Caught in the Middle

by Desiree Holt

  A knowing twinkle flashed in her eyes as she twisted her arms tighter around his neck, and he wondered if, maybe, he’d let something slip past his shields without realizing it.

  “I’m not worried, Gabe. I trust you completely. I know you would never do anything to hurt me.”

  A knife twisted in his gut, and he felt like the world’s biggest coward in that moment. He didn’t deserve her trust, and he knew she would hate him when she discovered the truth. Even he wasn’t ready to face the truth, and he certainly didn’t want to face it right then. So he did what any good coward would do. He brushed it aside, focusing instead on the enticing distraction that was Collette, as he lowered his head to taste her, his mouth pressing against hers in a searching kiss.

  He’d barely touched his lips to hers before she parted them. Her tongue sought entrance inside his mouth at the same time he probed the moist centre beyond the lush paradise of her berry lips. He devoured her slowly, savouring the heady taste of her as he sucked gently on her tongue, drawing her essence deeper within him until he felt as if she would seep from his pores.

  They clung to each other, their bodies entwined in a lovers’ embrace. He ached to explore her more fully, more intimately, but he knew now was not the appropriate time, and yet, he still couldn’t find the strength to drag himself away from her.

  “Gabe, I need you.”

  He groaned against her lips, as he backed her towards the wall of the break room, all thoughts of the right time and place long forgotten. Everything inside him burned for her, and his aching body was urgent in its need.

  “I know you’re not starting the party without me.”

  Gabe growled low in his throat, but he didn’t pull away from her as Roarke stepped inside the break room and shut the door.

  “Lock it,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with need. Collette had set the stage, now it was time for them all to play their parts.

  “Gabe, we’re at work. We could get caught.” Collette warned, her voice shaking slightly.

  He curled his lips into a small smile as he slowly traced the curve of her full lips.

  “We could,” he said softly, letting the mystery of his words hover between them. They certainly could get caught, but then there was the chance that they wouldn’t. Still the excitement of doing the forbidden spurred him on, daring him to do to Collette what he’d envisioned from the moment she’d propositioned him and Roarke.

  He glanced at his friend, who wore a small grin, his eyes focused on Collette. He pushed along that telepathic link between them, speaking without words his plans for Collette. Roarke nodded, but didn’t tear his gaze from Collette, who now stood before him, trembling.

  He met her lust-filled gaze, the dark pupils of her eyes now clouded with desire. He slowly ran his hands down the length of her arms, gently stroking her bare skin. She was warm, her body flushed from the heat of her arousal and he drank in her essence, her lingering scent, as he leaned into her again, to taste her lips.

  This kiss was harder, more urgent as he claimed her with his mouth. And she instantly responded by moulding her body to his, yielding to his probing lips. Every cell within him called out to her, desperately seeking the completion that she now offered. He ached to slide his length inside her warmth, but he clung to his iron will of self-control, resisting the demands of his body. She deserved more than a hasty fuck on the floor of the office break room, and he was determined to give that to her—and so much more.

  Dragging his lips from hers, he gave her one last quick peck against her mouth before sliding down the length of her body to drop to his knees before her. With deft movements, he unsnapped her jeans and slowly tugged down the zipper.

  He closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, her musky scent filling his lungs. Reaching inside her jeans, he cupped the full swells of her ass and massaged gently before pushing her pants down to her ankles. She grasped the back of his head, anchoring herself against him, as she stepped out of her pants and kicked them aside.

  Lifting his head, he held her gaze and a small knot tightened in his belly at the intimate look that passed between them. A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed hard. Despite his earlier bravado, he knew making love to Collette would change everything, but it was too late now, he’d already agreed to help her. He was trapped.

  Desire pumped through Collette’s body, and she moaned low in her throat when Gabe’s hands stroked the length of her bare thighs, hovering dangerously close to the centre of her womanhood.

