FireStarter (7 page)

Chapter Seven

Penny

I woke with a start but
relaxed back against the mattress once I realized I was safe at home in my own
bed. With a moan I rolled over and landed up against a warm hard body. Arousal
shot through me even as I gasped in shock. With a low grumble, Clayton wrapped
an arm around my waist and pulled me in tight against him before he
snuggled
into me and I heard his breathing even out.

What the hell?

A low creak at me looking
over at the door to my en-suite bathroom just in time to see a very sexy
looking sleep rumpled Marshall wearing nothing but boxers. I ran my tongue over
my lower lip to make sure I wasn’t drooling as he prowled toward me. A sly grin
pulled at his lips as he got closer. Heat flared in my cheeks. He knew I was
staring at him.

“
Like what you see?”

I swallowed but couldn’t
find my voice.

“
You noisy oaf, you woke her
when you got up.”

I jerked a little at
Clayton’s gravelly voice. I thought he was still asleep!

“
Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean
to wake you.” Marshall slipped back under the covers and moved to lie on his
side in front of me, so close I could feel his body heat.

“
Um, what are you both doing
in my bed?”

Marshall leaned in and
kissed the tip of my nose while Clayton trailed his hand up until he could rub
his thumb over the underside of my breast. Through the cotton of my shirt it
was muted, but I still felt it all the way to my core.

“
You scared the hell out of
us yesterday, baby. So when we brought you home and you went straight to bed.
We both followed.”

“
We needed to be close to
you, beautiful. To make sure you were protected and safe.”

I cocked an eyebrow at
Marshall. “Considering I handled the situation yesterday all by myself, I would
have thought there was nothing for either of you to worry about!”

Marshall’s eyes squeezed
shut as his face contorted, and Clay’s body shuddered behind me.

“
I will never forget, for as
long as I live, opening that door to find you with a knife at that bastard’s
throat. However, you’re not meant to sleep with the thing strapped to you, so
instead you have us to make sure nothing happens.”

He reached up and gave my
hair a playful tug.

“
Cheeky woman, you only
handled it because I equipped you to. And like Marshall said, you’re not
allowed to wear it to bed. Start that shit and I’ll take it back permanently.”

“
Well, I’m just grateful the
firestarter
didn’t bother to check me for weapons. He
must have known you were close when he grabbed me, because he knocked me out
with a blow to the head within seconds of snatching me. I came to getting
thrown around the back of that tin can as he cursed and bitched about being
followed. I figured it was at least one of you, and with the way he was
driving, I was worried he’d kill us both in a crash. So I risked pulling my
move. Honestly, I don’t think I would have even attempted it if I hadn’t known
you were right behind us to come help. I mean, my plan kind of ended with the
knife at his throat. I didn’t really want to kill him. Even though he took my
parents’ lives. I just couldn’t do it.” I paused as tears welled. “I thought
all I wanted was revenge on that man, to see him hurt like he hurt me. But in
the end, I couldn’t do it. I mean, if we’d been fighting and I was defending
myself? That would have been different, but with him just sitting there, I
couldn’t bring myself to use the knife on him.”

Marshall groaned. “Can we
not talk about this? I really don’t want to think about what could have
happened today.”

After giving her ear a nip,
Clayton’s voice took on a playful tone.

“
You know, beautiful, the
cops ever find you with that knife, you’ll end up charged.”

“
Well then,
handsome
, you’d best get me on this
taskforce thing of yours so I can legally carry a weapon.”

Clayton sat up in a rush,
and I flopped over on my back with a squeak. “What the hell?”

“
Wait. Are you serious? You
want
to join PACT?”

I rolled my eyes. “Gee, let
me think. I can legally, and while getting paid, do what I’ve been doing
already. I can actually make a life out of chasing
firestarters
if I’m with PACT.”

Marshall moved over to
allow Clayton room to put a hand on the mattress next to each of my shoulders
so he could tower over me.

“
Just one little issue with
that, beautiful. You need to be a paranormal beastie of some description to
join the team.” I tried to interrupt, but he shushed me. He actually shushed
me. I glared at him as he continued to speak. “Good thing we have a solution to
that, huh? You see, when we mate, you’ll become like us.”

“
I think I’m going to need a
more detailed explanation than that.”

I wanted to be one hundred
percent certain of what Clayton was saying to me.

“
To mate, you need to come
to us. By that I mean you need to make the first move to initiate sex between
us. We’ll all feel the power of the bond forming between us as we make love. Then
Marshall and I will bite you on either side of your neck. Don’t worry, it won’t
hurt. Then, after it’s all over, a mating mark will appear on the outside of
each of our right thighs. It looks like a tattoo of a jaguar climbing upwards,
or so I’m told. I’ve never actually seen one in the flesh.”

“
Wait! You’re both going to
bite me? Like tear into my flesh with your teeth?”

Fear had me trembling until
Clayton moved back to my side and pulled me close again so he spooned up behind
me.

“
It’s tied in with our
shifter magic. I’m told it won’t hurt, but will make us all climax the moment
we break your skin.”

Marshall stroked my cheek
with the back of his hand. “Our bites will alter your DNA, and you’ll become
like us. The first time you ovulate after we mate, you’ll shift for the first
time, but as soon as we claim you, you’ll start developing shifter powers.”

“
Shifter powers?”

I couldn’t even think of
what that might entail!

“
You’ll be able to conjure
clothes, and make them disappear. Hear and see better, run faster, jump
higher…”

“
Wait. I’ll be able to
conjure up whatever I feel like wearing, and poof! I’m dressed?”

“
Well, not quite. It has to
be something you own. It’s more like teleporting the clothing to and from your
wardrobe rather than magically creating it.”

