“Nick, it’ll be fine,” Brea slapped at his hand again until she found both hands above her head and her shirt pulled up. She couldn’t see it, but the low, savage growls she heard told her it wasn’t pretty. “It’ll heal….it’s just a little stiff.”
“I’ll get the ice pack. That’ll take away the pain,” Nick was off the bed and striding down the hall before she could respond.
“Is it really bad?”
“An interesting collection of colors,” Jase managed to speak without too much snarling.
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“Why didn’t you kill the bastard?” Nick had the cold pack wrapped in a towel and laid it on the large bruised area above her shoulder blade.
“It would have upset Brea….and then there’s the whole hiding the body thing,” Jase liked the little giggle she offered.
“I think I would have risked her wrath,” Nick stretched out at her side again.
“Grrrr….” Brea let the growl free. “Just watch your ears, mister. My wrath….not something to be messed with.”
“This coming from the woman opposed to violence,” Jase murmured, laughing when she pushed her face into the mattress and sighed.
“That alone should tell you how messed up my head is,” Brea groaned, her head popping up when a palm ran over her back and onto her ass. On both sides.
“You present us a delicious target like that and expect us not to touch?” Nick leaned closer, dragging his tongue along her throat. “That’s just plain wrong, beautiful.”
“You have the power, Brea,” Jase told her, his mouth next to her other ear.
“I do?”
“I’ve got the teeth marks to prove it,” Nick chuckled. “Are you afraid of us? After that bite you gave me, you believe we’d hurt you?”
“No….no that isn’t…..no,” she breathed softly and shivered beneath their caress.
“You smell sweet….sexy….like the woods we were running through this morning,” Jase whispered, tugging her shirt to the side and biting down on her shoulder. Just barely enough pressure to send a hard course of tingles through her.
“I have the power?” She whispered curiously, feeling the sensual web trapping 127
her.
“Never doubt that, Brea,” Nick murmured, his tongue swirling around her ear seconds before his teeth nipped the stone studded lobe.
“But….but it’s not….it isn’t…” she swallowed wanting a word that wouldn’t offend them.
“Conventional? Standard?” Jase chuckled against her skin. “Normal for who, Brea? Maybe we want you for our own……commune.”
“We’ve never been the sort to care what other people want. It’s our life. Our choice,” Nick told her easily. “You…..are our choice, Brea.” Brea grit her teeth and pushed up on her hands and knees, backing up and sitting at their feet between them. The cold pack fell and she held it between her hands.
“I’m not normal,” she turned slightly and pulled her shirt up and twisted to the side to show them. “It’s already gone,” she showed off the now creamy flesh, not a sign of a bruise. Her head shook slightly. “You’ve made a mistake. You don’t want someone who’s broken and doesn’t even know….doesn’t even know what she is.”
“Brea….we have an idea what you are,” Jase watched the interest in her eyes.
“Can you be honest enough to admit you feel something for us? Both of us.”
“I shouldn’t….I don’t know which would hurt more….to hurt one of you or myself.”
Nick leaned up, taking her hand in his and tugging gently. “Are you afraid of the power? All in this soft little hand.”
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“Why do you keep your hair bound up all the time?” Jase reached for the band on the end of the thick braid, pulled it free and watched the uneven weaves unravel.
Brea groaned, sitting between them on her knees, she felt the thick mass being set free.
“Because I like it neat when I’m in the kitchen. I’m thinking of getting it all cut off, actually…..” a gurgle of laughter burst from inside her at the looks on their faces.
“Don’t we get a vote on this decision?” Nick asked hopefully.
“I thought I had the power?” One brow went up at both groans. She leaned slightly forward, her voice low. “I was teasing. I like it long, just not in food I serve customers.”
And she hastily backed off the bed and went toward the kitchen. Humming as she went and digesting the words about having power.
Interesting. Thrilling.
“Well….I think we cheered her up….” Nick winced and straightened his jeans.
“Damn, she’s got one sexy voice when she turns it up.” Jase picked up the melted ice pack, following down the hall at the same time the sound of the outside chimes echoing through the house.
“Mariana?” Jase looked at Nick. “I doubt the demon types who tried taking her would bother knocking.”
“Yeah...it’s Mariana,” Nick had the hardwood door open and activated the gates, letting the old modest looking four door cruise to the house.
“Damn, I smell chocolate,” Jase almost ignored the stately blonde and went 129
straight to the kitchen.
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Chapter 14
Except few people ignored Mariana Fraser. And yet she hadn’t appealed to him on more than the most superficial level. He wasn’t sure Nick was really that interested in more than the sexual promises she made, which is why she never made it to either of their beds. At the time she appeared in their lives, they were too immersed in starting their business to be bothered. Thankfully, she found Derek and lost interest in them.
“My, you two still radiate pure sex appeal,” Mariana crossed into the house at the same time Brea came out of the kitchen. The blonde was almost as tall as the males and had been a dancer at one time. Her head tipped as she took in the slightly shorter other woman, long amber strands in uneven weaves around an oval face, wide eyes and high cheeks. There was an almost sweet innocence around her that radiated. And it seemed to bolster when she looked from one male to the other and then at Mariana.
