Control he would throw out the window if but to have one more night with this inexplicably incredible woman that somehow made him want to break all the rules.
He didn’t get the impression that sitting here and thinking about it was going to solve anything, though.
Mind if I join? Perry asked out of politeness, not wanting to disrupt Tor, as he and Lexie seemed to be enjoying themselves quite thoroughly. But despite his calm, his skin was crawling with need, desire, want for Lexie.
Come see for yourself, Tor replied.
Perry shed his silk pajama top and came onto the bed behind Lexie, gently putting one hand at the small of her beautiful back. As his fingers brushed her skin, she let out a pleased sigh.
“Perry? I missed you,” Lexie said with soft, warm words that almost melted his heart as she brought a hand behind her to run through his long, silver hair. “It’s not the same without you,” she added.
Tor just nodded in agreement, seemingly satisfied the triad was all together.
Perry felt a twinge of guilt at the situation, but his incredible arousal from the past few minutes quickly erased that from his mind.
Instead, he came closer to Lexie, until his chest was right at her back, and wrapped his arms around her, cupping her ample breasts with his hands.
“I’ll take care of this. You do your thing,” Perry whispered, directing his words at Tor but talking behind Lexie’s ear, letting his warm breath fall over her sensitive skin, making her sigh.
As Perry massaged her breasts, caressing them and squeezing them, Tor resumed his thrusting, lifting her off his hips just barely and then pushing back into her with a long, powerful motion that elicited memories of when Perry had been in her last time.
The thought alone could drive him over the edge.
But instead, Perry focused on Lexie’s pleasure, tweaking her nipples lightly in time with Tor’s thrusts, building a new orgasm in her with feverish intensity. With each thrust, each stroke, her body became tenser, her breaths more ragged; her hands gripped Perry’s arms more tightly, holding on as if for dear life.
Sensing her body near the precipice, Perry reached a hand down to her clit and ran his long index finger over it, throwing her over the edge and into a free-fall of pleasure.
For a long moment that could have been eternity, Lexie orgasmed with Tor inside her and Perry surrounding her, holding her, supporting her as she cried out and convulsed in sweet release. The feel of her like this, completely vulnerable yet owning them with each sound, each movement, was unlike anything Perry could fathom. Even as she relaxed, he committed this moment to memory, something he could never forget.
“You two are just… overwhelming,” Lexie said as she relaxed in Perry’s arms and rested her hands on Tor’s abs beneath her.
“We know,” both Perry and Tor said in unison, unintentionally.
“One more,” Tor said, a tiny bead of perspiration at his brow, his gaze fixed on Lexie in a determined look.
“If that’s the case,” Lexie said between huffs, “then I want to do this.”
Before either of them could object or figure out what she meant, she rose to her knees, turned around to face Perry, and then rested herself back down on Tor, taking him inside her while her hands reached underneath his pajamas and encircled Perry’s throbbing member.
Perry hadn’t calculated this happening. At all.
But he wasn’t going to complain either.
“You don’t have to,” he said, trying to hide his surprise at their little minx’s voracity.
“Oh, but I want to,” she said, gripping him more tightly and drawing an unsolicited groan from him.
Damn this woman.
Why did she have to be so perfect in every way except the one that mattered most?
Perry didn’t have any more time to dwell on the subject, as Tor began thrusting into Lexie once more, this time quickly and heated, their bodies coming together in a wet and erotic motion. And as Tor moved, Lexie’s hands did as well, first caressing and then thrusting around Perry, making him lose all control.
But rather than sit back and enjoy it, Perry felt compelled to continue pleasuring Lexie, driven by his unquenchable lust for her. As she got him closer and closer to completion, his mouth was a torrent of kisses on her neck, her ears, her shoulder. His hands were a whirlwind of touch and sensation over her entire body, feeling her everywhere and focusing on those areas that aroused her most.
And above it all, Perry could still hear their thoughts, sense their emotions rising as their cumulative pleasure ascended to the very heights of everything as the three of them drew closer and closer to their physical limits.
Lexie tipped first, her breath hitching and her body freezing. Then she wrapped both arms around Perry and pulled herself to him, crying out both their names as she lost control.
That was all either of them needed, though, and both he and Tor came in unison after her, following the signaling of her orgasm with their own, being pulled past their boundaries by the sight and feel of Lexie coming.
For a rare moment, Perry thought nothing. His mind was clear of all intelligible, reasonable thinking as overwhelming sensation surrounded and crushed him in glorious release.
Together, the three of them rode out the incredible, indescribable feelings of pleasure for a long moment. Perry held Lexie close as she came, her head rested on his shoulder and her nails raking the muscled lines of his back, while Tor’s hands held Lexie’s hips from behind.
Even after their bodies came back to reality, they remained still, catching their breath together and simply letting the miracle of their unity set in, as if time could stop and all of this could last forever if they didn’t move.
10
Perry knew all three of them were treading deep water in their current situation. After that amazing second night together, they had just sort of fallen into things. They had spent the two weeks since then enjoying things with Lexie, getting to know her, letting her know them, finishing missions during the day, making love at night.
It was starting to feel like home, and that was going to be a problem.
