The Power of Three (12 page)

“
Hands against the window,” Ash
commanded.

Esca complied. “That’s…good, Ash,
that’s…”

He stopped talking as Ash thrust forward
again and started a fast, urgent rhythm that Soreya found herself
replicating. She was aware of them both, Ash’s thoughts so tangled
with Esca’s that for once there was no way he could conceal
anything from her. Lust and love and, Gods, she wanted to come…

Esca’s whole body started to shake as Ash
slammed into him, his muscles straining to maintain his position.
Soreya wanted to crawl between his legs and take his cock into her
mouth, feel him come against her lips. She wasn’t even aware she’d
abandoned the doorframe and moved into the room until Ash looked at
her in the reflection of the glass. He smiled tightly as he pressed
forward one last time and started to climax, his gaze locked on
hers. Esca followed, close behind his come hitting the window
rather than the back of Soreya’s throat where she wanted it.

Suddenly embarrassed to have intruded, she
covered her mouth with her hand and retreated to the relative
safety of her own room.

* * *

Ash stayed put until his breathing returned
to normal and then carefully pulled out. “You knew she was there,
didn’t you?”

Esca turned toward him. “Yeah, I was hoping
she’d be brave enough to come and join in. She certainly thought
about it.”

“
You’re going too fast.” Ash shoved his
now-disordered hair back behind his ear. “You shouldn’t go around
trying to manipulate people.”

Esca’s smile died. “Why not? You do it for a
freking living. She’s our mate.”

“
We don’t know that yet.”

“
She’s our
mate
.”

Their eyes met and held. “Then at least give
her the courtesy of some space to make up her own mind.”

“
Like you are?” Esca shoved past him.
“If I wait for you to declare yourself she’ll be back in
Etrusca.”

“
And maybe that’s what she
wants.”

“
You think she’d prefer certain death
to being our mate?”

“
She ran away from you once before, so
maybe she does.”

“
Don’t be so freking superior. This is
all because you’re too scared to get involved with her.”

Ash moved toward his door, scooping up his
clothes as he went. “Good night, Esca.”

“
Coward.”

He wanted to turn back and plant his fist
right in his lover’s face but that wasn’t his style. Esca was the
only person in the universe who could make him contemplate physical
violence.

“
She’s got it all wrong, Ash. She
thinks she’s going to fall into bed with every Pavlovan male who
kisses her.”

Ash paused, his palm flat on the door. “So
what do you suggest?”

“
We take her out and let her kiss a
few?”

Never
.

He didn’t reply, just pushed open his door,
went inside and took the longest shower of his life. By the time he
emerged, the apartment was silent and his cock was sore from his
constant handling. He kept seeing that image Esca had sent him of
Soreya beneath him, her mouth open as she climaxed, and feeling the
clenching of her inner core around Esca’s driving cock.

He climbed wearily into bed. He couldn’t stop
thinking about her. Perhaps Esca was right. Maybe it was time for
him to stop being a coward and help Soreya understand her choices.
If she wouldn’t accept help from him or Esca, perhaps he needed to
find a more impartial observer.

* * * * *

“
I’m so glad you could come out with us
tonight.” Dr. Mayek smiled at Soreya. “We’ve all been wondering how
you’re getting on.”

“
Yeah, with those two
awesomely hot
men.”

Soreya smiled at her research partner, Dr.
Bev Crozen but she didn’t say anything. She took refuge in her
drink and checked out the bar her coworker had insisted she come to
after their shift was over. She felt conspicuous in her Etruscan
uniform, but no one seemed to mind.

“
So how is it?” Bev nudged
Soreya.

“
It’s okay.”

“
Okay?” Bev snorted. “You’re shacked up
with two of the most beautiful men on the planet, and it’s
just
okay
?”

Dr. Mayek patted Bev’s knee. “Maybe she
doesn’t want to talk about them.”

“
Why not? Gods, if I was sharing an
apartment with those two, I’d be yelling it from the rooftops.” She
leaned in close. “Which one’s better in bed? Which one’s
bigger?”

“
Bev!” Dr. Mayek was bright red. “I’m
sorry Soreya. She’s so nosy.”

“
I understand.” She smiled briefly.
“Actually, they’ve both been very kind and patient with
me.”

“
Which roughly translated means the
three of you aren’t in a relationship yet?” Bev nodded at Mayek. “I
told you.”

“
Not officially.” Soreya sighed. “It’s
hard for me to get my head around all this openness about being a
telepath, let alone the concept of having two lovers.”

“
I’m sure it is.” Dr. Mayek agreed.
“It’s good that they’re giving you some space.”

Soreya finished her drink and Bev immediately
handed her another. Despite her outspokenness, Bev was not only a
brilliant researcher but also a good source of advice on all things
Pavlovan. Soreya had already learned that she could ask her
absolutely anything and she’d always get an honest answer.

“
So who’s the most difficult to live
with?” Bev wasn’t giving up.

“
They’re both very nice.”

Bev made a face at Dr. Mayek. “She’s
obviously a born diplomat like Ash. No wonder they got paired
up.”

“
How do you know?” Soreya blurted out.
“How do you know you’ve found the right people?”

“
That’s a good question.” Dr. Mayek
crossed her legs and sat back. “Sometimes at their coming of age
ceremony, the Oracle at the temple tells a Pavlovan who one of
their mates will be.”

Soreya nodded. “That’s how Esca found out
about Ash.”

“
And I found out about Bev.” Dr. Mayek
blew a kiss at her mate. “We’re still waiting for our
third.”

“
But what if the Oracle, or one of the
people involved, is wrong?” Soreya persisted.

“
The Oracle is never wrong and…” Bev
hesitated. “Usually when you meet a mate you just
know
.”

