Moonlight Temptation

by Stephanie Julian

  Was that what they wanted?

  Blinking, she finally looked back at Cat, who smiled at her tentatively.

  “Evie? Are you okay?”

  ABBA crooned about taking chances, which Evie thought was eerily right on target.

  “I’m fine.”

  Cat took a deep breath, which Evie heard even over the music. “Do you think you want to try the spell again?”

  The spell? What— Oh, that spell.

  “Sure.”

  The spell flashed through her mind and her lips moved silently as she recited it.

  But her mind wasn’t anywhere near to being concentrated on the spell.

  Those kisses from last night ran through her mind. Ryan hadn’t kissed her again after that first, chaste peck this morning, probably because John kept staring at him, ready to take him down if Ryan accidentally brushed against her.

  Damn, what would her brother think—

  “Whoa, Evie.” Cat’s hushed voice held a note of excitement that snapped Evie’s attention back to her. “Holy crap.”

  Evie looked first at Cat’s awestruck face then at the candle flaming between them. “Hey! I got it.”

  The glow of satisfaction warmed her. Finally that damn spell had worked. What had she done differently?

  She looked back at Cat to ask that question and felt some of her excitement slip at Cat’s awed expression.

  “Cat, what’s wrong?”

  The girl just shook her head. “Um, nothing’s wrong. Exactly.”

  Then she pointed tentatively over Evie’s shoulder in the direction of the living room.

  Frowning, Evie spun on her heel…

  And drew in a short, sharp breath.

  Every single candle in the room was lit.

  She hadn’t realized how many there were. Short ones on the coffee table, tall ones on the fireplace mantel, votives on the bookshelves.

  “Oh shit.” She turned back to Cat. “Did I do that?”

  “Yeah, you did.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “Yeah.” Cat’s tone held a whole lot of awe. “I’d say that’s about right.”

  * * * * *

  “Hello, Evie. Can we come in?”

  Dane and Ryan stood on her front porch. Neither man looked happy.

  Dane looked tall and stern, his dark eyes cool. Not cold, just unreadable. At least Ryan looked sympathetic and that worried the shit out of her.

  Even so, her heart gave a little jump in her chest.

  A smile curved her lips, completely unforced, but when they just stood there, waiting for her to invite them in, it died a quick death.

  “Is something wrong?”

  After a second’s hesitation, Dane shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong. I just need to talk to you.”

  Ooh-kay. That sounded ominous. And why had he brought Ryan?

  Waving the men into the house, she closed the solid oak door behind them then leaned back against wood. The scent of snuffed candles still lingered in the air and she watched Dane’s nose twitch as his eyes narrowed.

  It’d taken her and Cat a few minutes to blow out every candle in the house. Her spell had worked really, really well. She hadn’t even realized there were candles on top of the armoire in the bedroom until today.

  When neither of them said anything, she rushed to fill the silence. “Spell practice with Cat. We, uh, got a little carried away.”

  Dane nodded, watching her with an intensity that was starting to make her really nervous. “How’s that going? Are you making progress?”

  She snorted and pushed away from the door, heading for the kitchen. “Sure, I’m making progress, if you call lighting every candle in the house without meaning to progress. Would you guys like something to drink?”

  “Sure, Evie, thanks,” Ryan said.

  Dane just nodded.

  The old “Coffee, tea or me” phrase ran through her head and she had to bite her tongue before it escaped.

  Cat’s revelation earlier today had really knocked her off-kilter.

  “Coffee? Or soda?”

  She knew Dane mainlined Coca Cola. And it just so happened, she always stocked Coke in her fridge. And no, that was not a coincidence.

  Maybe she really did need a psychiatrist.

  “Soda, for both of us.” Dane paused then sighed. “Look, Evie, we need to talk and I’m not quite sure how to begin.”

