Finding Their Flame [Stone Passions 2] Page 10

  “Sunshine, you always smell absolutely wonderful.” He patted her leg and shut the door.

  Yeah, that was such a lie. But sweet, very sweet.

  When they arrived home, she took a bath and relaxed. She washed her hair and, once out, lotioned and primped. Time to get ready. Dante and Thane shouldn’t be much longer. She picked through the clothes she had. Not much choice.

  The hangers squeaked as they slid over the rod. The red shirt with her black skirt and the sexy heels? She shook her head. A sigh escaped her. That black dress with the pattern of gems across the chest hung in the closet. Her fingertips hovered over a green strapped top. Yes. She pulled it off the rack and grabbed the black skirt. That green always looked great on her. Hopefully, the night would be memorable.

  Chapter Nine

  Time to go. A night out with all three of them, but this time she was staying in their home. Would they be gentlemen again?

  Voices filtered through the door. Had to be either Dante or Thane, maybe both. Her cousin had texted that he was at his friend’s. Warmth spread through her, and her heartbeat quickened, bringing a smile. She leaned closer to the mirror after brushing her curly blonde hair. No smudges. Good.

  She rose and strode to the door. Opening it, she paced out into the hallway. She swept her gaze up and down. No sign of anyone.

  She wandered down the wood-floored hall. Laughter drifted from the direction of the living room. Energy pumped through her. She rushed forward. The click-click of her heels on the wood undoubtedly gave away her approach. She glanced down at the strappy sandals with the gems across the top. No sneaking up in these shoes.

  Cael sprawled on the couch, one leg up on the cushions. He’d changed into dark slacks and a maroon shirt. Damn, the man claimed his space. His gaze swept over her. Heat flared, rushing straight to her core. He smiled and raised his hand.

  She sauntered over and brushed her fingertips over his palm. He tugged her down onto the couch in front of him. She gasped, tensing. Her palm slapped onto the back of the couch. A smack echoed through the room as her palm hit the leather.

  “Hi, gorgeous, are you ready?” Cael wrapped his arms around her.

  She drew in a shuddering breath and pressed her hand to her chest. “Well, I was.”

  He laughed and brushed his fingers down her arm. “You still look great. Thane and Dante are getting ready. They won’t be long.”

  “I thought I heard them talking and definitely heard laughter, but didn’t see any sign of them.” She relaxed back against him.

  “Yeah, you heard talking. Dante and Thane questioned me a little, but then went to dress. And the laugh, that was me. A friend of mine sent me a picture of their new puppies covered in mud and the white carpet around them tracked with paw prints.” Cael lifted her hand and laced his fingers with hers.

  “You have pets?” She leaned away and turned a little.

  “Yes, some of us have pets. Dante had a dog when Thane and I moved in with him. We just haven’t had one in the last few years.” Cael urged her to relax back against him.

  “And we’ll definitely have a dog again when we have children. Children should have dogs.” Dante sauntered into the room. He tugged at his cuff and buttoned it before moving his hand up to the neck of the blue shirt.

  “We’re going to talk about these prospective children before we make them, right? We haven’t even gotten through a few dates.” She peered through the veil of her lashes.

  A muscle along Dante’s jaw flexed. “Yes, we’ll talk about it. For the time being, we’re pretty sure that you can’t get pregnant.”

  What caused that flex of muscles? Her head lifted. They were pretty sure? She had sex with them and they weren’t certain? “What do you mean pretty sure?”

  “You’re part human. Cael told me that he explained about Gargoyles and humans and pregnancy.” Dante strolled over, lifted her legs, and slid under them. “On top of that, we’ll know when you’re fertile, by smell. We’ll take precautions when you are just in case you can get pregnant before your transformation.”

  She nodded. Oh, that. Yeah, it slipped her mind. “I didn’t immediately connect it with what he told me. Kinda took me by surprise.”

  “More relaxed now?” Cael’s hand stroked up and down her arm.

