He groaned and raked a hand over his face while she chuckled. Gabriel clasped her chin and turned Emily’s head in his direction. She offered him the same goofy grin until his lips swooped down and captured hers. He cupped the back of her head with his palm and devoured her until she felt light-headed. He pulled back and she gasped for air, staring bemusedly up at him.
“Eat,” he commanded and she simply nodded.
Emily tried to concentrate on the meal before her, but she couldn’t seem to settle herself comfortably in her seat. She squirmed every so often, and fidgeted around on the lumpy cushion tied to the chair’s spindles. After minutes of effort, she finally found the right spot and sighed.
Then, she set about eating.
Her appetite had taken a nose dive over the past two months, and she knew she had lost weight. All of her jeans and shorts were much looser, and she’d already been in shape from the running and workout schedule she kept. But now, with Gabriel and Noah so close, Emily felt safe and at peace for the first time in what seemed like forever.
So she dug into the full country breakfast Gabe had prepared, and cleaned her plate quickly. She licked her fingers often, savoring the flavors. When she reached for seconds, Gabriel’s hand closed gently around hers, halting her from lifting the plate of bacon.
“Em, answer something for us,” he said quietly.
“What?”
“Have you been skipping meals?”
“Yes,” she admitted, “though not intentionally. I’ve just kinda lost my appetite lately.”
Gabriel studied her face and then he released her hand. He picked up the platter and began to fill Emily’s plate.
“No more of that. Got it?” he asked. “You’re safe now, so you eat your fill and then some. Okay, Emily?”
“Okay, Gabriel.” She smiled. Emily leaned against his arm and rested there briefly. “I bought enough food along the way north to last me for about a month, but with the three of us here it’ll go faster.”
“Not a problem,” Noah said quickly. He reached for her hand and held it while she continued to rest against Gabriel. “We can send Garrett or Kaden out for supplies if we run low. But I don’t think we’ll be here that long for it to be a problem.”
“Garrett and Kaden?” she asked. Emily sat up in her seat again and looked from Gabriel to Noah. “Are they nearby?”
“Right down the mountain in the next cabin,” Gabe answered. “They came with us and have already established a guard around the perimeter. Noah and I took care of things from the inside.”
She blew out a breath as she looked across the room at the windows. All covered and closed off from the spectacular views just on the other side. What had happened to her life, she mused sadly?
“Are we safe right now?” she whispered.
“Very,” Gabriel replied, watching her eyes closely now. He saw a fierce light spark in them, and he wanted to give Noah a high five and shout his thanks as he observed its return. Emily always had been a fighter, and he saw the burgeoning evidence of her strong will and resolve resurfacing.
She slowly rose from her chair and took measured steps across the living area. She paused right in front of the large, picture window that graced the far wall. Emily stared at the blind’s chord, noticing how badly her hand shook when she reached for it. In a moment of sheer determination, she forced her fingers to pull the chord back.
The blind slowly inched upward, until the room was flooded with the morning’s bright light. She felt her shoulders shaking and realized that tears were coursing down her cheeks. Emily drew a hand over her lips to stop any sounds from escaping, but she need not have worried.
Two strong sets of arms were there to catch her and hold her up. Gabriel in front and Noah behind her. She buried her face in Gabe’s chest and gasped as she fought another onslaught. Emily clenched her jaw tightly against the deluge that threatened to overtake her.
“We’ve got you,” Gabriel murmured. He rocked her and dropped his chin atop her head. But he winked at Noah, feeling as though they needed to celebrate the milestone she’d just reached. Noah nodded his understanding and agreement while he gently caressed Emily’s lower back.
“I want to open them all,” she said determinedly and pulled away from Gabriel’s arms. “All of them. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he grinned and dipped his chin. “Let’s open the ones in here first and finish eating while the food’s still warm. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven,” she said truthfully. “If we were at the beach, I’d lay out in the sun right now. Really soak up the rays.”
“Tell you what,” Noah began, as he propelled her forward. They flanked her as they led Emily back to the table. “Let’s get through this little challenge, and then we’ll all go to a tropical locale together. Some place where we have a private cabana or house, and we’ll keep you naked the entire time.”
“I never knew you had such a one track mind,” Emily chuckled. She slid into her seat and laced her fingers through his, once Noah was settled.
“I told you in the bedroom, Em, you’ve opened the barn doors. There’s going to be no holding me and Gabe back now.”
“You won’t hear any complaints from me,” she promised. “And one more thing.”
“What’s that, baby?” Noah asked. He angled his head and watched her eyes grow serious again.
“I noticed that you called this situation a ‘little challenge’.”
“Yeah?”
“I liked that,” she said softly. “I like it a lot. It gives me hope, and I’ve not had much of that lately.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward in his seat. He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her skin. He held her gaze for several moments, then he nodded. Just once, but with enough conviction to make her smile.
Gabriel slid into his chair after opening the rest of the room’s blinds. He kissed her cheek and then handed Emily another piece of toast.
“Eat up, Em,” he said and smiled.
