by Alicia White
“Can I rub your back?”
* * * *
“Oh, yeah, right there. Deeper. Harder.” She moaned deep in her throat and Kaden grinned. He couldn’t believe it.
Could Jason and Beth really be making love on the couch in the living room? He couldn’t contain the smile from spreading across his face, even if he tried. After all the time the three of them spent together, he’d been waiting for this moment. Kaden hated leaving Jason out of their relationship. He was an intricate part, the other half of Kaden, and he belonged with Beth as well. Maybe tonight would be the perfect opportunity for the three of them to finally seal their bond.
They could have dinner, watch the fireworks, and then create some of their own. How would Beth react when they told her about shifters? About mates? He wanted more than anything to move forward, to have her here with them. He hated that she didn’t know all the facts, but she was still a little skittish. Even after Kaden told her that he loved her, Beth was holding back. Whatever had happened in her past with men, it was making it difficult for her to completely open up.
“Don’t stop…that feels amazing.” Beth sighed.
Kade couldn’t take anymore. He’d been standing back, wanting Jason and Beth to get to know each other better and hoping that the two of them would bond. Striding into the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. Beth was sitting on the couch and Jason…he wasn’t doing what Kaden hoped. Nope, his younger brother was massaging Beth’s shoulders and back. All that moaning and groaning was from a massage?
They painted a sweet picture. Beth’s eyes were closed, her face so serene. Jason had a huge grin on his face, looking more content in that moment than Kaden had ever seen. It was amazing the way a mate could make you feel. Just being in the same room with Beth was enough to calm the bear within him. He could only imagine what Jason felt. The two of them hadn’t bonded the way he had with Beth.
Giving them some privacy, Kaden tiptoed from the room. He really wanted Beth and Jason to have some time alone. Whenever he was near, Beth seemed to feel slightly guilty for feeling any sort of attraction toward Jason. Maybe he should leave the house altogether so that the two of them could have some privacy. Although, he didn’t want Beth to think he left because he was upset.
Kaden stepped outside on the back patio and sat in a chair next to the barbecue. The sun was shining high in the sky. A cool breeze blew through the trees, sending the fresh scent of pine through him. Taking a deep breath, Kaden relaxed back in his seat. He loved this house. He especially enjoyed being outside. His polar bear wanted to shift and run through the trees before dinner, but he refrained. It wasn’t quite time to tell Beth about shifters. He wanted to create an unbreakable bond first between the three of them.
The buzzing of his cell phone had Kaden jerking up. He shoved his hand into his pocket and saw that his mother was calling. Clicking the accept button, he settled back in his chair and prepared for a long chat.
“Afternoon, Mom. How are you doing today?”
She laughed. “You seem happy, is everything going better with Beth?”
“I’m hoping so. She’s inside spending some time with Jason while I man the grill. Are you and Dad coming over to celebrate?”
“I was thinking about it, but I don’t want to get in the way. It’s important for you boys to spend time with Beth.”
“You’re probably right. I don’t want to overwhelm her with meeting the parents yet.”
“I know it’s hard, but you and Jason need to be patient with the girl. I can still remember meeting your father forty years ago.” She paused, and Kaden smiled. He loved hearing the story of how his parents met and his mom loved telling it.
“I was at the drive-in theater with my best friend, Candy, in San Diego. It was a beautiful warm evening and I was walking around barefoot. I stepped on a piece of glass. It was so painful and I have the scar to prove it. Anyway, I tried hobbling to Candy’s car, but couldn’t make it. Then, out of nowhere the biggest, sexiest man I ever saw appeared and rescued me. He picked me up and sat me on the bed of his truck. He removed the glass. It was love at first sight.” She sighed dreamily and Kaden laughed quietly. He really hoped that Beth would share a similar story with their children one day.
“Things don’t happen like that anymore. It’s such a shame. Anyway, did Jason tell you that I gave him my coffeemaker? That girl has a definite addiction. Use that as a selling point to get her to sleep over.” Kaden threw his head back and laughed. He couldn’t believe his mom was trying to get their mate to sleep over. He didn’t want to have that particular conversation with her.
“Thank you, Mom. I really appreciate the coffeepot and I’m sure Beth will as well, if she sleeps over.”
“I just can’t understand why she isn’t jumping on board to have both my boys.”
“We’re trying to get to know her a little better before telling her about mates and shifters. I don’t want to tell her too much too soon.”
“Don’t wait too long.”
“We won’t.”
“All right, I’d better let you go. Your dad is hungry and I can’t keep that old bear waiting. Give Jason my love and I’ll talk to you soon, honey.”
“Okay, Mom, love you.”
“Love you, too, sweetie.” Kaden clicked the end button and shoved his phone back into his pocket.
* * * *
Jason was in heaven. He was finally touching his mate, really touching her. Since meeting Beth, he’d only been able to brush against her or casually touch here and there. Now, his hands were rubbing up and down her back, caressing her shoulders, and lingering. How long had he been dreaming about having Beth this close? How many weeks had he laid in bed wishing that she would give him a chance to get to know her? It seemed as if a lifetime of misery was lifted as she sat between this thighs.
