“Do you want something to eat?” She unlocked the door, and he followed her inside. The air was still, but something seemed off somehow. He carried her purse for her, setting it on the kitchen counter.
“Niggles. I’m home.” The cat was usually at the front door clawing at her leg for food. Especially after long periods away from the house. She glanced down at his partially full food bowl.
Unease slid down her back.
Something was wrong.
Ryder's gaze wouldn’t meet hers, his chin locked in a furious expression. “Thank you, no. I’ll just head home.”
He’d opened the door to the office and seen her kissing Cage. She understood how that must have made him feel but he didn’t give her much of a chance to explain the two-mate thing. A sound drifted down the hallway, and she froze.
“Ryder…” She shook her head. “Hold on a second.” Her gun was in her purse. “Stay behind me.” She yanked it open and removed the gun, in one deft motion removing the safety.
“What…” He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening in surprise when she held up a finger.
She crept down the hall, her feet silent on the carpeted floor. Nothing had been disturbed. The bathroom window was secured. The spare bedroom with its sparse furniture and empty desk from her college days untouched.
Finally, she made it to the master bedroom at the end of the hall.
“Niggles…” Her cat’s collar lay in the center of the queen-sized bed. She lowered the gun, grief swirling around her. The curtain sheers fluttered in the breeze from the open window, her gaze following their motion outside.
She sniffed the air and her beast rumbled.
Headlights switched on and a car slowly pulled away, leaving no doubt in her mind who had invaded her space.
“He took my cat.” Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. Niggles was a rescue but what the asshole probably didn’t know was he’d escaped every time someone tried to catch him. Until he appeared on her doorstep one day demanding entry.
He would come home. She had to believe that.
“Natalia.” Ryder enveloped her in his arms. His quiet strength was what was needed. She didn’t know why people thought male submissives were weak. Ryder was one of the strongest men she’d ever met. She had to find her cat, but first she had some planning to do.
“I have to make a phone call.” She returned to the kitchen and pulled her phone from her purse. “Captain. Things have ratcheted up a notch.”
***
He followed her home, watching the lights dance behind the sheer drapes until the late hours of the night. She’d gone to Inferno. He hadn’t expected that. But maybe he should have. So, he’d found out where she lived and took her cat.
The little beast fought hard. He clawed and scratched, the cat connected with his face, leaving a scratch down the side of his cheek. Foolish creature. He didn’t recognize a bigger predator than himself. No matter. He just had to get through tomorrow. Then he could claim his prize.
The feline glowered at him from the wire cage he’d left him in, green eyes following him eerily as he planned his next move. The wall of pictures told the story. Points of victory. Photos of his targets. But his favorite part of the wall was the pictures of Natalia herself.
And now he had some new ones. Her face as she discovered the collar on the bed. The devastation at the crime scene. But there were only so many pictures to be had. Now, it was time to play and he was going to win.
He shifted, his form shrinking down to a large sized lynx, and let himself out of the makeshift door he’d installed for that purpose. Tonight, he would hunt and let nature provide its bounty. But tomorrow…oh, yes. Tomorrow.
Chapter Ten
Ryder drove up to Natalia’s home at the agreed upon pickup time, only to find a lynx trotting up the driveway. For a moment, he didn’t add the two together until she strutted past him through the pet entrance.
Moments later, the door opened and Natalia appeared, covered in a loosely fitted robe.
“Hi.”
“Hi. Was that you?”
A flush of color swept over her cheeks and she nodded, brushing some hair from her eyes. “Yes. Come on in. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Sure.” He busied himself tidying her kitchen, the time flying by. His own attire was buried beneath his day-to-day clothes. He could remove them easily anytime Natalia needed him to.
She still hadn’t said a word about her discussion with Cage at the club. Nor would she tell him her plan for tonight. Not completely. He noticed the bite when she’d come out of the office and had heard something that sounded a lot like sex through the door but he didn’t want to pry.
She’d claimed him as mate. So, how did that compute with having sex with her old Dom? Fury sliced at his guts but he tamped it down.
Had she marked him, too? That he hadn’t been able to see.
A movement behind him brought him up short and he turned to find her striding from the hallway. She was glorious. Dressed in a short, red micro skirt and corset with lace-up ballet style slippers, she made him hard just looking at her.
“Are you sure about this?”
“We haven't much choice. He’s watching us. If we’re at the club we’ll stand a better chance of seeing him coming. If the guys in security are doing their jobs, and the captain has his people in place, this will work.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She gave him a wan smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m not going to wait for him to do anything else. It’s now or never.”
Ryder pressed his lips together and nodded.
“Please, you carry this, would you?” She handed him an overnight bag, a determined glint in her eye.
What was she up to?
“Of course.” He wanted to be whatever she needed. But then, there was Cage. How could he fight a ghost from the past? He had no choice. He had to take her to him. There could be no secrets. She would either love him or not. He had to accept that, even though it killed him.
