She shivered as the cool, conditioned air hit her heated skin. It would be all too easy to fall into their arms. Before she succumbed, Ambar took three hurried steps toward the balcony overlooking the turquoise lagoon. From here she could see the waves breaking on the coral reef farther out. Two small boats bobbed on the water, their passengers snorkeling along the reef.
Turning her back on the view, her gaze zoomed in on Hari and Jake. They eyed her like hungry dogs after a bone. A bit disturbing yet flattering too.
“Wait,” she blurted, holding up a hand to enforce her order.
Both men froze, and she hurried to reassure them when she saw their wary expressions.
“I want you both, but if I don’t tell you this up-front we’re never going to have an honest relationship.”
“What?” Jake growled.
Hari remained tense, his face watchful.
“I watched my parents and the way they ran their marriage. I lived with their rules, and if they were alive now I’d be living with whichever male my father chose for me. I loved my parents, but I hated their rules and the lack of freedom in their narrow world. I promised myself if I ever had a chance I would savor my independence.” She paused to study their reactions. Neither one of them gave much away, although she noticed Jake had moved closer to Hari in order for physical contact.
A tight sensation formed around her chest and she had to battle to draw breath. They were here for her. She had to remember that.
Ambar swallowed and pushed out the next words. “I don’t want to end up suffocated in a relationship like my mother. I’ve always thought about travel. I’ve never told anyone before how much I want it. It’s a dream that kept me sane when my parents were alive. I love you both. I want to be with you, but I can’t see how it would work. I don’t want to fall into the same trap my mother did.”
“What about your share in the store?” Jake asked.
“I thought I could take a month off now and then to fit in my travel and to do some of the things I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Hari frowned. “Like what? Give us specifics.”
Heck, she’d known this would be difficult, that they wouldn’t understand. Hari especially since she’d marked him. Guilt assailed her as her gaze slid over the raised skin of his mark. “I want to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise, the pyramids in Egypt and glide down the Nile in a felucca. I want to see Buckingham Palace and shop on Bond Street. Look for the Loch Ness monster. That sort of thing.”
Hari’s frown died away and he glanced at Jake. Something passed between the two of them, their silent communication making her feel left out. Her fault since she couldn’t have it both ways.
“How often would you want to travel?” Jake asked.
“Probably once a year. Maybe I’d take a week somewhere in New Zealand or Australia if I can swing it. I expect Rohan will want time off too.”
“So, you don’t want to leave Middlemarch permanently?” Hari seemed relieved.
“No. I like it there. Middlemarch is home.”
Hari exchanged another glance with Jake, and this time they grinned at each other.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded.
“We can make this work,” Jake said. “Tell her, Hari.”
“I’ve invested in Jake’s farm, and Jake is helping me with my game and web design. Once my game is fully tested, we’re going to need to travel to market and display it at various trade shows. There will be lots of traveling involved. Worldwide travel. Jake and I talked. We can swing it so the three of us can go.”
Ambar’s heart started to beat faster. She realized her mouth had dropped open and snapped it shut. “Together?” she asked finally.
It had never occurred to her they could leave together or that she could fulfill her dreams with Jake and Hari at her side. The more she thought of experiencing new things with Jake and Hari, the better she liked the idea. It meant they could plan their trips together, study photos and reminisce about their holidays once they’d returned to Middlemarch.
“Yeah, together,” Jake said with a nod of confirmation.
Jake and Hari crossed the room, each smiling at her, each making her breath catch and her heart beat faster.
“What do you think?” Hari asked.
“Yes.” She didn’t need to think about it. The solution was so easy now that she thought about it, so right and perfect for each of them.
Jake stared at her intently. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Ambar threw herself into their welcoming arms. Mouths met. Noses bumped and laughter filled the room. They kicked footwear aside and clothing dropped to the floor. In a tangle of arms and legs, they fell on the bed, mouths snatching kisses wherever they could reach. She rolled, ending up with her back flat on the mattress and the two men leaning over her. “I’ve missed you both this week.”
“That surprised you?” Hari ran his hand over her shoulder, his fingertips coming to rest on the curve of her breast.
Ambar couldn’t suppress a shudder of sweet anticipation. “No, not really. Wanting you both has never been a problem, not since you walked into Middlemarch and started seducing Jake and me.”
Jake chuckled. “He’s good at seduction.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Ambar said, her smile wry. “What chance did I have with the pair of you trying to seduce me?”
“No chance. We’ll make a family and have children eventually. No, not straightaway,” Hari said when she would have argued.
“We’ll have children when we all agree it’s time,” Jake reassured her. “No pressure. We promise. If there’s ever a time you want to do something, tell us. We want to know, have the opportunity to discuss the alternatives. We’re partners as well as lovers. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Hari said.
“I’m so sorry I doubted you both.” Ambar smiled with enthusiasm. “I agree.” She kissed Jake, purring with approval when he stroked one breast.
“Make her hot. Make her whimper with need.” Hari spread her legs as he gave instructions to Jake.