All the stress and fear he’d been feeling melted away from the simple touch. His mate was finally within reach. The wild animal inside him seemed content as well. He wasn’t prowling around at the surface, trying to claw its way out to be with his mate. Instead, his bear touched Beth, rubbing his scent over her, soothing away its pain.
Her moans of pleasure filled the living room, and Jason smiled. He made her feel pleasure. His hands brought took away her aches. He vowed right then to strip her down and give her a proper full-body, naked massage with oil. One day he would be able to do just that. He wouldn’t stop there either. He’d give her so much pleasure that she’d be screaming his name. Just the image had his cock hard.
Jason moved slightly, wanting to hide his erection from Beth. The last thing he wanted to do in this perfect moment was to freak her out by rubbing his aching hard-on against her back.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
“I’ve been working at Mack’s for a little while, and I wanted to ask about the ménages.”
“What do you want to know?” He couldn’t have planned this better. Beth was asking about ménage relationships…what were the odds?
“Umm…are the women here passed around?”
“What?” He stopped massaging her shoulders, his fingers froze.
That wasn’t the question he expected. Why would she even assume that the women would be passed around? Like any possessive male would ever share his mate. He wanted to scoff, but he kept his face carefully blank, hoping that he’d misunderstood.
“Are the women really in relationships with multiple men? I mean, are they faithful, the ménage couples?” Her voice held some doubt, and Jason wished that he could get inside her head.
“Kaden and I should’ve talked to you about this a lot sooner. This is a conversation that the three of us should have and we will.” Jason moved so that he could see Beth’s face. He didn’t want to talk to the back of her head.
“Listen, Beth, you need to understand that the men here take relationships with their chosen woman seriously. We don’t share. Kaden would never let another man touch you, b
ut me. It’s not a kink. It’s not temporary. Kaden and I…we’ve always known that when we found our mate, we would share her.”
The screen door slid open, alerting Jason that Kaden was finished grilling the steaks. He wanted to continue this conversation more than he wanted to breathe, but he needed to talk with Kaden. It should be the two of them. They needed to tell her everything about shifters, mates, and what it all meant.
“Dinner’s ready, you two!” Kaden yelled.
“Let’s eat. We can talk about this later, with Kaden.” He stood up and held out his hand, and Beth took it.
She smiled and nodded. The two of them headed to the kitchen. Dinner and fireworks, it was going to be the best Fourth of July. He was with his mate. He tried to keep the concerns he was feeling to himself. Would Beth ever want him as much as she obviously cared for Kaden? Would the three of them be able to make things work?
Chapter 12
Beth sat down and rotated her ankles, taking the pressure off her aching feet. Working at Mack’s was way more physical than she’d ever expected. Being on her feet all day was something that she wasn’t used to. Within only a couple minutes, Mack dropped off a plate filled with a giant burger and fries. Yummy, my favorite.
“This looks delicious.” Without another word, Beth grabbed the burger with both hands and took a huge bite. Her stomach growled as she chewed.
“What do you want to drink?” he asked. The grin on his face widened, watching her eat as if she were a starving woman.
When she finally swallowed, she answered, “Coke.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be back.” Mack left her table and Beth inhaled her food.
“Hey, do you mind if I join you?” Emma asked and Beth jerked her head up, nodding excitedly as she chewed. “Is it okay if I talk to you about Jason?”
When her Coke arrived, Beth took a sip before answering. “Uh, sure. Although, I’m not dating Jason, I’m dating Kaden.” Didn’t Emma already know that?
“Yeah, I know, and that’s sort of the problem,” Emma replied.
The look on Emma’s face had a rush of uncertainty running through Beth’s body. She picked up a fry and took a bite. Her choices were either to talk about Jason with her cousin or to tell her to mind her own damn business. Their relationship wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot, and Beth didn’t want to be rude. Did she really want to talk about Jason and Kaden? She didn’t have anything to say, not really. So far everything was great. She wouldn’t be put in the same situation she was in with Kirk, though. Hell, no. If Kaden’s kink was to watch his brother Jason fuck her, then she was out. She wouldn’t be treated like some sort of sex toy ever again. She’d end this relationship, even if it shattered her heart.
“This is still quite new. Yes, Kaden and I are together. I’m trying to take things slow. I don’t think I’m ready for more, not yet.” That’s what she kept telling herself even though she was already falling in love with him. “I’m not sure what Jason has to do with it. We’re only friends.”
Emma huffed out a breath. “This isn’t just a fling for Kaden. He’s serious about you, Beth, and so is Jason. I may not know that much about you now, but the woman I was best friends with ten years ago would be in love with Kaden already. Hell, she’d be partially in love with Jason too.”
“After only knowing Kaden a week or so longer than Jason? I’ve only been in town a few weeks. I don’t know if that’s possible, not anymore.” Beth wasn’t sure she believed in happily ever after. “This could just be a case of rebound one-oh-one. The girl you knew ten years ago…she would be in love with him. Now, too much has happened in my life.” Beth shook her head, her food all but forgotten as she focused on Emma.
A sad smile crossed Emma’s face. “You don’t believe in love at first sight at anymore? Whatever happened in your past is just that, the past. You can’t hold Kaden and Jason responsible for what other men did.”
