Authors: Susan Hayes
She’d clearly had too much to drink during dinner because neither man was making any sense. No one was looking at her. Why would they when there were stunningly beautiful, enhanced women everywhere tonight? Regent Travers had only been making polite conversation during dinner. He was a regent for star’s sake, he was hardly going to notice someone like her.
“You’re both crazy. Why would anyone be looking at me?”
“Because they have eyes, and you’re fucking beautiful.” Dane moved in to kiss her, his mouth drifting across hers as they trapped her between them.
Vance dropped his head to press several open mouthed kisses to her bare shoulder while Dane kissed her senseless, both of them moving in time to the music. It was erotic. Seductive. And while part of her wanted to flee the attention she knew they must be garnering, another part of her reveled in the moment. This was what she’d dreamed about in her deepest fantasies. To be desired. This was what it was like to belong, and she would never forget it for as long as she lived. They wanted her, and they wanted everyone to know it.
She closed her eyes and let the music wash over her, the three of them entwined and moving as one. Her world shrank down to the smallest of details—hard muscle and the brush of fabric beneath her fingers. The taste of Dane’s kisses and the heat of Vance’s breath as it whispered across her skin. Every sway and turn brought her up against the hard ridge of their cocks. It was one part dancing and two parts foreplay, and she didn’t want it to end. She hung onto them even after the song had ended. It wasn’t enough time. Maybe it would never be enough.
“I think I need some air,” she told them as they left the dance floor.
Vance nodded. “You grab some air, and I’ll find us fresh drinks. Ones with plenty of ice.”
“I’ll stay with Ciara.” Dane slipped his arm around her waist and guided her toward a pair of double doors she knew from the previous day’s tour led outside to a small, walled-off patio. The area had been decorated with fairy lights and ornamental shrubbery for the occasion, turning it into a temporary garden for those looking for an escape from the social whirl inside.
Chill air wrapped around her the moment she stepped outside. She took a deep breath and drew the cold air into her lungs, but it did nothing to ease the inferno burning inside her. It was cold enough that after a few seconds she shivered, and Dane glanced down with a frown of concern.
“You’re not dressed for this weather. I should have thought to grab a jacket or your wrap before coming outside.” He winked at her as he stole a quick kiss. “I’ve got plans for you, so don’t go anywhere. I won’t be long.”
Ciara didn’t argue. It was cold, and she could use a few minutes to herself. Her heart was still racing, and she was drunk on desire. She was so wet her panties were soaked through, and every caress of her dress against her body was like a phantom lover’s touch.
Unable to stay still, she started walking along the perimeter of the patio, her arms wrapped around herself to fend off the worst of the chill. She was halfway around when the doors opened and several other guests spilled out into the night, accompanied by a blast of noise and bright light. The women were laughing among themselves and none of them seemed to notice Ciara. Before she could announce her presence, one of the women spoke.
“Holy nova, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. I had no idea the good doctor had moves like that.”
“Me either,” another chimed in with a soft laugh. “And I work with the man. Did you see who he was dancing with? I swear that’s the rebel we found on the road after the earthquake out in the badlands. She drove in with a punctured lung and had two kids with her, the only other survivors. They would have died if not for her.”
The first speaker shook her head, her blonde hair flowing like moonlight around her face from the movement. “She didn’t look like much to me. I could break her in half with one hand. No enhancements, and did you see her tattoo? She’s not fertile. She needs to go back to her rebel buddies and leave the elites to those of us who have the right stuff to make them happy.”
“I don’t know about that. The three of them looked pretty happy to me. In fact, it’s the happiest I’ve seen Dr. Sterling since he got here.”
“So? You don’t think they’d actually stay with someone like her, do you? She’s not even on our side. If those two are done mourning their chosen, then I think I need to go introduce myself. I’ve been thinking it’s time to settle down and have a family. Those two fit all my criteria. Good looking, sexy, solid careers.”
Ciara’s last breath was locked in her lungs as she listened to the women talk. Sides, labels, it was all nonsense. Anger burned away the sorrow and eased the tightness in her chest.
