by Kim Faulks
Heat moved deeper in me at the sight.
“Jesus Christ,” Rival snapped.
I was trapped in the spell of my own making. Seized within the surge of desire. I swallowed and closed my eyes. Lust was a tornado that swirled around me…Rival…Titus…Gabriel…
Rival…Titus…Gabriel.
I lifted my hand and brushed my fingers against my breast. Need sparked like an exposed nerve, but, instead of pain, there was only need.
“What the fuck is happening?” Titus snarled. “Gabriel? Is this you?”
“I think it’s Lorn,” the archangel breathed into the wooden doorframe and held on tight. He tilted his head, blue eyes flared as our gazes connected. “Some kind of protection, I think.”
Titus snapped. “Rival?”
But the hellhound never answered. I turned my head, to find his gaze fixed on my fingers circling around and around the tight nub of my breast.
His perfect lips were parted, breath nothing more than a hiss between clenched teeth.
“Rival,” Titus growled.
“Not now,” the hellhound snarled, and then licked his lips.
I wanted them slick and sweating. I wanted to hear their grunts of desperation slamming in my ears. I wanted them inside me…I wrenched my gaze toward the doorway and lifted my hand. “Gabriel, come to me.”
His nails dug into the frame. “Could be a trap. Don’t know what this is.”
“Come to me,” I commanded, and the mark on his chest blazed bright.
Long blonde hair whipped his face as he shook his head. And still my fingers never stopped, arcing around and around my nipple.
“Jesus Christ,” Rival snarled, eyes blazing. “If you don’t go to her, I’m going to fuck her so hard she’ll forget you even exist.”
Sweat glistened on Gabriel’s top lip as it curled. “Like hell you will.”
His wings shook, feathers ruffled as he took a step, and then another, crossing the bedroom floor in two gigantic strides.
My body trembled with the sight. I lifted my gaze, seizing his stare, and then rose from the bed.
“You wanted me,” he snarled, blue eyes sparkling with animal lust. “Here I am.”
I curled my fingers and reached out, brushing my knuckles along his arm and murmured. “Yes, here you are.”
His white shirt was perfect, not a mark or a crease, and that’s the way he was…always so flawless…so angelic.
I opened my hand and cupped the hard mound of his chest. Light flared from the mark under his shirt, born from love and desire. A mark that tied me to him…that tied me to all of them.
A mark that called to me now, just as much as it called to them.
Stay with your lovers, Lorn.
Energy raced through me. The button tilted under my fingers as I worked it open and then slid to the next. His skin was perfect, smooth and hairless. Hard muscles quivered under my touch as I skimmed his belly and lower.
The first time we’d been together, he’d been shy and nervous, waiting for the others to back away, and I’d felt the tension between him and Rival.
Hell waited patiently.
But Heaven was here…Heaven held his breath.
Heaven waited for me…always for me.
Perfect lips parted as I stepped closer.
I kissed those lips.
I licked those lips.
I wanted those lips.
His cotton shirt slipped over thick shoulders, falling hard to the juncture of his wings. Muscles tensed as I trailed my fingers after the slide, finding the hard, long bone of his wing.
He was so beautiful…he had no idea. My fingers sank into soft downy feathers, skimming the sharp rise until I could reach no more.
“Lorn,” he whispered on a shudder, and closed his eyes.
I lowered my head and stepped closer, brushing my lips against the corded muscles of his arms and over his shoulders.
A shudder coursed through his body, ruffling feathers against my arm as I yanked the remainder of his shirt free and cast it aside.
Energy closed in…hungry energy…feral energy. “Rival,” I murmured and held out my hand.
The hellhound rose without a whisper. Gabriel’s eyes widened, desire was torture in his gaze until I whispered, “Touch him.”
Gabriel’s breath caught as he stiffened. Even Rival turned his head toward me, one brow arched high. “Ah, you sure you want to do this?”
“I do,” I whispered as that desperation to be with them surged inside. “I want to be with both of you. But how can I, when you both can’t even stand to be in the same room?”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.
