Necessary Seduction A.D. Christopher
Mercy Howe knows what she wants. Caleb. In her bed, in her life. She’s loved the wereleopard warrior since he rescued her from the fire that killed her family. The fact that Caleb is warrior-mated to Kerrick, a male former Unfree slave, doesn’t matter. Mercy wants Kerrick too, and wants to carry on the traditions of her pride, where females can have several mates. However, the Orion pride is different. The women are allowed one mate and must remain celibate until their twenty-second birthday. Mercy is determined to change that, and a weekend in the city gives her the opportunity she needs. Now all she has to do is convince Caleb and Kerrick to let her into their hearts and their happy marriage. She sees her actions as a very necessary seduction. But someone else is watching Mercy…determined to kill her before she taints the Orion pride.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Necessary Seduction ISBN 9781419925665 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Necessary Seduction Copyright © 2010 A.D. Christopher Edited by Briana St. James Cover art by Dar Albert Electronic book publication January 2010 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
NECESSARY SEDUCTION
A.D. Christopher
Necessary Seduction
Prologue The girl was sick, an abomination. The figure in black crept closer to the banks of the river, watching the girl spy on the men she had followed into the night. The men were doing exactly what they should be doing. It was the night of their mate-claiming and they were celebrating their commitment, cementing the promises they had made with passion. They were natural and pure. It was the girl watching them who sinned, soiling a sacred moment with her prying eyes. The shadow couldn’t deny the men were beautiful. The taller blond man, with his close-cropped hair, knelt between the thighs of his lover, lovingly sliding his lips around the other man’s thick cock. The stocky warrior dug his fingers into his new mate’s shoulders, urging him to take his cock deeper and deeper. Their moans and cries, the noises of two weremen in rut, were unbelievably arousing. But this moment was not a performance put on for the amusement of a spying pervert. It was sacred, inviolate. It was— When the girl slid her hands between her thighs, it was all the figure could do not to rush from the shadows and strangle her. How dare she? How dare she taint herself and the women of the pride with her wretched lust? Women of the pride were to remain pure before mate-claiming. They were not to engage with members of the opposite sex, they were not to sate their lust with each other and they were never to risk the fertility of their wombs with busy little fingers between their legs. The pride doctors urged the complete avoidance of sexual desire until a woman’s twenty-second birthday. It wasn’t easy, but real women, women who cared about the Orion Pride’s low birthrate, were willing to do whatever it took to make certain the pride lived on.
5
A.D. Christopher
Some theorized that if the Orion men reduced the intensity of their warrior training, pregnancies and births would increase. That wasn’t a workable option, however, in a world where only the strongest prides survived the wars. Most women didn’t mind the sacrifice. But then most women weren’t outsiders raised in sin, harlots who clearly thought they deserved two or more husbands in their bed. Pride polygamy was almost extinct. The two prides who had championed the unnatural lifestyle were all but destroyed. The Galicia pride had no known living descendants and the Artemis Pride had but a single girl. This girl, now moving her hand faster and faster, her mouth half-open as she stared at the men. She should never have been allowed to join the Orion Pride. There was a reason prisoners became Unfree—slaves dedicated to the pleasure of the men of the clan and the protection of the pride interests. Slaves couldn’t infect the population with their wild ideas. It shouldn’t have mattered that this prisoner was female. She should have been sent to the slave quarters. But then…that wouldn’t have worked, not with a little slut like this one. She would have hopped from one bed to the next until not a single Unfree desired a warrior-mate, until they were all won over to her belief that any man who wanted a female mate could have one—assuming he found a female willing to take him as second or third or even fourth husband. The night air was suddenly too cold to bear. The very idea of their pride, the strong, proud Orion Pride becoming a harbor for such perversion was intolerable. Something would have to be done about the girl, before she came of age and was mate-claimed, before she had the chance to whisper her poison into the ear of a good Orion man. The figure took one last look at the men—who had now fallen to the ground, one’s cock buried deep in the other man’s ass—and at the girl who watched them, then backed away. There would be a better time, a better place to take care of the little slut. And when that time came, there would be no mercy for Mercy Howe, that much the figure could say for certain.
6
Necessary Seduction
Chapter One One year later
Mercy’s hands shook as she smoothed her long hair away from her face, shoved the last of her things into her small rolling suitcase, and zipped it shut. Little black dress, check. Lacy red lingerie, check. Three tiny tubes of lubricant tucked into her socks just in case her adopted mother decided to nose through her things, check. Holy shit. She had lube in her socks. The thought made Mercy giggle…and tingle. It was impossible to believe this trip was finally here. She was finally going to have the chance to do what she’d been dreaming about for nearly a year. Since that night in the woods, when she’d watched the men she’d known would be hers come together in the darkness. She could still remember the way Kerrick’s pale skin had glowed in the moonlight, every perfect muscle rippling as he drove his cock inside Caleb. She could hear Caleb’s grunts as he took every vicious thrust, practically feel the ecstasy that filled the man as Kerrick reached around to grab his cock, jerking, jerking, jerking until they both came with twin cries. They’d shifted within seconds of their orgasm. Kerrick—the shorter warrior with the spiked black hair—took the form of a gray panther. Caleb—the tall, blond god Mercy had longed for since the moment he pulled her from the fire that had killed her mother, three pride fathers and eight brothers and sisters—had become a sandy blond cat. And they’d both become aware of her scent. Mercy’s panties and fingers had been drenched, her body betraying her after she’d tried so hard to be quiet as she’d watched the men touch and taste and tease. She’d shifted and ran, as fast as she could, as fast as only a member of the Artemis Pride could ever hope to run. She hadn’t been caught by Kerrick or Caleb that night, or
7
A.D. Christopher
any of the nights after. There hadn’t been many—sadly—but there had been enough to keep Mercy in a constant state of frustrated arousal. Even watching Kerrick and Caleb cook dinner in Caleb’s expansive kitchen could make her wet. She’d turn from their window and run deep into the woods, desperate to reach her hand underneath her skirt, to slide eager fingers into slick folds. The Orion Pride didn’t even allow its young women to masturbate. If a family found out one of their rare pride girls was doing anything they perceived would threaten her ability to reproduce, they took drastic steps to prevent destructive behavior. One girl was alleged to have been prescribed a chastity belt that she wore beneath her clothes. Her father held the key and only allowed her to take it off to bathe. Of course, that rumor couldn’t be confirmed…since seeing other non-mate-claimed women in the nude was also forbidden. Widows and women of non-cub-bearing years stripped down and did their best to tempt the young men during the temptation trials of young adulthood. They did everything they could to engage those men in intercourse, thus proving the men were unworthy to claim a female mate because they lacked the discipline to control their lust. But other women must remain pure. “And who doesn’t lack the discipline to control their lust?” Mercy wondered aloud. She checked her makeup in the mirror above her dresser one last time. Her eye shadow was subtle, but brought out the bright blue of her eyes, contrasting nicely with her black hair. Below her thin nose, her berry lipstick emphasized her full lips. She looked tempting if she did say so herself. Hopefully the boys would think the same. She took a deep breath and shook her arms and legs, trying to rid herself of some of the tension her own uncontrolled lust had caused. It didn’t do much good. Neither had exercise, dieting, volunteer work, knitting or compulsive exfoliating. Mercy had tried everything to curb her desires and fit in with her adopted family and adopted pride. But it wasn’t working and she wasn’t going to wait any longer. She was twenty years old. If she had to wait two more years to mate with a man—a man her 8
Necessary Seduction
adopted father chose—she would lose her mind. It was time to do what she should have done a year ago. She was going to tell Kerrick and Caleb how she felt about them, both of them, and damn the consequences. At the very least, she prayed she could convince them to bed her. She had too many memories of the women of her pride pulling their husbands toward their private chambers with secret smiles on their faces to do anything but long for that kind of pleasure, that kind of closeness. She starved for it, every nerve ending in her body aching to be touched. And not just by herself. Not anymore. She wanted a man. Wanted two men, those men, the way it had been when she was a child and had fallen asleep safe and protected knowing her pride fathers were in the next room. She wanted to do as her mother had done, and sleep between two strong, hard bodies, warm and safe and satiated, with their scent all over her skin, inside her. The Orion Pride didn’t do that sort of thing. Mercy thought it was time for them to start. Why the silly temptings and rules? Why in the world should young women— strong, healthy young women in the prime of their lives, their hormones racing through their eager bodies—be denied pleasure while the men were allowed to play all they liked before mating? There was no reason. The Orion Pride could keep its rules and its women could obey them. Mercy was not of the Orion Pride. She was a daughter of Artemis, the last daughter of Artemis. It was up to her to keep her pride’s culture and traditions strong, up to her to teach the next generation how beautiful those traditions had been. She would not allow them to be smothered beneath the Orion Pride’s stultifying laws and prudery. She grabbed the handle of her small rolling suitcase and opened her bedroom door, her insides quaking with a combination of fear and excitement. Five nights. She had five nights in which to succeed, five nights in which to make her play to get everything she’d ever wanted.
9
A.D. Christopher
She could not fail.
***** Caleb leaned his head back, letting the warm water hit his chest and stomach. This was his last shower at home for six days and he intended to enjoy every minute of it. It wasn’t that he didn’t like to travel. He did. But he missed the house he and Kerrick had built themselves, the big bed where they loved each other into exhaustion. He loved his home. He didn’t like to leave it for so long. So what? Couldn’t a warrior also be a homebody? “It’s only five days,” Kerrick said as he stepped out of the shower. Caleb turned and caught the towel Kerrick threw, both surprised and not surprised to know his warrior-mate was not only watching, but had guessed his thoughts. “Five nights.” “Five nights in a hotel room.” Kerrick’s blue eyes brightened. “Maid service. A restaurant. An anonymous room in the middle of the city…” Caleb gave a short laugh as he swiped the water from his skin. “The noisy, filthy city. With people everywhere and a room with very little privacy. We’re taking five ladies with us, Kerrick. It’s not really a sybaritic vacation.” “Don’t make me search the web, Caleb.” Kerrick was as smart as they came, but he preferred to spend his time expanding his repertoire of battle techniques rather than his vocabulary. He didn’t hesitate to ask for definitions when he needed them, however. It was one of the many things Caleb found adorable about his mate. You had to love a man who didn’t pretend to know everything. “Sybaritic. Devoted to luxury and pleasure,” Caleb said, not missing the way Kerrick’s breath hitched. Just the mention of the pleasure they gave each other was enough to get them both hard. “It could be.” Kerrick stepped closer, all the way up; his warm palms pressed against Caleb’s bare, still-damp stomach. “The girls won’t be any trouble. They’ll be 10
Necessary Seduction
shopping all day, finished with dinner by eight and exhausted and in bed by ten. We’ll have the whole night, every night.” Caleb closed his eyes as his warrior-mate’s lips touched between his shoulder blades. His cock reacted, stiffening slightly. It wasn’t just his mate’s lips that affected him, however. It was thinking of those girls. Those young women they’d be escorting and protecting. One in particular. Mercy Howe had always been a spitfire and one of Caleb’s personal favorites. From the day he’d pulled her from the wreckage of her family home in the final days of the pride wars that had all but destroyed her pride, he’d had a soft spot in his heart for the girl. But in recent days, when her slim girl’s body had become all woman, he’d started to wonder…things he shouldn’t have been wondering. He was warrior-mated and that was the end of the story. In the Orion Pride a man had to choose—a warrior-mate or a female mate. He loved Kerrick. Loved him with all his heart. So he’d made the only choice he could. How could he have chosen a female mate and left his love behind? He couldn’t imagine a life without their weekend steak night or their summer trips to Washington wine country. It hurt him to think of a morning without Kerrick’s crooked smile or an evening without the other man’s large hands smoothing over his skin. He didn’t regret his decision, and never had. But he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that the thought of those women—their soft breasts, their warm bodies—didn’t still have the power to excite him. But not as much as Kerrick did. He reached behind him, running his hand over Kerrick’s jeans-clad ass, pulling him closer. “I want the daytime too.” “You’re just too much of a homebody.” Kerrick’s hand slid farther down, coming to a stop just above where the dark patch of Caleb’s pubic hair started. Had Caleb been half-stiff before? Not anymore. His cock stretched before him, growing harder. Ready. Having his mate’s hand so close, his mate’s body so close, never failed to work its magic. 11
A.D. Christopher
“I have a good reason to want to stay home,” he replied, his voice husky. “We’ve spent enough time apart.” Shortly after their joining, Kerrick and Caleb had both been deployed to run surveillance on opposite ends of their pride’s territory. Then, two months later, they’d had to deploy again to help settle a skirmish in northern California. Their allies had needed them, and Kerrick and Caleb had willingly gone. They had not so willingly served in separate fighting packs, but they knew better than to fight the Orion law that insisted warrior-mates never serve together in battle. Fighting Orion law was nothing but a waste of time and energy. Their laws were set in stone. Neither deployment had lasted long, but any time apart was far too much for Caleb. When the opportunity to retire from the battle force and work as bodyguards for the pride had arisen, he’d jumped at the chance to serve his people in a capacity that would allow him and Kerrick to be together every day. He knew his mate missed the thrill of battle, but Caleb liked to think he made up for that with a different breed of thrills. The kind they found in the bedroom, and the kitchen, and the hot tub on their porch. And here…in the bathroom. “Mmm, yes. But sometimes…” Kerrick’s hand finished its journey, wrapping warmth around the base of Caleb’s erection. Caleb’s breath caught in his chest. “Sometimes it’s nice to have a change of scene.” His teeth scraped Caleb’s back. His other hand reached lower, cupping Caleb’s sac, rolling his balls gently. Caleb’s head fell back and Kerrick’s lips pressed against his throat. Caleb dug his fingers into the thick muscles of his mate’s buttocks, wishing he could make the jeans Kerrick wore disappear with a thought. The button on Kerrick’s jeans flipped open with an audible pop. Seemed like his mate was reading his mind again. Caleb helped Kerrick shove the thick denim and the cotton of his boxer briefs down around his thighs. “I suppose a hotel room could be nice.” Caleb’s voice sounded very far away in his own head. The awareness of everything but Kerrick faded away into the distance. 12
Necessary Seduction
Kerrick’s bare erection pressed against his ass, hot and hard. He moved his hand around so he could rub it. Kerrick bit his shoulder. “It’ll be better than nice.” His hand moved, sliding up Caleb’s cock to the tip, squeezing it gently, then back down. “It’ll be fun.” Caleb groaned. His hips shifted forward, feeling the skin of his cock slide under Kerrick’s hand. His lover’s palm still cupped his balls, lifting them, tugging them gently. “Promise?” Kerrick turned him around, twisting him so that he stood in front of Caleb. He sank to his knees. “I promise.” Caleb groaned again as his lover’s hot, wet mouth wrapped around his cock. Oh, that was good, it was so good, it always was. Kerrick’s tongue teased him, sliding around Caleb’s thick length. His wide brown eyes looked up, meeting Caleb’s. His hand still worked Caleb’s sac, fisting the base of his cock. Caleb rested his hand on Kerrick’s head, feeling his love’s soft dark hair cool between his fingers. He’d skipped the gel this morning at Caleb’s request. It made him look even younger than his twenty-nine years. “Promise…promise you won’t stop doing that.” Kerrick pulled his mouth away and gave Caleb a wicked smile. “I promise.” He returned to his work. His tongue danced up and down Caleb’s thick length, hot and wet, before he pulled it into his mouth again, all the way, sucking. Sucking hard. Caleb felt the back of Kerrick’s throat press against his sensitive head, then retreat. Up and down, up and down, until the world spun and Caleb had to brace himself on his lover’s shoulders. He honestly felt his knees grow weak when Kerrick’s left hand swept over his ass and pressed between his cheeks, finding the tight ring of muscle there and stroking it. Slick with saliva, his finger prodded, slipped inside. Caleb gasped as his lover’s finger moved, sliding in and out. He leaned even more heavily on Kerrick. Soon, he wouldn’t be able to stand. 13
A.D. Christopher
Of course, standing was overrated. It took almost all his will, but Caleb pulled away. Kerrick’s fingers and mouth on his cock were amazing, but he wanted that mouth against his own. He fell to his knees in front of his mate, gripping Kerrick’s jaw in his hands and pulling him close. Their mouths met in a hot tangle of lips and tongue as Kerrick’s fingers dug into the bunched muscles of Caleb’s ass, clenching and releasing, clenching and releasing, making Caleb’s hole twitch and ache. He hadn’t planned on bottoming again so soon—he’d taken Kerrick’s cock in his ass the night before and was still a little sore—but he couldn’t deny that he wanted his mate. Besides, he knew Kerrick far preferred to be the penetrator rather than the penetrated. It was one of the things that made Caleb wonder if Kerrick had the same feelings he had…if his mate ever wondered what it would be like to be mated to a female, and never have the “what goes where” question enter the picture? “I want you. I want my ass,” Kerrick said, mumbling the words against Caleb’s lips as he pulled Caleb’s hips impossibly closer. Their cocks rubbed together, sandwiched between the twin, hard planes of their abdomens. Hard. All hard. No soft. It wasn’t something to complain about, not at all. But was it what they both wanted for forever? Were they both going to be tempted by the sights and smells of the pride women they’d be protecting this week? Did Kerrick’s cock get a little thicker when Mercy Howe ran through the clearing on the nights of the temptation ceremonies? Did he watch her strong, tanned legs as she hurried to her place on the blanket of her adopted family? Did he think about what those legs would feel like wrapped around his waist, what it would be like to watch those bright blue eyes squeeze closed in ecstasy as she— “Caleb, did you—” “Take it. Fuck your ass,” Caleb said, spinning around onto his hands and knees, presenting his hole for his lover. Time to quit thinking about things he would never have and start feeling. This might be the last chance for him to be so completely alone 14
Necessary Seduction
with Kerrick for five long nights. He grabbed the lube bottle from the cabinet and held it up. Kerrick’s fingers brushed his as he took it. “God, Caleb. You are…everything.” Caleb turned to look over his shoulder. The expression of rapt adoration on Kerrick’s face as he spread Caleb’s cheeks and shoved gently inside was enough to banish all thoughts of the female of the species. What kind of madman could dwell on what he couldn’t have when he was so loved? What kind of man thought of a woman when his mate was balls-deep in his ass and his strong hand was reaching around to fist, and jerk, and tug, until the world vanished and there was nothing but the pure pleasure of man loving man?
15
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Two Raney, Penny, Waverly, Katy and Mercy. All five of their underage charges had rhyming names. All five had the sleek, strong, supple bodies of female werepanthers entering their sexual prime. All five smelled like heaven and looked even better. The women of the Orion Pride were invariably as beautiful as they were rare. It was what made men half kill themselves at temptation trials in order to win one of their own. Kerrick had spent years working as a male tempter himself before Caleb and he decided their relationship was more than sexual and made the decision to warrior-mate. Caleb had loved women, but he’d loved Kerrick more. End of story. Kerrick had felt the same. He’d never wondered how his life would have played out if he’d been born in the Orion Pride and had the chance to win a female mate himself. He loved Caleb, he wanted Caleb. It had been an easy call. Kerrick had always seen things in black and white. It was what made him a good warrior. So, even when surrounded by beautiful, sensual women, it was usually easy to resist the instinctive urge to respond to the female of the species. Even the five gorgeous young women climbing out of the Orion Pride van, giggling as they hurried into one of Seattle’s finest hotels, would not have affected him. It was what made him a good choice for a bodyguard to the unspoiled females of the pride. Kerrick was above temptation. Or so he’d thought. But one of these seemingly identical girls was not like the others. Mercy Howe hung back a bit from her friends. She pulled a small suitcase, half the size of the other girls’ gigantic bags. She did not giggle, she did not talk incessantly of 16
Necessary Seduction
what shop she wanted to visit first on this, one of only two shopping trips she would be allowed all year. The young ladies of the pride only came to Seattle twice a year. Once in the winter and once in the spring, and they were always heavily guarded. It wasn’t safe for them to travel alone. There were too few female werepanthers in the world and mates were in short supply. The Orion Pride’s enemies to the north and south had been known to kidnap the women of other prides. Kerrick’s jaw clenched and he did another scan of the area. It was still very early on a Monday morning and only a few people were out on the streets, enjoying the spring air. Pink blossoms waved in the light wind and petals rained down on the girls as they made their way into the lobby of the hotel. There was nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. Then why did his gut feel so twisted up inside? Was there danger lying in wait for the women he and Caleb had come to protect? Or was little Mercy Howe, gorgeous in a simple navy dress and white cardigan that accentuated her ivory skin, the thing he had to be afraid of? Because he wasn’t the only one watching the girl. He’d seen Caleb chatting with Mercy on the drive, laughing at a joke she made, smiling when her small hand reached out to squeeze his arm. Kerrick had been in the back of the van and hadn’t been able to hear, but he could see just fine. He could see that his mate was as tempted by Mercy as he was. Maybe even more tempted. As if reading his thoughts, Mercy turned just before she entered the hotel, casting a longing look back to where Caleb supervised the unloading of the bags. The need in those blue eyes made it clear. She wanted Caleb, in the way a woman wants a man. “Shit,” Kerrick muttered beneath his breath. He was going to be stuck in hotel for five nights with a beautiful girl who was lusting after his warrior-mate, a warrior-mate who might also be lusting after her and he was definitely lusting after them both. 17
A.D. Christopher
He never should have let Caleb convince him to take this bodyguarding job. He’d known in his gut that battle was infinitely easier than dealing with women.
