Rookery Cove: Seducing Serena

by Eve Vaughn

“No. I would be lying if I told you I hadn’t given this a lot of thought already. My only fear… concern is I’d have to share you with someone else.”

  “It works both ways. I’ve wanted to bring this up to you for a while, but didn’t quite know how. Would you prefer a man or a woman?”

  “I have no preference. Women tend to be a little more pliable, but I’ve seen how that young shifter in the Love Potions department eyes you. He may be a good candidate.”

  Maddox shook his shaggy hair. “No. His kind tends to be a little unreliable around the full moon. I like women just fine, but I haven’t been with one in ages. None have really interested me since I’ve worked here.”

  “Mmm, I know what you mean, although the thought of tight pussy does sound appealing. You know I care for you more than anything else, but there’s nothing like the softness of a feminine body beneath me.”

  Maddox chuckled. “You don’t have to convince me. I understand how you feel. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I wasn’t secure in your feelings for me. This will work. Whoever we bring into this relationship, they’ll have to understand you come first with me.”

  Dalos leaned over and pressed a light kiss on Maddox’s chest. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ll let whatever happens happen. I think whenever we spot this person, we’ll know who he or she is.”

  Now as Dalos tossed and turned in bed, he wondered if he’d made the right decision. The jarring sound of his phone suddenly sliced through the air. Without answering, he instinctively knew it was Maddox.

  He grabbed the phone and growled into the receiver, “What took you so long?”

  A throaty chuckle greeted him. “I missed you too. What are you doing?”

  “Tossing and turning. I’m horny as hell, you’re not here and I can’t sleep.”

  “Your night sounds nearly as miserable as mine. Is your cock really hard?” Maddox’s voice was like a soft caress on the other end of the line.

  “Painfully so.”

  “Mine too. Just hearing you has made me so fucking hard I’m going to come right in my pants. Do you know what I’m doing now?”

  Dalos licked his lips and asked breathlessly, “What?” When Maddox came home he’d show him not to tease when there wasn’t a damn thing Dalos could do about it.

  “I’m unzipping my fly. Now I’m easing my prick out of my pants. Wrapping my fingers around myself now, imagining this hand belongs to you.”

  Dalos thought he was hard before, but it was nothing compared to what he felt now. Maddox wasn’t even there with him and he had the power to bring him to this pass. “How does it feel?”

  “Wonderful. I want you to touch yourself too. Grasp that hard rod for me and stroke yourself, easy though. I don’t want you to come too quickly.”

  “This is absolute torture,” Dalos muttered, fisting his cock. He was thankful he slept in the nude. If Maddox were here, he’d put his dick to better use, but this would do for now.

  “Are you doing it yet?” his lover asked breathlessly.

  “Yes. Oh yes,” Dalos panted. “Ah, Maddox, you have no idea how much I wish you were here.”

  “I feel the same. Moan for me, Dalos. I hate being so far away from you. I want to hear you call out my name.”

  “Maddox.” They’d had phone sex on several occasions when Maddox went away on business trips. It wasn’t as satisfying as the real thing, but just hearing Maddox’s deep voice was enough to get him off. He’d already been hard as a rock and knew it wouldn’t be much longer before he came.

  “That’s it. Stroke yourself for me and imagine what I’m going to do to you when I get home. Think about my cock rubbing against your body and yours against mine.”

  For the next several minutes, he stroked his cock in fast motions, panting into the phone. Maddox moaned on the other end. The sexual self-gratification coupled with the sounds of hot breathy groans was enough to send Dalos over the edge. “I’m coming!”

  “Then don’t hold back because I am too.”

  Dalos lay back on the bed, his seed shooting from his turgid shaft and landing on his stomach. When he finished, he grabbed for the box of tissues at his bedside to wipe himself off. “That was good, but the real thing would have been preferable.”

  Maddox chuckled. “The real thing will be better especially when we both get what we want.”

