Chapter Eight
When they returned to the house, it was relatively quiet. A few of the men were in watching a movie on a massive screen and barely even glanced up as they passed by the doorway. As to the others, she couldn’t even begin to guess where they might be.
Gareth and Mikhail walked her upstairs to her room but stopped short at her door.
“Breakfast is usually served at eight,” Gareth told her. “But if you feel like sleeping in, do it. There’s always food around this place, so you won’t have to starve.”
Camilla looked to her door. “Whose rooms are close? Sometimes I have nightmares, so you need to warn them that if I’m screaming, it might just be a nightmare.” And with all that she had seen and learned that day, hell, who wouldn’t have one?
“We’re the only two at this end, the others are spread out through the other wings of the house. I’m there.” Gareth pointed a couple of doors down. “And Mikhail is right here.” He nodded to the door closest to hers. “You’re unlikely to wake either of us and the house is soundproofed, so.” He shrugged.
“Great. Thank you.” She let out a relieved breath and closed her eyes. “Rest well, gentlemen.” She stepped half into her room. “Dream of me?” she asked with a smile and then closed the door behind her, leaning against it and sighing. Heaven’s sakes, those men did something to her, for her, and she didn’t know what, or how, to deal with it.
She could hear them talking in the hall, but their voices were too low for her to catch any of the words. After a few minutes and a laugh that was all Gareth, she heard doors shutting and then silence descended over the house.
****
3 A.M.
Camilla woke with a scream. Sweat poured off her body, and she could swear she smelled brimstone in her room. She didn’t even hesitate or stop to think: Camilla jumped from her bed and raced out of the room in a borrowed t-shirt and panties to Mikhail’s room. Without knocking, she let herself in.
“Mikhail?” Camilla moved to the bed once her eyes adjusted to the darkness of his room, the stillness. “Can I sleep with you?” She shook and her voice hitched on a cry. The scent of brimstone still hung in her nostrils. “Please?”
He’d sat up as soon as she’d invaded his space. She’d heard him move, but he hadn’t said anything. He nodded slowly and lifted the blankets a bit. “Come on,” he said in a sleep-roughened voice. “Quickly, before you freeze in what you’re not wearing.”
Camilla slid into the bed and moved in as close to him as she could possibly get. She wrapped her arms around him. Tears were still fresh on her face as she whispered, “I had a nightmare. I could have sworn I smelled sulfur again. I know it’s a dream and it’s a flashback from earlier, but I didn’t want to be alone.” She gulped. “I hate nightmares.”
He stiffened against her for a time before he wrapped an arm around her. Settling down in the bed, he tucked the blankets around her. “You’ve been through a lot,” he said quietly. She could feel his jaw moving against her temple, the slight abrasion from the growth of beard on his face a point to focus on. “It’s natural for you to relive it once you had relaxed enough. They can’t hurt you here, Camilla. Not tonight, not ever. We’re all here to keep you safe.” He began to stroke her hair slowly, soothing her she realized.
She felt the petting all the way to the bottom of her soul. He relaxed and soothed her far more than he would ever know. With another shudder, she yawned again. “Thank you.” Camilla pressed a kiss to his bare chest. With one leg over his and her arm around him tightly, she drifted off into a blissfully dreamless sleep.
****
When morning came, she found herself wrapped up in strong arms. A hot, hard body held her close and curled around her protectively. Daylight was just creeping around the heavy curtains in the window.
“Sleep well?” His voice was a low, throaty rumble next to her ear. She could feel those two words vibrating from him into her body. He shifted just enough to tell her he was one hundred percent naked—something she hadn’t known when she’d dove under the covers with him last night.
“I did, actually,” Camilla said with a smile. “Thank you for letting me come and crash with you.” She had left her bedroom door standing open, the blankets tossed off the bed, and her robe on the floor. “I should likely get up and get back to my room before Gareth sees the door open and thinks something happened to me.”
“He already knows you’re in here,” Mikhail told her. “Remember that four-a.m. run he mentioned?” he asked softly. He loosened his hold on her, but she had no idea why.
“Oh crap.” She didn’t move, though. “You missed your run?” For her? That was, well she didn’t know what to think about that. “Are you okay with missing your run this morning? I didn’t even think when I came to climb into bed with you that you had to be up less than an hour later. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll just have to hit the gym later and do a workout. I didn’t want to leave you in case you had another nightmare. I thought about it for a moment before telling him to go ahead without me. It felt wrong leaving you alone, especially since I didn’t want to wake you to let you know I was leaving.”
