Switch (The Forever Series, Book 7) (5 page)

“You and me both,” I say quietly as I let go of Cole and
wrap my arms around Devon.

“I am dead. In that world, I am dead,” he says to me, his
face stricken. “I don’t even know how to process that.”

“Baby, that isn’t our world. This is. And you are here. I am
here and Cole is here. This is what is real.”

“Don’t go back there. Please don’t go back there, ever. I
don’t want you in a world where I am not,” he whispers to me.

“I won’t,” I say, hoping that I won’t ever go back there.

With a quick glance at Cole, he kisses me and I kiss him
back, needing to feel him. I pull away after a few moments and look at the
clock. It is 11 PM. “How long was I asleep?” I ask suddenly as the time
difference makes no sense.

“About four hours,” Cole says.

“Why were you trying to wake me?”

“You were screaming and writhing about like you were in
pain,” he says.

I was? I guess that explains Devon and CK’s presence. They
must have sensed it.

“Do you remember what you were dreaming?” he asks
hesitantly.

“No, I don’t think I was. It was her. She didn’t want to go
back,” I say as I stand up.

“Where are you going?” he asks, standing with me.

“I need a drink.”

“I’ll get it,” Devon says and jumps up. “You stay here. Get
back in bed, and then you can explain that last comment.”

Cole tucks me in after I get rid of this annoying nightgown
and I settle back as Devon brings me a glass of wine. I smile my thanks and he
sits next to me on one side as Cole sits on the other. Ah, now this three in a
bed is more like it, I think with a happy sigh to be home with my charges.

“What do you mean she didn’t want to go back?” Devon asks.

“I told you, her life was insane. She was Empress. Had been
for some time I think. Being here must have been like a vacation for her. One
she apparently hasn’t taken in centuries,” I add.

“Centuries? Wow. No wonder she was so…” he trails off and
clears his throat.

“So what?” I snap at him to finish his sentence.

“Anxious,” he says shortly.

“Humph,” I say rudely.

“You know,” Cole says drumming his fingers nervously. “Since
we are all here we could, you know?”

I turn to stare at him. “Now?”

“It’s as good a time as any.”

Well not one to turn down an offer like that, I have to
admit I am a little worn out. Mentally. However, that isn’t something I can
ever mention so I smile and look at Devon and he grins back. “Oh you don’t even
have to ask,” he says as reaches for my wrist but pauses. “It is really you
though, right?”

I chuckle. “Yes, and to prove I have memories of us, our
first time was in a brothel in Helsby in front of several people,” and turning
to Cole I add, “and you didn’t want our first time to be a quick fuck in the
back of a limo.”

Devon splutters on that as he tries not to laugh but Cole
takes it in good grace. “The longest ride home, ever,” he says. “If I knew you
lived in Malibu our first time might have gone a lot differently.” To which I
laugh and relax, happy to be where I am and with whom I belong. Both boys then
drop their fangs and proceed to make me feel very loved and satisfied.

I think briefly about taking them both as she did with
Constantine and Sebastian but I don’t think we are ready for that yet. It is an
intimate violation and one that needs a stronger group connection, like between
Devon and Cole. I am pretty sure Devon would go for it but I am just as sure
Cole wouldn’t.

I am in heaven now with both of them feeding from me and
pleasing me and in spite of the powerfully intense Fae connection and the
strong bond with her sire, this is better. This is mine. And I take back what
is mine as I ride my husband, feeling him inside me as I feel Devon’s lips on
my back, his hands on my breasts and I come in an intense wave of pleasure
before I turn around and finish off Cole behind me and Devon in my mouth and
this is perfect.

 

“I love you,” I murmur to Cole as we three lie on our backs
panting at the top of the bed.

“I love you too,” he murmurs back. I turn on my side to
Devon and put my hand on his chest as I still need to feel him and he takes it
in his own.

“Do you know what makes this an even sweeter deal?” he asks,
blue eyes glinting wickedly at me and then at Cole who has turned onto his side
to feed from me.

“What’s that then?” I say with a smile because I am certain
I know what he is going to say.

“It’s a Wednesday!” he says in glee and Cole bursts out
laughing ripping his fangs from my neck in the process.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Cole says, raising
his hand for a high five to which Devon grins and gives him. Honestly, men are
just so silly.

