As they walked into the next room, Yuki caught Ragnar and Akash taking in the sight of Krista’s curves. It made his inner dragon rumble with possessive anger. What if she wasn’t his and his dragon’s insistence was only a manifestation of the mating impulse? What would he do then? But he felt so sure, so completely sure. She had to be his mate. There was no other way. And if he had to share her with Ragnar and Akash, he supposed it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
His crewmates were like brothers, although sometimes, he considered Ragnar a little dense and Akash perhaps a bit stuck up. Akash was a royal who’d spent the majority of his life with the constant praise of his academic fellows. Yuki had spent his life in the trenches, repairing spaceships, wrist devices, and entire AI systems in the heat of battle. He might not be a natural warrior like Ragnar, but he had fought just as many battles.
If it came to pass that Ragnar and Akash were her mates as well, they could always give her the chance to choose. The mating impulse would slowly drive the other two mad, but what else could they do? Ask the woman to accept all three of them? He assumed that a human woman, used to making love to only one man, would object to being claimed by three dragons simultaneously.
“Any progress on the mating analysis?” Yuki asked Cato through the mental link for the hundredth time.
“It is a challenging process, especially since you want me to run the analysis with three potential mates.”
Yuki gritted his teeth. As Krista turned to him, he tilted up the sides of his mouth, pretending it was a smile.
“I think you will really like this estate,” she said. “The hill it’s on is five hundred feet high, with no other buildings anywhere around.”
“That does sound promising,” Yuki said.
They needed to bury the spaceship under the mansion. That required digging into the side of the hill to place the ship underneath, which honestly wasn’t all that complicated. But he also knew that the moment they chose a house, they would see Krista far less. From the way that Ragnar and Akash were looking at her, he sensed they were thinking the same thing.
“Let me show you.” Krista led them out a big set of double doors onto a patio and manicured backyard. The air was warm, the day was bright, and the sun beamed down on the round globes of her ass as she walked along a stone path toward the edge of the hill.
“This could work,” Akash said through their mental link.
“Then she won’t work for us anymore,” Ragnar stated.
“We’re going to have to decide soon,” Akash said. “The entire House of Storms is waiting on our decision.”
“They can keep waiting,” Ragnar growled.
“Should I tell Hanish you said that?” Yuki asked.
Ragnar growled in response and turned away, looking down the hill.
“Are you sure we can’t get any higher?” Akash asked. “Perhaps on the top of the mountain.”
“Yes,” she said. “If we look further outside the city?”
“We have no need to be close to the city,” Akash said.
“Very well.” Krista’s eyes grew wide with annoyance.
She maintained a plastic smile on her face, but Yuki could sense she was getting tired of showing them properties. This was the fifteenth one, and it was the first time anyone had mentioned wanting to be on a mountain. At first, they’d said they would prefer to be close to town, so telling her now that they didn’t care was a contradiction. If they annoyed her with constant ambiguity and fresh demands, she wouldn’t want anything to do with them, even if they were proven to be her mates.
“I have just the thing,” she said. “But I’m afraid I have other appointments today, gentlemen. We can pick this up again tomorrow.”
“Very well.” Akash reached out to grasp her hand. She let him, and he smiled broadly at her with that beguiling expression he gave foreign dignitaries. It made Yuki want to roll his eyes, but he knew it could be effective.
“Thank you for all you’ve done. You’ve already helped us a great deal.”
“I’m just doing my job,” she said in a breezy voice.
“You’ve gone above and beyond.”
“All in a day’s work.” She smiled brightly.
She led them out to the car and drove the trek back into the city. Yuki wanted to ask her more about her life, get to know her better, understand who she was as a person. But it was hard to do that with the other guys in the car. As they slipped out onto the sidewalk in front of the brokerage building, he stopped her and reached out for her hand. She took it with a questioning look on her face.
“I want to thank you again,” he said. “And if it isn’t too presumptuous, I was hoping that after the deal is closed, we could see each other socially.”
“You mean like a date?”
“Yes, exactly. Would you go on a date with me?”
“I, um…” She looked up at the other two, who were staring him down with lightning in their eyes.
“I would love that.” She bit her lip. She kept glancing at Ragnar and Akash.
Ragnar growled, and Akash stepped forward.
“He beat me to it,” Akash said in his most gracious voice. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“So was I,” Ragnar grumbled.
“You flatter me,” she said.
Still holding Yuki’s hand, she blushed profusely and looked down at the ground. As she fixed a smile on her face, her eyes glowed brightly, and she glanced up at all three in turn.
“The truth is, I would like to date each of you.” She sounded unsure. “I know it’s unheard of, but I’m always willing to try new things.”
She laughed out loud, the sound lively and tinkling in Yuki’s ears. It made his heart skip a beat. The blush in her cheeks made her even lovelier, and his inner dragon roared to claim her. He wanted to grab her right there on the sidewalk, press his lips to her mouth, and devour her with kisses. The others be damned—this woman was his. Even though Akash was an accomplished intellectual and a duke, Ragnar was a decorated warrior, and he was merely a mechanical engineer, that didn’t mean he couldn’t have the woman he wanted. And he would have her.
