New Year's Kiss (12 page)

There was really only one choice.

She slipped her hand up Mikhel’s chest and cupped her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down to her. He didn’t resist the subtle pressure of her hand, easing his body over hers. The tension that had scored his muscles when he’d talked about reversing the process left him as she opened her legs and his hips settled between her thighs. His cock was still soft but she knew with a couple of easy strokes, he would be hard and ready for her. Her pussy moistened at the idea.

“I knew it.” Zach stood in the doorway, a towel draped over his shoulder. “I can’t leave you two alone for five minutes…”

Mikhel looked up, a low snarling growl rumbled at the back of his throat and a thick tension clogged the air. Taylor froze and felt Zach do the same. Finally Mikhel started to breathe again and the strange light left his eyes. He shook his head as if clearing away some unwelcome thought. Taylor relaxed, just a little. It would take some time but she thought it would work. The three of them together. Lovers. She just had to accept it because at this stage she couldn’t see any alternative.

With a sigh, Mikhel rolled off her, sliding off the side of the bed.

“He’s right, baby. Let’s go eat.” Mikhel looked at her, the heat from his eyes hadn’t faded. “And then we’ll satisfy your other hungers.”

Chapter Ten

Zach dropped his winter coat over the back of the chair and sighed, the sound settling with a thump on the cheerful holiday atmosphere of the room.

Taylor pulled her legs up, letting her heels rest against her ass as she watched her lover. He looked tired.

They were all tired. A year had come and gone since that first night. Tomorrow was the anniversary of the pack. Of the day when Mikhel had claimed her as his mate and Zach as his Beta.

But not his lover. And that was the pain she saw in Zach’s eyes.

He straightened and looked up at her. Taylor felt the tension in her chest build. The fact that it had taken Zach so long to acknowledge her wasn’t good. His mind was elsewhere.

On Mikhel.

“How’re you doing?” Zach asked. His words and voice were the usual loving greeting but she sensed it wasn’t quite right.

They’d spent the past year as lovers. Each male staking claim on the female. Mikhel was definitely the Alpha—not only of their small pack but of their lovemaking—but Zach had continued as her lover. He was so different from Mikhel and the rare times that she’d made love alone with Zach had been sensual, sweet experiences.

And she loved fucking Mikhel. So strong and powerful. Commanding her. Her pussy fluttered at the mere thought—just an added benefit of her slow conversion to a full werewolf—increased sexual need. Thankfully she had two men to keep her satisfied.

She loved them both. Wanted them both.

Mikhel was her mate but Zach was just as important. He was their third.

“I’m fine,” she finally answered, watching Zach as he looked around the room, his gaze unsteady, unable to settle. “What about you?”

“Fine. I’m fine.”

“Zach…”

He froze at the warning in her tone. She didn’t use it often but she was the Alpha female of this tiny pack—and Zach was the Beta. He looked up and she saw the edges of his mouth pinched tight.

“Come here.” She opened her arms and called to him. He hesitated for a moment, almost like he was afraid to take the comfort she offered. But was he afraid for himself, or because of what Mikhel would think?

Finally he stumbled forward and fell into her arms, burying his face between her breasts.

“Oh man, I fucked it up, didn’t I?” he asked after a moment. “I should have kept my mouth shut.”

Taylor stroked his hair, listening to the rapid beating of his heart. Her body, her senses had changed in the past year. Her hearing and sense of smell were heightened. Her skin was more sensitive to touch, to caresses. And she craved her lovers with a passion that bordered on obsession. And heaven forbid that another woman come near one of her men.

She shuddered as she remembered one particularly embarrassing moment when she’d grabbed a woman and practically flung her across the room, only to find out later the scene before her had been nothing more than a friendly thank-you hug. Though Taylor still wasn’t sure she believed that story. That woman had been trying to seduce Zach.

She shook off the memory and looked at Zach. He needed her comfort. She stroked his hair and hummed softly until his muscles relaxed.

“I’m going to have to leave,” he said, his body shifting until he lay across the couch, his head in her lap. “I can’t screw up the two of you. If I stay, I’ll tear you apart. It’s tearing him apart.”

“No.” She wasn’t sure what the answer was, but she felt sure that Zach was meant to stay with them. It felt right when he was here. When the three of them loved.

But that was the problem. It wasn’t the three of them. It was Zach and Taylor and Mikhel and Taylor.

