Seduced by Two

by Stephanie Julian

  “Because he’s an idiot, that’s why.” Jensen shook his head but Nica heard the smile in his voice.

  They had a true affection for each other, Nica realized.

  She had no siblings, though growing up in the small village owned by the boschetta on the outskirts of the city, she had what amounted to familial ties with the children born to the boschetta. Like Tira, still holding court with the three other men.

  Tanner had been dancing to Tira’s tune until just a few minutes ago. Not that Nica didn’t appreciate the attention from another handsome guy. She just didn’t want to be a bone of contention for the two brothers.

  Would this turn into a pissing contest? Some women might like that. Not her.

  But she saw nothing in either man’s expression that indicated jealousy. In fact, as they continued to talk, it became apparent that they actually liked each other.

  But they didn’t exclude her the way some guys might when they talked to each other.

  They discussed the public school system and the failing infrastructure. Since she’d never gone to a public school, she nodded at all the appropriate times and tried not to sound as if she’d had an unusual upbringing.

  When they somehow got onto the subject of global warming and people’s general disregard for the earth’s waning resources, she found both men good listeners who never made her feel her opinions were either stupid or wrong.

  They argued about the state of the union and whether or not hockey or football was the toughest sport.

  The men moved closer as the night went on, surrounding her, filling her field of vision until she saw only them. The heat of their bodies felt like the sun on her skin. She drew in warm male scents, the flesh between her legs going wet and swollen.

  And when Lacey, the bar owner, announced last call, Nica looked Jensen then Tanner in the eyes and saw the same question in both their gazes.

  At twenty-six, Nica was by no means sheltered. She’d grown up in a community where sex was a vital part of their rituals, not a dirty deed locked away behind closed doors.

  Sex was natural. It produced energy to power magic and that was something encouraged by the boschetta.

  She’d been taught how to take partners to enhance specific spells.

  But she’d never had two.

  And that was their question.

  They didn’t have to say it aloud. It’d been an undercurrent in the conversation since Tanner had joined them.

  She’d been considering the possibilities.

  And since this could be her last free night for…well, for a very long time, she wanted it to be a night to remember.

  * * * * *

  Tanner watched Nica closely, wondering if she was going to say yes.

  Even though neither he nor Jensen had asked her to go home—with both of them.

  He couldn’t tell if the look in her eyes was confusion or contemplation. Couldn’t tell if the look she leveled on Jensen meant she was hoping she was wrong and he would ask her to go home only with him. Or if she was going to run screaming in the opposite direction.

  He couldn’t say he’d given her more than a cursory glance when she’d walked over to the bar with the blonde. Busty, beautiful Tira had immediately caught his eye, even though he hadn’t come out tonight looking for any diversion other than a few cold beers.

  When Tira had made it clear she was interested in Daniel, he’d laughed and smiled at the appropriate times, not too upset that she’d passed him over.

  His mind had been on the meeting today. They still had some damage control to take care of and he knew how much Jensen hated dealing with suits. After that meeting, he hadn’t expected Jensen to come along to the bar. But his brother had been wound tight and Tanner thought Jensen could stand to let off some steam.

  Then Nica had walked up to Jensen and Tanner had seen something in his brother’s expression that hadn’t been there for a while.

  Hunger.

  He’d been worried about Jensen after that deal with Penny. That bitch had made his brother doubt himself and that was something Tanner had never thought he’d see.

  Not rock-solid Jensen who never faltered, never failed.

  Jensen had fallen harder for Penny than he’d let on and Tanner blamed himself for not seeing the problem before it blew into a crisis. He’d been blinded by a woman with an ulterior motive.

  Tonight, he hadn’t picked up any skanky vibes from Nica and he’d been watching. Closely.

  Jensen had guided the conversation all night. If he’d picked up something from Nica, he would’ve flashed Tanner the look. The one that said, “Get me the hell out of here.”

  Instead, Jensen had talked. And talked.

  “Do you live close by?”

  Jensen’s quiet question drew Tanner back to the conversation as he listened for Nica’s response.

  “My friend and I share an apartment on South Fifth Street,” she said. “Not far from the French-Italian bakery. What about you? Do you live in the city?”

  “No, we’re in Wyomissing. Tanner and I are rehabbing an old cottage up the road from the Reading Museum.”

  Tanner watched as Nica nodded, those dark eyes mesmerizing.

  And heat sizzled through his blood, straight to his cock. He hadn’t felt this excited about a woman in months and he couldn’t help but wonder if the reason he wanted this woman was because Jensen did. His brother had sworn off women the past few months as they’d both been swamped by work.

  With the economy as shitty as it was right now, new construction wasn’t high on anybody’s list. But they’d been lucky lately and had landed some school renovation projects that would keep their company rolling for a while. They’d weather the economic downturn. They couldn’t afford not to. Too many people depended on them.

  He and Jensen couldn’t afford to be at odds now. Especially over a woman.

  If this woman only wanted Jensen, he’d step away, no harm no foul.

  If she made a play for him through Jensen—like Penny—he’d walk away as far and as fast as he could. He never again wanted to live through the months like they’d had last year.

