STORY EXCERPT

She was sleeping in the bed between the two dogs, who were curled up to her body. Renee was against her stomach and Zat was glued to her back. She hated to move but had woken up with an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom. Shell wiggled downward and then sat up. Renee and Zat both grumbled at her and she giggled at the sound. Bella used to make the same one when disturbed from sleep.

She used the mattress to push herself upward and then stood. Her head began to spin, her ears buzzing as she went down to her knees. Lance was lifting her up a moment later. “Are you okay? Why didn’t you call out for one of us?” He sat her down on the edge of the bed.

“I didn’t want to wake you up. Honestly, I didn’t even think about being dizzy. I had to go pee.”

Lance smiled and shook his head. “Did you get hurt?”

“I banged my knee, but I think that I’m okay.”

He knelt down before her. “Which one?”

“The right one.” Lance lifted her leg and flexed it. “I think it’s okay.” He stood and offered his hand. Shell took it and he pulled her upward, putting his arm around her shoulder. Lance walked her into the bathroom. He stood her in front of the sink. “Can you manage from here?”

Shell nodded and he walked to the doorway and stood in the entrance with his back to her. She felt kind of odd, but unzipped her jeans and then sat on the toilet. Once she was finished, Shell boosted herself upward and tugged her pants back up. They weren’t the most comfortable things to sleep in, but she was not going naked. She was also wavering on her feet even though she was leaning on the sink. “Lance?”

He spun, stepping toward her and then helping her back to bed. He waited as she wiggled back between the two dogs and then walked out. A second later, he leaned back into the room. “What would you like for breakfast?”

“I don’t care.”

“Okay. See you in the morning. Please don’t get up without calling for one of us. We are in the next room and we sleep lightly.”

Shell nodded.

Lance left her to her thoughts, turning off the light to plunge her into darkness. Shell wasn’t sure if she would be able to go back to sleep. She rolled to her side, the pocket rivet of her jeans digging into her hip. She flipped to her back and pulled the jeans off. Folding them neatly, she set them beside the bed. When she rolled again, she was much more comfortable.

Lance had been gentlemanly, never once trying to turn and cop a quick peek. From what she had seen, they were both that way. They were also handsome as hell. Until they accidentally poisoned her, she had been extremely attracted to both of them. The idea of being back in another three-way relationship was very appealing. She had really enjoyed it when Parker and Greg had been a part of her life.

Shell still wasn’t sure that they were aliens, but if they weren’t, they were playing some sort of weird scam on her. Maybe that was it. They had discovered that she had money and the three were in cahoots to take it from her. If they were going to bother, then why didn’t they go after someone who was rich? Shell wasn’t rich. Granted, she had enough to get by for years ahead, but it wasn’t as if she were amulti-millionaire or anything.

Of course, that theory didn’t explain the fence outside. There was something about the structure of the overhead mesh that didn’t compute in her mind. If it were heavy enough to not move in the breeze, then the single thin strip of metal in the center would not be enough to support it. If nothing else, it should have had a cross support and vertical supports of some kind. If the single central one had been thicker…It was a puzzle that she would ask them about in the morning. She also wanted to know why they appeared so human.

What other questions could she ask to prove what they were? There had to be some differences besides their stated immortality. She wanted proof. Then she had to figure out what to do if they gave it to her. Did she really want to spend the rest of her life as a recluse shacked up with two aliens? Did she really want to have alien children? It would be nice if they could extend her lifespan. Most of the women in her family had been diagnosed with cancer when they were very young. Her mother had died at thirty-two when Shell was only twelve.

Zat snuggled into her back again. It would really be nice to have two dogs in her life again. Of course that would mean moving in with them. Their house was much nicer than hers, but they would have to have a serious discussion about their neatness obsession. Shell wasn’t dirty, but her house was far from immaculate.

She chuckled at herself. She had gone from wondering about their alien status to moving in with them. Things were far away from that.

ADULT EXCERPT

Shell sashayed up to him, standing directly in front of him. He was so much taller than her, she had to tilt her head back slightly. In reality, Shell felt dwarfed by him. “Can you kiss me now?”

Lance gave a snort of laughter and licked his luscious lips. “That is not a good idea.”

“Why?”

“I have enzymes in my saliva that promote sexual arousal. If I kiss you, we won’t take the dogs anywhere.”

