Book of Love (3 page)

“I don’t know. We’ll need to know how he was called.”

“And by who, huh?” That made a difference. Intent.

“Exactly,” Elijah said. “What did they want? Who were they targeting?” They pondered the picture for another long moment. Elijah chuckled softly. “He really is something.”

“Uh-huh.” Liam’s finger touched the long cock. “It’s enough to give a guy a complex.”

“No shit.” Oh, thank the gods he wasn’t the only one who thought so. “No one could measure up to that.”

“Well, ’Lijah, think of the kind of size queen you’d have to be to want to ride it.”

That cracked Elijah’s shit right up, leaving him wheezing for air, he laughed so hard.

Liam’s eyes twinkled, merry as spring, and when Liam’s husky laughter joined his, he started cackling again. They both leaned over, thumping each other, just howling.

Every time it faded, one of them would look at the other and it would all start over again. They ended up clinging together, hooting like owls. God, he needed to get out more, meet people in person.

When they straightened up, he realized he was clinging to Liam’s shirt. “Uh. Sorry.”

“No worries.”

Damn, but the man was stacked to the ceiling. To keep his hands to himself, he closed the book. The horned man had a disconcertingly real stare.

“So, uh—”

“Uh-huh. The blonde. Shiloh. Are you really going to make a play for her? The one at the cafe?” Liam smiled, the expression a little predatory.

“I was pondering it, but she was looking as though she was wanting you.”

Liam clapped him on the arm. “I like the look of her, for sure.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just see what comes up.” Elijah knew what was up for him, and it was tough to concentrate. “Do we have a plan?”

“No. I didn’t even know I needed one until an hour ago.”

“Me either. This was reconnaissance,” Elijah said. “I’m meeting my contact at six. Wanna come?”

“Definitely.” Liam paused, letting that joke sink in, maybe. “Sure.”

They stared at each other a second, and that sexual heat started to build again. This wasn’t stupid, right? He already knew he admired Liam, so why was it bad to find him so fucking attractive?

“The energy flying around here is fucking insane,” Liam said.

He arched one eyebrow. “Pun intended?”

Liam nodded, then adjusted himself in his pants, drawing Elijah’s attention to the happy bulge there. “Sorry.”

“No. It is intense. I could fuck you through the floor.” He popped his hand over his mouth. He’d just said that out loud.

“What makes you think you get to be on top?” All of Liam’s smiling affability disappeared, replaced with a dare, an expression of challenge.

“We could arm wrestle for it.” Elijah loved that idea. He was extremely good at a couple of Native American wrestling arts.

“Yeah?” Liam’s eyes were dancing.

“Yeah.”

“You’re on.”

Oh, fucking A. Elijah loved a challenge.

He sat up, heading for the little table. Even if nothing came of it, this meant he got to touch.

Liam followed him, so close he could feel the heat. His cock rose from half-hard to tough to walk in those few seconds. He sucked in a little, trying to get more room in his jeans, a ridiculous but instinctive gesture.

“Mmm. I can smell you, man,” Liam said.

“No you can’t.” He sat, hiding his hard-on under the table. Then he plonked his elbow on the table, flexing his fingers.

“Can too.” Liam tugged his braid on the way by.

“Will you get over here?” Elijah rubbed the back of his head, feeling playful, hot.

“What? I can’t admire?”

“Oh, you can look all you want.” His breath came faster when Liam sat down and clasped his hand.

“I like watching,” Liam said. The man was stupidly hot with his smattering of freckles and Irish eyes. Lord.

“Football?” he teased. “Ice skating?”

“Gymnastics. Baseball. Wild fucking.”

He squeezed Liam’s hand. “What are we arm wrestling for? I forgot.”

“Uh…blowjobs?”

“Who gets to top!” Go, him. “One, two, go.”

They both pushed, muscles bulging. Fuck, Liam was solid. Shorter than Elijah too, so he had more leverage. Elijah wasn’t giving up.

He could totally tap Liam and turn the man’s world inside out. Straining, he pushed, resisting the urge to stand and slam that hand down on the table.

