Taming the Beast: Eleven Paranormal Romances

by Alyse Zaftig

  So they were in limbo, somewhere between friends and lovers and it left her frustrated. She was certain that was why she couldn’t seem to fall asleep, though she’d been tossing and turning in an attempt to do so for the last few hours. Finally, with a disgusted sigh, she shoved back the blankets and stood up out of bed.

  The stone floor was chilly under her feet, and she slid her feet into the slippers waiting for her. Deciding warm milk or a cup of hot cocoa might be what she needed to put herself to sleep, she slipped from her room. As she made her way down the stairs, she recalled there was a bar in the library, cleverly hidden in a large globe. She’d discovered it yesterday, and she was certain she had seen brandy among the bottles. Perhaps a nip of that added to her cocoa would be just the thing to help her sleep.

  Either that, or about twelve orgasms, but since that seemed unlikely, she’d have to settle for an adult hot cocoa.

  She stumbled to a halt when she reached the kitchen, palm on the swinging door that she didn’t push. The sound of her name had made her freeze, and her eyes widened when she realized they were discussing her. It was surprising to find them awake this early in the morning, or late, depending on one’s perspective, but it was downright shocking to hear the gist of their conversation.

  “I don’t know how much longer I can wait,” said Duncan.

  Nick groaned. “I understand. She’s just perfect, curves in all the right places, and that mouth…” He groaned again.

  “I keep imagining it wrapped around my dick,” said Duncan, his voice a rough rasp. “I hope Baylee gets over her shyness soon.”

  She flinched at the sound of her name. Of course she’d assumed they were talking about her, since they had just spoken her name a moment before, but hearing the confirmation was completely different. Her heart rate accelerated, and she grew slick between her thighs.

  “She smells so good, and I bet her pussy is as sweet and juicy as she is.”

  That part of her anatomy pulsed in response to his words, and she eyed the kitchen door uncertainly before glancing reflexively at the nearest window. It was a few minutes past dawn, and light was overtaking the shadows rapidly. She had spent most of the night unable to sleep and tossing and turning fitfully due to her desire for the two men on the other side of the door.

  From their conversation, it was obvious they didn’t mind sharing her, and the only thing separating her from them was a piece of wood and her own uncertainty. She could do the smart thing, which was turn around and go back to her room and try to forget that she’d overheard their conversation, or she could do what was probably the wrong thing, but felt right. She could push open the door, step into the kitchen, and take what she wanted. She was certain they would give it freely.

  “It’s torture having to wait,” said Duncan.

  It was the perfect moment, and she surrendered to instincts, doing her best to block any fear or uncertainty as she pressed her palm against the swinging door and pushed it open. “You don’t have to wait any longer, if you don’t want to.”

  They were both clearly startled, but recovered quickly. With a speed that made her head spin, they were out of their seats at the kitchen table, closing in on her in a flash. She was still aware enough to notice neither one of them wore any clothes, and she frowned. “Why are you naked?”

  “We were out for a run,” said Nick.

  “In the middle of the night with no clothes?”

  “Clothing only gets in the way of freedom,” said Duncan as he reached her. He put his arm around her waist, and Nick mimicked the motion from her other side a second later. She forgot about the questions in her head. Everything disappeared except for the two men holding her.

  She trembled in their embrace even as her arms moved to their waists, embracing them both against her.

  “Are you cold?” asked Nick.

  Baylee shook her head. “I’m just nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “Like what?” asked Duncan before he ghosted his lips down the column of her throat.

  “A ménage a trois. I’ve never even fantasized about one before. I have some girlfriends who always buy the latest Marie Carney novel, but I’ve never even read one. It just seemed messy and impractical.”

  Nick moved his mouth to her shoulder, nibbling softly before he spoke. “Sure it will be messy, and things could get complicated, but it’s worth it.”

  “Have you done this before?”

  “Shared a woman?” asked Duncan. At her nod, he nodded in return. “Aye, we have.”

  She wasn’t certain how she felt about that. On the one hand, she was glad they had experience with such a thing, but on the other hand, it bothered her to know they had shared a woman in the past. In fact, it sparked a sensation with which she was unfamiliar—pure jealousy.

  She’d never felt possessive of Sam, nor of the boyfriends she’d had before him. She hadn’t been so emotionally invested that she had really cared if they had cheated on her. In fact, recalling her spectacular break-up with her second boyfriend ever, who’d had been angry when she didn’t get worked up over a woman flirting with him, it was definitely strange to feel so jealous now of someone who had been in Duncan and Nick’s past.

  Before she could ask more questions, Nick and Duncan seemed to communicate via some unspoken method as they lifted her simultaneously and carried her to the table. She wanted to protest or suggest they go to her room, where she had that huge bed, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak or lodge an objection. There was something decadent about them wanting her so badly that they had to lay her on the nearest surface rather than spend a few extra minutes getting her to her room.

  Their mouths and hands were everywhere, making it difficult to keep track of who was touching her where. Rather than struggle to keep up, she simply closed her eyes and surrendered to sensation. Even when one of them ripped off her gown, she didn’t flutter so much as an eyelash. She just laid there and enjoyed their kisses and caresses.

