by Jane Jamison
Clenching his ass, he thrust again and again, his mind devoid of anything except the sensation of her pussy tightening around his cock. Her back was against the shower wall, and she pushed at him, driving her pussy hard against him.
The fire that had started in his abdomen flared into an inferno, threatening to burn its way through his skin and out to consume everything around him. He tensed, tried to keep from coming, and failed.
His roar mixed with her scream as they came together, their bodies shaking with the release.
It was minutes later before he found his voice again. “Kelly?”
Her panting pushed her breasts against his chest. “Yeah?”
He pulled back so he could see her face. “Do you think your neighbors heard us?”
She blinked then laughed. “I don’t know. Do you want to do it again in case they didn’t?”
He stepped out of the tub and made his way back into her bedroom. Throwing her wet body on top of her bed, he fell on top of her, his wet hair flinging big wet droplets against her skin. “I’m ready if you are.”
“Really?” Her gaze dropped to his already growing cock.
* * * *
Damon lay on his back staring at the ceiling above Kelly’s bed. Traces of Jude’s scent remained on the sheets, but that didn’t dispel the feeling that he’d let Riker and Jude down. The fact that Jude had already broken his word didn’t make breaking his word any better.
Kelly’s soft breaths flowed over his arm as she lay sleeping beside him. His friend and his brother had discussed Kelly, talking about how special she was and how she was the one they’d waited decades to find and share. Until her, they’d had sexual escapades with women, but nothing that was more than the simple relief of horniness. He’d never stayed the night with anyone, not only because they were only casual flings but because he didn’t trust himself to keep the animal inside him contained. Too often during the sexual act, he’d sensed his animal clawing its way to get out, and too often he’d had to run, unfulfilled, to keep from hurting the woman.
But Kelly was different. She stirred him as no other woman ever had, and yet, even with the wild need he had for her, her presence made keeping the beast at bay easier.
After making love, because he wouldn’t call anything he’d done with Kelly mere sex, they’d cuddled in her bed talking about his work, her freelance jobs, and any other subject that came to mind. She hadn’t asked about the future, and he hadn’t dared to voice his hopes. He wouldn’t break that promise to Damon and Riker.
She lay next to him, her mouth parted as her breathing grew slower, softer, taking her into a deeper sleep. He hated to leave her but couldn’t risk waking next to her in the morning. That would give him an unfair advantage over the other men in claiming her heart.
Slipping out from under the sheet they’d thrown over their naked bodies, he gathered up his clothes and quietly made his way to the door. He opened it without a sound then turned back to look at her one more time. She still slept soundly without a thought to the supernatural world that coexisted with her world.
Would she be able to handle the truth about them? Or would she shun them, fear dictating her actions, instead of listening to her heart? He wondered if they should have told her about them from the start, but then fear would’ve overwhelmed any feelings for them, and that would’ve made leaving them easier.
He eased the door shut behind him and strode down the hall to the kitchen. While searching for the spatula, he’d seen a pad of sticky notes and a pencil. Taking them from the drawer, he penned a short good-bye.
Dear Kelly,
I’m sorry I had to leave, but I’d forgotten about an appointment in the morning, and I didn’t want to wake you. Talk to you soon.
He paused, his pencil poised on the paper. Should he write “With love, Damon”? She might think it a casual signature as most people did. Or would she recognize his heartfelt emotions behind those simple words? In the end, he wrote a capital D with a flourish then stuck the sticky note on the front of her refrigerator.
* * * *
“Wow. Who died?”
Kelly hugged Lilly, happy to have her back home. She’d only expected her to be gone a day to visit her mother, but that day had lengthened into three days. “You’re finally home. And no. No one died.”
Lilly dropped her bag at the front door and took a tour of the small apartment. “Kell, there are enough flower arrangements, balloons, and stuffed animals here to start our own flower shop. Where did they all come from?” She paused to arch her eyebrows at Kelly. “Or do I already know?”
“Take a wild guess along with all the chocolate you can eat.” She pointed at the stacks of boxes on the kitchen counter. “I have plain chocolates, chocolates with cream fillings, chocolates with nuts, Godiva chocolate, chocolate all the way from Belgium, and a couple of others with fancy names I can’t pronounce.”
Lilly snagged a box and carried it around with her as she examined each and every item. “So which man gave you all this stuff?”
“Well, let’s see. I think it’s pretty well split between the three of them. Each of them gave me at least one of everything. I’ve lost track. Oh, wait. Damon took my picture and gave the photo to me. It’s in my room.”
“All three men?” Lilly plopped down on the sofa, hugging the box of chocolates to her chest. “Damn. I leave town for two lousy days, and you end up buried under gifts. Life is so not fair.”
“It was three days if you count the first one, and I do. As for the gifts, they arrive every morning and every afternoon. The delivery boy thinks I’m a high-dollar call girl with a lot of sugar daddies.”
Lilly propped her feet on the coffee table. “I can think of a whole lot worse things to be called.”
Kelly snagged the box out of her friend’s hands. “Yeah, I guess, but I feel like I should choose between them.”
“Again, I can think of worse things than having to choose between three incredibly hot guys. Poor, poor Kelly. Not.”
