Dragon storm, p.9
Dragon Storm, page 9
“Do you think this tub is big enough for the three of us?” Connor whispered in her ear.
She looked down at the small swimming pool, filled with heavenly warm water. “It’s a Jacuzzi. It’s meant for more than one.”
“What’s a—?” Darius asked as she bent to flip the switch that turned on the jets. “Ah, now that’s different. We don’t have anything like that outside the hot springs.”
Both men seemed interested in the motion of the water, watching it instead of focusing on her. She’d see about that.
Josie slipped out from between them and stepped into the huge tub. That seemed to wake them up, and they quickly followed her in. Water sloshed. She’d intentionally filled the tub only halfway, knowing the three of them would be moving around. Vigorously, if all went as planned.
She smiled secretively as she lured her men to her side. The huge oval tub was made for up to four. There was enough room to squeeze all three of them together on one side, if they didn’t mind bumping against each other intimately.
No, she didn’t mind that at all. Not one little bit. In fact, she intended to get a whole lot closer to them both before the night was through.
Apparently Darius and Connor were thinking the same thing. Darius grabbed her around the waist, lifting her in the water until she sat in the V formed by his legs at one end of the oval tub. She could feel his cock bobbing against her ass and suddenly she didn’t want to draw this out any longer. She wanted him. Now.
Josie tried to turn in his arms.
“Whoa, where are you going?” Darius’s big hands stopped her movement.
“I don’t want to wait, Darius. I want you now.”
He leaned close to her neck, speaking against her ear. “Then now you shall have me.” He lifted her as easy as if she weighed nothing at all, settling her slowly on the hard rod of his cock. The slick water and her own eagerness allowed deep penetration with little effort.
“Yes,” she groaned when he was seated fully within her. The sound echoed off the gleaming tile of the bathroom. She tried to move, but he held her still.
“You’ve got what you want,” Darius purred in her ear. “This time we take it slow and easy. You think you can handle that, little girl?”
Slow and easy would kill her. She just knew it.
Connor sat back at the other end of the tub, watching them with hooded eyes. Darius lifted her up slowly, then lowered her on his cock, all while Connor watched. The sensation was wickedly stimulating.
“I think she likes being watched after all, Dar.” Connor licked his lips as he watched his twin finger her nipples. When his gaze rose to meet hers, Josie felt a small explosion of need in her body. She whimpered as Darius lifted her and lowered her again. It was an agonizingly slow motion that made her want to scream—both in pleasure and frustration.
Darius rocked her on his shaft, drawing out her pleasure. Connor watched it all, rubbing his cock beneath the surface of the sloshing water. She could see the motion of his hand and the rippling of his tight muscles as he worked himself. It made her want more.
“Please, Darius.” She didn’t really know what she was asking for. Thank heaven Darius seemed able to read her mind. He began to thrust harder and faster, causing the water to ripple violently around them. She didn’t care. They could flood the whole damned house as long as Darius kept doing what he was doing.
Connor leaned forward as his twin repositioned her. They caught her between them, Connor holding her by the shoulders as Darius maneuvered for more leverage. It was worth the slight wait. When Darius pushed in again, he went deeper and more forcefully than he had before. The change of angle also hit something inside her that made her entire body clench in need. She couldn’t take much of this.
She began to moan on every thrust as her completion drew near. Darius increased his pace as Connor murmured encouragement. He watched every sway of her breasts with an avaricious glint in his eye. She held his gaze, promising him without words that he was next…if she survived. The way it was looking, she might not.
Darius pushed her higher, the water around them swishing in counterpoint to his harsh movements, driving her onward. Connor’s hands held her steady, suspended between her men.
“Almost there, my love,” Darius whispered, his ardor intensifying that last little bit.
“Darius!” She felt the climax looming in his possession, heard it in his voice. He was close and so was she. So close, in fact, that all he had to do—
“Come for me, Josie. Come now.”
That was all she needed. He commanded her response, and she gave it to him. Shudders shook her body as orgasm hit her like a tidal wave. Darius followed a heartbeat behind, filling her body and soul.
When the storm dissipated they were both breathing hard. Connor was there to catch her, lifting her in his arms as he stepped from the giant tub. He rubbed her sensitive skin with a heated towel, caring for her as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him.
She felt cherished. Pampered and spoiled by two of the most delectable men she had ever known—or would ever know. After these two, she knew she would be spoiled for anyone else. They were her mates. The only ones for her. If she succeeded in helping them find a way back to their own world, she didn’t know if she could go on living without them. That was a bridge she would have to cross when they got to it. For now, she intended to bask in their attention and lavish her love on them as well. For as long as it lasted.
Connor carried her to the bed after drying her with pleasant thoroughness. He’d only swiped the towel at his own aroused body, but he’d taken time with her, rekindling the fires that had only been banked, never put out. By the time he joined her on the big bed they’d been given for the night, she was purring, ready for more of her men.
This time, Darius watched from the sidelines, and she suddenly realized they were as good as their word—they were trying to see if she could enjoy being watched. The very idea spiked her arousal.
