“I’m not old enough.”
“Bull crap, Mel,” Gemma interrupted. “Age has nothing to do with it. You’ll find her when you’re ready. Until then, just take it one day at a time.” She rested a hand on Gabby’s arm. “If they are really your mates, you’ll know soon enough. One of the signs is their being able to contact you telepathically, though it usually doesn’t happen until after the ritual.”
“Ritual?”
“Every shifter species has a ritual of some kind that the men and women perform when they choose to mate. Your men will let you know what to do when that time comes. Sometimes it’s no more than a nip on the shoulder.” Gemma reached up to a spot at the crook of her neck. “They exchange saliva or…” She paused, giving Gabby a wink. “Some other body fluid, and you’re suddenly a shifter. It’s a lot like magic.”
“Magic? I was hoping it had a more scientific explanation. That I could understand.”
“Stop trying to understand it and do your best to enjoy it, live it, love it. Most importantly, love them. They will love you with everything in them.”
Turning, Gabby glanced at Mel, who gestured to the car.
“Ready to go?”
“Yes, Mel. I’m ready.” Gabby smiled to herself when she realized just how true that statement was at this moment. She was ready to go back to Paradise and start her new life. To heck with writing a romance, right now. She would rather live one, instead.
Chapter Nine
“Do you think she’ll come back?” Vincent stood staring out through their window to the parking lot below.
“I hope she does. You know we’ll never find her if they’ve helped her run.” Corbin sighed and sat at the desk.
Vince watched as his triad mate booted up the laptop they’d brought with them and connected to the inn’s wireless internet. “Are you contacting the others?”
“Yes. I just don’t know how to break the news to them.” Corbin turned to meet his gaze. “I know they’ll be happy that we found others. I’m just not sure how happy they’ll be to find out that we told them about us, if you know what I mean.”
“It doesn’t matter what they think.” Vince walked away from the window. Watching the parking lot wasn’t going to do anything but frazzle his nerves. “All that matters is that we have found our mate. You know as well as I do that that takes precedence over anything and everything else.”
“It does.” Corbin nodded. “I just don’t know how well they’re going to take finding out that we exposed the entire clan without a mate at our sides.”
“She’ll come back.” She had to. Even now, his insides churned. His blood burned for her, his mind kept remembering her scent, the feel of her soft skin and the way her body felt pressed tight against his. They were nothing without her—less than nothing, and they knew that fact well.
“I hope you’re right.” Corbin bowed his head, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “If not, we have told outsiders about our clan for nothing.”
“Yes, but they are shifters. It’s not as though we told humans.”
“We told Gabby.”
“Yes,” Vince agreed with a nod. “We did. However, we didn’t tell her that we were Caspian Tigers. She only knows that we reside somewhere in Oregon. It’s a big enough state that we shouldn’t have to worry too much about anything other than losing her.”
His stomach clenched at the thought that she might not return. What would they do if she decided that they wouldn’t suit her? His tiger snarled at the thought and he clenched his fists to keep the animal at bay.
Someone knocked on the door and his heart leapt. Maybe it was their mate. Gods, please let it be our mate.
They looked at each other for a second before they each stood and scrambled for the door. The expressions on their faces must have given voice to their frustration when they answered and a male stood in the halls.
“I can see that you’re not happy to see me,” a strange blue-eyed fellow wearing a lawman’s uniform said with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He gestured toward the elevator. “My boss sent me up here to tell you that you lucked out. Gabby is on her way up here in a few minutes. Apparently, she just finished her shower and she’s primping in an effort to look beautiful for you. Not that she’s not already one of the prettiest little things I’ve ever seen in my life.” He grew closer and narrowed his eyes. “If you hurt her, you’ll not only have to answer to me, but the rest of the men in Paradise. We take the protection of our women and children seriously here.”
“As you should,” Corbin replied. “How else can you ensure the propagation of your kind?”
“I don’t give a damn about propagation. All I care about is protecting the weak. She’s a human woman, and weak. If either of you hurt her, plan to meet a line of males who are ready to defend her...or avenge her.”
“Then we have nothing to worry about,” Vince said. “It is not our intention to harm her.”
The elevator chimed and Vince looked up. His mouth dropped open when Gabby stepped out. Her hair hung down to her waist in long waves. The skimpy red dress she wore barely covered her mound. The way she looked in that dress and the blood-red thigh high stiletto boots brought his cock to attention.
His stomach clenched and his heart nearly stopped at the sight of his mate walking toward him with that sexy smile. It was almost like the scenes he’d seen in the movies with the woman walking toward him, the wind blowing her hair out behind her while she walked toward him in slow motion.
“It seems as though she didn’t change her mind after all, you lucky bastards.” The officer turned toward Gabby. “Take care of yourself, pretty lady. Just remember, if you need anything at all, all you have to do is ask.”
“Thank you, Mel. I’m sure everything will be okay.” She smiled up at him, then leaned close and kissed him on the cheek.
Vince and Corbin both growled. He wasn’t sure about Corbin, but Vince knew the sound came from deep inside him. It was as involuntary and as natural as breathing when he saw his mate kiss another male.