  “Yeah, I want children, but it seemed as if we should talk about it and maybe make sure this relationship is strong. We’re building it, and I don’t know if we’re going to run into problems. How it’s going to work. I know you three are certain of it, and Calista said that my response to you means we belong together. I’m just trying to get my mind around it.” She put her hand over his. “Trying to believe it.”

  Heat from his body and his palm seeped into her. Her muscles loosened, and she relaxed back against him. The silence from the two men drew her attention. She looked at Dante. He stared at her. His lips tightened into a thin line as his brown eyes darkened. He remained still, but the muscles corded. She drew in a slow breath and didn’t move. A predator stared at her from those dark eyes. Cael’s grip tightened.

  “Oh, good, we’re all here. Ready to go?” Thane’s voice burst into the silence.

  She tensed at the sudden noise and turned to the entryway. Thane paced across the room. That white shirt clung to his chest and shoulders, emphasizing both his muscled body and the excellent tailoring of his clothing. She wet her lips.

  “Yes, we’re ready to go to Mill’s.” Dante nodded and then exhaled. He rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders.

  Dante’s big hand closed around hers, tightening as he tugged her to her feet. Cael surged to his feet. His arm curled around her. Heat blazed from his palm as it settled over her stomach. The warmth spread through her, sensitizing her skin. She leaned against him. His solid chest pressed against her back. He tightened his arm as if to draw her closer.

  “Ready for more than that.” Cael’s breath tickled her ear as he nuzzled aside her hair.

  She shivered. Her breath rasped in a too-tight throat. Let’s blow off dinner and explore that more. She clamped her mouth shut. A little bite of pain shot through her as her teeth worried at her lower lip.

  “More later, Cael.” Thane laughed.

  Dante’s fingers remained locked around her wrist. He strode forward. The tug on her wrist pulled her a little off balance, and she stumbled. Her fingers flared and grabbed, trying to grip him, but failed. Her heartbeat raced. He stopped and gripped her shoulder, bracing her. She straightened and exhaled. Not one of her more graceful moments. He laced his fingers with hers.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize that you weren’t ready.” Dante pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Ready to go?”

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  He took a slow step forward. She echoed the movement. They made their way to the door and out to the car. Dante tucked her in the backseat. When he buckled her in, a warm glow flared within her. So caring. After he finished, he stepped back and closed the door. He slid into the driver’s seat.

  They drove through the walled community to a restaurant located near one of the parks. She pushed open the door when Dante stopped the car. Her heels tapped on the hard pavement as she slipped out. A sweet floral scent drifted on the light wind, but the aroma of steak also floated on the current. Her mouth watered. She took a step toward the brick and glass building.

  An arm curled around her waist. She jumped and gasped as she whipped her head to the left. Thane laughed and tightened his grip.

  “Relax. I have you.” He leaned close and brushed his cheek against hers.

  “If I’d known that the food here smelled this good, I’d have let you bring me here before now.” She lifted a hand to her chest. How did he move so damn silently?

  “You say that now, but I think we’d have had a hard time getting you here.” Thane’s arm pressed against her back, urging her forward.

  Maybe. They strolled up the sidewalk to the brick building. Her stomach growled. Thane held the door for her.

&n
bsp; She strolled into the restaurant. A rich cream tone covered the walls, and orange-red curtains hung on the floor-to-ceiling windows. White flashed and caught her eye. A waitress in a white shirt, carrying a tray of plates, sidestepped a man scooting back from a light golden wood table and wove her way to patrons seated near the wall.

  Thane guided her to the light wooden host station. An easy smile curved the lips of the redheaded man behind the podium. In spite of the dark suit he wore, jovial friendliness radiated from him, reinforced by the laugh lines and the welcoming warmth in his eyes.

  “Dante, Thane, Cael, great to see you! And you’ve brought your woman with you tonight. Introduce me.” The man glided away from the stand.

  “Yes, we brought Moriah. Moriah, this overly friendly flirt is Mill. He owns the restaurant.” Dante gestured to the male. “Mill, this is Moriah Ward, our mate.”

