Mosaic Moon

by Jamie Craig

  A snarl of frustration tore from his throat. Without thinking, Gideon grabbed a chair from the altar and threw it at one of the stained glass windows along the side wall, only to watch it bounce off before ever making contact. This was not happening. They were this close. But it was, and close obviously wasn't going to be good enough. Not this time.

  Jesse was standing exactly where Gideon left him, looking out the open door to the cemetery. Whatever magic Jesse had used previously to keep the candles from being lit was gone now, and the mage was hunched over the grave, the flame throwing orange light at the marble marker. A low, monotonous chant rolled through the graveyard.

  "I don't suppose you've got some secret whammy you didn't bother telling me about," Gideon said. "Something that'll make him explode, maybe?"

  "If I tried anything now, it'd bounce off the shields he put up and probably incinerate us."

  "I almost think that'd be an improvement on how well this has gone."

  "I'll save it for plan B, in case we're still trapped here when he's gone."

  They stood in silence as the ground began to glow. Without stopping his chant, the man sank his hands into the earth, and the glow seeped into his skin, only blocked out by the loose dirt that fell over the back of his fingers. It ended with a sudden flash that made Gideon blink.

  By the time his vision cleared, the cemetery was empty.

  Chapter 18

  * * *

  She knew it was silly, but Emma was nervous. Like first date nervous. It was almost as bad as when she'd come back with Gideon to tell Jess how she felt. Gideon had been adamant about how Jesse was going to respond, but until she stepped into the room and dropped her walls to feel it for herself, there had been those threads of fear winding through her gut, convincing her Jesse was going to reject her.

  This time wasn't nerves about being rejected. This time was nerves about how she was going to be received. Gideon didn't like surprises. She knew that for fact. He might end up turning all this around on its head, just to gain back control of the situation. On the one hand, that was utterly exciting, facing the unknown instead of the possibilities she and Jesse had described. On the other...well, it was still exciting.

  She needed to stop pacing.

  To distract herself, Emma did a mental checklist of everything she'd prepared.

  Candles strategically placed around the apartment to help set the mood? Check.

  Hot red dress guaranteed to turn both Jesse's and Gideon's heads? Check.

  Chocolate frosting sitting on the nightstand, complete with spoons and a knife for spreading over waiting body parts? Check and check.

  All she was missing were two hot guys, ready to celebrate for a job well done.

  She had just started a pot of coffee when she heard a door slam. With her stomach doing somersaults, Emma turned off the burner and rushed to the kitchen door, just in time to see Gideon march across the living room for the bathroom, slamming that door even more loudly. Jesse came in more slowly behind him, and she looked at him in confusion.

  "What happened?"

  Jesse sank into the sofa with a sigh. "Nothing good. We got there in time, but he was just too strong. He locked us in the church while he performed the ritual."

  With one last furtive glance at the bathroom, Emma went over to the couch and curled up on the cushion next to Jess. "But Gideon's stronger than a lock, isn't he?"

  Jesse dropped his head back. "Not when the lock is a force-field of magic that surrounds the entire building."

  Her eyes widened. No wonder Gideon was so upset. "So how'd you get out?"

  Jesse took her hand, his thumb caressing her wrist in a slow circle. "He was keeping the barrier up. Once he left, it wore away. But by then, he was gone and Gideon couldn't track him. Apparently, our grave robber can teleport."

  "I'm sorry," she murmured. Using his hold, she eased onto his lap, leaning against his chest as his arms automatically came up around her. "Do you want me to go then? If Gideon's in a bad mood, he's not going to want company."

  "No. I've missed you too much," he said, his arms tightening around her.

  Emma tilted her head in order to skim her mouth along his jaw. "I've missed you, too. I just wish you'd been able to stop this guy tonight." She sighed. "Poor John."

  "I know. I need to go speak to him tomorrow, and I don't even want to think about how he must be feeling--or how he must look. But we know more tonight than we knew last time. And I did injure him, so he's not impervious."

  "Maybe I should come with you."

