A Valentine for Two

by Lia Davis

  “Are you trying to get rid of me so soon?” Vitor smiled. “I think we would make a good match. My couple left me, they said I was too much, but I think you two may be able to handle what I have to offer.”

  “As I said, we are in the middle of a meeting.” When Lucas went to pull his arm away the male gave him a bit of a squeeze as if to keep him in place. “You can let go of me. Nothing will progress this way.”

  “I think this is exactly the way you both want it. You can ditch the alien, and we can get right to a little play.” The male reached over to Kenna, brushing the back of his hand over her cheek.

  He tensed and scanned the room. It wasn’t proper to make a scene, yet one might be necessary.

  “Lucas.” She turned to him.

  At her gasping his name and her wide eyes, he decided to throw the rulebook away and went to stand, but the male held him fast. “You’re a couple, I’m a single. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been fulfilled?”

  “I can predict it’s going to be much longer.” Seemingly out of nowhere, Talbot returned and using only one hand, basically lifted the male off his seat.

  Two anthromachines and the males from one other triad stood.

  “Let go of me!” Vitor tried to push Talbot away. “Barbarian!”

  “Is that so?” Still holding the male, Talbot slid his free hand down his side until he grasped the handle of his dagger.

  “No!” Lucas lunged for them and caught the Kinjani’s arm.

  “Talbot!” Not unlike yesterday at the ceremony, Kenna screamed out his name. She jumped out of her chair and clasped on to his other side, causing Talbot to drop Vitor.

  The male fell to the floor and all the females in the tavern gasped and covered their eyes.

  “Who are you?” Vitor found his footing, brushed himself off, and as not to appear as if he’d been bested, shooed away the other males who had gathered.

  “Who I am is not important.” Talbot returned the dagger to its sheath. With a bit of ownership, he put his arm around Kenna, bent down and kissed her.

  Kenna gasped and stared up at him.

  Lucas straightened up. How dare the man touch his female? Before he had a chance to act, Talbot grabbed his arm, pulled him closer, leaned down, rubbed his cheek against his and let out a small growl.

  In the middle of this mayhem, with the world staring at him and Kenna, Lucas couldn’t stop his damn body from reacting to the first crumb of male attention he had received in what seemed like eons. It rendered him speechless.

  Talbot pulled back, stared at him for an extended moment before facing the male. “What is important is that you stay away from what’s mine.”

  Still keeping hold of them, Talbot reached for one of the vegetables on his plate and popped it in his mouth. “You’re right, the root vegetables suit me to a tee. Let’s bring them up to our room, I think we’re all exhausted.” He lifted his chin at one of the anthromachines. The mechanical help gathered up their food, and the three of them walked out together.

  “We can’t share a room.” Somehow, Lucas found the strength to speak.

  “We have to.” The words came from Kenna, not Talbot.

  As they walked toward the lift, Talbot repositioned them and in keeping with Mersennean tradition, put Kenna in between them.

  Kenna took his arm, and Lucas was shocked as she naturally took Talbot’s. After his kiss, did she have the same sensations coursing through body as he? “I don’t think it’s legal.” Apparently, along the way he lost his good sense. While he might be asking the questions, they were still going up a lift and walking down a hall appearing like a triad.

  “There’s no law against having a friend from another planet. We have to keep our eye on him. Plus...” Kenna’s gaze turned down to the floor.

  He didn’t need her to finish her statement. Instead, he motioned for the anthromachine to let them in the room and they all entered together, again like a triad.

  Chapter Six

  When Talbot kissed Kenna and showed a little attention to Lucas, quite frankly he was expecting to end up with a good old-fashioned female slap across the face, punch from Lucas or having those damn robot things attack him.

  Instead, he was met with warm lips and a gasp from the gorgeous little female, and a low growl and growing erection from the male. Yes, he saw Lucas’ reaction. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hide it, and knowing what the male had to offer put Talbot in the same state.

