Moonlight Menage (5 page)

Her skin quickly warmed against his as he rubbed a hand up and down her arm and around her back. Settling even more heavily against him, her breathing got deeper until she lay completely unconscious in his arms.

Her crying had stopped, thank the gods. He couldn’t stand to hear it. It ripped him apart inside.

He wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep with her in his arms but he was worried about what would happen when she woke. Would they go back to their battle stances?

Tinia’s teat, he didn’t want that. He was so sick of acting like he hated her because he knew she couldn’t stand him. Yeah, it was a defense mechanism but it’d kept him sane these past years.

But…yesterday had changed things.

He knew that. He just didn’t know how.

And as he lay there for hours, staring into the dark with Tira cuddled against him, he still had no answers.

Dawn was at least an hour away when he felt her begin to wake. He forced himself not to tense, to keep his arms loose around her, even when she shifted in his lap, brushing her thigh against his erection and making him want to thrust against her.

He knew the second she came fully awake and braced for her to push him away.

But she didn’t. She lifted her hand to his shoulder and let it curve over the muscle before smoothing over to his neck.

He had a second to wonder if she truly was awake when she turned her head and let her lips rest against his chest.

He sucked in a breath as desire flashed through him like a lightning blast. How many times had he dreamed about having her just like this? Naked and warm against his own skin. Her mouth on his body.

Yeah, they were missing a crucial part of the equation but he couldn’t be sorry about what they did have now.

And he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

He needed her. He’d always needed her but knew they’d never be able to complete the triangle they were meant to be. For years, he’d let that fact keep them separated. He’d hurt her with his distance. He knew that now.

Well, he was done pushing her away and whatever happened, happened. They’d deal with it later.

“Duke.” Her whisper brushed against his neck seconds before her lips, making his heart race and his skin tighten. His hands flattened on her back and started a slow, stroking massage that had her arching into him.

“Duke…”

Bending his head, he rubbed his nose against her hair, breathing in her scent, clean and bright and so fucking
her
.

She moved, as if to get up, and his arms tightened around her. Shit, he didn’t want to lose her. Not now. He didn’t think he could go another day if he didn’t have her.

His throat tightened as his arms felt like rigid steel. He didn’t think he could loosen them if he tried.

As her head tilted back, he actually felt fear coat his lungs in ice. What if she was still asleep? What if this was all a dream—

“Duke, shh. Let me up. Just for a minute.”

He forced himself to obey but he didn’t breathe as she slid off his lap, the blanket falling to the ground as she stood before him. He still couldn’t see her face properly because of the dark but he could see when she bent to slide the sweats to her feet.

He was pretty damn sure she wasn’t wearing underwear.

His cock pulsed, the tip wet with pre-cum.

She didn’t say anything else and he was afraid to break the silence, break the spell.

Afraid she’d walk away.

She didn’t. Reaching for his shoulders, she settled one knee on either side of his hips then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and settled her body against his. His arms bound her to him, bringing her even closer and trapping his cock between them.

It wouldn’t take more than a repositioning of his hips to have his cock poised at her entrance but he was afraid to take any decision out of her hands. He had to know she wanted this as much as he did.

And gods damn, did he want her.

When her mouth settled over his and pressed his lips open so she could flick her tongue against his, he groaned and any chance at control blew apart at her taste.

Sweet, sexy. Forbidden for so long.

And now she was naked in his arms.

She kissed him for what seemed like hours, her mouth moving over his, unhurried at first but with a rapidly increasing sense of urgency. He sucked on her tongue, nipped at her lips. Her hands tugged and pulled at his hair, tiny frissons of pain zipping from his scalp down his back to his balls. Her fingers wrapped around the strands as if to stop him from getting away.

The hell if he was going anywhere. They’d have to pry her out of his arms by force. The fact that there were five other people in the house was a nagging fact in the back of his brain but easy enough to ignore.

Especially with Tira’s hard nipples poking into his chest and her soft breasts filling his hands. He caressed her gently at first then harder as she pushed herself more fully into his palms.

He’d dreamed about touching her for so long that now that he had her, he wanted to spend hours on each inch of her skin. Her breasts felt like silk in his hands and each time he squeezed her, she moaned and arched closer.

His lungs working harder for each breath, Duke let one hand skim to her back then down to her ass, cupping the soft mound.

Tira’s body made him want to worship her. She was all woman, soft and rounded. All curves, no hard edges. The only sharp bit of her was her tongue, which could wound at twenty paces.

He should know. He’d been on the receiving end of her barbs for years. With good reason. He’d been an ass, trying to keep her at arm’s length.

But now, with her tongue flicking at his, playing with him, he couldn’t seem to get her close enough.

He almost didn’t notice the gentle motion of her hips as she rubbed her mound against his cock because he was so caught up in her taste. But when she gasped into his mouth as her clit connected with the wet tip, his hands grabbed for her waist, lifting her onto her knees.

He reached between her legs and stroked his finger through her sleek, wet lips, eliciting a moan from her that made his balls tighten in anticipation. She sounded hungry and a little desperate.

He understood the desperation. He felt the exact same way.

Especially when one hand released his hair to trail down his chest, her nails scratching erotically the entire way.

As he played his finger between her legs, teasing her clit with soft touches, she blazed a trail of fire. She tweaked his nipple between her thumb and forefinger before continuing to scratch her way down his abdomen to just above his cock.

Breaking away from his lips, she leaned back and dropped her gaze to where she slipped her hand around his erection. He fought to keep his eyes open so he could watch as well. He saw the narrow slit of her eyes, saw her parted lips as she struggled to draw in breath.

But it was the movement of her hand on his shaft that forced a groan from him. She started pumping slow and easy, her grip loose. If it’d been anyone else, the friction would have been barely enough to make him hard. Since it was Tira, he was ready to come in her hand.

