by Amy Lamont
“I love music. I love playing with the guys.” I gestured to the stooges still standing there staring at us as if we were the newest episode of their favorite show. I bit back the urge to offer them popcorn. My hard stare must have been enough of a hint. Before I turned back to the men holding me between them, my bandmates went back to sorting out the equipment. “They’ve always kept an eye on me. I was never in any danger.”
“Then why keep it from everyone? I’m assuming your brothers have no clue you’ve been doing this?” Nash asked.
I raised my hands and rested them against his chest. My reasons were important to me, and I needed him to understand them.
“Because it was necessary to me,” I said softly. I glanced over my shoulder at Gage to include him in the conversation. “I was afraid if you guys all found out, you’d make me stop.”
Gage’s hands came to rest on my hips, so large his fingers rested on my stomach while his thumbs brushed a caress across my lower back. He didn’t speak, but his gesture made me feel supported in a way I’d never felt before.
Nash bent forward so his forehead rested against mine. “I’d like to tell you we would have understood. But you know us better than that. There’s no way we’d have been happy to let you traipse off hundreds of miles to hang out in seedy bars.”
I smiled. “In retrospect, I can understand why it wasn’t a good idea back then. And since then…” I shrugged. “I didn’t want anyone to try to take it away from me.”
It was as simple and as complicated as that.
“Hey, Mace. I hate to interrupt you guys.” Ben’s amused tone said something different than his words. “But we’re all packed up. Ready to head over to the hotel with us?”
The second the word hotel fell from his lips, Gage let out a low, fierce growl and took a step closer, pushing me directly into Nash’s arms while he flattened himself against my back.
“You’re not staying at a hotel with these guys,” Nash bit out.
I twisted my head to look at Ben and narrowed my eyes at him. The look on his face told me he was enjoying this way too much.
My attention was quickly pulled back to my guys. I was enveloped in them. Their scents—clean, masculine—filled my head. Their big, hard bodies, pressed against me so intimately, engaged every single one of my senses.
“Ben’s my ride,” I somehow managed to get out.
“You’re coming home with us.” Gage’s voice was pure gravel and his tone left no room for argument. “Now.”
Chapter 7
Nash
The flight in our small plane and the car ride home were silent. And for the first time in my life I wished I was better at communicating. I hadn’t been able to respond to Gage’s announcement back at the bar right before we spotted Macy. Both of us thought we had a claim to the woman currently sitting in the back seat.
The odd thing was when Gage countered my claim on Macy with one of his own, I hadn’t felt any of the things I’d expect to feel under the circumstances. From everything I’ve ben told about mating, my bear should have come to the forefront, claws out and ready to tear apart anyone else trying to take what was mine.
But the possessive jealousy I would have expected never came. If anything, when Gage claimed Macy, an odd feeling of…rightness settled over me.
If I took the time to think about it, I’m sure I would have chalked it up to being completely fucked up. Whatever drove my need to be close to Gage at all times must be fucking with my bear’s instincts, too.
But I couldn’t make that argument. Not after the way I reacted to that Ben guy in the back of the bar. My bear wanted to rip his head off when he put his hands on Macy. Even while my more rational side recognized and appreciated Ben was trying to protect her, my bear needed to stake his claim on her.
“What are we doing here?” Macy’s voice came from behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.
I glanced in the rearview mirror. She’d been dozing in the backseat since we got off the plane, but now she’d popped up to peer into the darkness surrounding us.
Gage twisted around toward her. “Home.”
Another quick glance in the mirror showed me she squinted out the window as I pulled the SUV up in front of the cabin Gage and I had been living in since we got back.
“Are we dropping one of you off?” Confusion clouded her tone.
Gage and I exchanged a quick look before we hopped out of the car, almost in unison. I grabbed the handle of the back door and before she could protest or say a word, I had my hands on Macy’s hips and had her body sliding down mine before setting her on the ground.
Gage came around the vehicle and grabbed Macy’s hand. He pulled her to the porch, up the steps and to the door. I came up behind them as Gage swung the door open.
“Guys?” Macy dug in her heels and lurched backward as Gage tried to tug her inside. She landed smack in the middle of my chest. And damned if it didn’t feel good to have her body against mine.
I placed my hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We need to talk, honey.”
She peeked up at me over her shoulder. “Are you guys going to lecture me?”
I could feel the grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Can’t say a lecture was what I had in mind.”
I raised my eyes to Gage and found amusement lurking there, too. Something eased in my chest. Something hard and tight that I didn’t even realize was there until it started to unravel.
“Let’s get inside.” I used my hands on her shoulders to propel her forward.
Gage shut the door behind us and I ushered her into the open concept living room. With a measure of regret, I let her go. She sank down onto the brown couch that took up most of the back wall.
For the first time since we’d moved in here, I felt restless inside these walls. One of the reasons this cabin had been empty was because the windows were small and high up. Most of the members of the Kodiak Den preferred walls of windows that made the forest and hills and meadows feel like part of their homes.