  At hearing they must share a room, he didn’t argue, especially when Kenna added the word plus. What could the plus be? Were they ready for the plus? Was the plus even legal? Not that he cared.

  The anthromachine let them inside the room, and he couldn’t stop a smile. Spartan was the only word that came to mind for the décor. Everything was white and sleek, not unlike the anthromachines. Aside from a table with three chairs, there was only one huge bed smack dab in the middle of the room with tables and lamps on either side.

  They all stopped right inside the room.

  No one moved and Talbot took it upon himself to take the lead. Maybe this was a trend. Fine by him. “Well, I suppose when we decided to learn more about one another’s species, we weren’t fooling around.” He walked inside.

  Two anthromachines wheeled in behind him. One put their food and ale on the table, while the other delivered their bags. They glided out, and at last his two new roommates entered. The door slid closed leaving just the three of them staring at one another.

  “I must say that I am exhausted, think I will get ready for sleep.” Kenna went toward a cut-out in the wall. At her approach, a door opened, revealing a water chamber. Lucas dashed after her, swooping up one of her bags and handing it to her before she disappeared inside the personal space.

  With a sigh, Lucas walked around the small area, waving his hand in front another indent in the smooth walls. A panel with linens opened. He chose some extra blankets and went to the bed space.

  Not wanting to simply stand there, he joined Lucas and helped him add the blankets. Maybe some nonsensical conversation was in order. “You like a lot of bedding do you?”

  “Kenna gets cold.” He rearranged the bedding, pulled off his shirt and shoes then took one side of the bed.

  “Females are treated like royalty here.” Talbot purposely stood in Lucas’ eye line and mimicked the male’s actions by removing his shirt, kicking off his shoes and taking the opposite side of the bed space.

  “They are rare. Something to be cherished.” Lucas glanced over at him, ran his hand through his head and turned away.

  “Explain.” Always one for a challenge, he moved until Lucas couldn’t help but see him.

  The male grunted and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Males are always born as twins. Females singles. It’s a quirk of our genetics that happened eons ago.”

  “So, hence the triad.” Talbot nodded. “Then let me ask you this.”

  Lucas glanced up at him.

  “Why have me in your room, but not entertain the company of a Merssenean single?” He really wanted the male to say the words. For the first time in a long time, he could barely keep his arousal at bay.

  “What about you and the ambigender?” Lucas cut him off.

  “I enjoy the company of both sexes.” He leaned forward. “Now, answer my question.”

  Before Lucas had the opportunity to answer, the bathroom door opened and Kenna appeared. A vision in a long, fuchsia bed dress, she went to the edge of the bedding.

  “Where do you want to sleep, Kenna?” Lucas’ tone was almost a warning.

  Talbot glanced between the two Merssenean’s, they were staring at one another having a conversation he knew nothing about.

  She swallowed and licked her lips. “I am the female, so I believe I shall take the middle as that is my place.”

  Why her answer made a jolt of energy run through him, Talbot would never know. However, when Lucas stood, the bulge in the front of his pants told him his
reaction was absolutely spot on.

  She got in the bed, and her body grazed him, making his need worse. Unsure of what to do, he cleared his throat.

  “To answer your question, if we were faced with this situation with the Merssenean, I would have been in the middle.” .

  “What are you talking about?” Kenna pulled up the covers.

  “Merssenean traditions, and the fact the three of us are here together.” Lucas turned out the lights.

  Kenna let out a soft laugh. “Well, I am an expert,” Kenna let out a soft laugh. “I can answer any questions.”

  With his erection raging and her skin up against his, he snuck his hand over to her leg and groaned. Even through her thin bed dress he could feel her soft smooth skin.

  “Maybe we should start with the fact that in a Mersennean bed, the males are free to touch the female, but shouldn’t be trying to hide it from the other male.” She put her hand over his.

  Lucas turned to his side and slid his arm around her.

