologically."

"Oh yeah, that too." Dean snapped out of his daze and blushed. "Honestly, I think it was good all round. My focus was split, so it allowed me to kind of be present for what was happening with you and Nicky, whilst not obsessing about it, or feeling left out."

"Huh. I hadn't thought of it like that," She said, and then tittered a soft giggle. "Not much chance of you feeling left out with Bella around though."

Dean stepped up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "It's all very flattering Beth, but it worries me too. I mean, she's only eighteen. Did I take advantage of her?"

Beth nearly dropped the serving dish she laughed so hard. "I think if anything, Bella took advantage of you."

Dean chuckled. "You might be right. But what happens now?"

"Honestly?" Beth said, taking the loaded serving plates to the table. "I have no idea. Perhaps we should bring it up at breakfast, and be open and honest about it. You know, like we did with Megan; that was your idea, remember?"

"Perhaps," He replied, lapsing into silence as she continued to lay the food out. Beth glanced over at him a few times; he looked to be deep in thought.

The kettle boiled, breaking him out of his introspection with a question on his lips. "Are you happy?"

That was a tricky one; the answer wasn't simple. "I think deep down, I am happy, very happy in fact, but at the moment I am having waves of self-doubt. I think I am getting in my own way, if that makes any sense."

"Having difficulty with letting go of preconceptions about right and wrong?" Dean asked.

"Exactly," Beth said with relief; perhaps he did get it after all.

Nicky skipped into the kitchen just as they were bringing the last of the food to the table. Beth's spirits lifted when she saw how happy her daughter was. Her light hazel eyes sparkled, her chocolate brown hair bounced loose around her smiling face, and there was a definite spring in her step.

"Morning Honey," Dean said. "There's tea in the pot."

"Morning dad." Nicky tripped around the table and pecked him on the cheek, before turning to look at Beth.

Beth's breath caught in her chest as Nicky's gaze landed on her. In those hazel eyes were oceans of joy and devilment this morning; it made her pulse flutter. Nicky shuffled round the table and slid sideways onto her lap. "Morning mum," she whispered.

Before Beth could respond, soft warm lips pressed against hers. Her fluttering pulse became a hoard of dancing butterflies swarming in her tummy as her senses filled up with Nicky. Smell, taste, touch, all tingled as Nicky kissed her deeply, her tongue diving into Beth's mouth where it swirled and jousted with her own. A yearning need swelled in Beth, her heart pounding in her ears as she slipped her arms around her daughter's slender body to stroke her back. How she wished she could be naked in this young woman's arms once again, and to hell with everything else.

Nicky broke the kiss, but darted back for another quick smooch before resting her head on Beth's shoulder in a warm hug. "Morning," Beth said, breathless and flustered, as she glanced over at Dean. "Um, I think your father may have lost the ability to function."

Nicky turned to look at Dean and giggled. He was staring at them, holding a piece of limp toast, which was slowly succumbing to the forces of gravity, bending under its own weight. He squirmed in his seat under their scrutiny as he blinked rapidly and then gradually began chewing once more. "That's my wife you know, you're kind of making me jealous."

"Aww, poor thing," Beth said and chuckled as she heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"I don't think you need to worry dad. I suspect you are about to have your hands full, in more ways than one." Nicky smirked as she climbed to her feet, and began loading a plate with food.

Beth stood and fetched another mug from the cupboard, just as Bella danced into the room wearing a pale yellow camisole and matching knee-length flowing skirt.

"Good morning Parkers," she chirped, bending down to kiss Nicky first. Beth noted that the cheeky blonde deliberately pointed her bum at Dean as she did this despite the awkward angle. Beth looked at Dean and grinned; this time it was a sausage skewered on his fork that had frozen on the way to his mouth.

"Mrs. P. Looking fine this morning," Bella said as she trotted over.

Beth performed a small twirl, still holding the mug in her hand, feeling like a model trying to sell kitchenware on the shopping channel. "Thank you Bella, that's very sweet of you to say."

Bella swatted her on the rump, making her squeal. "Ooh, killer shorts, they make your arse look seriously tight."

Before Beth could reply, Bella stretched up and kissed her, reaching around to stroke the bum cheek she had just slapped. A fierce heat rose to Beth's face, bringing with it a sensation of mild giddiness, but she recovered quickly. "I love your outfit Bella, the colour is adorable, and that top is very flattering."

