The Secret (8 page)

It took a long time for her heart to slow, for her mind to repiece itself. She was sweaty, plastered between both men, and sighed her disappointment when Carlos withdrew his softening cock from her ass and rolled to one side. He pulled her off Declan so she lay between them.

She stayed on her back in the clearing, enjoying the cool air, the wrung-out satisfaction in her body, one mate on each side lightly grasping her hands. Carlos lifted her knuckles to his mouth, grazed his teeth on them.

“What do you want for Christmas, kitten?”

She’d almost forgotten. She’d ignored the holiday for so long, having no one to share it with. “I already got it.” She smiled. “I got my sister back. I got you two. What else could I possibly need?”

Declan’s palm settled on her stomach. “I can think of one thing,” he said softly.

She snorted, half amused and half horrified. “No way. It takes all my concentration just to deal with you two.”

Carlos stilled, and she waited for him to speak, half expecting his words. “It won’t always be just us.”

She’d been anticipating that, after hearing about pride law. Maybe it was better if they got it all out in the open now. Better if they decided on a third now. She scowled. Provided she was given a voice in the decision.

“Do I get a choice?”

“Of course.”

So what now? Parade possible suitors in front of her? Then she was struck by an odd thought.

“Who was the lion who led me and Jaz out?”

Carlos smiled, and she sensed his satisfaction, his approval. He wanted her to pick that lion. Whoa, bubba. She hadn’t picked that one for sure.

“He’s my younger brother. His name is Fisher.”

“Odd name for a cat.”

The smile widened to a grin. “Trust me, it suits.”

“So I meet this brother of yours and decide if there’s any…spark there?”

And she realized Carlos wanted her to feel that way. Pride law again. This was someone he trusted with his mate. In every way, apparently.

“Okay. Well. I guess he should come visit.”

“He’s already around.”

She didn’t even attempt to cover her mortification. Around? Like, right-now around? “I’d prefer not to meet a potential mate naked,” she hissed.

Declan leaned up on one elbow and grinned. “But you look so good naked. Why not?”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “Cats share. It’s part of their genetic makeup. You’re a wolf, though. What gives?”

He kissed her. Soft. Quick. It made her blood pump. “I love you.” Then her heart lodged in her throat. “You’re a lion. You need a group. You crave it, don’t you? Somehow, I knew that even before I knew you could shift. As long as I can have a piece of your heart, I’ll learn to share.”

Carlos cleared his throat, and Declan looked up to meet his gaze with a grin. “That goes for you too.”

“I almost regret interrupting,” a fourth voice said into the clearing. Oh God. The other lion. She tried to snatch her hands free to cover her breasts, but Declan and Carlos held them down. Carlos gave Declan a look filled with such wicked intent she was afraid she’d come on the spot.

“We could stake her out. Like an offering.”

She could see Declan actually considering the idea. It should have made her furious. It should have made her feel used. All it did was bring her libido back to screaming wakefulness.

“Another time, I believe we will.” His gaze moved down her body to where her nipples had become painful points. “She likes the idea.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, torn between mortification and lust. She wanted Carlos or Declan or both to fuck her. She wanted to forget her own name. She wanted Fisher to leave. Didn’t she? No. She couldn’t lie to herself. That churning feeling in her stomach was excitement.

Fingers slid up her calf, to the inside of her knee. Two hands spread her thighs, and this new person, this stranger, brushed her folds, stroked over her clit. It shouldn’t be a turn-on, but her body responded even though her mind ordered it not to.

“Oh yeah,” Declan muttered. “Tying her down has definite advantages.”

Crap. No, no, no. She was supposed to get a choice in this, right? Her eyes snapped open. “I thought I got to pick?” But her body had already decided for her. She almost snarled when the exploring fingers stopped.

Carlos’s eyes crinkled at the edges. He was enjoying this. Watching her get wound up. Watching her try to fight embarrassment and lust at the same time. “But how will you know whether you want him or not if you don’t try him out, kitten?”

Oh God. How did he make that sound like the best, most reasonable invitation she’d ever had? Fisher took Carlos’s words as permission. When his mouth met her pussy, she couldn’t hold back a cry, couldn’t control her hips when they thrust up to meet him. When his hands closed over her ass and lifted her to him, she quit fighting it. Let herself just feel. It wasn’t long at all before his wicked, sinful tongue wrung one orgasm, then two, then three, from her body.

