Leaf, Erin M. - Tango Trio [Dream Marked 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (7 page)

Jared smiled. “It’s okay. I like teaching.”

“What happened to your partner?” Tessa sensed the woman he’d danced with before the injury lingering in the back of his mind.

“Oh, she found a new partner. We’re still good friends,” Jared explained.

Parker snorted. “Friends. I can tell she didn’t waste any time running away from your bedside and finding someone new while you were recovering.”

Jared winced. “She’s a bit high-strung.”

Tessa frowned then concentrated on the memories Jared was trying to slide away from her and Parker. She glimpsed the dark-haired woman’s shock at finding Jared in the hospital and her subsequent callousness regarding his recovery. “I don’t like her.”

Jared shifted uncomfortably. “She was a good partner.”

“Yeah, as long as you could dance. Once you were injured she dropped you like a hot potato.” Tessa didn’t understand how he could be so forgiving.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Jared explained. “The world of competition is cutthroat. If you’re not determined to win, at almost any cost, you will lose. She has that determination, and she chose her path.” Jared shifted again, and Tessa sensed he was trying to keep pressure off his hip. “I’m not going to waste my time hating her. I’ve made a good life for myself here. Life’s too short to focus on that kind of destructive behavior.”

Tessa felt tears well up and impatiently wiped them away. “I don’t know if I could be so forgiving. When John died, I was angry for so long.”

Parker took her hand and rubbed it soothingly. “That was a different situation, darling. So many people lost loved ones that day, and there was nothing any of us could do. It was senseless and horrible.”

Tessa nodded, frustrated with herself. “Still. You didn’t shut yourself up in your house after your brother died. You went to college. You became the kind of person who builds things instead of tearing them down. What did I do? I hid in my house.” She closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted.

“Tessa, you were very young,” Jared said. “I was a lot older when I was injured. And I certainly didn’t lose anyone the way you did. It’s completely understandable that you’d want time to yourself after that.” Tessa felt him stroking her face. “The first part of being able to forgive others is being able to forgive yourself first and then move forward.”

“How can I possibly do that?”

“You already have,” Parker said, leaning over and kissing her on the lips. Tessa’s eyes flew open, confused. “You’re here, with us, love.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m brave,” Tessa retorted, so completely disgusted at herself she wanted to scream. Jared shared the most devastating moment of his life with them, and here she was, freaking out about herself. “I’m being a baby here.” She took a deep breath and willed herself to relax. She would
not
become one of those clingy, stupid women. Jared was the one who deserved compassion right now, not her.

“You are one of the most courageous women I know,” Jared said. He cupped his hand around her cheek and forced herself to look at him. “You chose to embrace the bond. A bond with two men, no less. That’s the most astonishing leap into the unknown there is.”

Tessa wrinkled her nose at him. “Yeah, such a hardship, diving into bed with the two of you.” She pointedly looked up and down Jared’s body, taking in the sleek muscles and perfect skin. His gorgeous green eyes. Then she glanced at Parker, savoring the thick, muscled length of his body. The golden hair and bright-blue eyes.
Yeah, whatever
. She was suddenly amused.
Hardship my ass.

Jared barked a laugh. “See? You’re the least depressive and whiny female I’ve ever met.” He moved his hand down her cheek and over her breast, playing with her nipple until it pebbled, and she gasped. “I bet I can make you whimper, though.”

Tessa narrowed her eyes at him, even as the overwhelming desire to bond flowed into her body. “You can
try
.”

Parker chuckled and leaned in, slipping his lips along her neck. “Baby, you’re outnumbered here. You’re going to beg before we’re through with you.”

Tessa arched her back then grabbed hold of Parker’s hair, moving his lips to her breast. “Maybe you’ll just do what I want you to.”

Parker nipped her. “Maybe all this talk about who will do what to whom is pointless in a bond. We each know how the others feel. I want to make you scream with pleasure, and when you do, I’ll probably scream, too, and so will Jared. Everything you feel is multiplied between the three of us. I could never force you to do anything you didn’t want because it would be like forcing the best part of myself into bondage.”

