Shifted Illusions

by C. E. Black

  “You had reason.”

  “Maybe. But if I could go back…”

  “There are a lot of things I’d change if I could go back in time,” Leo chimed in. “All anyone can do is learn from their mistakes and move forward. Plus, it all worked out.”

  He was right. Sort of. Nothing was ‘worked out,’ but snuggled between them, it felt like we were headed in the right direction.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Tell me about your work.”

  Henri hesitated. “Most of it is confidential.”

  “I understand. I only wondered about what you do. You seem to like your job. From what I heard today, they had to force you to take a vacation.”

  “I love it. But most of what I do happens in the background. The prep work, if you will.”

  Leo snorted. “Don’t believe him. He’s the smartest one on the team. He’s invented half the tech we use. He can find anything and anyone on that computer of his. And he can kick as much ass as the rest of us.”

  Henri stiffened against my back as Leo spoke. “I can’t find everyone.”

  “I have faith,” Leo said with confidence.

  “What about you?” I questioned him. “What do you do?”

  “I’m just muscle.”

  “I seriously doubt that.”

  “No, he really is,” Henri jumped in. “You’ve seen him without a shirt; he’s built. He spends a lot of time training new recruits in the gym. Kicks ass and takes names. And he’s been undercover a few times as well.”

  “That wasn’t confidential and all,” Leo deadpanned.

  “Oops.” But from his tone, Henri wasn’t sorry. I liked that. “Stop putting yourself down, and maybe I’ll stop giving away all your secrets.”

  “Won’t be going undercover anytime soon,” Leo grumbled.

  “Why?”

  “Why?” He scoffed and shook his head. “Have you seen my face lately? No way I can get someone to fall for my charm and spill all their secrets. Much less hide in plain sight. I’m the freak show now. Everyone notices me, and not because they want to get in my pants, unfortunately.”

  “I do,” I blurted out, my cheeks heating with my confession.

  Leo’s brow popped up. “Is that so?” he asked, though he sounded skeptical.

  “You don’t believe me.”

  “I don’t.”

  “I’m not lying…”

  He stared at me silently for several moments, and with each passing second, my pulse fluttered faster and faster. I licked my lips, and his gaze followed.

  Smirking, he crossed his arms behind his head. “Prove it, then.”

  “Wh—what?”

  “You said you wanted in my pants. Prove it.” The challenge in his eyes told me he didn’t believe I’d do it. But could I be so brave?

  “I promised myself a long time ago I would never be a coward again. I failed today. Definitely a lesson learned,” I whispered.

  “A coward?” Henri scoffed from behind. “After today, and the way you shared what happened to you without falling apart, no one should ever use the word coward to describe you.”

  “Yeah, I really held it together. I seem to remember clearing the room with my little panic attack. So brave.”

  My sarcasm earned me a pinch on the arm from Leo. It didn’t hurt, but the teasing gesture surprised me enough to jump. “What was that for? Ruining the mood?”

  “No, not for ruining the mood,” he said sarcastically. “You know why. Stop being ridiculous. You had a panic attack. Something you couldn’t control. From what I heard today, I’m shocked you’re doing as well as you are. Listening to what you’d been through… it hurt.”

  “I’m sorry,” I replied automatically.

  Leo ran a finger down my cheek, a whisper of a touch, before moving his arm back into its position above his head. After taking a deep breath, he said, “After the explosion, I withdrew. Didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. Still don’t sometimes. Everyone assumes I don’t see this about myself, but I do. It’s easier to be angry with everyone than to accept… things. Never call yourself a coward, Beth. A coward would have never gotten away. A coward would have never traveled half the country with next to nothing to start a new life. All the while looking over her shoulder. She wouldn’t have taken a chance on two shifters clumsily looking to help her. And she definitely wouldn’t sandwich herself between them in my bed.”

  Blinking away tears, I reached for the button on Leo’s pants.

  A steely grip latched onto my wrist. “What are you doing?” he asked.

  It was my turn to raise my brow at him. “Proving it, remember?”

