
Sealed FateLia Connor
All rights reserved.Copyright ©2005 Lia ConnorNo part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Changeling Press LLC.
ISBN: 1-59596-139-9Formats Available:HTML, Adobe PDF,MobiPocket, Microsoft ReaderPublisher:Changeling Press LLCPO Box 1561Shepherdstown, WV 25443-1561www.ChangelingPress.comEditor: Margaret RileyCover Artist: Bryan Keller
This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Breathe. Just... breathe. In... out. One... two. And relax.
How the hell was she supposed to relax? Erin wished she could take her palms off her thighs and sink her chin into them. Now that she'd managed to twist herself into the lotus position, how was she ever supposed to get out of it?
"God did not make women to be pretzels!" she muttered, her voice barely audible over the rush and swell of ocean waves. "Or pretzel sticks, either, for that matter. Or sticks of any kind. So I need to lose a few pounds. That's my business. I know, I'm supposed to relax. Ha. Relax, my heinie. Actually, I wish I could relax my heinie."
She shifted uncomfortably. The cool ocean breeze tickled her bare skin. Dark blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, dressed in a tank top, with loose shorts on, she should be comfortable. Erin didn't do things by half-measures. Every effort had gone into making this vacation a success. She'd picked her spot with care -- close to the ocean, on her own private beach, with a nice thick blanket to sit on. She had bottled water, her pepper spray, and a cell phone close at hand. Snug and reasonably safe, she had no reason not to relax.
Trouble was, Erin just didn't think she knew how.
As Supervisor of Paramedics, she'd seen enough trauma that after five years with no time off, her psych review counselor had ordered her to take a vacation. Now she was attempting to make use of the investment she'd made in Relaxation Techniques and Personal Well-being. Trouble was Erin had as much trouble taking the book seriously as she did twisting her thighs into The Lotus.
She sighed again, trying to breathe correctly. In... out. In... out.
Relax. Relax. Relax.
No good. She never had been able to shut her mind off. Relax -- hah. She could have done this from the comfort of her own home and had as much luck, what with the cable news shows, the phone, neighbors stopping by, shopping lists she needed to make...
Desperation had led her to her dream vacation -- and a small rental cottage on the coast of Ireland. No TV. No phone. Solitude. A place to relax. Letting her breath out again, she opened her eyes and gazed at the white-capped waves as they rolled into shore. So she wasn't meditating the way the book said. She'd dragged her ass halfway around the world to relax, and she could do that just fine with a little ocean-watching. Then she'd just lie to her counselor and say that yep, those techniques worked like a charm, so I'll be heading back to work now.
Not that she'd stay all that long. It gave her a mild case of the creeps to be out there by herself. Only one person had passed by so far. He shouldn't have been there at all. This was all private property. Middle-aged and craggy-faced, dressed in worn jeans and a ratty T-shirt, his arms covered in thick Celtic tattoos -- Dogs of War, she thought -- he'd been creepy enough she'd reached for her pepper spray. Something about him set her senses on red alert. Luckily, he'd passed by before she could decide whether or not to lecture him for being on private property. She was just as glad. A man like that -- she'd seen his type enough to know he could be a pretty nasty character.
Enough. Think about something else. She stared at the waves breaking against the rocky coast. This was nice enough, she guessed. But what would make it even better? A decent man. Yep, definitely a decent, not to mention hot, man. She'd been single for a long time, even in high school and college. A classic overachiever, she'd never had much time for guys. The odd date every now and again was all she could fit in. But when she came down to a moment of peace and quiet like she was finding here, she realized she was wishing for warm arms to wrap around her and cuddle her close -- not to mention a good strong pair of hands to untangle her legs from this damned lotus!
After that, the man would lie down with her on the blanket and kiss her, soft and gentle. Sweet little kisses dotting her face, moving to her lips, growing eager for more. Hands that moved across her body, seeking out generous, sensitive breasts, running over the ample curves of her hips, then down between her thighs, sure and smooth as the tide, with the same stroking rhythm.
Erin groaned. Great. Now she was stuck in a sailor's knot of ankles and knees, and she'd gotten herself all hot and horny. What next?
"Damon!"
The voice brought her head up sharply. What the hell? How had she missed that? Two guys, splashing around in the shallow water near the rocky coastline. Two big guys, leanly muscled, wearing cut-off shorts and no shirts. One of them scowled darkly as the other smacked the water in a playful splash. "Knock it off, Devon," his voice rumbled in an Irish accent.
"Hey!" Erin called out, sitting up straight as she could. "Private beach here, guys! Move along!"
The men straightened, clearly startled at her presence. "I'm sorry, miss," the one called Devon said. Damon shot her a dirty look and shook his hair to get rid of the water, droplets flying. Walking together in perfect unison, they waded out of the shallows and up toward Erin, their long, lean legs carrying them in great strides. Watching them approach with such purpose, she gripped her pepper spray. Just try something funny. I dare you.
As they drew closer, she blinked. The men were identical, down to their slightly crooked noses and large brown eyes. Twins, huh? Devon and Damon. It figured. What parents did to their kids was a crime. "I really do apologize, lass," Devon said when he was closer. "We didn't know someone had laid claim to this patch. We came in from further down the water. I didn't see a sign."
Erin tried to look as dignified as possible for someone twisted up like a loaf of braided bread. "There are signs up here on the land."
Damon glowered. "No human can own the sand or waves." Except for the tone, his voice sounded identical to Devon's. "It belongs to the sea creatures."
"Tell that to the Tax Assessors," Erin laughed. "You two be on your way now, OK?" She reached for her phone.
Devon looked alarmed. "We mean you no harm, miss."
"And I'm supposed to believe you, why?"
He looked puzzled. "Why would you not?"