“Thank you for that. I did sleep beautifully with you at my side, though. No more nightmares, nothing but happy dreams and warm sleep.” And she had been warm, very warm.
“Good.” He brushed his fingers over her cheek and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “We should get up. Breakfast will already be underway, and you don’t want to miss more of the insanity around here. If you want to grab a shower first, I’d do it quick.” His gaze moved over her face. “Not that you need one.”
“I’ll just grab my robe from my bedroom. I won’t worry about a shower yet.” She smiled. “I’m glad that you don’t think I need one. I’m glad I’m not offensive.”
“Not offensive in the least. Go, get your robe.” As he lifted the covers for her to slide free, she noted he didn’t move an inch. And he managed to keep the covers over everything she wouldn’t mind getting a peek at.
“Darn,” she grumbled, but winked at him. “If I had known that you were naked last night, I might have slipped out of my clothes, too. Too bad I was too scared to actually feel and know,” she teased right before she raced out of his room so she could grab her robe.
There came a low growl behind her but nothing else. By the time she grabbed her robe and raced back to his door, he was there. He had on jeans and a t-shirt but no shoes. He caught her arms to stop her from falling back on her ass. “Ready?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Camilla looked up, her hands on his chest with his arms around her. She licked her lips and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “What is this that’s happening between us? Don’t say you don’t feel it, because I know you do. What’s happening?” She wanted to know his thoughts on this as well.
He tipped his head ever so slightly, like he was studying her. “It’s attraction, physical attraction,” he murmured. “Perhaps something more, but I couldn’t even begin to guess as to what it might be.” She felt him spread his fingers and slide them down lower on her back to just above her ass as he leaned his head in closer to her, like he planned to kiss her.
Camilla went up on to her toes, her nose brushing against his. “It’s more than a physical attraction.” She closed that last half inch to kiss him. He pulled her close and lifted her, and she felt it when he gave in to the kiss and began to kiss her back with all of the need and desire she was feeling.
One hand cupped her ass, a finger pressing between her cheeks, and the other was in her hair, pulling her head back to accept his dominance. He growled into her mouth as he flicked his tongue and pressed her against the hard evidence of his desire for her. His mouth grew more demanding the more she responded to him, and he pulled her in even closer, grinding his hips to hers slowly.
Camilla didn’t even think twice about it: she wrapped both legs around him when he lifted her. She needed more than just a kiss and made sure that he knew it. When they parted finally, she panted. “You’re dangerous, and I want more.”
He licked his lips as he squeezed her ass. “At this very moment, I do believe you’re the more dangerous of the two of us.” With a rock of his hips, he ground his cock against her pussy. The look in his eyes was wary. “Camilla, what do you want?” The question was loaded in more ways than one, but the look in his eyes told her he was serious and a little unsure.
“And if I say you?” Camilla asked, never letting her eyes leave his face. “You are someone worth putting my heart on the line for. I don’t understand the feelings, the connection I feel to you, but also Gareth. I need you to know I’m attracted to him also.”
He didn’t say anything for a long, long time. But he also didn’t push her away. He just held her close and watched her. She could almost see him working through it in his head. At that moment, Camilla truly understood he did everything—from what he did to what he said—with meticulous care and thought.
Leaning in closer, he brushed his lips over hers, so lightly she barely registered the touch before he drew back a bit. “Are you sure, Camilla? We don’t exactly have the best of lives or careers right now. Every moment is a guessing game and at any time we could be drawn away. This is a war for keeps. We could die tomorrow, next week, or years from now. But most importantly of all…” Mikhail brushed his lips over her jaw to her ear. “We’re very, very possessive,” he whispered before biting her earlobe lightly.
Camilla shivered in reaction to his rumbly growl. The confession, if one would call it that. She thought it was more of a claiming, but that only made her hotter. “Oh, I’m very sure. What better reason to do the things you want and be with the men you want than knowing we all could die tomorrow? Today’s the only guarantee. Our yesterdays were treasured reminders of what we wanted and tomorrow.” She leaned closer, her cheek to his, and mimicked his growl. “Tomorrow, I want to wake up naked in your bed with you balls deep inside of my pussy. That’s what I could call a delicious and wonderful future.”
His entire body jolted, whether from her growl or her words she didn’t know, but it did press his cock harder to her aching pussy, so really, who cared. Mikhail scraped his teeth down her throat before nipping, hard. “Don’t tease me.” His expression was serious. “Is that truly what you want, Camilla?”
