She left before she said something else stupid. Like, why don’t you two try me on for size? A few years ago, she’d seen one of the breeding female Circs being taken by several males at once. The sight had both fascinated and repelled her. The men’s urgency intrigued her beast, but she could never quite tell if the female really wanted them or was at the mercy of her hormones. The thought of her being used against her will had turned Ali’s stomach.
But now, with Bas and Gray, she’d be more than willing. Her beast had picked a fine time to act the whore. After climbing the steps and pacing in the living space, she chided herself. “Relax, will you?”
“Sure thing, honey. Just show me where to clean up first.”
She jumped when Bas’s voice intruded and could have kicked herself for not hearing him. “Through there. Only door in the place other than the exit.”
He nodded and entered the lavatory. He didn’t close the door behind him. Then Gray stepped out from the stairwell into the living room, carrying his torn trousers.
“I don’t suppose you have any clothes that might fit me?”
She did. “I sometimes take things I need from those sent to bring me back.” She pointed to a tall armoire. “See what you can find in there.”
She tried not to but told herself she had every right to keep an eye on a potential threat in her own home. Gray’s tight ass flexed as he walked. His total disregard for his nudity brought another level of beauty to the man with a flawless build. He had a few scars, what must have been nearly mortal wounds to remain on Circ skin, but they only made him that much more attractive.
He turned with a bunch of clothes in hand and saw her studying him. His expression remained neutral. A tough Circ, a warrior she’d have to remain on guard around.
“What?”
“Why are you here?” she asked him.
“There are rogues in the area. A high concentration of them that concerned us. So we came to see what was what.”
“You’ve seen. What now?”
“Now we clean up the rogues and mutants in the area.”
He didn’t bother trying to hide his hard-on. How he could think of anything but sex with that big thing waving around was anyone’s guess. To her horror, her beast wanted her on her knees, waiting and willing to lick him clean.
She told herself she was disgusted by the idea. But she wasn’t. “Count me out of your cleanup,” she warned.
He walked right into her personal space, and her stupid beast let him. “Sweetheart, I’ll do what I damn well please. I know my job.” He shocked her by lifting a finger to caress her cheek. “You’re safe enough. For the moment.” A flash of elongated pupils let her know his beast truly saw her. And he appeared to like what he saw.
He turned and joined Bas in the bathroom and closed the door behind him. The shower stall was big enough to fit two grown Circs, and she wondered if they’d shower together. Would they fuck in the stall?
Her pussy clenched, and she cursed herself for being ruled by her own hormones. And why the hell had her beast not challenged him when he’d walked right up to her like he owned her?
Snarling under her breath, she tried to think of how to handle the men. Bas she had covered. But Gray… She needed leverage on him. He’d reacted to her pheromones before. She’d have to use that to her advantage. One way or another, as pleasant a diversion as she found them, the Circs would have to leave. She had to find Trenton and kill him. She couldn’t do that with these two underfoot.
That they were in her safe zone didn’t bother her, and she didn’t know why. The house had become her refuge, her sanctuary against the enemy. She’d never brought another Circ or person here before, and she still berated herself for bringing Bas at all. She should have dumped him in the nearby cave. The area belowground was for emergencies only. And now it was no longer a secret.
Damn it.
Bas exited the bathroom wearing a towel too small for him. His hair had been toweled dry, but a few drops of water lovingly trailed down his torso. So biteable. She shushed her beast and waited for Bas to speak.
He did like to talk.
“Hey, honey. Can you point me to the clothes? Gray mentioned you had a few that might fit me.”
“You’re bigger than most of the rogues I’ve met, but look for yourself.” She pointed to the wall. “They’re in there.”
He walked to the armoire and found clothing. Then he dropped his towel and dressed right in front of her. Man, he has a fine ass.
“Like what you see?” he asked with a wink.
“You wish.”
“I sure do. I want inside you again.”
She took the leer he gave her as a compliment. “Really? ’Cause I’m thinking you were just inside Gray.”
“I was.” His broad grin woke the butterflies in her stomach. “But he’s Gray, and you’re you. I like you, Ali.”
Had anyone ever said that to her before and meant it? She didn’t know how to handle Bas. “Great. Now why don’t you and loverboy hit the road? I have things to do, and you’re in the way.”
“Loverboy.” He rubbed his chin. “Yeah, Gray will get a kick of out of that. I call him hero or Mr. Perfect. Drives him nuts.”
She tried not to smile. “Yeah? What does he call you?”
Gray yelled from inside the shower, “Junior.”
“Big ears,” Bas muttered. “He’s just jealous because I’m younger and sexier than he is. Don’t worry, Ali. You’ll like him in you just as much.”
She frowned. “Not in his wildest dreams. I’m still not sure why I bedded you. But I’m not riding the lust train anymore, and I—”
Bas burst into laughter. “Lust train? That’s classic.”
Gray exited the bathroom dressed in pants. He toweled off his hair. “And now you see why I find him so annoying. He never takes anything seriously.”
“Not true. Just because I have a sense of humor and people like me doesn’t mean I’m a fool. I like to live life to its fullest, that’s all.” The laugh lines around his mouth and eyes said as much.
Ali found Bas’s attitude refreshing. She’d never before met a Circ with a lightheartedness about him. Most of them wanted to fuck or kill, and not necessarily in that order.
“Yeah, well, I think it’s time we can the jocularity and find out all Ali knows about Caleb Trenton. I’d dearly love to see him again.”
“So would I.” Ali’s beast was in tune with Gray.
“Jocularity?” Bas looked pained. “Look, I’m with you two on gutting the guy. But Gray, could you use smaller words? You don’t need to speak all fancy-like to impress Ali. And you know I’m easy. Then again, I’m a little nobody. I wasn’t born a big bad Circ, like you.”
Ali watched the byplay, intrigued because Gray, for all his brashness, seemed suddenly unsure as he turned to Bas.
“Would you let it go already? Christ, I’m sorry. Okay? You’re just as good as I am, in every way.” The sensual curl of his lips made her shiver.
“Just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget how sorry you are.”
Ali liked how Bas took the dangerous Circ down a peg. How odd. The men acted like true friends. Like lovers who loved. A strange hollow feeling hit her hard. She’d never had that. Not in a romantic sense, anyway. And with her grandfather gone, she had no one left. Not that it mattered, she reminded herself. Soon as Trenton was gone, so was she.
Gray swung his head to hers and pierced her with his stare. His eyes looked more green than brown, his gaze like jade daggers, biting and knowing.
She frowned. “What?” She crossed her arms over her chest, more than aware of the weight of the tranq gun pressed against her back. She’d tucked it into the back of her jeans under her flannel shirt, easy access should she need to take out Gray or Bas in a hurry. Curiously, neither her beast nor the mutant inside her wanted to kill either male, even should she be forced to. And she didn’t know why.