“I love you, Kiera.”
She wriggled, separating their bodies, and turned to face him. Acceptance and love twinkled in her eyes. “I love you too.” She paused, and nibbled her bottom lip as if uncertain about what she wanted to say next.
“You can talk to me about anything.” Even if he didn’t want to hear what she intended to say.
“I think, given the opportunity, I could love Sly too. There’s a connection between the three of us. It’s something special, something magical.”
“Extraordinary,” Joe said.
“You understand.”
“It doesn’t stop me from jealousy.” If she could give him honest, he’d display it in return.
“You don’t have anything to be jealous about. Sly and I haven’t kissed or done anything behind your back.”
“Babe, I appreciate that.” Joe reached out to sweep an errant curl from her face.
“You and Sly used to share your women. At least that’s what Ambar told me.”
“Gossip much?”
“Yeah. Especially when it’s about two sexy feline males.”
Joe sneaked a kiss, dallying when she immediately opened to him, her hands clasping him to her. Unwillingly he lightened up on the kiss and pulled back. “We need to move before your brothers arrive.”
“What are we going to do?”
“What do you want to do?”
“I know one thing. I don’t want to do anything to harm what we have together.”
Joe sighed at the faint but in her sentence. She was right. It wasn’t right to hide from the situation. And it wasn’t fair to Sly. “Me either. We’re mates and nothing will change that. Let’s not make any decisions yet. Maybe think about it some more.”
“Okay.” Kiera pulled away with a smile. “I’ll take first shower.”
Joe pulled on his jeans, hesitated then went to join Sly in the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”
“Do you want to make some garlic bread?” Tension filled Sly’s body and he kept sneaking glances at Joe as if he expected a fist in his face.
“I’m not gonna do anything stupid.”
Sly didn’t relax at the disclosure. “I’m sorry, bro. I’ll find somewhere else to live. Give you and Kiera run of the house and some privacy.”
“Don’t be stupid. This is your home. I don’t want you to leave.”
“I can’t stay here either. Watching, listening to you and Kiera is driving me crazy. And now that we’ve kissed, it’s gonna make everything worse.”
The distinct rumble of a car made Joe send an impatient frown in that direction. He turned back to Sly.
“Don’t go. Give us some time. Please.”
When Sly hesitated, Joe knew he’d stay and he was glad. It was a start. He mightn’t like the tangle they’d managed to make, but he did like having his twin around. The months without Sly had been full of acute loneliness and loss. He imagined Sly had experienced the same emotions.
“Thank you,” Joe said. “After Kiera’s brothers leave, we’ll talk more, okay?” Hopefully by then he’d work out how to proceed.
Chapter Twelve
Kiera heard her brothers arrive and hurried to the kitchen to join Joe and Sly. She ambled up behind Joe and gave in to the impulse to stroke his shoulder. He let out a rumble remarkably like a purr. A chuckle escaped. “Go and have a quick shower.”
“What about Matthew?”
“Sly will look after me.”
Joe checked with his twin. “Is that okay, Sly?”
“No problem,” Sly said.
Joe gave her a quick kiss and disappeared down the passage. An uncomfortable silence fell. Sly eyed her like a trembling virgin, both worry and fear creeping onto his face. Kiera fought her impulse to stroll over to him, to touch and soothe away the frown between his sexy, green eyes.
While she loved Joe, her feelings for Sly were complicated. And when they’d touched—all three of them earlier—the surge of lust and the sense of rightness had surprised her.
Sly and Joe were twins and two halves of a whole. It made sense they should spend their lives with the same woman. The trouble was she wasn’t sure she could deal with two strong men without losing herself. Although Ambar managed the task.
An impatient knock on the door dragged her from her frenzied thoughts.
“I’ll get the door,” Sly said. “No need for you to deal with your brother alone straight off.”
It was happening already. Joe had handed her off to Sly, and Sly intended to protect her. She didn’t need them to fight her battles for her.