“Yes, Mikhail. That is what I truly want, more than I want my next breath. I know we should go eat, but honest to God, right now all I can think of doing is getting naked on your bed with you and riding you until we both pass out.”
He stared at her with a singular focus she’d never known before. “There’s always lunch,” he said, adjusting his hold. And then they were moving to his bedroom. Once inside, he shut and locked the door before striding to his bed and dumping her down onto it. “Get undressed quickly or I’ll tear your clothes off you.”
She began to strip, her eyes never leaving his. “And you are okay with me wanting Gareth as well?” Camilla wanted to know now before they got down to the business of making love; she needed to know so she wasn’t feeling guilty later for wanting another man. When she was naked, she looked at him and licked her lips. “Gods, you are glorious.” His skin was tan with scars here and there, and tattoos, glory be the tattoos, and—holy shit! “Is that a piercing you have?” She wanted to put her tongue on it and tug it gently. She wanted to taste all of him.
“We all have piercings, some from before and some from after meeting Ares,” he said. “All are made of metal from Hephaestus’s forge to protect us. It’s an added layer to help hide us from the weres and vampires. The tattoos are all mine from before, though they’ve been added to here and there for more protection.” He climbed up on the bed and prowled toward her. “You are more than welcome to want Gareth. He wants you,” he said as he got close enough for her to touch. “I think we may just have to have you between us one day. One cock in your pussy, one in your ass, or maybe in your saucy little mouth instead.”
“Oh gods.” Her mouth went wet at the thought of them doing just that. “I love the idea a great deal.” Her hands moved down his chest, a finger stroking the piercing in his nipple, and then she dipped her head and put her mouth to the small ring there. She licked the nipple until it was taut and then nipped the piercing with her teeth, tugging it gently. She wanted to taste the other piercings, too, the ones she saw on his cock. Camilla wanted him desperately. “You would have to get lots of lube, because I’ve never had anyone in my ass, but I would love to feel it. I want to experience everything with you, Mikhail.”
“We wouldn’t put you through that right away. We’d need to get you ready, slowly and carefully. Butt plugs to stretch you out, maybe with a remote vibrator either I or Gareth controlled. You’d never know when or where we’d turn it on. The plugs would get bigger over time, easing you slowly in preparation to take one of our cocks. Then and only then, when you were ready, would we do that. Not one second before,” he said softly, brushing a kiss to her shoulder with just a hint of teeth.
Camilla’s legs were around Mikhail’s hips, and they tightened at the promise in his voice. “We’ll have to do some shopping, I think. Get me some cute little outfits to wear in the bedroom for you.” She could see herself in a maid get up and him ripping it off her, leaving her just in the white thigh highs.
“Or you could just be naked.” He brushed his nose against hers. “Naked is very good, especially when you look so delightful and sinful as you are.” He kissed her before she could respond, his body a perfect press of skin to skin as he wrapped his arms around her.
“Naked is very, very good. I think that naked is the best of the best of ways to be,” she agreed with a low moan. “Mikhail.” His name was like a prayer, calling his soul to hers. She was desperate and didn’t care that he knew it.
Mikhail lifted his head from nibbling on her jaw. “Condom,” he muttered like a curse. Rolling them over, he took them right to the edge. Her ass hung off the bed, but she never once felt like she’d fall, not with the hold he had on her as he rooted around in the bedside table. Then they were rolling again until she was on top of him, and he held up the condom to her. “You said you wanted to ride.”
“Oh yes, I do.” She took the little foil package from him and wiggled down his body. “But first…” She didn’t tell him—she showed him instead. With her ass high in the air, Camilla began to lick and suck his cock. Her hand wrapped as far around the girth as she could possibly get, and her tongue toyed with the little barbells that were on the underside of his cock as well as the little ring at the opening. She had never been so turned on in her life. Something about seeing those piercings that had her pussy creaming.
Looking up his body to his face, she grinned. “Will the condom hold up to these?” She stroked her tongue along the piercings. “I’ve never had anyone inside of me before with piercings. I can’t wait to feel this.” Too much talking. She needed more licking and sucking.
The sound he made couldn’t be called a word. She wasn’t sure, but he seemed to be wrestling for some control. “It’s made for them specifically,” he finally managed to croak out as he drove his fingers into her hair and thrust his hips up to encourage her.
