Staking Their Claim

by Rebecca Airies

  His hand slipped down to cup her buttocks, lifting her. She reached for him. Her fingers brushed against his arm. Metal clattered against tile. She whipped her head around. Her crutch lay on the floor beside her. She groaned. Damn crutches. Damn broken leg.

  His forehead pressed against hers. “I wish—”

  “We could find a way.” She swallowed hard. Fuck, she’d just propositioned Mag’s brother.

  “Not yet.” He shook his head and drew in a deep breath. “Stand still. I’ll get your crutch and we can go back to your office. Then we can talk about what’s going on in your mind right now.”

  “Why do you think something’s going on?” Her teeth slid over her lower lip.

  “You’re pulling away. The only way you could push me away more was if you were physically using your hands. I’d like to know what’s causing it. You seemed to enjoy the kiss.” He knelt and picked up the crutch.

  Yeah, she had liked it. She’d still be kissing him if the crutch hadn’t hit the ground. Maybe she’d discover if the bulge in his jeans was simply great design or real flesh.

  “I did like it.” She took the crutch and clomped back to her office. No way to avoid this. They had some quiet time before the overnight tech arrived.

  He waited to sit until she did. “But?”

  She clenched her hand. “You’re Mag’s brother.”

  “And you’re her friend. I don’t see how that has anything to do with it.” Dawson lifted a brow.

  Could he be more arrogant? The man leaned back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world and answered to no one. He loved his sister though. That was one thing she never doubted.

  “And I don’t want to betray her trust by taking advantage of her brother. This is all caused by proximity.” She swept her hand wide. Maybe not entirely caused by it, at least for her.

  He had recently returned from overseas. Anything female might attract him. For her, the attraction was something more than their closeness. Griffin and Ethan had always set her libido ablaze, even before Maggie had introduced them.

  He laughed. “You taking advantage of me? I kissed you. Did you miss that part of it? And it’s not because we’re together. Peaches, I wanted you even when you stood in that parking lot explaining why you hadn’t called Maggie.”

  “I didn’t miss that part of it, but I’m living in your house. Well, yours and your brothers’. You’re protecting me. I don’t want to use any of you or ruin the friendship I have with your sister.” She forced her eyes from the diamond pattern of the tile to him. “If I get involved with you, there’ll be fallout when it ends.”

  “How do you know it will end? We could build something good.” Dawson clasped her hand.

  “We might, but you’re a whyr. Whyr search for their mates and you’d have already told me if I’m yours.” She exhaled. And yeah, if it happened, that would have been great. They met or exceeded every one of her requirements in a man.

  He blinked and his mouth tightened. The chair creaked. His hand clenched on the armrest. Was he thinking about pulling it off?

  “Yeah, I know I’m a whyrcougar.” A muscle along Dawson’s jaw flexed. His chest rose and fell. “Peaches, let’s not borrow trouble. You still have healing to do. I’m not going to pressure you.”

  She relaxed back in the chair and patted her leg. No pressure except that she wanted them. It would be so easy to give in and just enjoy. How much temptation was a woman expected to resist?

  Chapter Five

  Penny reached down and eased her casted leg to the side. This was so annoying. An itch crept along her skin beneath the plaster. If only she could scratch it. She ran a hand through her hair. Just a little longer. If the bone healed, this thing would be off soon.

  She sat on the couch next to Ethan. A Saturday off and she could just rest. Ethan, Griffin, and Dawson probably enjoyed the simplicity of the day. Each of them had accompanied her to work and tried to do their jobs from her office. They hadn’t complained about it. Surprisingly, they hadn’t even seemed put out. Even more astounding, her boss hadn’t said a word about it. Not in the beginning or now, weeks later.

  “How’s your leg feeling?” Ethan rubbed his hand across hers.

  “It’s much better. I’m hoping that Doctor Dark will take the cast off when I go to see him. I don’t feel any pain. Maybe a little discomfort.” She relaxed back against the couch.