  His relationship with Jensen was more important than any fleeting fuck with a woman.

  “Would you like to see our house, Nica?”

  Her expression showed no hint of her thoughts, only that same heated interest, whether she looked at him or Jensen.

  Did she actually understand what Jensen was asking? Did she really know what they wanted?

  Nica’s heart began to beat a hard and fast pace.

  As if these two gorgeous men were already touching her body, making her respond, making her thighs quiver and her womb tighten with lust.

  They both wanted her and if she went home with them, they’d both have her. Which excited her more than she could have ever imagined.

  Maybe it was the fact that she was about to give her life over to the boschetta that made her feel so reckless.

  Maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t been given a choice in her life. She’d been born to fulfill a role. Her entire life had been spent learning all she needed to know to take on that role.

  She’d never questioned, never complained. She’d known when she and Tira had taken the apartment in town last year that it would be temporary. That eventually she’d return to the boschetta and take her mother’s place.

  She just hadn’t expected it to be this soon.

  The day she returned to the boschetta, her life would be consumed by duty, her world constrained to the confines of the small village the boschetta owned in the hills of Brecknock Township.

  She looked first at Jensen then at Tanner.

  “I’d love to see your home.”

  She didn’t rush the words but the breathless quality of her voice gave away her excitement.

  Tanner’s mouth split in a wide grin, his eyes narrowing down to slices of pale blue.

  Jensen didn’t smile. Instead he put his hand over hers lying on the bar. His skin burned hot, hi
s gaze going molten. And her chest tightened to the point she could barely breathe.

  “Where are you parked?” Jensen asked.

  “I came with Tira.”

  Jensen’s eyes flared ice-blue, not cold but hot, like the flame of a blowtorch. Flipping her hand, he laced their fingers together. It was the first time he’d really touched her and the sensation nearly overloaded her already burning nervous system.

  “My car’s out front,” he said. “Let me give you our address to give to your friend.”

  Her lips curved in a smile as her thighs tightened and her pussy clenched. Hell, she was leaving with two men she’d only met hours before and hadn’t even thought to ask where they were going.

  So you’re really going through with this. Are you nuts?

  No, she wasn’t crazy. Maybe a little reckless yes, but she was going to take what she wanted, while she could. Today, her life was still her own.

  Next week…

  Jensen’s hand loosened around hers, as if he’d read her thoughts and misinterpreted her feelings. He didn’t want her to feel trapped. Tanner actually leaned away from her the slightest bit.

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Let me get my purse.”

  She slid off the stool, prompting Jensen to do the same. He took the business card Tanner fished out of his back pocket and wrote something on the back with the pen in his front pocket.

  Tanner pointed at it as Jensen handed it to her. “That’s our address. The number on the front rings our cells as well as the house.”

  “I’ll just let Tira know I’m leaving.”

  Catching Tira’s eye as she passed, they met back at their table, where they’d left their purses.

  “So you’re going home with him?” Tira asked.

  “I’m going home with both of them.” She handed her friend the card. “They want you to have this. Their address is on the back.”

  Tira’s eyes widened until Nica thought they might fall out of her head. Then she flashed a look at Tanner and Jensen, standing by the bar. “No way.”

  Nica couldn’t tell whether Tira was shocked or envious. Then Tira started to grin. “Whoa, Nica. I want details tomorrow. Lots and lots of details.” Then she hesitated. “But…”

  Nica glanced up from her retrieving her purse. “But what?”

  Tira glanced at the men again then looked at Nica. Nica knew her friend was trying to catch a vision, to see into her future. Then Tira shook her head and smiled. “Nothing. I’m not seeing anything. Have a good time, Nica. Enjoy yourself.”

  Enjoy yourself.

  Those words continued to circulate through her head as she walked back to the brothers, Tanner’s smile easy and open, Jensen’s gaze intense.

  Doubt tried to settle into her chest but she moved forward, her gaze caught on Jensen’s.

  “Are you ready to leave?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Yes.”

  Chapter Two

  Jensen drove, Nica in the front passenger seat, Tanner in the back.

  The brothers kept up a steady conversation, light but with an undercurrent that kept desire humming. It filled the air and her arus soaked it in like a sponge with water.

  Magic rose through her body, making her flesh tingle and her sex clench. Blessed Goddess, the power she could channel with these two. Too bad they were eteri and could never know exactly what she was…

  When Jensen parked halfway down a short side street a few blocks back from Penn Avenue, she turned to see a white, two-story cottage that looked like something out of a fairy tale. And momentarily forgot how turned-on she was.

  She turned to Jensen. “Is this yours?”

  He shut off the car before looking first at her then past her to the house. “Yeah. We’ve still got some stuff to do to the exterior. New shutters, another coat of paint. We focused on the interior during the winter.”

  “But it’s still a little rough,” Tanner added. “We don’t have a lot of time to work on it during the summer.”

  “It’s adorable.”

  Both men snorted identically as they pushed open their doors and stepped out of the Toyota Highlander. Tanner immediately opened her door and helped her down to the sidewalk.

