by Scarlet Dawn
My lips pinched. “Or maybe you don’t understand his game.” I shook my head slightly, holding my arms tighter around myself. “He came here. Stayed here. Has done everything in his power to make this happen. He wanted you to know about that night, about us together, and he sure as hell didn’t move away when you,” I choked on the words, taking a step back from him, “kissed him.”
Jonathan’s eyes didn’t leave mine, his tone still quiet. Patient. “I know, Peanut.”
My eyes narrowed. “You’re being condescending.”
He held up his hands in supplication. “I’m not. I swear.” A soft shake of his head. “You’re just missing what he’s doing.”
My eyes stayed narrowed, but I jerked them to the Mayor. “Then what are you up to?”
His own black brows were furrowed, a slightly aggravated expression. “How old are you?”
My shoulders jutted back at his tone, my chin lifting, and my tone curt. “I’m twenty-two.” I tapped my fingers on my crossed arms. “How old are you?”
“I’m thirty-five.” Isaac’s brows didn’t move, still slanted. His head cocked ever so slightly as he slowly eyed me from head to toe before his expression cleared. “And you’re a human.”
I snorted. “Really? I hadn’t figured that—”
“No,” he stated sharply, interrupting me. Once more, he scratched his chin distractedly. “Again, you misunderstand. I mean you are a human. You are not used to the games and intrigue of a shifter. It is a normal way of keeping ourselves entertained.”
And…I was beginning to feel really ignorant.
Like, massively inept.
My expression instantly blanked, and even though I kept my arms crossed protectively. I peered directly at Jonathan and forced my tone to be bored. “Explain what I am missing. Please.”
His jaw ground together. Glancing once at Isaac, who merely lifted a black brow, he then turned those black eyes back on me. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. His voice was more than a tad bit growly. “He’s not just attracted to me, Peanut.” He inhaled and exhaled heavily. “He’s also attracted to you.”
My blink was ever so gradual. “And?”
We’d had sex. It hadn’t been bad sex.
The attraction was normal.
His chuckle was gravelly. “I believe he has it in his mind for the three of us to attempt a relationship.” Both of his red brows rose when my jaw began to slacken. “The three of us. Together.”
My widening gaze couldn’t be stopped. “Uh…” a slow blink on drying eyes, “no.” Like on autopilot, my head turned bit-by-bit to Isaac, meeting his sparkling, stunning green gaze. “No.”
Black brows gradually rose. “Why…no?”
My mouth bobbed for the barest moment, and then my cheeks betrayed me as I blushed furiously. “Isaac, I think it is you who really needs to go to church.”
Jonathan made the oddest sound in his throat, but quickly cleared it, even banging on his chest a few times with one of his fists. He turned his attention to Isaac’s studiously blank countenance, and stated evenly, “Kennedy recently took up faith. She’s been a devoted follower ever since.”
Isaac stood perfectly still…but he also made a bubbling sound. It was odd. It came from his chest I was pretty sure. He started coughing. Hard. He lifted a finger, then quickly turned and headed straight for my kitchen. The refrigerator. He pulled out a bottle of water, twisted the cap off, and proceeded to guzzle the entire contents down.
Wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand, he gently placed the empty on my counter. He gradually turned to face us, his face still as blank after his coughing fit. Sparkling green eyes met mine. “You’re full of faith, yes?”
My chin tipped up further. “I am.”
He blinked slowly. “Well…” another blink, “that is an interesting piece to this puzzle.”
“It’s not a puzzle,” I clarified. “There will be no three of us.” I dropped my arms and headed to my purse on the end table. “You know, I think I have a card in here for the church. They have a helpline you might like to call. There’s always a minister there to answer—”
“Peanut,” Jonathan stated loudly, making me stop in my tracks and peer back at him. He appeared pretty damn amused, even as Isaac reached into my fridge and grabbed a beer this time. Jonathan shook his head slightly, his red hair brushing his cheekbones. “No helpline.”
