by Talya Bosco
“I couldn't not meet you tonight. And I couldn't not spend last night with Jared. I can't explain it. It's never happened to me before. I'm not psychic; I don't get hunches. I'm a damn accountant. I deal with facts and numbers. Not this.” Her hand waved at thin air in frustration.
Devon finally understood what Jared had been trying to tell him earlier. This was tearing her apart, and because of that, it tore him apart. He'd thought hearing what Philip had said to her was bad, but seeing her like this, her wondering if she was going crazy, hurt him like nothing else could.
And he also understood Jared's determination to see this through to the end. After just spending the last couple of hours with Larissa, there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep her. Whether it was his werewolf DNA rearing its ugly head, or just her, he knew she was the one for them. And he'd never let her go.
He struggled to stay seated, to keep himself from wrapping her in his arms. “Is this a bad thing, Larissa? Is there something wrong with being attracted so strongly to someone else? Even if it is two someone elses?”
“Jared asked me the same thing. He tried to assure me that I wasn't insane.” She smiled wryly. “Or a slut.”
Devon jumped up from his seat and went to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Don't use that word. Stop it.”
“Okay, already. I know it doesn't make me a slut. But it's different from anything I'm used to. Hell, the fact I'm thinking of being with both of you bothers me less than this damn compulsion does. Although I'm not sure if that makes any sense.”
“How do you feel when you are with me or Jared, Larissa? Besides wanting to be with us.”
She took a few moments before answering. Her face was very expressive, and he could see all kinds of emotions and thoughts run across it.
“Desired, wanted, protected. But more than that.” She turned away from him again, as though unable to face him. “I feel honored and respected, revered almost. Like I belong. Like I've come home. And none of this makes any sense at all, does it? I'm freaking insane, aren't I?” She laughed. “Oh God, Toto, we are in Kansas, and this is what happens to you.”
Devon smiled at her back and pulled her into his arms. “Well, you know, Dorothy really wanted to get back to Kansas. Maybe it wasn't just Auntie Em and the farm.”
“You idiot.”
Devon buried his nose in her hair, smiling at the sound of laughter in her voice. It was good to hear her happy; it made him happy as well.
He turned her around and lifted her head. It was mere milliseconds that he stared into her eyes before he lowered his head and took her lips with his.
Smell, taste, sensations enveloped him as he lost himself in her and all she was. Devon felt a shock run through his system at the touch of their lips, and he knew what Jared knew, at a level he hadn't experienced previously. This woman was meant to be theirs, no matter what.
Her sigh as she pressed against him sent his body on fire, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her in closer. She parted her lips, and he slid his tongue between them to taste her essence. He moaned, his hormones begging him to move faster.
Knowing he had no choice, he pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Wow.” Her whisper sent shivers down his body as he tried to calm himself down.
If he didn't, he'd take her now and to hell with the consequences.
“You can say that again,” he said. She opened her mouth, and he quickly placed his finger across it. “Don't you dare,” he whispered, glaring at her.
In case she was still planning on it, he lowered his head to hers once again. Her lips were smooth and plump, giving and responsive. This time when she parted them, he waited a moment, savoring the feel of her, enjoying the stroke of skin to skin. His hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb stroking her cheekbone, feeling the softness that was her.
When his tongue penetrated between her lips, he took his time appreciating all she was. He still got the essence of what she'd had for dinner, but he also tasted her. Sweet, sensual, erotic all came to mind as his tongue gently stroked hers.
He inhaled deeply, tasting and sensing a wildness in her he'd been unaware of before. His inner beast woke up when it sensed the matching animal within her. It was eager to mate, wanting to claim her as its own.
Devon tamped his beast down, reminding it it wasn't the time. Or the place. They'd claim her as their alpha female, but they'd claim her together, and only when she knew what she was agreeing to.
Her moan of pleasure encouraged him to hold her snugly. Her body molded against him, fitting just right despite their height difference.
Slowly he pulled away again and gazed into her eyes. They were clouded with desire, her inner flame flickering. Her face was flushed and her breathing fast. Pleasure zinged through him at the signs of the effect he had on her.
“Damn.”
His heart felt a mixture of pleasure at her amazement and pain at the half-truths they had told her up to this point.
“We need to talk.” He hated saying it, but he knew they couldn't go any further until he'd come clean. Until they'd come clean.
He led her back to the seat at the other side of the gazebo. Once seated, he held her hand in both of his and took a deep breath.
“I have something to tell you. Another confession. It's about the friend I mentioned earlier.”
Larissa looked at him for a moment before saying, “It must be difficult, trying to figure a way to tell me that you and Jared know each other.”
Devon blinked. “What?”
“You're about to tell me that you and Jared know each other and you guys hoped to get me into bed together. Not that I particularly object, mind you, but I think you might have managed to do a slightly smoother job of it.”
Devon said nothing. He realized for the first time in his life he was totally at a loss for words. He didn't know why he was so surprised she'd figured it out. Her intelligence was one of the things that attracted both him and Jared.
He opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it was, he was forestalled by her.
“So, is he gonna be here? Or do you take me back to the hotel and we meet up there?”
Jared's chuckle came from the shadows outside the gazebo. “That depends; what would make you feel more comfortable?”
Devon barely registered Jared walking up the steps. Instead, he turned to Larissa. “How did you know?”
“I could say that it's rare enough for me to find one man interested in me, never mind two at the same time, but that will just piss you off.” She smiled at Devon. “I could say it was the fact you were both interested in sharing me. But honestly, I can't pinpoint one thing in particular. Part of it was your whole attitude and what you said earlier, Devon, the comment about your friend owning the hotel.”
“I never told you I owned the Betran.” Jared grabbed a loose chair and pulled it over to the bench Larissa and Devon were seated on.
“You didn't have to. Last night at dinner you talked about tourism being down, and how it was affecting all the local places of business, including your own. Paired with your similar attitudes toward a ménage à trois, and the way Devon referred to you so easily all night, not to mention at first I thought you both worked for Canid, well, I put two and two together. It was a huge assumption, I know, but it just seemed right.”
“I told you she was smart.” Jared looked to Devon.
“Are you upset?” Devon squeezed her hand. It had been his idea to seduce her separately, but maybe it really hadn't been well thought-out.
“I should be.”
“Would it make any difference to know that it wasn't really our intention to do it quite like this? That we really did see you independent of each other? That I didn't even know who you were the first time I saw you in the hotel?”
Larissa sighed. “I don't know why, but I'm really not pissed about it. Part of me is screaming that I was set up, that the two of you manipulated me. But a bigger part of me is tu
rned on, excited. Honored, almost.”
Jared took her other hand in his. “I won't tell you that we've never shared a woman before, but I can tell you that we want this more than anything either of us has ever wanted before. But if it isn't what you want, then we will walk away.”
“Both of you?”
“If that's what you want.”
“What if I choose to be with only one of you?”
Devon answered this time, his eyes on Jared as he spoke, knowing his best friend would know what he meant without saying the exact words. “Then the other will walk away. Regretting what he didn't have, but knowing it's for the best for everyone.”
If Larissa chose him, he would walk away from the pack and allow Jared to find a new coleader, a new mate. If Larissa chose Jared, and the pack, then Devon would back down and allow Larissa to choose from the others in the pack if she wanted a third.
“I need to know a couple of things first.”
“Understandable.” Jared nodded.
“Have you ever done this before?”
“Split up to seduce a woman?” Trust Jared to be blunt about it.
“Yes.”
“No. Never. Like I said, we've shared women before, but we've never met her independently of each other and decided we wanted her. I also hadn't realized that Devon had already approached you yesterday afternoon when I joined you for dinner. Remembe,r you didn't tell me about it until the next day.”
Devon had never let go of her other hand, and he stroked the back of it with his thumb. “After I told Jared about having seen you in the lobby, we realized you were the same woman. You seemed jittery to him, so I suggested we meet you independently. Give you a chance to get to know both of us, and then approach you together.”
Jared spoke up. “To be honest, I didn't expect to go to bed with you last night.”
Larissa blushed, and Jared continued quickly. “But that doesn't mean I didn't want to. We had planned to take it slow, each of us wooing you in our own way. But after spending even just the short time dinner took with you, it just seemed natural, the right thing to do. And to be honest, I don't think anything could have stopped me from taking you from the moment I first kissed you. Not even the knowledge my best friend might never forgive me.
“Earlier today you talked about feeling this 'moreness' with both of us. Believe me when I say that I, too, have experienced it. That I know this is more right than anything I have ever done.”
Devon watched Larissa as she digested Jared's words. He couldn't even begin to fathom what was going on in her head. Just the fact that she was sitting here, talking to them, spoke wonders to his mind.
Even given the attraction she felt for them as her mates, she still had the power, the ability to walk away.
“And you, Devon? Did you really run into me accidentally at the boutique?”
“Yes. I told you the truth, I was there buying my sister a necklace. I saw you walk into the dressing room as I was paying for it.” He shrugged. “I will admit to walking back there to see you again after spotting you. I wasn't going to let you go without saying something again. Jared's right, Larissa. There is some attraction that we can't explain. When I look at you, I ache to be closer to you, to be with you.”
Even as a werewolf, being prepared for the attraction they'd have for their mate, he found himself hard-pressed to truly explain the attraction. He just accepted it and was glad for it.
Larissa nodded, listening to the two men. She knew she should be shocked by everything they were admitting, but she wasn't. She really did feel honored that they would go to so much trouble to be with her. And she couldn't force herself to disbelieve their claims of feeling more for her. If she felt it, there was always the chance they were being truthful and felt it as well. She actually found it hard to believe that they didn't feel anything more.
But what she still couldn't understand was: why her? Even with Devon's explanation earlier, she found it hard to accept that they both wanted her. Oh, she could accept it on an intellectual level, but deep down it was hard to accept. Why would two men this hot want her?