What did he think she would do, attack him? She wanted to attack him. He was so damn sexy and lying around for four days being pampered by the two brothers had done nothing to squelch her sexual desires. “I think I have a bit more self-control than that, or is this one on your end?”

“No. It will be on your end. I don’t want you to think that I tricked you into bed with me. We have enough accusations flying at the moment.”

Was he serious? To think that he would kiss her and she would react by throwing herself at him was completely ridiculous. She might do it just because she wanted to…but it would not be because of his saliva. Of course, it was also a challenge to prove him wrong. “Kiss me anyway.”

“No.”

“Seriously, Lance?”

“Very seriously.”

She wanted to kiss him. Shell jumped upward and into his body, hoping he would catch her. Lance stepped forward, grabbing her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Without giving him a chance to say no again, she locked her lips to his, kissing him hard. Lance held her close, resisting the kiss and then slowly giving in to it. His lips parted slightly and Shell took the opportunity to slip her tongue into his mouth. From what he had said, she expected it to taste weird, but it didn’t. His mouth tasted like sweet honey and spicy cinnamon. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted. The spiciness of the cinnamon flowed from her mouth outward. It was firing up her nerves and muscles, making them ache with a desire she had never experienced before. The sweetness of the honey was like a warm breeze, caressing her from the inside out.

Lance pulled back, pushing her legs away from his body with his elbows and putting her on the floor. Shell wanted to leap back into his arms, to feel the muscular ripples in his chest and abdomen against her own. Her entire body was calling out for him. She wanted him to rip her clothing off and take her, right here on the hard wooden living-room floor.

“I told you.”

He had told her, and she hadn’t believed him. Her pussy was buzzing with electric need, her breasts aching to be touched. Shell was filled with a need so great it was overwhelming her mind. She wanted him as if he were the only man in existence. Her body was shivering with desire as she looked up into his eyes. There had to be a way to stop this overwhelming attraction to him. If he didn’t touch her, she would lose her mind.

“We wanted to wait until all three of us were together for this.”

Wait? He wanted to wait? She couldn’t do that. He had to do something to extinguish the fire that was now burning deep inside her. Her flesh felt overheated, her pussy searing with need that he had to sate before she could function again.

“Ellis understands, but he is none too pleased about it.”

None too pleased about what?

“Talk to me, Shell.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. What are you feeling?”

“I want you to make love to me, right here, right now. Please…”

“I don’t want you to regret this. Remember, every relationship only has one first time. This will be our first time and I don’t know if you are ready for that.”

She had said that, hadn’t she? Shell was struggling to clear her mind enough to think. It was very difficult with her body and mind craving him so deeply. Was she really ready for the first time to happen? She had walked out on them earlier and now she was asking him to fuck her. “I’m ready. Please.”

“It will calm down if you give it a bit. What you are feeling is not permanent.”

“I don’t want it to calm down. I want you to fuck me.”

Lance took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He slid her T-shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. Shell stood motionless before him, unsure if his idea of foreplay was different than hers. She didn’t want to do anything to upset him or turn him off.

He slowly slid her sweatpants downward as he kissed her stomach. Lance went down to his knees, and she lifted each foot so he could tug it out of the fabric. She wanted to see him with no shirt on, but she could only reach the top few buttons as he slowly dragged her panties down her legs. His hands were brushing her skin so softly, the airy touch thrilling her further. Tiny whimpers of sound were leaking from her parted lips, her eyes opening and closing with the glorious feel of his touch. Lance turned her by her hips and pushed her down onto the bed with his hand to her stomach. He lifted her legs, bending them at the knees and planting her feet against the sideboards of the bed. Their mattress was inserted into what she thought was a waterbed frame and it gave her soles purchase in the present position.

He crawled forward, leaning into her thighs and nuzzling the outer skin of her pussy with his face. The touch made her jump, zingers of sensation flaring upward into her brain. Lance pushed her pussy lips wide, his tongue sliding upward like an unfamiliar satiny embrace. The slight touch over the outer lips of her cunt caused it to spasm and jump with anticipation. He moved higher, the spread of his tongue coursing over her clit in what felt like slow motion.

Shell shoved the pillow under her head with a desire to see him. He was watching her with eyes so beautifully violet that in itself made her gasp with pleasure. To have his eyes change was the most enthralling thing she had ever seen.

Lance rested his chin on the top of her mound. “I feel wrong doing this, Shell. I want an honest relationship with you and I fear this is nothing more than physical desire. I don’t want you to regret it later.”

Was the man a damn monk?