by Abby Blake
He forced himself to walk from the room, locking his knees so that he wouldn’t fall. In the bathroom he splashed water onto his face, gazing at the stranger in the mirror for a moment, before he shored up his failing defenses and headed back into the bedroom.
* * * *
“Is he okay?” Ava whispered as she watched Brody storm out of the room.
“More than okay,” Nathan said with a soft laugh. “He’s just confused by his reactions to you. He never expected to fall for a woman who wasn’t a dragon-shifter.” Nathan wriggled to get more comfortable and encouraged Ava to lay her head on his shoulder. “You’ve turned his world upside down, sweet Ava.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Most definitely,” Nathan said with a deep chuckle. “I’ve watched him get more and more miserable over the years, looking for the type of emotional connection not found in dragon-shifter relationships. He’s found that with you.”
“With me? But we’ve only known each other few weeks.”
“Do you want to walk away?”
“Well, no,” she said slowly.
“And you don’t seem to be the type of woman to make love to someone you don’t really care about.”
“I’m not,” she said, feeling irritated that he would even say the words out loud. She’d never jumped into bed just for the fun of it. She’d always felt an emotional connection, some sort of attraction that went beyond the physical. Of course the smug man holding her just waited for her to finish that thought before pulling her closer. “What about you?” she asked.
“I’m not going anywhere, either.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and seemed to relax even more.
A moment later Brody came back into the room, hesitated for half a second, and then headed to the bed. But when he got there, he seemed uncertain of his welcome. “I thought you might want…a shower…you know to freshen up.”
He grimaced and closed his eyes, obviously annoyed at his own stilted words.
She glanced at Nathan, smiled at his wink of encouragement, and offered her hand to Brody so that he could help her up. He seemed relieved by her small request for assistance, but leaned over and gathered her in his arms instead, holding her high against his chest.
He pressed a reverent kiss to her mouth as he stepped into the bathroom and lowered her feet to the cold tiles. He held her steady as he leaned into the shower and turned the water on. She squirmed slightly as the sticky evidence of their combined orgasms leaked onto her legs. He noticed, his large hand moving over her thighs, rubbing the fluid into her skin, a sad look passing over his features before he seemed to mentally shake himself and pull away.
“Do you regret coming inside me?” she asked quietly. He looked startled by the question, but eventually smiled and shook his head.
“My only regret is that…” He cut himself off, shaking his head, again, seeming annoyed at his uncharacteristic behavior. But actions spoke far louder than words when his hand moved higher to caress the soft swell of her belly, the longing in his eyes almost painful to witness. But then almost like a light switch being turned off, his vulnerability was gone, and he was once again the confident, charming man she’d grown to know over the past few weeks.
He lifted her, pivoted on the spot, and placed her under the water. He quickly stepped in, his hands all over her, caressing shower gel into every inch of skin he could reach. She held on to him, letting him do what he wanted, sensing his need to take care of her in this way.
And then, almost as if he couldn’t hold his true nature back any longer, he lifted her against the tiles, his hands caressing her thighs as he supported her weight and forced her legs open at the same time. He rocked against her pussy, the hard shaft of his cock caressing the outer lips. He watched her, holding her gaze as he slid into her body once more.
But this time there was no frantic pace, no desperate need to claim. He slid into her over and over, gazing into her eyes as he took her slowly, stamping her with his possession far more thoroughly now that she realized she also held his heart.
He caressed her clit with his thumb, massaging gently as heat built and swelled through her body. The orgasm was exquisite, neither violent nor explosive, but shattering in a much more spiritual way. She felt his cock swell, stretching her sensitive tissues a moment before his cum spilled deep inside her once more.
Chapter Four
Nathan found the tiny little entry in the newspaper from Ava’s hometown—six whole lines to describe the unnamed schoolteacher who died in a fiery, single-car tragedy over a week ago. It seemed almost insulting that a human life could be of so little value to those who hadn’t known her.