  “We can hope. I’d like to see you moving around as you should be. I’m only sorry that we didn’t know of the trouble before it got this bad.” Ethan put his hand over hers.

  “I didn’t tell anyone, but especially not Mags. She had enough to worry about and there wasn’t anything she could do. Only John and some officers knew about the stalking thing.” She lifted a shoulder. Maybe not the right decision, but, at the time, it had seemed best.

  “Yes, she did have a lot to do, but I’m pretty sure she’s already given you hell for not sharing your troubles.” Ethan turned on the couch to face her.

  “Do you know your sister? She’s still giving me hell every time I talk to her.” Penny shook her head. That wouldn’t change any time soon. She swiveled around, easing her leg into a better position.

  Ethan laughed. “I’m sure she’ll stop eventually.”

  Such a big, muscular man, but definitely not clumsy. Somehow, he’d eased a little closer. Not that his brothers were slouches. Each of them was sin and temptation in the flesh. Definitely not sexless roommates she could ignore.

  Sometimes at night, they’d walk around without a shirt. So damn gorgeous and all that delicious, brown flesh, but too tempting. It was their house and they should get to do what they wanted. Such sexy men. It would be so much fun to play with them in and out of bed, but it was a bad idea in the long run.

  Not that them being dressed made any difference. Ethan’s jeans molded to his body and cupped the delicious curve of his buttocks. Such a grabbable ass. Did it feel as nice as it looked?

  Off limits, they’re off limits. She shook her head. Not that it seemed to matter.

  So much of this should make her hesitate. When they took a lover, Ethan, Griffin, and Dawson often shared the same woman. They’d share a woman as mate. Could she handle even a short-term relationship with multiple men? That’s what it would be. There was no future for her with them. And then there was Mags. She could lose Mag’s friendship.

  “Looks like you’re thinking some deep thoughts there.” Ethan brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Care to share?”

  “Nothing too deep.” She drew her fingers over his arm. No way was she telling him the details. “Just some thoughts about the situation.”

  “Hmm.” Only one small sound and his lips kicked up.

  Yeah, he didn’t believe her. Maybe he scented something. Hopefully not. He didn’t need to know how attracted she was to him. Although he probably did. Whyr senses were sharp. At some other time, that might be a little bit of a relief, but now, it was just plain annoying. There had to be something to talk about that didn’t center around her or what she’d been thinking.

  “Did you sell that house you were talking to Dawson about?” She drew in a slow breath. Have to get this back on to normal ground.

  “Actually, I sold two houses this week and one of my rental properties will be coming open within the next thirty days.” Ethan eased closer. “Anything interesting happen at the vet’s this week?”

  “Ah, not much. Spays and neuters and put some stitches in a dog who got in a fight.” She shrugged.

  “Want to tell me why you’re fighting the attraction to us as much as you are?” Ethan lifted a brow. He traced a finger up her arm.

  She shivered. “Because it will end and I’ll inevitably lose no matter whose fault it is.”

  “You won’t lose.” He grasped her hand between his. “What are you afraid you’ll lose?”

  “Mag’s friendship. You’re her brothers. I’m just her friend.” It was pretty simple. They were related and that trumped friendship.


  “Yeah, clearly you haven’t witnessed any of our interactions with her. I doubt she’d blame you for any problem with our relationship. She’s regularly been calling us dumb asses lately.” Ethan grinned. “I’m sure she’d put any difficulties we have squarely on our shoulders.”

  “I don’t want to lose her as a friend.” She stared down at their hands before looking back at him. It would be like losing a sister.

  “Peaches, I promise you won’t lose her as a friend. Would it help you if I promise to take any blame for the failure?” He tilted his head and waited.

  “You can promise that, but it doesn’t mean that anyone will see it that way.” She wriggled on the couch and then adjusted her leg. Nice offer, but it probably wouldn’t fly.

  He exhaled. “All right, how about we look at this a different way. Why don’t we not think about this as a relationship? Can we enjoy the moments we have without thinking about any type of ties between us?”

