by Mardi Ballou
So, though it killed her not to support Gabe when he so clearly needed it, she shook her head. “I’m staying, Gabe. I’ll stay at least long enough to hear Alex out and satisfy myself that I understand what’s happened. If I leave now, for the rest of my life I’ll wonder what this was all about.” She bit her lip, the prospect of Gabe leaving alone crushing her with unendurable agony. “I hope you’ll stay also.”
The look of pain and disbelief on his face was almost enough to make her change her mind. Almost. Then he threw himself down next to her. “I’m not about to abandon you here, to just leave you with this slimy bastard. I’ll stay as long as you insist on doing so, but I’ll hate every minute. And I won’t let up trying to persuade you to leave—with me.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Gabe held on to his anger with both clenched fists, and she couldn’t blame him. She also knew how difficult it was for him to back down. She realized anew how much Gabe loved her—and how much she loved him. “Thank you.”
He grunted a noncommittal response.
Then she turned again to Alex. “Please. You must be able to see how you’re affecting our lives. The Tarot card promised a happy, successful future. You’ve said things that make me believe you don’t mean us harm, that you’re part of the prophecy of good. But right now, I have to wonder if I’m deluded. Please tell us what’s going on. In simple, straightforward words. Explain why we’re here, how we came to be part of your mission and what we can expect next.”
Gabe felt like the biggest chump in the universe. He should be able to pick up his life and go home. If Jade continued to refuse to go, he’d have to suck up and deal with losing the love of his life.
For now, she’d forced his hand, and he backed down. After everything he’d experienced since the arrival of Alex Rapsos in their lives, he had to question himself about the basics. Could he still call himself a man after fucking Rapsos and letting the other man fuck both him and his woman? In the deepest places of his heart, Gabe knew he wanted more. But it wasn’t only sex. Though he wanted to deny it with every fiber of his being, he felt something for Rapsos—as in, he wanted the guy to stay in their lives.
And if he let Jade call the shots, the way she was doing, did that also reflect negatively on his so-called manhood?
Now both he and Jade focused their attention on Alex Rapsos, the con man who’d run away with their lives. Would he finally explain exactly what the fuck was going on in words they could comprehend?
“I can only give you a glimpse of the full truth now,” Rapsos started. “I beg your indulgence for a bit longer. Please believe me, you will know everything I can tell you—as soon as I am at liberty to explain.”
“Go on,” Jade said calmly.
So it wouldn’t cost him any more to listen. Gabe told himself he could study Rapsos and file away what he learned to use in some future depiction of a villain. Maybe that would be something he could salvage from the current disaster.
“We’ve talked about the ancient Greek gods,” Rapsos began.
Jade nodded vigorously. Gabe shrugged.
“Well, Dionysus is sometimes considered a god, sometimes a demigod.”
“The guy with the wine?” Jade asked.
Rapsos nodded. “He’s often depicted with pictures of grapes and jugs of wine, but that was only a small part of his interest. Dionysus espoused the primacy of pleasure.”
“Other gods did that, too,” Gabe pointed out. “Hell, they all pursued pleasure, in whatever form they found it.”
“Of course. There was a lot of overlap and sharing, among the deities and demis and so on. The point is, Dionysus favored pleasure and love but at times incurred the disfavor of other more powerful deities. Some chose to oppose the sensual pleasures or wanted to harness their power and to limit the access of mortals and other beings for whatever reason.”
“We know history and mythology,” Gabe pointed out.
“Of course.” Rapsos shrugged. “My friends, it’s getting late and it will soon grow quite dark and cool. Let’s get settled for the night. On a nearby island, there’s a small inn visitors find very comfortable. I’ll take you there.”
“Why don’t you take us to your home on this island, Rapsos?” Gabe demanded.
Rapsos smiled. “Another time. As I’ve been away, my home isn’t fit for me, let alone my honored guests. If you’ll allow me to take you to the inn, we’ll all spend a better night. There’s a small boat moored on the south side of the island. We can walk there in a matter of moments.”
“What? You’re not going to transport us on your magic carpet?” Gabe knew he was heavy on the sarcasm, but he was definitely reaching a limit of endurance. Actually, he’d exceeded that limit hours before.
“No, we’ll just go the old-fashioned way, by boat.” Rapsos steered them toward where the boat was moored. As advertised, it was a small cruiser, adequate to carry a maximum of ten people.
Suddenly the day caught up with Gabe. He felt hungry and tired on top of massively confused and angry.
He’d confer with Jade tonight. Tomorrow, Rapsos would either have to put up or shut up. Rapsos would tell the whole story in a reasonable way, or he and Jade would leave. This time, Gabe wouldn’t let her talk him out of going—and she’d come with him.
And if it meant Rapsos was finally out of their lives for good, they’d be better off. He’d learn to quiet the pang in his heart and demonstrate to Jade, in a hundred ways, that getting away from him and the madness he unleashed could only be good—the Tarot card be damned.