Erin rolled her eyes. "Did you just fall off the potato truck or something?"
"Potato truck?"
She gave up. "Oh, forget it. Mistakes happen. Look, you help me stand up, and we'll call it even."
Damon shook his head. "Help yourself up. I've no mind to stay where I'm no' welcome." He turned to make his way down the shoreline, long legs carrying him away. He called back over his shoulder. "Devon, coming?"
Devon glanced at Erin. "I think I'll stay a bit. If that's all right with you, miss?"
Erin studied him. Probably not a very bright move, but a lady just couldn't mistake the innocence radiating from those huge brown eyes. She'd learned to get a good feel for people's basic natures in her line of work, and she didn't believe Devon would hurt her. "It's fine," she relented. "Now. Help me stand?"
Damon snorted and stalked away. Soon he was just a dot on the horizon. Erin poked Devon in one long, thin calf.
"Hey. That help you promised?"
"Oh. Aye. I do apologize." He bent and with swift, sure strokes pushed her left foot this way, her right foot that way, and ba-da-boom! she popped free of that damnable position. He reached for her hands with his own, strong and long-fingered, offering to help her stand. "Better, now?"
Erin stretched out her legs with a huge sigh of relief. "You have no idea." She glanced up at Devon thoughtfully. God, he was cute, wasn't he? He'd never make an underwear model, but there was a warmth and pleasantness to his face that made you want to get to know him better. "Sit down beside me," she offered impulsively. Maybe not so smart, but Devon just seemed comfortable. Cozy, as if she'd known him for much longer than a few minutes. Safe. "Relax a little."
He didn't even ask why she giggled after saying that. He simply sat beside her, extending his own long legs, barefooted, and wriggling his toes in the sand. Turning to her, he smiled shyly. "Thank you, lass."
Erin grinned. Okay, the evening had started weird and was getting weirder, but at least it wasn't boring. "No problem."
He leaned back on his wrists, seemingly content just to be there. Erin took the opportunity to check him out. One heck of a tall guy, leanly muscled, with soft brown hair rapidly drying. A friendly, cute face that made her want to see it grin and laugh. Soft lips just made for kissing. Erin shifted a little. He was cute. It'd been a while. Too long. This might be a very dumb move, but...
Wonder if he'd be interested? And if so, how do I make the first move? Erin studied Devon carefully. Despite his muscles he looked thin to the point of being gaunt, his skin pulled tightly over sharp cheekbones. Erin shook her head. Not malnourished to her practiced eye, but damn close to it. Rummaging in her knapsack, she pulled out some supper leftovers. "Here. Do you want a sandwich?"
Devon raised a hand. "No, truly, but thank you." But even as he said it, his stomach rumbled out a loud protest. The Irish in his voice wasn't strong, but it crept out from time to time.
Erin rolled her eyes. "Don't be macho," she said in irritation, pushing the packet at him. "Any dummy can tell you're starving. Now eat, will you?"
"I --" He stopped, smiled, and shook his head. "Aye. Thank you." Taking the sandwich from her, he unwrapped it with long fingers and stuffed a bite into his mouth.
"Don't get too grateful. It's just cream cheese and grape jelly."
Which Devon had, apparently, discovered, from the face he was making. Still, he manfully chewed, swallowed, and even got another bite down. "You don't have anything with fish, do you?" he asked, voice hopeful. "I had lox on a bagel, once. It was delicious."
"Sorry. I'm not a deli here." Erin patted her knapsack. "But I do have a candy bar for dessert, if you're interested."
His face lit up. "Chocolate!"
She couldn't help grinning back. His glee was just plain infectious. "Yep. Chocolate. All yours, for a simple trade."
He looked intrigued. "A trade? For what?"
Erin wet her lips nervously. OK, now or never. "I give you the chocolate bar. You give me a kiss. Deal?"
She expected a startled look. A "no way." A "no, thank you, sorry." A quick-time scuttle away from her across the blanket. But instead, Devon's lips curved into a smile. He swallowed the last bite of jelly and cream cheese, then reached out to lay one broad, warm palm on her bare knee. "Aye. Deal," he said, his eyes alight with warmth.
Erin swallowed. Bet the Relaxation Book Gurus never had this kind of technique in mind.
Erin nearly squeaked as Devon moved across the blanket toward her. "You -- you wouldn't like the candy bar first?" she stalled, grabbing for her knapsack. "It's the world's finest chocolate."
Devon's mouth curved into a smile. "I'd rather have the kiss, pretty one. If it's all the same to you."
"The kiss. Pretty one. Right." Erin moistened her lips nervously. Thanks a lot, hookup handbooks. They told you everything you needed to know except what to do when you came down with a case of the nerves. Well, what would Mae West do? That was an easy one. She could do this.
Moving toward him as well, if a little more clumsily, Erin bumped against his warm, solid chest. His skin felt dry and slightly raspy to the touch, but not unpleasant. He needed a good rubdown with oils. You'd like to be the one giving it to him, wouldn't you?
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. Words were on her lips, explaining she was a little new at this, and pretty much out of practice, but then Devon was smiling again, leaning down, and his lips were resting gentle and sweet on her own. She stiffened in surprise, but forced herself to relax. He tasted salty, like the ocean, but with an underlying sweetness of grape jelly, and a taste that she figured was uniquely him. He didn't press or push, either, just sat there with his lips brushing hers. She glanced up and saw that his eyes were closed, long lashes sweeping his cheeks.
"Hey," she whispered against his mouth. "You can move, you know. That's allowed."
Devon's eyes flickered open, gazing into hers. They twinkled like twin stars. "Then I'll move," he murmured back against her. He pressed his mouth on hers again, and oh, yes, this time his kiss was a different matter. First tracing the tip of his tongue against the seam of her lips as if melting away sugar stitches, he coaxed her mouth open just wide enough to slip his tongue in.