“I’ll get the door,” she said, moving before Sly rounded the counter. Hopefully William hadn’t come with her brothers. She hadn’t told them she’d mated with Joe and wasn’t looking forward to the inevitable fallout from Matthew. Oscar and Tyrone would approve, and maybe they’d help sway Matthew.
“Hey!” She pasted a smile on her face, accepting hugs from first Oscar then Tyrone and finally Matthew. “Come in.” She herded them to the kitchen where Sly was finishing off a salad.
Tyrone handed over two bottles of wine.
“Would you like a glass of wine now or a beer?” Kiera asked.
“Beer for me,” Tyrone said.
“Hi, Joe,” Oscar said. “I’ll take a beer too.”
“This is Joe’s brother, Sly. Joe won’t be long. He’s in the shower.”
“Hey, I didn’t realize you were twins,” Oscar said. “You’re identical.”
“No kiddin’, Sherlock,” Tyrone muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Why didn’t we meet you before?” Matthew demanded.
Sly stiffened and Kiera came to his rescue. “Sly’s only recently returned to Middlemarch. He and Joe run the farm together.”
Matthew leaned toward Kiera without warning, his nose twitching. “You smell different.”
Kiera shrugged and didn’t mention mating with Joe. She caught Sly’s surprise, his narrowing eyes. He assumed she was ashamed of Joe. Nothing could be further from the truth. She wanted a peaceful visit and didn’t want to argue with Matthew.
Matthew didn’t ask any more questions, but Kiera could practically see his mind ticking over. Her brothers shook hands with Sly, the males taking their measure of each other. Kiera held back a derisive snort with difficulty. No way did she intend to tell them Sly’s history. Matthew would use Sly’s jail time as an excuse to talk her into leaving. That would never happen. Middlemarch was her home now.
“There’s a great patio area outside. It’s such a nice night—it’s perfect to eat outside. You said your polo course was full-on. How come you’re down here?” Kiera wrinkled her nose. “That didn’t come out right. I am glad to see you.” And bonus! William hadn’t come with her brothers.
She ushered them out to the patio and hurried back to the kitchen for drinks.
Joe sauntered in to join her and brushed a kiss on her temple. “Everything okay?”
“I think so.” Except gut instinct told her something was afoot with Matthew. Maybe if she interrogated either Oscar or Tyrone when the chance presented itself… “I’ve come to get beer.”
To Kiera’s surprise, she enjoyed both the visit and the meal. Sly seemed a bit aloof but she understood his hesitation after everything that’d happened. Joe was his usual charming self, and Oscar and Tyrone filled in the gaps. Matthew didn’t say much, but he wasn’t rude either.
“We’ll see you tomorrow before we leave,” Matthew said, giving her a quick hug. He scented her neck and froze. Before she could wrench free, he peeled the collar away from her neck, baring her mating site and collarbone.
“You’ve mated. I knew something was off about your scent.” His hand flashed out. Her head snapped back, her cheek smarting from Matthew’s slap.
Joe and Sly sprang at Matthew, identical snarls rumbling in their chests. Matthew hit the wall, and Kiera screamed at them.
“Leave him alone!”
Sly cursed. “He hit you.”
Tyrone an
d Oscar waded into the melee, but not before Joe got in a punch that knocked Matthew on his arse. He crashed into the door and everyone froze.
“She bloody mated with him.” Matthew picked himself up, and Joe and Sly both stepped between her and Matthew.
“Congratulations, Kiera,” Oscar said.
“Thank you,” Joe said.
Tyrone gave her a swift hug before stretching out his hand to Joe. “Welcome to the family.”
Matthew growled, his hair standing on end and emphasizing his fury. “You’ve ruined everything.”
“That’s enough, Matthew,” Oscar said. “Let’s go.” He shoved his older brother in the shoulder, shunting him toward the door.
“We’ll see you tomorrow before we leave,” Tyrone added.
Joe turned to her, reaching out to touch the aching part of her jaw. She couldn’t prevent her wince as Joe caressed her cheek.
“Into the kitchen,” he said, hustling her in that direction before she could protest.