When he finally lifted his head from her, he looked at Carlos. “May I?”

“You tell me, kitten. Do you want him inside you? Do you want him thrusting you to another orgasm?”

How could he ask her that? She couldn’t
think
anymore. She was just a ball of need, a creature that demanded
more
. She nodded, knowing her voice wouldn’t work. Fisher lifted his body over hers and thrust into her without hesitation, as if afraid to give her a chance for second thoughts. Once inside though, he held still until she met his gaze.

“How hard?” And she remembered. He knew what she was.

“Hard. Fast.”

He took her at her word, plunging and withdrawing, deep and furious, with a fast rhythm that blew her mind, and he made sure she came first. It wasn’t until she was shaking, trembling in the aftermath that she felt his muscles tense, felt his cum filling her as he cried out his triumph. She felt limp, sated and satisfied, as he rolled to one side, Carlos making room for him.

No one spoke for a long time. She couldn’t have even if she’d wanted to.

Chapter Nine

Declan waited on the front porch, admiring the colored lights Sunny had reluctantly allowed him and Carlos to hang. He knew eventually someone would come find him, and he wasn’t surprised when it was Carlos. He sat next to him on the glider, and they let the silence spread until he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I knew I was going to have to share her,” Declan said softly. “I can live with that. I don’t like it, but I can live with it.”

“What can’t you live with?” Carlos asked, and Declan took a deep breath. He wasn’t walking away from either one of them. He’d learn to adjust.

“Just how much sharing am I gonna have to do?” Okay, maybe not so much.

Carlos chuckled. “It’s just you and me, wolf. I’m obviously not sleeping with my brother, and for some reason he isn’t interested in you.”

He hadn’t been sure if he was expected to fuck the other lion too. He exhaled a sigh of relief. Sunny and Carlos had come to mean so much to him, so quickly, it was a struggle against his wolf side letting this other male in. It didn’t want to share its lovers. Didn’t understand the necessity. Thank God he’d discovered earlier they wouldn’t be expected to always keep this third male. Once the pride was convinced the three of them were solid together, Fisher could go his own way. Just thinking of the other male made him growl.

“Where is he?”

They’d decided to give Sunny and Fisher some time alone so she could make her decision. She had six months, but if she decided she didn’t want Fisher, they’d still need time to find a suitable replacement.

“Gone. For now. He went to report to the king. He’ll be back in a few days.”

Declan froze. “She’s made her decision?”

“Sort of. She enjoyed him. He enjoyed her.” Carlos shrugged. “They’ve decided on a trial period.”

He ground his teeth together, trying to come to grips with his mixed emotions. On the one hand, he didn’t want to share her more than necessary. On the other, it was a hell of a turn-on watching her be pleasured, watching her release.

“I don’t think he’ll be around longer than necessary,” Carlos went on with a considering look at the front door.

“Why?” he asked, confused and not liking it.

“He had…a look on his face when he passed Jaz’s door.”

Ah, Christ. That spelled trouble. They hadn’t spoken yet, but he was pretty sure that Jaz was Asa’s mate. Not that she was in any frame of mind to deal with men. Human, wolf, or cat.

“That could be a problem.”

“We protect her until she’s healed.”

“Her mind may never heal. We don’t know what they did to her,” he said softly, aware of how many were ears were nearby.

Carlos looked at him with disturbed eyes. “Let’s hope that’s not the case. Their animal sides will reject that.”

And that was the other disturbing thing. “They can’t both be her mate. Not like that.”

Carlos shrugged. “It’s a new world, isn’t it? If she were wolf, I might agree with you. But she isn’t. She’s a lion, and we seem to be programmed for group relationships.”

“Shit,” he muttered. “This could be a problem.” Especially since Asa was hung up on a male lion too. Unless Fisher was that lion. They’d just met him, but Asa had made it a point to disappear whenever Fisher showed up.

“What?”

“I was just wondering if Asa and Fisher will share her. And each other.”

Carlos gave him a crooked smile, and his heart skipped a beat before taking on a pounding rhythm.

“Maybe. They’ll figure it out. Just like we will.”