“Hello,” Brea said softly, a frown creasing her features at the waves of lust rolling off the woman. “They’re mine. So keep your hands to yourself,” she said flatly, turning and going back to the kitchen without looking back at the stunned expressions on all three faces.
Mariana laughed first, her palm up and covering her mouth.
“She’s serious,” Mariana said with a low chuckle. “And without delving, she’s strong enough to complete your triad.” She peered at them both thoughtfully. “But your wolves already knew that, didn’t they? You two would make one hell of a university 131
study,” her laugh was low and filled with humor when both of them growled at her.
She smoothed down the short spring dress in ocean blue and flashed a smile at them.
“Relax. I’ll be back in a few,” she wandered into the kitchen, inhaling and groaning. “Chocolate. Deep, dark chocolate. I saw you lost your shop, I’m sorry. I hope you rebuild. I miss the triple chocolate brownies you made,” Mariana met the appraising look with a smile.
“I’m sorry. I’m not usually rude like that,” Brea wiped her hand on the towel and offered a palm. “Breanna Cooper.”
“Mariana Fraser. It’s okay. Those two are worth getting possessive over. All done baking?” She looked over the thick dark icing covering a pan and watched the chocolate crème melt.
“It’s done.”
“Can you come in and sit and talk? I just stopped by to see if I could get one of their security people for a couple days for my parents. They’re taking a really old, expensive bunch of jewelry to an auction,” Mariana kept talking as they walked back into the living room, winking at the quiet males watching from their desks.
Jase felt his stomach lurch seconds later. No sooner had Brea sat on the sofa, then she was sliding down, her body completely relaxed and eyes closed.
“What the fuck did you do
?” Jase was up until Nick crossed in front of him, both of them waiting, watching as Mariana moved to position Brea on the sofa. She knelt at Brea’s head, her hands moving lightly over her forehead.
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“You asked for help,” bright blue eyes stared at them, purely professional. “Now sit and listen.”
“You couldn’t have done that without….”
“She would have fought me. It might have hurt. And I’m taking a wild guess that you don’t want her stressed out with all this rampaging information before she can be eased into it,” Mariana laid both hands across Brea’s shoulders, lightly touching her way down to her palms.
“Even without getting in her head, I can tell you she’s Fae. A very, very powerful line. And demon, equally powerful,” Mariana felt their surprise. “She’s had a shield around her since she was born,” she said in disbelief, her breath catching as she gently probed, gently reached inside Brea’s mind to see and hear.
“There were two,” Mariana went on, her expression flitting from curious to surprise. “One that the world could see and one for her to see,” she looked up at the two men she’d known for several years. “She doesn’t know what she looks like. I can see the image she thinks is her…..I….her mother and father put the shield up together.
The one the world sees began to fade about five weeks ago. I’d guess just after her parents died. The other is fading slower…..and it isn’t so much fading….it really isn’t there anymore, but it’s spent thirty years in her subconscious.”
“They were keeping her hidden, but we don’t know from what yet,” Jase said tensely, pacing across the floor, hands deep in his pockets. “She ran into some demons this morning. Some guy named Sullivan has a reward out for her. She took out a couple two hundred pound guys with…..some power burst thing that came out of her palms.
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But….she doesn’t know what or how she did it.”
“It’ll be instinct,” Mariana said with a little shrug. “She’s worried she’s going insane. She doesn’t know guys, and if you want to keep her, you’d damn well better find a way to work it into the conversation. Trust me when I tell you, if she uses the power I see inside, there’s nothing out there that can touch her.”
“And she doesn’t know how or what she is,” Nick sat back in the desk chair. “Can you sense a healing power in her, Mariana? The bastards that left her on the beach slit her wrists. Now there’s not even a scar.”
“It’s part of her mother’s heritage. There’s a great deal of both parents in her, they’re both very strong, which means each of them are pure bloods,” Mariana answered without hesitating. “I don’t have access to them, to their memories or information, I’m sorry. I can tell you the power is amazing. The only reason it’s not bursting forth randomly is because she’s had such tight control over herself since she was born. She’s…..independent and relying on you two is scaring her,” she gazed up and them and sat back on her heels. “But you are winning.”
“She levitates when she’s emotional,” Nick said quietly, grinning at Mariana’s comment. “And she isn’t aware it’s happening. She planted seeds yesterday and today they’re four inches tall.”
“I’m going to suggest something….because I’ll tell you what will happen and it might be needed by all of you for whatever they’ve been hiding her from,” Mariana knew she had their attention as she climbed to her feet and moved to the door. “Mark her. Share your essences. As soon as you can. You’ll need the trace power from her, but 134
she’ll need the….the fortitude….and even the extra gift of enhanced senses from you both.”
“I know you can’t see the future, Mari….” Nick rubbed the back of his neck.
“I don’t need to see the future to sense the absolute terror that had been on the people placing the shield on her every month since she was born,” Mari went to him and kissed his cheek. “She’s good. Inside. And she cares about you both a great deal.
