Strands of Love

by N. J. Walters

  “What about your mother?” She hadn’t spent much time with Edwina, but the woman seemed very kind and compassionate.

  “She did what she could when we were boys. I remember going with her when she visited the homes of Hunter Keep bringing grain and whatever vegetables she could scrounge. She started hiding part of the harvest from my father and uncle, storing it in a cave at the base of the mountain.”

  “Wise woman, your mother.”

  “She is.” Darian paused and Sam felt his lips brush the top of her head. “We grew older and started taking more of an active role in the running of the keep, but our father’s word was law and there was only so much we could do. The stables grew thin as he sold off the best of the stock, the sheep herd grew smaller and smaller. It was hard on all of us, but especially Jace. The land and the people are his to protect, his very soul, his reason for being.”

  “I know.” And she did. It was one of the reasons she respected him so much.

  “It was as much a blessing as a curse when our father and uncles were killed in a freak landslide. We all mourned deeply, but we now had the power to change our lives. Jace threw himself into rebuilding our home. I’ve never seen my brother let anything get in the way of his plans for Hunter Keep. We’ve come a long way, but still have a ways to go. A strong woman by his side would be a great help to him, to us.”

  Sam stilled. “Are you trying to convince me I should be with Jace?” Honestly, she still had a hard time wrapping her brain around this whole idea of sharing herself with two men.

  Darian flashed her a mischievous smile. “With him, with me. It’s one and the same. We make our own rules behind closed doors. The children will have one father, but we will both care for them.”

  Children. The thought of two little boys with blond hair and blue eyes left her breathless. She’d always wanted a family, but had put those dreams on hold when her brother died and her parents fell into a depression, bad health and eventually died.

  “For the first time in our lives, there is something more important to Jace than the land and the people under our care.”

  “What?” Sam couldn’t imagine Jace not being focused on Hunter Keep. There was no doubting his love of the land, his family and all those who lived there.

  “You, Sam.” Darian tipped his arm so she was looking up at him. “He cares deeply for you. That is why he is acting so aloof. He is trying to protect himself from the hurt he will experience when we return home without you.”

  Sam swallowed the thick lump in her throat. What could she say? She cared deeply for both men, but enough to give up her home, her legacy, and live in an unfamiliar land? That was too much for them to ask of her. Wasn’t it?

  “What about you?” she blurted out. “Why aren’t you hiding your feelings?”

  Darian kissed her gently on the lips. His mouth lingered on hers until she sighed with pleasure and kissed him back.

  “Ah, Sam. Because I still have hope that things can work out for all of us. I want you to come home with us. We can offer you a land to replace what you’ll be losing, people who will grow to care for you, a mother who will treat you as her own daughter, and two men who will love you and put you before all others.”

  Slightly breathless, Sam stared up at Darian, not quite believing what he was offering. She’d believed a handsome man once before and where had that gotten her—cheated and alone. If she went with them to Javara and it didn’t work out, there was no going back. She’d be stuck there for the rest of her life.

  Darian stood and let her body slide down his. “Think about it, Sam. And I will think about staying here if you refuse to return with us.”

  “What?” To say she was dumbstruck was like saying a twister was a slight breeze. It went far beyond dumbstruck into total disbelief. “You can’t stay here. Your life, your family is in Javara.”

  Darian cupped her face, his eyes filled with emotion. “But you are here, Sam, and you are my heart. What man can live without his heart?”

  He stepped away from her and held out her hand. Feeling as though her entire world had been knocked off-kilter, she reached for it to anchor herself. Not once had she truly considered the possibility that Darian or Jace would stay with her.

  “Jace cannot stay,” Darian continued. “No matter how much he might wish to. He is responsible for all those who live in Hunter Keep. And,” he added, “it would break our mother’s heart to lose both sons.”

  Sam opened her mouth but closed it again. What could she say? She loved the thought of having Darian stay with her. But she would miss Jace terribly. And what about his mother and friends? What would they do without Darian if he stayed with her? She knew how much the loss of her brother had affected her parents. It wasn’t right to put someone else through such pain.

  Her temples throbbed and she absently rubbed one of them. What were they going to do?

  “Don’t think about it now, Sam.”

  She snorted in disbelief as they walked toward the barn. Jace was in there by himself and that just felt wrong. He belonged with them.

  Sam stumbled over her feet before she regained her balance. Not that she would have fallen, not with Darian holding on to her. It felt right when the three of them were together. There was no denying it.

  How had that happened so quickly?

  Only a couple days ago she hadn’t even known who they were. Now they were a part of her, like the air she breathed and the land she walked.

  Jace stepped out of the barn as they neared. He looked totally unapproachable, but after talking with Darian she knew better. She’d known better before that, she reminded herself. Jace was a lot like she was. Both doing what needed to be done, shouldering the bulk of the responsibilities because someone had to.

  Sam held out her free hand to Jace, not wanting him to be alone anymore. “Come with us. I want to show you my home.”

  * * * * *

  Hours later, Jace sat on a deeply padded seat in what Sam referred to as the living room. The three of them had walked the land for hours today as Sam showed them the various crops she had planted. They were stunted and desperate for water and he knew if rain didn’t show up soon all would be lost. This was indeed a harsh land and took a courageous, strong woman to work it.