The window rattled in its pane, loud enough they both jerked. Liam took advantage faster than Elijah, whose hand slapped against the table when Liam pushed it down.

“Ha!”

Elijah laughed at the sound of triumph. “Cheater.”

“Yep.” That rattle came again, hard and sharp.

“Did you hear that?” Elijah let go of Liam’s hand to get up and check the door.

“I did.” Liam went for the window, lifting the curtain and peering. “Not a damned thing out there.”

“Nothing out here, either. Wind?”

“Had to be a gust, although it’s still as glass out here.”

“Weird.” He moved close to Liam, feeling the heat from that sturdy form.

“It is.” Liam turned abruptly, bumping noses with him. “Oh. Oops.”

“Uh-huh.” He leaned in and took the kiss that was right there, offered up to him, the touch of lips electric, pushing lightning through him. Right down to his cock. They jerked apart, staring at each other.

“That’s…new.”

“Uh-huh.” The intense need that made his cock strain and his balls ache was definitely magical. Oh, he would happily love on Liam any day now that they’d met in person, but this was beyond normal.

“Okay. Okay. Let’s sit,” Liam said. “I could totally fuck you, but I’ll be damned if I’m magicked into it.”

Laughing, he pecked another kiss on Liam’s mouth then moved away, dodging when Liam reached for him automatically.

“You said sit,” Elijah said.

“I was stupid.”

“No, we have to figure this out.” Damn it, he hated being reasonable.

“Man, tell me once we do there will be orgasms.” Liam was almost bouncy.

“Hell, yes.” How fucking adorable was that? He sat on his hands because he wanted those orgasms now.

“Okay. Sitting. Not humping like we’re bunnies. Someone summoned enough sexual energy to defrost a mummified nun.”

“No shit.” Elijah drew in a deep breath. “The book is where we start.”

“Yeah.” Liam reached for the book, the big tome flipping open as he did. Weird.

“There he is again.” The horned god stared at them. This time it was more creepy than sexual. Menacing.

“I don’t think he’s feeling friendly toward us,” Liam said.

“No. No, I think you’re right. That’s not a happy face.”

“Huh. I wonder.” Liam touched the book, then pulled back.

“What? What did you feel?”

“Fucking burns, man.”

“I have sage in my bags downstairs.” It might be handy to clean any spirits out of Liam’s room.

“I’ll come with you.” Liam gave the book another glance before rising.

“Sure. Come on.”

Elijah felt more grounded the minute they left the room. More clearheaded.

They looked at each other, and Liam asked, “Better?”

“Better.”

“Yeah.” Liam followed him, both of them heading downstairs.

They were ready for him to check in now, so Elijah got his bags and his room key and he led the way, Liam padding along behind him.

“So.” He closed the door behind them, then put his bag up on the little suitcase stand. “Sage.”

“I have salt and silver upstairs in mine.”

“We should have brought your bag down, huh?” Live and learn. “Summoning. Someone definitely summoned something.”

“A god? Do you think? Something powerful.” Liam was chewing his lip.

“Certainly a huge presence, but why would a god give a hoot about a tiny town in Western Colorado?”

“Well, it’s certainly hungry.”

“God, yes. Breathe the air and get a woody.”

“So—” Liam made the best faces. “What about the girls? Are they feeling it?”

“I don’t know. You talked to someone today, right? I meet my contact this evening.”

“Bella’s not exactly the most sexual human being alive.”

“Oh.” Elijah grinned. “That’s you, huh?”

Liam beamed, cheeks going pink. “Flirt. You’re pouring off more pheromones than is sane.”

“I want you.” He shrugged. “It’s enhanced by whatever is going on, but it can’t fake an attraction, just intensify it.”

Liam reached out, finger brushing his lips. His cock and his hips jerked.

“We really need to behave.”

“Totally. We totally do.”

They drifted toward each other, lips brushing, and things were just getting deep when Elijah’s phone rang.

“Shit. Sorry.”

“Answer it.” Liam’s voice was rough as a cob.

“Hello.” He knew it was Nova as her number popped up on his screen. “We still on for tonight?”

