Gates of Paradise

by Tianna Xander

Damn! They would have let her have her privacy if they hadn’t feared for her safety. The last thing he wanted was to be the voyeur he was at the moment. Imagining her naked and ready was hard enough. Seeing her naked and, he swallowed thickly, rubbing that wonderfully scented soap over her breasts, was something else indeed. Her eyes were closed, almost as though she imagined a lover’s touch as she soaped her breasts and lathered her hair.

  Dunking her head beneath the water, she rinsed 40

  the soap from her hair, then reached down below to soap more private areas. It didn’t take long to see she was pleasuring herself with her hand below the water.

  To hell with this, Griff. I’m going in. I can’t stand this. If she screams rape, come rip me apart because I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself if you don’t.

  Flying down to the ground, he changed back into his human self. I hope you don’t mind that I’m approaching her first.

  I don’t mind as long as you intend to share.

  He intended to share. If he had his way, they’d have her naked and between them in no time. Still, she was human and not likely to be receptive to a triad bond so they would take it slowly. One at a time until she was comfortable with them and accepted them both.

  Pausing, he shook his head. When had he begun to look at this as something more than it was? She could never be more to them than a bed partner. She was human. Even though he’d heard their leader, Adam Greer, had sanctioned mating with humans, it was nothing more than a rumor.

  That is, until he heard it from the man himself.

  Still, it wouldn’t stop either of them from sleeping with her. Her scent was intoxicating and her beauty was unrivaled. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman in or out of clothes.

  Changing back into his human form, he 41

  stripped on the bank, dropped his clothes in a heap and dove into the water. In his hurry to reach her, he made a rather loud splash. She opened her eyes and turned with a startled yelp. The look of arousal was still on her face. She’d been about to climax if his guess was right.

  “What are you doing here?” She moved back, lowering herself so the water covered her shoulders. The clear liquid covered her breasts lightly, only accentuating her beautiful breasts as her nipples grew harder in the cool water.

  “I came to check on you and saw…” He let his words trail off as he noticed her face turning red.

  “I just wanted to help.”

  “To help?” She splashed water at him and turned away. She walked a few steps, then turned back to glare at him. “To help me or yourself?”

  “To help you, if you’ll let me. I’ll stop there if you don’t want it to go any further.” Yeah, he’d stop, but it would kill him. He only hoped she wouldn’t want him to stop by the time he was done with her. Drace watched her swallow visibly.

  At least she was thinking about it. Any other woman would have probably slapped his face. But she was strong and brave. It was probably those qualities that drew him to her.

  Reaching up, he cupped her face in his hands, leaned down and gazed deep into her eyes. “Say yes.” She wanted to. He could see it in her eyes. In 42

  the way her body trembled as he held her and in the warmth of her touch as she circled his wrists with her fingers.

  His gut clenched at the contact. His body reacted as it always did when he touched or scented this particular female. He watched as she blinked slowly and licked her lips. Plump and moist, they practically begged to be kissed. His heart nearly pounded from his chest and his mouth went dry. Everything around them seemed to go silent. Even the insects and frogs didn’t make a sound. It was as if the world held its breath, wondering what her answer would be. All he could think of, all he wanted to do, was slip inside her velvety softness and have her supple body welcome him home.

  Trembling fingers slid down his arms and grasped his elbows as he leaned closer. Drace tilted her head back with his thumbs, stared into her eyes and touched his lips gently to hers.

  Tasting her hot, sinfully moist mouth was his undoing. He shifted, pressing himself closer. His hands slid over her shoulders and splayed possessively over her back. Hot, wet, silky skin slid beneath his fingers. The warm mineral water from the spring below mixed with the cool mountain stream and softened her already satiny skin.

  His mouth trailed lower, over her neck. Licking 43

  small droplets from her flesh, he could feel her heartbeat grow faster until it raced beneath his lips. This strange feeling he had frightened him. It was more than want, it was some all-consuming need. He had to have her. Now. Drace became dimly aware of her hands pushing against his chest.

  “Please,” she sobbed. “I can’t. I’m not ready for this. I can’t.”

  It was all he could do to pull away. Something inside him insisted, no, demanded he make her his. Frustrated more than he’d ever been before, Drace ran his fingers through his hair. It probably looked like hell. He’d barely had time to think since meeting this little minx, not to mention groom himself properly. Maybe that was why she’d pushed him away. If she’d waited just one more minute, he would have had his fingers buried deep in her sex. Then perhaps, she would have been unable to beg him to stop.

  Taking a deep breath, he tried to bring his raging hormones under control. Hands on her shoulders, he held her steady for a few moments until she regained her senses. After releasing her, he made his way back to the bank and bent to pick up his discarded clothes. They lay scattered over the forest floor where he’d removed them while he rushed to her in the water.

  Drace fisted the clothes in his hands. He refused 44

  to put them on right away. He wanted a bath himself. He’d merely wait her out at the edge of the water until she finally finished and gathered the courage to step from the water to dry herself off. As much as he wanted to look, he would be a gentleman and turn his back. He smiled. Besides, he’d already seen every one of her luscious curves.

