Kate pulled into her parking spot, glad to see she still had one. Jean seemed like the kind of guy to act fast. If she wasn’t welcome anymore then her sign would have been torn down and another put in it’s place. She started towards the side door that led to the office but Mike, the bouncer, was standing there and shook his head, pointing to the front door instead.
` “Go to the Alexander room.” He instructed.
All the private rooms were named after famous people in history and the best one was the Alexander room, after Alexander the Great. It was fitting. She nodded and went through the main entrance, walking down the long, tiled hallway before slipping into the room. The second she did she was met with the sight of Jean, sitting on the long, leather couch, a thin cigarette in his hands.
He looked a little disheveled. His hair was in his eyes and the first two buttons of his suit were undone, his tie wrapped around his neck but not secured. His eyes were watching her intently and she had the sudden overwhelming feeling of arousal paired with intimidation. It was an odd combination but it worked wonders on her.
She waited for him to speak and when he didn’t she cleared her throat “Jean...I’m really sorry about what happened with Marcus. I know it was completely unprofessional and I didn’t mean for it-”
He raised his hand, cutting her off without using any words. He pushed himself off the couch and walked over to her, eyeing her up and down “That’s not what I want to hear.” He said simply, voice stern and steady.
“What...Do you want to hear, then?” She whispered as he approached her.
His gaze was steady and unwavering and the way he looked into her eyes made her feel as if he could gaze into her very soul. It was absolutely nerve wracking and somehow erotic. He seemed to be good at pairing those two emotions together. Kate swallowed hard and looked away. Jean rested two fingers under her chin and guided her eyes back to his “I want to hear you moan.” He whispered, leaning down and claiming her lips.
His kiss was very different from Marcus’. Marcus had kissed her in a way that made her feel swept away in romance. The flowers had been a nice touch too.
Jean’s kisses felt possessive. Like he wasn’t going to give her up without a fight. His kiss left her breathless and when he pulled away she fell forward, her hands pressed to his chest. The world was spinning and she looked up at him, wide eyed. She was having a hard time taking all of this in.
He reached up and stroked her cheek “It’s incredible.” He started “You have no idea the effect you have on men, do you?”
“I...Always thought I was pretty average.” She murmured, looking up at him.
He chuckled “Far from it. You make men want to move mountains to get to you.”
Not to mention he was suddenly willing to fight his best friend for her. There had never been a fight before. The women had always been something that had been shared. Even the ones they loved. Nothing had come between them before and now this beautiful woman swept in and was changing all of that and he wasn’t even upset about it. All he knew was that he wanted her. He wanted her for himself and that was that.
He leaned down and kissed her neck, his lizard-like tongue lapping at her ear, though she hardly noticed it was any different. Her knees got weak and she buckled underneath the weight of her own desire and he chuckled, his hand coming up to rest on one of her ample breasts.
“You will be mine, Kate. I will take you. There is no question about that. Marcus is rash and crude. He makes decisions without thinking about them. He will leave your mind soon enough and I will still be crawling around in there, eating away at your will. You will be mine, darling.” He whispered “You will come to me because you know the things I can offer you. Soon enough, you will want me the way that I want you.”
He pulled away and looked at the door as music started playing faintly. The club was opening. He looked back at her, running his thumb along her lower lip, leaning down and kissing her. He pulled her bottom lip between his bottom teeth, nipping at it a little.
“It’s show time.”
Chapter 7
Kate’s mind was a damn mess. After her encounter with Jean she was more than confused. She had gone in there, expecting to get fired and instead she was told that there was a mini war being fought over her. On one hand, it was flattering, but on the other she didn’t like the idea of tearing two friends apart.
She adored both of them. She knew that much. Kate wanted both of them. She wanted to be selfish and have both men fawn over her at any given time. But how likely was that? Not very. Especially when both men seemed so possessive.
It was her day off and she was more than happy for it. She needed time away from the boys and some time with Maddy wasn’t going to hurt either. Kate knew she was in way over her head and she needed guidance.
The sun was out and it was a beautiful day. The perfect day to find a nice little cafe and get lunch with your friend. Kate was seated on the balcony in big sunglasses and an even bigger hat. She liked her skin tone just the way it was and didn’t want to risk getting any darker.
When she saw Maddy walking down the street, a bright grin came across her face and she waved happily “Maddy!”
The dark haired woman was wearing a 1950’s style wiggle dress and bright red lipstick, her hair pulled back into victory rolls. Maddy had become just as successful as Kate, even after dropping out of college. She’d gone to beauty school instead and now owned one of the cities best hair salons.
Maddy offered her friend a kiss on the cheek before settling in her seat and grabbing her menu “What's up, beautiful?”
Kate couldn’t help the slightly nervous laugh that escaped her. The noise made Maddy’s perfect eyebrow go up “I don’t like the sound of that. Is the new job not going well?”
“Oh no. The job isn’t the problem. It’s my bosses.”
Maddy slammed the menu closed and looked Kate dead in the eyes, her face stern “Did they harass you? Because I will march right over there and beat them down!”