“Indeed,” I say. “I wouldn’t go rubbing it in though. He’s
getting itchy.”

“Itchy? What do you mean?” Cole asks.

“He gets like this every hundred years or so. Itching for a
fight. In fact,” I turn back to Cole, “He might be the perfect one to take you
out if you still want to go.”

His eyes flick to Devon’s, then back to mine. “Yes, I still
want to go. But I don’t want to go with him. That might be a bit too much of an
experience for me,” he says with a small smile.

“Take you out where?” Devon inquires pseudo-innocently.

“Nowhere,” I say at the same time Cole says, “Hunting.”

Devon’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh. I…err…oh.”

“Exactly,” I say with a sigh.

“Don’t be judgy,” Cole snaps at me then rounds on Devon. “I
am sure you will have, if not already, the same situation with Jess.”

Well can’t say either of us can argue with that.

“I do in fact have this problem with Jess,” Devon says
slowly. “But I expected it of her. You never seemed to be concerned with it.”

“Don’t call it a problem,” he says sullenly. “I was doing
what Liv wanted me to. But I can’t keep being so restrained. It’s too hard.”

“Sorry,” Devon mutters. “I know how you feel.” He looks at
me and I let him say what I know he wants to, “I will help you. It will be
difficult for Liv to take you.”

I chew my lip, trying to push myself further into the bed as
they stare at each other across me. I feel like I shouldn’t be here and that is
quite awkward.

“Thanks,” Cole says then clearing his throat as he senses my
discomfort.

“Moving on,” Devon says, also clearing his throat, “I
suppose I should go.”

“No,” I hold him back and look at Cole who peers at me
curiously. “Can he stay? Please. I am not ready to let him go yet.”

“Sure,” he says easily and I guess he was probably expecting
it. He knows me better than he thinks he does.

“Thank you,” I say and kiss him as I snuggle under the
covers and they both follow suit. Ah yes, us three in a bed I am comfortable
with and can accept. Too bad it probably won’t happen again for a really long
time.

 

 

They both fall asleep a couple of hours later but I am wide
awake. For the most part because I am not risking going back to sleep in case I
end up back as E.A.  I am now fairly sure I inadvertently switched us and that
she inadvertently switched us back. After what they said, I am not amused that
she was reluctant to go and even less so about what she got up to. Mind you,
she is going to have some explaining of her own to do when she wakes up to the
two in her bed. Which brings my thoughts back to Sebastian. He looked so hurt.
What did she say to him? What did he say to her? Oh, I am going to have to go
down there and say something to him, try and make it right. I really, really do
not want to go down there. I would rather take on all thirteen of The Thirteen
then go and face her music. Stupid, stupid woman.

That reminds me, no one has mentioned The Thirteen since I
got back. It must not have made an appearance. I wonder if it knew it was her
who had already defeated it and not me, the weak one, and so it stayed away? I
guess we will find out soon enough now that I am back. Just not tonight, I beg.
Just give me the rest of tonight with my two beloved boys. I stare at both of
them sleeping and my heart fills with such love for them. I can’t go back to
that world where they aren’t. I wonder if she will go and find Cole now? That
thought both comforts me and creeps me out. Oh stop thinking, woman, I cry at
myself. You have Cole and Devon in your bed together and you are sat here
worrying about crap that can be dealt with later. There isn’t going to be much
of a later with them here like this so do something about it. Well, I don’t
need much convincing after that, as I reach out and stroke and lick both of
them awake and we silently take each other, not wanting words to disrupt our
deepening bonds to each other.

 

 

I must eventually fall asleep as I awake suddenly,
thankfully still in my own world, because I am being taken advantage of in my
sleep. I grin and wiggle as I sigh, stretching my arm out for Cole to drink
from me.  He raises his head from the nipple he was sucking on and obliges me
as Devon continues to lick my clit, pulsing his fingers in and out of me.

“Just repaying the favor,” he murmurs as Cole drops his
fangs into me.

“Mm, a girl could get used to this,” I say and Cole’s eyes
snap to mine.

Releasing me he says, “You would like that, wouldn’t you?
Both of us in your bed every night.”

