by DJ Michaels
Lunch was delicious and the conversation was kept deliberately light. Several of the dragon riders turned out to be great storytellers and they made the den sound vibrant and interesting. The Enforcers didn’t have a lot of experience with women in a social setting and Sorcha was impressed by their efforts. They worked hard to keep the female contingent relaxed, entertained and feeling safe.
When it came time for the women to decide where they were going to stay—for tonight at least—Sorcha wasn’t surprised that Tansy, Kate, Sara and Mac chose the den.
By mid-afternoon they were in the air again but this time they were truly heading home.
Chapter Seventeen
Kae walked into the living room holding Sorcha’s hand and looked around the chamber as if seeing it for the first time. It was no longer the den of two males but a home for a family. He couldn’t wait to see what influences their woman would have on their private space and he looked forward to her leaving her mark on every room they shared.
Jax disappeared into the bedroom for a moment and when he returned he was carrying a small velvet pouch. Kae knew what the bag contained and he eyed the red fabric. “I thought we were going to wait for our wedding ceremony to give that to Sorcha.”
Jax shook his head. “We were saving it for a special occasion. I can’t think of anything more special than having our mate safe in our home.”
Drawing Sorcha close, Kae guided her to the sofa. “No argument here.”
As soon as she was settled Kae knelt on the floor at her feet, making sure he left enough room for Jax on the other side of Sorcha’s legs. Jax mirrored Kae’s position and placed the pouch in the palm of Sorcha’s hand. “Open it.”
Eyes sparkling in anticipation, Sorcha unknotted the string and tipped the contents of the tiny bag into her palm.
“Oh my god.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “It’s gorgeous.”
The ring was a work of art. A diamond-shaped filigree of dark-gray metal wrapped around a large black stone that sparked with life despite its obsidian appearance.
Kae picked it up and slipped it on Sorcha’s middle finger. “The four points in the setting represent Jax, Tengale, Jaysada and me.” Lifting her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss on her fingers. “The black diamond represents you, the center of our world.”
Sorcha’s bright-green eyes swam with tears. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Kae could see how much she loved it and she would love it more when she found out how the diamond was made. “Tell her the rest, Jax.”
Edging forward to slip his arm around Sorcha’s waist, Jax looked up at her with naked adoration. “The ring is made from boridium, which is a metal native to Gemarra.”
It was also one of the rarest and most sought-after metals in the entire region. Boridium had made Brightstar’s fortunes and the company was very protective of its best money-maker. It was, indirectly, the cause of many of Gemarra’s political problems but that wasn’t a subject Kae wanted to explore with Sorcha right now.
Pushing his hand under her skirts, Kae slid his hand along her silk-covered calf. “Do you want to know about the diamond, kitten?”
“Yes.”
Her pouty lips parted and Kae let himself anticipate the moment when those lips would be on his skin. “The black diamonds are so rare no one has ever been able to put a value on them. You can’t buy one anywhere—not even on the black market. This one,” he said, tapping the ring with his free hand, “was made just for you.”
“How?”
Kae was busy easing his hand farther under Sorcha’s skirts, so Jax took over the explanations. “Our dragons. The black’s tails are as hard as metal but under that natural armor are smaller, softer scales. Tengale and Jaysada took some of those scales and breathed fire on them until they melted and re-formed into a hard crystalline form. Kae and I took that raw stone to the best jeweler in Sapphire and he cut, machined and polished the stone into what you see now.”
Sorcha smiled and her whole face lit up. “So I get to carry a piece of Tengale and Jaysada with me all the time?”
“Yes.” Kae squeezed the back of her knee and when she turned to him he held her gaze. “But that knowledge stays between us. If anyone asks, you don’t know where or how we got the stone.”
Her smile slipped and a frown creased her brow. “Do you think people will come after the dragons if the origin of the diamond is public knowledge?”
“It’s a possibility,” Jax said. “Not that it would do them any good. If the scales aren’t given willingly, no amount of fire can change them into precious gems.”
