“What are you talking about, tiny?” Anna asked through Zep’s frantic tongue bath. “He’s huge! I swear he’s gained at least two pounds since I last saw him.”
Elin laughed in delight as the puppy stopped licking Anna’s face to roll over onto his back so she could scratch his belly. “He likes you, Anna.”
“He should. She found the little mutt.” Kael’s voice was full of gruff affection. “She insisted we keep him so we could give him to you.”
Elin’s mouth dropped open, making her look very much like an excited child. “He’s ours?” Elin squeaked.
Anna’s heart swelled at the sight of Elin’s joy. “Kael named him already. We tried to think of something you’d like. Zep. Short for Led Zeppelin.”
Elin looked from Anna to Kael with tear-filled hazel eyes. “He’s perfect.”
She settled down on the bed next to Anna, who welcomed her lover’s gentle weight pressed against her other side. Between Kael and Elin, she felt happy and protected. Her whole body felt warm at the love that surrounded her. “Yes, ma’am, he is.”
Matt cleared his throat and, with an awkward glance at Isabella, said, “Um, I wanted to talk to you guys about something.”
“What’s up, Matt?” Elin asked.
“I, uh…” Matt looked again at Isabella, who gave him a subtle nod. “I was wondering if…well, Jen told me that she and Caroline are going to travel with you guys when you leave. And Heidi also said something about maybe traveling with you now that her husband is gone. Do you think—”
Anna felt her eyes growing wider during Matt’s rambling speech. Kael knows that all these people want to travel with us? She tried to reconcile the idea of the stoic loner traveling with a makeshift community.
Kael’s lip twitched with amusement. “Safety in numbers.” Giving Matt a friendly nod, she added, “We’d be happy to have you for as long as we’re going the same way, my friend.”
Matt relaxed into a crooked smile. “And Isabella?”
“Is more than welcome, too.” Elin gave both young people a warm smile. “I’ve never belonged to a tribe before.”
“I thought you belonged to our tribe,” Anna said, gesturing between Kael and herself. “What, we weren’t good enough to be a tribe?”
“A civilized tribe, I meant.” Elin stuck her tongue out at them, eyes sparkling.
“I’m civilized.” Kael pinched Elin’s tongue between her fingertips. “Anyway, I thought you girls liked me wild.
All the time.”
The quiet click of the bedroom door alerted Anna to Matt and Isabella’s departure. Probably best. When we’re on a roll, it’s hard to stop us. Turning to Elin, she affected a thoughtful look. “He’s got you there, sweet girl.”
And they were on a roll.
Epilogue
Anna wrapped her arms around her knees and stared out at blue-gray water sparkling in the late afternoon sunlight. Two days on the coast, and she still couldn’t get over it. Who knew the ocean would be so big?
Twenty yards down the beach, Jen and Caroline knelt in the sand collecting seashells. She and Jen had scoured the beach nonstop over the past couple of days, taking breaks only to steal away and make love.
While the new couple hadn’t yet made an official announcement about their status, Anna was well aware that their intimate friendship, formed in a small red tent in the Procreationist camp, had grown into something more. Anna was happy for them, especially because she knew that Caroline had been taken from a loveless relationship with a man who offered her modest protection and nothing more. Jen treated her like a queen, and it warmed Anna’s heart to see them so happy.
They weren’t the only ones. Anna glanced over her shoulder at the sound of playful laughter and found Matt tossing a Frisbee to Isabella, the blonde girl they’d rescued from the second contingent. As she watched, the couple exchanged a look of pure devotion. The two of them are becoming fast friends, aren’t they?
Heidi played with them. She laughed as she caught a wild toss from Matt, then executed a perfect throw to Isabella. She, too, had become a friend, and though Anna sometimes felt bad that Heidi had no one to love in a romantic way—her husband having been killed only weeks before she was captured by the Procreationists—she knew that their makeshift family was a genuine source of joy for her.
As it is for me. She took a deep breath and dropped her hands to rest on the warm sand. I’m beginning to think that having people to love, as scary as it is, makes all the difference in the world. Distractedly, she dug into the sand with her fingers then lifted up, allowing the soft grains to sift through them. After the ocean, sand was the most amazing.
“Hey, Anna!” Matt jogged over to plop down on the sand beside her. “So where are Kael and Elin?”
“Walking Zep,” Anna said. “Or rather, I think he’s walking them.” The puppy was growing by leaps and bounds and was a ball of unbridled energy, always eager to run and play. The beaches of South Carolina had sent him straight over the edge.
Matt laughed. “That sounds about right.”
“Well, I hope you don’t mind us crashing your party.” Heidi joined them and wrapped a slim arm around Anna’s shoulders.
“Not at all.” Anna looked back at the ocean. “I was just admiring the view.”
