There was this unfamiliar knot growing in his gut, and he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Never before had he experienced anything like it.
That alone made him a nervous wreck.
* * *
The first part of his plan was well underway. He had managed to lure her there.
If anything, that was the easiest part of the entire situation. Now that Elizabeth Blackhawk was in town, his plan could be implemented.
Since she came willingly, it was time to move forward and get himself and his master what they both desired most. The woman was the key, and it was about to begin. Already, he could feel the balance of good versus evil beginning to stir in Circle Rock. The beauty would be the catalyst who set it all off. It was now in motion and no one could stop it.
Not even her.
The holiday was fast approaching, and the day where the veil between life and death was thinnest was almost upon them. It was time to assure that nothing went wrong in the last moments of the ritual. There would be only one opportunity.
Now that she was here, it was time to give them one more sacrifice. He had already picked the altar and it was ready. It was a matter of going out and grabbing the next victim. In his head, it was a matter of simply scanning his mental list. Her fate was already sealed.
Since the first sacrifice, he was aware of the darkness that was creeping into him.
The energy had coursed through him.
The evil was taking hold and making him just like his Lord.
It was time to claim another life, taking one more step to his ultimate goal. Soon, he would have it all.
Power.
Authority.
Supremacy.
Through it all, the truth remained. He was meant to control the darkness and balance life and death in his hand.
The voice had told him so…
That meant it couldn’t be a lie.
* * *
After they were finally seated in the steak house, Chris Leonard stared across the table at his date. This was his wildest fantasy come true. He couldn’t even count how many dreams started like this and ended with her in his arms in bed.
“What are you thinking about, Christopher?” she asked, getting nervous. He was staring at her with a blank look on his face.
“I’m sorry. I was just hoping that I didn't screw this up. I’m horrible with women and I know that if it’s going to be a travesty, it’s likely my fault due to social ineptitude.”
She found his honesty endearing and decided to keep that going. “Have you been avoiding me the last few months?” Cyra inquired.
Chris didn't want to answer, but he knew that they needed to be open with each other. “Yes, I have been. After the Christmas party debacle, I didn't have time ask you out on a second date. I know now that I should have gone home with you that night. If it’s any consolation, that one decision is really the biggest regret of my life.”
Cyra didn't know what to say to that, but it touched her. “You called a couple days later and explained, and I understood. Well, mostly. I really thought you didn't want anything to do with me. Sometimes, I can come on strong. Maybe it’s from being a cop and having to be aggressive.”
There was laughter from her date, and she stared at him wondering why he found her statement funny.
“I didn't want anything to do with you? That’s so far from the truth, Cyra.” Chris decided to tell her everything and go for broke. “When I was young, my dad died. So, I was raised only by my mom. She isn’t the average mom. Let’s just say that she’s eclectic.”
Cyra was with him so far. “Okay, Christopher.”
“One of the things that she instilled in me was that if you were really, truly interested in someone, then you didn't jump into bed with them on a whim. You nurtured it and let if flourish until it all fell into place. When you asked me to come home with you, all I kept thinking was that I wanted more than just a one night stand.” Yeah, like he told Doctor Tony Magnus on the day that he first saw Cyra; he was going to marry her. That little piece he held back, so she didn't run away screaming in terror.
“You and I were both really inebriated. I wanted the first time we came together to be memorable, not regrettable or a pathetic half assed attempt on my behalf.”
Cyra slid closer to him in the circular booth. “Chris, I understand what you’re saying, but drunk, sober, in a car or on a plane, it would have been very memorable for me.”
He swallowed at the implication of her words.
“I’ve been trying to get your attention for six months. I really wanted a second chance to show you that it wouldn’t be a one night stand.”
“Well, you have my attention now,” he answered as Cyra slid even closer.
Cyra could smell his aftershave again, and it made the heat curl deliciously in her belly. Reaching over, she took off his glasses and moved against him. “I want a second chance with you and you’re right. We can do it your way. When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.” Slowly, she kissed him. It wasn’t frenetic, wild, or an outrageous meeting of mouths. It was slow, easy, and spoke of what possibly could grow between them.
When she finally moved away, he was staring at her with such tenderness in his eyes that it took her breath away.
“I don’t even know what to say,” he stated.
“Tell me that we’re going to pursue this and see where it goes.”
He stared at her like she was crazy. “I can say unequivocally that this is my new number one priority in life.”
That was good to know…
“I think that they make a really adorable couple,” Elizabeth said, as she sipped her wine and watched Cyra and Chris from across the restaurant. “Just look at him. He’s like a lost puppy when he stares at her.”
“Callen gets that look all the time,” Ethan stated, sipping his beer. “It’s cute.”
“I’m more than cute. I’m her ideal man.”
Blackhawk grinned. “Only in your dreams, bro.” He loved tormenting Callen. By watching them together, you’d never suspect that there had been a rift between them for twenty years.
“Who are we kidding? It’s all about our hair. She’s only with us because of that,” Callen teased.