Erin melted in his arms. Oh, yeah. This was nothing like the kisses she remembered from high school. Devon might come off as a little naive otherwise, but damn, did he know how to kiss. His tongue was gentle and enticing as he swept her mouth, slowly easing out and in, coaxing her own tongue into a lazy dance with him.
When he drew back, Erin felt limp and lazy as if she'd been swimming for hours underneath the stars. She found she was lying in Devon's arms. Good, strong arms. Felt like a natural enough place to be, so she figured she'd just stay there. He seemed able to hold her up, and from the delighted look on his face, he certainly didn't mind.
"Nice," she whispered. "You have definite potential."
He thumbed her lower lip, a little swollen and tender. "And you are like no woman I've ever met... your name, what is your name?"
"Erin."
"Erin." He tested it out on his tongue. "Of Ireland, or of the sea. It's a good name."
"It's been good enough so far."
"It suits you. May I?" Devon leaned her back gently, moving himself, so that they lay down on their backs on the blanket, gazing up at the stars. The rush and swell of the waves moved in an intoxicating rhythm, filling those of Erin's senses that weren't taken up with the smell, feel, and taste of Devon. After a moment, she realized with slight amusement that his deep, even breathing matched the roar of the ocean coming in to shore. Her own was a little quicker than that, but hell, she hadn't had a kiss like that since... well, ever, come to think of it.
And she definitely wanted more.
Turning onto her side and balancing on one elbow, she looked down at Devon. He seemed so peaceful, at one with their beach surroundings, as if they were natural to him as home. Every muscle in that long frame was relaxed, even his arms, tucked up behind his head. "You are a catch," she said, voice soft, reaching out to touch his chest. Running her fingers across it, she found that the nipples pebbled up under her questing touch. He gasped a little when she touched them.
"Never had anyone do that?" she teased.
He shook his head. "Never."
She pinched one ever so gently. "We'll have to remedy that."
His grin, the grin she was already starting to fall for, broke out over his face. "Anything you want, Erin. Beautiful Erin."
"Bah!" she scoffed. "I'm not beautiful." She wasn't. Cute, maybe, and she'd do in a pinch, but not beautiful. Her eyes were too far apart, and her chin too pointed for real beauty.
"You're lovely to me," he said simply. "Can we do that again?"
"Do what?" Erin was puzzled.
He laughed. "You know. Kiss."
"Oh. Oh! Sure. But first..." Erin rummaged in her knapsack, and came out with the promised candy bar. Unwrapping it, she broke off a chunk and slipped it between her lips. Smiling around the treat, she bent to Devon's mouth. He laughed as her mouth met his own, pushing the chocolate inside. It melted on both their tongues as they moved against each other's lips, savoring the sweetness and sensation of velvety sugar, rich cocoa, and each other.
When Devon had to swallow, he leaned back again, looking like a cat who'd just found the cream. He reached out to touch her, running his hand down her arm. "This," he said, "is going to be a night to remember, Erin."
Mmm, I hope so. Erin found herself thanking those handbooks. Yes indeedy, a little spur-of-the-moment fling was no bad thing. And she wouldn't even have to kick him out of her apartment if she decided not to snuggle. Just pack up her blanket and knapsack and move on.
Although with those long, strong arms of his, and that warm, solid chest, she had a sneaking suspicion she'd want to snuggle. Bad Erin, she scolded herself. Casual sex does not involve spooning.
Well, it doesn't technically involve a real chocolate kiss, either.
"Hmm," he sighed into her hair, snuggling her close against him. "You smell like berries."
Erin blushed a bit. "That's my shampoo."
"Your skin feels like silk."
"Body lotion."
"Erin?"
"Yeah?"
"Stop it."
She twisted around against him. "Say what, now?"
"I said, stop it." He ran a finger down her cheek. "Every time I compliment you, you brush it aside as if it means nothing. But to me, it means much. When I say you're beautiful, I mean it. When I say you smell like flowers, I mean that. I don't care about your shampoo. I love the smell of it. I love the smell of you."
Erin's cheeks warmed. "Pretty talk," she mumbled, scoffing a little under her breath. When Devon laughed, she pulled his arm around her ribs. His hand brushed her breast, and both froze. Slowly, Devon's palm opened, fingers unfurling, and he cupped it through her tank top. "Is this OK?" he whispered into her ear. "Please say me aye, Erin."
Underneath his touch, her nipple was puckering into a tiny gumdrop, crinkling with pleasure. "It's very okay," she said back. "Go on. Touch me."
He rose up, leaving her lying down. "And if I do this?" he asked, slipping his fingers underneath the tank's hem and lifting, ever so slow, until the curve of her breast peeped out. "Is that all right, too?"
Erin grinned at him. "Go for it." He slid her tank up over her breasts in one smooth gesture and bent his fantastic mouth to them, suckling in one nipple while caressing the other in a gentle, kneading motion. When his touch grew almost painful with pleasure, she cried out, and pushed his head to the other side. He followed orders willingly, laving her breast with his clever tongue, the air chilling her where he'd been before.
He stopped. "Up?"
She sat up, sensing what he wanted, and raised her arms. He slid the tank off her and tossed it to a side, then lowered her careful as could be back to the blanket. Instead of kissing her again, though, he laid his soft head between her breasts and let out a low, near-purring sound of pure contentment. "You are a wondrous woman," he said, voice soft. "Don't ever believe differently, Erin."
With you around? No way. A girl could get more than her head turned. Erin brought her hand down to run her fingers through Devon's hair. It felt a little coarse to the touch, as if he swam too much and got an abundance of salt in it, but it was warm from his body heat and sprang back where she touched it. Nice color, too, a good warm brown that made her think of seals, playing on the beach in the moonlight.