“He’s the Alpha,” Zach said, staring at the carpet. “Despite his efforts to live in the human world, he’s an Alpha wolf and if he can’t accept what I want, I’ll have to leave. If I’d kept my mouth shut we could have gone on as we had.”

“But you’d have been miserable.”

Zach winced. “I wasn’t exactly miserable. I just want…more. I hate that if we accidentally touch, he tenses up. I want to be able to touch him.” His voice drifted away and she knew he was lost in his thoughts.

Two weeks ago Zach had told Mikhel that he wanted to become his lover. That he wanted Mikhel to fuck him, love him as he did Taylor.

Taylor had known it was coming. Zach had discussed it with her ahead of time but neither had been prepared for Mikhel’s reaction. He’d flung himself away and disappeared, returning two days later.

They hadn’t mentioned it since but the strain between them was a living thing. Since that night, Mikhel hadn’t joined Taylor in bed until Zach had left. She missed the presence of her two lovers, having grown used to warm bodies surrounding her, waking her with hot hands and fingers.

“Well, let’s see if we can make it through tonight and then tomorrow—” She scraped her fingers through his hair. “We’ll talk. All three of us.” She didn’t know if it would work but she couldn’t lose either male. She needed them. They completed her.

The front door opened and slammed shut. Eight months ago, the three of them had moved into together, choosing the cabin as their home. It had more space, room for the wolves to run and fewer people to question the strange three-way relationship.

Zach’s shoulders clenched like he was preparing to push himself off her lap but Taylor pressed her hand into his shoulder blades, holding him down. They weren’t doing anything wrong.

But tonight Mikhel might not see it that way. He’d been on edge for the past two weeks trying to deal with the idea that his friend—his male friend—wanted him for a lover. Late one night, Mikhel had asked Taylor how she felt about it and she’d said it wouldn’t bother her. And that was an honest answer, as far as it went. In truth, she found the idea intriguing. The idea of watching their two strong male bodies moving together made her wet and hungry.

But Zach was right. If Mikhel and Zach couldn’t work through this, it would tear them apart and their pack would collapse.

Taylor sighed. Not exactly the New Year’s celebration she’d hoped for. She thought about last year when all she’d wanted from New Year’s Eve was a kiss. Now, she just hoped her world didn’t explode before the New Year dawned.

“Hi.”

She continued to stroke Zach’s hair and looked up at Mikhel, smiling softly, hoping some of the soothing atmosphere in the room would seep into its occupants.

“Welcome home.”

“I got some champagne. I’ll put it in the fridge for later.”

She nodded and noticed that Mikhel didn’t walk across the room to kiss her. That was unusual but she knew it was because of Zach’s presence. Mikhel still hadn’t resolved the issue in his mind. She could understand. It was a big leap for anyone. He was a full-on, hard-as-nails straight man and the thought of having sex with another man had to throw him off balance.

“Dinner is almost ready. Zach made turkey tetrazzini.” Mikhel nodded and looked at the tableau before him. Zach’s eyes were blank, staring at the carpet in front of them. That was strange as well, that Zach hadn’t gotten up to greet his Alpha.

Taylor’s knee bounced up and down, the tension in her body translating into the twitch. Zach raised his head and she realized she’d made resting on her lap extremely uncomfortable.

Since he was almost sitting, she nudged him along. “I should go get ready for dinner.” She stood up, placing herself between the two men. “I have a new dress I think you’ll like.” She fluttered her eyelashes, trying to tease some of the tension from the room. “By the same designer as last New Year’s.”

Zach’s eyebrows bounced up. She’d obviously caught his interest. Mikhel just stared at her but she saw the edge of his mouth pull up. Good, he was with her as well.

“Why doesn’t one of you start a fire?” She trailed her fingers down the front of Mikhel’s shirt as she walked by. “We wouldn’t want things to get cold.”

“Little chance of that, baby,” Mikhel said in that low snarly growl she loved.

She skipped down the stairs thirty minutes later, feeling fresh and sexy. She knew it wouldn’t be an easy evening but she wanted to enjoy the holiday.

