Saving Scarlett (6 page)

Chapter 6

Ray could hardly concentrate through dinner.  He and Wes had spent almost the entire day talking with Scarlett.  She was remarkably candid.  Eventually the conversation had turned to her family, and her worry that no matter what they did, her father wouldn’t accept what they were planning.  She was afraid they would have to hide out forever, or that somehow he’d find them.  Ray didn’t like her being afraid, but he hoped that after their mating ceremony, she would feel more at ease.

It wasn’t those thoughts that his mind kept drifting to, though.  He couldn’t stop thinking about the kisses they’d shared, and her frank – if not a little embarrassed – desire to make love to them again.  He hadn’t wanted anyone else since the day he’d met Scarlett, and he knew that Wes felt the same.  He’d envied the other mountain lions who had found their mates, but now he and Wes could count themselves among those few.

He listened to Scarlett as she talked about going to college to study art and how much she loved painting.  Ray and Wes hadn’t gone to college.  There wasn’t a whole lot of industry in King; their dad and uncle worked at the tire factory just outside of town, and he and Wes had worked there part-time during high school.  Ray really loved working on the farm for Rhett and Lisa, and he knew that Wes loved it, too.  At the factory, they’d been cogs in the wheel, but at the farm, they were treasured employees, more family than workers.

Scarlett stood and said, “I’ll help with the dishes.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Max said with a gentle smile.  “Miles and I have a deal that one of us cooks and the other does the dishes. If you clear the table, then what will Miles do for the rest of the evening?”

She sat down again, smiling.  “Well, I wouldn’t want to interfere with the status quo.”

“How about the three of us cook dinner tomorrow and take care of the dishes, too?”  Wes offered.

“Sounds great,” Max said, stacking plates.

Scarlett smiled at Ray and it made his cat purr.  He kept his voice low as he brushed a lock of hair off her shoulder.  “What do you want to do now, sweetheart?”

“Go downstairs,” she said softly, her cheeks pinking in blush.

“That sounds like a great idea to me,” he said, standing and holding his hand out to her.  She slipped her trembling hand into his and stood, and after saying goodnight to Max and Miles, they headed into the basement.  He wanted the night to be special for her, because it was sure as hell special for him and Wes.  After eight long weeks of missing her, they finally had her back in their arms.  He damn sure wasn’t going to let her go anytime soon.

Wes gathered the candles they’d found on the storage shelf, set them on the nightstand, and lit them.  Ray left Scarlett sitting on the bed and went to stoke the fire, to make sure it lasted all night.  After he added wood to the stove and shut the door, he walked to the stairs and turned off the light.  Wes was sitting next to Scarlett and they were kissing.  Even from a distance, Ray could hear her soft moan of pleasure and his cat growled in happiness.

Striding quickly to them, he dropped to his knees in front of her and pushed her legs apart gently.  Her hand landed on his shoulder and she pulled from her kiss with Wes and turned passion-glazed eyes to him. She leaned down and he cupped her face, pulling her close.  Their lips met and everything inside him sparked to life.  His fingers slipped through her hair and he tipped her head, angling her mouth as she scooted closer.  He could feel the heat of her body, and the sweet scent of her arousal spiked in the air.

She lifted from his mouth with a soft moan.  Wes tugged her shirt over her head, and Ray’s gaze latched onto her breasts, the ripe mounds held captive by pink lace.  He trailed his fingertips over the tops of her breasts and she shivered.  He hooked his finger in the center of the bra and gave a slight tug.  She bit her bottom lip as the bra loosened suddenly and Wes grinned at him.  He tugged on the center of the bra again and it slipped free of her breasts.  In a second it was flying away from them, but the soft thud of it hitting the floor was lost to him as he stared at her hard nipples and the way her chest heaved as she panted for breath.  He and Wes quickly stripped her of the remainder of her clothes.