“Good.” She turned her mouth and attention back to his glorious cock. She worshiped it with her tongue and hands.
Camilla shivered. She was so damn close to coming. Before she ran out of time and they both came, she unwrapped the condom and lifted her head so he could see her. Popping the condom into her mouth, she winked at him and then rolled the condom down his cock with her mouth and tongue.
Once his cock was covered in latex, Camilla prowled up his body and licked her lips. “So I take it you enjoyed that?” Her hands were braced on his chest and her pussy poised over his cock, not taking him inside of her body yet. She wanted him to push inside her, wanted to feel his need for her mirrored in the sharp thrust of his cock into her waiting and wet pussy.
His eyes were not icy cold anymore, hot for sure—burning would be more accurate. “Later, you will pay for that torture,” he said softly. “But not now. Now I want you too much, need to be buried inside of you.” He grabbed her hips tighter and thrust up, filling her full. He stopped when her fingers clenched on his chest, and he watched her with that predator’s gaze. “Camilla?” He turned her name into a question, one filled with concern.
She had let her head fall back and her eyes close when he thrust into her. “Don’t.” She gulped, forcing herself to pull away from the joy of that moment and look down at him with a greedy smile. “I loved the way that felt. I savor the feeling of the first time you entered my body.” She lifted slightly, only to move downward once more with a low moan. “I can feel each barbell. I can feel the loop at the end of your cock. Jesus H. Christ.” She panted. “I’ve never been so full in my life.” Never felt so good, and they had just begun.
His hands tightened on her hips before loosening a little. “You’re supposed to feel them. When I take you from behind later, you’ll feel them rubbing over every nerve ending you have. It will likely be the quickest orgasm of your life.” He took her hands and braced his elbows at his sides as he watched her. “Move.”
She began to move. “And when you’re in my ass?” Camilla knew she wanted him there; she wanted everything. “They won’t harm me?” Camilla shimmied on his cock, the only term to describe the little twist and shake she did as she slid back down on him a little harder. “God, I can’t wait to feel you taking me from behind. Feeling those barbells rubbing against my clit as you fuck me until we are both limp and gasping for air.”
“They won’t do you any harm, but the sensations will be intense.” His hips rose to meet her descent. “They’re designed without sharp edges or anything that could hurt you or me. They only give pleasure,” he said as he flexed his cock inside of her.
“Oh God, and they do.” She panted as she moved faster. “So much pleasure. Mercy.” She let her nails curl and bite into his chest, riding him harder and faster, moving more quickly with each passing second. “Mikhail.” She saw stars, already so close, riding that edge, but she wanted to hold off.
“Let go,” he told her, gripping her hips again as he lifted and lowered her to meet his thrusts. “Just let go and fall, I’ll catch you.” He slammed his cock into her just as she demanded, and impossibly deeper.
Camilla trusted him and did just that. She let go. She screamed as pleasure filled her. Her flesh prickled in gooseflesh and her back bowed as she stilled on top of him, her pussy clenching around his cock greedily.
Mikhail thrust up into her a few more times before he tensed and his back bowed. He let out a fierce growl as his cock twitched inside of her and, oddly enough, seemed to swell a little more. As she began to collapse, he caught her and pulled her down to lay over his chest. His frantic heartbeat was right under her ear.
Camilla was so glad she wasn’t the only one so profoundly affected by their lovemaking. The sound of his heart rapidly beating made her smile. With her eyes closed, she began to pet him and whispered, “I think everything has just changed, and I for one couldn’t be happier.”
After a gentle squeeze, he rolled them over and pulled out of her. “Let me get rid of the condom,” he said when she tried to hang onto him. After brushing a kiss to her lips, Mikhail slipped off the bed and walked to the bathroom. He was out of sight for a couple of minutes before coming back toward her, apparently without any care over being naked.
Camilla had turned on her side to watch him. She appreciated the look of him, but more than the physical, there was just simply something about Mikhail. She lifted the blankets for him. When he climbed back into bed, she wrapped her arms around his chest and nestled in close to him. “This is nice. I could get very used to this,” she said with a smile.
She felt him kiss the top of her head and the breath he let out slowly. “I think I could as well.” His tone suggested something, she wasn’t sure what, but something to pursue later. He slid a hand down her back slowly and then up and under her hair to rub his thumb over the nape of her neck.
Camilla relaxed against Mikhail and sighed happily. She lay there comfortable in his arms for a long while. Finally, however, the need for food won out, and she pulled back to look up at him. “So how about we go and find some brunch? Lunch? Whatever.”