  What was he talking about? Dalos frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Remember when you told me I’d know when I found our third?”

  Dalos’s heart sped up. “Really? So soon? Who is this person, and what is his or her species?”

  “Serena Thomas is her name and she’s human.”

  “Isn’t she the one you set out to recruit?”

  “Yes, and I believe she’s the perfect mate for us.”

  “Is she a gorgeous blonde? Or maybe a dark exotic beauty. A fiery redhead? Stop hording the details to yourself, I want to know,” he demanded impatiently.

  “Easy, lover. All your questions will be answered. On first glance she’s nothing extraordinary to look at. To be quite honest, she looks much younger than the twenty-eight I know her to be, but on closer inspection, she has a subtle beauty which makes the senses reel. She’s slight of figure, but from what I could make out from the outfit she wore, she’s nicely curved. Her skin is like a smooth alabaster dusted with honey. She wore her hair up, but I’m guessing when it’s loose, it will fall around her shoulders like a cape of dark brown silk. I wanted to run my fingers through it the minute I saw her.”

  “Her eyes?”

  “Dark brown. They’re quite soulful. She has the most adorable rosebud mouth, and a stubborn little chin. I shifted in my chair several times to hide my erection. The only other person I’ve reacted to this way has been you, and I could tell by the way she looked at me she was attracted too. I sense in her a deep capacity for passion. We would never be bored with her.”

  “She may be attracted to you, but will she be with me? Just because she likes your brand of dark brooding looks doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll feel the same about my fair ones.”

  “She’ll accept you.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. There’s a reserve about her, but when she wasn’t looking I did my truth chant.”

  Dalos was familiar with that. When an Elf performed the truth chant to a non-enchanted being, that creature had no choice but to answer the first question asked. “What did you ask her?”

  “What her deepest fantasy was, of course. It was almost as if the gods were smiling down on me when she declared she wanted to be with two men.”

  “Very convenient,” Dalos muttered, still unconvinced. He trusted Maddox’s judgment, but he wouldn’t be one hundred percent comfortable until he saw her for himself.

  As though his love had read his mind, he said, “Come and see for yourself. I think you will be quite pleased.”

  “Does she know what we are?” Dalos asked cautiously. Though there were quite a few humans working at Rookery Cove, it was always a surprise when they learned there were otherworldly creatures employed here. If this Serena person was as reserved as Maddox claimed she was, how would she react to their being Elves? It was quite possible it wouldn’t go over very well.

  “Not yet, but I intend to reveal myself soon. I think I would rather let her get to know me without her forming any preconceived notions.”

  “That may be your best course of action. But won’t you be back soon?”

  “I’m not so sure. This one will take some convincing. She’s in her family business and is reluctant to leave them. She rejected my offer, but I also informed her I wouldn’t take no as an answer. I think if she sees the two of us together, it will get the wheels turning.”

  “Are you suggesting we seduce her into working for Rookery Cove?” As much as he loved Maddox, he didn’t want to do business that way.

  “No. But I’m not above seducing her to be our lover. Join us tomorrow.” Maddox rattled off the detai
ls, which Dalos committed to memory. A thrill of anticipation raced through him as he thought about meeting Serena Thomas for the first time. He wondered what she tasted like.

  * * *

  “Honey, we honestly wouldn’t be angry with you if you decided to take this job. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity,” her father said gently. Shortly after her meeting with Maddox, Serena had gone to her father’s office and told him about the offer.

  She knew her father wouldn’t try to hold her back, but it didn’t make her feel any less guilty for even considering the position. “I know you won’t be angry, Daddy, but what will you do without me?”

  John Thomas smiled patiently. “Sweetheart, you have an incredible gift for what you do, but our business was doing fine before you joined it and it will do fine if you take this job. I’m surprised you haven’t jumped at this chance yet. Rookery Cove is the best in the business and you could learn a lot from them.”

  “But it’s the farthest from home I’ll have ever been. I don’t know if I can stand being away from you.”

