Claimed by Three

by Rebecca Airies

  “Relax. I want you right here. Everything else can wait.” Kassius dropped a kiss on top of her head. She was with them. For now, that was enough.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sephanie took a deep breath of damp morning air. The rich smell of the earth mixed with the essence of sweet, ripe fruit. Somehow, in spite of her determination to go to work, she found herself dressed in serviceable pants and shirt, walking among the groves and vineyards with Kassius and Teague this morning.

  The deciding factor hadn’t been any reasoned argument. They hadn’t tried logic. Once she’d begun to get ready for work, they’d told her it was too soon. After that hadn’t worked, they’d pulled her back into bed. Both men had teased and aroused her until she’d agreed to stay home today.

  She shook her head. It was the sex. Plus, she wanted to be with them. She’d go back to work tomorrow. Today was for her and her men. Well, two of her men until Berenger returned from work.

  “Don’t lag, baby. The work will take longer if you daydream.” Kassius captured her hand and squeezed it gently to draw her attention.

  “I didn’t think I’d signed up to be a laborer for you when I agreed to stay with you.” She peered over at him with a forced frown. “And didn’t you say just this morning I was recovering?”

  “We’re going on your word, baby. You said you felt good. Everyone who comes here regularly gets pulled into the harvest eventually.” Teague smiled as he patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Kassius will only expect you to fill one or two crates this time. And remember, be gentle with the fruit and the trees.”

  “You’ll enjoy it.” Kassius smiled. “You’ll get to spend time with us.”

  She’d definitely appreciate that bonus. She walked with them to the grove that was ready for picking. It was surprising how little automation Kassius used in the harvesting of some of the more delicate fruit. Most of the people gathering the fruit today worked in the distillery and winery.

  They arrived at the spot where the empty, shallow crates were stacked. Kassius handed her one and picked up one for him. He guided her over to an empty platform on wheels. She looked with interest at it. It could be raised so fruit at the tops of the trees could be picked.

  “Time to get to work, baby.” Kassius stepped up onto the platform with her.

  He began picking the envia plums. She reached up, pulled one from the tree, and put it in her box. It was easy work. She could see how they might be able to get to know one another while doing it. At first, he didn’t say anything.

  “Are you sure you can’t think of any reason someone would come after you?” Kassius glanced at her while he put an envia plum in one of the indentions inside the crate.

  “Kassius, we’ve been over this. I haven’t dated anyone seriously in a while, and none of my employees or even ex-employees would tamper with my skimmer. Or know how to do it.” She turned and glared at him.

  How many more times would they ask her before they realized she had no idea who’d caused the crash, much less why? She’d thought about it most of the day yesterday. Other than Lillie, she couldn’t think of any possible suspects. She didn’t understand the motive behind the sabotage. She hadn’t done anything to anyone.

  Aside from the little altercation in her shop with Lillie, Kassius, Berenger, and Teague were the only people she knew of who’d had any problem with her recently, and that was because they’d thought she was avoiding them. She knew they hadn’t sabotaged her skimmer. Hadn’t even brought the possibility into the conversation. They wouldn’t solve any problem they had with her that way.

  “All right.” He held up his hands. “I wondered if maybe you’d thought of anything new.”

  “No, this doesn’t make sense.” She plucked another plum and placed it in the carrier. “From what Cooper said, it might not be about me. This could be someone trying to get to you or him by hurting me.”

  “That’s being looked into as well. I want to know why and the bastard caught.” Kassius’s eyes hardened and he tensed, but he gently put the fruit into the crate.

  “The land here has been in your family for years?” She glanced over at him. She thought she’d heard it had come to him through his mother or grandmother at one point.

  “Yes, my mom actually inherited it from my Great-Grandpa Calder. She handed it over to Cale. He’s marriage partner with my other father, Samuel. Cale handed it to me.” He smiled. “I’d been coming here for years to help out with the harvest and some of the wine- and liqueur-making process. I knew it was something I could do for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.”

