by Milly Taiden
“Oh?” Interest sounded in Gerri’s voice.
“He used a photo of a very good-looking man. A man he looked nothing like.” She frowned, growing angry all over again over that episode. “Apparently the photo was of a British actor. My date said he was always told he looked like that actor so he didn’t see the need to post his own photo when that would do.”
“But he doesn’t look like the actor?”
She bit her lip to keep from growling. “No. The actor had hair. My date didn’t. The actor was fit. My date looked like a slob. His sweats had stains on them. And...” She scrunched her nose. “He had really yellow teeth.”
“Wow,” Gerri said. “That sounds like a terrible date.”
“It gets worse.” She glanced down at her plate covered with smudges of icing. “He took me to have coffee and I ended up having to pay for him because he ‘forgot’ his wallet.”
“Oh, you poor girl.” Gerri gasped, horror visible over her features.
“I have at least one hundred other stories like that. Dating sucks and I won’t do it anymore. But I need someone to come to my family wedding and I want the man to be the hottest you can find. Even if I never see him again,” she said hopefully. “I want everyone to shut their mouths about my dating life already. So, can you help?”
Gerri nodded. “Yes, I believe I can.”
“The hotter the man, the better. I want tongues to wag.”
Gerri’s giggles filled the apartment. “My dear, you are most definitely my kind of client. I have exactly what you need.”
“Good.” She stood. “I’ll need him for my first event, the bridal shower, in a week. Have him show up at the restaurant. I don’t have time to come home. I have a long day and we’ll have to meet there.” She headed for the door with Gerri by her side. “I trust your instinct. So whoever you pick for this I’m okay with.”
Gerri grinned. “I’m glad. You’ll have an open mind though, right?”
She had the biggest open mind. Shit. She was letting an elderly friend find her a man for a wedding. If that wasn’t crazy she didn’t know what was.
“Yes, I’ll have an open mind.” She stopped at the door. “Make sure he has hair, nice teeth and clean clothes. Other than that, I can probably let everything else slide.”
“Can do,” Gerri promised. “Don’t worry. Your dream date will come true.”
She laughed. “I’ll settle for a nice guy. One who won’t expect me to put up with body odor.”
“Trust me, nothing like that here.”
She nodded and waved as she headed for her side of the floor. “Good night, Gerri.”
“Good night, Tally. Have faith. It will all work out.”
Easier said than done.
Chapter Three
Tally growled and honked. Again. She was so late. Her date had probably left already. Not that there was any way she could have known her asshole boss would hand her a stack of calls to make right when she headed for the door.
“Bastard.” Lawyers sucked hairy balls.
Rush hour traffic only added to her frustration, but she pushed it away. Gerri had called her and said that she would be pleasantly surprised by her date. Tally’s excitement grew once again. Though a bridal shower was far from her idea of a perfect date, she wanted to make a certain ‘I could give two fucks what you think’ impression with her family. Hopefully whatever hot man Gerri had chosen would help her do the job.
She swiped clammy hands over the skirt of her strapless blue maxi dress. She wasn’t usually into strapless, but it was pretty and she really liked how the dress fit.
Nita had instigated her into buying it. Telling her that it made her look sensual and sexy. She’d spent years ignoring her own sex appeal and hiding her curves because she was, according to her family, fat. She wouldn’t do that anymore. Her body was hers and if she wanted to strip to nothing and wiggle her ass for her new date, then she’d do exactly that. Right after she had a few drinks. Liquid courage was her best friend.
The restaurant the family had chosen for the bridal shower was an expensive one. That meant that everyone had to look the part. Air tripped in her chest. She’d forgotten to tell Gerri to make sure the man was dressed appropriately. She would not freak. Would not freak.
Dammit, she was freaking. What if the guy showed up in shorts and a tank top?
“Oh, lord.” She slammed her hand on the steering wheel as she turned the corner to enter the parking lot of the restaurant.
Her brain had decided that was what would happen. Her date would be inappropriately dressed and she’d still end up looking like a fool. Not what she needed.
She hopped out of the car. Forget demure and composed, she rushed into the entrance of the hotel and ran down to the private party room. She stepped on a wet spot on the floor and skidded down the hall.
Bam!
She slammed into a huge body that appeared out of nowhere. Massive hands curled around her arms to hold her steady. She glanced up and lost her breath.
“Hello, beautiful Tally,” said the blond guy she’d met at the elevator in her building.
Before she got a chance to find her voice, hot guy number two from the elevator made an appearance. She’d walked into the Twilight Zone.
“Oh, god,” she mumbled.
“She’s got a great voice,” biker guy said. Wait. She remembered his name. Theron. And blondie was Connor.
“What are...what are you two doing here?” she asked. There was no stopping the awe in her voice over how amazing the two men looked in a suit. Her mouth watered. In regular clothes the men were scorching enough to melt panties, but in suits, they gave new meaning to panty-dropping sexy.
“We,” said Theron as he moved around to her side. “Are your dates for the next few days.”
She gasped. No way. Gerri couldn’t be that evil. “I think you must be mistaken.”