Chapter Nine
The closer he got to completing his mission, the less assured Alex felt. How could this be? He’d been positive since his earliest introduction to the Order of Dionysian Mages that they held the key to the future he most desired. He’d been a child of seven, on his first trip from New York to the ancestral homeland, specifically the island of Crete, when he’d gotten his first whiff of who the Mages were and what they did. Back then, he didn’t understand much about sensual pleasure. But magical power had drawn him from the start.
The Order took in very few initiates, only two or three every decade. Alex had striven to pass the physical, emotional and intellectual tests required of each candidate. Until now, he’d savored every step of the process that would soon admit him to the status of a full-fledged Mage. He’d devoted the past fifteen years to the processes and never doubted his path—until now. But the feeling of something missing loomed larger each day now until it threatened to uproot all his previous confidence and distract him from meeting his goal.
While Gabe and Jade had rapidly fallen into the sleep of the exhausted after a simple meal of moussaka and Mavrodaphne wine, rest eluded Alex. Gabe and Jade lay side by side in the large bed Alex often considered as a refuge, a place he came on those very rare occasions when he wanted to be alone. He’d never even brought Demetrios or any other lover here. Now his two companions lay entwined in the center of the bed, looking totally natural and inviting. Considering all that had passed between them, even Gabe would have to realize there was no plausible reason to exclude Alex from lying down with them. He belonged in the bed with them as fully as they belonged together.
Gabe had threatened to leave tomorrow if Alex didn’t explain everything fully. Alex suspected this time the other man would stick to his guns and manage to persuade Jade to leave with him. Alex wanted them to stay, dreaded the possibility of their disappearing from his life. Fulfillment of the mission was the least of his motives. For the first time since he’d met them, Alex realized they had greater power over him than he had over them—and knowing that scared the hell out of him.
For the first time ever, the people he interacted with were not merely instruments for him to plug into the big picture. Jade and Gabe were unique. No one else in the universe made him feel the way he felt with them. If he didn’t know better, know that such emotion was completely alien to his character, Alex might suspect he was falling in love with Jade and Gabe.
Then it came to him. Perhaps the illusion of being in love was one of the ordeals the Mages, in their wisdom, required the candidate to endure.
That had to be it. Relief flooded Alex’s heart. He would recognize this delusion for what it was, and, conscious to avoid falling into more booby traps, he’d get through.
Jade stirred in her sleep. Her brow creased in a frown, and Alex suspected some dream must trouble her. He stopped his hand in midair as he almost reached out to soothe her frown. That was thinking too much the way a man in love might. He had to assert mastery over his thoughts and actions once more, not give in to them. And he knew, as an almost fully admitted Mage, he had a far more effective way to deal with Jade’s dream. He mumbled the words of a sleep spell which, he was relieved to note, quickly took effect.
Unfortunately, the spell didn’t turn out to be as effective for dealing with his own sleeplessness. But Alex knew how to focus. Repeating the spell and concentrating on an image of how his life would be once he was a fully-initiated Mage, Alex eventually fell into an agitated slumber.
* * * * *
Jade was loping across the sun-dappled meadow wearing a huge smile, a garland of flowers and nothing else. Normally, it would be a nightmare for her to be somewhere aside from her bath or bed with no clothes, but she felt one with the nature around her, as if the sunshine were radiating within her as well as above. The way she felt, she might never wear clothes again.
Gabe was waiting for her, naked so she could see his beautiful body and the erection she inspired. They would make glorious love in the meadow, drowning in each other’s bodies, blanketed in their love.
Except Alex stood next to Gabe, also with his arms outstretched and a huge erection throbbing in the sunlight. The men stood close together, almost touching, sheltered together in a cocoon of affection for each other—and for her. Stunned as she still felt at the presence of Alex in both their lives, she didn’t falter. Though she might never have believed it before, now she knew. She could love two men without either losing out—despite all she’d ever believed to the contrary.
Even more amazing, both of these wonderful men loved her.
Though part of her wanted to keep running forever, so delicious was it to move across the meadow this way, she fell happily into both men’s arms. Gabe hugged her in front and Alex began to kiss her back. This was definitely better than the anticipation.
“Good morning,” she whispered, lowering her head to give Alex better access to the sensitive nape of her neck.
“I want to breakfast on you,” Gabe said.
“A most tasty morsel,” Alex agreed.
Each man staked his claim. While Gabe suckled on her nipples, he massaged her breasts with his long, strong fingers. Alex plied his talented tongue, laving the skin between Jade’s shoulder blades, which she’d never before regarded as an erogenous zone. How little she’d known.
Gabe had the ability to move quickly yet make her feel as if he lingered at each sensitive spot. She loved holding his head in her hands as he worked his way down and around her body with characteristic gusto. She kissed him on the top of his head, which drove him wild, while he licked her areola and her taut beaded nipples.
She’d be wiggling with arousal already just from what Gabe was doing. But Alex was right there with him, stroking her, nibbling on her, turning her on with his magical lips and teeth, tongue and fingers. For a moment she wished she could be like the Indian goddess Shiva, with her multiple hands, so she could demonstrate her enjoyment to both men.
