Loving Selene [The Clay Parish Boys 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Layle Black

  “Well…I suppose I’ve been satisfied with the way life is going. I have a great job and a wonderful boss who appreciates me. As a matter of fact he flew me down here as soon as I got the news about Aunt Felicity. How many bosses would be willing to do that?” Jac silently agreed that not many bosses would be willing to do that and that made him wonder who the hell her boss was. He knew she worked for some mega millionaire with a foreign sounding name but he never delved deeper than that. Maybe he damn well should.

  Selene shifted in her seat and deliberately tugged her hand from the distracting hold of Jac’s grasp. Happy? How was she supposed to answer that? She’d never really given it any thought but had the sad inkling that perhaps she wasn’t as contented as she thought she’d been. Sure she had experienced the satisfaction of a job well done with her work but at the end of the day when she came home to her empty apartment there was no one to greet her, to worry about her. She reflected back on the letters she had been reading and suddenly saw her future as a yawning emptiness devoid of love. Giving herself a mental shake Selene focused on Jac. How was it this man made her reflect on things that had not bothered her before? It seemed like coming home had suddenly put her life under a microscope in a way that should otherwise be left alone.

  “He sounds like quite a guy. Are you two involved?” The point blank question threw her for a moment and she covered her surprise by taking a sip of wine from her glass. Placing her glass back on the table she met his blue gaze head on.

  “Rafael bin Rashid is a good boss and ruthless businessman and definitely not my lover. Not that that’s any of your business.”

  Jac hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath when he asked about Selene’s boss until she answered his question. Disappointed would have been an understatement of how he would have felt if he discovered Selene was already entertaining a lover. The level of possessiveness he felt for her took him aback. Remy’s words came back to haunt him. Already he was becoming emotionally invested in Selene and she may very well reject the idea of a ménage right off the bat. If there was a choice between an uber rich captain of industry or them? Shit end of the stick time.

  “So do you get to ask all the questions or do I get a turn?” Jac saw the gleam of challenge in her eyes. It looks like someone’s going on the offensive? He grinned and leaned back in his chair, his body signaling “I am an open book.”

  “By all means…fire away.” Jac hoped he sounded nonchalant, in truth he was tense as hell. Damn Remy for planting all those little seeds of doubt.

  “Tell me about Clay Parish and why is the town at the center of so many rumors? There were whole church sermons dedicated to Sodom and Gomorrah but I am pretty sure they were talking about your hometown.” Jac took a drink from his own glass of wine and leveled his gaze on Selene.

  “Well…it’s a long story but I’ll try to give you the abridged version. In the seventeen-seventy’s about two hundred Acadians traveled down from what is now Quebec and tried to find land to settle in Louisiana. The danger of the journey and illness took quite a toll on the settlers, especially the women of the group. By the time they found a place to set up homesteading their female population had died off by half. Cajuns being a practical people came up with the idea of a few of the women taking more than one husband. I suppose the logic was sound in that it would cut down on in fighting over women.”

  Selene sat enthralled by his story. The lurid rumors about Clay Parish had always played in the background of her childhood. Whenever anyone from the town of Clay was seen in Sparks, tongues would wag and people joked about hiding their daughters but there had been an element of seriousness beneath all that joking.

  “If that happened so long ago, why are the rumors still hanging around?” This she had to hear.

  Jac sighed, a sheepish smile on his face.

  “Well…the thing is the practice never stopped.”

  Chapter 9

  Silence reigned at the table for a moment as Selene absorbed what he’d said. When she finally spoke she couldn’t keep the astonishment from her voice.

  “You mean to tell me you have women running around with two husbands?” Jac shifted in his chair and leaned forward to brace his arms on the table.

  “As I said initially it was seen as practical but as the generations went it just became tradition for some. Not every woman in the Parish takes more than one husband but there are those who have seen the merit in it and enjoy having a third in their relationships.” Selene noticed the spark of defense in his eyes that confirmed that some of the tales about him and Remy had been true after all but she had to know for certain.

