Elizabeth, Peyton - Noble Desire [Nature's Nobles 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “You’re lying to yourself. The reason you’re reacting to my touch now is because I’ve always avoided touching you in a sexual way in the past. I knew if I let myself, I wouldn’t be able to hold back. If you don’t believe me, let me show you,” Theo closed the gap between them.

  Reese saw the intent in Theo’s blue eyes and, before she could protest, felt his warm lips press against hers. His kiss was so different from Jagger’s. Jagger seduced where Theo devoured. His hand tangled in her hair, slanting her head perfectly so their lips formed together in a perfect meld. He created a responsiveness she never would have believed, but she felt it run through her system. The lightbulb in the lone lamp on the side table shattered.

  “Reese, bring it in,” Jagger demanded, his voice getting closer in the darkness.

  Reese tried to pull away from Theo’s hold, but he wouldn’t release her hair. “Theo, stop!”

  “No. Do you see now what I’ve avoided?” Theo questioned, anger and regret evident in his voice. “You feel it. I’ve stayed away long enough, and Jagger and I knew if the two of you could make love to each other with your power under control, we could make our situation work.”

  Reese shoved against his chest at the same time Jagger turned on the overhead light, causing them to blink at the intruding beam. She stared at both men in disbelief. They had set her up. She turned her anger toward Jagger, and tried to govern the sparks of energy she felt attempting to exit her pores. “You’re in on this? What, you two think you’re going to share me? That I would allow that?”

  “Reese—”

  “You’re my only friend, Theo. Do you know how pathetic that is?” Reese paused to give herself a minute, knowing her voice was about to crack under the emotional duress they were placing on her. “And as tragic as this may sound, you want to take the only healthy relationship I’ve ever had and replace it with sex?”

  “Reese, stop it. You’re losing control and you need to rein it in,” Jagger commanded, his voice rising over hers. “If you’d just listen to what Theo is saying, he doesn’t want a quick fuck. He’s loved you a long time but didn’t want to burden you because you couldn’t control anything back then. He risked his life to save you, helping me get you out of that fucking shithole they put you in! At least listen to what he has to say!”

  Reese’s life had altered course in a matter of twenty-four hours, and she didn’t know how to get it back on track. Jagger was right about one thing, she needed to calm down, and she couldn’t do that standing in front of them wearing a blanket like a shield. Reese didn’t look at either of them as she walked toward the doorway, still firmly wrapped in the throw blanket, and the safety of the bedroom. “Find me another safe house. I can’t deal with this on top of trying to stay alive.”

  * * * *

  “Well, that went well,” Jagger said sarcastically, yanking his jeans up sharply. “Great after-sex conversation, by the way. You couldn’t have given me a little more time?”

  Theo didn’t say anything as he went to the couch and dropped down on the cushions. It was still warm from the lovemaking he’d witnessed. It had taken everything he had to stay in the doorway, watching Reese ride Jagger with her head thrown back in the throes of passion. He could only imagine the ecstasy Jagger felt being buried to the hilt in her pussy. His dick was throbbing so hard, it’d probably never lose its erection. Theo shifted his groin to try and relieve the pressure, but the abrasion of fabric only made it harder. “At least you got to come, asshole. I’m in agony here, so I don’t want to hear anything come out of your mouth that isn’t sympathy.”

  “You knew it probably wasn’t going to go well, so I don’t want to hear you complaining. I don’t even know how you talked me into this to begin with. I’m not the type of man who shares,” Jagger spitted out, sitting in the leather chair next to the couch.

  “Neither am I, but I will always do what’s best for Reese.”

  “She’ll come around,” Jagger conceded, as though he knew Theo had reached his limit on the ribbing.

  “She’ll have to come around sooner rather than later. My sources are telling me Cane is heading this way.” Theo stood up to ease the pressure in his dick. Going around the back of the couch, he started to pace back and forth while relaying the important information he’d found out hours earlier. “I think we need to make a stand—here. We shouldn’t move to another safe house where we can’t control everything around us. That would weaken our advantage, because the setup on this land is perfect for what we need to accomplish.”

  “How did Cane locate me?”

  “Does it really matter? With Cane in the employment of the government, he has access to every satellite ever created. We know the government is erasing Nobles that are of no use to them, but we also know that the powerful ones are being kept in facilities around the world to be used at their discretion. Whether to aid in war against foreign countries or simply to be dissected for them to figure out how to create a perfect mutant weapon, I don’t know. I don’t want to know. All I want is to keep Reese safe, and we can’t do that with Cane breathing down our necks.”

  “So what do you suggest?” Jagger asked, reaching on the floor for his shirt. Theo knew he was itching to remove the used condom.

  “We give Cane the access he wants. I’ll bring in some friends to help take out whomever he brings with him. You still have contacts as well,” Theo said, laying out a plan that wasn’t even close to foolproof.

  “And then?” Jagger asked skeptically.

  “Then we let Reese do what she does best. Kill.”

  * * * *

  “What the hell happened out there?”

  Cane stood in the dingy hotel room looking out the window, not even seeing the snow fall in waves to the ground as his attention was directed at the man on the phone. Night had fallen, claiming the mountain view that had been visible during the daylight hours. It was the same mountain where his targets were now located.

