Stolen Moments (A World Beyond Book 8)

by Michelle Howard

  “Hello, Lindsey.”

  She yawned continuing toward him, creases on her cheeks hinting she’d just come from her bed. He knew since he’d checked before coming to see the babies and been reluctant to wake her.

  “Are you okay? How was work?” When she reached him, Lindsey leaned her weight against his side and wrapped one arm about his waist as he dutifully lowered his head for her to kiss his forehead.

  Relaxing into her touch, Zadal closed his eyes and inhaled her familiar scent. Probably a gift from Baruk. He was good about buying her things like that while Zadal was more likely to stumble around and rely on his first assistant Beline to suggest something appropriate. “I’m fine. Work went well.”

  In the beginning, he hadn’t known how to handle Lindsey’s exuberance and open affection. Zadal wrapped an arm about her hips and tugged her to his front. Now he wouldn’t know what to do without it.

  She rested her head on his chest and stroked a hand through his hair. “Where is Baruk? Didn’t he come home with you?”

  Her question brought a return to his earlier smile as he said with glee, “He stopped to speak with a few others.”

  Lindsey frowned and leaned back to see his face clearly. “You both have been working so hard these last weeks. I was sure he wanted to come home early today but maybe I was mistaken.”

  Shaking her head in dismay, she angled her body so they could both stare into the baby bed at their children. “They look so peaceful. You’d never know this morning Azalea wouldn’t settle down and screamed until she turned red in the face and choked. Briar joined her resulting in hiccups, poor sweetie. Lucky for Graeme and me, Camille slept through it all.”

  Azalea, Briar and Camille. Flower names.

  Because Baruk loved horticulture and every aspect of gardening. Though Camille’s namesake was a thieving criminal without a drop of honor in him, he was also one of Lindsey’s closest friends whom she refused to end contact with.

  As to the other girls, Zadal was a little put out to know she’d named the children in a way to honor his spouse partner. He knew Lindsey loved him. Had no doubt in his mind actually. But there were still moments like now where Zadal questioned if she preferred her other husband to him.

  Lindsey ran a hand up his back “Z, what’s going on? You seem miles away.”

  Z. He hid a wince at the dreaded short name and stepped away from the babies’ bed after one last stroke against a tiny curled fist. “Nothing.”

  Lindsey followed him into the hall and caught the back of his black senate robes, preventing his escape to his bedroom. “Don’t lie to me. Anything but that. If now is not a good time, say it, but I’m too sensitive for lies between any of us.”

  Because she’d been kidnapped and led to believe he and Baruk didn’t want her. Zadal sighed and gripped the back of his neck. She didn’t deserve his frustration or his issues with his self worth. “It’s just that I didn’t expect there was more to your desire to use Earth names for the babies. Knowing you chose them with Baruk in mind brought up bad memories.”

  Her mouth curved in a soft smile. She slid in front of him and wrapped her arms about him. Zadal returned the embrace automatically. There was nothing better than hugging his wife. Lindsey was ever sensitive to the nuances of his mood and had been from the early days of their marriage when he questioned his place in their Triad. Like now.

  Another rough exhale and Zadal eased back to caress her cheek. “I’m being foolish.”

  Her brows creased. “Something hurt you though. Something I did.”

  He denied it with shake of his head. “Not at all.”

  But she continued to frown and nibbled her bottom lip. Zadal tried to pull from her hold. “I need to shower and change.”

  Usually he snuck away from his home office to snatch a few moments with their children during the day. He couldn’t resist staring at them. Since today was one of the rare times he had to go to the Senate Hall in person, he’d missed his bonding time with them and felt grimy from being out all day.

  Lindsey’s expression fell as she let him go. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

  Zadal plastered a fake smile on his face to placate her as he began walking backward down the hall toward his bedroom. “I love our children, Lindsey.”

  Unconditionally.

  Lindsey wagged a finger at him, almost skipping to keep up with his evasive moves. “You silly man.”

  She ran toward him and jumped, leaving Zadal no choice but to catch her. The sudden weight threw him off balance and he stumbled near the top of the elaborate spiral stairs. Heart in his throat, Zadal spun them to the side and braced her against the wall. “Verat, Lindsey! You have to warn me when you do that.”

