Beau looked toward Jace. His gaze traveled toward the backpack. “Would you?”
A faint smile curled Jace’s lips. “It would be my pleasure.” He leaped out of the pool and walked toward the backpack. He opened the pack and rummaged around until he found a packet of condoms and a clear plastic bottle of lubricant. He returned to the pool and handed a condom to Beau.
“Is it possible that...?” Devon’s gaze fixated on the condom in Beau’s hand. “How easily can our two species...?” She stalled. “I’m not on the pill. Could I get—”
“Pregnant?” Jace finished her thought. “Very easily. The Hathors made sure we were compatible. Remember, Beau and I are half human. You should also know that as the bond between mates grows stronger, Marduko sperm counts skyrocket.”
“Holy crap!” Devon recoiled. “Maybe you should have brought these out sooner. I’m not ready for anything like that.” She grew tense. “Please don’t tell me I’d have to lay leathery eggs in the damp sand and sit on them until they hatch. Trust me, that ain’t gonna happen.”
“No.” Beau laughed. “It’s a normal nine-month pregnancy. The baby’s born fully human and always a boy. The child may never develop any Marduko traits at all. No one knows until the child reaches adulthood and does or does not successfully make the first shift.”
“How common is that?” Devon was astonished.
“It happens.” Jace’s chin dipped. “The Marduko bloodline is very diluted. For better or worse, we’ve become earthlings who, for the most part, live human lives. The dragon in us is fading.”
As flawed as the original species was, it was sad to know such intriguing creatures were becoming extinct. “The Marduko bloodline is dying out? Dear God, that’s a tragic thought.”
“Your own reaction was so telling.” Jace straightened and stepped away. “Not many women can handle a situation this unconventional. Add to that, there have been many times in not-so-distant history when Marduko children were hunted, persecuted, and slaughtered before they reached dragon-shifter status and would have been able to defend themselves. In that way the world has been unfair. Any woman who accepts us has to run the gauntlet at our side. That much uncertainty, especially for the children, is not appealing to most women.”
“All this is a bit more than I can handle in one fell swoop.” Devon smoothed her wet hair with her palm. “I care for both of you, but I need to get my bearings in all this. The ultimate destiny of the Marduko bloodline is a little more than I can cope with at the moment. We need to slow the conversation down and just find out how or if we fit together.”
Jace grew serious. “We understand. There’s no pressure.”
The little voice in her whispered, Why me? You’re nothing special. “Who else have you approached or revealed yourselves to?”
“No one.” Jace’s gaze sharpened. “Only you.”
“I do want you.” Devon traced her fingertips against Jace’s chest. “Both of you. Let’s find out if we make sense as a trio before we discuss anything else.” She paused. “Just to be sure, no one comes near me unless they’re already tearing a condom open with their teeth, okay?”
“Okay.” Beau immediately tore the condom open with his teeth. He glanced at Jace. “I’m not saying no to a beautiful woman.”
“Neither am I.” Jace ripped a condom wrapper too. “I’m going to give her whatever she wants.”
“I’ve been dreaming of this.” Devon bent over the edge of the pool, displaying the lush curves of her ass, and provocatively gazed over her shoulder. “Who’s going to be the first to take me?”
“I will.” Beau immediately reached for Devon’s hips. “Jace, you can take me.”
Jace grinned. “I’d love it.”
Beau rolled the condom over his cock with a brisk stroke. The latex made a faint snapping sound as it stretched. He reached for the lube, opened the cap, and drizzled a generous amount on himself, gliding his fist along the shaft until he was thoroughly slicked. “Lean forward.”
Devon rested on her elbows. Her heart raced with a little tingle of fear. Anal was a favorite fantasy, but something she rarely indulged in real life. It required a lot of sensitivity and self-restraint on the man’s part, and frankly she hadn’t met anyone in a long while who seemed worth it. Beau and Jace were big exceptions. Both men turned her on. She loved what they had already shared with her and she sensed it was going to be good.
