Serena stumbled outside, covering her mouth when she hiccupped. She heard a loud roar seconds before one of the human carriages raced past. While she longed to explore this new world, fear kept her in place. What if she wandered off and couldn’t find her way back to the men? And what of the animal? He pranced around the grass then returned to her side. She didn’t want to lead him away from the male’s dwelling. And she hated to think of him anywhere near the carriages that could hurt him.
Surrounding the wooden floor she stood on were a variety of plants much different from those in Fae. These looked sad and starved to Serena. Talking sweetly, she caressed leaves, branches and stalks, allowing her Fae magic to spill out and nourish the growing things, which instantly perked up, appearing more vibrant and alive.
Serena yawned and swayed drunkenly. The yeasty drink had affected her more than Fae wine ever had. She felt sleepy and worried about hurting herself in the horrible shoes. The animal rubbed against her legs and nudged her toward a bench hanging under the edge of the dwelling.
“Looks like a nice spot to take a nap.”
Serena curled up on the bench which swung in a gentle arc and soon found her heavy eyelids closing.
Chapter Four
Walking to the house from the detached garage, Trevor reflected on the day. He’d managed to land a prestigious client at work then met Brady for dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant. For once, Brady had been upbeat, talking with animated excitement about his experience at the new art gallery.
In high spirits, Trevor anticipated a relaxing evening snuggled comfortably on the couch. Perhaps they’d have a few beers and watch a movie. He opened the kitchen door and flipped on the light as Brady followed him inside. No beeps or warnings from the alarm greeted them. “Damn it, Brady. You forgot the alarm again.”
“Nuh-uh. I set it!”
As the room filled with light, anxiety tightened his chest at the sight which greeted him. “Someone’s been in the house,” he stated in a calm voice, which failed to convey his unease.
Scattered on the kitchen table, a box from leftover pizza and bottles of craft beer sat open and empty. “Bastards ate the pizza and drank the good beer,” he complained.
Emotions tended to overwhelm Brady, and already, he’d gone silent. Moving to the nearby closet, Brady snatched up an aluminum baseball bat and led the way into the living room. Trevor fell in step behind him.
“The magazines are all over the place,” Trevor noted. “And I just folded that blanket this morning.”
Holding the bat against his shoulder, ready to swing, Brady led the way down the hall toward the bedroom. They methodically checked each room. Something other than the random items out of place seemed wrong. Trevor felt it all the way to the marrow of his bones. In a sudden flash, he knew what bothered him, and he searched frantically. “Where’s Flirt?”
“I’ll kill them,” Brady warned.
Trevor wouldn’t even try to hold Brady back if someone hurt their dog. He’d gladly help open up that can of whup-ass. Back in the living room, they found the front door unlocked. Brady shoved it open and moved into the space.
“Holy shit,” Brady said and stood statue-still, blocking the doorway. “This is like something out of the damn nursery rhyme about the blonde and the bears. They came home and found someone had sat in the chair, eaten the food, and slept in the bed. In fact, the girl was still there, sound asleep. Only difference, our intruder isn’t a blonde. She’s a brunette. And she’s gorgeous.”
Any semblance of calm Trevor strove for went out the window with that statement. He shoved Brady to the side then stopped short as he moved through the doorway.
The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen was asleep on the porch swing. Long chocolate-brown hair with golden undertones cascaded over her breasts in large curls. The hem of her sexier-than-hell dress had bunched up around her upper thighs, revealing mile-long, toned legs. An absolute siren, yet her sweet pixie face and fine bone structure gave her a fragile, innocent appearance.
His skin heated, heart pumping double time, sending all his blood straight to his cock, which swelled against his zipper. Brady and he silently stared, mesmerized as the sexy vixen shifted her legs restlessly, one against the other, driving them both crazy.
A quick glance confirmed Brady was in the same condition, his thick erection pressing against the front of his jeans.