  She met his gaze, and a jolt of awareness shot through her at the look that flashed between them. But just as quickly as it came, Gabe’s hooded eyes darkened, closing off his deeper emotions to her, leaving her to wonder if she’d imagined the intimacy of their exchange.

  But the real emotion that floated between them just moments before had not been imagined, which was why she now stood there, hovering in the mist of desire, still clinging to self-doubts. She knew there was something about all of this that troubled Gabe, but he refused to admit to it. Even now as she stared down at him, he refused to meet her searching gaze. Instead, he did what he’d done before. He resorted to distracting her with his powerful brand of lovemaking.

  She’d been so deep in her thoughts of Gabe that she hadn’t noticed her panties being dragged to her feet, but at the first touch of Gabe’s mouth to the swollen lips of her pussy, she instantly forgot all her reservations and focused solely on the throbbing heat that pulsed between her thighs.

  She trembled as Gabe swiped his tongue through the folds of her sex, and given her wobbly legs, she probably would have collapsed in a heap to the floor, had Roarke not pressed his body against hers, pouring his strength into her.

  She’d been so lost in Gabe that she’d forgotten all about Roarke. But wasn’t that always the case? It was just too bad Roarke was such a player, because unlike Gabe, who only saw her as one of the guys and treated her as such, at least Roarke could appreciate her as a woman, even if it was purely superficial.

  “You’re thinking too hard, honey,” Roarke whispered against her ear, as he snaked his arms around her to cup her breasts in his hands. “You need to forget whatever is in that pretty head of yours and just focus on what we’re about to do to you.” And to make his point clear, he massaged the weight of her breasts as he dipped his head to the curve of her neck and stroked his tongue along the sensitive flesh.

  Tremors roared through her, as the simmering heat inside her leapt to life, building to an out of control wildfire.

  She was lost to the sensation of it all as Gabe nibbled on the tiny nub of her clit, dragging sharp bolts of pleasure from her body. When he slid a single finger inside her clenching heat, she nearly fainted.

  “Gabe,” she gasped, as her body melted against Roarke’s. She closed her eyes, savouring the heat of both men’s touch, and for the first time, she sifted through the unique scent of them both.

  In many ways, they were so alike, and yet the differences between them were stark. Gabe’s essence vibrated with a dominant, masculine intensity that was all consuming, and power clung to him like a second skin. Whereas, Roarke was intensely primal, and everything about him screamed of baser urges, still there remained a sensuality about him that whispered of gentlemanly refinement. Their scents told her more about them than words ever could. Roarke was a ladies’ man, but Gabe was all man—an Alpha male among many.

  She knew then that she’d chosen the perfect men to usher her through her mating season. There was no doubt in her mind, they would bring her body to new heights, as they were doing now.

  Tangling her hand in Gabe’s silky hair, she held him pressed against her, as his mouth teased her towards the edge of fulfilment. Liquid heat slipped from her body, and Gabe drank from her, his mouth kissing her in the most intimate way a man could.

  She shivered, as she felt herself sliding closer and closer to the edge. He seemed to sense her impending climax because he stroked another finger inside her as he tugged harder on h
er clit, with his skilful lips.

  A wave of pleasure washed over her, and she drowned in the powerful sensations he dragged from her as she hovered just at the precipice of completion.

  She clung to him, her nails digging into the back of his head, telling him with her body not to stop the sweet torture he was bestowing upon her. He responded in kind, eagerly devouring her with his mouth until she felt her climax building within her, but when Roarke fastened his lips to her neck and bore down, she completely shattered

  The pleasure pain of his incisors piercing her skin sent white hot shocks of heat sizzling through her, and she found herself tumbling over the edge, falling straight towards the sweetest orgasm she could ever remember.

  She cried out, her body pulsing from the force of her climax as both men drank from her until she was both weak and spent.