  “I’m Maximillian Devin, the third, which is why everyone calls me Mill. It’s a pleasure to see you, Moriah.” Mill paced forward and took her hand. “I’d heard they’d found you and were waiting to bring you home.”

  “It’s good to meet you, too. And they brought me here yesterday.” She took a deep breath. Time would show whether it was necessary. For now, she’d trust Dante. He had experience with those Gobel creatures.

  Someone moved to her left. She turned her head. Cael’s eyes narrowed on the other man until he released her hand.

  “Are you four dining in with us tonight, or are you planning to take your meal home with you?” Mill eased back.

  “We’re dining in, Mill. She’s already caught the delicious aroma of your food, and we’d like her to enjoy it as well as the relaxing atmosphere here.” Thane tightened his arm around her waist.

  “Of course, follow me and we’ll get you started. If you’d like, I can arrange a semi-private area for your dining experience.” Mill led them through the tables.

  “Maybe another time. Tonight, the normal tables will satisfy us.” Dante gave a nod.

  “Fabulous. How about this one?” Mill stopped beside a table next to the window. “I’ll have the waitress bring your usual starter drinks. What would Moriah like?”

  “This is great, and a glass of red wine for her to start.” Thane’s hand urged Moriah to one of the chairs facing the interior of restaurant.

  She sat, but clenched her fist. Not that she would have ordered anything different, but what was he doing? He hadn’t ever been so boorish before. The three men all took seats.

  Soft conversation filtered through the air, a low murmur that provided a reassuring backdrop. A throaty laugh rolled from somewhere to the left. A red-haired woman beamed at the blond male holding her hand while she snuggled against a red-headed male who’d scooted his chair next to hers.

  Moriah turned away from the trio, but her eyes snagged on another woman sitting with three men. The way their eyes locked on the female and the small touches revealed the bond with the woman. No one sent them a strange look. The entire restaurant was filled with groups. Well, almost. A couple of men sat on the stools at the bar.

  “It’s good to be somewhere we can relax.” Dante’s fingers brushed across the back of her hand.

  “Before tonight, I never really noticed groups of people or thought about what type of relationship they might have.” Her gaze swept once more over the high ceilings, tiled flooring, and the people.

  “And that’s why we can go out as groups as long as we’re careful about our interactions. While we live in a very accepting state for the most part, certain areas of business aren’t that tolerant, and the same goes for people. There are always going to be those who don’t like anything out of the norm.” Cael leaned back in his chair, almost lounging in it.

  She dipped her head. He was right.

  “Here it’s normal, part of our life.” Dante closed his hand over hers. “We want to show you that this isn’t some whim. We grew up with this, and we know what it entails.”

  “I never thought it was a whim that you three had on the spur of the moment. I just wasn’t sure how I would handle it. I still have a lot of questions. I am attracted to all of you three, and sometimes, that does freak me out.” She lifted her gaze and forced her lips into an upward tilt.

  “We know this isn’t normal for you. It’s always strange for humans or, in your case, someone raised as a human.” Thane put his hand on her arm. Warmth radiated from his palm.

  She leaned toward him. Fire burned within them. Hadn’t Cael said something about that? Was it true? After her experience with Thane and the pulsing urges, she could believe it.

  She shivered and drew in a deep, cleansing breath. Time to talk about something else. “So, I’m sure Cael assured you both that our day was rather normal. Though I’m not sure how much actual work he got done or what he was even doing. How was your day?”

  “He told us that you were safe before we went to get dressed for dinner. I don’t know much about your day, but we’ll ask that in a little bit.” Dante nodded. “I spent most of the day in meetings and conference calls trying to straighten out a mix-up. So a good deal of it was frustrating.”

  “Did you sort out everything?” She tightened her fingers on his.

  “Yes, eventually, we did. It took longer than it should have, but the mix-up was fixed and the installation is back on track. It won’t be completed until tomorrow, but at least with everything fixed, it should go smoothly.” Dante smiled.

