Claiming What's Theirs

by Jenika Snow

  “That’s good, Jessa, sooo good, because I need to be inside of you.” His mouth claimed hers, and she heard the sound of a wrapper being opened. Of course Thayer always thought ahead. Spreading her thighs wide to accommodate his hips and thighs, she felt the hot, hard length of him slide against her slit. She was wet, so incredibly wet that the tip of him slid right into her channel. He groaned, and she gasped. He sank all the way in until she felt the brush of his balls hit her flesh.

  He moved out and then pushed back in. It was agonizingly slow. What she wanted was for him to move inside of her harder, faster. The tentative touch of his forehead in the middle of her back had her arching up. Her ass lifted, and he sank an inch deeper.

  “Sweetheart, I want to be gentle with you. You deserve gentle.”

  He stopped sliding into her, and she gritted her teeth. She loved that he felt that way, that he saw her as something precious, but she was over the edge already and needed him to scratch the itch he had been causing inside of her for days now. “Thayer, I love that you think that, but what I need from you is to move inside of me now.”

  He chuckled, and the sound had her inner muscles clenching around him. Something snapped inside of him, like a wild animal now took the place of the sweet and soft-spoken Thayer. He held onto her waist tight and started pounding into her. The sounds he made were untamed and uninhibited. It was a rugged sound that matched their surroundings. He worked his hips against her. She swore she could feel every inch of his thickness pulse inside of her.

  His hands moved down to cup her ass. He kneaded the cheeks, spreading them slightly as he continued to drag his cock in and out of her. Another orgasm coursed through f her and she cried out. Hot tears slipped out the corners of her eyes as sparks of light burst behind her eyelids. Thayer tensed behind her, his words and praises filling the air and causing aftershocks to spear her clit. He slammed into her once more and stilled, his groan of completion muted against her back. Hot, humid breath slipped along her spine, and she welcomed the feeling of being this close to someone. The intimacy stole her breath and had her dizzy with emotions. It was the same feeling she had after her encounter with Deacon.

  The heavy weight of his body on hers had the air rushing out of her, and the sensation comforted her. He rolled off of her, but immediately pulled her against his body. With her back to his chest and his thick, heavy arm draped across her middle, Jessa found the veil of sleep slowly taking over.

  “Jessa?” His fingers ran circles around her belly button.

  “Hmm?” She couldn’t manage more with the pleasurable exhaustion that started to take control.

  “What will you do when your car is fixed?” His words were low, his voice deep and haggard.

  The thought had crossed her mind more than once, especially since her feelings for them were growing at an astronomical rate. There was no doubt that she needed to leave, to escape her past and create a new future, but a voice inside of her that whispered she should stay with them. What would her life be if she revealed this to the Uncia brothers? Would they welcome it? Maybe this was all they wanted, a piece of ass to pass the time, and when they fixed her car would she be on her way? The thought had her chest hurting, but she refused to let it consume her. She couldn’t let her emotions cloud her judgment, or voice how she felt and make an ass out of herself. How could she expect them to want a woman they didn’t know? Sure they were helping her out, but the end result was for her to be on her way.

  “Keep moving. I need to put my past behind me.” He tensed behind her, but he didn’t say anything in return. She didn’t know how long she lay there, staying out the window at the trees that were caressed by the moonlight. Sleep eventually took her into the dark, and when she woke the next morning she was alone.

  Chapter Nine

  Deacon leaned back on the recliner as he drank his cup of coffee. He had been up most of the night, not because he knew Thayer had slipped into Jessa’s room, but because the energy coursing through him made him twitchy. Ever since he had felt the sweet surrender of Jessa’s body that was all he could think about. He imagined taking her a thousand different ways, but the end of his fantasies were always the same: her between him and Thayer as they watched over her. He watched Thayer leaving her room before the sun had even risen. There had been the satisfied glow coming from his body, the same one Deacon had experienced himself. He couldn’t even describe the feelings of claiming his mate. It surrounded him, consumed him, and made everything right in the world. For the first time in his life he didn’t feel the craziness that swirled within him take hold. She calmed him like no other could, not even Thayer.

