by Jane Jamison
“Sorry about that.” He reached into his pocket to pull out his billfold then realized he probably didn’t have enough money. “I’ll send you a check to cover the next two nights.”
“Don’t worry about it. If I’d known what he was up to, I would’ve tossed him out on his ass.” She wrapped her arm around his shoulder.
Normally, he wouldn’t have liked a werecat touching him, but Shawna was different. One of the good ones.
“I’ll tell you what you should do. You let her calm down for today and pick her up tomorrow.”
“What if she still doesn’t want to go with me?”
“Don’t you worry about it. I’ll make sure she’s ready to go tomorrow afternoon. The girl deserves some time off to have a little fun. You just make sure you and your brothers are here.” She put a finger an inch from his nose. “And you’d better treat her right, dog, or I’ll get the entire pride after you. She’s a special one.”
He took the not-so-subtle hint and opened the front door. The Buick that had been parked outside—assumedly Holland’s car—was gone. “Yes, ma’am, she is.”
“It’s good you realize that. Now go on.” Shawna gave him a good-natured shove out the door.
“See you tomorrow.” He strode over to his pickup. By the time he turned back to thank Shawna for her help, she’d already closed the door.
* * * *
It hadn’t taken Shawna much to convince Stella to go with the men. Stella had protested a little, but it was obvious from the older woman’s smug smirk that she’d known Stella wanted to go.
Stella shifted back and forth, biting her lower lip. Nervous wasn’t the right word for what she was feeling. Or maybe it was because she felt more than simply nervous. She was excited and apprehensive, all rolled up with an overwhelming urge to be with the men again.
“Here they are, sweetie.”
If only Shawna wasn’t peeping out the front window, maybe Stella wouldn’t be so antsy. “Thanks. I see them.”
No doubt Shawna would’ve liked to greet them at the door, like a mom greeting her daughter’s three dates to the prom, but Stella wasn’t about to let her do it. Instead, she called out a quick good-bye and was down the steps before Shawna could protest. It wasn’t until she was halfway to their pickup that it occurred to her how it might look to the men.
As though she couldn’t wait to see them.
As though her heart was pounding in her chest, ready to burst free.
As though she hadn’t been wondering all night what it would be like to kiss them.
She stopped dead in her tracks and drew in a steadying breath.
“Hey, darlin’, you’re looking good.” Mike slid out of the passenger side of the truck and held out his hand. “You can take your pick. Sit in the rear with Alex or ride up here between Danny and me. Trust me, though, it’s a lot smoother ride up front.”
“But you’ll be squashed between those two lugs,” called Alex from the back.
Sitting between Danny and Mike sounded wonderful. Their broad shoulders would rub against her. She’d get a good whiff of them, too, and glance at them every so often. Yet she had to play it cool, especially after her romp out the door. “I’ll sit in the back with Alex.”
Mike’s grin fell then brightened. “Oh, sure. I get it. Toss the poor dog a bone.”
She took his hand and let him help her onto the seat. That simple touch was enough to remind her of how much she yearned for them. They’d dominated her dreams the night before. At one point, she’d awakened, covered in perspiration with her hand between her legs.
“Hey, honey.” Alex scooted closer to her. “Mike’s right for once. You look amazing.”
Danny twisted around. “Good enough to eat.”
Oh, if only they would.
She lowered her gaze, sure they could see her thoughts in her eyes. She wanted them, all right. More than any men she’d ever known. Even more than Bruce. Lifting her gaze to Alex’s, she knew the truth as sure as she knew her own name.
I want them.
But could she give in? It had been so long since she’d been interested in any man, much less three. Yet she could feel the difference. Wanting them sexually was one thing, but the need she felt for them was more than that. It was all encompassing. She didn’t know them well, but she could sense in some strange instinctual way that she belonged with them and that they were perfect for her. Her attention lowered to Alex’s crotch then shot back up.
Take it nice and easy.
Yet taking them was all that mattered. Screw the nice and easy part.
“Are you ready to do some dancing?” asked Danny, his gaze meeting hers through the rearview mirror.
“Dancing? At your ranch?” She hadn’t asked what they’d had planned. She had, in fact, assumed they’d show her around their ranch and maybe go riding.
“Nope. We’re taking you to a wedding,” answered Alex.
Her heart jumped to her throat. The last place she wanted to be was at a wedding. In the time since she’d dumped her fiancé on the day of her nuptials, she hadn’t gone to a single wedding, not even when a good friend of hers had asked her to be in the bridal party. She wasn’t sure she could face another wedding ever again. The pain was still too fresh, too strong.
“But—”
“Nah, honey, don’t say no.” Alex squeezed her hand. “We’ll have fun. I promise.”
His dark gaze met hers, taking away all her objections. How could she turn him down? Some way, somehow, she’d get through it.
“But I’m not dressed for a wedding.” Her new jeans were nice and the silk blouse matched her eyes, but it wasn’t the attire she’d ever wear to a wedding.
“Sure you are. Folks in Fate tend to keep everything casual.” Mike studied her. “You’re okay with this, aren’t you?”
