I can’t even move or argue even if I wanted to, tangled between two men who I desperately want – is it possible to want them more now? To feel twice as alive with the two of them?
I can’t think about Roarke because Seth is kissing me! A little moan hums over his vocals and into my mouth, making my breath hitch.
Then I can’t think about Seth because Roarke is nibbling my earlobe. Small nips that have not just covered my whole body with goosebumps but make me tremor enough that I’m sure both of them can feel it.
A sound escapes me that could be a chuckin’ moan – if I had any concentration to spare to listen to myself.
Which I don’t, because I have the Seed of Chaos at my front and Allure at my back.
Suddenly Seth leans back, his eyes open, and his focus slips straight past me to look at Roarke. “Did I distract her?”
Roarke actually chuckin’ chuckles before slipping himself free from behind me with a conspicuous moment of pants adjusting as he stands up. “If that was your intention,” is all he says.
Seth pops to his feet, sizes up his brother, then laughs. “Unexpected bonus.”
I find myself sitting on the floor with Seth standing on my left and Roarke on my right – the book and the empty chocolate wrapper on the floor with me along with all the other things that Roarke has discarded down here. A small wooden crate filled with pine cones is one of them. Why, when the woman has the whole tree out there, would she collect pine cones?
Noticing the pine cones doesn’t stop me from feeling upset about that moment ending. I was really, really enjoying it. Like, Seth’s lips are amazing, and Roarke’s touch is like finding something better than chocolate – and I just had them all at the same time.
“Well, what Eydis did was low – even for a Master – and it seemed like a good distraction,” Seth argues.
“Look,” I say, holding both my hands in the air in the hopes that both my men will get the idea and pull me to my feet.
They do. Roarke with a gentle hoist and Seth with a sudden jolt.
“Clearly the woman was losing her knead on the dough because I got through your borders just fine, and I’ve been living in your realm as well.”
“Not just fine,” Killian grumbles, taking the last step off the staircase before I realize he’s approaching.
Almost. I almost knew he was there, just hadn’t stopped to pay attention to him or the subtle addition of his strength to the room. Seth and Roarke were pretty damn distracting.
“Pax is still outside?” Roarke asks.
I understand why Roarke looks ready to run, but I’m about to ask why Pax’s whereabouts might be an issue right now… then I get it. Get why Roarke was the one reading, and Seth was the one keeping me company, and what they might have expected Eydis to say.
Because Lord Martin was my master, and I was his servant in almost every way – something I’ve been told would not sit well with Pax.
“Would he honestly have had trouble with any of what Eydis wrote?” I ask.
“I didn’t know what was in the book. I didn’t read it without you,” Roarke says.
I run my hand down my face. Having to tread lightly around Pax is hard work.
Roarke scoops the book up off the ground and flips it open. Leafing to a specific page, he holds it out for me. Line after line after line.
“I’m sure that’s not all of them,” he says softly.
I run my finger over the inked scratches. It’s like the smallest wild animal in history has used the page for anger management.
“Tallies,” Roarke says.
Seth’s hand settles on the back of my neck, making my breath stutter and stop as his fingers trail down my spine.
“He’s not ready,” Killian says.
I tilt my head back, feeling my heart ache. Honestly, I’m not ready either.
Seth leans down to steal another kiss, Roarke steps away, and I damn near fall backwards. Almost, but both of them catch me – Roarke with his hands on my shoulders and Seth with his arms around my waist.
“I just wanted a little kiss,” Seth chuckles at me. “No need to swoon.”
I slap him and try to stand.
Seth doesn’t let go of me, which makes trying to stand on my own kind of pointless. Roarke leans in, kissing my temple before turning for the stairs.
“I’m going to look for the Spring again,” he announces.
“Yeah, sure you are,” Seth teases.
“It’s dark,” I say, which is obvious, and what I really meant to do was ask what else Roarke would possibly be doing outside after dark.
“Feed her, then sleep her,” Killian orders, turning to exit to the tune of Seth laughing.
“Yes, boss,” Seth announces, leaning down to scoop me up.
“Sleep me? What is sleep me?” I demand, then squeak and try to escape my captor.
And fail.
Then give in.
I take my time on the south of the domain. First decompressing after my time with Kitten, then reading through the rest of Eydis’ book, finally being joined by Pax and Killian and doing some calculations. The distance from the cottage to the barrier. The distance around the barrier. Water flow and speed. Incline angle. We even dig a great big hole to find the bedrock beneath and judge the depth of the soil. But still no Spring.
“One more lap,” Pax says, looking toward the cottage where Seth is watching Shade.
“You’ve left them alone together for a long time,” I point out.
“Seth’s power doesn’t make him dangerous in that way,” Pax says. “And Seth values his head being attached to his body.”
The value of Seth’s balls being attached is a better analogy. His power might be the least likely to cause damage from a single kiss, but it’ll kill her just the same if he goes any further.
And he wants to go further.
“He