“If it’s so rare maybe I shouldn’t wear it.” Sorcha chewed her lip, clearly torn between what she wanted and what she thought was safe.
Jax wrapped both her hands in his. “That ring is a symbol of our new family and you need to wear it with pride.”
Kae pressed forward and leaned his head on Sorcha’s shoulder. “And the more you wear it the more attuned it will become to you. The sparks of color and light within the stone will align with your personality and character. No two diamonds are ever the same because no two people are the same.”
“I think that’s too much responsibility for one woman.”
“Nonsense,” Jax said. “Besides, if I know my captains and their dragon pairs it won’t be long before Chelsea is sporting a ring too.”
Sorcha held out her hand and watched the diamond spark fire as it caught the afternoon light. “Thank you both so much. It really is gorgeous.”
“And so are you, my love.” Jax rolled to his feet and held out his hand for Sorcha. As she stood Kae eased his hand from under her skirt but he didn’t lose contact for long.
Rising to his feet beside her, he pulled her into his arms and cupped her face, tilting her head for his kiss. Her lips were soft and sweet as he rubbed against them. Back and forth, doing nothing more than absorbing her velvety texture.
“Kae.”
He loved that impatient whine in her voice. “Yes, kitten.”
“I need you to kiss me properly.”
“Patience.”
“I don’t have any of that right now.”
Then she was in trouble because Kae intended to savor, tease and anticipate until she was grovelling at his feet. Then he felt Jax step in behind him, press tight and ease his hand around to rub Kae’s cock. Suddenly Kae had a feeling he was going to be out of patience soon too.
Jax used his free hand to pull the pins from Sorcha’s hair. “How are you feeling, love?”
“Needy.”
Jax laughed, his breath huffing in Kae’s ear. “We can’t have that, can we?”
“No we can’t.” Sorcha lifted herself on tiptoe and flexed her hips, rubbing her mound against the back of Jax’s hand and forcing him tighter on Kae’s cock.
Her hair was free now, falling in bright-red waves down her back. Jax cupped her breast. “Tell us what we need to hear and Kae and I will have you in our bedroom and naked before you take your next breath.”
“What do you need to hear?” Her voice was soft and breathy but there was a thread of suspicion under the tone. Smart girl.
Kae reached up and squeezed her other breast, enjoying the sight of both of their hands on her.
“You need to say that you’re our mate,” Kae said. “Out loud for both of us to hear.”
She arched into them. “Isn’t that a foregone conclusion?”
Jax slid his hand up and collared her. “Yes, you are ours. I just want to hear you say it.”
Fiery green eyes pinned both of them. “Control freak much?” Kae rolled her nipple and she gasped in pleasure. “All right, fine. I am your woman. Me Jane, you Tarzans. Can we get naked now?”
His translator chip glitched again but Kae got the gist of her response—it was all in the tone.
“Ball-breaker,” Jax muttered. Releasing Sorcha, he stepped around so he could take her and Kae by the hands. Towing them behind him, he stalked to the bed
room and released them when they got to the foot of the bed. Prowling over to the overstuffed armchair, Jax settled in, his green eyes almost black. “Strip her, Kae.”
“My pleasure.”
Kae took Sorcha’s mouth, sealing them together and pressing his tongue against the seam of her lips to gain entry. She opened for him and he stroked inside, tasting her sweetness, her heat, rubbing his tongue against hers in the way he would soon be rubbing their bodies. He smoothed his hands up her spine, curving himself over her so she had to bend backward to accommodate him. Slender arms circled his neck and she lifted herself closer as he deepened the kiss.
His hands made quick work of the laces on her dress and he kept his mouth on hers as he divested her of gown, petticoats and corset. When she wore nothing but chemise, stockings and boots he walked her backward, not releasing her until the backs of her knees hit Jax’s chair. Pressing her down to sit in his lover’s lap, Kae pulled away from her mouth. With avid eyes he watched Jax take over, kissing her neck and squeezing her full, ripe breasts.