Connor smiled, the grin turned his movie star good looks to orgasm-inducing sinful. “We are your dates, Tally. Would you reject us?”
“I don’t need two dates,” she stated more to herself than them. She really didn’t need two sexy men eyeing her like she was the hottest woman in the world. Did she?
Theron lowered his head. “We’re a pair,” he whispered by her ear, his breath tickling the side of her face.
She bit back a moan and squeezed the clutch in her left hand in a death grip.
Someone turned the corner at that moment. It was Paul with his new girlfriend. She really did have the worst luck.
“Talia?” Paul said, glancing back and forth between Tally and her escorts. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
His tone said he expected her to bow out because he was there. Not in this lifetime jerk-wad.
“Oh? Why’s that? I did tell Roland and Susan I was coming.” She forced herself to smile. Anger heated her blood. She wanted to lash out and punch the high and mighty smirk off his face.
“Who are your companions?” Paul asked, shoving the slim blonde woman forward. “This is Candy.”
“Nice to meet you.” The blonde smiled. She was friendly where Paul gave them a snobby smirk.
Tally glanced up at the two men on either side of her. What could she say?
“I’m Theron and this is Connor,” Theron introduced them for her.
“Are you co-workers of Tally?” Paul asked, much too interested.
“No,” Theron answered before Tally got a chance to. “We want a lot more than professional things out of her. She’s ours.”
“Excuse me?” Paul lost the smile. It was almost worth it that Theron made her sound like a hooker who they’d bought, if only to see the surprise on Paul’s face. “Are you saying you’re sleeping with her?”
“Paul!” the blonde admonished.
“I really don’t see how that’s any of your business,” Tally spit out.
Theron grinned down at Tally, curling his hand around her wrist. She bit her lip, holding back the urge to shudder. Then, to make things worse,
he drew circles with his thumb over her skittering pulse. Meanwhile, Connor slid his fingers over the back of her neck.
For a moment she forgot all about Paul and focused on the sensation of the two men caressing her.
“Tally is much too special just for sex,” Connor said, pinning her with his gaze.
Theron lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed over her erratic pulse. “That’s right. We’re interested in the long-term of having her. She’s the only woman who can make us whole.”
Lust pooled at her core. Fire shot from her nipples down to her clit. If she could get the two guys alone at that moment, all bets were off. To say things that perfect to her ex without her even asking them to meant Theron and Connor were ideal for what she needed.
“Aw,” said Candy, breaking the intimate moment between Tally, Connor and Theron. “You guys are so cute. Why don’t you say things like that to me, Paul?”
Tally cleared her throat. Her mind was a whirlwind of erotic images where Theron and Connor were doing some pretty dirty things to her. And she was begging for more.
“Well,” Paul said in a clipped voice. “We’ll see you inside.”
He entered the private party room and left them behind without another word.
“Jesus, you guys are good.” Tally’s mind reeled. They were both still caressing her and they were now alone. The sensual smiles did some things to her lungs she couldn’t explain. It was like she’d lost the ability to breathe normally. “You can stop now.”
Theron chuckled. The sound made the hairs on her arms stand on end. It was deep, rich and so sexy her girl bits quivered with need.
“Why would we want to do that?” Connor asked, voice low and rough. His light touch drove her closer to forgetting what she was there for and focusing more on what she wanted to go do.
“Um...” What was the question? “Didn’t Gerri explain to you guys I only need to pretend to be dating to get my family to see I am not a total loser and they can kiss my ass?”
“I’d prefer it if you allowed me the privilege instead,” Theron said softly.
She blinked and met his gaze. “What privilege?”
“The one of kissing your delectable ass.”
Wow.
She moved away from them, her mind a total mess of wants and needs. “Hang on a second. I didn’t really expect two escorts tonight. I don’t really know what to do with two of you. And you don’t have to act like I’m the hottest woman in the world when nobody’s around.”
“But you are the hottest woman to us,” Theron stated and Connor nodded.
They closed the distance around her. She didn’t want to want them, but she did. Both men pulled at some deep primal urge inside her. It was like a whole new part of her was being exposed and she wasn’t sure what to do with it.
“We’ll make it good for you,” Connor said as if reading her mind.
Oh, she had no doubt about that.
Theron cupped her cheek. “No, we’ll make it fucking amazing for you.”
Jesus H. Christ!
“All you have to do is give us a chance.” Connor smoothed his hands around the curve of her ass.
Her pussy ached with how turned on she was. “A chance at what?”
“Being ours.”
“We need to go inside,” she murmured. Only half her brain reminded her that they were one door away from chaos and she needed to control her hormones.
Connor watched Tally from across the room. Theron handed him a glass of champagne.
“What do you think?” Theron asked.
Connor knew what Theron wanted to know. Was she emotionally stable and strong enough to be part of their Alpha triad? She was. Though there was a lot of sadness and one very fiery attitude in her, Tally was perfect for them. He knew it from the warmth that hit him to the bone when he touched her. Theron had the same feeling. It was one of the things he could sense from their connection.
