Kepp tried to be gentle, but Lira wouldn’t have it. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, keeping time to the rhythm of Wat’s thrusts into her body. Kepp felt like he was the one fucking her. When she came, she came hard, biting his lower lip until he tasted blood, sucking on his tongue, arching into the hand he held on her breast. Shit, he nearly exploded.
* * * *
Wat climaxed with a roar. He had barely finished before a growling Tanner shoved him aside and buried himself in her, as she’d heard the men say, balls deep. He pounded, hard and heavy, into her body, possessing her with a violence and a fire that rocked her very soul.
One of her hands gripped Red’s cock. Holding his fist around hers, he tugged her palm up and down his silky skin as he stroked himself. She kept her other hand twisted in Tanner’s braid. Lira dragged his mouth back to hers, demanding that he claim her mouth every bit as hard as he claimed her body.
It didn’t take long for Lira to come. Again and again and again. Lost in a haze of passion, she felt Red’s movements speed up until at last he let out a loud groan and held her hand still. She felt his hot seed pulse upward and spill out of him, over her naked breast. In that moment, Lira relived the all-consuming pleasure of the night before. The memory of all three men in her, coming at once, launched her into another orgasm, the strongest she’d ever experienced.
Lira tore her mouth from Tanner’s and screamed his name just as he threw his head back, lost, as his own climax began. She watched the straining tendons in his neck while he thrust deep within her, once, twice, three times, and then he came with a roar that rivaled the crash of the waves along the rocky shore.
Tanner fell over her, both of them drenched with sweat despite the chill sea air. Lira lay still beneath him, awed by the power of their joining. She thanked the Gods for placing these three men in her path. Any one of them would have been enough. Each was a courageous, righteous man. If she wasn’t the royal heir, if she didn’t need to find three mates who could share her attentions and her body without acrimony, she would have loved any one of them on his own, Red or Wat or Tanner.
Each man held a portion of her heart. Wat, she loved for his brash good humor, his generous spirit, and his ingenuity, Red, for his kind heart, his devotion, and his winning smile, and Tanner, because he was the powerful glue that would bind the four of them together. He was their center, their beating heart, and he would keep them safe. His courage was boundless. Lira felt confident that every one of them would give his life for her and for their children, no matter who fathered them. They could have left her to her fate. Instead, they risked themselves to save her.
We’ll escape Land’s Endand the dynasty my ancestors founded six hundred years ago will prosper because of these men.
She embraced Tanner, caressing him with great tenderness. Her hands left him to seek out Wat and Red, and she held onto them, too. They were in this together, the four of them. Lira knew with great certainty that the men were hers, that they would never abandon her.
Chapter Eleven
“Pity we can’t contact the commander from here,” commented Wat.
“Cliff’s too high and we can’t risk exposure out in the channel,” replied Kepp. He cast a look over his shoulder at Lira and Red asleep, clasped in each other’s arms.
After cleaning Red’s injury and gluing the edges of the wound together, he’d wrapped his friend in the blanket and ordered Lira to put on the extra pair of fatigues Wat had dug out of his gear bag. The man’s clothes hung on her but they were better than nothing. Kepp shoved her under the blanket and told them to warm up beneath the overhang. Looking at the two of them now, Kepp grinned. Both somehow managed to fall asleep despite their rocky bed and the cold wind blowing off the water. They looked cozy.
Kepp figured it the best way to keep Lira warm. He’d bunked with Red before in the middle of winter, and the man gave off a lot of heat. Kepp fought the temptation to crawl beneath the blanket to warm her himself. Red needed her body more than Kepp did right now. Kneeling beside the two, he checked his friend’s breathing. As if he sensed Kepp’s movements, Red opened his eyes and winked at his captain. “I’m all right,” he whispered. “A mild concussion, no more. I’ve been hit harder.”
Taking care not to disturb the woman, Red pulled his arm from beneath her and climbed out from under the blanket, tucking the loose edges around her. A soft sound of protest escaped her, but Lira’s eyes remained closed, and she snuggled deeper, burying her face into the lingering warmth. Red extricated his long limbs from the small cavern and joined his friends. The three men peered out over the channel, willing the sun to set faster.