Somewhere in the house, he heard the sound of water being turned off, followed by a soft rustling.

“She’s waiting for us,” Carlos whispered.

Declan grinned. “Let’s not keep her waiting then.”

He led the way to the master bedroom. Sunny was curled up on her side, eyes closed and chest rising and falling in the even rhythm of sleep. So much for that idea.

Then Carlos stepped up behind him and put his hands on his waist. He held Declan still while he nuzzled his neck, licking and teasing.

“You’re pretty hot for a wolf,” he whispered.

Declan chuckled. “Yeah, well. You’re not bad for a lion.”

He closed his eyes and tilted his head to give Carlos more access. The werelion’s tongue stroked, teased, made a leisurely study of his skin. Sunny murmured, and when he opened his eyes to check on her, she was watching them with heavy lids, still not fully awake.

Carlos slid his hands to the front of Declan’s jeans, and she watched while he undid the top button, then pulled the zipper down. He freed Declan’s cock, wrapped his big hand around it, and pumped it slowly. Sunny licked her bottom lip.

It was easy to see her enjoyment of watching them together, and when she held her hand out to them, Carlos let him go. They removed their clothes and joined her on the bed, one on each side of her.

They urged her to her back, pulled the blanket down to expose her body. Carlos immediately bent to take one nipple into his mouth. Declan just watched for a few minutes, heart racing. She was a miracle. His chance at having a happy life. And to have Carlos too? He’d obviously done something right in a previous life.

He was overcome by emotion, and embarrassed by the lump in his throat when Carlos cast his eyes up to meet his. Carlos released Sunny’s nipple and, reaching across her, put his hand on the back of Declan’s head, urging him to meet his lips in the space over Sunny’s chest. The kiss was deep and unhurried as Carlos’s tongue thrust against his, mimicking the way they’d thrust in each other’s bodies. In Sunny’s body.

He broke the kiss and looked at her. She squirmed, her expression needy and avaricious, her skin hot to the touch. They returned their focus to her. Declan slid down the bed, spreading her thighs wide to settle between them. He inhaled her sweet scent before stroking her clit with his tongue. She jerked, crying out at the first touch. He thrust a finger inside her pussy, then a second as Carlos returned to her nipples. Flicking them, squeezing them, before sucking one in his mouth.

He removed his fingers from her cunt and replaced them with his tongue and a groan of pleasure. She tasted so good. He rubbed his thumb over the small bud of her clit, working the ball of nerve endings while his tongue worked her channel. With a scream, her orgasm coated his tongue, and she bucked against him until he put one arm over her pelvis to hold her still.

He wanted her to come again and again. To drink her up each time. To brand her as his. And he did. With her next orgasm, he moved his head to her thigh, biting and sucking on her skin until he knew she would bear a mark. For a few days at least. He grinned. He’d just have to replace it when it faded. Hands stroked his back, his flanks, distracting him from the thought. He turned his head to Carlos.

“Take her now.”

Yes.
He could clearly read Carlos’s intention, shivered at the promise in his eyes. Tonight he’d fuck Sunny, and Carlos would fuck him. Tomorrow? Well, who knew what it would bring.

He sat back on his heels, stroked his hands up her thighs, and wrapped them under her ass to lift her up as Carlos stacked a couple of pillows under her butt. He leaned forward for one last lick of her pussy before moving into position. He heard the squirting sound of the lube as he pushed his cock inside her, watching her eyes widen as she saw Carlos move into position behind him.

She pouted. “I can’t see this way.”

His laugh broke off as Carlos pushed just the head of his cock in his ass. “You just need to feel, baby,” he panted.

Carlos stroked his back before moving to grip his hips. “Ready?” he whispered. Declan could hear the excitement in his voice, saw it mirrored in Sunny’s eyes.

He didn’t reply to the question, just started to slowly ease into her pussy. Trying to draw out the pleasure. Carlos wasn’t so restrained, and when he rammed into Declan, the action pushed him to the hilt inside Sunny. Everyone froze, taking time to adjust. Sunny recovered first.

“More,” she demanded.

They moved together, Carlos and Declan withdrawing and thrusting at the same time. The pace was slow, unhurried, maddening the three of them with desire. It was so much more than simple lust.