  She glanced at him. As tempting as that sounded, something seemed off. Maybe it was the way he kept pressing for it. If he just wanted someone to have sex with, he could pick up a woman anywhere. According to Maggie, he had no problems finding women.

  “But why me? Don’t you want a woman who can actually go out with you? Because I’m pretty much limited to what I can do.” She tapped her hand on her thigh. “Not just because of this big piece of plaster on my leg.”

  “If I wanted to be with another woman, I’d be with her. It’s you that I want. What you can do or can’t do has nothing to do with it. The cast will come off and we’ll catch the person who’s stalking you. We’ll have time to go out. Would you like to kiss me?” He gently traced his fingers over her shoulder.

  She’d love to kiss him. But should she? Enjoying a few moments tempted her, but that time would probably lead to a deeper involvement for her. Could she separate her emotions enough to come out of this without a broken heart?

  “I’d like a kiss.” She straightened. It was only a few moments. She had a damn cast on so nothing serious would happen. Its sheer bulk was enough to act as a deterrent to anything too involved.

  He eased closer and slipped his arm around her. His musky scent rose, surrounding her. He smelled so good. She leaned into him. His arm tightened and he drew his lips across hers. Warmth spread at the light contact. She opened for him.

  His tongue thrust deep. She moaned and wriggled. Damn, that kiss went straight to her head. He skimmed his free hand down her side. She leaned in and ran her palm over his corded chest. His muscles flexed. A knot tightened low in her belly.

  His mouth lifted. “Can I touch you? Can I stroke your sweet body?”

  “Yes.” She licked her lips. So sweet, especially since she’d already explored him.

  His hand slipped up to her breast. She bit her lip and her breath caught. Anticipation curled within her. He flicked a thumb over her nipple. Piercing sensations shot straight to her core.

  He squeezed the mound before trailing his hand down her stomach. Sparkling thrills erupted along the path of his heated palm. He kissed her again. His fingers traced the edge of her pants. Tingles spread through her. Her stomach tightened. Just a little lower.

  His teeth scraped along her jaw and nipped at her neck. “Do you want this?”

  His fingers tugged at the closure of her pants. She drew in a shivering breath. The tease. She pulled at his shoulders. Just a kiss.

  “Yes.” Her tight throat constricted.

  “Unbutton your shirt for me. I want to see what you have underneath.” Hot breath feathered over her ear and his tongue flicked at the lobe.

  A tremor raced down her back. Damn, he made her so hot and he’d barely even teased her. If they ever had sex, it would be fucking explosive. Maybe she should give this thing a chance.

  She pushed the buttons through the small holes. When the last one slipped free, she pulled the fabric wide. His hot gaze roved over her chest. A rush of hunger swelled through her. He hummed and dropped kisses over the newly exposed flesh. With a tug, he loosened her pants.

  “I like this pretty blue bra. Some other time, I’ll enjoy taking it off you.” He ran his tongue along the sloping edge of the garment.

  She groaned in regret. “Don’t stop.”

  “I’m not stopping, peaches.” Ethan opened his mouth over the fabric covering her breast.

  Hot breath filtered through the fabric. Her breast swelled and the nipple tightened. An ache speared through her. She tensed and edged closer to him. He urged her back. She wriggled against the restraining hands. Not back. If only he’d put his mouth on her breast. His hand slid under the silky fabric of her panties. She gasped. His hand slid down and cupped her pussy.

  He eased closer and his mouth covered the tip of her breast. Warmth surrounded her breast. A curl of heat swirled through her stomach and an ache built.

  “Suck my breast.” She swept her hand over his hair and across his back.

  “Like this?” He glanced up at her before his lips fastened on the fabric over the peak.

  He sucked. Pulses zipped through her with each light tug. She moaned. If only she could feel his lips on her, not blunted by cloth.

