Theirs To Claim (Predatory Desires Book 1) (8 page)

She chuckled and nodded her agreement. “I’ve only ever wanted the two of you. And now that I know you love me too, why would I want someone else?”

“Put it from your mind,” Noah smirked. “There are no other men in the world. Just us.”

Emily’s smile fell away, and Gabriel and Noah looked on as she grew very pale and still.

“Em,” Gabriel called to her softly. “What just happened?”

“Sorry,” she said with a shake of her head, but Gabriel clasped her chin again and directed her eyes back to his.

“No, ma’am, none of that. Partners talk and share with one another. Don’t shut us out, Emily. Tell us what you’re thinking.” Gabriel knew exactly what she was thinking, and he wanted to find the sick son of a bitch who was hunting her and strangle him with his bare hands for putting the fear there that he saw in her eyes.

“There
is
another out there. Just waiting,” Emily breathed, her lower lip beginning to tremble. “And I don’t want him here, tonight. Not in this bed and not with us. I don’t want to think about him, please? Just for tonight, I can’t,” she said and began to cry softly against Gabe.

“Come here, honey,” he said and drew her down against his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around her, as Noah crowded in. Noah’s hand went to the back of her head and he began to stroke her long tresses, while Gabe resumed his massage on her lower back.

“No one will get through us, baby,” Noah reassured her. “You’re safe, just as we are. What can we do to distract you? Those damn tears are killing me.”

Emily chuckled despite herself, and she opened her eyes to stare into Noah’s. She touched his jaw and then traced his lips as she had earlier while in the water.

“Distract me? I like the sound of that,” she murmured.

“What have we turned you into?” Noah played, happy to see her making an effort to put the stalker out of her mind.

“A woman who wants to make love with her men?” she teased.

“Hmmm, now that
I
like the sound of,” Gabriel echoed her words in approval. “Why don’t we take you to the shower and help you wash and clean up a bit. Then we’ll have a snack. Noah and I skipped dinner, and we’re famished.”

“What’d you cook for supper?” Noah asked. “I know I smelled something good in the air when we walked in.”

“I made chili,” Emily said and looked on as Noah threw back his head and groaned. She reached out and smoothed her palm over his muscled chest, finding that she couldn’t resist the temptation to touch such delicious male flesh. “Mmmm, I love the way you both feel. I’ve watched you move around in front of me and drooled for years. But being able to really feel you… It’s so much better than I’d imagined.”

“Touch me again,” Noah prodded her, and as she did she felt Gabriel’s cock stir within her body.

“Gabe?” she whispered in surprise, only to hear him groan when she moved.

“Em, let’s go to the shower before I flip you over and take you again. I only have so much resistance built into this body and small brain,” he warned.

“All right,” Emily chuckled and leaned forward to kiss him. “A shower with the two of you sounds divine. Lead the way.”

“Um, Em,” Noah smirked and shook his head. “You’re going to have to move off of him first. Hold on, I’ll help.”

Before she could say another word, Noah got on his knees and then leaned over. With no discernible effort, he gently lifted her from Gabriel’s body and then cradled her in his arms.

“Coming?” he asked Gabriel over his shoulder while he stood and headed for the bathroom.

“Smartass,” Gabriel grumbled.

But Emily laughed over their banter, and that made whatever wiseass remarks Noah wanted to throw his way bearable. Because Gabriel would do anything to make her smile and hear her laughter. Take away some of the pain and strain the last weeks had wrought. Yeah, he thought, he’d do whatever it took.

CHAPTER 10

Emily stood by the small bar that separated the cabin’s kitchen from the dining and living room, with a bowl in her hands. She’d warmed the leftover chili while the guys had brought out the cheese, sour cream, and crackers. They were seated at the bar, contentedly eating their meal. But she was still a little too tender to sit beside them, so she stood and leaned against the counter.

Noah licked his spoon and she smiled over his ever-present playfulness and joy. He always managed to keep her laughing somehow, no matter what was happening in their lives. He scooped a little more chili into his bowl from the larger container and dove in. It was a dish they’d enjoyed together many times, and Emily was glad that she had prepared the comfort food earlier. Though, she’d had no idea she would have company to help her enjoy it later.

No, she told herself, they were no longer company. No longer simply friends who would visit or men whose house she would go to for movies or get-togethers anymore. They were more now, and if tonight didn’t solidify the change in their status, Emily didn’t know what would.

But, she asked herself, could she go home again, or even to Gabriel and Noah’s house without willfully placing them in danger? And that thought made Emily wonder if it wouldn’t be better for the guys to stash her somewhere else for a while. Though she hated the thought of being parted from them now that she knew what it really felt like to be held and loved by them.

Emily felt a light tug on her hair, and she looked up to see both men studying her face intently. Noah released her hair and then encircled her wrist with his fingers. He drew her closer and wrapped an arm around her waist, anchoring her to his side.