“And that we’re possessive, arrogant, strong willed…” Blackhawk could go on and on.
Elizabeth laughed at her men. “Before this gets out of hand, I should probably step in and tell you the truth. Both of the men in my life are the perfect partners, it is absolutely about the hair and possibly the tattoos. So, now we can leave it at that.”
“So, we don’t have to fight to the death to see who gets you?” Callen teased as he clinked his beer bottle off his brother’s.
Rolling her eyes, the discussion reminded her of the problem brewing between Cyra and her partner. Now was probably a good time to address it. “Honey?” she smiled sweetly at Ethan.
He placed his beer bottle down and knew that when she whipped out the word ‘honey’, it was a bad sign. “Crap! What happened now?”
Callen broke down in laughter. It always amused him how panicked his brother looked at the use of one simple word.
Elizabeth told him all about the situation with Cyra and Thomas Rickard. “He’s dangerously close to crossing a line and causing a whole shitload of trouble. I’m not only talking about on an HR level, but even beyond that too.”
“That concerns me,” stated Ethan as he thought about all the ramifications. “I don’t know if we should wait until we return. I’ll keep an eye on him personally and watch him for anything I deem dangerous. I don’t need anyone going over the edge while armed in Circle Rock. Men have been known to kill for love.” He knew he would in a heartbeat. He would cross the line in a second if it meant defending Callen or Elizabeth.
On this, she had to agree. “I just think that if he’s being controlling and feels that she’s his property then that’s traveling a really dangerous road.”
Callen added his perspective, “I really think
that if the man is crackers, then you should send him home with some other excuse other than breaking up the partnership. Once back in-house, you can safely address it.”
Blackhawk liked that option even more. “In the morning, I’m going to have a little talk with our agent. I want to assess his mental state and see if it sets off some flags. Until we have both sides of the story, we really don’t have that many options.”
Elizabeth was good with that.
When the waiter brought their dinner, everyone immediately switched their focus from the problem at hand to the food in front of them.
As she glanced over at the men flanking her, they had the largest steaks that she had ever seen. “Why are you both checking out my spare ribs?” she asked, wondering how she could protect her food. Licking it didn't work. Callen wouldn’t stop at a little saliva as a deterrent. They had already tested that option and it was a fail.
Both men slid closer.
Elizabeth started laughing. “Seriously? You both are sharing a cow and you need to take my pig and throw it on top of the melee?”
They grinned wickedly.
Really, she knew there wasn’t any other choice, but to offer it up and hope that she would have some left on her plate. “Okay, I’ll share, but that means that you both have to pass some steak my way,” she stated, pointing at their dinner. “I mean it. Pony up right now, and I’ll give you each one third of my ribs.”
Both men cut her the same portion of their steaks and placed it on her plate.
Elizabeth pulled off a section of ribs for Ethan, and placed them on his plate.
“Wait, you missed the best part,” he whispered as he took her barbeque coated fingers in his hand and slowly began licking the sauce from them. “Really succulent,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers, as he drove her wild.
Elizabeth squirmed in her seat. The feeling of his lips and tongue on her fingers was stirring the heat in her body and lower. “Ethan,” she replied as her gaze flickered over to Callen as he joined in the fun.
“You’re so right, Ethan” he added, “She’s absolutely delicious,” he practically purred not far from her ear. “I could do this all day.”
Elizabeth swallowed and was afraid that at any minute she was going to melt right there. Between their words and the ministrations of their oral skills, it was going to make her combust. “It’s getting really hot in here,” she muttered as her gaze shifted back to Ethan, who had removed all the sauce and was now kissing his way up her wrist.
Thank God, they were far enough off into the corner that no one would notice the two very large Native men feasting on the one woman.
Ethan’s hand slid up her thigh and delicately took the hem of her skirt with it. “So silky and soft, Elizabeth,” he said, moving up to tease and torment her ear lobe. The wicked words he began whispering in her ear had the same effect on both of them.
Callen wasn’t too far behind. He had finished too and was now focused on her shoulder and bare collar bone. Delicately, he’d managed to slip the dress far enough away from her neck to leave a trail of kisses across her throat. “I love tasting you,” he murmured as he enjoyed how she shook beneath his lips.
When they released her hands, immediately, she dropped them into their laps and began running her fingers over their thighs. Elizabeth wanted to make their blood boil much like her own. Shifting slightly, she found the prize. Yeah, she wasn’t the only one all stirred up.
One of them moaned low in his chest, and Elizabeth really thought she was going to climb onto someone at any moment. What she needed was to get the hell out of there and fast. Dinner before sex had been a really bad idea.
Ethan loved feeling her fingers on his erection, and out in public made it even hotter. When he whispered in her ear, she shook with need. “I’m going to get the check, and then pay the bill. Since the men are paying, it will be you that is going to put out when we get back to the room,” he stated, biting her earlobe and pulling a gasp from her mouth.
