Two Men and a Lady

by Cricket Starr, Lynn LaFleur, Michele R. Bardsley

How hard could that be?

  * * * * *

  What was she going to do? More and more it got harder to not give in to this man. Only the fact that his friend held an equal appeal for her kept her from doing just that.

  Lija groaned. Suppose she really did have the right to take one of these men to be her husband? Which one would she choose?

  Jackon with his striking good looks and stamina, his love of fun? Or Gehon, warm and stable, equally good in bed, but more romantic?

  Too bad she couldn’t just marry both of them, but she doubted either man would accept that solution…would they?

  Lija resisted a sigh. Irrelevant anyway with Brentan around. She tensed at the thought of the Natarn prince, overbearing and obnoxious as well. She’d bet he wasn’t even a very good lover.

  “Lija, what is it?” Gehon was watching, his expression mobile and showing his concern. “What troubles you?”

  “Nothing…”

  “Not nothing. Nothing wouldn’t make your eyebrow twitch like that.”

  Lija’s hand flew to her face. He’d uncovered the trick her eyebrow did, that fast? “How did you know?”

  “That your eyebrow twitches when you’re upset?” The big man shrugged. “Lija, I’ve done little else but watch you for a while. I know your moods, what you like and dislike. You don’t have many secrets from me.”

  Except one really big one. Alarmed Lija changed the subject back to sex. “Is that why we’re so good in bed, because you know me so well?”

  He nuzzled her neck, his face hidden from her. “That’s one reason. It also helps that I love you.”

  “What?” Grabbing his head by the hair, Lija pulled it back so she could see his eyes. “What did you say?”

  Warm, honest brown eyes gazed down at her and she saw the truth in them, before he repeated the words. “I love you, Lija. You’re my true, and that’s part of it. But I’m glad you are my true because you are such a woman deserving of love. You have mine.”

  He laughed, the sound ironic. “I can see I’m the first to tell you, as well. No one before has told you he loved you, not even Jackon. At least that was one thing I did first.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t…” her voice trailed off at the emphatic shaking of his head.

  “Oh, Jackon is in love…trust me on that. He’s a bit shyer when it comes to his feelings, that’s all.” His hand caressed her hair, including the long braid still wound around her head. “He claimed you, didn’t he?”

  “Claimed?”

  “When you made love the first time. He did it for the claiming.”

  She remembered the words when Jackon had first entered her, the same words Gehon had said. “Yes…”

  “Then he’s bound to you, the same as I am. He wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t been in love already.”

  “Bound, how?”

  Gehon leaned back and gathered her into his arms. “Just that, bound. From now on you’re the only woman either of us will want. No other woman will appeal to us,” he glanced down at his relaxed cock, “or even make us hard. Eventually you’d feel the same about one of us, or so I’m told. That’s the way it’s been with outsider women in the past.”

  Not even get hard? Her guilt over her deception grew to mountainous proportions. “What if I don’t? What if I can’t commit to either of you?” Had she thought she felt bad before? Now she felt a hundred times worse. She’d let them claim her, and now these guys were going to be practically eunuchs for the rest of their lives?

  “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  His expression was wistful. “It wouldn’t have made any difference, Lija. Once we find our true, we’re committed to her even if she isn’t to us.”

  Overwhelmed by his revelation, she pushed on Gehon until he let her go. Standing, she tried to pull herself together, failing to stop the tears trickling down her cheeks. “It isn’t fair, Gehon. Not to me, or you, or Jackon. You should have told me.”

  “And you would have done what? Not had sex with us? What good would that have done?”

  She pointed to his cock. “At least that would have worked. You could have found someone else eventually.”

  He shook his head sadly. “You really don’t understand, Lija. There isn’t anyone but you for me—or Jackon—to love, and having sex without love isn’t something I want anymore. Not now that I’ve been with you.” He took a deep breath. “I wouldn’t have traded these past two hours with you for anything, not even a lifetime of meaningless sex.”