“Yeah. Can we meet at the bakery? I’m starving.”

“Sure.” He grinned at Liam. “May I bring a colleague?”

“Anything that will help. It’s getting a little scary.”

He raised a brow at Liam, mouthing, “It’s affecting women too.”

“Good to know.” Liam pursed his lips and started typing on his phone.

“We’ll help as much as we can. See you there in ten?”

“Give me fifteen. I’ll call Shiloh and ask her to leave the doors open.”

“Done.” Shiloh, the pretty blonde. Yum. Elijah wondered if she was on the menu. He could spread her out and lick her, starting from the ankle and heading north.

“Stop it.” Liam vibrated next to him. “I felt that.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Except imagine sliding his tongue over Shiloh’s pink folds, tasting her.

Liam moaned, moving closer. “We have to go, right?”

“Uh-huh.” He reached out and stroked Liam’s leg. “Nova will be waiting if we don’t get a move on.”

“Can’t do that.” Liam’s cock was a club, filling out the cargos.

“No.” Elijah reached for the outline of that hard dick, closing his fingers over it. Just as he rubbed his palm over the length, a gust of wind shook the old casement window, the draft flinging the curtains up and out.

“We’ll blow the fucking hotel down when we finally get to naked touching.”

“Uh-huh.” Liam swallowed hard, then kissed him one more time. “Okay, come on, you. Let’s go meet your contact.”

“Right. You, me and Shiloh in the same room with chocolate.”

Liam took his arm, leading him to the door. “I like the image.”

“Yes.” He would pay to see Liam suck chocolate off her fingers, off her lips, off her…

“Be good,” Liam warned.

“I can’t.” That was absolutely true too. Elijah couldn’t get sex off his mind.

“Me either. I want to push you down and do unspeakable things to you.”

His balls drew up, his cock aching. Elijah panted a little, his hand on the doorknob. “This is crazy.”

“Insane.” Liam nuzzled his jaw, licked at him, pressing up against his hip and rubbing. That impressive dick made his hands twitch, his mouth water. Gods. “Just quickly. Together. Hand job.”

“Okay.” How on earth could he resist that?

Liam nodded eagerly, green eyes flashing fire. That big, freckled hand dug at his pants, worrying the button, but before either of them could get his zipper open, the fucking window damned near exploded, a huge crack running down the center.

“Fuck.” Liam grabbed his hand, wrenched the door open. “Come on. Now.”

They pelted out the door and down the stairs as if they were a pair of teenagers in a horror movie, laughing madly by the time they made it outside.

There was one hell of a storm brewing, clouds black as pitch, roiling as they headed down the mountains. Elijah frowned. “Do you have a jacket in your vehicle? I can loan you one if you want, just in case it really comes down.” Liam’s double set of hoodies wouldn’t hold up to rain or snow.

“I’ll be okay. Let’s run.” They headed down the street, racing the rain, and Elijah felt like a kid, as if they were on an adventure, the adrenaline pumping.

He hadn’t had so much fun in eons.

Elijah couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Chapter Three

“Shi, can you let me hang out for a little while?” Nova had shown up a few minutes before closing, looking a little harried. “I need to meet someone and I don’t want to go to the hotel.”

“Sure. Sure, honey. You want me to stick around? I can find something to do.”

Nova bit her lip. “Well, they’re here to talk about, uh, the air around here. So you might want to hang out.”

Shiloh blinked. “You called somebody about the horny devil book thing.”

That’s what they’d started referring to it as. The horny devil.

“I told you I had your back.” Nova grinned, bright blue eyes twinkling.

“I’ll warm up some pie. Also, seriously? There are people you call for this sort of thing?”

“Well, I called Elijah Mourning Dove, but he says he brought someone else in.” Nova seemed serious. Wow.

“Elijah…hot Native American guy? Great hair?”

“Yes. I mean, that’s what his picture shows.” Nova pulled out her little phone and showed Shiloh a picture of the guy who had been in earlier.

“Met him. He’s got a boyfriend. Redheaded. Gorgeous.” She’d pay to watch them.

