Jae lifted one eyebrow and smirked before turning around and lowering to his hands and knees.
“Damn, you’re something.” Aleka’s harshly whispered compliment skated over Jae’s back as the blond’s fingers traced his spine.
He shuddered when Aleka’s long, blunt fingers reached his rosette. “Aleka,” he called softly when those same fingers departed.
And then cool comfort landed on his dark hole in the form of lubrication. His teeth dug into his bottom lip as Aleka spread the slick liquid, preparing Jae for his penetration. One finger pressed into his rosette. He groaned and clutched the sheets as Aleka slid in until his finger was fully sheathed. Then he withdrew the single finger and thrust in two. One stroke. Two strokes. Each one pulled his balls tighter against his body. Gods, Aleka felt good. And Jae couldn’t wait until Aleka thrust that luscious cock of his inside of him. “Stop playing with me, damn it.”
Jae felt every hard ridge of Aleka’s chiseled abdomen when the other man leaned over him. Fingers wrapped in the strands of Jae’s long hair and tightened. “Oh goddess, yes!” he groaned at the feel of his hair being pulled. Aleka always knew how to push him to that wicked place of erotic ecstasy.
He knew this time was going to be great. Even better than all the other orgasms Aleka had coaxed from his body. Karisma was watching them.
“Shit.” Jae’s harsh curse cut through the air when Aleka pressed his cock to his dark hole. He took a deep breath and then Aleka was thrusting into Jae until he was fully sheathed inside of him. They both breathed deeply. And then Aleka moved. He withdrew until only the head of his cock was embedded before thrusting forward.
“Fuck,” Aleka grunted when Jae moved back to meet his stroke. Together they initiated a steady rhythm of push and pull, thrusting and grunting to a tempo older than time. Almost too quickly Jae felt himself rushing toward satisfaction. “Shit, Aleka,” he groaned.
He knew the other man understood the plea in his tone when he tightened his hold in his hair, forcing Jae’s head up, at the same time he slowed the pace of his thrusts. “You like that, don’t you?” Aleka growled.
Jae’s teeth dug into the flesh of his bottom lip as he stifled the roar at the back of his throat. Slow and deep. Steady in. Teasing withdrawal. Until his chest burned with the need to find release.
The rhythm always left Jae shaken, and Aleka was doing his best to torture him into a low, deep orgasm.
“No… more… games.” Every word was torn from the depth of Jae’s soul in a harsh groan as he pushed his hips back to punctuate the words. Aleka had accomplished his goal. He’d lost his self-discipline. He was no longer able to keep his emotions under control.
“Say it.”
The deeply erotic sound of Karisma’s command floated over to him. It was kerosene thrown on an already raging fire. He felt the orgasm start at his spine, traveling down to his balls before firing through his cock.
“Say it, Jae.”
“Fuck me. Fuck me hard… fuck… me… deep.” He roared the words as the beast that lived inside him rose to the surface. The pleasurable pain of a shift shot through his veins, only to be chased by the orgasmic bliss of his release. Erotic satisfaction pounded through him as his talons dug into the sheets. His body tightened as scales covered his back and wings erupted from his upper back.
As always, Aleka was prepared. Jae felt the other man withdraw completely from his dark hole as his wings sprang free. Aleka thrust in almost the moment Jae folded them against his body. Jae felt the change come over Aleka with the first stroke. Aleka’s thrusts were harder, deeper, and darker. He reveled in the knowledge that his release had triggered such a strong response in the Alpha phoenix.
“By Zeus,” Aleka growled deeply as his body froze above Jae’s spine in orgasmic surrender.
Chapter Six
It’s Not Home Without You
For the first time in a long time, Karisma was looking forward to being left alone with her sewing machine, fabric, and scissors. She needed nothing more to get through the day.
The last few days had been a rollercoaster ride. She clenched and unclenched her fingers. Karisma was terribly afraid she was being, purposely, pushed to the edge.
Her full lips tightened into a grimace. If that was their goal, the Kanakis men were doing one hell of a job. She wouldn’t put it past Aleka and his pack mates.
Stupid men, she muttered mentally as she made the corner following Anderson’s long legs as he took her around the Rookery Cove facilities that would be her home away from home.
She still couldn’t believe she had been on the island less than a week. It felt as though she had been there forever, but that might have a little something to do with all that she had experienced in that time.
“I have a surprise for you.”
Karisma’s head lifted to catch Anderson’s excited face. A tick began pulsing in her eye. She absolutely hated surprises. But she wasn’t about to tell him that. Instead, she slapped a smile on her face and nodded her head. “Okay, what is it?”
“Well, you know how you said you were going to need four living breathing mannequins for your Rookery Cove designs?”
Karisma nodded her head, feeling her stomach drop to the floor. “Yes, I told you I would need four fitting models, two females and two males.”
Anderson’s smile widened. “Well, we found you two men that fit your bill exactly.”