  "You can if you like, but you don't have to. I'm going to make him sit down with me, and we're going to discuss every detail, and read every single book he possesses, if that's what it takes, to figure out what the hell we can do to stop that guy. If he's allowed to take all of John's power, he will be unstoppable."

  The finality of Jesse's tone sent a shiver down her spine. "I just thought he might want a friend," she said. "But he's got you, so maybe he doesn't need me, too."

  "I'll probably be there all day. Why don't you come by after work?" Jesse suggested. "I know he'll be happy to see you, and we'll need a break."

  Emma sat back in order to meet his eyes, a soft smile curving her mouth. "I'll bring dinner. Something really decadent that'll make him feel better." A crash from the bathroom made both of them jump, and her smile vanished as her guilty gaze slid to the doorway. "Too bad a good meal won't help Gideon," she said. "He's going to be kicking himself all night about missing that guy."

  Jesse grimaced. "It's going to be a long night. He just needs to blow off a little steam." He tilted his head, looking at the bathroom door thoughtfully. Without looking way from the door, he asked, "You trust me?"

  "Always. Why?"

  "There's something we can do that's pretty much guaranteed to improve Gideon's mood. But you're going to have to just follow my lead."

  Emma murmured her assent without hesitation, but not even a delicate probe into Jesse's emotions was enough to satisfy her curiosity about what he had in mind. The only thing that gave her any clue at all was the growing swell of his erection beneath her bottom. It was sexual, then. Her heart beat a little bit faster at the prospect.

  "The first bit is easy enough," Jesse murmured, flipping her to the couch. She naturally hooked one leg over his hip, and he ran his hand beneath her skirt.

  She caught the hungry gleam in his eye the second before his lips crashed to hers. Emma wrapped her arms around his shoulders, devouring his mouth as hungrily as he was hers, and whimpered in the back of her throat when his deft fingers traced along the edge of her bikini briefs. She widened her legs to give him better access, and her skirt pooled up around her waist, making it easier to grind against his hard cock.

  "I think I like this first bit," she panted in between kisses. "I think I like it a lot."

  Jesse pulled his hand away from her long enough to unzip his pants and free his cock. He rocked his hips, his head pushing against her covered pussy, tormenting her. She lifted off the couch, trying to get more from him, but he didn't seem to have any desire beyond grinding against her and plunging his tongue into her mouth again and again.

  The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Emma jerked away from Jesse's kisses to see Gideon standing just inside the living room, his arms folded across his broad chest. His eyes seemed even blacker than usual, and the hard set of his jaw made her pulse race, though this time, in apprehension.

  "No, really, don't stop on my account," he growled. "It's good to see you've got your priorities straight."

  Jesse jumped away from her like he had been burned, but his emotions didn't match his reactions at all. He was still aroused, but despite the threat in Gideon's voice, he wasn't anxious. But he looked surprised and scared.

  "I'm sorry, Mr. Keel. I'll never touch your wife again, just don't...don't fire me."

  Emma's frown was matched by the narrowing of Gideon's eyes. Wife? Firing? And she'd never heard Jesse call Gideon by his last name befo
re. Gideon, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all by it. If anything, his clouded mood was now shaded in something a little more...thoughtful?

  Jesse's words came back to her. Follow my lead.

  It was a game. A roleplaying game. And Jesse had just cast them as having an affair, caught by Emma's husband and Jesse's boss. She had no idea why, but he'd said this would help Gideon in some way, and she trusted both of them.

  Follow my lead.

  Gideon still hadn't moved from where he'd rooted himself at the doorway, so Emma nervously rose to her feet, smoothing down her skirt before standing next to Jesse.

  "Don't be mad." The tremor in her voice was real. "It wasn't what it looked like." Emma took a deep breath and added, "Darling."

  Gideon's nostrils flared, and the sudden jolt of desire from Jesse nearly made Emma gasp. She'd guessed right then. Somehow, that made it easier.

  Though he didn't shift, something in Gideon's stance loosened. "Really?" The single word held enough contempt to draw another shiver from Emma. "So you weren't just about to fuck this boy right here on my couch?"

  "No," Jesse said quickly, moving to tuck his cock back into his pants. "No, no, of course not. I would never...not in your own house."