He could easily see this being perfect for them. Everything they could want, as long as nothing got worse and nothing went wrong.
But they knew things were bound to go wrong, and the only thing to do was speed up the mate search. So last night, he and Tor had met with the other tigers and given them the mission to help them find the right mate.
The longer they waited, the more painful it would be for all of them, as much as Perry wished it could go on.
As a result, Tor was extra testy today, and even Lexie, who was usually bright and industrious in the morning, was a little quieter, as if the light that always came from her was slightly dimmed.
He clenched his hand into a fist and forced himself to walk past her as she strode to her office.
Tor was leaning against one of the pillars in the main foyer and glaring from under his dark brows at Perry, as if this were all his fault.
Tor had agreed last night when they’d met with the tigers, but more out of duty to their partnership than anything else.
Perhaps he still hoped no one would be found, or when one was, Perry would still choose Lexie over her.
No chance. Perry could think of the future (not just the next few years, but the next hundred) in a way nobody else could.
A phone rang in the office, and Perry quirked his ears in that direction. He heard Lexie pick up, say a couple words, and then hang up.
Then he heard her footsteps and saw the door to the office swing open.
He looked at her, unable to handle the expression of pain on her face that she was trying to hide as she undid her hair and pulled it into a tighter bun. He didn’t want her to pull it away. He wanted it spread luxuriously on his bed while he and Tor did nice things to her body.
His heart tightened, but his mind ignored it as he calmly responded to her call by striding into the office. “What is it?”
Tor looked at him curiously, and Perry waved for him to follow, assuming anything that involved him would involve Tor as well.
Lexie sat in the chair and clicked a few screens. “That was Kel on the phone. He has already found someone.” She laughed bitterly. “I guess maybe you should have asked him from the start. He’s fast.”
Tor frowned and sat in a chair in front of the desk, making it creak. He leaned back, looking like he didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to talk about mates with Lexie, their lover, sitting across from them.
Even if they all knew the terms and had made the deal as it stood. Even if Lexie would hopefully be unhurt by this when it was over.
“I’m printing off the details,” she said curtly. “I don’t need you reading over my shoulder.” She went to the printer as it buzzed and hummed and spat out several pages for each copy. She stacked them, stapled them, and handed one to each dragon, all without breaking her composure.
Perry admired her for that. He looked at the paper in his hand and began to read the included news article and Kel’s notes. “Looks like a fire in a large apartment building. She went back in three times.”
Lexie made a little noise like a grunt, but Perry ignored it and continued to read the report. If this really were the mate they needed, then maybe they could all be freed from this painful situation right away. A pang sounded through him at that, and he felt his dragon shriek in alarm, but he shoved it away. He should never have let his animal bond with someone they couldn’t have.
“Wow, she even saved a cat,” Tor said, though his voice was still doubtful. He set the paper aside. “We should meet with her. Sometime next week or something.”
Lexie glanced over at him hopefully, and Perry frowned, hating he was the only grown-up in the situation and always had to be the bearer of bad news.
“We should meet with her now. Well, as soon as possible,” Perry said, standing and turning away from the others. “I’m going to go over this information a little longer and then I’ll be calling Kel.” He gave the others a calm look he didn’t feel. “The sooner the better.”
Lexie wasn’t looking at him as he left, but he felt like a total tool. He heard the door open and slam behind him and knew Tor was following as he marched up the stairs to their room.
He ignored Tor’s huffs until he felt the larger dragon knock the papers out of his hand, sending them fluttering down the stairs. Perry glanced down in alarm to make sure Lexie wasn’t watching.
“What are you doing?” he asked, grabbing Tor by the collar. “You knew this was where it was going. You always knew that.”
Tor’s eyes flickered yellow. “I don’t know that anymore.”
“Get ahold of your beast,” Perry demanded, feeling his own answer to the challenge with a flash of silver.
Tor ripped out of his grasp, eyes flashing back to blue, at least for a moment. “How can you go through with this? We’ve been fine with just two of us. Why won’t we be fine if we pick Lexie?” He ran his hand through his dark hair, which was getting slightly shaggy. Dragon hair grew quickly, and Tor had been too busy with work and Lexie to tend to it.
It gave him an even wilder appearance. Perry observed his partner, took in the sheer breadth of his strength, and shook his head. Red dragon or not, bonded or not, they were meant to work in a triad with a dragon-heart, if that were at all possible.
And now it seemed possible.
Tor shook his head, and when he looked at Perry, Perry noticed the whites of his eyes were reddened and there were lines under them. He hadn’t been sleeping well.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without her,” Tor confessed. “I’m used to seeing her every day after work. Looking forward to it. I don’t know if I can do that with this new girl.”
“You agreed to this last night when we talked to the tigers. This is just the extension of that. We are all keeping our word,” Perry said, lifting the papers with his mind and shuffling them in his hands to keep them neat again.
“You cold bastard, how could you do this to me?” Tor said, and Perry fought the urge to punch him, held back only because he knew his partner was suffering as much as he was. Maybe more because he was so much more able to feel. Maybe less because Perry’s unwillingness to get close to anyone meant this was the first time he had to feel this way.