She drew in a deep breath and held it a second before she exhaled. Yes, Emily thought, she had hope again. Hope, faith, and love unending where these two men were concerned. Now, she just had to have confidence in their abilities to do the job that they were trained to do. To track down her own personal demon and send him back to the fires from whence he came.
CHAPTER 14
Emily lay on the sofa with her eyes closed, sure that she was in bliss. Her head was in Gabriel’s lap, and he was slowly trailing his fingers through her hair. She could feel the sun’s rays on her skin, even though it was streaming in through the barrier of the window panes. Still, it was like giving a person who’d been locked in solitary confinement the keys to the prison yard. It warmed not only her skin, but also her soul.
Noah joined them on the sofa once he’d cleaned the kitchen and he took his place at her feet. He got comfortable, settling his large frame down on the plush fabric cushions, then he slipped first one of her socks off and then the other. He lifted Emily’s left foot and began a slow massage that made her jump and open her eyes.
“Steady,” Noah chuckled. “I know you’re ticklish, Emily. I’ll be gentle.”
“Lie back down and close your eyes,” Gabriel said softly.
She nodded and tried to lie still, though she couldn’t help but flinch each time Noah’s adept fingers ran across her instep. A rumble of laughter rolled through Gabriel’s chest, and she narrowed her eyes at him in return.
“Close them, Em,” Gabriel warned in that stern tone that made shivers run down her spine.
Emily could tell that he knew exactly what effect he was having on her when he used it, because his lips pressed into a firm line with just the tiniest hint of a smile pulling the right corner of his lips up. It made him look masterful and completely in charge. And something deep within Emily responded to that.
“Yes, Gabriel,” she whispered. Emily dutifully closed her eyes, but not before she caught the fire that flashed in his blu
e eyes.
He dug his fingers into her scalp, intensifying his massage. Taking over and letting her know he was most assuredly in charge of her for as long as she’d let him. Emily decided not to hold out on them, but to voice her response. Hadn’t Noah said he wanted to hear the words? Well, Emily thought, maybe they both wanted to hear every breathless sigh that their touch produced too.
She tilted her head back in Gabriel’s lap and blew out a heavy breath. Her back arched and Emily pressed her right foot against Noah’s inner thigh, curling her toes just a bit. She listened intently and was rewarded when she heard him groan softly. Oh, this was so much better than watching them while she got them hot and bothered, Emily thought. She felt a little bolder with her eyes closed and she liked the freedom it won her.
Emily slipped a hand under her t-shirt and gradually ran her palm over her stomach, then upwards towards her left breast. She circled her nipple again and again until it stood in a rigid peak and then she began to pluck at it, teasing the pleasure point until she started to squirm between them.
Her breath came out in shallow puffs, as her hand left her breast and skated down her abdomen. She delved into her shorts and found her clitoris, rigid and alert to her touch. Noah pressed hard on her instep just as she touched her clit and cried out.
She felt Gabriel’s hands leave her head and he clasped the hem of her shirt, then he rolled it up and off of her. Noah’s hands abandoned her foot and he reached for the button on her shorts. Emily lifted her hips when she felt him tug the garment, and soon it was a thing of the past too.
Both men drew in an audible breath, and Emily felt sure it was because she had skipped wearing any underwear after her shower with Noah. It had just felt decadent to go without, and she liked the awareness of her body it had brought. Every time she moved, the cotton of her shirt had abraded her nipples and her shorts had rubbed her clit in such a way as to keep her constantly aroused.
She’d said nothing throughout breakfast, but now they knew. And from the sound of their labored breathing, Emily thought that they were not disappointed by their discovery.
“Keep your eyes closed, Emily,” Gabriel directed.
“Yes, Gabe,” she said again, smiling as she uttered the compliant words.
His hands covered her breasts, gently kneading the mounds and pushing them together. Noah’s fingers ran up her legs at the same time, seeking and getting closer to her own hand. He clasped her wrist and slid her hand down to her side. Ever so slowly, Noah pushed her thighs apart.
Emily arched up again as she felt Gabriel pinch her nipples and Noah blow warm air across her pussy. She reached for them, her left hand colliding with the solid wall of Gabriel’s chest. But Noah was just out of reach. He halted her seeking fingers midair and placed her right hand back down on the sofa, tapping her wrist and letting her know she was to keep it there.
“Guys…” she panted, suddenly needing to see them, to connect with them in some other way.
“Shhh,” Gabriel corrected her. “Eyes closed or we stop.”
Emily whimpered, but nodded. She had started this, but quickly lost control of the game. And now they were going to finish it. Or her, she thought ruefully.
But she trusted them, and she needed this. Needed to let go of all the worry and anxiety that had plagued her life for over eight weeks. And if ever there were others who knew her needs, inside and out, it was Gabriel and Noah.
She’d grown up fast, dealing with the loss of her parents and then her grandparents. And though she’d had Gabriel and Noah to lean on, Emily had never had them like this. Not really. Not as her partners and her lovers. Never shared what they could now.
Yes, Emily said to herself, it was time for someone else to make the decisions.