“So,” I sank my fingers through the white plume of his wings. “Touch him.”
I could see it unfold in Gabriel’s eyes…the terror…the horror, the shame.
Touching a hellhound.
There was a tiny shake of his head, until I lowered my hand. “Then that’s it, I won’t have either of you.”
The crack of his neck was audible as Gabriel wrenched his head toward me. “What?”
I shook my head. “I won’t be forced to choose. I warned you at the beginning, it’s all or nothing.”
“She’s not asking us to cross swords, damnit,” Rival barked and leaned forward. He closed his hand around Gabriel’s wrist and jerked his hand high, slamming it against his chest.
The sound of jagged breaths filled the space…mine…and theirs. I dropped my gaze to Gabriel’s outstretched hand over Rival’s heart and stilled.
The hellhound’s grip was sure and steady, holding Gabriel in place.
“See, that’s not so bad, is it? No poof,” Rival growled.
But there was no answer, no sound at all as Gabriel stared.
“For fuck’s sake,” Rival snarled, and jerked his gaze to Titus. “I’m not gonna get a knock on the door, am I?”
“What?” the inspector muttered.
There was a sigh from the hellhound. “I’m not gonna have some fucking cop and counselor stand over The Bird Man here saying, ‘show us on this dollie where the bad dog touched you’, am I?”
There was a twitch on Titus’ lips. “Well, that depends. Depends on what The Bird Man here has to say.”
“What do you say, Gabriel?” I murmured, and stepped close. My breasts brushed against his arm as I gripped my shirt and dragged it over my head. Blue eyes sparked as he lowered his gaze. The straps on my bra slipped low as I reached behind and unhooked it. “Either way, I’m getting fucked, with you or without.”
“With.” The word was a hiss through Gabriel’s lips.
“Hmmm? What did you say?” I murmured, and let the bra fall. Tight nipples pushed through the gaps of my fingers as I squeezed my breasts.
“I said with…damnit…with,” my archangel snarled, and curled his fingers against Rival’s chest.
The movement was jerky and awkward as he dug his fingers against the muscle and rubbed. But Rival never moved, taking all the squeezing and kneading Gabriel could give.
I stepped to the side and placed my hand on the opposite side of Rival’s chest. I slid my hand over the hard muscle to linger against his nipple and slowly rubbed over and around.
There was a noticeable rise of his chest as Rival inhaled hard. I turned to him, pulled the bottom of his shirt high, and then lowered my head.
A low growl vibrated in my throat as I licked his nipple and dragged my teeth gently across the peak. Gabriel’s hand slipped from his chest as Rival grasped the shirt from my hands and dragged it free.
But there wasn’t the tension anymore. There wasn’t the hate. I reached for Gabriel’s hand and pressed his palm over my breast.
Gabriel’s fingers splayed wide, kneading softly, as Rival reached for the button of my jeans. A second later, my zipper was sliding as both men eased my jeans and panties low until they were tumbled to the floor at my feet.
They liked this, the unveiling…
I lifted my gaze to Titus, who leaned against the wal
l with one hand over his cock. If I was honest, I liked it just as much as they did. I liked being bold with my body. I liked it when they looked…
Rival and Gabriel knelt at my feet as I sat on the side of the bed. One foot was lifted and then the other before my jeans and panties were tossed to the side.
I was neither heavy, nor skinny, perfect, nor plain. I was just me, with no limitations and no prejudice. I was me, heart and soul, with fire in my blood.
I was me with a past filled with secrets—I lifted my hands to the both of them and cupped their cheeks—a past with secrets maybe, but a future filled with love.
“Lay back for us,” Gabriel murmured his voice thick with desire.
I did as he asked…as they all asked. This was our thing. My head hit the soft comforter as my feet left the floor. I dug my heels into the side of the bed and clenched my ass, driving my body higher onto the bed, and let my knees fall to the sides.
Moans reverberated through the room, blending tones until they were one. I dropped my hand between my thighs and slipped my finger along my crease. Warmth waited. Slick, perfect warmth.