He nodded and shot a look over his shoulder. “Brunch, I’d call it.” Mikhail pressed a kiss to her shoulder, rolled out of bed, and grabbed up the jeans he’d discarded earlier. She had the urge to pout as he tucked his cock out of sight. On the plus side, he went commando.
“Damn, that’s hot.” Camilla didn’t even hesitate to tell him what she thought. “You, that is. Being commando and all that. Seriously, you’re hot.” She also climbed out of bed so that she could get dressed. “But you are more than your body.” She moved so that she could stand at his side and slid her hand into his. “You are an amazingly talented man, and while you’re quiet, you’re also funny, intelligent, and nice to be around. I enjoy spending time with you a great deal. I look forward to getting to know you better, in and out of bed.”
“Thank you, I think,” he said with a confused look. Tugging her close, he pressed a slow, lazy kiss to her lips. “But I’m neither funny nor all that nice. Ask anyone.”
Camilla wrinkled her nose and grinned. “And what if I say no? I happen to think you’re both, so I’m going to go with what I say and not what you say.” He was far too much like her uncle. She didn’t think he would like that comparison, however, so she kept that to herself. “Now, come.”
****
After Mikhail and Camilla had brunch, teasing the boys who had gotten conned into making dinner and finding Gareth to talk to, they were all settled on the swing so that they could talk.
Camilla said, “So, what would you like to talk about?”
“I think that’s my line, actually,” Gareth told her with a grin. “You’re the one that wanted to get away to talk, after all. So talk, sweetheart. What’s on your mind and what do you want to know or discuss?”
“Have the two of you ever done this before? Shared a woman between you, that is.” Camilla put it out there bluntly. “If so, that’s totally okay, I just really would like to know so that I get that at least someone understands how a relationship between the three of us would work. And I would like that. Yes, we barely know each other, but I trust you both, and that’s huge to me. I don’t go into sex as a casual kind of thing, but I really would like something more than being your fuck buddy, as terrible as that sounds.”
“We’ve shared a woman before,” Mikhail told her. She felt his hand settle on her neck to gently stroke her skin. “Though, while we’ve never done this regularly before, we actually do have some idea of how it may work out. We’ve known others in relationships of three, so we’ll use that as a basis. In the end, though, it all comes down to what we want out of it.
“Last thing. Camilla, you are not and never will be a fuck buddy for anyone. You are too amazing to be categorized as something so mundane and derogatory.”
“Holy shit,” Gareth muttered. He leant forward to look around her at Mikhail. “I have never heard so much out of you at one time. What did she do to you up there, man?”
Mikhail shrugged in a lazy way, his shirt tightening over his chest for a moment. “I could tell you, but I won’t. I’m not the sort to kiss and tell.”
Camilla all but purred at Mikhail’s words and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you for clearing that up.” She looked at Gareth and smiled. “So what do you think? Would you be able to handle a relationship between the three of us? I would very much like that, I would love to be between the two of you in nothing but the latex around your cocks. And one day without, but that’s another day. So, thoughts?” she asked with a grin.
“I think I just about swallowed my tongue,” Gareth muttered. Then he grinned. “Hell, I’m up for trying anything once. Though, and this is just a feeling, I think that we may need to go a few rounds just to be absolutely sure.” The two men shared a look, and Gareth continued, “We’re perfectly happy to share you, but you should know that Mikhail and I don’t get into each other. We are the best of friends, but we’ll never be lovers.”
She felt Mikhail’s snort as he stroked her neck and shoulder.
“I’m fine with that. I would love to be the one being loved and loving on the two of you. I’m all for going another round or fifty, just to make sure you know. It’s always good to ensure that we’re a proper fit, after all.” Or something equally crazy like that. “But I think we’ll need to buy condoms in bulk.” Leaning against Mikhail, Camilla looked at Gareth and grinned before asking, “Do you have piercings on your cock as well? If so, yum.”
“One or two. We all have piercings in various spots. The metal is specially made and an added protection for us when we’re out in the field. Which I’m guessing you already know from the big talker over there, from your expression. As to the condoms…” He shrugged. “We’ll order a case or ten online and have it delivered express.”
