Vanessa Unveiled (8 page)

His eyes filled with a wealth of sadness, Rand brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead. The soothing gesture eased a fraction of the ache in her chest and she took a shuddering breath. “You’d think that’d be the hardest part of it, never having a place I belonged. But it wasn’t. Miraculously, the state found a couple who were willing to take me in. For two months I lived this amazing fantasy, believing I’d finally found a family who could love me despite the insanity that followed me.”

Braeden stroked her cheek. “What happened?”

“The Robertsons didn’t love me at all. They’d heard the rumors of the poltergeist theory and decided it meant I possessed some latent psychic ability. I should have caught on to things sooner, but I wanted them to love me. More than anything. Two months in, they started asking me if I had special numbers for them.”

Rand frowned. “Numbers?”

“The lottery. They thought I could help them win one of the jackpots. When it became clear that wasn’t going to happen…”
You really are nothing but a useless little freak
. She struggled to shove the cruel, phantom voice from her mind. “They sent me back, too, just like all the others did.”

“Aw, darlin’.”

The suffocating weight of Braeden and Rand’s sympathetic stares left her uncomfortably exposed. She dragged her fingers through the steaming water to hide her sudden need to fidget. “I stayed in the state-run system until I was sixteen. That’s when the Veil Alliance League tracked me down and recruited me. I figured what the hell, might as well make my curse work for me, right? Pay might not be the greatest, but the techno gadgets make me look cool and badass.”

Rand and Braeden continued watching her, their sober expressions adding to her overall sense of vulnerability. Desperate to return to the carefree fun of earlier, she scooped up a handful of the water and flicked it at Braeden. He blinked at her through the droplets running down his face, and she bit her lip to keep from giggling at his stunned look. Slowly, a grin crawled in place on his handsome mug and he took a stealthy step forward.

She slid a pleading glance in Rand’s direction and Braeden gave an evil laugh. “He’s not gonna save you, babe.” He lunged at her and she yelped before leaping out of the way. Unfortunately, attempting to maneuver in the waist-deep water was like trying to square dance in Jell-O. Or so she assumed. Regardless, she lost footing and splashed backwards in an undignified sprawl.

So much for looking all badass. She came up for air, sputtering.

“That’s what you get, darlin’.” Hooting in laughter, Braeden reached for her.

“I’ll have you know, I meant to do that.” She wrung out her hair, watching the water plop and ripple on the surface of the pool. “I keep meaning to ask what the deal is with the water in this joint. Why it always looks like it’s pumped from an underground spring of champagne.”

“The explanation lies in the fountain. We could tell you, but it’d be easier to show you.” Rand laced his fingers through hers and led her toward the steps.

She gaped at him. “Um, you mean like right now this minute?”

“Why not?”

Because I was hoping for some pool sex
. Not about to admit that out loud and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt how much of a shameless hussy she was, she cleared her throat. “I’m not trekking downstairs buck naked.” Her luck, it’d be the one time the damn staff happened to be moseying about.

Braeden met them at the lounge chair and whipped open one of the waiting towels with a dramatic flourish. “Your wrap, m’ lady.”

She let Braeden and Rand tuck her into the towel before following them to the elevator. “I still don’t know why you can’t just tell me.”

Rand’s arm wrapped around her waist. “Because this is better.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

“Are you always this cryptic and mysterious?” she grumbled.

“Only on Fridays.”

Grunting, she remained silent for the short trip down to the lobby. The entrance was deserted, not that she supposed Rand and Braeden gave a donkey’s ass if anyone spied them walking around naked. When it came to public nudity, they seemed happiest to let it all hang out. Literally.

“Come on, darlin’.”

She started to follow Braeden across the tile, but pulled up short when he jumped into the fountain. The sexy blond pooka shot her and Rand an inviting grin over his shoulder. “What are you two slowpokes waiting for?”

“Uh, is he nuts?”

“Yes, but not about this.” Rand cupped her elbow and coaxed her forward. “You’ll be glad you saw this, Nessie. I promise.”

The excitement dancing in Rand’s eyes was infectious and she found herself consumed with an overwhelming curiosity to discover whatever waited within the fountain. Nodding, she allowed him to lead her across the lobby.