Before she knew what she was going to do, she stepped out of the shadows and laid into the one who’d dismissed her as nothing more than an infertile rebel. “Vance and Dane are a hell of a lot more than a checklist of your wants and needs. They’re good men, which is something you’d know if you actually spoke to them or saw them as human beings and not merely as potential mates.”
Ciara stalked over to the blonde and glowered at her, ignoring the six plus inch height advantage the other woman held over her. “The scroll tattoo on your face doesn’t make you better than me. And there are no sides. As someone pointed out to me tonight, we’re all in this together. Alliance, rebel, scroll, those are merely labels. They don’t define who we are or what we’re capable of. My men make me happy, and I make them happy. That’s all that matters. Oh, and for the record, the sex is hotter than a supernova. Not that you’ll ever get a chance to find out.”
Dane stood in the doorway, watching as Ciara came into her own. She was glorious in her anger, but what truly had him cheering was the fact she’d called them her men. It was sexy as hell to hear her being possessive of them, and it made him hope that she’d made up her mind to stay.
He made his move right after she announced that the sex was hotter than a supernova. Fuck, he loved this woman. He walked outside and pulled her into his arms for a scorching kiss, completely ignoring their audience. It wasn’t until his lips were on hers that the truth of his thoughts hit him, but when it did, it struck hard.
He loved her.
Holy fuck.
He’d only been in love once before, with Christine. She’d made him believe he could be a better man. He’d wanted to be better for her and then for Annie. Now, he wanted to step up and show Ciara he could be what she needed. What she deserved. After Christine’s death, Dane wasn’t sure he’d ever love anyone else. Annie was all he needed. She was the sun that lit up his world. Now, there was Ciara, too.
When he finally looked up, they were alone. Their audience had slipped away at some point, which was fine by him. The only person in the world he needed at the moment was in his arms, and he had no intention of letting her go any time soon.
“You’re fucking sexy when you’re riled. Has anyone ever mentioned that?” he asked.
She answered with a laugh that filled the darkness. “Only you and Vance seem to feel that way. Are you sure you two are right in the head?”
“Not in the slightest. But then again, I’m not the one who just went off on an elite officer who knows at least a half dozen ways to put you in traction without breaking a sweat.”
“Blondie? Please. She was in four inch heels and a dress so fitted and low cut, if she’d tried to take a swing, she’d have either fallen off her heels or had a catastrophic wardrobe malfunction. Besides, as much as she was talking trash, I’ve come to understand that most of you elites take pride in the uniform and the rules that govern it. She would never attack a civilian over a verbal slight. I know that what happened with William was the exception, not the rule.”
“You’re right. We are proud of who and what we are.” He kissed her again before taking her hand and leading her to a shadowed corner of the patio. He draped his black jacket over her shoulders, feeling a primal satisfaction at seeing her in his clothes.
Yeah, he had it bad.
She followed him to the backside of one of the benches scattered around the patio, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What are you planning exactly?”
“Payback, angel. I promised you it was coming, and it starts right now. Hands on the top of the bench, and don’t you dare move unless I tell you to.”
“I don’t think—hey!” she protested as he used his talents to nudge her into the correct position.
“Hands. Bench. Now.”
“Pushy ’leet,” she grumbled, but after a moment’s defiance, she set her hands where he’d instructed.
Moving in behind her, Dane cupped her breasts, teasing her taut nipples through the velvety soft fabric of her dress as he nudged her feet a little farther apart. She rocked her hips backward, grinding her ass against his already aching dick. It was all the invitation he needed. He slid one hand down to her hip, then her thigh, finding the slit of her dress and using it to lift the fabric out of his way. He lifted the back of her dress just high enough to give him access to her sweet pussy. He traced the lace trim of her barely-there panties with one finger, and she shivered at his touch, the faintest hint of a moan rising from her throat.
“These have to go.”
“Don’t look at me, I’m not allowed to move, remember?”
