Appassionato (21 page)

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.

“Someone trashed my car?” Emma asked, confused. She glanced over at the teacher’s parking lot, then flinched. Her car was destroyed. She couldn’t see the tires over the heads of the crowd but she was sure they were slashed, too. The roof was dented and all the windows were broken. Someone had spray-painted obscenities all over the outside. Emma felt the blood drain from her head. Who would do such a thing? She knew that bonding with Duncan and Jake was going to be controversial, but she didn’t expect this.

“Emma, let’s get to the car.” Duncan gently pulled on her arm.

Emma shook her head then looked straight into the journalist’s video cam. “I have no idea who did that to my car. Bonding isn’t evil or immoral. It’s a beautiful thing. And it’s not something you can keep secret or deny.” Then she turned on her heel and walked through the now-silent crowd. Dave unlocked the car and helped her into the back. Jake and Duncan followed, then Dave and Charlie got in the front. No one said anything until the car pulled away from the curb.

* * * *

“Well,” Jake said, at a loss. He couldn’t believe someone had wrecked Emma’s car. He knew that the situation in the library was tense, that was why he and Duncan came to the school, but never in a million years did he expect actual violence.

Thank God it was just her car
, Duncan thought and Jake nodded. He looked at Emma. She seemed composed, but fragile. He wanted to wipe the look of shock off her face and felt another surge of desire well up. For some reason, the urge to protect her came wrapped up in an arousal so strong he could barely control himself. Emma turned her gorgeous hazel eyes on him. They were a little red, but that did nothing to disguise her beauty. He unbuckled his seat belt and slid to the floor. Emma looked down at him, blushing as she caught wind of his intent.

“Let me help you forget, Emma,” Jake said, sliding his hands up her calves. He tickled behind her knees and she giggled, then stopped abruptly as Duncan caught her hands and held them down. Jake looked at his lover and winked. Emma caught her breath as Jake slid his hands up her thighs then stopped where her legs met her body. He gently rubbed against her panties. She was already wet.

“Jake, please,” she whispered, squirming.

“Hold still, sweetheart.” Duncan brought her arms over her head and placed her fingers around the handle set into the side of the car. “Hang onto this and don’t let go.”

Emma gasped, then grabbed on, angling her body along the car seat. Duncan slipped off her shoes as Jake continued his stroking, never touching her clit, just rubbing along the outside.
It’s a good thing the windows in this car are tinted,
Jake thought.

Duncan nodded.
And that we have a privacy screen between us and the driver. Best purchase I ever made
. Jake grinned and leaned over, kissing Duncan sloppily, sucking on his friend’s lower lip. Jake heard Emma panting as she watched them and he broke the kiss to see her fingers starting to let go of the grip.

“No, don’t let go, remember?” Jake admonished, moving his hands away. Emma moaned in protest, arching her back and trying to follow his hands with her hip. “We’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

“Then why are you moving away?” Emma said, voice breathy.

“I’m just getting started, honey,” Jake rasped. He unhooked the three buttons holding her wraparound skirt together, then parted the material. She wore green satin panties. Her arousal already wet the fabric and Jake’s mouth watered at the sight.

“Gorgeous,” Duncan murmured, slipping his hands underneath the fabric. He tugged and the thin scrap slipped down her legs. He tossed it away then leaned in and breathed deep. Emma shuddered and Jake slid her sweater up. Her matching bra cupped her breasts and he tugged on it until her nipples popped out, pointed and red with her arousal. He arranged the bra cups under her breasts so that they pressed her breasts up, then thumbed over her nipples until she moaned. Duncan groaned behind him and Jake felt the other man slide his hands around his waist, one hand snaking down to cup his hard cock.

“I can feel you leaking,” Duncan breathed into Jake’s ear and he shivered, thrusting into Duncan’s hand. “I want to put this in her, slowly. I want to watch you fuck Emma. And then I want you to fuck me.”

Jake groaned, his arousal spiking. He’d never felt anything like this. Emma breathed through her mouth, lips open and red, breasts bouncing as the car went over a series of bumps.

“We don’t have much time,” Jake said, swallowing as he tried to control himself.

“We don’t need a lot of time,” Duncan replied. He slid his fingers over Emma’s wet core and she shuddered. Jake watched her writhe on the seat, her fair skin flushing beautifully against the black leather. Duncan slipped his fingers inside her, but didn’t touch her clit. She whined, and Jake’s mouth went dry when he saw Duncan slip his fingers back to her ass. He knew what Duncan was going to do, knew what those fingers felt like, rubbing and teasing. Abruptly, Jake opened his jeans, the buttons popping with one yank. He shoved down his boxers, fumbling in the side compartment of the car seat for a condom.

“I have never been so grateful in my life that you stash condoms everywhere,” he muttered as he rolled it on. He had to grab the base of his dick to keep from coming all over himself. Duncan was licking Emma now, his tongue dancing around her clit and Jake had never seen anything so erotic in his life. He fumbled with Duncan’s pants, cursing the belt his rock star lover wore and peeling the skintight material down and over the other man’s cock. It was red and leaking and Jake couldn’t help himself. He had to taste. He bent over and licked the crown, ignoring Duncan’s gasp and opening up his mouth to take in more.