“Look, I’m sorry to bother you, I just need a minute, then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You’re no bother, Ms. Saunders.”
Evidently, she hadn’t been the only one doing research.
He held open the screen door and gestured for her to enter. When she hesitated, he grinned. “I won’t bite.”
Jude peered around Gideon. “He might not…but I will.” A wicked grin curved Jude’s lips as she warily entered the kitchen.
Awareness riffled through her body as his gaze lingered on her lips.
“Are you on another hunt?” Gideon asked, pulling her focus away from his friend.
She shook her head. “Actually, I just wanted to thank you both for your help yesterday and give you each your share.”
Jude’s brow furrowed in apparent confusion. “Come again?”
Oh, if only.
Pulling two envelopes from her purse, she offered one to each man. “Your share. As much as it pisses me off to admit it, I wouldn’t have been able to bring him in without your help. A cut of the bounty is yours.
“No way.” They spoke at the same time, refusing to take the envelopes from her.
She sighed and tossed them on the table. Turning to leave, she found her way blocked by Gideon.
“Move.”
“The bounty’s yours, Wrenn.”
The sound of her name wrapped in the dark velvet of his voice sent chills down her spine.
“We did what anyone else would have done,” Jude added.
She snorted. “Right. Shifters always turn on each other to help a bounty hunter.”
Wrong thing to say.
Anger hardened both men’s faces, but Gideon spoke first. “We helped because you were outnumbered and some of those people don’t care who they hurt.”
The insinuation was clear. He didn’t appreciate her implying they were all animals. She didn’t blame him. Shame prodded her. Shifters had killed her family, but shifters had also saved her life when she’d been left to die.
“Besides,” Jude added as he returned the envelopes to her open purse. “Spencer’s a douche bag and deserves to sit in jail for as long as possible.”
A laugh escaped her before she could choke it back. The tension of a few moments earlier seemed to dissipate slightly—until she met Gideon’s heated gaze. The interest that had been evident in the bar remained and had become far more concentrated. Her breath caught in her chest and she tried desperately to swallow past the sudden lump in her throat. The attraction she’d felt since first seeing these two was back in full force. Her nipples beaded, chafing against the lace of her bra and the slow burn of desire rolled through her body like the thunder outside. Being alone with them was a bad idea. She should have arranged to meet them somewhere else. Somewhere public.
A crack of thunder ripped through the night, the sound so sharp and intense, she startled, barely able to stifle the small shriek that threatened. The electricity in the air whirled around her like an eddy.
Hands settled onto her shoulders from behind. “Easy,” Jude murmured.
The sensation of his touch on her body—even contact as innocent as this—sent need tumbling through her. What the hell was the matter with her? She couldn’t remember the last time she had any interest in one man—let alone two. The energy from the storm and the intensity of their attention combined to set her nerves on edge.
The wind blew harder, slamming the wind chime against the side of the house and winding her tension higher. The beginnings of a panic attack bubbled its way to the murky surface of her mind.
“I have to go,” she choked out, trying to push past Gideon, but he continued to block her path.
Thunder echoed off the water, practically shaking the house, and flashes of lightning strobed through the room, throwing everything into sharp relief. The storm was just about on top of them. She needed to get out there before she freaked out.
Placing her hands in the center of his chest, she shoved hard.
Instead of moving, he wrapped huge, warm hands around her wrists. “It’s not safe for you to leave right now.”
“I’ll be fine.” She tried to tug her hands free. The last thing she needed was to have a meltdown in front of these two. “The SUV is huge. It’s not like it’ll get blown around on the highway.”
“I’m not worried about that. It’s the falling trees and power lines that concern me.”
“Trust me,” Jude said. “These autumn storms are nothing to fuck around with. At least stay until it lets up a little. I’ll get you a beer,” he added brightly.
As soon as his hands left her shoulders, another clap of thunder rattled the windows and the power flickered. Icy dread slid down her spine. The power couldn’t go out. She couldn’t possibly be unlucky enough to get trapped in a house with two shape shifters. In the dark.
Closing her eyes, she tried to slow her breathing, willing away the sheer terror that threatened.
“Wrenn?” Gideon asked. “Are you okay?”
She nodded tightly, keeping her eyes closed.
Lightning flashed violently, discernible even through her closed eyelids. Wind whipped through the open screen, spattering her with cold raindrops. Forcing her eyes open, she looked at both men. “I really need to get out of here.”
“I don’t think so,” Jude said. “You look like you’re about to hyperventilate. Is it the storm?”
She shook her head as the power flickered and died, plunging them into darkness. The panic she’d managed to hold at bay was back with a vengeance and she thrashed against Gideon, plowing her elbow into his midsection. “Let go of me.”
Breaking free, she darted onto the porch and down the steps into the deluge. Gumball size chunks of ice mixed with the rain, pelting her head and stinging her skin. The hailstones fell harder, covering the ground at her feet and slamming into her SUV. The dull thud of footsteps followed her into the storm, but she ignored them and headed to her vehicle. She shoved her hand in her purse and fished around for her keys. Why hadn’t she kept hold of them?
