I touched the underside of my arm where Luckard sliced me open. Not even a scar.
My bald vampire took care of it.
The curtain moved, this time not from the wind. Tane stepped inside. He called over his shoulder, “Kam, your off duty. I’ll be with Rabbit.” It appeared he didn’t bother to dress before finding me since he only wore his pajama bottoms. He padded across the tile floor barefoot and stepped into the pile of cushions. “What are you up to?” He eyed me, suspicion clear in his expression.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You’re concentrating very hard and that bodes for bad times.” He crawled onto his stomach next to me. For the first time, I had a clear view of the dark tattoo on his back.
A large circular design covered his pale, translucent skin. It was made of sharp angular lines that reminded me of Inca or Aztec drawings. A black sun sat in the middle of it. “It seems odd you would choose a sun on your tattoo.”
He glanced over his shoulder at it. “I didn’t decide what was placed on my back.
None of us do.”
Skeletal wings were drawn to sprout from his shoulder blades, and extended to curl over his arms. “Who does?” I traced a finger along a curving line down his flank.
A shiver coursed through his muscles.
I withdrew my hand as if burned and glanced at him. His dark eyes dilated with hunger, but I didn’t think my blood was on the menu.
With a slow gesture, he brushed some hair from my face as if afraid to startle me.
“Connie.” He whispered my name and drew closer until his lips met mine.
I should have pulled away. I should have slapped him across the face, or better yet, kneed him in the balls. I should have hated the way his lips felt on mine nevertheless I didn’t. Oh, I didn’t.
With ease, he melted me into the cushions. His firm lips caressed and teased mine until I finally opened my mouth to invite him in. I drowned in the wake of his desire as the weight of his body pinned me. He felt so right. I explored his back with my hands and finally slipped them under the waistband of his pajama pants. His hard ass clenched as I cupped it and pulled him closer to me.
He groaned then dragged himself away. With a struggle, he lifted the hem of my summer dress over my head and tossed the light material aside.
I lay under him, naked except for a pair of lace panties, as he straddled my waist. If I let this go any further, there would be no turning back.
His cock tented his pants as he slid the waistband to his hips.
“Wait. This is wrong. I can’t.” I rose to my elbows as shame tore its way through my heart and soul.
“You belong to me. I lend you to Rurik.”
“It doesn’t stop the fact I still love him. I can’t.” No matter how Tane worded it, if I fucked him it would tear my relationship with Rurik apart.
Tane pulled his pants back up and threw himself onto the cushions next to me.
I reached for my sundress, except a cool hand around my waist prevented me from getting it.
“This isn’t over.” He twisted me around to face him. “You want Rurik and you want me.” A brush of his fingertips over my nipple made me gasp. “I want both of you.” He rolled it between his fingers and gently pulled.
An arrow of pure pleasure shot straight to my groin. I grasped his shoulders and dug my nails into them. If he kept touching me, I’d lose all sentience and tear his clothes off like a wild animal in heat.
He hissed and shrugged off my hands. “No nails.” With a soft shove, he pushed me away and ran both his hands over my breasts. “I’ve been dying to do this since the day I walked in on your bare ass to heal you.” He squished them together and bent down to suck on the left bud.
Arching my back, I tried to fight my awakening arousal. He pissed me off, but damn, I liked it. I ran my hands over his smooth head until I reached his chin and lifted it to meet my gaze. “Not without Rurik.”
A malicious grin spread across his face as he released his hold on me. “I thought you’d never ask.” He knelt beside me and slipped my panties off. “He’s already on his way.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the entrance and placed a cushion over my lap. My heart raced. I didn’t know how Rurik would react. He’d been lovers with Tane, however that was hundreds of years ago. There had to be a reason for them not getting back together before now.
Not a moment longer, my lover strode into the grotto. He stared from me to Tane and back again. His brow furrowed as he frowned. “What’s the explanation this time? Your dress flew off and you forgot to wear underwear?”
I smacked Tane on the shoulder. “I told you this was a bad idea.” Me and my stupid libido, why didn’t I make Tane buzz off when he kissed me? I stared daggers at his tattooed back as he approached Rurik.
My blood bound vampire grasped Rurik by his messy dark hair and embraced him in a heated opened mouth kiss.
All the air left my lungs.
Rurik didn’t struggle like I expected. Instead, he wrapped his arms around my master, like he’d done to me a thousand times, and returned the passionate kiss as if tasting something he longed for.
I wish I could say jealousy didn’t raise its ugly green head, yet it peeked out. Not for the obvious reasons, though. Rurik and I loved each other. In the past, he and Tane had shared a relationship, which left me wondering what could I and the Nosferatu have?
My breathing became heavier as I watched Tane reach inside Rurik’s shorts and stroke his cock until it strained against the material. I couldn’t believe how tormented I felt watching them touch. How it made me ache with desire.
At that moment, my gaze met Rurik’s. His ice blue eyes had gone from furious to enflamed. He retreated from Tane and flung his dark hair out of his face and glared.
“Maybe we should set some ground rules. I don’t want any regrets.” He glanced at me and his gaze traveled down my body. His chest heaved as if he were trying to catch his breath. He pointed at Tane. “You command outside of the bedroom, but when the three of us are together, I give the orders. I won’t participate otherwise.”
I patted the cushion next to me, eager to touch Rurik, someone I knew and was familiar with.
He smiled as he settled next to me. “Are you okay with this?” With a gentle hand, he tilted my chin to look me in the eye. “I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
Glancing at Tane, I was surprised to see him still standing apart from us. His arms crossed over his chest as he stared at his feet. It dawned on me then the gravity of this decision. One or all of us could get hurt and destroy the delicate balance we already had.
“Tane?”
At the sound of his name, he glanced up with a scowl, except it was a mask he wore like the ones on his wall. Something he could hide behind.
I reached out my hand.
The scowl melted, replaced by a more vulnerable expression. “I don’t—” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to be a third wheel or an extra body part. I want the whole package.” With a small sigh, he took my hand. “Friendship, love, all of it.”
My heart fluttered at his words. Could I love two men? God, could I deal with their egos?
He sat next to me and clung to my hand.
I squeezed and remembered how worried I’d been about him last night. How he’d done his best to protect me against the pain. I did love him. It was different from the way I felt for Rurik, but it was love nonetheless. “Okay.” Twisting around, I faced Rurik and waited for his answer.
“We always loved each other. It was just bad timing and wrong partners.” He laid his hand on ours. “The sex should always be together. Otherwise, someone will eventually feel left out. I don’t want to walk in on both of you in compromising positions anymore.