My Second Chance

by Shelley Munro

  “Spread your legs a little farther for me, babe.” Charlie’s husky voice ratcheted up the pleasure and sense of acute anticipation. She followed the order without hesitation.

  “Damn, you are perfect, Leticia.” Gavin punctuated the words with a kiss that stole her breath. At the same time, there was a swish of a tongue that ran the length of her slit. Oh hell. A garbled protest rushed off her tongue, but Gavin’s mouth trapped it. He stroked and kissed her, soothing her initial panic until she relaxed again.

  “Good girl,” Charlie murmured before he resumed his assault on her flesh. The stroke of a finger, the probe of his tongue. The sensations layered one on top of another until she panted. Pleasure rose, swirling through her in waves. Charlie increased the friction and her hips strained upward, wanting more of his teasing touch. Every nerve seemed to light, glowing inside her.

  “I need you inside me.”

  “I’m conducting the party here,” Charlie murmured seconds before he swirled his tongue around her clit and back down to delve in her folds. Leticia groaned and both she and Gavin stared at Charlie. He lifted his head and grinned at them, his lips shiny with her honey. “That’s so good. Gavin, is it safe for you to taste too?”

  “I…it should be.” Gavin cleared his throat and refused to look at her. “The virus is spread by biting, although prolonged exposure can hold a risk of infection.”

  “Kissing?” Charlie asked in a harsh voice.

  “It should be okay.”

  Charlie reached over to switch on the bedside lamp and glared at Gavin. “But you’re not sure.”

  Leticia wrenched from Gavin’s touch, staring at him in horror. “How can you bear to touch me, knowing I could give this disease to you?” Horror swept through her, driving away every bit of banked passion. It was like a balloon bursting, all the euphoria exploding out with one pinprick.

  “Contact with blood through biting—” Gavin broke off when he noticed their expressions.

  “You’re not sure. That’s not good enough. Leticia and I don’t want to lose you, not now that we’ve found you. Gavin, we both need you.”

  “I can’t…can’t…” Leticia shuddered, fear and loathing filling her mind. This disease—it had wrecked her life, changed her brother’s life irrevocably. There was no way she could subject Gavin to the disease. Nothing had changed. Nothing. “I can’t do this.”

  “Don’t leave. Please.” Gavin cast a beseeching glance at her, and she swallowed before looking away.

  “I can’t. It’s bad enough now, knowing about the disease inside me. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew I’d given you a life sentence.” She sniffed, trying valiantly to stem the rising tears. “I don’t want you to die too.”

  “Aw, damn,” Gavin muttered.

  Leticia sat up and hid her face against her raised knees. Deep down she’d known it was a bad idea to come into Gavin’s room. A bad, bad idea, but the loneliness had become too much. She could hear Gavin and Charlie, the murmurs, the creak of the bed.

  The mattress depressed beside her and Charlie’s arms wrapped around her shoulders. “Gavin knows what he’s doing.”

  “He doesn’t,” she sobbed. “He’s lonesome, like me, and that’s making him take chances.”

  “That’s not true,” Gavin said. “I have a mate.”

  Oh yeah. That was right. Gavin had Charlie. The tears that had slowed, picked up pace again. For the first time she understood what if meant to be alone in a room with other people.

  “Stop thinking so hard, Leticia. Both Gavin and I want you here with us. We can work around your FIV.”

  Gavin smoothed his hand over her shoulder. How she knew it was him rather than Charlie she didn’t know. She sensed it. Damn, she was such a fool, making one mistake after another. Why had she succumbed to her impulse to come into the bedroom? She snorted—a derisive sound aimed at herself. Heck, simple answer to that one. Loneliness. She was so tired of her solitary state.

  “Lie down, babe. You need rest.”

  “No,” she said.

  Gavin pulled away so she could see his face. Oh boy. His doctor face. “Yeah, you should sleep, Leticia.” The words confirmed it. “You need all the rest you can get to regain your strength.”

  She wanted to say she had plenty of time to rest when she was dead. She didn’t, guessing the shocked response she’d receive. People were uncomfortable with death. Hell, she was uncomfortable with it, but she was also a realist.

  “I’m not tired.” The yawn that opened her mouth an instant later made both men laugh. “Fine,” she snapped. “I’m a little tired.”