***
Cage picked up his phone and stared at it for about the four hundredth time. Natalia and Ryder should have been here by now. With a maniac on the loose, he was worried. Natalia’s plan was good, but if he got to her before she reached him… Spending the night in one of the rooms made sense. He just didn’t know if he could do it and not touch her. Ever since he’d seen her yesterday, he’d had a hard-on that wouldn’t quit. He’d watched her with Ryder. The other man loved her. Of that he was certain. The question is, how did all of this fit together now? Especially if she had mated with both of them.
The police outside hadn’t come up with anyone that fit the description of the man they were looking for. His security team was on alert both in the club and out in the parking lot. The cameras were manned in shifts so nothing got missed. Not this time.
His earpiece buzzed. “Trenton here, sir. Nothing yet.”
“Keep looking.”
“Wait. Here they are.”
Cage swallowed, his gut churning. “Get them in here safely.”
“Will do.”
He paced the classic style suite and wondered just why she’d chosen this one. It didn’t matter. Being with her, even for a little while until this guy was caught, was a win. Then they could get back to their lives. Or not. He voted not.
There was a knock at the door, and he tensed. It opened, revealing a very sexy Natalia and a pensive Ryder.
“Hi. Sorry. We got held up with traffic.”
“No problem.”
Ryder carried an overnight bag into the room and placed it on the bed.
Natalia cleared her throat and reached for Ryder’s hand, giving it a squeeze. He took something out of the bag and slid it beneath the pillow. She placed a phone and a small bag on the dresser near the door.
His stomach twisted all over again. She was expecting trouble. He could read it in her face. So why this elaborate setup?
“I don’t understand why we�
��re not out there canvassing the club.”
“He’ll come to us. I want to keep whatever happens localized here, away from the rest of the club members. Ryder has a phone and a gun under the pillow. I have my phone in my bag on the bed. One of us should be able to get close enough to do something with both of those options should they arise. Also, this room has the silent alarm on the nightstand. All of the other rooms have it next to the door.”
“Clever girl.”
This was a new side to Natalia. This was the cop talking. It intrigued him. It also made him hard.
“I brought you both here tonight for a couple of reasons.” She went and sat on the bed, her legs lightly parted beneath the skirt.
Ryder watched her, saying nothing.
“And those are?” If Ryder wasn’t going to bite, then he was.
“I’ve been awake all-night thinking.” Her eyes sought out Ryder and she held out her hand. “Come here, please.”
The other man came to her. “What can I do?” His liquid eyes and blatant adoration were too much.
“I think I need to leave,” said Cage. If he didn’t, he was going to fucking punch something. His cock was throbbing and all he wanted to do was bury it inside of her. His control was at a breaking point.
“No.” Natalia shook her head. “Please. I’d really like it if you would stay.” She took a deep breath, her gaze traveling from Ryder to him. “Both of you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Ummm. Let me see if I can explain.” She got up off the bed and began to remove her corset.
“Natalia,” he started, his voice strangled even to his own ears. “I thought we were here to trap your suspect.”
She met his censorious stare with a measured one of her own. “We are. But you asked me to clarify.” With a thump, the corset fell away. “Ryder, would you please help me with this?”
The skirt fastening was in the back. The other man kept his eyes on Cage but did as Natalia asked. He heard the sound of snaps and the skirt fell to the floor. Ryder held her hand as she stepped out of the circle of fabric, clad now only in panties and thigh high stockings.
“Thank you, Ryder.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Can you please take your position after removing your clothes?”
“If Mistress wishes it.” He began to disrobe, his clothing on the floor in moments. He then knelt down at the foot of the bed, awaiting Natalia’s instruction.
Cage blinked. What the fuck was she doing? He started for the door. “I’m not going to watch this.” His erection pressed against his leathers and he knew she saw it.
“No. You’re going to help me.”
She stepped in front of him, her breasts swaying with each step. They were fuller now. Her middle slightly thicker but it was just more for him to hold onto. How had he not noticed just how breathtaking she was in his office?
Easy. He’d been so breathless at having her near, he didn’t take the time to savor her. But that was about to change. It felt like it was just the two of them and the world had fallen away, but then her sub shifted into place and Cage snapped back to reality.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“No.” She pressed in close, her breasts mashing against his chest. Her hand snaked underneath him, cupping his bulging erection. “I’m trying to be alive.”
“What?”
She unzipped him, his cock springing free. Her fingers wrapped around him, and she turned her gaze up to his eyes. “Be with me. Both of you.”
***
Her heart was in her throat. Ryder waited at the foot of the bed, but it wouldn’t take much for him to bolt. She understood he wanted her, but with Cage here the ghost of her past was now just a little too real. Especially standing in the middle of the room with his cock hanging out of his leathers, a confused expression on his face.
She hadn’t intended to do anything other than set a trap for the murderer, but instead she’d inadvertently set another one for herself-and one she didn’t want to escape. She stood looking at the two men she wanted in her life and everything became clear. She was tired of masks. Of running. Of trying to be someone who didn’t feel. Didn’t care.
“I want you. The two of you. There. Simple terms. Does that work?”