Beth softened then. Exhaling, she let her shoulders slump. It was true and she wondered if that would continue. Would she hold every man responsible for what Aaron and Kirk did in the past?
“Maybe it’s too soon to date. I’ve been thinking that since the moment I met Kaden, but there was just something about him that I couldn’t turn down. I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially him with my past. He’s not responsible for the choices I’ve made.”
“I know. You don’t need to tell me anything. The men here are different than the ones you’re used to. They fall in love quickly and become serious faster. It’s not really my place to go into details, but I don’t think you understand them. I know it may sound really weird, but being with more than one man can be quite amazing. It’s more than that though, more than sex.”
“Wait. What?” Had she heard Emma correctly? Was her cousin trying to talk her into being with both Kaden and Jason?
Was she attracted to Jason? Hell, yeah. But she shouldn’t be. She shouldn’t want him at all. Especially with the way Kirk had used and abused her love and trust. She shouldn’t want to be put into a situation like that ever again, to be a lover to not one man, but two men. Would it even mean anything to them? Would she just be another sexual play toy? Was it some kink that they both enjoyed?
She thought about meeting him, their conversations, and watching him interact with Kaden. His very presence had pulled at her. She’d wanted so badly to feel him against her, to have his strong arms wrapped around her, holding her. It was different than what she felt with Kaden. Despite her every instinct telling her to stay as far away from Jason Schiller as she could, she couldn’t get the image of him out of her head. Kaden was sweet and tender when it came to sex. Jason would be a different story.
“You’ve met Mahkah, Takoda, and Chayton. Do you think they’re using me? Do you think that they would ever let another man touch me? Our relationship is serious and it’s full of love. I’m so glad that I have the three of them in my life. We belong to each other. They’re my mates.” Emma gave her a questioning look and Beth nodded.
She’d had so many questions for Emma, but kept them all to herself. She didn’t want her cousin to feel as though she was being judged. She knew that feeling all too well, had been judging herself for far too long.
“Mates? Kaden and Jason have both called me that.”
“I’m going to explain what I can.” Emma said vaguely, before continuing. “Mates are sacred. The men here use that term instead of saying ‘wife’ or ‘soul mate.’ It means that the men will never stray. They will never cheat, lie, or hurt you. The men here aren’t like any other men you’ve met before. I know that’s hard to believe, but trust me, it’s true. Kaden and Jason love you, it’s real. They only want to make you happy.”
Beth wasn’t sure what to say to that. It seemed too good to be true. How was it even possible? When men were served sex on a platter, most of them would cheat. How were Kaden and Jason any different?
“Are you against the whole idea of a ménage relationship?” Emma asked and Beth bit her lip.
Was she against a ménage relationship? Is that what Kaden and Jason wanted, a relationship? She wasn’t against a relationship, but she was against being treated like a sexual object. She’d already experienced that enough in her lifetime, and now, she really wanted something special. She’d been married twice and both of those relationships were emotionally traumatic. She just wanted to find a nice man who showed her love, loyalty, and respect. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.
“From the look on your face, I can tell that you aren’t against it. So, tell me what’s really bothering you.” Beth wasn’t sure she was ready to reveal her past. She was embarrassed. What would Emma think? What would Kaden and Jason think of her when they found out? “Beth, you can trust me. Whatever you say, I will keep your secret.”
“I don’t want you to think badly of me.”
“I never would. We’ve all done things in our lives we aren’t proud of. The past doesn’t define who we are.”
“I’ve been married t
wice. Technically, I’m still married, at least on paper. When I first met Kirk, I was at such a low point in my life. He swooped in like Prince Charming and rescued me. Or at least”—she shook her head—“he made me think he had.” Emma’s face was full of compassion, and Beth continued, feeling safe to tell her story.
“During the first year he was so amazing. He took me on trips, spoiled me rotten, and encouraged me to quit my job. He said that he made enough money to support us both and wanted me to be home when he got off work. I believed and trusted him with everything. He paid the bills, and over time, I became more dependent on him. It was just the two of us. We’re both estranged from our families and I never had a best friend, not like you.” Emma reached across the table and held Beth’s hands.
“It was a little over a year before things changed. It was as if a switch had been flicked ‘on’ and the real Kirk appeared. He wasn’t the kind and loving man he’d been in the beginning.” Emma squeezed her hands, encouraging her to continue. “He started going online looking at sites that catered to couples looking for other couples to play with. I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want to sleep with anyone but my husband. I told him that, all the time. I asked him why he couldn’t just love me.”
“It wasn’t you that had the problem, Beth. It was him. He obviously doesn’t know what real love is.”
“He took me to meet other couples, acting as if we were going on dates to get me to the restaurants. At first, I kept telling him no. Then, he took me to a swingers club. I still didn’t do anything. I didn’t want to and that’s when he got worse. He said such horrible things, called me a selfish bitch. He told me that with everything he did for me, that I should be able to do this one thing for him.”
“It sounds like he’s the selfish one. His love came with conditions, Beth, conditions that you weren’t okay with. That’s not love, that’s manipulation.”