  Charlie chuckled. “Lie down then. Sleep.” Gentle hands forced her down toward the mattress, and sighing, she gave up the fight. At least she’d had sex this morning with Charlie. Her lady parts hadn’t dried up or atrophied from lack of use. Things weren’t all bad.

  With a sigh of defeat, Leticia followed instructions and the two men settled, one on either side of her. Gavin leaned over, flipped the switch on the bedside lamp and plunged the room into darkness. They both cuddled into her, cocooning her in warmth. Her eyes closed, and she sighed again, their presence filling the solitary spots inside.

  Charlie watched Leticia drift into sleep. Poor thing. It couldn’t be easy going through what she was, through no fault of her own. He thought about her, he thought about Gavin. He thought about the three of them together. Finally, he moved away from Leticia, and after he’d checked he hadn’t woken her, he climbed from bed and left the room. His mind was way too busy to attempt sleep. Perhaps television would settle him.

  Down in the lounge, Charlie shut the door and grabbed the remote. The blare of music had him scrambling to find the volume button. With the sound problem sorted, he sank onto one of the leather chairs, staring at the screen while his mind chewed over what had just happened with Leticia. Gavin… He shook his head, his gut churning with fear, with anger.

  “Charlie? Are you okay?” Gavin stood in the doorway, naked.

  “Fuck, yes, there’s something wrong.” Charlie leapt to his feet, letting his fear spill out in fury. “You would risk your life to be with Leticia? Don’t you care about me at all?” He winced when he heard his words, his anger.

  “I…fuck! Okay, what I did was stupid. I admit it. Are you satisfied?”

  “But you still did it. You still kissed Leticia, and if she had said nothing, you would have gone down on her, knowing there was a risk you could catch FIV.”

  “A tiny chance.”

  Charlie took one look at Gavin’s face and swore. “You’d do it again.” He dragged a hand through his hair and turned away, fists clenched at his sides. Long strides took him across the room until he ran out of space. He turned and crossed the room again, dodging both a faded brown leather chair and Gavin. Difficult to believe he’d mated with a man who had suicidal tendencies. Shit!

  “Understand what it’s been like for me. The proximity to Leticia with both of us naked…”

  Charlie stalked another circuit of the room before coming to an abrupt halt to glare at Gavin. “Do you have a death wish? What happens if you die, if you both die? Have you thought of that?”

  Shock bleached Gavin’s face white. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”

  A derisive snort escaped Charlie. “That’s a piss-poor excuse.”

  “I know. I know. It’s all I have.”

  Another speedy circuit of pacing did nothing to settle his anger. It made him realize how much he’d come to care for Gavin in a short time.

  Gavin leaned against the wall, watching him. With another curse, Charlie spun away, finding a measure of control in the physical movement. He sensed Gavin scrutinizing him, and despite his irritation, arousal crept through him, filling his cock.

  “You realize it’s difficult for a guy to pace naked,” Gavin said.

  “Yeah, well. You don’t look so dignified propping up the wall in your naked state either.”

  “I’m sorry, okay? It was stupid. I was stupid, a
lthough I’d like to point out the chances of passing the virus via a kiss or sexual fluids is small. Leticia could even have kids and the chances are something like ninety-eight percent that the child would be healthy. The only way she could pass the virus on to me or another feline would be for her to bite and draw blood.”

  Charlie raked a hand through his hair. “Damn, I hate this.”

  “And you think I don’t? Jesus, Charlie. She’s my mate. She’s your mate too, and she’s dying. What the hell are we going to do?”

  Chapter Eight

  Charlie sensed Gavin’s anguish. The same pain that filled him, clutching his heart. It made him think of his mortality. “Are you sure there’s no cure?”

  “I’ve researched until my eyes hurt. So far there’s no known cure, not once the disease is passed by a bite.”

  “We’re gonna lose her,” Charlie said.

  “Yeah. I think so. I…despite my training I’m so bloody helpless.”

  “Fuck.” Charlie swallowed, the onset of tears close when he seldom cried. He went to Gavin then, crossing the room in two long strides and hauling him into his arms. Raw and primitive grief threatened to overwhelm him. Wetness dampened his chest from Gavin’s weeping and tears leaked from his eyes too. They clung for a long time, needing the comfort and each other’s touch to counteract the despair.