“You’re not helping. I know they seem okay with all three of them dating me and, uh, more, but—”
Lilly brought her feet to the floor in a hurry and twisted to confront Kelly. “Wait a second. What does ‘uh, more’ mean? Kelly Sims, have you gotten frisky with them? Even more than before?”
Kelly tossed a chocolate into her mouth then closed her eyes to try to enjoy the creamy lusciousness. But she knew she couldn’t stall her friend any longer. “Only you would call it frisky. But yes, I’ve been intimate with them.” She paused and tried to decide. “Although Riker and I didn’t exactly have sex-sex, but we came close enough.”
“Shit, girl, will you just say what you mean? Did you fuck them or not? Separately or at the same time?”
Kelly felt the color sliding up her neck and into her cheeks. After how she’d acted with the men, she was surprised she could still blush. “Separately. And if you need the graphic details to understand, Riker used his fingers, and I used my mouth. Does that spell it out clearly enough?”
Lilly gave a low whistle. “When you get busy, you really get busy.” She glanced around the room. “From everything I see here, it appears they liked whatever you did.”
Kelly popped another chocolate into her mouth. If she didn’t stop soon, she’d blow up like one of the helium balloons floating around the apartment. “But what do I do? Even if they’re willing to share, and I think they are, can I do that? I’ve never dated more than one man at once, much less slept with more than one man at a time. Like I said, I feel like I need to choose…but I don’t want to.”
Lilly relaxed again on the couch and grabbed a couple of chocolates. “Then don’t. Ask them what they want to do. Hell, if they’re ready to play nice with one girl, then why not go for it? I sure as hell would.”
“That would solve my problem in one way. But still…” Kelly chewed on her fingernail. “No. I’ve thought about this long enough. I’m going to call them, thank them for the gifts, and ask them to me
et me at Saddles tomorrow night.”
“Why not tonight?”
“I need to think about what I’m going to say.”
“I know how you should tell them.”
Although she could tell from the cat-ate-the-canary grin on Lilly’s face that she was going to regret asking, she did anyway. “Okay, I’ll take the bait. How should I tell them?”
“On your back and spread-eagled, of course.”
Lilly’s laugh was contagious. “I knew I shouldn’t have asked.”
“If I’m free tomorrow night, can I come?”
“Not on your life.” Kelly closed the box with a groan then tossed it onto the table.
“Party pooper.” Lilly was up and moving toward the front door. “I hate to eat and run. Hmm, is that what the guys tell you, too?”
“You skank! So not funny.” But Kelly laughed as she snatched a pillow off the couch and threw it at her friend.
“Ha! You missed me.” Lilly hooked her purse over her arm. “I’ve got a double shift at the restaurant.”
“Urgh. I don’t understand why they decided to keep the restaurant open 24-7. Is there that much of a demand for vegan?”
“Beats the hell out of me, but I have to make up for the time off, so I’m stuck. Then I promised to help Charlotte move, so I’m gone for another day or so. In the meantime, try not to turn our apartment into a sex club.”
“Not likely.”
“But if you do, be sure to charge admission.”
Lilly was out the door before Kelly could take aim. Instead, she tossed the teddy bear she’d grabbed onto the coffee table next to the box of chocolates. Digging into her purse for Damon’s card, she called and left a message asking him to contact Riker and Jude, then meet her at Saddles the next night.
* * * *
Although the light was fading, Lilly wasn’t afraid as she walked the two blocks to catch the bus. She’d made the trip to the bus stop at night several times and had never had any problems. Kelly often offered to drive her to work or to let her borrow her car, but Lilly liked taking the bus. She’d met a friend or two on the way to work, and, at the very least, she found the other riders interesting to talk to and watch.
She rounded the corner to the bus stop and slid onto the bench in front of the sign showing the times and routes. Taking out her MP3 player, she pushed the earplugs into her ears and brought up her favorite song. She hummed along with the tune as she sent text messages to several friends.
A leaf floated down and settled on her lap. Pausing in her text, she picked it up then looked skyward. The last thing she saw was Clyde Spear’s smiling face.
Chapter Eight
“But she has to be there.” The uneasy tension crawling up Kelly’s spine stiffened her neck. “She said she was going to work a double shift to make up for her recent time off.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Kelly. Lilly never showed up for work last night. I just assumed she’d gotten tied up at her mom’s, and since it was a light night I didn’t bother calling her until she didn’t show up for her morning shift.” Bruce, the owner-manager of Sprouts, the vegan restaurant where Lilly worked, had started the conversation with a “Where the hell is Lilly?” and had now morphed into a concerned employer. He’d called Kelly trying to find Lilly.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Bruce, except that Lilly came home yesterday and said she was headed to the restaurant. She’d never blow off work. She loves working there. Will you keep trying to locate her?”
“Sure I will. But I’ve tried her cell phone, and it keeps going straight to voice mail. I’m really getting worried now.”
“Me, too, Bruce. Call me if you hear anything at all, and I’ll do the same, okay?”
“Okay. Bye.”