“Talk to us, Em,” he said. “You’re awful quiet, and we know that look. You’re deep in thought, trying to solve one of the world’s great mysteries when you get like this. What’s running through that brain of yours?” he asked and tapped her temple with his index finger. Noah drug it down her face and traced the outline of her jaw, causing Emily to shiver.

“I was wondering where we would live, or if that’s something you even want to delve into right away. Do we date for a while and stay in separate homes? Or do we move in together? And if so, where? Because, right now, my home is dangerous territory and I don’t think I would feel at ease bringing you into a place I know he’s watching.”

A slight growl rolled through Gabriel, and Noah made a strangled sound of protest as well.

“No, don’t get like that,” Emily said and raised a hand to stop their brooding. She knew exactly what their sounds, and the faces they were making, meant for them both. They’d grow stubborn on her and take over, rather than talk it through. “I’m serious, guys. I’m yours, completely. But right now, some sick person out there also thinks I’m his or hers. And I can’t put either of you in danger. I love you too much.”

“Let’s move to the couch and talk about this,” Gabriel said. He rose from his stool without another word and carried his bowl and hers to the sink. He rinsed them quickly and turned to take Noah’s in hand. Within a few minutes, the men had the kitchen in order and they each placed a hand on Emily to direct her to the sofa.

Emily stood by as first Noah and then Gabe took cushions on the sofa. But they left no space between them, and she wondered over their plan. She didn’t have to wonder for long, though, because Gabriel reached out and drew her down onto his lap. And just as quickly as he had her settled, Noah lifted her legs and placed them across his own lap. He began to slowly caress Emily through the soft pajama bottoms she wore, while Gabriel smoothed her hair back and wrapped both of his arms around her, supporting Emily’s upper body, but also keeping her close to his chest.

“Now, let’s talk,” Gabriel said. “You just rattled off a rather long list of questions and concerns over there, and we
do
need to discuss it all. I told you in the hot tub that Noah and I intended to talk with you about all of this, but we got a bit carried away when we found you naked in the water,” he confessed.

“Yeah,” grinned Noah, “that kind of caused us to think of one thing, and one thing only.”

“I do that all of the time,” Emily said, and then she bit her lower lip as she realized what she’d let slip out.

Both men frowned at her and narrowed their eyes. Noah’s hands stopped their slow massage, while Gabriel’s grip around her tightened.

“Tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it does?” Noah asked her in a low tone.

“What do you think it means?” Emily asked, stalling for time.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Gabriel warned. “Don’t turn his words back on him. Spit it out, Em. What have you been doing while we’re away from home? Because we sure as hell would have noticed if you’d done it while we were there.”

Emily chuckled and laid her head against Gabriel’s shoulder. She wasn’t put off by their gruffness, because she’d heard it practically her whole life. It was just bluster. Gabe gave her a light swat on the side of her hip and it made her laugh even more. He did it again and she caved.

“Okay, okay,” Emily sighed. “I skinny-dip in your Jacuzzi all the time when you’re gone. In every season.”

“Jesus, Em!” Noah fumed in an exasperated huff. “What if we had neighbors close enough to have seen you?”

“Come on, you live in the middle of the woods. Besides, you have blinds around that enclosed part of your deck, too. I just let them down and then I crawl in. It feels better that way, with the water rolling over my skin.”

She laughed again at the tortured sound that came from each man. When Gabriel swatted her a third time with a little more of a bite, Emily tipped her head back and nipped the column of his neck, just above his collar.

“Em, stop it,” he warned. “We can’t have sex again tonight without making you very uncomfortable. But if you keep that up, I’ll forgo caution and have you beneath me before you can blink.”

“All right,” she chuckled and stilled her movements. “I’ll be good.”

“I will never look at that hot tub the same way again,” Noah said with a sheepish grin. “Damn, Emily.” He resumed his sensuous caress along her legs, even delving under the fabric to reach her skin. Only now he seemed to be working his fingers over her legs with a more concentrated and deliberate touch.

Gabriel buried his nose in her hair for a few moments, and she heard him inhale, drawing her scent deeply into his lungs. He nuzzled her and Emily sighed from the utter contentment she felt, being held in the arms she had long wanted to shelter in. To know what it felt like to truly be wanted by them both, was the stuff of dreams and fantasies. She was tempted to pinch herself to see if it was all really happening, or if she’d just dozed off in the hot tub and imagined it all.

She lifted her hand and began to gently caress Gabriel’s chest, letting her fingers glide along the defined ridges she felt hidden just underneath his soft t-shirt. He shivered slightly when her nails glided across his right nipple, so she did it again and felt him tense up from her light exploration.

“I have wanted you both for so long,” Emily confessed, her tone serious, yet soft. “I would stand back sometimes and listen to you tease each other, your words coming quickly and so relaxed. I’d marvel over your camaraderie, and your obvious brotherly affection for one another, thinking that no other two people I knew were closer.”

“At other times, I’d observe you interacting with our friends at a cook-out or get-together, and I would imagine what it would be like to stand between the two of you, one on each side of me, with your arms around my waist or shoulders. Unafraid to acknowledge publicly that you cared for me, really wanted me.”