  His brother stepped into the living room and sat on the couch. Although he could smell the sweet scent of Jessa all over him, a troubled look masked what should have been an expression of bliss.

  “She still plans on leaving, Deacon.”

  This was no surprise to him, not after she had told them about the abuse she suffered at the hands of the man she was supposed to be able to trust. Deacon had hoped they could have convinced her otherwise, but their little mate had a strong head on her shoulders and had determination in her blood.

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to make her want to stay more then she wants to leave.”

  Thayer chuckled humorlessly. He watched as his little brother rubbed his eyes right before he let out a long sigh. “I can’t let her go, Deacon, not when I’ve finally had her.”

  He could sympathize with his brother completely. Even before he had tasted the sweetness that came from her, Deacon knew he couldn’t let her go.

  “It shouldn’t be this hard.” Thayer relaxed his body against the cushions and stared at the vaulted ceiling.

  “Everything worth anything makes you work for it.”

  Thayer dropped his eyes to his and smirked. “Since when did you become so theological?”

  Deacon smirked in returned and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess living with you has rubbed off on me.” He finished his coffee and stood. He stopped in front of the window above the sink and stared out at the wilderness. “I’m going to tell her about growing up, Thayer.” He spoke low but knew his brother heard him nonetheless.

  “Do you think that’s such a good idea? I mean, I agree she has to know the truth, but don’t you think it’s too early?”

  Deacon curled his fingers around the lip of the sink. “If we want her here with us, she needs to know why I’m like the way I am.” He turned and looked at Thayer, who leaned against the island. “Her not being in this house, in my life, is not an option.”

  Thayer exhaled and cast his glance in the direction of Jessa’s door. “I know. I just want to be careful with her. I don’t want her running, Deacon.”

  He agreed with his brother, but he wouldn’t let her run. “I’m going to take her into town, show her around. I want her to be comfortable here, to see the kind of life we live. I don’t want to be isolated anymore, Thayer. I want to have a life, with her.” It wasn’t just about sharing his mate with his brother, but about the three of them becoming one unit. It was about their triad forming a new family, a family that wasn’t filled with pain and sadness. “All I want is to feel whole in my own skin, and she makes me feel that way, Thayer.”

  “I know, Deacon. She makes me feel the same way.”

  The sound of the floor creaking had both of them turning and seeing Jessa standing there staring at them with wide, surprised eyes. He had no doubt that she heard everything. The question was, what would she do with that information?

  ****

  The truck bounced around on the uneven, snow packed ground. The scent of green apples filled the cab of the truck, and for what seemed like hundredth time Deacon found himself looking over at her. When he asked her if she wanted to go into town he had seen the bright light enter her eyes. No doubt she had a bit of cabin fever. Although he wouldn’t mind having her in bed with him all day, she needed interaction with others. He knew all too well the effects of isolation.
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br />   “So, where are we going?” She looked over at him and smiled. Even with her knitted hat bunched low on her forehead and her jacket that was thicker than her, his cock still grew hard at the sight of her.

  “Thought I’d show you around town, maybe drive by the more popular attraction.” He kept his eyes on the road. “Steal South isn’t that big of a town, but we do have a major grocery store, so that has to account for something.” He turned and smiled at her. She turned and looked out the passenger side window. Silence descended over them, but it was comfortable.

  “I’d like to get a paper, please.” Her voice seemed distant, and he knew where her thoughts were. Deacon knew from experience that horrors like she had seen wouldn’t be erased. They might never go way, but with time they would fade, and with the love that he and Thayer could show her, she might be able to understand that there was more to life then what she had experienced.

  “Yeah, sure.” Tightening his hand on the steering wheel, he thought about the conversation he needed to have with her. “I’d like to talk with you, too.” When he looked at her he noticed she already had her gaze on him.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  Silence came over the cab again, and so he turned the radio on. An old country song played, and although he wasn’t a fan of that genre, the fact the song was about loving a woman that didn’t know who he really was seemed to fit the situation perfectly.

