Alpha Defenders: Mate (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) Read online

  Keri realized these couples were all enjoying themselves. No one was being forced to have sex. She began to relax even more, although she was still feeling overheated.

  One by one the couples left the party until they had all left, smiling and waving to Jeff and Ry, and even Keri, as they went out the front door.

  Jeff and Ry stood up and pulled her onto the dance floor with Jeff dancing with her first and then Ry cutting in and dancing with her until the song ended.

  “Thank you, Keri,” Ry said.

  “You were great, Keri,” Jeff said.

  “I enjoyed dancing with you, as well,” she said, looking from Ry to Jeff.

  Jeff waved to the band, thanked them, and let them know they had done a great job. He paid them, and they packed up their instruments and began taking their equipment outside to their vehicles. Three people from a housekeeping service were quickly cleaning and straightening so everything looked back to normal.

  “Shall we see if there’s anything left to eat?” Ry asked her.

  “Sure,” she said. “Do you think they left anything?” She gave him a teasing smile.

  “Maybe,” Jeff said, joining them. “Everyone has left now, including the band members and the clean-up crew, and we have the house to ourselves. Did you enjoy the party at all?”

  “Yes, I did. I enjoyed seeing a few of the people that I know.” She gave Jeff and Ry an impish smile. “And, honestly, I finally realized that masquerades can be all right when the couples are all having fun.” Jeff and Ry met her gaze as she grinned at them.

  “I’m glad,” Ry said.

  “That’s the way it should be,” Jeff said.

  “Would you like to go out to dinner with us on your next night off?” Jeff asked her. “We’ve enjoyed some of the restaurants here in Wolf’s Crossing and in Heat Springs.”

  “Sounds great.” She smiled at them, glad she would see them again.

  After they enjoyed a snack, she decided she’d best get home. She had another early day at the Bar and Dancehall the next day. The good part was that meant she’d get home early before dinner.

  When she sat between them in their truck as they took her home, she felt more comfortable than she’d felt with a couple of hunks in a long time. She said good night to them at her front door, and they kissed her on both sides of her face as they had done the time before.

  “See you tomorrow evening,” Ry said as they both waved and she walked inside her apartment.

  She locked the door and turned toward the short hallway to her bedroom. She’d enjoyed being with Jeff and Ry this evening. They’d made her feel safe and protected. She liked them. They had a nice way with other people. Jeff was so easygoing, and she felt like both Ry and Jeff were guys she could count on. She wasn’t afraid that they’d take advantage of her. They put her at ease and made her feel all warm inside. She could hardly wait to go out with them again.

  Chapter Three

  The next day, Jeff swore to himself at the situation he and Ry faced as they continued their search on the red rock hillside for the mineral they’d been sent to find. The nasty guy who didn’t want them there was higher up the hill from them near the big cave. After they’d gotten a good look at him earlier, they’d recognized him as the same abusive guy who had grabbed Keri at the Bar and Dancehall the other night while she was serving him.

  Jeff heard voices down below near the hot springs pool. It wasn’t long before he and Ry were joined by Mark and Tom and their date, Brenda, and Derek and Trey and their lady, Lacy. After everyone said hello, Mark and Tom stayed behind as the others continued on up the path toward the big cave.

  Mark looked at the pile of small- and medium-sized rocks they’d collected. “What kind of minerals are you guys looking for?” he asked.

  Jeff rubbed the back of his neck. He wondered how much he should reveal about their assignment. “We’ve heard there may be a deposit of semi-precious minerals left in this area by the impact of a meteor in the past.”

  “Some rock hunters believe it could be a mineral that they think would enhance health and strength,” Ry added.

  “Well, good luck with your prospecting,” Mark said and waved as he and Tom continued up the hill to rejoin their friends.

  “I wish that C.P.O. would advise our other agents working in the same location about what each one is investigating,” Jeff said, feeling frustrated with having to keep their project secret.

