by Ivy Barrett
Dare had been moving just fine before Rook pulled her torso up off the bed. But Rook began caressing her breasts and teasing her clit, reawakening her senses. Soon Jessica was moaning and matching each of Dare’s firm strokes. He grasped her hips as he sped the motion of his, pounding into her pussy as Rook sucked on her nipples.
“Oh, God!” Her inner walls fluttered and clenched—a sure sign she was almost there. “Can I… Please!”
Rook had already given her permission, but her caution pleased Dare. “Yes, love, come. Come all over my cock.”
Energy arced between them, flowing from her pussy into his cock, then back into her body. For one perfect moment, Dare felt her spirit, the sparkling intensity that made her unique. Her emotions rushed through his mind, a staggering flashflood that left him shaken as it retreated back beyond his reach. They’d been joined as mates were meant to be joined, but only for a moment.
Dare wrapped his arms around her hips and buried his entire length inside her. She cried out too, arching her back as her core convulsed around him. His cock bucked and jerked as he pumped his seed deep into her waiting body.
It was heaven, and yet it was incomplete.
“Now isn’t that better?” Rook laughed.
Dare collapsed onto his side, taking Jessica with him. He tried not to be discontent, but it was impossible. He’d glimpsed the perfection waiting for them as bonded mates. How could he ever be satisfied with anything less?
Rook followed them down, lying on his side facing Jessica. “Are you all right?”
The question made Dare smile. On the surface Rook could seem hard and uncaring, but Dare knew him better than most. His brother had a tender heart buried under his gruff exterior. Jessica brought out Rook’s softer qualities without even trying. And it wasn’t just protectiveness. Rook was protective with everyone. Dare’s ruthless big brother was falling hard for this intriguing human.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Dare couldn’t see her face, but he heard the smile in her voice. “Were you unkind or careless?”
“I tried not to be, but you make me so crazy, I’m not always in control.”
She shook her head, her soft hair swishing against Dare’s chin. “You’d never harm me, even when you’re out of control.”
“Why are you so certain of that?” Rook’s tone took on a smoky quality Dare couldn’t quite identify.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted with a restless wiggle. “I thought I sensed something when each of you came. It was almost as if…” She shook her head again and turned her face away. “Never mind. I just got carried away.”
“I felt it too,” Dare told her. “For a fraction of a second the link engaged. You didn’t imagine it.”
“Really?” She twisted around so she could see him, separating their bodies in the process. Dare groaned at the loss, but the warmth in her gaze was almost worth the disappointment of being parted from her. “You felt whatever that was?”
“We both felt it, silly human.” Rook leaned down and nipped her neck. “If you let us anchor the link it won’t be just a flash of sensation. You’ll be able to feel what we feel. There can be no deception, no half-truths, between bonded mates. You won’t have to wonder if anything we’ve told you is true. You’ll know what we know.”
* * *
Tempted, yet intimidated by the idea of open communication with her mates, Jessica looked from one brother to the other. More and more she thought of them as ‘her mates.’ Wouldn’t it make sense to peek behind the curtain before she allowed herself to become any more attached?
They didn’t want to hear about her past, and that was fine with her. However, past relationships always had an effect on present attitudes. In the past, she’d tried to keep things fluid, light and changeable, without guilt or recriminations. She latched on to the term polyamorous and told her partners she wanted to remain free to express her affection whenever, and with whomever, her heart desired. She would not be limited by outdated social mores that ran opposite to human nature.
To an extent she still felt that way, which was part of the reason Rook and Dare’s possessiveness bothered her. But she also saw how she’d used the free and easy attitude to protect herself from hurt. By not committing to anyone, she was less likely to feel hurt when they disappointed her. The only problem was, she ended up hurting them instead. And the emotional isolation hadn’t worked nearly as well as she thought it would. She flitted and fluttered from one lover to the next, yet each relationship lacked any real depth or complexity.
Well, these two were certainly complex, and they were proposing an emotional depth unattainable to human couples. It was unlikely she’d grow bored with them as she had with her other lovers. And if she was honest with herself, their possessiveness pleased her more often than it annoyed. They made her feel important and secure with each ruthless command and menacing growl.
“What are you thinking about?” Dare rolled to his side and teased a path from the base of her throat to her navel. Rook was already on his side, so they framed her, sheltered her with their big bodies.
“I was thinking about the past.” She held up her hand toward Rook, as if to ward off his swatting hand. “My attitudes and ideas, not the specific people who flowed in and out of my life.”
Rook lightly cupped her breast, but his gaze narrowed and the red fissures in his eyes gleamed. “As long as you keep the conversation generalized, I’ll allow it.”
She sucked in a deep breath, needing to establish a few of her expectations. “I’m entrusting you with my body and my affection, but my mind is and will always be mine alone. If you don’t want to hear about anything that took place before we met, I’ll honor that preference because I care about you. However, you can’t dictate my thoughts and feelings. I won’t allow it.”
For one tense moment, he looked as if he’d object. Then his chin dipped and he gave her breast a gentle squeeze. “If the conversation becomes uncomfortable, I’ll step into the outer room.”