  “I take it you see nothing wrong with a woman having two lovers at the same time?” Jac smiled in his rakish way. A wicked gleam shown bright in the sensual bluer than blue field of his eyes.

  “You know that answer to that, Selene. You know very well me and Remy’s exploits when we were young and dumb were no state secret. Believe me, we never enjoyed being the subject of public speculation but we never denied what we liked either. “

  “So I heard.” Selene almost winced at the harpy tone in her voice. She almost sounded jealous. Jac didn’t seem to mind, she noticed. A grin spread across his face and she felt like the sun just came out after dark.

  “Baby girl, that was a long time ago and those ‘experiences‘ have moved on and even remarried I hear.”

  “So…this still goes on in Clay and that’s why the people of Sparks still talk about it? One would think they would just ignore it after a while.” Jac nodded, his fingers going back to tracing the neat weave of the table cloth.

  “You know how small towns are. Attracted to the lurid details but secretly curious about how relationships like that would work.” Selene finished the wine in her glass, suddenly feeling a little overheated. Jac’s smile dimmed a little as he spoke.

  “I am sure they do,” she said without thinking, lost in thought about how indeed relationships like that would work.

  “You sound a little curious yourself, Selene.” Jac met her gaze unwavering. The relaxed atmosphere between them suddenly became tension filled.

  “Are you curious?” Selene felt like squirming under Jac’s penetrating stare. It was like he was trying to peel back her layers to figure out what she really thought. What did she think? Two men making love to one woman? All their attention purely focused on her pleasure and release. Thick heat settled between her legs and she subtly crossed her legs to quell it.

  Jac reached back across the table and reclaimed her hand, his fingers tracing slowly along the smooth back of her hand.

  “Have you ever made love to two men at once?” His voice was lower, more intimate. He sounded like he did that afternoon when he’d just finished ravishing her mouth.

  “No…I haven’t.” She was transfixed by the slow rub and slide of Jac’s hand on her skin. His touch was direct and unapologetic, like he knew exactly what he was doing and more importantly what he was doing to her.

  “You’ve never been curious to know how it feels to have two men pleasuring you at once. One taking your mouth in a deep kiss while the other lay between your thighs serving you with an even …deeper kiss?” His fingers were sliding slowly up her arm to the little sensitive place at the bend in her arm. She could well imagine the heat of his breath and brush of his lips across that area. Perhaps even the warm wet glide of his tongue. Imaginably another pair of warms lips at her throat at the same time.

  “Would you care for more wine?” The sudden appearance of their waiter at the table made Selene jump, breaking the sensual spell Jac had woven around them. A dull aching throb thrummed between her thighs from the sudden interruption and judging from the tightening of Jac’s jaw, he was experiencing the same discomfort.

  “Shall we order?” Jac asked but the heated intensity of his gaze let her know their “conversation” was far from over.

  The rest of the dinner moved along safer lines than the first hour. Selene found herself having a go
od time. Jac was a great conversationalist and truly a great story teller. She listened enthralled as he talked about his early days as a rookie police officer and how he ended up becoming the youngest sheriff in Clay Parish history.

  “Clay is not New Orleans but it has its moments. Periodically we deal with meth labs and imported troublemakers into the town but luckily that’s short lived.” He sounded so matter of fact about the danger he could find himself in. She had to admire him for the obvious dedication to the job. It struck her that the devil-may-care boy he had been had become a true authoritarian. Remy on the other hand seemed to be what he had always been…bossy, although now there was an edge to him that felt dangerous.

  “You should come over to Clay and pay a visit. I am sure Remy would love to see you.” Selene laughed aloud, taking a drink from her water glass.

  “I think love would be an exaggeration, Jac. I didn’t get the impression he was too glad to see me.” Selene wouldn’t admit it allowed but his disdain at seeing her had hurt.

  “Never think that, Selene. Things…have been hard for him since he came back from the military. He had some pretty harrowing experiences and they left their mark on him. The last few years have been about healing and pulling his life back together. I think perhaps you remind him of a different time. A better time.” Selene smiled.