A thought popped into Erin's mind. She wasn't at all sure about it, but what the hell? It was a night of magic, a one-time-fling, that was all. She could be a little crazy if she wanted to. Slipping out from his grasp, she smiled. "If you liked kissing, you're going to love this."
She slid down the length of his body, nudging his legs apart until she could kneel between them, and reached for the zipper to his shorts. He gasped when her fingers touched it, but kept quiet as she drew it down click by click. At her tap to his hip, he raised up enough for her to ease the shorts down a little, revealing his cock. Just a little hard, but still thick and impressive to her eyes.
"Want me to make you hard?" she whispered.
Devon stared at her, then nodded yes. A very emphatic yes. Laughing a little to herself, Erin bent her head, brought her hands up, made the "seal and O" she'd heard so much locker-room talk about, and drew him into her mouth.
From the moan he let out, she'd have thought this the first time anyone had ever done that to him, but maybe it was the night's magic getting to him as well. He expanded in her mouth as she drew long licks up the shaft with her tongue and circled the crown as if it were an ice cream cone, until she could only take in a little and had to depend on her hands for the rest. God, she hadn't done this since... well... she hated to think how long it had been. She hoped it was okay, but then again, going by the sounds Devon made, she'd be getting at least a gold star for effort.
Dropping kisses along the length of his cock, she nibbled up the side of it like an ear of corn, careful not to hurt. That made him jerk his hips involuntarily, and drew a startled "Erin, lass!" from his lips. She could feel him pulsing on her tongue, warm and salty, and underneath her small hands he felt like velvet and silk.
Erin pulled out every trick she could remember, licking, suckling, even dipping down to take his balls ever so carefully one by one in her mouth, rolling them against her tongue. She pressed on the little strip of skin behind them, and was rewarded by a lung-bottom-deep gasp and tossing of his hips. His cock grew even stiffer, so she did it again.
"Erin, Erin!" His hands curled into fists, then dug into the sand. "Canna' take much more..."
"Good," she drew back far enough to say, blowing on the tip of his cock. Wishing she could deep-throat him, but philosophically accepting that practice would have to make perfect on that one, she took Devon's member as far as she could into her mouth and sucked hard as she could, her fist pumping the rest of the shaft.
"Erin!" he cried out. His hips bucked, and a flood of warm, salty seed poured over her tongue. She swallowed it down, savoring the texture and taste. God, it had been way too long since she'd had a man, in all senses of the word.
This sure as hell beat the lotus position. The only trouble was, as he panted and struggled to catch his breath, Erin felt like every nerve in her body was alive. Between her thighs, where she'd only been a bit damp before, she was wet enough to feel slippery.
She stroked him gently. A stranger, sure, but they'd been more intimate than she'd been in years, with anyone. And come to think of it, she'd pick Devon out of a crowd anyway. So gentle, sweet-natured, and yes, very cute. No ordinary lover, not him. She could tell what he cared about most was her pleasure, even when she was the one in control. She found herself hoping for a little turnabout.
To encourage the notion, she lay on her back and spread her legs, tempting him. Devon moaned. "Bliss," he managed. "No one ever -- not never -- and you, you smell of pure woman, so musky and sweet. Give me a moment, Erin. Just a moment, and I'll show you what I can do."
Yes!
He closed his eyes and rolled his head upon the sand. Inexplicably, he started chuckling, then broke into a full-throated laugh. He even rolled a little, holding his ribs. "Oh, my gods!" he wheezed. "If that hasn't gotten him mad!"
OK, that wasn't in the manual. Irritated, Erin sat up a little. "You want to tell me what's so funny? And him? Are you talking about yourself in the third person? If so, would you care to explain 'mad' to me?"
"No, no," he said, turning to her with a grin. "It's Damon, my twin. We're linked. What I feel, he feels. Mostly. For him, that was like being at a peep show and not getting to come. He's pissed off as hell."
Erin sat very still for a moment. Then, with all the strength in her arm, she drew back and popped Devon in the center of the chest.
He doubled up, wheezing. "What -- the hell?"
"That," she said, her voice bristling with nettles, "is for trying to pull a fast one on me."
He sat up, clearly baffled. "A fast one?"
"Look, I might be an American, but I don't go for that mystical crap. Psychic link? Come on."
"It's true," Devon protested. "Haven't you ever heard that about twins before?"
Erin scowled at him. Okay, fine, she'd read the case studies. Maybe he wasn't pulling her leg. Maybe. But for good measure, she popped him again.
"Ow! What now?"
"That one was for not telling me you had a link with your twin before we got down and dirty. What do you think I am, a cheap whore?"
"Oh, Erin, no!" Devon reached for her. "I'm so sorry. I said that wrong."
She flopped on her side, away from him. "You bet you did. Now how about you get your pants back on and scoot out of here."
"No, Erin, no." His warm, broad hands caressed her arms, trying to gently turn her back over. "It's no' like that. Damon turned the link off. We can do that. I took him by surprise, is all. He shut down as soon as I kissed you. But he opened back up when he realized I'd had an orgasm. That's what made him mad." A grin came into his voice. "He's jealous."
Erin raised one eyebrow. "Jealous?"
"Absolutely. I got the fair lady. He's still high and dry. And," Devon said, slipping his hand down her belly to brush boldly against her damp mound, "I've shut down the link on my end, so he can't tell what I want to do next."
Oh, dandy. Go for the weak spot in a lady's armor. Still, Erin resisted turning around. "You promise?" she asked suspiciously.
"My word on it."
"Hmph." More than she'd bargained for, to be sure. But... she had always had that one little fantasy, buried pretty deep... "Doesn't he want to come play, too?" she blurted.