He fought back the urge to thrust against her, to let her have the control. She played with him for several minutes, her palm against his skin no more than a brush of sensation. The air around them became heavier and harder to breathe.

Her breasts began to rise and fall more swiftly and her hand finally began to tighten around him. She rubbed him from root to tip, her palm cupping the tip on each upward motion.

Gods damn, he wished he had the strength to let her do this for hours. But he didn’t. Already his balls were pulling up in anticipation and he knew he had to make her stop or he’d come in her hand.

And that would leave them both unsatisfied.

Of course, if he could get her to come before he sank into that tight pussy, that’d be just fine.

So he set about distracting her. Lowering his head, he cupped her breast in his hand and lifted it until he could get his lips around the nipple and suck it into his mouth. Her hand on his cock stilled as he let his teeth settle around her for a gentle nip before he started suckling her with steady pulls.

At the same time, he thrust one finger into her tight channel and bumped her clit with his thumb.

She froze as he worked a second finger into her, never losing contact with her clit. As he fucked her with his fingers and worked her clit with a steady circular motion, she finally began to move.

Her hand fell away from his shaft and both hands latched on to his upper arms. She moved with each thrust, following his rhythm. Her pussy clenched around his fingers, making him groan with the need to have her do that around his shaft.

Still, he had to get her off first because if he didn’t, he was truly afraid he’d get inside her and lose it before she did.

And that was unacceptable.

So he concentrated every functioning brain cell on her pleasure. Admittedly, that wasn’t many. Still, he had enough sense to follow her lead. When she twisted her hips, he gave her more pressure on her clit. When she arched away from him, he filled her more fully with his fingers, bringing her closer again.

Switching breasts, he made sure to tug on the nipple with his teeth, which made her moan and her fingers dug into his muscles. He wouldn’t be surprised if she drew blood with her sharp little nails. Damn, he wished she would. He wanted her to mark him.

He wanted her. Always.

And he couldn’t wait any longer.

Pulling his fingers from her pussy, he let them fall to his cock where he painted it with her juices, mixing it with his pre-cum.

Releasing her breast, he reached for her hips with one hand to guide her down. As she sank her fingers into his hair and sealed her mouth over his, he gripped his cock in his other hand and aimed straight into her body.

He wasn’t prepared for her to force herself down on him, to take him all the way into her body in a flash of heat and friction.

His hips shot forward and they melded together so completely, he thought he might just spend now.

He fought back the urge to pump into her, to let her muscles milk him to climax.

But then she began to move. And he knew he had to last just a little bit longer. Just long enough to enjoy the ride.

Blessed Goddess, she felt like silk and dreams and tight, wet heat.

He wanted to close his eyes, to sink into the sensations but he didn’t want to miss seeing her face when she came. While she controlled the motion, he slipped a hand between them to tend to her clit. Her gasping breath and the contraction of her inner muscles let him know he’d hit the perfect rhythm.

They moved together in the dark, straining toward completion. He watched her face, watched as her expression tightened from slack excitement to tense anticipation. She was right on the edge, her body straining for release, his holding back.

Until finally, she gasped and shook, her sheath clamping on him as she came. Her eyes shot open and stared straight into his, the connection flicking his switch with precision.

He pumped into her, flooding her with his seed, with his very soul.

As if she couldn’t take it, she slumped against him as she shivered in reaction, her sex still clamped around him, his cock still twitching.

With his arms tight around her, he locked her to him.

And only after several minutes did he start to think that they were missing a piece of the equation.

And that they may never actually have it.

Chapter Three

At least an hour later, Duke heard the whisper of movement and voices from the other rooms.

The snick of a door opening made him look over his shoulder to see Kyle leave the bedroom, a pair of battered jeans his only clothing.

Kyle headed straight for the couch but his footsteps slowed as he caught sight of Duke and Tira, covered with the blanket but obviously naked and wrapped around each other beneath.

When their gazes connected, Kyle’s brows lifted in a silent question. Duke didn’t have an answer for the man who’d become more than his commanding officer in the past few months. He’d become a friend, something Duke didn’t have a lot of.

Besides Nic and now Kaine, Duke couldn’t think of anyone else who fit that title.

Not even Tira had fit into that category. Hell, he’d need a fucking thesaurus to figure out a title for her. Especially now.

Kyle held up his hand, his fingers spread. Five minutes. Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

Duke took a deep breath, the scents of sex and heat and Tira filling his head, making scenes from the past hours race through his head.

He didn’t regret the sex. He’d never regret the sex, no matter what happened later. But the consequences… Yeah, those were gonna be a bitch.

Reluctantly, he set Tira’s warm body on the cushion next to his, forcing down the urge to pick her up and run. The erection he’d been sporting since she’d fallen asleep deflated as the cool air hit it when he stood.

Running a hand over her bright hair, he was tucking the blanket securely around her when Kyle came back into the room holding a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt that he handed to Duke.

A few seconds later, dressed and feeling the walls closing in around him, Duke walked back to the kitchen where Kyle quietly prepped the coffeemaker.

“How’s Nic?” he asked.

Kyle leaned back against the counter as the coffeemaker gurgled and popped. “Tam’s checking him out now. Seems to be healing well. Even faster than Tam and the doctor thought he would.”

“And Kaine?”

“Groggy but back in her skin. Somehow, she got into the
eteri
’s room last night and slept there. He’s still pretty out of it. Tam’s going to check on him next, see if he’s got any major damage. She didn’t find any last night but…you never know with
eteri
.”

“You think he’s like Tam? That he’s got a trace of the blood in him and that’s why this woman was holding him?”

Kyle shook his head. “There’s no scent at all. Is there anything you can tell me about the place you found him?”