  Lija stared at him. He meant it, too. Every instinct she had told her that Gehon was telling the honest truth, that making love with her once was worth giving up any future sexual encounters with other women. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. No one had told her he loved her before.

  She’d known how different it had been to make love with Gehon and with Jackon. Now she knew just what that difference was. It had actually been making love, not just a sexual encounter with a partner who cared more for the act than her. These men cared for her and it was tearing her apart. All she wanted right then was to commit to them.

  And she couldn’t. Even if she were free to do so, selecting one would doom the other to a life without love. How could she make a choice like that? How could they ask her to do so?

  Unable to say anything, Lija rose and grabbed her gown from the bench. She pulled it on and headed out of the ship’s garden.

  “Lija, where are you going?” Gehon’s soft voice stopped her, although he made no move to rise from his position on the floor.

  She gathered her courage and turned to face him. His face showed no condemnation or regret. He watched her the way he always did, with quiet understanding.

  “I’m sorry if what I said upset you. I figured you better know the truth.”

  Of all the things she expected, an apology wasn’t one of them. What would he say if he knew the truth, that she hadn’t really been free to take them up on their offer? Guilt flooded her.

  “I need some time, Gehon. To think. I’ll be in my room.” Turning she fled as if he chased her, although she knew he wouldn’t move from his position on the floor.

  Chapter Six

  Jackon cornered Gehon in the ship’s galley. “What did you do to Lija?” he asked, glaring at his partner.

  Morosely the redheaded man stared down into his coffee, which had likely lost its steam hours ago. He lifted the cup to his lips and sipped, grimacing at the stale taste. “I didn’t do anything to her that you didn’t do.”

  Jackon wasn’t buying any of that. “She spends the morning with you, then locks herself in her room. She hasn’t come out for anything including food, and we know she’s a woman who likes to eat. When I asked if there was something I could bring her, she said no, but there were tears in her voice.” Folding his arms he stared menacingly. “I at least made her laugh when it was my turn. What did you do to make her cry?”

  “She’s been crying?” Pushing the cup away, Gehon looked up, worry in his face. He sighed. “All I did was tell her the truth.”

  “What truth?”

  “About the claiming and how she was the only one now for both of us.”

  Jackon groaned. “You told her we’d be impotent with other women? Oh great. Don’t you see how that might make her feel guilty?”

  “It’s the truth…”

  “Which she wasn’t ready to handle yet. Lija is an outsider, Gehon, she doesn’t understand the things we take for granted. She didn’t need to know about the results of claiming, since it isn’t her fault. All she needed to do was select one of us, not worry about what would happen to the other. Now you’ve got her all confused.”

  Gehon folded his hands under his chin. “She wasn’t going to select one of us anyway.”

  Jackon’s heart sank. “What? How do you know that?”

  He shrugged. “Stuff she said. Mostly what she didn’t say. When I told her that we both loved her, she became upset. A woman isn’t supposed to become upset when y
ou tell her that.”

  “You told her I loved her?” As if he needed another reason to be angry. “That was something I was going to do!”

  “When, Jackon? After all, you spent the entire day with her. I only had a couple of hours…”

  “In which you upset things for both of us!”

  Gehon held up his hands. “You’re right, you’re right. I shouldn’t have told her what the claiming meant. I didn’t realize it would make such a difference to her.”

  Gehon so rarely admitted to being wrong about anything, his agreement mollified Jackon somewhat. Of course some of that was that he wasn’t wrong often. He still shouldn’t have said that Jackon was in love with Lija…a man liked to speak for himself.

  “And I’m sorry I spoke for you about loving her. You should have had the right to tell her yourself.”

  Jackon shook his head at his partner’s insight. It was scary sometimes how Gehon could read people. “So why don’t you think she’d pick one of us? Why come with us if that was the case?”

  “We didn’t give her a lot of choice in the coming, remember? We abducted her from the bar. She wanted to make love with us, so she agreed to give us a chance to court her, but I don’t think she took it seriously…until what I said this morning.”