Beau planted his palm firmly on Devon’s lower back, pinning her in front of him and trickled lube between the cleft of her buttocks. He swirled the pad of his thumb in light circles over the tight ring of muscle. “I won’t make you beg or wait. I’m just going to give it to you.” He gently pressed his thumb against her, breaching the ring.
Her breath hitched as Beau positioned himself behind her and stretched her. His thighs brushed against the backs of hers as he guided the head of his cock to her ass, rubbed against it until he was slippery with lube and pressed downward. “Relax, push out, and don’t panic.”
A burst of nervous laughter bubbled out of her. “I’ve done this before, my friend. Why would I panic?”
“You’ve not done this with dragons.” Beau carefully worked the head inside her and slid a little farther.
The first harsh stretch made her groan. Hot damn, it burned. She rolled her hips to alleviate the searing tension skittering up her spine.
“Don’t move,” Beau commanded.
“Just sink in,” Devon pleaded. “I can’t take the hovering at the ring.”
Beau took firm hold of Devon’s hips and sank to the hilt in one long, slow stroke.
“Oh.” She melted limply against the rim of the pool. It hurt to stretch so quickly, but it also sent a screaming siren of a signal to the rest of her body that she was about to arrive at the next stage, which was a heightened sensory alertness she found extremely exciting. A heartbeat later, pleasure and pain were switching partners back and forth in their arousing dance.
“Devon.” Beau’s voice was a low rasp. He thumped his thighs against hers. “You feel so good. I hope you can take more.”
She closed her eyes and arched beneath Beau. She was already on fire and fully stretched, and she was taking all of him. What was he talking about?
“My turn.” Jace’s voice was husky.
Devon heard the faint snap of a condom being rolled down Jace’s shaft, followed by the now-familiar click of the lubricant cap. He gave the bottle a hard squeeze that made the thin plastic crackle. The juicy slurp of a slick fist spreading lubricant followed.
A worried little shiver gripped her. In a moment Beau was going to be on the receiving end, and she prayed he wouldn’t go ballistic when Jace penetrated him.
Beau leaned forward, almost covering Devon’s back, and wrapped his arms around her waist as he glided in and out of her with rising tension. “Stroke yourself.” His voice carried a hint of desperation. “Finger your clit and speed yourself along. I don’t know how much of this I can take.”
“You’re going to take it, all right.” Jace braced himself against Beau. “In a single, hard stroke.”
Devon felt Jace crowd close and press down on them. Beau writhed on top of her, arching his back to keep from crushing her.
Jace seemed to be struggling to hold Beau still as a pleased growl rose low in his throat. “Stop moving around so I can fuck you right.” As he mounted Beau, his toes kicked against Devon’s heels.
A muffled cry escaped Beau’s lips. “God, that’s fierce.” He trembled as he gripped Devon’s shoulders with tensed fingers. His hips pumped against her. “It’s starting.”
She moaned as Beau’s cock thickened and stretched her. “What the hell?” The shaft swelled against her tight ring of muscle and burned like hell. She tried to squirm away but was trapped beneath Beau as he bore down on her. Panic crept into her voice. “How big are you going to get?”
“That’s the worst of it.” Beau held on to Devon as he stroked faster. “The only way through it is to f
inish.” The burn of the stretch made her whimper, but the strokes of Beau’s heavy cock were incredibly exciting. Jace pounded on top of them, leaving her shuddering at the bottom of the pile.
Beau sensed her anxiety. “I can give you a dragon bite. It will help.”
Her ass was on fire. “Do it!”
Beau bit down on Devon’s nape with just enough pressure to make two tiny punctures.
“Ouch!” Devon howled.
Beau swiftly swept his tongue across the twin wounds.
A euphoric tingle of erotic abandon spread across her skin, which made all panic and pain flee. A rolling tumble of beautiful sensations took their place. Her nipples were too sensitive to brush against anything, especially not the stone she lay on. It became impossible to remain still. Devon rocked her hips against Beau, loving the feeling of being taken. Dragon bites were wonderful.