Each pinch and tug of Jake’s fingers at her breasts swirled pleasure through her body, the sensations twisting until heat blossomed over every inch of her skin. They dominated her, their touches consuming her. The scrape of stubble against her thighs heightened her hunger, the hot stabs of Hari’s tongue gathering the juices flowing from her pussy increasing it further.
Jake whispered against her neck. “I want to be inside you, Amber.” He rolled until he stretched out on the mattress. “Ride me. Mark me. Make me yours so I belong with both of you.” He cupped her cheek in a tender gesture, his eyes full of love.
“I love you, Jake.” And she did. It felt so right saying it aloud.
“I love you too, sweetheart, very much.”
Hari lifted his head. “We both love you, Ambar.”
“And each other,” Jake added, his voice husky as he smiled at Hari. He lifted Ambar, letting her guide his cock into place. She sank down, groaning softly as he impaled her. When she would have started moving, Jake held her hips in place. “Wait for Hari. Wait for both of us.”
Ambar relaxed into his embrace, quivering a fraction when Hari started to stroke and prepare her. Jake wanted to wear her mark. She nuzzled Jake’s neck, running her tongue back and forth over Hari’s mark. Jake let out a strangled groan, a violent tremble racking his body.
“God, that really gets me going,” he said. “I’m going to come if you don’t stop. You’ll see when Hari marks you. It’s bloody amazing.” He kissed her, the twin sensations of Jake’s mouth and Hari’s fingers doing a good job of keeping her on edge.
“You’ve always turned me on,” she whispered.
“And Hari?”
“That’s what I want to know,” Hari said, pausing while he waited for her answer.
“Of course you do. I need both of you in my life. You’ve no idea how much I missed you both this week.”
The wet pull of Jake’s mouth at her nipple dis
tracted her then Hari’s hard flesh pressed into her. Her stomach went fluttery, the blood roaring through her ears as they possessed her and took what she freely offered. A needy cry escaped as Hari covered her back and his mouth latched on to her neck. Immediately lust lanced her body. She writhed between their hard male bodies, a strangled moan rippling from her throat as the erotic promise coalesced into a firestorm.
When Jake and Hari started to move, it was heaven. Hot and perfect. They dominated her, consumed her, surrounding her with pleasure. Heat flushed her skin. The coiled power grew, spiraling into a sharp vibration in her pussy.
“Bite me,” she whispered. “Please.”
“Are you sure?” Hari asked.
“We don’t need to do this today,” Jake added. “We have time.”
“No.” When both her men froze, she realized they’d misunderstood. “I mean, I want to do it. I’ve done enough thinking this week. I want this and I’m ready. Please mark me.”
They didn’t give her another chance to say no. Jake took possession of her lips, bruising her mouth with his need. Hari withdrew and surged into her again, a rich rush of desire blooming inside her. This time he remained fully embedded and nuzzled her neck. The curl of heat in her exploded the second his teeth sank into her flesh. Sensual flames licked her sex while a slash of lava-hot pain quickly transformed to ecstasy.
“Hari.” She tore her mouth from Jake’s, sobbing out Hari’s name. Her passage clamped down hard on Hari’s cock while he climaxed, the subtle slide of Jake’s cock bringing another layer of sensation to the orgasmic rush that hurled her into deep pleasure. On instinct, she lowered her head and licked across the mark Hari had bestowed on Jake. With ripples of pleasure still lighting her body, she bit down, tasting Jake’s coppery blood as she licked it away. Jake shuddered, crying out as he came.
Hari lazily licked the spot where he’d bitten her. She did the same for Jake. It was like a connection slotting into place, and not a single regret pierced her satisfaction when they stilled in a sweaty tangle of limbs.
“Wow,” Ambar said finally.
Jake’s chuckle sounded knowing while Hari just looked smug when she glanced over her shoulder. Hari pulled out and disappeared momentarily. She heard the rush of running water. Soon he returned with two damp cloths for them. Once they cleaned up, they rested in a loose embrace, all three touching each other. United. Ambar didn’t know about her men, but she needed the contact.
“I’m sorry I caused so much trouble,” she said.
Jake squeezed her upper arm. “You needed to think.”
“You needed our reassurance,” Hari added.
“I don’t know,” Ambar said, fully relaxed for the first time in weeks. All the turmoil had left her mind and happiness filled her, making everything around her appear brighter. “Everything happened pretty quickly.”
“I knew exactly what I wanted,” Hari said smugly.
“No you didn’t.” Jake winked at her and she had to fight to keep a smile at bay.
“Jake’s right. You arrived in Middlemarch to meet me.”
“Ah, but I knew Jake was special from the moment I saw him,” Hari said, reaching across her to kiss Jake on the mouth.
Ambar watched them with avid curiosity, squirming a little when they reminded her how hot it was watching them show their open desire and love for each other. It was so sexy, and they both belonged with her. She grinned. They belonged to her. Watching them kiss didn’t make her feel left out any longer. Knowing they’d wanted her enough to locate her and come to claim her for their own made all the difference.
“Hey.” She punched Hari lightly on the shoulder. “You came to Middlemarch with seduction in mind.”
“He’s good at it too.” Jake winked, undisturbed by the fact he had a hard-on from kissing another man. She loved the confidence the two men displayed with each other and with her. That was sexy in itself.