So, she drew in a deep breath and gave herself over to their care. She gave herself over to the moment and with her surrender, Emily found true freedom. The kind of freedom she hadn’t experienced not just in the last two months, but in all of her twenty-three years.
Gabriel stopped breathing the moment Emily’s body went soft and yielding. He had never analyzed why he liked control in the bedroom. Never acknowledged that darker edge of what he really craved, yet had not explored with another. He’d never felt comfortable taking the reins in such a way, for fear that the few brief partners he’d had would think he was overbearing, unfeeling, or uncaring.
But in that one glorious second, he got it. As if someone had just dropped an anvil on his thick head. It wasn’t about control at all. It was surrender. For them both.
He watched all of the tension and worry leave Emily’s brow, the lines easing away. Her breathing calmed and her muscles relaxed. It was a supreme moment of trust. And that was the key. It was all about trust. The reason why he’d never felt for another, what he did for Emily. He’d never trusted them enough or himself to let them in, or to truly let go.
God, he loved this woman. Loved that he could be himself with her, without fear that Emily didn’t want what he was offering. He could be a cranky bastard at times, he knew. But normally Emily would just chuckle at his bluster and give him such a sweet and honest smile. One that reached her eyes - one that came from her heart.
It was the same smile that now graced her lips as she lay there stretched out between him and Noah, completely giving them her body. Her heart. A lifetime of her love. Her everything.
Trust was a two-way street, and Gabriel knew he’d never gotten what it was all about, like he did in that one moment.
Gabriel’s eyes lifted from Emily’s body to meet Noah’s gaze, and he saw the same shock and reverence reflected there. Noah arched an eyebrow at him, and cocked his head to the side, his fingers no longer exploring her delicate folds. Gabe knew that Noah realized the significance of the moment too, and was just as committed to not destroying the trust Emily had just placed squarely in their hands.
With a slow nod from Gabriel, they began again. But this time, with a totally different objective. This was no fast race to completion. This was slow, sensual love-making at their direction.
Gabe lifted his hands from Emily’s breasts and he swept his fingers through her hair. Over and over again he lightly massaged her tresses and scalp. He moved his fingers down the sides of her face and gently pressed against her skin, lingering over every inch of Emily’s countenance until he glided his fingers down the column of her throat.
For countless minutes he kneaded the skin across her shoulders and chest, staying just above her breasts. Then Gabriel changed the pressure he was using and barely skimmed his fingertips across her collarbones. He traced the lines and then sent two fingertips trailing along her sternum. Emily sighed deeply and arched her back, but still he resisted her breasts.
He brought his hands up and then used the blunt edge of his fingernails to lightly scrape the sensitive underside of her arms. He lifted first one arm, and then her other, making slow, sweeping passes until gooseflesh erupted over Emily’s entire body. He watched her wet her lips as his palms moved over her ribcage, before he switched back to using his fingertips. Gabe traced the outline of each bone under her pale skin. When she trembled, he moved his hands back up to her hair and began all over again.
So lost in his own ministrations was he, that Gabriel had completely forgotten about Noah. He glanced down to see Noah working his fingertips up the inside of her right thigh. He wondered how far Noah would go during the initial stages of this sensuous exploration, and found himself smiling when Noah’s fingers trailed up the crease where Emily’s leg met her body, circled her mound, and then continued on down her left inner thigh.
Yes, Gabriel thought proudly, this was damn near perfection.
Noah was just as lost in this sensual new world as Gabriel and Emily. He had almost swallowed his tongue when she had submitted to them. Submitted! His Emily! Noah would never have thought such a thing possible, or something he’d even have wanted. But if he really looked at what had taken place since they came to the cabin, that was what ha
d happened in a way.
Emily had trusted them to initiate her into the physical realm of a relationship, giving herself completely over to their care. And in doing so, Noah acknowledged that she had given them such a gift. She trusted them with everything.
Noah was ashamed now that he’d ever shared himself with another woman. He’d always known his heart belonged to Emily, and yet he had indulged in the pleasures of the flesh with a few others. But nothing he had ever experienced came close to touching what he had shared with Emily since they found her in the cabin.
He saw clearly what he’d been missing over the years, and was amazed at the difference between sex and making love. He’d always thought the term was a bit cliché, like something you only read about in a mushy greeting card, but not anymore. He and Gabe were the ones with the experience, but Emily was fast teaching them that they’d never really understood the complexities of it all. What sex could be, if you were fully invested in your partner.
It was more than just physical release. It was an exchange of trust and love, all wrapped up in a bundle of fun and absolute gratification. Never had release felt so good to him, as when he watched Emily come apart in his arms, all while he was pouring himself into her. No, Noah told himself, he’d never understood before. But he damn sure did now. And he never wanted to turn away from what was possible for them. He’d never let her go.
Noah’s fingers crept steadily upward along Emily’s inner thighs, lightly massaging and teasing as he went along. When he came to the crease where her legs met her core, he skimmed his hands up and around her waist until they found her buttocks. He kneaded the globes there and watched Emily arch up again and again. One of his fingers teased the crease of her ass, and she gasped.
Theirs To Claim (Predatory Desires Book 1) Page 12
