Page 47

Meant To Be

I was the only one who seemed to understand the panicking animals when we got back to the house. It’s not only a gift of my people—at least on my father’s side—but my profession. Because of how tightly bonded my sugarplum’s companions are, it was normal for them to want to attach to her side the moment we stepped in the back door. Edgar’s grumpy brush off as he carried her through the kitchen and up the stairs confused them, and even Prez was too single-minded to give them much thought.

So Doyle is watching me with this amused expression as I treat each one of the six companions to the affection they’re looking for. He’s not helping, of course, but he didn’t head upstairs to get the shower ready, either. His eyes follow me as I fix bowls of food from the cabinets and refrigerator, studying my movements like he has a question he’s afraid to ask.

“It’ll take a moment for the water to heat, and if I put their breakfast out, they’ll all focus on that and not try to pound the door down,” I say, hoping to answer his unasked query.

“Aye, it will. My Tíogair has gathered quite the menagerie—both animal and extranormal.”

Rolling my eyes, I set the dishes for the dogs and cats down before I check the freezer for frozen bits for Eury and Isis. I could let them out to hunt, but in their current anxious state, I think they’d prefer staying put. “She has, but Jolene is a special woman. You know that as well as I do, Haggerty.”

He nods, looking around the kitchen. “Wolfgang, you seem to be the one whose head is shoved least far up his arse, so I’m going to ask you something.”

I arch a brow. Where is he going with this? “Okay. But I’m not giving up any secrets unless sugarplum tells us she’s ready to let you in the circle.”

“I wouldn’t dream of putting you in that position,” Doyle replies, his eyes alight with mischief. “At least, not yet. The funny little love square is likely to expand if you realize it. I don’t mean by adding the likes of me, though I’m not the last who’ll appear I’d wager. I mean, have you and your Doctor Feelgood discussed what happens when three becomes four?”

Frowning, I put the plates with the frozen entrees for the eagle and the snake on the counter, knowing they’ll hold off until they reach room temp. “There are five of us. You’re old enough to know how to count.”

His laugh is full of delight as he claps his hands. “Oh, this is delicious . You haven’t talked about it, and you’re all pretending it’s not happening. I couldn’t have entered stage right at a better time! All the confusion and mishegoss will feed me for weeks ”

I sigh, turning on my heel to walk into the living room. “I don’t know what you’re on about, but if you want to be part of the fun, bring your happy ass upstairs.”

“Don’t start without me!” he calls, following me as he continues to chuckle.

Whatever part of the universe decided my sugarplum should have a mate from a species that always lies and one from a species that can’t must have a hell of a sense of humor.

* * *

“Hold still, drugar. Let him feast.”

The growl coming from the bathroom makes me speed up, and my body tightens in anticipation. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what Prez is doing, and I’m eager to join. The laughter behind me continues and if I wasn’t so intent on jumping in, I’d do more than raise my hand and flip off the Irish jackass behind me. Last night, my sugarplum ran with us all night long, resplendent in her hellhound form as she embraced what can only be the first side of her to emerge.

She doesn’t remember, but she will eventually, and it will be glorious. Until then, we will continue to show her how we feel in the normal way.

“ Ahhhhhhh !”

Stepping into the bathroom, I grin as our girl hits her first peak of the morning. Her dark hair stands out against the white tile of the huge walk-in shower, and her legs are dangling off the granite bench on the right limply. My angel is kneeling between her thighs, nibbling the insides as she coasts down. As usual, Edgar is taking charge, standing with one hand on Prez’s shoulder and the other on his impressive cock. Sliding the door open, I walk in.

“Where would you like me?” I ask, looking up through my lashes in a way I know drives every person in the steamy room crazy. That’s another one of our gifts, if you’re wondering, and I’ve never been above using it.

The snort of our new Irish tag-a-long doesn’t deter me, and I shrug as he drops onto the bench across from us, steeping his hands as he watches. Edgar ignores him, but I can sense the tension in his frame as he works out what he wants. Prez lifts his head, his eyes flashing icy blue, and I give him a tiny pout. He loves that more than anything, but he doesn’t get the chance to respond because my sugarplum opens her eyes.

There’s a tiny pulse in the room, so small I think I might imagine it, and I frown. Could something inside of her be trying to push through so soon after the hound? My eyes fly to Boone’s, but he’s not paying attention to anything as he works out whatever he’s got going on in his head.

“Wolfie?” Jolene holds her hand out to me, beckoning me to come closer.

When I bend to kiss her, she turns her head, pressing her lips against my ear. Her whisper is so soft I almost don’t catch it, and I have amazing hearing. The words catch me off guard, and I blink, pulling back to look into her eyes to make certain she knows what she’s saying. Her lips curve in a lazy, mischievous expression and she nods before blowing a kiss at me.

Son of a pea pickin’ Yankee, she means it.

I rise, waiting for her to get settled. She tugs on Prez’ arms, pulling him until he joins her on the bench. Every eye is on her as she poises over his inked shaft for a brief second before slamming her hips down with a breathy moan. Sugarplum winks at the rest of us shamelessly, as she leans her back against his chest, and turns her head to nip the cords of his neck. His arms wrap around her, inked fingers making their way to the sparkling nipple shields to pluck lightly.

Holy fuck, they’re hot, and they’re both watching me. Does he know what our chaotic switch asked me?

My eyes find Presley’s again as I pause, watching him lazily thrust as Jolene swirls her hips. Her breathing changes and she reaches up to slide her fingers into his hair. The pheromones in the room are undeniable, and it’s making it hard for me to stay still, but I wait.

“Lucy, give the lady what she wants—what we all want,” my darling doc grinds out.