She smiled at him, wanting to defuse the tension, not build on it. “That trust thing goes both ways. You made it very clear that thinking of me with anyone but you and Dare is intolerable. So why would I intentionally upset you?”
“You’re right. I was wrong to doubt you,” he said softly and Dare made a strange sound.
She looked at Dare, trying to understand his reaction.
“Those are phrases you won’t hear often from him,” Dare explained.
“This is new to all of us.” Rook leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Dare treated her to a similar kiss before prompting, “Tell me what you were thinking about. I’d really like to know.”
“My attitude about love and commitment has always been pretty cavalier. I approached relationships as if they were a form of entertainment. I wanted to have fun, to revel in the adventure, but that’s about all.”
“We can certainly give you adventure, but love isn’t always fun.” Rook propped his head on his hand, his gaze intent on her face. “It takes compromise and communication. Sometimes it’s hard work.”
“I know.” She looked at one brother and then the other. “I’d never met anyone that made me want to put in the work before. To do all the things needed to ensure a lasting relationship.”
“Is your attitude different now?” Dare sat up on the bed and watched her closely.
The hopeful catch in his tone made her smile. “You know it is. I’m not sure if it’s mating fever or if there’s some higher power at work. What I do know is, what I feel for you two is very different than anything I’ve ever felt before.” Rook seemed relieved by the outcome of the topic, so she rewarded him with a lingering kiss. “See, painless. Maybe next time you’ll trust me.”
“I do trust you.” He rested his hand on her belly, fingers splayed. “I’ll try harder to show it.”
She licked her lips, not wanting to reignite his temper, yet there was so much about them she didn’t k
now. She sat up as well, feeling vulnerable with them looming over her. “While you’re being indulgent, may I ask a question? In fact, may I ask several?”
He slid his hand along her thigh, gaze darting to her sex then back to her face. “Make it quick. My attention has a way of wandering when you’re naked.” His thumb lightly brushed her crease, using neglect to tease her clit.
She gently pushed his hand away and drew the sheet up onto her lap. “When and why was the compatibility matrix developed? Has genetic compatibility always been a problem for the Ventori?”
“The past is gone.” Rook’s expression hardened and his tone became almost brittle. “I’d rather think about the future.”
“She’s just trying to understand us,” Dare countered. “You can’t blame her for being curious.”
“Then you give her a history lesson while I begin her training.”
Jessica didn’t like the sound of that. “What sort of ‘training’?”
Without explanation, Rook crawled off the bed and retrieved the metal box from which he’d taken the red and black toy. Jessica tensed when she saw it, easily guessing where this was leading. It had been years since she’d had anal sex and both men were larger than humans. They needed to prepare her body if they ever hoped to fuck her at the same time.
“Can’t you just use a lot of lube?” Heat spread across her cheeks. She’d always found talking about sex awkward, unless she was in the heat of the moment. “Butt plugs are so… impersonal.”
Rook’s chuckle was wicked as he climbed back onto the bed. He set the metal box aside, then caught her upper arms and urged her down onto her belly. “I’ll make sure this feels intensely personal if you like, but a plug works better than fingers.”
She sighed, dreading what he was about to do, but resigned. She pushed to her forearms and extended her legs. Now her upper body was angled up while her lower body lay flat. This was likely backward from what Rook had intended, but he didn’t protest or reposition her.
If she simply concentrated on Dare, Rook could do whatever he wanted. “Compatibility,” she prompted, her gaze squarely focused on Dare’s handsome face.
Dare glanced at his brother, communicating his displeasure with a quick glare. Then he looked at Jessica and dove into the ‘ignore Rook completely’ strategy. “Ventori females were compatible with every Ventori male. However, unlike humans, there were levels of compatibility. The higher the level, the more probable the couple was to produce healthy offspring. The matrix was developed as a guide for potential couples. If their level was below eight, they were encouraged to find other partners.”
“That only applied to couples who wanted to have children. If the relationship was focused on pleasure and companionship, compatibility didn’t matter.” Rook slipped one of his arms under Jessica’s hips and lifted her far enough so he could push a fluffy pillow under her pelvis.
She looked at him sharply, then went back to ignoring him as she conversed with Dare. “I know what the Skarilians did to your planet, so we don’t need to review those events. But may I ask who you lost to their treachery?”
“Our parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, you name it. Anyone too old or too young to join the military.”
She nodded as she struggled to swallow around the lump in her throat. They’d lost everyone but each other. Their world was a ravaged husk, their species on the brink of extinction. No wonder they were so important to each other.
And no wonder they were fighting so hard to win her as their mate. She represented hope, a chance at some sort of future that involved more than hatred and revenge. Anyone in their position would become ruthless. They were literally fighting for the survival of their race.
Rook placed his hand on her bottom, alerting her to his presence as his heat sank into her skin. She held perfectly still, yet her breaths came faster and her heart began to pound. “Has there been any joy in your lives in recent years? Anything or anyone that made you happy?” She didn’t want to think of them with anyone but her either, but it was worse to think that they’d been alone. Twelve years was a very long time to live without affection.