“What I’m doing to you?” Perry asked, lifting his partner in the air.
Tor’s eyes bulged, his hands grasping at the invisible force raising him. Right now, all the strength in the world would do nothing against the power of Perry’s mind. Perry drew him up close to him and grabbed him by the collar again, pulling them face to face.
His eyes glared into Tor’s, which were stubborn and obstinate. “You think you’re the only one hurt by this? The only one in absolute agony?” He shook his head. Don’t forget, Tor, I made love to her, too. I felt her, too. I see her every day, too. It was my stupid idea to bring her here. I made a miscalculation when I thought we wouldn’t bond with a non-dragon-heart. But dammit, we don’t get to make decisions like that!” he nearly screamed. “We are dragons! We guard the world.” He turned away. “Our hearts don’t matter. And Lexie will forget. And she and her kind will stay safe.” He slowly lowered Tor, who immediately yanked free and adjusted his shirt.
“Don’t you ever do that again.”
“And don’t you ever come at me like I don’t have a heart,” Perry said. “You think it’s easy to be the one doing the right thing when I know what we all want? Just because I can do it doesn’t mean I want to. I have to because no one else will, and if we’re short-sighted, then we will all pay for it in the long run.”
He stomped up the stairs, waving the papers in one hand. Then he turned to look over his shoulder at Tor, who was frozen on the steps. “And what’s the point of staying with Lexie if we can’t even keep her safe in the future? Letting her go will be agony, but keeping her and letting something happen to her because we gave up the best choice for protecting our region for the pleasure of being with her would be worse, don’t you think?”
Tor was silent. For once, Perry had shut him up completely. No cocky retorts, nothing to say. Instead, he turned on his heel and strode out of the mansion, not stopping until the door slammed behind him.
Perry pulled out his phone, pulse still racing with anger, and dialed Kel’s number. Leave it to the white tiger to find something rare. As far as Perry knew, Kel was the only one of his kind.
“Kel here,” his voice answered on the other side.
“It’s Perry. We want to meet the girl,” he said.
“I figured,” Kel said. “She already agreed to an interview. I scheduled a pick-up.”
Perry blinked. “That was quick.”
“I figured you didn’t want to wait,” he said. “It’s great to find a mate after all.”
That’s right. Kel was absolutely disgusting with his mate, a rare shifter female he’d rescued on one of his bodyguard jobs before he’d stopped doing that.
“Yes,” Perry said. “I guess so. Yes, it’s fine. So when are you coming over?”
“Is tonight okay?” Kel asked. “She seemed pretty willing, a little curious maybe.”
“If it goes wrong, we can always erase her memory,” Perry murmured, thinking about Tor and Lexie and what they were doing at this moment. Tor was probably flying away, dealing with the stress the only way they knew how.
Lexie was in her office, probably crying. That’s what women did when hurt, right? Perry shook his head. What did he know? He felt a bit like crying at the moment, too.
But dragons didn’t cry.
“Okay,” he said. “We’ll meet her tonight. If all goes well, we’ll keep her here and get to know her.”
“Cool,” Kel said. “How are things with that new secretary? She seems really on the ball.”
“Ah, that’s the other thing I was going to talk to you about,” Perry said, scratching the back of his head. “We’re still working on bringi
ng in one or two loose ends in Domingo’s and Felding’s case.” The reason the dragons had gone after them in the first place and met Lexie was because Kel’s mate had been in danger. So he figured Kel owed him a favor or two. “I may need somewhere for Lexie to stay. You know, until we can send her back into the human world and wipe her memory. I didn’t think you would find a mate so soon.”
“Why wouldn’t she want to be there with the mate?” Kel asked. “Wait, did you get involved? You rascals.”
Perry felt guilt settling in his gut like hard tar. He stayed silent.
“You didn’t. Holy shit, Perry!”
“Yes?”
“That was stupid!” Kel sounded almost exultant. “You never do stupid.”
“I know,” Perry said dryly. “Don’t go cracking pistachios in triumph over it.” He and Tor had practically raised the tigers, and he knew all of their habits. Kel’s most obvious involved the ritual and obnoxious consumption of little green nuts.
“I’m gonna have to meet this girl,” Kel said. “I’ve stayed away too long. I’ll have to talk to her when I bring Monica over.”
“Monica?” Perry asked.
“Yeah, that’s the girl’s name. Didn’t you read the paper?”
“I did,” Perry said. But somehow, even with his awesome memory, he’d already forgotten. Kel was right; this was really unlike him.
“Shit, now I really gotta see this,” Kel said. “And sure, as long as Sofia gives the go-ahead, then Lexie can stay with us if you need her to. But I know Carter and Amy are still chasing leads on your case. Me and Jace, too, if anything comes up.”
Perry nodded. “I appreciate that.”
Carter, the middle brother of the tigers, worked as a detective with the humans. He had access to things others could only dream of, as someone straddling both the human and shifter worlds. “I guess I’ll see you tonight, then.”
“Okay,” Kel said. “But, Perry? If you’re bonding with your secretary, why not her? Why this big hunt?”
“You know why,” Perry said. “We need a dragon-heart.”
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