Ambar laughed. “The seduction of Ambar and Jake or a romantic tangle?”
Jake caressed Hari’s cheek, his hand rasping audibly over Hari’s stubble. Then Jake reached over to kiss Amber. She tasted Jake’s unique flavor along with a hint of Hari.
Hari grinned at them without apology. “What can I say? I knew what I wanted. Seduction was the way to go, tangle or not.”
“And do you always get what you want?” Ambar asked.
“Not always,” Hari said. “I got lucky this time.”
Ambar smiled. She didn’t think there was much luck involved in their relationship. Hari had seen them both, decided what he wanted and set out to seduce them to his way of thinking. And he’d been right. Already the connection between them had strengthened due to the mating marks, and with time, their feelings would only get stronger.
If this was seduction, bring it on because nothing had ever felt as right as being with Jake and Hari. Their future glowed with brightness, and she couldn’t wait with step forward with her men and embrace it with love and laughter.
Bonus Chapter
Mitchell Farm, Middlemarch, New Zealand
Feline Shapeshifter Council Meeting.
Present: Sid Blackburn, Agnes Paisley, Valerie McClintock, Benjamin Urquart, London Allbright, Saber Mitchell
Saber boiled the kettle and made the tea, his mind on his mate, Emily. It had been six months…six months since they’d lost their baby, and his beloved wife was still pushing him away. These days they seemed to drift rather than live, and he wasn’t sure what to do.
Aware of the ticking clock and the imminent arrival of the Feline council members for their meeting, he pulled out cups and saucers and placed them on the kitchen table. In the past, Emily would have arranged everything ready for him—not that he expected her to wait on him—but now she wandered around in a daze.
At least she’d gone into the café to work for a few hours this week. It was a start. Now if only he could get her to talk, to curse or shout. To react instead of buttoning herself down and ignoring him and their marriage.
She wasn’t the only one suffering.
He hurt, dammit. He’d lost a child, too, and now it felt as if he’d lost his mate.
A car pulled up outside the house, and Saber hurriedly grabbed a packet of shortbread, opened it and tipped the contents on a plate. He shoved aside the thought that before Emily would have arranged cakes or savories from the café for him. Guilt filled him at the disloyalty toward his mate.
A knock on the door had him squaring his shoulders and striding to answer the summons. “London.”
She took half a step back. “Am I too early?”
“No, of course not. Come in. Have…did you see Emily?”
“She was at the café when I left to come here. Isabella and Tomasine persuaded her to start planning a Valentine’s Day menu. She was busy beating on some bread dough.”
Saber nodded. “Thank you for pulling so much extra time at the café. I know you have your own business to take care of.”
“It’s fine. Henry and Jacey have turned out to be good at computer graphics, so they’re helping me a lot.”
“If I can do anything to help in return, make sure you let me know,” Saber said.
Another car pulled up and Ben, Agnes and Valerie climbed out.
“Go and pour yourself to a cup of tea. I’ve set up the table in the kitchen. You know the way.”
London made her way into the kitchen and hovered by the long wooden table. From where she stood, she had a view of the lounge. The flowers in a vase on the coffee table were dead and a layer of dust covered the wooden surface. Elsewhere, she saw signs of neglect that had never been noticeable during her previous visits.
An ache sprang to life in her chest, sympathy engulfing her in a wave. She’d known Emily was struggling with the loss of their child, but she suspected Saber wasn’t doing well either. She needed to help—somehow.
Agnes and Valerie hustled into the kitchen, handbags draped over their arms, followed by Ben and Sid. Saber trailed them, his expression
set in a frown. London could tell his mind was elsewhere.
Valerie set a container on the tabletop and peeled off the lid. “My granddaughter is going through a cupcake stage. You all have to eat one so I can tell her the members of the Feline council enjoyed her baking.”
Everyone took a seat around the table. London dispersed cups of tea while Valerie distributed cupcakes in lurid colors.
“They taste better than they look,” Valerie promised. “You have to at least try them, so I can tell Edwina honestly that you ate her cupcakes.”
London eyed her bright green cupcake and peeled away the paper casing. “I like a little adventure.”
“That’s the ticket, lass,” Sid said with approval.
London noticed Saber never cracked a smile.
Ben winked, reminding London of a pixie with his piercing green gaze and his mischievous expression. “What’s on the agenda today?”
Agnes pulled her notebook out of her brown leather handbag. “We need to start planning the next Middlemarch Singles Ball. I believe we decided that the Easter weekend would work best?”
London switched on her tablet and took notes about ticket prices, hire expenses for the marquee, parking and the Love train.
“This cupcake tastes better than it looks,” Sid said, his gentle grin and gleaming eyes making London want to giggle. His cupcake was a garish purple color.
Ben pushed his bright red cupcake away and plucked a piece of shortbread off the plate in the center of the table. “We’ve held these dances a few times now. They don’t offer much of a challenge. Are we having the same band as last time?” He crunched into his cookie.
Valerie tugged off her glasses, peered at the lenses and frowned. “They seemed popular with most age groups.” She fumbled in her handbag, pulled out a tissue and cleaned her glasses. “What do you think, Saber?”
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