Her sassy comeback only made him hotter. Damn, he loved it when she stood her ground. “I’m glad you remember the rules.” He curled his fingers into the lace and pulled, shredding the fabric until it was in tatters. He tucked the remnants into his pocket like the trophy that it was. He brushed a hand across the smooth curve of her ass, then crossed her hip and down to where she was hot, wet, and waiting for his touch. Her cream soaked his fingers as he caressed the seam of her pussy, and when he circled her clit with one digit, she shuddered and loosed another low, needy moan.
“Slow, or fast?” he asked.
“Fast. Hard. Please. I need…”
“We both need this. You’re in my blood, Ciara. In my heart. I’m never going to stop needing you.” He released her breast to reach between them, jerking his pants open with an impatience bordering on violence. Fuck, he was riding the jagged edge of his control, and he wasn’t even inside her yet. As if she could hear his thoughts, Ciara arched her back and rubbed herself against his newly freed cock.
“I need you, Dane. Love me.”
Her words were his undoing. He guided himself between her legs and drove himself home, not stopping until he was buried to the hilt. “You’re mine,” he whispered.
“I know.”
Ciara had never done anything like this. Outside, in public. They could be caught at any moment, and she didn’t care. If anything, the risk was turning her on even more. She couldn’t feel the cold anymore. She couldn’t feel anything but the delicious stretch and slide of Dane’s cock as he fucked her. She held on to the bench and pushed back against his pounding thrusts, craving release even as she wished for this moment go to on forever. It was more than sex. More than physical need. This was a once in a lifetime.
She tightened her inner walls, squeezing his cock until he groaned her name. His hands landed on her hips, lifting her onto her toes and locking her into place. His grip was punishing, the faint pain blending with the pleasure he was giving her. He leaned over her, every breath turning to mist that hung in the air around them. He moved again, changing the angle between them so the thick head of his cock made contact with her G-spot on every stroke. She bit back a cry as her orgasm hit, detonating like a plasma bomb. Pleasure tore through her, a sensory firestorm that raged for what felt like an eternity before slowly fading away.
At some point, Dane had joined her in ecstasy, his cock still pulsing inside her, his body still draped over hers. They stayed like that for longer than they should have. Neither of them speaking. Neither one willing to be the first to pull away. It wasn’t until the chill of the night started to seep back into her body that Ciara sighed and turned her head to look back at Dane.
“If we stay here any longer, we’re risking hypothermia.”
“Not to mention that eventually, someone is going to come out here.”
“Five minutes ago, it wouldn’t have bothered me, but now? Yeah, time to go back inside and pretend we didn’t just do what we did.”
“Which will be hard to do, considering I have your panties in my pocket. Damn, knowing you’re naked under that dress is going to kill me. We better make it an early night.” He withdrew from her gently, carefully rearranging her dress and settling his jacket back firmly on her shoulders.
The moment was ending. She could feel it. Before it was gone, there was something she wanted to say. She turned to face Dane, her heart skipping a beat as she looked into eyes. Handsome, kind. Sweet. For the first time in her life, Ciara felt blessed. Dane, Vance, and Annie were gifts without measure, and she would be a fool to keep pretending she could ever walk away. “What you said before. About my being in your heart?”
His eyes narrowed, a guarded expression coming over his face. “What about it?”
“I wanted you to know. You’re in my heart, too. Both of you.”
His eyes lit up, and he stared at her with a shit-eating grin blooming across his face. “Halle-fucking-lujah. Does this mean you’re staying?”
She nodded. “I guess it does.”
“Not a resounding yes, but I’ll take it for now. Let’s go tell Vance the good news.” He leaned in and kissed her, then took her hands in his and led her back into the party with her floating along behind him, so happy she could swear her feet didn’t touch the ground.
* * * *
Vance was enjoying a moment’s respite in a quiet corner when he spotted Dane and Ciara rejoining the party. She was positively glowing, her skin tinted pink by more than the cold autumn air. Dane turned toward him, and with a few quick gestures, indicated they would be joining him soon. Vance lifted his drink to them in silent salute, holding it until he lost them to the crowd.
He didn’t realize he was no longer alone until Regent Travers spoke, startling him.
“If you don’t mind my saying so, you and your partner have found yourselves a remarkable woman.”