Claimed by Three

by Rebecca Airies

  “What your father said about her not waiting. She might have been dating while we were busy here.” Teague felt nervous about that. They couldn’t lose her. Not even if he had to resort to less-than-legal methods himself.

  Kassius frowned. “Oh fuck, yeah, if that’s happening, we need to stop it. We’ll talk to Berenger and find her as soon as possible.”

  * * * *

  Berenger climbed down from the harvester-glider, bracing his hand on the big black bin as he took the final step to the ground. He grabbed a rag from the portable table where he’d set up his tools. With a last glance at the big piece of machinery, he turned to face Kassius and Teague where they waited.

  Fucking hell, this isn’t good. He exhaled slowly.

  “So what’s wrong with it?” Teague leaned against the wall of the equipment shed.

  It would be easier to tell them what wasn’t wrong with it. Berenger grimaced. “The wiring was messed with, but that’s not all. Someone sabotaged the fuel cell. That’s leaking and will need to be replaced. Something’s been put in the engine. I don’t know what, from the first inspection. The harvester belt’s been cut and the rollers bent. There’s probably more damage I haven’t found.”

  “Can you fix it?” Kassius asked.

  “Yes, but Kassius, this was no prank. Someone either tried to make this an expensive repair or meant for you to have to completely replace it.” Berenger walked over to his tools and began cleaning them. He gritted his teeth to keep from blurting out the suspicions swirling in his mind.

  “No prank.” Kassius said the words as if feeling them out.

  “And we had dinner with someone not too long ago who mentioned how useful we might find some extra money.” Teague straightened, coming away from the wall.

  “Yes.” Berenger limited himself to one word. The conversation with the other man seemed to replay in his mind.

  Derek Malone wanted a tract of land Kassius owned. A few days after Kassius had said no to the deal, one of the most expensive pieces of equipment on the property had been deliberately vandalized. It was too damn coincidental.

  Kassius’s hands clenched at his sides, and he pulled in long, slow breaths as if to calm himself. “We can’t throw around accusations. Not without proof.”

  “No, but we can keep watch for any other strange incidents that will cost a lot of money to repair.” Teague’s eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned as he looked at the harvester.

  “We’ll watch, and if we do find proof, we’ll hand it straight over to the authorities.” Kassius’s gaze moved from Teague to Berenger.

  Berenger had no problem with that. Considering Malone’s status, the proof would have to be solid. The statement was probably aimed more at Teague. Teague was usually a by-the-book PD guard, but he tended to cross the line when it came to those he loved.

  Chapter Two

  Sephanie wiped down the counter as closing time approached. She looked up when the door chime sounded. She saw three men entering the store. She recognized them immediately. Kassius, Teague, and Berenger. Since they were here, she’d guess Kassius’s father had had a talk with them. She sighed and rested her hand on the dark blue countertop.

  Damn, this was going to be awkward. She bit her lip and waited. They strode across the bakery. It was empty, so there was no one to overhear. She didn’t want to hear them apologize.

  She couldn’t stop herself from letting her gaze wander over their bodies. All three men’s gazes were locked on her. Berenger’s black hair hung around his face. He looked like he’d been more than a few days without a shave. The dark hair at his jaw was longer than normal. He’d probably been extremely busy at his skimmer repair shop.

  She’d noticed that if he was busy, he would let his beard go a little wild. That untamed look sent a thrill through her. Muscled, strong, and in shape from hard work, he led the way over to the counter. He didn’t look happy, but he wasn’t obviously angry.

  “Hello, Sephanie. I think we need to talk.” Berenger placed his palms on the counter.

  “This isn’t necessary.” She tried to forestall the coming apology. “I know what you’re going to say.”

  “I doubt you do.” Kassius eased up alongside Berenger and braced an arm on the countertop.

