by Becca Van
He had been gone most of the time before she'd even got out of bed, and she'd always made sure to skirt around the apartment complex in case he'd been watching for her as she'd left for work, if he'd been home. Some of the other women hadn't been so lucky and had had to fight of the slob’s advances. Nina had been worried the bastard would end up raping one of them, but she didn't think that was going to be a problem anymore.
Paser shifted his hold on her, lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and carried her out. Pen followed, slamming the door behind him.
“Show me your arm, baby,” Pen demanded.
Nina lifted her arm and gasped when he gently clasped her appendage, running his thumb over the red welts, but not because he'd hurt her. The more they touched her, the more her body responded and she wasn't sure she could hold out for much longer. Her pussy was hot, wet and achy, and her nipples were throbbing. If she'd been standing, her knees would have buckled beneath her when he lifted her arm to his mouth and kissed the red skin, but when he licked the marks with his tongue, she whimpered with a need so intense she felt like she was about to come.
“Let's get out of here,” Paser said in a deep, raspy voice that sent another bout of shivers up her spine.
Pen released her arm and looked at her with such a hungry, heated gaze her skin should have been singed from her body. It was only when he bent down and picked up her bag she hadn't noticed outside the door that she as able to draw a deep breath. However, that breath wasn't enough to slow her racing heartbeat or the shallow panting.
“Close your eyes, sweetheart.”
That was the only warning she got before they were on the move. The wind felt wonderful on her heated face and hot body, and she hoped by the time they got back to the sentinels’ home she would have her desire for them under control again, but she had a feeling that wasn't going to be the case.
Nina opened her eyes when Paser stopped and she clutched at him as he lowered her feet to the ground. She had to order herself to let him go and take a step back because all she wanted to do was cling. She'd never been a clinging vine before, and although she thought that she was becoming attached to him and Pen and should be worried about it, she wasn't. The urge to touch them, kiss them and find out what they tasted like was nearly more than she could stand.
They were both staring at her and she wondered what they saw. What made her so different from any other woman? Why did they think she was their mate? She wondered if they liked the way she looked. When she looked in the mirror, she didn't see anything exceptional or anything to make her stand out from the crowd. She knew she wasn't ugly, but she didn't think she was beautiful. Maybe passably pretty, but that was all.
The silence became fraught with tension and she shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable. She'd lowered her head again, not because she felt she was lesser than they were, but because she couldn't continue looking into their heated gazes. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, and if they had better hearing than the average person, maybe they could hear her fast heartbeat, too. She hoped that wasn't the case, because if they did, they would know that they affected her equilibrium. Then she remembered Zara saying that once she was mated to them—if she decided she would agree to be theirs—all of her senses would be more exceptional than they already were. If that was so, did that mean they could smell her arousal?
Her cheeks flamed with heat and she knew she was probably red, but there was nothing she could do about that right now.
She startled when a callused finger nudged her chin up, and when she looked into Paser's eyes, she could see that they had a slight yellow glow behind his normal irises. Was that because he—they were demigods? She nearly groaned with frustration but not because she needed their touch, although that was also true, but because she still didn't know that much about them.
That was something else that worried her. Would they still want to be with her once they got to know her? She wasn't a horrible person, but she had no experience dealing with men or with relationships. What would happen to her if they decided, after they were mated, that they didn't like her personality at all? Would she be pushed out to fend for herself once more? End up alone like she had been for her whole life?
“What's wrong, sweetheart?”
“That's what I was wondering.”
“We need to process your thumbprint so you can open the door if you ever need to.” Pen came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
She shivered at the heat coming off of his body and inhaled deeply of his spicy, manly scent. They both smelled so good she wanted to breathe them in until she had their flavors coating her taste buds and etched into body, mind and soul indelibly.
Paser moved a step forward and cupped her face in his hands. As he stared down into her eyes, all thought fled until all that was left inside her was need, a need so great she wasn't sure she could endure it any longer. His brown eyes got that ethereal inner glow, and just as she opened her mouth to ask why their eyes seemed to take on an inner light, he breached the gap and lowered his mouth to hers.
Nina moaned at the first brush of his lips on hers and, without conscious thought, tangled her fingers into the soft cotton of his shirt. When he nipped her bottom lip, she gasped and then his tongue was inside of her mouth. She felt as if she were drowning, drowning in a sea of heat, taste and desire.
Paser's tongue rubbed along and then twirled around hers. Her legs began to tremble and her knees buckled under her first taste of real passion. Low down in her belly, liquid heat pooled and her pussy became very wet. Her internal muscles clenched, sending a gush of cream to coat her folds, and her nipples ached and hardened.
She mewled when he angled her head for a better fit and he deepened the kiss. She was hungry for more but wasn't sure if leaping into a relationship with two men she barely knew was the right thing to do.
Whether she stiffened at the thought, she wasn't sure, but as Paser slowed the kiss and then lifted his mouth from hers, it took every bit of her will to keep from begging him to kiss her again.