Stopping outside the kitchen door, she listened to the low rumble of Mikhel’s voice. At least he and Zach were talking. That was good. She pressed her cheek to the door but that didn’t help much. Her hearing had sharpened over the past year but it wasn’t that good. If she wanted to know what was being said, she had to go inside.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed on the swinging door and entered the kitchen. Mikhel stood at the sink, washing spinach. Zach was at the stove, monitoring his casserole. The low conversation stopped when she walked in but she could tell from the lack of tension that they weren’t discussing the topic that stood between them like an elephant in the room.

Mikhel looked up and Zach turned around. Both men froze in position, their eyes moving up and down her body, drinking in the nuances of her dress.

Perfect. Just the reaction that she’d been looking for.

Last year’s gown had been long and flowy, seductive in what it revealed and what it hid.

This dress was completely different. A bright blue and white tie-dyed pattern, the dress clung to her body and it was short, coming just to the tops of her thighs and subtly split down the center, a thin opening from the neck to her panty line—if she’d been wearing panties. But she knew better. Mikhel didn’t like her to wear panties while they were in the house. He wanted free access to her pussy. Her shoulders and arms were bare with just a high collar around her neck. One quick flick of fingers and the dress would sink to the floor in a pile of color.

That was good. Both Mikhel and Zach liked having her naked while they were still dressed.

She watched Mikhel’s eyes and knew he was wondering what she was wearing beneath the short skirt. Zach’s tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth. Hmm, she’d have a special use for that tongue later.

“Like it?” She did a slow spin, letting them see her back. She wasn’t sure she’d have the courage to wearing something this short outside of her house but here, with her men, the way they loved her body, admired her form, she felt safe and sexy.

“It’s gorgeous,” Zach said, his voice filled with a hungry awe that made her pussy tingle. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Take it off,” Mikhel added in that gravelly snarl that warned her she’d been wise to leave the panties off for the night.

She laughed and ignored the instruction. She wasn’t quite ready to get naked. Soon but not yet.

“Thank you,” she said to Zach. “And don’t worry—” She looked at Mikhel. “There’s only one button.”

“Good.”

Her stomach rumbled and Zach smiled. “Dinner is ready as soon as Mikhel finishes the salad.” She walked over to the stove and inhaled deeply. Butter and cheese, noodles and a hint of white wine. Not at all heart healthy but it smelled delicious. “It’s not fancy or anything.”

“It smells great.”

“It’s nothing special.” He bumped his hip against hers. “Nothing like last year’s.”

She smiled. “Well, you know I don’t require much from the holidays.”

“Yes, all you want from New Year’s is a hangover and a kiss.” He said the last words against her lips, kissing her lightly, ending with a flick of his tongue.

“Come on,” Mikhel called brusquely. “Let’s eat.”

Taylor winked at Zach and backed away. She didn’t have much to do. The guys pretty much took care of it. She’d set the table earlier but they cooked and served the food.

Dinner was a slightly strained affair but it was clear all three intended to ignore the tension between Mikhel and Zach, at least for the night. Taylor wasn’t planning to let it go for much longer. If she had to sit the boys down and yell at them, she would. But that was for later. Tonight, she just wanted to celebrate the year, strange though it had been. She still saw some of her friends from her previous life but several couldn’t accept her relationship with Mikhel and Zach. Or they were a little too interested, leering at her and wanting details.

Rebecca remained her best friend and anchor in the world—a retreat when living with two male werewolves became too much.

Taylor sipped her wine and looked at her men, feeling a slow rumble of need, the desire of her own wolf build inside her. It had been a year and while their lovemaking had become familiar, it wasn’t dull. She wanted them, craved them. Loved them. She squirmed in her seat, feeling her naked pussy rub against the soft material of her dress. She was already wet and knew Mikhel and Zach could smell her arousal.

She glanced at Mikhel and saw his eyes, red tainting the edges, watching her. Yes, he knew. And wanted her.

Exhaling slowly, she pushed back from the table.

“You boys want to move to the living room?”

Zach stood up and came to her side. Mikhel nodded but didn’t follow. “I’ll just take care of the dishes.”

Zach and Taylor looked at each other. It wasn’t often Mikhel offered to clean up and she was tempted to tell him to leave them but something about the strain in his body stopped her. He was facing his demons. She was going to have both her lovers tonight and if Mikhel needed a few moments to adjust to that, she would allow him the time.

She and Zach settled on the couch and flipped on the TV. The national New Year’s celebration was being shown from Times Square. They talked about how nothing could make them go to an event like that. Too many people, too confined, too busy.