  A set of lips touched hers, and though she didn’t open her eyes, she was certain from the scent and the slight scruff of beard that it was Duncan, who often had a five o’clock shadow by early afternoon. She parted her lips and accepted his tongue as it thrust inside, sweeping through the confines of her mouth to taste every bit of her. She responded in kind by massaging his tongue with hers before pinning it against the side of her mouth and sucking lightly.

  A moan escaped her when two hands covered her breasts, both twirling and tugging lightly on her nipples in a contrasting, but complementary, pattern that had her writhing with need on the table.

  Another hand went between her thighs, shoving aside her panties in a rough motion before a finger slid inside her slick heat. Baylee arched her hips as she continued kissing Duncan, though it was difficult to concentrate with all the various stimuli coursing through her body.

  One of the hands at her breasts disappeared, replaced by an eager mouth, and yet more heat spread through her. The finger inside her moved in a rhythmic fashion that matched the suction at her breast. She forgot how to kiss or do anything but surrender to the sensations as she bucked her hips against the finger pressing against her clit. A low moan escaped her, rising in pitch as she drew closer to the crest.

  Duncan’s mouth had left her, but she was positive it had simply switched to a different location. The mouth at her breast had never ceased, so Duncan was the one who moved between her thighs, his tongue slipping inside her to join the finger already there. She gasped raggedly when the hand inside her pussy slid down, the finger sliding into her opening along with one of its mates. Duncan’s mouth moved higher, and his tongue swirled around her clit. As he inhaled against it before exhaling sharply, her hips arched completely off the table, and she was certain she was screaming their names, though she couldn’t decipher the incoherent sounds coming from her.

  As one, fingers probed deeply as the tongue focused on her most sensitive spot. The beginnings of an orgasm caused her to trembl
e under the force of it, and when Duncan applied firm friction by sucking on her clit, the world around her dissolved in shock waves of pleasure. She writhed and moaned on the table, barely recovering from her first orgasm before they were giving her another, and then another.

  When she collapsed against the table a few minutes later, the hand and mouth between her legs finally departed. She opened her eyes when she heard Nick chuckle, looking up to see him bending over her again.

  “Did we break you, love?”

  She managed a tired nod, completely overwhelmed by pleasure, yet oddly eager for more. She should have been too sated to even contemplate the idea.

  Abruptly, she realized they were both still hard and eager for attention too. She lifted her arms, groping blindly to find their cocks. They hissed simultaneously when her hands reached their destinations, and she started rubbing them lightly. They were both slick with pre-cum, easing the passage of her hands, and she was certain she would bring them to completion in no time.

  It was a surprise when, as one, they both took her hands and carefully pulled them away from their cocks. She gave them both a questioning look, directed first at Duncan and then Nick. “Don’t you want…?”

  “Aye,” said Duncan, a hint of brogue his tone. Apparently, passion brought it out. “We want more than that though. May we take you to bed?”

  She nodded her permission and was relieved when they took it upon themselves to lift her from the table. Nick held her in his arms, and she cuddled close to him. She was still in the blissful haze of aftermath, and she might have found it difficult, if not impossible, to walk on her own.

  He seemed to have no trouble navigating the stairs even with her in his arms, and Duncan preceded them. He opened the door to her room a few moments later, and as Nick carried her across the threshold, it felt almost like a groom carrying his bride in homage to tradition.

  He laid her on the bed, and they dropped down beside her. Once more, their hands and mouth explored her, roaming freely, and she reciprocated. She was in search of their cocks, but they proved elusive when they shifted positions.

  Again, she allowed her eyes to drift shut and just lose herself in sensation. She was sure it was Duncan between her thighs, which meant it had to be Nick who was carefully straddling her chest. His erection brushed against her lips, and she parted them to flick her tongue out for a taste of his pre-cum. He was salty, yet sweet, with a tang all his own. She licked him again, eliciting a harsh groan from him.

  “Are you protected?” asked Duncan, the head of his cock nudging against her folds.

  She turned her head slightly away from Nick’s shaft to ensure Duncan could hear her when she said, “Yes, I’m on the pill.”

  “Thank fuck. I didn’t think I could wait any longer.” As he spoke, Duncan surged inside her before freezing. He sounded shocked when he asked, “Are you a virgin?”

  She shook her head. “No, but it’s been a while, and my ex-boyfriend was nothing like you.” She hadn’t gotten a good look at Duncan’s cock yet, but she remembered the feel of it, and she could tell from the way it fit snugly inside her that he was literally twice the man Sam had been.

  Within a moment, she softened and conformed to him, and Duncan slipped the rest of the way inside her. Once he was fully seated, she turned her head back to Nick and opened her mouth, accepting his cock as it slid between her lips. At first, she sucked him slowly as she savored his flavor in his every response. As Duncan’s pace increased inside her, it fed her own frenzy, and she started bobbing her head and sucking more forcefully.

  Nick was thrusting into her mouth, and she opened her eyes to look up, thrilled by the wild passion she saw on his face. Knowing she was the reason for it sent her flying over the edge just as much as Duncan slipping a hand between their bodies to stroke her clit as he surged deeply inside her while he started to come.

