Capturing Their Flame [Stone Passions 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rebecca Airies

  Naomi walked into the dining room. When Neil had taken her here earlier, she’d seen the French doors and the yard outside of it. She hadn’t noticed an alarm on the front door. They might have one though. She hoped that they didn’t have one on the back of the house. With a nervous swipe of her tongue across her lips, she gathered her courage. She flicked the lock on the door and turned the knob.

  The door opened silently. She stepped out and quickly shut the door behind her. She paused to put on her shoes and strode toward the fence near the house. She figured there’d be a gate there. Most people had some type of access to their backyard without going through the house.

  She found a gate. The tightness in her shoulders loosened a little. Almost out. She still had to make it out of their gated community, but focused on one step at a time. If she thought about everything she had to do, she’d start to panic. The time it would take to get someone here made her doubt the feasibility of this endeavor.

  She couldn’t let those things crowd in on her or she’d turn around and go right back into the house. She would get away from those two men. There might be a better chance later, but she wanted to escape before any attachment began to form. She had a life and they would not take it away from her.

  She fumbled with the latch to the gate, but managed to open it. As fast as she dared in heels on grass, she walked across the yard, but tried to keep close to the shadows. Not that staying in the dark areas would help much.

  She had a lot of bare light skin exposed. People looking out their windows worried her. More than that, she had to remember Gargoyles lived here.

  They fucking flew. They could spot movement and come in closer to investigate it. She knew that if that happened, she’d be caught. Although they wouldn’t know her by appearance, they wouldn’t let a Branal walk away if they chanced upon her trying to leave. They’d know someone brought her here for a reason.

  The bushes and trees ended. She looked around. She didn’t want to get close to the neighbor’s house. Did Gargoyles keep dogs as pets? She did not need someone’s pet waking them up.

  Which way should I go?

  She looked across the street. A few trees lined the sidewalk over that way. More than there grew along this side of the block. If she went that way, she’d also be a little closer to the wall along the road. She wanted to get to that wall as quickly as possible. When she made it there, she’d have to wait. She wouldn’t immediately go over it.

  She hurried across the street and under the shelter of the canopy of the tall tree. She rushed from one tree to the next. At the end of the block, she looked right and left. She saw lights on in a house about halfway down the block.

  Fuck. Why is anyone up at this time of night? She looked across the street. Not much cover on either side. She’d have to chance it on this side and get her ass past that house as fast as she could.

  Naomi winced as her heels struck the concrete. Although she tried to stay in the grass as much as possible, the ground along this area seemed much softer and her heels sank in deeper than it had along Neil and Isaac’s street. Trying to walk there had resulted in her stumbling two times.

  She’d have to chance walking along the damn sidewalk. At the end of the block, she hurried to the next. She knew she would have to cut through someone’s yard to get to the wall or pass near their yard. That would be the riskiest time.

  As she approached the wall, she’d try to make her way to the end of the block. She’d have a better opportunity there to not have to go through someone’s yard. There had to be areas that didn’t have houses.

  She found more trees near the walkway along the next block. The deep bass thump of someone’s music as they drove by reached her ears. As she moved from one tree to the other, she knew she approached the wall to the outside. A long road paralleled the houses situated along the wall. Her gaze searched the block and found a grouping of trees between the houses to the left.

  That cover offered her best chance. With a little luck, she could call from there and hide out under one of those trees to give her friend time to drive out here. If she could get ahold of one of them. If not, she’d have to go over the wall and start walking. She could walk the few miles to town, but that might as well be a hundred, considering her location and her high heels. Someone would spot her before she made it halfway there.

  She hurried for that group of trees. Once near the wall, she crouched beneath a tree and dug her phone from her purse. She sent a quick text to a friend she thought would be awake and checked to see if she’d set her phone on vibrate. She didn’t want it alerting anyone to her presence.

  Wind blew her hair in her face. She brushed it away as she stared at her phone willing it to go off. Maybe she should have texted before she left the house. She hadn’t wanted to chance wasting the time and getting caught before she made it this far though.

  A slight scrape drew her attention. She looked up, half expecting to see a tree scratching against the stone wall. A dark gray form sat on the stone wall. Wings spread and then folded behind it. She gasped and fell onto her ass. She scrambled back to get some distance, and began summoning fire.

  “All you’ll do is warm him up a little.” Isaac’s voice sounded from behind her. “And maybe piss him off. Not a good idea considering who he is. I’ve got her Dante.”

  “How did she get out of your house without either Neil or you knowing?” The still shifted Gargoyle, Dante, asked. His voice rumbled like gravel in a metal can.

  Some of the words were garbled to the point she had trouble recognizing them.

  “Apparently, she woke and crawled down the bed without waking either of us. We’d gone to sleep with her in our arms. She must have found a period when we weren’t touching her.” Isaac’s hands slipped under her arms and lifted her to her feet.

  “Either tie her to you, or keep her wrapped in your arms. She apparently doesn’t know where she belongs yet. This time she almost got over the wall.” Dante’s wings flexed. “If she’d been a little quicker and in something more appropriate to sneaking away, I wouldn’t have seen her cross the street.”