  She knew her land as well as he knew his—every field, every slope, the weaknesses and strengths. She loved it too.

  He glanced over at his brother, but Darian was watching Sam remove something from a shelf. Jace swallowed hard, still tasting the dust on his tongue even though he’d had many glasses of water since they returned from their tour of the farm. He was losing his brother.

  Darian was going to stay with Sam. Jace didn’t blame him. If not for his mother and responsibilities he might stay too. This land was strange to him with its dry heat and unforgiving soil, very unlike the lush hills beneath the protective embrace of the mountains at Hunter Keep. The weapons, the machinery, the customs were all strange too.

  The tapestry and the people of Javara asked a lot of the women who were brought to their world. How strange it must all seem. And how much must they miss their homes? Such bravery was to be respected and commended.

  And what did the women get in return? Love, undying and complete. Respect. A new home that was strange. Was it easy for them to find a place in their new home? Jace could easily picture Sam on the back of a horse riding through the fields. He could just as easily see her working those fields side-by-side with his people. They would adore Sam as much as he and Darian did.

  Sam returned and sat between them on the padded bench. No, sofa. She’d called it a sofa. She opened a large bound book to reveal lifelike images. “This is my father and mother when they were young.”

  Jace touched the page. “What magic is this?” There was powerful magic in the world Sam lived in. The ability to speak to people over long distances, artificial fire and light, machines that moved without the power of horses and now this. It was a strange and fascinating world.

  �
�Not magic, photography. Although, I suppose it is a form of magic.” She turned a page. “This is me when I was a kid.”

  Jace studied the image of a younger Sam. He could recognize her features, see the woman she would become in the child she’d been. He wanted a child like this, a dark-haired little girl who would fill his arms with love and his home with laughter. She’d have brothers who would look out for her and protect her. But her mother would make sure she could take care of herself.

  His blood ran cold as the image faded. Neither the child nor the woman would ever belong to him. But his brother had a chance. Agony ate at his soul at the thought of never seeing either Darian or Sam again. But he could survive if he knew they were here in her world, happy and healthy. Darian had a chance at a family of his own and should take it.

  He would talk to his brother tomorrow morning, but it would have to be early. No telling exactly what time the tapestry would arrive to whisk them home. Jace wondered how his mother was. Was she grieving? Did she hold out hope that the tapestry would return them?

  Sam turned another page and pointed. “This is John in his military uniform.”

  Jace could hear the love and sorrow in her voice. He understood what it was to care deeply for a brother. She understood what it meant to lose one and he was sorely afraid he was about to learn the same thing. Difference was, his brother would still be alive and happy. Hers would never have that chance.

  For the first time in his entire life, Jace resented Hunter Keep and everyone who lived there. Almost as soon as he had the negative feeling, it disappeared. He wouldn’t change his life for anything. He loved the land, his family and people. He only wished Sam could share it with him, with all of them.

  Jace sat back against the cushions and listened to Sam’s voice, soaking in the excitement, the emotion as she shared her world, her family with them. Darian was leaning against her, asking questions and pointing at things in the book. A lock of his brother’s hair draped over Sam’s darker tresses. She turned to his brother and smiled and Jace wanted to roar as pain sliced through him.

  Even though he was still with them, Jace felt alone. He hardened his heart even as it threatened to shatter under the pressure. Morning would come soon enough. By this time tomorrow evening, he would be back at Hunter Keep and he was very afraid he would be alone.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Conversation had flowed easily today but now they were all silent. It was as though they were all afraid to speak, afraid to destroy the tentative peace that surrounded them. What went unspoken was the fact the tapestry would appear tomorrow.

  At least she hoped it would. That was another worry. What if it didn’t come? What if Jace and Darian were stuck here?

  Sam studied Jace’s face, but his emotions were blocked off, closed to her. He’d grown quieter as the night had progressed, but he’d grown stone-cold silent when she’d shared her family photos and memories.

  Was he thinking about his world? His mother? Was he missing them? Wishing he could stay? Wishing she would go back with them?

  Resentment flashed through her and for a brief moment she wished she’d never met either of them, that the tapestry had never appeared to them or to her. Almost immediately she regretted her thought and nervously glanced around, half expecting the tapestry to magically show itself. She had to be careful of her thoughts or she might accidentally summon the tapestry as Jace had.

  She couldn’t regret meeting them or seeing their world. It had given her a new perspective on her life, made her appreciate all she had. It had shown her that loyal, honorable men did exist. And it had certainly spiced up her sex life.

  She knew they would all sleep together tonight. Or at least she hoped they would. Amazing how quickly she’d gotten used to having two other bodies in bed with her. She felt safe and secure and, dare she say it, loved with Jace and Darian lying on either side of her, their strong arms around her.

  Sure, she knew it couldn’t last, but she would enjoy it while it did. “Umm, I’ll just be a minute.” She hurried into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Leaning back against the door, she took a deep breath. No need to be nervous. It wasn’t as though they hadn’t done this before.

  Last time.

  The two words made her breath catch in her throat and her heart skipped a beat.