  Pouring the Cokes into glasses, she suppressed a shiver as a chill skated up her spine. “Is John okay? Did something happen? I just saw him—”

  “No, John’s fine.” Dane shook his head. “This doesn’t have anything to do with John. This has to do with you.”

  She set the can down with a metallic clink. Her hands wanted to shake but she refused to let them as she passed a glass to Dane over the counter then poured one for Ryan and finally herself.

  “Then just spit it out, Dane. I’m tired of trying to decipher everyone’s cryptic comments today.”

  Ryan moved closer to the counter. To her. “Is everything okay?”

  Of course not. The magic she’d been hoping was fading away had only been waiting to make itself known again in grand fashion and she had the hots for two men.

  Yeah. Just another day in the life of Evangeline Simmons. “What’s up, Dane?”

  “We need to talk about Alex Bell.”

  Everything inside her froze. Her stomach seized into a cold little ball while she fought with her lungs to breathe.

  “Is he okay? Did… Did something happen?”

  She blinked, aware that the blackness around the edges of her vision was not a good thing.

  Vaguely she realized both men had hustled around the corner of the island. Two sets of hands reached for her shoulders, both helping to steady her.

  Surprisingly, it was Dane who caught her when she took a step back and felt her knees buckle under her.

  He lifted her in strong arms, held her against his hard chest and carried her to the couch.

  Shock held her immobile as he sat with her on his lap. “Breathe, Evie. Slow and deep. In through your nose and out through your mouth.”

  The cadence of his voice worked as a calming influence and she did as he said, drawing in each breath laced with his masculine scent. That more than anything brought her back to her senses.

  And awoke the heated desire she felt only with these two men.

  Images of both men kissing her raced through her mind, combined with the information Cat had spilled this morning and made her blood begin a slow burn.

  She wanted to put her arms around Dane’s waist and cling. Wanted to feel Ryan’s hands on her back, stroking through her hair.

  Her imagination took off, whether as a defense mechanism shutting out thoughts of a dying little boy or as a lust-fueled response to what she wanted from these two men, she wasn’t sure.

  She only knew that when either of them touched her, she burned. If they both touched her at the same time, she might literally set the house on fire.

  Dane shifted, the muscles of his thighs bunching beneath hers and she realized Ryan had sat on the couch next to Dane.

  “Maybe this should wait.” Ryan’s soft words took a few seconds to penetrate the fog in her brain but when they did, she shook her head.

  “No. I’m fine.” Looking up, she stared into Dane’s eyes. “Just say it.”

  He nodded and shifted her to the couch between him and Ryan. Not a bad place to be but now neither man was touching her.

  She decided she liked their touch. It grounded her. And right now, she could use it.

  “Alex’s condition is deteriorating. The treatment I had him on is no longer working. I don’t think the boy will get any better.”

  Without her blood.

  Dane didn’t have to say the words. She knew exactly what he was thinking.

  And she could no longer escape the fact there was a ten-year-old boy dying of an unknown disease and only she had the power to relieve him of the symptoms and to at least slow the progres
sion.

  “Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”

  Dane just looked at her.

  “Oh, that’s right. Poor little Evie couldn’t handle it.”

  With a shove against the cushions, Evie scrambled off the couch. Both men made a move to rise as well, but she stopped them with one finger held up in front of her.

  “Oh, don’t even think about it. You know, I’m so sick of this, how everyone treats me like I’m about to break. The only person who doesn’t is Cat. How many people have you discussed this with before you came here to talk to me? Did you talk to John? Kaine? Tam?”

  Dane’s jaw looked tense enough to shatter and his voice sounded strangled as he said, “Evie—”

  “No. No way. This is my life we’re talking about, Dane. Not anyone else’s.”

  “Evie. I didn’t talk to anyone else. Only Ryan, because I wanted his opinion. I didn’t realize you thought so little of me.”

  Oh. Great. She wanted to roll her eyes but controlled the urge.

  Holy shit, she’d hurt Dane’s feelings. She hadn’t known that was possible.

  Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she sighed. “I’m sorry I jumped down your throat. It’s been kind of a trying day.”

  Then before she could think twice about what she was doing, she leaned forward, put her hands on his shoulders and kissed Dane.

  She’d shocked him. She could taste it in the stillness of his lips, in the quick, indrawn breath. His mouth remained closed but she wasn’t looking to deepen the kiss. She’d only wanted to reclaim a little bit of normalcy in her life and kissing Dane, for some odd reason, felt normal.

  She didn’t draw it out and retreated after only a few seconds. When she opened her eyes, she found Dane staring into hers.

  His eyes mesmerized her. They had from the first moment she’d met him. So dark, so intelligent. Now growing even darker with desire.

  Then she was falling and she didn’t mean figuratively.

  Ryan had tugged on her arm and brought her down into his lap. Somehow he maneuvered her until she sat in his lap and when he kissed her, there was just the slightest bit of tongue.

  Just enough to tease.

  Startled, her eyes widened as she remembered what Cat had said about these men. That she wouldn’t be the first woman they’d shared.

  He pulled away then moved her to sit on the cushion between him and Dane. As she sat blinking up at him, Ryan’s smile curved and she swore she saw the devil in it. “There. Now we’re even. I felt left out for a moment.”

  “I don’t think this is the time to do this, Ryan.” Dane’s expression had tightened again.

  “I think it’s the perfect time.” Ryan never took his eyes from hers. “Might as well get all the big stuff out of the way at the same time. Right, doll?”

  Evie didn’t know what to say but she was thinking maybe Dane had the right idea this time.

  So she decided to ignore Ryan because she needed answers to other, more important questions.

  Hopping off the couch again, she stood in front of Dane, hands on her hips. “I want to meet him. Alex. I want to talk to him.”

  Dane nodded, his expression showing nothing of his feelings. He was so good at that, at hiding his feelings so she had no idea what he was thinking. Then again, sometimes she’d found people were too easy to read.

  And she didn’t really want to know what they were thinking.

  “That can be arranged.”

  “Without his mother.” She’d yet to confront Grace Bell, the woman who’d kidnapped her and turned her life into this freak show. She knew she’d have to. Eventually.

  “Not a problem.”

  “Can we do it now?”

  Dane nodded again. “If that’s what you want.”

  “That’s what I want.”

  Dane stood, rising several inches above her. Every time he stood so close, she was surprised again by his height. She didn’t know why. She only knew she liked it.

  She had to tilt her head back to look him in the eyes or she stared at the broad expanse of his shoulders. Again, not a bad view.

  “I’ll check in with Kyle, make sure he knows we’re coming.”

  “Okay.”

  Shit, now she heard a wobble in her voice and that was definitely not acceptable.

  Behind her, she heard Ryan moving then his arms circled around her from behind, pulling her close against his body.

  “You’ll be fine, doll,” Ryan said into her ear, his breath making her shiver slightly. “If it comes to a fight, I think you can take a ten year old.”

  She laughed, as she knew he’d meant for her to do. Warmth seeped into her. Ryan’s body heat combined with the look in Dane’s eyes made her stomach clench.

  Dane couldn’t hide the heat in his eyes, the desire for her. Even though he wasn’t touching her, she knew he wanted her.

  And the fact Ryan had his arms around her brought out no jealousy at all. She actually thought it made him want her even more, though she didn’t think he’d ever say it.

  Ryan had absolutely no problem saying what he wanted.

  “And later,” he said, “Dane and I will take your mind off all of this for a little while. I promise.”

  Oh my god.

  Her thighs clenched and she felt her sex go wet. Just from the sound of Ryan’s voice and the look in Dane’s eyes.

  That had never happened before.

  Oh, she’d had sex. As a teen. Some of it while stoned. Some not. None of it had ever felt right and she couldn’t remember the last time a man had made her orgasm, which was a pretty damn sorry state of affairs.