  Jackon’s jaw dropped. “You mean she was just using us for sex? That’s…that’s…”

  “Just what one of us would have done before we met her.” Gehon leveled his steady gaze. “How many women have you bedded never intending to get serious about?”

  Hard to argue with that, Jackon admitted to himself. “So she was using us for sex, and now finds herself with both of us committed to her and that upsets her. Why?”

  “Because she does care about us. I think she’s even a little in love with us, but something is stopping her from admitting it. I think her plan is to declare that she can’t make up her mind and we’ll both be out a wife.”

  That was a gloomy prognosis. Jackon went to the drink dispenser and got fresh mugs of coffee and tea. Putting the coffee in front of Gehon, he sat down on the opposite side of the table. “So what do we do? Right now she won’t even talk to us.”

  Sipping his drink, Gehon nodded. “We have a few things to try. First is that you’re right, she isn’t one to go hungry for long. Second is that she does enjoy sex and really does want us both.” He stared at his partner. “You willing to work together on this?”

  “She wants both of us. You’re suggesting…” Jackon felt his eyes widen. “You mean at the same time?”

  At Gehon’s nod, Jackon tamped down his instinctive jealousy and nodded in return. “I say we should give the lady what she wants.” He held out his hand. “Partners?”

  Gehon took it. “Partners,” he replied and they shook firmly.

  Chapter Seven

  There was a knock at the door. “Lija, are you in there?” she heard Gehon ask.

  Lija lifted her face from the dampened pillow that had been its home for the past hour. “Go away.”

  “Please let us come in. We brought you some food.”

  “We? You mean both of you are out there?”

  Jackon answered her. “Gehon and I just want to talk to you while you eat.”

  She buried her head back into the pillow. “I’m not hungry.”

  “Are you sure? It’s been hours since you ate anything. I put some of those little shellfish you like so much on a tray. And some really nice cheese, and fruit. We brought some tea as well.”

  Her traitorous stomach growled. Even guilty misery couldn’t shut it up for long. Jackon had fed her a dozen of the delectable fishy morsels yesterday during an extended picnic lunch on the bed. She’d probably choke on them if she tried to eat them now, but the tea did sound good. And maybe some fruit…a little cheese. Some pickles.

  They hadn’t mentioned pickles but she bet they’d go back for them if she asked. They’d do anything if she asked, if only for the chance to win her. Not much she could do about that except try not to take advantage of it.

  It sounded like they’d gone to so much trouble. The least she could do was show gratitude for bringing food to her.

  Rubbing the rest of her tears from her face she sat up on the bed. “You can come in.”

  Both men had wary looks as they came through the door. As promised, Jackon had a tray with a variety of goodies on it, which he promptly placed on the bed in front of her. She almost started to cry again when she saw the collection of puckered green rods nestled next to the pile of pink-flecked shellfish.

  He’d remembered the pickles.

  Gehon carried a hotpot and a set of mugs, which he placed on the table near the door. Pouring tea into one, he handed it to her. “I suspect you need this.”

  She drank the spicy hot tea and felt its bracing effect on her tattered emotions. Neither man spoke as she nibbled her way through the platter, sitting on the chairs opposite the door and sipping their own tea, occasionally helping themselves to something from the plate. Finally she’d finished, both the platter and her tea, although she played with the mug rather than putting it down.

  Finally she raised her head to meet the eyes of the men across from her. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  They exchanged glances then Gehon spoke. “We want you to make love to us again.”

  Bluntly put. Lija sighed and tried to explain. “It isn’t that I don’t want to, but I can’t. I can’t choose between you.”

  “Then don’t choose.”

  “Don’t choose?” Lija stared at him. “I don’t understand.”

  Jackon cleared his throat. “You want both of us, Lija, and we both want you. So…”

  “…why not have us both. Right now,” Gehon finished for him.

