Whirlpool

Chapter Thirteen

“Are you ready for this?” Braden asked.

Jamie nodded slowly, glancing between Braden and Chelsea.

“It’s time, and Alexia’s the one I need to get approval from, right?” He hesitated. “Are you two ready? I mean, are you sure you want me to speak with her about more than my suspicions?”

Chelsea wrapped her arms around his waist, her warm body nestling in and feeling so perfect he could barely breathe. If a month ago someone would have told him that he’d be involved in a relationship with two other people, he would have thought them insane. Yet that’s what he had. In both Chelsea and Braden he’d found more than he expected.

Not just because they could out-swim him, in whatever form they used.

“We’ve talked about this. In depth, Mr. Have To Overanalyze Everything.” Braden slung an arm around his shoulders. “I think the last time we spoke about it was while we were moving Chelsea and I back into the condo. You promised you would stop rehashing old territory.”

“He likes digging up the past,” Chelsea teased, dancing out of reach.

Jamie and Braden both groaned.

“Your turn to deal with her.” Braden squeezed Jamie’s shoulder before unlocking the truck and opening the door for Chelsea.

“Hey.” Chelsea crawled into the truck and settled between the two of them, cuddling up to Jamie and threading her fingers through his.

Jamie marveled at how comfortable he was with them both. No, the butterflies in his belly had nothing to do with the people he sat with, and everything to do with the appointment they had to meet with Alexia, the matriarch of the merfolk people. Jamie stared out the window at the sleepy village as Braden drove them back to the Coltens’ house. The streets of Jaffrey’s Cove had grown more familiar over the past month, faces more easily recognizable. He still couldn’t figure out at a glance who was and who wasn’t a merfolk, and that was probably a good thing.

He and Chelsea had made a bigger dent in the inventory work than he’d expected, especially with how easily distracted they’d been over the past week. Every chance possible, they stopped to explore each other, waiting impatiently for Braden to be able to join them.

Chelsea leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”

Jamie chuckled. “Right. I’m meeting the most important member of a group of mythical people. Piece of cake.”

“She’s just Alexia.” He stared at her in shock. “Well, I mean, she’s the matriarch too, but even though she’s in charge, it’s not like she’s a power hound or anything. This should be less intimidating than some of the family events you’ve had to attend.”

He laughed and leaned over to brush his lips against hers. They kissed softly, Jamie enjoying the way she gave herself over to him, offering her reassurance and passion at the same time. Braden rested his hand lightly on top of their linked fingers, and the touch of both of them at the same time sent a thrill through him.

Plans were falling into place for a future that felt very right, no matter how different it appeared.

They gathered in the dining room, the remaining collection of trinkets and clutter still lining the walls. Standing before Alexia Colten, Jamie wondered where his bravado had fled to in the past thirty minutes. He liked to think he would have known she was the ranking merfolk without being told. There was something about the dark-haired beauty—an enticing air of command. She seemed to be judging him and yet he could find no fault in that judgment.

The men who sat on either side of her—the blond surfer and the brooding god with the intense stare—were far less intimidating physically than Braden. Yet in conjunction with Alexia, the impact of the three of them was enough to awe anyone.

“Braden informed me what happened.” Alexia motioned to her right, where Braden and Chelsea stood. “I guess you’ve discovered more than hidden treasures amidst my grandfather’s collection.”

The moment felt solemn, somewhat spiritual, like he’d been transported back in time to the legendary days of the Greeks when the gods had supposedly walked the earth. That was whom he was meeting, wasn’t it? Living legends? A sudden inspiration hit him.

He dropped to one knee and bowed deeply. “My lady.”

The man at Alexia’s left laughed out loud. “Damn, he’s good. Another intellectual come to haunt me.”

“Joshua, please.” Alexia smiled as Jamie rose. “My husband doesn’t mean to be rude. You said you had information to share?”

“I was researching one of your grandfather’s finds and discovered something in the local news archives that might interest you.” He stole a glance to the side for reassurance. Chelsea winked at him.

Alexia accepted the file of photocopied pages from him. “What are these?” She shuffled through, stopping to examine a picture more closely.

“The reason for the run of craziness over the summer.”

“I heard there was trouble while we were gone, but nothing serious. Oh my goodness, is that my Gram?” Alexia held the clipping out. “Anthony, look, I swear that’s her in the photo.”

