by Beverly Rae
“Good. For a minute there, I thought─”
She ground out her answer, her glare telling more than her words. “Like I said. It’s nothing. I was just thinking about…the weather.” She looked skyward toward the darkening horizon. “We need to find shelter again, boys.”
“You’re right, Alex.” Her gaze, firm yet tender, locked on to his and his stomach took another hit. This time, however, he recognized the feeling as good old lust. “There’s a ranch not far from here. I know the rancher and I’m sure he’ll put us up for the night. Besides, I could use a hot shower.”
Alex lit up at the mention of a shower, her attitude returning to a friendlier mood. “Oooh, hot water. I can almost feel it running over me. Are you game, Conner?”
“The idea of Dirk getting his stench washed off sounds good, but not much else. Staying with humans? I don’t know.”
“You don’t smell like a bed of roses either, furball.”
Alex laughed, directing her attention to her werecat friend and wrenching Dirk’s heart in the process. A nagging idea tugged at his awareness, but he couldn’t bring it to the forefront of his mind. Why was he so hung up on this female? Sure, she was hot, but he’d had his fair share of sexy females. No, it was something more, an intuition that they were alike, sharing not only an internal unhappiness, but a hope to see the joy in life. In short, Alex was special.
“I’d prefer a cave to a human’s home.”
Dirk opened his mouth to argue but, fortunately, Alex chimed in with her decision.
“Not me. I’ll take four walls and, hopefully, a bed over a cold rock any day.” Her eyes sparkled, radiating the excitement in her body. “Dirk, lead the way.”
He nodded and started off at a slow trot. The two werecats followed, mucking through the mud left from the previous night’s storm until, at last, they saw the ranch nestled in the clearing below. Dirk picked up their pace toward the main house.
An older male stepped through the front door and watched their approach. When they were close enough for him to see them clearly, he held up a hand in greeting.
Dirk stopped them, motioning for them to stay where they were. “Let me do the talking.” He strode to the house and up the porch steps to extend his hand to Bob Tally, the ranch’s owner. “Hey, Bob, how’s it hanging?”
Bob gripped his hand, firm and hard. “You tell me. Are you having any luck?”
“Not yet. But I’ve enlisted a couple of friends to help out.” He nodded toward Alex and Conner. “I’m hoping you’ll let us stay the night to rest up before we head out again.”
Bob’s knowing gaze skimmed over Alex and Conner. “They don’t look like Cannon Pack.”
“They’re not.” Although Dirk sensed that Bob wanted more information, he assumed the seasoned cowboy would figure it out on his own. “I’ll vouch for them.”
Bob studied Alex and Conner as though rethinking his decision. “Well, since they’re friends of yours…” He tipped his hand to Alex. “We can’t have a female staying in the bunkhouse so you’d better stay here in the main house. I just finished supper, but you’re welcome to make yourself at home in the kitchen.”
“I’d appreciate that, Bob. I could use a good meal.”
Bob glanced at Dirk, then at Alex and raised one eyebrow. “There’s plenty of spare rooms upstairs, but I expect you won’t be needing three rooms.”
“I’m hoping you’re right.” Dirk kept his back to Alex and Conner, not letting them see the wink he gave Bob.
Bob chuckled, then waved Alex and Conner forward. After brief introductions, he led the trio into the house, then excused himself and went upstairs.
Alex turned to Dirk, resting her hand on his chest. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“Trust me. Bob wouldn’t have said yes if he didn’t mean it.”
“But are we safe here? What will the other humans say?” Conner squinted through the window and into the settling darkness at the bunkhouse directly across from the main house.
“We can leave at first light so they won’t know we were here.” Taking Alex’s arm, Dirk led her upstairs toward the guestrooms. “Let’s check out the accommodations first, then head back down for a meal.”
Dirk strode to the first bedroom door and swung it open. “You can bunk in here, Conner.” The werecat peeked into the room and slowly entered. “Don’t be shy about taking a shower. We’ll all thank you for it.” He caught Conner’s scowl a second before he closed the door.
“Why do you love irritating him so much?”