Tessa bit back a moan. How did he know exactly the right thing to say?

He knows because he knows what you feel. And what I feel
, Jared thought at her. He drew one of her arms to his lap. Tessa shivered as her wrist touched his erection, and then Jared turned her hand over. She stared at the tattoo that was suddenly clear on her skin.

“Holy shit. Is that—”

“Yeah. A paw print.” Jared traced his fingers over the mark. It tickled, and Tessa giggled and pulled her hand away.

She looked more closely at the bonding mark. She had no idea what kind of animal left prints like that. A dog? Cat? “Why would our tattoos be so ordinary? I thought bonding marks were obscure designs?”

Parker rolled closer, slinging his leg over hers. Tessa shivered as she felt his erection press up against her thigh. “Maybe it means something.” He slid his hand up her thigh, stopping just at the juncture of her thighs. Tessa wiggled, trying to get his hand to move higher. He obliged, and she parted her legs willingly, enjoying the way Jared gasped when her right leg brushed against his cock.

“Maybe it gives us some sort of special abilities,” Parker speculated. Tessa didn’t care anymore. His fingers were on her clit, idly circling the slick nub. She wanted him inside her. Now.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Jared murmured, drawing her thigh higher. His cock pulsed against her skin, making her squirm. She flung an arm around Parker’s neck, desperate for more stimulation.

“Do you have condoms?” Parker asked Jared, who nodded and rolled away. Tessa barely noticed their interaction. She felt them in her mind, and the tight control they were holding on their arousal made her crazy. She wanted them to let go. She frowned, forcing mental claws into the surface of their thoughts. She wanted to get their attention. Jared froze as he came back from the nightstand, a strip of condoms dangling from his hand. Parker grunted, his fingers stabbing into her with such clever aim Tessa bucked, nearly at her climax even after just that little bit of stimulation.

“Why are you teasing me?” She moaned, swiping at their minds again. She didn’t claw at them hard enough to hurt. She could never hurt them. But she wanted them to understand the bonding heat was driving her insane. It was time to stop talking.

“Shit, how did you do that?” Jared asked, his voice dangerously low. Seductive.

She shook her head, shoving at their minds again. How to explain what she didn’t really understand herself?

“Jesus, Tessa, hang on,” Parker panted. She opened her eyes to slits when he withdrew his hand and watched as Jared rolled a condom down Parker’s lovely, lovely cock. He shifted until he was on top of her, and then he looked at Jared. The two men communicated something to each other, and then Tessa felt herself being lifted onto Parker’s lap, his cock nudging at her entrance. She moaned and worked herself down on him. He was huge. She hid her face in his neck.

“Tessa, take it easy,” Jared murmured behind her. She trembled as Parker’s full length slid into her. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t control her legs at all. If Parker hadn’t been holding her up, she would’ve fallen. He leaned back, the muscles in his abdomen rippling, until he was reclining against the wooden headboard. He pulled her forward with him, and she felt his legs open, forcing hers even wider. Exposing her backside completely. She jerked as she felt Jared’s fingers at her rear. He teased at the puckered entrance, rubbing and circling until she thought she’d go mad.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Jared slid one finger into her ass, then another. They were slick with her arousal, and he felt so good Tessa tried to shove herself down farther. She wanted him inside her, too. Right now. She tried to focus, make her body do what she wanted, but her thoughts scattered. Her men were in her head, their scents washing over her body like rain. She shivered as the room faded, and suddenly she was in the forest, running with them. They stopped in a clearing, scenting the fresh air. The rain had finally stopped. She looked over her shoulder, and Parker and Jared came closer, their eyes bright, their scent sharp and determined. She blinked, and she was back in the bedroom, Parker still seated in her pussy while Jared’s delicious cock nudged at her rear entrance. Her eyes flew open when he pushed inside, the crown of his cock stretching her. She wanted to ask them if they were as confused as she suddenly felt, but the desire interfered with her ability to think. She tried to focus through the haze of arousal. Where had the vision of the forest come from? Why was she having visions at all in the middle of sex? She couldn’t hold on to her questions. Tessa moaned as Jared teased at her, shoving inside her ass in tiny bursts. It burned, but Parker shushed her, running his hands up and down her back, urging her to relax. He stared at her, his eyes brilliant while Jared worked his way inside, slowly. So slowly. The men groaned as they felt each other through the thin wall of her body.