“Damn, really? His profile says single.” Nova looked so disappointed that Shiloh chuckled.

“No way, Nova. Those two are electric.”

“Rats.” Nova winked. “I will so need pie.”

“There’s apple. I’ll heat it up.”

About the time she slid around the counter, the front door opened, Elijah and his boyfriend running in. The second the door shut, the skies opened up, the rain slamming down.

“Woo!” the redhead whooped, laughing like a loon. “Look at that!”

“Look at that!” Elijah repeated, and shook his head. “We made it.”

“You did.” Nova went to hug the hot dark one, and Shiloh felt a weird, uncomfortable rush of jealousy. “Hi, Elijah.”

“Nova.” He kissed her cheek. “This is Liam.”

“Liam. Nice to meet you.” Nova held out one hand in greeting.

“You too.” Liam shook hands with Nova, then winked at Shiloh. “Good to see you again.”

“And I thought we wouldn’t get another date until tomorrow.”

Elijah grinned at her too, the expression lighting up his hard face. “We’re lucky men.”

“Flatterer.” Still, it felt good, didn’t it? The attention? Both men gave her a thorough once-over, and Shiloh felt a little bad for Nova, who got brotherly smiles.

Not bad enough to share these boys, though, which again, weird.

She patted Nova’s shoulder, winked. “Pie?”

“God, yes.”

Shiloh hummed while she walked back to the counter and sliced a pie, adding dollops of whipped cream. She’d already made a pot of coffee too. “Would anyone prefer tea instead of coffee?”

The three of them were head-to-head already, discussing things, but Liam lifted his head, shook it. “Coffee for me, lovely.”

“I’d love some coffee too.” Elijah flashed her another brilliant smile.

“I should have tea just to make you work,” Nova muttered, but she could tell the other woman wasn’t really upset.

She flipped Nova off but winked, pouring out four mugs. When she started around the counter with the tray, Liam hopped up to get the pie and lighten the load.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime, lovely.”

Flirt. He was a stunning man, freckles on his nose, bright green eyes flashing pure devil.

She wanted to touch him. More than that, she wanted to see him and Elijah in bed. Together. With her, sure, but the idea of those two big male bodies rubbing together, writhing… Her mouth went dry, her nipples hard.

She glanced up and they were both looking at her, staring. Oh, damn it. Her cheeks heated, her body going hot all over.

Nova cleared her throat. Loudly.

“Sorry. Sorry, I’ll hand out the coffees. Daydream.”

“Uh-huh.” Nova gave her a knowing look.

“Shut up.” She could feel her cheeks heating. Shiloh set out the coffees, then sat with them, pushing her hair back off her face.

“So, anyway, Shiloh was watching the bookstore and found the book.”

They both glanced at her again, this time with clear speculation.

“It was just a big book. I was bored.” Horny. The horned guy had been so hot with his giant penis. The look of hunger in his eyes.

“Did that particular book call to you for a reason?” Elijah asked.

“It was there. It was within reach.”

“Nothing else? Nothing weird before you opened it?”

“No, but after, it wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t get rid of it.”

Liam’s gaze sharpened, his lips pursing. “Tell me about what happened.”

“Nothing, really. I mean, I took it home, read it.”
Masturbated later in the tub while imagining that hard cock between my legs.

Elijah’s eyes pinned her to the spot, his nose working, an animal scenting prey. Oh, God, he couldn’t know what she was thinking, right?

No. No, of course not. Couldn’t know about her fingers working her clit in tiny circles, her fingers slipping into her pussy.

Liam had stopped, coffee mug halfway to his mouth, his body all but vibrating.

“Are you guys okay?” Nova looked from one of them to another.

“Uh-huh.” Elijah finally looked away. “Did you read anything aloud?”

“I… I don’t remember. Maybe? I was… Have you been in the Minotaur? Breathing the air is hallucinogenic.”

Liam laughed, breaking some of the amazing tension in the air. “It is that. Elijah hasn’t met Bella yet.”