“We don’t have a problem with that at all,” Akash said. “In fact, it would be ideal. Then you can see which of us you prefer.”
“If you don’t mind,” she said.
“I mind,” Ragnar said.
“Oh?”
“It will be fine,” Akash said. “Won’t it, Ragnar?”
“Fine…” he grumbled, turning away. “But I get the first date.”
“I asked her first,” Yuki objected. But he sighed and thought better of it. He could already tell she was becoming flustered. “But I wouldn’t mind if Ragnar takes you out first.”
“It’s settled then.” She let go of his hand. “This is highly unusual. But I don’t mind if you don’t. I really must be going now. I have a meeting in five minutes. I will talk to you all again in the morning.”
Krista walked away with a hop in her step that made her alluring curves even more delicious. Ragnar growled at both of them, and Akash pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Yuki, why did you bring that up? We should have waited.”
“I’m tired of looking at houses. We need to pick one and get on with it. I know she’s mine. And if the two of you want to beat around the bush for the rest of your lives, be my guest, but I am going to make my woman mine, whether you like it or not.”
“I understand your sense of urgency.” Akash put his hand on Yuki shoulder. Yuki brushed it away, irritated. Akash couldn’t use his smooth diplomacy on him.
“We are all on equal footing here,” Yuki said. “This isn’t old Dragonia. We are on Earth now.”
“Be that as it may, we need to approach the situation with some delicacy.”
“I’ll show you delicacy.” Yuki flicked his wrist device to bring up a large wrench that he used to repair the ship. He gripped it menacingly in his right hand and slapped it into the palm of his left.
“Just simmer down,” Akash said. “Everything went all right. She’s agreed to date us all. That’s a positive development, and now we can go ahead and close the house deal.”
“She’s mine,” Ragnar said.
“I don’t know if you know this, Ragnar,” Yuki said, “but we’ve both heard you say that at least fifty times.”
Ragnar growled, and Yuki continued brandishing his wrench.
“We need to get back to the House of Flames.” Akash stepped between them.
A black shadow flicked across the sidewalk right in front of Yuki, and a being materialized as it slipped into the alley behind Krista’s building.
“Did you see that?” Yuki whispered.
“What was it?” Ragnar asked.
“A vampire,” Akash said.
“They’ve found her,” Yuki said.
“They will not touch her.” Ragnar clenched his fists and his jaw.
Yuki started off toward the alley, but Akash stopped him.
“We need to protect her,” Yuki said.
“I’m sending a message to Kian and Hanish now. We’ll watch over her around the clock.”
“How are we supposed to do that?” Yuki asked.
“When we aren’t with her in person, we will watch over her under stealth.”
“We must be with her always,” Ragnar said.
“She would become extremely suspicious and irritated with us if we tried to be around her all the time,” Akash pointed out.
“I will protect her with my last breath,” Ragnar growled.
“All of us would.” Yuki rolled his eyes. He slid his finger over the screen of the phone he’d rigged up to his wrist device so he could use it in out in the open in the human world. “This is her place of business, and her condo is located about a mile from here. There is a hotel right across the street from her condo. We can get a room there and take turns looking out for her.”
“Excellent idea,” Akash said.
“What now?” Ragnar asked.
“I’ll arrange the apartment,” Yuki said. “Ragnar, you go stealth and watch her through the window. Or go into the building and stand in the corner. If you see any shadows moving or humans materializing out of nothing, they’re vampires. Kill them.”
“Yes. Kill them.”
“Akash, you should discuss human mating practices with Cato. The sooner she is mated with one of us the better.” Yuki knew Akash was the best at studying cultural behaviors.
“Or all of us,” Akash corrected.
“The sooner she is mated with one or all of us, the sooner her blood will be poisonous to vampires, and she will be safe,” Yuki agreed.
Maybe he could work with Akash after all.
Chapter 5
All day at work, Krista felt the oddest sensation of being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, and she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. But every time she looked up, there was nothing there. She kept getting a tingle of arousal, as if a man who desired her was watching. She knew she must just be over excited by the prospect of dating all three of the Storms.
Dating three men, from the same family no less, was preposterous and unwise. How could she possibly allow herself to do it? But none of them had a problem with it, so why should she? She giggled under her breath as she filed some documents.
In all honesty, the prospect of dating Ragnar, Akash, and Yuki was the best thing to happen to her in a long time. In all the years she’d spent with Deacon, she'd never felt as desirable as she had in five minutes with the Storms. It was a whole new sensation she was eager to explore. As a high-powered real estate broker, she wasn't used to feeling sexy and wanted, but she thought she could definitely get used to it.
After work, she hurried home and called the building’s maintenance man to take the dead plant to the trash. It had been a housewarming gift from Deacon, and the sight of the dead thing reminded her of the death of the relationship. If she had been less busy, she would have put in the effort to get over Deacon and start dating months ago. But she'd never gotten around to it. Now she was getting over it, times three, and she couldn't be happier.