  “So do I,” Ry agreed. “I can understand the need to keep things secret, but I hate keeping secrets from other agents. It doesn’t feel right. What if we all needed the help of other agents in nearby areas in an emergency?”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Jeff said as he turned back to his search for the elusive minerals they hunted. “I think it would be smart to keep agents working in the same town or city advised of each other for the safety of all of us. Next time we give headquarters a call, let’s ask about sharing information about our mission with Mark and Tom.”

  “Good idea,” Ry said. “That would be a start.”

  * * * *

  That evening, Jeff could hardly wait to pick up Keri and take her with him and Ry to dinner. Jeff drove and they headed over to Keri’s place to pick her up.

  “I hope we can convince her to spend some time with us after dinner,” Jeff admitted. “Maybe she’d like to come back to our place.”

  “Maybe she’ll invite us into her apartment,” Ry said. “I’d like to spend more time with her.”

  “God, so would I. She appeals so much to me. She turns me on,” Jeff said, already feeling aroused thinking about her. “I’d really like to have some seriously hot sex with her if she wants to.”

  “I would, as well,” Ry agreed. “She’s so beautiful and feminine. It sounds like we’d both like to show her what great sex can be like.”

  After parking near her apartment, they went up to her door to get her. Jeff knocked on the door.

  “Coming,” she called from inside the apartment. She opened the door, and a big smile covered her face. “Hi, I’m ready.”

  “Great,” Ry said.

  She grabbed her purse from a nearby table and stepped outside, turning to lock the door. “Where are we going?”

  “It’s your choice,” Jeff said, “but we were thinking that the steakhouse in Wolf’s Crossing might be a good place tonight.”

  “Or we can go wherever you like,” Ry added.

  “I think the steakhouse sounds perfect,” she said.

  “Let’s head over there,” Jeff said, smiling at her.

  Ry helped her into the truck, and she scooted across the seat to sit in the middle as Jeff got in from the driver’s side. Jeff drove the truck back onto the highway, and they headed west out of town toward Wolf’s Crossing.

  They continued on the highway as it curved and headed north a little way on the west side of the red rock hill. The steakhouse had a parking lot full of trucks and cars. It was a popular place.

  “I think you’ll enjoy the food here. They have good steaks,” Jeff said.

  “I’m hungry already,” she said.

  Jeff parked as close as he could to the entrance. When they walked inside the restaurant, they were guided by the hostess to a table. He and Ry held Keri’s chair for her and then took their own. A good country western band was playing popular songs. After they all studied the menus, they were ready to order. The waitress returned for their order. All three of them ordered a steak.

  Jeff ordered some tostados and salsa and they enjoyed the spicy salsa while they listened to the band. Soon their waitress brought their meals, and they all enjoyed their steaks, baked potatoes, and veggies. The waitress brought them a menu for dessert, and before they looked at it, Jeff decided to suggest something else. He hoped Keri would agree.

  “How about we order dessert to go and take it to our house to enjoy?” Jeff suggested.

  Keri looked at Ry, who smiled at her. “I’d like that,” she said.

  “Great,” Jef
f said.

  When the waitress came back, they ordered their dessert as a takeout dish, deciding on a whole key lime pie topped with extra whipped cream as Keri suggested. After Jeff and Ry took care of the bill and the tip, they headed to their home.

  Jeff parked the truck in the garage and closed the garage door from the device inside the truck after he turned off the engine. Ry helped her out of the truck as he held the pie in one hand. Jeff put his hand on her lower back as they escorted her inside the house. He loved the feel of her muscles moving beneath his hand.

  Ry set their dessert on the kitchen counter. “Would you like to have your dessert inside or out beside the pool?”

  “Outside would be nice,” she said.

  “I’ll get some plates if you’ll cut the pie,” Jeff said as he crossed to some cabinets and looked back at her.

  “I can do that,” she said, smiling at him.

  After she cut the pie, she put three slices on the plates while Ry poured their drinks for them. She licked the whipped cream from the fingers of one hand where she’d gotten it on her while cutting and serving their pie.