I pointed vaguely in my purse’s direction. “But the Mayor could—”
“No,” Isaac cut me off. “He’s right. No church for me. I’m far beyond redemption.”
I shook my head. “No one’s past redemption. You only need to have faith.”
He hummed quietly. “Let’s say you are correct. I still don’t want the card.”
I huffed quietly and crossed my arms again. “Okay.” He needed it, though.
Isaac took a long swig from the beer bottle, eyeing me over it. “Just for clarification’s sake, now that I know you believe in God, do you agree or disagree with homosexuality?”
I snorted, completely affronted. Righteous indignation filled me. “Just because I’m a believer doesn’t mean that I’m biased. I believe in love and faith. I don’t care if two people of the same sex are together, but I do agree that it should only be two in a relationship. Anything further is a,” I shook my head the tiniest bit, “…sin.”
Black brows rose. “And you don’t believe that sex out of wedlock is a sin?”
My mouth snapped shut. I didn’t really have an answer for that.
He chuckled quietly, his eyes even creasing with it. “So, you’re one of those people that believe some sins are worse than others?”
Eyes narrowed, I muttered, “It’s not quite like that. Plus, I’m not a saint.” I shrugged. “I merely have boundaries.”
He snorted softly. “And yet, you still screamed my name, not God’s, when I took you to heaven.” He lifted his beer in my direction, cheers to me with the gesture, a wicked grin gracing his stunning features. “Again…and again…and many more agains.”
My jaw dropped. “You are crude.” Still flustered, I quickly peered to Jonathan. “I…that…wasn’t…”
Black eyes held mine without flinching under hooded lids. “Yes?”
My teeth clicked as I slammed my mouth shut, and spoke through clenched teeth. “What happened that night has nothing to do with a threesome.” I turned a glare on Isaac. “I would appreciate it if you would quit bringing it up, too.”
He simply chuckled quietly. “Not likely…Little One.”
I blinked. “It really is time for you to go.” I lowered my arms and marched straight for the door. “I’m sure you know how to use a door the proper way.” I jerked it open and stared at him, waving my hand outside. “Please. Go.”
Both men weren’t looking at me. Instead, they wore completely neutral expressions on their faces, more blank than I had ever seen on them before. They were both gazing outside my opened doorway.
I blinked, then turned my attention slowly around.
I stared at what I saw outside. Ah…fuck.
My smile was completely forced. “Hanna, what a lovely surprise.”
The wizard I had met before lowered her fist, apparently having been ready to knock. She smiled, and it gleamed brightly. The man—Caleb back for more!—behind her simply stared over my head inside my home, a tiny smile playing on his lips. Hanna nodded her hooded head regally, a few inches taller than me, and then…yeah…stepped inside my home uninvited, her companion following in behind her.
I glared at my door. It was like the gateway to hell’s dominions.
“It’s lovely to see you too, Kennedy,” she stated cheerily and dropped her hood back. Her loose dreadlocks spilled around her shoulders, just as beautiful as I had remembered. She leaned, grabbed the edge of my front door, and gently pried it from my clenched fingers and shoved it close.
How kind. She even locked it for me.
Her attention turned to the men in
my apartment, dipping her head. “Isaac. Jonathan.”
They merely stared. No love lost there.
I cleared my throat, more polite then than the other two had been. “Hello again, Caleb.”
His smile was roguish. “It seems like it was only a few minutes ago that we last met.”
“It was.” My gaze gradually drug away from his chiseled features and returned to Hanna. “As pleasant as this is, is there a reason why you dropped by?”
She had turned and was glancing between Caleb and me, then pointed a finger at my nose. “He’s off limits.”
“That’s nice.” My brows stayed raised. “And?”
“No, really.” Staring straight at me, she grabbed his balls, holding them tightly through his worn jeans. He grunted in surprise, his eyes widening, and smartly, not moving. Hanna stared at me pointedly, still manhandling his manly bits. “Off. Limits.”