Bella grinned. "I think it makes my tits look great; it's a bit thin though, when my nips get hard you can see them plain as day."

Beth giggled, throwing another glance over at Dean, who still hadn't managed to break the sausage free from its temporary stasis.

"I have to be careful if it's windy too, this skirt has a tendency to blow up," Bella said and stepped back to demonstrate by wafting the garment up over her waist, revealing the tiny yellow panties she was wearing.

Dean let out an involuntary groan, and Beth covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. He was now swallowing quickly, despite still having nothing in his mouth. She leaned forward to whisper in Bella's ear. "Did you say good morning to Dean yet?" She winked at the pint-sized blonde, who grinned, a devilish glint in her emerald eyes.

Bella spun away, and stalked over to Dean, a lioness prowling through the long grass towards her defenceless prey. Dean's eyebrows trembled up his head, his eyes darting between Bella and Beth, who moved back to the table to enjoy the show. She glanced at Nicky who simply rolled her eyes and chased a few mushrooms onto her fork.

"Morning Bella," Dean said, the tension evident in his voice.

Remaining silent, the predator climbed onto his lap, straddling his legs and slipping her hands around his neck; her prey shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze, knowing its days were numbered.

"Good morning Mr. Parker," she said before pouncing, landing a big sloppy kiss on his lips, as she ground her body against his.

Dean looked somewhat comical, responding tentatively to the kiss, whilst still holding the skewered sausage aloft.

Bella broke the kiss and eyed the sausage. "For me?"

Hesitantly, Dean moved the sausage closer, and Bella snaked her tongue out to lick the end. Beth snorted a laugh, as Dean glanced at her with an awkward grin. Bella sucked half the sausage into her mouth, sighed, and proceeded to fellate it with the enthusiasm of a porn star. After a few moments, she bit down and severed the sausage in half, causing Dean to cringe, an undignified squeak escaping his lips.

Nicky burst out laughing, as Bella chewed animatedly, grinning at Dean like a fool. "Don't worry," she said, swallowing exaggeratedly. "I'd never do that to you." She turned to Beth. "You know, I had him all hard, and then for some reason when I bit the sausage, he instantly softened."

Beth joined in the laughter as Bella climbed off and slinked to her chair, loading her plate with three more sausages and a heap of bacon, leaving Dean flushing red and looking somewhat put upon.

"Aww don't worry honey, I'm sure I can breathe life back into you later."

Dean turned to her and smiled gratefully, regaining some of his composure. "I look forward to that." He deposited the mutilated sausage back on his plate and prodded at a piece of bacon instead.

For a while, the conversation remained light and superficial as they ate. Beth noticed that Dean said very little, but instead looked to be deep in thought as he methodically worked through his breakfast, stubbornly avoiding the castrated sausage, which Bella eventually snagged. After mopping up the last of the bean juice with a piece of toast, Dean pushed his plate away and reached for the teapot. Beth got the distinct impression he was building up to making a speech, and sure enough after offering the teapot around, he placed his hands flat on the table and looked at them all.

"I think we should talk," he said.

Beth glanced nervously at Bella and Nicky, but both seemed to be expecting this, and simply nodded. "OK, got any thoughts on how we should do this?" She knew he did, hence the reason he had been quiet for the last ten minutes; his logical mind had been whirring away as she talked stuff and nonsense with Bella and Nicky.

"Well, my suggestion would be to go around the table and be open and honest about how we feel about last night, and any concerns or worries we might have. Additionally any thoughts going forward, where things might go from here. There is potential for weirdness, both amongst us, or with other people, but my hope is that if we can be open honest and mindful, cards on the table, then we might be able to avoid, or at the very least minimize the impact it might have. How does that sound?"

"OK," Nicky said in a hesitant voice.

Beth frowned. "Just as long as you realise that not everyone might know the answers to those questions, or be entirely certain about, well anything right now."

"Understood, just as long as we are honest, mindful and open with each other."

"I'll go first," Bella said with a grin, but then blushed at her own forthrightness. "If that's alright with everyone?"

"Sure, go ahead," Dean said. Beth and Nicky both nodded in agreement.

Bella took a sip of tea before speaking. "I think what happened yesterday was simply amazing. I know it was difficult at times for all of you, but I believe that you are all better off for being honest and open and that's just beautiful."

