Tempted by Two Angels [Notorious Nephilim 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (11 page)

Now Caleigh was suspicious, and he couldn’t say that came as a shock. She was an observant person. They should have told her earlier, but how do you just blurt out something like that to a woman while you’re making love to her?

Thinking of making love to Caleigh opened up a flood of memories from yesterday. He’d been so pissed off when he first realized Hugh had followed them, but one look at Caleigh’s face and he’d given in. It was what she’d wanted, and he’d rather share her than lose her. He only wished it could have been someone other than Hugh.

Sterling was in deep, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Caleigh was everything he could ever want in a woman and then some. He was usually drawn to quiet, timid women. The forward ones intimidated him, but not Caleigh. He’d been totally taken in by her independent, tenacious streak, and there was no denying how much he enjoyed her in bed. She enjoyed him too, and that only added to his obsession with her.

Last night had proven she was more than capable of enjoying both of them in bed. He glanced at Hugh, who looked uncharacteristically distracted. Was he thinking about Caleigh as well? Was he mulling over the same questions Sterling now asked? Or did he still only want Caleigh as an object of pleasure—a luscious body to be used then discarded once he grew bored with her?

And what would happen if Hugh decided to throw her over? Did Niko and the others know how far it had gone already? Caleigh said Niko had already spoken to her about their unwritten rule. Why would he have done that if he hadn’t at least suspected something? He’d have to talk to Niko. And he’d have to talk to Hugh to find out if he had feelings for Caleigh. They had to know where this was going and who knew what, or the one who’d end up getting hurt would be Caleigh. Sterling couldn't handle that.

Sterling felt a momentary pang of jealousy as he watched Leo and Blair dance to “Tuxedo Junction.” Would he and Caleigh ever have the chance to dance? She never did so between sets, but he wished she’d make an exception tonight. She’d be on stage soon, and his body tingled with anticipation at the thought of hearing her voice again.

The realization of the depth of his feelings for her hit him like a freight train. He was in love with Caleigh Kensington. Hugh’s taunts hadn’t been off the mark at all, and there was no point in denying it. From the moment he’d first laid eyes on her, he’d claimed her. There was no turning back, and no other woman could ever take her place.

Hellfire
. He’d landed in it deep this time. What the hell was he going to do?

* * * *

Caleigh stepped onto the stage and began to sing. She shut out the lust in Hugh’s eyes and the unfathomable emotions shining from Sterling’s, and just let her training take over. She’d chosen “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “I’ve Heard That Song Before,” and “That Old Black Magic”
for her first set. None of those songs held any emotional connection for her, so she was banking on the fact they wouldn’t set off any memories of last night.

This evening Hugh and Sterling sat at a table with Leo, Blair, and Andras. She gave both men a passing glance every few seconds, but never for too long. She didn’t want to think about last night. She didn’t want to think at all. It was bad enough not being able to remember how or when she’d ended up in her own room, but now she had Blair’s revelations to contend with.

It was time to have a serious talk with her two lovers, and this time she wasn’t going to let them seduce her. This time she was going to get some answers.

The crowd was on their feet before she finished the third song, and they cheered and catcalled so loudly Caleigh could have sung the wrong words and they never would have noticed. Support from a cheering crowd had always given her a thrill, but it didn’t faze her tonight. Her mind was too full of questions and worries.

So much for an emotional connection not getting in the way.

The day she no longer got a rush from performing was the day she’d better give it up, and Caleigh wasn’t even close to being ready for that. No matter how fantastic Hugh and Sterling were in bed, singing was her first love, and she intended to keep it that way.

She sat in her dressing room after the first set. She didn’t want to watch anyone dance, and she didn’t want to look into Hugh’s or Sterling’s eyes. Caleigh didn’t know what the hell she wanted. She only knew she’d never been so confused or felt so unsettled before, and she didn’t like it. Caleigh was used to being in charge of her emotions. She was used to making a decision and following through, and she’d never let a man get so far under her skin that he deterred her from her chosen path.

