Their Taydelaan (6 page)

remove the casserole that Mitchell currently seemed to be burning.

Damn.

* * * *

Jade glanced at her brother-in-law and tried not to be obvious

when she ran her sweaty palms down her jeans. Mitchell and Zack

hadn’t been impressed that she’d asked David to drop her off instead

of letting them come for her. She hadn’t meant to be cantankerous,

but things had seemed so far out of her control, she’d argued on the one point she felt she could win. It didn’t help that she was more

nervous about this single date than she’d been with every other date

put together. Why was she so damn jumpy?

“You can probably sense Mitchell’s stress, baby,”
Zack

whispered in her head.
“He’s more nervous than I’ve ever seen him.

Be gentle with him
.”

She smiled at Zack’s teasing words but somehow understood the

seriousness behind them.

“The link has gotten stronger,” David said with a nod of approval.

She glanced over at her sister’s husband and tried to smile. She didn’t quite manage it, but he glanced over and smiled for her. “I’ve known

Mitchell and Zack for years. They’re good guys.”

“So everybody says,” she answered, trying not to be sarcastic.

Other than some really hot sex dreams she knew very little about

them. The fact that she could hear them in her head and feel their

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41

emotions several miles away did nothing to convince her that she

wasn’t insane. “How long have you known them?”

David looked a little uncomfortable and gave her an answer that

didn’t really satisfy. “Many, many years.”

“How many years?” She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that

David was hiding something.

He breathed out heavily and finally gave her a proper answer.

“About forty Earth years.”

“What? Did you really say forty years? You’re joking, right? You

don’t look a day over thirty, how can you have known them for forty

years?” She could feel hysteria creeping over her. This couldn’t be

right. How could this be right? “How old are you?” she demanded,

practically holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

“Seventy-four,” he said, sounding resigned and maybe a little

annoyed that he’d started this conversation. “And before you go

asking, Jessica is a few years younger.”

“Baby,”
Zack said with a singsong voice inside her head,
“tell
David I’m going to kick his ass when he gets here.”
She couldn’t help but grin at the threat delivered in such a sweet voice. David glanced over, looking at her worriedly.

“Zack says he’s not happy with you.” She delivered the message

while trying to ignore the fact that she was essentially relaying a

conversation with a voice in her head. David grinned, and a soft laugh escaped him.

“I reckon he probably wants to kick my ass,” he said, confirming

that he knew the man well. “I’m sorry, Jade. I didn’t mean to start this conversation, but as a general rule, Sesturians have a life expectancy about twice that of humans.”

“So I’ll be old and gray while Zack and Mitchell still look

young?” Despite all the jokes she’d made about maybe one day trying

her hand at being a cougar, she really didn’t like the idea of looking twice the age of her partners. She felt a swell of hope in her mind and
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realized it came from Mitchell and Zack. Was she really thinking long term with these two?

“Not quite,” David said slowly, and she got the impression that he

was once again trying to avoid answering. “Sesturian medicine is

quite advanced, but I’m sure that’s something you and your partners

can discuss at a later date.” She nodded, willing to let David off the hook, for now at least. “We’re here,” he said, sounding very relieved.

“I have very strict instructions from Kayla to walk you to the door,

threaten bodily harm to Mitchell and Zack if they fail to treat you

properly, and then get my ass home.”

Jade tried to hide the smile threatening to break free but failed

miserably. She could just imagine her sister giving those exact

instructions. David smiled with her and whispered conspiratorially,

“Just be glad she’s not in your head, too.” He grinned, obviously

listening to Jade’s younger sister give him grief via telepathy.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. David was a genuinely nice guy,

and even though she hadn’t been happy when Kayla had begun her

relationship with David and Jessica, it was obvious that they both

loved her sister as much as they loved each other.

“Call me when you want to come home,” David said with a grin

and a wink.

* * * *

Mitchell could feel her affection for David, and it was driving him

nuts. He knew—absolutely knew—that it was just the emotions a

woman would have for any member of her family, but a primitive part

of him wanted to keep her all to himself.

“It’s okay,”
Zack said in a soothing telepathic voice.
“It’s just the
effect of the enzyme. Once you’ve claimed her, things will go back to
normal.”

“What if she never lets me claim her?” he asked out loud in a

sullen voice. He was starting to understand the strange mood swings

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43

pregnant woman went through. This whiny, negative, insecure feeling

was pissing him off, but he couldn’t seem to shake it.

“She will,” Zack said confidently as he went to answer the door.

“Hello, baby,” Zack said as he reached for Jade’s hand, “welcome

to our home.”

The overwhelming urge to haul his woman over his shoulder and

lock her in his bedroom for several days slid through Mitchell’s mind, but he managed to control it for the moment. The suppressant David

had given him was helping to stop the enzyme’s production but didn’t

seem to do anything to control his possessive urges. He took a deep

breath, trying to calm himself before he did something stupid. He

glanced at Zack for reassurance and realized that the possessive urges had been there all along. It was just his fear that Jade would reject them that was magnifying everything.

“Hello, Zack.” She let Zack pull her into his arms for a brief hug,

and Mitchell felt his cock roar to life. Seeing both his partners

together was a far bigger turn-on than he’d ever imagined. He wanted

to grab them both, love them, protect them, and fuck them both until

none of them could walk straight. Zack and Jade must’ve picked up

on that thought because they both moved into the circle of his arms

and held on tight. The feeling of finally being complete washed

through him, and he held them both for a long time.