***** This was it, her first chance to shape the rest of her life. Mercy hesitated at the door to her room, listening hard to make sure the other girls weren’t in the hall or still giggling in their suite. Thankfully she’d been given a room to herself—the other four girls had been friends since birth and never meant to exclude her, but they did. Mercy didn’t care. Giving each other pedicures and facials sounded great, but she had a different kind of “sleepover fun” in mind. Her breath rushed out as she opened the door and peeked down the hall. All was quiet. The Orion Pride had the entire eighth floor to themselves. Kerrick and Caleb were in a small suite closest to the stairs. The elevator would only stop at the top floor if you had a special passkey, so the stairs would be a kidnapper’s best hope of sneaking in and grabbing one of the Orion Pride’s females. Mercy might have been worried about such a thing happening at another time, in another place. But even if she weren’t so focused on the butterflies in her stomach and the tingling below it, Caleb and Kerrick would never allow such a thing to happen. Never. Her faith in them was absolute, not an easy thing for her. The wars had taken her family, her entire pride. It was hard to envision ever feeling safe again, especially on those nights in the bed that was hers but not hers, when she woke up sweating and shaking, remembering the night her home had been invaded and burned. Remembering her mother’s screams and the shouts of her fathers. On those nights, the only thing she could hold on to was the memory of Caleb’s face, so kind. His blue eyes so caring. His broad shoulders and strong arms lifting her, carrying her away from the wreckage, and his low voice, speaking so softly. “You’re safe,” he’d said, words that still made her shiver. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”
18
Necessary Seduction
He hadn’t lied. In that moment he’d had her. Her heart and her soul. Now it was time to convince him to claim her body as well. Her hand shook as she adjusted the hem of the little red nightie. It barely covered her behind, dipped low in the front to expose as much of her breasts as she dared. Beneath the nightie she wore nothing. The feel of the cool hotel air-conditioning against the bare, sensitive skin between her legs made her squirm. Well, the air and her excitement. Just the thought of what she was about to do made her wet. That feeling, combined with her nerves, meant she was as close to a total mess as it was possible to be and still function, but function she would. She was going to do this, no backing down. She knew they might reject her at first. She was prepared for it. But she was determined they wouldn’t reject her for long and convinced they didn’t really want to. Yes, she was underage, a virgin and thus forbidden. But she wasn’t stupid. She knew how a man looked at a woman he wanted. She’d watched the two men together enough to know how they looked at each other, how their gaze darkened and their eyes widened when they were excited. Caleb had looked at her like that. Her hand had touched his arm in the van and he’d smiled at her. She’d seen that look, that desire. He’d wanted her. So had Kerrick. She’d felt his eyes on her as she entered the hotel. His attention was more than that of a bodyguard’s vigilance. She knew it. So she took a deep breath, feeling her hard nipples move against the red silk covering them. A tingle shot through her entire body at the sensation. The silk was warm from her body heat, but their hands would be warmer. Their mouths would be warmer still. Her knuckles hit the door, three times. Not too hard and not too soft. Loud enough for them to hear but gently enough that no one else would. She’d practiced the right amount of pressure for weeks.
19
A.D. Christopher
Her heart hammered in her chest. Which one would answer the door? Would they let her in? Shit, what if they didn’t even let her in? She couldn’t just stand there and she certainly couldn’t attempt a seduction in the hall. Not with the other girls so close. Any one of them could decide to pop their head out at any moment. The doorknob turned. She hardly dared breathe. It was Caleb. Thank you, God. She knew him better. Felt closer to him than to anyone else in her new pride, anyone else in the world. She knew he would let her in, because he felt a responsibility to her that Kerrick didn’t, that nobody else did. His eyes bulged ever so slightly, scanning her up and down, lingering on her breasts. “Are you okay, Mercy?” Her nervousness eased a little. That was so like him. He didn’t ask what she was doing there, or why she was disturbing him. He didn’t ask why she’d appeared at his door this close to midnight wearing hardly anything. He asked if she was okay. And he looked like he actually cared. God, she wanted him. When she spoke her voice was husky with it. “Caleb, can I come in for a minute?” He swallowed. “Y—that’s probably not a good idea, Mercy, I’m sorry. But it’s really late, and there’s no chaperone.” Well, there was a chaperone—Raney’s mother, Cassia, had arrived just before dinner. She was in the room beside the girls’ suite and would be accompanying them while they did their shopping, attended the theater and ate at Seattle’s best restaurants. Mothers rarely came on the shopping trips, preferring to trust the warrior-mated bodyguards, but Cassia was notoriously overbearing. No one had been surprised to see her show up and announce she’d be guarding the girls’ honor while they were in the city. Of course, Mercy had no intention of waking Raney’s mom and asking her to sit in on this particular chat. 20
Necessary Seduction
“Just for a minute?” she asked, casting a furtive look down the hall. “No. I don’t think so, Mercy. Kerrick is out on rounds, so there’s really nobody else here.” Oh no. This was not what she’d imagined. He had to let her in, he just had to! She stuck out her chest a bit, knowing she probably appeared desperate, but deciding she didn’t care. She had to get inside that room. Especially if Kerrick wasn’t back yet. “Please?” He noticed her chest-sticking. She watched him swallow again, and triumph bloomed in her belly, almost but not quite chasing out the nerves. “Okay.” He opened the door all the way. Oh God. He was shirtless, his bare chest so hard and gorgeous she had to clench her fists to keep herself from reaching out to touch it. His narrow waist disappeared into tight, faded jeans, worn into softness at the knees and around the slight bulge in the front. She walked past him. Did her perfume still linger? She thought it should, since she’d put it on, just a little touch, before she left her room, but she couldn’t really notice it anymore. Not that it mattered. Caleb would be able to smell what he did to her, the way he made her need him. He was part animal and had the heightened senses that went along with being a werepanther. The room was bigger than hers, with a wide king-sized bed, still neatly made, and a little sitting area in front of a bay window. The chairs looked comfortable enough, facing the TV—tuned to a twenty-four-hour news station—but she ignored them and leaned on the bed instead, stretching her legs in front of her. His gaze traveled up and down her bare skin, and hope surged in her. “I—I had a bad dream,” she said. “About that night.” “God…I’m sorry. It must be hard.” “It is.” He was so good! Such a good man. His brows drew together and he stepped closer to her with his hand out. Her entire body tingled in anticipation of his touch, and when it came she shivered. 21
A.D. Christopher
“Mercy…I don’t know what to say.” She should say something, she knew. Should talk more. But she couldn’t. The feel of his skin against hers sent her into a spin and she practically flung herself at his chest. Her arms slipped around his waist, her cheek pressed against his warm skin. So soft, over such hard muscles. “Caleb…will you just hold me?” And suddenly she wasn’t acting anymore. She did just want him to hold her. Just wanted to feel close to him, to feel his arms around her. His chest was so hard against her cheek, so warm. And it felt so right, to be pressed against his masculine flesh. So perfect to feel those hard biceps, those strong male arms wrapping around her. It made her heart leap and hot cream touch the tops of her inner thighs. Having him so close, the clean, sweet, musky scent of him… It was an aphrodisiac like nothing else. Without thinking about it or really meaning to, she opened her mouth and scraped her teeth against his chest. His breath caught. He went utterly still. She knew what he was thinking. He was wondering if it was a mistake, if he should pull away. She could feel his indecision. That wasn’t all she could feel, either. Against her stomach his cock hardened, hot through his jeans and the barely there fabric of her nightie. The knowledge that he was responding to her, attracted to her, made it difficult to breathe. Okay. This was it, time to really make her intentions known. She opened her mouth again, and slowly, deliberately, flicked his small nipple with her tongue. He gasped. Started to pull away. “Mercy…” “Caleb.” She let him go, but not all the way. She looked into his eyes to hold him, kept her hands on his waist. “Caleb, make love to me. Please.” “You can’t be serious.” “I am.” Okay, he wasn’t throwing her on the bed and ripping their clothes off. But he was still there. And she hadn’t imagined the flare of pure heat in his eyes.
22
Necessary Seduction
More importantly, her own body buzzed and determination joined forces with the arousal coursing through her veins. She was not going to give up. She’d been reared to be a strong woman, to be resolute and ambitious. Losing her family and ending up fostered with the Orion Pride had only strengthened that. She was a powerful female of the Artemis pride and she did not let fear deter her from the hunt. She slid her hand around to his front, rubbed her palm gently against the bulge in his jeans. Oh my, that was…it was amazing. Really, really amazing. She could picture him in her head, the way he looked with Kerrick, his naked body… His eyelashes fluttered, but he stepped away. “I can’t.” “You can.” She stepped closer. He didn’t back away again. “I know you and Kerrick bring other men into your bed once in a while. Why not me?” “You’re not a—wait, what?” “I said, I know you—” “How do you know? How could you know what occurs in the privacy of my and my warrior-mate’s bedroom?” Oh. Shit. This was not going the way she planned it. At all! She looked into his blue eyes, terrified that he would be angry. But thankfully he looked more curious than annoyed. He was still interested. Another rush of love swept away some of her worries. This was Caleb. He wouldn’t punish her for what she’d done the way her foster father would. Still. It was an embarrassing confession to make. “I’ve watched you.” His mouth fell open. And…was that her imagination or did his eyes darken again? Almost as if…as if he liked the idea of her watching them. It wasn’t what she’d planned but it might work. “I’ve watched you,” she said again, softly, leaning back against the bed and spreading her legs just a bit. “So many times. I sneak out of my room at night and watch
23
A.D. Christopher
you and Kerrick from the tree outside your bedroom window. And when I do, I…I touch myself. Here.” She ran her palm over the curve of her breast, over the hard nipple. She pinched it lightly between her thumb and forefinger and sighed when sensation zinged through her entire body, an arrow shooting straight to her pussy. “Mercy,” he said. His voice was rough, dry-sounding, like he was forcing the words out. “You shouldn’t—” She ignored him, went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “Not just here, though. This is good,” she pinched her nipple again, permitted herself a tiny shiver, “but it’s not enough. So I move my hand down, like this.” Mercy had hoped her little show might arouse him. She hadn’t counted on how much it would arouse her. When she dipped her finger between her legs and gave her clit the faintest touch, her entire body jerked and a gasp she couldn’t stop escaped her lips. “I touch myself here, Caleb. I pretend it’s you touching me. I want so badly for it to be you touching me. Look. Let me show you where I want your touch.” She thought of getting on the bed and lying down, but no. She wanted to be able to see his face. His gaze was glued on her hand, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, his hands fisted at his sides. And beneath his jeans that cock she fantasized about every night was desperate to escape. She knew it. She could see it, hard and thick against the suddenly too-tight fabric. No, she wanted to see him. So instead she shifted her weight a little, using the ottoman to prop her left foot so her legs spread wider. She glanced down, lifting the red hem of her nightie out of the way so her pussy was totally exposed. Caleb swallowed. God, why didn’t he come to her? He would. She knew he would. She couldn’t let doubt ruin what she’d started. She had to forge ahead, ignoring the little voice at the back of her head that screamed she was making a fool of herself. 24
Necessary Seduction
She let her finger slide over her hard clit, sending shivers of delight through her entire body. God, she was so hot. Hot enough that she could come right there, already, with just that little bit of stimulation. Seeing him watching her, performing for him, was incredibly arousing. And she was incredibly wet. He had to have smelled her scent by now, it had to be tormenting him as much as her little show. “That feels so good,” she whispered. “I’m so wet there, Caleb. That’s how I always get when I—when I think of you. When I do this. Look.” Her finger was coated with a fine sheen of her juices. Much as it pained her to pull it away from her throbbing, needy pussy, she did and showed it to him. “Why don’t you touch me, Caleb? Just touch me. That’s all. Please.” “Mercy…” It was a warning, a prayer, a curse, all in that one word. A part of her told her to stop what she was doing, but she couldn’t. She needed him too damn badly. “Please,” she repeated, funneling every bit of her desire into that last plea. She didn’t see him move. All she knew was suddenly there he was in front of her, his intense blue eyes staring into hers while his right hand shoved itself between her thighs. Oh God…yes! She didn’t think she’d actually said it out loud, but she’d cried out just the same. And she did it again when his finger rubbed around her entrance, spreading her wetness up and down the lips of her sex, exploring her. For a second she thought he might slip it inside her and her entire body tightened with anticipation, but he didn’t. Instead he moved his fingers up, finding where her clit practically vibrated it was so desperate to be touched. Her heart pounded and her breath came in tiny little gasps as he rubbed where she ached. She could hear his breath coming faster too, rough and labored. “Yes,” she managed. “Yes, please…” His hand moved faster, lighter. She’d never known if he’d been with women before but he must have been. He had to have been because there was no way he’d know how 25
A.D. Christopher
to touch her like that if he hadn’t. The pad of his index finger barely skimmed the extrasensitive head of her clit, just the right amount of pressure to make her entire body feel shot through with lightning. He wasn’t touching her anywhere else, but he stood close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. She could smell him, that beautiful scent of spicy, salty, male arousal mixed with her need. She looked down. Saw his hand there, between her legs. Saw her cream on his fingers. Her skin felt too small, too tight. It was really Caleb. Caleb touching her, stroking her. She could see the darker flesh of his hand against her pale thighs. He looked down too. “God, Mercy, you’re so… Shit, you’re so hot. So wet. Jesus, I shouldn’t—” “Don’t stop.” She didn’t want to let him finish that sentence. “Caleb, don’t stop, I’m almost there, please…” She wasn’t almost there. She was there. Something about saying “please” to him, about hearing him say her name added to the incredible skill of those nimble fingers and sent her over. She heard him groan. Her head fell back. “Yes, God, yes!” And she came, so hard stars exploded behind her eyes. Her hands fisted the bedspread behind her, trying to brace herself while she flooded his hand and almost screamed from how good it was. The orgasm ran over her like a freight train, taking every conscious thought with it, everything but the feel of his hand still moving, sending her into another before the first had even finished. The second had barely died down when she reached for him, her fingers itching to rip open those jeans and free that gorgeous cock. She was ready. Any anxiety about what losing her virginity would feel like had been drowned in the tidal wave of need Caleb had awakened within her. She’d nearly freed his button from its hole when he stepped back and shoved her hand away with a curse.
26
Necessary Seduction
Chapter Three Caleb fumbled with the button on his jeans and ripped the zipper down, his hands shaking like a boy during his first temptation trial. No, worse than that. He had never suffered during a trial the way he suffered now. He’d never wanted any of the women who tempted him the way he wanted Mercy. It was hell to pull away from her but he had to. If he let her take his cock in her soft little hand it would be over. He’d never be able to control himself. He’d push her back on that bed, spread her creamy thighs and ram into her. No matter that she was a virgin, no matter that he’d ruin her and commit a crime against the pride, no matter that he would be violating the promises he’d made to his warriormate. He and Kerrick had agreed never to take another man into their bed without prior discussion and to never engage in sex acts with a male of the pride on their own. But you never said anything about engaging in sex acts with a female. Caleb groaned. He shoved his jeans and boxers down just far enough to free his aching cock and took himself in hand. He was not going to listen to the voice in his head, he was not going to give in to the urge to take this encounter with Mercy any further. It had already gone too far. He shouldn’t even do what he was about to do, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed some relief or he doubted he’d be able to get the girl out the door without touching her again, without ripping off that red nightie and mating with her the way his entire body screamed for him to do. Damn, but he wanted her. More than he’d imagined possible. He started tugging, rough and hard, working himself swiftly toward the edge. The sight of Mercy still spread before him, pussy flushed and swollen, made him dizzy in seconds. He was going to come, just a few more strokes. 27
A.D. Christopher
“Caleb, please, let me—” “Don’t,” he warned when she reached toward him. He jerked himself a little faster, still unable to look away. She was so beautiful, so small and soft and female. She was the opposite of his warrior-mate in every way. It seemed impossible that he should desire her as much as he did, but he did. He wanted to fuck Mercy as much as he’d ever wanted to fuck Kerrick. It made him feel wretched and wrong, but it didn’t stop him from coming. “What the hell is going on?” Kerrick’s voice boomed through the room just as Caleb exploded. His cock twitched in his hand and cum shot from deep in his balls, spurting in thick jets to land on Mercy’s thigh. She gasped as the hot juices splashed on her skin, but didn’t look down. Her eyes were all for Kerrick. “Is this why you sent me to check the perimeter?” Kerrick asked, anger in his tone. “I’m sorry. Please, don’t be angry,” Mercy said, her breath still coming fast. Her nipples poked through the thin fabric of the silk and Caleb couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t press her thighs together as Kerrick strode into the room. In fact, she actually spread herself a bit wider, a subtle invitation Caleb wondered if his warrior-mate noticed. Of course, he should have been wondering other things, like whether or not Kerrick would ask for a dissolution of their mating. It was a rare thing, but it happened. Usually when one mate had been unfaithful to the other. Mate-claiming was a serious thing in their pride. Infidelity wasn’t taken lightly or easily forgiven. He’d known that before he’d touched Mercy, but he still hadn’t been able to stop himself. He was a weak man, weaker than he’d ever dreamed. No matter how much he’d fantasized about this girl, he should never have let fantasy intrude upon his very treasured reality. The sobering thought made him hurry to tuck himself back inside his jeans.
28
Necessary Seduction
“I’m not angry with you. You’re twenty years old and not born of the Orion Pride,” Kerrick said, stopping a few feet away, barely sparing a glance for the girl he spoke to. His eyes were all for his foolish, cheating mate. Caleb swallowed. Hard. “Kerrick, I—” “I’m old enough to know what I want and be responsible for my actions,” Mercy said, standing up and stepping a little closer to Kerrick. “And not being born of the Orion Pride is the entire point. It’s why I came here tonight.” Caleb turned to stare. When had she become so sure of herself? When had that frightened little girl he’d pulled from the fire become a woman of such conviction? A glance at Kerrick revealed he’d turned to Mercy as well, though he didn’t look nearly as surprised. He’d always said Mercy was trouble. The affection in his voice when he’d said the words had made Caleb assume Kerrick meant trouble of the average-red-bloodedyoung-female variety, but maybe he’d meant something more. Had he guessed that Caleb had lusted after the girl? “So you think you deserve the punishment for fucking my warrior-mate? An action that goes against pride law and our mate-claiming pact?” Mercy shivered and a bit of fear crept into her eyes. Kerrick could be a scary man when he wanted to be and he clearly wanted to be at the moment. Still, when Mercy spoke, her voice was steady and firm. “We didn’t do anything but touch each other. I’m still a virgin.” “Good,” Kerrick grunted. “But I don’t want to be and I wouldn’t mind if you punished me, Kerrick.” She took a small step toward the other man. “I didn’t come here to try to take Caleb from you. I came here to give myself to you both.” There was a beat of shocked silence, broken only by the sound of the news anchor announcing a train wreck. How fitting. Train wrecks all around.
29
A.D. Christopher
What the hell had Mercy been thinking? She couldn’t really mean she wanted two men in her bed. Despite her upbringing, she had to realize such a thing was impossible. Multiple husbands went against law and cultural practice. It would never happen. Even if there were men like Caleb who were intrigued by the idea of sharing a female with their warrior-mate. God, why hadn’t he thought of it before? He and Kerrick, skin to skin with Mercy and each other, the three of them reveling in the myriad pleasures they could give one another? It was the perfect solution to his wandering thoughts and conflicted desires. “You want two men in your bed?” Kerrick’s tone left no doubt that he found the thought ludicrous and strange. But then, his warrior-mate saw life in absolutes. There were no shades of gray in Kerrick’s world. “It’s the way of my people,” Mercy said, reaching down to grab the bottom of her nightie and pull it up over her head. Caleb heard Kerrick’s swiftly indrawn breath when she stood naked before them. “I want to walk that same path…and I want you both to walk with me.” Kerrick’s dark eyes slid up and down Mercy from head to toe, then over to Caleb. “She’s mad.” “I don’t think so. Just…different,” Caleb said, grateful the anger in Kerrick’s eyes had cooled a bit. Still, he couldn’t tell exactly what his mate was thinking. It was a troubling state of affairs, but also a highly arousing one. What was racing through the quick mind of his mate? What would Kerrick say? Would he do? The uncertainty made Caleb’s blood run hotter and his cock begin to swell between his legs once more. “No, she’s insane.” “I’m not insane!” Mercy crossed her arms, pushing her high, pert breasts even higher. “And a criminal,” Kerrick continued, moving closer to Mercy, though his gaze still stayed with Caleb. 30
Necessary Seduction
“I am not a criminal. I am—” “And yet, you touched her.” Kerrick reached out to wrap one strong arm around Mercy’s waist, drawing a soft gasp from the girl. “I can smell her scent upon you.” “I did. I’m sorry,” Caleb said, shocked by how arousing he found the sight of his warrior-mate touching Mercy. If he’d had time to think about it, he would have assumed he would be jealous, but he wasn’t. Instead, he found himself wanting Kerrick to cup Mercy’s breast, to roll her nipple between his fingers until he coaxed more wet heat from between her thighs. “But you didn’t kiss her, did you?” Kerrick asked, tugging Mercy even closer until her bare body was pressed against him. Mercy’s breath came faster and her hands went tentatively to Kerrick’s waist. Caleb shook his head. “You always neglect the preliminaries.” He turned to look down at Mercy. “I apologize. He would eat dessert first every night if I would let him.” And then Kerrick lowered his lips and kissed Mercy with a slow, sensual heat that made Caleb’s head spin as if it were his own lips Kerrick kissed.
