Catalyst (15 page)

“You like fucking in the bed, in the shower…”

“By the pools or even in the pools,” he mused.

Jacks joined in, murmuring against the back of my head. “Behind the waterfall.”

“Oh,” I breathed. That would be something. “You’ve had sex behind the waterfall?”

“Of course not. No one’s been here. Makes a good fantasy.”

I turned over. He opened one eye to look at me.

“Let’s order some stuff, have your brother bring it. I’ll set it all up and even pay.”

“Christ, you’re nesting.” He opened his other eye. “You can’t access your accounts,” Jacks said, voice low. “Besides, I don’t want you to spend money on this place.”

Bastian had shifted his hand to my other hip when I’d turned over. He patted it. Within seconds, his hand went heavy as he rolled into Jacks’ back. I watched warmth spill into Jacks’ eyes even as he started blinking with sleep.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” I whispered, kissing his lips.

He kissed back. “I like this,” he murmured before letting go, his mouth going slack.

We’d left the few replicant crystals exposed, and the spill of Bastian’s hair around Jacks shoulders, the way he rested his cheek on the back of Jacks head…my heart raced and pounded so hard suddenly, I expected it to burst from my chest.

I loved them.

And whether Jacks liked it or not, I was going to make this place feel a little more like a home. If I was stuck here, I wanted it that way and these two men deserved a warm place to live. Bastian, with his years alone in that orphanage and then the terror on that ship. I shuddered. I still couldn’t bring myself to imagine it fully, and the fury the mere thought of it brought made me grit my teeth.

And Jacks… Trying to right a terrible wrong all alone in the ruins of an ancient, dead civilization.

I forced myself to close my eyes, planning to contact Jacks’ stupid brother and tell him to find a way to get into my accounts. It was no secret why he’d taken Bastian and me and brought us here. He loved his brother, too.

I found myself alone in bed when I woke up. Rolling over, I blinked sleep from my eyes and admired the long stretch of Bastian’s beautiful body as he stood nearby. He leaned over and brushed hair off my face before pressing his lips to mine. I kept my mouth closed, sure my morning breath was killer, and felt his answering grin against my lips. He pulled back just enough to whisper, “Get dressed—or not—and follow us behind the waterfall.”

Instant heat speared my gut. Morning breath be damned. “You making his fantasy come true?”

“I can’t stop thinking about it. I want him.”

I reached up to run my finger over his full bottom lip. “What do you want me to do?”

“Watch.”

Incapable of speech at that point, I could only nod and push him away so I could scramble from the bed. The covers tangled around my feet and I hit the floor next to the bed. Muttering about buying a soft rug, I staggered up and rubbed my knees.

Bastian’s laughter followed me into the shower stall. Pressing my palm to the indicator that made the water come on at my favorite temperature, I pumped shampoo into my hands. I had suds spilling all over my head when I squinted one eye open to see if Bastian had followed. He had. So had Jacks. He’d only put on his pants, leaving that gorgeous chest on display. Bastian, staring at him, tugged his own T-shirt over his head. His hair cascaded around his creamy shoulders as he lowered his arms. He held one hand out to Jacks. I couldn’t hear them, but could see their lips moving right before Jacks’ face lit up in a wicked grin that made me scrub my hair faster.

Bastian winked at me as he pulled Jacks from the room.

“Fuck this,” I muttered, hurriedly rinsing before realizing I didn’t care if I had soap in my hair. I didn’t want to miss a minute of this and I’d get wet anyway. I palmed my air dry temp and didn’t wait for it to finish, instead jumping out and grabbing one of Jacks’ T-shirts and pulling it over my head. I shoved my feet into boots, knowing I’d look ridiculous, but no way was I tromping through the halls and that room full of tree roots barefoot. I clomped through the halls, grinning when I realized they must have run. I could only hope they’d pulled on shoes.

Within seconds, the roar of the sheets of falling water drowned out everything. I could understand why Jacks would want to have sex there. Close your eyes and all you could do was feel. While I enjoyed the sounds of sex—Jacks’ grunts and hoarse cries, Bastian’s habit of sucking in air when something felt particularly good—closing my eyes and letting nothing but the feel of another person absorb me appealed to me.