  His blue eyes sparkled with some emotion she couldn’t quite read. He was solid, muscular, and strong. Berenger and Teague were also fit and brawny. Kassius’s came from hard physical work in his groves and winery. In contrast, the jut of his high cheekbones and his aquiline nose gave him a refined look. His blond hair hung past his shoulders.

  “I realize your father probably talked to you, but there’s no need for this.” She shook her head.

  She glanced at Teague when he stopped on the other side of the counter. Teague epitomized the hard training and rough life of the PD. The sharp angles of his jaw and the lean muscles of his body reminded her of a warrior ready for battle. His black hair was short but shaggy at the moment. He’d probably been growing it out since the regulations for PD on planet were much more relaxed than while they were in space. His light brown skin gleamed and tempted her to reach out and touch him.

  “Yes, there is a need for it. We didn’t know you heard our conversation or you misunderstood what we were talking about that day.” Teague leaned closer to the counter. “We didn’t mean it in the way you took it.”

  She glared at him. “I misunderstood? What other way could you mean it?”

  “We didn’t like guarding you from possible danger, because you might be hurt by it. Yes, we had better things to do than sitting there keeping our distance. We wished we could take you out on dates and get closer to you, but we had to wait. We couldn’t keep our objectivity and watch over you if we became involved with you.” Teague reached over, cupped her chin, and gently turned her head until she looked at him.

  She swallowed hard. She wanted to believe them, maybe too much. Without a doubt, she’d had feelings for them since she’d met them. She wanted to take the chance on them.

  Although their appearance drew her eyes, it didn’t keep her attention. Their personalities and interactions together did that. She liked the way they backed one another up and always seemed to be there for friends and family. Sephanie came from a family with strong ties. That type of behavior was an important part of what she wanted from a relationship.

  “We intend to court you, Sephanie.” Kassius stretched across the counter and clasped her hand. “Please come out from behind there.”

  “You intend to court me? You don’t know me.” With a nod, she let him draw her down the counter and out from behind it. She pursed her lips to keep from smiling. She’d wanted to hear they were interested for a long time.

  They stood in front of her but didn’t crowd her. She appreciated that. Even though she longed for physical closeness, they had some things to clear out of the way first.

  “We know we like you. Do you think we haven’t seen what kind of person you are?” Teague smiled.

  “I don’t know how you would. You’ve only seen me at work.” Sephanie folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. She watched him intently, needing to know what they thought about her.

  “The first time I saw you, I didn’t know you were Cooper’s sister. I didn’t know anything about you except you were one of the volunteers during the cleanup after the earthquake hit Dashil. I saw how hard you worked and how kind you were.” Teague’s voice softened.

  She hadn’t known he was there. The quake had hit Dashil, a city on the coast, and had done quite a bit of damage. The area wasn’t near a fault line, so the buildings weren’t built to withstand the shearing forces. Fatalities were few, but the damage was extensive. She had managed to stay there a few weeks to help but still felt as if she hadn’t done enough.

  “I didn’t see you there. Were you part of the volunteers?” She blinked at him. She could see him doing that, helping others even when he wasn’t called to do it as part of his duty.

  “No, I was ther
e with other guards to help prevent looting and other crimes. The police force there was stretched past their limits. You had your hair up, a smudge of dirt on you cheek and neck. You looked hot and exhausted, but you kept going. I believe you were helping a family gather what could be saved from the debris.” Teague slowly exhaled. “Do you think I could see something like that and not see a woman I wanted to get to know?”

  “We know you can handle a life with us. When Cooper told you about the threat from the people stalking him, you weren’t worried about any danger you might face. You wanted to know how he was and made sure he didn’t feel guilty about it. You have no idea how alluring we find that.” Kassius’s intense gaze nearly scorched her.

  “We also know about that time you left your home in the middle of the night because you got a call from your friend Julie. Someone broke into her store and ransacked it. You stayed with her all night and helped her clean up after the scene was released.” Berenger looked at her, and she could see the admiration in his eyes.