It was only a kiss, just a little kiss to teach Caleb a lesson. It shouldn’t have made Kerrick’s skin itch or his balls ache. It shouldn’t have made him moan into Mercy’s sweet mouth and pull her even closer. It shouldn’t have made him want so much more than a kiss. But it did. Within moments, the sweep of Mercy’s sweet tongue in his mouth, the feel of her fingers digging into his ass through his jeans, had shattered his original intentions. It wasn’t that he was no longer aware of Caleb—because he was, highly aware of the desire in his love’s eyes, of the sound of his breath and the scent of his passionate sweat. In fact, it made it worse. Kissing Mercy was enough to make his knees weak. Kissing her and knowing Caleb was watching, that Caleb was aroused by it? It made his cock jerk in his pants. It made him, without consciously realizing it, reach farther around 31
A.D. Christopher
Mercy’s warm, slim body to smooth his hand over the ripe curve of her behind and down, dipping between her legs. She radiated heat, hotter than anything he’d ever felt and so wet he moaned again. It had been so long since he’d touched a woman, smelled a woman aroused. He wanted to lose himself in it, to pop his buttons and sink himself into her while they stood, to make her squirm and cry out and squeeze his cock with her pussy until his eyes bulged out. Wanted to do it all while Caleb watched. She gasped into his mouth. Her hands, no longer tentative, roamed up and down his back, over his ass, squeezing it. She started to make slow sweeps toward his groin, closer and closer. Her hips moved under his hand, deliberately making him touch her where he knew she wanted it most. It had the added effect of making her pelvis rock against his aching erection. Shit, her body was so small and delicate against his. She’d be so tight and he wanted to feel that so bad, so bad he could hardly think. And now she was making little sounds into his mouth with every stroke of her hips. He wanted to fuck her. Had to. Had to fuck her, he couldn’t— Oh God, what was he doing? He yanked himself away from her with a violence that made him stumble against the wall. His breath rasped in his chest. Every cell in his body screamed at him to grab her again, crush her to him, to take her. Hard. Rough. Caleb’s eyes were wide. Kerrick looked at him, at the man he loved more than anything and felt his chest tighten. Oh shit. They were in big trouble, weren’t they? He wanted her. Wanted Mercy. Bad. And so did Caleb. And he wanted Caleb as badly as he wanted Mercy. Even now his urge was to unfasten his pants and let his hard cock spring free, to thrust it into Mercy’s pussy or Caleb’s mouth, it didn’t matter. He had an image of the three of them entwined
32
Necessary Seduction
together, hot bodies and tongues and warm places, rubbing each other. Touching. Kissing. But to follow through on that, to grab Mercy again—she stood there before him, her beautiful breasts heaving, her face flushed, gorgeous in the soft light—to grab Caleb too would damn them all. The Orion Pride did not accept such matings. And Kerrick had been born Unfree. His position in the pride was hard-won through years of fighting, both to become a man others feared and wanted on their side in battle and to be with the man he loved. Being a full-fledged, respected member of the pride mattered to him almost as much as Caleb did. How could he give that up? How could he destroy it all, simply by giving Mercy what she so obviously wanted, what he wanted, what Caleb wanted? He couldn’t. With an ache in his chest, he shook his head. “Mercy, you need to go.” Her face, that lovely face, went pale. Were those tears? Oh no, he couldn’t handle that. He didn’t want to hurt her. He…he liked her. Always had. That liking could be more, if he let it. But he couldn’t. “I’m sorry,” he went on. “But it’s very late and I’m tired. I need to be alone with my mate.” Her arms wrapped around herself. Hugging herself. Her nipples were still hard, he noticed. How perfect she was, there in the middle of the room with the lamplight caressing those gorgeous ripe curves! He could still smell her. Not just the intoxicating scent of her arousal, so sweet and musky in the air, but her skin. Her hair. Whatever perfume she’d worn, it was beautiful and evocative. He knew he’d never be able to smell it again without thinking of her and her incredible beauty. Not just beauty either. Her dignity. Her gaze took in what he knew was his very obvious erection and Caleb’s equally obvious state of arousal. She saw the desperate need in their eyes.
33
A.D. Christopher
But she just nodded. She bent over to pick up the red silk nightgown she’d worn, giving them both a view of what was surely the most beautiful pussy ever created—his groan and Caleb’s seemed to erupt in unison—and slipped it back over her head. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, with a dignity that went straight to his heart. “Goodnight.” They both watched her walk out of the room, with her shoulders squared and her back straight, her delectable ass twitching beneath the red silk. God, she was gorgeous. But having her would mean losing everything he’d spent his life working for. The second the door closed, he turned to Caleb. His love’s eyes were wide. A little scared. “I didn’t know she’d come here,” he said. “I didn’t plan it, I’m sorry—” It wasn’t what Kerrick wanted to hear, and he didn’t think he could focus on a big discussion anyway. So he lunged forward, one hand reaching out to grab Caleb by the hair, the other opening his belt and pants. Caleb seemed to know what he wanted. He always did. His voice stopped but his mouth stayed open, his head moving until he found the newly exposed head of Kerrick’s cock and sucked it deep into the hot, wet cavern of his mouth. Kerrick thrust his hips forward, quickly finding a hard, fast rhythm, fucking Caleb’s mouth the way he’d wanted to fuck Mercy’s pussy. “Suck me. Shit, suck me hard.” Caleb’s left hand stole around his ass, gripping it tight. His right reached down into his still-open fly. “Yes,” Kerrick muttered through gritted teeth. “Let me watch. Stroke yourself. Faster. I want to watch you come.” Caleb obeyed, his fist a blur around his swollen cock. His blue eyes opened wide, meeting Kerrick’s. In them Kerrick saw the same terrible knowledge that troubled his own mind. He, Kerrick, was imagining Mercy’s lips around his cock. Caleb was imagining the same thing.
34
Necessary Seduction
And just before that image made him explode into the mouth of the man he loved, he wondered what exactly that meant for the two of them.
***** She had no idea if she’d horribly embarrassed herself or made the most of an unexpected discovery. If she’d failed completely or begun to succeed. Her body still tingled. All those years of imagining, of fantasizing. She’d never thought it would be as good as it actually had been. Caleb’s body close to hers, his hand…oh God, those talented fingers. She didn’t know how she’d managed to hold off her orgasm for as long as she had. It had been everything she’d dreamed of, his handsome face looming over hers, the naked desire in his eyes. But Kerrick! She’d hoped it would be just as good, but she hadn’t imagined in her wildest dreams that it would be earth-shaking, that a single kiss would make her entire body feel like jelly. Even now, almost an hour later, she still quivered. Her skin felt too tight and too hot, too delicate somehow. Like it wanted to escape and run back down the hall and fling itself into bed with the man. And he’d felt it too. She knew he had. As had Caleb. She’d felt his eyes on them. Watching him touch himself, seeing his face when he finally came had been…indescribable. Her hips jerked under the sheet, her body responding to the mental image of Caleb’s seed hot against her thigh. She’d never been so turned-on as she had been in that moment. But later, when Kerrick had pushed her away, the sudden coldness in the air had felt awful. Worse than anything had felt in years. She’d expected it, of course. She wasn’t a child. She wasn’t stupid. Even in her wildest fantasies she hadn’t thought she would just walk into their room and offer herself to them and they would accept. Even if it was what they wanted to do, it went 35
A.D. Christopher
against pride tradition. Neither Caleb nor Kerrick was reckless or foolish. They wouldn’t welcome her with open arms, not right away. They might not welcome her at all… But she refused to consider that. They would accept her. They had to. She couldn’t bear it otherwise. Being mated off to some random warrior? No. She knew them all, of course. Even liked some of them. But she couldn’t love them. Couldn’t want them the way she wanted Caleb and Kerrick. She’d given her heart to them. It was just that simple. Optimism was good, but a shiver that had nothing to do with the way her pussy still throbbed ran through her. What were the men she loved doing right now? Were they fighting? If she’d damaged their love for each other, destroyed their bond, she would never forgive herself. She couldn’t bear to think of them fighting. But she wasn’t sure she could bear the idea that they weren’t thinking of her, either. That she meant nothing to them, that what had happened in their room was so insignificant they’d just curled up and gone to sleep. So what were they doing? Yelling? Talking? Sleeping? Had they turned to each other after she’d left and started touching each other, making love? The thought was too much for her overheated body. Her hips moved under the sheet again and this time she didn’t fight it. She hadn’t bothered to put panties on before climbing into bed and turning off the light, so no barrier existed between her fingers and the hot, slick skin of her pussy. In her head she saw Caleb’s face again, felt his hand between her legs instead of her own. In her mind she felt Kerrick’s lips on hers, his hand on her behind. She stroked her clit lightly, trying to hold off her pleasure so the fantasy could grow and deepen in her mind. Kerrick didn’t push her away in this new fantasy—an old fantasy, really, but one with a new dimension now that she’d felt their skin against hers.
36
Necessary Seduction
Instead he lifted her and placed her on the bed. And Caleb, instead of simply watching, walked over to join them. The two men kissed, their tongues entwining, while she leaned up enough to unfasten Kerrick’s jeans and take his hard cock into her mouth. She tasted him, amazed by the feeling of holding him between her lips, while Caleb reached down to stroke her. Her fingers—the fingers she pretended were his—played between her legs, pinching her clit lightly, tugging at her slick lips, sliding around her entrance. In her fantasy Kerrick reached down to stroke her nipple and it was too much. She wanted to delay, wanted to let the fantasy go further. But she couldn’t. She was too overwhelmed, too hot, too needy. Her legs spread so wide she thought her pelvis might crack, her hips lifted impossibly high from the bed and she came. Hard, with her mouth open in a scream she couldn’t voice and her heels digging into the soft mattress. Again, and again, and again. Her hand and her fantasy kept riding her until she was exhausted and her pussy was so oversensitive it started to ache and she finally fell asleep with her optimism restored. She’d made an inroad tonight. She’d do better the next night. She had to. She’d tempted them. It was time to do more than that.
37
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Four Young women were horrible at keeping secrets. Even when they could keep their mouths shut, their bodies gave them away. Every move Mercy made, every step—even the way her fingers lingered upon the silk sleeve of a new blouse as she flitted nervously around the ground floor of the shopping mall—gave her away. The furtive glances she shot toward the Orion Pride bodyguards confirmed her guilty lust. But it was the heated looks of the two men—Kerrick and Caleb—that made the figure certain the time had come to take action against the Artemis slut. She could not be allowed to lure two good men into a triad of sin. Who could say if it would even end with a triad? The Artemis Pride’s women had been known to take as many as four or five husbands. They were a race of whores and whore-slaves and deserved the genocide that had befallen them. They deserved to be obliterated from the earth completely. Yet the rest of the Orion Pride seemed content to let this cancer grow and fester in their midst. They even liked the girl. The figure watched from a distance as Mercy laughed with the other young pride women and answered a call from her adopted mother, calling to check up on Mercy just as she would call to check up on her own precious children. But Mercy was not a child of Orion. She was a child of wickedness. A wickedness that would soon be punished.
***** Caleb had assumed nothing could be worse than watching Mercy shop. The way she smoothed curious fingers over fabric made his skin itch, jealous of the articles of clothing lucky enough to be beneath her hand. Seeing her emerge from a dressing room
38
Necessary Seduction
in a tight little black dress or even a perfectly fitting pair of jeans and a tank top that showcased the sleek health of her body was enough to make him hard. And imagining her naked in the dressing room a few feet away, stripping between outfits, was nearly enough to make him abandon his post and go to her. He’d fantasized about breaking down the door and taking her against the wall of the dressing room so many times he’d had to angle his body behind a clothing display in order to hide his obvious arousal. In each version of the mating, the sex had gotten hotter and hotter. And in each version, Kerrick had arrived on the scene just as he had the night before. Except this time, Kerrick didn’t stop them, he joined in, shoving his cock deep into Caleb’s ass just as Caleb penetrated Mercy for the first time. The mental images had been enough to drive Caleb half out of his mind. And he doubted Kerrick was much better off. Especially now, sitting just down the table from where Mercy was tucking into a small filet mignon and side of asparagus and fingerling potatoes. His mate had always had a bit of a food fetish. He’d confessed early on in their relationship that he loved watching Caleb eat, that the way Caleb slipped a fork into his mouth or licked a bit of sugar off his lip made him hard. It made Caleb wonder… Kerrick only jumped the slightest bit when Caleb leaned over and casually brushed his hand against Kerrick’s erection under the tablecloth. Yep, hard enough to shatter glass. “What are you doing?” Kerrick clenched his jaw. “Seeing if you were as turned-on as I thought you were.” Caleb allowed himself a small smile as he withdrew his hand and went back to cutting his own steak. “I wonder what state you’d be in if she were eating an ice-cream cone?” “There’s nothing funny about this, Caleb.” Kerrick scowled, but didn’t pull his eyes away from Mercy. She was slipping a delicate green stalk into her mouth. Asparagus, not the most erotic of foods, but Caleb knew that wouldn’t matter to his mate. It was the 39
A.D. Christopher
way Mercy slipped it sensuously into her mouth, relishing one of the pleasures of the flesh that made Kerrick crazy. “We have to put an end to this.” “And how should we go about doing that?” Caleb asked, his smile vanishing. He and Kerrick hadn’t talked about what had happened with Mercy. They’d deliberately avoided the subject all day. It made Caleb uncertain. Was Kerrick talking about putting an end to their mutual fantasies? Or putting an end to their warrior-mate bond? Even after the blisteringly hot interlude they’d shared before bed last night, Caleb wasn’t completely sure. “We’ll call the Pride Elders and tell them that you’ve become ill and ask for two replacement guards to be sent. We can be back in our cabin by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. We’ll put all this behind us, pretend it never happened.” Caleb breathed a little easier. Kerrick seemed to have forgiven him his weakness. But then, it would be hard not to when his mate shared the same one. “That won’t solve the problem. She’ll be home at the end of the week. What will we do then?” “Ignore her.” Kerrick’s voice held a note of sorrow. “She’s been watching us,” Caleb whispered under his breath, “climbing the tree outside our bedroom window to watch.” Kerrick cursed. “She’s crazy.” “You know she’s not,” Caleb said. “She’s wild.” “Absolutely.” Caleb’s eyes caught Kerrick’s, not surprised to see the admiration in his mate’s gaze. Kerrick was wild himself, at heart, though years of playing by the rules had made him a bit rigid. “And determined.” “And beautiful.” Caleb didn’t know whether to be thrilled or terrified that it seemed his mate’s resolve was weakening. Kerrick was the logical half of their relationship. What would happen to them if he lost his head?
40
Necessary Seduction
“And she wants to be ours,” Caleb said. “That’s not possible. You know it’s not.” “I know.” He did know, but still…still. “But maybe we could…just for one night.” “One night that would ruin her for her true husband.” Now it was Caleb’s turn to scowl. He didn’t want to think about Mercy’s true husband, didn’t want to think about another man’s hands on the girl he was beginning to think of as his own. Unless they were Kerrick’s hands, of course. “Unless…” Kerrick’s voice trailed off as he shook his head. “But I don’t think I could do it.” “What do you mean? You want her, I can tell that you want her.” “Of course I want her.” Kerrick sighed, a tortured sound that told of how rough this day had been on him as well. “I want her too much to control myself the way I would need to control myself if…” Ah, Caleb could see where this was going. “If we took her to our bed, but didn’t take her virginity.” Kerrick nodded subtly. “I’m not sure I could do it. Or keep you from doing it.” “Because you enjoyed watching, didn’t you?” Caleb asked, casually slipping his hand beneath the tablecloth again and stroking his mate through his khaki pants. “I enjoyed watching you touch her. I loved watching you touch her. I want to watch you with her again.” “I want to watch you put your head between her legs. I want to watch you eat her pussy while I lube your ass,” Kerrick said. His hand joined Caleb’s under the table, finding Caleb’s erection and digging his fingers lightly into the aching flesh. Caleb’s eyes fluttered closed for a second against his will. Even knowing one of the other girls or Cassia, the older female chaperone, might see the split second of obvious arousal on his face wasn’t enough to help him maintain his control. The scene Kerrick
41
A.D. Christopher
described was too unspeakably hot. “I can’t even…the thought of feeling you inside me while I taste her. Thinking of her watching us…shit.” Kerrick pulled his hand away from Caleb with a deep breath. He pushed Caleb’s hand away a second later. “We have to get up from the table in a few minutes. It’s almost time for dessert.” “Right.” Caleb did his best to pull himself together. There was no way to conceal a hard-on in the close quarters of the small hotel restaurant and—despite the strong aroma of steak—the girls would begin to smell his and Kerrick’s arousal if they didn’t calm down. “Unless you want to skip dessert,” Kerrick said. “We could get it boxed up for later. Maybe around twelve o’clock?” Caleb’s heart did odd things in his chest as he realized what his mate was saying. “Twelve o’clock would be good. Should we get a third dessert boxed, as well?” Kerrick gave a tight smile. “No, I think two will be enough. We can share.” “Yes,” Caleb said, “we can.” The thought of what they would be sharing in a few hours made his disobedient shaft swell even further. “You’ll give her the message and get the girls safely upstairs?” Caleb nodded. “I’m going to do one last check of the perimeter.” Kerrick rose from the table. Amazingly, he’d gotten his body under control. But then, Kerrick had practice controlling his arousal. He’d learned control the hard way during his early years in the Unfree barracks, when he’d been at the mercy of larger, more dominant Unfree and Freeborn men when he was among the youngest in the eighteen- to twenty-four-yearold’s quarters. He knew what it was like to be a lesser member of the pride. He knew far better than Caleb what it meant to be on the outside looking in, to be excluded from the
42
Necessary Seduction
warmth and love of their people. That he was willing to risk that safety if they were caught together with Mercy should have frightened Caleb, but it didn’t. Having Mercy in their bed seemed worth the risk. What that said about his own state of mind, he didn’t want to think about.
***** Mercy waited until everyone was in the elevator before she stepped inside. Caleb was only a few feet away, inserting the card that would allow the elevator to stop on their private floor, so this wasn’t going to be easy. She’d only have one chance. She had to wait until the very last moment. Three, two, one— “I forgot my purse, be up in a few seconds!” The words flew out of her mouth in such a frantic jumble, she doubted anyone but a werepanther would have been able to decipher them. Certainly no non-were could have moved as quickly as she did, so quickly that even the sensors on the elevator doors didn’t seem to note her passing. She was simply within the elevator one second and outside the next. Caleb reached for her, but it was too late. The doors were already closing behind her. Okay. Deep breath. The rooms were on the eighth floor. That gave her probably five to ten minutes to find Kerrick. Cell phones didn’t work in the elevator, so Caleb would have to wait until he reached their floor to call his mate and tell him he’d lost one of his charges. Caleb wouldn’t abandon the other girls to come looking for her, however. He wouldn’t leave four young pride women unguarded to go looking for one female, even if he did have feelings for her. Which he did. She knew he did and he would act on those feelings if given the green light from his mate. Mercy had to make sure he got that green light. She had to talk to Kerrick alone and convince him that being together wasn’t wrong. If they all wanted the same thing, if they all cared about each other, then what was so awful about choosing to be three people instead of two? 43
A.D. Christopher
After all, two men meant twice the chance of her getting pregnant, didn’t it? And wasn’t that all the Pride Elders cared about? “Stupid,” Mercy mumbled beneath her breath as she hurried outside into the night. It was dark and there wasn’t a soul in sight on a quiet Tuesday night, but that was fine with her. She wasn’t afraid and the lack of people made it easy to find Kerrick’s scent and follow it down the street and around a corner. She was as excited to have children as the next woman, but not for many years. And not with only one husband who would very likely be deployed for much of their marriage if the prides in Northern California couldn’t get their territory issues resolved. “Leaving the group to run outside on your own was pretty stupid,” Kerrick said, suddenly materializing behind her, making her jump. She turned to face him, noticing the way her heart sped up just from hearing his voice. There was something about Kerrick that scared her, but in the best, sexiest way possible. “I was thinking about the pride wars.” “And that thought made you wander off alone? Does thinking about electrical storms make you want to stick a fork in your toaster too?” But he was smiling. More than smiling. His gaze scanned her figure, lingering on her lips and the top of her breasts exposed by her low-cut shirt. He was flirting with her, and her heart skipped a violent beat then sped up. Heat raced through her veins to gather between her legs. If he invited her to lift her skirt right there on the street she would have done it, the look in his eyes was that hot. “I don’t like being warned away from things,” she managed, deliberately keeping her voice low and, she hoped, sexy. “When I know what I want, I go for it. It’s what women in my pride have always done.” “It’s not the Orion Pride’s way.” “Screw the Orion Pride,” she said and heard his breath catch. Perhaps she should have apologized. At least she probably should have stopped there. But she couldn’t. There were too many things she’d been thinking of saying over the years, especially to 44
Necessary Seduction
Kerrick. “Do their traditions really deserve our respect? You can’t think they do, Kerrick. In other prides the sons of captured warriors are accepted. In Orion you’re a slave, an Unfree. Is that worthy of respect?” “It’s the way things are,” he said gruffly. They stopped walking just around the corner from the hotel and leaned against the low stone wall surrounding the property. Mercy thought she heard a buzzing sound coming from his pocket, but he ignored it. Guess he wasn’t in the mood to answer Caleb’s call? She didn’t know if that was a good sign or a bad one. “But you can’t be satisfied with that, Kerrick! You were an Unfree and they treated you like dirt. They treat anyone who isn’t of their precious bloodline that way—look at the trouble Dawson Gray had when he chose an Unfree warrior-mate! They’re so closed-minded, they’re so judgmental. You should have been a member of the pride by yourself. You shouldn’t have needed Caleb to make you legitimate!” His face reddened. She regretted her words. It might have sounded like she was judging him and the choices he’d made but that wasn’t the case at all. “You’re one of the best warriors Orion has,” she said softly. “You always have been. You don’t deserve to be treated like a second-class citizen and it isn’t fair that you and Caleb are denied something you both want because of some stupid, senseless tradition.” He looked at the street before them, not at her, but she knew he was aware of her. Knew he sensed every movement she made, because she could feel it. She was just as aware of every move he made, of his big body beside her. “And what is it we’re being denied, Mercy?” Her blood ran cold. Suppose she was wrong? But she didn’t think she was. So she took a deep breath and said, “Me. You’re both being denied me.” His breath caught, but he said nothing.