  “I can tell. You look so relaxed here.” She kept working beside him. The satisfaction was obvious in the easy smile on his face and the pride in his words. She understood that. She felt the same way about her bakery.

  “I am, but that’s partly because you’re right beside me.” He reached out and brushed her hair back behind her ear.

  “Kassius!” Someone’s voice broke into the moment, and Kassius frowned when he turned to them. She peeked around him, but she didn’t recognize the man standing on the ground. She went back to picking the envia plums.

  “I’ll be back, Sephanie. Teague’s right over there if you need anything.” Kassius pointed to her left.

  She turned and saw Teague standing on a similar platform, busily filling crates. He worked at a steady pace, far faster than she and Kassius had accomplished. Then again, they’d been talking.

  “I’ll see you soon, and I’ll try to get some of this fruit in the crate while you’re gone.” She turned back to Kassius and smiled.

  In spite of their caution, she didn’t think she was in too much danger. Messing with her Duce seemed a rather complicated and uncertain way of harming her. Also a way of possibly getting in trouble for harming someone else. She didn’t understand why someone would hate her enough to plan for a failure such as that. Maybe they’d wanted to disable the skimmer.

  She went back to work. In short order, she had the crate filled with envia plums. She put it beside her feet and looked around for another crate. She was surprised to see Teague standing beside the platform.

  “You finished with that?” He smiled up at her but didn’t glance at the box of fruit.

  “Yes,” she said with a nod. She tried to decipher what he was planning.

  A smile curved his lips, and his eyes held a distinct glint of anticipation. He wasn’t there to fetch another crate for her. So what did he think they could do in the middle of the orchard?

  “Come down.” Teague walked around to the open side of the platform and held out his hand to her.

  “We still have crates to fill.” She tilted her head and watched his face after she offered that bit of resistance.

  “We’re taking a break.” He narrowed his eyes at her, and his voice hardened. “Come here.”

  “We barely started working.” She put a hand on her hip. “It’s not time to take a break.”

  “Come here.” His voice lowered, and he leaned closer. “Or before I fuck you, I’ll redden that ass.”

  That wasn’t much of a threat, but it did give her incentive to go along with him, at least until they arrived at wherever they were going. She still had a few qualms about where he planned to have sex, but she trusted him.

  She grinned as anticipation and a rush of desire burst through her. Her mind eagerly supplied images of some interesting ideas. There were too many people around for them to fuck in the orchards, but they could always use the hallway of their house or a work building. She knew there were also storehouses around the property.

  She stepped forward and placed her palm in his. His other arm swept around her, and he lowered her to the ground. He released her but kept hold of her hand while he led her through the trees. She didn’t know where he would go other than back toward the house. She hadn’t explored the grounds yet.

  Teague began guiding her away from the path to their home and hurried her along one of the fences that bordered
the orchards and vineyards. At first she didn’t see anything, but while they walked out of another grove, she saw a large gray building. This had to be one of the buildings where Kassius kept equipment.

  Teague led her through a sturdy door on the end. She stopped once she entered. A huge blue piece of machinery sat right in front of her. She gawked at the machine. She’d never seen anything similar to it and didn’t know what it did.

  Teague tugged her forward. She stumbled but went along. There were a few other machines in the large building, but Teague went to a door on one wall. He opened it and escorted her inside. Shelves lined the storage and supply closet. On one side of the room, she saw a worktable and a set of gray shelves above the workbench.

  “Yes, that’s where I want you.” Teague guided her over to the shelves. “See this?”

  He reached past her and grabbed the shelf. His hand slid into one of the boxes that separated the shelf into a grid. The particular part of the shelf he grabbed had no divider on the interior, only a wooden strip down the front. He pulled on it. The shelf didn’t move at all. He turned and smiled at her.

