Tempted by Two Angels [Notorious Nephilim 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (16 page)

They’d all done the same thing. They’d each pursued their dreams, and in doing so had given up chances at love. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t a woman have both? “Oh God,” she mumbled.

“Did I hurt you?” Hugh’s hands left her back and his voice was filled with concern.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry. I was thinking about my sisters. I didn’t mean to speak out loud.”

“Anything you want to share with us?” asked Sterling. “Maybe it would help to talk?”

Caleigh turned over. “I would love to talk. Will you both stay with me for a while?”

They lay on their backs, on either side of her. Caleigh closed her eyes for a moment and debated how much to tell them. The only two people she’d trusted with her deepest darkest secrets were Babs and Edgar. But neither one was here right now, and Hugh and Sterling had proven themselves to be not only amazing lovers, but friends as well. Why shouldn’t she tell them everything? They’d trusted her, after all, with a secret only a few people would truly believe.

“The man who died wasn’t only a friend. He was one of my lovers. He proposed to me, but I turned him down.”

Hugh rolled to his side and stared at her. “Do you turn down many marriage proposals, Caleigh?”

She knew he wasn’t trying to hurt her, but his words stung. Now that she’d committed to this, she had to tell them the entire story. “I turned down three in fact, on the same day. I wrote them and told them I didn’t want to get married.”

Sterling sat up. “You turned down three marriage proposals by letter?”

Caleigh nodded. “All three men are fighting overseas. They didn’t propose in person.”

“You must feel terribly guilty right now.”

Caleigh was grateful for his insight. Was that part of his powers, or was she simply that transparent? “Yes, I do.”

“Caleigh, your letter had nothing to do with Harold’s death. That was preordained.”

She sat up, crossed her legs, and looked from one man to the other as she tried to explain. “I know that, but I want you to understand this. I never meant to use any of them. I simply didn’t feel the same way about them as they did about me.”

“But you enjoyed the attention,” said Hugh.

Caleigh flushed. “Wouldn’t anyone? Don’t you enjoy it when the guests fawn all over you?”

Hugh grinned. “Sure I do.”

Caleigh shivered and hugged her elbows. Her entire body felt weary. She took a deep breath and realized Sterling was right about the oil. She could no longer smell it, but its effect was obvious. She could barely keep her eyes open. But she couldn't sleep until she got this out.

“Caleigh, we’re not judging you,” said Sterling. “You’re a beautiful woman, and I’m sure men have always fallen at your feet. You didn’t do anything wrong to Harold. To string him along would have been cruel, but you didn’t do that.”

Fresh guilt washed over Caleigh as she stared into Sterling’s emerald eyes. “I strung him along for years.”

“Okay, but you didn’t cause his death. Don’t blame yourself for this.” He caressed her face gently. The touch sent a thrill straight to her pussy. What was wrong with her? How could she feel aroused at a time like this?

“Caleigh, you’re a flirt, but you’re harmless.” Hugh stroked her arm. “Don’t beat yourself up. Sterling is right. The war caused his death, not you.”

“I don’t want people to think of me as shallow or cruel.” She searched their faces. If they thought of her that way, she was done here. She’d leave and never come back. There was no way she could handle that label from either of these men.

“You’re not,” said Sterling. He cut his gaze to Hugh. “What Hugh meant by saying you’re a flirt is that you’re not afraid to make the first move. Men find that exciting. But neither of us thinks of you as mean or without feelings.”

“That’s right,” said Hugh. “We don’t.”

Caleigh smiled and took their hands. “Thank you, both of you. I needed to hear that right now.”

“Is the women who sent you the telegram a friend?” asked Sterling.

“Babs is my best friend. We’ve known each other all our lives.”

“You should telephone her.”

“But it’s long distance.”

Hugh waved a hand in the air. “Don’t let that concern you. You can telephone anyone you want.”

“Thank you. I’ll call her in the morning.”

Sterling scooted off the bed. “You should get some sleep now, Caleigh.”

Hugh climbed off as well. “We’ll make the travel arrangements to Philly. Get some rest.”

“Good night, Caleigh.” Sterling kissed the back of her hand, sending a jolt through her body again. She definitely needed to sleep.