  “Exactly what I had planned,” Cane calmly stated, refusing to take the bait Richard Howell was clearly trying to place in front of him.

  “You killed close to thirty of my men,” Howell yelled from the other end of the phone. “How does wiping out a third of my man power work in your favor? Look, you son of a bitch, we gave you immunity because you stated you could get me the Deity. Leading my men into a death trap wasn’t part of the plan, and you have now depleted my unit. Your Noble ass will be mine if I find you are fucking with me!”

  Cane let Howell rant and rave while he turned from the window and walked to the bed where several weapons lay. Grabbing his black satchel, Cane started to pack what he needed for the hike he would be making up the mountain in the morning. When he realized Howell was done with his tirade, Cane let the silence drag on while he walked his bag over to the door. Turning to face the device he left on the bed, Cane broke the static. “Let me make one thing clear. You gave me immunity to bring you Reese Matthews with the agreement that I do it my own way. You made the mistake of assuming I would want those men with me when I first attempted contact. That’s your mistake, not mine. I used your error of judgment to our advantage.”

  “And how is taking that many lives to our advantage? For fuck’s sake—”

  “Enough,” Cane’s voice snapped like a whip over the phone. “While Jagger Malone and Theo McKay were busy saving our target from your men, I tracked them to Malone’s hideout in the mountains of Montana. It’s amazing what a live feed from a Russian satellite will show when the proper channels are infiltrated.” Cane deliberately misled Howell into believing he was hunting his targets in Montana, when in reality, the mountain he had been staring at was in Colorado.

  “What mountain? I’ll have—”

  “You’ll do nothing, or I walk.”

  “You can’t walk away. I own you now, Cane. If you bail, I’ll put a bounty so high on your head that every human, Fray, or Noble would come out of the woodwork.”

  “And how did that go when you placed that re
ward on the Deity?” Cane counterattacked, confident he would win this tug-of-war game Howell was playing.

  “She’s the most powerful one in existence, that we know of. You, on the other hand, are a dime a dozen.”

  “Then it looks like we’re at an impasse.” Cane let heavy silence descend across the wires one more time. He knew Howell needed him more than Cane needed the Fray. He was the best Tracker in existence. And he wasn’t blind to the fact that once he brought the Deity in, Howell would have him sequestered as well. Being a Tracker taught him patience early on in life, and if it was one lesson he learned, it always paid off.

  “Fine,” Howell barked, relenting. “Go at it alone if you think you can complete your mission without my men. But let’s make one thing clear. If you don’t bring her in…alive…you’ll be joining her in hell.”

  The line went dead, and Cane tossed his cellphone on the bed, ignoring the threat that Howell threw at him. Picking up the black box he hadn’t packed, Cane turned it several times over in his hand to study the piece of metal. A few modifications and this little black box had been revised to keep at bay any type of power force. What would it do to Reese Matthews? During one of his meetings with Howell, Cane had met a scientist claiming to have made a machine to contain energy. Wanting that device, but not wanting it in the Fray’s hands, Cane had waited for the right moment and eliminated the inventor, destroying his research and swiping the contraption. It was always in one’s best interest to be prepared, and he hadn’t wanted Howell to swoop in take what was his. Cane threw the box back onto the bed and took up his place by the window. He couldn’t see the mountain in the darkness but could definitely feel its presence. By tomorrow night, Cane would have his hands on the Deity and the two men who thought they could save her.

  “I’m coming, Reese Matthews.”

  Chapter Four

  Morning dawned and the relentless snow had lightened during the middle of night, leaving only a few falling flakes in its wake. Reese lay on the guestroom bed, not bothering to get up. She stared out the window, watching the wind catch the flurries and move them about weightlessly, wishing it were that easy to be carried away.

  Reese thought of last night’s confrontation with Theo and Jagger and was still having trouble coming to terms with what they wanted. Jagger never really said what he needed, although he had certainly helped stage last night’s setup. Jagger had stood on the side trying to keep her emotions in check so she didn’t let loose and bring the house down. Theo had indicated that Jagger was okay with sharing, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around two virile, possessive men wanting to share. How would that even work? Her face flushed as thoughts of the three of them in various positions ran through her mind. A vision stood out of her on her knees, Theo taking her from behind while Jagger stood in front of her, offering his cock to her mouth. She groaned and pulled the pillow out from beneath her head, using it to cover her face.

  Did Theo know her better than she knew herself? Reese had never thought of Theo in sexual terms before, and now that he said he wanted her, all she could see was his body claiming hers. Another vision of Theo’s head between her thighs while Jagger helped spread her legs danced in her mind, and she stifled another groan. Wanting to alleviate the pressure that was building in her clitoris but not ready to face the men that were somewhere in the house, Reese let her hands slide down her body to remove her panties.

  During her time alone in the secluded cabin, Reese had worked on containing all other sentiments while exploring desire. Desire was the cause of everything having been torn away from her when she almost destroyed Jagger. She had used thoughts of Jagger to bring her to arousal and then masturbated almost every day with the intent of controlling her arousal when she hit climax. It had taken months, but she eventually obtained the skills needed to self-indulge.