“It worked,” she whispered. “We’re good.” A sharp buzz of desire pushed her closer to the edge. “Fuck me.” She reached between her thighs and stroked herself with a wet fingertip. The dragon bite coursed through her bloodstream, making her skin tingle and almost unbearably sensitive to touch. The first heated contractions of climax rolled through her in unstoppable waves and she released a long, ragged moan as a scorching orgasm overtook her.
Beau’s strokes sped. “Push back, Devon. Move with me.”
She knew Beau was at the limits of his control and glanced over her shoulder just in time to see his tense teeth-gritted expression melt to one of lash-flickering bliss with softly parted lips. Gripping the edge of the pool, she took Beau’s last furious strokes as a cry, like iron scraping stone, crossed his lips. He locked his hands around her hips and came hard.
Jace’s eyes were closed too as he pumped into Beau. The pace appeared brutal. “Oh fuck!” He arched back as he came.
As the final ripples of climax faded, she felt drained. “Damn,” she muttered. It had been the stormiest, most exciting thing she’d ever engaged in, and she knew she’d soon want more. The sensation of two solid bodies sliding against her, combined with the added heat of the dragon bite, was almost too much. Sex with Marduko was a sweet intoxication she could become addicted to. She gave Beau’s thigh a playful smack. “Why didn’t you warn me your cock was going to get thicker?”
“It doesn’t always happen.” Beau shrugged. “I wasn’t sure. I’ve never taken a female mate this way.” He slid free of Devon and helped her stand.
“You both keep calling me mate.” Devon turned to face her two dream men. “Is that the same as a lover in this trio?”
“It’s more than that.” Jace was breathing hard as he straightened and slid free of Beau and rolled the condom off. “A Marduko mate bond is....” He hesitated. “Extremely binding.”
Devon’s gaze honed in on Jace. The telepathic properties of the tea seemed to have lessened but a hint of Jace’s troubled thoughts remained. “There’s more going on in your mind. I can sense it. You’re worried about something, and that worries me.” Devon dipped her body into the bubbling warm water to rinse. “Where the Marduko are concerned, there seem to be a lot of sneaky surprises.”
“She’s right.” Beau leaned over Devon and kissed her nape. His face lingered near her throat. “The dragon bite is going to leave a bruise for a day, but they heal quickly.” He gazed possessively at Devon’s throat as if he wanted to bite her again. “I have to admit, I love seeing my mark on you.”
Devon splashed a little water against the tiny wound and searched for the exact location of the bite with her fingertips, but it was hard to find. The bite had already closed and was not the least bit sore. “Let’s recap: Marduko cocks thicken on penetration. Your sperm counts soar. A Marduko bite is like a fast-acting bliss drug. I’m more than a lover.” She cautiously approached Jace. “I’m sure there are a few more surprises. What else are you not telling me?”
Beau’s face grew somber.
“We’ll share everything with you.” Jace reached for Devon and glided his fingertips across her arm. “This is new for us too. I want to go slowly and do things right.”
“But we haven’t gone slowly.” Beau cupped his hands and splashed water on his face. “And we haven’t done things right, whatever that means. We should be upfront with Devon. She’s a grown woman.”
What was Beau saying? She’d observed enough about Beau and Jace’s dynamic to know that when Beau had mentioned anything it was because it was damn important. “Hell yeah! I’ve been a good sport through dragon abductions and other unplanned thrills. Considering this is all outside my comfort zone, I think I’ve handled everything really well.”
“You have,” Jace agreed with a tense smile.
“Obviously you know a lot more about the Marduko than I do.” Devon focused on Jace. “So tell me, how many more startling surprises am I going to get tonight?”
“Do you like what you’ve been surprised with?” Jace edged closer. “Do you think you could bear a little more?”
“I love what we’ve shared.” Devon studied Jace’s face, sensing he was withholding something major. “I want you to know that if you have something more to tell me, you should say it now.”
“I will.” Jace answered almost too quickly to sound sincere.