I took a step back, my own eyes wide. “Okay.” I pointed where she held him, but didn’t glance there, keeping my eyes on hers. “I won’t go near…any of that.”
She huffed quietly and then released him.
Caleb appeared more than relieved, even if slightly pained.
He bounced a little in place. I didn’t ask.
Hanna’s golden eyes narrowed further, and she took a quick step between us, and then crossed her arms. She asked pointedly, “Don’t you have enough men in your life already? Perhaps you should pick one?”
“Oh, for the love of God,” I muttered, tossing my hands up in the air, “Do you know how bizarre this is?” I waved my hands all over the room, my agitation breaking through my control. “This is not how this evening was supposed to go. There have been uninvited people coming and going, hardly anyone making any damn sense, and now, I have another uninvited—powerful—wizard inside my living room acting nuts.” I wanted to bang my head against the Hell Door. I pointed harshly at the ground below, where this evening belonged. “This night is turning into shit.”
Hanna stared. “So…you don’t find Caleb attractive is what you’re saying.”
I shut my eyes. Kept them shut. Prayed that when I opened them only Jonathan would be here—as this evening was supposed to turn out. I whimpered quietly, “I even wore my best pair of underwear.” Peeking open one eye, it revealed my prayers had not been answered.
That was enough for me.
Abruptly, I pivoted, and walked around the new uninvited guests and went straight to my purse. Grabbed it. Marched straight to my door. Opened it. Glanced over my shoulder to Jonathan. “I’ll be back. Later.” I paused with an afterthought. “Behave.”
With that, I left my apartment, slamming the door closed behind me.
Late into the night, I arrived back at my apartment. My exhale was a shaky mess when I closed and locked the door behind me, seeing the oven light on over the stove, the rest of the apartment dark. But it was enough to see the black leather boots aligned against the wall beside my couch.
Jonathan had stayed. He was here.
Relief and a smidge of trepidation made my limbs jittery. Tossing my purse on the couch, I toed off my month-old tennis shoes. I walked silently over the carpet and peered into my bedroom, the door open. The two windows inside allowed the moon to shine in just enough to see.
Lucy’s head popped up from on top of my fluffy comforter, staring straight at me. I smiled and hushed her gently when she began to wiggle where she was resting next to Jonathan. He was asleep, lying on his side. His bare feet stuck out from under the covers at the bottom of the bed, a bit of black flannel pajama bottoms could be seen at his ankle while the pink and red comforter was piled around his lower section, his torso not covered. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, so all of his bronzed flesh and muscles were on display in the moonlight, his red head of hair sunk down in the monstrous pillows I adored. One of his arms was also reaching across to my side of the bed, his hand fisted in the sheet.
I knew that sleep well. I had slept like that for the entire month. Wanting him next to me.
I swiftly scooped Lucy’s tiny frame into my arms when she jumped up, wagging her furry tail. Giving her lots of love, I scratched behind her ears as I strode quietly into my bathroom. I quickly did my business, brushing my teeth and using the restroom, and then I changed into a simple pink camisole and shorts pajama set. Carrying Lucy back to bed, I smoothly climbed up and gently tugged the covers over me, placing Lucy down at our feet. She instantly rotated in a circle on the fluffy cover and flopped down, watching as I rolled against Jonathan’s arm on my side of the bed.
He grumbled unintelligibly, but a beat later, one of his eyes flew open.
I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do.
Jonathan stared. Blinked. He closed his eye and lifted his arm. His warm palm landed on the small of my back, and he yanked me roughly against him. I grunted softly and instantly wrapped my arm under his and around to his back, holding him tight, and even threw a leg over his, pressing myself against his familiar warmth and cool soap scent. Peace and relief coursed through my veins as I snuggled my head under his chin.
He grunted again, readjusted the smallest bit, wrapping me even tighter in his arms and curling his legs around mine, his voice rough and quiet from sleep. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I whispered softly. I hesitated but kissed his heated collarbone softly. “So much.”