Devon paused.
She rolled over to look at him. "That wasn't supposed to be a stumper."
"Erin..." Devon said slowly. "We share a lot, Damon and I."
"And?"
"If I called him, he might come to us, aye. But he's darker than me. I'm sunlight to his shadow."
"Damn pretty turn of phrase."
"All the same. I don't know if I want to share you, either."
Erin rolled onto her back. "Tell you what," she said, staring him eye to eye. "You call Damon. Get him here, and we'll see what happens next. Until then, you can just make yourself at home and get busy, got it?"
Devon grinned and closed his eyes for a moment. "Done," he said. "Now, Erin, lift your hips and I'll just return the favor..."
As her shorts slid down to her calves, and then off her feet, and Devon gently nudged her legs apart, Erin shuddered from the cool air and anticipation. So, maybe she'd get two for the price of one, huh?
Yeah. It beat hell out of the lotus position.
With Devon's lips and tongue working magic on her, gently lapping between her folds and sucking at her clit, tasting her as fully as possible, she'd bet ten to one she'd be a lot more relaxed when they were done.
If Damon showed up. And if he did... well, she'd show him a thing or two. See if she didn't.
Damon arrived at the moment of Erin's first climax, Devon's tongue still hot and wet on her clit, suckling away the last of her juices.
Well, not exactly there, at the exact moment, because even feeling like she'd just jumped off a cliff and flown all the way to the bottom, she would have thrown something and beaned him in the forehead. There were things you just didn't share, or at least she didn't.
But she suspected she would, now that he was there.
Devon released her shaking legs, stroking long, soothing caresses down each as he eased them onto the blanket. Erin had to laugh at the sight of him. "You look like a Cheshire cat," she said, reaching up to dab at his lips. "That smile."
It grew until it reached his eyes, but he couldn't stop grinning. "You taste as good as you smell," he said, nuzzling into her belly button to make her squeal and giggle. He laughed, too, a rumbling buzz against her skin. When he came up for air, however, he was serious. "Damon's here," he said. "I can sense him. He's after prodding at the link, asking to be let in."
Erin blinked. Well. Damn. She'd hoped, but hadn't actually expected the second twin to show, given his attitude earlier. So, he'd taken them up on her request?
Well... again, why not? Nothing wrong with a little bit of wild and crazy, right? So what if she was naked, still trembling finely from the best orgasm of her life, and the air reeked of sex? It smelled of salt water, too, and in her chest she could feel her heart pumping in time with the ocean waves. It made her feel wild, crazy, alive -- and ready for more.
She slanted a bold gaze at Devon. "Tell him to come on, then. Unless you mind."
Devon's expression turned unbearably tender. He stroked a few tendrils of hair away from her face. "He's my twin," he said simply. "Damon and I share everything. We came to find two women, but now I'm thinkin' there's only one that'll suit us both. Are you up for it?"
Erin burst into laughter. "That's so not the question to be asking me. That one goes to him."
"I am, lass." Damon stepped out of the shadows. Both could see the hard tent in the front of his denim shorts. Given that she had a basis for comparison, and already knew Damon wasn't the friendliest sort of guy, that would normally have given Erin a moment's pause. But now? What the hell.
She raised herself on her elbows and gave him her most wanton smile, beckoning with one hand. "I can see that," she said. "Come over here and prove it."
Damon scowled. He stalked over the sand, taking long strides until his feet touched the edge of the blanket. Inhaled deeply, and looked accusingly at his twin. "You've taken her already," he said, his voice dark and angry. "Without me."
"Just with my mouth. She's sweet, Damon. You'll have to taste her."
"Your breath reeks of it."
"Hey, now. Reeks?" Erin butted in.
Damon turned his eyes on her. Where Devon's big brown eyes were warm and melting, his were like cold knots of dark rock. "The wrong word," he allowed without any change in expression. "I should have said, every word he speaks is scented with the tang of your womanhood. Is that flowery enough for you, little miss?"
Erin snorted. "You're a real lady-killer, aren't you?"
"Not in the strictest sense of the word."
"Good, because I have a pepper spray, and I'm not afraid to use it."
Damon snorted. "You couldn't reach me in time."
"Maybe not you." Erin's hand flashed, and her pepper spray found its way into her hand, hovering close to Devon. "But I could zap the hell out of him. And you feel what he feels now, right? I'd hate to hurt this guy, but I wouldn't mind knocking you on your ass."
Stalemate. The three stared at each other in a triangle for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, Damon began to laugh. "Brother," he said, "this woman's got more balls than either of us, together or apart."
Devon looked distinctly uneasy, but he couldn't help chuckling. "That she does. She jumped my bones -- I think that's how they say it?"
"You bet." Erin pulled the spray back. She really didn't want to spray Devon by accident, after all. He'd proved to be a good guy. Damon had just needed a lesson, that's all. And, she decided, what he needed to loosen up was a grade-A, class-one, gold-star, chocolate-chip-cookie fuck. It had sure worked for her.
She opened her arms and grinned at Damon with her teeth bared in challenge. "Here I am. Are you going to stand there all day?"
Damon stared back at her. Before she could blink, he was atop her, braced on his elbows, face inches away, close enough to kiss or bite. "No, I'm not," he said. "But now that I'm here, and all, what are you going to do with me?"
"Make you apologize," she retorted.
Damon barked out a laugh. "Apologize, aye? For what?"
"For being rude, that's what. You can start any time."
"I could take you without another word."
"You could. But you won't," Erin said confidently. "That'd hurt Devon, because he's attached to me, isn't he? And you'd feel his pain. Besides, you're not that much of an ogre, are you? You just like pretending to be." As his face fell, she whooped with laughter. "No wonder you couldn't get laid on your own. So. What's your story, morning glory?"
