by Becca Van
“This is amazing. I love it. Your customer should be very happy with the table, but if not, I want it.”
“What?” Tarik asked.
“Why?” Hodge asked at the same time.
“It would fit perfectly in the living room.” The smile on her face turned into a frown when she met each man’s gaze and saw they were angry with her. “What? Don’t you want something you’ve made with your own hands sitting in the middle of your living room? This would be so much better than the one you already have. I love the other table, but having more places to store things would be perfect.”
“You want it for our house?” Hodge asked.
“Yes. Where else would I put it?”
Tarik stepped closer and cupped her face between his hands. “We thought—”
The penny dropped and though Celeste felt hurt because Tarik and Hodge didn’t seem to trust her, she understood how what she’d said could be misconstrued. Plus, they hadn’t been together very long and still had so much to learn about each other.
Celeste took a step back from Tarik and when she saw a something cross his green eyes, she wished she’d stayed where she was. However, whenever Tarik or Hodge had their hands on her, even if it wasn’t in a sexual way, she had trouble concentrating. Maybe when the heat simmering inside of her had been appeased, she would be able to focus better, but until then she was going to have to keep her distance so she could think straight.
She held up a finger. “First of all, I don’t have a home of my own. I’ve spent the last four or so years of my life living in hotel rooms. My base was in Seattle and I have a contract with management that will expire in three weeks. Secondly, I’ve left nothing of any value to me behind. Everything I own that I’m sentimental about or needed for my visit with Tammy, I brought with me. Thirdly, I have no intention of heading back to Seattle or the States anytime soon. Everything that means anything to me is right here in this room, in this town.”
“Baby, you humble me, humble us. I guess I was a little wary because you’ve had such a glamorous exciting life. You probably have more money than we could dream about and as reluctant as I am to admit it, I’m scared you’ll decide you made a mistake when you agreed to become our mate.” Tarik rubbed the back of his neck.
“Ditto,” Hodge said.
“It hurts me to know you don’t trust me.” Celeste lowered her eyes and blinked back the tears that threatened. “I’ve accepted who and what you are even if I was in shock at first. I agreed to mate with you. I’ve told you I love you. What more do you want?”
“Celeste.” Hodge made to move toward her but she felt as if she would break down if he or Tarik touched her.
“Baby, I’m sorry. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you, but, I guess we’re just a little wary, too.”
“Why Tarik?” She flung her hands in the air as she met their gazes again. “I’ve given you everything. Why are you still holding back with me?”
Tarik fisted his hands, glanced over at Hodge and then met her gaze again.
“Hodge and I were involved in a relationship a long time ago. The woman was a few years older than we were, and way more experienced.” He paused to take a breath, but Celeste decided to take over.
“She strung you along and then left, didn’t she?”
“That’s about the gist of it,” Hodge replied.
“How old were you?”
“I’d just turned twenty-two,” Tarik said.
“I was nineteen,” Hodge answered.
Celeste nodded. “You were young and immature and after she let you in her bed, she told you she loved you and you both began to dream of sharing a house and a life with her.”
“Yes,” Tarik said. “She wasn’t our mate and we knew that. Looking back now we were full of hormones and idealistic dreams. She said she wanted to build a life with us, too.”
“How long did she last?” Celeste asked. “How long did she play you?” She felt like a bitch for asking such harsh direct questions, especially when she saw Tarik grimace and Hodge wince, but if they were going to have a happy, long-lasting relationship, they all needed to lay their cards on the table. That was when she remembered she hadn’t told them about the text she’d received from her creepy stalker that morning, but she needed to hear her men out before she told them of her worries.
“A week.”
“Let me guess.” She sighed before continuing. “She couldn’t stand the isolation, the lack of shops or the cold.”
“You hit the nail on the head, love,” Hodge said.
“She was a shallow, self-centered, immature child who didn’t know the meaning of the word love.”
“You’re right, and now that we’ve met the woman of our dreams, we realize now that we let our raging hormones rule and got caught up in her fantasy,” Tarik explained.
“We were infatuated.”
“Have you seen her since?”
“No, mate, nor do I want to.” Tarik didn’t give her time to respond, because the next instant she was in his arms and he was kissing her hungrily. When he released her lips, she was panting.
Hodge moved to stand in front of her. “We’re sorry for doubting you, love. We do trust you. The only excuse I have is that we’re male. We’re going to fuck up from time to time. Neither of us wants to hurt you or make you angry or sad. Please, give us a chance. Tell us when we piss you off or say something offensive.”
“Okay,” Celeste said. “But please, don’t ever compare me to another woman again.”
“We won’t, baby. You’re nothing like that other bitch.”
Celeste nodded. “No, I’m not.”
“Do you forgive us, mate?” Hodge asked.
“I forgive you.”
Hodge pulled her into his arms and up against his big, muscular body. She sighed with contentment as her anger and pain drained away. This was right. This was where she should be. She just hoped that her creepy stalker was bluffing and didn’t know where she was.
“Thank you, love.” Hodge nudged her chin up and kissed her passionately, lovingly, and released her mouth before she was ready.