“Fabulous, because as much as I’d dearly love to go skin to skin with you both, I understand you’d want to wait until you’ve received the all-clear on medicals for me.” She was clean, but they didn’t know that. They couldn’t know that her life had been spent as a virtual nun for the whole of her adult life. Thank God for the Kindle world and her kinky fetish book love; she lived vicariously through many authors and had put some of the moves she’d read into use on Mikhail last night. She’d had sex before, she wasn’t inexperienced, but she wasn’t nearly as experienced as these men likely were.
“Uh, right,” Gareth said softly. There was something in his expression, though.
“What do you know?” Mikhail asked for her.
“Well, I don’t know if I should mention this in front of her or not.”
“Spill it before she asks me to beat you up,” Mikhail said.
Gareth rolled his eyes and made a face. “Well, Ares kind of let a fact or two slip. I’m not at all concerned about needing the condoms for any reason other than to ensure she doesn’t get pregnant before she’s ready. Just saying.”
Camilla began to blush furiously. “Fabulous. Of course he would know. Remind me to smack his arm next time I see him. Blasted man.” She shook her head and leaned her head back on Mikhail’s shoulder. “I am not worried about pregnancy. I get the Depo Provera shot every three months. It helps with my headaches, of all things. Weird, I know.”
“Not weird if it works,” Mikhail said. She felt him lean his head against hers and his arm slipped around her to hold her close.
“Well then, the condoms are up to you, Camilla,” Gareth said. “We’ve been cleared nine ways of Sunday and can get you the reports if you like. But you know that Ares would have said something, one way or another, if needed. It’s not like he’s exactly shy.”
“Then I really would love to know what it feels like. I’ve never had anyone inside of me without one, and I want to know what it feels like with the two of you. I don’t want to go latex-less until I have both of you together, if that’s okay with you?” And hopefully only ever them. She didn’t know why she felt draw to them, but it was intense. She wanted these men a great deal, and needed them in her life forever.
Gareth smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “A woman who knows what she wants. I like,” he teased. “Better eat up, though, you’re going to need the energy, I have a funny feeling.”
“I sincerely hope that I will,” Camilla retorted. “Because I definitely want to know what it is to be between you both. To have you both touching me, to be able to touch you both, that thought gives me a full-body shiver.” She wanted everything and they had just met. She was seriously not feeling or acting normally at all, and honestly, she didn’t mind it one bit.
“We’ll have to see what you like.” He smiled, then frowned. “Have you ever, you know, had two with you at any given time?” he asked cautiously. “Men, I mean.” He rubbed a hand over his short hair.
Camilla blushed, her pink cheeks stating the truth before she whispered, “No. I’ve never had two men at once. I have at times wondered how it would feel, but I never had anyone I felt comfortable enough with for something like that.”
“Good to know you’re interested at least.” Gareth chuckled. “But the next question is, are you comfortable enough with the two of us to take that step? Think on it, don’t just go with your gut reaction or hormones. Not saying you’re hormonal, but you’ve been tossed around and had a lot dropped in your lap. So think about it for a second, roll it around in your head, and let the thoughts just tumble until you’re happy they’re right and true.”
Camilla laughed and nodded. “I will think about it.” She already knew the answer to that question, though. She already knew that she wanted these men, wanted them both. “How long do you want me to think on it?”
Groaning, he wiped a hand over his face and waved the other. “Mikhail, deal with the woman,” he said.
Chuckling softly, Mikhail squeezed her closer to him. “As long as you need to think about it. If you know the answer now, you can say it now. But he’s right, you do need to consider this from all the angles. Especially since we’re possessive on the best of days. This wouldn’t just be some fling, Camilla.”
“I don’t need to think about it,” Camilla admitted. “I’m going to jump in with my heart open and eyes wide. I want this. I want to be able to be a part of something more, something incredible. I really think that I could handle being yours.” She grinned and added, “And don’t worry, I’m possessive as well.”
Mikhail pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good to know. As long as you’re sure, then we’re more than happy to have you as part of our lives. For good, if you can put up with us, that is.”
“Well, I think I could, but why don’t we play it by ear so that you both know if you could handle having me around you for a lifetime as well?” she teased him. “Because we both know there’s a chance that you might not like me in your life, right?”
Both men gave a snort but didn’t say anything. Whether it was a good sign, she wasn’t sure. Gareth looked at his watch. “All right, I have to head into town to start this shopping trip, otherwise I won’t make it back in time for the borscht fiasco happening in there,” he said, getting to his feet.
“I think I’ll go and help James and Wyatt with the dinner plans. I don’t want to be bored, so why not.” She sighed and stood. “Be careful, you two?” she asked with a grin. “And give me a hug and kiss before you leave me here to those heathens.”