Dirk feigned a “who me?” expression, but soon gave in. “It’s my nature, I guess. Besides, he’s just so damned easy to prod.” Pushing the next door wide, he motioned for her to enter. “M’lady, your home for the evening.”
Alex smiled her thanks, touching his arm as she passed to enter the dimly lit room. Awareness of her ripped through his arm at her touch and quickly found its way to his shaft.
Following her inside, Dirk searched the cozy interior and located the small lamp on the bedside table. The lamp cast a golden glow, filling the room with warmth.
Alex turned toward him and he inhaled sharply, startled by the sight of her. The more he looked at her, the more beautiful she became. The golden light softened her face and added dancing highlights to her copper hair. Wrapped in the almost ethereal light, she was transformed from a worldly beauty to a mesmerizing spirit from another land and time. “You’re amazing.”
Appreciation lit her eyes and her lush full lips parted. “Oh.” Shyness overtook her, making her look away. “I, uh, don’t know what to say. Shoot, I’m never at a loss for words.” At last she lifted her gaze to his. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” If I can look at her for the rest of my life, I’ll die a happy man. At first he was stunned at his thought, yet he knew with absolute certainty that he meant it. “Uh, the bathroom’s right here.” He motioned to the closed door to his right, feeling more like a bellhop than a hopeful lover.
“So I guess you’ve stayed here before?”
“Yeah, Bob and the pack go way back. I normally bunk with the ranch hands, but I’ve also been allowed inside the big house.” He grimaced. He’d made it sound like he was some housebroken mutt begging for scraps at the dinner table. A heat he hoped she didn’t notice traveled up his neck and into his face. “Um, I’ll be in the adjoining room getting cleaned up. You know. If you need anything.”
She stepped forward and pressed her palm to his cheek. “You don’t have to play host, Dirk.” The tip of her tongue peeked out to tempt him. “Besides, I like the way you smell right now.”
Sliding his arm around her, he closed the gap between them. “I’m not playing host. It’s just that I want you to feel comfortable. Relaxed and—”
“Safe?” She ran her thumb along the stubble on his chin, sending flashes of pleasure down his spine. “I do, Dirk. I feel very safe with you.”
“I’m glad. I want you to know you can trust me. That you can tell me anything.”
She sighed and leaned into him to rest her head on his chest. “I’d like to. It’s been a long time since I had someone to talk to. Someone who hasn’t already judged my—”
A loud bang jolted them, breaking them apart. Together, they pivoted to find Conner standing at the door. He struggled to remain calm, fisting then flexing his hands. “How about we eat something, then get some sleep? I’m starved.”
Dirk saw the same regret in her eyes that he felt. She’d wanted to open up to him. “You interrupted us, Conner. Why don’t you back on out and give us a few minutes?” But, instead, Alex stepped away, leaving his heart and his body bereft.
“Conner’s right. We do need to eat.”
She’d let the moment go and Dirk had to let it go, too. “Okay, sure. But let’s let the lady choose.” Not exactly words of wisdom, but that’s all he could manage. While one head was raring to go, the other was fresh out of ideas. “What do you want to do, Alex? Eat first? Or finish our conversatio
n?”
She wavered, opened her mouth to speak, closed her eyes, then opened them with a new glint lighting them. Her entire demeanor changed, going from serious to playful. “Actually, I want more of what I had last night. How about it, Conner? Are you up for another threesome?”
Although he hadn’t expected that answer, in fact was surprised at her fast change, Dirk was pleased. He’d have another time for her to tell him what he wanted to know when she was ready. Until then, I’ll wait for as long as it takes. The thought physically rocked Dirk on his feet. Alex made him think in strange and unexpected ways. In wonderful ways. But it was Conner’s reaction that really threw him.
“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Conner’s frown, however, belied the lighthearted nature of his tone. “If that’s what you want, Stretch.”
She licked her lips and took a step toward the old-fashioned iron bed. “I hope this thing can hold all of us.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Dirk slid his hand down her spine, delighting in the way she shivered at his touch. His heart rate sped into high gear and he swallowed the sudden flood of saliva. “Let’s make this interesting, okay?”