I slowly made my way behind the falls, hoping Bastian hadn’t led Jacks into the pitch-black part. He hadn’t. Both men saw me immediately and Jacks waved me over. All I did was shake my head and sink to the floor of the cavern with my back resting against the cool stone. Drops of water spattered my bare legs, so I tucked them under Jacks’ shirt.

Jacks frowned for a second before understanding dawned, his expression smoothing out. I could literally see the desire build inside him as he realized that he’d be putting on a show for me. With a small twist of his lips, he turned that fiery intensity on to Bastian, staring while he unhooked his pants, pushed them down, then kicked them to the side. Bastian, eyes flaring wide with anticipation, backed into the wall. Jacks instantly cradled his hands behind Bastian’s back to keep his skin from scraping the wall as he pushed him against it. He plastered his body to him.

Bastian slid those long fingers around Jacks’ neck and up into his hair, cupping his head before pressing back with his mouth. Jacks opened and it was like electricity sparked between them. Jacks rocked his hips against Bastian, sliding his hands down to grip Bastian’s hips with fingers that turned white with tension. Bastian jerked his head away, leaned back, his mouth going slack as Jack opened his mouth over Bastian’s throat.

I could only imagine the molten pleasure they felt—the sensory deprivation with the massive noise of the waterfall, the slide of damp skin and heat.

Bastian dragged his eyes open, the passion in them as he stared down at Jacks scorching me from where I sat. Jacks slid his hand inside the front of Bastian’s pants and though I couldn’t hear Bastian hiss, I could see the air leaving his mouth, could watch his head fall back, his neck stretch.

Suns, I loved it when he threw himself into the sensation like that.

His hips lurched, he spread his legs, and Jacks frantically tore at connectors, nearly ripping the pants in his effort to get them down. His mouth moved in rhythm—looked like he was breathing the word fuck over and over. I bit back a grin, having noticed Jacks was easily reduced to nothing but four-letter words when he was really turned on. He moved to drop to his knees, but Bastian stopped him. Gently pushing him away, Bastian stared at Jacks as he slowly finished removing his pants and fished around in the pocket. He handed Jacks a small tube, then turned and placed both palms on the stone wall.

Jacks didn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe.

The star that warmed this planet was high in the sky, throwing its light at a perfect angle into the waterfall. It caused a misty blue to filter through the narrow streams and sent a kaleidoscope of color onto the cavern walls and onto Bastian’s smooth skin. It reflected in the long, luxurious auburn hair that fanned over his back, highlighted the taut, muscular globes of his ass.

When Jacks finally moved, it was to run his hands over every inch of Bastian’s exposed skin. He traced shoulders, slid palms down Bastian’s spine, cupped his ass and continued down the insides of his thighs. Bastian threw his head back, anchored his legs apart. Jacks kissed the top of his ass as his hands came around and up the fronts of Bastian’s legs. He gripped his cock, nuzzling his face into the small of Bastian’s back.

I could only imagine the noise Bastian was making. I bit my knuckle and squirmed, not ready to touch myself, only wanting to watch this stunning display of masculine pleasure.

Jacks stood and coated one hand with the lube. He leaned onto Bastian’s back, kissing his shoulder, moving his hair aside with one hand to kiss up his neck, his jaw. With the other, he readied Bastian. He slid his fingers back and forth, his mouth pressed to Bastian’s neck. I couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but I knew when he slipped a finger inside because Bastian tensed, curled his fingers into the stone wall. His mouth gaped open, his head fell back onto Jackson’s shoulder. Jacks’ elbow came back, stopped, and I knew he slipped two fingers into Bastian as he pushed his arm forward again. With his free hand, he cupped Bastian’s jaw and turned his face toward him. Looked like he was making sure all was good.

He kissed Bastian, then stepped back to generously spread lube over his cock. Then he just stood there, gaze running up and down Bastian’s body before he touched the younger man with a reverence I felt in my soul. He ran his palms down Bastian’s sides, up under his hair and around his chest. He cupped Bastian’s shoulders and nuzzled through thick hair to kiss his neck again. He opened his mouth over Bastian’s shoulder and bit down as he thrust into his body.