“Relax, you two. He’s a friend.” She smiled up at Mel. “You’ll find a woman just for you. I’m sure of it.”
“I hope so, pretty lady.” He quirked his lips in what must have passed for a smile to Gabby and plopped the hat he held on his head. “I’m gonna hit the bricks now. You guys have fun.”
Vince didn’t reply. He was sure he didn’t have to.
Chapter Ten
Gabby watched Mel go with a sad smile. ”I really do hope that you find your mate soon, Mel,” she whispered as he walked away. He seemed so sad. She wasn’t sure why he wanted a mate so badly. Most of the other retired Rangers didn’t want to settle down yet.
“He’ll be fine, love,” Vince said as he ushered her into their room.
As soon as the door shut behind her, Vincent gathered her in his arms, backed her up against the wall and palmed the back of her head.
“Gods, you’re beautiful,” he said just before he lowered his head and pressed his lips gently against hers.
Closing her eyes, she expected a hard kiss—one that told her how much he wanted her. Instead, he tenderly coaxed her mouth open and snaked his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. Shivers ran down her spine. Her womb clenched and her panties—what there was of them—grew damp with need.
A moan escaped her lips, followed by a long sigh as his mouth left hers to trail across her jaw to the spot just below her ear. She tilted her head to give him better access as goose bumps covered her skin.
Gabby leaned into him, giving as good as she got. Her breathing quickened as he reached down, cupped her rear with one hand and demonstrated extraordinary strength by picking her up and pressing his hips into hers. His erection rode against her mound as he rocked against her, a strange growling noise coming from deep in his chest.
“That’s enough, Vincent.” Corbin said from somewhere to her left. “It’s my turn to imprint
my scent on our mate.”
Vince bit her lip, sucking it as he slowly lifted his head. “Of course,” he said as he pulled away. His chest heaved as he sucked in great gulps of air. If she didn’t know better, she could have thought the man had just run a marathon instead of kissing her silly.
Vince lowered her slowly. Her body felt every ridge and bump of his hard frame as it slid against his until her feet finally touched the floor.
Corbin grasped her fingers and pulled her into his arms to greet her with a kiss that promised rapture in his arms. Gabby’s stomach flip-flopped as his lips covered hers before trailing down her neck. He pressed little kisses over her breasts before giving her cleavage a long, slow lick.
Gabby moaned, her knees growing weak. Her legs gave out and Corbin gathered her tighter. He pressed his cock tight against her mound, bending forward. The action arched her back, thrusting her breasts upward. He buried his face in her cleavage with a groan.
“You’re so beautiful and you smell so sweet, like the most decadent of desserts. I look at you and I wonder how I have lived so long without you. My life was nothing, our lives were nothing before we found you.”
“I will forever thank the gods for bringing us to Paradise. Otherwise we may never have found you,” Vince added.
“I can’t imagine living another day without you by our sides,” Corbin said as he steadied her on her feet before kneeling before her. He gestured to Vince, who did the same. They both knelt on the floor in front of her, their faces turned up to her, their expressions earnest. “Will you consent to be our mate? Will you leave Paradise to live part time in Oregon, and part of the time in the Caspian Cascade?”
“We know that human women like to hear the pretty words and we can give them to you,” Vincent added. “All of our adult lives a Caspian knows he must find his mate. Unlike our animal counterparts, we feel love and loyalty. Like all other shifters, we mate for life—we love for life. And we love you.”
Gabby shifted her gaze between them. How could they love her already? Did she feel anything for them? Could she? Standing before the two men with them in supplication, she searched her feelings. She knew that no matter how impossible it seemed, she cared for them—at least a little. Was it possible that they could love her so soon?
“How can you love me already?” She blurted the question before she thought about it and bit her lip. What are you trying to do, you idiot, drive them away? “I’m sorry. It’s just that it seems too good to be true.”
“You are the one who is too good to be true. You stand before us and don’t condemn us. You don’t call us liars or fools when we know that most women would.” Vincent stood and pulled her into his arms again. “No matter how impossible it seems, we do love you, we shall always love you and cherish you for as long as we both live.”
Taking a deep breath, Gabby shifted her gaze between them before her lips kicked up in a grin. “Prove it.”
“Oh, we can do that, love.” The words came out on a low growl as he moved closer. “You can count on it,” he said as he dipped his head closer and took her lips in a passionate kiss.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as his mouth covered hers. Her heart pounded and her pussy clenched with need. Just the sensation of his warm mouth against hers, his expert tongue thrusting and sliding against her own made her knees go weak and her head seem lighter than air. Gabby’s blood heated, turned to molten lava in her veins and she hoped that she didn’t collapse before him and prove herself too weak to be their mate.
Warm hands caressed her back, making ever growing circles, each pass bringing them closer to her rear. Reaching up, Gabby thrust her fingers into his hair and pulled his head tighter against hers, groaning into his mouth.
She almost cried out when he pulled away, then shivered with delight when he pressed tiny kisses against her neck. Gabby had just begun to wonder what Corbin was up to when she felt him press against her back, thrusting his hard cock against her rear. She gasped when he fit himself into the cleft and thrust hard.