"Morning glory?"
"It's an expression. Never mind it. Just start talking. Why the growly-bear approach?"
Damon sighed and rolled his eyes. "You might have noticed this already, but my twin is... trusting. Perhaps a little too trusting."
"I kind of picked up on that, yeah."
"Hey, now!" Devon objected.
They ignored him. "Someone has to keep a sharp eye out for our well-being, and that's usually me," Damon said. "If I'd thought for a second that you'd hurt Devon, I'd have dragged him away by the scruff of his neck before letting him stay here. But you didn't hurt him."
"Nope. I made sure he had a very good time." Erin gave a luxuriant stretch. "And he was kind enough to return the favor."
"So I see. And smell. And..." Damon dipped his head, startling her by seizing her mouth in a heated, hungry kiss, teeth nipping at her lower lip, before pulling back. "I taste it, too."
"So?" Erin challenged. "Now we know what's what. Got any plans?"
Damon grinned. It changed his entire face. He'd looked like Devon before, but now she truly couldn't tell a difference between them. "I want to fuck you. Hard. Fast. Like you've never been fucked before. Now. Are you up for it?"
Erin swallowed hard. Wild and crazy. Just remember wild and crazy. Besides, A) Devon won't let him hurt you, and B) He's hot as hell, just like his twin.
She undulated her hips against the hardness in his jeans shorts for an answer. "Come and get me, if you dare," she breathed. And with that, she moved her hands to his zipper and jerked it down.
His cock fell out, hard and heavy, jutting against her already dripping folds. Erin let out a deep, satisfied sigh. The oral sex was good, and Devon surely knew what he was doing, but now she wanted what Damon could give her, and how he'd promised to give it to her. Oh, yes. It'd been way too long.
He began to shimmy out of his shorts. Erin put a hand on his chest. "One thing first, champ." She reached out and fumbled in her knapsack, coming up with a condom. Lubricated, not flavored, not that they needed extra slick. "Gotcha!"
Damon's eyes sparkled darkly. "I want to feel your hands on me."
She'd been hoping he'd say that. "Hang on to your balls, then," she said, tearing open the packet. Reaching down, by feel she slid the tip of the condom over the crown of his cock, already dripping pearls of come. "Good thing there are such things as reservoir tips," she said, wry, as she unrolled it over his length, making sure to stroke and tease him with the tips of her fingers as she smoothed the latex on. She even threw in a gentle roll and squeeze of his testicles for good measure.
All in all, some of her best work. Damon's face was strained by the time she'd finished. He leaned forward and seized her mouth again in a second ravenous kiss, as if he'd devour her from the lips down. His tongue was more forceful than Devon's, but still no jackhammer action, and Erin relished the challenge. She clashed back with her own tongue, feeling his muscles ripple with the effort not to groan out his pleasure. Good times.
"Wait, wait, wait," Devon chanted, scrambling up from his position on the blanket. Erin frowned, then figured he'd be getting out of there. There was only so much a person was willing to share, after all.
But no, he knelt behind Erin, lifting her head and shoulders to rest on his lap. Nestled so between his legs, Erin could feel that he'd grown hard again, ready for action even though he wouldn't be getting any at the moment, poor guy. "Now," he said hoarsely. "Damon, do it. Join us as a unit."
"A tripod," Damon murmured, reaching out a finger that shook only slightly to trace the line of Erin's jaw.
"You've already got one of those," she shot back, moving impatiently. The weirdest night of her life? Yes. Also the best. And damned if she was going to let things grind to a halt now. "Move, Damon. Fuck me. Move!"
At her words, he did release a groan. And true to his promise, rather than sliding in gently, he only took the time to position the tip of his cock in her pussy, and then slammed in with a thrust that sent her back hard against Devon's lap.
Erin let out a high, delighted cry. Yes, yes, that was exactly what she wanted! "That was hard," she goaded him. "Now how about fast?"
Damon finally grinned, even if it was tinged with darkness. "Like you say. Hang on to your balls."
And he began to move.
Now there was jackhammer action, but the kind Erin appreciated. He thrust in and out of her channel in slick, smooth thrusts, pushing her back and back until she raised her legs to lock around his waist. At the same time, Devon took a tighter grip on her, holding her steady. Damon grunted his approval at the moves, and pressed on, as it were, plundering her depths as if he knew there was gold at the bottom. Fast enough to set up a delicious friction, and hard enough that Erin felt it in every muscle of her body.
Despite his attitude, he wasn't inconsiderate. Every push was angled against her pubic bone, hitting that lovely G-spot she and her toys had discovered a while back. Felt much better with the real thing, she had to admit. He pressed kiss after kiss on her, some landing against her mouth, where they fought a battle of wills with tongues and teeth, and some on the curve of her neck, her breasts, her shoulders.
Erin figured for Damon, this was real passion. Actually, it was for her, too. So why not return the favor? Sneaking her hands down, she managed to seize his balls in her fingers, and rolled them carefully in time with his thrusts. Damon nearly let out a shriek when she began doing that, but she could feel him grow even harder and bigger inside her, and he didn't stop for a second, so she figured the sex tip books were right about that little move. Behind her, she could hear Devon's delighted laughter. "Get him, Erin!" he hooted. "That's one for her!"
"We're not," Damon growled, "keeping score." He thrust against her, slick and hard, biting down just firmly enough on Erin's nipple to make her jump and moan. "But if we were, that'd be one for me, so now we're even again."
As for Erin, she was torn between laughter, ecstasy, and never wanting this to end. So what if this had been the last thing she'd ever expected to happen? Devon's warm arms and chest held her steady, Damon was fucking her wild as an animal, and her whole body felt afire with the pleasure of it.