And why did she want them so badly? The desire was practically eating away at her, it was so strong. She'd wanted men before, but never to this extent.
She'd thought it was bad being with just one of them, but now with both of them near her, both of them touching her, her body was on fire with need. All hopes that her overly horny body had convinced her brain that the desire was so strong went out the window. There was no more kidding herself. She wanted these two men, and she'd do anything it took to get them.
“Okay. Let's go.” She stood up and took a couple of steps before she realized they hadn't moved an inch. Turning around, she looked at them. “Well?”
“Where are we going?” Jared asked carefully, one eyebrow raised.
“To my suite. Unless you have somewhere else you'd prefer to do this. I'd rather not do it out here where anyone can find us.”
Devon stood up and walked to her, then cupped her face in his hands. “Darling, although the thought of spending the night with you fills me with joy, I need to make sure you really want this.”
“I said okay, what more do you want?” Please don't let them ask for an explanation, a reason why she was doing this. She didn't have one. At least not one that didn't sound crazy. It was bad enough she'd told them both she felt something with them; did they really need to make her spell it out again?
“Rissa.” Jared's softly spoken nickname for her made her turn to look at him. “Let's take this slow. Come dancing with us.”
Slow? Dancing? She was burning up here. After all this setup, they were going to leave her cold?
“Larissa. Please,” Devon said. “We screwed this up. Neither of us wants this to be clinical. Let us at least start over tonight.”
“But you—” Larissa nodded. They were right. She'd already told them she wanted to be with them; they knew that. But if they wanted to make the night more than just a roll in the hay, who was she to deny them? “Okay, where to?”
Jared smiled. “There's a small jazz club down the street. Very private and discreet. Unless that would bother you?”
Leave it to one of them to think of her sensibilities while they were plotting to get her into bed.
“Not at all. In fact, I'd love to go dancing with the two of you.”
Devon's kiss was quick and gentle, but the feel of his lips lingered on hers, his taste mingling with Jared's when he kissed her as well. Mmm, if that was a precursor to what she had to look forward to tonight, bring it on.
“Wait. I just thought of something.” Larissa wasn't sure which answer she wanted them to give, but realized she'd be remiss if she didn't at least ask the question. “You two, you're best friends. Um, is there anything else there?”
Jared answered her. “No. Devon and I are as close as brothers, and that's where it ends.”
A thrill of pure sexual excitement ran through her at his words. It would be as he said this morning. Two men there for her satisfaction. There to please her and do whatever she wanted. She almost regretted agreeing to go dancing. The only thing she wanted to do now was be alone with them, letting them fulfill their promises to her.
Jared hopped down the three steps and then reached up to grab her waist and swing her down to the ground. Once her feet touched, he let go of her waist and turned her to face Devon, who was now also on the ground. “Your date, milady. Just consider me an extra treat.”
Devon put his arm out, and Larissa linked hers to it. The pathways in the maze were only wide enough for two, so Jared followed behind, a close, warm presence at her back.
Chapter Six
Larissa sat back and watched Devon at the bar. He was joined by Jared, who had been talking to an employee for a moment. She sat there and stared at them.
For the last hour they'd been perfect gentlemen. But fun, flirtatious gentlemen. Dancing, flirting, and making her feel the sexiest she'd ever felt in her life. She was so
turned on, she was ready to explode. The light touches and soft glances they sent her way made her squirm with desire. But she was afraid to ask them to take her back to the hotel. She didn't know if they were ready.
The bar had started to fill up and there was a pretty good crowd, even for a weeknight. The small dance floor was fairly full, and watching some of the dancers gave her an idea. If she was too chicken to ask them to her room, then she'd be damned if she couldn't make at least one of them want to go.
They turned and walked toward her side by side, and she couldn't help but rub her legs together at the sight. Jared, well over six feet tall with black hair and dark, chestnut-toned skin, had the body of someone used to hard physical labor. His suit was tailored to his body and fit him perfectly. Charcoal gray with small pinstripes, it framed his black shirt perfectly. He looked so good, she couldn't wait to eat him up.
Devon was equally sexy. His brown wavy hair was the perfect complement to his chiseled face and green eyes. There was something dangerous and wild about him, much less refined than Jared, and it turned her on more than it should, she was sure.
They both moved with an animal-like grace, as though stalking their prey to arouse the minimal amount of suspicion. The thought of her being their prey had her squirming in her seat.
It wasn't until they were nearly at the table that she realized they didn't have anything in their hands. She swallowed in nervous anticipation. Maybe she wouldn't have to put her hastily made plan into action.
Jared reached for her hand and pulled her to a standing position. “I have a car waiting for us outside. I know we walked here, but I don't want to wait any longer. The car will get us back to the hotel much faster. That is, if you care to continue our evening together.”
Larissa bit her lip. Hell, yeah, she cared to continue their evening together. She'd wanted to continue it since she'd met him. Them. But instead of jumping on him and wrapping her legs around his waist and riding him like she wanted to, she just nodded.