45
A.D. Christopher
“I know how it feels,” she went on softly. “I’ve always felt like an outsider in the pride. My foster family is nice enough but they don’t understand. They don’t know what it’s like to have nothing, to be looked at as a lesser person just because of something as silly and insignificant as what blood runs in your veins. Why should we obey their laws, follow their traditions, when they try to steal ours away? Do you even know who your family is, Kerrick? Your real family?” He hesitated. Those beautiful eyes of his were damp. The buzzing sound came from his pocket again, but again he ignored it, concentrating on recovering his breath. “Tiberius,” he said finally. “I was born of the Tiberius Pride.” “And what were their—” “It doesn’t matter what their traditions were.” He gripped her arms. That slight touch, made in anger with lust only a small part of it, still made her entire body convulse. “It doesn’t matter. Mercy. We live in the Orion Pride. We have to abide by their laws.” “We don’t. We can create our own laws. We can be together, the three of us. Don’t you think we could be happy, Kerrick? I know you want me. I can see it in your eyes. I felt it last night. We can do this, we can have this, the three of us!” “It’s not possible,” he started, but she cut him off. “It is possible. The only thing forcing us to obey the Orion Pride’s rules are our own fears. I want you. I want you both. I…love you both.” There, she’d said it. And she’d meant every word. Kerrick might not feel the same, but he loved Caleb and had to see that Caleb had feelings for Mercy. “And you both want me, you want this. All we have to do is say yes, all three of us, and we can be together.” “We can’t break pride law.” The words sliced into her heart, but she forced herself to ignore them. She’d guessed that of the two men, Kerrick would be harder to convince. His position as a former Unfree meant he’d be more afraid of breaking the laws and traditions.
46
Necessary Seduction
“We can do whatever we want.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she reached for his hand and held it to her breast, making sure he felt her hard nipple beneath her top. She let it rest there for a moment before lifting it higher so his fingers were just in front of her face. She stuck out her tongue, let it slide along the thick length of his middle finger, then sucked the digit deep into her mouth before slowing, pulling back and circling the tip of his finger the way she’d imagined she might lick something bigger, harder. “What do you want, Kerrick?” He didn’t speak. She opened her eyes and found him watching her, his eyes full of pure male desire, burning hot. A glance down showed her the ridge of his cock against his jeans. “Tell me you want me.” She let her tongue play down his palm, to his wrist, where she bit him gently. “I want you, Kerrick, you and Caleb both. I want to join you. So many nights I watched…can’t I finally—” “One night. One.” He swallowed and pulled away from her touch. “That’s all I can promise.” Mercy nodded. It wasn’t what she’d prayed for, but it was a start. Besides, even one night with the men she loved would be wonderful, special, sacred. Too bad she knew that one night would never, ever be enough.
47
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Five Her eyes had been half-closed, her full lips parted and her breath hot on his skin. Now her mouth fell farther open; her eyes were wide. “Tonight?” Kerrick swallowed. That open mouth of hers made him dizzy. He could just picture those lips wrapped around his cock, around Caleb’s cock. He could hardly stand. Suddenly laying the ground rules didn’t seem nearly as important. He and Caleb knew what they would and wouldn’t do, he didn’t have to tell Mercy. No. He did. She deserved the same honesty she had given him. He forced himself to keep speaking. “Yes, tonight. But we won’t—we won’t take your virginity. That’s for your future pride mate.” She frowned a bit, but didn’t interrupt. “But we…yes, Mercy. Tonight. We want you tonight.” “Both of you? You’ve talked about it with Caleb?” The happiness on her face was almost more than he could bear. It took every bit of strength he had not to grab her and kiss her, not to let his hands run over her body again as they had the night before. He could still smell her ever so faintly on his fingers. It made him feel drunk, almost as drunk as everything she’d said about the pride. She knew how it felt, she really did. It was something even Caleb couldn’t understand, though he tried so hard to empathize. But Mercy understood. She was an outsider too. She knew what it was to be unaccepted, to be whispered about and looked at askance. He almost laughed then. Askance. One of Caleb’s vocabulary-builder words. God, how he loved that man. And how he was falling in love with this woman.
48
Necessary Seduction
“One night,” he repeated, reminding himself as much as Mercy. “We can’t mate with you. But for one night we want you in our bed.” For a second he hoped she would say no. He deserved to hear no. It wasn’t like they were offering her much. Hell, they couldn’t offer her much, couldn’t offer her the love and protection she deserved. It simply wasn’t legal. But if it bothered her she didn’t indicate it. Instead she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him. He stood up from the low wall and reversed their positions. He lifted her onto the ledge and kneed her legs apart, needing to get closer to her. He knew what was coming next and was as eager for it as he’d been the first time he’d seen Caleb across the room in the Unfree barracks one night. “You want me,” she whispered. Her legs wrapped around his waist to pull him close. “Say it again, that you want me.” “We want you.” “Not ‘we’.” Her fingers played in his hair. The core of her pressed against his cock, made it even more uncomfortably hard than it had been moments before. Even through her panties he could feel how hot she was, how much she wanted him. The buzzing of his cell made his left buttock vibrate once more, but once again he ignored the call. For once in his life he wanted to be off the clock. Just for a few minutes. “You, Kerrick. Do you want me?” He didn’t want to answer. He’d invited her to their room. Didn’t that tell her how he felt, how they both felt? Wasn’t it bad enough they were even making the invitation, didn’t it put them all in enough jeopardy? But his lips moved without his even meaning for them to. “Yes. God, yes, Mercy. I want you.” “Then kiss me.” She was so close, all big eyes and hot body. She tilted her pelvis slightly, enough to make it rub against what felt like one of the biggest erections he’d ever had. When she shifted her grip on him and brought her palm around to rub against it he groaned out loud. 49
A.D. Christopher
“I know you do. I know you want me. And I want you, Kerrick. I want both of you. You are the finest men I’ve ever known.” Her voice was like music in his ears, low and soft and unbearably pretty. The heel of her palm rubbed against his cock, harder and harder, sending shivers up his back with every movement. Already his spine was too tight, tension gathering at its base. Already he was secretly glancing around them, wondering if the street was empty so he could strip her bare and sink into the soft, wet heat of her. Shit. This was going to be impossible. How was he going to resist claiming her in every way a man could claim a woman? “So…if you and Caleb change your minds,” she said, lips playing softly against his jaw, “I would be honored to have you both be my first. And last.” Instead of protesting that what she suggested was impossible, he kissed her. And damn, what a kiss it was. Electric shocks ran through his entire body. She tasted just as sweet as she had been the night before. Oh fuck, they were doomed. The attraction hadn’t faded. If anything, it had only become more intense. Her breasts crushed against his chest and her hand still rubbed and stroked him and the top of his head was about to blow clean off. She dragged her mouth away from his. “I want your cocks in my mouth. Don’t you want to watch me suck Caleb’s cock, Kerrick? Don’t you want him to watch me suck yours?” He groaned and barely managed not to explode. She was so good at this, so unashamed of her desires, despite the fact that she’d never lain with a man. It turned him on more than he’d ever thought possible. But two could play at that game. “I do want to watch that. And I want to watch him lick your pussy. I want to watch him suck you dry and see your face when he makes you come.” Triumph rose in him when she moaned. His hand found her breast and squeezed. It wasn’t enough to know he’d get to watch her come later, get to make her come later. He 50
Necessary Seduction
wanted to see it now, needed to see it now. He shoved his hand between her legs, pulling at her panties with a rough movement that made them tear at one side. Heat radiated from her pussy, but he didn’t give in to the urge to shove his fingers inside that tempting wetness. Instead, he found her nub and began to circle, slowly at first and then faster, stealing some of her cream and using her own slickness to ease his way. “No penetration, but we’ll both make you come, Mercy. Over and over. Don’t you want that? My tongue where my fingers are now?” He sucked in a breath, moaning as the scent of her invaded his nose. She smelled like heaven and tasted even better. The damn cell rang again but he hardly noticed it this time. “You taste so fucking good. I tasted you on Caleb’s fingers last night. After you left, I licked him clean while he sucked my cock.” “God, Kerrick.” “And we were both thinking about you.” “Kerrrick!” Her hips jerked helplessly, her lips sucking at his as she gasped. Her eyes squeezed shut, her hips shifted. She was riding his hand. Unashamedly, openly, heedless of the passersby. Granted there weren’t many of them this time of night and his own body positioned between her legs would conceal the fact that her skirt was up around her hips, but still. She spread her thighs wider, rubbing him harder and faster. Kerrick finally gave in to the urge to spear two fingers deep into her heat, moving the heel of his palm to rub against her clit. “Come for me, Mercy. Now. Let me watch you, oh shit…” His own orgasm snuck up on him before he realized what was happening. His balls tightened like small lead weights in his pants. He hadn’t come like this in years, too many years to even remember the last time. “Yes,” she moaned. “Kerrick, yes. I’m…I’m ready, Kerrick, I’m—” Her next word disappeared in a moan that sounded torn from her soul. Her body went rigid. The intoxicating, gorgeous scent of her filled his nose. She was coming, she 51
A.D. Christopher
really was. He’d made her orgasm and he felt unaccountably proud of that even as the base of his spine tightened and he came right along with her, his every cell exploding with a pleasure that equaled what he felt when he was with Caleb. Oh shit. Caleb. The buzzing in his pocket that he’d ignored. It had no doubt been Caleb calling, worried about him, worried about Mercy. On some level he’d known that, but chosen to ignore the knowledge. Because he’d wanted this, wanted to have Mercy all to himself for a few moments. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to share Mercy with his mate, just that he wanted a chance to be alone with her. He’d want the chance to be alone with Caleb too. If they were to form a three-mate union, they would have to make time for one-on-one time with— “No,” Kerrick muttered out loud. He couldn’t let himself start thinking about the dynamics of a future with Caleb and Mercy. It couldn’t happen. One night. One night was all they had, all they could ever have if they hoped to keep the passion that flared between them from consuming them all whole, from making them criminals reviled by the strongest pride in the northwest territory. “Yes.” Mercy pushed her skirt down and slid to the ground before taking his hand in her own. “No,” Kerrick repeated. “Yes.” He laughed in spite of himself. “What exactly are we arguing about?” “I don’t know, but I know I’m right.” She grinned, a sweet twist of her lips that made her look older and younger all at the same time. A part of him could imagine what she’d looked like as a child and what she’d look like when she was an elegant older woman and still the beauty she was today. Would he have the chance to know that woman? Would he be forced to watch her grow to be
52
Necessary Seduction
that woman with another man by her side, in her bed, giving her children and a family where Kerrick and Caleb would never be welcome? “Besides, isn’t ‘yes’ always more fun than ‘no’?” she asked. The buzzing started up in his pocket again. Kerrick reached for the phone, grateful for the chance to avoid answering her question. Because of course “yes” was always more fun than “no”. But sometimes “yes” could be a dangerous, dangerous word.
***** Caleb snapped the phone shut and tried to hide his anger as he did one last check of the rooms, making certain that all the girls were settled in for the night. What the hell had Kerrick been thinking, ignoring his calls? Hadn’t he known that Caleb would be worried, frantic even? In those ten or fifteen minutes it had taken for Kerrick to answer, he’d imagined all manner of horrible things befalling him and Mercy. What if they’d been mugged? Or attacked by members of a warring pride? What if Mercy had been kidnapped and Kerrick shot with a silver bullet and left for dead? Even if he was buried balls-deep in Mercy’s pussy, he should have answered the damn call, Caleb thought, surprised by the realization that imagining Kerrick fucking Mercy didn’t bother him nearly as much as imagining either one of them hurt or in trouble. Love. It was because he loved them. It wasn’t a surprise in Kerrick’s case, of course, but he hadn’t guessed he felt so deeply for Mercy until that moment. He loved them both so much that there wasn’t room for jealousy in his heart. He wanted them to find pleasure in each other—both with him and without him. But he didn’t want them to ignore his feelings, to do what they damn well pleased while he was left behind to worry. “Caleb?” Cassia stuck her head out of her room as Caleb was performing his walk down the hall. “Could you do me a favor?”
53
A.D. Christopher
“Of course, what can I do for you?” He tried to arrange his face into a less ragefilled expression before he turned to face the woman. Cassia was Raney’s mother and the chaperone for the week. Caleb looked at her, thinking what he always did; she was such a fierce, proud woman, always willing to help an Orion Pride member, always willing to go the extra mile. Her brown upsweep was as tidy as ever, her makeup perfect. She was an excellent representative of the pride. Maybe a bit of a gossip, but the sweetest busybody you’d ever want to meet. She reminded Caleb of his own mother before she’d been weakened by the cancer that eventually took her life. How he’d longed for a woman in his life since his mother’s loss. Mercy certainly wasn’t a motherly type, but she was a nurturing woman and he could imagine she’d love her babies just as fiercely as Cassia and the other members of the Orion Pride. Babies. With Mercy. With Mercy and Kerrick. If he hadn’t been staring Cassia in the eye, Caleb knew the thought alone would have been enough to make him cry. “I needed some ice, but I didn’t want to go all the way down to the sixth floor by myself.” She handed him the bucket through a small space in the door, as if she were being careful to conceal her pale pink pajamas from his lustful gaze. Oh yeah, along with her perfection came her prudery. But it was okay. She’d never given him any trouble, had always been kind to Kerrick. So she was a little nervous around men, so what? She was an Orion female, after all. They rarely had any experience with men, even nonsexual experience, until they were married. He smiled, trying to put her at ease. “No problem.” He kept the smile on his face until he’d turned away and started for the stairs leading down to the sixth floor. It wouldn’t do for her to see he was in a foul mood. He certainly didn’t need any rumors getting started about discord between him and his mate. Considering what he and Kerrick were planning to do with Mercy, it would be best if no one paid them any
54
Necessary Seduction
mind at all. The less attention they attracted, the less likely someone would guess at the truth. The truth. He couldn’t believe it was actually going to happen. According to Kerrick’s quick update on the phone, in a few short hours time Mercy would be in their room, sprawled on their big bed. And he and Kerrick would be able to do anything they wanted with her. Well. Almost anything. No penetration. No real sex. They could touch her and taste her, watch each other play with her and let her watch them play, but they couldn’t fuck her. It was wrong of them to even invite her into their room. The very least they could do was be sure she remained whole for her future mate. The thought of Mercy with another man still sent a stab of pain through his heart. It was even worse, now that he’d realized how he felt about her. Damn the Orion Pride and their traditions. It was something he’d never really thought about before. He’d always just accepted the Orion way as the only way. He was Orion born and bred. Growing up he’d always known he would have to make a choice. He could be one of those who passed all the grueling tests and proved himself worthy of having a female mate, of impregnating her and ensuring another generation, or he could, without shame or judgment, choose a warrior-mate and sped his life in another man’s arms. Both had appealed to him until he’d met Kerrick that night at a party in the Unfree cabins. An all-male party. Most of the unmarried pride men had been there, and again, there was no shame in that. Anything short of penetrative sex was perfectly acceptable in their werepanther pride. But he hadn’t wanted to join in the warm pile of hard cocks and soft mouths, not after his eyes met Kerrick’s. They’d spent the entire night talking, until talking became kissing, and kissing became touching and, as the sun rose over the horizon, touching became penetration, sinking themselves into each other’s bodies over and over again until they were both sore. 55
A.D. Christopher
After that beautiful night the idea of taking a female mate became unthinkable. He never regretted penetrating Kerrick and sealing his fate as one half of a warrior-mated pair. He’d wanted Kerrick, period. But now? He still wanted Kerrick. Kerrick was the man he loved. But Mercy was the woman he loved. Why should he have to choose between them if both of them felt the same way about him? He reached the ice machine and held the bucket under the lever. In his mind he pictured Mercy again as she had been the night before, with her legs spread so her pussy was exposed to him. He saw her fingers again, stroking herself. Smelled her arousal in the air. Saw her face, her head dropped back as she came on his hand. Oh God. Just thinking of it made his cock jerk. He still couldn’t believe Kerrick had agreed to invite her to their room. In just a few short hours she’d be there, for both of them to touch and tease and taste to their heart’s content. But would that be enough? Would he really be able to refrain from actually fucking her, would either of them be able to? The thought of sharing her with Kerrick excited him more than he ever would have imagined. But the thought of everything they could lose if they were caught terrified him. As a Freeborn male he’d always had privileges, always taken his status in the pride as something permanent and solid. Choosing to be with Kerrick hadn’t changed that. Choosing to add Mercy to their family would. Forever. He carried the ice bucket back with his head swimming, to find Cassia standing outside the door with her arms folded. “You were gone so long, I was starting to worry.” “Sorry.” Caleb cursed himself for getting lost in his own thoughts. He had a job to do here and a big part of that meant ensuring the females he protected felt completely safe. “The machine was a little further than I thought.” 56
Necessary Seduction
“It just makes me nervous being off our lands,” she continued, as if he hadn’t spoken. “Anything could happen to us. We’re so vulnerable here. I worry for these girls. They are our pride’s greatest treasure.” “They are,” Caleb agreed, thinking of the treasure he would soon have in his bed, the treasure that he feared he would never want to relinquish to another man’s care.
57
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Six Kerrick delivered Mercy to her room, making sure to check the entire space— including the area under the bed and the small closet—before leaving her alone. He knew he couldn’t bring her into his and Caleb’s room until later, after the rest of the women were asleep, but he was sorely tempted to risk discovery in the name of being absolutely sure she was safe. What they’d both smelled on their way back to the hotel had put him on edge. “Kerrick, I’ll be fine,” Mercy said, laying a cool hand on his wrist as he reached for the door to the room. “The scent wasn’t fresh. It was several hours old, at the very least.” “I don’t care.” Kerrick knew he should open the door and leave her room before anyone saw him lingering inside, but instead he let it close. “The fact that a male not of our pride was within a hundred feet of the hotel in the past twenty-four hours is enough to make me cancel this trip and send all of you home.” “That’s ridiculous,” she said with a laugh. “Women are kidnapped from other prides every year. I won’t let it happen to you,” he said. “Or any of the other girls.” “We’re not children. And we’re not helpless. Penny, Waverly and Raney have their black belts and I know how to fight when I need to.” She stood a little straighter. “No man is going to kidnap any of us without a fight. Besides, you and Caleb are here. You’ll keep us safe.” “We’ll do everything we can,” he said, though a small voice in his head insisted he and Caleb endangered everyone with their dalliance with Mercy. But that voice couldn’t compete with the irresistible need to be with Mercy, to spend even a few hours
58
Necessary Seduction
tangled in the sheets with her and the man he loved. “I’ll talk to Caleb. We’ll decide what we should do and let you all know tomorrow morning.” “Tomorrow morning? So you don’t want me to come to your room tonight?” she asked, such disappointment in her eyes that Kerrick couldn’t help but reach out and pull her close. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple and another to her cheek, overwhelmed by the tenderness that surged through him when she fisted her hands in his shirt and pulled him a little closer. He was falling for her so fast. So hard and so fast that it made him dizzy. “Of course, I do,” he whispered against her soft skin. “I—” They jumped guiltily apart as the door to the room suddenly opened, but breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Caleb’s bright blue eyes staring down at them. “Do you think this is wise?” he asked, anger clear in his voice. “No, it isn’t.” Kerrick stepped away from Mercy. “I can smell sex on both of you,” Caleb said, shaking his head. “What if I’d been someone else? What if I’d been Cassia checking in on Mercy?” “I’m sorry. You’re right, Caleb.” Mercy reached a hand out to Caleb, but he avoided her touch. “It was stupid of us to—” “You both had me worried out of my mind.” “It was my fault. I should have answered my phone,” Kerrick said. “You damn well should have. I don’t care that you wanted to be together without me—” “No, Caleb, that’s not it at all,” Mercy protested. “I honestly don’t care,” Caleb continued. “But you’d better be damn sure to let me know where you are, to let me know you’re safe. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened…to either of you.” Kerrick didn’t miss the sweet smile the words coaxed from Mercy. She was practically beaming up at Caleb. She loved him with all her big heart. She loved them
59
A.D. Christopher
both. He believed her, no matter that his logical mind swore that she was just in the grips of a young girl’s crush. “We were wrong. Forgive us,” Kerrick said, reaching out to his mate. This time Caleb took the offered hand, then reached out to take Mercy’s. “And it seems you were right to be worried. We caught the scent of an outsider near the south wall of the hotel.” “Male?” Kerrick nodded. “But not one I’ve smelled before. He wasn’t a member of our pride or of the prides to the south.” “Canadian then.” Caleb’s grip on his and Mercy’s hands grew a bit tighter. “They are low on females. Some think their prides will be extinct within the next one hundred years if the low female birth rate continues.” “Should we wake the women, send them home tonight?” Kerrick asked, holding his breath as he waited for Caleb’s decision, a little afraid at how devastated he would be to have their night with Mercy canceled. Caleb thought for a moment, but then shook his head. “No, but we’ll install the additional alarms on the stairs and at the elevator, just to be safe. They can only be disarmed from our side of the doors. And we’ll be more careful tomorrow.” “I’ll help,” Mercy said. “I’m not really interested in shopping, anyway.” “Really? And what are you interested in?” Caleb asked, pulling her close until the soft curves of her body brushed against him. The sight of them pressed together made Kerrick’s cock thicken. “I think you know what I’m interested in.” Mercy smiled and stood on tiptoe to press a soft kiss to Caleb’s lips. Kerrick found himself sighing along with the pair, swearing he could almost feel both of their lips against his own. “We’ll see you in a few hours.” Caleb reached out and took Kerrick’s hand and pulled him from the room.
60
Necessary Seduction
“In a few hours,” she echoed, watching them go with a spark of excitement in her eyes. There was no doubt she was as eager as Kerrick was for the time to pass. The hall was empty as Kerrick followed Caleb toward their room. Thankfully they hadn’t been observed. “After we set up the additional alarms, I’m going to need something from you,” Caleb whispered beneath his breath. “Anything,” Kerrick said, grateful that the rift between he and his mate had been mended so easily, amazed that he could be blessed with such a confident and sexy man as his other half. “I want you on all fours in front of me,” Caleb said, moving Kerrick in front of him as they reached their room, pinning him against the door with his hips. The hard length of his arousal pressed tight to Kerrick’s buttocks, making his own shaft swell and his ass twitch. “I’m going to fuck your ass. At least once, maybe twice.” Kerrick moaned softly in his throat. “Are you sure? Don’t you want to save some of that energy for our guest?” “If I don’t get inside you, there’s no way I’m going to be able to resist getting inside of her.” Caleb ground his hips forward. Kerrick arched back, massaging his mate’s erection with his flexed buttocks. “You didn’t fuck her, did you? We’re still planning to leave her intact?” Kerrick didn’t miss the hope in Caleb’s words. Strangely enough, his mate seemed to be hoping that Kerrick had taken the maidenhead of the woman they loved, that he had taken a step toward that impossible future they were both dreaming of. “I didn’t fuck her. I touched her. That’s all.” Caleb sighed as he reached around to rub Kerrick’s erection through his pants. “It’s probably for the best.” “You know it is.”