* * * *

Caleigh telephoned Babs as soon as she woke up, around noon. “We’re catching a train out of Chicago this afternoon. We should be in Philly by tomorrow night, just in time to make the funeral Wednesday morning.”

“We?”

“Sterling and Hugh are coming with me. I wrote you about them. You did get my letter, right?” Caleigh’s heart hammered in her chest. It wasn’t like Babs to not keep in touch. Caleigh hadn’t realized the owners would be all right with her making a long-distance telephone call, but now she wished she’d simply asked. Babs was her best friend, after all.

“I got it, Caleigh. And I’ve been sitting here ever since trying to figure out what to say in response. I’m glad you called. I had no way to reach you. The operator in Chicago couldn’t find a listing for Lilith’s Playground.”

“Sorry about that. I didn’t realize it wasn’t listed, and I wasn’t sure it would be all right for me to make a long-distance call.

“Everyone here is worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Babs. I’m happy here. Will you be at Harold’s funeral?” This wasn’t the time to ask who “everyone” was and whether Babs had shared such a private letter with anyone. Caleigh hadn’t counted on having to explain Hugh and Sterling to her parents or siblings. Was it too late to cancel the trip to Philly?

“Yes, of course I’ll be there. The entire neighborhood will be there. And I can’t wait to meet Hugh and Sterling.”

Caleigh smiled. “Really? You’re not upset with me?”

“Upset with you? You silly goose! I miss you like crazy. I’m jealous as hell, too. Two gorgeous men all to yourself. Do you think they’d share?”

Caleigh laughed, until she realized she’d written Babs
before
Sterling and Hugh had told her what they really were. There was no way she could tell that to Babs, or anyone for that matter. “I’ll ask them, okay?”

“Don’t you dare. I’d die of embarrassment.”

“Babs, I miss you so much.” Caleigh hugged the receiver closer to her ear. Nostalgia for her best friend and the easy conversation they’d always shared washed over Caleigh like a soaking rain, only she didn’t feel refreshed. She felt like she was drowning.

“I miss you, too, hon. Can’t wait to see you in Philly, although I’m sorry it won’t be under happier circumstances.”

“Me, too. Talk to you Wednesday.”

By the time the train neared Philadelphia, Caleigh was pretty sure Hugh hadn’t left the resort since they built it. She knew Sterling had but realized she’d never asked him much about his travels. She made a mental note to do so as soon as possible.

Hugh spent most of the trip staring out the window, muttering to himself about the number of telephone poles and electric power lines. When they roared past a crossing, he commented on the automobiles waiting for the train to pass.

“Tell me again when you were first sent to Earth?” she asked.

“Nineteen nineteen.”

“There were autos on the road then.”

“Not nearly as many as there are now.”

Caleigh smiled. “What other changes are most apparent?”

Hugh glanced at her, and her heart skipped a beat. Would she ever grow tired of looking into his dark eyes? They were hypnotic. “Electric lines everywhere. Wooden poles dotting the landscape. This is a beautiful planet and people are replacing the majestic views with man-made garbage.”

Caleigh tried not to smile, but he saw right through it.

“You’re mocking me.”

“No, Hugh, I’m not. But they aren’t everywhere, only near towns or large cities. And you have the telephone and electricity at the resort.”

“We have to. Our guests expect the latest technologies.”

“It’s called progress. These inventions make our lives easier.”

“No, they don’t, but none of you can see that. Your lives are more complicated because of them.”

Caleigh stared past him at the buildings and streets rushing by. The familiar sights of Philly were vastly different from the forests and lakes surrounding the resort. Caleigh thought she’d be homesick, but realized she missed Lilith’s Playground, not home.

“Hugh, were you ever on Earth before 1919?”

“Many times.”

“So you’ve seen a lot of progress then.”

“Yes, but nothing as fast as this century has experienced.”

She stared at him, unsure whether to ask. The answer might not be one she wanted to hear. “How old are you?”

Hugh cut his gaze to Sterling, on her other side, who leaned close and whispered in her ear. “We’re ageless, Caleigh. Don’t try to work it out. You’ll give yourself a headache.”

* * * *

Caleigh waited until the last possible moment to finish dressing so that she, Hugh, and Sterling arrived as the funeral was beginning. She’d woken with a headache and couldn’t face chitchat with her family or Babs right now. They slipped into a pew near a side door. Caleigh glanced around. It had to be at least six years since she’d last been in this church.

