Strands of Love (15 page)

She pushed against Jace’s chest and he rolled onto his back
at her prompting. Sam rolled onto her knees between the two men and raised an
eyebrow at Darian. He grinned at her and rolled onto his back.

Had any woman ever had such incredible specimens of manhood
laid out before her?
The other tapestry women. The tapestry brides
. The
insidious whisper came from out of nowhere, but it was right. The other women
who’d stayed in Javara probably experienced the same thing every night.

But their men weren’t as sexy or fine as hers. They couldn’t
be.

Hers. They weren’t hers. Not unless she returned with them.

Confusion and anger warred with sexual desire. For tonight,
desire won and she wrapped a hand around Jace’s cock, then the other around
Darian’s, loving the way the hot flesh jumped against her palm.

“Harder,” Darian prompted.

She shook her head and slowly slid her hand from the root
all the way to the flared head. “I want to take my time and touch.” She stroked
all the way back down to each man’s balls. “Taste.”

She released Darian, leaned down and drew her tongue around
the broad head of Jace’s cock. His entire body tensed, his abs tightening until
she could have bounced a quarter on them.

Pre-come seeped from the tip and she lapped it up, enjoying
the musky flavor. Jace smelled all male—soap, warm flesh, sweat and sex.
Totally yummy.

Jace growled, the sound primal and arousing. She leaned down
and rubbed one of her breasts over the rough hair of his thigh, making a little
humming sound of pleasure at the contact. The vibration went through the head
of Jace’s cock and he moaned.

Thick fingers tunneled through her hair and he nudged her
head downward. She laughed and obliged, opening her mouth and taking his shaft
deep, stopping only when the head pressed against the back of her throat. She
swallowed and Jace yelled her name.

Sam felt more alive than she had in her life. Every second
seemed longer. Every sense she possessed seemed heightened, from the perfume of
sex that seemed to surround them, to the sound of Jace’s sigh of pleasure and
the salty taste of him in her mouth.

Her skin tingled and her pussy pulsed in time with Jace’s
cock.

A quick glance at Darian assured her he was enjoying the
show. He had his large hand wrapped around his cock, pumping lazily as he watched
her pleasure Jace with her mouth.

Sam turned her attention back to Jace, wanting him to
understand how special he was to her. She swallowed again, sucking the head
hard to bring him maximum pleasure.

She slid his cock almost all the way out of her mouth,
circling the tip with her tongue before taking him deep. With her hand wrapped
around the base, she controlled each stroke. She squeezed and sucked and
licked, enjoying watching him squirm with pleasure.

Jace’s hips arched upward on each down stroke. “More. Take
all of me.” His tortured whisper almost broke her heart. He meant more than
simply her taking more of his cock into her mouth. He wanted her to accept him
and his home. He didn’t have to say it. She felt it in her bones and knew it in
her heart.

Sam blinked back tears, feeling suddenly emotional and
vulnerable. But she didn’t stop. She used her free hand to cup Jace’s balls,
rolling them carefully between her fingers.

His big hands fisted in the sheets and she heard a rip as
one of them gave way beneath his assault.

“I’m coming.” She knew he was warning her, giving her time
to pull away so he could come on his stomach instead of in her mouth.

Sam took him deeper, sucking and swallowing around his shaft
and cock head. She wanted to give him everything, wanted to give him what she’d
never given another man. She’d never swallowed before, hadn’t wanted to and had
always broken off before it had happened with her previous lovers. But not with
Jace.

“Sam. Sam. Sam.” He chanted her name over and over as she
drove him closer to coming.

His balls tightened and his cock rippled beneath her hand.
Then he was coming in her mouth. She swallowed and kept swallowing until he was
done. His heavy hand rested against her head and he sighed a deep sigh of
contentment.

Sam sucked him clean and sat up, wiping the edges of her
mouth. Jace opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again and shook his head.
She didn’t know what she’d been expecting. Certainly not a declaration of love,
but something other than silence.

She started to turn away, but he grabbed her and pulled her
down until she was sprawled on top of him. He held her face as he kissed her,
pouring everything he couldn’t or wouldn’t say into it. She wasn’t sure what it
meant, but she knew her own heart was more than a little involved.

How could she have fallen in love with a man who was going
to leave her?

Sam slowly sat up and moved off Jace, whose pale-blue eyes
followed her as she reached for Darian.