  Tiny quakes roiled through her, as she slumped against Roarke, letting him take the entire weight of her body. She was a mindless, boneless zombie for a long while, to the point that she didn’t realise Gabe had slid her panties and jeans back onto her body until he stood before her to press his lips against hers.

  She moaned into his hot mouth, as she tasted herself on his lips. The kiss was so sweet, so erotic, and it was over all too soon.

  “That is only the beginning,” he whispered, as if he’d read her thoughts, but knew he hadn’t since her shields were still in place.

  Roarke chuckled from behind her, his response mirroring the laughter that flashed in Gabe’s eyes.

  She felt herself smiling, too, at the thought of what lay ahead for them, but her smile quickly disappeared when a sharp knock vibrated against the door, followed by the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock.

  They sprang apart, and just in the nick of time, before their boss came barrelling inside. A were like herself, Captain Moliker’s hairy face was flushed a ruddy red as he glared at all three of them. The knowing look on his face told her exactly what he was thinking, and her cheeks heated with embarrassment.

  “You three better have a damned good reason for why this door was locked!”

  ———

  A week later, Collette was still reeling from her embarrassing ordeal with her boss. He’d known what they were up to, but the Captain had let them all off the hook with just a warning, as long as they promised nothing like that would ever happen again.

  She had not hesitated to assure him she would continue to be the model of professionalism he knew her to be. She’d been with the unit for almost five years and had never had so much as a citation levelled against her. She and Gabe were the epitome of professionalism, and they would both be up for promotion within a year’s time. Roarke, on the other hand….well, he was another story entirely. Apparently, that hadn’t been his first episode in the break room, which really hadn’t been a surprise to her. She had a very good feeling that it wouldn’t be his last either.

  She shook her head at that thought, a smile spreading across her face. Roarke was certainly not the epitome of professionalism, but, to his credit, every job he did, he certainly did well and to the highest of standards.

  The chime of the doorbell shook her from her reverie, and she crossed the foyer to open her front door.

  A small smile touched her lips as a slow heat churned in her belly at the handsome sight that greeted her. Dressed in a black silk shirt and black trousers, Gabe was a striking vision with his dark good looks. While Roarke stood behind him, looking rough and tumbled in a white dress shirt and worn jeans, wearing his most unique accessory—his classic dimpled grin.

  “As always, you are stunning, my dear,” Roarke said, pushing past Gabe to sweep her into his arms, and plant a hard, swift kiss against her lips, before releasing her to march down the hallway.

  “Something smells good,” he called from over his shoulder, just as he disappeared into her kitchen.

  “Yes, well just help yourself,” she yelled after him, but knew it was already too late when she heard dishes clinking against each other.

  At the sound of Gabe’s heavy sigh, she turned to face him, and an apologetic scowl marred his handsome features. “Sorry about that. We planned to hunt, but would have been late if we stopped.”

  Being lycan, she consumed both raw and prepared foods, depending upon her cravings, and she knew vampires did the same. They could exist on human food for quite a while, but their strength and longevity of life could only be sustained with blood. Supranatural blood being the richest source.

  “You can drink from me if there should be a need.”

  A small smile lifted his lips as he stepped inside. “There shouldn’t be. Roarke is obviously not suffering from weakness, and I fed last night, so I am fine.”

  For now, she wanted to say, thinking of how draining the full moon phase would be for all of them.

  “Roarke and I are strong enough—”

  She gasped as her eyes widened, surprised that he would read her thoughts so openly.

  “I didn’t mean to,” he said softly, as he stroked his hand down her cheek.

  “You just did it again.” With just the slightest touch of his fingers against her skin, her body ignited, making her voice weak, and causing the slight reprimand to sound more like an empty statement, given how badly she trembled. It was always like this as she neared the full moon. Within an hour, she would become a slave to her lusts, completely blinded by her desires.

  “I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to be rude, but you had your shields down for once, and I just found myself curious. Again, my apologies.”

  “For once?” She said, her brows lifting in question.

  “Excuse me?”