  “I can see how you ended up in politics, Jac. You certainly know how to spin a good story.” They both laughed and completed their dinner in peaceful chatter. Remy remained strangely absent from the remainder of the conversation. Whether from coincidence or design Selene didn’t know but she didn’t question it.

  After the delicious dinner Jac bundled her back into his roomy black SUV and began to drive further into New Orleans instead of toward home. The three glasses of wine still had Selene buzzing happily so she didn’t question him. She felt wild and carefree and was willing to flow with the mood. The realities of her life would be there to greet her when the sun rose. Right now she wanted to be part of the night…with Jac. After a twenty minute drive they pulled up in front of a dance club that was heaving with people. Before she got out of the vehicle she could already hear the thumping beat of blues filling the air.

  Jac took her hand and led her toward the club but instead of going through the front entrance he led them around the building to a back door that opened upon a stairway. A few nods to employees and they ended up in a small balcony that overlooked the stage. A large comfortable looking Victorian style red velvet settee dominated the small space. A low hanging awning and the closed in area lent an atmosphere of privacy. Jac led her to the couch and within minutes she had a cool fruity tasting drink in her hand. The energy of the Blues band and the raucous crowd was contagious and soon she was swaying along with the party goers below. Periodic brushes of Jac’s hand across her leg or whispered words in her ear kept her on the sharp edge of awareness.

  Jac had no shame in admitting that he had every intension of seducing Selene but somehow all his efforts had only managed to tie himself further into a knot of his own making. She controlled the tempo more than he’d ever thought and could only dance where she led. Being in such close proximity to Selene was simply driving him out of his mind. Her scent was an intoxicating combination of vanilla and sensual woman that made his skin prickle. His cock had been in a semi erect state since they left the restaurant and now in the seclusion of the balcony a slow burn of lust was making it damn uncomfortable. He was unable to resist the soft suppleness of her skin, touching it at every opportunity. The band had just struck up another set, this time slow and sensual Blues guitar filled the air. Couples began to pair off and move against each other to the beat of the music under the dimmed lighting of the club.

  Selene felt Jac’s arms surround her from behind and pull her back against him. She allowed herself to fold against him, letting the music carry her on a wave of melodic eroticism. Surprisingly over the din of the music she could still hear his deep voice close to her ear whispering words designed to entice. She needed little encouragement, her body already completely on board.

  “You’re so beautiful, Selene. Your smell alone is enough to drive me wild,” he whispered. His long tanned fingers trailed along her legs, sending tiny shock waves dancing along her skin. Her heart stuttered in her chest when he ratcheted things up with his next words.

  “Lean back against the couch and open your legs. I want to touch you.” His husky command was delivered through gritted teeth, his breathing almost as urgent as hers. She spared only a glance at the crowd beneath the balcony. The pulsing sexuality that drove her senses was a living thing that swam through the air, pulsing with the music and creating a separate reality where concerns over being observed only added to the eroticism of the moment. The balcony had become a separate place, a private Eden where they could go wherever lust led. Selene met the intensity of his gaze and leaned back against the velvet covered over stuffed arm of the couch. She let her legs spread apart only hesitating when the coolness of the air chilled the crotch of her moistened panties.

  The sudden sensation of complete exposure had her starting to close her legs but Jac hand reached down to stop her. He leaned in close and his hand pushed her thighs apart as far as her tight fitting skirt would allow. His eyes remained on hers as his hand began to slide up along the inside of her thigh until the very tips of his fingers brushed her sensitive flesh. The thin material of her panties was made even more inadequate by her body’s liquid response. She held her breath at the first firm stroke of his finger along the moist cleft of her pussy. The swollen clit blossomed like a flower under his gentle but teasing touch. Selene couldn’t stop the little mewling moans that left her lips if she tried. Her hips wiggled and rose up from the couch trying to get closer, needing his touch deeper.