  Last time.

  After tomorrow morning everything would be changed forever.

  Last time.

  Sam gave a frustrated growl and pushed away from the door. She braced her hands on the vanity and stared at her reflection. Her eyes seemed wider and filled with emotions she didn’t want to name. Other than that, she looked exactly the same as she had yesterday, the day before and the day before that. The experience hadn’t outwardly changed her, but inwardly she was a different woman.

  She twisted the tap on and splashed some water on her face hoping to cool her warm cheeks. Didn’t help. Sighing, she brushed her teeth and hair and used the bathroom.

  She wished she’d brought her sleep shorts and tank in with her so she could change. Not that she expected to be wearing any clothes for long.

  “Stop being silly,” she muttered. She’d slept with both men before. There was no reason to feel like a nervous filly about to confront two stallions.

  She snorted at the comparison and opened the door. Both men were waiting for her. Their borrowed T-shirts were long gone as were their boots.

  Darian held out his hand. “Come.”

  Jace watched his brother take Sam’s hand and lead her toward the bed. He wanted to touch her so badly his fingers ached. Instead, he curled them inward, making them into fists to keep from reaching out.

  His ears were still ringing from the short conversation they’d had while Sam was in the bathing chamber. No, bathroom was the name she used.

  Jace had approached his brother with five simple words. I think you should stay. That had set off a short, but intense argument between them. Darian still believed Sam could be convinced to return with them. Jace was more realistic.

  He loved his brother and he loved Sam and he wanted them both to be happy. If that meant they stayed while he returned home, then so be it.

  All the rage, frustration and uncertainty that had filled him all day slowly drained away, leaving Jace with a sense of peace. He would accept whatever happened and he would be happy for them.

  But he was here now and this would almost certainly be his last night with Sam. He grabbed her arm and tugged her away from Darian. Her eyes widened when he pulled her into his arms. He didn’t give her a chance to speak, to question. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her.

  Her lips were soft and supple in spite of the dry heat of the land. And sweet. They were so very sweet. He licked the thicker bottom lip before tracing the top. He felt a little puff of air against his mouth when she moaned and slipped his tongue inside, tasting mint and desire.

  Not breaking the kiss, he lifted her and carried her to bed. It was a tight fit for all of them, but they would manage. Darian had the sheets turned back and Jace set her down in the middle of the bed.

  Darian quickly removed her shoes and socks while he went to work on the rest of her clothing. He tugged and pulled. Material ripped and delicate lace tore. He had to get her naked.

  A sense of urgency was riding him hard.

  When the last piece of clothing was gone, Jace knelt between her legs and devoured her with his eyes. Her breasts were perfectly shaped, plump mounds that begged a man to touch them. He leaned inward and cupped both of them, rubbing his thumbs over her sensitive nipples.

  “Jace.” She breathed his name and it felt like a caress. His spine tingled and his cock swelled.

  He kissed the valley between her breasts, tasting the salt of her skin. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him to her. Jace wished she would hold onto him forever. When she was with him, his burdens seemed to lighten. They didn’t disappear, but they seemed more manageable, less overwhelming.

  No one
knew how many sleepless nights he’d had since the death of his father and uncles. Long, dark nights where he’d wondered if he’d made the right decisions, if his people would have enough food for the long, cold season.

  He was tired, but she invigorated him.

  Darian stripped off his pants and stretched out on the bed beside Sam. His brother lapped at one pert nipple before taking it into his mouth.

  Jace almost smiled at the inarticulate sound Sam made, the way her hips arched upward, seeking relief.

  There was a long night ahead and he didn’t plan to sleep. He could sleep when he was back in Javara. He knew his dreams would forever be haunted by Sam and this night.

  So be it.

  Jace stood long enough to shuck his pants and climb back between Sam’s outspread legs. He circled her ankles with his hands before sliding them upward, moving inward as he stroked her thighs.

  He lifted her legs and draped them over his shoulders as he leaned inward. He smelled her arousal and licked his lips, more than ready to taste her. Jace glanced at her face and found her watching him. Darian was teasing her breasts with his hands and mouth, but her eyes were on him.

  Jace parted her slick folds with his thumbs and kissed her sex. Sam’s entire body jerked and he felt the flood of her cream against his mouth and hands. Determined to bring her pleasure, Jace lapped at her pussy, tasting and exploring. He dipped his tongue into her channel, wringing a long moan of pleasure that made his balls clench.

  “Come for me,” he commanded. He wanted Sam to come, over and over and over. Wanted her never to forget this night or him.

  Her clit was swollen, the nub of her desire pushed out from its protective hood. He flicked it with his tongue and she cried out his name. Her hips pumped wildly now and she gripped Darian’s hair, holding him to her breasts. Jace wished it was his hair she was clinging to, wanted to feel the slight sting against his scalp as she tugged.

  She was making small, incoherent sounds of delight, her hips working against his mouth. Jace slid two thick fingers into her sheath and she came. Her entire body shuddered and his hand grew wet with her cream. He licked it up, letting it coat his tongue. It was his turn to moan when her pussy clamped down on his fingers. He wished it was his cock instead, but this was enough for now.