“She’s perfect. In every way.” He didn’t bother to hide how much he wanted her himself. “If she can accept us, our triad would be complete.”
Unlike a lot of packs. Wildwoods Alphas came connected to an Omega. Theron and Connor had known from birth they’d be a triad. It was normal. For years they’d shared women, but never a mate. This was new ground. Choosing a human mate made things even more difficult. There was the question of what if her body didn’t take the change? What if she was challenged for her position?
“The females could be trouble. Especially Keya. She’s been angry about our rejection for a while now,” Theron said. They glanced at each other and then back at Tally. She appeared deep in conversation with an old woman. Every few moments she’d laugh or smile. That was their sign she didn’t need any intervening.
“Yes, but we’d have to treat her like one of our own and let her handle it how she sees fit.”
Theron handed a passing waiter his empty champagne flute then folded his arms over his chest. “Up to a point. No way I’d let anyone hurt her. She’s so tiny. And Keya comes from a former Alpha family. She might not be Alpha in our group, but it’s in her blood. She wants to lead. I won’t let anything happen to Tally.”
“She’s a lot stronger than she seems, Theron. Very fierce.” Connor homed in on the tripping heartbeat that belonged to Tally. She was aroused. A second later, she glanced up and met his gaze. Oh, yeah. She wanted a taste. She might not know how deep things truly were, but for now, they’d take her sexual attraction to them and use it to encourage her to be with them.
“Could take a while to get her on board with our needs,” Theron grumbled.
“Then we need to use whatever means necessary to make her see our side of things.” Connor grinned at Tally. She licked her lips and skittered her gaze away from them.
“I think I like where this is going.” Theron chuckled. “This will be fun.”
“I’ll start it off,” Connor offered and readied to march to Tally.
“Keep your eyes on the prize,” Theron growled low.
Their prize was sweet Tally and her sexy body all for them. For a mate. Connor strode to Tally to do whatever necessary to break down her walls. A handful of steps and he was there.
Connor tapped her on the shoulder. Her skin was so smooth, softer than anything he’d ever touched. And the color was driving him to distraction. A smooth caramel that put his paleness to shame.
She glanced at him, her eyes wide behind her glasses. He loved how innocent she appeared before lust filled her dark brown eyes.
“Would you like to dance?” He offered his hand and watched her stare at it for a mute moment.
“Go on, girlie,” the older woman said. “He’s handsome and you look amazing in that dress. Ignore all the idiots and have a good time.”
“Thanks, Grandma Kate.”
“Don’t worry, if I see Nita I will tell her you are looking for her.” The old lady grinned.
Connor pulled her into his arms on the dance floor, already packed with a bunch of couples. The music was soft, so there was no need for outrageous dance moves that might get someone hurt.
Tally glanced everywhere but him. He sensed the tension in her muscles. Her arousal was what brought a smile to his lips.
He leaned down, pressing their bodies tight together and murmured by her ear, “You need to relax, Tally.”
She inhaled sharply. Her ragged breaths and almost inaudible moan made his cock jerk. He slid a hand down her back to the curve of her and pressed her into him. He wanted her body cradling his cock.
“Oh, my...” she whispered.
“That’s all you, beautiful.” He brushed his lips over her shoulder. “I’m so hard I can’t think straight.”
She reeled back, staring at him wide-eyed. “But—but I haven’t done anything.”
He smiled at her shocked expression. “You’re doing enough by smelling so delicious and looking so appetizing.”
He guided her to a darkened corner where he could press her closer to him and torture himself with
her softness.
“Connor, you’re both really handsome men, but I have never...” She glanced around. “This isn’t the same room.”
He’d pushed her through an open curtain to an empty side room. “I wanted to be alone with you.”
She blinked and licked her lips.
“Christ, Tally. If you keep doing that I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
Her wet pink tongue swooped over her bottom lip again. “Doing what?”
He pressed her back against a wall. “That. Licking your lips and reeling me in to do the same. I have to taste you.”
Her mouth opened on a gasp and he used it as his first opportunity to kiss her. Their lips touched and instant fire spread through his veins. She moaned in the back of her throat. The sound was soft and so damn sexy he gripped her waist harder than he intended. He ached to be inside her, feeling her pussy stretch around his cock. The moment she curled her tongue over his, all reality ceased to exist. She was the only thing his wolf and Connor focused on.
She raked her nails up his arms. She squeezed him hard over the material of his jacket. With each grasp, she added a husky little moan that drove him wild. She wiggled her hips closer. She was wet. So wet. He could tell from the thick perfume drifting from her.
He pulled away from the heaven of her lips to kiss down her jaw.
“Tell me you want this.” He bit down on her bare shoulder.
“Oh, god,” she moaned.
“Tell me you want us both. Tell me you’ll try.” He pressed kisses down to her breasts. He wanted so badly to push the material down and suck on her nipples. To lick and lave and bite her into coming.
“I...”
He rocked his cock into her. His hard and throbbing length got no relief. Desire twined knots in his spine, down to his balls.