Two brothers. One intense and committed to his land and people.
Loyal. The other just as loyal and committed but more lighthearted, less
burdened. Similar, yet different in so many ways. Darian would always be the
easier of the two to live with, the one to bend more to compromise. Not Jace.
He would always be difficult and unbending. But his loyalty was unshakeable and
so was his tenacity.

How was it possible for her to love them both? Because there
was no longer any denying that she did.

Staring down at Jace, who still managed to look dangerous
and sated at the same time and then over to Darian who waited patiently for her
to come to him, she admitted the truth to herself.

Love had finally come into her life, not once but twice. But
it had come at a deep cost. Both men would go tomorrow. As much as she wanted
one of them to stay, she couldn’t allow it. She wouldn’t be responsible for
breaking up their family.

Family. It was what she missed the most, what she wanted.

What was she staying here for?

The question shocked and surprised her, but before she could
really think about it, Darian reached her for. Sam shook her head and wrapped
her hand around his cock, wanting to give him the kind of pleasure she’d given
Jace, a night of pleasure he’d never forget.

Darian groaned as she slid her mouth over his cock, his
fingers threading through her hair. Sam lost herself in the moment, more able
to show her feelings than to voice them out loud.

Darian was a man torn between two worlds, between the people
he loved the most in the world—his brother and Sam. He stood on the back porch
and watched the sun rise and push back the darkness. The stars slipped away and
dawn was ushered in.

Today was the day. The tapestry would come and choices would
have to be made.

How could he choose?

Sighing, he raked his fingers through his hair. There were
no easy answers. If he stayed with Sam he’d never see his brother or mother
again. If he went home with Jace he’d never see Sam again.

He swept up his sword and stalked to the center of the yard.
Training always calmed and centered him. He set his bare feet on the warm dirt
and began a series of movements, exercises designed to strengthen his body and
his skills. Darian easily fell into the rhythm of moving body and weapon
together. It was familiar. Comforting.

The early morning sun soon had him sweating, but he didn’t
mind. He was becoming accustomed to the heat, just as he had become accustomed
to having Sam in his bed.

None of them had slept much last night. After Sam had given
him a taste of heaven with her mouth, they’d taken turns making love to her
again and again until she’d fallen into a fitful sleep. A twinge of guilt made
him wince. They’d been all over her and she’d likely be sore today. Desperation
had ridden him even as he’d ridden Sam.

To his amazement, his cock stirred. After last night he’d
figured the organ wouldn’t even twitch for several days. But all it took was a
thought of Sam.

Darian ignored the physical discomfort and focused on the
moves of the exercises until all else slipped away. The blade cut through the air
as his body sinuously twisted and turned. His movements started slow, but soon
picked up speed. He kept his breathing even and deep. The exercises were as
much about mental control as they were about physical development.

He felt the ripple in the air, the way every cell of his
body seemed to come to attention, and knew Sam had stepped outside. He lowered
his weapon and turned to face her.

“Wow, that’s incredible.”

Darian inclined his head. “Thank you. We’ve both trained
since we were children.”

Several beads of sweat rolled down his chest and his fingers
gripped the handle of his sword. He wished there was a foe to fight and
vanquish. That would be easy. It was impossible to fight Sam’s memories and a
lifetime of family expectations. He should know. He was battling with his own.

He strode toward Sam, admiring the way she looked with her
dark hair pulled back in the familiar loose braid. She was wearing pants and a
shirt that clung to her breasts. Her skin smelled fresh, like soap and
sunshine. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, inhaling deeply.

Sam laughed, but it was tinged with nervousness. Darian
pulled back and caught her chin with his hand. “What is it?”

She shrugged. “I’m worried about today.” Sam nibbled on her
bottom lip and Darian groaned. All his peace and calm fled in an instant,
replaced by lust and a tenderness that nearly dropped him to his knees.

He kissed her, not with passion, but with love. Gently, he
laved her abused bottom lip before deepening the caress. Other than his hand on
her chin the only place they touched were their mouths, yet Darian’s body was
on fire.

It would always be this way. He knew it to the depths of his
soul and accepted it.

When he released her and stepped back, he’d made his
decision. “I will stay with you.”

