by Leah Brooke
She sucked in a breath when Alastair’s fingers touched her clit, kicking her feet at his slow, wicked caress.
“Those little purrs she makes drive me crazy.”
Her body bucked with every slide of his fingers on her clit, each smooth stroke jolting her like a live wire. Pushing against the headboard, she tried to move with Ian’s thrusts, but Alastair’s hand on her back prevented it.
“Incredible, isn’t she?”
Ian’s thrusts slowed, his tone gentling in what she suspected was an attempt to soothe her. “So’s this ass.”
Serena stilled, shocked when Ian’s thumb pressed at her puckered opening. The cold lube and the intimacy of the act alarmed her enough to cry out and pull away in a vain attempt to close her bottom tight against him.
“Ian!”
The fingers keeping her folds parted and sliding over her clit held her at the edge of coming again, frustrating her by not moving hard enough or fast enough to allow her to go over.
She lifted her head, gritting her teeth against the overwhelming need to come. Drawing a shaky breath, she opened her mouth with the intention of begging him for the touch she needed, crying out in alarm and delight when his thumb moved over her bottom hole.
She froze, biting her lip when he began to apply pressure, clenching her fists and curling her toes as she fought the urge to push back against him and ease the sharp tingling there that threatened her sanity.
Tears of frustration and anguish streamed down her face, the pleasure becoming almost unbearable. It consumed her, every inch of her body trembling as she teetered on the razor-sharp edge. Her breath came out in pants, making it difficult to speak. “Damn it. Don’t do. This. To me. I need. To come.”
Ian applied more pressure, forcing the tight ring of muscle to give way. “So, come.”
Serena gasped at the stark dominance, shaking at the intimacy, and with a strangled cry, went over in a rush of ecstasy. She whimpered, struck by the vulnerability of having her bottom breached.
“Oh! Ahh! Ohmygodohmygod!”
She bucked helplessly, caught up in a world of sensation and lust that totally disarmed her. She had no defenses left, all of her resistance and inhibition washed away in a storm of hunger and passion.
Alastair’s voice broke through the roaring in her ears. His voice sounded harsh, the raw hunger in it undeniable. “That’s it. That’s a girl. Let that passion out. You thought you could hide it from us, didn’t you?”
He rolled her clit between his thumb and forefinger, stimulating her already sensitive and swollen flesh, and chuckling softly when she bucked and cried out again.
“No more. No more.” She couldn’t believe that she’d responded so completely to each and every erotic thing they did to her.
Their claims to want her wouldn’t have meant much if she hadn’t heard the need in their voices, or felt it in their touch.
Alastair bent to scrape his teeth over her shoulder, caressing her clit with slow, smooth strokes. “We want it all, Serena.”
Ian thrust deep with a groan, his cock pulsing inside her pussy. “All!”
Pressing his hand to her lower back, he pushed his thumb even deeper into her ass, moving it just enough to make her puckered opening sting.
“All.”
Serena whimpered now, each attempt to escape the slow slide of Alastair’s fingers on her clit moving her on the thumb impaling her. She couldn’t stop clenching on it, totally overwhelmed by the wicked sexual vulnerability.
A sob escaped when Alastair stroked her clit one last time before removing his fingers. “I can’t. I’m not good at this. I can’t.”
With a groan, Alastair gathered her against him. “Yes, you can. Come here, darling. You’re shaking.”
Serena leaned into his embrace, crying out again when Ian bent his thumb, stretching the tight ring and making it sting again.
“Oh!” She whimpered again, taken aback at the strong show of dominance.
Ian chuckled, a rumbling noise of male satisfaction, one that soothed some of the chaos still raging inside her.
“Yeah, oh! I knew there was some naughtiness under all that cool distance. Don’t make the mistake of trying to put any distance between us again, Serena. I won’t let you get away with it.”
His tone changed, becoming lower and more intimate. He slid his cock free and with slow deliberation, removed his thumb from her ass.
“Jesus, the thought of taking this tight ass is gonna drive me insane.” Releasing her, he bent to place a hot kiss in the middle of her back, rubbing her ass cheeks. “Let me get cleaned up and I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere. Let Alastair hold you until I get back.”
Enfolded in Alastair’s arms, Serena couldn’t have moved if she’d had to. Feeling vulnerable and shaky, she curled herself into a ball, burying her face in Alastair’s neck.
“I’m not like this. I’m not the kind of person who gets close to people, and I sure as hell don’t let them get close to me. You and Ian just seem to be there. I forget to be so closed around you. I’ve never forgotten before. Protecting myself just comes naturally.” Listening to water running in the adjoining bathroom, Serena hung on to Alastair, needing his warm strength wrapped around her. “What the hell have I done?”
Wrapping both arms around her, Alastair pulled her close, one hand in her hair and the other stroking her back.
“You’ve started to break free, Serena. You’re coming out of that shell you’ve been hiding inside for years. We plan to bring you all the way out.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “It’s exciting, isn’t it, darling? We can be ourselves with you, too. We’ve never had that luxury before.”
He sighed, a deep sigh filled with emotion. “It’s like I can breathe.”