61
A.D. Christopher
“I don’t know anything anymore. Except that I want you.” He pressed a kiss to Kerrick’s neck, followed by a love bite that made Kerrick growl, made him imagine what it would be like to fuck Caleb and Mercy while in their panther forms. It made his chest ache to think that they would never run beneath the full moon together, that they would never know how it felt to nip and claw and fuck like the animals they were. “And I want her.” “We can’t have her, Caleb.” Kerrick made himself say the words, no matter how his heart and mind howled in protested. “Yes we can. Tonight. We can have her tonight.” “But only tonight,” Kerrick said, moaning as Caleb tugged his zipper down and took his cock in hand. He was suddenly very aware that they were in the hallway. “Don’t you think we should take this inside?” “Oh, I know you should take this inside.” He thrust against Kerrick’s ass once more before reaching for his key. “But first, the alarms. We need to make sure our woman is safe.” “Make sure our women are safe, you mean,” Kerrick said. “Right. Of course.” But Kerrick knew what Caleb meant. They would die to keep any of these girls safe, but there was only one woman here who they longed to risk living for. There were things a man could lose that were even more terrifying than losing his life. He could lose his position, the respect of his people, the love of his pride. On their own, they would be vulnerable and weak. They could never protect Mercy without the Orion Pride behind them. It was impossible for them to have what they wanted, but at least they could have what they desired. At least for one night.
*****
62
Necessary Seduction
At exactly midnight, Mercy stuck her head out into the hall. It was deserted and absolutely silent but for the whirring of the heat kicking on. It was still cold in the evenings this far north, but she wouldn’t be cold tonight. Soon, she’d be hotter than she’d ever been before. Her heart raced as she eased the door shut quietly behind her and padded swiftly down the hall. She was wearing her blue flannel pajamas with the pancake pattern tonight. If she were caught, she would at least be dressed respectably. What most people would see, anyway. No one would know that she was wearing a black silk bra and thong underneath her sweet, innocent PJs. No one except Kerrick and Caleb. God, Kerrick and Caleb. She couldn’t wait to see them, to touch them, to try to convince them to put the lube she’d slipped into her pajama pant’s pocket to use. Surely they would realize that it was ludicrous to stick to their “no penetration” rule. Sex was sex. They were all going to have sex tonight, what did it matter if her blasted hymen stayed intact or not? She was half tempted to break it herself and put an end to the issue permanently. But that would be a last resort. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to lose her virginity to a dildo. She wanted to lose it to Caleb. Or Kerrick. Or Caleb and Kerrick if such a thing were possible. She had heard of men sharing a woman at the same time, one sliding into her ass while the other claimed her pussy. The thought of Kerrick and Caleb both inside her body, loving her, marking her, making her theirs, was enough to banish any fear about any pain such a thing might cause. She was a werepanther, not as breakable as a fragile human woman, and they seemed to manage it. Besides, that’s what the lube was for. Mercy knocked softly on the door. Almost immediately Caleb opened the door and pulled her inside.
63
A.D. Christopher
Instinctively she lifted her face for a kiss. She wasn’t disappointed. Caleb kissed her, long and slow, his tongue probing its seductive way into her mouth. She met it with her own, matching his passion, heat rising in her body like a four-alarm fire. Yes…this was what she wanted. What she’d come for. Well, not just this—she’d come to claim them both, to get them to admit the feelings she knew they had for her—but that all seemed very simple when his body pressed against hers and she felt his cock rise against her belly, when he made a soft moan in the back of his throat and his hands explored her ass and back. Another hand joined them and her eyes flew open for a split second before sinking closed again. Kerrick was there too, right there with them. She pulled her mouth away from Caleb’s and turned her head blindly, like a baby bird seeking food, until her lips met Kerrick’s. If Caleb’s kiss was slow heat, building from the sweetest place inside herself, Kerrick’s was an inferno racing through her body. She knew from observation and her own dealings with the pair that Caleb was the dominant partner. He was Freeborn, he was one of the Orion Pride’s golden boys, and with that came the ease of command. Kerrick was different. He was Unfree, he’d had to fight for everything he had, and that fighting spirit came through loud and clear in his passionate kiss and the way his hands slid over her body like he’d just found some wondrous treasure. It wasn’t just her body, either. She felt movements against her skin that told her Kerrick was rubbing Caleb’s cock, that Caleb was doing the same. It thrilled her. It was everything she’d dreamed of. They weren’t just sharing her, they were sharing each other with her, retaining their bond while opening up to let her in. For a second fear rose in her chest. What if their bond never expanded all the way and she was simply their…their mascot? The female plaything to their own strong warrior-mate bond? She couldn’t bear it if that happened. As much as she loved them both, she couldn’t stand to be with them if she wasn’t an equal mate.
64
Necessary Seduction
It was something to worry about. But not just now. Not when Caleb’s hand slid between her legs and Kerrick found her breasts and flicked her hard nipple with his thumb. Just then she only wanted them. She could give herself over to that need because she trusted them. Whether they let her in or stuck to their guns and made this a one-night stand, she was determined to enjoy it to the fullest. She took her hands from their shoulders and reached down, filling each of her palms with a cock. Caleb’s in her left, Kerrick’s in her right. Both solid and strong, both hot and large enough to more than satisfy her. Kerrick’s hand slipped under her pajama top, up over her bare stomach until he found her black-silk-covered breast. The heat of his skin touched her through the fabric, so delicious. She arched her back, thrilled not just by the feel of his hand, but by the fact that her movement pushed her pelvis tighter against Caleb’s. The three of them became even closer as she moved her hands and stroked them both. Caleb pulled away. Her skin felt cold where he’d touched her, even with her flannel jammies. “Come in,” he said. “Come have a drink.” She looked past him then, and her heart simultaneously skipped a beat and turned into a pool of goo. They’d prepared for her arrival. On the small table between the chairs by the window were two bottles of champagne cooling in buckets. A platter of crackers and cheese sat before it, along with a bowl of fruit and another of…popcorn? Kerrick must have read her puzzled expression. “We weren’t sure what you’d want. Not everyone likes fruit.” God. They’d really put thought into this. Really tried to make her happy. She blinked away tears. “It all looks wonderful.” Their relief was like a real thing in the air. How was it even possible for two men to be this amazing, this unselfish, this caring? She’d chosen well. Even if it was only one
65
A.D. Christopher
night—she prayed it would be more—she was pleased. Every instinct, every feeling she’d had about them, was right. They were fantastic. They each took one of her hands and led her in, settling her in one of the soft, deep chairs. The leather was cool through her pajamas, but warmed quickly. They sat down across from her. Kerrick lifted one of the bottles from its bed of ice. His gaze traveled up and down her body. “Thirsty?” She nodded, even though she really wasn’t. At least not for champagne. She’d drunk wine with dinner since she was sixteen and champagne on special occasions but never really developed a taste for the stuff. She was thirsty for the feel of their skin against hers, for the feel of their mouths on hers. But it was such a sweet gesture she couldn’t let it go to waste. So she watched him pop the cork on the bottle and pull three glasses from behind the bucket, and wiggled faintly in her chair. She was getting hot just from being in the same room with Caleb and Kerrick. The way they moved together. They were so aware of each other and so aware of her. They looked at each other but they kept glancing at her, their attention drawn to her too. They clinked glasses, the three of them, but none of them spoke. All the toasts she thought of weren’t appropriate, really, not when she didn’t know if they were willing to let her join them permanently. Not when she was aware of the fight they’d all have ahead of them if they decided to be together. The champagne was cold and delicious on her tongue. Another layer of warmth seeped through her body. Hmm…this was a lot better than the sparkling wine her adopted father brought home to celebrate the summer and winter solstices. But then she shouldn’t be surprised. Caleb and Kerrick had a reputation for enjoying the good things in life.
66
Necessary Seduction
“It’s warm in here,” she said, taking a deep breath. She wanted to talk to them, yes. Wanted hours of conversation, wanted to know how Kerrick got the little scar on his forehead just below his hairline and what Caleb’s favorite subject in school had been. But her blood still raced from that kiss and she was acutely aware of the hours ahead of them. Limited hours. Only three, maybe four, before she’d have to be back in her room. She wanted to fill those hours with pleasure.
67
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Seven Without the slightest bit of discomfort, she raised her hands to the buttons of her pajama top. “Do you mind if I take this off?” Their eager expressions might have made her laugh any other time. Not then, though. They simply thrilled her. Heat rushed to her pussy as she lifted her hands to the buttons. Their eyes were so intense, focused completely on her. Would she even be able to get the pajamas off before she came? She wasn’t sure. She felt their gazes like physical touches sliding over her body. The buttons parted beneath her fingers, the fabric opened, revealing her to her lovers. She couldn’t wait to be naked in front of them. Naked with them. She shrugged the top off. Kerrick’s breath hissed in his throat. “You’re so beautiful.” The words made her bold. She’d wanted them to see her in the bra and panties together, but what difference did it make? She leaned forward to unfasten it her bra, let it fall off her shoulders. Their stares made her even hotter, even bolder. Her heart beat so loud in her chest she was certain they would hear it, but she leaned back as if she didn’t have a care in the world and let them look at her, her pale breasts, her hard nipples. It hadn’t occurred to her before, but she was totally in control. Not permanently, she knew, because either of them could overpower her in a second—and she hoped they would, knew they would—but for the moment they were letting her take charge. She was determined to show them just how much fun that could be.
68
Necessary Seduction
“So, what do you think?” She let the black silk fall from her fingertips to the floor, reached up to cup one of her breasts in her hand. “Do you like what you see?” “God, yes,” Caleb breathed as Kerrick nodded and licked his lips, as if he was already imagining how her nipple would taste. She glanced down to see the outlines of both of their erections against their pants. “I like what I see too. But I’d like to see more. Why don’t you kiss each other?” she suggested. She’d watched them kiss a dozen times before, but never like this. She hadn’t expected the passion, stronger even than what she saw when she perched outside their window or in the bushes by the clearing. Their lips mashed against each other, their tongues danced wildly. Soon, they were forced to stand in order to get closer to each other. They shoved their chairs back as they came together, their hips pressing forward, their cocks rubbing together through their clothes. Before Mercy even had time to think about it, she’d slipped her hand into her pajama bottoms, under her panties. Her pussy was soaking wet. Her clit was so hard against her fingertips, so incredibly sensitive. The slightest touch would take her over the edge. Hell, she felt as if she could come without her fingers, just from watching the two men together, from knowing that this time they knew she was watching. And were as turned-on by it as she was. It was almost impossible to believe this was really happening. She wasn’t watching from outside, wishing she could be a part of it all. She was really there. Kerrick suddenly broke away from Caleb and knelt before her, catching her with her hand down her panties. She’d expected to be a little embarrassed by touching herself in front of him. She wasn’t. The naked desire and approval in his eyes made her even hotter. “I’m so wet,” she confessed, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to Kerrick’s lips. “Watching you two is…unbelievable.” 69
A.D. Christopher
“Let me see,” he murmured, and tugged at her pajama bottoms until she lifted her bottom. “Let us see how wet you are.” “Oh God,” Caleb groaned. “A thong.” “Shall we give him a better look?” Kerrick’s hands lifted her, helped her stand, then urged her back to her knees and bent her over the chair. Her ass was totally exposed to them, her pussy only covered by a tiny sliver of silk. “Beautiful,” Kerrick said, sliding his hand reverently over her trembling flesh. His skin was so warm, so rough, so perfectly male. “I have to know if you feel as soft as you look.” Caleb was before her, leaning over the back of the chair, cupping her bare breasts in his hands. He teased her nipples as he captured her lips. His tongue thrust into her mouth, exploring her as thoroughly as his fingers explored her aching breasts. Liquid heat rushed from her body, dampening her thong, making Kerrick moan and press his face between her legs, inhaling her scent through her panties. Mercy arched her back, pressing against Kerrick’s mouth, breathing faster as Caleb’s kiss grew even more intense. She wanted Kerrick to strip her bare and eat her pussy the way she’d dreamed of him or Caleb doing a hundred times, but she also wanted to hold on to this moment. It was the first time she’d had them both. One beautiful man kissing her lips and the other running strong hands over her bare ass, fingers digging into her flesh as he opened his mouth and raked his teeth over her swollen sex. “Kerrick,” she groaned into Caleb’s mouth. She’d never felt anything so amazing as his teeth sliding over her clit, never even imagined a man would use his teeth. It made her wild to know what other surprises the men had in store for her. “Do you want Kerrick to eat your pussy?” Caleb asked, intensifying his efforts at her breasts, rolling and pinching her nipples until Mercy knew she could have come from that touch alone. But she didn’t allow herself to find her pleasure. She wanted to
70
Necessary Seduction
wait, wanted to come on Kerrick’s mouth or Caleb’s fingers. Or, better yet, on one of their cocks as it plowed deep inside her. God, the thought of one of these men shoving inside her made her shake all over. She wanted that so desperately. She wanted to be intimately connected to them, bound to them. She wanted them to take her in every way a man could take a woman. She wanted to pleasure them in every way a woman could pleasure a man. “Yes, oh yes,” she murmured, doubting there was a question they could ask that she wouldn’t answer in the affirmative. “You heard our girl, Kerrick.” Their girl. How she wanted to be their girl. The sound of the words in Caleb’s mouth was enough to make her sob. “Relax. Don’t be nervous,” Caleb said, mistaking her emotion for fear. It would be logical to be a little uncertain, to be nervous the first time a man put his mouth between her legs, but she wasn’t. Her love for these men wasn’t logical and it allowed no room for fear. Caleb cupped Mercy’s face in his hands and forced her to hold his eyes as Kerrick slid her panties slowly down her hips to her knees, then urged her knees up one at a time so he could ease them off her completely. The intimacy of staring into Caleb’s bright blue eyes as his own gaze darted between her face and his mate stripping her bare behind her made her shake even harder. But when Kerrick’s lips touched her aching, wet flesh, she grew completely still. She froze, stunned for a moment by the heartbreaking, mind-blowing sensation coursing through her body. He kissed her sex like he had kissed her lips on the street earlier, claiming her with bold strokes of his tongue, delving inside where she was hot and slick and ready. When he pulled back, dipping his tongue down to flick against her clit, she was suddenly jolted back into motion. “Yes,” she said, clinging to Caleb’s strong shoulders as she shamelessly arched her back, grinding her sex into the eager mouth behind her. 71
A.D. Christopher
Kerrick gripped her hips harder, pinning her in place against the chair, immobilizing her once more as his tongue slipped back and forth across her clit, again and again, with just enough pressure to take her higher and higher, but not enough to make her come. Her head spun and her breath came fast and shallow. She was dimly aware of Caleb’s lips on her neck, Caleb’s hands returning to her breasts, but it was impossible to focus on anything except the hot mouth between her legs. Kerrick’s tongue, Kerrick’s lips, Kerrick’s teeth—they had become her world. He had taken her to a high, airless place of wonderful, horrible anticipation and now he ruled her. She would be lost if he were to leave her now, if he were to abandon her in this realm of need so fierce she had never imagined such a thing possible. But he didn’t leave her. Instead, he closed his mouth around her clit and suckled until the walls came crashing down around her. Caleb’s mouth pressed firmly to hers, swallowing the scream she made as she came and came and came in one long, unending orgasm that felt as if it would wring the soul from her flesh. She wasn’t sure her body could bear the pleasure, but it did. She was certain she would be exhausted and spent by the end of it, but she wasn’t. Instead, she was energized, eager, even hungrier for her two men than she had been before. She spun on her knees to kiss Kerrick, claiming his lips, tasting her own body in his mouth as her tongue thrust inside. She wanted to thank him with words, but she knew words would never be able to convey how much the pleasure he’d given her had meant, how he had touched her heart with his gentle, selfless skill. There were better ways to show him how much she appreciated him, cared for him. Him and Caleb. “It’s your turn now,” she said. She reached out for Caleb’s hand and drew him down to kneel beside Kerrick. Within seconds she was busy at their waists, tearing away belts and clawing open buttons as Kerrick and Caleb struggled out of their shirts, obviously as eager to be naked as she was to have them bare before her. 72
Necessary Seduction
When she was finished with the fastenings, the men shoved their pants and boxers to their knees, but didn’t bother to disrobe completely. They seemed too fascinated with Mercy’s hands reaching for their cocks to bother. Mercy was certainly fascinated. She’d dreamed about doing exactly this for so long, it was hard to believe she was really gripping both Kerrick and Caleb in her hands. They were so beautiful, so hard and hot, but still so soft. The skin stretched tightly across their aching flesh was one of the softest things she’d ever felt. It made her want to know how it would feel against her lips. Twin moans erupted from the men as she leaned over to press soft kisses to the head of each of their cocks. First Kerrick and then Caleb, then repeat and repeat again, until both of the men were leaking clear fluid from the tips of their cocks that just begged to be licked away. Mercy’s tongue flicked across Caleb’s cock first, tasting the salty heat of his body. Then she moved to Kerrick, marveling that they could taste so similar and yet so different at the same time. They both tasted like summer to her, but Caleb was peach wine and Kerrick was fresh-cut grass. Both were flavors she knew she’d never get enough of. Their hands wandered over her skin, their strong bodies leaning over her to touch her waist, her back, slow, gentle strokes that made her whole body tingle. This wasn’t just something she was doing to them, it was something they were doing together. Something they were sharing with each other. Slowly she sucked Caleb’s cock into her mouth, in and out, in and out, until he swelled impossibly thicker and longer. Then she turned to Kerrick, doing the same to his shaft, sucking and licking, following her instincts as to what would give them pleasure. By the time she’d finished repeating the cycle the men were breathing fast and their hands were wandering restlessly. One moment they were caressing her hair, then her breasts, then drifting to each other to squeeze their mate’s ass or fist the other’s cock while Mercy’s mouth was busy elsewhere. She glanced up and saw them kissing each other, their gazes wandering back down to her as they did. Including her.
73
A.D. Christopher
In no time, Mercy was shaking with need once more, eager to take one of the thick cocks in front of her into the aching emptiness between her legs. How much better would this be if Caleb could fuck her while she sucked Kerrick’s cock? How much more complete would she feel if she knew she could pleasure them both at the same time? “I want you both. So badly,” she breathed against Kerrick’s cock while she fisted Caleb’s shaft in her hand and tugged. “I want you inside me.” Caleb groaned and leaned over her, reaching back to play between her legs, driving thick fingers into where she yearned for something even thicker, harder, hotter. “We want to give you everything you want.” Another set of hands took over, stroking her ass, finding her clit and rubbing it while Caleb leaned down to kiss her. God, she could kiss him forever. His talented lips, the way he tasted spicy and manly and strong. He was strong—those thick arms, that hard chest. Just feeling them made her body shake. She loved him so much. His tongue played with hers, teasing, stroking, sucking, and all the while she heard Kerrick’s breath behind her and felt his fingers against her delicate flesh. Caleb’s hands gripped her upper arms, lifting her while he slid down. “My turn.” His turn? What did he…? Oh. Oh. He lay down on the floor, still holding her in place while he slid his body between her legs. Instinctively she tried to lower herself but Kerrick’s hands on her hips forced her to stay on all fours, much to her frustration. She would have said something, would have at least cried out her frustration, but Caleb started scooting down. His mouth closed over her right nipple, sucking gently. She moaned. His tongue was so hot, so wet. She crouched over him on her hands and knees with her eyes closed, and just felt. Felt his palm lift her other breast, his thumb flicking over the hard peak, while he sucked her and made her want to scream. It was better than she’d ever imagined it would be, his mouth on her breast and Kerrick’s fingers still lazily playing with her pussy. Not fast, not enough for her to come, just touching her. And she knew he was enjoying the touching, that he was just playing, and it made her heart sing. 74
Necessary Seduction
Caleb pulled his mouth away from her nipple and slid down farther and farther until his tongue teased beneath her bellybutton. Air hissed between her teeth at the sensation. Oh yes… Kerrick’s palms cupped her breasts and urged her upright, tugging gently at her nipples. His mouth found her throat, kissing it, nibbling it. Her head fell back against his hard shoulder, her back braced against his warm, muscular chest. This was heaven. This was perfection. This was love. Caleb’s fingers spread her pussy open. Her mouth opened too. It was getting so hard to breathe. She was so safe, so loved, there with one strong warrior behind her and one beneath her. He didn’t hesitate the way Kerrick had done. He dove into her, his tongue attacking her, finding her clit and flicking it so hard and fast she saw stars. Her body tensed. And he stopped. She made a sound in her throat, a high, squeaky sort of protest, and felt his hot breath against her inner thigh as he laughed. “Patience.” “I don’t want to be patient!” Kerrick’s hard cock pressed between her buttocks. If she shifted position she might be able to get him to slide into her. If she leaned forward he could fuck her while Caleb tongued her. The mere thought was enough to make her gasp. That had to be one of her strongest fantasies, one of her wildest erotic dreams, the idea of having her pussy full of one man while another sucked and teased her clit with his mouth. The thought of being that close to both of them was almost too much for her to take. Kerrick started to pull away. She reached behind her to grab his hard cock, but she was too late. Her back felt cold without him there, but when he stood in front of her and leaned back against the bed she understood and her heart leapt. Caleb’s tongue slipped inside her. She leaned forward and took Kerrick’s cock deep into her mouth again. Yes… He tasted so good, felt so good. She sucked hard, brought her hands up to join the fun. Her right caressed his heavy, potent sac. Her left grabbed
75
A.D. Christopher
the base of him, twisting slightly, tugging gently, jerking him off while she sucked as hard as she could and savored every glorious second. Her body tightened. So much heat in her pelvis, it felt so full and aching. She was about to come, she couldn’t help herself, not when Caleb moved his tongue faster and faster against her clit. Kerrick’s hand tangled in her hair. “You’re so beautiful,” he said. “God, your face. Seeing Caleb where he is, it’s so beautiful.” The sound of his voice finished her. She didn’t want to lose her rhythm. She wanted him to come in her mouth, wanted to swallow every drop and have him inside her, but she couldn’t help it. The pleasure radiating from her pussy was too strong, stronger even than it had been before. She sat perfectly still, her eyes squeezed shut, while she exploded. Dimly she heard both men groan, felt Caleb’s mouth speed up as he swallowed every drop of her cream. “That’s right,” Kerrick gasped. His hand gripped her hair harder, moved her head faster. “Let me watch you come, God, you’re gorgeous, don’t stop…” She wouldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop, because Caleb hadn’t stopped. He put his lips to her opening and sucked every drop from her and her body heated up again and she sucked Kerrick harder and felt him swell in her mouth. “Mercy!” he cried. His fingers convulsed. His cock jerked and he came. Hot jets of salty liquid spurted into her mouth. She swallowed quickly, still moving her jaw. She wanted to suck him dry the way Caleb had sucked her dry. The meadow grass flavor in her mouth intensified. She opened her eyes and rolled them up, catching sight of his face contorted with ecstasy. The knowledge that she had caused that, had brought him such pleasure, made warmth spread through her chest that had nothing to do with sex. It was love. She loved him and she’d made him feel good and nothing could be more perfect.