  The waitress brought their drinks and delivered the menus. That brought back to mind Thane ordering the wine for her. From short acquaintance, he hadn’t been that domineering. She picked up the red and took a sip. It was a good red.

  “What’s with the wine?” She turned to Thane as she picked up the menu.

  “Thought it would be a good starter since you’re new to the place. I wanted to get seated and start talking with you, not wait around while Mill listed the various drinks available. You can order what you like with dinner.” Thane patted her arm.

  Cool air brushed over her arm as he lifted his hand. The chill brought a pang of loss. She clenched her fist and shivered. What the hell is wrong with me?

  Her teeth scraped over her lower lip, before she took a deep breath. “Keep touching me.”

  “Of course, we’ll keep touching you.” Cael put his hand on her leg.

  Thane’s hand lowered back to her arm. Warmth spread as his skin touched hers again. With three hands on her, the connection and heat increased. The high temperature spread over her, and an ache tightened low in her stomach. Moisture eased from her.

  She shook her head. Their hands rested on her. They didn’t stroke or caress. Cael’s hand didn’t even contact her skin. His palm rested on her skirt. Why did she crave their touch?

  The words wavered on the page. She closed her eyes and drew in a breath to calm herself. Their hands on her distracted her, but she wouldn’t lose the contact now.

  “Do you see anything that catches your eye?” Thane smoothed his hand over her arm. “Everything they make here is good.”

  “I’m looking at the steak selections. That scent hit me out in the parking lot.” Moriah smiled and once again returned her attention to the elegant script detailing the house specialties. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

  “Scent can be a very tempting thing.” Cael leaned close and brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I’m getting the fish tonight.”

  “I’ll have to try that sometime.” She drew in a sharp breath. Damn, she’d practically announced that she anticipated returning here with them at least one more time.

  “I’ll remind you when we come back.” Cael’s lips remained in a straight line, but the glint in his eyes showed his lighter mood.

  The waitress returned shortly and took their order. After she left, Moriah focused on Thane. He’d sat back and let Dante talk. Her mind flew. What was a doctor’s day like? Did he spend all his time in a hospital?

  “So tell me about your day, Thane.” She turned a little. The men’s hands
moved with her.

  “Today, I was at the hospital with a few patients.” Thane smiled.

  “Do you enjoy your work? Are you one of those doctors who spend more time at the hospital than at home?” She tilted her head. One more piece of information about him.

  Her stomach churned. Tonight was their second real date. She’d already had sex with two of them. And that was just because she and Dante hadn’t had the opportunity. With the draw to them, it wouldn’t be long before that happened. Each step with them took her into unknown territory. Would she encounter a pitfall that would mess up the entire relationship?

  “Yes, I enjoy my work. I enjoy my patients. Some days are longer than others, but, no, I’m not always gone. Sometimes I’m needed here.” Thane’s thumb stroked circles on her arm.

  The waitress brought their food. Moriah pulled her arm back. Cael’s and Thane’s hands withdrew. She drew in a swift breath and clenched her hands to keep from reaching for them.

  “How was your first day with someone with you? Did you find it a strain? Did he get in the way?” Dante picked up the glass of water the waitress brought him.

  Cael and Thane each received another glass of beer, and she had another glass of wine in front of her. She cut into her steak and took the first bite of the delicious beef. She closed her eyes, and a low moan rolled from her. Oh my god. Savory juices burst over her tongue. She cut another bite.

  “When you can tear yourself away from the food, can you tell me about your day?” Dante laughed.

  She tore her gaze away from her plate and lifted it to Dante. She grinned. All right, the steak had won in the contest between eating or answering him. Reluctantly, she lowered her fork.

  “The day was good. Cael wasn’t in the way. I’d expected a little worse. The only thing that irritated me was he wouldn’t let me go back to get the extra trays when needed. He said that if I went, he had to go even though I’d basically be stepping in and out in like thirty seconds.” She turned to Cael and narrowed her eyes. The man hadn’t listened to her at all.