“Funny,” a deep voice said from behind them. “So was I.”
Breaking into a grin, Anna tilted her head to gaze up at Kael. Elin stood beside her, wearing a green bikini and a green and blue sarong, which Anna found breathtaking. Kael’s indigo eyes were shaded by dark sunglasses, and she wore a gray T-shirt and faded cut-off shorts.
“Sweet talker.”
“No, he’s right. It’s a very nice view.” Elin didn’t bother to hide her obvious appraisal of Anna’s body. Anna wore a modest yellow bathing suit and a loose white T-shirt. The scar on her shoulder was still raw, and she didn’t want to expose it to the sun.
“You guys had a nice walk?” Anna asked.
“It would’ve been nicer if you’d been with us,” Kael said. “How’s the ocean?”
“Amazing.” Anna stared at the blue-gray expanse. Her dark, curly hair blew around her face in the gentle breeze that carried the vague smell of salt to shore. She smiled. She could feel the silent approval of the friends around her, their respect for the love she shared with Kael and Elin. It warmed her whole body.
Kael offered a hand. “We need you, sweetheart.”
Elin nodded in agreement. “We definitely need you.”
Anna’s whole face went hot with embarrassed pleasure. Her desire flared at the look in Elin’s eyes. Play it cool, Anna. You’ve got an audience here.
Kael stepped closer. “Please, Anna-baby?”
Anna stared at her own reflection in Kael’s sunglasses, in awe of the naked emotion in her lover’s voice.
Since rescuing Elin and nursing Anna back to health, Kael had been openly demonstrative to the extent that Anna never had to doubt exactly how she felt. It was clear in every action and every word.
Anna took Kael’s hand and allowed her lover to pull her to her feet. She brushed sand from her bottom, casting Matt an apologetic look as a few grains fell onto his lap. He gave her a carefree smile in return.
“You guys don’t mind if we steal Anna for a while, do you?” Elin asked.
“Not at all,” Matt said. “You want us to keep watch so you can have some time?” He stroked Zep’s head.
“We’ll even keep the little beast entertained.”
Kael grinned. “That’d be great, man.”
Anna’s heart raced at the thought of private time with her lovers. I’ve had enough healing over the past month and a half. It’s time for some loving. In perfect synch with her thoughts, Anna felt an insistent throbbing begin between her legs. She locked eyes with Elin.
“I like you in that.” Anna nodded to the bikini and sarong and fingered the silky material wrapped around Elin’s waist.
“You’ll like me even better out of it,”
Elin replied softly.
“I’m sure you’re right.” Anna licked her lips as she stared at Elin’s creamy throat.
“All right, girls.” Kael took Anna’s hand in one of hers, Elin’s in the other. “We need to go. Now.”
“You okay, Anna?” Elin peered across Kael’s chest and waggled her eyebrows. “You look a little unsteady.”
“I’ll be fine,” Anna muttered. “I’m just so ready to love you two that it hurts.”
“How’s your shoulder doing?” Kael asked.
“Not bad, actually. Better every day.” She peered at Kael’s eyes past the side of her sunglasses. “How about you? Headaches?”
“I haven’t had one in two days.” Kael smiled. “I’m feeling really…good, actually.”
“Good.” Anna released Kael’s hand and snaked her arm around her lean back, reaching out to touch Elin’s side. “How about you, baby?”
At her question, Kael led them over a sandy incline, then down to a secluded beach house Anna had only observed from a distance. “It’s getting easier. I’m sleeping better.”
Since her kidnapping, Elin had been plagued by intense nightmares. They’d increased in frequency when they’d left Lana and her mother in a small town thirty miles east of the Procreationist camp, after having located Lana’s father. He was banged up, but thrilled to see the family he thought he’d lost. While Anna knew that Elin was happy about the reunion, she also knew her lover missed the devoted little girl.
Elin hadn’t spoken much about the nightmares, but Anna knew that Trey played a prominent role in them.
Judging from some of the tortured whimpering she’d heard late at night, so did Brian. Having suffered through bad dreams of her own, Anna’s heart ached for her lover.
“It does get easier, baby, I promise.” Kael held the door open to let Anna and Elin inside and pulled off her sunglasses as she followed. “Doesn’t it, Anna?”
“It does. Please remember that you can talk to us, always.”
“I remember. It’s just…” Elin dropped her gaze to the ground. “I think I’m always going to be a little different after what happened. I know it could’ve been so much worse, but…it scared me. A lot.”
“I’ll always be a little different, too,” Kael said. “I think we all will. That doesn’t change anything about the way any of us feel about one another. Except I think that I love both of you even more now, if that’s possible.”
