For the first time, I see how confusing this must have been for him, and my frustration ebbs. “I can imagine.”
“Can you?” He reaches up to rub my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I don’t think my uncertainty ever touched you. I wanted you to want the same thing, but I didn’t want to lose you. How I burned, Rowan.”
As he speaks these last words, his smile fades completely. His eyes widen, seeming rounder and more liquid. I remember the feel of his mouth on mine, and my gaze falls to his lips.
He reaches for me, pulling me into his arms. As his lips work against mine, all the tension I’m feeling is gradually replaced by something else. I think about the fact Dayne and I have yet to kiss, and then I think about nothing but the silken glide of Jamie’s tongue.
I raise my hand and place it tentatively behind his biceps, and even this light touch encourages him. His embrace tightens, and he moans against my open mouth. I run my hands up his back, feeling the broadness of it, and the hard muscles beneath his shirt. It’s a back I’ve seen many times, yet never known like this.
Even with the sound of rushing blood in my ears, I hear the light rustle of Dayne’s wings and I panic.
I rise from the bed, heart thumping. Is it possible to want them both? Right here, right now? Is it wrong?
I can’t meet either of their gazes, but their eyes are on me as I begin to slowly pace. My body throbs from the rising heat. I want someone to say something. And I want them to stay quiet.
—
On an impulse, I walk to the sunken tub. Bending over the side, I fiddle with a series of colored, glowing buttons until hot water begins cascading into the pool from both ends. A heady floral scent rises from the steam. It takes only a couple of minutes to fill.
Standing with my back to the others, I raise my hands to my dress straps and slide them off my shoulders. I tug at the bodice, and it falls free of my breasts, but refuses to go farther. Suddenly I feel hands at my back, working at the hooks. I know it’s Dayne—the warm, animal smell of the earlier joining of our bodies is heavy on his flesh.
The glide of the dress to my ankles is a silken caress that makes me shiver. I step out of it and into the tub.
I’ve never known such luxury, and as I sink into the fragrant water I give a little moan. I move from one side of the tub to the other, feeling the water flow over sore muscles. Around my breasts and between my legs.
I rise then, water lapping at my hips, watching rivulets stream down my breasts and belly. My skin is so charged with desire, the tickling sensations are enough to quicken my breaths. I raise my hand and rub it over first one breast then the other, smearing the droplets and wiping away what’s left of Dayne’s slick seed. I catch movement to my left, and cry out at the sudden splash as Dayne lands in the pool behind me.
Hands gripping my hip bones, he pulls me against the hard length of his body. His cock presses into the small of my back.
I glance at Jamie, who’s risen from the bed and stands frozen—unable to look away, unable to flee. He has such an aura of repressed energy about him that it dawns on me I must be a monster to have asked for this. I hadn’t seen how things might progress, but I was a fool. The air is choked and humid with arousal. It’s practically running down the walls.
“Come here,” I say.
He obeys, coming to stand beside the pool. I see the long line of his cock straining against the front of his pants.
“Do you want to go?” I ask him.
His jaw muscles tighten, and he shakes his head.
“Then come here,” I repeat.
Dayne begins squeezing my breasts, rubbing them in circles over my chest, as I watch Jamie peel away his shirt and then push down his pants. Jamie’s body, too, is beautiful, fair and flawless but for the scar under his ribs from when he fell on a sharp rock in the ruins.
Jamie steps into the pool, and I feel Dayne’s hand on his cock behind me, working it between my legs.
I turn and give him a shove. It’s not enough to push him back, but he drops his arms.
“You will wait,” I say, a smile just touching my lips. I watch the flames flicker in his dark eyes. The flash of frustration I see there makes me feel powerful and alive, and I take a step away from him.
Before Dayne can speak, Jamie takes hold of my arm and pulls me round, crushing my naked body against his. I look into the face of the boy I grew up with—a face I did occasionally think of as handsome and manly, but never so much as now—and I feel that sensation of the world falling out from under me again.
But his hands come under my ass, lifting me so I feel the press of his cock against my pussy, and the fear of the fall gives way to an urge to jump.