The bed shifted at the same time a hard arm came around her, turning her to her back.
To her surprise, Ian eyes held a trace of hesitancy as he bent over her and brushed her hair back from her face.
“No pretense with you, baby. I think Alastair and I have had enough of that to last a lifetime.” Rolling to lie on top of her, he brushed his lips over hers, once, twice, before pressing his against hers to open them wide.
He took her mouth in a smoldering kiss, a slow swell of heat, and to her surprise, emotion, that she couldn’t resist.
A sob escaped when his arms came around her, and he rolled to his back, taking her with him.
Breaking off his kiss, he stared up at her, running his hands up and down her back and bottom, the desire burning in his eyes so unlike the man she’d come to know, she could only stare back, moving sinuously over his hot body. Running his hands up her sides, he caressed the outside curve of her breasts, his eyes hooded and searching.
“It can be real, Serena. It is real. We have a chance for something here that none of us expected. Please don’t walk away without giving it a chance. It’s going to be an adjustment for all of us.”
Alastair moved close and kissed her shoulder, his eyes swirling with emotion. “We have to pretend with the rest of the world, but here—like this—we can be ourselves. It’s not something I’d ever expected, but now that I have it, I’m not willing to give it up without a fight. It’s sure as hell not going to be easy, but we both think it’s worth it to try. Don’t you?”
Chapter Nine
Still feeling vulnerable and a little shaky, Serena finally managed to escape Ian’s intense scrutiny and wandered the house, gradually making her way to a comfortable-looking room off of the kitchen. It appeared to be a private room, one that Alastair and Ian used to relax in, but probably didn’t share with others.
The room drew her, the feel of both Ian and Alastair stronger here than any other place in the house.
The beiges and deep browns soothed her, the overlarge and overstuffed furniture too inviting to ignore.
Not giving the wide-screened television more than a cursory glance, she pulled her soft, orange sweater tighter around herself and curled into the corner of the large s
ectional sofa. Curling her feet under her, she stared out the large back window into the darkness.
The lights that bordered the property provided the only illumination, allowing her to see every inch of the well-manicured lawn. Boring, but perfect for her mood. She just wanted to sit and think, or better yet, just stare out into the night and not think at all.
She felt good here.
She’d only been with Ian and Alastair a short time, and already she’d begun to relax around them.
They knew her. They knew the secrets she’d learned to hide from others.
They knew them. They talked about them, sometimes even teased her about them.
With them, she didn’t have to feel like a freak.
She could be herself here—at least for the most part.
She didn’t have to worry about blurting out things she shouldn’t.
Except when she knew something about one of them.
She couldn’t blame them for getting angry when she saw too much, but she wouldn’t be able to hide it forever.
Her abilities seemed to be changing—sharpening—and becoming more controllable, something she’d never thought possible.
The changes started when she met them.
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
She considered the possibility that her abilities had grown as she’d gotten older, but because she’d kept herself isolated, she’d only worked at blocking things out instead of trying to deal with it.
Ian and Alastair had given her the confidence to try.
Blowing out a breath, she pulled the sweater tighter around herself and looked up just as a full moon emerged from behind the clouds.
She had a feeling they’d given her more than confidence, though, and she didn’t know what to do about it.
She didn’t even want to consider the possibility that her abilities fed off of them—fed off some kind of energy they possessed, and that she seemed to absorb.
She’d thought about it several times since she’d met them, but almost immediately pushed the thoughts away.
The connection between them couldn’t be mistaken.
They felt her pain.
They felt her pleasure.
She could have sworn she’d heard Ian mentally scream at her.
The idea that they had any kind of effect on her abilities—abilities that had defined her for most of her life—scared her too much to contemplate.
She sensed Alastair’s approach just seconds before his reflection appeared in the window above hers. Stiffening against the sharp awareness his presence inspired, she continued to stare out the window, not ready to face him.
“I missed you.” He dropped onto the sofa next to her, his big body crowding hers as he reached under her and pulled her ankles toward him.
“You don’t like wearing shoes, do you?” His eyes narrowed. “Fuzzy socks and your comfort sweater. You’re feeling vulnerable.”
Alarmed that he saw too much, Serena stiffened, attempting to pull her feet from Alastair’s firm, surprisingly tender hold, but he slid them onto his lap and started massaging them.
“I’m not used to wearing shoes. Let go.”
A dark brow went up, his eyes filled with curiosity as he started to rub her foot. “Why? You’re not afraid of me. You’re afraid of yourself. Why would you be afraid of a little pampering?”
Serena sighed, staring at her foot, a little alarmed at how small and fragile it looked in his hand.
Being with him made her feel safe. Secure. Protected—as though nothing could get to her without going through him.
Frowning at her fanciful thoughts, she lifted her gaze to his. “Sometimes I need to be alone. I’m not the easiest person in the world to be around.”
Alastair smiled, a breathtaking smile that made it difficult to breathe. “No, you’re not—for many reasons. You’re an incredibly gorgeous woman and they’re never comfortable to be around.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
Inclining his head, Alastair let his fingers trail up her shin under the soft cotton pants she’d bought on their shopping trip.