She stared at him in horror. She was a hands-on designer. And one of the things she was very hands-on about was choosing her fitting models. They could literally make or break a clothing line as they were the individuals whose figures exactly fit the measures of a certain size. They were individuals who tried on your designs first, and told you exactly what was right and wrong about your clothing. And Anderson had gone out and set up a casting call without notifying her.
Anderson strode down the hallway and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Trust me when I say these models are textbook perfect. Just try them out for one week. That’s all I’m asking.”
Reluctantly, Karisma shook her head in agreement. One week wasn’t going to kill her. Especially if she spent part of that week weeding through the models to find the perfect one.
“Good.” Anderson marched her down the corridor and straight to a brightly colored blue door. He pushed it open, stepped into the room, and beckoned to her.
I really, really hate surprises, Karisma thought as she entered the room.
It took her a moment to realize the men were in the room. She was too preoccupied staring at the amazing room that was filled with every thing a clothing designer could dream of.
“Something tells me that with this room and these guys, you’ll be boosting Rookery Cove’s sales in no time.”
At his words, Karisma turned, feeling obligated to at least look at the men in question. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Standing right next to Anderson were Malik and Bailey, better known as the other half of the Kanakis Pack.
She knew where one Kanakis man could be found, the rest weren’t far behind. She’d been prepared to see Bailey and Malik sooner rather than her desired later, but in the middle of her design studio…
“I knew you would be speechless by them. The moment I saw their packet I knew these were the two men you envisioned when you sent in that request for fitting models. I hired them on the spot.”
Karisma blinked at Anderson’s words and turned back to him. For a moment there she had forgotten he was in the room. She had been too stunned by Malik and Bailey’s appearance to do anything more than gape. But at Anderson’s words the gravity of her situation returned tenfold.
“You hired them?” she muttered, even though she was painfully aware of every single word he had spoken.
His smile widened. “Yes. I know I said I would give you a week to try them out, but I don’t think you’ll need that long to make your decision. I had our people check their measurements and they are perfect.” He strode over to her and leaned low. “Plus,
according to every other single woman here, they are more than enough to inspire a few designs.” He stepped back and shrugged. “Personally, I’m just hoping they make your line sell faster than even marketing predicted.”
Karisma kept her smile plastered on her face until Anderson turned to the door. When he gave her his back, she threw her two “fitting models” a glare. “I really appreciate this,” she called to Anderson just before he closed the door behind him.
Somehow Karisma managed to keep her anger under control until Anderson had vacated the room. But the moment he was gone, she erupted hotter than a volcano. And her rage had nothing to do with the nervous butterflies that fluttered in her stomach. Or the fact that she was instantly hungry for sexual satisfaction. “What the hell are you doing here?” she said through clenched teeth as she gripped the edge of the large cutting table.
Bailey gave her a slow, intimate smile. Rather than ease her mind, it made her angrier. She darted a glance at Malik. Smart man, she thought as she glared at him. At least he had the intelligence to understand that, if given the chance, she was liable to castrate the two men. “I repeat, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“We were hired.”
Karisma started to feel a twitch in her right eye at those words. She knew the Kanakis pack well enough to understand that Bailey was playing dumb. Too bad she wasn’t in the mood to play anything.
The night before had left her emotionally drained. She’d cursed Jae and Aleka the whole way home, fully aware that they’d put on that show to drive her to the breaking point. And it had almost worked. So many times, as she watched them enjoy one another’s bodies, she had wished she was part of their lovemaking. But she was too much of a coward to actually make it across the room and join them.
No, instead she’d gone home and masturbated to the memory of their passion.
Stupid, stupid girl!
And now she had to deal with Bailey and Malik. She glanced at the clock on the back wall. It was eleven in the morning. Fuck! She could already feel a migraine coming on.
She was never going to make it through the day, let alone the week.
After counting to a hundred, she felt calm enough to speak without going bat-shit crazy. She decided to keep things between her, Bailey, and Malik strictly professional. “I suppose it’s a good thing you guys are here since I actually have some designs I need to finalize.”
Like a good overachiever, Karisma had started working on the new line for Rookery Cove before she arrived. She already had prototypes for her first few designs. And the men’s clothing had been giving her trouble.
“Well, we do aim to please,” Bailey threw after her as she strode out of the room. She closed the door and was halfway down the hall when Malik spoke. “Can I ask where you’re going?”
She whipped around and glared at him, hand over her erratically beating heart. “Are you trying to scare me to death?”
He gave her an apologetic smile. “No. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she murmured as she ran her fingers through her hair. She was on edge and taking it out on him. “I’m going to pick up my designs. I left them in the trunk.”
“We’ll help,” Bailey offered.
She stared at them both. “Do you guys normally go around in pairs?”
“No,” they said in unison.
One dark eyebrow lifted in disbelief. They even spoke at the same time. Malik stepped forward. “We don’t normally do… this together. Never before have all of us wanted the same woman.”
So much for keeping things strictly professional. The butterflies in her stomach doubled in size.
She sighed. “I was not talking about… that. I was pointing out the fact that you guys are both following me out of the room.”
Bailey placed both hands on his hips and smacked his lips. “Uh huh.”
