3013_FATED

by Susan Hayes

  Talented fingers found her clit, strumming and stroking the tender flesh until she tore her lips from Dane’s to utter a low moan. “More. Please.”

  “Anything you want, Ciara. All you have to do is ask,” Vance said, his words triggering a rush of emotions so powerful she almost forgot to breathe.

  “Then I want you to love me the way I love both of you.”

  Dane groaned, dropping his head so he could look her in the eyes. “We love you, angel.”

  Vance leaned over and pressed a kiss to her shoulder blade. “I love you, too. I think I fell for you the night you came in to my med-center, battered, hurting, and still more worried about those boys than about yourself. You’re beautiful, inside and out.”

  She looked back at Vance, ignoring the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I love you, too. Stars help me, but I do. You, and Dane, and Annie, too. If you two are crazy enough to want me to stay, then this is home.”

  “Damn right it is. This is your home, and we’re your family,” Dane said, his voice thick with emotions that went far deeper than his words.

  “And now, we’re going to love you, together. You ready for that, Ciara?”

  Her heart skipped a beat as she nodded. “I’m ready.”

  “Then you give Dane something else to think about for a bit, and let me prepare you for what comes next.”

  Dane leaned back so his cock was on display a few inches from her mouth. “Suck me. I want to feel your sweet mouth on my cock.”

  “What happened to saying please?”

  He laughed and stroked a hand through her hair. “Please, love.” She brushed a kiss to the head of his cock, and he groaned. “Fuck. Please do that again.”

  Ciara’s mouth closed around his dick, and he lost his train of thought, too caught up in the pleasures of her touch to dwell on the past. Wet heat, the flick and stroke of her talented tongue, and it was all he could do not to fist his hands in her hair and drive himself deeper. Instead, he watched as Vance knelt between her legs, his fingers glistening with lubricant as he gently prepared her for what was to come. Both of them inside her, claiming her, sharing her body the same way they shared her heart.

  “Relax, Ciara. This is going to feel good, I promise,” Vance said as his hand disappeared from Dane’s sight. Ciara stiffened for a moment, her lips tightening around Dane’s cock. When she relaxed, she loosed a low moan that flowed through him and made his balls tighten in response.

  “That’s right, angel. Feels good, doesn’t it?” He stroked her hair again, and she moaned again, louder this time.

  Ciara’s mind was almost overloaded by everything she was feeling. Emotions ran amok through her mind while her body was lost in a maelstrom of pleasures and sensations all blending together. Vance played her body like a musical instrument, one hand playing with her pussy while the other smoothed a cool, slick gel over her back entrance. Dark need began to build as he slid a finger inside, and she pushed back against his hand, craving more. She started rocking forward, then back, taking Dane deep into her mouth and then retreating again to press against Vance’s fingers.

  She was on the verge of coming when Vance stopped what he was doing, the sudden loss of his touch making her ache even more. Before she could do anything to protest, something thicker than his finger was pressed to her rosebud, and she nearly moaned in relief. She was penetrated again, the brief burn quickly fading away.

  “You’re going to enjoy this next bit,” Vance said.

  That was all the warning she was given before her world erupted in a fresh storm of sensations. A slow, throbbing pulse coursed through her, and she quickly realized the source was whatever toy Vance was using on her. The pulse increased in tempo every few beats, and when Vance slipped two fingers into her pussy and started finger fucking her, she came within seconds. Dane groaned as her mouth tightened around his cock. She took him to the back of her throat and swallowed several times, determined not to be the only one to lose control.

  “God, yes,” Dane hissed with pleasure, his cock thickening as his control shredded, then snapped.

  Ciara shifted her weight to one hand and cupped his balls with the other, rolling them lightly between her fingers as Dane came with a strangled cry. She swallowed his seed and then released him with one last swirl of her tongue. Her lungs were burning by the time she lifted her head and took several deep breaths. She was still trembling with the aftershocks of her own release when Dane stroked her cheek and laughed.

  “You approve of the new toy?”

  “Hell, yes.” She grinned, then glanced over her shoulder at Vance. “But I think it’s time for the real thing.”

  Vance’s eyes gleamed a fiery gold as he nodded in agreement. The buzzing stopped, and he eased the toy from her body with gentle hands. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all night.”

  “This is real, right? I’m not going to wake up and find out this was all a wine-induced dream?” she said as they rearranged themselves so she was lying with her head on the pillows, her men stretched out on either side of her like the sexiest bookends she’d ever imagined.

  “When you wake up tomorrow, we’ll still be here,” Dane told her.

  “And we’ll still love you. That’s never going to change.” Vance moved over her, slanting a hungry kiss across her lips.

  “Never,” Dane agreed.

  She closed her eyes, letting her other senses take over. She wanted to carry this memory in her heart forever. Not just the sight of her lovers but the scent of their skin and the touch of their hands. Vance drifted one last, tender kiss to her mouth and then settled his big body back onto the bed. Dane moved in to take his place, his kiss demanding, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to dance with hers.