She faced him, excitement lighting her features. “Okay. How?”
“Yeah. How?” Conner moved to the other side of the bed, his face a mask of suspicion. His posture, however, said he was ready for anything they could throw his way.
“Easy, man. All I’m suggesting is playing a little blindfold game.” Conner might not want to admit it, but he definitely liked the idea. “Alex?”
“Sure, why not?” She tugged her T-shirt over her head, toeing off her boots at the same time. Her jeans soon fell to the floor, leaving her naked.
Shucking his clothes in easy moves, he took in the wonder of the woman ready to do as he asked. Dirk caught a glimpse of Conner, still clothed. If only he didn’t have to share her…
“Conner, are you going to get undressed or what?”
The werecat male jolted as though coming out of a deep trance, took one look at Alex then Dirk, and started disrobing.
Alex ran her hands over her breasts, stopping a second to tease her taut tips. “Let’s do this.”
“That’s my girl.” The words were spoken before he knew it. For a moment, the three shifters stared at each other, each deciding how to interpret his statement. “You know what I mean. It’s merely a phrase.”
Taking a blue handkerchief from his back pocket, Dirk made a circling motion with his finger, telling Alex to put her back to him. He folded the handkerchief, then laid it gently over her eyes, letting her guide it into place. Once it was tied, he took her by the shoulders and positioned her legs against the edge of the bed. “Crawl on the bed, sugar.”
She did as he commanded, the ancient bed frame creaking as she moved to the headboard, then flipped over onto her back. Conner watched silently, his body tense in anticipation.
“Now spread those luscious legs wide.” She complied and he thrilled at the way she obeyed him. “That’s good, sugar.” Her pussy, already glistening with drops of desire, nearly drove him insane. “God, I want to eat you up.”
“Then do it, wolf-man.”
Alex could barely wait for one of the men to make the first move. She’d wanted to tell Dirk about Bryer, had started to tell him before Conner had arrived. But her courage had fled her. As she’d done so many times in the past year, she pushed away the agonizing emotions that thoughts of Bryer always brought and focused on something simple, easy and mindless: sex.
The bed creaked, the mattress lowering under the weight of someone sitting on the edge. A hand touched her leg and she jumped, then silently cursed herself for being so skittish.
A hot mouth closed over her left breast and lashed a tongue over the tip. She gasped, loving the feel of the tongue running back and forth over her chilled skin. Goosebumps that had risen because of the cold air warmed. Rough fingertips, callused from hard work, dragged up and down her side, tormenting her as she inwardly begged for them to move closer to her center. The fingertips continued, slipping into the crevice between her legs and her torso, yet staying too far away from her aching pussy. She groaned. “I didn’t know you planned on torturing me.” She spread her legs wider, hoping to entice one of them to drink her juices.
A warm chuckle slid over her breast. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Suck on her, cat-man. Make her moan. That’s it, sugar, arch your back. Shove it at him.” Dirk ran his tongue over her bud and pressed against it, then nipped at it to give her a thrill of pain.
A different hand, Conner’s, took her other breast and squeezed it, pushing more of her nipple inside his hot mouth. His chest leaned against her side and she slipped her hand around his neck, keeping him to her.
Dirk moved his hand across her pelvis, up the soft curve of her belly to return to her side again. Dragging his fingers, he skimmed his hand past her thighs then along the inside of her leg to her quaking knees and back up the inside. He paused and she held her breath, hoping he’d take her mons in his palm. She almost cried out when he didn’t, instead moving down her leg.
“Tell me you want me to finger-fuck you, Alex.”
She groaned and reached out for him. “I want you to do more than that.” More? She’d spoken the truth, but wasn’t certain what she’d meant by it. More sexually? Or more?
“Then tell us what you want, sugar.”
Conner echoed her groan, then palmed both her breasts, bringing them together so he could suck on them at once. He nipped at the tender tips, zapping little bits of pain through her. But he soothed the sting soon with flicks of his tongue.
“Oh, Conner, I love it when you suck on my breasts. Suck harder. Lick me, too.”
Dirk ran his hand along her leg, over to her folds to spread them just wide enough for him to thumb her wet clit. She mewed, ready for more yet not wanting to rush him.