They liked to see me…all of me.
Springs howled as the bed dipped low. Rival kissed my thigh on one side and the heat of his breath travelled. But it was Gabriel I watched. Gabriel, with his innocent gaze fixed on the slide of my finger as I slipped it inside.
“Pants,” I urged. “Off, now.”
He fumbled and then stilled, eyes fixed as I spread myself wide. And, in a rush, he was naked.
“With,” I reminded Rival, and lifted my hand to the back of his head.
He kissed my hip, and then leaned across to slip his tongue down to the tip of my crease. “In a minute,” he growled, and the vibration against my clit made me shudder. There was a pause, and then a murmured, “Like that, do you?”
I fisted the comforter as the low, feral growl tore through the sensitive nub. I clenched my ass, lifting my hips into the air and widened my legs. “More.”
The snigger almost brought me undone. Soft feathers skimmed the outside of my breast. I lifted my arms, arching high, and stared as Gabriel came closer. He had the body of a god, all firm and sculpted. The smooth, muscled rise of his chest flattened to a hard stomach.
My gaze drifted to his abdomen and stopped. He had no navel. Nothing but smooth, hairless skin and hard muscle. Created from the hand of God to be his messenger. He was perfect, so utterly perfect.
I reached for his wing and turned my face into the feathers. There was a restless flutter as Rival leaned backwards and lifted his gaze to mine. “You ready?”
His lips glistened with need. One swipe of the back of his hand, and I was nodding. I was more than ready, more than willing, and, as Gabriel knelt on the edge of the bed, compressing the mattress, Rival fumbled with his jeans.
I lifted my head, catching Titus on the far side of the room. “Titus,” I held out my hand.
He headed for me without a fuss, still fully clothed. There was no jealousy when it came to sex. There couldn’t be. I was one woman, ready to be shared by three very powerful men. Every other area of our life could be a damn nightmare, but this…this was safe. This was ours. One, or all…this was ours.
I raised my hand higher as he neared and then I stopped.
My breath caught, and muscles trembled as a memory took hold…
A vision. Darkness and shadows, and the smell of rich earth in my lungs.
No, get off me! Get the fuck off me!
I flinched as the scream filled my head and, in a second, I was stolen from this bed, cast into the darkness as I swung my hand through the air, clawing, scratching…nails bending…and, in the shadows, it came for me.
“Lorn?” Titus murmured. “Lorn, are you okay?”
I tried to nod, but inside my head I was fighting…bleeding, nails tearing and splitting as that dark thing lifted its hand into the air.
Long, wicked nails caught the dim light.
I couldn’t look away, mesmerized by its claws…but they were nothing compared to the empty pits of its eyes. A whimper tore through the air, and I flinched at the sound.
“Honey, talk to me.” Concern flared in Titus’ growl.
They melted into one. Fire and sky. That’s what they were to me…fire and sky.
“Lorn?” They spoke all at once, voices mingling into one perfect sound.
I dragged myself from the memory and reached for them.
“Where were you just now?” Titus grasped my hand in his.
It was the cop talking. The gentle, coaxing tone designed to lull you into giving more…experiencing more.
My teeth chattered as cold ripped through me. I didn’t want to go back there…didn’t want to know. “I’m okay. Seriously. I’m fine.”
But they weren’t convinced a bit, as all three pulled away.
I lunged, grabbing feathers, fingers, anything I could. “Do not pull away from me. I need this. I need to be touched…loved. I need to feel you…all of you.”
There was careful suspicion in their eyes as they turned to each other, and, as always, it was up to the damn human to set the rules.
“Be up front with us, that’s all we’re asking. If it gets too much, or triggers something stressful, we need to know immediately. You were attacked in that alley, Lorn, by someone or something we don’t know about.”
“I’m fine,” the words sounded like a lie and, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change them. “Seriously, I’m fine. I just…”
“We want to talk to you about something else, too,” Titus muttered, and then lifted his gaze to Rival. “It’s about your mother’s journal.”