  “We’ve learned our lesson tonight about that.” Isaac pulled her back against him. “I’m taking her home.”

  Naomi’s phone buzzed in her hand. Isaac reached down and took it from her.

  “Oh, look someone’s received a message. Marki says sure, where do you need her to pick you up? Well, can’t have her waste a trip out here.” Isaac’s fingers tapped at the phone.

  For someone who had such big fingers, he texted with amazing speed. He finished the text and then crushed her phone. She stared at the destroyed technology. Her heartbeat pounded. She could feel it hitting her chest as heat washed through her. Her fists bunched at her side.

  She kicked at him. Her foot slammed into his shin. He gasped and spat out a curse.

  “Son of a bitch, you don’t fucking destroy someone else’s things. Do you know how much stuff I had on that phone? I had notes for my classes on that, asshole. Getting me a new phone won’t replace those.”

  A snickering laugh drew her attention away from the infuriating man holding her hand. The Gargoyle perched atop the wall watched them. Her eyes narrowed on the beast. If she could find a freaking rock right now, she’d throw it at the damn thing.

  “If you backed your phone up as you should, you won’t lose anything. Was your phone backed up properly? And calling your mate such denigrating names is worthy of punishment, I think.” He tugged on her hand. “Time to begin walking back to the house. We need to get some rest. Neil and I have to work, and you’ll come with one of us.”

  “Do I freaking look like I have a choice of clothing with me here to be able to go with you to your office? I didn’t come here with a fucking bag of clothes.” She pulled back on her arm. They made this impossible.

  His hand released hers. Before she could think of bolting, his hand smacked her ass. She drew in a breath at the sharp sting spreading over the curve of flesh.

  �
��Stop cursing. We’ll provide for your needs.” Isaac frowned down at her. “That’s enough of the tantrums.”

  “Tantrums!” Naomi’s voice rose with her outrage.

  “Yes, tantrums. You’ve been giving us tastes of your attitude all night long since we took you from the theater. Remember one thing when you start to give us any attitude. If you hadn’t been trespassing on our territory, you wouldn’t be here tonight.” Isaac scowled down at her and once again took her hand.

  This time, he led her away from the wall. Stunned amazement held her silent. She hadn’t expected him to say that. A blush of anger rose over her skin. It galled her that he was right. If she’d respected the boundaries, she’d be sleeping at home. She remained silent until they arrived back at his house.

  “You won’t be getting another chance to sneak out while we’re asleep. If we have to, we will tie you to us. I wouldn’t mind that at all. It would ensure some happy starts to the morning.” His eyes swept down her body.

  Chapter Eight

  Naomi stared at the computer screen in front of her. Such wonderful technology, but in its present conditions served as nothing except a toy and time suck. They’d disabled the internet connection. She had a couple games here and a few texts on nursing. Isaac sat across from her. His gaze focused on the screen as he studied something there.

  Neil was at his work. Apparently, they’d decided that she’d always be with one of them, at least for a while. This morning they’d worked out a schedule for her to go with one or the other of them every work day.

  She wore jeans and a t-shirt. They’d found the clothing for her early this morning. She didn’t know or ask where they’d bought it. Tonight, they’d buy her more clothing. She didn’t need that. She wanted to go home.

  She’d come with Isaac today. Neil had an important meeting and he couldn’t take her with him. Neither of them had given any response when she’d told them to let her go. She knew they’d heard her. They didn’t agree with it or acknowledge it.

  The big wooden desk in the office looked like an antique better suited to someone’s library than a modern security office. The furnishings of the office had that antique or handmade design. It was his office though. She’d seen his name on the name plate when she entered.

  The rich dark mahogany shelving unit to the right of the desk looked sturdy and heavy. She wondered how many men it had taken to get it into the room. She wished she had that large, luxurious black leather office chair he sat in. The two plush chairs placed opposite the large desk offered some cushion, but not as much support. She hadn’t seen any kind of cubicle farm in any of the offices. Maybe Isaac had some dealing with clients.

  “I can feel your eyes on me. Either say something or go back to reading. I can’t play right now.” Isaac didn’t look up from his computer. His fingers flew over the keyboard. She had no idea what he worked on. He hadn’t volunteered any information.

  “I don’t want to play with you. Hell, I don’t want to be here. Do you two not think that I have a life that you’re fucking ruining with your insistence that I stay here with you?” She folded her arms across her chest and kept her gaze on him. She hoped he could feel them burning into the top of his head. Too bad it couldn’t do some actual damage though.

  “Baby, we’re not ruining your life. We’re setting it on the proper course. You were meant to be with us.” Isaac looked up and scowled at her.

  She glanced to the right hoping that she’d find something to throw at him. No such luck. She didn’t even have a small table beside her, which was why she had the laptop resting on her legs. God, how blind could the man be? As if she had been in the wrong place or what she planned didn’t matter.

  “Do you think I wandered around life aimlessly before you two appeared? No, I had plans. I had friends. I had school and things I intended to do.” She clenched her fist on the arm of the chair.