“Ready?” Giving her hand an encouraging squeeze, Rand helped her step over the fountain’s ledge. They splashed toward Braeden, and the section of the pyramid closest to them shimmered before revealing a doorway bathed in brilliant, orange light. Despite the multitude of odd and wondrous things she’d encountered throughout her life, a sense of awe the likes of which she’d never experienced shivered over her. Almost as if an invisible force drew her, she passed through the doorway and entered a world of such stunning beauty, speech momentarily abandoned her. A wide beach stretched before her, its crystal-fine sands blending seamlessly with the champagne waves lapping in the distance.

Golden sparkles dusted Vanessa’s arms like spilled glitter and she lifted her focus. Millions upon millions of the crystal-like flakes were drifting from an undulating, violet sky. “It’s the veil, isn’t it?” She turned toward Rand and Braeden and noticed how their skin gleamed from the richness of the sparkles, making them glow with an otherworldly light.

No, not otherworld. Their world.

Rand nodded. “It powers the entire hotel. Hence the color of the water.”

It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d seen the veil, but never in such spectacular, undiluted potency. “I’ve heard rumors of portals like this one, but always wondered if they were more myth than anything else.”

“Now you know they’re real. Are you glad we brought you here?”

Words didn’t seem adequate for expressing the jubilant wonder blossoming within her. She offered Rand a fierce hug instead. He held her close. “Never consider yourself cursed, Nessie. This place, you, me and Brae, it’s a gift.”

Before Rand could say anything more, Braeden took off down the beach with an exuberant “
Whoop
”, his feet kicking up sand and his gorgeous ass flexing. He dove into the gentle waves, only to reappear a second later as a dolphin flipping into the air.

Rand shook his head. “What a fucking showoff.” Despite his sarcasm, wistfulness danced in his eyes.

“You want to join him, don’t you?” When he didn’t immediately answer, she stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across his bristly jaw. “Go.”

“Come with me.”

“I will. I just want to take all this in for a moment first.”

After a reluctant hesitation, Rand raced toward the seaway. Like she had done with Braeden, she indulged in the splendid scenery Rand provided before he, too, transformed into a dolphin. She watched the two pookas frolicking in the waves, their playfulness firing up a multitude of old longings. That need to be loved, to belong, built to a strong ache within her soul.

A pair of whistles carried on the wind, followed by the sound of Rand and Braeden’s voices beseeching her to join them.

Yes, go to them
. Joyously obeying the calling in her heart, she ripped off the towel and ran down the beach. All her worries and insecurities lifted as she waded into the water and swam out to Rand and Braeden. They took turns jetting her through the waves, their smooth, dolphin bodies slick and graceful beneath her clasping arms and legs. Many minutes later, tired and exhilarated, the three of them collapsed at the water’s edge in a tangle of limbs.

“That was…incredible.” Her lungs bellowing, she rolled onto her elbows and grinned down at Rand and Braeden. They both stroked her face, their eyes shining with pure joy. Raw emotion kicked her square in the solar plexus, causing her breath to jam in her throat.

This was what she’d waited her entire life for. Them.

Hands trembling, she traced the curve of first Rand’s jaw, then Braeden’s. Leaning down, she kissed them both, the wet ends of her hair streaming around them. Neither seemed to mind. Braeden gathered her close, his caresses along her wet skin as cherishing as his expression. He deepened the kiss, his tongue gliding along hers, and she whimpered. A hand curved around her shoulder and she looked up into Rand’s hot gaze. She hadn’t even noticed that he’d risen onto his knees.

“Take him inside you, Nessie. He needs you.”

“What about you?”

Rand grazed his knuckles along her cheek. “I need you too. More than you could imagine. But I also want to see you ride Brae.”

She glanced down at Braeden. His typical teasing charm appeared to have taken a hike. A ruddy flush darkened his golden complexion and heightened the intense desire in his eyes. She kissed him again and his groan vibrated inside her mouth. There was no way she could wait a second longer. She had to take him inside her body. Now. Straddling him, she impaled herself on his thick cock with one downward stroke. She cried out at the fierce pleasure of it, her pussy clenching when Braeden gripped her hips and pumped his cock deeper. Neither finesse nor technique a goal, she rode him hard and fast. Rand’s palm slid to her breast and she moaned.

One of Braeden’s hands traveled upward and covered Rand’s. “Join us.”