76
Necessary Seduction
Chapter Eight Caleb shifted position, sliding out from between her legs. “She tastes fantastic,” he said. Kerrick, his eyes still glassy, nodded. Caleb licked his lips, wanting to catch every last drop of her there. He hadn’t wanted to stop. He could have spent hours, days, feasting on her gorgeous pussy, exploring the secret folds, letting her glorious scent fill his nose and her luscious cream fill his mouth. Every cell in his body wanted to be covered with that cream, wanted to sink itself into her. And it wasn’t just her pussy making him hard as iron, harder than he’d ever been in his life. It was looking up from his spot on the floor and seeing, between her perfect breasts, her lips wrapped around Kerrick’s cock. Knowing what his love was feeling— what both his loves were feeling. Seeing her grip tighten and hearing Kerrick moan, that special moan he only gave when he came, and knowing Mercy had done that. It was beautiful. This night was beautiful. Together they lifted her onto the bed. She was too precious to stay on the floor, hot as it was to have her there. She was delicate and feminine, she needed the soft mattress, the pillow on which to rest her beautiful head. He needed to take care of her, to make sure she only ever experienced softness and pleasure and love. Together he and Kerrick could make sure that happened. They could take care of their woman, support her…even as she did the same for them. His cock felt bruised, it wanted to be inside her so badly. She lay on her back on the cool white sheets. “Someone kiss me. Please.” He was only too happy to oblige. All that heat and fire inside her, he could taste it, just as he could still taste her on his lips. Kerrick’s mouth found theirs, somehow managing to press against both of theirs at the same time. 77
A.D. Christopher
This was heaven. Sharing Kerrick with Mercy. Sharing Mercy with Kerrick. Sharing himself with both of them. He caught Kerrick’s eyes with his own. Their connection sizzled. He knew what his love—his first love—was thinking. Together they shifted down the bed, lying beside Mercy. Her naked skin against his felt amazing, so soft, so smooth. He ran his palms over her thighs, up her stomach and ribs, and cupped her right breast in his palm. Kerrick did the same on her other side. Mercy’s eyes drifted shut, then opened again. She clearly wanted to watch them, but was just as clearly having a hard time keeping her head from the pillow beneath her. “Relax,” he told her. He let his tongue play over her hard nipple, like a jewel in his mouth. “Just enjoy.” It was incredible to open his eyes and see Kerrick’s face so close to his, to feel Mercy undulate beneath them as they suckled her. Her thighs parted, giving him a glorious view of her graceful mound. Kerrick must have seen it too. He reached down. Mercy’s body jumped when Kerrick touched her. Caleb watched his love’s hand move gently, slowly, up and down while he rubbed Mercy’s clit. Mercy made tiny, erotic sounds in the back of her throat and Caleb was seized with the need to see her come again. To make her come again. He reached down too. His hand slid over Kerrick’s, a second of connection that made his heart warm, and found Mercy’s opening. When he slid his finger in she moaned. Her hips jerked, her thighs spread even wider. He and Kerrick kept their mouths on her nipples. Her inner muscles clenched around his finger, bathing it in heat and the smooth liquid of her arousal. Making her come would be amazing, but he wasn’t sure if he could keep from doing so himself. He wasn’t sure he could keep from moving on top of her and sliding inside that addictive heat. Caleb could imagine exactly how it would feel to guide his cock slowly inside her tight sheath, could imagine how it would feel for Kerrick to lube his ass and 78
Necessary Seduction
penetrate him at the same time. The picture of the three of them writhing together, churning toward a pleasure none of them had ever known before, flickered behind his closed eyes, making him moan. What difference would it make if they took her virginity? Not every woman’s hymen was intact on her mating night. Sometimes the membrane was broken during perfectly innocent physical activity. That could have happened to Mercy, who was to say? And they could be certain she wouldn’t become pregnant. One of the benefits of being a werepanther was that a man could always smell when his wife was in heat, when it was the best time to create a new life with the woman he loved. A new life with his wife. With their wife. Why couldn’t it happen? Why couldn’t he and Kerrick love her, fuck her, take her as their own? God, he just wanted to be inside her, to feel that slick paradise squeezing his— “Do you need me to take care of this?” Kerrick asked, grasping Caleb’s cock in his hand and tugging. His mate obviously sensed his weakening resolve. “No. I don’t want to come. Not yet.” He’d already lost himself inside Kerrick’s ass only a few hours ago. He shouldn’t be needing release as desperately as he did. “I can do it, I can—” Caleb pushed Mercy’s hand gently away. He couldn’t handle her soft, warm skin against his aching cock right now. If she touched him, he’d lose the last of his control and mount her. “No, we’re not finished with you yet.” He curled his finger up inside her sweet cunt, playing, loving. Every little fold and fissure massaged him, urged him to keep doing what he was doing, while Kerrick’s movements at her clit sped up. Caleb waited until her pussy was dripping on his hand before smoothing a bit of the moisture back between her cheeks and using it to slicken her second hole. She tensed for a moment as he pushed his finger inside, but soon relaxed into the rhythm of his two fingers shoving in and out of her body. One claimed her pussy and one claimed her ass. 79
A.D. Christopher
How he wished his fingers were his and Kerrick’s cocks, gliding in and out of Mercy’s body, separated only by the thin wall of flesh between her ass and pussy. He could practically feel the way they’d fill her, the way their heavy sacs would press together as they thrust. “Kerrick, Caleb.” She called their names, but her tone said so much more. She wanted everything Caleb wanted, wanted to be with them in every way, holding nothing back. She wanted their bodies and minds and hearts, wanted to be free to experience pleasure and love in every form that the three of them could imagine together. “We love you, Mercy. You know we do,” Caleb said, wringing a soft sob from Mercy’s throat and a sigh of agreement from Kerrick. “Now come, baby. Come for us again.” Kerrick pinched her clit, rolling the hard nub between his rough fingers. In seconds she was writhing beneath them again, rapidly coming to the edge. She was going to come, going to fill the air with the smell of her sweet cream. Just another moment, just another— “I love you!” she cried out as she came, her hands gripping their shoulders and squeezing hard enough to make Kerrick grunt. Kerrick liked a little bit of pain with his pleasure. Caleb could imagine Mercy’s short nails digging into his flesh, nearly tearing it open, were driving him crazy, making him want all the things Caleb wanted, making him feel weak, uncertain, ready to violate the agreement they had made with Mercy and each other. He knew his mate as well as Kerrick knew him. Now Caleb had to decide—to use that weakness to his advantage or to offer the support Kerrick had offered him. The decision wasn’t as easy as it should have been. “You want to be inside her, don’t you?” Caleb asked. Kerrick groaned. “Caleb.” His name was a warning and a prayer.
80
Necessary Seduction
“Then come inside me. Fuck my ass.” “Yes,” Mercy groaned. Her hands trembled on their shoulders. “I want you to, Kerrick. I want to watch.” She took a deep breath. “I have some lubricant in the pocket of my pajamas.” “You brought lube?” Caleb asked, a soft laugh rising in his throat even as the fact that she was so shameless made his aching cock even harder. Mercy leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. “Yes, because I was hoping it might be my ass that one of you were—”
Kerrick reached over and pulled Caleb away before Mercy could finish her sentence. He knew his mate, knew that he’d just reached the end of his endurance. Mercy’s words would finish him off. If Kerrick didn’t act quickly, he was going to be watching Caleb take Mercy’s virginity instead of Mercy watching him claim Caleb’s ass. As exciting as that image was, he couldn’t let that happen. They’d made a promise to each other and to the woman they loved. Promises weren’t meant to be broken. He pushed Caleb onto his back on the bed and lowered his mouth to the other man’s cock. “No,” Caleb said, his hands pushing at Kerrick’s head even though his hips bucked upward instinctively, shoving his engorged length deeper into the wet heat of Kerrick’s mouth. “I don’t—” “Yes you do,” Mercy said before she claimed his lips for a kiss. “You need this. And I need to watch someone who really knows how to suck the cock of a man they love.” She turned to catch Kerrick’s eyes, the understanding there enough to make Kerrick’s heart ache. She was so perceptive and sweet, so passionate and good. He loved her so much. Every second they spent together made him more certain of his love and more filled with regret that they could never be together like this again. The three of them were made for each other.
81
A.D. Christopher
But the three of them were born into a world that would never accept them. It couldn’t happen, no matter how much they might want it to be otherwise. They had to make do with one night. One long, passion-filled night. Kerrick did his best not to think about where Mercy might be using her education in giving blowjobs in the future as he sucked Caleb’s cock deeper into his mouth. It was just as it had always been. His love’s skin, salty and sweet, soft and hard in his mouth. Just as it had been for hundreds of nights—alone together or with the occasional playmate. But it was nothing like those nights. No matter how complete he’d thought their life together was before, it had been nowhere near complete. It was as though Mercy had always been just outside the room, waiting in the wings, and that it wasn’t until this moment that they were truly whole. Caleb’s hand tangled in his hair, pulling gently. Kerrick gave a small sigh and sucked harder, savoring the feel of Caleb’s skin while at the same time wanting to go fast, wanting to feel Caleb’s body clench and jerk beneath his. He wanted to make the top of his love’s head explode while Mercy watched. He almost exploded himself when Mercy moved her right thigh, giving him a perfect view of her incredibly perfect pussy. The view got even better when Caleb’s hand moved to stroke her, his fingers playing in and out of her slickness. The contrast of Caleb’s tanned skin against all that soft, wet pale pink made Kerrick’s own hips pulse against the bed, rubbing his erection against the soft sheets. Mercy sighed, but her gaze didn’t leave him. “Yes…” Caleb’s fingers moved faster. Mercy’s pelvis started moving in time until Caleb stopped—oh God, he stopped moving—and it was just Mercy rubbing herself against him, moving in tiny circles, her heels planted on the mattress, her bottom leaving it completely.
82
Necessary Seduction
Kerrick couldn’t stop himself. He thrust faster against the sheets, pumping his head up and down on his love’s cock, sucking faster, harder. Caleb groaned and began to shake. They could all come together. It didn’t seem possible, but it was. They could share that moment, that intensity, and let it wash over all of them at once. He wanted it. But he didn’t want to come on the sheets. He wanted to connect more deeply than that. With Caleb. With Mercy. If he could ride Caleb while Caleb buried himself in Mercy… No! No, they couldn’t. He couldn’t. They’d promised they wouldn’t. In desperation he hauled himself up, pushing Caleb’s thighs farther apart with his hand. Mercy had brought lube with her but they had some already, in the top drawer of the little bedside table. They hadn’t wanted to leave it out where the chaperone could see it if she stopped into their room. Mercy’s head fell back. Her hard nipples jutted toward the sky as her back arched. She looked like a goddess. Feral. Beautiful. Perched on the edge of orgasm, her hips rolling. Kerrick grabbed the lube and squeezed some onto the head of his cock, barely paying attention to where exactly he was putting it. It probably dripped all over Caleb’s stomach and thighs and cock. He didn’t care. He couldn’t look away from Mercy’s gorgeous pussy, her beautiful body. Little high-pitched gasps and moans came from her mouth, music to his ears. Quickly he slicked the lube up and down his cock, then applied his slick fingers to Caleb’s ass. He couldn’t wait. Instead of being the one holding his love back, now he was the one who needed to be held back. If he didn’t get inside Caleb in the next five seconds he was going to lunge for her, thrust himself into her while she came and feel her throbbing around him. Just the thought of it was almost too much. He pushed Caleb’s thighs further to the side and shoved himself into that tight, hot hole. 83
A.D. Christopher
Caleb gasped. His free hand dug into Kerrick’s ass, urging him to move faster, to thrust harder. Kerrick did. He couldn’t hold back. His gaze was glued to Mercy’s pussy. His cock was on fire, moving so fast he thought he might explode. “God…I love you!” Mercy shouted again and it was too much. Hearing her say it, knowing she meant it, was enough to send a jolt of pure fire from his cock straight to his heart and out through his whole body. Beneath him, he could tell Caleb was feeling the same way. His eyes too were glued on Mercy. His left hand moved from Kerrick’s ass to his own cock, fisting himself, sliding up and down so fast it was a blur. But that wasn’t just physical pleasure. It wasn’t even simply hearing Mercy say she loved them that sent him flying over the edge. It was knowing how badly he wanted to say it back. Knowing how badly they both wanted to say it back. He could feel the words pricking at his tongue, demanding to be spoken. Instead he just moaned, a harsh, deep sound, as he exploded. Hot jets of liquid hit his stomach and chest as Caleb came and Mercy’s back was arched so high he couldn’t see her face anymore. They’d all come together. It was a perfect moment. Except it was over. Now Mercy had to go, before they all danced any closer to the forbidden flames that burned between them. “No, not yet. It can’t be over yet,” Mercy whispered as she leaned forward and claimed Kerrick’s lips for a deep, slow kiss. It was as if she’d read his mind. Or maybe he’d spoken aloud. He couldn’t say for certain anymore. He didn’t know anything for certain except that he loved this woman and this man and he wanted to spend a hundred thousand more nights in their arms. “We have at least thirty more minutes,” Caleb agreed, sitting up, the motion forcing Kerrick’s limp cock from where it had softened in his ass. “I say we make the most of them.”
84
Necessary Seduction
And then he kissed Kerrick too. He and Mercy kissed him together. Then they kissed each other and then Caleb moved his lips and tongue and teeth back to Kerrick’s mouth. And then Kerrick lost track of who was kissing and touching and holding, lost track of everything but the pleasure he found with these two amazing people.
85
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Nine The figure downloaded the file, trying not to be ill at the thought of what the surveillance camera she’d secreted in the men’s room had recorded. The past three hours had been an education in perversion that the figure could have lived the rest of her life without knowing. The little whore had done everything but allow one of the two men she’d seduced to enter her. And she’d done it all with such a shameless, wanton abandon. It was impossible to believe she was still a virgin. No virgin behaved the way Mercy had behaved. No woman of the Orion Pride ever behaved the way that whore had behaved. To allow Mercy to continue to live among the Orion would be a sin against the people. To allow her to live at all was foolish, but the figure’s heart was softer than even she had supposed. She wasn’t capable of murder. She was better than that. The Canadian prides were often feral people, but they took care of their women. Mercy would have the chance to live and mate and bear children. And perhaps a harsher life than the one she’d known as an adopted Orion daughter would teach her the error of her ways. Perhaps she would repent and die more pure of heart than she had been born. Cassia let that thought guide her as she picked up the phone and placed the call that would seal Mercy’s fate.
***** “See you in the morning,” Caleb said, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he quickly opened her door and let her inside. “Love you,” Mercy whispered.
86
Necessary Seduction
“Love you too.” Caleb smiled and leaned in for one last kiss before turning and hurrying back to his and Kerrick’s room. They all had to be up in less than three hours. He and Kerrick said they needed to sleep. They had bodyguarding to do and even warriors used to working on very little rest had to have a few hours to recharge. Mercy knew she should hurry to bed herself. She should have been exhausted…but she wasn’t. Instead of collapsing on to her comforter, she spun through the room with a giggle. She felt as if her head would float off her body. She’d never felt so relaxed, yet so keyed up at the same time. Her skin tingled and stung, her lips were plump and sore from one too many kisses and her pussy… God, her pussy. She’d never known she could come like that. Again and again, Kerrick and Caleb had taken her to highs she hadn’t imagined. She was drunk with satisfaction. But at the same time, she still felt strangely incomplete. There was one thing she’d wanted that she hadn’t been granted. She hadn’t been able to convince Kerrick or Caleb to take her, to push between her legs and make her their girl in a way that even all the intimacy they’d shared so far hadn’t been able to accomplish. She needed to feel them inside her, needed to know what it felt like to be with the men she loved in that way. “Soon. Soon,” she chanted to herself as she padded into the bathroom to grab her toothbrush. No matter what Kerrick and Caleb had said, no matter how sad Kerrick had looked to see her leave their suite, Mercy knew this wasn’t the only night for them. She had felt the love in the room, she had seen the genuine passion and caring in the men’s eyes. They were going to be hers, not for a night, but for forever. She just had to find some way to convince them both to abandon their previously conceived notions of what was “right” and “wrong” when it came to marriage. “And convince the heads of the Orion Pride not to throw us all out into the wilderness,” Mercy spoke aloud to her reflection. The thought was a sobering one, but
87
A.D. Christopher
she couldn’t help but smile when she met her own eyes in the mirror. She looked like one well-pleasured woman. Her eyes sparkled and her skin was practically glowing. “Who knew sex made you look so much better?” she asked herself. “I doubt you could look anything but beautiful.” A deep masculine voice sounded from behind the closed shower curtain. Mercy would have screamed, but the stranger’s hand was over her mouth before she could so much as turn toward the sound of his voice. The hand smelled of sweat and cold, night air and something else, something both foreign and familiar all at the same time. The man was werepanther, but not one of the Orion Pride. The scent she and Kerrick had caught outside! It had to be this man! And somehow, he’d found his way into her room. He’d been waiting here. Why? To kidnap her? To…to rape her? Beat her? Oh God! His palm smashed into her teeth, preventing her from biting. His chest pressed hard against her back, his free arm circling her waist so tight it was hard to breathe, pinning her arms at her sides. She writhed in his grip. Escape, she had to escape. She lifted her right foot, ready to stomp on his toes, anything to get him to loosen his hold on her for even a second, but another man appeared from behind the shower curtain and grabbed her legs. Mercy was strong. A female werepanther at the height of her powers. Had her attackers been human she could have bested them easily. Had there only been one she would have had a good chance. But they weren’t human and there were two of them. And they were were-warriors. There was no way she could defeat them. She tried going limp, hoping they would relax their brutal gasp on her, but that didn’t work either. This couldn’t be happening. They were kidnapping her. Here, in the hotel. Oh God, and it was her fault. She’d distracted Kerrick and Caleb. They hadn’t made their rounds, hadn’t been keeping an eye on the hotel’s perimeter, because of her. She’d kept
88
Necessary Seduction
them busy for hours, had enabled these evil men to enter the hotel. What about the other girls? Were they safe? Or was she the last one to be attacked? Had the others already been taken? The thought of the other girls—maybe not her friends, but still her adopted pride sisters— being sold into slavery brought hot tears to her eyes. All her fault, she’d done this to them— She’d done this to Caleb and Kerrick. If the girls disappeared on their watch they’d be shamed beyond measure. Beaten. Censured by the Pride Elders. They’d lose everything. She didn’t have to pretend to go limp anymore. She could hardly move. Misery and shame washed over her in great, choking waves and when one of her captors raised a white cloth soaked with sharp-smelling chloroform to her face she didn’t try to fight it. She deserved whatever they did to her.
***** Caleb came back to the suite and closed the door behind him. He was alone. Kerrick’s heart sank. Now that Mercy had returned to her room they could both let their brave, false smiles drop. No need to pretend for her that they were happy, that all was well, that their hearts weren’t breaking. Mercy hadn’t lived in the pride as long as they had. As a woman, she wasn’t privy to some of the discussions the Pride Elders had had, some of the arguments in council meetings. It was easy for her to think they could all be together. Both men knew that’s what she was thinking. But they knew better. They would never be accepted as a threesome. Never. To do so would mean changing the entire social structure of the pack, losing traditions hundreds of years old. Traditions the Pride Elders were convinced kept the Orion Pride strong. 89
A.D. Christopher
Caleb and Kerrick knew several other warrior-mated couples, happy and loving, who would nevertheless love to add a woman to their family. Several other men had chosen their male mates out of love and desire but also desired female companionship. And love. What would they do, if Caleb and Kerrick were allowed to have Mercy? It could conceivably rip the pride apart. Leaving the pride wasn’t an option either, at least not much of one. Yes, they were both strong, capable warriors. But werepanthers without a pride were vulnerable. They might have been able to protect themselves and each other. But Kerrick knew without even having to ask that Caleb would agree that there was no way in hell either of them would ever put Mercy at that kind of risk. Female werepanthers were still hunted by outsiders even when they had the strength of an entire community behind them. If any of the surrounding prides found out Caleb, Kerrick and Mercy were on their own… If they took her and left the pride with her and something happened… If she got so much as a scratch on the back of one of her beautiful, soft hands, he would never forgive himself. His eyes stung as Caleb crossed the room and settled next to him on the bed. The white sheets and tan blanket, lumped at the bottom of the bed, blurred as Caleb put his arm around him. “We knew it would only be the one night.” “It’s not fair,” Kerrick said. He knew it was a childish thing to say, but he couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t fair and there was nothing he could do about it. Beneath his sadness was a layer of seething rage. It wasn’t fair. It was never fair. He’d been an Unfree, a slave. That hadn’t been fair. He’d been lucky enough to fall in love with a wonderful man and have that love returned. That was blessing and he couldn’t see it as anything else, but it wasn’t fair that so many of his Unfree friends were still Unfree because they hadn’t been lucky enough to do the same. “I know,” Caleb said. “But it’s the way things are.” “I hate it.”