“I’m not going with him,” Mikhail said with a shudder. “Besides, I usually get conned into cooking so I don’t have to. I get to go out to the east fence where it’s quiet and see if anything needs mending. You could come with me instead. If you wanted to, that is,” he offered.
“Yes, please.” Camilla jumped on that quickly. “I would much rather go with you instead of staying around here. I’ll go and pack a cooler for us. Now, I just need to know where the coolers are.” She wanted to spend some time with Mikhail, especially after the amazing night and morning they had spent together.
“Pantry off the kitchen,” Gareth said with a laugh. “Are you saying you don’t want to stick around and be interrogated by the nosey twins?” he said with a wink. “Aw. That will hurt their feelings when I tell them and blow the tale totally out of proportion.”
“Heavens, no,” Camilla grumbled. “I would much rather have time with Mikhail.” She looked at Gareth and shook her head. “Oh, you are a mischief maker. You’re so bad.”
“I don’t mind in the least.” He chuckled. “And yes, ma’am, I am,” he said with a chuckle. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “I will see you later,” he told her before he headed into the house.
“Come on, I’ll dig down a cooler for you, otherwise I see you trying to climb the shelves,” Mikhail said.
“Are they up high?” At his look, she laughed. “Of course they are. Okay. Come on, you big lug, you, and pull down a cooler for me. I’ll start to put sandwiches together for us to have a picnic lunch, if you’ll fill it with ice or ice packs?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mikhail snapped her a salute. At her droll look, he shrugged and held the door open for her. “You’d make a half-decent drill sergeant, Camilla. But I’ll get the cooler and the ice packs and then I need to load up the Jeep so I have stuff if I need it. You’ll be on your own for a few minutes.”
“No, she won’t,” Wyatt said. “We’re here.” He grinned at her.
“Like I said, on your own,” Mikhail muttered as he went past her.
Camilla laughed. “That’s okay. I think I’ll survive. Wyatt and James might not, but we’ll see,” she teased. “Who knows, I might get their happy asses back to work on something I want them to do.”
“Just make sure they’re making dinner, otherwise their asses will be grass,” Mikhail said from the other room.
“The borscht is ready to start cooking,” James said. “We’re working on the main course now, thank you very much. Which is a hell of a lot easier,” he muttered.
“Well, all that I know is you two were seriously over listening to my conversation with Mikhail and Gareth, and it shouldn’t have been on your list of things to listen to. Or something like that.” Okay, so she wasn’t making a great deal of sense, but then again, Mikhail was close and she couldn’t seem to think straight when he gave her a hot look like the one he was giving her now, the one that made her pussy wet and made her ache. Damn, and it had only been one day.
Mikhail lifted a brow at her and set the cooler before her on the counter. Leaning in, he put his lips close to her ear. “You should know, when you think about sex your nipples get hard and you start to pant.” He kissed her cheek and went to the double-wide fridge to pull open the bottom freezer drawer.
Camilla fanned herself. Holy hell, he knew how to read her. He knew how to play her, and she loved it. However, she managed to brush off his words and began to pull out fixings for their sandwiches, laughing at the jokes that Wyatt and James were telling as she did so.
Mikhail wandered out of the kitchen and then back through a couple of times to various spots in the house. Each time he came through, he lugged something over his shoulder. As she finished, she heard a vehicle pull up and then away from the house, before there was some definite banging around a distance away.
Camilla frowned and cocked her head. “What in the name of heaven is he doing?” She moved away from cooler she had been packing for them and to the doorway. She watched Mikhail before finally calling to him. “You weren’t planning on leaving me behind, were you?”
He turned to shoot her a look and lifted an eyebrow. “Do you think I would?” He hefted something heavy and dropped it into the back of the Jeep. The vehicle bounced a bit from the weight.
“I didn’t think that you would, but heavens, I don’t know. Remember, we just met and I know that I’m a bit of a hard pill to swallow at times, and I talk a lot, and I know that’s something you aren’t used to, really.” She continued to chatter, only stopping when he came up and kissed her. That was when she simply leaned into him and became quiet, except for the moans that she couldn’t help.
He drew away, his thumbs stroking over her cheeks. “Camilla, I don’t mind if you want to talk all night long. Just remember that, on occasion, I’m going to want your mouth otherwise engaged.”