“You sure picked the perfect name for that useless mutt,” Brady said in a dull monotone. “And you thought Flirt would be a good watchdog.” He shook his head in disgust.
Trevor bit back laughter. The dog in question lay curled up on the porch beneath the swing. One of the intruder’s arms hung down, fingers splayed on his furry side as they shared a peaceful nap.
“What the hell do we do with her now?” he asked as Brady turned and stepped inside to stuff the bat in the hall closet.
Actually, Trevor had plenty of ideas about what they could do with the gorgeous nymph. Vivid images played through his mind. In them, Brady and he stood on either side of her as they stripped off the dress. They would each worship her full breasts, teasing her nipples before sliding down her body, spreading those long legs, and tasting the honeyed juices flowing from her pussy.
“We should probably wake her up and ask who the hell she is, but I’d rather sandwich her between us and fuck her senseless.” Brady stared, appearing enthralled by the mere sight of her.
Oh, god. Having her between them would be heaven. There were so many different ways the three of them could come together. Trevor imagined the woman on her knees sucking one of their cocks between those full, pouty lips while the other fucked her from behind. Just the thought of sinking his cock deep into the hot, wet clench of her pussy and having those incredible legs wrapped around his hips had him ready to strip and join her on the swing. It had been a long time since he’d fucked a woman, and now, he found himself craving the pleasure of a tight cunt spasming around his shaft while hot cream slid down his balls.
He stifled a moan, picturing Brady fucking the woman while Trevor fucked Brady. Or even better, one of them beneath her, fucking her pussy, while the other was behind her, fucking her ass.
He’d never shared a woman before but longed to be buried in a warm channel with only a thin barrier separating him from Brady, feeling their cocks brush against each other through a feminine body. Now that would be the ultimate fantasy for him.
“Well, we can’t just fall on Sleeping Beauty and fuck her,” Trevor said. After all, she was a complete stranger.
Brady shrugged “Why not? She’s the one who invaded our home.”
Without another word, Brady moved over to the swing, scooped the woman into his arms, and carried her into the house. Heading to their bedroom, he laid her in the center of the bed. Flirt jumped on the mattress and curled up next to her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Brady took a lock of shiny hair and rubbed it between his fingers.
Trevor helplessly watched. He’d never seen his lover act quite so tender and captivated. Even if she was some psycho escaped from the loony bin, Trevor would be grateful to her for revealing a side of Brady he’d always hoped existed but had never managed to bring out.
Tenderly cupping her cheek in his hand, Brady brushed his thumb over her lush lips and sent shivers racing down Trevor’s spine.
“She seems so vulnerable and delicate. Makes me want to keep her safe and protected.”
The wistful tone of Brady’s voice tightened around Trevor’s heart like a fist. He, too, felt overwhelmed by the deep emotions she evoked but couldn’t prevent a bitter surge of jealousy. Brady belonged to him!
“She’s like some ethereal spirit—a mermaid or genie.” He shook his head. “No, a fairy princess,” Brady declared, his gaze never leaving her delicate features. “I want to hold and cherish her, possess both body and soul, capture her heart.”
Not daring to break the spell, Trevor remained rooted to the spot, quiet and unobtrusive, observing the amazing change that had come
over his man.
Finally looking up, Brady frowned and asked, “Why are you way over there?”
Chasing the traitorous dog from the bed, Trevor sat on her other side, immediately drowning in the same enchantment that had gripped Brady. There was something about this woman. Something compelling that fired up his protective instincts, which warred with the unusual jealousy.
Without thought, he gave into temptation and bent forward, placing a kiss on her pouty red lips. God, how he’d love to see those luscious lips spread around his cock, cheeks hollowed as she sucked him deep into her warm mouth.
“We’re keeping her,” Brady declared, his attention again turning to Trevor. “Promise me.”
A wealth of undisguised longing flashed in Brady’s brown eyes, along with affection and pure delight, stealing Trevor’s breath. The shadow of vulnerability got to him the most, but it didn’t last long before his lover’s normal mask of cool indifference slid into place.