I cover his mouth with mine, kissing him with force. He sinks into the water, taking me with him, coming to rest on the low seat that rings the tub. He scoots to the edge of the seat, and he reaches between us, pushing the head of his erect cock down, so it angles toward me. His lips part, his breath moving quickly between them. And he waits.
I press my shins against the seat, raising my body to meet the line of his cock, arching my back to thrust my breasts into his face.
“Rowan,” he whispers, raising a hand to grip one breast.
I lift my hand to his cheek, feeling the stubble of his beard—and then I sheathe him fast and hard. We gasp from the violence of it, and the crush of sensation.
At first that full, straining feeling between my legs is delicious and satisfying. But soon it’s not enough. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I begin to undulate, gliding against and away, maneuvering his cock in and out of me as warm water sluices over my hips.
Jamie gives another loud groan. Dipping his head, he closes his mouth over my breast, circling the nipple with his tongue. Pressing against his mouth, I feel the tip of my climax, and I can tell by the sounds he’s making that he’s close to release.
I pull back all the way, letting him slip out of me.
Jamie gives a desperate moan, and I take hold of his arm, raising him to sit on the edge of the bath. Then I bend and take him into my mouth. His hips trace a frantic arc, and the breath hisses between his teeth as he grips my plaited hair in his hands.
I push my hips high in the air behind me in invitation, and a second later I feel Dayne’s cock glide into my pussy. Jamie leans back, supporting himself on his elbows as I suck and lick at his cock. I draw out to the tip, and we lock gazes across his tight abdomen as he thrusts into my throat. He lifts his gaze to a point behind me, watching as I’m worked at both ends.
Dayne pumps steady as a heartbeat against me, my ass rising higher in the air with every hard thrust. He comes with an animal growl, lifting my hips so my feet leave the ground.
Still holding Jamie in my mouth, I wriggle my ass against Dayne’s abdomen, relishing the tightness and fullness. The hot pressure against my clit.
Then I release Jamie, and sliding free of Dayne, I climb out of the tub and cross to the bed. I lie back naked on the soft bedding, and I spread my legs wide, gazing down between them at Jamie.
“Your turn,” I say.
Jamie’s out of the tub like a shot. He climbs onto the bed and covers me, like he’s afraid I’ll change my mind, and he thrusts high and hard, until he, too, is buried deep inside me. Raising himself on his strong arms, his body jerks and thrusts powerfully. I lift my legs, wrapping them around his waist and pulling him deeper.
I reach up and rub his bottom lip with my thumb, and his lips part. “Harder,” I insist, slipping my thumb into his mouth.
He sucks at my thumb, his thrusts growing frenzied, and I feel my climax uncoiling. He moans helplessly as his body goes rigid, and his final thrust bursts the delicious tension ballooning inside me.
I dig into his backside with my heels as I come, clenching and gathering him deeper.
Jamie’s head drops, and he presses his forehead against mine, bathing my face with his hot breath.
I feel Dayne’s weight on the bed, and Jamie touches his lip
s to mine before pulling out and collapsing beside me, still panting. Dayne stretches out along my other side. He reaches for my face, drawing it toward him, and he presses those full lips against mine. He caresses softly, and then works my lips gently apart, letting his tongue dip into my mouth. I can’t believe how easily he wakes my body, even now. I moan, and his hand comes to my breast, rubbing a pebbled nipple with his fingers.
“Do you want to have us both at once?” he asks. It does something to me, the tremor in that deep, rich voice. I’m already tingling with anticipation.
“Yes,” I whisper.
He gives me a wicked smile, and his hand slides down from my breasts to the thatch of bright curls between my legs. “Do you trust me not to hurt you?”
I swallow and nod, my pussy throbbing from the light play of his fingers.
Dayne rises to his knees, and he reaches for me and raises me to mine, positioning himself behind me.
Jamie is watching us, his cock hard and ready. He rises to his knees.
“Come closer,” I say.
He moves forward until I’m positioned between them, his cock pressed against my belly. I spread my fingers over his chest.