“Tessa, sweetheart, you are so beautiful. You are everything,” Jared murmured as he gripped her around her waist, his cock throbbing. She could feel his heartbeat in her body. Then he moved his face over her shoulder, and he and Parker were kissing while Tessa trembled in their arms. When Jared pulled back, Parker smiled at her.

“Darling, I’ve loved you for years, even if you didn’t know it. Relax, we’ll take care of you.” Parker began to move, his thick cock sliding from her very slowly, then back inside. Tessa couldn’t do anything except moan as she felt every inch of him plunge into the softest part of her body. Jared gasped and began to move, too, in time with Parker—one man in, the other out. She sensed the forest welling up again—she closed her eyes and gave into it, feeling utterly at home. Utterly safe. The men held her firmly, gently. She scented the leaves dancing in the trees as her orgasm crept closer and closer.

“I’m close,” she whispered, clenching her fists around the sheets until Parker bent down to lick her neck. She grabbed his shoulders when he opened his mouth and put his teeth against her skin. The next thing she knew, Jared was snarling on the other side of her head, nuzzling down against the delicate spot beneath her ear. She shook, feeling the sharp points of his teeth, then shuddered as both men bit down simultaneously. The pain was exquisite. She thought she screamed as her orgasm crashed open, the men groaning in unison. It was like running in the middle of an earthquake—the trees, the ground shifted around her as she grabbed onto her men. They were solid. Strong. They kept her safe when the pleasure raked through the three of them again and again. When it was done, Tessa realized she had no idea how long their climax lasted, but she knew when it was done, her body drifting gently down upon Parker as Jared’s strong arms closed around them both. The bond sizzled inside her even as they fell into darkness together.

Chapter 6

“I’m just saying, I’m getting a little tired of all this fainting shit,” Tessa griped. The three of them sat in Jared’s kitchen, the two men wolfing down a fourth sandwich while Tessa picked at her third. She’d never eaten so much at once in her life.

“I don’t mind you fainting,” Parker said, wiping at his lips with a snowy napkin.

Tessa glared at him but couldn’t hold on to her irritation. She was too happy about the bonding and too distracted by her gorgeous bond-mates.
That white napkin looks great against his golden skin
. In fact, his entire body had a sort of copper glow to it. Even the deep black of his bonding tattoo held a sheen of metallic copper, almost as though it was three-dimensional. Strangely, Tessa swore she could smell the color more than see it.
Weird. All of this is weird, from the bonding to the strange visions.

“Thank you, baby.” Parker took another huge bite of roast beef, ignoring the crumbs of bread that fell onto the table.

Tessa rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, you are disgusting.”

Jared grinned and finished his beer. “He is. I agree.” He delicately wiped his mouth with his napkin, every movement graceful. Parker flicked him off, and Jared laughed. Tessa tried very hard not to think about the loveliness of Jared’s face against the napkin, but judging by his wink, she wasn’t very successful. He, too, sported a glow—mostly silver. If she closed her eyes, she could smell it, like a sharp, fresh mint. His paw-print tattoo was just as deep a black, but it looked like it had an edge of silver to it. If she squinted, Tessa could tell the metallic sheen went all the way through the tattoo.

Idiots, both of them
. “As I was saying—”

“Yes, yes, we know. You don’t want to do the fainting thing anymore. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you,” Parker teased.

Tessa wanted to smack him.
Good thing I love you, you arrogant schmuck.

“Oh, baby, if you keep saying such sweet things to me, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Parker grinned, the banter lighting up his face. Tessa broke down and smiled. He was absurd. She knew he didn’t have an arrogant bone in his body, and when he tried to pretend, it was guaranteed to make her laugh.