How the hell had this happened? She’d let two men in so deep there was no way to ever turn back. They were like a drug. She had to have them—both of them. What kind of a person does something like that? She’d acted like the worst kind of wanton woman, and she’d never had a moment’s trepidation about doing so. As soon as she saw Hugh standing in the doorway of the boathouse, she’d known she was going to let both of them ravage her.

Caleigh hugged her elbows even though the room was warm. Blair had obviously made love to both Leo and Andras. She’d hardly shown any embarrassment when she told Caleigh she was with them both. How had it happened? Caleigh was curious about the details, but there was no way she was going to simply ask Blair such a question.

Blair had deflected her questions about the odd things going on in this place by shocking her with the news that she slept with both Leo and Andras every night. The realization hit Caleigh suddenly. That’s why Blair had told her that bit of personal news. Not to shock her, or brag, or any of the other lame reasons that had run through Caleigh’s mind when she’d first heard it. Blair had clammed up when Caleigh tried to dig deeper about this place and had instead created a diversion.

So she knew, then. She knew whatever it was they were trying unsuccessfully to keep so secret. Caleigh was now more determined than ever to uncover the secret and find out what the hell she’d landed in.

Her second set consisted of “Let’s Get Lost,” “People Will Say We’re In Love,” and “Taking a Chance on Love.” They might not have an emotional connection, but in retrospect Caleigh realized she couldn’t have chosen three more appropriate songs if she’d tried. If Leo and Andras knew she had made love to Sterling and Hugh, did the other owners know as well? But how then did that explain Niko’s sudden change of heart toward her?

Caleigh began to wonder if she’d imagined the entire conversation with Niko backstage. She glanced at him for a second, but he was absorbed in his snare drum and paying no attention to her. Finally, Caleigh let her gaze wander to the front table.

Hugh was grinning, his eyes shining with lust, as usual. But there was a softness to his jaw muscles tonight that she’d never noticed before. His features weren’t quite as sharp and dangerous as she’d first thought.

Sterling’s green eyes were full of admiration and another emotion Caleigh found disturbing. She’d seen that look in the eyes of lovesick boys in high school and college. It was the same look she’d noticed in the eyes of each man she’d written to this morning, right before they’d boarded the buses that would eventually take them overseas to war. It was the look of a man in love.

Caleigh nearly stumbled on the words during her third song as she continued to hold Sterling’s gaze, desperate to find something in his face that would assure her she was wrong. But she wasn’t wrong. He was looking at her with love in his eyes. There was no mistaking it, and he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

What a mess. She’d never meant to let things go this far. Why hadn’t she put her foot down yesterday afternoon when Hugh showed up and refused to fuck them both? What the hell had she been thinking? That was the problem. She hadn’t been thinking at all. Her hormones had taken over, and their damn sexy eyes and the smells that hung about them like a cloud had screwed up her brain. It happened every time she was within one hundred feet of them. They could each seduce her with nothing more than a glance.

Is that how it had happened for Blair? Had she fallen under the combined spells of Leo and Andras?

Once again, the crowd cheered before she finished singing. Caleigh took a few less bows than last time then sprinted for the back door. She needed fresh air. A light drizzle greeted her on the stone patio, but she didn’t care. The small awning provided enough shelter from the rain for now. She drank in huge gulps of the clean scent, trying to make sense of everything. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this.

“Mind if I join you?”

Caleigh whirled around at the sound of Hugh’s deep voice. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a hand-rolled cigarette and a pack of matches. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“I had no idea you smoked. Usually you can smell it on a person.”

He didn’t answer, merely lit the cigarette and took a long drag. When he exhaled, he did so away from her face. “Want a drag?” he asked, holding it toward her.

She shook her head. “Never started.” She pointed toward her throat. “I was told it would ruin my voice.”

He nodded. “Of course. That makes sense.” He took another long drag. “You look like something’s on your mind tonight, Caleigh.”

“I have a lot of things on my mind tonight.”

“You and Blair looked pretty chummy earlier. Is what’s on your mind related to something she told you, perhaps?”

“Are each of you able to read minds, Hugh?”

He took a long drag, exhaled, and flicked the butt out onto the wet grass. “Don’t tell Zach or Emmett you caught me smoking out here, okay? Let them think it was a guest.”