  She ignored his muttered complaint to press kisses all over his face. Holding his chin up out of reach, he caught her wrists and brought them down. Not in the least perturbed, Lindsey leaned her weight into him, grinning all the while. “I love you. The flower names are to give Baruk an added sense of connection because it’s obvious to anyone with eyes the girls are yours.”

  Zadal braced his forearms against the wall by her head and stared in confusion. “Baruk and I are both their fathers. We told you Garulaxan don’t care about paternal genetics.”

  It wasn’t important since all Triad marriages were composed of two husbands and a wife.

  Lindsey twisted about until he lowered her feet to the floor and released her. Running her fingers down his face, she cupped his jaw. “It’s different in our situation. You and Baruk never would have shared a Triad if it wasn’t for me. Of course there will be times when one of you will feel disadvantaged.”

  Zadal wanted to deny her claim, but knew deep inside it was true. Lindsey kissed him softly, a slight press of her lips to his. “You probably never noticed but Baruk was sad for a few days after the birth of the girls.”

  He hadn’t noticed. Baruk and he had started this relationship as adversaries. Only their love for Lindsey had helped bridge the gap. “Baruk seems fine.”

  Lindsey snorted. “After we agreed on the names he was happier.”

  “And?” Zadal had no idea where she was going with this.

  Lindsey yanked his hair, causing him to wince. “He could tell you are the girls’ natural father. Maybe it doesn’t matter to men on your world or maybe just maybe he held hope they’d be his.”

  “They are!”

  Lindsey stared and arched a brow. Zadal’s nerves quivered. He didn’t put any thought to the girls’ paternity because he and Baruk signed the standard marriage agreement foregoing the right to ever know which children possessed their genetics. But did Baruk care?

  On the surface he seemed to be fine but what if Lindsey was right? Baruk came from a happy loving family. Perhaps a part of him held to an outdated belief in fathering his own.

  “Now you get it.” Lindsey smoothed her hands down his chest. “The names of our children was something I wanted Baruk to feel was his. Who knows the next one might be his genetically and I’ll get to name a little Z.”

  Blood drained from Zadal’s face as he remembered how she’d labored. The fear, the pain. Not only hers but his. Worried something would go wrong had made Zadal sick to the stomach. It was not a process he was in a rush to experience again. He placed his hands over hers on his chest and squeezed. “Tell me you’re not pregnant again, Lindsey.”

  Zadal didn’t care how desperate he sounded. The girls were only a few months old. Granted he and Baruk spent every night possible showing Lindsey how much they loved and worshipped her body once she recovered, but he was still adjusting to having a family. A spouse partner, wife and children were a huge change for him.

  Breaking his hold, Lindsey laughed in his face and stepped back. “No. But obviously we’ll have more children later.”

  More children. The thought slammed into the forefront of his mind. Zadal’s heart boomed in his chest as if trying to break free. This was real. This was his life, not a dream. Lighthearted in a way he co
uldn’t express, Zadal swooped Lindsey up into his arms.

  Enjoying when she squealed and clutched at him, his steps toward his room were rushed. Zadal burst through the door, not bothering to close it behind him as he placed Lindsey on his bed and dropped on top of her, mindful of his weight.

  Her gaze lowered and she teased him by pulling at the black senate robes he still wore. Undoing the clasp to help, he shoved it down his shoulders only for it to catch at his elbows.

  “What ever are you doing, Z?”

  Hiding his grin, Zadal buried his face in the hollow of her neck and shoulder and bit down. Not enough to hurt, never that, but enough to give an erotic sting of pain. Lindsey shivered beneath him.

  ***

  Zadal nipped and licked as he kissed up and down Lindsey’s throat. Each touch of his lips set her skin on fire, leaving goose bumps behind. Sex on Earth had been fun and freeing but sex with her husbands was much more.

  “You don’t need this,” Zadal murmured as he leaned up on his haunches and slid her sleep gown up and over her head.

  He nipples beaded into tight buds immediately. His brown gaze heated as he took in her scantily clad body. Lindsey hadn’t bothered with a bra and her breasts had retained the fullness of pregnancy boobs with all the sensitivity included. He smoothed a rough palm down her torso and Lindsey couldn’t resist arching to the caress.