  She felt her mouth drop open but quickly closed it. That had happened over a year ago. How long had they considered a potential date? On top of that, she did have to wonder who was giving them information. Her staying with Julie that night wasn’t well-known. She hadn’t told her family, although Cooper had found out.

  “That’s the kind of woman we know you are.” Teague’s gaze swept down her body. “Your sweet curves might catch our eyes, but the woman who’s ready to back her friends and family, that’s the part of you that grabbed our attention.”

  “We know what we want, Sephanie. The courting is for you to see we’re right together. We will be marrying you.” Berenger scowled at her.

  “You say you’d like to marry me. You haven’t even kissed or held me.” She certainly felt attracted to them, but she had to admit a jump from no dates to marriage talk was surprising. “We could be sexually incompatible.”

  Kassius, Teague, and Berenger had declared and filed their intention for a group marriage. The men in the Planetary Defense, along with the Planetary Police, usually chose to engage in a ménage relationship with at least one other man as a partner so the woman wouldn’t be alone when he went away for duty or be left alone if he died on duty. Even though the population and technology had advanced from the wild colony days, the threat of a man in the Defense Corps being killed in action was real.

  “We haven’t been together before now. Not alone. First we were watching you, and then there was the misunderstanding.” Berenger stepped forward and grazed his fingers across her cheek. “And I know there’s more than enough heat between us to make us combustible.”

  “There is?” Sephanie didn’t resist, turning into the touch. She’d made her decision. She was taking the chance at being with them.

  “Baby, have your beautiful eyes traveled south when you look at us lately?” Teague raised his eyebrows.

  She couldn’t hold back the small laugh. She had not missed the ridges of their cocks pressing against their pants, but physical attraction was only part of the relationship she wanted.

  She took a deep breath and decided to take the initiative. They’d told her what they wanted. “I can’t go from no dates to marriage, but if you’d like to take me out, I will go. We can build from there.”

  Kassius drew her close, and his arm slipped around her. “We definitely want to take you out.”

  He cupped the side of her cheek and tilted his head. After a soft preliminary brush, he pressed his lips to hers. He thrust his tongue against her lips, demanding but not forcing a response. She’d expected a little tentativeness in a first kiss, but he didn’t hesitate at all. She opened her mouth for him and answered that hunger. He threaded his fingers through her hair as he deepened the kiss.

  Sephanie relaxed and enjoyed it. A minty flavor hit her tongue. It tasted good on him. The slow stroke jerked her mind away from thoughts of anything except him. She reached for him, letting her hands slide over his shoulders. Her nipples hardened. She wished she could press them against his chest or feel his fingers plucking at the stiff peaks.

  The musical chime of the door pulled her attention back to where she was. Oh fuck, she was in her bakery kissing someone while she was supposed to be working. Business hours were almost over, but damn. She was a businesswoman and should be more conscious of the place than this. She pulled out of Kassius’s arms.

  He grinned at her but let her go. She made her way back behind the counter. She waited on the two women who had entered. Kassius, Teague, and Berenger stood to the side until the women left.

  “Baby, we’ll let you get back to your work. We’ll pick you up tomorrow for our date. We want to make it special for you.” Teague reached across the counter and skimmed his fingers over her cheek. “Don’t back out on us, or I might have to spank your ass.”

  “What time, and what should I wear?” She took a deep breath while she tried to collect her thoughts. The last threat didn’t worry her. She heard the laughter in his voice and knew he was teasing.

  A sudden, huge case of first-date jitters knotted her stomach. She knew it was silly. Still, the feeling rose in her, sharp and fast. She wondered where they would take her. She shook her head. Damn, she was acting as if the fate of the world rested on this one date. She wanted it to go right so much, maybe too much.

  “We’ll pick you up around eight. Wear something pretty and shoes to dance in. I want to hold you out on the dance floor.” Kassius smiled.