“Sure, I’ll keep that in mind if they happen to ask me about it.” She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but she was getting sick and tired of everyone evading her questions.

He must have noticed because he finally turned his full attention toward her, gazing into her eyes with a thoughtful expression. “What if I told you we could read minds? Or, at least could pick up on feelings?”

“Lots of people can do that.”

“Not quite to the extent we can.”

“Who exactly is ‘we’?” Caleigh’s heart began to hammer.

“You have another set to finish. We should have this conversation afterward.”

“Damn it, Hugh. Why won’t anyone answer my questions?”

“Caleigh, it’s a bit more complicated than simply answering your questions.”

“Fine. After the show we’ll talk.” She leaned close and lowered her voice. “I’m not fucking you or Sterling ever again until I get some answers. Is that clear?”

A smile played at the corners of his mouth, and Caleigh curled her hand into a fist. She’d never hit a man in her entire life, but she came very close to decking Hugh at that moment. How dare he laugh at her?

“Clear as a bell, my songbird. See you after the show.”

He turned and left her standing in the rain.

Caleigh waited in her dressing room after the show, listening to the sounds of the band packing up. Let Hugh and Sterling come to her. And if Hugh broke his promise and they didn’t talk to her, she was done with both of them. To hell with this, no matter how amazing they were in bed.

She waited twenty minutes before opening the door, with every intention of marching straight up to her room and sticking to her guns. They could send all the damn roses they wanted. She wasn’t going to budge an inch.

Disappointment settled over her like a shroud as she made her way to the stage. She heard angry voices and ducked behind the stage curtains, peering out through a slit in the fabric. Sterling and Hugh stood near the entrance to the nightclub, surrounded by Leo, Andras, and Blair.

“I didn’t tell her anything she couldn't have figured out for herself, or heard from another staff member,” Blair’s voice shook, and Caleigh swore she was crying. She gazed up at Hugh with a pained expression on her face. “And besides, you’ve already told all the other staff. Why didn’t you say something to her right away? How was I supposed to know you hadn’t? When she started asking questions, I didn’t know what to say.”

“Don’t blame Blair,” said Leo, his face inches from Hugh’s. “She’s right. If you and Sterling hadn’t been so busy fucking her, this wouldn’t have happened. You said you’d tell her, and obviously you haven’t.”

“The subject never came up.” Hugh’s voice was bored, unaffected.

“And what about you?” Andras turned on Sterling. “Did the subject not come up during your rooftop rendezvous?”

“It didn’t seem like the right time. I hardly think you and Leo have any right to lecture us, considering what you both did with Blair.”

Blair reeled back like someone had struck her. Caleigh had heard enough. She stomped out from behind the curtain, making sure her shoes clip-clopped loudly on the wooden floor of the stage. Five surprised faces turned toward her.

“I’m here now,” she shouted. “So tell me. What’s this big secret you’re all trying so hard to keep?”

Caleigh descended the stairs and strolled toward the group. “You all have a distinct smell, you seem to know my thoughts, you possess superhuman strength, the air has a weird electrical charge to it every time I’m alone with Sterling or Hugh, and I can’t seem to keep my wits about me whenever one of them is around.”

She’d reached the group. Blair
had
been crying, and that made Caleigh extremely pissed off. How dare they gang up on her like that?

“You say you’re all cousins, but I’m betting that’s bullshit. I seem to have only vague memories of certain blocks of time spent with Sterling or Hugh, and if that photograph of the twelve owners wasn’t taken in the twenties, I’ll eat a microphone.” She glared at Leo. “You and Andras have aged since that picture was made, but the rest of the owners have not. Why is that?”

“Caleigh…” Sterling’s condescending tone set her teeth on edge.

“Don’t do it. Don’t you dare patronize me or try to smooth this over. Did Hugh tell you about our short conversation after my second set?”

The other four glared at him. “Oh, I guess not. I told him I wanted answers to my questions and he promised me I would have them, after the show. The show is over. So it’s time to answer my questions, or I’m out of here.”