  “I could come so quick.” It was the truth. She’d been partially aroused all day and cursed the fact both of her husbands had to leave for work this morning, leaving her frustrated and horny.

  “Really,” Zadal drawled with a hike of one eyebrow.

  Lindsey debated reaffirming her statement but then shrugged. She had no reason to hide how she felt. “I’m extremely wet.”

  Twin flags of red popped on Zadal’s cheeks and his groan was reward enough. She held in a chuckle as he leaped from the bed and tore at his senate robes. Instead of the care he usually gave his clothes, he tossed the black bundle to the floor behind him and yanked the custom white button down over his head.

  “Mmm.’’ Lindsey moaned uncontrollably.

  Thick and broad, Zadal was built like a muscled tank and Lindsey loved every inch of it. She admired the rest of him as he kicked off his shoes and pants. The black underwear was whisked down his thighs, giving Lindsey an unencumbered view of his twitching cock as he grasped the length and stroked down. The glistening head emerged from the folds of foreskin and her mouth dried in anticipation.

  “How wet did you say you were?”

  Lindsey trembled. Oh yes, this was the side of her husband she most enjoyed. Dark. Demanding. Zadal approached the bed and stood at the side, rubbing slow and steady up and down his shaft. It pulsed so hard even Lindsey could catch the minute movement.

  “Really, really...really wet.” She spread her legs in a wanton display she knew neither of her husbands could resist.

  Breath hitching, Zadal bit his bottom lip and stroked faster. He stopped at the edge of the bed, his gaze greedy as it roved over her body. “Make me wet too.”

  Eagerly, Lindsey rolled to her side and balanced on one elbow while she cupped Zadal’s firm hold on his shaft. He bumped the head against her mouth and her lips parted as she sucked him deep. The scent of him rose and Lindsey bit back a whimper to focus on the taste of the thick shaft pumping in her mouth.

  “Fuck! Yes. Take me deep.” Head thrown back, he rocked. Each muscle in his thigh flexed and released with his thrusts.

  Adding her tongue, Lindsey alternated flicks with sucks. Zadal yelled and shoved his fingers through her hair, pulling hard. Moisture trickled down her thighs and Lindsey found herself rocking in counterpoint on the bed. As the pleasure overwhelmed, Lindsey closed her eyes. She needed to be filled, wanted his cock inside.

  Angling her neck, allowed her to take more of him in her throat. Lindsey toyed with his sac below and fingered the sensitive bumps. She’d learned a lot as the wife in the middle of a Triad. Otherwise her husbands would have long since worn her out.

  “Not so fast,” Zadal growled as he slowed down. “Open your eyes.”

  She did. Greed glittered in his gaze. Lindsey swallowed the drops of precum drizzling in her mouth. Zadal pulled out to her disbelief. He chuckled and climbed into the bed, easing her onto her back as he crouched above. “I’m going to be deep inside you when I release.”

  He pinned her hands to the bed with a solid hold on her wrists and Lindsey thought she’d explode right then. Planting himself between her legs, Zadal adjusted his weight and pushed forward. He was hard enough to penetrate without guidance and her slick channel welcomed him, clenching and quivering until his groin smashed into hers.

  Zadal stared down at her. “I’m torn.”

  “You are?” Lindsey wrapped her thighs around his hips and swiveled the tiniest bit. “Do you need me to tell you what comes next?”

  His bark of laughter jiggled both of their bodies and Lindsey bit off a moan. “Tease. I want to suck your nipples and kiss you.”

  “Do both,” Lindsey breathed, her nerves fluttering.

  “I do believe I will.” He lowered his head and lipped at her right nipple, laving the pink nub then sucking it.

  Lindsey was moaning and fighting to get free to touch and stroke at will when he switched to her left breast and gave it the same treatment. Careful licks followed by wet lavish strokes from his tongue and then drawing on her nipple with a powerful sucking motion had Lindsey’s orgasm roaring through her.