“No, that’s not what you mean.” He held her gaze with his sharp one. “I have to admit that it’s hard to be around someone who knows so much about us, especially when Ian and I have lived our lives in secrecy. We have to trust you, and we don’t trust easily.”
“You’re keeping me a prisoner.”
He inclined his head again, conceding the point. His gaze sharpened. “You keep mentioning the fact that Ian and I have a few issues with your ability to see things we’d rather you didn’t see. We get mad—defensive—and it hurts you. I’m sorry for that. I find it interesting, though, that you avoid talking about the fact that my brother and I can feel what you’re feeling.” Frowning, he appeared to consider that. “It seems only when you feel it strongly enough, though. We felt your pain when you hit your leg on the table. We can feel your lust when we make love to you, and we could both feel your revulsion and fear when Carello was here.”
He’d worked his way up to her knee, his hand fitting easily inside the loose pants. His fingers worked their magic on the underside, sending ribbons of electricity to her slit, while the warmth and gentleness in his caress calmed more of her tremors.
“Has anyone else ever been able to feel you the way my brother and I do?”
Uncomfortable with the subject, Serena tried again to pull her leg away with the intention of getting up and putting some distance between them, but Alastair had apparently run out of patience. He lifted her legs, making it impossible to get up, and with a firm push, tumbled her back against the pillows.
“Damn it, Serena! Talk to me.”
With a sigh, Serena settled back against the plush cushion, knowing she had no chance of getting up until he allowed it. “No. I’ve never had a connection like that with anyone before. No one except my mother has ever known—or cared—what I feel.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me that nothing like this ever happened with your other lover?”
Serena hated any discussion of her one and only experience with sex, and chose to avoid it, looking away.
Somehow, in a matter of only a few short days, she’d had sex with two men, and didn’t feel any guilt at all. She didn’t feel used, or dirty.
She felt free.
She felt alive.
She felt normal.
It was a nice dream, but she had to face reality.
She didn’t fit into their world any more than they’d fit into hers.
They lived in a world of secrets and danger, a world she knew nothing about. As exciting as it might have been, she figured she’d only end up endangering them by blurting something she shouldn’t, or somehow screw up their lives.
Aware of his curious stare, she met his gaze again. “So, what are we supposed to do to get Carello?”
Alastair lifted the hem of her shirt to run a hand over her belly. “You really don’t want to discuss him, do you?”
“No.” Smiling, Serena lifted a brow. “You’ve had lovers, too, haven’t you? Would you like to discuss them?” Pushing away from him, Serena got to her feet, wrapping her arms around herself as she went to the window. Turning from the waist, she eyed him coolly. “I want to know how we’re going to get Carello. What did your friend say? Will he be able to get him tonight?”
“No.” Alastair came to stand behind her, leading her away from the window before closing the curtain. “Although we’re isolated here, someone with a scope could get you. Stay away from the windows and stay in the house.”
Serena pulled her arm from his, forcing herself to stand alone. “For how long? Why can’t they get him tonight?”
“They’ll get his men, but he won’t be there, remember?” Ian came into the room and made himself comfortable on the sofa, propping his feet up on the coffee table. “Can’t you see the future? With your psychic abilities, I thought you would have been able to see that.”
Ser
ena whirled on him, hating the reminder that they wanted to use her abilities. She hated that she couldn’t see what she wanted to see and their distance and anger at what she could see. “It doesn’t work like that!”
Interlacing his fingers behind his head, Ian leaned back. “So, why don’t you tell us exactly how it does work?”
Frustrated at her own inability to understand herself, she slapped the back of the sofa. “I don’t know how it works! Sometimes I know things about a person without trying to. I’ve been so busy trying to block it out that I—”
“Wait a minute.” Alastair touched her arm, tightening his grip when she tried to pull away. “Have you ever tried to see anything?”
Giving up the struggle, Serena sighed. “Yeah. I tried to see what I could learn about you and your brother the night you kidnapped me. I failed.”
Ian frowned. “You seemed to know quite a bit for someone not trying. Why did you come with me? Why didn’t you fight me?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t hurt me. Don’t ask how I knew. I just did.”
Ian’s narrowed gaze sharpened. “You acted like you’d expected it—like you knew who I was. Is that because of your dream?”
Serena nodded, pulling away from Alastair, and circled the large sectional sofa, sitting as far from Ian as possible. “Yes, I already told you that.”
Alastair followed, taking the seat beside her, sitting so close that his thigh brushed hers. Taking her hand in his, he played with her fingers in an absent way, but she had the feeling she had his undivided attention. “You’re not alone anymore, Serena.”
Lifting her hand to his lips, he brushed a kiss over her knuckles. “So, you can see things that are going to happen in the future?”
Serena shrugged again, relieved to be able to talk about it. She played with a loose string on her sweater. “Sometimes. Things come to me in dreams whether I want them to or not. Sometimes I meet a person and can tell a lot about them, sometimes not much at all. I’ve already told you that when I’m around a lot of them at the same time, it gets overwhelming. I can’t listen to everything at once and make sense of it. I don’t want to hear them. If they’re really agitated, or experiencing some strong emotion, it’s worse.”