  “They are also free to touch the other male.” She moved his hand over to Lucas’. The male slid his palm over his forearm and then down to Kenna’s stomach.

  “So what does it mean to have you in the middle?” Talbot took his invitation and also turned to his side, with one hand he reached around Kenna and raked his hand through Lucas’ hair, with the other he cupped her breast.

  “That we are receptive.” She sucked in her breath when he ran his fingers over her hard, ready nipple.

  In the dim room, Talbot saw Lucas kiss her neck. “I’m receptive as well.” He claimed her mouth with a soft, sweet kiss, one to take in her delectable taste and show her how she would be treated. A small coo escaped her throat.

  Unsure of how to proceed, but knowing what he wanted, he broke the kiss leaving her panting, and leaned over her, took Lucas’s chin in his hand, then guided their mouths together.

  Male kisses were different than female ones. With Kenna, he made sure to remain gentle and tend to her needs. However, when kissing a male he could let his more animalistic side loose, and Lucas didn’t disappoint. Rather than a soft kiss, they both devoured the other, opened their mouths and tangled their tongues. Arousal shouted through him when Lucas took a nip of his lower lip.

  “Yes.” Lucas hissed and squeezed his upper arm, pulling him closer.

  Kenna leaned up and joined them, kissing both him and Lucas, and then somehow they managed to configure themselves so the three of them were sharing a kiss, tongues intertwined. Hands traveled, and they all explored one another.

  Never in his life had he been more aroused, his erection strained against his pants and he pressed his body to Kenna’s, trying to both give her the idea he needed something more and to provide himself a little relief.

  He had heard about Mersennean females, knew they were the only species known made to accommodate two males, and the thought of both he and Lucas inside this incredible being nearly made him lose it right there. Right before he slipped his hands between her thighs and prepared her further for mating, Kenna caught his wrist.

  “Lucas, Talbot.” She leaned back among the pillows.

  “We need to slow down.” Lucas grabbed his hand and translated for Kenna’s actions.

  The fire running through his body was overpowering, and Talbot squeezed his eyes shut. How did he deal with his arousal if she stopped them? “Is torture part of your tradition?” Need he remind them he only had a limited time here?

  Kenna pushed him back and curled up with her head on his chest. Lucas spooned her and grabbed his hand. “What’s your tradition?”

  “Not going to sleep when I’m full of desire.” He squeezed Lucas’ hand. Females were more sensitive and sensible, but perhaps he and Lucas could go in the water chamber and finish each other off.

  She lifted her face to his and gave him a light kiss.

  Damn it all, he needed to truly answer her. “We don’t have any traditions, we just have rules, there is a difference. Traditions are something that give you a balance, a reference point. Rules suppress.”

  Kenna removed one of the blankets, then gave him another kiss and Lucas intertwined their fingers. “It’s so nice and warm in here.” She cuddled back down on him. “I usually go to bed shivering.”

  “That’s because we’re meant for three in a bed.” Lucas’ deep voice seemed to vibrate through him.

  In silence, they laid together. Even as their breathing evened out and the other two fell into a restful slumber, they never let go of him. He never felt more a part of anything. Maybe that was how traditions started.

  Chapter Seven

  “Come on.” Kenna hooked one arm in Lucas’ and one in Talbot’s and practically dragged the males over to the bazaar. While Mersenne hosted a wide variety of bazaars, this was the largest with the widest variety of wares. Caught up in her work and every day life, it had been years since she had gone and her heart sped as they neared the entrance. “What do you want to see first?”

  “Do all females enjoy shopping?” As they went inside, Talbot hit Lucas on the shoulder.

  “It does feel like it is a universal truth.” Lucas chuckled. “The Mersennean Bazaar has been going on for eons. It’s part of our traditions. Many pieces of our fiction have been written about this exact shopping space and females tend to love them.”