But at least Ava hadn’t left behind a family who’d loved her. It had made it much easier to do what needed to be done. With no family left alive, Ava truly had been alone in the world. She’d had friends and work colleagues who would mourn her for a short while, but as she’d explained in a rather matter-of-fact tone, her friends all had families of their own. No one would miss her for long.
But that was no longer true.
Nathan glanced over at the outdoor setting where Ava, Kali, and a vampire female named Skye, and her human sister, Jennifer, sat in the moonlight laughing together. He had no idea what they were talking about, but it was a wonderful sound to hear.
“How’s Ava doing?” Ronan asked as he stepped closer.
“I don’t think the permanence of it has hit her yet, but otherwise she’s doing fine.”
They both watched as Brody carried a tray of drinks over to the women, handed one to each of them, and headed back inside. Judging by the wide grin, Ronan obviously didn’t miss Brody’s gentle touch to Ava’s face a moment before he turned to leave.
“He seems smitten,” Ronan said with a grin. Nathan had seen his boss react to Kali in much the same way.
“He is,” Nathan agreed. “We both are.”
“Good to know,” Ronan said with a smile. “So what are your plans now? Technically, your assignment is over. With Ava’s death official she should be safe from the assassins. Even if they follow the original pixie’s research, they’ll only find dead ends for Kali and Ava.”
Nathan shrugged. From a purely business point of view they’d done their job and Ava would be safe, but he didn’t want to leave her alone—not even to get back to work. Ronan smiled even wider, almost as if he could hear the thoughts in Nathan’s head. Of course, it helped that Ronan had known him most of his life. He’d stepped into the role of big brother when Nathan had been an angry fifteen-year-old who’d just seen his father murdered. Without Ronan’s guidance there was no telling where Nathan might have ended up.
“I was talking to Benjamin,” Ronan said casually, thankfully scattering Nathan’s memories of the past, “about making Sugarvale a base of operations for both Deeks Security and PUP Squad Alpha.” Nathan nodded. It was something that seemed likely considering all the reconstruction going on in the small town. “It would ensure that Kali and Ava and any other potential pixie targets are surrounded at all times by people willing and able to protect them.”
Ronan looked at Kali, the genuine love in his eyes so obvious that Nathan almost felt the need to look away. Even though Nathan considered Ronan family, Ronan had always been the gruff soldier, not the doting husband he was now.
They both nodded to Alex as he came into the yard. The fire demon headed straight for Kali, kissed her affectionately, and then moved toward where Nathan and Ronan were standing.
“Eventually I’d like for it to be a safe place to raise a family,” Ronan said as they watched Alex stop to talk to Benjamin and Samuel, Skye’s vampire mates. “I thought you and Brody might be interested in hanging around for a while.” He grinned at Nathan’s obvious interest and nodded toward where Alex had lifted Kali onto his lap and was quietly listening to the women talk. “Discuss it with your family,” Ronan added with a knowing look.
Family? Yes, that’s what he, Ava, and Brody had become. He glanced
at Ava, saw her bright smile, and suddenly couldn’t wait to get back home. But then Alex came over to them and started talking, so Nathan tamped down his excitement for a few moments more.
“A little bit of good news,” Alex said with a serious expression on his face. “We’ve managed to track down Annie Franklin—one of the pixie’s possible targets. She goes by Hannah Long now. We’re not sure why she changed her name, but it may well have saved her life. West and Darian are moving to intercept her. Between them they should be able to explain the situation and hopefully bring her here.” He glanced at the table where the women were laughing, his smile softening when his gaze met Kali’s. “With both Kali and Ava showing signs of extrasensory skills, I think we need to work on the assumption that all of the women may have similar skills. At least until it can be proven otherwise.”
Nathan and Ronan nodded in agreement. If the Oracle had decided her information was important enough to risk her life to pass it on to humans, then they needed to know what that was. Since the knowledge Kali and Ava possessed seemed to be part of a larger puzzle, it seemed more important than ever to bring the surviving women together. Of course with at least three of those women already dead, even if they found the rest, the combined information might already be lost.