His muscles tightened as he hugged me close, then he tipped his head down and gently kissed the top of my head. “I am sorry about today. I know it surprised you.”
“I know.” I didn’t want to think about him kissing Isaac. I had been diligently ignoring it all night, and doing a damn fine job of it. Ever so slowly, I tilted my head back, staring up into his black eyes shimmering from the moonlight. “Thank you for staying.”
Jonathan watched me, his expression silent and void. Until his gaze softened. He tilted his head down gradually, edging closer…so close. His lips hovered over mine, his dark eyes unyielding, holding me captive as I started to pant, my breasts pressing against his chest with every inhale. His movements were unhurried as he eliminated the space between our mouths, his lips pressing against mine.
I trembled with adoration and relief—and sorrow—holding him close, my small nails dragging across the flexing muscles of his back as he pressed his wide lips more dominantly on mine. His exhale was just as shaky as mine was as we closed our eyes at the feeling of us together again. Having him gone, all of his quirks, it all missing, had damn near broken me this month.
My chin trembled as he angled his head differently.
I kissed him back with all I had to give. But his body tensed against me.
A quiet moment passed with him frozen.
He groaned deep inside his chest a beat later, then I was lying flat on my back with a lethally dominate Jonathan on top of me. His lips ate at mine hungrily even as he swiftly wiped the few tears off my temple that had shed from my closed eyes. He grunted, thrusting one hand into my hair, tilting my head roughly to deepen our embrace, our mouths opening, and our tongues gliding against the other’s, Jonathan only pulling his mouth back to mutter, “I’ve missed this so much, Peanut. So much.”
“Same here,” I whimpered softly, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms tightly around his neck, keeping him close. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know,” he moaned, then jerked his head back the barest bit from my mouth, glancing to his right. “Lucy, get down.” Our furball just stared at us, having trekked up by our heads, her tail wagging merrily. Her butt lifted into the air and she growled quietly, playfully. Jonathan choked on a chuckle. “This is not the time.” He raised a hand from my hip and lifted her gently, and every so carefully leaned us as he placed her on the floor, patting her head. “Go play. Mommy and daddy are busy.”
“Go,” I hushed her, shooing a hand. “Go find your chew bone. I think it’s still in the kitchen.”
She just cocked her black head and stared at us with her adorable brown
eyes.
“Sorry, Lucy,” Jonathan muttered, then rolled us so I was on my back again, his lips on mine with a deep moan. One of his hands cradled the back of my head, the other gliding under my top and over my stomach. His palm slid up, cupping my bare breast. He groaned as I gasped under him, pressing up into his touch and stroking my mouth over his in urgent need. “I still want to see that underwear you were talking about earlier.”
“Another day,” I mumbled, biting at his succulent bottom lip. My hands ran over his shoulders, and then down his sides, aiming for his ass. Random squeaks started from outside my room. I grinned. “She found her chew toy. She won’t bother us for a while.”
Jonathan grunted, slanting his head to start nipping down my jaw. He rolled his thumb over my pebbled nipple, and I trembled under him, a soft moan escaping my lips. Though I whined softly when he paused, frozen solid over me, turning rigid utterly and completely. His eyes narrowed before he removed his hand from my breast and swiftly pulled the hem of my camisole down.
“Sweetie?” I mumbled, yanking on his hair to try to look into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
He cursed quietly and stared in the direction of the straight-back plush pink striped chair in the corner next to the largest window. His tone was entirely agitated. “Goddammit, Isaac.”
“What?” I asked incredulously, my attention shooting to the lone chair. “What?”
The deepest, softest chuckle echoed from thin air above the chair. Isaac’s voice rumbled, “It took you long enough.” He snickered again and just appeared, the moon bathing him where he sat on top of the back of the chair, his legs spread so his feet rested on the arms of the chair. He leaned and placed his elbows on his knees, one of his hands holding a cherry red apple that he then bit into, the crunch loud in the silence. His lips curved as he chewed, his eyes glowing dimly on us. “Jonathan, that was sloppy.”