Bastian yelled. I could see the sound expel from his body. His face was half turned toward me, so I could tell it was a yell of pleasure and not pain, though there had to be some pain involved. His head went back, his mouth wide open, and every part of him broadcast his pleasure as he spread his legs, his body going up on tiptoe, bracing his arms against the wall. Jacks’ hips rocked against Bastian, his hands holding Bastian to him, his powerful legs locked. He lifted one hand and tangled his fingers in Bastian’s hair. Bastian arched back into Jacks’ thrusts.

I went up on my knees, the stone floor hard and unforgiving. I didn’t care. Didn’t care about the cold water soaking my legs. I could only concentrate on sucking air into my lungs. The two of them—the most stunning things I’d ever laid eyes on—one dark, one pale and all that gorgeous auburn hair cascading everywhere. The raw, masculine need, desire, and moments of tenderness when Bastian turned his head and captured Jacks’ lips. It all tore into me, opening something deep inside me that felt vulnerable, tender and desperate for more.

Jacks sped up his movements and I expected Bastian to just go off. Instead, he turned that molten gaze to me and held out one hand. I didn’t hesitate, jumping up to run, hoping I didn’t fall on the slippery stone floor before I plastered the entire front of my body to Bastian’s side. Jacks gripped my shirt in one hand and tried to rip it from me, but we had the wrong angle. I knew he was growling with frustration even though I could hear nothing. I stepped back and tugged the shirt over my head. Bastian bent to kiss me and I could feel the rumbling of his groans inside my mouth as Jacks thrust into him. Jacks seemed to be losing all control at this point. He gripped Bastian’s hip with one hand and wrapped his fingers around my arm and just thrust, over and over into Bastian. His cheek smashed into Bastian’s back.

Bastian stared at me, let his mouth drop open, a smoky intensity darkening already dark eyes.

When Jacks went still and threw his head back, Bastian’s eyes closed tight, his teeth biting into his bottom lip. I couldn’t wait. I squeezed between him and the wall, brain half-stupid with desire. I tried to crawl up the wall, tried plastering my body to Bastian, and in my dizzy search for more, the only thing that registered was slick, wet, masculine skin, the scent of them together, the thunder, crash and roar of the waterfall. Jacks moved behind me and lifted me. He leaned back against the wall and cradled my body high so Bastian could slide right into me. I was wet, drenched, and had been since stepping out of the shower. Even just the
anticipation
of watching these beautiful men together worked for me.

But this?

This was heaven. Jacks’ skin quickly grew hot against my back. Bastian, a faint snarl on his lips, held me under my arms, thrusting into my body over and over. Even with his face pressed into my neck, I couldn’t hear him. I could feel his chest moving against me with harsh breaths, but the waterfall drowned out everything. Jacks sucked on my neck, hands coming around to cup and stroke my breasts. His dick was half-hard again and it rubbed along my backside in fast, jerky movements.

Slick hot skin.

Cool splatters of water.

Taut muscles, stroking hands.

Silky, damp hair sliding over my face.

The pleasure built and built until I was filled with nothing but the teetering, mind-numbing edge. And then the fall. I could do nothing but throw my head back and scream so loudly, the sound shredded my throat even as the noise didn’t register. Dizziness took over and I kept my eyes closed, realizing that both men had stopped, apparently finished, too. They held me, keeping me upright, and I was glad because without them, I would have slid to the cold, wet floor.

In a daze, I felt Jacks turn me and wrap my legs around his waist. His big hand nestled my face into his neck. I felt the men kiss each other, but I was too spent to move. And my heart. My heart felt heavy and full and so big, it took space from my lungs.

I wasn’t giving this up for anything.

“That’s strange,” Jacks said under his breath.

I glanced up from the vidscreen where I was reading about an explosion in a farming community on Earth Three. While not even close to the scope of explosions that had happened on Kithra, the results had been devastating. One lone survivor lived long enough to tell them about seeing an unfamiliar alien the day before. Other news stations picked up the story and rumors of a new alien species lit up the galaxies. Frustration had me balling my hands into fists. No description of the alien—anywhere. But it gnawed at me, so I began a search on explosions and aliens. Technically, we were all aliens, but all races still used the term when faced with a new species, so narrowing this down would be astronomically hard. The first search brought up thousands of results. Growling, I thought about how to taper the search down.