She must be doing that thing. We can hardly speak when she does it; I recognize the plea in his tone. Jolene Athena Whitley has some sort of kung-fu voodoo grip when she wants to, and the way her pussy strokes your dick makes it almost impossible not to come on the spot. I can’t even imagine where in the hell she learned it, nor do I want to. I always give what she wants in the middle of that treat, so I’m guessing Prez is losing his mind.

I turn around, padding over to the abnormally quiet Edgar. He’s struggling a little with the addition of the fiery chaos maker, and it’s almost like his brain is in overdrive. I know he’s not upset about sharing our girl with us or even Doyle. He just doesn’t know how to transition from fighting with the idiot to fucking in front of him.

Fluid scene dynamics are hard on the control freak Doms; new possibilities challenge their need to be in charge. My sugarplum has pushed him, and well… Her methods aren’t subtle—let’s put it that way.

Dropping to my knees, I scoot closer and wrap my arms around his thighs as I bury my face in his stomach. His abs are hard as steel from years of athletics, and my nose brushes his navel as I nuzzle. A hand buries in my hair, fingers sliding through it as I touch and cuddle, working to bring him back to reality. The rumbles in his chest grows as his hand tightens, and I know the submission is helping him calm. He needs to feel like he has the power in the situation—even if the driver at the wheel is riding my partner like a prized stallion behind me.

“More, darling. Help him… ooooh, yes, Presley, right there…” She pauses for a moment, making a gasping sound that makes my dick jump.

Hmm. Not just mine, either.

The twitch of Edgar’s cock against my chest makes me swallow hard. I know how to get him back into our normal headspace, and I also know that neither of my loves will be bothered in the slightest. I’ve certainly noticed how mouthwateringly cut the reigning king of the jocks in our town is, so I’m not adverse. I rub my cheek against his abs slowly, giving him time to adjust or protest if he chooses. When he doesn’t, I close my eyes, knowing that this will change the tenor of everything and if it goes badly, I’m the most likely one to get hurt.

I’m definitely not the type to bang people without feelings getting involved, and he’s new to this. But my sugarplum and my angel are encouraging me, and they wouldn’t steer me in the wrong direction.

Slowly, I slide downward, brushing my lips against warm skin until I reach the dark patch of coarse hair. Inhaling, I have to swallow a moan as the musky scent fills my nostrils. My chin bumps against the head of his cock, and a loud snarl echoes off the tile. His grip on my hair tightens, and Edgar tugs my head back, looking down at me with a wild, confused expression. A smirk is my only response before I pull against his hold, darting forward to wrap my lips around the tip and swirl my tongue over the moisture there.

“Jesus Christ, it’s like waiting for glaciers to move,” is the mutter from the cheap seats where the Irishman sits.

I lock my eyes on the aquamarine ones staring down at me while I nibble, lick, and suckle. I can feel the trembles in his thighs where I’m holding on, but I continue to tease as he watches. I’m waiting to hear a safe word when I remember HE refused to set one, and that makes me freeze in place. Outside of outright rejecting me, he doesn’t have a way out of this if he’s uncomfortable.

Motherfucker, that’s why everyone in the room should always have...

“Pup…”

His voice is rough and needy, and the tone tells me everything I need to know. My hands leave his thighs to wrap one around the base of his shaft and the other cups his balls. Before he can utter another word, I swallow his cock, taking him as far back as I can. Working my lips and teeth over him as I vary speed and suction, I get a feel of where the sensitive spots are and what he likes. I can hear the voices around me as suck and lick, chasing every twitch and tremor to make him thrust his hips harder in return. Gripping the base of his dick hard, I make sure he can’t come faster than I want, because if I’m going to be someone’s first male lover, then it should be memorable.

“Lucy, you don’t have a goddamned clue what magpie is doing to me right now, but you’d better get him off before I fucking die,” Prez says before he lets out a strangled sound that almost sounds like he is actually going to keel over any minute.

“Aye, mate. You’re a pretty picture, and I’ll admit it’s been a dog’s age since I’ve watched two lovelies discover something any idiot could see, but I’m just about spent over here.”

A voyeur. Of course he is. Fucking Doyle.

“Focus, pup.” The soft whisper makes my dick twitch, and I do as instructed, bobbing over his cock faster. “I’m close.”

His balls tighten in my palm, and I roll them as I increase the speed of my mouth and decrease the pressure of my hand, stroking him instead. Edgar’s hips thrust forward, and his hand guides me as he fucks my mouth harder, and when I feel the stutter of the rhythm, I swallow him down. Hot, salty streams of come slide down my throat as he shouts, and I slow down, licking as his body shivers in pleasure. When I lift my lips, I place a small kiss on the tip as it softens and sit back on my heels to look around.

Doyle is sprawled out on the opposing bench with his eyes closed, his dick in his hand, and a blissed out grin on his face. When I look over my shoulder, my sugarplum is collapsed on Prez, who is running gentle fingers down her arms and murmuring to her softly. Carefully, I look up to find intense black eyes staring down at me, and I duck my head, unsure what to do next.

“Doc? Help Tilly out of the heat, and I’ll take our boy. We need to get them dried, tucked in, and cuddled up after a long session in the shower like this. Haggerty, you’re the expert because of birth, so you get to go make some chamomile and bring some snacks. No one in this family is going anywhere for several hours. We are caring for one another, and that’s all there is to it.”

I blink as Edgar holds his hand out, pulling me to my feet. His large hands settle on my shoulders as he walks me out towards the fluffy towels, and while Prez is helping our girl, he leans in and whispers in my ear.

“You can call me daddy, too.” The snort that escapes me makes everyone look over and Edgar winks at them. “Just going over the rules if we’re going to change how we play.”

Oooh. Well, in that case…

Yes, sir.