  The small town of Steal South came into view. He navigated his truck through the small streets, pointing out the main focal points of the town, the grocery store, hardware store, mechanic shop, and so forth. She seemed genuinely interested, but her voice grew excited when she saw one of those chain coffee stores.

  “I take it you like your coffee?” He pulled into a parking spot in front of the building and turned off the engine. Her grin widened as she turned and looked at him.

  “You have no idea. There isn’t anything wrong with the coffee you guys make at the house, but I like mine a little fancy.” She hopped out of the cab before he could even open the door for her. The coffee shop was packed when they walked in, and the little bell above the door jangled to notify every one of their arrival. A long line formed in front of the register, and he made his way toward it, Jessa’s hand in his.

  The smell of coffee beans, vanilla, and pastries filled the air. Deacon’s attention was on Jessa when the customers in front of them stepped away. When he lifted his gaze his eyes clashed with black ones. Rosie stared at him with a hint of surprise. Her lips, painted a bright shade of red, were slightly opened, as if she wanted to say something to him. The last time he had seen her was when he had found Jessa. He had forced himself to go into town and find a female to unleash all his energy. They had shared a few intimate encounters over the past few months, but this last time she had shown an interest in more than just sharing a couple of hours of pleasure. He had vowed to cut off his sexual relationship then. Even if Jessa hadn’t come into the picture, Deacon didn’t do long term. But now that he had Jessa, the very idea of having any kind of sexual relationship with another female felt abhorrent.

  Tightening his hand on Jessa’s, he took a step forward. He didn’t miss the way Rosie’s eyes dropped down. A frown marred her overly made-up face at the sight of their entwined hands.

  “Large coffee, black, and…” he turned toward Jessa and saw her watching Rosie. She looked at him and then back at Rosie again, and he swore he could see the wheels in her mind working.

  “Can I have a large cappuccino with nutmeg and cinnamon, please?” She smiled, and Deacon could tell it was genuine.

  “Give us two cinnamon rolls, too.” He handed Rosie the money. She watched him for far longer than what he thought was polite. They stepped to the side, and Deacon placed his body slightly in front of Jessa’s. It wasn’t that he saw Rosie as a threat to Jessa, but a spurned lover might not take kindly to the new girl in town. His intention had been to find a quiet spot in the coffee shop to talk to her, but with it being overly crowded and Rosie working there, Deacon didn’t want to stay. How bad was it that he hadn’t even known an ex-lover worked there?

  They climbed in the truck, and he threw the newspaper he had grabbed on the seat between them. He cranked the engine but didn’t pull out. The car was still relatively warm, but he idled there and drank his coffee.

  “I take it that’s an old flame?” She teased him, and he turned to look at her. He didn’t want to lie, but he really didn’t want to talk about Rosie. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business.” She turned away and brought the cup to her mouth. He watched her lips form around the lid, and his heart hammered hard. The sight was so innocent, but to him it felt like a hot poker in his groin.

  “That’s Rosie. She’s—” He hated this, hated confessing the things he did with other females even if nothing between him and Jessa had happened yet. It just felt wrong to him, to his animal. “Yeah, she’s an old flame.” Jessa didn’t say anything after that, but her expression didn’t show anything either.

  He went to shift his truck into gear when her hand landed on his arm. “Hey, I’m not sure why you feel so uncomfortable telling me about that. We have all done things in our past we might not be proud of.” She laughed lightly. “Hell, I should be the poster child for what your life can end up like if you make bad decisions.” She dropped her hand from him and started fidgeting with her jacket. “Listen, I’m not sure what’s happening between the three of us.” She looked at him through her lashes. “But what I do know is that I’ve never felt such a connection with any other person that I have with you and Thayer. It steals my breath.” The way she showed him her heart so openly stole his breath. “If my life has taught me anything, it’s that you have to trust your gut. I should have believed my instincts when they were shouting at me to leave Paul, but my fear of the unknown kept me with him.”