Sam’s mouth dropped open. He could tell his pronouncement
stunned her. Did she think they would both leave her here alone? Or perhaps she
didn’t want him here. She might as well run his sword through his heart if that
was the case.

“Do you not want me to stay?” He squared his shoulders and
watched her face. Confusion and hope warred there, but both were chased away by
a deep sadness.

Sam wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. “As
much as I want you to stay I can’t let you.”

Now he was confused. “Why not?”

Sam didn’t know how much more she could take before she
collapsed in a heap of tears and regret. Her body ached from their sexual play
last night. Both men had been insatiable, taking her again and again. She was
sore, but she didn’t regret last night. No woman could have felt more wanted
and cared for then she did.

Emotionally, she was a wreck. She’d left Jace in bed and
come downstairs to find Darian. What a sight he’d made, wearing only his
leather pants and the familiar bands on his arms, as he’d trained with his
sword. Swinging the weapon as though it was as light as a feather, he’d moved
through a series of intricate movements that reminded her somewhat of martial
arts stances. It was a mesmerizing, deadly display of raw power and very, very
hot.

Sam had settled herself to the fact that both men were
leaving today and now Darian had thrown this latest revelation at her.
“Because, you can’t.” Great, that was totally articulate. She sighed and shook
her head. “You can’t do that to your mother.” No way was she being responsible
for breaking up a family.

She’d give anything to have her family back. A deep well of
pain and emptiness filled her. She desperately wanted a family and he was
willing to give his up.

Darian returned his sword to its protective sheath and
propped it against the porch railing. “My mother will understand and she will
have Jace. If I leave, you will be all alone.”

His words sliced through her like a blade. Alone, as she’d
been all these months.

The door opened behind her and Jace joined them. He wrapped
an arm around her shoulders, snuggling against her from behind. She leaned
against his strength even as she berated herself for doing so. She couldn’t get
used to depending on either of them.

“What is wrong?” Jace’s deep voice rumbled through her. She
loved the sound of it, the deepness, the hint of command.

“Nothing,” she replied.

“I told her I was staying,” Darian said at the same time.

Jace tensed behind her but then he relaxed. “I expected as
much.”

She whirled in his arms and shoved against his chest until
he backed up a step. Like his brother, Jace was naked except for his leather
pants, which hung low on his hips. His hair fell around his shoulders with the
familiar skinny braids on either side. A lot of men would have looked awkward
or even feminine wearing two braids in their hair. Not Jace. If anything it
accentuated the sheer masculinity of his face.

“He can’t stay. I already told him that.” Why wouldn’t
either of them listen to her?

Jace frowned. “You do not wish him to stay?”

“What is wrong with you?” She drilled her index finger
against his chest. “He’s your brother. Don’t you want him to come home with
you?”

Sadness suffused his face. “I want one of us to be happy.”

The implication that he didn’t want to leave her almost sent
her to her knees. This situation was getting worse by the second. Sam spun away
and walked to the edge of the porch.

She stared out over the familiar landscape, not really
seeing it.

“Sam.” She ignored Darian and continued to stare at the sky.
For the first time, she noticed the clouds building on the horizon. Rain. It
would be a godsend to all the farmers in the area. A healthy crop would allow
her to pay off her existing loan and maybe even give her some breathing space
to try some of her experimental crops. If not, she could put that off for yet
another year. But the farm would survive. She would survive.

Why wasn’t she happier about that? It was what she wanted.

Dust flew in the distance. “What now?” she muttered. She
hadn’t even had a cup of coffee yet.

The familiar truck came into view. She should have known Tim
wouldn’t stay away today. She turned and found both Darian and Jace watching
her intently. “We’ll talk about this later.”

Jace’s features hardened while Darian’s filled with sadness.
“There is no later, Sam. Today is the day.”

But it hadn’t happened yet. The tapestry hadn’t appeared.
Maybe it wouldn’t, and all this worry would be for nothing. Of course, if it
didn’t come, she’d be worried about their mother and the people of Hunter Keep.

Sam hurried down the steps to greet Tim, needing a familiar
face, one from her past, from her world. “Morning, Tim.”

He swept her into his arms, hugging her tight. As she always
did, she returned his embrace and soaked in his caring, his love.

Tim released her and brushed a stray lock of hair off her
forehead. “You okay, little girl?” His gaze shot to the two men standing on her
porch. “Everything okay?”