She liked it when either of her mates watched her being pleasured by the other, but she wasn’t sure how she might deal with a stranger’s eyes on them as they made love. As in all things carnal, she’d let her mates guide her. These two rascals no doubt had vastly more experience than she did in such matters. Jealousy wanted to take hold, but it was impossible to be mad at them for things that had happened before they ever even met. Now that they were mates, the twins’ prowling days were over.
Connor made love to her hard and fast. He couldn’t wait after watching that steamy scene in the bath. Neither could Josie. She welcomed him into her arms and between her thighs with abandon. He pounded into her, making her come hard and fast, screaming his name as ecstasy took her.
When he was done, Darius climbed over her once more. He hadn’t been unaffected by watching his twin. And so it went for most of the night.
Josie was sore when she woke, but she couldn’t disguise the grin of utter satisfaction on her face. Her men wore identical expressions. The three of them no doubt looked smug when they joined the cougars for a quick breakfast before the Alpha arrived to take them to the airport. He had agreed to look after Josie’s vehicle until she returned so it wouldn’t have to sit in long-term parking. She had no idea how long it would take to accomplish their goal.
They took their leave of the cats with genuine warmth and invitations from the cougars to return anytime. Josie felt truly welcome among them without the usual pressure of being snowcat. With her men around there was something far more interesting for the cougars to focus on. What was one half snowcat when compared to two fire-breathing dragons?
Josie hadn’t seen the guys since early that morning when Stewart had escorted them to the charter portion of the big airport. She would board the usual way, assured by the cougar Alpha that he would be able to smuggle the twins aboard the aircraft via some friends in the charter area. She didn’t know how it all worked, but she trusted the Alpha to do his best.
She only hoped it was good enough. Josie was a nervous wreck when the time came to board the jumbo jet that waited on the tarmac. She’d watched out the windows while various service vehicles docked with the aircraft, delivering all kinds of supplies. Crew members had come and gone while she watched and, though she’d strained to catch some glimpse of her men, she hadn’t seen any sign of them anywhere.
Josie jumped in her seat when the boarding announcement for her flight was called. If all went as planned, the twins would be waiting for her on the plane. If they weren’t there, with security the way it was these days, she’d be stuck on a plane bound for China with no idea of their fate. They were taking a risk, but there seemed to be no other way.
She was the first in line to board when the gate attendant started taking tickets. She rolled her carry-on bag up the ramp toward the hatch and was relieved to smell a hint of cat up ahead. Cougar, if she wasn’t mistaken. The blonde flight attendant who waited to welcome her was most definitely a shifter. The knowing smile clinched it as the woman pointed her toward the back of the plane.
Josie went as fast as she could through the tight space between the seats. It was supposed to be an aisle. It was more like a very narrow gap between the rows and rows of seats on the big plane. Nerves assailed her as she made her way out of first class, then business class and into the main cabin where everyone else would sit.
Her heart started beating again when she saw two figures waiting for her in the last row. Darius sported a sweatshirt with the hood pulled low over his head as he slouched in his seat. Connor waited for her, appearing wide-awake and watchful. It was probably wise to hide one of their faces. At least during boarding. They were handsome enough to draw attention from every female on the flight without there being two of them. Better to only let one be seen at a time. Twins were much too memorable.
Josie went to them, and Connor helped wrestle her bag into the overhead compartment. She smiled, thinking how impressed he’d been by her wheeled bag and the fabrics from which it was made when she’d packed it the day before. Wherever they were from, they didn’t have technology like they had on Earth. What little they’d told her about their world made it sound vaguely medieval.
“Any problems?” Connor gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he settled in the seat beside her. Darius had the window seat, and she was between the twins, in the middle. The flight wasn’t full. The empty seats meant they might have room to stretch out later, but for now, she liked the security of sitting between her two mates.
Two mates. She still couldn’t really wrap her head around that idea.
“No problems. I was worried about you two, though. Was it okay?”
“Your friends took us in a large, square vehicle from the building where you left us to here. We went across a vast distance of what he called a runway, though we saw no creatures running there. And the stone was surprisingly flat.”
She stifled a giggle. They really seemed to have no technology in their world. “First of all, it’s not stone. Well, not really. It’s cement—a mixture of rock, sand and other stuff with water that we spread to make the roads flat. When it dries, it’s hard like rock and lasts for years. Like the roads we were on yesterday.” She’d had fun trying to explain macadam to them, though her knowledge of construction was sadly limited. Connor nodded, so she supposed her explanation was good enough. “As far as what a runway is…” She tried to think of a way to prepare him for what was to come, but was at a loss. “This plane needs room to get up to speed before it can lift off.”
“Then the wings do not flap?” Darius asked from beside her, though he appeared to be asleep, slouched against the hull. “They looked rather stiff when we saw this vehicle from the outside. I’ll admit, I have my doubts about it being able to fly.”
“No, the wings don’t flap. The engines propel us at such high speed, lift is created under the metal wings that allows us to fly.” She wasn’t much better at explaining aeronautics, but the men didn’t seem to mind. “You’ll see. Once we get up to speed we’ll shoot upward, and you’ll be pushed back in your seats. You can watch out the window as they use the little flaps on the edges of the wings to change the shape of the wing and get airborne. It’s pretty cool.”