  Gavin lifted his head, his dark lashes spiky with moisture. “We should try to sleep.”

  “Yeah.” Charlie didn’t move though, his mind on something else. Probably best to spit it out and go from there. “Would you consider fucking me?”

  “Now?”

  “Yeah. I need to feel alive. Is that wrong?” Honesty as far as it went. A sliver of jealousy had crept into his thoughts. While he physically craved Gavin, his mate wanted Leticia as well as him. Granted, he enjoyed Leticia’s company, and the lovemaking had been hot between them. His connection with her was like a piece of a jigsaw slotting into place, but Gavin filled his mind now. He wanted—no needed—to stake his claim.

  Damn, he was figuratively pissing to mark territory. A bark of laughter rang through his head. Too bad the knowledge didn’t knock sense into him. He still wanted to make love with Gavin. Tonight. Now.

  “No, it’s not wrong. You want to go to the spare room?”

  Charlie nodded. “Sure.” Because Leticia was in Gavin’s—their room. He narrowed his eyes on Gavin. “You’re not trying to keep this a secret from Leticia?”

  The swift expression of shock answered his question. “Hell no. You’re my marked mate. I will not hide you or pretend anything but the truth when it comes to us.”

  Gavin’s words went a long way toward settling the unease gripping his chest. The band of tension released, and he could breathe again. He nodded, thoughts whirring through his head. They didn’t know each other well, yet given time, he was sure they could work out any difficulty facing them. Yeah, time would fix everything, apart from Leticia.

  Without another word, they both padded from the room, Charlie pausing to switch off the television and the light. When they reached the bedroom, Gavin closed the door behind them and turned to him.

  “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” Charlie knew it wouldn’t be easy. Their relationship had become important to him though, and he’d do everything he could to work things out between them. “Kiss me.”

  “Yes.” Gavin prowled across the floor, almost tackling him. They fell to the bed in a tangle of limbs, lips melded together, while they fought for control to see who came out on top.

  Charlie laughed as they wrestled. With a grunt, Gavin rolled him and he found himself staring up into his mate’s green eyes. A distinct twinkle glinted in them. Charlie tried to throw Gavin off and failed. “Now you have me,” he said. “Exactly what do you intend to do with me?”

  “I’m going to love you.” Gavin’s mouth came down on his again, a gentle kiss that ignited into passion. Charlie’s arms wrapped around Gavin’s shoulders while they communicated with actions rather than words. The slide of lips. The flicker of a tongue. The brush of cocks and the rasp of stubble. Gavin’s mouth was hot and wet, the lazy stroke of his tongue arousing. His lips parted from Charlie’s to drift across his jaw, then down his neck. Charlie knew where Gavin’s attention headed, and a hungry groan escaped as a moist breath caressed his face. His shaft bucked, urgency and desire coalescing into a tight sensation in his groin.

  “Damn. Gavin.” He spread his thighs, hips canting upward in silent entreaty.

  “Patience.” His lips settled over Charlie’s mark and he sucked.

  A blast of fiery heat engulfed Charlie. His cock jerked, and he slipped his hand down between their bodies to soothe the ache. “I will come if you keep that up.” His hand curled around his dick. The crown was damp with pre-cum, allowing an easy pump of his hand. Intense pleasure sizzled through him, the musky scent of Gavin filling his every breath. The suction of Gavin’s mouth and the massaging grip of his fist had him shuddering, gasping. “You’re making me crazy.”

  “That’s the object,” Gavin said, lifting his mouth. He rubbed his thumb over the raised scar and moved down the bed. Seconds later his lips wrapped around Charlie’s cock. The wet heat sent pressure rampaging the length of his body, made him gasp and want to plead.

  Damn, making love pre Gavin hadn’t packed the same punch, it hadn’t made him whole as it did now. Another gasp squeezed out. His hips jerked upward, rocking his cock deeper. Gavin’s tongue swirled over the head, teased the sensitive underside and sucked until the sparks of heat frayed every bit of control. The pressure of Gavin’s fingers massaging his mark pushed him even higher. With a convulsive heave of muscles, he shot his seed into Gavin’s mouth, the swallowing action lengthening the pleasure.