Too soon, Damon's movements began to falter, to grow choppy. His face drew tight and shuttered. "Going to come," he panted. "In this damned condom. Think you'll ever let me fuck you without one of these?"
Erin laughed at him. Damon snarled, and thrust harder. In retaliation, she clamped down with her pelvic muscles, squeezing tightly around his cock. He moaned and nearly lost his rhythm. Ooo, fun. She did it again.
Damon dipped his head and whispered in her ear: "Now. Now you get to know what it's really like for a king of the sea and his chosen mate."
Excuse me? Erin would have questioned that, but Damon gripped her hard, his hips pistoning against her, and she could feel pulses of liquid heat filling the condom as he came in an orgasm that seemed to go on forever. Not to be outdone, he managed to bring his hands up and tweak her clit just right, pushing her over an edge she hadn't realized she was approaching, and send her flying again, braced by warmth, but soaring all the same. She felt warm wetness against her back, and realized that Devon had come, too, at the moment they did.
God, I bet we're a sight, she thought dizzily. One big mess of orgasm.
She was the first to settle to earth. Well, quick reaction time was part of her job. As a bonus, she got to watch Damon struggle to recover. Erin got the feeling not many people ever saw Damon lose control, and it was pretty sweet to know she'd gotten him there. Behind her, Devon shivered as if he were freezing, his muscles twitching in a rhythmic pattern that ever so slowly ceased, until only his chest was heaving in time with the ocean waves. Damon's breathing came to match his own, twin rasps in and out, echoing the sea.
Erin decided that was what she liked best about those guys. Somehow they were tied to the sea. From the sea they had come, and she suspected they'd return to it as soon as they calmed down, splashing away into the soon-approaching dawn.
Still, they'd given her her independence. She'd never have had the courage to try something like this at home. As for relaxing, sex beat hell out of the lotus position.
She giggled. Even though she knew Devon and Damon had no idea what she found funny, they laughed, too, weary and sated, but amused by the sound of her giggle. "Erin," Devon said, stroking her shoulders.
"Erin," Damon echoed, his fingertips tracing a pattern on her belly.
She felt, rather than saw, the twins look at each other. It still surprised her when the pair rolled and twisted, taking her with them to the blanket, and holding her close in the center. Their warm, ever so slightly rough skin felt better than any heating pad in the chill of the pre-dawn, against the wind off the ocean, and better still was the way that they nuzzled and petted her. Erin closed her eyes and sighed happily, soaking up the affection.
A girl could get used to that.
Maybe it didn't have to end after that night. Maybe they'd stick around. If she tried, maybe she could convince them to go for coffee and a bagel, yes, with lox on it even. There was a great pub in town that opened early. It didn't have to end.
She didn't want it to end.
And she was just about to open her mouth and suggest the pub when, without any warning, another voice sounded like a whip-shot, startling holy hell out of them. "Knew I'd find you here," it said, harsh, with a wicked little twist. "I didn't expect to see such a pretty picture, though."
All three sets of eyes flew open. Erin spotted the speaker first. The tattooed man she'd seen the night before, standing on top of a sand dune. In either arm, he held a huge seal pelt, weighted down by the things but holding onto them for dear life.
Devon and Damon dropped her like a hot potato. The look on Damon's face was a terror to see. "Give those back!" he thundered. "They're ours!"
The tattooed man cackled. "I don't think so. These go for a good price on the black market," he said. "The one who holds them owns them, and I'm not letting go. Too bad for you, selkies."
Selkie? Erin's lips parted. Twins she could handle, but... selkies? "I don't believe in this Irish fairy tale crap," she chanted to herself. "I don't believe, I don't believe, I don't believe..."
Erin hadn't gotten to be a good paramedic, the best of her kind, without being able to think fast on her feet. She'd suspend her disbelief for the moment, hold off on the freak-out, and concentrate on one thing. Those skins mattered to the twins, her twins, and damned if she was going to lie there and let Mr. War Dogs flaunt his stolen goods.
She scrambled to her feet, nakedness be-damned, snatching her cell phone with one hand and her pepper spray with the other on the way. "Drop them," she said, waving the device. "I can either chase you down and zap you good, or make one call and have the cops here in minutes. Selkies or not, I bet they'd love to know what you're doing with the skins of two protected animals."
"No cops, Erin!" Devon yelped, tugging the phone away from her. "Don't make him mad," he pleaded.
"Hey!" she protested.
Mr. War Dogs laughed. "Lover-boy's got it right, little girl," he jeered. "He don't want the cops any more than I do. They'd take the skins away from me, sure, but he wouldn't get his back. And he needs it, if he's ever going to swim those seas in his true form, doesn't he?"
Damon's face looked like a thundercloud. Even naked, he looked like a man you didn't want to tangle with. "Drop them," he said, his voice low and threatening. "We have friends in many places. Elementals, even. We can make your life hell if you don't drop the skins and walk away."
"We'll let you go," Devon added. "You give us back our skins, and you can leave. We won't punish you."
"The hell we won't," Damon growled.
"Damon!"
"The bastard pays for even daring to touch our skins," Damon said viciously. "I've heard of this happening before. And the selkies who've vanished? What do you want to bet this is what happened to them? No. We catch him, and he pays the price. Justice. Our brand of justice."
Erin's head swam. Reaction time, still holding, and suspension of disbelief, check, but this was starting to be a little more than she could reasonably handle. Still, she knew a nice, hearty "what the hell are you talking about?" wouldn't help her boys out, so she settled for clenching her hands into fists and glaring at Mr. War Dogs.
He laughed at her. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?" he asked. "Come out here for a little pick-me-up and grease the pig-pole, and look what you wind up getting involved in, huh?"
"You prick!"