She licked her lips and smiled. “I think that I could deal with that.” With just a kiss, he had her shutting up and leaning into him. With just a kiss, she wanted more. She wanted to have her mouth otherwise occupied. Goodness, the man could work her and she loved it. “So what can I do to help?”
“Go make sure you have at least a half-dozen bottles of water in that cooler and some juice as well. I’ll finish loading the equipment, then come and collect you. I won’t be more than another couple of minutes.” Mikhail gave her another quick kiss before turning her around and smacking her ass to get her moving.
She did as he told her. With her lips tingling from the kisses he gave her, she felt stunned.
When he came back into the kitchen she had everything packed and sat on a stool watching the two men cooking and laughing at something that they said. She looked up and grinned. “So you have everything loaded up and ready?”
Nodding, he picked up the cooler and braced it on his hip. “Let’s get going before they start telling you tall tales they shouldn’t. Especially since they usually begin with, ‘there was this chick.’ From there, it goes downhill.”
Wyatt slapped a hand to his chest. “I’m wounded. We always start those stories with, ‘there was this smoking-hot babe.’”
Both Wyatt and James burst out laughing, and Mikhail just rolled his eyes. “Come on, Camilla, you don’t need to be exposed to them any more than you already have been.”
Camilla snickered. “Oh, good lord. That’s like the classic, hey, y’all, watch this!” Camilla liked these men, which surprised her. She more than liked Mikhail and Gareth, however. She moved away from the men and to Mikhail. Slipping her hand into his, she looked up at him. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
He looked at her and seemed to be considering.
“Shh, I want to hear his answer,” James said, in a not-so-quiet tone.
“Dude, he’s either going to dig himself a hole or turn her to putty. We know which way this is going.”
“He’s got some mad skills, though. One’s he’s been apparently been hiding,” James grumbled. “You think you know someone after years and years of working together.”
“You thought him a mute for the first three months we worked with him,” Wyatt said with a snorted laugh.
“He didn’t say anything! Y’all just seemed to know what he was saying with those little facial tics and shit. You could have told me,” James said.
“Yeah, but it’s not half as fun as you sitting there trying to figure out what he’s trying to say three inches from his face. I thought for sure he was going to pop you one in the nose.”
“Thanks, bro. I’m really feeling the love here,” James sputtered.
Mikhail looked to the ceiling, then tugged her hand. He shot a dark look toward the twosome as he guided her out the door. “We really need to get muzzles for them,” he said, leading her to the Jeep. After putting the cooler in, he looked to her. “You really don’t need to believe anything those two clowns tell you.”
“Oh, they’re pretty funny. I don’t know. I kind of like to listen to them talking and getting themselves in trouble. One day, those two will find a woman or women that are going to turn them inside out, and then what? What will happen then? That’s the real question here.” Getting into the truck, she said, “You never answered. Did you miss me?”
“You’re going to make me answer that?” he asked, sliding behind the wheel. When he looked over, he rolled his eyes. Obviously, her expression was enough of an answer for him. He mumbled under his breath, though it was nothing she could understand, so she guessed it was his native language. “Yes, I missed you,” he answered finally.
Camilla grinned and leaned over to brush her lips to his cheek. Against his ear, she whispered, “Good. I missed you too, big guy.” Patting his chest, she wiggled and moved so she could sit at his side. “There, much better,” she said happily, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I am growing very attached to you, Mikhail. That’s a good thing by the way, just in case you were wondering.”
“Nope, wasn’t wondering at all.” At her look, he shrugged. “I figured you’d tell me. You seem to like to talk, a lot,” he said, his lips twitching slightly. He pressed a kiss to her nose. “It would eventually have popped out of your very cute mouth.”
“I do like to talk a lot, but you are such a great listener, so why wouldn’t I?” Camilla rewarded him with a kiss to the bottom of his chin. “Besides, you like to talk. At least to me, you talk. I don’t know if you do with anyone else, but you do with me. That makes me a happy girl. I love to carry on a conversation with you, by the way. And I do love to talk, but that’s mostly because of being a teacher.” Her next words were cut off by his kiss.
Camilla wrapped her hands around his neck. Oh, she liked to talk all right, but only so that he would kiss her to shut her up.
He let out a low growl that filled her body with heat. Lifting his head, he licked his lips slowly before drawing back a little more. “Behave yourself, woman,” he ordered. He gave her another quick peck before he loosened her hold on him and got the Jeep moving.
Camilla just grinned as she sat at Mikhail’s side, her hand in his and happiness building inside of her.