remove the casserole that Mitchell currently seemed to be burning.
Damn.
* * * *
Jade glanced at her brother-in-law and tried not to be obvious
when she ran her sweaty palms down her jeans. Mitchell and Zack
hadn’t been impressed that she’d asked David to drop her off instead
of letting them come for her. She hadn’t meant to be cantankerous,
but things had seemed so far out of her control, she’d argued on the one point she felt she could win. It didn’t help that she was more
nervous about this single date than she’d been with every other date
put together. Why was she so damn jumpy?
“You can probably sense Mitchell’s stress, baby,”
Zack
whispered in her head.
“He’s more nervous than I’ve ever seen him.
Be gentle with him
.”
She smiled at Zack’s teasing words but somehow understood the
seriousness behind them.
“The link has gotten stronger,” David said with a nod of approval.
She glanced over at her sister’s husband and tried to smile. She didn’t quite manage it, but he glanced over and smiled for her. “I’ve known
Mitchell and Zack for years. They’re good guys.”
“So everybody says,” she answered, trying not to be sarcastic.
Other than some really hot sex dreams she knew very little about
them. The fact that she could hear them in her head and feel their
Their Taydelaan
41
emotions several miles away did nothing to convince her that she
wasn’t insane. “How long have you known them?”
David looked a little uncomfortable and gave her an answer that
didn’t really satisfy. “Many, many years.”
“How many years?” She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that
David was hiding something.
He breathed out heavily and finally gave her a proper answer.
“About forty Earth years.”
“What? Did you really say forty years? You’re joking, right? You
don’t look a day over thirty, how can you have known them for forty
years?” She could feel hysteria creeping over her. This couldn’t be
right. How could this be right? “How old are you?” she demanded,
practically holding her breath as she waited for his answer.
“Seventy-four,” he said, sounding resigned and maybe a little
annoyed that he’d started this conversation. “And before you go
asking, Jessica is a few years younger.”
“Baby,”
Zack said with a singsong voice inside her head,
“tell
David I’m going to kick his ass when he gets here.”
She couldn’t help but grin at the threat delivered in such a sweet voice. David glanced over, looking at her worriedly.
“Zack says he’s not happy with you.” She delivered the message
while trying to ignore the fact that she was essentially relaying a
conversation with a voice in her head. David grinned, and a soft laugh escaped him.
“I reckon he probably wants to kick my ass,” he said, confirming
that he knew the man well. “I’m sorry, Jade. I didn’t mean to start this conversation, but as a general rule, Sesturians have a life expectancy about twice that of humans.”
“So I’ll be old and gray while Zack and Mitchell still look
young?” Despite all the jokes she’d made about maybe one day trying
her hand at being a cougar, she really didn’t like the idea of looking twice the age of her partners. She felt a swell of hope in her mind and
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Rachel Clark
realized it came from Mitchell and Zack. Was she really thinking long term with these two?
“Not quite,” David said slowly, and she got the impression that he
was once again trying to avoid answering. “Sesturian medicine is
quite advanced, but I’m sure that’s something you and your partners
can discuss at a later date.” She nodded, willing to let David off the hook, for now at least. “We’re here,” he said, sounding very relieved.
“I have very strict instructions from Kayla to walk you to the door,
threaten bodily harm to Mitchell and Zack if they fail to treat you
properly, and then get my ass home.”
Jade tried to hide the smile threatening to break free but failed
miserably. She could just imagine her sister giving those exact
instructions. David smiled with her and whispered conspiratorially,
“Just be glad she’s not in your head, too.” He grinned, obviously
listening to Jade’s younger sister give him grief via telepathy.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely. David was a genuinely nice guy,
and even though she hadn’t been happy when Kayla had begun her
relationship with David and Jessica, it was obvious that they both
loved her sister as much as they loved each other.
“Call me when you want to come home,” David said with a grin
and a wink.
* * * *
Mitchell could feel her affection for David, and it was driving him
nuts. He knew—absolutely knew—that it was just the emotions a
woman would have for any member of her family, but a primitive part
of him wanted to keep her all to himself.
“It’s okay,”
Zack said in a soothing telepathic voice.
“It’s just the
effect of the enzyme. Once you’ve claimed her, things will go back to
normal.”
“What if she never lets me claim her?” he asked out loud in a
sullen voice. He was starting to understand the strange mood swings
Their Taydelaan
43
pregnant woman went through. This whiny, negative, insecure feeling
was pissing him off, but he couldn’t seem to shake it.
“She will,” Zack said confidently as he went to answer the door.
“Hello, baby,” Zack said as he reached for Jade’s hand, “welcome
to our home.”
The overwhelming urge to haul his woman over his shoulder and
lock her in his bedroom for several days slid through Mitchell’s mind, but he managed to control it for the moment. The suppressant David
had given him was helping to stop the enzyme’s production but didn’t
seem to do anything to control his possessive urges. He took a deep
breath, trying to calm himself before he did something stupid. He
glanced at Zack for reassurance and realized that the possessive urges had been there all along. It was just his fear that Jade would reject them that was magnifying everything.
“Hello, Zack.” She let Zack pull her into his arms for a brief hug,
and Mitchell felt his cock roar to life. Seeing both his partners
together was a far bigger turn-on than he’d ever imagined. He wanted
to grab them both, love them, protect them, and fuck them both until
none of them could walk straight. Zack and Jade must’ve picked up
on that thought because they both moved into the circle of his arms
and held on tight. The feeling of finally being complete washed
through him, and he held them both for a long time.