They both reached for her at the same time, and Ray cupped one breast while Wes cupped the other.  Ray kissed her nipple, plumping her breast with one hand while the other covered her thigh and squeezed.  She wiggled against him, her knees tightening around his waist as he sat between them, licking and sucking her firm bud to tight perfection.

Their first night together had been a blur of passion and need, and he hadn’t taken his time with her, but he wouldn’t make that mistake tonight.  They had all the time in the world, and by the time he and his brother were finished with her tonight, she’d know how much she meant to them.

She ran her fingers through his hair and fisted the strands, pulling him closer to her.  He swirled his tongue around her nipple and sucked gently.  Lifting from the tempting bud, he rubbed his thumb around it, the color a dark pink against her lightly tanned flesh, and looked up at her.

She watched him with hooded eyes, her lips swollen from their kisses.  “Lay back, sweetheart,” he said roughly.

“I don’t want to be the only one naked,” she whispered.

He grinned.  Standing slowly, he stripped in front of her.  He’d never thought the removal of his own clothes was sexy, but judging from the way she tracked his every move and kept biting her lower lip, he knew she thought it was.

Ray was aware of Wes nearby, but he was riveted by the way Scarlett was looking at him.  Her gaze bounced from him to Wes, and when he’d shucked the last of his clothes, she gasped her approval.

She met his gaze.  “I dreamed about this so much.  Seeing you again.  Having you be mine.  I feel like I’m dreaming still.”

“It’s not a dream, love,” Wes said, then slipped onto the bed behind her and pulled her gently backward until he was leaning against the headboard and she was tucked between his bent knees.  Ray climbed onto the bed and gently pushed her legs further apart.  Her core glistened with the evidence of her arousal.  He settled between her thighs and she rubbed her foot against his ribs.  Placing his hands on her warm thighs, he pushed them even further apart, baring her sweet center to his gaze.  She smelled so sweet and intoxicating.  His cat wanted to just linger here between her thighs forever and taste her again and again.

Her body was bare, and he kissed the top of her mound.  He licked the length of her pussy, his tongue barely touching her silky skin.  She made a soft sound, like a breathy sigh of pleasure, and he couldn’t help but smile.  He slipped his hands under her legs and cupped her ass, lifting her slightly from the bed.  He pressed his lips to her pussy and, tilting his head, he slipped his tongue into her core.  She groaned and her pussy clenched his tongue.  He kissed her body like it was her mouth, licking and stroking inside her, feasting on her sweet cream.  He sucked at her lips, letting his teeth graze the soft flesh, and she canted her hips, her fingers grasping at his hair.

He flicked her clit with his tongue, lowering her body to the mattress.  Her nails scraped his scalp and he pressed the flat of his tongue to her clit, dragging it slowly across the firm bud.  He glanced up the length of her body as one of her hands let go of his hair.  Wes held both her breasts, his hands cupping them, his thumbs rubbing her nipples.  She now held each of her mates by one hand in their hair, and Ray grinned as she lifted her hips again, searching for his mouth.

Her eyes were closed and her mouth had fallen open as she panted, her stomach fluttering as he ran his tongue around her clit.  The bud hardened further as he wiggled it back and forth, and he knew she’d been waiting long enough for pleasure since they’d been apart all those weeks.  He didn’t want her to wait anymore.  Wrapping his lips around the bud, he sucked it into his mouth and growled.  He figured she’d feel the vibrations from his growl, and knew he was right when her hand twisted hard in his hair.

He growled again, his tongue flicking the tip of her clit, curling his hands around her thighs to hold her body open for him.  She tried to move against his mouth, but he held her still, sucking and licking her until she cried out and arched against him.  He released his grip on her clit and licked the bud lightly, gentling her down from the heavens.