  Nick followed suit a few seconds later, and she swallowed his cum as Duncan filled her with his release. Her body was strung taut as a bow as she reached the apex of her climax. Abruptly, all of her muscles loosened, and she trembled under the force of her release. She was only slightly aware of Nick and Duncan trading places. Their stamina shocked her, but not as much as her own capacity to keep up with them.

  Nick slid inside her slick heat as Duncan’s cock pressed against her lips. She yielded just as eagerly to them in their changed positions as she had when the three of them had first come together on the bed. Baylee was certain she couldn’t possibly muster another orgasm, but they soon proved her wrong, sending her flying over the edge at the exact moment both men attained their own fulfillment.

  By the time she came back down, they were both lying on either side of her, legs twined with hers, and arms across her waist and her hips. She put a hand on each of their sides and let her eyes close. The sleepless night, combined with the vigorous lovemaking, caught up with her, and she fell asleep minutes later.

  Chapter 3

  Baylee woke later in the day feeling stiff and sore, but in a good way. She was disconcerted to wake alone, and she tried not to be hurt about that. They had likely woken before her and not wanting to disturb her, had slipped away quietly. It still made her apprehensive as she took a quick shower before dressing to head downstairs. Walking down the stairs gave a sharp reminder of just how she had used all her muscles earlier in the morning. She was feeling it now, but had no regrets—at least about the physical endeavors.

  She found them waiting in the library, and they were both reading. There was a tray waiting for her, and she sat down in a wingback chair, holding the plate on her lap. Now that she was with them, she found it impossible to look at either one of them. The air was thick with tension, and the aftermath was awkward as hell.

  She’d never had a one-night stand before, much less with two people, so she didn’t know the proper etiquette. She didn’t even know if it was strictly a one-night stand, or if there was more to it. Though she had been hungry when she had taken the plate to sit down, she found it impossible to eat as her thoughts weighed on her. The silence stretched, and she swore the ticking of the grandfather clock amplified in her brain until it was all she could hear.

  She blamed that on how violently she startled when Duncan spoke her name. Baylee managed to advert catastrophe in the form of dropping her plate, but it was a near thing. She clutched it harder than she had as she lifted her head and looked in his direction, but didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Yes?”

  “Everything’s fine. There’s no need to feel awkward around us.”

  She hadn’t imagined she’d been able to hide her reaction, but hearing confirmation of her failure deflated her. With a sigh, she leaned forward to place her plate on the table in front of her, finding she couldn’t eat with them present. “How can it not be awkward? What we did… All three of us…” She shook her head, trailing off. How could they not feel the awkwardness and tension?

  “Are you ashamed of what we did?” asked Nick.

  She looked at him, summoning the courage to meet his eyes as she shook her head. “No, of course not. I just don’t know how to act or think this morning. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

  “Over the years, Duncan and I have learned to share, and I think we’ve both learned there’s no right or wrong way to react. If you’re feeling awkward or weird about things, we’ll give you space. Not too much space though. Last night wasn’t just a one-off thing for us.”

  She was reassured by his words, and she nodded.

  “Come on, Duncan. Let’s give Baylee some time alone.”

  She watched them go, and it wasn’t until the door closed behind them that she realized what he had said in its entirety. Over the years, he had learned to share with Duncan. That meant they did this sort of thing all the time. What was a combination of strange and special for her was commonplace for them. A new wave of anxiety spread through her, along with a stirring of jealousy that she didn’t want to feel. She didn’t know how to process what had ha
ppened, or how she should react in the long run.

  She didn’t see them again until dinner, and while she still hadn’t sorted everything out, at least she was calmer about the situation. She felt compelled to ask them as dinner progressed, “What did you mean when you said you’ve learned to share?”

  She had practically blurted out the question after several moments of silence, so it was only fair they both looked startled for a moment.

  Duncan was the first reply. “When Nick and I were first…maneuvered into becoming partners, we didn’t really like each other.”

  Nick snorted. “That’s an understatement. It took us a while to get past our rivalry and focus on our shared goals. Once we did, it started to feel natural to do things together.”

  She took a sip of wine before asking, “Including taking women to bed together?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “To be blunt, we’ve been looking for the right woman for both of us.”

  She frowned at him. “You’re deliberately seeking out a woman who will be with both of you? Am I understanding that correctly?” At their nods, she frowned. “But why? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just find your own girlfriends?”

  Duncan’s expression had closed, and Nick made it clear from his tone that he was done discussing it. “We have our reasons, and that’s all you need to know for now. The most important thing is, if you can live with what we want.”

  She still held her wineglass, but hadn’t taken another sip. She stared into the rich red color as though it would give her the answers she sought. “How long are you wanting to share someone?”

  “For the rest of our lives,” said Duncan.

  “So you’re looking for a wife for both of you? Or whatever the proper term would be?” When they both nodded simultaneously, a wave of relief swept through her, and she hadn’t even realized she’d been on edge as she’d waited for their answer. The situation was unorthodox, but it was strangely reassuring to know they were looking for a long-term, permanent partner rather than indulging in a sexual fetish.