Sly shut the door and followed. “I don’t like your brother.”
“I think it’s mutual, if that’s any consolation,” Kiera said. She sat on the seat Joe pulled out. Seconds later Joe pressed a package of frozen peas to the left side of her face.
“That’s should stop the swelling,” Joe said. “I don’t like your brother either.”
Kiera exhaled. “He has problems.”
“You’re telling me he has problems,” Sly muttered.
“The pair of you are giving me gray hair,” Joe said.
Kiera exchanged a surprised glance with Sly before focusing on Joe. “Why?”
“Between Matthew and Maggie I don’t know which is worse,” Joe said. “My life used to be peaceful.”
“You were miserable,” Kiera retorted. “You missed Sly.”
“I realize Maggie is trouble, but Kiera is worth the drama,” Sly said.
Joe propped his hip against the kitchen counter. His dark brows rose. “You think so?”
And just like that the atmosphere took a turn into different territory altogether.
Kiera shivered, heat suffusing her entire body instead of only her cheek. Sly’s hands clenched at his sides and he cast a quick glance toward the door, as if he contemplated escape.
“Kiera, what would you say if I suggested inviting Sly into our bedroom?”
Sly’s breath eased out with a hiss while the color in Kiera’s face intensified. Joe didn’t take his focus off her.
“Kiera?”
Kiera swallowed in an attempt to dislodge the lump that bloomed inside her throat. She swallowed again, not knowing what to say or how to express herself on the subject. Heck, she still needed to come to a decision either way. She wanted to fume at Joe, but he was right. They needed to move forward somehow.
“Joe, I need to know how you’re going to react to my decision. I…I love you and I don’t want to lose you.”
“Don’t answer him,” Sly said in a rough voice laden with emotion. “I’m going to move out and give the two of you time alone. You don’t need me around.”
“You want her,” Joe said. “Don’t try to deny it.”
“I’m not.” Sly drew himself up. “But I’m not her mate. You are. I’m not willing to lose you again, Joe. I’m backing away from a volatile situation.”
“You felt the charge when the three of us touched. What if you’re Kiera’s mate too? Are you willing to walk away from your mate because of stupid pride and loyalty to me?”
Silence fell in the kitchen, stretching out for a long time. It was uncomfortable, and through it all, the subtle burn of sexual awareness pulsed through Kiera.
She sucked in a deep breath, not sure if it was the kinky idea of being with two men at the same time or if it was something more. “Do I get a say in this?”
“Yes,” Joe said.
“No,” Sly said.
Amusement filled her then. “Which is it going to be? I won’t know if we’re mates until we fuck.” The harsh word reverberated between them, echoing in the kitchen.
“So we move this to the bedroom,” Joe said, meeting her gaze with a silent question in his eyes. She nodded in silent acceptance.
“This isn’t a good idea,” Sly said. “I’ll go to Saber and Emily’s for the night.”
Joe scowled. “Don’t be stupid.”
Kiera held her breath, sensing the twins needed to work through their reservations. She was willing to wait and see what they decided, but she didn’t want to cause friction between Joe and Sly either.
“You love Kiera. I’m not stupid.” Sly started to pace around the table. “When I touch Kiera, I sense your jealousy. I don’t want to fight you, especially over a woman.”
Joe scowled. “Kiera’s not just a woman.”
“No, she’s not. She’s your mate. You love each other and you don’t need me jumping in the middle of your relationship.”
Kiera decided it was time for her to enter the conversation. “Joe is right. We need to get physical instead of talking around in circles.”
“Are you gonna be able to look me in the face tomorrow after I’ve had my mouth on your pussy?” Sly’s gaze drilled right into her, full of challenge.
Kiera checked Joe’s reaction, noticed his slight nod and took a breath to center her anxiety. “Yes.”
A shudder went through Sly. He stopped in front of Joe and they stared at each other, communicating silently. She didn’t get what they said, but they must’ve come to a decision.
“Go to the middle bedroom. Strip and lie on the bed with your legs parted. Wait for us. We’ll join you shortly,” Sly said.