  Emma glanced between the two men. The roles made sense. Jesse as the guilty boyfriend, Gideon as the domineering boss. But having her in the equation unbalanced things. That made it two against one. Why did Jesse want her to stick around for this?

  Unless she didn't pick a side. Jesse wanted her there to be in the middle.

  Gathering all her courage and praying she was right, Emma mirrored Gideon's pose, folding her arms over her breasts and sticking out her chin in defiance. "You might be his boss, but you're not mine," she said. "If I want to fuck my boyfriend, I will, and you can't stop me."

  She wasn't sure if his growl meant she'd done the right thing or not.

  Gideon stalked into the room, immediately invading Jesse's space. Even though the two men were about the same height, Gideon seemed much taller as Jesse shrank beneath his stony gaze.

  "What do you think?" Gideon asked, forcing Jesse backward to the couch without touching him. Until he reached into Jesse's unzipped pants and gripped his cock. Jesse gasped with genuine surprise. "Do you think I can stop you two from fucking?"

  "Yes...yes, sir."

  Emma didn't need to see Gideon's erection to know he was aroused. But she hadn't quite expected the torrent of lust from both men to be quite so potent.

  "But you were going to do it anyway." Gideon squeezed, and Jesse's lashes fluttered shut for a moment. A drop of pre-come was already collecting at the tip of his cock. "You must really think I'm a fool if you thought you could get away with that."

  Jesse licked his lips. "I'm...sorry. Just please, I can't lose this job."

  "You'll have to give me a damned good reason not to fire your ass right now," Gideon said, giving Jesse another good squeeze before releasing him. His hand went to Jesse's shoulder, and he pushed. Emma could tell he was using real force, and Jesse didn't have any choice but to sink to his knees.

  "What...what're you going to do?" It was a genuine query. Her skin was alternating hot and cold, and her thighs were starting to quiver, but a good part of it was due to having no clue where any of this was going.

  "The boy needs to learn some respect." Gideon slid his hand from Jesse's shoulder to the back of his neck, fisting the hair to yank his head back. "You wanted to get off with my wife? Well, you're going to have to get me off first. Take out my cock, boy."

  Jesse worked Gideon's belt free and pulled the zipper down slowly, his gaze fixed on Gideon's face. Gideon's cock was hard and heavy against Jesse's palm when he pulled him free of his pants, and there was an unmistakable spark of hunger in Jesse's eyes.

  "Suck it," Gideon ordered.

  Jesse's gaze slid sideways, his hooded eyes meeting hers. Without looking away, he obediently opened his mouth and swallowed the length of Gideon's shaft.

  For the effect it had on her, it might as well have been her throat being filled by Gideon's thick cock. Her breath caught, and her mouth watered, and her thighs squeezed together, putting enough pressure on her clit to make her tremble. Gideon kept his hand on the back of Jesse's head, pulling him off his length only to shove him back down in a brutal stroke. But when Emma took a half-step back, her fingertips already grazing over her thigh as they itched to get to her pussy, Gideon's attention snapped to her, his fierce eyes pinning her to the spot.

  "Did I say you could go somewhere?" he demanded, not letting up on Jesse.

  "No, no, sir."

  His mouth curved into a leer as it swept over her curves. "You little slut," he murmured. "You like watching me fuck your boyfriend's face, don't you?"

  Emma shook her head, unable to find her voice.

  "Or maybe you're just wishing it was you on your knees instead of him. Is that it? Does my slut wife want a taste of my cock?"

  She had no idea what answer was going to get the response she wanted. So she opted for the only one she could manage.

  "Yes, sir."

  Gideon smirked. "I knew it. But I don't think he's learned his lesson yet." He jerked Jesse's head back, pulling him off his cock. "Have you?" Before Jesse could answer, he slammed forward again, until Jesse swallowed him to the root. "That dress makes you look like a whore. Take it off."

  Her hands were shaking as she reached behind to undo the zipper. Two sets of eyes fixed on the jut of her breasts, and she felt every inch of the silky fabric as it slid away from her heated flesh. When she stood there in only her tiny lace bra and bikini briefs, her heart was pounding so hard, she wondered if they could see the vibrations in her skin.