  One of his fingers curled down and stroked over her clit. Fire sizzled through her. She jolted and caught her breath. So good.

  “I love the smell of your desire as it rises.” He nuzzled the skin just above the bra.

  His fingers flicked over her clit. A piercing pang swelled inside her. She moaned. Her thigh eased to the side. Hopefully, he took the invitation. His fingers circled the nub of her clit.

  He closed his teeth over the peak. Sparks careened through her. She arched her back, lifting into the tormenting touch. More.

  He worked her clit. The need raged and clawed within. Her inner muscles clenched, grasping, but a keen yearning flared.

  “Come for me.” He stroked his finger back and forth, tormenting her clit. Her muscles tightened. The pounding need increased

  She rocked her hips up. Just a little more. His touch firmed and he pinched her clit between his fingers. A hot wave ripped through her with the force of an explosion. She gasped and her body bowed. The pleasure rocked her. She shook and clutched at him.

  As the waves of delight faded, she drew in deep breaths. He stared down at her. She blinked. It would be so easy to snuggle against him, but that was impossible. She rested her head against his chest.

  “So, um, why?” She glanced up at him through her lashes.

  “Why what? Why did I give you pleasure?” He smiled down at her.

  “Yes.” She twisted her hands together.

  “Because I wanted to give you pleasure. See it, watch it wash over you, and savor every moment.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

  Warmth welled in her. So damn sweet.

  Chapter Six

  Penny swung her way into the office. Griffin sat behind her desk, no doubt working on that brief he mentioned earlier. How did he and Ethan make time to act as bodyguards? Both of them had very busy schedules and businesses. Griffin was a partner in a law firm. But somehow, they did it.

  “How are you?” Griffin pushed his laptop back.

  “All right, only about thirty more minutes before I’m finished for the day.” She smiled. “At the moment, there’s no scheduled appointments and no one in the lobby. I’ll go check on the animals in a little while.”

  “That’s good. It’s nice to have a quiet day.” Griffin pulled the laptop closer to him.

  “There are some professions where people would smack you for saying that.” Penny eased down onto the chair to get off her foot. She rubbed the top of the cast. It would be so good to get this heavy thing off her leg.

  “But not this profession?” Griffin raised an eyebrow.

  “Not at this practice and not today. Since I’ve worked here, Tuesday has been a quiet day.” Penny stretched her arms over her head.

  Griffin’s eyes locked on her breasts. Heat sizzled in his eyes and an ec
hoing pulse surged through her. She bit her lip. Damn, what was with her response to them?

  “Well, then, if nothing happens, we’ll be able to get out of here on time.” He picked up a pen.

  “That would be nice. I could use the rest.” She took a deep breath. Living with these men was driving her insane. Every morning she woke hungry from hot dreams. And damn, the pull to them flared, burning stronger every day. Very hard to treat them as roommates when she wanted to run her hands all over them.

  Minutes later, she glanced at the clock. Time to get moving. She stood and clomped toward the door. Her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at it. Unknown number. She frowned. Maybe someone changed their number. She swiped her finger across the screen.

  She lifted it to her ear. “Hello.”

  “Leave them,” a muffled female voice said.

  “What?” Penny straightened. Her stomach clenched.

  “Leave the men now. Get away from them.” The woman’s voice cleared a little.

  “Who are you?” Penny clenched her hand. The stalker was male. John had smelled a human male.

  “You’ll get away from them. Or someone will get hurt,” the female warned.

  The woman hung up. Penny pulled the phone away from her ear. Who was that? Could this be related to the stalker? Or was this something else?

  “Penny, what is it?” Griffin’s voice floated to her, as if from a long tunnel.

  She looked up. He’d asked her something. Her mind locked on the call. Did the woman know the stalker?

  “Penny! Who was on the phone?” Griffin took her hand.

  She blinked. When had he come around the desk? “A woman.”

  “What did the woman say? Something’s upset you. You’re pale and I can smell your fear.” His palm cupped her cheek. “Tell me.”