  “I look forward to it.” She leaned forward on the counter. That had gone so much better than she’d thought it would. No awkward apology, and they were interested. Happiness bubbled through her. She had a date with them.

  “We’ll see you tomorrow, Sephanie.” Berenger clasped her hand and squeezed it.

  “Tomorrow night.” She watched them leave the bakery.

  Chapter Three

  Kassius walked up the path to Sephanie’s small house. It had matte-gray siding, reminiscent of the prefabricated buildings brought to the planet by the first colonists. He knew she’d bought it from her uncle when he’d moved.

  She lived on the edge of the city. There weren’t many houses here, and the few other residences were spaced out with large yards, trees, and bushes separating them. He’d rather her live in a place with more neighbors, more people to help her if she had a problem.

  Hopefully, they could convince her there was a fiery chemistry between them. He didn’t think they’d have too much trouble moving the relationship forward after that. With a little luck, they wouldn’t have to worry for long about the isolation of this place or if someone broke in while she was alone. Once she realized they were right for one another, he intended to move her into their house without delay.

  They’d wasted enough time. It seemed as if they’d never have an opportunity to show her they wanted her.

  He pushed the button that would announce their arrival. Teague might have made a joke about spanking her ass if she tried to run from the date, but Kassius would warm her butt. She’d agreed, and she’d better be there. He waited.

  A thought ran through his mind. Her Duce was sitting on the pad, so she should be here. Was she deliberately late or hesitating to answer? He couldn’t wait to see her.

  He looked forward to spending some time with her. Finally build the closeness he craved with her. He wanted to learn the little things about her, hold her, and pamper her after a hard day’s work. After the misunderstanding while watching her, he didn’t want another mistake. She wasn’t a woman they only wanted for a short time.

  The video monitor beside the door flared to life. He saw Sephanie’s face. His gaze followed the line of her neck down to where she appeared to be holding something in front of her chest. He lifted his eyebrows, and his thoughts centered on the pale green fabric she clutched to her chest.

  “Hi, Kassius and Teague. Berenger’s somewhere behind you, right? I’m running late. Give me a moment, and I’ll be right out.” Sephanie smiled, and the screen on
ce again faded to gray.

  Kassius looked back at Teague, who still stared at the screen. Kassius asked, “Was she wearing anything?”

  “She was holding something over her breasts. I didn’t see a dress. I don’t think it will take too long. I’m sure she’d invite us in if she was going to take long.” Teague tilted his head.

  “Do you think she’ll take us seriously?” Berenger asked from near the walkway.

  “Maybe. She wants us, but I think she might be nervous.” Kassius stared at the door.

  It took more than what he’d call a moment, but overall, she didn’t take too long. The door slid open. She walked out in a green-and-black dress that swirled around her knees in loose folds. The top accentuated her full breasts he loved so much, without putting them on display for everybody to see.

  “Hello. Sorry to keep you waiting. I was a little late getting away from the shop.” She brushed her straight red hair back over her shoulder.

  “You didn’t keep us long. You look beautiful. Do you have a bag or something you need to take with you?” Teague asked as his eyes moved over her.

  “Oh. Actually, I have to grab a small bag and a wrap, but they’re right inside the entryway.” She smiled again.

  She ducked back inside. She came out of the house, putting the black-and-green cloth over her shoulders. A small green bag dangled from her arm. She lifted her hair free of the wrap before brushing a few stray strands back over her shoulder.

  “Teague is right. You look gorgeous.” Kassius reached out and took her hand.

  “Thank you.” She tightened her fingers around his. “You all look handsome too. Can you tell me where you’re taking me? I had a hard time deciding what to wear because I didn’t know exactly.”

  “Ah, now we get to the real reason you weren’t ready,” Berenger said. He waited for them on the walkway. A wicked smile curved his lips as he set to tease her.

  She laughed. “No, that’s the reason I was late for work this morning. A late rush of customers and down two workers is what held me up tonight.”