“Then, there were the nights you’d call me and tell me you were home from your latest case, and I’d feel as if I could breathe again. I would know you were safe, yes, but I’d also know you hadn’t come home with another woman once I got to your house or you came over to mine.”

“I can’t tell you how many days and nights I held my breath, because I was sure that at some point I’d have to see you with someone else and you’d tell me it was forever. That some other lady had stolen your heart, and you were ready to make her your everything. And I knew if that ever happened, I’d have to move away from Whitford Falls. Because I’d never be able to face you and hide my heartache. Never be able to pretend as if my heart hadn’t been broken in two.”

“Emily,” Noah breathed, and she looked up to see that both men’s eyes were moist with unshed tears. Something she’d rarely, if ever, seen before. Not even when Gabriel had endured day after day of painful rehabilitation for his leg, had he come close to shedding a tear. He’d simply gritted his teeth and bore it.

“You have
always
been ours, baby. Always,” Noah reiterated in a hoarse voice, thick with emotion. “I won’t lie to you and tell you we’ve lived as monks, because Gabriel and I have dated other girls before. There were only a couple, and we knew right away that they weren’t the one, because they weren’t you.”

“But we’ve never
loved
another lady as we do you. Never given our heart and soul to a woman on a platter, as we have with you. We’ve never wanted forever with anyone else but you, Emily. Nor have we ever shared a woman as we will you. If there is such a thing as a soulmate – then you’re it, baby. Today, tomorrow, and every other day until we can’t draw breath.”

Emily reached out and laced her right hand through his, smiling and nodding at him as her own tears began to trial lightly over her skin. Noah pulled her forward and swept his lips across hers, gently and tenderly, as if he didn’t want to push too far in the moment.

“I love you,” she whispered and then deepened their kiss. She’d wanted this for so long, and now that they were here, Emily wanted to take it all in. Revel in them, and drown in everything they offered. And maybe, she hoped, their love and acceptance would take away the fear she’d lived with for the last two months as well.

Noah pulled back and glanced at Gabriel, causing Emily’s eyes to turn towards Gabe too. He cupped her face and took her lips in a heated rush of passion and want. She could feel Gabriel’s hand trembling slightly as he poured his heart and soul into their kiss, his lips and tongue lapping her up as though she was the very air he needed to exist.

When at last he came up for breath, Gabriel rested his forehead on hers, their eyes so close that she could see the true depth of his devotion without a single word uttered between them. If the eyes truly were the windows to the soul, Emily thought, then she knew his belonged to her now and no other. It was there for her to see: plain, true, and unwavering.

And in that one moment, Emily acknowledged that it had always been there. They were opening their hearts to her at long last, but the look of love she saw in both men’s eyes was the same well of trust and affection they’d always held for her. But now, somehow, it was so much more. More because they weren’t hiding from one another anymore.

“I love you, too, Emily,” Gabriel rasped. “With everything I have. I’m ashamed to say it took me this long to man up and let you know that I love you. Because I always have. And the thought of you hurting over my hesitation, or worrying needlessly that I’d put some other woman before you, tears my heart out. Know that Noah’s right when he says you’ve always been the one. No one compares to you, honey.”

“And no one will ever doubt how we feel about you or our level of commitment to you.
Ever
,” Gabriel swore. “I’m gonna hold you in public, kiss and touch you so much that you’re gonna tell me to stop, because I’m getting carried away. Hell, I don’t even care. I’ll just embarrass you and hold you anyway.”

“I like the sound of that,” she chuckled. Emily ran her hand over Gabriel’s cheek and felt his evening stubble abrading her fingers. His beard always grew faster than Noah’s, but it gave him a rugged look that she’d always found so sexy.

Gabriel lifted his forehead from hers and kissed her temple and then her lips lightly before pulling back again. “You asked us in the kitchen if we would date for a while and still live separately. We need to know if that’s what you want, Em. Because in my mind, we’ve already dated for years. All of the nights we went out to eat or to the movies… Well, you were the only woman with us. The nights we camped out in front of our TV or yours and gorged on pizza or popcorn, laughing at cheesy B-movies, that was just us – you, me, and Noah.”

“We’ve gone to the beach and mountains on vacation together. Yeah, we stayed in separate rooms, but it was just the three of us. We’ve put up Christmas trees together, given out Halloween candy to the neighborhood rugrats, and sat under the stars in our backyard for years, talking and dreaming with each other. And in all those moments, it was you, Emily, with us. No other.”

“For me, all of those moments add up to one hell of a date and a relationship that means everything to me, and to Noah. If they mean that much to you too, then I’d say we’re past the dating stage and we all need to be under the same roof.”

Gabriel swallowed and watched Emily’s eyes completely flood with tears. He knew they were happy tears, but he was still gutted by her confession that she’d feared losing them for so long. And that their hesitation to move forward had brought her such worry and anxiety, when all he’d had to do was realize she was more than ready for what they were offering her at long last.