It was a depressing thought, but it did mean both teams were trying harder than ever to track down the pixie’s potential victims.
“Go,” Ronan said with a nod in Ava’s direction. “Talk to your family. Let me know what you and Brody decide. Maybe you can talk Brody into joining Deeks Security.” He grinned at Alex but turned his attention back to Nathan. “You could job share so that one of you is always here with Ava.”
Nathan nodded, already having noticed Alex and Ronan’s apparent tag-teaming when it came to work matters. To be honest he’d even had the same idea himself. Technically speaking he had enough money and investments that he could take the next decade off if he wanted to, and he suspected Brody was probably in the same situation. Their line of work paid well, and while on assignment they had almost no expenses, so wealth had a habit of accumulating quite quickly—and a few solid investments over the years certainly helped. But sitting idle wouldn’t suit him or Brody. Job sharing just might be the perfect solution.
Eager to get the conversation started, Nathan bid a quick good-bye to Ronan and Alex and headed for Ava.
* * * *
Ava smiled at Nathan’s eagerness to get her home. They literally lived next door to Ronan, Kali, and Alex, yet Nathan was in such a hurry he lifted her over his shoulder and carried her fireman style. She laughed at his playfulness, smiling at Brody, who wore an even wider grin. Apparently whatever Nathan had planned, Brody was on board.
Nathan carried her all the way to the bedroom, placed her on her feet, and then took a step back. “Strip.” Just one word, but it was all it took to melt her into a puddle of desire at his feet. Shaking with nervous anticipation, Ava undid the buttons on her dress, fumbling awkwardly when she couldn’t grasp the tiny plastic shells properly.
Brody growled his frustration, stepped forward, and in one smooth motion lifted the material over her head. He scowled at the scrap of lace currently pretending to be panties, placed a hand either side of her hips, and then tore the material apart. The destroyed lace hit the floor at the same time Ava realized her expensive bra was about to get the same treatment if she didn’t act fast. She unhooked the clasp and hurriedly dragged the material off. Ava was rewarded by matching feral grins on both her men’s faces.
In the past week the three of them had explored the dynamics of their physical relationship together. But it had been her role as submissive that had given them all the most satisfaction. Just like that first night together, submitting to her men felt more right than anything else she’d experienced in her life. It wasn’t a passive role. She’d spent many hours learning how to please them both, but it was the freedom of following their orders, of knowing exactly what they expected that had been the most surprising. Despite the BDSM romances she’d read, Ava had never really expected to find the sort of contentment she found here between her two men.
“Lean over the back of the armchair,” Nathan ordered.
She shivered in anticipation. Two nights ago they’d taken turns spanking her to orgasm in that very same position. She’d been completely exhausted by the time they’d finished, and she’d very literally fallen asleep in their arms. It had been the first time both men had stayed the whole night in her bed.
Nathan caressed her ass cheeks, his hands warm and soothing, harbingers of the heat to come. But it was the touch of cold lube against her back hole that had her trying to stand up. Brody controlled her easily, pressing his large hand against her spine until she stopped fighting them and relaxed once more.
“We’re going to take you together,” Nathan said as he pressed a slippery finger into her ass. She clenched around the invasion, the unusual pressure slightly uncomfortable. She groaned, clamping her muscles harder when he tried to add a second finger. “Relax,” Nathan ordered sharply.
The word “no” escaped her before she could pull it back. Nathan left his finger where it was, but leaned over and asked, “Are you using your safe word, Ava?”
Was she? A part of her wanted to run terrified in the opposite direction, but she’d trusted her men so far, and they hadn’t let her down. It wasn’t fair to doubt their ability to take her together without hurting her.
“No, Sir,” she said in a clear voice, trying to convey all of her trust in those two small words.