  His pulse fluttered in his throat, and his breath hitched as electricity arced between us. He desired me as much as I craved him.

  I pulled, testing his grip, wanting so badly to feel the bulge my hand hovered over. My fingers brushed the fabric, the heat sizzling my skin even through the layers.

  With a groan, he yanked my hand away. He didn’t want me to touch him. At least, not there. The pain in his eyes said it required a lot of restraint to pull me away. So why?

  Deciding to deviate from my course, I place my palm on the center of his chest. He didn’t let go of my wrist, but he didn’t fight me either. His heart pounded so hard I thought it would rip through his skin.

  “Kiss me,” he demanded.

  As though it was as natural as breathing, I followed his command, lifting my body until we were face to face. Closing my eyes, I brought my lips to his, caressing them with strokes as soft as a butterfly wing. I expected him to take over, and when he didn’t, I pulled back to gauge his reaction. His expression was hard. Had I done something wrong?

  The bed moved, and I gasped. How could I be such an idiot?

  I practically leaped away from Leo to face Henri, an apology ready. But the words died on my lips. Henri had pulled off his shirt, revealing those perfect abs I’d had the privilege of seeing the other night.

  Swallowing, I let my gaze run over him before meeting his heated stare. Henri wasn’t mad or disappointed. Not even close.

  “Kiss me,” Henri said in the same demanding tone Leo had used.

  Part of me wanted to look back and search Leo’s expression. He was so hard to read sometimes. But I had to trust him to speak up if he had a problem.

  Placing a hand on Henri’s chest, I had to hold back a moan at the feel of his bare skin. My eyelids fluttered as I leaned in. But I never made it. Henri met me halfway, slamming his lips against mine. He kissed me hard and deep, tasting me more thoroughly than anyone ever had. The groan I’d been holding back slipped out, which only spurred him on even more.

  My back hit the mattress, and Henri settled above me. One hand cradled the back of my head, while the other skimmed over my hip and thigh, lifting my leg up and over his waist. I gasped at the intimate contact, and Henri swallowed the sound with his mouth.

  The world upended, and I found myself straddling his lap. Henri grabbed my hips and squeezed. “Is this okay?”

  Leo pushed my hair to the side, and his lips brushed the sensitive skin behind my ear. “And this?” he whispered, his breath teasing my neck. “Is this okay?”

  A shudder rippled through my body. “Yes,” I whispered to them both, dropping my chin to receive more. His hands fisting into my hair until I gasped, then he angled my head where he desired and granted me my wish.

  His lips were hot and perfectly wet as they slid over my skin. My hips jerked when his teeth joined the party, hitting the right spot to drive me to the brink.

  Henri’s grip on my hips tightened, then he encouraged me to move, pressing me down on his cock. A cock that was hard as steel and pulsing beneath his jeans. He groaned when I ground against him, seeking the same high he’d given me the other night. I longed to soar again.

  Leo pulled off my shirt and snapped open the clasp of my bra. The straps skimmed over my skin, raising goosebumps in their wake before he tossed the garment over the bedside. Hands from beh
ind cupped my breasts, pinching the nipples lightly, then harder, until I arched my back.

  “Fuck, you are perfect,” Leo whispered in my ear.

  “I agree,” Henri said, sliding his palms up my rib cage. Leo dropped one hand, and Henri’s replaced it. “Fucking perfect.”

  “Oh, God.” I moaned, moving my hips faster. I was going to come like this… with our clothes still half on.

  Leo slid a hand down my stomach, causing the muscles to jump. He blew in my ear and popped the button on my pants. Then he was there, sliding his long fingers through folds already slick and swollen.

  He cursed under his breath, and my hips jerked. I needed more. Just a little more.

  He rubbed light circles across my clit once, twice… “So wet for me,” he whispered in my ear. “I want to feel your sweet, wet pussy wrapped around my cock.”

  Henri pinched my nipple and the combined sensations threw me over the edge.

  “Oh, yes. Yes!” I cried out, my body moving on its own, clinging to the moment, stretching out the orgasm as long as it could. I’d had so few in my life. I needed more, and I wanted it to last forever.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t. And eventually, I fell from the high, landing on top of Henri with a groan.