  “I see it. What’s so special about it?” She raised a brow. Her mind readily supplied her with the possibility of him tying her to that after she’d noticed it had no divider. It sent a surge of desire through her, but she wouldn’t let him know that yet.

  “Special, not much. I’m showing you it will hold you when I fuck you hard, but since you still have an attitude, we’ll start off with a spanking. Take off your shirt.” He turned to face her and let his gaze sweep over her body.

  A thrill of anticipation shot through her. Her inner muscles clenched. The knot of need low in her belly intensified. She lifted her hands and worked her fingers under the seal. Slowly, she separated it until the light purple shirt hung open, teasing him with a thin strip of her flesh and occasional glimpses of the slopes of her breasts.

  “Take it all the way off, Sephanie,” Teague ordered. His voice dropped lower, and he stared at her intently.

  She slipped the shirt off one shoulder, revealing her flesh a little at a time. His gaze fixed on the hardened nipples of her breasts. He and Kassius had taken her bra from her before she could put it on this morning. She didn’t mind, especially since she knew he’d be touching her breasts in a few moments.

  She’d hoped for something such as this. In fact, she’d planned to lure one of them away if they hadn’t made a move. She couldn’t resist the urge to touch them anytime they were close.

  Whenever she watched them walk or looked at them, desire flared and began to build. After discovering how good their touch made her feel, she’d chase them.

  His hand extended in blatant demand. “Give it to me.”

  She looked down at the shirt. With a shrug, she placed it in his hand and watched him put it on a hook. Her thighs clenched. What will he do now? She loved the orders and the dominance, even if she resisted sometimes because she had to keep them from getting too arrogant.

  “Face the worktable and unfasten your pants.” He glided forward to stand close to her.

  She opened the closure and began to push the pants over her hips. His hands closed around hers, stopping the movement. His body pressed her forward until her hips touched the edge of the table.

  “Did I tell you to push them down?” He nuzzled her hair out of his way and nibbled on the shell of her ear.

  She shivered and shook her head. “No, I was helping.”

  “You do what I tell you. Only what I tell you.” His breath puffed over her ear, sending tingles through her. The words hung in the air, barely above a whisper.

  “Maybe.” She smiled slowly. That would probably earn her a swat or two, but she so looked forward to the sting.

  “Perhaps you need a little encouragement. You are practically asking for it.” He stepped back from her. “Put your hands on the table and bend forward.”

  She placed her palms on the cool surface and pushed her ass back toward him. Her muscles tightened in anticipation. He clasped her hips and then peeled her pants down her legs, baring her ass.

  “No panties. You are being daring today.” His fingers swept around and traced slow, circular patterns up her inner thigh.

  She shivered. He trailed his palm over one cheek, letting her feel the contrast of his warm palm with the cool air inside the shed. When he lifted his hand, she tensed at the thought of the burning pang.

  His hand landed across her butt in a stinging swat. She gasped. The press of his palm over the spot seemed to make the bite of pain more intense. He rubbed the spot before sliding his palm down between her legs. He cupped her pussy.

  “You’re already wet, baby.” He pressed his fingers between the lips and lightly stroked.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I want you.” She didn’t deny the obvious. Eagerness mixed with her imagination, and her desire rose high. As his hands stroked over her skin, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she begged him to fuck her.

  His finger curled, stroking her clit. She rocked into the touch. The caresses became harder and faster. Her inner muscles clenched. She moaned and pushed back into his touch, hoping to feel at least his fingers spearing into her, but he moved his hand.

  “Not yet, Sephanie. You need more for making me wait and sassing me.” Teague drew his wet fingertips across her buttocks.

  His palm came down across her ass in two sharp swats. She caught her breath and trembled. The ache combined with the desire rising inside her. Her skin felt so sensitive the cool air sent prickles through her, especially after he brushed his hand over her buttocks.

  “Your ass is nice and hot.” He stepped up behind her and pressed his hips against the rounded swell.