Kiera hesitated, her heart pumping with anticipation along with a sliver of fear. Neither man paid her any further attention. With a soft huff of exasperation, she marched away, wondering what she’d let herself in for.
* * * * *
“Are you sure you want to share your mate?” Sly studied his twin closely, searching for the slightest hesitation.
“No,” Joe said. “But I need to let go of my jealousy because there’s something between us—something big. If I walk away now, I’ll always wonder.”
“Okay, but, Joe?”
“Yeah?”
“If you turn around tomorrow and start to blame me, I’m gonna knock you from here to Auckland and back,” Sly said.
“Deal. Anything else?”
“I think we should blindfold Kiera and do this together.”
“Makes sense.”
“Go and put the blindfold on her. Make sure she’s really on board with us doing this,” Sly said. He was crazy agreeing to this experiment. “Damn, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Don’t worry,” Joe said.
“I haven’t had sex since Maggie.” Might as well shove the last bugbear out of the cupboard.
Joe froze, a slow, shit-eating grin sliding across his face. “That’ll make things interesting. See you in a few.”
Sly stared after Joe, acknowledging the nerves jumping in the pit of his stomach. He collected the beer cans and wineglasses from outside and locked the door. Joe and Kiera should be settled by now. It was time for him to join them.
He forced himself to take the first step toward the bedrooms. He wanted to do this—he really did—yet he harbored worries. Plenty could go wrong. Premature ejaculation for one. Just sticking his dick anywhere near Kiera was going to shove him to the edge.
Sly reached the bedroom separating his and Joe’s. The faint murmur of voices came from inside and he hesitated.
“Come in, Sly,” Joe called.
Sly pushed open the door and stepped inside. He came to an abrupt halt. “She’s beautiful.” Long, slender limbs. Her black, curly hair loose around her shoulders. Breasts made to fit his hands, and curvy hips. He couldn’t see her eyes because of the black blindfold covering them, but he imagined the sea-blue color of them alight with mischief. Easy to understand why Joe was smitten with his mate. It would be a difficult decision when he came to choo
se where to touch her first.
“I know.” Joe sounded smug. “What can I say? I have great taste.”
“Hey, guys. I’m right here. And for the record, I came on to you first. It was my good taste that set us on this road. If I hadn’t needed a man, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”
Sly watched Joe stroke Kiera’s breast with his fingertips, mesmerized by the way her nipple tightened under Joe’s ministrations. His cock tightened as he watched the slow, back-and-forth strum of Joe’s fingers, his skin tan against the paleness of Kiera’s breast.
Sly’s mouth dried. He swallowed. Unbidden, his feet took him to the edge of the king-size bed. When he glanced at Joe, his twin nodded encouragement, seeming to understand his trepidation.
He tugged off his T-shirt but decided to leave on his jeans. He sat on the edge of the bed, not far from her shoulder, and let his fingers drift across her face. Silky-smooth skin. He leaned down and let his lips follow the same direction his fingers traveled. Her scent filled him—a unique mixture of her and his brother Joe along with the floral soap she liked to use in the shower. His tongue flickered out to taste her skin and a purr vibrated in his throat. Even better than he’d imagined. And he’d imagined spending time with Kiera in this way, experienced guilt for loving his brother’s mate.
Sly moved his trembling hand down her body, keeping his touch away from her sweet spots because he wanted to savor the experience, explore her body and learn her like a good student. Joe didn’t hold the same reservations. He licked around the base of her breast, gradually moving closer to her puckered nipple.
Kiera sighed, lifting into Joe’s touch. Sly skipped her breast to skim his mouth across her ribs, noticing not an ounce of reservation in her. No taut muscles or lingering tension.
Why had he fostered a yen for a future with Maggie? The differences in the two women staggered him. Kiera gave joyously while Maggie snatched their affection in selfish grabs. Another time he’d have to ask for the full story about how they met and came to live together. They’d never told him, and he wanted to learn everything, no matter how small.
My Twin Trouble (Middlemarch Shifters Book 15) Page 18