Colors of Love (14 page)

The shop was different from any she’d been in before. A delightful collection of all things alternative. A magnificent collection of crystals took center stage, calling to her from their glass display.

Like colors, crystals had always spoken to her. She’d always believed in their mystical healing properties, and in fact, had numerous crystals in every room of her house.

The far wall was lined with shelves, and each shelf carried the kind of books Kaz loved to read.
How To See & Read The Human Aura
;
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
;
Many Lives, Many Masters
;
The Seat of the Soul
. The shelves were filled to bursting, and Kaz ached to open one book after another and lose herself in their contents.

The left side of the shop boasted aromatherapy oils and essences, natural remedies, herbal soaps and cosmetics. The right wall was covered in chakra charts, dreamcatchers, suncatchers, beaded jewelry and an array of other equally fascinating items.

Kaz spent ages browsing through the shop, and before leaving she bought three books and four crystals she couldn’t not have. While paying for them, she found flyers advertising reflexologists and Reiki masters, naturopaths and homeopaths, fortunetellers and palm readers. She picked one up.

The woman behind the counter noticed. “If you’re interested, Ted reads star charts here every Thursday. I can book an appointment for you.”

“He does the readings here?”

She nodded. “We have two rooms upstairs we use for alternative therapies. We’re kind of known for it. Customers don’t just come in to buy our goods. They come to see the therapists too. They come for the whole mind-and-body experience.”

Kaz’s pulse raced with excitement. “Would you by any chance have someone who reads auras?”

The woman shook her head. “Afraid not. The closest I have is an iridologist.”

Kaz thanked her for her time and left the shop, her mind whirling. Instinct told her she would never grow bored working in a place like
The Little Shop of Treasures
.

That evening, Zachary joined her, Luke and Seth for dinner. It took Kaz a good hour to see past Zachary’s smoldering sexuality, but once she did, she found she enjoyed spending time with him. Like Luke and Seth, he was charming, funny and held great affection for Luke. He treated him the same as he treated Seth—like a brother.

And after dinner, she, Seth and Luke barely made it back to Seth’s suite before they were tugging off their clothes and attacking one another in a feverish, sexual frenzy.

The following day, Kaz found herself back at
The Little Shop of Treasures
. She spent the morning there, browsing, reading and talking to the owner. She left feeling happier and more focused than she had in a long time.

She attributed it to the energy of the crystals. She always felt invigorated around them. By the time she got back to the hotel, Seth and Luke weren’t the only ones waiting to greet her. Sophie was there too. Tucked neatly under Nathan’s arm.

Sophie and Kaz watched the second Melbourne concert together, backstage. They made use of every brief pause in the music to catch each other up on their lives since that first fateful
Speed
concert.

Kaz would have thought her time spent in Melbourne was the most idyllic of her life, if not for one not-so-minor hitch.

Luke.

Every time she looked his way, his charcoal-grey halo and viridian hues seemed to grow brighter. Luke was hurting more with every passing minute, and Kaz had no idea how to help him.

“He needs you,” Kaz said with such vehemence her champagne almost spilled over the sides of her flute.

“He needs to be alone right now,” Seth disagreed.

They stood in the middle of a large crowd of people, whispering to each other as they watched Luke do the necessary rounds of yet another concert after-party.

“He’s in a strange mood,” Kaz observed.

That he was. There was a tension about him Seth had never seen before. Luke tried to hide it. He also tried to keep his distance, but Seth wouldn’t allow him that luxury. He stuck as close to Luke as public decency would allow, and even closer when they were in private.

“I don’t know why.” Frustration yanked at Seth once again. “Do you? Can you read his aura?”

Kaz studied Luke for a long time. Her expression changed from perplexed to worried to sad. “I can, Seth, but there are things there I’m not sure he wants to share with anybody. And I’m not sure it’s my place to speak about them.”

The frustration bit at him. “Then how am I going to know what’s upsetting him?”