“Good girl,” Nathan said as he began moving the finger in her ass once more. She forced herself to relax, almost smiling when Brody caressed her neck and spine in long sweeping motions. When Nathan pushed a second finger into her ass, stretching her tight muscles almost to the point of real pain, she squeaked in panic but managed to stay still. “Breathe, baby.” Nathan waited for her to drag in a deep breath and exhale several times before he poured more lube on the crease of her ass, and worked it gently into her back passage. Nerve endings she’d never even noticed flared to life, heat pulsing outward as her pussy and clit throbbed in time with her heartbeat.
Nathan removed his fingers, quickly replacing them with something round and smooth. It was too small to be his cock, but way larger than the fingers he’d just removed. He slid the thing around, caressing what felt like a soft plastic cock over her anus a few times before working it past her tight ring of muscles and pushing it into her body. For a moment all she felt was discomfort, not quite pain, but certainly not pleasure either.
But as she relaxed, as she held still, her body adjusted to the plastic’s invasion and heat sparked through her system. Even without moving, the full feeling, the naughty, forbidden aspect of what they were doing, and what they were going to do, worked through her brain. She moaned, almost in relief, when Brody lay down on his back and Nathan lifted her onto his hard cock.
Nathan held her close, easing her slowly onto Brody’s erection. With the thing in her ass, everything felt tighter. She gasped, her body too slow to adjust, but both of her men proved she’d been right to trust them. Brody eased away. Nathan lifted her up. They both caressed her softly, lovingly, waiting for her to signal when she was ready.
She nodded, biting her lip to stop the groan, the overfull feeling suddenly taking on a completely different feel. She nodded again, squirming in their hold to claim more of Brody’s thick cock. He grinned, helping Nathan lower her slowly until he was finally, fully seated in her pussy.
They reversed the action, moving slowly, lifting her away, and then lowering her once more. She nodded, a litany of yeses escaping her as they gradually built the pace. Nathan moved back, his hands caressing her ass, no longer holding her up, letting Brody fuck her slowly. As he built a rhythm, the amazing sensations curling through her wound tighter, dragging her closer to ecstasy.
Nathan started moving the thing in her ass, thrusting in counterpoint to Brody’s ever-increasing speed, the
new sensation drowning her in need. She wanted. She needed. She damn near screeched as he withdrew the soft plastic and replaced it with his cock.
Brody held still, his breathing harsh, one hand tangled in her hair, the other pressed between her shoulder blades, holding her down, trapping her for their attentions, keeping her safe. Nathan pushed in slowly, caressing her spine, retreating slightly before working his way further in. She was vibrating all over, every muscle screaming for release, her heart, mind, and soul shattering as her world narrowed to these two men, only these two men.
“Please,” she said on a whimper, her words no longer censored, her need for them overwhelming.
And then they started moving, slowly at first, finding their rhythm, speeding up, thrusting harder, pushing her need higher. They held her there, in an agony of need, caressing her gently, teasing her mercilessly, loving her unceasingly, and finally…finally letting her explode into orgasm.
She cried out as her release went on and on. Every nerve ending sparking, twisting, screeching as her orgasm crested and threw her into complete oblivion.
Chapter Five
Ava grabbed the biggest coffee mug she could find and headed for the delicious-smelling caffeine hit, but just like the past three days, her stomach rebelled. She stepped back, trying to control the nausea that threatened to empty her already empty stomach.
“Still feeling off?” Brody asked with obvious concern.
“Probably just a stomach bug.” She knew she was possibly lying, but she wasn’t quite ready to voice her suspicion out loud—not even to herself.
Yet Nathan had no such restraint. “Maybe you’re pregnant. My sister went off coffee every baby.” He actually seemed more excited than freaked out, but Ava couldn’t quite convince herself that now was good timing. Love took time to grow, time to develop into something permanent, something stable, something more solid than the “getting to know you” part of a relationship. Despite how close she felt to both these men, and even as appealing as it was to have a family with these guys sometime in the far off future, she found herself looking for reasons on why she couldn’t possibly be pregnant.