“Do you love that, too? Your pussy is so hot, so wet. Come on my fingers, Alex. I want to lick your sweet juice off my fingers.”
An orgasm rushed to do his bidding and she lifted her ass toward him, pushing against the thumb driving her crazy. “Oooh. Please. Do it harder.”
“If I rub you any harder, sugar, I’ll rub the skin right off.”
“I don’t care.” Conner squeezed her breasts together again, then drove his face against her, licking the hollow between them. She gasped at the roughness of his tongue. “You two are making me so horny. Dirk? Conner? Someone eat me. Now.”
“My pleasure.” Dirk clamped his hands around her ankles, pulling her sideways to the edge of the bed. “Sorry to take away your treat, Conner, but I’ve got to have a taste right now.”
A cool wet tongue licked her pussy, pushing against her throbbing peak, driving her over the edge again. She exploded and heard Dirk let out a satisfied moan. She lifted her hips, squirming in ecstasy. Her legs shook, threatening to buckle until, at last, he shouldered her legs and held her firm. “Stay right here. I’ve just started to lap you up.”
Dirk stabbed his tongue inside her dripping pussy, licking the inside of her cave then sucking her juices out of her. His breath blew against her as he took her nub in, then abruptly let it go. First flicking his tongue of sweet agony over her distended fleshy bead, he then dragged his tongue flattened and hard against her. He held her, restraining her thrashing and keeping his mouth and tongue on her. She moaned in pleasurable anguish, but he didn’t stop, instead using his teeth on her tender bead. She cried out, unable to imagine how much more delightful ecstasy she could stand but not ready to have it end. “Ahhhh, please. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Dirk’s chuckle warmed her skin, taking his teasing tongue away. “But, sugar, there’s so much more I want to do to you.”
“I want a taste.” Conner let go of her breasts and more creaking sounds came as he placed his body sixty-nine style over hers. “Suck on me, Alex, while I suck on you.” His thick shaft nudged at her mouth, tempting her to take him inside.
Wrap
ping her hand around his shaft, she pulled him into her mouth. His taste, so wild, so tangy filled her mouth. Slowly, she dragged her teeth along the smooth skin, stopping every once in a while to suck or lash her tongue around him. His moan, filled with sexual tension, encouraged her and she pulled him in, released him, then deep-throated him.
Soft kisses feathered her mound and a tongue flicked over her skin to tease the vee that led to her pussy. While Conner kissed her, edging closer and closer, Dirk ran his fingers along her legs and moved, dipping the bed. He lowered his body to place her heels on his shoulders, opening her wider still. Turning his head, Dirk jabbed his tongue inside her, matching Conner’s quick kisses along the top of her mons. Together the men pleasured her, Conner keeping to the area above her pussy while Dirk stabbed his tongue in and out, over and over, sucking on her wetness.
“My turn.” Conner’s voice was low and gravelly.
Dirk paused and she held her breath, hoping the two shifters wouldn’t start fighting.
“Fair enough. But I’m still going to use my fingers.”
Two fingers pushed inside her, moving swiftly to caress the tender skin of her vaginal walls. Conner lowered himself closer to her body, then latched on to her aching nub. She inhaled sharply, throwing her head back, side to side. Pure lust-filled bliss filled her.
“She’s so tight. Hurry up, cat-man, and get your fill. I’ve got to have her and I mean soon.”
An irritated rumble from Conner tickled her skin, but was swiftly followed by breathtaking sucking that turned the ripples of desire into waves of hot hunger. Her blood pulsed in her nub, echoed in her ears, pushing another, bigger orgasm close to the surface. Soft kisses replaced the sucking, leaving for a moment to circle the sensitive skin around her nub. Dirk sped up, plunging his fingers deep inside her, thrusting in and out of her, doubling the intense build-up.
She wondered how close Dirk’s fingers were to Conner’s mouth, then promptly pushed the worrisome thought away. Like her own desire, their craving was too strong for them to complain. Instead, she cupped Conner’s balls in one hand and gently squeezed as she deep-throated him.