Her friend’s protective nature made her smile but she laughed and shook her head “That's not it.” She said softly “Well, not quite.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well...They’re making passes at me but it’s not unwelcomed.”
“Okay...So which one?”
“Both.” Kate admitted, going red.
Maddy’s eyes widened she leaned back, crossing her arms “Seriously? You’re crushing on both of your bosses? Isn’t that a little...Unethical?” She asked, waving her hand in the air to call the waiter over.
“I mean...I suppose it’s unprofessional but what can I do? I didn't make the first move on either of them.” She pointed out, pointing her fork at Maddy.
“Okay. So you’re sweet on both your bosses but aren’t they friends?” She asked.
“Yeah. And business partners.”
“And you’re going to have to pick one?”
Kate sighed and stirred her sweet tea “In theory, yeah. But I don’t really want to. I like them both. They have really unique personalities and the compliment each other. It’s kind of weird.” She muttered, almost to herself.
“So you want them both?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Then you’re going to leave them both alone and get the hell out of dodge?”
“I didn’t say that either.”
“You gotta do something, Kate. The longer you hang in limbo, the harder this is going to get. Plus, you’re messing with a friendship. That’s like...World war three. You know what I mean?”
Kate sighed and leaned back “I guess so. But I’m just not willing to give up quite yet. Theres something special about them, Maddy. I can feel it. Like I just know there's something amazing about them.”
Maddy cocked a brow and sighed “Well. It’s your call, doll. Plenty of people do the whole polyamory thing. I think it’s kind of a fad.”
“Polyamory?” Kate asked, looking confused.
“It’s when
you date more than one person. Like an open relationship but in a closed circle. It’s kind of hard to explain.”
“So I’m not the first person to deal with this problem, huh?”
“Nah. People have been doing it for ages. Guys like it because it spreads out the gene pool. Gets more of their babies out there in the world.”
Kate smiled a little and looked up at Maddy fondly “You’re a lifesaver, you know that?” She said with a sigh.
“I know it. Now...Tell me about these irresistable men!”
***
Maddy and Kate’s relationship was doing just fine but the same couldn’t be said for Jean and Marcus. They were struggling to exist together. They started working on separate schedules and Jean had even requested that Marcus get his own office, claiming that the man was too distracting. In the three hundred years they’d been working together he’d never been too much of a distraction but things weren’t the same anymore.
Marcus sighed and sat back in his own chair, contemplating the things that were unfolding. There was a bittersweetness to the way he felt about Jean. He loved the man dearly but that didn’t matter when it came to Kate. This was one prize he wasn’t willing to share. As far as Marcus was concerned, he’d already claimed Kate.
The night she’d come into the club early to meet with Jean, he’d smelled the other man on her her. He smelled his arousal and every dirty thing he wanted to do to her. It filled him with an anger he rarely experienced. Jean always had anger boiling just under the surface. He was hot tempered by nature. All dragons were, but Marcus managed to keep it buried. That night, though, it had come to the surface in a very visceral way.
He knew right then and there that this was a fight he wasn’t ready to lose.
Chapter 8
Kate enjoyed her days off and returning to work was a bit of a challenge, especially with everything that was going on. After her conversation with Maddy she felt guilty about the obvious rift she’d caused between Jean and Marcus. She didn’t want to be the reason they stopped being friends. That was why she decided to tell them both that she wasn’t interested in dating either of them. She wasn’t going to be ‘claimed’. Besides, if they had some kind of blow up feud, she would be out of a job.
She did her routine, not wanting to cause a fuss before the show and went back to her dressing room to change. She decided it would probably be better if she wasn’t half dressed when she turned down their advances.
There was a moment of hesitation when she went out the side door. Their office and loft apartment was above the club but had no entrance from inside of it. You had to go out the side door and around to get to the steps that led to the office. She’d walked this route a million times but she was never alone and in the dark. She didn’t consider herself to be scared of the dark but as she stood in that doorway, something was telling her to turn around and go back inside.
But she didn’t listen.
***
Kate normally met Marcus at the bar but tonight he was alone. There was a moment where he thought that maybe he’d lost the fight. Maybe she’d gone to Jean. There was a sting of anger and jealousy that quickly turned to concern when Jean came to the bar instead. He held up a hand and ordered a whiskey for himself, not looking at Marcus.
“So? Where is she? She didn’t come to the Alexander room. So...Congrats, I guess.” He muttered.
Marcus looked up at his friend “Jean. She didn’t come to me. I thought she went to you.”
Jean blinked and shook his head, concern running across his features. Kate always found one of them after the show. It was normally Marcus. She would get herself a White Russian, drink it down and then head home after he walked her to her car. None of that had happened tonight.
Their eyes widened at the same time as their senses became acutely aware of Kate’s scent mixing with the smell of sheer terror. They both pushed away from the bar, all but running out the door of the club, hearing muffled screams when they burst through the doors.
They followed the sound to the side of the building and came across Kate being backed into the wall by a drooling werewolf. His teeth were exposed, dripping with saliva as he inched closer, picking her clothes off piece by piece.