  “You both want to make love with me? At the same time?” Her disbelief at their suggestion almost outstripped her intrigue at the idea. She could have both of these strong virile men at the same time, in the same bed, both of those lovely cocks at her disposal?

  Oh my. Her body flooded with liquid heat even as her cheeks burned. Her arousal didn’t go unnoticed; both men lifted their noses, catching her scent in the stillness of the small room.

  “I think she likes the idea, Gehon,” Jackon said, a relieved grin on his face.

  “So it seems.” While not smiling, some of the tension slid from the redhead’s stance. “Do you like the idea?” he asked, emphasizing the word you. “Will you let us both find pleasure with you?”

  Even in her wildest dreams she’d never dreamed anything this wild. How could she say no? It was the chance of a lifetime, a memory to take with her into the future and her arranged marriage.

  “Well, if you really want to…”

  Both men advanced at once, shoulders colliding in their eagerness. They glared at each other then Jackon stepped aside with a courtly bow, letting Gehon slip onto the bed next to her. “Only fair you go first this time.”

  “Thank you,” Gehon replied with exaggerated courtesy. Lija wondered if this was going to be such a good idea, if they were going to be competing for her attention. Suppose they got into a fight over her…

  Gehon put his arm around her shoulders and captured her mouth, erasing all questions from her mind. Without a doubt the man was the best kisser. Well, except for maybe Jackon who’d moved onto the bed behind her, sliding up to wrap his arms around her waist. He nibbled along the back of her neck.

  “Tell us what you want, Lija,” Jackon told her. “We’ll follow your lead.”

  What they were doing right now was just fine for a start. Gehon continued to kiss her while Jackon moved his hands up and down her body. He cupped her breasts and gave them a gentle massage through her gown. She moaned into Gehon’s mouth as Jackon’s fingers found her nipples, pinching them just enough to fire them into pointed sensitivity.

  “I think we have too many clothes on,” she gasped when Gehon gave her the opportunity to breathe.

  With a laugh, Jackon pulled her back into his arms, while
Gehon stood and slipped out of his shirt and trousers. Then Gehon held her while Jackon stripped, his cock hard and heavy against her back.

  Both men helped pull her gown over her head, their four hands getting in the way as often as accomplishing the task. One thing about it, if they were going to do this kind of thing often, the guys would have to learn to work better together.

  Lija startled at that last thought. Did she really think they had a future together, the three of them?

  Her lovers knelt next to her, their cocks straight out before them. As she remembered, Jackon’s was perfectly formed without a curve to speak of. Gehon’s wasn’t as regularly shaped, but she now noticed the finest collection of freckles along its length. Her fingers reached for it, wanting to connect the dots. Of course if she was fondling Gehon’s cock she might as well play with Jackon’s, too. Soon she had both men well in hand.

  “Lija, perhaps you could settle a bet we have,” Jackon managed to get out, his breaths coming in heavy bursts.

  “Not now,” Gehon said through clenched teeth.

  “Why not? You couldn’t possible be any more erect.”

  Amused, Lija dropped both cocks which fell forlornly onto the bed and crossed her arms. “What do you want from me?”

  Gehon glared as Jackon explained. “We have a bet as to who is bigger. I say I am because of my length, but Gehon is clearly thicker…”

  Lija giggled. She’d actually wondered about that herself. “You want me to measure you?”

  “If you don’t mind…” Jackon’s words were wasted as Lija jumped up to fetch a measuring tool from the desk.

  She carefully measured each one, length and circumference and using the built in p-tab of the tool had the answer in minutes, ignoring Gehon’s mutterings about wasting good lovemaking time.

  Clutching the measuring tool to her chest, she turned to them. “If you don’t mind my asking, what is the prize of the bet?”

  They exchanged guilty looks.

  “Well,” Jackon said. “Winner gets to sleep with you tonight rather than go on watch.”

  Lips twitching, Lija showed them the figures on the tablet. After reading the numbers, the men stared at each other in astonishment.