Dayne’s fingers slip between my legs and into my pussy. He slides them slowly in and out, and I close my eyes and begin to press back against him. He draws them out, using my body’s juices to moisten his cock. Then he presses my chest into Jamie’s, and Jamie coils his arms around me. Dayne lifts my buttocks with his hands, peeling them apart, and I feel the tip of his cock against the opening nestled in that hollow place.
He pushes in an inch and I gasp at the burning sensation. His hand comes to rub my hip, and my tensed body begins to relax. Carefully, gently, half an inch at a time, he slides in the rest of the way. My breath comes in gasps. I’m frightened, but I feel tight little bursts of pleasure as he begins to pump, slow and shallow at first. My pussy aches with envy.
Dayne’s strong hands come to my hips and he raises me higher, my knees coming off the bed, and his cock slipping out to the tip. Jamie closes his hands over my sides and helps hold my body steady as he presses close, aligning my pussy with his cock. They lower me, sliding me onto both of their cocks. When I’m locked down over them and going nowhere, they press me tightly between their hips. I let out a long moan as I fall back against Dayne’s chest, limp and helpless with need.
Dayne wraps his arms around my chest, taking my breasts in his hands and supporting me. Jamie’s body bows over mine, hands gripping my hips, as he begins slowly thrusting. Each time he sinks into me, I fall back harder on Dayne’s cock and cry out. I’m a single exposed nerve, breathless and dizzy with sensation, and I know I won’t last long.
I feel Dayne’s breath in my hair, and Jamie leans forward and pushes his tongue into my mouth. Their hands come to my sides again, holding me still and suspended between them for one long breath.
Then they both begin to thrust into me, pumping me from both sides, and these extremes of full and empty draw desperate cries from my throat.
Dayne’s hands suddenly jerk my body downward, and I squeal and convulse as the sharp rings of pleasure spin up inside me. They groan in release, and I’m pinioned between their hips. The rings of pleasure burst open, sending energy racing out to the ends of my fingers and toes.
I fall back against Dayne, and his arms circle me. Jamie grips under my thighs, giving a last hard thrust before all of us sink onto the bed.
My head and breasts splay over Dayne’s chest, and I feel Jamie under my hips. His hand glides up my thigh to my ass. My heart’s barely managed to resume its normal rate by the time I drop off to sleep.
—
When I wake, I find I’m swaddled in Dayne’s body, his arms and legs coiling round me and my head still pressed to his chest. Two of his wings dip forward over us like a blanket. I turn my head to look for Jamie, and find him standing beside the bed—dressed, and putting on his boots.
“Jamie?” I call softly.
Dayne stirs, and his limbs begin to loosen.
“Go on and sleep, Ro,” Jamie says.
I prop myself up on my elbow. “You’re going?”
“I’m going. I can see where you belong.”
I study his face and find him resigned rather than angry. “You can?” I ask.
“You’d made your choice already. It was kind of you to let me have this.”
I can’t help chuckling. “It wasn’t exactly a sacrifice.”
He smiles. “I’m glad.”
“What makes you say I’d made my choice already?” In my heart I know this is true, but I want to understand how he knew.
He shrugs. “You let him have you first. If you’re staying, you’d want to make sure you carry his child, if anyone’s.” He drops his gaze, adding, “And at the end you called his name while you were looking at me.”
I stare at him. “I did?”
He gives a thin smile. “You did.”
“I’m sorry, Jamie, I didn’t—”
“You don’t need to be sorry.” He tries for a more believable smile and almost succeeds. “I’ll miss you, Ro.”
My throat tightens. “Are you leaving Clifden?”
He nods. “I’m going south, to join the clan there.”
“We’d like to meet the others,” says Dayne. Not having realized he was awake, I start, and his hand comes to my hip. “Would you talk to them?”
The two men study each other over my naked body, and Jamie says, “I don’t think they’ll be interested.”
“We’re willing to protect them if less friendly factions invade.”
Some of the old sparks fly in Jamie’s reply. “If they’ll agree to support you.”
“It could benefit us both.”
Jamie frowns, but replies, “I’ll let them know you want to talk to them. I know I don’t have to warn you to take care of her. I wouldn’t leave her if I didn’t think you would.”