  The kissing along my neck didn’t stop, and someone rubbed my back, encouraging me to continue moving. My center was sensitive, but not completely sated. I craved more. But…

  Henri rolled us until he was above me again. He kissed my lips, my jaw, my neck… I allowed him, loving every second. But when he reached for my pants, I put a hand on his shoulder until he looked at me.

  “I’m sorry. Do you want to stop?”

  “No, but…” I licked my lips and glanced at Leo who hovered at the end of the bed watching me carefully. Bringing his fingers to his lips, he licked one, then the other, before sucking them both into his mouth. His eyelids fluttered, satisfaction written all over his face.

  Did that whimper come from me? Holy shit. I was aroused all over again.

  “Beth?” Henri pressed his lips to my neck once before leaning back. “What’s wrong?”

  “I have something to tell you first. You probably already guessed I’m not very good at this.”

  “You seemed pretty fucking good to me,” Leo argued, winking at me as he licked another taste of me off his fingers.

  Cheeks heating, I shook my head. I had to blurt it out. Get it over with. They would either shrug it off or run away screaming. At least I’d gotten a fantastic orgasm first.

  “I’m… I haven’t done this before,” I finally said.

  Leo tipped his head in question, but Henri stiffened. He got it.

  “What haven’t you done? A threesome?” Leo asked.

  Heat spread across my face again. “Well, yes, that too. But what I meant was this… Sex.”

  “She’s a virgin.” Henri’s declaration had me scrunching up my nose in disgust.

  “I hate that word,” I told him. “But yes, you’re right. He’s right,” I told Leo, “I’m a virgin. So, do you still want to fuck?”

  16

  Leo

  For the first time in my life, my flight or fight instincts kicked in. Something I thought only happened when a person’s life was in danger. My lion’s instincts were to fight. Always. But Beth’s little announcement had me itching to run from the room.

  Do you still want to fuck? She fucking asked me that. Unbelievable, the mouth on this virgin.

  The answer should have been easy. Of course, I wanted to fuck her! I fucking ached for her. But I also… couldn’t. And her lack of experience wasn’t my only reason. Though it was certainly motivation enough to put on the brakes.

  I’d forgotten for half a second the other reasons, loving the way her face had turned red as I teased her. Until I remembered why I couldn't take off my clothes in front of her. Or Hawk, for that matter.

  Though still in working order—obvious from the way it strained behind my zipper, begging to become intimate with both the beautiful woman and man in our bed—my cock was no longer aesthetically pleasing to look at. And I was being polite. It was a damn nightmare.

  I might have acknowledged to Beth my withdrawal from life, but it didn’t mean there wasn’t a cause for it. My skin wasn’t the only thing ruined.

  “Of course, we still want you,” Hawk replied for both of us. “But… are you sure?”

  “Yes. Please,” came Beth’s breathy reply. Without waiting for my response to her original question, she began shimmying out of her pants. Hawk helped, and within seconds, Beth was naked. He stood from the bed and slipped his jeans down his long, toned legs. His shirt came next. But he hesitated when at the waistband of his boxer briefs.

  “Yes,” Beth whispered, and off they came.

  As I remembered, from all the times we shifted together, his body was perfection.

  I had a decision to make. Stay and join them, with my clothes on. Or leave. The former came with the bonus fun of answering questions, whether it was now or later. But watching my best friend move over Beth, kissing down her naked torso… I couldn’t leave. I just… couldn’t. At least, not yet.

  I stood at the end of the bed and devoured them with my gaze. Hawk laid on his stomach, giving me a view straight out of one of my fantasies. Skimming over the curve of Hawk’s ass and his muscular back, my gaze slid along the path I would use with my hands if I could. The way his head moved subtly between Beth’s legs, her fingers tugging at his hair as he had the pleasure of tasting her…

  I shuddered.

  Beth cried out, and my gaze snapped to her face. Head flung back, eyes closed, her expression twisted in pleasure… It was absolutely the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.