Anna kissed Elin’s cheek, nuzzling into her fragrant red hair. “I wish you hadn’t ever had to feel that kind of fear. But like Kael said, the fact that it affected you isn’t going to change anything. We’ll grow with you.”
Elin nodded. “I think…I have a whole new appreciation for how strong and brave both of you are. In so many ways.”
“You’re strong, too,” Anna murmured into Elin’s ear. “And so, so brave.”
“I, uh…have something I wanted to give to both of you,” Kael said. Color rose on her cheeks. “I think maybe this is a good time.”
Elin pulled away from the circle of Anna’s arms, breaking into a genuine smile. “Don’t you think we should go into the bedroom for that, stud?” She winked at Anna, clearly enjoying yet another opportunity to tease.
“Behave,” Kael admonished quietly. She extracted three velvet-covered boxes from her pockets. One was slightly bigger than the rest, and Kael kept that one as she handed the other two to Anna and Elin. “Just, uh…open them.”
“Where did this come from?” Anna asked. She met Kael’s eyes, then dropped her gaze to the small box she held. She glanced at Elin, who examined her own box with a similar expression of dazed awe.
Kael shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Just open them, please? This is killing me.”
At Anna’s nod, they both cracked open their boxes, releasing simultaneous noises of hushed pleasure. In each box sat a gold ring shaped like a continuous, three-sided knot. Anna looked up at Kael, startled by the delicate beauty of the gift.
“Oh, Kael,” Elin breathed. She held her ring up to her face for a closer look.
Kael’s eyes lit up at Elin’s reaction, and she looked to Anna, who said, “They’re gorgeous.”
“They’re trinity rings,” Kael said. “I thought it might be nice…well, I mean, if you guys want to wear them…I thought it could be a nice symbol—”
“I love it,” Anna said. Her eyes filled with happy tears.
“So do I,” Elin murmured. “Kael, will you put mine on?”
Anna watched Elin give her ring to Kael, who took Elin’s hand and, with great care, slipped the golden band on her left ring finger. Elin kissed Kael’s cheek before turning to Anna.
“May I?” Elin stared at Anna with love-filled hazel eyes.
“Please,” Anna said.
Elin took Anna’s ring and held Anna’s left hand in her own. Slipping the delicate band on Anna’s finger, she smiled when Anna planted a sweet kiss on her pale cheek. “It looks wonderful on you, sweetheart,” Elin whispered.
“It does. On both of you.” Kael hesitated, then reached out to offer Anna her own ring. “Would you?”
“I’m honored.” Anna took Kael’s large left hand in both of her own and slipped the ring on her finger, then grinned over at Elin. “We’re lucky to have such a romantic tough guy, aren’t we?”
Elin regarded them with a watery grin. “Oh, yes.”
They stood quietly for long moments until Kael released them from the embrace. Kael cleared her throat, swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, and asked, “Why don’t you come see the bed they have in here, Anna?”
Elin lit up at the suggestion. “Yeah, come see. It’s amazing.”
Kael led Anna and Elin into the master bedroom. She hung back as Anna stepped forward to survey her surroundings with awe. The walls were sage, lined with paintings of sunsets, boats, and dolphins. Two large, curtained windows offered a partially obscured view of the ocean.
It looked like an incredible place to sleep. And do other things. The king-sized bed was covered with a fluffy down comforter that was already turned down at the top. Anna smiled and turned to gaze at Elin. It’s time to start fixing what those men caused.
“Will you let us help you forget, Elin?” Anna asked.
Elin grinned and raised up on her toes to kiss the tip of Anna’s nose. “I’m counting on it. However, I think Kael and I were hoping to concentrate on your pleasure first today.”
“Me?”
“You, sweetheart. On our walk, we talked about how much we both miss touching you. We’re, uh…” Elin managed a sheepish shrug. “Desperate, quite honestly.”
“I can’t think of any good reason to complain about that,” Anna said, wondering how much longer her legs would support her.
“Lucky us.” Kael cupped Anna’s bottom through her one-piece bathing suit and gave her a gentle squeeze.
Elin lifted an eyebrow at Anna. “Are you up to it, sweetheart? Will your shoulder be okay?”
Anna let one hand drop to Elin’s waist, where she deftly untied the green and blue sarong and let it fall to the ground. She looped her arms around Elin’s middle, slipping her hands into her bikini bottoms so she could cup one smooth cheek in each palm.
“It’ll be just fine,” she said.
The wet, lingering kiss that Elin laid on her at that, the reverent stroking of her stomach and upper thighs by Kael’s sure fingers, the overwhelming heat that infused her body at the reestablishment of contact with both of them, showed her just how accurate that statement was. Anna knew, without a doubt, that everything would be just fine.
For all three of them.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapte
r Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
The Three Page 35