“If you say so.” Connor looked uncertain. “I’d prefer to fly myself, but I’m willing to give this method of flight a try. We looked over the skin of this vehicle and if it begins to fall, we can always tear it open and shift in the air.”
“Planes seldom fall out of the sky. Not unless something catastrophic happens, like losing cabin pressure. So don’t tear anything open, all right? The metal skin on this thing needs to stay intact so everyone can stay safe.”
“We have done nothing,” Darius protested. “We merely have reconnoitered the situation. It is useful to be prepared for all contingencies.”
“Well then, tell me this. Can dragons fly at heights over thirty thousand feet? That’s where we’ll be, and that’s why this cabin is pressurized. The air up there is too thin to breathe and freezing cold.”
“How big is a foot in your measurements?” Connor looked skeptical.
“About like this.” She held up her hands to give them an approximate size.
Connor looked to Darius, and both looked back to her hands, surprise on their faces. Darius was frowning, but neither twin answered her.
As the cabin filled up, the flight attendants started making their rounds, helping people get their gear stowed and find their seats. In addition to the cougar up front, two more of the stewards smelled like shifters to Josie. The Asian stewardess seemed to be some kind of raptor—probably an eagle, judging by her tawny hair and piercing eyes. The black-skinned male steward smelled distinctly of lion shifter.
It was odd to see a lion in such a subservient role. Lion shifters had a reputation much like that of their animal cousins. The king of the jungle was a fierce predator and cunning protector. Many lion shifters fulfilled the same kinds of roles, often in the military, and particularly in Special Forces.
Josie watched the man as best she could through the crowd of boarding humans. He caught her eye and winked with a bright grin. He was well aware of her interest and seemed comfortable with it, which was strange.
“Why is Duke smiling at you?” Darius actually sounded jealous.
“I can’t figure him out, and he caught me staring at him. A smile is better than a roar, I always say. Especially from a lion shifter.”
“Lion? Is that what he is? Big cat. Golden ruff around his neck?” Connor looked at the man with interest in his gaze. “We have heard of such creatures living in the deserts to the south, across the great sea, but I have never seen one.”
“Lions are known as the king of beasts for good reason. Lion shifters are rare, but mighty. It’s just strange to see one employed as a flight attendant.”
“He was introduced to us as an air marshal, though we are not familiar with the term,” Darius supplied.
The big man’s presence made sense to her after hearing that. “Air marshals protect passengers from those who would cause mischief on airplane flights. Terrorists, hijackers, criminals and crazy people have caused airplanes to crash in the past, killing many people. As a result, a lot of flights have undercover marshals hidden in plain sight—either as passengers or as crew—ready to stop any trouble before it begins.”
“A Guard, then.” Connor’s expression held new respect. “It is a worthy occupation if he is as mighty a warrior as you believe.”
The safety briefing began, all passengers having boarded. Connor jumped slightly when the marshal’s voice first sounded over the intercom. They could see him speaking into the phone attached to a bulkhead in front of the cabin, so it was clear who was speaking.
Josie pulled out the safety card from the back of the seat in front of her, and the twins followed suit. They looked at the pictures of possible disaster scenarios, and she could feel their agitation. After that, their attention was focused on the lion shifter and the safety demonstrations given by the other crewmembers.
Safety instruction finished, the plane began to pull away from the terminal. Darius had his nose pressed against the glass, watching everything that went on outside. Connor’s eyes were closed as if he were in some kind of trance.
“Are you okay?” She touched his hand.
Connor nodded. “I am watching through my brother’s eyes. It requires concentration.”
“That’s amazing. You can really do that?”
“Yes. Though we do not do it often. In this case, Darius grabbed the window seat before I could get to it. We are very curious about how this metal tube will fly.” His eyes were closed, but he seemed able to converse with her normally. “There is a lot of equipment involved. We have nothing like this in our world.”
“Neither did we, until the past fifty years or so. Technology has really come into its own over the past century. Before that, we probably lived much like you do.” Glancing over Darius’s shoulder, she saw that they were lined up for takeoff near the end of the runway.
With a roar of jet engines, the plane in front of them started its roll down the runway. It leaped into the air moments later, shooting upward in a beautiful display. Then it was their turn.
Josie took Connor’s hand as she rested her head back against the seat. The plane’s engines whined as they went to full throttle and, in a burst of speed, barreled down the runway. She squeezed Connor’s fingers as the wheels left the pavement, and they shot into the air. The noise level increased as the engines strained. A thunk told her the landing gear had retracted into the belly of the plane, and they were on their way.
As the plane began to level out from its takeoff climb, Connor’s eyes opened and he turned to her. A frown creased the space between his eyebrows.
“All in all, I prefer to fly on my own.”
“But the speed, Con.” Darius tore his gaze from the window to protest. “We can’t attain speed like this unless we’re in a dive, and then only for short periods. And we’re so high.”