He let the memory of that look burn into his very soul. While there was no possible way he could deny Brady anything in that moment, neither could he promise something he held no control over. Not even if she may be exactly what Brady needed. What they both needed. But if she didn’t feel the same, she’d break Brady’s heart, which he knew was already invested.
“Let’s wake her and see what the lady has to say,” Trevor cautiously offered.
As if sensing their hesitation, Flirt bounded onto the bed again, shouldering Trevor out of the way, and showering the woman’s face with wet doggie kisses. He watched in amazement as her arms went around the dog’s neck and she giggled with unadulterated happiness.
Something shifted in Brady, his entire body tensing, arms crossing over his chest and his expression turning hard, as if he expected her to reject them.
Upon opening her sparkling green eyes and seeing them, she stiffened briefly before relaxing again. “You’ve come back.” She smiled up at Brady then, noticing Trevor, amended, “Both of you.”
“Oh, Luuucy. You got some esplainin’ to do,” Brady teased in a horrible imitation of a fifties Latino television star.
From her blank stare, the woman obviously didn’t get the reference.
“Yes,” Trevor chimed in. “Explain how you got past the security system, and why you were sleeping on our porch?”
The woman glanced at Flirt as if expecting the dog to clue her in to what they were talking about or provide the answers they sought.
“Give her some space, Flirt.” Trevor once again chased the dog off the bed.
This got a reaction. “Flirt?” she questioned in a silky, seductive tone which melted something inside him.
Brady and he shared a brief glance before Brady offered an explanation. “Yes, Flirt. He got the name because our boy is a hound dog, preferring to chase skirts rather than cars or tennis balls.”
Okay, they seemed to be having a communication issue, because she gave them the blank stare again, which only had Brady growing tenser.
“He’s quite the charmer,” Trevor interjected. “Draws all the beautiful women to his side with that goofy doggy grin.”
Brady drummed his fingers on his thigh in frustration and looked toward Trevor. “I don’t think she speaka da English.”
Giving up any attempt at tact, Trevor unleashed his growing frustration. “Look, lady. What the hell were you doing in our house?”
Serena stretched then shifted to a sitting position, her back resting against the headboard. How was she supposed to explain her arrival in the human realm and the fact she’s a faerie? Should she tell the truth and hope her dream men understood? Tell them she’d wished for them? They’d probably think she was crazy.
In the end, she decided it would be better to start small and work her way up to more.
“My name is Serena. Yes, I speak English. I’m just not familiar with some of the words you use. I’m from…somewhere far away.”
She glanced from one man to the other, wanting nothing more than to be taken into their arms and surrounded by all those muscles. Their wary expressions frightened her, made her worry the lads might put her out and leave her to fend for herself. She trembled at the thought.
“Are you cold,” the light-haired one asked.
Shaking her head, she searched her mind for something to say. Everything was so different here. She realized her wish had not been very well thought out after all. She had no one here to support her and didn’t know how to get home.
She reached out toward the darker one, then, on second thought, let her hand fall limp against her lap. These men didn’t know her, and she didn’t even know their names. Yet she needed their help.
Seeming to sense her distress, the blond intervened. “I’m Trevor and this is Brady. Do you know where you are, Serena?”
Lowering her eyes, she stared at her hands and shook her head. “I made a wish last night.” While she remembered the exact words, she wouldn’t tell them all of it. “I wished to go on a grand adventure somewhere with wonderful new things to discover. And I wished to find new…friends.” She demurred, not ready to admit she’d wished for them to be her lovers. Not until she had the chance to get to know them.
Just sitting on the bed with them drove her crazy. She wanted to peel away all their clothes and lay with them as she’d seen the men earlier. Her fingers itched to slide over the angles and planes of their bodies almost as much as her lips tingled to experience their kisses. Instinct told her the three of them would fit together like the moon and the stars.