Cream seeped from her channel and coated her panties. Her thighs grew damp as she grew more aroused between them. Her hips jerked involuntarily as Corbin repeatedly thrust his erection against her. Hell, she felt as though she was about to come, and she still had her clothes on!
Something, some noise drew her attention. It took a moment for her head to clear enough to hear it properly. She almost groaned when she realized what it was.
Is that really me making all that noise? She didn’t even know she was capable of mewling like that, of purring like some great jungle cat. How could it be herself making all of those needy sounds as the two men held her between them, alternately kissing her and suckling on her neck? If it was, she’d really be in trouble when they undressed her and finally decided to get down to business.
Gabby curled her fingers in Vincent’s hair, holding him in place. She rode his leg when he thrust it between hers, pressing it against her core and rubbing her already sensitive clit.
I can only say hallelujah to the fact that over the last few months, I’ve used toys to ready myself for this moment. If Gabby knew one thing, it was that she didn’t want to wait to claim her mates. She needed this mating almost as fast as they did. She didn’t know why, other than that she knew it was right. It had always been the right thing for her. She just hadn’t known it until a few months ago.
Dropping her hands from Vince’s hair, she reached between them and grasped his cock. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the size and feel of his shaft bucking in her hand. In a bold move, she unbuttoned his pants and unzipped his fly, her hands immediately taking possession of his erection when it sprang free of the confines of his jeans.
Vince growled deep in his throat as he pressed kisses to her collar bone, then moved his lips down to her breast. Her dress loosened, the built-in corset falling free of her breasts. Cool air hit her nipples a split second before two warm mouths closed over the hardened tips.
Gabby threw her head back with a long hiss and her knees weakened yet again. She was certain she would melt into a puddle at their feet if they didn’t stop. Yet she didn’t want them to stop. Perhaps melting wasn’t a bad thing.
Corbin caught her when her knees finally gave out and her body fell toward the floor. Gentle as could be, he picked her up and carried her to the king-sized bed, and set her down beside it.
Together, the two men removed what was left of her clothing, from her dress to her fuck-me high-heeled boots to the scrap of material that the clerk at the lingerie store had called underwear. Soon, she stood before them as naked as the day she was born, filled with a sexual need that she hadn’t known was possible to experience.
It didn’t matter how much she’d tried to prepare herself for this. It didn’t matter how many times she had clamped her nipples and used toys to prepare her for a double penetration. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the sensation of two warm mouths on her skin or two sets of hands brushing lightly over her flesh to bring her to orgasm.
Corbin steadied her on her feet and then knelt in front of her. She looked down, her face burning as he stared at her mons and licked his lips.
“Gods you’re beautiful. You’re ripe, as well. I can scent your arousal and it’s driving me mad to taste you.” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “I love the way you smell—sweet like honey.”
Reaching out, he picked up her leg and placed it over his shoulder, and stared at her for a long while. Just as Gabby started to squirm, he leaned forward and swiped his tongue through her dripping slit.
Gabby’s knees buckled and Vince caught her before she hit the floor in an inglorious heap.
“You have to taste her, Vince. She’s everything we ever dreamed of and more. I don’t know if I can stop myself from another taste.” He leaned forward again and suckled her clit as he slipped a finger inside her. “I know I can’t stop myself.” With a low groan, Corbin grasped her other leg and brou
ght it over his other shoulder while Vince held her from behind. Tilting her back, he suckled a nipple into his mouth while he tugged and plucked at the other.
Corbin thrust another finger inside her as he suckled her clit into his mouth, his tongue dancing over the sensitive nub.
Gabby’s head thrashed on Vince’s shoulder as they both continued their ministrations. Her body stiffened, her back arched and her muscles tightened as she reached for her climax.
Just when she was certain she couldn’t take any more, a million—a trillion shards of light burst behind her eyelids as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, and she came.
Chapter Eleven
Corbin drew back and gazed at his mate’s beautiful cunt. Her brown curls glistened with her woman’s dew as it slowly trickled from her channel. He gazed up at Gabby as she hung limp in Vince’s arms, her legs still draped over his own shoulders.
A light sheen of perspiration covered her body and his beast wanted nothing more than to lay her on the bed and lick it from her. It also wanted more, much more, but he had to know if she was ready.
“Have you ever taken two men at one time before?”
Corbin smiled when her face turned red. “No, but I-I’ve prepared myself.” She bit her lip and tried to look away, but her position didn’t allow it. “I’ve known I wanted this since I found out about the triad mating in Paradise. I had hoped that I would eventually find a pair of men who would want me as a mate.”
“Prepared yourself, how?” Corbin knew it was a difficult question for her to answer. Not only did she have her human inhibitions, but she also didn’t know them. Add to it that this was their first time together, without any semblance of a courtship, and he could understand why she would be reticent to share. “We need to know. We don’t wish to hurt you.”
“I don’t think you can.” She hung her head. “I’ve been very thorough with the, uh…toys that I have.”
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