“
Huh. Okay then. This mating
thing. Um. Well, I know you aren’t blood brothers, so does this mean you’re
each other’s mates, too?”

Marshall rolled onto his
back laughing, and my cheeks heated when Clayton began sputtering and growling
behind me. Marshall contained himself first.

“
Baby, we’re your co-mates,
not each other’s mates. There never has or ever will be anything sexual between
us, besides you.”

My mind was busy working
over all the possibilities when Clayton softly kissed my cheek.

“
Go back to sleep,
beautiful. It’s still way too early to be getting up, and you need more rest.”

I was too overwhelmed to
respond and simply lay there as the men made themselves comfortable on either
side of me and went to sleep quickly. I didn’t think I’d ever get to sleep
while I had so much to think about. But even with my busy thoughts, I was
nodding off before long. I hoped things would look clearer when I awoke in the
morning.

****

Marshall

I woke with a moan as
pleasure shot up my body from my groin. Or was I still dreaming? I’d always
dreamed of Penny having her hands on me. I could still be asleep. Maybe? I kind
of didn’t want to open my eyes, because if this was a dream, I didn’t want it
to end.

A brush of silky hair
against my thigh had my eyes flipping open in time to see Penny take the head
of my dick into her mouth. My back arched as arousal coursed through every inch
of me. I’d never felt anything as good as the warmth of her mouth wrapped
around me.

“
Oh fuck me. Penny, baby.
That feels amazing.”

She kept working me until
Clayton spoke up.

“
You know what you’re
starting yeah? Now you’ve started it, we’ll finish it.”

With one last strong suck,
she pulled off me, and I shuddered at the sensation.

“
I know what I’m starting.
I’ve wanted you both since high school, granted I never conceived of the idea I
could actually have both of you. But a girl could dream right? Anyhow, now I
know about this whole shifter mate thing, it all makes sense, the way I was
drawn to you. How fate threw us back together when we’d all gotten separated
with how our lives turned out. This is meant to be. I just know it. I’ve
weighed up all you both told me. And even though you taking me captive pissed
me off and I was angry with both of you for holding me hostage, yesterday’s
events proved that you had good reason for taking me to keep me safe. I feel
protected when I’m with either of you, like I can let my guard down finally and
relax. So, yeah, I know what I’m starting. I’m claiming the men I crave and
starting the rest of our lives.”

My heart swelled with love
for this amazing, brave, sexy woman who was prowling over me, kissing her way
up my torso. Burning me with each press of her lips. I gripped my fists in the
bed sheet to resist from grabbing her. I wasn’t sure exactly how far she needed
to go before I could participate, but I’d give her as long as I could. Looking
down past her breasts, that looked way too tempting dangling above my chest, I
watched her line my dick up with her entrance. She swiped my head back and
forth over her slit, and I nearly wept. She was soft and smooth and oh so
slick… I wanted nothing more than to thrust up and enter her, but I held myself
still, breaking out in a sweat at the effort. This was still her show.

I echoed her moan when she
slowly slid down my length. She was tight around me and so warm. I never wanted
to leave. She began to ride me, and the way her muscles rippled around my
length had me panting for breath. A rush of power burst over me, and I knew I
could now take over, which was perfect timing because I was at the edge of my
contro
l
. I nearly growled when she stopped moving, until she
glanced nervously at Clay.

“
Clayton? I have no idea how
I’m meant to start things with you while I’m riding Marshall. Or do we take it
in turns?”

Unable to wait any longer,
I gripped her hips and began thrusting gently into her heat. Damn, making love
to Penny felt fan-bloody-
tastic
.

She groaned, and Clay
chuckled.

“
No need to take turns,
beautiful. How about I lie down next to Marshall where you can lean over and
reach me? That way you’re still in control.”

I wanted to scream for them
to get on with it. I needed more friction than these tiny thrusts were giving
me, but I didn’t want to risk blowing our mating. I watched as Clay slid down
next to me, being careful not to touch me. We’d deal with any accidental
touching, but there was no way in hell I’d ever touch or accept being touched
by him in a sexual manner. I hoped Penny’s earlier comment didn’t mean she had
any ideas along those lines. Because, no matter how much I loved her, I wasn’t
going there.

Penny braced one palm on my
chest and the other on Clay’s thigh as she leaned over and put her mouth on
him. She moved her hand from me to grip him in her palm. I shuddered at the
sight she made. Her slim fingers firmly wrapped around his thickness, sliding
up and down as her tongue and lips explored his head… Clay’s loud groan gave
away how much he was enjoying the attention.

“
That’s it, baby. You’re
ours now.”

Clay had felt the rush of
energy, too. That meant we could both now have some control, and Clay grabbed
her face between his palms and began to rock in and out of her mouth. I wasn’t
sure what was hotter, watching my dick slide in and out of our mate or watching
how her lips stretched to accommodate Clay’s thick erection. Penny’s movements
over me became awkward, and I could see her wince as she pulled muscles in an
attempt to keep both of us within her. This angle wasn’t going to work. In a
flash, I pulled free from her and groaned as the cool air hit my wet dick.
Penny gasped as I moved her to her hands and knees between Clayton’s spread
thighs.

“
Sorry, baby, that was going
to hurt your back how we were.”

I slid back in from behind,
and her muscles rippled in welcome. I needed this woman more than I needed to breathe.
I kept one hand gripped on her hip while I slid the other around to torment her
clit. She moaned around her mouthful, and Clay’s head dropped back as he
shuddered beneath her. This first round of orgasms wasn’t going to take long.
But that was okay, as shifters we could go all night no matter how many times
we came, and the sooner we both bit Penny, the sooner she’d be irrevocably ours
forever.