Kae kicked off his boots, pulled his tunic over his head and shoved his pants to the floor. Dropping to his knees, he unbuttoned Sorcha’s boots and rolled her stockings down the pale length of her legs. He grasped her ankles and slid his hands to the inside of her legs before smoothing his palms up. Calves, knees, thighs. Her skin was so silky and warm he wanted to rub himself over every inch of her. Right after he got a taste of the arousal he’d been smelling since they arrived home.
“Jax.” One word, part command, part request. But Jax knew what Kae wanted. With one strong yank Sorcha’s chemise disappeared and she sprawled in Jax’s lap, gloriously naked. Kae pushed her knees wider so her legs rested on the outside of Jax’s as he spread his legs so Sorcha was completely open.
Jax cupped her core. “You’re so hot and wet, kitten. Do you ache?”
“Yes, you know I do.”
“Would you like Kae to fix it? Would you like him to suck and lick and bite you until you come?”
“Yes, please. Please.”
She flexed her hips, trying to ease the ache, but Jax pinned her hips hard and tight. Kae knew from experience Jax would keep her on the edge, taunting and teasing until she would promise him anything, give him anything. As much as Kae would like to see someone else on Jax’s sensual rack he couldn’t resist the sight and smell of Sorcha’s hot, wet core. Jax was still murmuring dark promises to her when Kae pressed his face between her legs and licked. Twice.
Her whole body trembled and she clutched at his hair, pulling him where she wanted him to go. Ignoring her imperious demands, he did what he wanted, licking long and slow from bottom to top and back again. She tasted like perfection, smooth and slick under his tongue, tender and vulnerable as he nipped at her with careful little bites.
His muscles bulged in need, his cock grew so engorged it hurt and still he sucked and laved. Heart pounding in a beat so loud it deafened him, Kae pushed in and fucked her with his tongue, reveling in the feel of her arousal on his face. She ground into him, begging and cursing, pulling his hair until it hurt. He lifted himself away just long enough to throw a command in his lover’s direction.
“Jax, take her hands.”
And just like that the hair-pulling ceased but Sorcha’s hips didn’t stop flexing. She was wound even tighter than he was. Her pale body was slick with sweat and Kae wouldn’t be able to keep her on edge much longer. He’d either have to back right off or send her over and right now it just wasn’t in him to ease away.
Licking his way up her core, he latched on to her clit, sucking in short hard pulls as he shoved two fingers inside her. He pumped her hard but he didn’t have time to find a rhythm before she exploded under him. Her body jerked, curving over him in sharp tremors as her core muscles squeezed him, pulsing against his fingers and holding them tight inside her body. He kept them pressed there, high and tight while he circled her clit with his tongue.
Slowing his movements, he eased her down until she relaxed enough to allow him to slip from her body.
Jax kept her spread and pulled her back against him until her head rested on his shoulder. His huge hands brushed over her body. Breasts, stomach, core, hips and waist.
Kae’s heart lurched hard against his ribs. “Fuck, you two look perfect together.”
Jax was big, even for an Enforcer, and his size made Sorcha look even smaller, more feminine and delicate. His hands were dark on her pale skin and every stroke was an act of possession. He lifted his dark-green eyes and the desire in them squeezed the air out of Kae’s lungs.
“Do you remember how you marked me when we first became lovers?” Jax asked, his voice low and husky. “I think you should mark Sorcha in the same way.”
Kae’s throbbing cock jumped so hard at that suggestion it actually made him wince. But as desperate as he was to mark her, he wasn’t sure that it was something he should do to a woman.
Sorcha must have seen the uncertainty in his eyes. She lifted up her arms and wrapped them around Jax’s neck, arching her back and putting her body on display. “If you marked him, then I want you to mark me too.”
Kae didn’t wait, just in case she changed her mind. Lifting up onto his knees, he moved over her, fisting his cock and pulling in long, slow strokes. Jax gripped her hips and slid them both lower in the chair, reclining their bodies and bringing Sorcha’s core closer to Kae.