She was sobbing, holding her hands out as she fell onto the cold ground, shivering “Please! No!”
The next moment was a flash of claws and scales. Marcus and Jean ran towards the wolf, changing into their more lizard like forms. Great wings sprouted from the backs and their teeth became razor sharp, matching the claws that grew from their hands.
What happened next was a blur for Kate. The sight of a werewolf and two dragon-like creatures fighting a bloody battle was too much for her brain to handle. Her head swimmed as she watched a spray of blood hit the wall, Jean’s claws digging into the werewolf who yowled in pain as it crumpled to the floor and the dragons swarmed it.
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed against the stone wall, sliding down it before passing out completely. After that it was all just darkness. It was like a pure sleep with no disturbances. If it wasn’t for the nightmarish sight that had caused her to pass out, she might have called this pleasant.
When he eyes finally opened she was in an unfamiliar bedroom. Light was pouring in through a small window on an opposite wall. Kate sat up slowly, putting a hand to her temple as the world began to spin again. She looked down, noticing that she was wearing a man’s pajamas. Her brows furrowed in confusion and then suddenly it all came back to her.
There had been claws gleaming in the moonlight and fangs gnashing at her, trying to rip her apart and then...She was saved. Jean and Marcus had come tearing out of the club doors to her aid. Only...It wasn’t them. They had transformed into terrifying dragon like creatures that had ripped the wolf apart and saved her. She was sure that she was going to be next but...Here she was, unharmed and warm.
A soft knock on the door made her jump, her eyes going wide as she stared at the handle. It started to twist and when it opened Marcus and Jean came through it. Marcus was holding a plate of eggs and bacon and Jean had a cup of tea. They settled on the bed and smiled at her, offering her the food.
“Hey. How are you feeling?”
She said nothing to them, just stared at them with wide eyes. Jean sighed a little “I think she’s still in shock. That’s a lot for someone to take in.”
Kate let out a little squeak of a noise, clutching her blankets “Who...Who are you? What are you?”
Jean smiled a little “We’re...Dragons.”
“DRAGONS?!”
Marcus put a hand over her mouth “SHHH! If you haven’t noticed, it’s a secret.”
She swallowed but nodded and Marcus lower his hand “Yes. Dragons.”
Kate nodded numbly and stared at her food “You’re...Dragons.” She whispered, almost trying to convince herself that it wasn’t a dream.
“I know it’s hard to believe but-”
She shook her head “I’m not having a hard time believing you’re dragons...I mean, I saw you last night. I know what I saw and I saw you turn into dragons...What I’m having a hard time believing is that...dragons can cook and not burn the ever living hell out of the food.”
Chapter 9
Jean and Marcus was surprised at how well Kate was taking everything. She’d had questions, of course. Who wouldn’t? But they were all very reasonable and down to earth. Marcus and Jean had been more skeptical about her acceptance than she'd been of them.
They couldn't really help it, though. They'd spent their entire existence running and hiding. When people found out it meant that it was time to move on to another city. This time, things felt different. Kate somehow managed to bring an air of acceptance to what they had expected to be condemnation.
She never showed any fear towards them and when they asked her if she was scared, she'd looked at them like they were absolutely insane.
"What do I have to be afraid of?"She had asked "You saved my life. You've had so
many opportunities to kill me. I've been alone with both of you on several occasions. I figured if you were going to kill me, you would have already."
Despite her seemingly quick recovery, Jean and Marcus insisted on closing the club for a few days. They also insisted that Kate stay with them until they were sure she was alright. She had no complaints about that.
One evening, they were sitting in the living room, piled up on the couch together. She looked between the two tall men and smiled, sighing happily "So, I thought I'd tell you. I made my decision on who I want to be with."
Jean and Marcus visibly tensed. The rivalry had faded between them since Kate's attack. It was jolting for it to be brought up again.
Jean cleared his throat a little "Oh?"
She nodded "Yeah. I decided that I'm not choosing."
Marcus blinked "I'm sorry?"
"I'm choosing both of you."She turned to face them and smiled "I want you both."
Kate slid from the couch and smiled, laying out on the fur rug she'd envisioned in her fantasy. She started wiggling her nighty up, exposing more and more of her legs "I said that I want both of you." She whispered.
Marcus was the next person to get off the couch. He laid beside her and smiled "Is that so?"
Jean joined them next, taking a brief moment to light the fire without help from matches or a lighter. The fire roared to life and he found himself beside her, leaning in close and wrapping his arms around her "I think...we would prefer sharing you, as well. If we can protect you better together, then we can love you better together." He whispered, stroking her hair back.
Their love making was everything she imagined it would be. They were slow and gentle with her, stroking her cheek and caressing her breasts. They made every inch of her body sing with pleasure, taking turns filling her up.
They fit each other perfectly. Marcus pressed to her back and Jean to her breasts. Each thrust brought a new wave of pleasure. They pleasure her far better together than they had alone.
ROMANCE: The Bad Boy Meeting Page 5