Gage and I had preferred the cabin. We felt less exposed, less vulnerable here.
But now, with my bear’s restlessness mounting with our mate so close, I suddenly found myself longing for the forest, the sky, the green earth. And glancing around the place—the well-worn furniture, the layer of dust along the ceiling, the lack of windows that brought the outdoors inside—struck me as wrong. This was not the place I wanted to bring my mate home to.
Gage’s shoulder brushed mine as he came to stand at my side. For long moments we stood together, looking down at Macy, none of us speaking.
Shit. I knew we had to talk, but fuck if I knew how to get this conversation started. Did we ask her to pick one of us? And then how would that work? Gage and I still couldn’t stand being apart. The need for Macy might be growing, but it didn’t diminish my need for the reassurance of Gage’s presence.
Honestly, discovering my mate was about the worst thing that could have happened right now. Add to that, Gage believed she was also his mate, and the whole situation had clusterfuck written all over it.
But here we were.
“So if you guys aren’t going to lecture me, are you going to do something besides stand there and stare at me?” Macy shifted and kicked off her black and white Converse sneakers. She yanked off the hoodie she had on, and tossed it so it hung over one of the living room chairs. She wiggled back into the cushions and pulled her feet up, tucking them underneath her as she propped an elbow on the armrest and rested her chin on her hand.
I couldn’t fight a smile. I loved that she was so obviously not intimidated by the two of us, even though we were all but looming over her. That she looked so at home in our space caused something warm to unfurl in my chest.
I glanced at Gage. His lips were pressed together, his eyes narrowed on her.
“Seriously, you guys are starting to freak me out. I know you’re big on the whole strong, silent thing...” she waved a hand between us, “but t
his is ridiculous.”
I shrugged and moved to the chair closest to her spot on the couch. I dropped to the edge, my elbows to my knees, my hands hanging between them. “Sorry. We just don’t know what to say.”
Gage moved to sit on the coffee table so he was directly across from her, his knees inches from where she sat. We had her cornered, but not in a predatory way, though I’d be lying if I said some of that wasn’t there. Instead, it felt comfortable and right—the three of us together, our closeness and body language suggesting intimacy.
“Did you bring me here to talk about my band?” she asked.
“No,” Gage said. “But we’ll get to that eventually.”
“Oo-kay.’ Her gaze darted between us and her teeth sank into her lower lip, the gesture so unconsciously sexy, I had to fight back a groan.
Geez. Was this wrong? Every instinct in my body might be telling me Macy was my mate. But there was still the tiny part of me that remembered she was also my best friend’s little sister.
She leaned forward. “Is this about the fact that we seem to have some weird mating thing going on between the three of us?”
My breath left me in a rush and a quick look at Gage showed me I wasn’t the only one shocked at her words.
I hadn’t really thought about what it meant that Gage and I both wanted to claim her. Hell, we’d only figured it out a few hours ago. I hadn’t even really dwelled on the fact that I wasn’t bothered by Gage’s feelings for the woman I knew in my heart was the one woman made just for me. My mate.
But here Macy was just throwing it out there.
“You think there’s something going on between the three of us?” I managed to ask.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if wires got crossed or if there’s something wrong with me or what. But when you and I were out in the woods the other day, Nash, my bear woke up for the first time in forever. Everything in me told me you’re mine.”
I rubbed a hand over my chest. Damn, those words hit me with the force of a sledgehammer. In the same moment, my bear stopped his restless pacing inside me. He sprang forward, his desire to capture her so strong, I could either give in or move aside as he took over completely.
Before I really made any decision, I was up and reaching for her. A growl left my throat as I scooped her from the couch and sank down in her spot, cradling her against my chest.
She didn’t fight me. She rubbed her cheek against my shoulder and cuddled in closer.
“You really do feel it, too?” she asked on a whisper.
I dropped my forehead to hers. “I do.”
And in that instant, the words felt as binding as any wedding vows ever could. Without a doubt, this was my mate. I would do anything to keep her with me and keep her safe. We belonged to each other.
Before I could do what I most wanted to do—begin exploring every inch of her with my hands and my mouth—a sound invaded our private moment. I didn’t recognize it until it came again—a growl from Gage.
Shit, shit, shit. I pulled my gaze from Macy to find Gage staring at the woman in my arms with a single-minded, laser-sharp focus. Was he feeling my feelings for Macy because of the strange tie that bound us together ever since that last mission?
Before I could figure out how to handle Gage, Macy took control of the situation. She lifted a hand from my chest and reached out to him. She gave a tug to indicate she wanted him to move and he obliged. He stood and sank to the couch next to us.
Macy wiggled in my lap, and this time there was no hiding the quiet groan as her movements against me brought my body stirring to life. She moved enough that she could rest her cheek against Gage's shoulder and look up at him as she kept her body draped across me.
“The odd thing was, after Nash left us to go get lunch the day you came to help me with my car, I started to feel the same feelings for you that I’d felt for Nash.” She reached up and stroked Gage’s cheek. His eyes dropped closed for a moment as he reveled in her touch. After a few seconds, he opened them again so he could stare down at her, his dark eyes burning with an intensity I recognized—it was the same burning I could feel behind my own eyes when I looked at her.