  “The nursing books we got for you should keep you up to date until you can get back to that. We won’t stop you from pursuing it. It will take a little while to get you into class here.” Isaac smiled at her and then looked back down at his computer as if that settled everything.

  “I don’t want to go to class here. I don’t want this. I had goals for life beyond school and they didn’t include two Gargoyles. My family had plans for a marriage for me.” She scowled at him. He and Neil seemed to think she should be honored to be part of their lives. She didn’t consider this some kind of step up.

  He snorted. “And you think there’s a chance in hell that will happen? Dream on, little one. We’re not giving up the one meant for us. If you’re honest with yourself, you’d admit that there’s something good between us.”

  Heat rushed over her cheek at his dismissal. Something intense did exist between them, but they’d have to torture her to get it out of her. “It’s sex. Casual, easy sex that anyone could walk away from. Nothing real extraordinary.”

  His head snapped up and his eyes narrowed. The hazel blazed at her. She tried to hide a smile at the reaction. At least now, he didn’t seem fucking amused and condescending.

  “There’s more. Beware what you say next, baby. If I get up from this chair, I’ll go lock the door and strip you out of those jeans and shirt. I’ll bend you over that desk and give those cheeks a few swats to remind you not to push me unless you’re prepared to take the consequences, and then I’ll fuck you. There are people in the hall outside. You remember that sitting area at the end of the hallway. Do you want them to know that you just came hard? I guarantee they’ll hear you.” He stared at her, the intensity burning in his eyes something more than sexual desire

  She rolled her eyes. As if she believed that threat. He worked here. He wouldn’t do anything to threaten his job. Sex in the office would do that in any workplace. On top of that, she wouldn’t allow him to intimidate her.

  “Yeah, go ahead and threaten me. All it does is give me more reason to leave.” She lifted her chin. If he thought she would back down because of this alpha posturing, he had a lot to learn about her. Not that she intended to stick around to let him. “I will get away.”

  Isaac closed his computer. He stood. The controlled movements made her more nervous than if he’d popped to his feet. His gaze locked on her as he strode around the desk. She fidgeted in the seat. Conflicting urges held her completely still. Part of her screamed to run for the door and get out into the main office. The other part said that if she remained unmoving and quiet, she might not attract his attention.

  Once he reached her, his pace slowed. He continued to the door. The lock clicked with a distinct snick. She gulped. She hadn’t believed he’d do it.

  “You don’t want to do this, Isaac. You could lose your job.” She put the computer down and rose from the chair. She eased back one step at a time.

  He laughed softly. “You don’t know much about the Gargoyle. Dante told me to make sure that you realized where you belong as fast as possible. And for a Gargoyle, there’s no better way than fucking their woman.”

  She took another slow step back. He took a long stride forward. She bumped into the desk and shuffled to the side to go around it. His hands flattened to the desktop on either side of her. He leaned down until his nose brushed hers.

  “It will be such an enjoyable activity. The one thing that I’d change about this situation is that you’re wearing jeans. It would be easier to push a skirt aside. I think we’ll have to get you some when we get more clothes for you tonight.” Isaac’s head tilted and his lips brushed across hers.

  “I don’t think so. I don’t want you.” She knew he wouldn’t force himself on her. While her body might be beginning to burn, she didn’t want him to use sex as a way to prove a point.

  “Do you think I can’t smell your sweet cream flowing, or see the hunger flaring in your eyes?” He straightened and stared down at her with a raised brow.

  She blinked at him. She’d forgotten that he could do that. “Physically, but you know that mentally I want other th
ings.”

  “You’re creating a separation when there doesn’t have to be one. You can have almost everything you had with the Branal when you’re with Neil and me. I’m not giving you up, and it’s time you realize that.” His hand slid between them and cupped her pussy. “It’s time for you to stop hiding from the truth.”

  She gasped at the bold caress. She licked her lips. “I’m not hiding from anything.”

  His fingers moved along the seam of her jeans pressing upward between the lips. “There’s no going back to your old life already. You have to know that. Your body is already changing.”

  Her mind locked on those words, but his fingers stole her ability to concentrate. He stroked, causing the fabric of her panties to drag over her clit. Her hips began to rock into the tormenting touch.

  With his free hand, he unbuttoned her shirt. She ran her hands over his chest. Her hands tingled as his heat began to rise. She needed skin beneath her fingertips. She unbuttoned his shirt. With a sigh of satisfaction, she pushed the fabric apart. Her fingers spread as she smoothed her hands over his skin.

  Her hips jerked upward as his fingers worked over her clit. She gasped and moaned. Hunger ripped through her, sharp, and ragged. Her inner muscles clenched desperate to feel his cock inside her.

  He pushed her shirt wide and then pushed the cups of her bra down. His head lowered and he swiped his tongue over the peak. She shivered. It felt good. Her body tightened. She teetered close to the edge. He drew the tip into his mouth. He sucked hard as his fingers continued to rub over her clit.

  “Isaac.” She clutched at his shoulders. “Isaac, I need more.”

  “I could send you over with my fingers. Your cream has soaked my fingers.” Contrary to his words, his touch lightened.