Wes slipped out from behind her and settled off to the side, giving Ray the first time with her.  He glanced at his brother, but then Scarlett reached for him, and he forgot about everything but his mate as she held her hands out to him.  He kissed up her stomach as she stretched out on the bed, her legs curling around his body and her hands gripping his shoulders.  He kissed her throat and slid his arms around her back, cupping her shoulders as his cock pressed inside her.  She raised her hips, meeting him as he pushed in, until their bodies were tightly wed and he felt like he’d black out from the sheer pleasure.  Nipping at her throat, he purred softly and rose over her, sliding his hips away from her until his cock was barely touching her hot wetness, before pressing in again, faster.  Her eyes met his and her nails dug into his back as their hips met, moving faster with each forward press.  Her pussy clutched him as he drove into her, and the sweet passion that bloomed in her eyes made him want to howl in happiness.

He kissed her, stroking his tongue to hers with the same fervor that he stroked into her body.  She moaned and gasped into his mouth, and he ate the sounds.  He’d never felt so connected to a person before.  He’d believed himself half in love with her already, pining for her since the morning they woke up without her.  Now he had her in his arms, and the sweet heat surrounding his cock was something he never wanted to go without again.

He sucked her bottom lip and increased the pace, his climax tingling at the base of his spine.  He slid one hand down to the small of her back and lifted her slightly. He sank just a little deeper into her and her legs fell open as she moaned.  He swiveled his hips as he pressed into her again and again, and when he felt her body begin to tighten rhythmically and her panting breaths filled his ears, he knew he’d found her sweet spot.  She lifted her leg slightly, her knee sliding up his side, and her hands gripped him as she tossed her head back and screamed.  Her pussy clenched him like a fist and he fell off the edge into white hot pleasure.  He came hard, his vision winking out as he hugged her close and buried his face in her neck.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him.  “Ray,” she whispered, her voice raw.

He kissed her throat and lifted his head, meeting her bright gaze.  His heart swelled, the connection between them tangible.  “I love you.”

Her brows rose for a moment and then she smiled, a dimple appearing in her cheek.  “I love you, too.  I feel like we’ve known each other forever even though we’ve hardly been together.  My heart is yours.  Both of yours.”

Ray lifted from her slowly, hating the feeling of his body slipping from hers, and rolled to the side.  Wes wasted no time taking his place, and their soft murmurs of affection made Ray smile.  Scarlett loved them.  He felt like he’d been able to feel her emotions in some way.  Maybe their mating connection was strong because she was a supernatural creature herself.  Not a wolf, but a special sort of mate.  No matter what she was, though, she was theirs and that was all that really mattered.

* * * * *

Wes woke up when Scarlett scrambled over him in the morning.  Her feet hit the carpet and she raced to the bathroom.  He sat up abruptly when he heard her getting sick.  He and Ray both rushed to the bathroom and found her bent over the white porcelain, sobbing.

He wet a washcloth and handed it to Ray, who knelt next to her and lifted her hair from her neck and pressed the cloth to her skin.  She hissed, her head dropping onto her upturned palm.  Wes put his hand on her shoulder.

“Sweetheart?”  he asked.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I’m fine when I first wake up but within a minute or two my stomach is rolling.”

She made a gagging sound and threw up a little bit more and then reached for the lever, flushing the toilet.  Ray gave her the cloth and she wiped her mouth, sitting back on her heels and grimacing.

“Did you feel bad at all yesterday?” Ray asked.

She shook her head.  “Just that one time.”  She raised her hand to Wes and he helped her stand.  She brushed her teeth and splashed cold water on her face.  They walked with her out of the bathroom and led her to the bed, lying on either side of her.  “Do you want something to eat?”  Wes asked.

“Um, crackers?  They seemed to help yesterday morning.  And maybe juice, too.”

Wes kissed her forehead and slipped from the bed, snagging his jeans from where he’d thrown them the night before.  “I’ll be right back.”

He glanced at Ray, who was holding Scarlett against his chest with a frown, then trudged up the stairs.  He found his uncle in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee.

“Morning,” he said, and Wes returned the sentiment.

“Scarlett’s not feeling well.”  Wes opened a cabinet and pulled a box of crackers down.

“Oh?”  Miles stirred milk into his coffee.  “Max said she got sick yesterday morning.  She seemed okay last night.”