To her left, she gazed at the solemn look on Hugh’s face. On her right, Sterling squeezed her hand, and she held onto it as the congregation rose to face the aisle. When the coffin passed by, draped with the American flag, Caleigh fought back tears. She tried not to imagine Harold lying in that box, cold and dead, but her mind filled with pictures of decaying, rotted flesh.

When the service ended, she insisted on driving to the cemetery in the procession. Sterling had driven to the church from the hotel, and Caleigh had been convinced they’d all die before they arrived.

“When did you learn to drive?” she asked as they wound their way through streets, following the other autos.

“I didn’t.”

Caleigh snapped her gaze to the passenger seat, where Sterling grinned at her like he’d just told the best joke ever. From the back seat, Hugh slapped his knee and laughed loudly.

“You two are unbelievable. Complete brats.”

“But at least we got you to smile,” said Sterling gently.

Hugh reached across the seat and rubbed the back of her neck. “Still some tension in these muscles. When we get back to the resort we’ll have to find a way to relive some of that stress.”

Caleigh shivered. She shouldn’t be thinking about sex at a time like this, but with these two so close, that was like trying not to breathe. She had thought they might suggest sleeping in her hotel room last night, but they hadn’t said a word. They’d merely made sure she was safely in her own room and told her to sleep well.

How long had it been since she’d made love to them? It felt like years. But every time she tried to imagine herself in their arms, pictures of Harold lying in his coffin invaded her consciousness. How did a person get over the death of a friend and lover, especially one they’d jilted by letter while he was fighting a war?

After the graveside service was over, Babs finally caught up with Caleigh. As her best friend gave her a tight hug, Caleigh’s eyes welled up with tears.

“I suppose I’ll have to come to Illinois now just to see you,” said Babs, releasing Caleigh, and giving Hugh and Sterling long, searching looks.

Caleigh made introductions. Babs stared at both men, and her cheeks flushed, but Caleigh didn’t mind. Women had been giving them openly lustful looks since they boarded the train in Chicago. It was impossible not to. They not only outshone every other man around, but once you looked into their eyes, you never wanted to glance away.

“I hope you two realize this is my very best friend, and you’d better be good to her,” said Babs.

“We’re trying to be,” said Hugh, grinning.

Babs batted her eyelashes, and Caleigh had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “Well, if you aren’t, I’ll have to drive right up there and do something about it.”

“You’re welcome to visit us anytime,” said Sterling. “With or without a reason to.”

“I don’t know. Caleigh said the place is pretty swanky. I’m on a budget these days.”

“Your visits will be on the house,” said Hugh. “You’re Caleigh’s best friend, after all.” He put his arm around Caleigh’s shoulder and heat rose to her face. His gesture was so sexy and endearing, she found herself thinking about fucking them both silly again. Only the sobs from Madge, Harold’s mother, snapped her back to reality.

Babs turned to watch Harold’s mother wail in her husband’s arms as they were handed the flag from Harold’s coffin. “He was their only son. That flag can’t replace him. Why do they do that?”

“He died while defending his country,” said Caleigh.

Babs glanced at her. “This must be tearing you apart inside.”

Hugh squeezed her shoulder tighter, and Caleigh blinked back fresh tears. “I’ll be okay, Babs, in time. Would you do me a favor and entertain Hugh and Sterling while I speak with Harold’s parents?

Babs’s smile was bright enough to light up half of Philly. “I’d be delighted.”

“Do you want us to come with you?” asked Sterling.

Caleigh shook her head. “No, but thanks. I have to do this alone.”

Harold’s father, George, shook her hand warmly. “Caleigh, we heard you were in Chicago. I’m so glad you came.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it. I’m so sorry.”

George’s upper lip quivered. “He thought the world of you, you know.”

“Yes, sir. I do know that. He was a good man.”

“Have you spoken to your family?” George glanced at a spot over her left shoulder.

“Not yet.”

“Who are those men with Babs?”

“Coworkers. They were kind enough to escort me.”

Caleigh hated lying to George, but this wasn’t the time or place to explain Hugh and Sterling. After she said her good-byes to George and Madge, she walked to where her parents and sisters stood.