“Oh, you’ll get it when you go in. Whoa. It makes you silly.”

“It would make sense, though, if you did read something aloud. That gives the words more power than just reading them normally.”

“Maybe? I mean, I was…”
hot and bothered and touching myself,
“…distracted.”

“I bet.” Nova chuckled, making her blush.

“Be nice, now. How do I fix it?”

“We’ll have to see what it is, first,” Elijah murmured. “It can’t actually be a god. They just don’t manifest this way.”

“A god? A
god
?” Okay, she sounded a little hysterical, but she could be forgiven for that, right?

“Well, that’s what the picture shows where the book falls open. Cernuous, the horned god.”

“But I didn’t do anything bad. I swear.”

“Of course not.” Liam reached out and placed a hand over one of hers. “That’s a summoning book, though, and sometimes they get tricky.”

She grabbed on to Liam’s hand, heat flooding her body, making her wet and achy. His hand was surprisingly callused, all male, hot and huge, engulfing hers.

She could hear Elijah and Nova talking, but it didn’t matter, the sound was distant. Her heart thumped, and Liam stared into her eyes, his lips parted.

“Buddy. Hey! Wake up!”

Shiloh was going to hurt someone.

Liam looked at Elijah, letting her hand go. “Sorry. What?”

“You were lost for a second.” Elijah’s eyebrow arched.

“Oh.” Liam’s freckles filled in, his flush adorable. She wanted to kiss his pink cheeks.

“Yeah. Something is ramping the whole damn area up.”

“Definitely.” Nova gave her an ironic glance, then rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I should go. You’ll lock up, right Nova? Auntie would kill me if we didn’t.”

“No.” Nova was the one to grab her hand this time, her friend giving her a chuckle and a real smile. “No, I’m just being a jealous butthead. All this testosterone and none for me. I think this is important, though, and I’m not mad at you, honey.”

Both men were suddenly very interested in their coffee.

“I’m just… I don’t know what I did.” And where the
fuck
were the tears coming from? She wasn’t a crier. At all.

“Oh, Shi.” It was Nova who stood and came to hug her. “Has anyone asked Bella about the book?”

“She told me once all the really old books were gifts from some friend of her lover’s,” Shiloh said.

Elijah pursed his lips. “Is her lover still around?”

Shiloh shook her head. “No. No, she disappeared. Just went out one day and never came back.”

The men looked at each other, and Liam nodded, his expression grim. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Shiloh, but we definitely need to try to close whatever door has opened.”

“How?” The guys looked at each other again. Shiloh blew out a frustrated breath. “Will someone just talk to me?”

Elijah’s shoulders were up around his ears. “Okay, what do we know? Something with a shitload of sexual energy is out there. We know it has something to do with that book.”

“We know that Shiloh seems to be at the center of a lot of it because she rediscovered the book.” Liam nodded.

“We know that, at least so far, when sexual energy is raised there are physical responses.”

“Well, duh.” Shiloh snorted, crossing her arms over her still-hard nipples.

“I meant the windows rattling,” Elijah said.

“Like the frickin’ wind and hoof beats,” Nova agreed.

“The hoof prints in the water. I saw them that day at the pool, on the coping,” Shiloh had to add.

“Yeah. That was uncool,” Nova said.

“Wait.” Elijah was the one to touch her hand now. “It left actual prints?”

“Yeah. I thought it was going to drown me. I was freaking out.” Goose bumps broke out all over Shiloh’s skin, nausea in her belly when she remembered how scared she’d been.

“That’s pretty serious.” Liam scowled too. “Wind and other manifestations are one thing. Physical signs such as prints can mean a demon.”

“I never saw him. I just heard Shi calling for me,” Nova said.

“I never saw a man or a goat or anything. Not at the pool.” Shiloh bit her lip. “So it could be an illusion, I guess.”

“But we both saw the tracks, Shi. Both of us.” Nova grabbed her hand. “I believe you.”

“Thanks. I just—a demon? That’s scary, not sexy.”

“Yeah. Yeah, exactly.” Liam leaned forward, hands on the table. “I mean, demons can do all sorts of things, include increase sexual awareness, but it’s usually not for any good purpose.”