“Let’s get this done,” Tarik said, as he gazed at her with glowing, green, hungry eyes. “I want to spend as much time loving our mate as we can.”
Celeste shifted on her feet when her internal muscles clenched and cream coated her folds. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts, making sure to rub over her throbbing nipples, but that didn’t help relieve the ache. In fact, it only compounded her hunger.
Tarik and Hodge growled as their noses lifted into the air. She couldn’t help the blush that rose in her cheeks when she realized that her mates could smell her need.
Tarik turned away and Hodge followed him. The moved quickly, polishing the table and then they wrapped it and packed it into a crate. She would have offered her assistance but had a feeling she would just slow her mates down and that would be a travesty. She wanted them just as much as they wanted her. The sooner they were finished the sooner they could go back home and climb into bed. Naked.
* * * *
No more than an hour later Hodge opened the front door to their house, stepping aside to let Celeste enter first. The scent of her desire had grown stronger and stronger with each passing minute, and if Hodge hadn’t kept his sabear in check, he would have stripped her in the shed, pressed her up against the wall and fucked her until they were both screaming. However, he and Tarik had agreed that the next time they made love to their mate would be together.
“Are you hungry or thirsty, baby?” Tarik asked, as he entered the house and shut the door behind him.
“I’m starving,” Celeste answered in a low sultry voice.
Hodge growled, swept her from her feet and raced toward the bedroom. He nearly stumbled when Celeste began to lick and nibble along his neck. His dick was so hard it was hurting and he could already feel pre-cum leaking from the tip.
Tarik kicked the bedroom door closed as he came in behind him and Celeste.
Hodge lowered her feet to the floor and as soon as he was sure she was steady, he cupped her face in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers.
She gasped and groaned as their tongues danced and dueled. He licked every inch of her moist recess before rubbing his tongue along hers and swirling it around again. He was the one gasping when she smoothed her hands over his stomach under his shirt. Desire heated his blood and he began to tremble with hunger for his mate, but he tried to quell his eagerness. He and Tarik needed to prepare her so she could take them both together.
Hodge broke the kiss and was surprised to see Tarik standing behind their mate. He’d been so lost in her scent, touch, and taste, he hadn’t heard his best friend and alpha moving around the room.
“Lift your arms, baby,” Tarik ordered.
Celeste lifted her arms and Tarik tugged her shirt up and over her head. Hodge tugged at the button of her jeans and after lowering the zipper, kneeled at her feet to deal with her boots and socks.
“Hurry.” She moaned, and wiggled, trying to help them divest her of her clothes, but she just made things more difficult. Hodge would have laughed if he wasn’t just as famished as she seemed to be.
“Shh, baby. We’ll take care of you.” Tarik kissed and licked along her neck as he unhooked her bra and pulled it from her arms.
“I need you.”
“We need you, too, mate.” Hodge wasn’t surprised when his voice came out gruffer and deeper. His animal was once more pushing to get out. He drew in a deep breath, held it to the count of three and released it. The deeper breathing seemed to help him regain control of his beast, so he did it again and again. All the while he was concentrating on his breathing as he was pulling the rest of Celeste’s clothes off.
“Get on the bed on your stomach, baby.”
Celeste frowned at Tarik but did as asked. Hodge rose and began to strip. He was so eager he heard material tear, but he didn’t give a fuck. Once he was naked he climbed up onto the bed beside Celeste. She lifted to her elbows and opened her mouth to ask a question, but Hodge didn’t give her time. He slammed his mouth over hers and kissed her rapaciously.
They were about to make love with their mate at the same time. Hodge just hoped he could stave off his own orgasm and make her come first.
Chapter Seventeen
As soon as Tarik shoved a pillow under her hips, Celeste knew that her mates were going to prepare her so she could take a cock in her ass. She’d never even dreamed about having anal sex, let alone wanted to try it, but now that she had two mates, she craved it.
Tarik ate at her mouth as if he was starving and she was a feast, and she kissed him back just as hungrily. Their tongues glided and twirled around each other and when she tried to roll toward him, he stayed her with a hand in the middle of her back.
He broke their kiss. “Shh, baby. Stay where you are. Okay?”
She gulped and nodded.
Hodge began to caress up and down the back of her legs, getting higher and higher with each pass. The closer he got to her pussy, the more she trembled. The heat in her body grew hotter and higher and yet Tarik and Hodge had hardly even touched her yet.
“Spread your legs for me, love.” Hodge nipped each ass cheek and then laved his tongue over the stings. Celeste moaned and spread her legs as far apart as she could.
“Fuck!” Hodge groaned. “You have such a pretty cunt. All pink and wet and swollen.”
“Oh.” She moaned and then groaned when Hodge ran his fingers up and down her folds. He swirled the tip of his finger around her engorged clit, but because she was lying on her belly with a pillow beneath her pelvis, he wasn’t able to touch all of it.
Smack.
“Hands and knees, mate,” Hodge ordered in a growly voice.
Tarik clasped her waist and helped her up. He met Hodge’s gaze. “Let me go first.”
“Won’t that make things more difficult?” Hodge asked.