There was her chance. Yet she didn’t take it. Maybe they were all she needed to get through a wedding now. “Yes. I’m okay.”
“Great.” Mike slapped Danny on the shoulder. “Let’s get moving, bro.”
Stella turned to stare out the window. I’ll get through this. I have to.
Chapter Five
So far, so good.
Stella watched the world as it spun around her. Being at their friend’s wedding had made her anxious at first, but once the men had started taking turns whirling her around the dance floor, things became easier. All she had to do was keep her attention on them. If she looked at the bride and groom or the wedding cake, then she might lose it.
I already made it through the wedding. I can make it through the reception, too.
The wedding had been a casual event in the backyard of the couple. After being pronounced man and wife, the couple had led their guests to a nearby barn that had been decorated with greenery and white roses.
White roses just like the ones I had at my wedding.
The church she would’ve been married in had been beautiful with white roses lining the aisle and scattered around the pretty chapel. The room had been filled with all her friends, her family, and even a good smattering of her coworkers. The day had been perfect from the moment she’d awakened right up until the moment her sister, Maddie, had dragged her out of the bridal room.
She’d barely gotten her wedding dress on and had yet to slip on her shoes. If she’d known what Maddie wanted to show her, she might’ve fled. As it was, by the time, Maddie opened the door to the church’s cloakroom, she was ready to kill her sister for bothering her on her big day.
But Maddie had insisted. Instead of explaining herself, her sister hadn’t uttered a word as she opened the cloakroom door and exposed the couple inside.
Stella closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of Danny’s hand at the small of her back. Her fiasco of a wedding and her shit of a fiancé were in her past. If she were smart, she wouldn’t let it ruin the present, much less her future.
But the image of Bruce and her friend Cally were embedded in her memory. She wanted to forget every part of that
day, including Maddie’s part in the reveal.
“Are you okay?” asked Danny.
She looked up into his dark eyes, eyes that didn’t remind her one bit of Bruce’s blue ones. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
But was she really fine? Would she ever get past the feeling of betrayal? Bruce and Cally’s betrayal was hard enough, but it was really her sister’s betrayal that ate at her. Why hadn’t Maddie told her? She’d admitted after Stella had run, crying, back to the bridal room that she’d known Bruce was having a secret affair, and yet, she’d said nothing. How could her own sister keep that secret from her? She’d hated her sister for her silence and hadn’t spoken to her since that day. Just thinking about what Maddie had hidden from her hurt too much.
“Hey, they’re about to cut the cake.”
She blinked, suddenly aware that she couldn’t stand by and watch the happy couple any longer. “Oh, I…”
“Are you all right, darlin’?” Mike took her arm and led her off the dance floor. “You look like you’re about to pass out. Get her some water, Alex.”
They took her to one of the many white chairs—chairs that were so like the ones she’d rented for her own reception—and helped her take a seat. She dragged in a breath as the crowd moved away from them, heading to the huge white cake on the other side of the barn.
Alex knelt in front of her and put the glass of water in her hand. “Here, honey. Take a sip.”
She did so, not really needing the water yet needing something to do. She could feel their concern wafting over her.
“What’s wrong, sugar?” asked Danny. “Did I spin you around too hard?”
“I’m okay.” Her gaze shifted to the crowd. She couldn’t see the cake or the bride and groom because of those surrounding them, but she could hear the laughter. Her imagination filled in the rest.
She was alone. She’d been alone for more than a year. All at once, she needed…more.
“Can we go somewhere else, please? Away from here?”
“Sure, sugar. No problem.” Danny took her right arm while Mike took the other. Alex waved at a friend, gesturing that they were leaving.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t haul you away from the fun. Maybe you could take me back to the pickup and I’ll wait for you there.” Yet the last thing she wanted was to be alone again.
“Not a chance. We’re not leaving you.”
Mike hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, like a promise of a future between them, yet that was how she took it. Besides, they’d said they wanted her as their woman. Wasn’t that a promise?
“How about we head out to the pasture? Maybe you’ll feel better once you get some fresh air.”
She didn’t argue. As long as they got away from the event, she didn’t care where they ended up. They could take her to a pigpen for all she cared. All that mattered to her was having them close by.
Danny led her out of the barn and around the corner of it. A green pasture spread out before them. Red and yellow flowers dotted the green while bees played around the blossoms. Mike opened the gate, followed the rest of them through, and then closed it.
As soon as she was in the middle of the pasture with the green surrounding her and the fragrance of the flowers soothing her, she found she could breathe easier.
“Feeling better, darlin’?”
She took in another deep breath. “Yes.”
“What went wrong?” Danny, his expression somber for one of the first times she’d ever seen it, searched her gaze. “Something’s been bugging you from the moment we got here. Is it something Alex did?”
Alex shot him a glare. “Fuck off, man.” But then he checked with her. “It isn’t, is it? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”
“No. You didn’t. None of you did. I just…” How could she explain it? Could she tell them about Bruce, about his betrayal? She could. But if she did, she’d have to talk about Maddie, and she wasn’t ready to do that.
The longer she was around them, the more she liked them. More than liked them. Being with them felt right. As though she’d known them in a past life and had finally found them again.