She just doesn’t know how to label it yet since it’s outside the convention of society,” she winked at them.
“Thanks, Mariana,” Jase kissed her cheek. “Will she be alright?”
“She’ll think she fell asleep listening to us talk about old times. She’ll be refreshed and full of energy,” Mariana promised, waving as she walked to her car. “Take care of her. I don’t know who wants a battle with her, or why, but I know it’s her side you want to win. Bye, guys.”
Neither of them knew what to say.
They sat at their desks, just watching her for a long time before settling back to work for an hour.
“Let’s go to Aftport for dinner,” Nick said when the little noises began coming from the woman curled against the back of the sofa.
“I think we bored her to sleep,” Jase said with a wink.
“We’re not interesting enough to keep her awake,” Nick added with a grin, checking the desk drawer for keys to the SUV and his wallet.
“I smell chocolate breath,” Brea said without moving.
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Two grown men looked guiltily at one another.
“We’re trained,” Jase offered slowly. “If there isn’t a note on it saying ‘HANDS
OFF’ we don’t know any better.”
“That makes us sound good,” Nick grumbled, relaxing when the little giggle came from Brea as she stretched and sat up. “Find your shoes, woman, we’re taking you to dinner out by the ocean. Great seafood.”
“I’m sorry….I must have really been tired,” She looked around. “Your friend…”
“I told her you got into a brawl in the alley today and were worn out. She totally understood,” Jase told her with a wink, checking his own desk for a wallet.
Brea rolled her eyes and pushed to stand up. She was still mumbling to herself as she wandered to her bedroom and found her sneakers. She glanced at her pack and realized she really didn’t need anything….but took the little purse anyway in case she needed identification.
Then she looked in the mirror and groaned, remembering the lunatic who’d taken the band from her braid. She found it on the bed and quickly had the long hair brushed and bound into a ponytail this time, letting it sway as she walked. She immediately caught both of them watching her hair and held up a hand with one finger warningly.
“Touch it and I’ll bite.”
“Thought you said she was against violence?” Nick let her go out the door while Jase took off to the garage, guiding the SUV to the porch.
“Maybe she’s evolving…..” Jase laughed when she opened the back door and 136
climbed onto the bench seat, long legs stretched out.
“You two can tease all you like,” she said loftily. “You promised me food.
Although after you ate half the pan of brownies….”
“We had milk with them. Does that count as a good meal?” Nick shifted to the side, watching her head shake. “You made them for us. Can’t fool me.”
“How can you still be hungry?” She laughed at the confused look they exchanged.
“We’re growing boys,” Jase told her, his gaze checking all the mirrors as he drove through the early evening twilight.
“Who will have to increase our workout times,” Nick murmured. “Because our woman is fattening us up.”
“Somehow I just knew this would be my fault,” but she laughed, the sexual tremor that ran through her at his words making her stare out the side window.
It wasn’t that she’d lived in a bubble. And she’d heard all sorts of ways people in college experimented with their sexuality. Again her mind wandered to the friend in Arizona who lived in a triad. She didn’t know what it was until she saw them together.
She thought about the tiny bits of jealousy she felt at how loving it was around them.
And it wasn’t that she was scared.
Nothing to be frightened of, she told herself. Oh, no, having two virile, damned sexy men tell you they wanted you, oh, no pressure there. And maybe aft
er she read a half dozen books on sex, she’d be ready for them. Maybe.
She was panting at the thought and almost slapped herself to stop.
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“Brea? Are you alright?” Nick cast a quick look at Jase and then to the back seat.
“Oh, yeah….fine…..just peachy…..”
“She’s not a very good liar,” Jase commented.
“What are you thinking about so hard, babe?” Nick laughed at the scowl she applied.
“Just you mind your own business.”
“Definitely requires more questions. It’s getting answers out of her that could be a problem,” Jase said, guiding the SUV into a spot in front of a large local seafood restaurant. “We have ropes in the garage, don’t we?” Brea’s attention went immediately to the two men, eyes wide and pulse thumping.
How does your brain and your heart decide to love two men? She let her head drift to the seat. How did you make it stop from happening, came the question back.
“I answer questions,” she announced petulantly, stepping from the back and ignoring them both, striding toward the door. Tawny brows were furrowed at the laughter from behind her.
“And the consequences if you decide to wimp out?” Nick almost walked into her when she stopped at the door and spun to face him.
“I do not wimp out,” she informed him indignantly. “So you just ask away, mister.”
“This shows to be a promising evening,” Jase settled his palm at her hip and entered the restaurant, the fresh scents of food, wines and desserts greeting them.
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Along with a healthy dose of Saturday night lust. “Three, please.”
“It’ll be a few minutes,” the hostess told them, handing Jase a small disc. “If you’ll wait in the bar or the ocean front patio, we’ll page you when your table is available.”
“Thank you,” he looked at the others. “Outside or in?”
“The bar isn’t crowded yet,” Nick pointed out. “Let’s snag a couple stools in there and get a drink. I’m just brimming with curiosity about our date.”
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