“Yup,” David said as he stepped out the front door, “that’s my cue
to leave. Take care of her.” Mitchell nodded his promise and relaxed
even more when Jade stretched up onto her toes and pressed a soft
kiss to the underside of his jaw.
* * * *
Zack had no idea how long they stood like that in the hallway, but
eventually the smell of burning food reached his nostrils. He was
tempted to simply ignore it, but figured burning down the house was
probably not the best way to take care of their girl.
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Rachel Clark
“How do you feel about pizza?” Mitchell looked startled by the
question, but then the smell of burning food reached him as well. He
pulled Zack and Jade closer for a brief moment and finally released
them. A deep rumble of a laugh escaped his chest.
“So much for perfect,” he said, sounding calmer than he had all
day.
Jade must’ve noticed the smell, too, because she smiled and
nodded. “Pizza sounds great. Extra anchovies for me.”
“Ugh,” Zack said with a shudder. “You better kiss me now, baby,
because once you’ve downed a few of those salty little things you’re
going to need a bucket of mouthwash before I kiss you again.”
She looked startled at first but then realized that he was joking—
well, maybe half joking. He really,
really
hated anchovies. Jade followed them into the kitchen, and Zack turned everything off,
refusing to think of the cleanup they’d need to do tomorrow. Goddess, he missed the food processors on Sesturia. Perfectly cooked,
nutritionally balanced, quickly delivered meals with very little
cleanup. What could be more perfect?
“Good to know about the anchovies,” Jade said with a grin. “If I
ever need a break from your kisses I know exactly what to do.”
“Doesn’t work with me,” Mitchell teased. “I’m fine with
anchovies.”
She smiled at them both, but it faltered and she suddenly looked
very lost. Her knees wobbled, and he went to steady her, but she held her hand up for him to stay where he was. She grabbed one of the
chairs at the breakfast bench and sat heavily.
“I’m sorry,” she said tiredly. “I don’t even know you. I’ve never
actually kissed you, so I don’t understand why I said that.”
“Beautiful,” Mitchell said as he stepped closer. He touched her
cheek affectionately. “You do know us. You can already sense our
emotions. You already hear our thoughts. The link is already there,
and it will only get stronger.”
Their Taydelaan
45
She looked from Mitchell to Zack and back again before she tried
to say something. She had to swallow before she could voice her
thoughts.
“I…I never expected to…to find someone. I thought I was just
one of those people who was meant to be alone. I don’t understand
how I could be your Taydelaan.”
“Do you want to be alone the rest of your life?” Zack asked as he
tried to understand the myriad of emotions he could feel flowing
through her. She shook her head, and he felt relief pour through both him and Mitchell.
“Then kiss me, beautiful,” Mitchell said, taking the seat beside
her. “Kiss me and let the link grow. Then you’ll understand you
belong with us.”
Her eyes were filmed with tears when she looked at Mitchell, but
she leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. Zack could
feel Mitchell’s determination to let her control the kiss, and he
watched, fascinated, as their Taydelaan kissed his lover for the first time. Her tongue touched Mitchell’s lips, and he groaned and stroked
it with his own. Jade lifted off the chair and moved to sit on
Mitchell’s lap as she deepened the kiss and raised the heat in the
room.
With his hand rubbing gently over his own erection, Zack watched
Jade turn to straddle Mitchell’s lap, pressing her crotch against his hard cock. Mitchell groaned and lifted her onto the kitchen table. He kissed her frantically, taking control of the kiss, stamping her with his possessiveness. She writhed against him, and Zack almost came in his
jeans when Mitchell grabbed Jade’s shirt and ripped it from her body.
She gasped, the sound loud in the otherwise silent kitchen, but
didn’t pull away. Mitchell dragged her bra away just as roughly, and
Zack stepped closer to help with her jeans. He was more than willing
to keep their woman naked for the rest of her life, but they might need her jeans if they planned to walk out the front door.
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Rachel Clark
He managed to undo the material and wiggle them down her hips.
Mitchell lifted her off the table, and Zack dragged the material down her legs and off her feet, taking her shoes with them. Mitchell placed her back in the middle of the table, finally breaking the kiss and
moving away from her slightly.
She lay on the table like an offering from the gods. Zach could
barely breathe as he moved to the side and lowered his head to kiss
her. She wrapped her arms around him and welcomed his tongue into
her mouth, sucking gently as he explored the dark recess. He felt
Mitchell’s deep satisfaction that they were kissing this way a moment before he lowered his head to Jade’s pussy. Zack could feel her
pleasure course through her as his lover lapped at her hidden folds.
Zack moved a hand to pluck at one of her beaded nipples, smiling
when she arched her back and lifted from the table. Through the
connection with his mates, he could feel Jade’s surprise that she liked what Mitchell was doing, and Mitchell’s relief that she was enjoying
it. Zack felt the exact moment that Mitchell stiffened his tongue and started fucking her with it. She shivered and pulled Zack closer as her orgasm spiraled nearer.
Fucking her mouth with his own tongue, Zack matched Mitchell’s
rhythm and held their woman down, knowing from their dreams how
much the immobility turned her on. He felt a moment of fear pass
through her before her orgasm exploded. She moaned as every muscle
shook with her release. Mitchell held her thighs open, prolonging her climax with the clever use of his tongue. Over and over she undulated against the hard table, her muscles rippling, her breathing labored, her heart and mind open to them both.
Zack thought he sensed something about a man from her past, but
that part of the link dissolved before he could understand it fully.
Mitchell leaned over the table, turned Zack’s head with a firm hand,
and thrust his tongue into Zack’s mouth. Jade’s taste burst on his
tongue, and he moaned at the perfection of the moment. Even in their