  She arched her back, thrusting her breasts high. The tight peaks of her nipples had my mouth watering, and in a blink of an eye, I was next to her, my mouth lowering over one such peak. Sensitive from her orgasm, she sucked in a breath as I laved at her nipple with my tongue. My palm kneaded her other breast, and soon, one of her hands gripped my hair while pulling me closer. Moving to give the other delicate orb the same attention, I smiled when she called out my name.

  “Leo… Oh God, Henri. I’m going to… again—” Her last word broke off as she climaxed. This one rocked her hard but ended much sooner than I would have desired.

  I trailed my lips up her neck and over her chin until I reached her mouth. I swept my tongue delicately across her swollen lips, nibbling softly, before turning it into a real kiss. She moaned into my mouth and pulled at my shirt. My cue to get out of there.

  “You still okay, gorgeous?” I asked her as Hawk grabbed a condom from the nightstand and slid it on. “Are you ready for Hawk to make love to you?”

  “You too,” she whispered against my lips. “I need to make love to you too.”

  “I’ll be here,” I lied, kissing her once more before burying my nose in her neck to breathe in her scent. Then I stepped back and let Hawk move up her body. He gave me a grin before looking down at Beth. “Hey there.”

  “Hi,” she whispered back. “That was incredible.”

  “Yes, it was,” he replied, lowering his mouth to hers.

  Beth wrapped her arms around Hawk’s neck, and he rolled them onto their sides, lifted her leg and pressed his cock at her entrance, rubbing himself between her slick folds.

  Hawk whispered in Beth’s ear loving praises. I did my best to ignore them. They weren’t for me, and I didn’t deserve to hear them. But I couldn’t take my eyes off of their entwined bodies, even though that too, I was not deserving of.

  Hawk kissed Beth as his cock breached her entrance. She stiffened in his arms as he slid a little more of his shaft in, then relaxed as he pulled out. He pressed forward again, this time going deeper, and she moaned loudly, taking him almost all the way. When he pulled out, he was dripping with her arousal.

  Fuck, I almost came in my pants.

  I pressed my hand to my cock, but felt guilty and yanked it away just as fast.
Then I spun around before I did something stupid.

  I glanced over my shoulder, unable to help myself. The two were lost in one another. Mouths fused, Hawk pumped into her with deep but languid strokes as Beth ran her hands over his back, stopping only to pull him closer to her. The sight almost brought me to my knees. I longed to be with them. Loving on them both. But it wouldn’t be fair. To them. To me. My scars would horrify them. Then fill them with pity. I didn’t want to be loved with pity.

  I forced my feet to move. And kept moving, right out of the house. I couldn’t be there. It hurt too much.

  Leaving also had the added benefit of allowing me to twist the pain into something much more familiar. Anger. I knew exactly what to do with my anger, and who take it out on. The man responsible for my misery. I just had to find him.

  Luckily, I knew exactly where to search.

  17

  Hawk

  As Beth slept in my arms, warring emotions collided inside of me. I’d made love with the most perfect woman. She was exquisite, inside and out, and I desired nothing more than to stay in this moment with her in my arms. Or better yet, be inside of her again and again.

  A future spread out in my mind’s eye. A future with Beth as my wife, maybe a child or two if she so wished, but mostly I only wanted a lifetime of us.

  On the other hand, it was hard to imagine a future when there were people out there trying to take Beth away from me. Her life was still in danger. My job, first and foremost, was to protect her. And I would. But I hoped while doing so, the two of us could continue to become close.

  And last, but certainly not least, there was Leo. What the fuck had he been thinking?

  The moment he had joined Beth and me in bed, feelings had overwhelmed me. Was I jealous when Beth had kissed him? Absolutely not. It had been hot as hell watching them together.

  Then a switch had flipped, and he’d booked it out of there so fast, I never saw him leave.

  Panting and shaking, we’d basked in our newfound intimacy when a single sniffle shattered my peaceful bubble. Beth had glanced around the room, her eyes shiny with unshed tears while a tiny flare of panic bloomed in my chest.