  Once she kicked the dainty fabric away, Reese used her fingers to gather the liquid that was pooling at her entrance. She brought the tips of her middle and ring fingers up to smooth her cream across her clit, causing it to swell and poke through the engorged tissue. Arching her back at the incredible feeling she was creating, she didn’t hear the door open.

  “You should be careful what thoughts go through your head with a Watcher in the house.”

  Reese gasped and yanked her hand from between her legs, looking up to see Theo standing above her. She struggled to get the white sheet up around her body and scooted back against the headboard. “Damn it, Theo, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “It’s very hard to eat breakfast when I’m getting visions of me thrusting into you from behind while you suck off Jagger. It’s very distracting,” Theo said, amusement shining in his eyes.

  “Then shut off your damn mind, McKay! I know you have the ability to turn it on and off. Get out!” Reese demanded, refusing to get out of bed until he left the room.

  “Not until we talk.” Theo sat on the side of the bed, making Reese grab on tighter to the sheets and scoot over.

  “I’m not ready to talk.”

  “Too bad. Anyway, you don’t have to. You just need to listen.”

  “You don’t have anything to say that I want to hear right now, so move it. Get out so I can get dressed,” Reese ordered, not liking this Theo as much as her “friend” Theo.

  “Reese, how long have we known each other?”

  The question threw Reese for a moment, having seemingly come out of nowhere. Why was he asking her something like that? “You know how long we’ve known each other, Theo. Since we were teenagers. Why would you ask me that?”

  “And during that time, did I not watch out for you? Care for you? Keep you safe? Take you away from your father who only wanted to use you? I took you to that farm, located in the middle of nowhere, so you could live your life free of people who only wanted to exploit you. You have no idea the anguish I went through when you were taken by those Nobles who had taken refuge with us. The ones that turned Rogue.”

  “Theo, that wasn’t your fault. I begged you to let them stay with us, thinking they could help create a safe haven.” Reese hadn’t known Theo lived with this guilt and thinking he was to blame for her capture. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but was afraid to start something that she wasn’t sure they should begin.

  “The months they had you in captivity were the most hellish days I’ve ever had to live through. Not for me, being held by them. But knowing the testing they were doing on you. And then knowing Jagger was falling in love with you, well, that was hell but also a godsend. When I realized you were returning his feelings, it tore at my gut, because I’ve loved you since the day I met you,” Theo confessed.

  Reese stared at him, not knowing what to say. He was changing their relationship without her consent, and the thought of losing him terrified her. She hesitantly broached the subject that was on her mind all night. “This idea you and Jagger have come up with about…sharing me. You two are very dominant and possessive. Even if I accepted what you’re saying, you can’t tell me this would work.”

  “We’re not saying there won’t be issues that come up. But keeping you safe is our number one priority,” Theo explained.

  “Theo—”

  Theo cut her off with his kiss. Not touching her with his hands, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, mouth closed. He licked hers open, feeding her the taste of mint and coffee. It was a succulent flavor Reese didn’t expect. He was gentle, so different than he was last night, that she let Theo take his fill. She didn’t like that he kept her off-kilter. He slowly pulled away.

  “Theo, I’ve learned to be strong,” Reese whispered. “But do you understand what you’re asking of me? You want me to trade in our friendship, which I value more than anything, for something we don’t know will last. I can’t lose you over something I can actually control.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. You have no control over my feelings. And I’ve let you believe, for so long, that they were only platonic when they were so much more.
I refuse to wait any longer.”

  With that said, Theo seized the sheet and yanked. Grabbing her thighs, he pulled her down until she lay flat underneath him before she could utter a protest. Now this was the Theo from last night. Leaning his weight against hers so she couldn’t move, he used his mouth to convince her where his words had failed. Hungrily taking her mouth, he tasted every crevice, the roof of her mouth, her teeth, and the sides of her cheeks. Running his tongue inside her bottom lip, he sucked hers in and bit down gently. Heat blossomed through her when she felt his hands roam up and down her sides.

  “Just feel,” Theo murmured against her mouth.

  Touching her breasts, he squeezed lightly and massaged everywhere but her nipples. The non-contact made them pucker, turning them into hardened pebbles, begging to be touched. She felt him graze her areolas and arched into him, wanting more. He wouldn’t give it. He brought his thumbs down on the underside of her breasts, pushing them up and kneading the tissue. His fingers wrapped around the upper side of her cleavage, forcing her tits to push against his thumbs. Again, her nipples were ignored. Bringing her hands up, Reese covered his and silently tried to move them where she wanted them to be.

  “Uh-uh. You won’t rush me. I’ve waited over ten years to touch you and I want this first time to last.”

  Reese released his hands and clutched the pillow on either side of her head in frustration. Scrambled thoughts tried to break through. How had she not known how he felt all those years? Could this really work? Would their love extend to this type of relationship without being damaged? Was Jagger okay with this?

  “Shut off your thoughts like you’ve learned to do with your ability,” Theo whispered as he slid down so he was face to face with her breasts. “Keep you hands up there. I don’t want anything in my way while I taste you.”