A firm hand locked around her wrist.
Looking up, she met the earthy green of Jude’s eyes as water sluiced over his face and bits of ice stuck in his hair. “C’mon,” he said as he pulled her back toward the house.
When she resisted, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Slipping and sliding, he headed toward the house, resting his hand lightly on her ass as he carried her. Somehow, she doubted the placement was an accident.
Once they’d reached the relative shelter of the porch, he lowered her to the planked floor. She didn’t miss his erection as she slid down the front of his body. The caustic remark she was about to make died in her mouth as she encountered the compassion emanating from his gaze.
“Do you want me to start the generator?” Jude asked the other man, not taking his eyes off her.
Hope bloomed at his question. She could handle being stuck there with both of them if they at least had power.
Gideon shook his head. “Out of gas.”
The optimism she’d felt dropped like a stone.
“If the dark freaks you out, we can light some candles. I can build a fire.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Or,” Gideon added as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, “if it feels less claustrophobic, we can stay out here for a while.”
Shivering, she nodded, her sopping clothes clinging coldly to her skin.
Jude gently brushed her hair from her eyes. “Have you always been afraid of the dark?” he asked gently.
Not until she was ten and lay torn and bleeding in dark room with the dead bodies of her parents and brother. The storm that had blown through while she’d waited to die had made it worse. Every flash of lightning had illuminated their lifeless eyes. She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. Hell, she was shaking so hard, she wasn’t sure she could speak.
Jude studied her face for a long moment then turned away
. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he stripped off his sodden shirt and let it fall wetly to the floor.
“You wanna talk?” Gideon asked as Jude disappeared into the dark house.
Still trembling, she met his pointed gaze and shook her head. The urge to trace the line of his lips or run her fingers across his closely trimmed beard was nearly overwhelming. Instead, she clutched the blanket tighter, hoping the urge would go away. She knew what was happening. Her mind was looking for a way to distract itself from the fear and horrific memories, and sex was the best distraction there was. Of course, she wasn’t about to get naked with a guy she didn’t even know—either of them. But, God, it would be nice to have something to chase away these memories for a while.
“It might help,” he offered.
What would help more would be if he kissed her until she forgot everything but the sensation of his mouth on hers.
“It’s nice to think so,” she managed between chattering teeth.
“You’re going to freeze to death if you stay in those wet clothes,” Gideon chided.
“I’ve been cold before. I’ll live.”
“You’ve got to be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” he said as he pulled her backward against his chest. She stiffened as she came into contact with the hard, warm man behind her. “Look, if you’re not going to come inside and sit by the fire, then you can at least accept some body heat.”
The muscular planes of his body radiated warmth through the blanket and her shivering slowed somewhat as she relaxed against him, resting her head against his broad chest. She wondered what he’d do if she turned around and drew his head down to hers.
In the flashing lightning, she saw Jude heading toward them, a glass in his hands. Stopping in front of her, he held the glass to her lips. “Drink.”
“What is it?”
“Rum. Just have a little. It’ll get the blood flowing again.”
With Gideon pressed against the length of her and Jude standing before her shirtless, his sculpted chest kissably damp from the storm, she was feeling slightly warmer already. More than anything, she wanted to lean forward and taste the rain directly from his skin. Of course, she also wanted to arch and rub against Gideon like a cat in heat, but she managed to resist both temptations. Barely.
When Jude pushed the glass against her lips again, she took a couple swallows. It burned going down and she grimaced. Straight alcohol wasn’t typically her drink of choice, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Maybe if she drank enough, she could blame her inevitable capitulation on the rum. Or maybe she should just do the smart thing and move away from both of them.
Instead, she stayed where she was, her heart pounding wildly and nervous excitement leaping through her veins.
Jude watched as Wrenn pulled away from the glass. A shimmering drop of rum trembled on her full lower lip and he was lost.
“You…ah…missed a spot,” he murmured as he lowered his head, blindly setting the tumbler on the porch rail. He stroked his tongue along her tender flesh, catching the drop of alcohol before tasting her lips fully. He caught her surprised gasp in his mouth as her lips parted beneath his.
Her hands rose between them as if to push him away, but her fingers curled into loose fists, resting uselessly on his chest. Slipping his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, he tasted the rum and the spicy sweetness that had nothing to do with the booze. He groaned as she responded to his kiss, tentatively at first, then more aggressively, sinking her teeth into his lower lip. Finally, he lifted his head and stared into her heavy-lidded eyes.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you sitting at the bar yesterday. To be honest, I want to do it again right now.”
“Oh,” she managed.
He stepped closer, pinning her between his body and Gideon’s, smiling at her sharp gasp as his erection came into contact with her body. Her arousal drifted to him, a soft musk mixing with the scent of rain-wet earth.
Gideon stroked her neck and she trembled beneath his touch. She inhaled deeply, her breath choppy as her eyes fluttered closed. Slipping his other arm around her, Gideon splayed his hand over her belly, nuzzling her neck as he continued to caress her. She jumped at his touch, but her nipples hardened into telltale peaks. Peaks that Jude wanted to taste.