  “You said I had my shields down for once. Makes me wonder how many times you’ve tried to probe my mind.”

  A sheepish grin tugged at the corners of his lips, and for the first time ever he didn’t look like he carried the weight of the world on his broad shoulders.

  “I’ll be honest. I’ve probed a few times before.”

  Her eyes widened. Now, that was interesting. “Why? Why would you try to read my thoughts?”

  He shrugged. “General curiosity, mainly. But, in some instances, I wanted to gauge your reactions to certain things, or hear your thoughts about other people.”

  “Well, why not ask me then?”

  Something flashed in the depths of his eyes. Suddenly their benign conversation seemed to transform into something more when he slipped his arm around her waist and dragged her flush against his body.

  “Would you have told me the truth, Collette? Would you have been honest about your thoughts, your feelings about something or someone?”

  “Of course.”

  “If that’s the case, then why are your shields once again back in place? What is it that you’re hiding, Collette? What is it that you don’t want me to know?”

  Nothing. She screamed inside her head, but she knew this time he couldn’t hear her. She opened her mouth to tell him that just because she kept her shields up didn’t mean she had something to hide. Besides, it wasn’t like he was an open book either. Come to think of it, Gabe always had his mind closed to her. Yet before she could get a word out she found herself battling against the onslaught of his powerful sensuality when he dipped his head to cover her mouth with his.

  Heat radiated from his body, nearly scorching her with its intensity, and she melted into him, giving herself over to the arousal he awakened within her. She wound her arms behind his neck at the same he slid his hands down the side of her body to slip them under her shirt. His fingers moved almost absently, as he caressed her skin in a lazy manner, sometimes creeping up to nearly graze the swells of her breasts, before inching down to the curve of her hips.

  He teased her with his hands, the rough pads of his fingers causing tiny goose bumps to break out along her bare skin as she shivered with need.

  The Call was starting to heat her blood, slowly making her a thrall to the spell the waxing full moon wove over her body, but it wasn
’t just the moon. Gabe was a master in all things, and he wielded his own power over her, taunting her with his skilful mouth and hands to surrender completely to him—if she dared.

  “You’ve started without me again. If you’re not careful, I might get jealous.”

  Unlike the week before in the break room, Gabe did not break their kiss. Actually, quite the opposite. His hands tightened around her hips, trapping her to him, and his mouth lingered on hers until the harsh sound of Roarke, noisily clearing his throat, forced them to finally separate.

  “I thought we were supposed to be having dinner,” Roarke said with a slight chuckle.

  Right. She’d prepared a meal, but it had been completely forgotten from the moment Gabe touched her.

  The look on his face told her he felt pretty much the same. Whatever meal was in her kitchen followed a distant second to the delights they’d just savoured.

  “Are you guys hungry?” she asked as she spun around and walked in the direction of her kitchen, but stopped when she nearly collided with the hard, solid wall of Roarke’s chest.

  He licked his lips as he grinned down at her, his hand reaching out to grasp her hips, an instinctive gesture to keep her from crashing into him.

  “I’m not hungry anymore—at least not for food,” he whispered, his lips furling into a wicked grin as a naughty gleam lit up his face.

  “I never was hungry—at least not for food,” Gabe said from over her shoulder, his husky words sliding over her like smooth velvet.

  Come to think of it, she wasn’t hungry either, but even if she were, it would have been secondary to satisfying the needs of the two men who stood before her.

  She parted her lips and ran her tongue along the seam, dragging Roarke’s gaze to her now glistening mouth. He smiled that classic, cocky smile of his and tugged her closer. Gabe closed the distance between her body and his as he sidled up behind her to press himself against her.

  A tiny gasp tumbled from her lips when Gabe nudged his hardening length against the cleft of her ass.

  “Before this night is over, I plan to take you there,” he whispered against her neck, his tongue drawing lazy circles along her skin. “I plan to take you everywhere.”