“Wow, that woman is nasty,” Jake said, walking to Emma’s desk. She smiled as he opened her drawer and pulled out her bag, knowing exactly where she kept everything because of the bond. Then she glanced back into the library and saw the students sitting dejectedly at the desks, Ms. Brown looming over them. Duncan stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. His anger whipped at the edges of her mind.
“Yeah. She’s always been unpleasant, but this was the worst I’ve ever seen her.”
The prejudices people carry around with them can make them crazy, Duncan thought.
Jake shrugged. “He’s right.”
“I’m worried about Jonathan and Samantha.” Emma tugged her sleeves down and shouldered the bag Jake held out to her. “I can believe they ran. I talked to their parents and they were awful about the bonding,” Emma sighed, feeling uneasy. “But where would they go? It doesn’t seem right.”
Duncan turned. “What do you mean, it doesn’t seem right?”
“I don’t know. It just feels wrong. I don’t think they ran.” Emma rubbed her arms. “It’s just a feeling I have.” She looked at her two men, watching the way their auras flared and smoothed out again, the colors soothing.
“I’m not going to discount a gut feeling,” Jake stated, crossing to Emma and threading her fingers with his. She admired the way her aura seamlessly blended with his. “You helped Dave and Lisa. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could sense those kids somehow.” Duncan nodded agreement.
Emma wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. It seems awfully silly when you say it out loud.”
“Just because it’s weird doesn’t make it impossible,” Duncan said.
Emma sighed and walked to the door. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about it anyway. I have no idea where they could be.”
“Let’s just go home. Maybe something will come up.” Jake slung his arm over her shoulders and the three of them walked into the library together. Emma ignored the virulent looks the vice principal threw her way and waved to her students on the way out.
Walking down the halls of the school felt strange. Emma knew the students in the classrooms were watching as they passed and she wondered what they thought of the rock star in their midst. It was disorienting, having so many people stare at her. Duncan squeezed her hand and sent her a wave of affection. She drew on his strength as they neared the outer doors.
“It took me a long time to get used to the fans.” Duncan stroked her hand with his thumb. “And I wanted it. I wanted to be a famous musician. It was harder for Jake to get used to.” He looked at her and smiled. “You know I’m right here. I won’t abandon you to their mercy.” Duncan gestured to the doors that led outside.
Emma closed her eyes, sinking into his mind, trying to learn in a minute what took him years. He was so comfortable with his fame and she needed to understand how to think like that. She knew there was no going back. She didn’t want to even if there were. You know there’s a way, a tiny part of her brain whispered to her, but she squashed the thought even before it fully formed, concentrating on Duncan’s hand, the warm affection of Jake ghosting through the link as well. She shivered, sensing their semi-arousal. The confrontation in the library roused protective instincts in the men. She opened her eyes, surprised.
“Is it any wonder I want to kiss you right now?” Jake murmured, pressing closer until she could feel his half-hard cock against her hip. She gasped.
“I can’t help myself. When people threaten you, I want to steal you away.” Jake slipped a hand into her hair and tilted her head. “I want to kiss you and make love to you and erase even the memory of this unpleasantness.”
Emma shuddered, clutching Duncan’s hand harder. She swallowed. We’re still in school, she told herself. Can’t do this here.
“I don’t know if I care.” Duncan growled and leaned down, nipping her lips. Jake slid his thumb into her mouth and Duncan sucked on it, then kissed Emma until she couldn’t remember anything except the feel of his mouth, the press of Jake against her body.
“God,” Jake gasped, moving in for his turn to kiss her. Duncan kissed Jake quickly first, then slipped his mouth down her jaw and Emma swayed, clinging to them so she wouldn’t fall. She wondered if she could actually come just from kissing. She could feel them in her mind, their anger over her dismissal mutating into desire. Then Jake tore his mouth away. Emma heard something banging and licked her lips, wishing the noise would stop so they could get back to the kissing.
“Shit. They caught it all on film.” Jake ran his hands through his hair.
“What?” Emma blinked, trying to figure out what was happening.
Duncan sighed and stroked her cheek, then stepped back. He looked out the inner foyer doors at the crowd of photographers filming through the outside door. “I can’t imagine the quality will be that great through two layers of glass.”
“Doesn’t matter. They got enough.” Jake took a deep breath as Emma smoothed her hands over her hair. “It was bound to happen eventually.”
“It’s okay,” Emma said, smiling tremulously. “I don’t care.”
Duncan looked at her, face intent. “You realize there’s no going back now?”
Emma laughed, suddenly feeling a lot better. “There was no going back anyway, and I wouldn’t leave you and Jake even if I could.” Duncan smiled, his whole face lighting up, and Jake slid an arm around her waist. Emma felt their relief and knew she’d made right decision. The only decision.
“Damn, I love you,” Jake murmured into her hair.
“Ditto,” Duncan said. “You two ready? I think I see Dave and Charlie out there now.” He looked down at Emma, smoothing a stray hair behind her ear. “We’ll leave your car here for now and I’ll send someone to pick it up later. It would be best if we stay together.”
Emma nodded. Her energy flared around Duncan and Jake, the three auras meshing together in a visible manifestation of their bond. Despite the loss of her job and Duncan’s fame and the unexpected raw energy of their bonding, she wouldn’t give any of it up for the world. “I’m good,” she said, smiling at her men. “Let’s go.”
Duncan nodded and Jake opened the first set of doors. The photographers outside went into a frenzy, surging forward for a moment despite Charlie and Dave’s efforts to contain them. Then Duncan opened the outer doors and the noise hit Emma like a wall.
“Jesus,” Jake breathed. Emma agreed. This is insane.
Duncan stepped out first and held up his hands. The noise subsided a bit. “Yes, it’s true, I’m bonded to Jake and Emma.” Duncan held up his arms so the paparazzi could see the tattoo. “Yes, I’ll be giving an interview soon. No, I’m not taking questions now.” He lowered his arms and moved forward, Emma directly behind him. She clung to the back of his shirt and Jake crowded up behind her, sandwiching her in between for protection. She tried to ignore the shouted questions, concentrating on following Duncan as he pushed through with Dave and Charlie’s help. Some of them were ridiculous, things she would never answer, about how exactly they had sex or if Duncan had coerced Jake into turning gay. Jake snorted at that one, then Emma stopped abruptly, tugging on Duncan. She turned to the journalist that had yelled the last question.
“What did you say?” Emma held her breath, feeling Duncan’s disapproval. He wanted to get to the car, now.
Just a moment, she thought at him and felt him sigh. Jake frowned but Emma ignored his impatience. They were all on edge.
“Do you know who trashed your car?” a female journalist asked her again, thrusting her video recorder closer.