“Go and ask him. I told you, he needs you. Take time out to be alone with him. Help him sort through whatever’s got him this distressed.”

Seth snorted. “You know that Luke never needs anyone, don’t you? He’s an island, that man.”

Kaz gave him a stern look. “And you know that’s a crock of shit. That man is so crazy about you, he can’t breathe properly when you’re not in the room with him.”

Seth took a step back and looked at Kaz. “Where’d you get to be so observant?”

“It’s a trait I was born with. Now, go. Goodbye. Go support the man you love.” She gave him a little shove.

“Pushy little thing, aren’t you?”

“Go,” she hissed and turned away from him, leaving him with no choice. He made his way across the floor, offering smiles and conversation to anyone who stopped him—and a lot of people stopped him. If he didn’t give them the attention they demanded, his band manager would blow a gasket. It didn’t mean his attention wandered from Luke. Not for one second. He was aware of exactly where the other man was, and what he was doing, the entire time.

“Lucas,” he said when he’d made his way to his side.

“Seth.” Luke gave a short nod.

“Wanna tell me what’s got your balls in a knot?”

“My balls are just fine, thank you.”

“They are, indeed. I can’t argue with that.” Seth shot him a killer look. “Perhaps I can knot them for you? With my tongue?”

Luke didn’t respond, which told Seth he was in a bad way. Luke always responded to Seth’s killer looks, sometimes with annoyance, sometimes with a killer look of his own, and sometimes with a growled, “Behave.”

Seth placed his hand on Luke’s shirt and smoothed it down over his chest. “What’s wrong, Lucas?”

Luke jumped back as if he’d been burned. True, he and Luke didn’t often touch in public, but when they did, Luke never had such a strong reaction.

“Nothing’s wrong. Now that Nathan’s back on form, everything’s fine again.”

“If everything was fine, you wouldn’t be so uptight.”

“I’m wound up from the concert. It’s no biggie. I just need time, is all.”

Bull. Concerts never caused Luke this much stress. “I’m worried about you.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. Just give me time to unwind and I’ll be fine.”

Seth inched closer to Luke. If the dumbass thought he could deter or placate Seth, he was insane. But Luke was obviously not in the mood for talking, so Seth reached out in the only way he could. “You know I could help you unwind.”

Luke snorted, but there was no amusement in the sound. “I bet you could.”

“Would you like me to?”

A long moment passed before Luke responded. A tense moment, filled with uncertainty for Seth. Luke’s eyes were narrowed, the brown irises almost invisible. A wealth of emotion played over his face, but for the life of him, Seth could not identify any of it.

Ropes of tension knotted in his stomach.

Finally, Luke nodded. “Yeah, kid. I believe I would.”

The ropes relaxed. Not all the way but enough that Seth could breathe again. “Let’s go.” Suddenly he couldn’t wait to get Luke alone. Couldn’t wait to be naked with him, just the two of them. Maybe then Luke would open up and tell him what was bothering him.

“Wait.” Luke stopped him before he could march off.

“What?” He didn’t want to be stopped now. He wanted to be in his room with Luke.

“Where’s Kaz?”

Seth gestured to where she’d been standing. “Over there. Why?”

“Get her.”

“Get her?”

“If I’m gonna unwind, I want her there to help me. To help us both.”

Seth breathed through a wave of irritation. Not at Kaz, at Luke.
Seth
knew he needed time alone with Luke.
Kaz
knew the men needed time alone together. Why the fuck couldn’t Luke see that?

Or could he, and that was why he insisted on Kaz coming along?

“I’ll find her,” he said. Maybe if Kaz was there, she could talk some sense into Luke. Because fuck knew, Luke wasn’t interested in listening to Seth talk. Not about the two of them. Kaz had a way with words and a deeper understanding of people thanks to her ability to read auras. Maybe if she could combine the two, she could get Luke to spend some time alone with Seth. “Give me five minutes, and we’ll meet you back in my room.”