“Oh, Tim. What am I going to do?”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and turned her
toward the house. “Whatever you want to. It’s your choice, Sam.”

Her choice. The words struck her hard. In her entire life,
had she ever done anything that was her choice? She’d worked the farm because
it was expected. She loved it too, but there was never talk of her doing
anything else. She’d worked harder when her brother had been killed. She’d
taken care of her mother after her father died. And then she’d taken care of
the farm after her mother passed. Sam had spent her entire life simply reacting
to the situation at hand and doing whatever needed to be done.

She was tough and resilient. A survivor.

But wasn’t life supposed to be about more than simply
survival? What did she want? Now that was a loaded question. “I need coffee.”
Avoiding the question for now, she pushed past all the men and went into the
kitchen.

The men came in behind her and she heard the sound of chairs
scraping over the scarred wooden floor and knew they were sitting at the table
watching her.

Making coffee was a familiar task and it only took her seconds
to have a pot brewing. “What brings you out here this morning, Tim?” Oh, she
knew why he was here, but she needed to break the awkward silence.

“I came to check on you.” Tim was nothing if not blunt. “And
to see what these two young fellers were doing.”

“I am staying,” Darian announced. He sat across from her,
massive arms crossed over his chest, almost daring her to disagree with him.

“You can’t.” The words felt as though they were strangling
her even as she said them. The denial was automatic, but really, Darian could
stay. It was his choice. He was being proactive, deciding what he wanted.
Unlike her, who always seemed to be reacting to whatever situation arose.

Jace leaned against the wall, getting tenser by the second.
Sam turned back to the counter and poured coffee for her and Tim. Neither
brother liked the bitter brew and preferred to drink water or juice. She handed
Tim his coffee before she went to the refrigerator and got the orange juice.
She pulled two glasses out of the cupboard and filled them. Her hands were
shaking slightly as she gave Darian, and then Jace, the juice.

Silence surrounded them again and she couldn’t take it
anymore. “I’m going for a walk.”

Jace straightened. “The tapestry.”

“If it comes the same time it did when it brought you here,
it shouldn’t return for a few hours yet.” She softened her tone slightly. “I
need some time alone, time to think.” Sam turned to Tim. “Are you staying?”

“Yeah, I’ll be here when you get back.” He stood and ruffled
the top of her hair. “Go and do your thinking.”

Sam took her mug of coffee with her and left the kitchen and
the men behind her.

Jace watched her walk down the porch stairs and across the
yard, the ache in his gut growing with each step she took. Every moment with
her was special and he resented losing even one of them. But he understood her
need to think. There was a lot at stake.

He glanced at Darian and met his brother’s even gaze. He
swallowed hard, shoving the emotion down. He would lose both Sam and his
brother today.

“So you’re staying?” Tim’s question gave both brothers
something to focus on other than Sam’s slender figure retreating in the
distance.

“I am,” Darian acknowledged.

“But you’re not?” Tim asked him.

“I cannot.” Jace had to force the words out of his mouth. He
loved his home, his mother and his people, but a man should never have to
choose between his heart and his honor. Losing Sam was like losing his heart,
but he owed his people everything he could give them. They depended on him.
They needed him.

Sam would have Darian. They would be fine together.

Sam sipped her coffee as she walked and when the mug was
empty she longed for more. There wasn’t enough coffee in the world to help her
make this decision.

Why was she staying here?

Because it was home. It was familiar. It was her family’s
legacy.

But what did she want?

Now that was the big question. She wanted a family. She
wanted to be loved and needed. She wanted children.

She could have all of that with Jace and Darian. All she had
to do was leave behind everything she knew, everything that was familiar. She’d
have none of the modern conveniences. Not that she needed much. She didn’t need
fancy clothes or jewelry or computers.

What did she want to do with her life?

What she’d always done—farm. She loved to grow things. She
loved the horses and animals, the sense of satisfaction with planting something
and seeing it through to harvest.

Why was she staying here?

Because she was a coward. Because it was easier to stay than
to take a risk and go with Jace and Darian.

How could she let Darian stay and Jace go?

She couldn’t. Either both men stayed or both men went home.

The first drop of rain hit her on the nose, startling her.
The clouds had blown in while she’d been lost in thought and the sun had
disappeared. The next drop hit her cheek and made her laugh.