  “I believe in fate, and I know that it was no accident that you found me where you did. If I hadn’t left Paul, I wouldn’t have crashed into that tree. You wouldn’t have saved my life, and I wouldn’t have met two of the most caring, compassionate, and wonderful men in the world. It’s only been days and hours since meeting you two, but you’ve stolen my heart.” His words had him pulling her toward him and latching his mouth onto hers. She hadn’t said she would stay, but the way she bared herself to him had hope springing in his chest that maybe she would stay with them.

  Their mouths crushed together, their tongues dueling. Arousal spiked his blood, causing the feeling of intoxication to sweep through him. The fog of desire started to overtake him, and he found his hands sliding to her chest. Her bulky coat was in his way, but when he went to unzip it her hands landed on his, stopping him.

  “I really don’t want to give the coffee shop patrons a show.” She smiled against his mouth, and he chuckled. He had never laughed so much, had never felt so much happiness. And it was all because of this sweet, tiny female sitting beside him.

  He kissed her once more and put the truck in reverse. Even though he would love to sit here and continue to talk about how she felt, he needed to reveal some of his own dark secrets.

  Chapter Ten

  They sat in silence, their view that of the Steal South lake. Snow steadily fell around them as they sat in the warm confines of the truck. Their coffees had since been finished, and the radio was on low. The silence was comfortable, and Jessa enjoyed looking out the windshield and staring at the frozen lake. Large pine trees surrounded the lake in a crescent shape, their green braches dusted white from Mother Nature. She knew Deacon wanted to talk to her, but she wouldn’t push him.

  “We moved to Steal South about seven years ago.” Her heart hammered in her chest as he started talking. She didn’t know what he would say, but she knew it couldn’t be good. The seriousness in his voice when he said they needed to speak had her conjuring up all kinds of horrible scenarios. Maybe he was married, or had children? Maybe he ran from the law? If so they were more alike than she could have ever imagined.


  “We used to live in Alaska, in Anchorage. It was Thayer and I and our parents. Growing up was pretty hard. My father had been a military man, and so he brought his rigid rules home with him. Our father had a wicked anger problem. He always seemed to find the bad in everything and everyone. Being the oldest, I took the brunt of his wrath.” Silence filled the cab of the truck for several long minutes. Jessa didn’t want to say anything and risk Deacon closing up on her.

  “I’m glad he hit me and not Thayer.” Her breath hitched at his softly spoken words. “I asked him one time, when I was older, why he did what he did to me. His response was that a male of worth could take pain and turn it to strength.” He grimaced before continuing. “Thayer was always the smart one, the male that could solve any problem and fix the outcome. Maybe that was why our father went easy on him, because he didn’t see him as strong.”

  “I’m so sorry, Deacon.” She reached out and twined her fingers through his. “Wasn’t your mom there? Couldn’t she help you? Stand up to your father?” His hand tightened on hers before he spoke again. “My mother acted like a lot of females in our … group.” The way he spoke of women, calling them female seemed a bit strange, but she assumed it must be the way they spoke where he came from. “She was docile and submissive. My father kept her under his thumb, dictating her life the way he did ours.” He turned and looked at her, and it was the first time she saw the blistered look of defeat cross his face. “He would lock me in the closet to ‘toughen me up.’ He would beat me until my back bled to rid me of weakness. There were times he tried to go after Thayer, but I begged him to beat me instead. I would instigate problems so his focus wouldn’t go to Thayer. I wanted his wrath directed solely on me.”

  Tears swam in her eyes at what he said. How could any parent hurt their own child? And would a mother sit back and watch it happen? She wanted to pull him into her and wrap her arms around his big body. Jessa wanted to tell him everything would be okay, that he wasn’t weak or scarred. Although all of those things were on the tip of her tongue, nothing came out. Deacon was a strong man physically. Now that he explained what happened, about his traumatic childhood, she could slowly understand why he acted the way he did. The roughness during sex, the animalistic way he held himself. She had just met him. But those things had been clear as day. It made sense now, especially with his destroyed childhood. He had been forced to grow up in the most brutal and painful of ways.