“Not now,” Rival growled. “We’ve got all damn day, let’s not spoil this…not for her.”
There was a nod from Titus, and then Gabriel. So fucking glad they decided all this for me. I wanted to get angry. I wanted to push them away. I wasn’t the one in the driver’s seat anymore. I wasn’t the one holding all the cards. Inside I was floundering, trying to claw myself back from whatever hole I’d been left in.
My mother’s journal? What about my mother’s journal? I glanced around the room, finding the red leather notebook beside the bed and then lowered myself against the mattress.
Titus kissed my fingers and lingered, before he opened his mouth and slipped one inside. He could still taste me…still taste my desperation and need.
“You’re welcome to join us, brother,” Rival murmured.
Feathers skimmed my breasts and tickled my belly. Wet heat slipped around my knuckle as Titus sucked, long and gentle.
I sat up and reached for Gabriel as he moved between my thighs.
There was a shift against the mattress. Rival dragged one foot high and eased around me. His body was warm. His hard chest pressed against my spine as he kissed the nape of my neck.
Excitement was a shudder…I knew what was coming.
My body knew what was coming.
Muscles eased, soft and palpable now. There was no darkness that could touch us here. No beast waiting in the shadows to claw and hurt. I lowered my head. There was nothing but the feel of Rival’s lips on my skin and the gentle brush of feathers.
I reached behind me, sank my fingers through the soft hair on Rival’s thigh, and then moved higher.
There was a soft snarl in my ear as I closed my fist around his cock. The vein pulsed underneath, the shaft firm and ready. He was always ready, my hellhound. One smile, one win, one tremble of my will, and he was more than happy to oblige.
My finger slipped from Titus’ mouth as he dragged my hand to Gabriel’s stomach. Rival slipped his hands under my ass and lifted, hoisting me into the air until I rested in his lap.
My hellhound spread his legs, forcing mine to follow, until his cock slipped along the crease of my ass.
Muscles tightened. Heat flowed. I felt every brush, heard every breath, and caught every tremble.
Husky words slipped from my lips as I lifted my gaze. “Gabriel, yo
u ready?”
And as I looked into his eyes, I saw something more than carnal lust.
I saw love…I saw desire, and not just flesh…for my heart. He arched his wings, spreading them wide, cocooning all of us.
And out of the perfect ivory feathers came the most radiant light.
The bed dipped as he knelt between my legs. I lifted my hand, and he moved in, bracing himself with one hand on either side of us.
I brushed my lips over his shoulder and then his neck, as I speared my fingers through the strands of his long hair. Goosebumps raced along his skin as I pulled him close.
His cock pushed between my thighs and dipped low. There was fear in his eyes as he lifted his head and met my gaze. But I was already reaching between us, already sliding my hand along his shaft.
He froze, eyes locked with mine.
Skin slipped as I fisted up his length and then back down.
Rival was already pressing against my ass, sliding his cock against sensitive flesh as Gabriel pulled away and lowered his head.
My fingers entwined in beautiful long strands.
I’d never been kissed by an angel before him, never been seduced by one, but, as his perfect lips met the crease of my body, I gave a whimper and closed my eyes. His tongue circled and then dipped.
My hands fisted, my whole body tensed.
“Breathe, Lorn,” Rival growled into my ear.
My senses were overloaded as Gabriel circled his tongue and then sucked.
“Oh, sweet Jesus,” the words slipped from my lips on the shudder of a breath.
Two became one, pressing, licking, stretching me, until I could take no more. I opened my eyes, found Titus, and whispered, “Take off your pants.”
His cock punched against his zipper, but still he moved slowly…painfully slow, drawing his shirt over his head before he reached for the buckle of his pants.
Gabriel lifted his head, lips shimmering with lust, and then leaned back on his heels.
“Hurry, Titus,” I snarled as Gabriel’s cock found my entrance.
I was already shuddering, already holding on as Rival pulled out, only to thrust back in. My fingers trembled, finding warm flesh as Titus moved closer.