“It’s Victoria Colten, about fifty years ago. She’d just moved into this house with her new husband. Her mother left on an extended vacation and I would assume that’s when Lady Victoria took over leadership of the Jaffrey’s Cove merfolk.”

Jamie pulled another couple of pages out, lining them up in order.

“Less than a week later, when she and her husband left for a short honeymoon, mysterious reports of vandalism started to appear in the news. Lots of complaints about unusual behavior in the visitors and locals—everything from streaking down Main Street to tipping over outhouses.”

“Damn, some things never change,” Braden said.

Alexia frowned at the papers. “The same thing happened fifty years ago? What kind of strange coincidence is that? Or are you saying my grandmother has something to do with the chaos?”

Jamie sat, resting his arms on the table. “I think she has something to do with it, yes, but so do you. It’s connected with the fact you lead the merfolk, and it has to do with Jaffrey’s Cove itself. Braden explained part of the reason you can shift is because there are chemicals in the area that combine with and complement your genetics. Everyone who lives here is exposed to the chemicals all the time. It makes your shifting possible, but it affects you in other ways. It appears that having you around as matriarch—having a leader in the area—helps keep the merfolk in check. Just like a group of animals can be convinced to stay calm in a difficult situation, your presence balances the rest of them.”

Braden cleared his throat. “Animals?”

Jamie waved a hand at him. “I’m not trying to be offensive, but it’s a common trait in all mammalian groups. I could have said humans. Leaders set the tone. When you left town on your honeymoon, and your grandmother left at the same time, there was no one really in charge of the pod. The same thing happened as in the past. The chemical overload didn’t cause anything dangerous to happen or anything too noticeable. Still, it’s enough that you should try to avoid being gone for long periods of time. Unless we can figure out a backup system.”

“All this time it was the chemicals?” Chelsea asked.

Jamie shrugged. “I’ve checked a few other ideas but keep coming back to that one as the most likely.”

“How is that possible? That just her presence is enough to bring things back under control?” Braden leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Are you kidding?” Jamie asked. “You change that massive bulk of yours into sparkly lights without so much as blinking, but you think it’s not possible there’s a mystical connection between your leader and her people?”

Braden chuckled. “Point taken.”

Alexia turned to Braden. “What’s it been like since I returned? Have things improved?”

He nodded. “One hundred percent. We’re back to being a nice quiet little tourist destination.”

She sighed. “Another item added to the list of things I wasn’t aware of before assuming this position. Your speculation makes sense. I hope I can ask you to work, maybe with Anthony, on that backup system you mentioned. I hate the thought of being so irreplaceable.”

Jamie bowed his head politely. She was not what he’d expected, but then, who knew what the rules were anymore in this game?

She gave him that look again, the one like she was reading his soul. “You are planning on staying around?”

Jamie let his grin escape. “Well, sort of. I’ve got this awesome job cataloging a pretty amazing collection, and there’s this girl I’ve met in the area…”

Chelsea laughed and it warmed his soul. He blew her a kiss without thinking then turned back to the trio, his face heating.

Alexia’s lovers, Anthony and Joshua, exchanged glances. “He has it bad, doesn’t he?” Joshua asked.

She leaned over and elbowed Joshua softly. “Behave.”

She stared at Jamie, a gentle smile on her lips. An eerie sensation crept over him, as if a hand had stroked his mind. It swept past his heart and the warmth that rose in her eyes settled all the worry inside him. She accepted him, not only his knowledge of the merfolk, but his relationship with Chelsea and Braden. As strange as it seemed, her approval was vital.

“You’re telling the truth and you feel nothing but goodwill toward us.”

Everyone in the room relaxed, as if a balloon had released its air. He hadn’t realized just how keyed up everyone had become, waiting for Alexia to decide. She rose from her chair and came around the table to give him a quick hug.

Funny. While she was damn attractive, he didn’t feel the same rush that touching Chelsea brought, or Braden for that matter.

She stepped back and brushed his cheek lightly with her fingers. “Thank you for adding your talents and skills to our group. Although I’m curious what you’re planning to do after this job is completed. It doesn’t seem like there’s a lot to keep you in the cove.”

He joined Chelsea and Braden, the tension inside leaching away. “I’ve got some ideas, but we need to discuss it first.”

There were myriad possibilities, but for now, knowing that they had all their options open to find a way that would work for the three of them made the future a lot brighter.

