Seized & Seduced

by Shelley Munro

  Jannike scowled and Shiloh took heart from that. Next, she raked her nails across her belly, her grimace deepening. “This is your fault.”

  “Do you think the prickling sensation isn’t bothering me or Shiloh? We might not have met in the traditional way, but that doesn’t mean our relationship is wrong. Feels right to me. I only have to touch Shiloh, touch you and everything seems right in my world. Hell!” Lynx chuffed out a derisive sound. “I’m even thinking that staying in Viros and having a base would be a good idea. I’ve never wanted that before.”

  And you know why. We have to tell her the truth. Shiloh thought Lynx would argue but he sighed.

  “Here, drink this potion thing before Mogens knocks on your cabin and checks. He threatened to, but we said you didn’t require his attentions,” Lynx said. “You relax and we’ll rest beside you.”

  “I—”

  “No sex, but we need to feel close to you. I meant it when I said our skin is jumping too.” Lynx yanked his tunic over his head.

  Shiloh followed suit then bent to remove his boots and linings. “We can tell you about Viros, then we can have a debate about where we should set up our base.”

  “We all want a home, to settle in one place,” Jannike said. “But we wanted to help Ry find his home planet first. He wanted to learn more about Viros. Maybe we’ll end up staying there or maybe we’ll go somewhere else. We decide together.”

  “We’ll go wherever you go,” Shiloh said.

  “Okay, where to start.” Lynx stretched out on Jannike’s gel-bed. “Viros has a nearby neighbor—the planet Gramite, which is ruled by the House of Cawdor. There have been periods of war between the House of the Cat and the House of Cawdor. When we left, we were at peace.”

  “Are the Cawdor shifters too?” Jannike asked, and Shiloh was pleased to feel the tension ease from her body.

  “Crow,” Lynx said. “They covet our minerals and mines.”

  Jannike yawned. “Who rules your planet? Do you have a chief?”

  “We have a king and the ruling class. The city covers the slope of a hill with the castle at the top. The ruling classes live on the level below the castle. There are many levels to the city.”

  “Does the king have an heir?” Jannike yawned again and sounded drowsy.

  Tell her. She needs to know.

  Lynx hesitated but Shiloh was right. Other women in his life would love his position, but he got the feeling royal blood would count against them with Jannike.

  Lynx, tell her.

  “The king has two sons. Prince Jarlath and Prince Lynx.” Lynx drew a sharp breath, every muscle tensing while he waited for her reaction. “Jannike?”

  A tiny whistle escaped from between her parted lips, and Shiloh sniggered.

  “She’s asleep.” Lynx’s voice held so much indignation Shiloh laughed harder until tears trickled down his cheeks. “I put her to sleep.”

  Shiloh wiped his eyes and tried to contain his merriment because Jannike needed her rest. Still, his friend’s pique started his shoulders shaking again. “I’ve been telling you for cycles you don’t have as much charm as me. It takes skill to attract both men and women.”

  “Grrr.” Lynx bared his teeth. “Come over here and laugh at me.”

  Shiloh stood and stalked around the bed to Lynx’s side. The air grew heavy, and Shiloh’s laughter morphed to something more, something bigger, darker.

  Lynx’s eyes glowed and his shoulders lost their rigidity. “We might wake Jannike.”

  “I don’t think so. The potion has knocked her out. Besides, if we did wake her, that might not be a bad thing. She can join in any time she wants.”

  “I want to kill that bastard who hurt her all over again,” Lynx snarled.

  “Our mate is strong. She survived before and made a life for herself. I think she will do it again, and this time she has us, her friends to help her rather than having to rely on her own resources.”

  Lynx brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her strong face. “The guard died too fast.”

  “He did,” Shiloh agreed in a hard voice. “So did the widow. Jannike’s brother is a good man. He will help those who require aid.”

  “We should do the same on Viros,” Lynx said. “Instead of giving up and letting the broken system continue, we should use our influence to make things better. My father won’t change. He runs the House in the same way as his sire and grandsire.”

  Shiloh gave an irritable shrug, the discussion an old one between them, a solution impossible to find. “My father is the same, and Ellard buys into the tradition. Just because things have been done the same way for hundreds of rotations, it doesn’t mean it is right.”