Luke checked his watch. “Five minutes,” he agreed and walked away.

Seth watched him go, his body already aching for the other man. Luke moved like a panther, all sleek grace and muscled power.

Seth found Kaz almost immediately. “I need you to talk some sense into Luke. Need you to convince him he and I need time alone.”

“That you do,” Kaz agreed. “I can try, but…”

“But?”

“But I watched him leave the party, and I don’t think talk is what he has on his mind. Where is he?”

“In my room. Come with me?”

Luke stood in the bedroom, his shirt unbuttoned and hanging loose on his shoulders, framing his solid chest. He looked at them both with raw, unbound lust. And just like that, Seth knew Kaz was right. Luke wasn’t interested in conversation.

The air was heavy with a sense of expectation and a promise of sex. Or was that a threat of sex? Luke seemed volatile, almost violent. As if the smallest nudge would make him crack, go off the deep end.

An excited shiver raced down Seth’s spine. How hard did he need to push to shove Luke off the deep end? The man and his tight control. He needed to let go. Lose it. He needed to expose every last bit of himself to Seth. Because only then, Seth suspected, would Luke acknowledge the depths of his need for him. Only then, when Luke had nothing holding him together, would he confess that he loved Seth every bit as much as Seth loved Luke.

Luke didn’t give him a chance to push. “Strip,” he demanded of Seth as he caught Kaz’s arm and pulled her to him.

“Luke,” Kaz began, but he shut her up with a feral kiss. Her clothes came off faster than Seth’s, thanks to Luke’s nimble hands.

While Luke’s mouth devoured Kaz, his gaze devoured Seth.

Seth stared back, trying to determine what Luke was thinking. A million emotions flickered in his eyes. Confusion, desire… Not all of them were so easy to identify. Luke was an expert at hiding his feelings.

Seth kicked off his jeans and tugged off his shirt. He rolled down his boxers and exposed himself to Luke in all his erect glory. Then he took his own cock in his hand and stroked
—
because he knew it drove Luke insane with need.

Jesus, Seth’s skin felt tight. And prickly. His cock swelled beneath Luke’s ferocious gaze.

What else did he see in those eyes? Lust, for sure. Hunger. Passion. And…pain.

Seth’s heart jerked.

Why pain? What had happened in the last few days to make Luke so volatile and vulnerable? “Lucas
—
”

“I need this, Seth.” Luke’s voice was a hoarse rasp. “I need to be here now, with both of you. Need to see you two together.”

The desperation and plea in Luke’s voice tugged at Seth’s heart. He’d never heard him sound quite so…helpless. Or defenseless. Forget pushing him over the edge, right now Seth just wanted to hold him, ease his pain.

Kaz’s hand found Luke’s cheek and stroked soothingly, making Seth wonder what she’d seen in his aura. Damn it, he wished he knew. Wished he could understand Luke better than he did.

“Tell us what you need, Luke. Tell us, and we’ll give it to you,” she murmured.

“Anything, Lucas, we’ll do whatever you ask.” He’d walk to the ends of the earth for this man.

“I need to see you two together. Need to know I’ve done the ri
—
” Luke broke off and blinked hard. “Just…need…this. The two of you…together.” He snuck his knee between Kaz’s legs, pushing them apart. Then his knee was gone, and Seth watched in fascination as Luke fingered her.

If Luke needed them both, then it didn’t matter how much Seth longed to be alone with him. The man he loved was hurting, and if being here with Kaz eased Luke’s pain, then Kaz was staying.

Kaz glanced over her shoulder, looking at Seth questioningly. He nodded once.

His consent was all she needed. She turned back to Luke, melded her lips to his and widened her stance with a twist of her hips.

Her soft moan and Luke’s deep groan echoed through the room.

Long moments later, Luke dragged his mouth from Kaz’s, removed his fingers from her pussy and spun her around to face Seth. He didn’t release her. No, he held her trapped, her back against his front, his arm crossed over her breasts, pinning her to him.