Pen's hands moved to her hips and turned her around to face him. She barely got her eyes open after the passionate kiss she'd shared with Paser before he slanted his mouth over hers. She groaned as the flavor of man and desire exploded on her taste buds, and if he hadn't been holding her up she was sure she would have fallen to the ground at his feet.
Pen's kiss was rapacious and greedy, demanding responses from her she never knew she had, but he also gave. His tongue stroked along and dueled with hers and she couldn't help but to respond in kind.
A whimper escaped her mouth when he broke the kiss, and although she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry from a passionate haze. Pen released her after a couple of heartbeats and as he moved to the side she realized she wasn't the only one breathing heavily. Feminine pride surged through her that her response had caused that reaction, but she quickly quelled it and lowered her gaze to the ground. She didn't want them seeing how much they affected her but suspected they already knew. Confusion warred in her heart and brain. Nina had never had a relationship and didn't really know how to respond to what had just happened. Nor did she want to come across as a femme fatale. More confident than she really was because that was so far from the truth.
She almost jumped when Paser clasped her hand and lifted it, but she was able to suppress the telling action. She didn't want to give them any more of a reason to become complacent or overeager about her or her decisions, because she wasn't sure what she was going to do herself.
Paser pressed her thumb to a pad next to the door she hadn't seen before and she wondered how she could have missed it previously but gave a mental shrug. There was a soft beep and Paser lowered her arm to her side. To her astonishment, the identification pad began to slide back into the wall and disappeared from view. No wonder she'd hadn't seen it before. It was hidden by a panel.
“You now have access to the base to come and go as you please, but I would sugge
st you don't leave without one of us by your side.” Paser gave her a heated look, reached for the door handle which hadn't been there before, and opened the door.
She followed him inside, acutely aware of Pen's eyes on her as they walked down the corridor. When she didn't hear the door close behind them, she looked back to see that it was shut tight, and although she tried to stop herself, she glanced up at Pen. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that his gaze was locked on her ass, and even though she tried not to sway her hips more than they usually did when she walked naturally, she couldn't seem to help herself.
A low, rumbling groan was Pen's response and when he lifted his gaze to hers, she nearly stumbled. His eyes were so hungry and yet there was so much more than just lust in his gaze. If she could have named the emotion, she would have said it was love, but she knew she couldn't be right.
He had barely known her for twenty-four hours and there was no way he could have such feelings for her after such a short time.
She turned her head back to the front and gnawed on her bottom lip as a gamut of emotions raced through her heart and mind. Uncertainty was the uppermost one because she had no idea what to do.
Ever since she was a little girl, she'd dreamt of her Prince Charming sweeping her off of her feet and spending the rest of their lives together, but she had never once envisaged meeting two men who could star in that role and wasn't sure if she was ready for that. In fact, she wasn't sure if she was ready for any of this.
She'd spent her entire life on the edge of society watching others find their dreams, only to have them turn to dust. Not once had she had someone hold her and tell her they loved her. If she took the huge step toward them and agreed to be with them, she didn't know if she would be able to pick up the pieces if they found her wanting.
And why wouldn't they?
No one else had ever found her worthy.
Chapter Five
Paser was so hungry for Nina he could barely think straight. After the kiss he'd shared with her, the need was so bad his legs were trembling and he felt like he was stumbling as he walked, but since Nina hadn't said anything he figured he didn't look awkward.
Since he had kissed her, he could feel a little of her emotions, but since she was going through every single feeling a person could, he wasn't sure what to do or say, but one thing was certain and that gave him hope. Hope that she would accept them as her mates, because he could feel her desire, and it was for him and Pen. The sweet, musky scent of her arousal permeated his nostrils every time he inhaled, and he wasn't sure if he should show her to their spare room and leave her to unpack her meagre possession alone or offer to help.
From the tension radiating from Pen, he was in just as much turmoil as Paser was. He followed his friend and mate into the spare bedroom of their apartment and sighed when she began to pull her belongings from the small, battered case. When she kept her back to him and Pen, he realized that she still needed time.
He sighed with frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. He felt like a real bastard because he was so eager for her to turn around and tell him that she was going to be with them forever, but they'd bombarded her with information and he was sure she probably felt like running instead of opening her arms and heart to them without question.
It was kind of funny for him to feel so much. Of course, he had feelings like every other living person, but after being alive and fighting for so long, he was sure at times that his heart was encased in ice. The moment he'd set eyes on Nina, the ice had melted and emotions had surged forth in a paroxysm of vehemence.
Paser hadn't been this unsure of himself since the moment Ra had appeared and saved their miserable hides. The confidence he'd built up over the years was taking a battering and he had no idea how to handle the insecurity he was feeling, but that was beside the point. What they needed to do was somehow engage Nina's heart and they needed to do it quickly. If she was being targeted by Apep and his demonic minions, the only way to really keep her safe was to mate with her.