Of course, she knew this sort of unbridled pleasure couldn’t last. This interlude with Alex in their lives would soon come to an end, and they’d all go back to being the way they’d been. Actually, she’d never be able to forget how it felt to make love with two men she loved.
She loved. She loved both men.
Goddess, there had to be something wrong with her. Everyone knew a person could only love one other person romantically. To imply she could be open to consider another man would mean there was something missing in what she and Gabe had together, and she’d never admit that. The love she and Gabe shared was complete and satisfying, as perfect as any human relationship could be.
So how could she be so open to loving Alex, too?
The mystery confounded her, but not for long. A tide of sensation overtook her as Gabe circled her clit with his tongue. He held her, a hand planted on each of her hips. Alex had his hands directly under Gabe’s, partially on her upper thighs and partially on her hips. Alex was grazing the crease between her cheeks with his tongue.
Jade found his tonguing her there so arousing, she couldn’t stand still. She felt incredibly sexy as she rotated her hips to maximize the contact in both places. Both men were so into what they were doing, she felt like the queen of the cosmos, the focus of two beautiful men’s assiduous attentions.
The sun grew higher in the sky, warming her even further with benevolent rays, as if the whole universe smiled down on them. “Mmm, that’s amazing.” She punctuated her words with moans of pleasure. Never before had she felt sexier. The erotic intimacy that united them nearly took her breath away.
Alex shifted one hand, stroking her leg, first down the outward side then up the inside. Jade couldn’t believe how heightened her senses had grown. Despite the sensuous delight both men provided with their mouths, she felt acutely sensitive to their touch. Alex’s fingers on her inner thigh nearly took her over the top to a shuddering climax.
Alex played the sensitive skin between her thigh and her pussy with his fingers like he was a master musician with a fine instrument at his command. She didn’t want to come, not yet. But the onslaught sensation was proving too much to resist.
She felt her muscles clench and tighten as the pleasure became too much to contain. First came the sounds, then the quivering. Finally, when her gathering release pushed her beyond any limit she could obey, she cried out her orgasm—again and again and again. Pulsing like a chime, she began to come.
At that precise moment, Alex thrust first one finger and then two into her back there, intensifying her climax until Jade howled her ecstasy to the sun, the sky and the two men she loved.
* * * * *
Gabe awoke first. After the moment it took him to gather his wits and realize exactly where they were and why they were here, he sat up, trying not to disturb the others’ rest. Rapsos was lying next to Jade, on the side opposite where Gabe had just been.
His first reflex was to want to kill the other man, but that would have been akin to locking the barn door after the cow fled. Rapsos had insinuated his way into their lives, and now getting rid of him would be major.
Especially because, Gabe admitted to himself, he didn’t want to banish Rapsos from their lives. Disgusting as it sounded for him to say the words or admit the truth, he wanted Rapsos to stay with them. He loved the other man. No amount of self-disgust or denials could effectively cloak that fact.
Maybe he should stop fighting it.
Or maybe he should really start, only this time, he’d do whatever it took, use whatever he had to, to meet his goal—no more Rapsos.
God, Jade looked so breathtakingly beautiful, lying there asleep. In repose she looked so young, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Even the way she had her ass pressed against Rapsos’ groin wasn’t fazing Gabe, though an inner voice chided that it should.
The truth was, much as it twisted his gut to admit it, he loved Rapsos in much the same way he loved Jade. He’d never have believed that possible. He’d always thought whatever bonded two men co
uldn’t be like the love of a man and a woman. Gabe wasn’t one to easily accept being wrong, especially in such a fundamentally important way.
At least he could admit all this to himself. He could give an inner voice to his confusion. He could even feast his eyes on the sight of Rapsos spooning Jade, the two of them cocooned in musky intimacy. But that didn’t mean he had to admit it to the rest of the world or even to Jade and Rapsos.
Though he and Jade had always prided themselves on the honesty between them, on never having to hold back, being with Rapsos changed all that. If Gabe started admitting everything he felt, his and Jade’s relationship would be forever altered. He didn’t want that and didn’t think Jade really wanted it either.
As to Rapsos, Gabe felt confident the other man would be able to handle the rejection and move on. Gabe didn’t expect Rapsos would really challenge him or try to take Jade away from him. Hell, no way would Jade ever betray him like that.
Drinking in the sight of Jade in Rapsos’ embrace, Gabe felt his morning erection bloom into a raging hard-on of the kind he used to wake up with in high school. The thought brought a smile to his face. Realizing what he could do with that erection as a grown-up brought a surge of desire he would satisfy and made his smile even wider.
Though he’d have preferred to be in Rapsos’ position, Gabe wanted to let the other man sleep as long as possible. Even with him snoring lightly there, Gabe figured he and Jade could share an intimate erotic moment à deux. So Gabe eased his way back into the bed and positioned himself facing Jade. Trying not to disturb the two sleepers, he managed to poke Jade’s thigh with his hard-on, sending waves of sweet sensation through his body. He bit his lip to keep from moaning.
Two pokes later, Jade began to stir. She was definitely waking with a smile on her face. She stretched and yawned, then grinned when she realized what was going on. “Good morning to you, too,” she whispered.