No, she was definitely not feeling cold. Hot and needy, actually. And if she was reading the interest in their eyes right, Trevor and Brady shared in her desires.
“I woke up here and spent the day with Flirt.” She smiled when, at the mention of his name, Flirt began shaking his backend.
Brady’s eyebrows drew together as he stared at her. “Let me get his straight. You made a wish last night at your home and woke up in ours?”
When she nodded, he threw back his head and laughed. “That’s a good one. Maybe one of the best explanations for breaking and entering I’ve ever heard.”
“Brady,” Trevor chastised. “It’s obvious she’s confused and has been through a lot. Give her a break.”
At first, Brady seemed the nicest, but now, Trevor appeared to be more sympathetic. She shifted slightly closer to him on the bed, putting room between herself and Brady, whose expression had turned rather hard and unwelcoming.
“What’s breaking and entering?”
Brady raked his fingers through his long hair. “Breaking and entering is what the cops call it when someone breaks into your home and enters without your permission. Like you did.”
“No,” she gasped, fear filling her. She didn’t understand but knew she had to do something to earn their trust. She could tell them the whole story, but Serena wasn’t sure that would win them over.
“I’m calling the cops.” Brady started to rise from the bed.
“Hang on a minute. Give me a chance to figure this out. We can’t just call the cops or put her out on the street.”
She had no idea what a cop was, but the thought of being put out frightened her. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. They couldn’t put her out. She wouldn’t survive on her own in this strange world.
“Please, I don’t know anyone here and things are so different.” She reached out and placed her hand on Trevor’s thick biceps, staring into the brilliant depths of his blue eyes. “I have nowhere to go. I need you.”
She turned toward Brady, shrinking back a bit from his scowling visage. “Both of you,” she said in a weak whisper.
“This is ridiculous.” Brady got up and walked toward the door, pausing at the threshold.
A sob escaped her throat as Trevor cupped her face in his warm hand, wiping away her tears with his thumb. Staring into his eyes once again, Serena felt herself melting. He was so tender and caring. She needed him.
The funny part
was, even though Brady had started acting hard and callous, she wanted him, too. Instinct told her they were good men. Didn’t hurt that both were incredibly handsome, either.
“It’s okay,” Trevor said. “I’ll help you, Serena. You don’t need to be afraid. Don’t worry about Brady. He can be rather…mercurial. He’ll come around once you tell us everything.”
Trevor gave her a reassuring smile then went to join Brady in the doorway. She listened intently as Trevor talked about someone named Tina from a homeless shelter, whatever that was, having mentioned a woman in dire need of help.
“I can’t imagine Tina dropping someone off without making sure we’d agree first.”
Trevor’s voice dropped lower. “She was frazzled and scrambling to head down to Florida. Her dad had a stroke. She didn’t give me a lot of details, and I bet she forgot to confirm with me before dropping Serena off.” He shrugged his wide shoulders. “We can’t put her on the street. And she can’t go to the shelter. The whole reason Tina wanted us to take her in for a while is that being around so many people freaks her out. She’ll have to stay with us,” he declared.
“So, we’re keeping her?” Brady’s eyes lit up with what appeared to be excitement and hope.
“For now,” Trevor said. “But please, Brady,” he cautioned. “Let’s take this slow. Be careful. We know nothing about her.”
“So go find out what her deal is,” Brady said. “I’m going to watch a movie.”
Serena soaked in the details. A pang of guilt assaulted her about the other person in need, but she latched on to the explanation for her being at their house. And to be fair, she did need their help, possibly more than the homeless woman.
Chapter Five
We’re keeping her. Promise me, Trevor.
Trevor knew Brady was already smitten with Serena. It was in Brady’s dark eyes and the things he said, along with the rapid change in demeanor. That’s how he reacted when overwhelmed by emotion. Afraid to take a leap of faith, Brady wrapped himself in a protective layer of bad attitude.
Sassy Ever After: Sassy Faerie Princess (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 4