  Jeff wished he could lick the cream off for her. He cupped her other hand with one of his and lifted it up watching her expression for any disapproval. He saw none and raised her hand to his lips and licked the cream from her fingers. Her eyes glittered as he watched her expression, and she gave him an impish smile.

  Thank God, she was okay with that. He hoped they could take things further with her, without scaring her away.

  “Are you ready to take our dessert outside?” Ry asked.

  She turned and grinned at him. “Yes, I’m ready. I can hardly wait to have some of that pie.”

  She followed Ry outside, and Jeff pulled a third lounger next to the other two in front of the pool. Ry put the plates on the table behind the chairs.

  “Have a seat, beautiful, and I’ll hand you a plate,” Ry said, wagging his eyebrows.

  She chuckled at him and took a seat in the middle lounger that Jeff indicated was for her. Ry handed her the plate and took the lounger on one side of her chair. Jeff sat down next to her in the other chair.

  “Yum, this is so good,” she said after she took a bite.

  “I agree,” Ry said. “This is delicious.”

  “It’s the best I’ve ever had,” Jeff agreed.

  “Oops, you’ve got some dripping down your chin,” she told Jeff. She reached and gently wiped the whipped cream with her index finger. Giving him a slightly daring look, she licked the cream off her finger.

  Jeff sat mesmerized, watching her expression at first, and then the dark pink tip of her tongue as she lapped up the small bit of cream. He was hard just watching her.

  “Uh-oh,” Ry said. “I think I’ve got a mess.”

  She turned toward him and grinned. “You certainly have,” she said. “Here, I’ll take care of that for you.” She wiped up the cream and both sides of his mouth and licked it off her fingers, ever so slowly.

  Jeff groaned. “Do you mind if I take off my shirt, Keri? It’s getting a little warm out here, and I’m not ready to go inside yet.”

  “That’s all right,” she said. “I don’t mind.”

  Jeff shucked his shirt and draped it over the back of his chair.

  “I think I’ll join you,” Ry said. “I’m a little warm, as well.” He pulled off his shirt and draped it over the back of his chair.

  They all three took a couple more bites of their pie, but Jeff had more problems with the whipped cream.

  “Darn it, this cream drips off the spoon too easy,” Jeff said as a large dollop of it landed on his chest very close to a nipple.

  Keri looked over at him and smiled. “You’re having a hard time with that. Here, I’ll help you.”

  She smiled at him as if she had a secret and sat up, leaned close over him, and lowered her head to lick the whipped cream from his chest. In the process, her hot, wet tongue touched the tip of his nipple. He inhaled swiftly as heat plunged through his body to his already hard cock. When she lifted her head and met his gaze, she gave him a little smile that told him she knew he was turned on.

  “Do you like that, Keri?” Jeff wondered how far she’d let him and Ry take this.

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  “How about if we give you the same pleasure?” Jeff asked her, hoping she’d say yes.

  She looked at him and then Ry with a little smile. “I think I’d like that with you and Ry.”

  “Should we take this inside?” Ry asked her.

  “That would be fine with me,” she said.

  They gathered up their plates and headed indoors. “Come this way,” Jeff said as he started toward the hall to the bedrooms. She joined him, and the three of them walked down the hall to his bedroom, the first one along the back of the house. He turned on the ceiling lamp and adjusted it until it gave low light. “Make yourself comfortable.”

  She walked right over to the side of the bed and put her plate on the side table then climbed into the middle of the bed and arranged the pillows before leaning back against them.

  Ry joined her on one side, and Jeff joined her on the side near the door.

  “May I have my plate, please?” she asked Jeff.

  He handed her the plate, which still had ample pie with whipped cream topping it. He leaned back against the pillow on his side and watched her take another bite.

  “I’ve finished mine,” Ry said as he placed his plate on the bedside table beside him.

  “Already?” Keri asked, sounding surprised. “Here, have some of mine.” She scooped up some of the sweet concoction from her plate and held the spoon out toward Ry.