“No. She needs stimulation to help keep her relaxed.”
“Okay.”
Celeste didn’t know what they were talking about, but found out soon enough.
“Sit up, baby.”
She pushed back onto her knees and glanced over her shoulder at Hodge, when he wrapped an arm around her waist. She whimpered when he rubbed the palm of his free hand back and forth over her hard nipple. He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her wildly, passionately, but when he broke their kiss, she moaned in protest. She sobbed with pleasure when he squeezed her nipple between his finger and thumb before he began plucking and pinching it.
“Tarik’s ready for you, love.” Hodge lifted her with the one arm he had around her waist as she turned her gaze back to Tarik.
Tarik grasped her upper arms as Hodge lowered her down again. Tarik was lying on his back in the middle of her bed and she ended up straddling him. He released one arm when she was steady with one hand braced on his chest and then he slid a hand down over her belly toward her pussy. She closed her eyes and moaned when he dipped a finger into her creamy entrance and then rubbed that lubed finger over her sensitive clit.
“So fucking wet,” Tarik groaned. “Are you ready for me, baby?”
Celeste looked down when his hand moved away from her pussy. Her breath backed up in her throat when she saw he was holding his hard cock up and away from his body. She met his gaze again, licked her lips and nodded.
“Take me inside you, mate.”
Celeste shifted on her knees and then lowered herself down over his cock. She moaned as the broad bulbous head of his penis stretched her wet tissues, sending shivers of need racing up her spine. She pushed down as hard as she could, but he was so thick she had to rise up again, spreading her natural lubrication over his shaft to make his penetration easier and then she began to rise up and down, getting faster and taking him deeper every time she moved.
“You feel so good, baby.”
She hadn’t noticed she’d closed her eyes until Tarik spoke. She opened them and met his blazing green gaze and tried to respond, but all that came out of her mouth was a low moan.
When Hodge pressed between her shoulder blades, she glanced over her shoulder and shivered when she saw the tube of lube in his hand. She turned her gaze back to Tarik when he cupped both her breasts in his large, callused hands and moaned. He released one breast after kneading the globe and cupped her nape, before pulling her toward him. She lowered herself over him and sighed into his mouth as he began kissing her passionately again.
Goose bumps broke out over her skin when Hodge caressed his hands over her butt cheeks and she jerked when he rubbed a cool moist finger over her star.
“Don’t tense up, love. I won’t hurt you.”
Celeste moaned her agreement and hoped that Hodge heard since the sound had been muffled by Tarik’s mouth. She groaned when Tarik curled his tongue around hers and brought it into his mouth before he started sucking on it.
She couldn’t believe how sensitive the skin of her pucker was. Every time Hodge’s finger rimmed her asshole her internal muscles clenched around Tarik’s cock and she became even wetter. Even her inner thighs were coated in her cream.
She turned her head and gasped in air just as Hodge pressed the tip of his finger into her back entrance. Celeste was surprised by how good it felt and though she tried to stop clamping down on his digit, it was a reflexive response. Her body finally adjusted to the intrusion and relaxed. She groaned when Hodge began to gently stroke his finger and in and out of her ass, increasing the speed and depth of his penetration incrementally.
“Her ass is so hot it feels as if she’s burning my finger.”
“Oh god.” Celeste shook as another shard of electrical pleasure shot through her ass, pussy, and womb.
“You like that, baby? Do you like having Hodge’s finger in your ass?” Tarik asked in a hoarse voice.
“Yes. Yes. Please?”
“What do you want, love?” Hodge panted against her ear. The light sprinkling of hair on his chest tickled her back
.
“I want you. I love you both, so much. I need you both inside me.” A sob of need escaped her mouth.
“Soon, love. Soon you’ll be so stuffed full of cock you’ll be screaming.”
“Now!”
Tarik grasped her hair in his hand and tugged her lips up to his. He slanted his mouth over hers. The kiss was so hot, wet and wild, their noses bumped and the teeth clacked together.
She knew the instant Hodge pressed another finger in pucker because she felt a slight tingling, burning pain, but that quickly dissipated when he began to press his finger in and out of her back entrance. Her clit was aching so bad she needed to move. She wiggled her hips and gasped when Tarik’s pubis brushed against the sensitive bundle of nerves.
“Nearly there, love. I just need to get one more finger into your ass, stretch you out and you’ll be ready to take us both.
“I’m ready now.” And she was. Her insides had liquefied so much she could feel her juices dripping out.
“Celeste—”
“Give her what she wants,” Tarik rasped. “She’s ready. Her cream is dripping onto my balls.”
“Shit!”
Celeste was thankful Tarik was backing her up, because she didn’t think she could take anymore without exploding. Her insides were so tightly coiled she was worried that one more touch would send her careening off the cliff.
“Take a breath, love,” Hodge said, as the front of his thighs brushed against the back of her legs and ass. She inhaled deeply and then stopped breathing altogether when Hodge gripped her butt cheeks, pulled them apart and then the head of his cock was pressing against her star. The breath she’d been holding in her lungs exploded from between her lips on a long, low groan.