Ryder glanced up in surprise, completely breaking his submissive posture. He didn’t hesitate, but she did see the shadow of something pass over his eyes. “I accept.”
He wouldn’t be used to sharing. Neither would Cage.
“Thank you. I know how hard that was.” She turned her eyes to Cage. “I can’t have a future without you in it. I’ve hovered around your flame for as long as I can remember. Now, I need you to consume me.”
“Natalia.” He crushed her to him, his cock sliding between her thighs.
“Not yet. I need something from the two of you.” She disengaged herself and went to the large wooden cabinet toward the back of the room. Opening it up, she withdrew a rattan cane and a small tube of antibiotic ointment.
“No…”
“Yes.” She padded back across the carpet and handed Cage the cane. Long and thin, it made her shiver when she thought of him using it on her like he used to. Some of her fondest memories of the club were beneath his tender mercies. To Ryder, she handed the tube. “Please, remove my panties.”
“Mistress,” Ryder’s gaze met Cage’s, “are you certain this is what you wish?”
The sting of tears made an unexpected presence in her eyes. “I will wipe this,” she held up her wrists, “from me. You both hold parts of me and I need you to make me whole. If he comes, we’ll deal with him, but right now it’s about us.”
Cage took the cane. “All right then. Over to the bed. Arms up and hands in the stirrups.”
Natalia complied, the forcefulness of his voice settling over her like a warm blanket. This was the Cage she remembered. She walked to the bed, the frame heavy with straps built into the posts. She slipped her hands inside and waited.
The sound of a zipper filled her ears, and she smiled against the wooden post.
“Mistress.” Ryder slid the panties over her ass, and she kicked them away. Now the only thing she wore were the thigh high stockings.
“Stand back.”
“I need your safe word, Natalia.”
She twisted her head to look in his direction. What she saw made the breath catch in her throat. A nude Ryder stood next to Cage, now clad only in his leathers. Bare-chested, his muscles rippling, and holding the cane. The sight made her weak in the knees.
“Marshmallow.”
“It hasn’t changed, then.”
“No.”
“Seven strikes. One for every year you’ve hidden from me.”
“Do it.” She spread her legs, ass in the air, and braced herself for the pain. It was the only way. “Cover them. Take. Them. All.”
The whistle through the air was the only warning she had before the first contact. The impact was agonizing as it scorched the flesh of her upper back. All of her nerve endings were on fire and then the pain changed into something much more manageable. Desire.
“Color.”
“Green.” Tears slid down her cheeks. One year gone. “Another.” She would see the vile markings erased from her skin. There was only one man to take them from her. The only man strong enough to force her back through to the other side of the past so she could embrace the present. And the other strong enough to allow the past to live within her.
A sharp sound rent the air as another cut, directly below the last one, bit into her flesh, numbing her mind to everything but the sensations running along her skin.
“More.” Natalia grit her teeth, the mind-boggling sting melding into a hum between her legs.
Ryder moved beneath her, his mouth lifting up to capture her pussy. The sting of the cane and the liquid rush of heat spiraling through her lower body made her knees weak.
Her cat yowled, eager to have both men inside her. Her mates. Her everything.
“God…”
Each stroke took another piece of her, scarifying her from the defilement at the hands of a madman. Every lash of Ryder’s tongue brought ecstasy, the two sensations melding together until she cried out, her pussy clenching, as her release rolled through her.
“Color.”
“Green,” she gasped. “Cage… Ryder…”
He was there. Ryder climbed from beneath her and, between the two of them, they lifted her up onto the bed so she was resting on her stomach. Cage reached for the nightstand and pulled open the drawer. He reached for two condoms, one for him and one for Ryder. Ryder was already there, rubbing ointment onto her back, soothing the hurt that had blossomed into hope.
“I need you. Inside me.” Natalia reached for Cage and tugged Ryder toward her so his cock was close to her lips. She patted the bed. “Ryder, I want you to fuck my mouth.”
It felt good saying what she really wanted. The pain radiating from her back gave her arousal even more power. She climbed to her knees, and tossed Ryder’s condom to the side.
“Later.”
Ryder climbed onto the bed in front of her. “Are you ready?” His cock bobbed in front of her, already dripping with pre-cum. She reached out and licked the tip and grinned as his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Yes. Really, really fuck me.”
“I won’t last long if you do that.”
“Mmm. You wouldn’t disappoint me now, would you?”
He chuckled. “No, Ma’am. Not if that’s what I’d have to look forward to tonight.” He edged his chin up toward the cabinet where the implements for impact play were housed.
She heard the sound of a foil wrapper, and the bed bounced as Cage joined them. His hand slid over her sore ass, his fingers delving between her legs.
“Mmm. So wet. I want to bury myself inside of you.” The tip of his cock edged her opening. “You both ready?”
Ryder grunted. “Yes. You first.”
Cage didn’t argue. He drove inside of Natalia, his thick cock stretching her wide.
Craving Her Mates (My Wicked Mates Book 1) Page 8