  “A base on Viros would work. Maybe not in the city, but we could purchase some outlying land, build a trading base and employ some of the locals.”

  Shiloh rubbed a hand over his jaw and grimaced at the scruff his fingers encountered. His regular use of stop-beard had slowed the regrowth and he couldn’t wait to get back to his normal clean-cut appearance. “Set an example for others to follow, you mean.”

  Lynx nodded, a hint of enthusiasm creeping into his features. “Maybe give some of the street kids a chance of a future.”

  “And if Ry decides not to stay?”

  Unspoken were the words that Jannike would want to leave with her friends.

  “That’s where my plan comes unstuck.”

  Shiloh tugged Lynx off the gel-bed and pulled him into an embrace. Lynx leaned into him, seeming to need the comfort as much as Shiloh.

  “There is some beautiful land outside the city. Ry and the rest of the crew want to have a home base. We need to sell the idea to them. Camryn is with child. Ry won’t want to place his mate in danger.”

  “I’d never thought about having a child, becoming a parent,” Lynx said.

  “Our parents are going to disown us.”

  “I know.”

  “Ry and his crew have already accepted us.”

  Lynx flashed a quick grin. “As long as we don’t hurt Jannike.”

  “We have no intention of hurting her.” Shiloh strummed his fingers over the mark he’d left on Lynx’s neck. Lynx shivered and when Shiloh pressed down a fraction harder, Lynx moaned and pushed closer to align their bodies. He lifted his head and a thrill shot through Shiloh when he witnessed the desire in his friend. Their lips met, the kiss starting off slow before passion swept them away. The kiss became open-mouthed, tongues dueling and lips nipping until they were both breathless.

  Lynx pulled away, gasped in a breath. “I want you.”

  “We don’t have any lube.” As always, the practical one.

  “I have a mouth, and I want to use it on you.”

  Shiloh shivered and without answering, he unfastened his trews and tugged them down his legs.

  “I have a new appreciation for your body, your strength and the solid muscles,” Lynx said with a grin. “On the bed.”

  “What if we wake Jannike?”

  “I’ll have my mouth full of cock,” Lynx said. “You’re the one who needs to worry about keeping the noise down.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jannike woke to darkness, dread. She froze, her mind dissecting clues. One side of her body felt warm while the other held a distinct chill. A faint vibration sounded and with it came a sense of familiarity. That was the Indy’s engines.

  The tension in her muscles faded. She rolled away from the heat and cried out in surprise. Secs later, she hit the floor.

  “Ow!”

  “What is it?” a masculine voice demanded.

  “Lights on,” another voice ordered.

  Her cabin lights popped on, illuminating two big, naked males. Both were in battle mode, pupils slitted, teeth barred and claws evident.

  “What’s wrong?” Shiloh surveyed the corners of her cabin before scowling.

  “You pushed me off my gel-bed,” Jannike said, her tone aggrieved. “It’s a decent-sized gel-bed, meant for more than one person.” Sh
e rubbed her elbow then her hip.

  “Not me.” Lynx offered an innocent smile. “Shiloh is big and he spreads out.”

  Shiloh circled the end of the bed and extended a hand. It was the first time she’d seen them naked—at least this close. Her gaze slid downward, and she watched his cock lengthen. She peeked at his expression and saw he’d frozen. It wasn’t difficult to follow his thought processes.

  “I’m not frightened of you. Seeing you this way doesn’t disgust me.”

  “What if I asked you to touch me?” Shiloh asked, his words hoarse, a little raw.

  Jannike reached out, her fingertips dancing across his pectoral muscles. The heat coming off him came as a surprise, brought an answering prickle beneath her skin. “You’re all muscle and strength.” She pressed her fingers down until her palm touched his biceps, and the heat crept from her fingertips and up her arm.

  The warmth and a sense of expectation darted to her breasts and dispersed throughout her body. In her peripheral vision Lynx circled the end of the gel-bed and joined them. He positioned himself at her back, and his flesh was just as hot as Shiloh’s.