90
Necessary Seduction
“If I thought there was any way, but we’d be kicked out of the pride. Exiled. For you and I it might be fine, but Mercy…I can’t take the only family she has left from her. I can’t be responsible for making her so vulnerable.” Kerrick reached up and squeezed his love’s hand. “I know. I can’t either.” They sat in silence for a minute, their warm bodies pressed together providing comfort they couldn’t give with words. Kerrick would have relished the support, but he couldn’t help but think about Mercy. Who would support and love her? He and Caleb had each other. But starting tomorrow morning Mercy would no longer be a part of their circle. They wouldn’t even be able to send her flowers or a note or…anything to let her know how much this night had meant to both of them. The realization made Kerrick even sadder. “The sheets smell like her,” Caleb said. Kerrick sighed. “I know. It’s driving me crazy.” “You think the hotel would notice if we stole them and took them home?” “Probably.” By unspoken agreement they lay down together, arms around each other, heads pressed close together and legs entwined. “I love you,” Kerrick said. He leaned up and gave Caleb a kiss. “I love you too.” Those words had once made them both complete. They still provided comfort. But for the first time ever, they didn’t feel like enough. A voice was missing. Mercy should have been there and the absence of her warm body, her soft skin, her delicate feminine scent and her lilting voice felt like a hole in Kerrick’s heart. A hole that could never be healed. It felt so awful, so wrong, he could practically taste it, smell it in the air. She belonged with them. She belonged to them. She— Wait a minute.
91
A.D. Christopher
That sense of wrongness wasn’t just coming from inside. It was outside too, a scent that didn’t belong to the hotel or the women of the pride. Caleb must have noticed it at the same time. He sat up just as suddenly as Kerrick did. “What is that?” “Oh God.” Kerrick’s mouth felt so dry he could hardly speak at all. “That’s what I smelled earlier, with Mercy.” “Another were. Not one of us. Here in the hotel.” The implication caught them both at the same time. Caleb’s blue eyes widened. In them Kerrick saw the same terror he was feeling. “Mercy.” Caleb had left her at the door barely ten or fifteen minutes before. She’d been alone in her room, vulnerable. The next few minutes were a blur. Kerrick threw on his clothing, hardly bothering to button his jeans, yanked on his socks, shoved his feet into his boots as fast as he could. Caleb was doing the same. The one time Kerrick glanced up at his mate he saw Caleb’s face set in a grief-stricken frown. They ran for the door, heedless of the amount of noise they were making. Nothing mattered but getting to Mercy and making sure she was okay. Once they’d established that, they’d check on the other girls and the chaperone. Caleb raced down the door to Mercy’s room. Kerrick knew the instant that Caleb saw the door was open. His mate’s shoulders hunched, then dropped, then hunched again before he ran even faster, shoving into the room with a growl. Caleb didn’t want to believe that they were too late, but Kerrick knew the truth. He could smell it in the air. Mercy was gone and a male, or males, of another pride had taken her.
***** Mercy came to with a horrible headache, but still, something at the back of her mind warned her not to roll over and search her bedside table for her caffeine pills.
92
Necessary Seduction
Caffeine helped accelerate a werepanther’s already swift natural healing process. But she was going to need a lot more than caffeine tonight. Or was it morning? She had no clue how long she’d been out, how long these strange men had had her in their possession. She also had no clue where they were taking her. But wherever they were going, they were headed there fast. The road hummed by beneath her with a high-pitched whine while Mercy’s body rocked swiftly side to side in time with the rocking of the vehicle. She was guessing she was in a large truck or a van. She had plenty of room to stretch out and didn’t feel at all cramped or enclosed. There was plenty of air flowing in through her nose. It wasn’t particularly sweet-smelling air—rather the pungent stench of werepanther men living in close quarters without access to a shower for far too long—but it was air. She wasn’t locked in a trunk at least. Thank God. She was terrified of being trapped in small spaces. It reminded her of the wooden chest her mother had placed her in on the night of the fire. She’d hoped that the chest would keep Mercy safe until someone could come to her rescue. Thankfully, it had. Now if only Mercy could be sure her sweet Caleb would come to her rescue again. Kerrick and Caleb would realize she was gone come breakfast when she didn’t show up in the hall to be escorted down to the hotel’s restaurant. For all she knew it could be breakfast time now. She cracked her lids. There were no windows in the vehicle, but there was enough light for her sensitive eyes to take in the dirty floor and the sleeping bag next to one she lay on top of. It was empty. Hopefully that meant she was alone here, that she was the only female of the Orion Pride to be taken. She slowly shifted her position, grateful to feel no restraints on her hands or feet. The men who had kidnapped her must have been certain the chloroform would keep her knocked out for the duration of the ride. Or maybe they simply assumed one female on her own wouldn’t cause them any trouble and there was no need to bind her. If that was the case, they were in for a big surprise.
93
A.D. Christopher
Mercy’s eyes slid to the front of the van. She could see the outline of one driver and one passenger against the streetlights outside. So it was still night. She couldn’t have been out that long or the sun would have started to rise. The men talked softly, but loud enough for Mercy to catch the word “border” several times. She could only assume they meant to take her over the Canadian border. How they meant to smuggle an unconscious woman through human customs, Mercy had no idea, but for all she knew they could have a connection in border patrol or be planning to drive into the woods and make the crossing in their panther forms. She decided not to stick around to see which they had in mind. The twin doors at the back of the van looked easy enough to work. She could throw them open and jump for it, but the vehicle was moving very fast. There was a chance she wouldn’t survive the leap, even though she was far more durable than a human even in her human form. She couldn’t afford to take that chance. Not only did she want to live, but she knew Kerrick and Caleb would be devastated if they found her broken body on the side of the road. No, she had to think of something else…or at least think of some way to get them to slow down…to let her outside where she’d have room to shift and run. She was fast in her panther form. Very fast. Hell, she’d outrun Kerrick and Caleb the one time they’d nearly caught her spying on them. If she could outrun the best of the Orion Pride, she could easily outdistance these two men. She just had to trick them into giving her the chance. “Oh no…oh…” She writhed on her sleeping bag, clutching her stomach, using the stench of the two men to inspire her feigned fit of nausea. “I’m going to be sick. Please…I’m going to be sick.” The man driving said something to the other man and, thankfully, the van began to slow. Mercy moaned louder and pressed her fist to her lips as the second man rose from his seat and made his way back toward her. “I’m going to be sick. Please, can we pull over?” 94
Necessary Seduction
“It’s just the chloroform. You’ll be okay.” It was the man who had smashed his hand over her face, the one with the long, stringy brown hair. When he crouched down beside her, she wanted to punch him in the nuts, but instead she faked a shiver and actually felt a wave of real sickness wash over her. “Please,” Mercy said, proud that her voice sounded so thin and weak. She shuddered again and looked up at the man with wide, innocent eyes. “I don’t want to be sick on myself. Please, could you just help me to the side of the road and…hold my hair away from my face?” The man sighed, and turned to the man at the front. “Go ahead, pull over. We don’t want her stinking when we reach the chief.” “We’ll have to clean her up before we reach the pride lands, anyway,” the driver said. “She stinks of other men. The chief won’t like that.” Mercy gagged again and this time she wasn’t faking. Hopefully they’d pull over soon or she really would be sick. Hearing that man talk about Caleb and Kerrick and their time together that way… “And I don’t like cleaning puke, so pull over.” The stringy-haired man grabbed her around the shoulder and helped her into a seated position as the van slowed and then turned right. Through the front window, Mercy saw bright lights in the deserted parking lot of what looked like a liquor store. Not the best place to shift forms, but she would do it if she had no other choice. All she needed was to get a few feet away from the man who held her. That would give her time to shift and run before he could shift and catch her. But how to convince him she needed space? When he seemed determined to stick close? His hands never left her arm as he helped her to her feet, opened the rear doors and helped her down to the pavement. “There you go, be quick,” he said, his voice harsh though he did reach around and ease her long hair away from her face. He wasn’t all bad, this guy. As far as stinking kidnappers went, he was probably fairly empathetic. 95
A.D. Christopher
It wasn’t much, but it was the only weapon she had. “Um, I…I…” Mercy faked a sob then moaned and clutched her stomach again. When she continued speaking it was in an embarrassed whisper. “It’s not just my stomach. I…I think I have food poisoning. I need to go to the bathroom. Now.” She moved her hand to clutch at her intestines. “Shit,” the man said, not seeming to get the irony of the statement at all. He glanced toward the liquor store. “The store’s closed, there isn’t any bathroom here.” “Oh God. Oh no.” Mercy stumbled and fell to her knees. “Hold on, I think I’ve got something in the camping gear,” he said. The second he let her go and climbed back into the van, Mercy shifted, shredding her clothes as she became a panther as black as the night itself. Once she got away from the bright lights, her natural coloring would help her hide in the darkness and hopefully get back to the hotel before she was seen by human eyes. Being observed by humans while in panther form was an offense punishable by death in the Orion Pride. But considering her options at the moment, Mercy was willing to risk just about anything, even death, to get back to the men she loved. She heard the man behind her let out a scream that became a cat’s howl as he too shifted, but she didn’t stop to see how long it took a Canadian to shift forms. She was already running south as fast as her strong legs would carry her, heading instinctually back in the direction she guessed they had come.
96
Necessary Seduction
Chapter Ten Caleb’s heart raced and his lungs burned from the cool night air. He hung his head farther out the window, inhaling, struggling to find any trace of Mercy or the men who had taken her. He and Kerrick had picked up the scent of the two men down in an alley behind the hotel and had followed it a few blocks before losing it on one of the streets heading north. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was all they had. So they’d returned to fetch their van from the valet and hurried in that direction while Cassia kept the girls on lockdown on the eighth floor. The rest of their charges were all in Cassia’s room and the two girls versed in weapons were armed. They would be fine until the reinforcements arrived in an hour or two. Caleb had to believe that. He truly didn’t want any of the other girls harmed, but he knew Mercy needed both of the men who loved her. Kerrick had hunting instincts like nothing Caleb had ever seen and Caleb was one of the best trackers in the pride. Together, they would find her. They had to find her. If they didn’t… “We’re going to get her back,” Kerrick said, as if he had read Caleb’s mind. “We are.” Caleb inhaled again, praying for the slightest hint of werepanther on the air. “And we’re not going to let her go. Ever.” Caleb felt his heart lift. The decision had been made. They were going to claim Mercy as theirs, they were all going to be together, no matter what dangers they might face. Losing Mercy tonight had convinced Caleb that he could never leave her alone again. He needed to be one of the men in charge of keeping her safe, of loving her, of standing by her side for the rest of their lives. The fact that Kerrick felt the same only
97
A.D. Christopher
proved that he’d made the right choice with his first mate. Kerrick’s heart was his heart, they were one in a way that only true mates could ever be. Both of their hearts would be shattered, however, if they didn’t find their girl, their Mercy. She was a part of them now, she was— “Wait, turn right, I thought I—” “Not right, I have to turn around.” Kerrick pulled the wheel to the left as he stomped on the brakes. “I think I saw her.” The van spun in a circle with a squeal of tires. Thankfully, they were one of the only cars on the city streets so early in the morning. There was no oncoming traffic coming when they skidded into the other lane. “Where is she? I don’t—” “There, in the shadows. Up there!” Kerrick slammed on the gas, gunning it toward the dark, deserted lot of what once had been a discount Chinese buffet. This part of town was in a state of decay, a fact that had saddened Caleb when they’d driven through it earlier. Now however, he was grateful that few businesses were thriving. It meant fewer people up and about opening their stores, fewer people who might see Mercy in her panther form. She must have shifted in order to escape because there was no mistaking that sleek, black fur. Caleb had watched it shine in the moonlight for years now, secretly wishing he could run his rough cat’s tongue over that perfect coat, wishing he could mount her from behind and love her in their animal form the way he’d ached to love her in their human forms. “Mercy!” Caleb called her name as Kerrick slammed on the brakes and shoved the van into park. His mate leapt from the vehicle without even bothering to shut off the engine. He was that desperate to get to their love, to tell her that there was no need to run, that she was safe.
98
Necessary Seduction
Caleb threw himself out of the passenger’s door and broke into a run, reaching Kerrick’s side just as he called Mercy’s name again. Mercy spun to face them with a growl. For a moment Caleb thought she didn’t recognize him and Kerrick, that she thought they were her attackers come to recapture her. A second later, Caleb realized the truth. The growl hadn’t been a threat; it had been a warning. Caleb hit the ground with a cry of pain. His face smashed into the broken pavement as sharp claws dug into his shoulders, shredding his clothes, breaking his flesh and making him bleed. The weight of a full-grown male cat bore down upon him, stealing his breath, giving the bastard who’d taken Mercy just enough time to get in two long swipes with his claws before Caleb recovered sufficiently to buck the panther off his back and begin his own transformation. The shift wasn’t an easy one. Wounds made the process more difficult and could have cost him precious seconds that would have led to his death if he were alone. Thankfully, he wasn’t. Kerrick had already shifted and leapt upon the attacking panther—a shaggy brown beast with vicious teeth. Meanwhile, Mercy dashed past the battling panthers to hurl her sleek, feline body at a second attacker. She was much smaller than the large gray cat, but she showed not a second of hesitation or fear. She simply leapt at the beast’s face and batted with her sharp claws, screeching and howling a warning to leave now while the gray cat and his comrade were still alive to tell the tale of their failed kidnapping. She didn’t use the telepathic communication that was available to weres in their animal forms, but her message came through loud and clear. Unfortunately, the cat she fought didn’t take her warning to heart. He reached back with one large paw and slammed it into her face, sending her flying to land on the pavement a few feet away. Caleb was moving before she even hit the ground. He leapt upon the gray cat with claws bared, powerful muscles fueling each of his swipes as he shredded the creature’s flesh. His opponent—clearly not trained in the 99
A.D. Christopher
ways of battle in shifted form—didn’t stand a chance. He was bloodied and raw in less than a minute. Caleb left him howling in agony, too damaged to even think of rising to his beaten legs or shifting to his human form, and went to join Kerrick’s fight. The panther his mate fought was younger and stronger and a skilled fighter, but he was no match for the muscle power of Kerrick. In his human form, Caleb’s love was a solidly built and muscular man. In his cat form, he was terrifyingly strong, with thick, bunched muscles that roiled beneath his flesh as he leapt and swiped with his claws. The other panther had managed to stay alive this long only because he had wisely chosen evasive movements rather than direct combat. Now that Caleb had joined the battle, however, his life was over. No, don’t kill him! Let him live, Mercy cried out into his mind, into Kerrick’s as well, he assumed, since his mate paused with one large paw in the air. Give him the chance to go and never return. Kerrick growled low in his throat, voicing his displeasure with Mercy’s mercy. Caleb, however, found his heart aching with love as he realized their girl was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Even after these men had terrified her and stolen her away from her pride, she was willing to forgive. We will go, the shaggy brown panther said, his voice betraying his weakness. He had many wounds and all of them bled freely. But look to your own house to make certain your female is safe. There is a traitor in your pride.
***** They didn’t speak. There was too much to be said. Besides, they’d have hours to talk later. Hours and days and years. They had to. She could see the looks on their faces, feel it in the way they held her hands as the elevator carried them back up to their floor. The front desk clerks had given them some odd looks. All three of them were scraped and bloody and Caleb was shirtless. Both of the men had had a change of clothes in the van, but being the taller of the two men Caleb had given Mercy his extra
100
Necessary Seduction
shirt since she had no clothes of her own. The hem of it fell to mid-thigh, but she didn’t care how much of her legs were exposed or how silly she looked. The shirt belonged to Caleb, smelled like him, and so she felt warm and safe inside it. And the front desk clerks didn’t matter. There was a traitor in their pride. They had to get to Cassia immediately and tell her to pack the girls up. This excursion was over. Even with the extra guards on the way, it was too dangerous to be away from Orion Pride lands if someone was trying to sell them out. The Pride Heads could deal with it. And as long as they were meeting with the Pride Heads… She shifted her weight so she leaned against Kerrick. The heat of his skin seeped through Caleb’s shirt, another layer of warmth to make her feel safe. She snuggled a little closer to Kerrick, but her gaze was glued to Caleb’s face. He wasn’t looking at her. He was watching the numbers slowly light up above the elevator doors. But she knew he was aware of her. “You came for me,” she said softly. “Just like before.” “I’ll always come for you,” he replied. Somehow, the way he said it, the way he didn’t even look away from the number strip, made her heart overflow like nothing ever had before. So matter-of-fact. Like it didn’t even need to be discussed, didn’t even need to be marked. He would always come for her. Period. “We both will,” Kerrick said behind her. His lips brushed her hair. Suddenly the floodgates opened. She didn’t know why. She didn’t want them to. But before she realized it was happening her body was shaking and the tears were rolling down her cheeks. And just as fast, the elevator stopped and four hard, strong arms were wrapped around her. “It’s okay, Mercy,” Kerrick said. His voice was muffled by her hair. “It’s okay, baby.” “We’re here,” Caleb added. “We found you.”
101
A.D. Christopher
“I was so scared.” She started to feel stupid for crying, but then realized there was no reason for shame. They wouldn’t judge her for her tears. They never would. Besides, whatever that droplet of water on her shoulder was, it wasn’t rain and it wasn’t hers. “They were hiding in my shower and I was so scared. I thought, I thought I’d never see you again and it was all my fault, I’d distracted you. Then I saw you and they were right there and I didn’t know how to warn you. I was just so scared.” Their arms tightened around her. Caleb’s breath was warm in her hair. “You were so brave. You kept your head and you managed to escape. I’d say I can’t believe it, but I know you too well. I know how strong you are.” “We’re so proud of you.” Caleb squeezed her tighter. Squeezed them both tighter, actually, because his right hand was wrapped around Kerrick’s shoulder. “We love you so much.” After that she stopped holding back. “I love you too,” she managed and let the tears fall, her body shaking. Happiness and sadness and joy and fear mingled, but it didn’t matter exactly what she was feeling. They understood, even if she didn’t understand herself, and they loved her anyway. No disapproval, no admonishments to get herself together like her adoptive family would have given her. Just caring and support. For the first time since she was a little girl, she belonged. She could have stayed like that forever, caught between their big solid bodies, but after another minute or two responsibility won out. They had to get to Cassia, had to start for home immediately. She knew Kerrick and Caleb felt it too. So she shifted her position slightly, standing on her own and gently pushing them both away. Not too far—certainly not so far they weren’t still touching—but enough to let them know they had to get moving.
102
Necessary Seduction
Caleb flipped the elevator switch and they started rising again, while Mercy wiped her eyes with the long sleeves of Caleb’s shirt. They hung over her hands. Kerrick helped her roll them back up, kissing each of her palms. She kissed his in return, letting the delicious scent of his skin wash over her and chase out the last of the bad scents, the bad memories. At least for the moment. In no time at all the elevator had reached their floor. The doors opened and they wandered down the hall to stand in front of Cassia’s room. Caleb knocked three times, then once, then four times. She guessed it was a signal of some kind. What should she be doing? The men were still holding her hands, but was that okay? Surely they wouldn’t want to let Cassia know what was happening before they’d had a chance to speak to the Pride Elders, right? “Guys,” she started, pulling her hands away, “maybe we shouldn’t—” The door flew open. Cassia’s serious expression didn’t change when she saw Mercy, but something flashed behind her eyes and Mercy realized something. Something she’d always known but had never allowed herself to acknowledge. Cassia didn’t like her. Cassia stepped back from the door, indicating they should enter. “I see you found her.” “She escaped,” Kerrick said. The touch of pride in his voice gave Mercy strength. “Looks like you had a fight, though.” Caleb shrugged as they walked into the room. “They followed her. We had to fend them off. But Cassia, one of them told us something. Information we need to get to the Pride Elders immediately. We need to get the girls packed up right away and head home.” “I just sent them to gather their things, then locked them in the largest suite for their own safety. The reinforcements from the pack called and said they were only twenty
103
A.D. Christopher
minutes away.” Cassia sniffed. “I hope you don’t mind, but I decided to take the liberty of telling the new guards that we would be leaving as soon as possible.” The door closed. Mercy saw Caleb and Kerrick exchange looks. They didn’t like this either, she realized. She’d felt uneasy the moment Cassia opened the door. Hearing it lock behind them didn’t help that feeling. “So the two of you were injured rescuing her,” Cassia said. “Two of our strongest warriors, brought down because of one girl. Sit down. I want to show you something.” More looks. This didn’t feel right at all. But what could they do? Mercy could almost hear the men thinking the same thing she was. They needed to get the girls out of the building. They needed Cassia’s help for that, since the girls were locked up and only Cassia had the key. So they sat. Cassia’s room was set up the way the men’s was, with two chairs and an ottoman. Mercy took the ottoman, since she was the smallest, and watched as Cassia took a portable DVD player out of her bag. She plugged it in and set in on the dresser in front of the television set, where they could all see it. The little screen flickered into life. A hotel room. Two men—oh God. It was Kerrick and Caleb’s room. For a second the image blurred as it was being fast-forwarded. When it came into focus again a third figure had joined the men. Her. The three of them kissing. Her clothes coming off. Herself bent over the chair, kissing Caleb, while Kerrick knelt behind her and buried his face in her pussy. God, was that what she looked like when she came? And God, should this be turning her on? It shouldn’t, she knew. That DVD was nothing less than her world being ripped apart. But watching herself with her men…she couldn’t help her body’s totally inappropriate reaction, especially when Cassia fast-forwarded further and she saw the three of them on the bed together, their bodies entwined, heard their moans and gasps.