  Sitting on a huge flat rock, he laid back to wait until she finished.

  Meanwhile, he thought with a grin as he brought his knee up and turned slightly toward the water, he’d relax here on the rock near the shoreline and let her look. Drace fought his grin widening as he watched her through his lashes.

  Good. She was staring at him. Let her look. Let her see exactly what he had to offer her. He reached down and caressed his still hard cock. Sooner or later, she would allow her more sensual nature to prevail and then he would have her right where he wanted her—flat on her back and screaming his name.

  45

  Chapter 3

  Padding to the edge of the water, Griffin changed into his human form and watched the two with interest. If Drace couldn’t get to her, no one could. The man was notorious for his conquests. Not one single woman in the village remained untouched after he’d arrived. It was almost amusing the way the women seemed to fall at his feet. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so damned irritating. Even he knew that Drace’s tall, dark good looks were a favorite with the ladies.

  She’d surprised him by pushing Drace away in less than a minute. The kiss they shared looked hot. It even stirred his loins. He reached down and shifted himself in his pants. Damn she was hot! He wanted her as much, if not more, than Drace. How in the hell could they convince her to sleep with the both of them when Drace failed to take her alone?

  Griffin watched as she stared at Drace when he 46

  rested on a rock on the shore. Her face was filled with desire. There was no hiding it with this one.

  She wore her moods like clothing.

  Sighing, he returned to his patrol around the camp. The last thing they needed was someone sneaking up on them. Still, he couldn’t help his gaze returning to Aliana as she finished her bath.

  He’d bet she had no idea how beautiful she was, washing that long hair, with her breasts rising just above the water to show glimpses of her dusky nipples.

 
Just once, he’d like to see her look toward him the way she watched Drace. The wistful expression on her face as she watched his friend almost made him jealous. Almost. If he didn’t know that Drace would share, he might consider fighting for her. He may still have considered it if he hadn’t seen the way she’d looked at him as well. She wanted them both and probably felt slutty for it. He grinned. That indecision would serve them well. They both wanted her together.

  Griffin couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t shared a woman. Though it had happened, he was sure of it. But after a few hundred years of sharing and feeling the euphoria that accompanied sharing a lover, he couldn’t imagine it any other way. He didn’t want to either.

  He’d heard Adam Greer, leader of the clan, talking about taking humans for mates. He’d said 47

  it was possible, the only thing holding them back was finding human women with strong enough hearts and minds to implement his plan. He glanced out at Aliana again and grinned.

  “Something wrong?” She was glaring at him and he couldn’t help but smile as she stood with her hands belatedly covering her breasts.

  “Stop looking at me. I’m going to get out of the water now. Can I have some privacy?”

  He looked away with a chuckle. She wouldn’t worry about him looking now if she could have seen herself earlier when she had soap in her eyes.

  * * * *

  Aliana tried not to let them know she watched them. Males! The term was synonymous with sexist pig and big pain in the ass. When they weren’t watching her, they were playing with themselves. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen into the same trap herself. Self-gratification was the last thing on her mind when she’d walked into this stream. Hell, she couldn’t help it if those two men were so drop-dead gorgeous it made her fingernails sweat!

  Biting her lip, she tried to keep an eye on them both as she strode from the water. They didn’t appear to be looking, but everyone knew how sneaky a horny male could be.

  She wanted to give in to Drace, but she wanted 48

  Griffin, too, and until she could choose between them, she’d have to abstain. The last thing she wanted was a reputation for having loose morals.

  Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how she would feel in a few days if her father caught up to her.

  Though, if she had a lousy reputation for liking and engaging in kinky sex, maybe her affianced wouldn’t want anything to do with her anymore.

  It was worth a thought.

  She grabbed the towel one of the men had thoughtfully set next on a rock next to her wet clothes and dried herself off. After wiping the excess water from her skin, she wrapped the towel around her hair and picked up a large, obviously male, shirt and slipped it on over her head. They were thoughtful. She’d give them that. They’d provided more for her emotionally and physically over the last day or so than her father had her entire life. He couldn’t be bothered with things that didn’t involve business. Perhaps that was how she’d ended up as one of his perceived assets.

  He had to take care of her now that her mother was gone so he’d traded her off like part of his inventory.

  A cool breeze came down from the top of the mountain and she wondered how far they’d walked before the two guys had decided to make camp. She glanced back to the river just in time to see Drace rise and dive back in. He needed that 49

  cool bath. His hard-on was still as big as ever.

  Aliana looked over her shoulder to see what Griffin was up to. He still sat on the log, looking alert, but his gaze also kept returning to her. He winked at her for the third time and she looked away, a blush heating her cheeks.