  Jac almost moaned at the first wet glide of his finger along Selene’s slickened panties. Only a thin scrap of material separated him from the heaven pulsing between her thighs. He silently damned the dim lighting that denied him the perfect view of her body. He was attuned to every shiver and moan that emanated from her. He responded on a visceral level that he’d never experienced with any of his prior lovers. He pulled the crotch of her panties to the side to give him freer access. The intoxicating scent of her arousal further teased his senses to an almost fever pitch. He wanted nothing more than to shove his face between her thighs and feast like a dying man with his last meal. The mere thought of her taste on his lips had his mouth watering. The tips of his index finger slid through the honeyed viscosity with an ease that made his balls tighten. Every sharp moan that emanated from Selene rocked him to the core.

  Selene held her breath at the first penetrating slide of Jac’s finger into her body. It had been a couple of years since her last lover so she knew she was tight around the thickness of his finger. Selene thrilled with the thought of how his cock would feel inside her, fucking her. The deeply arousing mental image sent a fresh flow of liquid heat to drench his teasing fingers and slickening her aching pussy.

  “Damn, baby girl, you keeping moaning like that and I’ll come in my pants like an untried teenager.” Despite the danger of a possibly embarrassing episode with the front of his pants Jac did not let up. He slid his finger free and added another into the sweet tightness of her passage. He could feel the thrill all the way to the tip of his cock. The broken sigh Selene gave at the added penetration sparked his growing lust to desperate levels.

  Selene reached up to grab onto the muscular expanse of his arm when the thickened penetration filled her. The urge to spread her legs wider to accommodate it was overwhelming and the need to ride against the delicious feeling of fullness.

  “Jac…please!” The music was a godsend that covered her cries as the first waves of orgasm rippled through her in one blistering wave after another. An ex-lover had told her once that she was a natural screamer and she hadn’t had the heart to tell him she’d been faking it. Now she suspected she was far more than a screamer but more like a shrieker.
The culmination was swift and breathtaking, leaving her wrung out and suspended in a warm glow. Her body shivered in a delayed response as Jac slowly slid his fingers from her pussy with a wet suctioning she could feel all the way to her toes.

  With dazed eyes she watched him raise the wet fingers he’d just pleasured her with to his mouth and suck them between his lips. His eyes closed as he tasted her with a relish that made her face flush. The recently satiated lust that wracked her made a sudden return with every erotic lick of his fingers. Selene had never been a multi orgasmic girl but the potential for another thrummed between her legs like a heartbeat, pulsing and hungry. Jac slid the fingers from between his lips and leaned in close to take her mouth in a scorching kiss. She could just barely taste herself on his lips but the flavor was far from off putting. It was intimate and in some ways more revealing than the sexual act itself. He slowly pulled away, his warm smile firmly in place but his jaw tightened with strain. She felt a sensual satisfaction to see she was not the only one affected by what just happened.

  “I think it’s time we get out of here. I think we’ve shown the couch a hot enough time tonight.” Selene laughed, feeling surprisingly happy. Regrets would come soon enough but for right now she just…enjoyed. With a nod Jac helped her up from the couch and helped her straighten her skirt. Selene’s legs felt wobbly and she giggled when Jac helped her find her balance. For a moment he stopped and just looked at her, a curious look on his face.

  “I love your laugh, baby girl. You should do it more often.” Selene smiled and silently agreed with him.

  * * * *

  The ride back to Sparks was done in companionable silence that both calmed and thrilled Selene. She knew that she had every intension of inviting Jac inside to make love. The episode at the club was only the opening volley to what she knew was going to be one hell of a main event. Jac’s sensual command as a lover drew her like a lodestone and she was hungry for more of the same. As he masterfully negotiated the roads in the dark he left a hand free to caress along her thigh that kept her on a knife’s edge of arousal. When they finally pulled up in front of her aunt’s house the anticipation in the car was so thick she could barely keep her nerves in check. All she could think about was Jac’s hands on her and damn soon.