Chelsea pushed open the door with her shoulder, juggling groceries in both hands. She caught a glimpse of the guys in the living room and gave a hello shout. “You would not believe what they’ve got down at the shops for Halloween candy. I’m tempted to dress up and go house to house myself.”

She dropped the bags on the counter and finally clued in to what was happening on the couch. Oh yeah, that looks mighty interesting. “Shit—sorry, don’t let me interrupt.”

Jamie untangled himself from Braden. He rose and adjusted his shirt, trying to hide his hard-on. His flushed face made her smile.

“Hey, Chels.” He kissed her and she tasted Braden on his lips. Yum. She slid a hand down his torso until she cupped his hard length lightly. Double yum.

“Hmmm, hello, but didn’t you hear me? You and Braden don’t have to feel guilty if you want to fool around when I’m not here.”

“It’s not that. We just got good news and one thing led to another and…” Jamie hesitated.

Chelsea paused. He was hiding something, and even though he was only slowly opening up to more physical interaction with Braden, she didn’t think the secret was about them getting caught necking. She glanced at Braden. Yup, he looked guilty as well.

“What are you two plotting? Other than sex?”

Braden laughed. “I told you we’d never keep it under wraps.”

“Yeah, yeah, you win.” Jamie peeked into the grocery bags and grimaced. “You didn’t buy any chocolate.”

Chelsea poked him in the side. “Quit stalling.”

Jamie held out his hand to her. She smiled and accepted it, walking with him to the couch. It felt so right to be together with both Braden and Jamie, and other than the occasional twinge of fear that someday Jamie would find Jaffrey’s Cove too quiet, she was happier than she thought possible.

“Braden and I have been talking over some long-term plans. A colleague at Boston University contacted me a few weeks ago about a temporary position that’s opened up. I’ve agreed to teach a series of guest lectures next semester, beginning January.”

And there it was. Her heart fell. “You’ll be leaving us?”

Braden pulled her into his lap. “Actually, you’ll both be leaving me. Your mom told us you’d applied to Boston as well as UCLA, so we checked into your paperwork. You were already approved there as well. Jamie talked to a few people and they’ve found room for you to start in January. You’re in.”

Chelsea frowned in confusion. Boston? “How can I…? Are you saying he used his influence to get me in? And I still can’t afford it and I don’t want Jamie to pay for me.”

“Actually, I paid half and Jamie the other half. Baby, consider it a loan if you want, but it makes no sense for you to not go. Let us do this for you. Plus, he didn’t use his name for anything more than rushing the process a little. You were already accepted all on your own.”

She stayed silent for a minute, her gaze darting back and forth between the two of them. A trickle of hope stole through her. Getting to go away to university? Live on the east coast and explore another part of the world? Excitement tinged with an edge of uncertainty remained. Braden. How could she leave him? She touched his cheek lightly.

“You don’t mind if I go away?”

“Honestly? I’m going to miss you like crazy. I love you, baby, but at the same time I want you to go. Knowing you’ll be with Jamie makes it tolerable. And I expect you to email and video conference and send me tons of whatever the hell those weird things you type on the phone are.”

Chelsea let the budding happiness inside burst into full bloom. “You never answer my texts anyway.”

“No, but I read them.” Braden kissed her tenderly.

She nodded slowly before responding. “I’d be crazy to not leap at the opportunity, but guys, you should have included me in the conversations.”

Jamie shook his head. “Didn’t want you to be disappointed if I couldn’t swing it.”

“I understand, but I’m a full part of this relationship. Don’t leave me out anymore.” A bubble of inspiration hit. This might be the chance she’d been looking for. She planted her hands on her hips, raising her chin to challenge her men. “So while I want to say thank you for being so incredibly generous, I’m claiming a forfeit from both of you.”

Braden tweaked her nose and she smacked his hand away with a laugh. “Okay, baby. We give. You’re right, and we promise not to organize your life without you again. What’s our punishment? You want us to take you out to dinner?”

“I want to watch.” She crawled up on the back of the couch. Jamie flushed bright red and Braden grinned from ear to ear.

“Watch?”

“Yes, Jamie.” She fluttered her hand at him. “Just pretend I’m not here and go back to what you were doing before I came home.” Her sex tingled in anticipation.

“You don’t want to join us?” Braden asked, giving her a slow clothing-melting stare from top to bottom, and the tingle increased to an electric pulse.