“
Just by looking at them?” Soreya
gulped down the remainder of her fourth fruity drink and felt it
settle in her stomach like a frothy bomb. She really should’ve
eaten something before she started drinking.

“
No, it’s usually when your minds
click, or you touch them, or something more intimate.”

“
Like when Major Esca kissed
me.”

“
That would do it.” Bev stared at her.
“Why? What’s bugging you?”

“
Because I don’t know the rules.”
Soreya sighed again. “I’ve only kissed two telepaths in my
life.”

“
So?”

“
And I’ve wanted to rip the clothes off
both of them.”

Bev glanced at Dr. Mayek. “We
are
talking about Senator Ash and
Major Esca here, aren’t we?”

“
Yes.” She swallowed hard. “So what if,
after years of deprivation I’m just hyper-sensitive to being
touched by a male telepath?”

“
You think you’ll want to jump the
bones of any telepath who kisses you?”

“
Maybe.” Soreya stared down at the
table.

“
Maybe you need to try a little
experiment. A selective study—you know, like we do at work when
we’re evaluating the extent of your abilities.” Bev raised her
eyebrows at Dr. Mayek. “We can help her with that, can’t we
May?”

“
Bev—”

Ignoring her mate, Bev stood on her chair and
turned toward the open area of the club where a few couples were
now dancing. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted over
the music.

“
Hey! Who wants to kiss a genuine
Etruscan war hero?”

Soreya groaned and wanted to slide down under
the table. Dr. Mayek was no help—she was laughing too hard. When
Soreya dared look up, a line of hopeful males was already
forming.

Bev bowed to her. “”Here you go, Private
Lang. Enjoy.”

Soreya guessed her face was bright red.
“I can’t just
kiss
them!”

“
Why not? It’s the quickest way to find
out if you just lucked out and kissed the right men first.” Her
grin was infectious. “You’d better get on with it. Esca said he’d
be by to pick you up soon.”

Soreya took a deep breath and eyed the first
man in the line, who grinned encouragingly back at her.

“
Hey, I saw you on the news,” he said.
“You really are a hero.”

She stood up and walked over to him. “I’m an
idiot, but would you mind doing me a favor and letting me kiss you?
I’m conducting a scientific experiment.”

* * *

From habit, Esca paused at the door and
scanned the crowds of people in the club. The music was loud, the
chatting even louder, and there was some kind of disturbance over
by the bar. His instincts kicked up as he recognized his mate right
in the center of the maelstrom. He pushed his way through the crowd
until someone had the temerity to bar his way.

“
Buddy, if you want a kiss, get in line
like the rest of us.”

“
What?” Esca snapped as he stared down
at the male.

“
The kissing experiment. The line
starts here.”

Esca looked ahead and saw Soreya
standing at the head of a queue of males; Dr. Mayek was at her
side, and Bev, who was
supposed
to be looking after his mate, was keeping the line in order.
Soreya was smiling and talking to each man who approached her and
then kissing him…

Esca growled low in his throat and the man
stepped away from him. He tried to catch Soreya’s eye, but Bev saw
him first and waved before coming down the line.

“
What the hell is going on?” Esca
muttered.

“
Ash asked us to talk to
Soreya.”

“
This isn’t
talking
.”

“
It’s an experiment.”

“
Which wasn’t quite what Ash
intended.”

“
Ash is an idiot. This is far more
pertinent to the problem.”

“
And if I don’t like seeing other males
kiss my mate?”

“
Then stay in line and show her the
difference.” Bev winked at him. “I’ll make sure you’re
last.”

“
Thanks for nothing.”

Bev just laughed and sashayed away. He had to
watch three more men touch his female before he was standing in
front of her.

“
Private Lang.”

She blinked up at him. “Oh
frek
.”

“
May I help you with your
experiment?”

He didn’t wait for her to acquiesce, but
yanked her into his arms and kissed her with everything he had. She
moaned something unintelligible and wrapped herself around him. He
was aware of shouts and cheers, but he didn’t care, his focus on
proving his point to the woman in his arms. He dragged her even
closer so that she could feel every dangerous, possessive inch of
him.

Eventually, he wrenched his mouth away and
stared down at her. “Well, Lang?”

“
I’d like to go home now.”

“
And why is that?”

She cupped his jaw. “Because I think I’ve
come to a scientific conclusion.”

He tightened his grip on her. “Good to know.”
He nodded at Bev and Dr. Mayek. “Good night ladies. I’m sure Ash
will be in touch.”

Without waiting for Soreya to offer her
drinking companions, or her conquests, more than a quick wave, Esca
marched her out of the club and into Ash’s waiting limo. As soon as
the door shut, he picked her up and sat her on his lap.

“
Don’t do that again, Lang.”

“
What?”

“
Like you don’t know.” He glowered at
her. “Just don’t do it, or I’ll kiss your ass with the palm of my
hand.”

Her eyes narrowed. “It was a perfectly
legitimate experiment.”

He glared right back at her. “It freking was
not.”

She held his gaze and then slowly licked her
lips. His hand clamped down on her ass and pulled her tight against
the hard length of his dick.

“
If you want to kiss something, Lang, I
have plenty of options for you.”

He nipped her lip and she shuddered and
squirmed against him, which did nothing to ease his raging hard-on.
Reaching between them, he undid her uniform pants and shoved his
hand down inside her panties, cupping her sex.

“
You’re wet.”

“
Kissing fifteen men will do that for a
female.”

He thrust two fingers inside her. “Liar, that
was kissing me. I’m the only one who makes you wet.”

She started to move against him, and he
groaned and planted his thumb on her clit until she came around his
fingers. His mouth clashed with hers, and she kissed him until he
wanted to come in his pants like a kid. He realized the limo had
stopped moving.