  He watched her, a glint in his eye, knowing she was up to something. She lost her balance suddenly and caught herself with her arm across his chest and her spoonful of pie landing on the left side of his chest near his nipple.

  “Oops, I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not,” Ry said, smiling at her.

  “Here, let me clean that up,” she said. Putting her spoon carefully down on her plate beside her, she leaned across Ry’s torso and braced herself with a hand near his side on the bed. She lowered her face closer and closer to his chest, looked up and met his gaze, and lapped up the pie on his chest, touching his nipple with the tip of her tongue.

  Ry growled deep in his throat, grabbing the bedding with his hands at his sides. Jeff knew exactly how he felt.

  “Is that better?” she asked Ry.

  “God, babe,” Ry growled, his voice rasping, “do you have any idea how good that feels?”

  “I’m not sure that I do.” She looked from Ry to Jeff. “Would you guys like to show me?” She shrugged her shoulders and arms from her top and lowered her bra to reveal her beautiful breasts.

  “We’d love to show you,” Jeff said. He took her dish of pie and picked up a bit of the pie and whipped cream on his index finger. He spread the pie gently on her breast near her nipple.

  Ry reached over and dipped his finger into the pie and spread it on her other breast around the nipple.

  “That tickles,” she said, chuckling.

  “Tell us what this feels like,” Jeff said as he lowered his head near her breast and licked the pie from her breast and nipple.

  Ry bent close to her other breast and licked the pie off with several slow swipes of his tongue.

  She writhed beneath their caresses. “Jeff, Ry that feels so good.”

  “Would you like us to give you more?” Jeff asked her.

  “Yes, that would be nice,” she said, sounding a bit breathless.

  Jeff smoothed one hand over her midriff and down over her trim belly. He gently pressed down on her lower belly and rubbed her in a circular motion. He heard her moan of pleasure and knew she liked that. He took her nipple between his lips and licked the turgid peak.

  Ry lowered his head to her other nipple and pleasured that rosy tit. He smoothed his hand down her side and across her long, trim thigh, cupping her thigh
in his big hand and moving upward to her pussy. He gently brushed her folds through her clothing. She moaned and undulated beneath their hands. “Do you like that, babe?”

  “Yes,” she said, her voice a low hiss.

  Obviously she liked it very much. She raised her hands to their torsos and caressed them.

  Jeff’s cock was hard as a rock, but he had a feeling he’d best not rush things with her.

  “Do you want more, hon?” Jeff asked her.

  “Yes, I’d love it,” she said.

  “Let’s slip your slacks off, babe,” Ry suggested.

  “Okay,” she said, sounding aroused.

  Ry unfastened her jeans and eased them down her hips and legs. He draped her jeans over the foot of the bed as Jeff eased her panties down and put them aside on the bed. Ry moved back to caress her thigh. He pressed his lips to her folds over her clit with a gentle kiss.

  She bucked at Ry’s touches. Jeff knew then she would be so responsive to their lovemaking. He rubbed her belly gently, took her nipple with his mouth, and drew strongly on her nipple. She moaned again and tilted her hips upward. Jeff released her nipple and saw that it was puckered and turgid, wet with his kisses. Ry moved his hand between her thighs, and Jeff watched him smooth his fingers down, over her mound, and stroke her smooth, bare skin. As Jeff continued to watch, Ry slipped one long, thick finger between her folds and along her crack, farther down, and stopped.

  “Are you okay with this?” Ry asked her.

  “Yes, please, more,” she said, her voice sounding needy.

  Jeff caressed her breasts and watched Ry slide his fingers up and down her crack before Ry slid a finger slowly inside the opening of her channel. She arched her back and spread her legs wider, obviously wanting more. Ry moved his finger in and out and lowered his head, licking between her folds and tantalizing her clit.

  She gave a little whimper and then cried out, her hips bucking upward against Ry’s mouth as her orgasm took her. She moaned as her contractions obviously continued with Ry pleasuring her, devouring her folds and clit with his lips and tongue.