  Aliana stopped short when they returned to camp. How would they all sleep in that dinky little tent? They’d said something about security while they slept, but it all sounded Greek to her so she had no idea how they planned to keep the camp safe. She did know that they both intended to sleep in the tent with her. They’d worked out the logistics on the way down the mountain. Her being the only female and being between them made a certain sense but she didn’t know these guys!

  Besides, how in the world was she going to be able to sleep with two hot men on either side of her? It would be too much like a sex sandwich.

  While not totally abhorrent, she still didn’t know what to do. How could she give in and allow something like that to happen when she didn’t even know who these two men were? She sighed.

  It was so tempting just to walk over to Griffin, grab him by the ears and kiss his socks off.

  The sun had grown lower in the sky while she bathed and she was tired. There would be no fire because the two men didn’t want to give their 50

  position away. So, she assumed, there wouldn’t be much to eat either. Perhaps it was just better if she crawled into the already-pitched tent and went to sleep. She was exhausted anyway. Then she wouldn’t have to think about giving herself to the two men. She’d be asleep and, as thoughtful as they’d been, she couldn’t see them waking her when they finally settled down to sleep. Not on purpose, anyway.

  Aliana woke with a startled gasp. “What…?”

  “Shh. Dinner is ready and you should eat. We would have let you sleep, but you’ve gone too long without eating already. You can’t count two granola bars. They’re empty calories.” Drace held out his hand. “Come on. You have to eat.”

  “I didn’t think there would be much of anything with no fire.”

  “We can still cook. Griff and I have several cans of chafing fuel. They’re good to cook on in a pinch.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “We have canned beef stew and bread.”

  “Oh.”

  Her stomach grumbled and he smiled. “I knew you were hungry.”

  Hungry? She was starving. She’d barely eaten since she’d been on the run from her father and his men. And most of what she’d had was cold and pulled from the trail. She’d begun to hate the raw potato-like roots she’d pulled from the banks of 51

  rivers and the pine needle tea she’d brewed the couple of times she’d risked a fire tasted like shit.

  But it had kept her alive.

  “I’m sorry it’s not something better.” He pulled her from the tent when she’d put her hand in his.

  “Beef stew sounds heavenly. Believe me, after what I’ve eaten in the last few weeks, beef stew and bread sounds like a feast.” She let him lead her to Griffin who held out a plate filled with the wonderful smelling stew and a slice of bread.

  “There’s more bread if you want.” He waited for her to sit, then handed her the plate. It was all she could do to keep herself from digging into the food like some half-starved animal. Instead, she spooned a bite into her mouth and closed her eyes.

  It was wonderfully warm and tasty. She managed to eat it somewhat slowly, savoring every bite.

  After the slice of bread and half the plate was gone, she was stuffed. She held the plate toward Griffin.

  “More?” he asked, ready to spoon more on her plate.

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m full. I don’t know what to do with the rest.”

  “Hand it to Drace. He’ll eat it. I’ve never seen anyone who could put more away than he can.”

  Drace held out his hand. “I’ll take it if you’re sure you can’t eat more.” He shot Griffin a glare.

  “And not because I want to eat it. You didn’t eat 52

  much. Are you sure you can’t eat more?”

  She covered her stomach and nodded. “If I eat any more I’ll be sick. I haven’t had much to eat over the last several weeks.”

  “And it shows.” Drace frowned and took her plate. “You’ll eat more while we’re with you.

  There’s no reason for you to run anymore. You can stay with us for a while if you want.” He held up a hand before she could answer. “No demands.”

  No demands. Why couldn’t he have said she could stay if she slept with them? If they’d given her tha
t ultimatum, it would have taken her reasons to keep to herself away from them. But no, they just had to be gallant. She sighed and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to seem loose, but she wanted both of these men more than she’d ever wanted anyone in her life. It was just too bad she couldn’t keep them.

  * * * *

  Drace watched Aliana as she gazed between them and wondered what she was thinking. Too bad he and Griffin had vowed not to read the thoughts of others because it was a breach of their privacy. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders in tangled waves. She must have fallen asleep while it was still wet. Her startling green eyes looked up at him 53

  filled with something he was sure was desire. She had the same expression on her face when she looked at Griff. Could it be that easy? Could she want them both and didn’t know how to choose between them?

  His shirt that she wore came down to just above her knees. The creamy white skin on her legs was still marred by the small bruises and scratches she’d gotten from her battle with the river the other night. Her delicate feet, wrapped in those silly little shoes, were barely protected from the dangers of the forest. Still, she’d slipped them back on and wore them to bed. He smiled. He’d remove them when they joined her. For now, he’d let her get back to sleep.

  She was tired. The circles under her eyes attested to that. And she’d been hungry. It would have taken a lot more restraint on her part to hide the fact that she’d practically wanted to bathe in that stew.

  He looked down at her plate, suddenly without an appetite. That hadn’t happened in years. His physiology was such that he could eat ten, maybe twenty, times more than the average shifter. He rarely ever got enough to eat. That was why he carried granola bars with him everywhere. The last time he’d felt this way, he’d lost his mother.