“The other guards should have come looking for us by now,” said Wat. “Where are they?”
“Dead,” replied Red. “At least the two who attacked me are dead.”
“You took care of them?” asked Kepp.
“Uh-uh.” Red shook his head. “Her. I was out of it. When I came to, they were dead, and she was looking sick to her stomach. You know, that classic sick look you get the first time you find it necessary to kill a man.”
“She shoot ‘em?” asked Wat.
“No,” replied Red, “Kinji Watah.”
“She kicked them to death?” Wat was incredulous. “Two men with guns and knives?”
“Well, I guess a couple well-placed kicks were all she needed to incapacitate them. And it was them or me. She chose me.”
Kepp glanced back at the woman. He remembered how his heart had thudded to a stop when he saw her charge from the cavern and careen headlong into Speth. Her reckless courage nearly got her killed. Thank God he’d reached her in time. He wouldn’t have forgiven himself if Speth had raped her or, worse, drowned her. The asshole deserved what he got. “I doubt there was anyone else involved. This isn’t the kind of thing you want too many people knowing about. If there was anyone else involved, that fishing boat wouldn’t be waiting out there.”
Wat gestured toward the channel. “How long you think they’re gonna wait?”
Kepp took a deep breath and stretched. “I’m guessing they think there’s been an unexpected snag. Maybe they’ll wait until dawn, maybe not. I suspect the plan was to bring her to the fishing boat under the cover of darkness anyway. That’s what I’d do.”
“Then why not grab her at night?” asked Wat. “Why try to sneak her out of the compound in the afternoon?”
“Four men, plenty of time to kill until sunset. Use your imagination. Probably part of the deal they made with Regnan. Reimbursement for the risk they were taking.” Kepp picked up a rock and sent it flying across the sand.
“Why now?” asked Red. He stared out over the water, his chin resting on his knees.
“Regnan knows Battarq is after him. He’s looking at a firing squad for his treason. He figures he’ll disappear with the evidence and, when the time is right, use her as a bargaining chip, trade her life for his.”
“I’d like to get the fuck out of here,” grumbled Wat, “sooner rather than later. The sun’s halfway behind the mountains on the far shore. You think we can risk it?”
“Another half hour at least,” answered Kepp. “I’d rather err on the side of caution.”
“What happens when we get to Zhinshu?” asked Red. “If there are any Zealots over there, they won’t be too happy to see us. They might shoot first and ask questions later, and Lira’s wearing Khubuk army fatigues.”
Kepp pointed across the water. “See that promontory? You can just make it out, near the mouth where the channel opens up. We radio for help out in the channel and then we head for that point. I’m hoping Battarq can clear the red tape and get us airlifted out before we all end up dead. You’re right, Red, in the dark, nobody’s going to ask who’s who. They’ll just sort out the bodies in the morning.”
Chapter Twelve
Lira was lost in a dream of home. She stood on a balcony in her wing of the palace, a balcony that overlooked her personal gardens with their tall date palms and red hibiscus
. Swans floated, carefree, below her in the blue waters of the spring-fed lake. The fragrance of frangipani drifted up to where she stood, and as the warm air rose, a hummingbird, his feathers an exquisite luminescent green in the sunlight, appeared before her. He hovered there, tiny wings beating so fast she couldn’t distinguish individual beats. The bird’s wings seemed to be keeping time to the rapid beat of her heart.
“Lira, wake up. It’s time to go.” She recognized the voice, it was Tanner. “Lira, sweetheart, wake up, we need to get moving.”
Yes, get moving. Seems like a good idea. Except I don’t think I can move. Lira heard someone groan, and she realized it was her. You are not a baby, and you will not be sick. Open your damn eyes. She did. Tanner’s face loomed over hers. He seemed a bit blurred about the edges. Lira mustered a smile. “Yes, I’m trying,” she said, her throat burning, her voice hoarse. To show him she could move, she pulled an aching arm from beneath the blanket.