“We’ve had each other,” Dare told her. “That’s more than some defenders have had.”
“We have the Lestrra now too,” Rook added as he slid his hand from one side of her bottom to the other. His thumb traced the valley between her cheeks with each pass, reminding her of how much farther this training session had to go.
“The Lestrra. Is that your ship?” Unable to remain still beneath his casual teasing, she rocked back onto her knees and lowered her head. The position no longer embarrassed her. Both her mates loved to look at her body, loved to touch and taste her pussy, and explore her ass. Everything they did felt wonderful, so why would she argue about any of it.
“Yes.” He gently parted her cheeks and drizzled something cool over and around the exposed hole. “We take pride in our ship, and our crew. We’re almost like an extended family.” He tossed aside a tube. It bounced once and landed near the edge of the bed.
Jessica couldn’t read the label, but she was sure it was some sort of lubricant. His fingers circled her pucker, gliding smoothly in the slick substance. Tingles and sparks of heat made her restless and needful.
“You stopped talking.” He positioned his finger against the stubborn opening, ready to plunge inside.
“I ran out of things to say.” Her panting breaths and the pleading quality in her voice branded her a liar.
“Sure you did.” With steady pressure, he eased past the firm collar of muscles, then slid deep into her back passage. “Tell me how this feels.” He pulled nearly out, then drove inward again.
Her thighs tensed and she clenched her fists, fighting not to rock against his hand, forcing his finger deeper.
Dare spanked her once, surprisingly hard. “He gave you an order.”
“It feels strange, yet good. It makes me really restless.”
“Restless how?” Rook encouraged her with another slow rotation. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need to do this.” She rocked forward then back, sliding her snug body along the length of his finger. Her movements were much faster than his, and he chuckled.
“Lift up so Dare can reach your breasts.”
She did and Dare worked one soft tip into a tight point before moving to the other side. She continued to rock on and off of Rook’s finger as he carefully worked a second finger inside her reluctant hole. Pressure shot to the very edge of pain as his second finger stretched her. She blew out a breath and closed her eyes. If two fingers hurt, how in creation was she going to take one of their cocks?
“Now be still.” Rook grabbed her waist, ensuring she obeyed. “Let me control the movement.”
His fingers glided in and out, filling her with long, steady strokes. She concentrated on the slide and the fullness. Dare caressed her breasts, keeping her nipples hard and tingling.
Suddenly, Rook pulled out. She gasped then shivered as the sudden emptiness drew a moan into her throat. She instinctively fought it back, unsure why she didn’t want to reveal how much she enjoyed this.
A blunt object pressed against her slick opening. The Ventori version of a butt plug, no doubt.
“Relax or push out against it. Just don’t tense up.”
Rook’s coaching was unnecessary. She knew how this worked. The small tip easily slipped inside, then the tapered body gradually stretched her. She relaxed her inner muscles, trying to accept the fullness without resistance. Wider and wider, her body opened for the toy until the sting made her gasp.
He eased the toy back, decreasing the pressure, but only for a moment. “Don’t hold your breath. Absorb the discomfort by breathing through it.” He pushed the toy inward and the pressure increased.
She tried to breathe through it, tried to relax and let it in, but it burned. “It’s too big,” she cried.
“No. You can take it, but you have to relax.”
Dare turned her head sharp
ly to the right and claimed her mouth in a devouring kiss. She dueled with his tongue and drank in his taste, and the plug was all but forgotten.
Rook pushed it in and out repeatedly, letting her body contract around the narrow notch for a moment before subjecting her to the fullness again. Over and over he stretched her while Dare distracted her with his mouth.
Finally, Rook pushed the toy all the way in and left it there. “This needs to stay in for several hours at least. All night would be even better.”
“Seriously?” She moaned then shivered. It was so intrusive. “I’m not sure I can sleep with that there.”
“Oh, we’ll make sure you’re so exhausted, you’ll sleep like a baby.” Rook moved directly behind her and pushed his cock into her wet pussy.
She whimpered, the fullness nearly painful. “Is this what it will feel like when…” Her words trailed away into a moan as he drew back, then thrust home again.
“Almost.” He held her hips and established a steady rhythm that soon burned away her lingering doubts. “The plug adjusts. When you can take the largest setting without pain, then you’ll be ready for us.”
Another hot, tingling shiver spread through her at the thought. She wanted them both inside her, stretching her, completing the joining.
Dare moved in front of her, pulling her head up so he could slip his cock into her mouth.
She turned her head at the last minute, but wrapped her hand around his shaft. “Will you anchor the link? I want to feel what you feel.”
Chapter Ten
Rook’s heart lurched so hard he feared it would splatter against his ribcage. Had Jessica just accepted their claim? He stood on the floor at the foot of his bed, cock buried deep inside her. His gaze shifted from her supple body to Dare, who knelt on the bed in front of her, his cock in her hand. Dare’s eyes were wide and his jaw hung open. The expression would have made Rook laugh if he hadn’t been just as shocked.
Dare snapped his mouth shut, swallowed hard, then asked, “Do you… understand what it means if we anchor the link?”