She pressed the code, and the gate opened. While Casius had said there were a lot of homes in the complex, it wasn’t as she expected. These homes were spread out and only on one side of the street. She took a left and had to count down six houses.
He said he’d put a balloon on the door so she wouldn’t get lost. She smiled at his choice. The balloon was in the shape of a heart.
“Aw.” How sweet was that?
She parked and rushed up the sidewalk. The air was cold and windy. The door opened as she approached, as if her men were looking out the window.
“Come in,” Hercules greeted her and took her overnight satchel.
He shut the door and hustled her in. Before she got to look around, he pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her. His warm lips radiated passion. Her body exploded with need, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. What she wouldn’t give to be a foot taller. He hissed, and she stepped back.
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Got in a little skirmish yesterday. By tonight I’ll be fine.”
She didn’t believe him. “Lift up your shirt.”
He glanced to the ceiling and shrugged. He showed her the wound on his side. There was a thin, red line near his back. It didn’t look life threatening.
“What happened?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Was it those tiger people?”
He grinned. “Yes. It was those tiger people. Now come here. I’ve missed you so much.”
When he drew her close, she could feel his hard cock through her jacket. Her stomach grumbled, and he stepped back.
“Sorry.” Hercules dragged a thumb over her lips. “I get too carried away sometimes.”
She could totally relate. “Where’s Casius?”
He cast his gaze downward. “We had some trouble with The Sword, and he had to oversee something.”
“Isn’t that Hunter and Derek’s job?”
He stroked her face. “We’re head of security, little one. They have bigger issues to deal with.”
She inhaled. “At least I get you.”
His smile didn’t reach his eyes. This was what life with them would be like. Each day would be different, never knowing when they’d be called to action. She guessed it was like any woman married to a cop, a fireman, or a military man. They’d survived and so would she.
“You want a quick tour and then a home-cooked meal?”
Her stomach caved. “You cooked a meal?” She had to search her mind for when someone had prepared something for her.
“Actually Casius insisted on making the meal, but I am pretty handy if need be.”
He walked her into the living room. She expected leather furniture done in dark colors. Instead, they had a red pit sofa facing a large television. The paintings on the wall were huge and depicted some aspect of vineyards. While the sofa had a modern feel, the tables were quite ornate. While it appeared as if they’d collected different pieces over the years, the place had a cohesive look.
“I like it. It’s homey.”
He smiled. “We wanted a place where we could relax and not worry about putting our feet up.”
She walked over to the large window. Because the other homes were lit, she could see over the expansive lawn to their homes. When she’d driven in, she could tell the trees surrounded the entire compound. “I bet the view is nice in the day.”
He walked up behind her and drew his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her head. “You’ll get to see it tomorrow morning.”
She turned in his arms. “I’d like that. Will Casius be home tonight?”
“I doubt it.” He kissed her head. “Let’s go see about dinner.”
Talking about work didn’t seem to set right with him. Stupid tiger shifters.
She followed him into the kitchen. This was not what she expected. “This is huge.” There were two islands, two ovens, and two stainless steel refrigerators.
“We’re big boys and like to eat.”
Maybe she should pray for having only girls. “What can I do?”
“Sit on the stool and keep me company. It’s hard when there are too many chefs.”
The stool was attached to the counter and swiveled around.
“Oh, I put the pictures Casius and I took up on the web. I had planned to show them to you tonight.”
He pulled a cutting board and knife from the drawers then got fresh salad ingredients from the fridge. “I was hoping we could share.”
“I’d like that.”
As he chopped, she got up and looked at the shelf of cookbooks. Some looked old. “Are some of these your mom’s?”
“And my grandmother’s.”
“You said women don’t shift, so what was your mom’s reaction when she married a shifter?”
He turned around and cocked a brow. “About the same as yours. Only my dad didn’t tell her until we were born.”
“That’s terrible. And deceitful.”
“Even back then he knew that when he met my mom she was the one for him. He couldn’t chance losing her.”
“There is a sweetness to it, I guess.”
He placed the chopped ingredients in the salad bowl. “Speaking of children, what are your thoughts?”
She gulped. If she expressed her true desires about having a ton of kids, would he be put off by the idea? Was he planning on telling her that his job was too dangerous to be a father? Oh, God. She didn’t know what to say.
Chapter Fourteen
Tanya’s pulse raced. Yes, they said they were destined to be together, but he hadn’t even mentioned marriage.
Don’t commit. “That’s a little premature, isn’t it?” Was she saying that so that he would tell her his preference? Dear God, but she was a mess.
He brought the salad over to the table. “It’s inevitable, you know. We want you, and I think you’re warming up to us.”
She was more than warming. She was falling in love with them. Hell, she already was in love with them if that was possible after such a short period of time. “I am.”
He waved a fork. “Hypothetically, how many kids would you like, assuming you want children?”
She bit her bottom lip. Go for it. “I had dreamed of a set of male twins and one or two girls, but I’m not sure I’d be able to work my store and cook for that many people. Plus, having little shifters in the house might cause a huge disruption.”