“So this is your backup plan for keeping me warm?” she asked, eyes still closed. “Booze and groping?”
“Well…you didn’t listen when we asked you to stay inside out of the rain,” Gideon murmured against her ear.
“Besides,” Jude added. “It’s working, isn’t it?”
Gideon removed the blanket separating him from Wrenn and tossed it on the porch swing before pressing up against her backside.
Jude knew the moment she felt the other man’s hard-on. Her eyes flew open and she squirmed between them, grinding against them both.
Jude wanted her mouth again. He slipped his hand into her hair and sifted his fingers through the wet strands, angling her head. The rain pounded so loudly around them, he barely heard her gasp as Gideon slipped his hand beneath her shirt to stroke the supple skin of her stomach. Her lips parted as she tried to speak, but he didn’t give her the chance. Claiming her mouth, he took his time, gently caressing, thoroughly exploring. She sighed against his lips, her warm, sweet breath mingling with his.
His fingers collided with Gideon’s as he slipped a hand under her wet shirt. A moment’s jealousy flared at the thought of his best friend touching her. It wasn’t as though they’d never shared a woman before. But none of those women had been Wrenn.
Opening his eyes, he met Gideon’s gaze. He knew without a word that his friend was feeling the same way, but just as suddenly, the moment passed. They could give her something she’d never before experienced. At least, he assumed she’d never had two men at once. His assumption was confirmed by the way she stiffened as Gideon laid open-mouthed kisses along the side of her neck. He paused, waiting to see if she’d fight her desire and push from their arms, but the tension slowly faded leaving only the increased scent of her arousal.
“I have to taste you,” Jude murmured against her lips.
Pulling her shirt upward, he tugged it over her head while Gideon pulled the fabric down her arms and tossed it over the back of the swing. The lightning illuminated her pale skin, and her bra molded wetly to her breasts. Settling his hands at her hips, he dragged his palms upward over the slight indentation of her waist to hover under her full breasts. Her nipples protruded sharply, puckering the lace around them as he bent to draw one of the tight buds into his mouth.
More blood surged into his cock at the sound of her strangled cry. He sucked hard on the engorged flesh, loving the way she squirmed between them and the way the lace rasped against his tongue. Gideon caressed her other breast before slipping his hand inside the fabric to pluck at her nipple. Impatient as ever, he shoved Jude’s head away before tugging both cups down and exposing her trembling breasts.
“So beautiful,” Gideon breathed.
Jude couldn’t agree more as he watched her dark pink nipples crinkle more tightly in the chilly air. He sank to his knees before her as Gideon cupped both breasts as if offering them to him. Jude drifted between her nipples, licking, sucking, biting while she writhed, grinding her ass against Gideon’s cock as he gently turned her head to the side and captured her lips.
Watching the other man explore her mouth while he tormented her breasts had him hard enough to hammer railroad spikes. He couldn’t wait until they were both inside her sweet body.
Jude trailed kisses over her chilled flesh as he moved downward toward the waistband of her jeans. Heady warmth radiated from her cunt as he dragged his face back and forth across her belly.
“I need more,” he practically growled against her skin.
Gideon broke the kiss. “Let me help.” Pulling the gun from the waistband of her pants, he handed it to Jude who tucked it into her purse. Gideon slid his hands down her chest, over the quivering muscles in her stoma
ch to hover over the button at her waist.
Wrenn’s breath caught as he slid the button through the hole and slowly lowered the zipper, the sound lost in the raging storm. He traced the top edge of her panties with his fingertips as Jude eased the snug denim down past her hips and over her thighs. Leaning closer, Jude inhaled her honeyed scent as she slumped against Gideon, her eyes closed.
“Bad kitties,” she breathed, the hint of a smile curving her full lips.
Both men chuckled and Gideon brushed his lips across her ear. “Do you know what bad kitties do with little birds like you?” he asked as he met Jude’s gaze, his eyes almost feral.
Jude fisted his hands in her underwear and yanked hard, rending the fabric and exposing her to their rising hunger. “We eat them.”
Chapter Two
“Oh God,” Wrenn groaned as Jude’s heated breath puffed over her aching flesh. Legs shaking so badly she could barely stand, she anchored herself by stretching her arms behind her and wrapping them around Gideon’s neck, resting her back against his chest.
Spreading her lower lips with his thumbs, Jude dragged his tongue through her slick folds, carefully avoiding her clit as if he knew how desperately close she was to the edge. She canted her hips forward, trying to get more contact with his mouth. Instead of letting her move, he pushed her backward, holding her captive using his hands and the other man’s groin.
Gideon thrust his denim-clad cock against her bare ass as he stroked his hands over her body, trailing his long fingers over her belly, her hips, her breasts. In the pulsing lightning, she could make out Jude’s face between her legs and Gideon’s hands on her body. She loved the contrast of his beautiful, darkness against her own pale skin. It was almost enough to make her wish for the lightning strikes to increase so she could see them more clearly.
Cuffed and Dangerous Page 2