“I wouldn’t say no,” I say slyly as he narrows his eyes at
me. “I propose that once we get back to L.A. we buy one of those orgy beds for
one of the guest bedrooms. Have sleepovers.” I struggle to keep the smile off
my face as Devon snickers and Cole looks amused.

“Yes, well, remember what I said on the way down here. Bear
that in mind when you go shopping,” he says wickedly.

“I haven’t forgotten,” I say sternly. “Although there will
be none of those sleepovers of any kind.”

“Such a hypocrite,” he says gently as he kisses me softly
and Devon resumes his task of bringing me to the brink of pleasure with his tongue
and fingers before he lifts my hips and slides into me to push me over the edge
as I continue to kiss my husband.

 

After satisfying Cole and pausing to have a quick feed from
both of them, I finally look to see what time it is.

“Shouldn’t you be at work by now?” I ask Cole as it says
8:04.

He looks at me closely. “No, remember they don’t need me
today…oh, right,” he says looking away.

Oh right indeed. Seems this conversation was had with her.

I glare at him and Devon jumps up. “Well I had better be off.
I am fairly sure that Jess is going to have a shit fit at me when I get back
downstairs.”

“Shower first,” I say to him before he puts his clothes on.

“Right,” he says, clicking his fingers. “Probably a good
idea.”

I giggle at him and then turn my attention back to Cole as
he disappears into the bathroom. “So they don’t need you, why?”

“Location shots,” he says shortly.

“Hm, so I have you all to myself today?” I say.

“So do I have
you
all to myself today?”

I sigh. “I suppose I need to go and speak to Cade. He must
be wondering what was up with me yesterday. Assuming she even went out with
him.”

“She did. She told me.”

“What else did she tell you?”

“Not much. Not big on the conversation. Guess she was afraid
of fucking up. What I don’t get is why she wanted us to think she was you?”

“So she could do you, obviously,” I state, a bit worried
about where this topic is headed and bam, just like that, it lands exactly
where I don’t want it to.

“But you told them, right? I mean, after you discovered what
had happened.”

“Err…” I say, looking away.

“Liv? You didn’t tell them?” he asks, sitting up now as
Devon comes back out of the bathroom all freshly showered and looking very
appealing right about now.

“Didn’t tell them what?” Devon asks as I cringe.

“You didn’t tell them?” Cole asks me again. “Liv!”

“I’m sorry. I tried. It was weird and I was completely
disconcerted and then I discovered neither of you were there and that she was
Empress and had a daughter who was in love with – you will never believe -
Lance and…this, this whole other thing. I’m sorry. I was trying to figure it
out and then it was too late.”

They are both staring at me in varying shades of shock. “She
has a daughter? Who is in love with
Lance
?” Devon asks as Cole snaps,
“How was it too late?”

I look between the two of them and Cole asks again deathly
quiet, “How was it too late, Liv?”

If I could cut my own tongue out of my head, it would be the
more attractive option than having to answer that.

“How?” he growls at me as he gets up to put his sweats back
on and with
epically
bad timing, I answer him just as CK pops into
existence, “I slept with her Constantine.”

 

To say the pair of them look homicidal is an understatement.
Devon, after picking his jaw up from the floor, beats a hasty retreat--the
lucky fucker--and I am left alone with them.

“You, what?” Cole asks almost as if he is expecting a
different answer.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, “I didn’t mean to, it just sort of
happened.”

Now I realize here that I am being untruthful but no way am
I admitting that I wanted to do it and even less so am I admitting that I also
had Sebastian. That goes with me to my grave. Which, by the looks of it, is
going to be way sooner than I had hoped.

I am desperate to play the blame game by stating that he
slept with other me but he claims he didn’t know. I was all sorts of conscious
of my decision and unfortunately he knows that. I look beseechingly at him,
keeping my eyes firmly away from CK. I daren’t. I just daren’t even look at him
yet. Nobody moves as we stare at each other. His hurt is palpable and I want to
reach out and comfort him, but I know he will reject me and I don’t want that,
for either of us. I pull the sheet up to my chin as I become very aware of my
nudity and as he still doesn’t say anything, I make the bold and stupid move of
shifting my eyes to my sire.

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