He groped himself. "Yeah, I got one. You got two. Looks like you win out there."
Erin sputtered.
Mr. War Dogs shouldered the seal pelts with an effort. "Go ahead and call the cops, if you like. I have a nice old mini, looks like a hundred others on the road, and it's parked close enough for me to be inside before you finish dialing. Me and these pelts are headed on a little trip to a buyer I know."
"Buyer?" Damon went pale, white dents appearing by his lips. "What buyer? Where?"
"Nice little Gypsy woman. She pays a good price for were-skins, even selkie. Figure this job's gonna keep me in gas and smokes for at least half a year." Mr. War Dogs leered at them. "Even paid in euros, I'm headed for a fortune. And just to make sure you don't come after me, I had her give me just a little mojo in advance..."
He dug into one pocket, came out with a fistful of a powdery substance, and blew it at them. The wind caught the white stuff, settling it over them like a cloud of talcum. Erin inhaled and went into an instant coughing fit, nearly doubling over with the force of her spasms. From the sound of things, her twins weren't faring any better. She recovered just in time to hear a car door slam and wheels burning rubber off the beach.
The nice, private beach, where no one would be around to play eyewitness.
Damn it!
Still choking a little, she turned to Devon and Damon and put her hands on her fists. "Selkies, huh?"
Damon looked pissed, Devon shamefaced. "Well, we never said we were human," he pointed out. "You just sort of assumed..."
"Well, it's not like I expected to run into any fairy tale creatures. We need to talk about whether or not I believe you in the first place, but we can do that later," she said, exasperated. "It's not like I expected to run into anyone at all. I was just going to un-kink myself from that pretzel and go on home, but then you come along oozing sex and charm, and what exactly is a liberated woman supposed to do?"
"Say no?" Devon tentatively offered.
Erin rolled her eyes. "You haven't looked in a mirror lately, have you? No, never mind." She waved her hands. "All right, we don't have time to argue right now. Selkies, fine. Are all the seals on the beaches -- never mind." She started to pace. "Problem. That bastard has your skins. If I remember my grandma's stories right, you can't change back into seals without them, right?"
Damon nodded, still tight-faced with fury.
"And the only reason you shrugged them off and came playing around as men is to find a mate. Also right?"
The twins glanced at each other. Devon nodded sheepishly.
"So I'm your mate?" Erin tried to make the question sound bold, but her heart fluttered in her throat. Damned if she knew why it mattered so much, after a single night that was meant to be a quickie fuck and a goodbye, but it did. She cared about these two. Enough to do something crazy... if they'd let her, that was. And if they still wanted her.
Damon was the one to answer that. Bending to her, he savaged her mouth with a kiss, then thrust her into Devon's arms. His lips soothed away the heat of his brother's kiss with a gentle butterfly touch.
"I told you," he said, soft and low, "we share everything. We should have figured we'd share a mate."
"It's the selkie way," Damon said, still furious but willing to talk. "We take human women as our partners, and leave them on land while we return to the sea."
Erin bristled. "Not this woman, buster! You want me in a relationship of any kind, we have some talking to do."
"Is that a fact?" He loomed over her.
She faced him down without fear. "Fact." Reaching up, she gave as good a kiss as she'd gotten, startling him out of his anger for a moment. He blinked at her. "Deal?" she demanded.
Damon eyed her, exchanged a look with Devon, who grinned and shrugged, and nodded. "We'll talk about it. But later. First things first, and that means getting our skins back."
"You want your skins back? No problem. Well, okay, yes, it's a problem, but we can do this." Erin flipped out her phone. "My bosses are going to do cartwheels when they hear I'm extending my leave of absence. And Mr. War Dogs said the woman's a Gypsy. How hard can it be to track down a band of Gypsies these days? We'll get your skins. And on the way, we will have a discussion or two about leaving me high and dry while you two frolic in the waves. Understood?"
A slow smile dawned on Devon's face. "Then you will? You'll be our mate, I mean?"
Erin studied him again -- adorable, long, lanky, muscled, bed-headed, boyish, eager, loving, and loved. She laughed. "I guess I already am."
"Good," Damon said roughly. "That's settled. Do you have a car? We can start by following his tracks out of the sand."
"Yeah, yeah, I love you too." Erin hit speed-dial. "Just let me call the Personnel Office, and we'll be on our way." The phone rang a few times, and she got a machine. A few words of a message, and she was done. They'd be doing little happy dances that their paramedic supervisor wasn't going to wind up in the psych unit after all. She clicked her cell shut, and tossed it toward her knapsack. "So much for that. We ready to go?"
She felt a hand steal down and clench her own. To her surprise, it was Damon's. He looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite read, but it gave her hope. "You're a special woman," he said, very serious. "Stay with us. Be a part of our lives. Come with us, and help us find our skins so we can swim free once again."
Erin regarded him through narrowed eyes. "Deal," she said after a moment.
"You're serious? You'll abandon your job -- everything that has been so important to you in the past?"
"For this kind of tradeoff? Hell, yeah. What, did you think I'd take off without you? No way, buster. We're in this together."
Damon grinned -- actually grinned. "Then let's go, Erin. You too, Devon. We have no time to waste."
Hand in hand in hand, they headed up the beach. There'd be a long journey in front of them, but Erin figured they were up to the task. They had each other's back, after all. And their fronts, and sides, and hands and knees...
Seemed she had a lot more to learn about relaxing.
The End... for now.
Lia Connor
Lia Connor supposedly lives in the South, but her job takes her almost everywhere but there. Her laptop is her best friend as she travels. She's thrilled to be working with Changeling Press. She loves to write about BBW's, hot, hot, hot threesomes and were-animals. Lia would love to hear from you. You can contact her at liaconnor@gmail.com.