  “I haven’t had sex in three years. Not since I got out of rehab.”

  Her lips snapped shut as if she could stop the words she’d already spoken.

  Holy shit. Had she really said that?

  Her heart stopped before kicking over and beginning to pound full speed ahead.

  She’d completely lost her mind. That was the only explanation she had for blurting out that information.

  Behind her, she felt Ryan still. She could only imagine his expression mirrored Dane’s.

  The man actually looked slack-jawed. As if she’d pulled a gun and shot him through the heart.

  And then, as if she’d opened the floodgates, she couldn’t stop herself from continuing.

  “I haven’t been able to trust anyone enough to let them get that close.”

  Hell, she hadn’t come close to wanting anyone that much.

  Until Dane.

  “And I’ve never considered going to bed with two men.”

  At least, not until she’d met Nica and Tira, two of the youngest full members of the boschetta. Both of them lived with two men.

  Nica had fallen for twin brothers, which had blown Evie’s mind the first time she’d been introduced to Tanner and Jensen. That had seemed so…weird. Until she’d seen the three of them together.

  Then it’d just seemed natural.

  Tira had mated best friends, Nic and Duke, who worked with Evie’s brother. Evie had assumed, wrongly, that the men also had sex with each other. They didn’t but their relationship was intensified by their love for Tira.

  As she’d grown to know the women, Evie had grown to envy what she saw as an abundance of love.

  She’d never imagined she’d be considering that kind of relationship. Especially not with Dane.

  Whose shock appeared to be wearing off because the heat in his eyes flared again.

  Dane, who never showed much emotion, stared at her with desire evident on his face.

  And Ryan, who might just be the most normal man she’d ever met, had a hard-on. For her.

  She felt the length and thickness of it pressing against her backside.

  These two men wanted her. What she couldn’t figure out was why.

  “Are you considering it now?” Dane asked.

  His eyes had narrowed, his expression tense. How did he want her to answer that?

  She hated that she ha
d so much trouble reading Dane. It confused the hell out of her.

  “Should I be?”

  After a second, Dane’s mouth quirked into a faint smile and he actually took a step closer.

  She had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact and her head bumped against Ryan’s chest as his arms tightened the slightest bit.

  “That’s a question only you can answer. And I want you to be positive of your answer before you give it.”

  “What if I can’t?”

  Dane’s gaze didn’t falter. “You can, Evie. The question is do you want to?”

  She could answer that question right now if she could get her vocal cords in gear.

  Yes. God, yes. Sex with these two men? Who in their right mind would say no to that?

  What she couldn’t understand was why they wanted her.

  She was dangerous, damaged, possibly beyond repair.

  Dane’s eyes narrowed as if he’d read her mind. He lifted his hand to brush his fingers across her cheek. His easy caress amazed her.

  The man had the softest touch and raised the most heated response. Flames licked along her nerve endings.

  “You don’t need to answer that now. And we can’t do anything about it now anyway. We need to go.”

  Alex. She’d almost forgotten about the little boy who needed her. The dying little boy who she might actually be able to help.

  * * * * *

  Ryan watched Dane watch Evie as a little boy who looked deathly ill wheeled his chair into an examination room.

  Ryan hadn’t met Alex Bell yet. Though he’d discussed the boy’s health issues with Dane, he knew there was a lot more to the situation than Dane had told him. Such as why the boy was being held in a jail.

  Yes, the building might look like a cottage from the outside, but Ryan had been around Dane long enough to know the feel of magic.

  And this building was infused with it. Ryan actually swore he could feel invisible walls surround him when he’d walked into the observation room.

  Dane had told Ryan to wait here while he and Evie talked with Alex. He’d be able to see and hear everything.

  Unspoken but clear to Ryan had been Dane’s request that he observe.

  Ryan had no human medical training but the tenets of diagnoses were the same.

  And Dane had told Ryan just enough to realize that Dane thought the boy might have something similar to a disease that ravaged some lucani.