Beth caught sight of Nicky rolling her eyes. "Nicky, don't be rude. We must be respectful of each other's feelings." Beth blinked; this was the first time today she had acted like a mother to Nicky, rather than an equal, and it brought it home how young and immature her daughter could still be at times.

Nicky opened her mouth as if to shoot back a snarky comment, but then stopped, her shoulders sagging. "You're right, sorry. Bel, I'm sorry."

"It's cool Nix." Bella smiled, regaining some of her lost momentum. "So anyway, I love that Nicky was finally able to be honest about her feelings for you Beth, and I was just blown away by the love in the room last night, when you all finally talked it out. Going forward, I have no real idea, other than to hope that you two continue to be honest, have fun and"--a soft blush rose to her cheeks--"let me join you from time to time."

"You are always welcome in my bed," Nicky said.

A heat rose to Beth's cheeks as all eyes turned to her. "Um, I have to admit that this is pretty new territory for me, but on the basis that you make Nicky so happy, coupled with the fact that you are so er, sexy and adorable, I would tentatively extend the same invitation to you. I can't speak for Dean"--she glanced at her husband--"and I am not sure he could actually speak for himself right now, but I certainly look forward to it." Bella bounced on her chair, clapping her hands excitedly, and Beth smiled to see her so excited at the prospect of spending time in their bed, it was very flattering.

"As for what happened with me and Mr. P last night, oh and this morning, I think it's fairly obvious how I feel about that. I really hope that we can do that again sometime."

Dean's mouth gaped, and he twitched his head back and forth between Bella and Beth.

"You ok honey?" Beth asked.

"Um, I mean I dunno. Honestly, I kind of thought it would just be a one time, spur of the moment thing."

Beth glanced at Bella in time to see the young woman's face fall, her expression becoming guarded. "What leads you to think that? Did you not enjoy it?"

"Oh god no." His words came tumbling out. "I mean yes, of course I enjoyed it. It was amazing, but... Well I just didn't like to assume anything. Last night was all very special, and I understand that you and Nicky is a thing now." He stopped and sighed. "Sorry, that sounded dreadful. I mean, I appreciate that your relationship has changed, and may well continue to change still further as you work things through. But, I thought Bella and me...Well I just thought it was a one off."

There was a long uncomfortable silence at the table; Nicky was the one to break it. "Do you want it to be a one off?"

Beth watched as Dean floundered. "Remember Dean, Mindful, honest, and open; your rules."

Dean closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "No. I don't want it to be a one off." Bella's face lit up and she puffed out a relieved breath as Dean continued. "But, that's not to say what I want is all that counts. Bella, I don't want to take advantage of you, or mislead you in any way. Neither do I want to distract you from any other er, more normal relationships. On the other hand, you are a truly special woman. Your energy is often enough to carry a room and your tenacity is truly breath-taking, not to mention you have the body of a goddess, and so much love and affection to give, it honestly humbles me at times." Another silence descended, and he glanced around the table nervously. "Truthfully, all three of you are beautiful inside and out. All of you exude sex appeal and I am truly astounded to think any of you turn your desires on me. Even you Nicky, I have seen more of your body in the last twenty-four hours than ever before, and you have grown into a gorgeous young woman." He stopped, wincing briefly. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that."

There was silence again.

"Well," Beth said finally, taking a deep breath. "I don't know about you two ladies, but I for one can't decide if I want to cry, laugh or jump your bones honey. You certainly know what to say to make a woman feel good."

"Truly," Bella said, barely managing to keep her emotions in check.

Nicky smiled shyly across the table. "Thanks for the compliment, that was very nice to hear. A little weird, but I guess you can understand that."

Dean nodded.

"So any conclusions from what Bella had to say?" Beth asked.

Dean shook his head at her gently. "We should wait till everyone has said their piece, then we can see how people align, or not as the case may be."

"I'll go next," Nicky said. "I was super nervous last night; mum, I had been dreading you ever finding out about the kind of feelings I was having. Bella was right though, it was starting to mess with me. Now it's out in the open, I feel so much better. Being honest about my feelings has lifted a massive weight off me. Of course, it helped that I got a positive reaction from you." She sighed. "I really, really, enjoyed myself last night, and definitely want it to happen again. I love the idea of us all being relaxed and open about it, if we can." Her expression turned serious. "I know it's not a long term thing; I expect it will come to an end at some point, probably due to some inconsequential change of circumstances, but for now I love letting my desires have free reign."