  His cock softened, and with a final swipe of his tongue, Gavin released him. He picked up the bottle of lube he’d grabbed from their room before they left Leticia to sleep and squeezed some onto his hand. Charlie watched his lover’s face, anticipation making his cock fill again. It was true. He’d never experienced this before, needed his lover quite as much. The intensity of the hunger, the urgency was almost scary. Almost. Not enough to make him stop though. Every time he saw his lover, he wanted to touch.

  “I want you,” Gavin said.

  “I’m all yours. Take me.” Nothing less than the truth.

  Gavin took him at his word, but instead of stretching him, he explored with his mouth, teasing his balls and licking down toward his puckered hole. Charlie groaned, the intense pleasure growing into hunger. The moist sensation of a tongue, teasing across his entrance shot his arousal to pre-orgasm heights.

  “Damn. Gavin.”

  Gavin lifted his head and grinned up at him. “You don’t have much of a vocab.”

  “We’ll see how much conversation you have when I’m tonguing you.”

  Gavin laughed and went back to his teasing. After a final lick, he used his fingers, the lube now warmed from his body heat. A second finger soon joined his first. Charlie squirmed, shuddering when Gavin pegged his gland. This time the tempo wasn’t as urgent. “How are those fingers? Can you take another?”

  “Yeah, give me more.” The burn of pain melded with the explosive sensations to produce a rock-hard erection. He shuddered, his eyes closed to concentrate on Gavin’s every touch.

  “You’re singeing my fingers. Tight. I can’t wait to get my cock into you.”

  Charlie snorted and opened his eyes to study his lover. “So what’s stopping you? I don’t need more stretching. You’re just teasing me now.”

  Gavin removed his fingers, grabbed more lube and rubbed it on his cock. Charlie caught his breath, anticipation soaring when Gavin guided his cock to his entrance. “I want to watch your face this time.”

  “Yes.” Charlie caught Gavin’s gaze and held it, a rocket of heat, pleasure and the sense of belonging filling him.

  Gavin watched Charlie the entire time. The desire in his eyes went a long way to eras
ing the envy Charlie harbored toward Leticia. A purr sounded, and Gavin laughed. “Sometimes you’re more feline than me.” His laughter turned predatory and hunger vibrated between them as Gavin pushed, going slowly, forcing his way past the ring of muscle. Charlie sighed, relaxing into the pleasure-pain of the initial intrusion. Gavin pulled back a fraction before gliding back inside, moving deeper each time until his balls slapped against Charlie. Fully seated, he paused, breathing hard.

  “You’re so fuckin’ tight. Hot. Good.” Gavin retreated and slid back inside with a sigh of enjoyment. “Really good.”

  “I’m not fragile. Take me hard.”

  “If you have trouble sitting tomorrow, remember this was your idea.”

  Charlie snorted a laugh of amusement that ended on groan when Gavin took him at his word and slammed home. “Sitting. Yeah. And I say payback is a bitch.”

  Gavin withdrew, then thrust home, increasing the pace of his strokes. They both groaned, a fine sheen of sweat coating both their bodies. Charlie’s cock brushed against his stomach, trapped between them.

  “I’m gonna come,” Gavin said, his voice harsh while they strained together. He grasped Charlie’s cock and pumped it.

  Charlie kissed Gavin’s shoulder, letting his teeth graze the marking site.

  “Damn. Do that again,” Gavin ordered.

  “You’ve healed. No one would know I’ve bitten you.”

  “Which means you should bite me again. I like you marking my body.”

  Charlie licked Gavin’s shoulder again, and this time let his teeth sink in a little deeper. Gavin let out a low groan and sought the mark on Charlie’s shoulder. He sucked deep.

  Charlie’s heart pounded, a choked, breathless sound escaping him. He gritted his teeth, wanting the enjoyment to last, to balance on the cusp of climax instead of toppling over straightaway. Didn’t happen. Gavin pumped his cock again and Charlie’s seed shot from him, blasting against his stomach. His rectum flexed and clasped Gavin’s cock. He felt the surge of wetness inside and heard his lover’s gasps of enjoyment as he came. Gradually their breathing returned to normal, and after a final rasp of his tongue over Charlie’s mark, Gavin pulled free. He attempted to rise and dropped back against Charlie’s chest, clasping him around the shoulders.