  Dane shouldn’t have been ready to go again so quickly, not after the orgasm he’d just had, but he was. His cock was hard as a rock and aching with the need to be inside Ciara’s sweet pussy. He kept on kissing her as he placed a hand on her hip and coaxed her to roll onto her side. Once she was where they wanted her, he let his fingers take a slow, leisurely tour up her torso until he reached her breasts. Each one was a perfect handful, her pebbled nipples pressing into the palms of his hands as he cupped them.

  While he focused on her breasts, Vance lifted her uppermost leg and drew it up and back until he could drape it over his, baring her pussy to them both. Dane rocked his hips forward, letting his dick rub along her slick folds. Her soft moan vibrated over his tongue, and the sound resonated through him, kicking his lust up yet another notch. He rocked into her again, harder this time, and she rolled her hips forward at the same time. His cock slid across her clit, and she arched into him, her hand landing on his hip, nails digging into his flesh as she gripped him hard and pulled him toward her.

  He hadn’t planned on taking her yet, but when she lifted her leg off Vance to wrap it around his waist, he knew it was time.

  Ciara was running on instinct, letting her needs guide her as she gave herself over to the demands of her body. As Dane worked his cock into her body, she ground their bodies together in a teasing figure-eight motion, needing every inch of him inside her.

  “So good,” Dane whispered between kisses. “Love you so much, Ciara.”

  He finally bottomed out inside her, their bodies locked together, and his cock pulsing inside her channel, so thick and hard he filled her completely. This was what she’d always dreamed of and never thought she’d have, but not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined she’d have the love of not one man, but two.

  Vance moved in tight behind her and nuzzled her ear. “You’re ours now, and we’re never letting you go.” There was another cool kiss of liquid against her heated skin, and then he was easing himself past the tight ring of muscles that guarded her back passage. He moved slowly, and the small bite of pain that came with his entry passed within a few seconds.

  Impatience and need drove her to move before he was fully seated. She arched backward, drivin
g their bodies together far faster than he’d expected.

  “Stars, woman!” he groaned into her ear. “Are you trying to kill us here? I was trying to be gentle.”

  Ciara simply laughed and playfully wriggled her hips. “I don’t want gentle. I wanted this. The three of us together.” Even the slightest move sent shimmers of pleasure cascading through her, and she could feel yet another orgasm already building inside her.

  Vance tightened his grip on her shoulder, holding her still as he withdrew and then buried himself deep in her body again. She flexed her inner muscles around their cocks and both men groaned in response.

  “I need to move, angel. You ready for us to love you?” Dane asked, his lips brushing against hers with every word he said.

  “I’m all yours,” she whispered, and the truth of those three words resonated all the way down to her soul.

  Vance withdrew as Dane surged forward, and soon they had worked out a rhythm of give and take with her at the center. Each time one of them moved she inched a little closer to release as dark pleasures bloomed and spread through her body. She felt as though she were floating in a sea of bliss, buoyed up by her lovers’ caresses. There was nothing she could do but give herself over to their lovemaking, and once she let go, her pleasure only grew.

  Soon she was trembling on the edge of release, her entire being focused on the steps of the sensual magic they were weaving between them. Wordless cries fell from her lips, only to be captured by Dane’s mouth as he kissed her. Vance whispered words of adoration and encouragement in her ear with each thrust of his hips, both men moving faster as their own needs pushed them toward their breaking points.

  Breaths grew ragged, the rhythm broke down, and soon both men were claiming her with a passion that could not be denied. Vance came first, his hoarse cry filling the air. She and Dane came within seconds of each other, her orgasm flaring hotter than a supernova as she shuddered through a mind-shattering climax.

  Vance’s senses returned one by one. He could feel Ciara’s warm skin beneath his hand, smell the subtle blend of sweetness and spice that was her own, unique scent, and hear her quiet breathing as she recovered from what had they’d done. He was enjoying the moment when Dane’s voice shattered the silence.

  “Doc. I think she broke me. I swear I can’t feel my legs. Is there such thing as sexually induced paralysis?”

  Vance didn’t bother to do more than open one eye to glare at his friend. “Why did I ever agree to be your partner? First off, no, there’s no such thing. Secondly, that’s not your leg you’re currently poking, it’s mine. If you could feel that, then you’d be a medical marvel.”

  “Well, that explains it. And to answer your question, you asked me to partner up with you. Frankly, I think I could have done better.”

  Ciara burst into a fit of giggles. “You two make a great comedy team. You sure you don’t want to quit the Alliance gig and go on the road?”

  “Not a chance,” Dane muttered. “I like people having to salute me and call me sir. That doesn’t happen in civilian life.”

  “And I’m not calling you sir. Not now, not ever,” Ciara declared.

  “So you’re going to have to settle for being with two career Alliance officers. Think you can deal with that?” Vance asked, knowing full well the answer was yes. He did it to tease her. He never wanted to go another day without hearing her laughter and seeing her smile.

  “The question isn’t if I’m okay with being with two pushy ’leets. The real question is, how are your bosses going to feel about you hooking up with a rebel medic?”

  Vance chuckled. “Which bosses would that be? The two who are bonded to a renegade themselves, or the regent who made a point of borderline ordering me to make sure we didn’t let you walk out of our lives?”