“Oh, I’ll let you know when I want in on the action.” She crossed her arms and tapped her lips. “I think you should start by taking everything off. Makes it easier for the watching, you know.”

Jamie leaned over her to nuzzle at her neck, caging her on either side with his strong arms. “You’re a naughty girl.”

She reached down and pulled his shirt from his slacks. “You, Braden. Naked. Now.”

He stepped back and smirked as he stripped off his shirt. When he popped the button on his slacks Chelsea licked her lips. She’d had months to enjoy the contrasting beauty of her men. Jamie’s smooth, lean torso, Braden’s heavy muscles. The desire she felt for them both didn’t seem to diminish, only grow stronger, and with it her heart’s desire.

She was totally in love with them both.

Braden reached out and snagged Jamie’s wrists, pulling him close and taking over the job of removing his slacks. Braden peeled down the waistband of Jamie’s boxers and the evidence of his arousal sprang into view. Jamie hissed as Braden captured his erection in one hand and pumped lazily.

“Oh holy shit, that feels good.” Jamie thrust his hips forward, his abdomen muscles tight, eyes closed. Chelsea undid her own pants and slipped them off, covering her clit with her palm to stop the deafening sound of her pulse from disturbing them.

Braden fisted Jamie a few more times before releasing him and removing his own clothing. He shifted lower on the couch, his hips resting in the middle of the seat. His cock rose straight into the air and traces of familiar blue flitted around him.

“Come here,” Braden ordered, and Jamie laughed as he settled on top of Braden, his knees on either side of Braden’s thighs. The position brought their cocks into contact and Chelsea sighed with delight as Jamie leaned closer.

“Don’t you go getting bossy as well. Chelsea as a domme I’ll accept for tonight, but I’m not your bottom.” Jamie cupped Braden’s skull in both hands and took his lips with a consuming kiss.

Darkness and light. Raw power melded with passion. Their contrasting skin tones made it appear as if an angel made love with one of the fallen. Jamie’s blond hair fell across Braden in a curtain as she watched their tongues tangle. Braden used his teeth on Jamie’s neck, biting rougher than he’d ever treated Chelsea, and Jamie growled. He reached between their bodies and clasped their rigid cocks together between his palms.

They panted as they moved together, the air filling with the scent from their bodies, shimmering lights increasing. Jamie stroked their shafts, rough and quick, as Braden dropped his head back on the couch.

“So fucking good. Harder, Jamie, oh damn…yes.”

Chelsea stripped off her blouse and bra, letting the cool air in the room wash over her burning skin. The sights, the sounds, the smells—everything drove her own desire higher until she couldn’t wait any longer.

She slid down to the seat and joined the action, slipping her hands around their necks and accepting their kisses in turn. Sweet whispered words of desire and sensual caresses continued and blended together. Skin on skin, fingers exploring and stroking. Jamie leaned back far enough to pull her between them and suddenly she was sandwiched, intimately tight against Braden’s steel-hard cock. Moisture traced her belly. She lifted her hips to rub along him, trying to ease the ache in her clit, and the head of his erection breached her folds. One smooth motion buried him, filling her core.

“So God damn right.” Braden grasped her head and took her mouth with a heated kiss, making her shiver with the passion he shared. Behind her Jamie pressed his torso against her as he bit her shoulder.

“Can you take me too?” he asked and she moaned as she nodded. She wanted it all. He left them for a moment, returning with a tube of lubricant. Jamie touched her carefully, preparing her as Braden continued to thrust his cock upward. She thrilled as Braden suckled her breasts, nipping the peaks to hard points. Jamie eased a slippery finger, then two, into her ass, teasing the sensitive nerves of her anus until she couldn’t stand it.

“Now, take me,” she begged, pressing her hips back onto Jamie’s fingers as best she could while embedded on Braden’s cock.

Jamie rose behind her and together they held their breath until he’d pushed his way in, sliding tight against Braden until there was nothing but a thin barrier keeping them apart.

It wasn’t just about their bodies, oh-so-intimate as they moved within her. It wasn’t just the flares of St. Elmo’s fire swirling around their heads, caressing their skin. It was the words Braden whispered, the touch of Jamie’s hand over Braden’s jaw, the light of love shining in Braden’s eyes. The way they encouraged her to reach her peak, stroking and enticing until her climax enveloped her, rolling through her with undeniable power.

A force of nature taking her in its grasp.

It was the way they cherished her, and each other. She never wanted to be free.