  “Honey, I think there comes a time in everyone’s life when they need to throw caution to the wind. When I finished college, I knocked around Europe for a couple years and I must say it was one of the best experiences of my life. You can’t be afraid of living, Serena. If you don’t take this chance, and I know you want to, you could regret it.”

  She sighed. “How did you know I wanted it?”

  “I may not seem like I do, but I know my children. You have the same look in your eyes Malinda did when she decided she wanted to do adult movies. I’m definitely of the mind it’s better to take the chance of a lifetime and fail, than to do nothing and spend the rest of your life wondering about the what-might-have-beens.”

  He had a point. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in regret. Growing up in the small desert town of Hesperia, California, she’d always been conservative in her ventures. She hadn’t even moved out of her parents’ house until she was twenty-five, and even then it was only two houses away from them.

  Even Joe had been a safe choice. He hadn’t been particularly good looking or even that charming, but he’d taken notice of her. Instead of saying no like she knew she probably should have she’d become deeply involved with him. That got her nothing but a broken heart. Maybe there was something to what her father said.

  Perhaps it was time to start throwing caution to the wind. The only problem with this situation was how she would be able to dismiss the inconvenient feeling racing through her where Maddox was concerned. There’d been no indication on his end he was interested in her and the way he’d kept squirming in his chair made Serena think he was eager to end their meeting. It had surprised her when he’d asked her to dinner. She wondered if she was making a mistake. He, of course, was only trying to wine and dine her to work for his company.

  “I’d be fooling myself if I didn’t find this situation appealing, but I’d feel like a fish out of water.”

  “Honey, you’ll do fine. I know you will. You’re a Thomas and we always land on our feet.”

  If that was true, why did she feel so uncertain?

  * * *

  Serena had taken extra care with her appearance for her dinner. When she put her car in park, she checked herself in the rearview mirror. Malinda had fixed her hair and makeup. It was a little too heavy for her taste, but Serena had to admit she looked pretty good tonight. Serena had spent a sleepless night wondering if she should go through with this or not. Even now, second thoughts were plaguing her.

  She wore a little red mini dress with spaghetti straps. It clung to her body like a second skin and she wondered if it was a little over the top for a business dinner. Her sister hadn’t thought so, but then again, her sister was a porn star. Wearing panties was conservative to Malinda.

  Serena slid out of her little car and squared her shoulders. It was now or never. Would Maddox like the way she looked? On her first step, Serena tripped, nearly landing on her face before a pair of strong hands gripped her arms.

  “These shoes are the worst,” she muttered. Malinda had insisted she wear the three-inch heels which laced all the way up her calves. “Thanks for catching me. I --” The words dried up in her mouth the minute she met the sparkling blue gaze of her rescuer. My God, he’s gorgeous, she thought to herself. Serena had thought Maddox was probably the most handsome man she’d ever seen, but this one would certainly give him stiff competition.

  This man’s face was more pointed and thinner, but he was aesthetically pleasing. He wore his long blond hair in a style similar to Maddox’s. His pale skin gave him an almost ethereal look.

  “My pleasure. I’m glad I could be here to catch your fall.”

  He smiled, revealing brilliant white teeth. He could model for a toothpaste ad. Her heart began the funny pitter patter it had when she’d encountered Maddox. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she so hard up for sex she reacted this way to every good looking man who came her way? She had to break away from him before she made a complete and utter ass of herself. “Uh… you can let me go now,” Serena said lamely.

  He lifted a dark gold brow. “Must I? I find I enjoy touching you. You have such soft skin.”

  She didn’t miss the dart of his pink tongue across his lips. Her pussy tingled as she imagined what that tongue would be like against her skin. “Well, yeah, uh, still. I think it’s best if you let me go. I’m running a little late for my dinner date.”

  “Well, we’ll both be late together. Let me at least escort you inside. Those shoes don’t look very comfortable.”