  Ciara’s eyes widened, and she twisted her head around to look back at him. “What?”

  “When the hell did that happen?” Dane asked.

  “I imagine it was around the same time you were removing a certain someone’s undergarments.” Vance laughed as he eased himself free of Ciara’s body and rolled off the bed, heading for the bathroom.

  “He…why would he do that?”

  Vance answered her as he quickly cleaned himself up.

  “Apparently matchmaking is a family trait. Father and daughter both pointed us in your direction. And none too subtly, either.”

  “I don’t think they know the meaning of the word,” Ciara said.

  “Me either,” Vance said, grabbing a fresh cloth for Ciara before heading back into the bedroom. “But since they helped us get to this point, I’m grateful for the interference.”

  Ciara rolled over to face him, her face wreathed in smiles. “We would have found our way to each other somehow. Fate was working overtime to make sure we did. You were the one on call when I was hurt, Doc. Annie could have run into any room she wanted, but she picked mine. Her choice led me to meeting Dane. We were all destined to meet.”

  Seeing her curled up in Dane’s arms in the middle of their bed, Vance knew she was right. Their being together was no accident. It was destiny.

  ***

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Ciara sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. Coffee, clean clothes, and hot showers. There were so many things she was going to enjoy having back in her life now she was staying in Alliance territory. Topping the list were the two men currently making her breakfast. Vance was preparing pancake batter while Dane was programming the food console with an order so large it looked like they were preparing to feed an army. Neither man had bothered dressing completely. Vance was wearing a pair of black sweats while Dane had put on jeans. Shirtless and barefoot, they went about their morning with efficiency, never getting in each other’s way.

  It was oddly quiet in the house without Annie around. Ciara missed the little girl’s noise and energy. She’d be coming home soon enough, but the knowledge didn’t give Ciara any comfort. How would that sweet little girl react when she learned Ciara was staying? What if she wasn’t happy with the news? Dark doubts started to seep in, putting a damper on her mood. She’d known since she was ten that she would never be a mother, so she’d never considered what kind of parent she’d be. It was a moot point, or it should have been. What if she wasn’t any good at it? What if she messed up with Annie the way her parents had with her?

  “Uh oh. I know that look. Vance, she’s having second thoughts. Either that, or we pissed her off somehow.”

  Ciara set down her coffee with a sigh. “It’s not you two. It’s me. And Annie. What if she hates me? What if I’m a terrible mother? I don’t have any idea how to be a parent. What if I screw her up for life?”

  Vance turned around, the bowl of batter still in his hands. “This sounds familiar. Dane had all the same worries when we started talking about starting a family. Hell, so did I. None of us are going to be nominating our parents for parent of the year.”

  Dane sat down beside her and took her hand. “Do you know why Annie is Vance’s daughter and not mine?”

  “Random chance?”

  “Not at all. It was my choice. I didn’t exactly win the genetic lottery. Why would I saddle a child with that kind of legacy? I was so worried about what kind of father I’d be, I wanted our first child to be Vance’s.”

  “But eventually you would have…only Christine died before it could happen. There won’t be any more kids for either of you if you stay with me. I know you know that, but it needs to be said.”

  Vance took a seat on her other side and reached for her hand, removing it from her hair. She hadn’t even been aware she’d been playing with it, but he had to unwind several loops from her fingers before he could take her hand in his. “We have Annie. And if we decide we need more chaos in our lives, we could always talk about adopting an older child. I don’t need a bigger family to be happy, Ciara. I need you to be part of the family I have.”

  Wh
en Dane looked at Ciara, he saw every worry and doubt he’d experienced when he and Vance had started talking about taking a chosen and having children. Vance and Christine had helped him through it, and he would do the same for Ciara. Christine would want that. She wouldn’t want Annie growing up without a mother, and she wouldn’t want her men to go through life alone. This was the right choice.

  “It’s obvious to both of us you love Annie, and she’s adored you since day one. You’ve got a kind, giving heart, angel. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You be yourself. Do that, and I know Annie will have herself an amazing mother.” Dane told her.

  Tears spilled down Ciara’s cheeks and Dane’s guts twisted into guilty knots. He’d made her cry. “Fuck. Whatever I said, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. This is supposed to be a happy day.”

  She sniffled softly. “Don’t you dare apologize. Either of you. These are happy tears.”

  “Happy tears, huh? Is there an easy way to tell the difference?” Dane asked with relief.

  “I don’t know. It’s not like I’ve had much experience feeling this way. I guess this is why people cry at bonding ceremonies.” She dropped her head to her shoulder, blotting her tears on her shirt so she didn’t have to let go of their hands.

  “Speaking of Annie, would you like to be the one to go get her?” Vance asked. “We have a tradition that on the few days she sleeps over somewhere else, whoever picks her up takes her into town to buy donuts. When you get back, we can tell her you’re staying with us forever.”

  Ciara nodded. “I’d like that. Can you program the directions into the shuttle before I leave? That way there’s no chance I’ll get lost. I swear the town has doubled in size since the last time I was here.”