  She screamed and locked her ankles about him as her body pumped upward with aggressive thrusts. Zadal met each one with the fiery snap of his own hips until the bed bounced and the frame slammed into the wall behind them. Again and again until the small bite of pain from the pressure enhanced the flow of pleasure.

  Her inner walls clamped down on his length, tightening his passage and Zadal’s face dropped down next to hers on a gasp. “Verat! Tight, Fucking tight and so good.”

  Rough pants hit her cheek with his every breath. His body strained, shoulders rocking as he continued to work his way back and forth.

  “Fuck me, Z. Fuck me,” she encouraged, sweat gathering on their bodies and adding the smack of flesh on flesh to their vocal symphony.

  Suddenly he froze, a choked cry rising between them. Then Zadal lost all control, pumping fast and furious before groaning and collapsing on the pillow beside her. Lindsey slumped in relief and satisfaction, her legs sprawling to the bed weakly. Zadal released her wrists to gather her in his arms as he moaned into the side of her neck.

  Smiling, Lindsey cuddled into his embrace. She needed to catch her breath. Ignoring the damp sheet beneath her, she drifted on the pleasant haze of post orgasmic high.

  The squawk of a baby’s cry had both of them tensing. Zadal pushed away and up first. Lindsey sat up beside him. They cocked their heads and waited for a secondary cry.

  “Do you want me to comm Graeme?” Zadal asked, already reaching for the device at the side of the bed.

  “No.” Lindsey tossed aside the sheets and rose on a stretch. Her muscles were deliciously worked and limber. “I’ll see to them. It’s time for their feeding.”

  Zadal jumped from the bed and Lindsey snickered at his eagerness. “I’ll clean up and join you.”

  Baruk and Zadal seemed to take an inordinate amount of delight from feeding their children. It gave Lindsey a much needed break from caring for triplets. His taut ass cheeks flexed as he dashed into her attached bathroom. Lindsey debated for all of a second then used the comm at the side of her bed. Graeme to her pleasure had his portable comm on and was already in the nursery tending to the little ones.

  Which meant Lindsey could take a few extra minutes with her husband in their version of a shower.

  Chapter 2

  Baruk came home to a quiet house. The servants who maintained the estate had retired for the night and there was no one to greet him. Muffling a sigh of disappointment at being late again, he eased down the hall to Lindsey’s roo
m. He peered inside and knew immediately that it was empty.

  The lavish furnishings he’d ordered long before selecting a wife or spouse partner fit his wife to a T. Expensive gowns decorated the bottom of the neatly made bed as well as the chair set next to a small table covered with books. Lindsey insisted on cleaning her room without help which meant the staff help was banned from her room. A decree Baruk didn’t agree with but it wasn’t worth arguing over.

  He closed the door and came to Zadal’s bedroom next. A quick glance inside showed his spouse partner sprawled in the massive bed. Without any clothing on. Grimacing, Baruk hurried by and stopped at the cracked door between Zadal’s and his room. Graeme glanced up from his data pad at Baruk’s entrance.

  “Senate Leader Laars.” The man bowed low.

  “How are they?” Baruk didn’t wait for an answer as he strode directly for the baby bed he’d had made to fit three newly born. The designer had been shocked then eager to commission a piece he would probably never get the opportunity to make again. Garulaxans did not have multiples. Lindsey continued to be more than Baruk could have dreamed time and again.

  “They did well today. Sleeping longer at night. Finally.”

  “I have it from here.” Baruk dismissed Graeme and leaned over the safety railing to pick up a tiny bundle. She mewled in his hold but as he cradled her close to his chest, she settled back with a purse of her pink lips.

  Azalea. He held Azalea. Baruk laughed softly under his breath, distantly noting the door closing behind Graeme. Lindsey had Welsin, the clothing designer, stitch little initials in the girls clothing. None of them had mentioned it but it was hard to tell them apart because they were identical. After Lindsey had a minor breakdown days after the birth worried they would confuse the children and never know, it was Welsin’s wife, Berline, who’d made the suggestion.

  Baruk sat in one of the three overstuffed chairs placed together and leaned down to smell the baby sweet fragrance. He closed his eyes and once more thanked whatever powers that had led Lindsey to choose his world out of hundreds of others when she left Earth.