They were so fucking gorgeous Kae knew he wouldn’t last long. Smelling their arousal, looking at them stretched out for his pleasure made it impossible not to stroke harder and faster. “Play with your tits, kitten, I want to watch.”
She gave him a shy smile but there was nothing reticent about the way she rubbed her breasts and twisted her nipples. Kae squeezed his cock, helpless to stop his heavy balls pulling tight to his body, unable to slow the hot build of pressure in the base of his spine. Jax reached down and rubbed Sorcha’s clit, hard, fast and brutal. Her breathing sped up and without any warning at all she broke, clutching her breasts and screaming as her orgasm smashed over her.
The sights, sounds and smells were too much for Kae. Reaching out with his free hand to steady himself on Jax’s shoulder, Kae jerked off with a ferocity that lasted seconds before he exploded in a rush of blinding heat. His whole body locked in wild ecstasy as he climaxed, spilling his seed in long, hot spurts onto Sorcha’s stomach and breasts. The pulls on his cock were uneven as his orgasm sang through his body, each jolt of pleasure reverberating into the next. Gasping and shuddering, it took him long moments to come back to himself. Even longer before he could open his eyes.
And when he did he almost got hard all over again. Sorcha was lying against Jax, relaxed and sated, while Jax massaged Kae’s seed into her silky skin.
Jax pressed a trail of kisses down her neck. “Now we’ve both been marked. We are officially the property of Enforcer Kaelum Sentrellovere.” He nipped at her shoulder. “Happy?”
“Yes. I’ve discovered it’s good to be owned when the claiming is mutual.”
Kae pushed Jax’s hands aside and lowered himself chest to breast and hip to hip with Sorcha. “I may have just marked you, kitten, but you and Jax own me body and soul.”
Jax’s warm, rough hand stroked down Kae’s back. “I have a feeling we’re all going to own each other.”
Kae smiled and pressed closer, so happy they were all of the same mind.
Chapter Eighteen
Jax sat in the chair and tried not to be embarrassed about the fact that he’d just come in his pants. Having Sorcha break apart in his arms as he played with her body, her soft round ass grinding into his cock, had been too much for his control. And as soon as Kae started jerking off for them Jax had given up any dignity he might have retained. Right now his best friend and his mate were bathing in the other room and the mental images of them together prodded his cock into wakefulness again. He couldn’t wait to get inside her, inside both of them.
It wasn’t long before they came back into the
bedroom, damp, naked and fuckable. Some of his tiredness eased away and he rose to his feet ready to take his turn to clean up. He was almost at the bathroom door when Sorcha’s voice stopped him.
“You’d better be naked when you come back into this room.”
Fuck. He turned. “Sorcha—”
“No. I’m here for good and I plan to start as I mean to go on. I’m not going to spend the rest of my married life snuggled up to your shirt.” She put her hands on her hips and her tits gave a distracting jiggle. “Hey! My face is up here.” She circled her face with her hand and he couldn’t help but smile.
“You can’t stand there wearing nothing but skin and not expect me to look,” he said.
“Well, you can look but whether you get to touch is up to you.”
His heart stuttered then froze in his chest. “What?”
“New rule. You don’t get to touch my skin unless I get to touch yours.”
Jax flicked his eyes to Kae, silently asking for help.
“Don’t look at him for help. Look at me.” Sorcha stepped forward, her expression softening. “Just give me five minutes.”
“What?”
“Be naked with me for five minutes. If it turns out neither of us like it you can go back to wearing your shirt.”
Five minutes. It would be too late for both of them after one minute.
Closing the distance between them, she reached up and laid her hand over his thundering heart. “We all have something to lose by being here, Jax. If this doesn’t work I’m going to find myself isolated, off the marriage mart and good for nothing but a bower house. I don’t have any family or friends to support me. I’m completely alone and yet I’m willing to take the leap. Are you going to do anything less?”
His gut churned and he tried to force breath into lungs that weren’t working. “I can’t bear the thought of seeing disgust in your eyes.”
She slid her arms around his waist and rested against him. “Is that what you see in Kae’s eyes?”