Kelly stared at her phone a full minute after Bruce hung up. She dragged in a deep breath, hoping to squash her fears, then tried calling Lilly. Just like Bruce’s attempts, her call went straight into the messaging system. “This is bad. Real bad.”
Kelly spent the next hour calling everyone Lilly knew, including friends, acquaintances, ex-boyfriends, and even a couple of ex-employers, but no one had seen Lilly. Her heart was racing when her phone finally rang. She answered so fast that she didn’t take time to glance at the caller ID.
“Lilly? Is that you?”
“Nope. But if I put on a frizzy red wig and a dress, I can pretend to be her.”
Kelly’s heart dropped. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Ow. Talk about a less-than-great greeting.” Riker sounded hurt but trying to put on a good front.
“No. I’m sorry, Riker. I was hoping to get a call from Lilly.”
“Is everything all right? You sound stressed.”
She closed her eyes, willing her tears to stay back. “I’m worried about her. She was supposed to show up for work yesterday and never did.”
“Kelly, Jude and Damon are here, so I’m going to put you on speaker.”
“Okay.” A second later, she could hear the other two men discussing Lilly’s whereabouts.
“Kelly, are you sure that maybe Lilly hasn’t taken off with a guy? Maybe she’s just taking some time off.” Damon’s voice was calm and steady.
“No, that’s not like her. I know she can come off as kooky and kind of irresponsible, but she’d never miss work. She’s very reliable that way. Plus, she always checks in with me whenever she leaves town. I’ve called everyone I can think of, and they haven’t heard from or seen her, either. Including the friend she was going to go see. So with her not checking in and not showing up for work, I know there’s a problem.”
“But other than Lilly’s disappearance, you’re all right?” Jude sounded even calmer than Damon.
“Of course I am. It’s Lilly who’s in trouble.” Her words came out harsher than she’d wanted, but she couldn’t help it.
Why weren’t they taking the situation more seriously? Could they be involved in Lilly going missing? As soon as she had the thought, she wanted to ask them for forgiveness. She knew in her heart that they would never hurt anyone, much less her best friend.
“Kelly, try to stay calm. Have you called the police?”
She hadn’t wanted to call the cops yet. If she did, then Lilly’s disappearance would seem all too real. “No, but I will.”
“Do that, and they’ll probably want you to make a report.” Riker had control of the phone again, but she could hear Damon and Jude in the background asking him questions and offering their opinions on what to do next.
A sound behind her gave her hope. “Hang on. There’s someone at the door.”
It was foolish to think that Lilly would knock on her own door, but Kelly would rather think that she’d lost her key than not hope. She rushed to the door, and, without looking through the peephole as she usually did, she flung it open. “Lilly?”
She almost cried when she realized it was a man instead of her friend. “Yes?”
“Are you Kelly Sims?” The middle-aged man was dressed in regular street clothes, but he acted more like a delivery person than just some random guy knocking on her door. She stared at him as a creepy sensation set in. Why did his eyes look funny? Was he high on drugs? “Yes. That’s me.”
“This is for you.” He handed her a plain white envelope then tipped a nonexistent hat and spun on his heel. She watched him walk in stiff movements until he turned the corner and was out of sight.
“Kelly? Was it Lilly?”
Riker kept asking for her until she finally put her phone back to her ear. “No. A man just showed up and gave me an envelope with my name on it.”
“Open it and tell us what it says.”
Why did Damon’s tone suddenly get tense?
She tore open the envelope and pulled out a plain piece of white paper. Unfolding it, she began to read with a shaky voice.
How much do you love your friend? Enough to trade places with her?
Come to the old Milton’s warehouse on Elm Street at noon today. Come alone an
d prepared to take her place, or she will pay for your sins with her worthless life.
Her hand shook as she silently re-read the message. “Oh, my God.”
“Kelly, don’t call the police. We’re coming over.”
* * * *
Jude read the note first then handed it off to Damon. It wasn’t as though he thought he’d read anything other than what Kelly had, but he wanted to see it for himself. Damon scanned the note then passed it to Riker. Jude could sense both of their animals coming to the surface.
“You didn’t call the police, did you?”
“No, but I don’t understand. Why would anyone want either one of us? I know I don’t have any enemies, and neither does Lilly.” Kelly’s blue eyes were filled with tears, but so far she hadn’t let any of them fall. His heart ached to see her in turmoil, but he knew if he tried to console her, the tears would break free.
“Good. Don’t. Let us handle this.”
Damon and Riker shot him matching confused looks. Kelly sank to her sofa and kept her gaze on him as though he had all the answers to getting Lilly back safe and sound. He just hoped it wasn’t too late.
“Is there an ex-boyfriend or lover who might want to hurt you? Or maybe someone like that in Lilly’s past?”
Kelly thought for a moment then shook her head. “I’ve racked my brain, and I can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt her. Everyone loves her. And who would take Lilly to get back at me? If they’re after me, why didn’t the kidnapper just take me instead?”
Jude had wondered the same thing. “The only reason I can come up with is that Lilly was an easier target than you. You said Lilly left for the bus stop, right? That would make grabbing her a safe bet since not many others ride the bus at night. Snatching a girl with no men hanging around her is a lot safer than snatching one who might have one to three men around her at any given time.”