Karisma couldn’t help smiling at his hilarious response. Suddenly she remembered what it was about Bailey that had drawn her in. He made her realize that things were never as bad as she imagined them. Bailey always made her smile. “Okay, I get it. I’m overthinking this. Come on and help me with these boxes.”
She turned and continued walking out of the building. She paused at the door as Malik walked in front of her and opened it. She grinned up at his handsome face. “And they say chivalry is dead,” Karisma said as she stepped over the threshold. Malik’s laugh seemed to envelop her as she made her way to her car.
“Keys?”
She handed them to Bailey and he popped the trunk. She watched both men as they leaned over and picked up the boxes of materials and clothing. They had great butts.
“Are you staring at my ass?”
Her smile widened. “No, Bailey, I’m not.”
He stood, box in hand and turned to her. He didn’t believe a word she’d said. Not that he should have.
“I was staring at both of your asses.”
Malik leaned over and placed a soft kiss against her lips. “Good to know you appreciate us both.” When he stepped back she stared at him in surprise. He’d just walked into personal territory. But more than that, Malik had done it without thinking. Whether Karisma liked it or not, the Kanakis men were familiar enough with her to make her feel like she was their girlfriend.
And she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
“You can’t do that here. We’re at work and you have to remember that.”
“Does that mean we can do that and more when we’re not at work, Kitty girl?”
She glared at Bailey’s grinning face. “Don’t call me that. I hate that nickname.” With those words she turned and strode back to the renovated warehouse.
Both men’s laughter followed her with every step. “You didn’t say we couldn’t kiss you, sweetheart… or do more.”
Karisma ignored their words and opened the door for them. She directed them to place the boxes in the back middle of the room, in front of the full wall mirror. They stepped back and she moved forward. She knelt and rummaged through the boxes, until she found the particular items she was thinking of. She turned and held them up.
Her face heated up almost immediately. They were standing directly in front of her. Kneeling as she was, it felt like she was about to give both men head. At least it would have felt that way if she wasn’t holding up her design.
Bailey grinned at her and moved just a little closer. The few inches were plenty too many. Karisma almost leapt back, but her desire to remain in control of the situation kept her where she was. She waved the clothing in her hand. Her fingers brushed against his torso. The clothes he wore couldn’t hide the heat of his hard body. Fire snaked up her arm at the slight brush. She gritted her teeth and threw the skimpy garment at him before stalking to the middle of the room. She pointed to the far corner Anderson had shown her earlier. “The dressing area is located over there.”
Nothing. Absolute silence.
The quietness was almost painful in its intensity.
Karisma turned and looked at two of the last men she wanted to be around and promptly lost her breath. After a moment she regained her respiratory abilities. “What the hell are you doing?” she yelped as Bailey unzipped his pants.
“Don’t you want to test us out?” He raised one russet eyebrow.
Naughty Karisma immediately started picturing just what her test would entail. Him naked. Her on top. Both of them naked.
After a moment Karisma realized what she was doing -- daydreaming about doing the horizontal shuffle with Bailey. “Don’t you mean, don’t you want us to try on the garments?” Karisma said.
He gave her a wicked smile and released his hold on his pants. Before Karisma could close her eyes, she caught sight of all he was packing. And goddess, was Bailey equipped. She growled at both men, turned, and strode across the room.
She didn’t realize until she reached the corner of the cavernous room that she was not alone. “If your goal is to drive me crazy, you boys are halfway there.”
Karisma shudd
ered when warm, strong hands wrapped around her shoulders and turned her around. She looked up to find Malik watching her with worried eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she groaned as she closed her eyes and leaned forward. He pulled her against his hard frame and held her to his chest.
“Why not?” his dark voice rumbled. Karisma could feel the vibrating tones of his dark, deeply sensual voice as it moved up his torso and floated above her head. The shudder she’d felt earlier deepened, quaking through the already slick walls of her sex.
Karisma stifled the urge to sigh in resignation. There was something about the Kanakis men that brought her every physical and emotional need to the surface. Just the simple contact of Malik’s flesh against hers made her feel hot and bothered.
“Because it makes me think you care… about me.”
Malik took a deep breath and threaded his fingers through her riotous curls. She purred when she felt the pads of his fingertips caressing her scalp. “We do care about you. When are you going to stop pretending this is just sexual attraction?”
She tightened her hold on his slim waist and lifted her head. “When is Aleka going to stop insisting I quit my business so I can be the pack’s stay-at-home wife?”
The color in Malik’s hazel eyes deepened until they were a warm brown. After a moment he gave her a slow, soft smile. “I’m trying to make him understand that mate and wife doesn’t mean barefoot, pregnant, and chained to the stove.”
“I keep forgetting just how old he is.”
“With the way he acts, how can you forget that he was around when Rome was an empire? If it wasn’t for that whole regeneration thing, I’d have tried to put him out of my misery.”
“Who are you kidding? I’ve seen you two together. You love him and would never hurt him.”
Rookery Cove: Kidnapping Karisma Page 4