“I don’t want a demon. I just wanted…” Shiloh waved a hand, her cheeks hot.

Nova chuckled, but there was nothing mean in it. “Don’t we all, honey.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess.” She was going to die. Go up in embarrassed flames. She wanted to slide under the table.

“Well, that actually gives us a great start,” Liam said.

“Cool.” She got up and started cleaning up the coffee equipment, cheeks still burning.

Nova murmured something to the guys and came to stand beside her before handing her more plates. “I’m sorry if I was bitchy, Shi. Seriously.”

“No. No, I’m just…ashamed. I’m ashamed.”

“Why? You read a book and got a little hot and bothered. How many thousand women read that smutty book with the handcuffs and all?”

“Good point. This was visual.” Graphic.

“Exactly. I mean, I haven’t seen it, but I could feel— At the spa. I got a little… Whoo.” Nova fanned herself. “I can get over the fact that those two were laser focused on you, right? Get my own groove back.”

Shiloh couldn’t fight her grin. “They were, weren’t they?” That amazed her. Two for one.

“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in. Look, is it gonna be awful if I leave them to you? I think I’ve gotten them the information they need, and I want to go put my feet up and share ice cream with Lobo and not be bitchy anymore.”

“They’re finishing up everything. It’s cool.”

“Sure.” Nova nudged her and gave her a huge grin. “This might be your chance to get lucky, girl.”

“Yeah, they think I summoned a sex demon.”

“Not on purpose.” She and Nova glanced at each other before breaking out laughing, which made the guys look their way. “You want me to stay?”

Shiloh shook her head. She didn’t. She totally didn’t. Crazy as it sounded, she wanted to get to know Elijah and Liam better. Okay, she wanted to see them kiss, but hey.

“Okay. I’ll call you in the morning, check up on you.”

“Thanks.” She gave Nova a quick hug, the lavender and sandalwood scent comforting her.

Nova did her goodbyes, and Shiloh stayed behind the counter, keeping it between her and the men. Not that she felt threatened. More like she might jump their bones.

Liam brought her a coffee cup no one had collected, leaning on the other side of the counter. “You’re not upset, are you? You haven’t done a thing wrong.”

“I’m embarrassed. I hate thinking I messed up.”

“You didn’t, though.” Elijah came over too, standing hip to hip with Liam. “If there is an entity engaged in the book, it called you to do just what you did.”

“Yeah?” She caught herself licking her lips, imagining how they’d look together, Elijah so dark, his barrel chest wide and probably hairless. Liam would be pale, with red fuzz on his chest and belly. She wanted to touch them both, feel them against her. Her fingers tingled, in fact, she wanted it so bad.

“Indeed.” Elijah was more formal than Liam, more reserved. His dark eyes still managed to take in every detail of her.

“I didn’t try to bring it out.” Her nipples were so hard they ached, her cunt tingling, growing wet.

Liam leaned toward her, green eyes glittering. “No, the summoning is a strong compulsion.”

“I get that, compulsions.” She was getting it, right now. Shiloh wanted to touch one or both of them so she reached out and stroked the back of Liam’s hand.

Liam hissed, eyes flashing bright.

She pulled back as if she’d been burned. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Shh. Shh, static. Just static.” Liam grabbed her hands and the connection between them flared, electric and wild.

“The wind is strong right now,” Elijah said, hand joining theirs.

She felt the rush of orgasm, the tingling buzz echoed through her body. Her eyes flew wide, her nipples hard as rocks, her pussy squeezing down on nothing.

“Fuck.” Liam bit the word out, eyes big as saucers.

Elijah shuddered, face carved from stone. “This is so damned dangerous.”

No one let go, though.

“It doesn’t feel wrong, does it?” she asked.

“No.” Elijah shook his head, a long strand of hair escaping the clip at the back of his neck.

She reached out with her free hand, stroked it.

Elijah drew in a deep breath, his hand clenching on theirs. Liam smiled, tugging them both to the right so the counter no longer lay between them.