  Bobbing and weaving through all the different stands with the huge selection of merchandise, Kenna couldn’t stop a smile at her males’ banter. If there was ever a universal truth, it was that the males would tease her, something she missed hearing from Lucas.

  She stopped at one of the stands with all different scarves woven with the latest textiles, and while she pretended to look, out of the corner of her eye she watched them.

  They fell right into the male pattern of staying by each other’s sides, a few steps behind her while she picked over the goods. Together they chatted about the vehicle and inn they were staying in tonight, and her heart warmed when Lucas took his arm and Talbot ran his hand down Lucas’ back.

  Oh, she forgot about having the third. Made herself forget the feeling of completeness and safety and warmth. For the first time, she watched Lucas and didn’t envision a shadow next to him, the one that was missing. Instead, they had a living, breathing magnificent being with them. Though she felt a connection to Talbot from the second he landed, last night when he came and claimed them, got rid of that pesky Mersennean, and kissed them both like he owned them, she knew they found their missing piece.

  Talbot went to one of the scarves, a navy blue with flecks of silver and elbowed Lucas. “Interesting.” He turned it over to find the contrasting pattern on the opposite side, silver with metallic navy blue flecks

  As if assessing the other, the males looked between them and down to the fabric.

  Kenna held her breath, did they see the same thing as she? The scarf was a combination of the two of them, and her stomach fluttered. It wasn’t unusual for a female to wear the colors of her males.

  Lucas shrugged. Talbot nodded, then Lucas nodded and neither of them spoke as they walked to the checkout together.

  Then Lucas held out his tablet while Talbot reached in his pocket and pulled out some coins.

  Kenna bit her lip. In a Mersennean triad, when all together, one of the males would normally take over all the payments. That role would go to what they would call the meridian, and it would be filled by Lucas. Talbot would definitely fit the bill for their vertex or leader, while she would be the centresse, the middle, the female.

  She watched as Lucas schooled Talbot in their ways. Though she couldn’t hear the exchange, from the way Talbot shook his head and crossed his arms, she could tell he was arguing about the payment. At last, Lucas held his hand out. Talbot dropped the coins in his palm and Lucas paid for the scarf with his tablet.

  The shopkeeper behind the counter smiled, and both males returned to her each holding an end of the scarf.

  “We thought this would look quite nice on you.”
Talbot held out his end.

  With years of gift giving behind him, Lucas simply smiled.

  “It’s beautiful, I shall always treasure it.” She took the gorgeous gift, wrapped it around her waist, leaned in and kissed Lucas then Talbot.

  “Is this enough shopping?” Talbot wrapped his arm around her waist. “Maybe we should go to the inn and personally inspect the amenities.”

  She knew his suggestion was a code word for wanting to mate, and her core heated. Lucas looked away, but from his actions, he wanted the same thing. Dare she say she wanted it as well. The fact she wanted it so bad, so fast, it either made her want to tackle them or run away. She never truly had two males before. Being with Talbot and Lucas would be a first and excitement coursed through her. “Before we do anything, I need to make sure you are both properly clothed.”

  They both groaned as she laced her arms in her males’ and led them away.

  The three of them strolled along the courtyard until she spotted the men’s clothing.

  Again, she watched her males bond. This time they sat side by side with matching frowns while she flitted around the store choosing Talbot a loose fitting tunic and pants and other accessories in the modern textile he seemed fascinated by and picking a new outfit for Lucas. With her selections in hand, she took them into the dressing room and closed the door.

  When Talbot went to grab his items, Lucas stopped him. “Here’s one tradition you will like.”

  She went to Lucas first, took care removing his current shirt and pants and then redressed in him what she chose, walking around him and checking the fit, while running her hands over him.

  He let out a moan, and the bulge at the front of his pants grew.

  “You best think of something else or the pants won’t fit.” She made sure her voice came out laced with innocence.

  “Perhaps we need to do something that doesn’t require the use of pants.” He pulled her in and kissed her.