  She swallowed, drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs with their scents. Green and wild and perfect. A memory of the last time—the widow. Her minions. She swallowed again and jumped when Lynx drew her against his chest. In front of her, Shiloh pushed into her space. A tremor weakened her knees, stabbed a sliver of panic into her, communicated the need for flight.

  “I…I…can’t,” she whispered and closed her eyes, not wanting to see Shiloh’s reaction.

  “We want to hold you. That’s all. This will happen at your pace.” Lynx’s breath was a teasing waft against her earlobe. “We were talking and you dropped off to sleep. You missed all the good bits.”

  Shiloh laughed, the bark of humor traveling through his body and by extension, hers. “You missed Lynx’s confession that he is a prince.”

  Jannike rolled her eyes. “Oh, is that all. He needs to come up with better stories. That’s why I fell asleep.”

  A growl came from Lynx, and he nipped her earlobe. She jumped, but the bite hadn’t hurt.

  Shiloh chuckled. “See, that’s what I told him. He needs new material. Come back to bed. Let us touch you.”

  “We’ll stop whenever you want.” Lynx cupped her cheek with one big hand, his eyes serious. “Do you trust us to do that?”

  “Yes.” An easy truth. After all they’d been through she trusted them with her life. “Where’s Kelvin?”

  “He’s making himself useful. He and Mogens seem to have hit it off,” Shiloh said. “When I went to grab something to eat they were discussing herbal remedies and telling the future via clouds. Didn’t make much sense, but they both seemed happy.”

  “I’ve been asleep that long?”

  “You slept through our Manx One stop. Our passengers are safely on their way to freedom.” Lynx winked at Shiloh. “We managed to keep ourselves amused.”

  “You had sex,” Jannike said. “I thought you looked relaxed.”

  “We might have.”

  Shiloh squeezed her shoulder. “You need more rest.”

  Jannike frowned, not liking the way they were studying each other and her. The idea of sex… It had taken her a while to heal physically and mentally last time, so she was surprised at the urges riding her now.

  When she didn’t reply, Shiloh scooped her off her feet and carried her to the gel-bed. He set her down with easy strength. Before her mind formulated the order to jump back up, Lynx plopped down, and Shiloh took a position on her other side.

  “As much as we like your Earth garments, we’d like you to take them off,” Lynx said. “Will you do that?”

  “Okay.” She turned her back for Lynx to access the closure of her bra.

  “Good girl. Just the top half is enough for now.” Shiloh peeled the bra down her arms and tossed the lacy blue garment somewhere on her cabin floor. He stared at her breasts, and she sensed Lynx doing the same thing.

  Shiloh ran his fingers up and down her biceps. The ever-present prickles beneath her skin followed his fingers like a pet on a leash. On her other side, Lynx mirrored Shiloh’s touch and the tickling sensation darted across her chest to meet in the middle. She gasped as her nipples pulled tight.

  “All right, sweetheart?” Shiloh asked.

  The endearment flooded her with a sense of well-being, made her insides turn to mush when she caught the worry in his green eyes.

  Lynx leaned over. “Can we keep touching you?”

  The pure need in his expression drew her more than words. Yes, there was hesitation on her part. Shiloh and Lynx were strong males in their prime and capable of overpowering her. But she could shout for Ry. Camryn had whispered they’d hooked up the security. If the felines did anything to distress her, she was to call aloud. Ry and Kaya would arrive bearing weapons.

  Camryn had promised she’d gut both felines if they dared hurt her, and despite her petite frame and her obvious pregnancy, Jannike didn’t doubt her friend’s fierce vow. All her friends were there for her, and that made a difference.

  “I th-think that would be okay.” Her words were barely audible. “It stops the worst of the irritation beneath my skin when you touch me.”

  “We thought we’d rid ourselves of the skin cooties,” Shiloh said.

  “They disappeared for a time.”

  “After you had sex with each other,” Jannike said.

  “After we accepted the claim, I think.” Shiloh brushed his fingers over her cheek. “I bit Lynx here.”

  Shiloh reached over her and touched the spot on Lynx where neck and shoulder met. His finger slid back and forth over the raised scar, and Lynx groaned, his eyes closing to slits.