Ragnar wanted to be the first to take her out. The silent-but-aggressive man had the body of a linebacker—not the type she usually interacted with or considered dating. But she wanted to see where things went. She was as attracted to Ragnar as she was the other two. Akash had a smooth and tactful way about him. He was cultured and would be a fantastic date at parties. Yuki was quick and smart, skilled with technology, and had a way about him that told her he was fun and adventurous. She thought they could get into a lot of trouble together if she let her more free-spirited side out to play.
Hearing a knock at the door, she opened it for the maintenance man. He walked in, and she pointed to the old plant.
"Do you want me to bring back the pot?"
"No. Take it all to the trash. You can keep the pot if you want."
The maintenance man disappeared out the door with the plant. Krista sat in her favorite easy chair and rested her bare feet on an ottoman. She picked up her phone and sent a quick text to Yuki. She grinned and squealed like a teenager, thinking of his handsome face and bright eyes. He had been gracious enough to let Ragnar take her out first. However, he had been the one to approach her first, initiating the entire arrangement.
"How are you?" she typed.
He responded a moment later. "I am well. And how are you? Have you had a pleasant day?"
"Yes. I had an excellent day—made even better by your invitation."
"I couldn't resist. I’ve wanted to ask you out since the moment we met."
"I have to admit, I felt the same."
Krista looked up, feeling that same sense of eyes on her. She looked around, searching for someone who wasn't there. She was alone in her apartment. Her senses were completely out of whack. She had never been particularly sensitive to such things before. But she couldn't shake the sensation no matter how much she rationalized there was no one there.
"I have the weirdest feeling today," she confided in Yuki. "It’s like someone is watching me."
"That's strange. Do you have a security system?"
"I live in a high-rise on the fourteenth floor. My building has excellent security as does my condo."
"I am pretty good with that sort of thing if you'd like me to take a look."
"I might just do that."
"Let me know."
She told him she’d consider it but had to go. She headed down the hall to her bedroom and into the master bath. After a long day of showing properties, closing deals, and running her brokerage, she loved to have a nice, long soak in the tub. Now that she had three men to think about, her bath time had an added benefit.
As she dropped her clothes onto the chair next to the bath, she felt that strange sensation of being watched, except now, it was even more intense. It sent a chill down her spine that burst into a lightning strike of arousal in her core. She slipped into the warm water and thought about going out on a date with Ragnar, the massive, brooding, silent mountain of a man. Her finger slipped over her clit, stroking quickly and assertively as she brought herself to climax. Her nipples pricked hard as she threw her head back.
"Oh, Ragnar," she moaned as the last vibrations of her orgasm pulsed through her.
She heard a growl, and her eyes shot open.
"Hello?" She shot to her feet. Bubbles streamed down her body as she stepped from the bath and pulled on her bathrobe. "Is someone there?"
She’d heard a very audible growl. It couldn't have just been her imagination, could it? Grabbing a towel, she began to pat her hair dry, shaking her head at herself.
"I'm really starting to lose it. I must really need to get laid."
She walked into her kitchen and threw a high-end, organic frozen dinner into the oven. While it cooked, she dressed. The entire time, she felt as though she was being watched. Her body was on high alert, aroused, and wouldn't seem to calm down. T
he next time she saw the Storm men, she didn't know what she would do with herself.
Krista was a woman who was used to being in control, and now she felt totally out of control, betrayed by her own body. She’d let her need for attention, companionship, and sex go denied for too long. Now she was paying the price.
When she was dressed in her silk pajamas and slippers, she went to the kitchen and retrieved her dinner from the oven. Sitting alone at the table, she went over some work files and ate her meal. By the time she was done, it was rather late, so she brushed her teeth and climbed into the bed, grabbing one of the sexy novels she read on rare occasions when she needed a little comfort.
Feeling the fatigue grip her, she put down her book and turned out the light, quickly falling asleep. Her dreams were filled with Yuki, Akash, and Ragnar doing all kinds of naughty things to her in every way imaginable—and some that were beyond even the scope of her conscious imagination. She woke to her sex clenching between her legs with a gasp on her lips. As she came to awareness, she couldn't help feeling that she was not alone. It was beginning to become intensely unnerving. Maybe she should book an appointment with a psychologist.
By the time Krista made it to work that morning with her large caramel macchiato in hand, she felt like an out-of-control teenager on the brink of a nervous breakdown. She called the Storms to let them know when she’d be available to show them properties. They offered to meet her there.
When she arrived at her destination, she didn’t know what to expect from herself. She found the guys’ car waiting at the front gate. She opened it via remote control, and they all drove through. They parked in front of the Greek Revival mansion with tall pillars that reached to the third floor. At the center of the circular driveway was a fountain with a statue of Zeus, casting down his lightning bolts in the nude. She thought perhaps this feature would be attractive to the Storms, since they all reminded her of Greek gods.
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