“Like what other things?”
“My jealousy, for one. It is new to me and very powerful. Even now I am jealous that you can speak to her privately, without me knowing, unless one of you lets me in on the secret.”
“We could agree not to use telepathy around you. It’s not like we have to, and I can see how secret communications could be divisive. As for jealousy, you’re not the only one who has to deal with it.”
“You too?” Grady looked over at him, seeming surprised.
“I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t feel some discomfort with the idea of sharing. As you said, we don’t have a history like Mike and Dave do. We’re relative strangers. But I think we could be friends given time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“Rome?”
“It was an ancient city on another continent.” Gina joined them on the sand, sitting between them and jumping right into their conversation. “The Romans ruled most of the Western world at one time before their civilization fell. So why are we talking about Rome?”
“We weren’t,” Grady said, seeming lost himself as he tried to backtrack. “Jim used a phrase I did not understand, and I asked for clarification.”
“Ah.” She nodded sagely, looking from one to the other with a gentle smile. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. That’s a very popular saying. It means things will improve with time. What, in this case, were you speaking of?”
“The possibility of friendship between Grady and me,” Jim supplied. “We were just saying that we don’t know much about each other, but we’re willing to learn.”
“That’s a good start.” Gina seemed really pleased. “So why the turnaround? I thought you two were on the outs.”
“It’s because of you, Gina.” Grady Prime was so earnest Jim almost rolled his eyes, but Gina seemed genuinely touched by his words. Grady took advantage, moving closer to her, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I am in love with you, Gina. If you could only hear the Hum of our resonance, you would understand. I would die for this. For you.”
“Grady.” Her voice trailed off as she moved into his arms and they shared a passionate kiss, oblivious to their surroundings.
Jim was about to get up and leave when he remembered Sam’s words. He could see how much Grady loved her and that she wasn’t indifferent to him either. How could he fault her for responding to such an impassioned declaration?
But Jim loved her just as much, if not more than Grady did. Could he really stand by and let the alien walk off with his prize?
He had three options. Walk away. Fight for her. Or the toughest of all—work to make all three of them happy, if such a thing was possible. He looked to the example set by Jaci and the cousins, and the other threesomes he’d heard about. If they could make it work, perhaps he could too. It was worth a try. Anything was better than doing without her or making everyone miserable.
Making a decision, Jim scooted forward on the sand, reaching out to touch Gina’s waist. It startled Grady enough to break the kiss and stare over her shoulder at Jim. A silent moment of understanding passed between them before Grady looked back at Gina’s upturned face.
“Do you want this, my love? Do you want both of us?”
“What?” Gina moved away, confusion on her lovely features. “Is that what you guys were talking about? You want to try this as a three-way?”
“Want? Honestly, no.” Jim was man enough to admit. “But we can’t always have what we want, and I think this is what we need to do. It’s the only way I can see for all three of us to be happy.”
Gina didn’t know what to think. The idea of having both of them was tantalizing, though she’d only just started thinking about it since meeting Jaci and the cousins. From what she could see of their relationship, it worked for them. Could such an arrangement work for her and these men? She had no idea, but if they were game, she was willing to try.
More than willing, if truth be told. Each man turned her on in his own special way. Together, they would be devastating, she was sure. But was she brave enough to try? There was only one way to find out.
Turning to Jim, she leaned into him, kissing him deeply. When Grady’s arms came around her waist from the other side, she suppressed a shiver of lust. Having two men at once should have shocked her. Instead, the naughty idea tantalized, making her want to try all sorts of things with them.
Jim broke the kiss and stared down at her. “Are you sure?”
There were still doubts, but they were eclipsed by the kindling flame in her womb as Grady’s hands stroked between her thighs. “I want to try.”
The cloth barring Grady’s touch was too much. She wanted to feel his fingers against her skin, just as she wanted to feel Jim’s. At the same time.
Just the thought of it made her hot.
Jim’s hands went to her shoulders, pulling her in for another deep kiss. His kiss spoke of possession, of desire, while Grady’s hands worked on her trousers. He tugged them off completely, along with her panties and shoes, placing the pants on the sand beneath her bare butt. Gina was almost too far gone to notice, but the special care he took for her comfort was appreciated.
Grady manipulated her lower body until she was half-lying on the sand. He spread her legs, coming down between them. His tongue preceded his fingers as he parted her folds and licked her clit, making her squirm in Jim’s arms. Jim supported her shoulders, his fingers working the buttons on her top until her bare breasts spilled into his hands.
Jim moved, kneeling beside her, shifting her to lie in his lap while he bent over her breasts. Between his mouth on her upper half and Grady’s between her thighs, she was in heaven. She’d fantasized about this sort of thing once or twice, but fantasies could never equal the reality of having two hungry males totally focused on her.
Two men she loved.
The thought brought her up short. She did love them. Each in their own way, but neither less than the other. She’d been half in love with Jim since she was a kid, and he’d only endeared himself to her more since meeting again. He was a demanding lover who pushed her to new heights every time they came together.
Grady, by contrast, was a considerate lover whose gentle handling told her without words how precious he thought her. He made her feel like a queen, and his lovemaking gave her a feeling of ultimate ecstasy she’d never known before him. He was magic.
Gina had always had a love of literature and making love to Grady was like making love to one of Tolkein’s elves. He had the pointy ears, the melodic voice, more strength than most human men and the coloring. He was also so careful of her—except when he was in the thrall of his own climax. Then all bets were off and the animal inside him came out to play.
She loved that moment when he was out of control. Even then, she knew he would never use his superior strength against her. He’d die before he ever hurt her. She trusted him beyond doubt, beyond anything. She felt the same way about him.
Which is why the idea of having to choose between Grady and Jim had been so painful. She prayed this little interlude worked for all three of them. It was certainly working for her!
She wasn’t able to think anymore when Grady’s talented tongue began a fluttering dance around her clit. Jim’s lips tightened around her aroused nipple, laving and sucking, making her want to scream.
But they were in a public place. Sure, the lakefront was deserted at this time of night, but anyone could come upon them. They were out in the open, hidden only by the gloom of the cavern and the distance of this remote lake from the rest of the facility.
Gina had never been a sexual exhibitionist, but these two men made her want to try all sorts of things that were new to her. New and exciting. Just the idea that someone could be watching them heightened her arousal.