104
Necessary Seduction
“What is the meaning of this?” Caleb said finally. Anger made his voice so rough Mercy actually felt it scrape against her. “You tell me,” Cassia snapped. “You tell me what a warrior-mated couple is doing with a woman in their room. In their bed. An unmarried woman. Does this look like appropriate behavior to you?” “It’s none of your business,” Mercy started, but Cassia turned a steel-cold glare in her direction. “None of my business? I am the chaperone of this trip. This is against our laws, it’s against our tradition. And you, you little slut—” “Don’t you dare speak to her like that,” Kerrick cut in. Cassia ignored him. “Who the hell do you think you are? Who do any of you think you are? You have committed a crime against the Orion Pride. A very serious crime. You two have broken your vows to each other and to our pride and you have stolen this girl’s virtue and debased her. Treated her like a sex toy.” “They did not—” Cassia’s lips curled into a sneer. “And you, whore, have defiled yourself. Debased yourself. I should have stopped it a year ago when I saw you spying on them and…interfering with yourself. I should have gone to your parents then, but I didn’t. This is partly my fault. Which is why I’m willing to offer you a deal.” Mercy didn’t want to cry again. She absolutely did not want to cry in front of this woman, this sickening, disgusting woman. But she couldn’t help it. Cassia had seen her? Not just the DVD, but all those nights…watching them…touching herself, coming over and over in the bushes or the tree with her eyes glued on her men’s hard, strong, gorgeous bodies? Humiliation made her eyes burn and her body ache. “We’re not interested in your deals.” Caleb stood up. Every line of his body, the proud lift of his jaw, spoke of his years as a pride-born son, his status as a warrior and his integrity. Mercy’s heart twisted. “In case you missed it, there is a traitor in our pride. Isn’t that a little more important than this?” 105
A.D. Christopher
“They both relate to our traditions,” Cassia snapped. “So no. I want your word, all three of you, that you will never engage in such behaviors again. You will not be alone together, you will not speak to each other. I don’t even want to see you looking at each other again. In exchange I’ll keep this video to myself. But if you refuse…I’ll be forced to show it to everyone at the next pride meeting. I’ve already burned several DVDs and uploaded the file to my private All Tube account.” Now Kerrick stood up. “Blackmail? You think you can—” “Not blackmail. I am preserving our pride’s traditions. I am saving us all. I’m saving you all from exile, because make no mistake, you will be exiled if you are found out.” Mercy could hardly breathe. Blackmail. Exile. Whore. Slut. It had seemed so right. She’d been so sure she could live the way she wanted to, carry on the traditions of her own pride. Make some real changes in the Orion Pride, feel like she really belonged. But now…nothing would change. Nothing could change. The men loved her, yes, but they also loved each other and they had each other. She thought of their house, their custom kitchen and beautiful furniture, the respect they both garnered in all the members of the pride. Why would they give that all up for her? Become exiles for her? When there was no real reason to change? They had so much, she could never hope to replace all that, to make up for everything they’d built together, everything they would lose. She would hurt them if she kept trying. She’d already hurt them. How they must feel, having their intimate moments recorded and watched by this awful woman, being spied on…it was all her fault. She’d ruined everything. She was so certain they would agree to Cassia’s deal that she didn’t even understand what Kerrick said at first. “No deal.”
106
Necessary Seduction
“What?” Cassia and Mercy said it at the same time. “No deal,” Caleb said. “We love Mercy. We intend to mate with her. She’s ours.” Cassia’s face turned red. “I’m going to show everyone—” “You do that,” Kerrick replied. “You do that and we’ll tell everyone how you’re the traitor. How you arranged to have Mercy kidnapped to try to get rid of her and put all the other girls in danger.” Mercy hadn’t even considered this. She didn’t know how Kerrick had arrived at that conclusion. But he was obviously right. Cassia looked as guilty as a cat sitting next to an empty cage with feathers still sticking out of its mouth. “I didn’t put any girls in danger,” she said. “They were here for Mercy. Just to scare her. They didn’t touch the other girls.” “And how did you know they wouldn’t have?” Caleb demanded. “They were in this hotel, on our floor. They could have taken all the girls and it would have been your fault.” “It would have been yours! You were too busy playing with the whore to even notice!” “Don’t talk about our mate like that.” Caleb reached his big hand out to Mercy, frozen on the ottoman. As if in a dream she took it, remembering the night he’d found her in that trunk. He’d rescued her then, just like he was rescuing her now. “We’re going to talk to the Pride Elders as soon as we get back,” Kerrick said, grasping Mercy’s other hand. “So your DVD will be useless anyway. But it doesn’t matter. Mercy is ours. Nothing you or anyone else says or does will change that.” And with that the two men—her two men, her two loves—pulled her toward the door, leaving Cassia standing there open-mouthed. The three of them left the room and walked into their future together.
107
A.D. Christopher
Chapter Eleven Mercy clutched her rolling suitcase, trying to breathe normally as she walked between her men down the waking city street. But it wasn’t easy. It had been an overwhelming night, one that had seemed like it would never end. Now the sun was barely up, but already people were bustling here and there, grabbing morning coffees and bagels, yelling for cabs and hurrying to jump on a departing bus. The bustle matched the frantic racing of Mercy’s thoughts exactly. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Even the twenty minutes it had taken for her to grab a quick shower, throw her things in her bag and meet her loves at the elevator hadn’t given her time for the reality of her new life to sink in. Walking down the hall while the other girls peeked out their doors at her with expressions that ranged from shock to curiosity to outright jealousy had felt like a dream. Only Caleb’s and Kerrick’s warm hands on the small of her back had given her the strength to keep moving. She’d felt on the verge of going into shock from pure happiness. She was going to live her dream. She was going to be Caleb and Kerrick’s mate. Forever. “We’ll check into the hotel on the next block,” Caleb said. “I was there once when I was a boy. It’s nice. Very quiet.” “We aren’t going back to the pride lands?” Mercy asked. “Not yet. We’ll take a day or two to ourselves to rest and recover.” “But is that wise? Won’t Cassia—” Kerrick squeezed her hand. “Let Cassia talk. I doubt she’ll have the courage, but even if she does, we’ll be fine. Caleb’s right. It’s best to rest and to plan our return. Strategy is a huge part of battle.” Mercy sighed. “It will be a battle. There’s no doubt about that.” 108
Necessary Seduction
“But it’s a battle we will win,” Caleb said, turning right into the intricately decorated doors of a boutique hotel Mercy scarcely would have noticed if she’d been walking by alone. The lobby was swathed in dark brown velvet. The front desk was lined with rock fountains and manned by a smiling man in a gray suit who checked them in without batting an eye at the fact that they would all three be sharing a room. In fact, he went out of his way to insist that they shouldn’t hesitate to ask for anything they needed over the next two nights and said that he would be sending up a welcome basket as soon as the maid staff arrived for the day. They’d been lucky enough to land a room that had been empty the night before. And not just a room, but an executive suite with a large sitting room, a king-sized bed and a tub big enough for three. It was perfect. Very private, very intimate and located at the end of a quiet hallway. It was, in short, the perfect place to spend her first day of her new life. She couldn’t wait to be alone with Kerrick and Caleb again, to shed the white sweater and jeans she’d thrown on after her shower and be skin to skin with them once more. She set her suitcase into the closet and turned to face her men, smiling as Caleb took Kerrick’s suitcase from him and placed them both in the closet next to her own. They were both so beautiful, so strong and brave. She wished she had the perfect words to tell them how much their sacrifice meant to her. She wished she could communicate the racing feeling in her heart, the feeling that was so much more than excitement or even love. It was a hope for the future that she’d never had. For the first time since she was a child she felt truly blessed. The entire world was sunnier, brighter, and Kerrick and Caleb were completely responsible. But she’d never been as good with words as she’d like. She figured it was better to show her men how much she appreciated them, treasured them, loved them. She kicked off her loafers, then reached down and grabbed the bottom of her spring sweater and pulled it over her head, revealing her plain, white cotton bra. No sexy 109
A.D. Christopher
lingerie today, but she didn’t feel that she needed it right now. She wanted to come to Kerrick and Caleb in her plainest, simplest form. Something about white briefs and a white bra had felt right. “You aren’t tired.” It wasn’t a question and Caleb sounded as happy as she’d ever heard him when she reached for the button on her jeans and popped it open. Mercy shook her head, then wiggled her jeans to the floor and stepped free of them. Caleb’s breath came out on a soft sigh. Next to him, Kerrick didn’t say a word, only moved his fingers to his own jeans and unbuttoned them. He pushed them to the floor and reached for the bottom of his long-sleeved t-shirt. In moments he was naked but for a pair of red-and-gray-striped boxer briefs that clung to him in all the right places. The thick ridge of his arousal jutted through the thin cotton, beckoning Mercy toward him, making her ache all over. She wanted to stroke him with her hands, to take him in her mouth and taste the unique flavor of him. But most of all she wanted to feel him between her legs, pushing inside her, making her his own. She wanted Caleb there too, wished that she could have them both inside her at the same time. “Stop. Don’t move,” Caleb said as he worked the buttons on his shirt with shaking finger. “I just want to look at you for one more minute. You’re so—” “Beautiful,” Kerrick murmured. “I was going to say perfect.” Caleb’s shirt fell to the ground, followed by his undershirt and then his khaki pants. Soon he stood next to Kerrick in nothing but a pair of navy boxers. His erection tented his underwear, calling to Mercy just as strongly as his mate’s. “That works too,” Kerrick said. “Beautiful and perfect.” “And ours.” Caleb smiled and reached out to take his mate’s hand. Kerrick took a shaking breath and turned to kiss Caleb once, softly on the lips. “Not ours yet,” he said, reaching out to caress Caleb through his boxers, drawing a groan from his love. “But I think you can take care of that.”
110
Necessary Seduction
“No, we can take care of that,” Caleb corrected, moving his hand to Kerrick’s cock and squeezing the thick ridge. “We will,” Kerrick said, shooting a single, heated glance in Mercy’s direction. “But I think Mercy would prefer it if you took her virginity. Wouldn’t you, Mercy? It was Caleb you first loved, it was—” “I love you both. Equally. Completely,” Mercy said, realizing the words were true. They might not have been a few days ago, but now they were. She loved them as two parts of the same whole, each one incomplete without the other. “I don’t care who takes me first.” She brought her hands to the front clasp of her bra and opened it slowly, baring herself to her men. She let her fingers play gently over her tight nipples, sending shocks of arousal down to her clit, making her body even hotter, wetter. “As long as the other one takes me soon after.” They were both across the room in seconds. Hot mouths and eager hands were everywhere at once. Her lips took a bruising kiss while another wet tongue flicked over her nipples and warm hands delved down the front of her panties, finding where she was wet and ready. Sighs and moans filled the room when her hands found them both, her two men, both hard and hot and prepared to show her how much they wanted her, how much they needed her. She needed them too. So badly she couldn’t wait for another hour of foreplay. She wanted them inside her. Now. “Please, I’m ready.” She hooked her hands at the sides of her panties and pulled them to the ground. As she bent over she could feel the heavy, aching fullness of her sex, was painfully aware of how wet and eager her body had become. It was as if years of wanting these men had finally overwhelmed her. If she didn’t join with them soon, she knew she’d lose her mind. “Wait. Let’s take our time,” Caleb said, though he took the hand she placed in his and let her pull him toward the bed. “This only happens once.”
111
A.D. Christopher
“And we should speak the words,” Kerrick agreed, though he eagerly climbed onto the bed with her and Caleb and only moaned in pleasure when Mercy reached over and tugged at his boxer briefs, urging them down his strong thighs. “We should speak the words. You are our mate. We should stage our own ceremony to make it official, we should—” “I don’t need a ceremony.” Mercy shushed Caleb with a finger on his lips. “I don’t need words.” She leaned forward to kiss them both on the lips, first one beautiful man and then the other, her heart breaking as she realized they were truly hers in every sense of the word. “I just need you.” Caleb was out of his boxers in seconds and then he and Kerrick were both pressing her back onto the soft covers behind her. The feel of them—both so strong and masculine and perfect—rubbing against her sensitized flesh made her moan and writhe beneath them. She spread her legs and arched into whichever man’s thigh was between her legs, hoping he could feel how ready she was for him. For both of them. Kerrick, it was Kerrick. He cried out against her shoulder and nipped at her skin before pulling away. “Now, Caleb. Do it now.” Caleb didn’t question his lover, only eased over and positioned himself between Mercy’s legs. He kissed her, his tongue questing sweetly in her mouth as his cock found where she was so wet and began to push inside. He was slow, but firm, pushing and pushing, forcing through the thin barrier that barred his way at first. Mercy’s breath sucked in—a slight hiss of pain—but that moment of sharp stinging faded as Caleb continued his movement, finally stilling when he was buried inside her. “Yes, love. Relax, just relax and the pain will be over,” Kerrick whispered in her ear while his warm hands roamed lightly over her breasts. At first he simply smoothed over the bare skin, but then his fingers found her nipples. He rolled first one and then the other, summoning more heat from her sex, helping banish the last hint of pain. Now there was only fullness, the unbelievable fullness of being filled with the man she loved. It was even more perfect and intimate than she’d dreamed. She wanted to cry 112
Necessary Seduction
and laugh at the same time. She wanted to shout her love from the rooftops and to whisper the secret of it into every quiet, dark corner of the world. This was what she had been longing for and it trumped every fantasy she’d ever had. She looked up at where Caleb hovered above her, the tight expression on his face revealing how hard it was for him to hold still and let her adjust to his size. He wanted to drive in and out of her, to take her with all the passion simmering beneath his warm flesh, but he held back. For her, because he didn’t want to hurt her. Mercy was sure she was the luckiest woman in the world. And she wanted them to feel like the luckiest men in the world too. So she shifted her hips, just twisting them sideways a little. A shock ran through her as Caleb’s skin and hers rubbed together deep inside her. That was…that was amazing. Caleb gave a tiny gasp. His eyes asked the question she suspected he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud. “Yes,” she whispered. “It’s okay. Please.” His eyes fluttered shut. He pulled his hips back, so slowly, so she felt every inch of him leave her. Then just as slowly he slid back in. His eyes opened again, staring into hers, so deep with love she could hardly stand it. Kerrick’s hand still slid over her breasts, playing with them, sending little sparks of pleasure through her entire body. She could feel him watching her, watching Caleb. It was like the bed was an island of love, an oasis of it, and they were all they needed. Then Caleb’s mouth dove for hers, catching it, kissing her with so much passion she felt dizzy and her body went stiff when he thrust into her hard and fast. Her fists clenched the bedspread. Her breath left her lungs in a gasp, caught by his lips. She wanted to keep kissing him, to kiss him forever. But there was something else she wanted more. Kerrick was still beside her, beside them both, talking softly to her, making small sounds as he stroked her. She turned her face to him blindly and was rewarded with his mouth closing over hers.
113
A.D. Christopher
His kiss was just as passionate, just as wonderful. It felt right, complete, to be kissing him while Caleb groaned above her and kept thrusting. With every movement of her hips, heat built in her pelvis, the delicious curling heat she felt before an orgasm. Without thinking she reached her hand down to stroke her clit, but Kerrick’s fingers got there first. “Let me take care of you,” he whispered. “Let us make this perfect for you.” “You already have.” The words ended with a gasp when he found her clit. He squeezed it lightly, his fingers slipping on the soft, wet skin. He rubbed in slow circles until her back arched. She was ready. She couldn’t believe she was ready to come, were women supposed to come their first time? Then Kerrick lifted himself up so he could kiss Caleb, and she watched the men she belonged to kiss each other with so much passion and love, and she didn’t care what was normal. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. Her body exploded, waves of intense pleasure crashing over her. Her eyes closed but she could still see them kissing, their image burned on the backs of her eyelids. It sustained her while she vibrated and clenched. Both of their hands were on her, letting her know she was safe. Both of their voices said things to her, words of love like music in her ears. When she came back down to earth Caleb was pulling out of her, his hard cock slick with her passion. He looked at her questioningly and she realized he hadn’t orgasmed. Then she looked at Kerrick and realized why. Oh…God. She nodded. “I’m ready,” she said. And she was. Ready to have Kerrick inside her to seal their love. Ready to have Caleb on top, taking Kerrick while Kerrick took her. Ready to feel all that glorious male weight above her…ready to feel them both. She loved them both so much. As Kerrick settled himself between her legs and the blunt, thick head of his cock pressed against her sensitive opening, she knew they loved her too. Together, the three of them could truly change the world.
114
Necessary Seduction
Kerrick paused only inches from the glorious wet heat of the woman he loved. She was ready for him. The look in her beautiful eyes was clear, pure love and desire. Caleb’s hands were on him, stroking his sac, reaching with fingers slick from Mercy’s pussy to probe at his puckered back hole. A single touch sent him flying into the stars. He was surrounded by the two people who loved him, the two people he loved more than anything in the world. He didn’t pause because he was scared or because he was unsure about the future. He saw their future, spreading out before them like a glorious happy road. Private moments with Caleb. Private moments with Mercy. He pictured coming home and finding the two of them entwined on the bed, taking off his clothes and joining them, certain of his welcome. No, he wasn’t scared at all. He just wanted to remember this moment. Wanted the memory to stay forever as clear and sharp as his memories of the night he met Caleb, the first time they made love, the night of their mating. This was just as important. So he paused, taking a deep breath and looking at both of them. Watching Caleb kiss Mercy gently, sweetly. Everything seemed to slow down in his head. And then he thrust into her. Oh God…she was so hot. So wet. Her inner walls clenched him, squeezed him tight, urged him deeper. Her back arched, those gorgeous pink nipples pointing at the ceiling. Her hands found his hips, her nails digging into him. Not hard, but enough to let him know they were there. Caleb glanced at him. I love you, he mouthed. Love you too, Kerrick mouthed back, before pulling his hips back and thrusting again. Slowly, taking his time. He leaned down and feasted on Mercy’s lips, kissing her as long and hard as he could, putting all of his emotions behind it. She gasped beneath him, her beautiful body twisting and moving, her hard nipples rubbing his chest. Then it was his turn to gasp as Caleb’s fingers found him again, slick and cool with lube that heated up almost instantly. His lover probed him, stretching the tight ring, 115
A.D. Christopher
opening him up. It was almost too much. It would never be enough. He started moving in tiny circles, urging Caleb to go deeper even as his cock moved inside Mercy’s incredibly tight pussy. This was heaven. This was nothing less than heaven. Caleb’s free hand urged Mercy up, angling her to a semi-sit. Her mouth still moved against Kerrick’s, tiny gasps coming from her throat. Kerrick pulled back. She seemed to know what that meant, what they wanted, because she lifted her hips so Kerrick could slide a pillow beneath them. And then it was time. Caleb leaned in to kiss Mercy, a long, deep kiss that sent Kerrick’s mind reeling. He gritted his teeth. He had to hold on. He wanted to do this forever. “I love you,” Caleb told Mercy. She smiled at him. Smiled at both of them. “I love you too.” It was so beautiful Kerrick wanted to cry. He might have if Caleb hadn’t shifted around behind him, spread his legs just a little bit so his lubed cock could press at Kerrick’s opening. Without him realizing it, his hands had entwined with Mercy’s. Now he squeezed tight, readying himself for the glorious invasion of Caleb’s hard thickness. It came, pressing forward slowly, stretching him. He pushed his hips back into it, forcing Caleb deeper as he pulled out of Mercy. When he thrust forward, more delicious friction came as his cock was bathed in wet heat and Caleb’s slick cock rubbed inside him. Caleb’s hands pressed against his shoulders, his neck. Kerrick shifted position a little, leaning to the side so he could turn his head and kiss Caleb’s lips, so Mercy could kiss him. The three of them rocked together, with Kerrick in the middle. One day, he knew, they’d get to both be inside Mercy at the same time, but not yet. She’d handled the pain of losing her virginity well, but he didn’t want to press her, not now, and he knew Caleb didn’t either. There would be plenty of time for that. Years for it. Years of love. 116
Necessary Seduction
Caleb groaned. Feeling Kerrick’s hot, tight hole around him, feeling Kerrick’s hips shift, seeing Mercy’s lovely face over Kerrick’s shoulder, her eyes wide, her silky voice becoming frantic again the way it did when she was about to reach orgasm, made his insides turn to liquid. He wouldn’t last long. Not when Kerrick set such a furious pace beneath him. He was pounding into Mercy, driving her hard, driving both of them. Caleb’s cock slid so fast he could feel pressure gathering in his pelvis and he knew from Kerrick’s breathing that he wouldn’t last much longer. The three of them fit together so perfectly. Mercy’s hands stroked both of them, touched their hips and bottoms and thighs. They were both careful not to crush her, bracing themselves on their arms. She was so fragile. So delicate. But not fragile and delicate. She was tough and strong and brave. She was independent and determined. She was the perfect complement to himself and Kerrick, everything they’d ever wanted. She made them complete. He’d never stop loving Kerrick. Never stop wanting him. They were soul mates and nothing could change that. But how amazing was it to realize there was another soul out there who needed theirs, who wanted theirs, who had so captivated both of them? The three of them could be together for the rest of their lives. It didn’t matter what the Pride Elders thought or what they did. This was love and Caleb had learned a year before, that wonderful night when he’d met Kerrick, that you didn’t turn your back on love. Kerrick’s hips moved faster beneath his. Mercy cried out, her eyes squeezed shut, as she came beneath them both. Seconds later Kerrick gasped, turned to capture Caleb’s mouth in one last kiss and Caleb knew it was time. He let himself go. Kerrick’s ass convulsed around his cock as Kerrick came. His cock jerked. It felt like he was coming into both of them, marking them both with his scent, marking them both as his own.
117
A.D. Christopher
Because they were. They were his. Nothing would ever change that. They would be okay—they would be more than okay. They would be happy, because they had each other. They were finally complete and that was all that mattered.
118
About the Author A.D. Christopher came back to his love of writing after ten years as a florist and wedding planner. A love of romance, combined with a passion for…passion, inspired him to pen tales of strong, powerful men and the alpha males who love them. A.D. is lucky to have many gay friends, as well as straight friends who know how to act gay in public. He welcomes mail from readers and is thrilled to be writing for Ellora’s Cave.
A.D. welcomes comments from readers. You can find his website and email address on his author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at
[email protected].
Also by A.D. Christopher Feast of the Flesh Necessary Temptation Sacrifice of the Stone Two if By Sea
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