  “Sweetheart, men’s homes are not adorable.” He continued to hold onto her hand as she stepped onto the sidewalk.

  “Well, this one definitely is. I love it.”

  The house had two stories, the second slightly smaller than the first. Huge windows on both floors had dark shutters on either side and the roof was flat though it dipped down in front to almost touch the top of the second-story windows. None of the houses on the street remotely resembled each other and this one appealed to her like none of the others.

  She couldn’t wait to see the inside.

  Jensen walked ahead to open the front door and wave her through. Tanner slid past her and turned left, flipping on a light and illuminating a sitting room as he continued into the kitchen at the back of the house.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Tanner asked as he opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water.

  Behind her, she heard Jensen close and lock the door.

  And her breath caught in her throat, her stomach clenching in anticipation.

  Jensen stopped next to her, drawing her gaze. He watched her with those blue eyes, the hunger and heat she saw there ensnaring her attention.

  His hands, large and solid, cupped her face, the warmth of his skin sending shivers down her back, forcing her lips to part so she could breathe.

  He held her gaze for so long, she thought she might have to kiss him. Vaguely, she heard the refrigerator door close then footsteps sounded on the wooden floor behind her.

  Would Jensen kiss her first or would Tanner touch her?

  Each second that passed as she waited for the answer tortured her.

  When Jensen finally moved, she drew in a deep breath. And when his lips touched hers, her mind blanked to everything but the sensation of his skin on hers.

  He moved his lips over hers slowly, as if savoring. Then his mouth opened over hers, his tongue slipping between her lips to stroke along hers.

  Nica sank into the kiss, gave herself up to the waterfall of sensation it caused.

  Jensen kissed with the same intensity he’d shown earlier in the bar. Totally focused on her, he overwhelmed her and she drowned in him.

  All while touching her nowhere but her face. And still, her entire body vibrated, hanging on the edge of expectation.

  Her hands lifted to his hips, grasping at the waistband of his pants, though she didn’t know if she needed an anchor or if she wanted to anchor him to her.

  Her heart pounded against her ribs, her mouth and body responding eagerly to Jensen while waiting for Tanner’s touch.

  With her eyes closed, her other senses went on overload. Her ears strained for the slightest hint that Tanner was moving closer. She swore she felt his body heat on her back through the thin material of her shirt.

  And still he didn’t touch her.

  Was he watching? Was that all he’d do?

  Would it matter?

  Tilting her head to the side, she started to give back to Jensen as good as she got.

  With a groan that rumbled against her chest, Jensen’s fingers slid across her cheeks and into her hair, shivers radiating out from the point of contact. His hands sank into her hair, the strands catching and pulling, erotic little tugs that made her moan.

  Her hands clenched and pulled his hips closer. She needed to feel how much he wanted her, needed to know that he did.

  And he didn’t disappoint. His erection a thick rod against her lower stomach, she shifted, rubbing against him to ease the growing ache between her legs.

  As if she’d given him permission, Jensen’s hands released her hair and settled on her shoulders then slid down her arms, as if to warm her. His rough caress added fuel to the burn already boiling through her blood.

  When he started to ease away from her mouth, she tried t
o maintain the contact as long as possible. She didn’t want to stop, not for anything.

  Finally Jensen pulled away, holding her in place. She opened her eyes and stared into his, fierce passion stamped all over his face. She’d never seen that look on a man’s face directed at her.

  It weighed down the air in the room, glazing it with sex and heat and promise.

  A second pair of hands settled on her hips and she drew in a rough breath, which turned into a shaky exhalation when Tanner pressed himself against her back and lowered his head to press his lips to her neck.

  The experience was like nothing she’d had before. Better than the successful completion of her first spell or her first orgasm with a man.

  Tanner’s lips were softer than Jensen’s but no less demanding, stringing kisses along the line of her neck until he reached her ear, which he bit.

  She shuddered, her lips parting, and both men recognized it as the symbol of surrender it was.

  Though she refused to be a passive participant.

  She reached for Jensen’s tie as Tanner licked her earlobe into his mouth and sucked on it. Her fingers struggled to release the knot as she felt Tanner work her t-shirt from the waistband of her jeans and slide his hands against her bare skin.

  “You have the softest skin,” Tanner spoke into her ear, his warm breath causing her fingers to falter.

  But Jensen wouldn’t let her forget about him. He covered her hands with his and urged her to continue with his tie. It was something of a miracle that she could get her fingers to cooperate because Tanner’s hands had moved around her front and started to slide up her stomach to cup her breasts.

  Wet heat coated her pussy in a rush and she swore her sex clenched in a tiny orgasm, just from Tanner’s hands on her breasts.

  And just think how much better this will be when we’re naked.

  Her fingers found renewed purpose as she stripped Jensen’s tie then started on his shirt buttons. His gaze remained riveted on hers and she worked by touch until she had the shirt unbuttoned.

  Tanner’s hands began to knead her breasts, and her focus began to falter again. Jensen took matters into his own hands and began to strip off his clothes. He didn’t rush but he didn’t do a slow striptease either. He moved with an economy of purpose that she recognized after spending only hours with him.