Her body rejoiced at the suggestion. Amazing how in such a short time she’d come to crave their mutual lovemaking. Would she ever be able to go back to anything else? Unwilling to dwell on that question, she reached for Rand, fisting his cock as her tongue swept inside his mouth. Like Braeden, Rand uttered a helpless moan. The sound affected her like nothing else. Making this powerful and sexy male tremble just from her touch was a heady thing. She reluctantly released his cock. “Please. Together.”

“Yes, sweetest. The way it should be.” Rand’s lips met hers in a final, lingering kiss before he moved behind her. Planting his hand in the center of her back, he coaxed her downward until she was completely flattened on top of Braeden. Hooking her ankles with his feet, Braeden spread their legs wide to make room for Rand. It wasn’t until she felt Rand’s cock prodding against Braeden’s that she realized he intended to join them in the most literal sense.

For a brief moment she doubted the physics of taking two giant cocks inside her pussy at the same time, but as Rand eased his way inside she stopped thinking about anything but the delicious fullness stretching her to the absolute limits. “Oh God.”

“Feel good, sweetest?”

Holy mother, talk about an understatement. The tight fit meant minimal thrusting from either Rand or Braeden. Didn’t matter. Stuffed as she was, the tiniest friction on her sensitive inner walls had her teetering on the edge of orgasm. As if sensing how close she was, Braeden gave a sexy roll of his hips, causing his pubic hair to rasp against her clit. She broke on a wrenching cry, her climax crashing into her with the force of a runaway semi. Gasping, she writhed between Rand and Braeden, half-convinced she would pass out from the sheer ecstasy washing over her. She opened her eyes and noticed Braeden watching her, his irises filled with heat and tenderness.

Love—so sharp and sweet it almost hurt—slammed her dead center in the chest. Like a withered rose recovering from a hard frost, her heart opened, radiating a warm glow that spread throughout her whole body. Beneath her, Braeden tensed suddenly, his face twisting in an odd grimace. Worried, she stared at him. “What is it? Are you hurt?” She started to lift up but he grasped her hips, keeping her in place.

“No. I think I’m going to—” He gave a wild buck suddenly, his fingers digging into her. “
Fuuuuck
.” The oath morphed into a strangled roar and Braeden shuddered, his eyes rolling back.

She freaked out, convinced he was having some type of seizure, but then the pulsing of his cock gave him away. Just as she was becoming acclimated to the fact that Braeden was coming, not dying from a brain aneurism or something, Rand started shaking too, his tortured roar joining Braeden’s. Good Lord, she’d never seen anyone come so hard before in her life. Not even in a really badly acted porno flick. It almost looked painful.

She attempted to gingerly ease up along Braeden’s torso. Both he and Rand pulled her back, thwarting her efforts. His smile lazy and wicked, Braeden brushed his thumbs over her nipples. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I thought you were…uh…” Concentrating became difficult when Rand sucked her earlobe into his mouth and started moving inside her again. Miraculously, he didn’t seem to have softened. Same went for Braeden.

“Done?”

It took a few seconds for her to realize Rand was attempting to fill in the missing blank at the end of her observation. “Well, clearly—” She gasped as Braeden countered Rand’s stroke. “You’re not done.”

Braeden’s mouth curled at one corner. “Clearly.”

“We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for, sweetest. I wouldn’t count on going anywhere for a while.”

They began thrusting in earnest, steadily driving her back to that dazzling, decadent peak where pleasure reigned. Her toes curled into the sand.

Nope. She definitely could think of no better place to be for the next lifetime or two.

Chapter Eight

“Put on your sexiest outfit, darlin’. We’re taking you out tonight.”

She gaped at Braeden while he sauntered into the bedroom. “As in out of the hotel?” For some strange reason, the thought of leaving their idyllic little world didn’t set well on her. Ridiculous, since they obviously couldn’t stay here forever.

“No, we’ll still be in the hotel.”

Despite knowing it was silly to be glad over the news, relief swept over her. Until she remembered all the hoochie-mama outfits resting in her suitcase. Well, on the bright side, selecting a sexy outfit wouldn’t be difficult. Now if only she could find one that didn’t overexpose her girly parts. She crossed to the ottoman and inspected her choices before settling on a slinky, emerald-green mini dress that left her shoulders bare. Platform wedges in a matching silk completed the ensemble. Once she was zipped and tucked into everything, she twirled in front of Braeden. “Well, what do you think?”