She wasn’t the type to jump into anything, to listen to her heart before her head, but at that moment, looking at the concerned faces of the three men who wanted her, she took a leap of faith. She needed to touch them, to feel their warm skin against hers.
Unable to find the right words, she tugged Danny to her. Her mouth met his, soft against hard. At first, she feared he would pull away, but she needn’t have worried.
His arms wrapped around her as he kissed her harder. His tongue invaded her mouth, sweeping around inside. His groan rumbled into her.
She moaned in return, encouraging him to do more, hopeful that he would. Again, she needn’t have worried.
Hands swept over her—along her hips, over the swell of her butt—and then tugged her shirt out of her jeans. One of the men knelt in front of her and tugged off her shoes. Danny’s fingers found the front of her jeans and started working to rid her of them. She reached behind her and tunneled her fingers through Mike’s hair.
The sun warmed her skin as they removed her clothes. They did so without saying a word, but their thoughts shone in their eyes. When they had her bra and panties removed, they stood back and stared.
Please let them like what they see.
“Darlin’, you’re the single most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”
“Yeah. I can’t say it better than Mike.” Danny nodded, his gaze sliding down then back up her body.
“You’re exactly what I, we, wanted,” added Alex in a voice filled with awe.
Then, as though in silent agreement, they began disrobing. Hurriedly, they unbuttoned their shirts and tossed them aside. Sunlight danced along their tanned skin. Muscles flexed as they tugged off their boots then socks. When they straightened up, she scanned her gaze from one man to the next and savored how their jeans dipped in the front. Just a little lower dip and she could’ve seen what her mouth hungered for.
The day hadn’t seemed as hot as it now did. With her back to the sun, she felt its rays on her naked shoulders, but it was nothing compared to the heat moistening her pussy. Although she hungered for them, her mouth suddenly went dry as they started unbuckling their silver buckles and worked on their buttons. A wolf head adorned each of their buckles with each man’s initial beneath the animal’s head.
“Stella, tell us. Are you agreeing to be our mate?” asked Alex.
She couldn’t promise. Not yet. The only promise she could give them was one for right then, right there. “I can’t. Not yet. Please, don’t stop.” She couldn’t keep the plea from her tone.
“It’s okay, Alex. This is all a part of it. Give her time.”
She’d expected Mike to say as much, but it was Danny who’d spoken.
They might have said something more, but she wouldn’t have heard it. Not when they finally shoved their jeans to the ground.
Oh my.
They surrounded her, three incredible men, testosterone filling the air. Moving around her, they didn’t touch her, heightening her need for them. She clenched her hands, forcing herself not to reach out to them.
When at last they did touch her, a storm of emotions swamped her. Hunger for them, raw and primal, wracked at her abdomen, tightening it. Her nerves were bare, exposed for them to either calm or excite. Maybe both. Worry flashed through her mind but was soon forced aside by her craving. She moaned, melting beneath their hands, as she slipped to the ground.
They spread her wide with Danny going to his knees between her legs. He lay down and put his mouth to her pussy, kissing her there as forcefully as he’d kissed her mouth. The sounds of his pleasure sounded animalistic, increasing her instinctual need to give in to his demands.
Alex fondled her breasts, pushing them together so he could capture both nipples in his mouth. What he said was muff
led against her skin, but she didn’t care. It was the sound of his voice, not the words, that mattered. She gasped as he put his head between her breasts and licked her skin not once, but twice.
“Ride me, Alex.”
His answer sounded more like a growl. Amber blazed in his eyes as he straddled her. His cock, so huge, so perfect pointed at her face. Pushing her breasts together, he captured his hard rod between them and started rocking back and forth.
Mike worked his way to her side and cupped the back of her head to help her. “I’m going to wait my turn, darlin’. You’ve got enough going on right now. Besides, watching is almost as good as doing.”
Alex worked his cock back and forth, a skin-enclosed saw against her chest. He was so hard, his pre-cum dripping off the end as she swiped her tongue along the tip. The taste of him was musky, yet different with more of an edge to it. He teased her, letting her catch just the end of him then pulling his cock back out before she could suck it farther into her mouth.
She mimicked the sound they’d made and growled. “Give it to me.”
Alex made a funny face. “You won’t bite it off, will you? I’m kind of fond of it.”
“Just give it to me.”
He did, leaning forward and holding himself up with one hand to the ground. She pulled him inside, loving getting more of his delicious flavor. Around and around she went with her tongue, over the tip then hollowing her cheeks to suck more of the taste in. Alex’s eyes closed as he moaned with an incredible look of satisfaction.
Danny’s tongue was more talented than hers. His plunged into her then circled her aching clit before brushing over it. Her body tensed as her climax grew toward the first orgasm. She spread her legs wider and soon found them wrapped over his shoulders.
Mike, still holding her head as she kept Alex’s cock in her mouth, played with her tits. He twisted her nipples, adding a little pain to the pleasure.
She erupted with the orgasm before she could fight to hold it back. Her cry flowed over Alex’s cock. Whether it was her cry or the last suck she’d done, he opened his eyes, surprise in them and then fell away, groaning his release.