“Yup,” David said as he stepped out the front door, “that’s my cue

to leave. Take care of her.” Mitchell nodded his promise and relaxed

even more when Jade stretched up onto her toes and pressed a soft

kiss to the underside of his jaw.

* * * *

Zack had no idea how long they stood like that in the hallway, but

eventually the smell of burning food reached his nostrils. He was

tempted to simply ignore it, but figured burning down the house was

probably not the best way to take care of their girl.

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“How do you feel about pizza?” Mitchell looked startled by the

question, but then the smell of burning food reached him as well. He

pulled Zack and Jade closer for a brief moment and finally released

them. A deep rumble of a laugh escaped his chest.

“So much for perfect,” he said, sounding calmer than he had all

day.

Jade must’ve noticed the smell, too, because she smiled and

nodded. “Pizza sounds great. Extra anchovies for me.”

“Ugh,” Zack said with a shudder. “You better kiss me now, baby,

because once you’ve downed a few of those salty little things you’re

going to need a bucket of mouthwash before I kiss you again.”

She looked startled at first but then realized that he was joking—

well, maybe half joking. He really,
really
hated anchovies. Jade followed them into the kitchen, and Zack turned everything off,

refusing to think of the cleanup they’d need to do tomorrow. Goddess, he missed the food processors on Sesturia. Perfectly cooked,

nutritionally balanced, quickly delivered meals with very little

cleanup. What could be more perfect?

“Good to know about the anchovies,” Jade said with a grin. “If I

ever need a break from your kisses I know exactly what to do.”

“Doesn’t work with me,” Mitchell teased. “I’m fine with

anchovies.”

She smiled at them both, but it faltered and she suddenly looked

very lost. Her knees wobbled, and he went to steady her, but she held her hand up for him to stay where he was. She grabbed one of the

chairs at the breakfast bench and sat heavily.

“I’m sorry,” she said tiredly. “I don’t even know you. I’ve never

actually kissed you, so I don’t understand why I said that.”

“Beautiful,” Mitchell said as he stepped closer. He touched her

cheek affectionately. “You do know us. You can already sense our

emotions. You already hear our thoughts. The link is already there,

and it will only get stronger.”

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45

She looked from Mitchell to Zack and back again before she tried

to say something. She had to swallow before she could voice her

thoughts.

“I…I never expected to…to find someone. I thought I was just

one of those people who was meant to be alone. I don’t understand

how I could be your Taydelaan.”

“Do you want to be alone the rest of your life?” Zack asked as he

tried to understand the myriad of emotions he could feel flowing

through her. She shook her head, and he felt relief pour through both him and Mitchell.

“Then kiss me, beautiful,” Mitchell said, taking the seat beside

her. “Kiss me and let the link grow. Then you’ll understand you

belong with us.”

Her eyes were filmed with tears when she looked at Mitchell, but

she leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth. Zack could

feel Mitchell’s determination to let her control the kiss, and he

watched, fascinated, as their Taydelaan kissed his lover for the first time. Her tongue touched Mitchell’s lips, and he groaned and stroked

it with his own. Jade lifted off the chair and moved to sit on

Mitchell’s lap as she deepened the kiss and raised the heat in the

room.

With his hand rubbing gently over his own erection, Zack watched

Jade turn to straddle Mitchell’s lap, pressing her crotch against his hard cock. Mitchell groaned and lifted her onto the kitchen table. He kissed her frantically, taking control of the kiss, stamping her with his possessiveness. She writhed against him, and Zack almost came in his

jeans when Mitchell grabbed Jade’s shirt and ripped it from her body.

She gasped, the sound loud in the otherwise silent kitchen, but

didn’t pull away. Mitchell dragged her bra away just as roughly, and

Zack stepped closer to help with her jeans. He was more than willing

to keep their woman naked for the rest of her life, but they might need her jeans if they planned to walk out the front door.

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He managed to undo the material and wiggle them down her hips.

Mitchell lifted her off the table, and Zack dragged the material down her legs and off her feet, taking her shoes with them. Mitchell placed her back in the middle of the table, finally breaking the kiss and

moving away from her slightly.

She lay on the table like an offering from the gods. Zach could

barely breathe as he moved to the side and lowered his head to kiss

her. She wrapped her arms around him and welcomed his tongue into

her mouth, sucking gently as he explored the dark recess. He felt

Mitchell’s deep satisfaction that they were kissing this way a moment before he lowered his head to Jade’s pussy. Zack could feel her

pleasure course through her as his lover lapped at her hidden folds.

Zack moved a hand to pluck at one of her beaded nipples, smiling

when she arched her back and lifted from the table. Through the

connection with his mates, he could feel Jade’s surprise that she liked what Mitchell was doing, and Mitchell’s relief that she was enjoying

it. Zack felt the exact moment that Mitchell stiffened his tongue and started fucking her with it. She shivered and pulled Zack closer as her orgasm spiraled nearer.

Fucking her mouth with his own tongue, Zack matched Mitchell’s

rhythm and held their woman down, knowing from their dreams how

much the immobility turned her on. He felt a moment of fear pass

through her before her orgasm exploded. She moaned as every muscle

shook with her release. Mitchell held her thighs open, prolonging her climax with the clever use of his tongue. Over and over she undulated against the hard table, her muscles rippling, her breathing labored, her heart and mind open to them both.

Zack thought he sensed something about a man from her past, but

that part of the link dissolved before he could understand it fully.

Mitchell leaned over the table, turned Zack’s head with a firm hand,

and thrust his tongue into Zack’s mouth. Jade’s taste burst on his

tongue, and he moaned at the perfection of the moment. Even in their