  "I'll bet you're wet," Gideon said. "Did this cocksucker make you cream? Or did you soak your panties through when I caught him between your legs?"

  "I'm not--"

  "Don't lie to me." A calculating gleam sparked in his eye. "I'll try this one more time, but I don't want to hear your lying mouth again. I want to see the proof. You're not wet? Stick your fingers in your cunt and show me."

  Emma swallowed down the lump in her throat as she slid her trembling fingers inside the waistband of her panties. Her breath caught when her nail scratched across her clit, and it was impossible to exhale even as she pulled her hand back out, shiny from her juices.

  "That's what I thought," Gideon murmured approvingly. He twisted his fingers in Jesse's hair and slowly slid his cock from his mouth. "He's got a nice mouth, but it's not as good as yours. Get over here and show him how to suck my cock."

  With her eyes locked on Jesse's, Emma stepped forward. Every step had her shaking a little more. When she reached their sides, she was grateful to be able to sink to her knees and ease the tension from her legs. Leaning forward, she lightly ran the edge of her teeth up the length of Gideon's cock as she reached into his pants and cupped his balls. Her tongue darted out across the slit. "Don't look so surprised, Jess. Where did you think I learned how to suck you off so good?"

  Jesse paused long enough to smile at her. His head was ducked, his face hidden from Gideon's view. It was a smile meant only for her, and it flashed quickly before the tip of his tongue slid across hers to sample Gideon as well.

  "He's an excellent teacher, then," Jesse murmured, yanking Gideon's pants to his ankles.

  "What was that?" Gideon demanded. "I didn't hear you."

  Jesse glanced up through his lashes. "Nothing. I didn't say anything."

  Emma fully expected Jesse to pay for his deliberate lie and bent her head to lick at Gideon's cock. She squeaked in surprise when Gideon knotted his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back, and the sudden widening of Jesse's eyes said he hadn't anticipated that, either.

  "You've been hanging around my slut of a wife too long," Gideon said. His strength forced her head back even further, the slim column of her throat bared to Jesse almost painfully. "Maybe I should punish her for being the corrupting influence here. Is that what yo
u want, boy?"

  Jesse sucked his breath in sharply, shifting toward her subtly. "No, no sir," he said with a slight tremor in his voice. "Please don't punish her."

  The hold on her hair loosened enough to take the strain off Emma's muscles, the slight edge of panic abating. "You don't think whoring around in my house deserves a little punishment?" He jerked his head toward her hips. "Go on, touch her. See how wet she is. And don't try and tell me the pair of you shouldn't be disciplined for fucking around."

  Jesse slid his hand down her underwear, his fingers seeking out her wet pussy. He brushed across her swollen lips, his fingernail grazing her clit. She thoughtlessly covered his hand with hers, pushing down to apply more pressure to her throbbing flesh. He slid his finger lower, seeking out her passage, but before he could thrust his finger into her, Gideon grabbed Jesse's hair and yanked hard enough to make him yelp in protest.

  "I said you could touch her. I didn't say you could finger-fuck her. Now, don't you think whoring around in my house deserves a little punishment?" he repeated.

  "Yes, sir."

  He let go of both of them so roughly that they fell to the side, Jesse's arm snaking around her waist to keep her from sliding further. Gideon stepped back and kicked off his shoes, stepping out of his pants at the same time. "Get undressed," he ordered. "Both of you. I'm not wasting my time if I can't feel your skin heat up when I bend you over my knee."

  Gideon was barely finished speaking before Jesse's excitement spiked again. He stood, helpfully pulling Emma to her feet, and immediately began to undress. Emma watched as he tugged his shirt over his head, and quickly kicked off his jeans, exposing himself to both hers and Gideon's hungry stares. A small grunt from Gideon prompted Emma to unsnap her bra with unsteady fingers. She slipped her fingertips beneath the band of her briefs, but Jesse caught her hand. He hooked his fingers in the material and deliberately pulled it down her legs, his knuckles dragging against her taut thighs.