She just nodded, unable to speak. Finally she convinced her tongue to work. “Hurry.”
He lifted his hand and asked the waiter to pack up their food, as he handed him his credit card. “We’ll take it to go,” he stated, just as Elizabeth ran her nails down him through his pants.
It took everything in him to not react to her touch.
“Yes, a couple of things have sprung up,” she added, now torturing both men, just below the view of their waiter. He motioned to someone and had takeout containers brought to the table.
Both men needed to get out of there quickly. Elizabeth was doing incredibly naughty things under the table across their lower body.
When Ethan noticed the man was going to pack the food right there, he wanted to weep. It meant that his hellion wife was going to continue her torment.
Callen was shaking beside her. Elizabeth was stroking, rubbing and scratching her nails down the most sensitive part of his body, knowing that rougher sex appealed to him. If she kept it up, he swore he was going to attack.
Ethan accepted the receipt and as he went to sign the slip, Elizabeth cupped him and his hand actually shook. “Thank you,” he answered as he waited for the man to leave. “We need to go,” he hissed to his wife and brother. Need was overwhelming him and he only had so much control. Well, this took care of his plan for slow easy love making tonight as a couple. He was dangerously on the edge and only prayed that he could wait until they were in their room.
The three rushed out of the restaurant and headed directly to the elevators. Once there, Callen repeatedly pressed the button, as if it would make it open that much quicker.
Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side.
“I want you, Ethan,” she whispered, running her hand up his chest and to his ponytail. “This needs to go.” Setting his hair free, she tried to not draw too much attention to the three of them. “Callen, let your hair down,” she purred, the words alone promising what was going to happen once they were inside the elevator.
He obeyed and let the long length of his hair free. It dropped in a cascade down his back like brown silk.
Yeah, she was going to melt right into a puddle.
When the door opened, they stepped in and Ethan pressed the close button roughly. “God, hurry,” he muttered.
As the door began to close, Elizabeth reached up and grabbed a handful of each of their hair.
Both men moaned simultaneously. The sound filled the inside of the elevator and affected each of them. Callen became even harder at the little tug of pain. Ethan was feeling wild and out of control as he visualized what he had in store for Elizabeth once he got her back inside the room.
“Do not disturb,” she murmured to them, meaning the sign for the door. Both of them knew exactly why she wanted it there, and it brought back memories of their first time together. Somehow, that made them want to melt.
“Are we there yet?” Callen whispered, trying to keep his hands off the woman between him. When her hand dropped from their hair and grabbed each of their asses, there was the quick intake of air.
“I need you both,” she admitted wickedly. “I want you both naked and in bed in the worst possible way.”
Ethan let out a hoarse laugh, as he rested his head on the back of the elevator wall. When he heard the ding, he was ready to race down the corridor. Dragging Elizabeth, while she clung to Callen, he got them too their door. Slipping in the key, he pushed it open with his foot and drew his partners into the suite.
When it came to sex, Ethan was generally the more aggressive one in their union. When they were alone, he was tender and gentle, but when the three collided, he exploded in feverish passion.
Callen watched as Elizabeth fell against his brother as he slipped the sign on the doorknob. Ethan dragged her backwards into the other part of the room, closest to the bedroom. It was frenetic as he pulled the offensive clothing from Elizabeth’s body. Everything came off, from the dress to the lacy lingerie.
Dropp
ing the food onto the table, Callen began stripping. All he wanted was to be free from the confines of his clothing. When he was finally down to his boxers, his brother had broken away from the kiss.
Elizabeth was pushed towards Callen, as Ethan also began to get naked. There was only one mission, and it was to finish the fun that was bouncing around in his head.
When she fell against the other man’s body, she was wild with desire. Both of these men were the center of her life and called to her on some primitive level. The need was always there when it came to them.
They were forever hers.
While Callen stood there, she dropped to her knees and yanked his boxers down. They fell easily, freeing one of the prizes she craved most.
“Oh Christ,” he muttered, as her mouth engulfed him and began the torturous assault. His hand went into her hair and he shook it loose of the confining twist. “Oh, angel, don’t stop,” he moaned, watching his woman on her knees as she was servicing him wildly.
Ethan took his place beside his brother as the heat built even more in him. God, he wasn’t going to survive this one. When she released his brother, he gasped as he was next to be pulled into the warmth of her mouth.
It was absolute heaven. Elizabeth had perfected her methods of torture, and both men were reaping the rewards quite often.
Callen watched enthralled, as Elizabeth worked her magic and pleased his brother. From the look on his face, it was just as amazing as it had been for him.
Before Ethan lost it, he pulled away from her and dragged her towards the couch. “I’m out of control, Lyzee,” he hissed in her ear as she continued to tease him. Leaning her over the side, he positioned himself behind her and waited for Callen to take his place by her mouth.
Both men stared into each other’s eyes, waiting for her to signal that she was ready.
“Please, I need you both right now,” she begged.
Devil Hath Come (an FBI/Romance Thriller ~book 7) Page 12