  “Does that feel good?” Curiosity had her reaching to touch the same place on Shiloh. She stroked the ridge of flesh and watched a shudder seize Shiloh’s large frame. He shifted his body so his groin pressed against her leg. He rocked, rubbing his erection back and forth on her thigh. Another tremor took him, his fingers dropping away from Lynx’s neck.

  “Hoy,” Lynx said. “This isn’t about you.”

  Shiloh’s eyes snapped open, his hips freezing. The tip of his cock remained cozied up to her thigh, and the scent of male musk floated on the air.

  “Sorry. I thought…I meant to control myself.”

  “Don’t move,” Jannike ordered when Shiloh started to rearrange his body. She recommenced her strumming across the ridged flesh, reveling in the way her touch stripped away his control.

  Much different from her time in the prison cell.

  Shiloh was willing, and her pleasure fed on his. Different circumstances. Different people. These two men—she’d wanted to keep them out of her life, out of her heart, but they’d gone and sneaked in anyhow. She wanted…needed more. Touch. Taste. Sight. She wanted to hear Shiloh’s pleasure, share what Lynx had already experienced.

  “Can we touch him together?” she asked, turning to Lynx.

  “Of course.” Lynx’s eyes shone with approval. “We can do whatever you want.”

  “He should be in the middle of the gel-bed so no one is in danger of falling off.”

  Lynx stood and walked around to the other side of the bed. They shuffled over, and Jannike began to touch Shiloh with more confidence. She trailed fingers over his chest, leaned closer to taste him. He quivered, released a lusty groan of pleasure. Lynx let his hands wander, but he touched her too. He’d rub her shoulder, her back then he’d retreat to caress Shiloh.

  Jannike tongued Lynx’s chest and tasted salt. He smelled of the cleanser she had in her sanitizer room—another feminine indulgence from Earth. The flowery scent should have seemed out of place. Instead the familiar perfume made him seem more hers.

  Lynx’s hand strayed closer to a breast, and she lifted her head to stare at him.

  “Too much?” he asked.

  “I…no. Feels nice.” And it did. Pleasure flowed through her, making her want to return the same
sense of delight. She licked a path around a masculine nipple, gave Shiloh a hint of teeth.

  “Phrull,” Shiloh said. “Feels good. So good. Do it again.”

  Smiling, she applied herself. She stroked and teased and nipped before becoming braver. She moved down Shiloh’s body, and Lynx copied her caresses, mirroring her actions.

  Shiloh groaned and groaned again when Jannike bit down on a spot a tad below his hip. Lynx lifted his head and winked at her before taking a nip himself.

  Fun, she thought. This was fun.

  “Shut your eyes, Shiloh,” Lynx ordered, his voice huskier than normal.

  “Why?”

  Lynx winked at her. “Do you trust us?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then shut your eyes.” Lynx smiled and reminded her of Ry in a mischievous mood.

  Shiloh hesitated then relaxed. “My eyes are shut.”

  “Good. I want you to guess who is touching you.”

  A gust of air hissed from Shiloh. “Easy.”

  “So you think,” Lynx said.

  These males were smart. Jannike knew what Lynx was doing. He was planting himself firmly in her camp and making what might cause bad memories to flare into a game. Jannike shifted her weight. She leaned over Shiloh and lapped around his belly button. Her hair shifted forward, the ends teasing across his stomach.

  Lynx nipped Shiloh’s thigh.

  “Easy.” Shiloh sounded confident. “First was Jannike. I can feel your hair tickling my stomach. Second was Lynx. I felt a hint of your canines.”

  Jannike pushed off the bed and purposely made a noise at the foot of the gel-bed before tiptoeing back to her spot. She marched her fingers down Shiloh’s thigh and back up before fingering his balls. She was still touching him when Lynx started his oral assault. He squeezed one of Shiloh’s balls, using faint pressure.

  They kept moving, touching, teasing until they both kept their mouths and fingers on Shiloh.

  “I don’t know,” Shiloh said. “You’re cheating.”

  “But cheating is making your cock hard.” Lynx dipped his head and kissed one side of Shiloh’s cock. A spurt of desire arrowed through Jannike. That looked so hot, and if Shiloh’s groans were anything to judge the situation, the sensations felt good on his end.