“Okay.” Devon shrugged. “I hope you’ll tell me whatever it is that’s lurking below the surface. You do understand the dragon leaf tea is giving my feminine intuition a boost, don’t you? I can’t read your thoughts with precision, but your anxiety is right at the top ready to spill your secrets.”
A defeated expression collapsed Jace’s face.
Devon sensed Jace pulling away emotionally. Within an instant, he slammed a mental door shut in his mind, and she was unable to feel or gain a clear sense of Jace’s emotions; all was blank. “I felt that! You just shut me out. Why did you do that? That doesn’t seem fair.”
Jace’s gaze softened. He looked almost like an apologetic little boy. “I’m sorry, but I’m trying my best to be fair to you. I want you to have your own experience of me—us—and make your own decisions without my wants or desires getting in the way.”
Did he just say he’d shut her out for her own good? She wasn’t buying it. “You don’t have to shut me out. Maybe we want and desire the same things.” The sting of exclusion bothered her, especially after feeling so connected to Jace earlier. The moment carried shades of their dating life when an evening of intense intimacy ended the next day with cool distance and guarded conversation at work. “Jace, I’ve made myself vulnerable to both of you and made an effort to be understanding and open-minded. This is a huge risk for me to take on an emotional, physical, and even career level. I want this. I put my anxiety aside to explore something special. I know this isn’t normal. I need you to understand how confusing it feels to share you and Beau, even glimpse inside your hearts and minds, and then be locked out. It feels bad, like I had a warm blanket snatched away from me when I was just getting comfortable. Don’t you trust me?”
“I’m not doing it to hurt you.” Jace smoothed Devon’s hair. “You need time and freedom to make your own choices, independent of mine.”
“Right off the bat there’s going to be secrets between us?” Devon tensed. “That’s not good.”
Jace hesitated. “I have one secret I have to keep until you’ve had a chance to figure out if and how you fit with Beau and me.”
Devon’s gaze darted between Jace and Beau. “And when I make that decision, the door magically opens again and you let me back in?”
“Yes, I promise.” Jace drew Devon near and kissed her cheek. “I can’t tell you any more than that.”
Both Beau and Jace tossed the condoms into a paper trash bag next to the backpack. “Throw those in the fire when we return,” Jace tersely commanded Beau. “Let’s get out of the pool.” He climbed over the ledge, hauling his long legs out of the water then turned and offered Devon his hand.
Devon rose from the pool and immediately reached for Jace’s discarded shirt,
slipping her arms into the sleeves. The flannel carried the faintest hint of Jace’s warm scent. “I’m assuming this shirt is standing in as my pajamas tonight.”
“You don’t have to wear pajamas or anything at all if that’s what you’d like.” A crooked smile lit Jace’s lips.
She wrapped the voluminous shirt tightly around her. “If you’re going to maintain a safety boundary, then I guess I need one too.”
“You don’t.” Jace shook his head. “You just need time to think.”
Beau stepped out of the pool and stood dripping wet on the cave floor. “It’s been a long day. I think we all need sleep.” He picked up the backpack, gathered the foil condom wrappers and bits of trash into the trash bag, and strode from the cavern.
“Wait.” Jace swung the flashlight toward Beau.
Devon’s gaze followed the beam of the flashlight as it illuminated a niche in the cave wall that contained a row of large birdlike skulls that had not been visible earlier. She gasped. “What’s that?”
“Those are our Marduko ancestors.” Jace looked away as if the sight pained him. “The originals.”
Devon gazed in awe at the immense, time-bleached skulls stacked in layers along a high, rocky ledge. “How many are here?”
“Not many.” Jace stepped toward the cavern’s sole exit. “Certainly no more than fifty complete skulls. The oldest ones crumbled years ago, and the Marduko have long spread out into the world. Persecution made it too dangerous for us to live together in large groups, or frequent sacred places. We became too easy to spot. Except as an ancestral memory, this cave was all but forgotten.”
“Could I look at the skulls up close?” Devon asked with caution. “Perhaps photograph them?”
“Not now,” Jace said quietly. “Maybe later.”
The Lady Prefers Dragons Page 18