He almost laughed at that. Yes, she was attracted to them, but he couldn't see her jumping into bed with him and Pen anytime soon. He tried to put himself in her shoes and drew in a deep breath when a shard of pain pierced his heart. The poor woman had been ripped out of her safe, secure world and thrust into a realm she probably never even imagined, even as a child. She had to be scared out of her mind after finding out that demons actually existed, let alone that she was being targeted by the underworld.
And then there was the fact that they had told her—or rather, Zara had—she was the mate to not one, but two demigods. No wonder he could feel a copious amount of tumult coming from her.
“Is there anything you need?” Paser asked, breaking the tension-filled silence.
“No, thank you.” Nina replied so quietly that if he hadn't had such great hearing, he probably wouldn't have heard her. He glanced over at Pen and saw that he was frowning at Nina as if trying to figure her out, too. He nodded toward the door and began walking toward the exit.
“If you need anything, please don't hesitate to let us know.”
Nina nodded but continued to try and ignore them. When he saw color rise in her cheeks, he knew she was as aware of them as they were of her, but decided to give her some time to gather herself and think about what she wanted.
“We'll be in the training room if you need us,” Pen said.
“Okay,” Nina answered.
Paser hurried out of their apartment and down the hall to the training room with Pen at his heels. No words were necessary, and they both grabbed a couple of swords from the wall and went at each other without restraint. They needed to get rid of the pent-up energy humming through their bodies.
The clash of metal on metal drowned out everything and after twenty minutes of sparring with swords, they dropped those and began hand-to-hand combat. They kicked, punched, ducked and spun in a parody of a violent dance until the fire burning in Paser's blood began to wane. It was only when they finally stopped that they noticed the other sentinels had entered the room.
“What's up with you two?” Set asked, but from the smirk on his face, their friend already knew the answer.
“Don't start,” Pen snarled and shoved Set away.
“Where's Zara?” Paser asked.
“Right here,” Zara replied.
Paser spun around to see Zara running flat out on the treadmill with the ease of a natural-born elite athlete. Since Set and Sab had claimed their mate, she had also become a demigod, and although she was still coming into her powers and learning her strengths, she could hold her own.
“Is Nina all right?” Zara asked.
“Yeah.” Pen scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed before shaking his head. “I don't really know.”
“She's just needs some time, Paser. She'll come around.”
“Do you really believe that?” Pen asked.
“Yeah, I do. She'll try to resist you, but she won't be able to last long. If she feels anything like I did the first time I met Set and Sab, she's already half in love with you and her body will be craving your touch.”
“I hope you're right, Zara,” Pen said. “I don't know how much longer I can wait.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Mit smirked. “You've only just met her.”
“Just you wait, Mitry Mosi.” Zara pointed her finger at him. “When you meet your mate, I'm going to give you hell. You have no idea what it's like. The only way to describe what happens when you meet your mate, or mates in our case, is as if you're body goes into heat.”
Mit snorted. “I have great control over my body. There is no way in hell I'm going to let a woman twist me up in knots.”
“Famous last words, Mit. Just you wait.”
Mit snorted and rolled his eyes. If it hadn't been for the lonely yearning in his friend’s gaze, Paser would have risen to the other man's bait, but since he knew Mit was full of shit and pining for a mate of his own, he kept his mouth shut.
* * * *
Since she had so little, it didn't take Nina long to unpack her things, and now that she was done, she wasn't sure what to do. She was restless but needed time to come to terms with everything she'd learned. Sometimes she felt like she was caught up in the middle of a B-grade movie and wondered if she were dreaming, but there was no way she could have ever imagined such passionate kisses, and from two sexy, handsome men.
Sure, she'd dreamed of being kissed and made love to someday, but never would she have thought of having two men. However, since she'd met them and been told she was their mate, her imagination was in overdrive. She could imagine kissing one of them while the other caressed and made love to her body, and although she'd never thought of anal sex before now, it was becoming harder and harder to keep the images out of her head.
With a groan of frustration, Nina stopped pacing the room and wondered if Pen and Paser were still in the apartment. Although she wanted to look at them as often as possible, she didn't want to end up making a fool of herself by throwing herself at them. The yearning for their kisses and touches was getting more powerful with each passing second and she could have sworn she'd felt their disappointment before they left her be. How that was even possible, she had no idea, but figured she must have been hallucinating or something. Maybe she was going crazy after all. She knew if she told anyone what they had all told her, she would be no doubt trussed up into a strait jacket and locked in a padded room.
When she realized her thoughts were going around and around in circles, she pushed them aside and breathed in and out a few times, hoping to relieve the tension that had invaded her body, and then concentrated on tensing and relaxing each individual muscle. By the time she'd worked from her head to her toes, she was yawning and decided it wouldn't hurt to have a nap since she'd barely slept the night before.