  She pushed back and rubbed against the ridge of his cock. The fabric of his pants frustrated her and kept her away from what she craved. She moaned and reached back for him.

  “It’s time to tie your wrists. I get to do the touching right now.” He grasped her hand and placed it back on the table before releasing her momentarily.

  She heard a slithering rasp, the sound of cloth rubbing against cloth. He again grasped her wrist and lifted it high. She watched as he tied a piece of wide, soft cloth around her wrist. He threaded it through the open shelf.

  Gripping the cloth, he lifted her free hand with his other. She remained still as he secured it. When he released her, she tugged. The cloth binding constricted around her wrist but didn’t pull too tight.

  “You can’t reach me, and you wish you could so badly.” He cupped her breasts.

  He was so right. Fingers squeezed her nipples, tugging and pulling. Her back arched, pushing her breasts more firmly into his palms. That felt so good. His hands tightened, giving her a little extra pressure. Her hips rocked, but he still wore his pants.

  “Fuck me, Teague.” She lowered her head and drew in a ragged breath.

  “You think you’re ready?” His lips pressed against her shoulder.

  “I’m ready.” She rubbed her ass against the ridge of his erection.

  “Let’s see if you are.” One of his hands skimmed down her stomach. The light touch left a tingle in its wake all the way to her pussy.

  His fingers pushed between her folds. Her slick juices provided easy lubrication.

  “You’re so wet for me.” He nipped at her neck.

  He stroked her clit. She moaned and gripped the cloth, pulling. Her hips bucked forward into the touch. Everything he did and said made the lust headier. A low laugh rumbled against her back.

  “I wanted to take you again before we made it out to the orchard.” He drew his hand back and teasingly circled her entrance.

  “But then you wouldn’t have done this.” She tilted her hips and tried to urge his fingers deeper.

  “I would have taken you this way if I’d fucked you right before we walked in here,” Teague whispered.

  She craved the feel of his digits thrusting in her but held back the growing desire to come. Not until he thrust his
cock deep into her pussy. He traced around her entrance once more before plunging into her channel. Her inner muscles tightened.

  “So wet and hot. Your muscles are pulling at my fingers. But you need something deeper and bigger than my fingers, don’t you?” He licked along her neck as his digits withdrew before sinking deep again.

  “I want your cock. Fuck me, Teague.” Sephanie shoved back into his stroking fingers.

  She quivered. He pulled back. The move drew a moan from her. She craved more, but she didn’t want him to stop. She turned her head and looked back at him. He opened the fly of his pants. She watched as he lowered them only enough to free his cock.

  He stepped up behind her and nudged her forward. She pressed her hips back. His cock grazed against her pussy. A tremor raced down her spine. The fierce hunger built. She slowly wriggled her buttocks back and forth. Her clit ached to be touched. Aggravation at not being able to alleviate the need amped up the desire. She yearned for more than the press of his skin to hers.

  He guided his cock to her slick opening. This time he didn’t tease, but thrust deep. She moaned. Her hands tightened into fists as she struggled against the confines of the cloth ties. She yearned to feel the ripple of his muscles under her fingertips. One of his palms cupped a breast, and the other arm hooked around her waist. His hand dipped before sliding across her pussy.

  She pressed back against him. Frustration battered at her. She couldn’t touch him, but the annoyance intensified that desire. He shifted back. His cock withdrew until only the head remained inside her pussy. Her muscles clenched, trying to keep him inside her.

  He hauled her back as his hips thrust forward. His cock sank deep. He fucked her hard. Sephanie welcomed the force and met it with her urgency. His fingers eased between the folds of her pussy and stroked over her clit.

  She drew in a shuddering breath. His fingers found that sensitive bundle, and the feel of his shaft driving into her pussy spurred her nearer to the edge. She reveled in the rough sound of his voice when he groaned her name. Her muscles tightened, and she ground against him.