Tanner’s palm rested on her forehead then slid over her cheek. He stuck his hand under the blanket to touch her chest. His hand felt like he’d dipped it in ice water. “Shit. You’re burning up,” she heard him say.
“No,” she protested, attempting in vain to sit up, “I can move. We have to get out of here.”
“We’re getting out of here all right,” Kepp replied. “I’ll carry you to the zodiac.” Lira tried to stop him, but Kepp wrapped the blanket tight around her and maneuvered her out from beneath the low overhang. He lifted her in his arms. She felt limp as a dishrag. “C’mon, honey,” he said, “time to go.”
He strode across the rocky beach with her pressed against his broad chest. “She’s sick,” he said to Wat and Red, “burning with fever. We need to get the hell out of here, and with this piece of shit, underpowered electric motor, it’s going to take forever. Red…” He tossed her into the zodiac where Red caught her. “You hold onto her. Wat, what do you think our chances are of reaching that point if we drift with the current?”
Lira could feel herself grinning despite her aches and her fever.
“What are you grinning about, sickie?” asked Red.
“Tanner,” she whispered. “I love the way he takes charge.”
Red chuckled, and Lira bounced up and down against his chest. “You like that, do you? It’s his job, sweetie. If you want, when this is over, we can have him tie you up.”
Lira looked up at the tall man. “Tie me up?”
“Yeah, tie you to a bed. Then he can really take charge. Might be kinda fun, if you know what I mean.”
“Ah.” Lira snuggled against Red’s chest. She felt the zodiac being pushed out into the water. “You mean bondage.”
“Yes, ma’am, I do.”
“Have you tried it?” she asked.
Red coughed. “A man doesn’t discuss what he’s done with another woman with his wife, now, does he?”
“You don’t have to tell me about another woman,” Lira murmured. “I might have to find her and kill her.” She felt Red’s laughter. “I’m just wondering if you would enjoy this bondage.”
“All of us?” Red rubbed his erection against her hip. “I’m way ahead of you, woman.” He kissed her forehead. “Kepp’s right,” he commented, “you are burning up. I think you’re a bit delirious, talking about bondage at a time like this. Are you always this funny when you’re sick?”
“I don’t know,” Lira replied, rubbing her cheek against Red’s chest. “I don’t get sick very often. Right now, I’m happy to imagine such a perfect delirium. Me, tied up, the three of you, doing things? The picture makes me feel better.” She felt the small boat rock as Kepp and Wat jumped in.
“Makes me feel better, too,” Red growled in her ear, “but that’s enough of that. I need to concentrate, I’m the lookout. I can’t focus when all I can see is you tied to a bed and I’ve got a picture in my head, in both my heads, of the things the three of us might do to you.”
Wat slid next to Red. He leaned over and kissed Lira’s forehead. “Damn, girl, you are burning up. What are you two whispering about?”
“Oh, silk scarves and bedposts.” Red grinned, and Lira pinched him, but the man was unrepentant. “She’s interested, when the timing’s a bit better.”
Wat laughed. “I’m always interested. Count me in.”
“Hey, Wat,” Tanner’s quiet voice interrupted them, “we’ll need to start up the motor after all. If we don’t, I’m afraid we’ll be tossed up on those rocks over there.” He pointed to the near shore. “We can’t risk capsizing.”
“On it, boss.” Wat shot Lira a wicked grin and climbed to the rear of the zodiac.
Lira bit Red’s chest, and he smacked her bottom in return. “Bad girl,” he teased. “That’s enough out of you. Go back to sleep before I do something Kepp will regret.”
“Like what.” She yawned. She was growing very sleepy.
“Use your imagination,” the big man said. “Close your eyes and we’ll be across before you know it.”
* * * *
“I’m a little worried about her, Kepp. She was getting kind of goofy right before she drifted off.”
“Yeah, I caught some of that.” Kepp grinned despite his worry. “Her fever seems pretty high, but I don’t want to give her anything just yet. She might need the fever to fight the infection.”