Macy’s gaze came back to my face. “I’ve been avoiding you guys the last few days because I was so confused.” She shrugged helplessly, shaking her head. “How could I feel mated to both of you? I figured there was something wrong with me.”
Anger pushed its way through my body like a tidal wave. My bear roared. Everything in me hated her denial of the feelings between us. Between all of us.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” I growled.
She smiled softly and leaned up to press a fast kiss on my lips.
Her action shocked me, leaving the air stuck in my lungs, unable to find its way out for several long seconds.
I swiveled my head to look at Gage. He stared back, confusion swirling through his eyes.
Had I just lied to her? How could this whole fucked up situation work?
I turned my attention back to the woman draped over both of us. “Macy, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you. But…”
I shot a desperate look at Gage. I rather face down enemy fire than try to talk this shit through.
His gaze held no answers. He dropped his eyes to the woman we held and opened his mouth, once and then again. A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he never managed to get a word out.
Macy looked back and forth between us. I wanted to give her the words to reassure her, to tell her it was going to be all right. But I didn’t want to lie. How the hell could we ever make this fucked up situation work?
Holding her body close to mine, though, all I could think was—how could we not? Unless Gage and I could find a way to live apart, and either of us could bear to live without Macy, how could we not make this work?
Chapter 8
Macy
I sat on my guys’ laps and knew without a shadow of a doubt, there was no place I’d rather be. I couldn’t control the giggle that escaped me as I took in the confusion on both their faces. My big, strong, tough Special Forces werebears were transformed into little boys for a second.
The laughter left me as I realized they were experiencing the same fears I’d been facing earlier when I explained things to Ben. Only on top of what was going on with the three of us, they were dealing with whatever pushed them so hard to stay close to each other.
My heart ached for my guys. I wanted nothing more than to soothe the hurt and confusion. I searched for a way to ease this situation. I thought about the events leading up to this moment, so many thoughts swirling through my mind.
And then it came to me.
I wiggled back a little more so my back was firmly braced against the arm of the couch, my legs draped over both them. My movements were met with two very male groans, and I couldn’t help the smile that formed any more than I could push down the surge of sheer feminine satisfaction that flowed through me. My bear and I were in total accord in that moment and I offered her a mental high five as I took in the almost pained expressions on their faces.
I might not have much experience with sex and everything that went along with it. But that didn’t mean I was naïve enough to miss the expressions of desire and need that sharpened the features of my mates.
My mates. Staring at them, I could feel an answering push of desire moving through me, pouring through my veins, and moving like molten lava to all my girly bits.
Down girl. I did my best to tamp down my need. We had some ground to cover before I jumped either one—or better still, both—of them.
But I was totally reserving the right to jump them as soon as possible.
I giggled as a weight lifted from me as the reality of my desire for both men settled deep into my heart and soul. With an instinct I never realized I possessed, I knew Ben was right. This was exactly as it was supposed to be.
My laughter brought incredulous looks from both men. I fought back more laughter. “Sorry, guys. It’s just…�
� I shook my head as I racked my brain for the best place to start.
“What did you guys think of my music?” The words popped from my mouth before I made the conscious decision to start there. As soon as they were out, I didn’t find it so hard to fight off the giggles anymore.
My music meant the world to me, as much as my strays and rescue animals. And sitting here with the two men I wanted to claim as my own, the answer to that question felt like the most important thing I’d ever hear.
I let me gaze drop to my lap, and played with a thread on the edge of my shirt.
“Macy, look at me.” Nash’s voice came softer than I’d ever heard it before.
I slowly raised my head and found myself the object of two gazes that touched me with a gentleness that made emotions I couldn’t quite name quake through me.
“Your music, that song you sang, it was incredible,” Nash said, his face solemn, as if he knew exactly how much his answer meant to me. He held my eyes, his gaze unwavering.
I stared for several long seconds before looking to Gage. His usual hard features were transformed by an almost boyish grin. “Baby, when you started singing, I felt it in my dick. When I realized it was you up there, I wanted to kill every man in the room who got to hear it.” He shook his head with a small chuckle. “If I didn’t know you were mine before, the second I heard you singing would have clinched it.”
My jaw dropped.
“Gage…” Nash’s voice was a rebuke.
But it wasn’t necessary. I lunged forward and flung my arms around Gage’s neck. Before he had a chance to do anything, I pressed my lips to his and kissed him for all I was worth.
Gage sat frozen underneath me for a long beat. But then he was kissing me back. His arms clamped around me, holding me tightly to him. His mouth slanted over mine and his tongue tested the seam of my lips, demanding entrance.
I opened to him, pressing myself even closer as I shifted to straddle his lap. My hands fisted in his hair, and as his tongue plunged inside for his first taste of me, a mixture of happiness and exultation and pure unadulterated lust rose within me with such force, all I could do was cling to him.