He laughed. “My mother would totally agree, but in reality, we were a godsend when our dad wasn’t around. We are ten times stronger than humans. Just think how handy that could be when you want something moved.”
“True.”
From the oven, Hercules pulled out a fabulous-looking chicken covered in onions and mushrooms. “This is not a typical Italian meal, but the vegetables are in a glazed red sauce and the dessert is one of my mom’s favorite recipes.”
“I’m sure I’m going to love it.”
The idea that Casius probably spent all day cooking for her pushed her over the edge. She did love him, as well as Hercules. They were fun, caring, and sexy as hell.
“Come and get it.”
Once she moved over the kitchen table, he put the food out. “I like eating in the kitchen. It’s cozier.”
“I agree.” As soon as he poured them some wine, he chugged half of the glass. “I wanted to ask you something.”
She couldn’t tell by his tone where this was heading. “Sure.”
“This is bad timing since Casius isn’t here, but we both love you.”
Her heart nearly stopped. “Wow.”
He picked up her hand. “The next time Casius is here, we both want to make love with you at the same time.”
Her pulse raced, and her body vibrated. “I want that, too.”
“You need to know that when we sink our fangs into your neck at the same time, we will be mated.” His mouth opened a bit as if he was waiting for a response. “Is that okay? Do you want us?”
Her heart
swelled. This was decision time. No, this wasn’t exactly how she’d envisioned her marriage proposal, but his earnest talk made it perfect. “Yes.”
He grinned and then whooped. “Wait until Casius finds out. He may go ahead and slay a hundred tiger shifters just so he can rush back here.”
She laughed as she tried to imagine his growling and clawing his way back to her. No woman deserved such noble men. “I hope he’ll be careful.”
“If nothing else, Casius is the cautious one. Tu mangi!”
He dove into his food, and she swore he inhaled the meal. Her first bite had her moaning. Nothing tasted as good. “Good thing you asked me to be with you before this meal, because now that I’ve tasted this, you might never have known if I’d said yes because of Casius’s culinary skills.”
He smiled. “I’m glad.”
Once they finished eating, she pushed back her chair and picked up her plate. He stayed her hand. “Why don’t you sit and I’ll do this.”
“No. I want to help. If we’re going to be a team, then I want to carry my weight.”
He shook his head. “How did we ever get so lucky to find you?”
Heat raced up her face. “Stop it. My head will swell.” She didn’t need anything getting bigger.
“Okay, fine. Once we clean up, I want to see those pictures. Then maybe I can convince you to get naked. We’ll work up such an appetite that it will be time for dessert.”
Oh, God. She’d weigh three hundred pounds if she lived here. Well, she’d just have to say no.
Wanting to share the trip she’d had with Casius, she focused on bringing over the dishes and working efficiently. He packaged the leftovers, which Casius most likely would polish off once he returned.
“Come show me what you two did. I know I’m going to be jealous,” Hercules said.
She had to admit that her shots had come out quite well and was quite proud that she didn’t have a flower in the bunch. Watching Casius do his thing had given her new ideas and had stretched her photographic experience.
He motioned she sit next to him on the sofa. When his thigh touched hers, she knew she’d be zooming through these photos and getting on to the more exciting part of the evening.
She’d brought her tablet and went to the site where she stored her photos. “It would have been nice if Casius had been here, but this first one is by the museum.”
He lifted the picture. “What’s that statue made out of?”
“Tiny mirrors. It was so cool.”
On the next one he scrunched up his nose. “Who’s that ugly fellow?”
She twisted and punched his arm. “Be serious.”
“Okay.” He dragged a hand down his face, and when he removed it, there was no expression whatsoever. That got her laughing. He faced her. “I thought you wanted me to be serious.”
Sometimes he could be such a jokester. But to her there was no more lovable one. For the next thirty minutes, she told him what the pictures represented, and he spotted things in her shots that she hadn’t noticed.
As soon as she finished showing him the photos, he took the tablet from her hands and placed it on the coffee table. “There’s another shot I’d like to take.”
“Oh, yeah. What’s that? You don’t take photos, Casius said.”
He pulled his camera from his hip pocket. “I’d like to try. How about getting naked and posing for me?”
She’d come a long way since that first night in her bedroom when she didn’t even want him to see her naked. “Okay, but I brought something for us, too. I left it in the car.”
“I’ll get it.”
She hadn’t locked her car, so she didn’t need to retrieve her keys. He stepped outside and was back in a flash, waving the packet containing the crop. “This looks painful.”
“You’ll have to be careful with it, but it can bring new meaning to a red ass.”
“Oh, sugar, you know how to speak my language.”
Even though he’d been outside for only a few minutes, he smelled like the fresh air. She extracted the package from his hands. “I need to show you how to use this. It can be a little tricky.”
“I’ve used one on a horse many times.”