“We have an injection pack in the med kit,” said Red.
“I’ll use an antibiotic if I need to. This seems to have come on awfully fast to be pneumonia, but she did almost drown. Might be as simple as her body’s reaction to the seawater in her lungs. If her fever’s still climbing by the time we reach the shore, I’ll give her something.”
“What did the commander say?”
“There’s a heli-jet on the way. I’ve given him our current coordinates and Wat’s estimate of the coordinates where we’ll land. He knows about the fishing boat, and he’s passing the information onto General Battarq.” Kepp tilted his head in the direction from which they’d just come. “There’s still a single light back there. Whenever we crest the peak of a wave, I can see it.”
“Then if we’re lucky, a Coast Guard cutter may reach us first,” said Red. “If I have my druthers, I’d prefer to avoid a patrol of Zealots.”
The men listened in silence to the low hum of the electric motor. Wat steered the little craft with expert hands. Red shifted Lira in his arms.
“You want me to take her?” asked Kepp. “Your head still hurting?”
“It’s not too bad,” replied Red, “but you might as well. You know you want to.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“To someone who’s known you for ten years, yes.”
Careful not to wake her, Kepp reached for Lira. He cradled her against his broad chest. Damn, she’s everything I want in a woman, and in order to have her, I’ll have to share her with my two best friends for the rest of my life.
“So do you think you can really do this and not hate our guts?”
“What?” asked Kepp.
“Share,” said Red. “It’s one word, but three men. Share. That’s what you’re wondering, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know.” Kepp stared down at the woman in his arms.
Red looked out over the water. “You’re the one, you know. If she could only have one of us, she’d pick you.” When Kepp didn’t reply, Red continued. “I can accept that. Even knowing how she feels, I still want to be with her.”
Wat spoke up. “Me too. I’ve given this some thought. If I could choose one woman in the world to spend the rest of my life with, it would be Lira. No one else is half as interesting or nearly as brave. She saved Red’s life, and she came for us. I can share a woman like Lira. What I can’t live with is the idea of three other men taking her, and that’s what will happen if we walk away.”
The thought hadn’t occurred to Kepp. If they left her, she’d be required by the laws of her land to choose three other consorts and what if…by God, what if they’d managed to get her pregnant? It was ce
rtainly possible. What would happen to their child?
“It’s harder for you,” commented Red. “You have more to lose than Wat and I do. Your commission, for one thing, your family’s holdings for another.”
Kepp snorted. “I haven’t spent more than a couple of months on the ranch in five years. My brothers can handle just about anything that comes up, and my parents are still in good health. It’s just,” he struggled to find the right word, “it’s just that I think I’m in love with this woman. It never occurred to me that I would have to share the woman I love with two other men for any reason, let alone because it’s the law in Zhinshu.”
“Not that it ever occurred to any of us we’d be sharing a princess, the heir to the throne.” Wat laughed. “Look at it this way, Captain. You’d be with two men you can trust with your life. That has to count for something.”
“We’d have to make a pact,” interrupted Red, “that’s what we’d do. We make a pact that we never come to blows over her. I, for one, would prefer not to beat the shit out of my two best friends.”
“Yeah, me neither.” Wat grinned. “But, then, nothing gets me too riled up. The way I see it, Lira’s the whole package. I can’t do any better.”
Kepp felt Red nudge him. “What do you say, Captain? You gonna back out now?”
The captain held the woman in his arms and imagined how it would feel to let her go. He could if necessary, for his country, but the truth was, he didn’t want to leave her. He never wanted to lose Lira. Leaning down, Kepp brushed his lips over her forehead. “Hey, Wat,” he said in a quiet voice, “how much longer? She’s burning up.”
“Another twenty, thirty minutes maybe,” replied his friend. “This engine’s a piece of shit.”
“You want the med kit?” asked Red. He sounded worried.
“Yeah,” Kepp answered. “Get me a ketoprofen injection. I’ll see if that will bring her fever down.”
Barrett, Julia Rachel - One Four All (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 9