“My whole family will take care of her.”
Jamie nods, and then he turns for the door.
“Be careful, Jamie,” I call, and my voice breaks.
He shoots a boyish grin over his shoulder, just as he did before every stupid stunt he tried when we played together in the castle. Then he leaves, closing the door behind him.
I feel Dayne’s hand on my shoulder, and he pulls me down so my back rests on the bed. His dark plaits fall in a curtain around us.
“How’s my bride?” he asks, brushing my forehead with his thumb.
Moisture stands in my eyes, but I smile. “Sleepy and sore.”
He presses a soft kiss to my lips and draws back to look at me. “Fertile females among us often take more than one mate to their beds. But this is the last time I share you.”
The directness of his words catches me off guard. But there’s no anger behind them.
“I would never ask you to.” I study him a moment before asking, “But what if I end up carrying his child?”
He shakes his head. “Your body was ready when I first took you. If there’s a child, it will be mine.”
“Maybe we should try again?” It’s hard work keeping a straight face. “Just to be sure.”
He climbs on top of me, pinning my wrists over my head. “You can count on that. Once you’ve rested, we’ll discuss your punishment for spreading your legs for another man right in front of me.”
The light in his eyes is genuinely dangerous, and my breath catches. Then his forceful kiss presses me into the mattress, and I feel him go instantly hard.
When he raises his head, I reply, “I know I’ve been wicked. I don’t think I deserve to rest first.”
He uses his knee to part my legs. “Deliciously wicked, little bird.”
For Melissa, who I’m pretty sure invented the can-do attitude
Acknowledgments
Writing this collection was a new direction for me, and I was very lucky to be encouraged and supported by these lovely people:
Author Laurie Green and artist Debbi
Murray, my front-line readers, who never fail to lift my spirits and boost my energy at critical moments.
Jason Knox, who believes in everything I do even before I do it.
My agent, Robin Rue, who believed these stories were something special, and my editor, Shauna Summers, who agreed with her.
Meditation and creativity teacher Barbara Kaufman, whose beautiful soul sees goodness and value anywhere there is passion and openhearted effort.
Also a word of thanks to author and couples therapist Esther Perel for her eye-opening book, Mating in Captivity, and its powerful and compassionate insights into the psychology of sexual fantasy.
SHARON LYNN FISHER is a Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist and a three-time Golden Heart Award finalist who writes stories for the geeky at heart—meaty mash-ups of sci-fi, fantasy, suspense, and romance, with no apology for the latter. She lives where it rains nine months of the year, and she has a strange obsession with gingers (down to her freaky orange cat).
sharonlynnfisher.com
Facebook.com/SharonLynnFisher
@sharonfisher
The Editor’s Corner
Looking for the next romance that’ll give you the feels? Our fantastic selection of books will definitely satisfy.
You’ve never read bedtime stories like the sensual forbidden fairy tales in Sharon Lynn Fisher’s Loveswept debut, Before She Wakes. And speaking of debuts, don’t miss New York Times bestselling author Kelly Elliott’s Searching for Harmony—a gut-wrenching story of a love that transcends all odds. Vonnie Davis’s Her Survivor welcomes readers to Wounded Warrior Falls where beating the odds is what it’s all about, while Bound beneath His Pain kicks off a deeply sensual new series from Club Sin author Stacey Kennedy.
Diana Quincy continues her Rebellious Brides series with a tale of forbidden love between a socialite and a scholar in A License to Wed. Wedding bells are ringing—and tempers are flaring—as Marquita Valentine’s Take the Fall series continues in the sweet and sexy Hard to Fall. The Brothers of Mayhem MC ride again in Carla Swafford’s explosive novel Full Heat. Ashley Suzanne follows up Raven with the next round in her scorching Fight or Flight series, Cutter. The third book in Beth Yarnall’s Recovered Innocence series, Reclaim, is brimming with angst and sensuality. And don’t miss the next book in Stacey Lynn’s deeply emotional Fireside series, His to Protect. Or the story of a war hero fighting to remember the love he left behind in Serena Bell’s emotionally charged To Have and to Hold.
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