  She pulled her arms out of his grip knowing if she didn’t, she’d lose her mind. “I’m capable of walking on my own.” It was just her luck to trip yet again when she took a couple of steps.

  Her hunky blond rescuer was right there behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist this time. “Perhaps I should carry you inside, Serena,” he whispered against her ear.

  His arms rested just below her breasts. If he moved his hands a couple inches higher, he’d be touching them. Why did she want it so bad? Her nipples grew to tight peaks. A damp pool of moisture formed in her panties. Suddenly it dawned on her he’d said her name. How did he know it when she’d never seen him in her life? Was he some kind of crazy stalker?

  Serena pushed at his arms. “Let me go.”

  “Are you sure you want that?” he asked softly, his mouth still mere inches away from her ear.

  She forced herself not to shiver. “Yes, it’s exactly what I want.”

  “Shame.” He let her go in no great hurry.

  Serena would have run if she could, but didn’t want to trip again. Taking a few careful steps, she slowly turned around to look at him. “Who are you and how do you know who I am?” She crossed her arms over her breasts, suddenly feeling exposed.

  “I’m one of your dinner dates,” he said smoothly.

  Chapter Four

  Dalos watched Serena’s lovely face go from outrage to confusion. She was just as beautiful as Maddox had described. When he’d slid out of his rental car, he’d seen her from across the parking lot and thought he’d introduce himself. It was fortunate he’d been close enough to catch her when she fell.

  He would have preferred if she wasn’t wearing so much makeup, but once she was committed to him and Maddox, he’d make his preference known. She was indeed perfect for what he and his partner had in mind. He hadn’t missed the way she’d reacted to his whispered caresses. Even now her nipples poked through that poor excuse for a dress like little pebbles. He wanted to take them into his mouth and suck until they were swollen from his love. His cock twitched. What fun he and Maddox would have with her.

  Her mouth opened then closed before she spoke. “You must be mistaken.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so, especially if you’re here to meet Maddox. He invited me along, you see.”

  She furrowed her forehead. “He did?” Serena looked confused for a moment. “Oh. You must work at Rook
ery Cove as well. Your accent is similar to Maddox’s.”

  “Yes, I’m Dalos, director of the sex toy division.”

  “I see. You’re here to convince me to work for your company.”

  “Among other things,” he said softly.

  For some reason she looked disappointed. He could have done the truth chant to ask her why, but that would come later. Dalos was eager to see Maddox. Holding the crook of his arm out for her, he smiled. “Shall we?”

  She looked uncertain, but finally took his arm. “Sure.”

  When he led her inside he scanned the restaurant. He smiled when he spotted Maddox at the table, casually perusing a menu. “There he is,” he pointed out to Serena.

  Maddox stood up, holding his hands out to them both. Dalos would have given his lover a kiss if Serena hadn’t been standing there.

  “You look lovely, Serena,” Maddox commented. Dalos didn’t mistake the lust in those dark eyes as they devoured Serena.

  “I didn’t know we wouldn’t be eating alone.”

  “I hope this isn’t a problem for you. I figured since you’d be working in Dalos’s division you should meet him.”

  She sighed, picking up her menu. “I never said I’d work for your company. I only agreed to come to dinner because I didn’t have anything better to do.”

  Dalos stifled a laugh. He liked her more and more with each passing minute. Though he fully expected her to submit to their will, he was glad she wasn’t a total pushover. That would have been boring. “But you will.”

  She glared at him. “You’re making a lot of assumptions.”

  “Here comes our server. We’ll order now and argue later,” Maddox interjected.

  They gave their orders and once the three of them were alone again Serena continued her rant. “I’m not sure why you’re persisting in this matter.”

  Maddox lifted his wine glass, swirling the contents around. “If I thought for one minute you didn’t want to work for Rookery Cove, I wouldn’t bother you, but you have the kind of eyes that will always give you away, Serena.”

  She lowered her lids, a furious red blush coloring her cheeks.