That stopped her in her tracks. “I’m not a—”
He pressed a finger to her lips and looked almost horrified. “I never meant to compare you to anything other than a fair maiden. My apologies.”
She knew he hadn’t, but she loved teasing him. She slapped the package against her hand. “I think someone needs to be punished.”
He grinned. “I would so like to see you try, sugar.”
That was always what was unfair. His strength sometimes was a problem. That and the fact he could shift.
He rubbed a thumb down her cheek. “You got food on yourself. I think we need to take a shower.”
“I thought you wanted to take pictures of me.”
He loomed closer. “I do, but I’m thinking a wet woman could be so much sexier. We’ll e-mail the photos to Casius to urge him to come home sooner.”
“Ooh. I like that plan.”
He hugged her to his side. “Then follow me, my fair maiden.”
They entered a long hallway. Halfway he stopped and pushed open a door. His bedroom was half the size of her entire apartment. The colors, mostly blues and grays, were subtle but nice. The bedspread looked like it was made out of a rich silk, and the posts on the bed appeared to have been hand carved by an artisan. She ran her hand along the wood.
“This is beautiful.”
“Thank you. It was actually my grandparents’ on my father’s side. It came from Germany.”
She tried to do the math but couldn’t even fathom what year it was made.
He took the crop from her hand and tossed it on the bed. “Before you ask for a history lesson, let’s get you naked.”
She liked that part, especially since she’d get to see him naked, too. He clasped her hand and led her to the bathroom. “Whoa. This is amazing.”
The walls were covered in marble, and the large tub in the middle looked kind of like the one at the cabin they’d shared.
He moved in front of her and unbuttoned her shirt. “It’s not the surroundings that are important, it’s who is here with me.”
She loved his sentiment. “You need to get naked, too.”
When she reached for the button on his jeans, he stepped back. “You need to know that I say when you can touch me. Here’s my plan. I want to savor you first. Then when I’m satisfied, I will get undressed and together we will shower. Do you understand, slave?”
“Yes, Master.” She knew he wouldn’t last long, as they’d been apart for what seemed like forever.
Once he got her blouse open, he eased the sleeves down her arms. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you own your own shop.”
“Why is that, Master?”
“Because you always wear the sexiest underwear.”
She’d picked out this pure-white set just for them. The underwire bra supported her ample breasts, and the panties fit her hips well. He ran a finger along the top of her bra and inhaled. When she caught the drop of blood trickling down his lip, she tensed. “Master?”
He came out of his haze and licked his lip. “Ignore that. The more I’m with you, the less that should happen.”
“It’s kind of flattering.”
“When you see how hard my cock is for you, you’ll be more flattered.”
She smiled. He lowered his finger down her belly until it rested on the top of her panties. As her pussy dampened, she sucked in her tummy. He rimmed the edge in front but never dipped his hand any lower.
He withdrew his fingers as if he’d been burned and cleared his throat. “I’m not sure I can last very long with you looking so sexy. My God, woman, you drive me crazy.”
After that compliment, it was hard not to run her hands down his body and grab his cock, but since he hadn’t given her permission, she wouldn’t disobey.
He slipped o
ff her shirt, folded it, and placed it on the counter. “Come over here and sit on the edge of the tub.” She did so, and he removed her shoes, but not before rubbing his hands up her thighs.
“I can’t wait to suck on your pussy.”
“Aargh.” She hoped that sounded more like a groan. She wasn’t complaining, but she knew he’d forbid her to come, and she’d fail.
“Stand.”
She loved that he didn’t hesitate as he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants. With a strong tug, her jeans crumpled at her ankles. She wanted to step out of them because she was totally restricted from moving.
Hercules smiled and slid a finger under her panties and pressed on her clit. She bit her lip to keep in the moan.
“That feel good, sugar?”
“Yes, Master.” He added another finger, and her scent perfumed the air. “I’m thinking Casius and I have turned you into a woman who likes lovemaking.”
She more than liked it. She craved it, but only with these two men. Now that she’d been with them, she let go of her insecurities and wanted to have their children and grow old with them.
He wiggled his finger in her pussy, and she shut her eyes, loving how the streaks of pleasure pulsed and tripped up her body. Standing still was pure torture, so she bent her knees a little to get more pressure. He immediately removed his hand, damn him.
“None of that, young lady.”
“Why not, Master?” Crap. That came out as a whine.
“Because when you have no control, you’ll be more sensitive to my touch.”
She was already sensitive to his touch, but she wouldn’t voice her concern.
“Let’s get you out of those jeans. They look a little restrictive.”
Now he noticed? He had her sit back down on the tub edge, and he pulled them off. He dropped to his knees and widened her thighs. Contractions rippled down her inside. The temptation to touch his shoulders nearly did her in. She leaned back slightly and scooted her hips forward.
He didn’t remove the white, lace panties as he suctioned his mouth over the cloth. When he stuck out his tongue, the force moved the material enough for her to feel the effects. How he found her clit, she didn’t know.
Their Virgin Mate [Panther Cove 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 12