Divided

  She didn’t know but the moment her lips met Far’s, the thoughts and worries were wiped from her mind.

  His lips were full and sensual, like his brother’s, but they were much softer and more yielding. Where Truth’s kiss had been a hungry demand, Far’s was slower, more lingering—a gentle caress.

  He kisses the way he would make love, Becca couldn’t help thinking. Slow and gentle and very, very thorough. Far would want to look into her eyes the whole time, she was sure. He would want to know every minute exactly how she was feeling, would want to watch the pleasure grow on her face until she couldn’t bear it any more and she came in his arms.

  God! She wound her fingers in his shaggy blond mane just the way she’d fantasized and pulled him closer. She wanted Truth but the dark twin also scared her with his single minded pursuit. Far, on the other hand, was willing to wait, to let her come to him when she was ready. It made her feel bold—hungry. Forgetting about their audience, she deepened the kiss herself, licking softly at the seam of the light twin’s lips, asking for entry.

  Far let her in with a low groan, his free hand going to the swell of her hips and slipping under the hem of her blouse to caress the bare skin of her side.

  Becca moaned breathlessly at the skin-to-skin contact. God, it felt amazing and not just because of what Far was doing, she was sure. It was being between the two brothers, feeling Far open to her and knowing he was open to Truth as well—if the dark twin would only join them.

  As before, she felt the dark shadow of another just outside the circle of pleasure she and Far had formed. It was Truth and she could feel his brother inviting him in, offering to share in the sweet kiss he and Becca were engaged in.

  But despite the intensity of the kiss or maybe because of it, Truth was unmoved. He stayed where he was, hovering on the outside, not joining in.

  But he hasn’t left either. And he and Far are still holding hands, Becca thought hopefully. Maybe he’ll come around eventually…

  Reluctantly, she broke the kiss. It had been the softest and sweetest and most intense kiss she’d ever had and all because Far was willing to share. For the first time, Becca began to see what Kat and Deep and Lock were talking about when they spoke about pleasure being doubled and trebled. The kind of pleasure and desire she felt when she kissed Far was addictive—had Truth felt it too? And would he ever be willing to follow in his twin’s footsteps?

  “All right,” Kat said, stepping forward. “Did either of you feel that?”

  Far nodded. “I felt Truth when I kissed Becca. He was there with us though he did not choose to join.”

  “Truth?” Kat asked, turning to the dark twin.

  “I felt…something,” Truth admitted at last, reluctantly. “It was…not unpleasant.”

  “Not unpleasant? Those were the two hottest kisses I’ve ever had!” Becca declared and then felt her face get warm at once. “I mean, not that I’ve kissed a lot of people. But I just—it was amazing. That’s all.”

  “I agree with you, Rebecca,” Truth growled softly. “The kiss we shared was extraordinary.”

  “The kisses, you mean,” Far murmured. “It was the fact that both of us participated, however passively, that made both our kisses with Becca so sweet. Sweeter than any I’ve had before.” He looked at Truth. “I know you felt it too, Brother.”

  Truth looked slightly uncomfortable but at least he was no longer proclaiming his disgust. “Agreed,” he said at last.

  “And how did you feel watching your brother kiss Becca?” Kat pressed, speaking to Truth.

  He frowned. “It was…not as bad as I had feared.”

  “Good. And for you, Far?” She turned to the light twin.

  “It was beautiful,” Far said quietly. “Sensual. I only wished that I could be touching and tasting our lady in other ways as my brother kissed her lips. I wanted to help him bring her pleasure.”

  “Oh…” Becca put a hand to her drumming heart and thought of the mini-fantasy she’d had earlier of Far kissing his way down her body. She could just imagine Truth devouring her mouth while Far split her legs wide and pressed his hungry tongue between her thighs.

  Truth raised an eyebrow and looked at her speculatively. “And how does that make you feel, Rebecca? The idea of being shared between us?”

  “I…I guess I never thought about it much because I always assumed I’d be, um, picking one of you,” Becca admitted, feeling her cheeks get even hotter. Honestly, she’d never let herself imagine it or linger on the brief mental joinings they’d shared. It was difficult enough letting herself fantasize about having just one of the brothers at a time. Imagining the three of them entangled, actually dwelling on the forbidden image made her feel incredibly guilty so she mainly avoided it.

  “It embarrasses you as much as it discomforts me. Admit it,” Truth said harshly. “It does not seem natural or right.”

  “Ah, but it is compelling, isn’t it?” Deep asked softly, breaking into the tense conversation. “I saw the look on your face when you watched your brother kiss your lady, Truth. It wasn’t one of disgust. You felt the pleasure multiplied because Far opened himself to you…invited you in as I am sure you did not invite him when you kissed Becca yourself.”

  “He didn’t try to cast me out, either though,” Far said quietly. He looked into Truth’s eyes. “I thank you for that, Brother. For not breaking contact or trying to push me away when you and Becca kissed.”

  Truth’s face turned red and he cleared his throat loudly.

  “Enough of this nonsense. Are we finished for today?”

  “Hardly.” Deep frowned. “Or did you forget that the vision the three of you had could come true at any moment?”

  “I still don’t see how Far and Rebecca and I can prevent it from coming to pass,” Truth objected.

  “You don’t but the Goddess does and it involves you and Far bonding,” Kat reminded him. “So you’re not done yet.”

  “You can unclasp your hands, though,” Deep said.

  The twins did so—reluctantly on Far’s part and with relief on Truth’s, Becca thought.

  “Good.” Deep nodded approvingly. “Now stand up and take off your shirts.”

  “What?” Truth frowned, the old closed look coming back to his darkly handsome features. “Why should we do that?”

  “Do as he says,” Becca said, surprised at her own sternness. “I think I know what Commander Deep has in mind—you’re going to hug your brother.”

  “What? Chest to chest with bare skin? No. Not a chance in all the Seven Hells,” Truth growled.

  Becca felt her heart sink. For a little while it had seemed they were making real progress. And now they appeared to be back to the beginning.

  Kat sighed. “All right, I guess that’s pushing Truth’s admittedly limited boundaries just a wee bit too far. Becca…” She motioned with one arm. “You’d better take off your shirt and get between them.”

  “What?” It was Becca’s turn to balk. “Kat, I can’t,” she protested. “I mean, with all the guys in here I just can’t.”

  “Look, doll, I’m not asking you to get all the way naked but we need skin-to-skin contact here.”

  Skin-to-skin contact with both brothers at once. It was exactly what Becca most feared. It was one thing to kiss either brother while they were touching each other. But to voluntarily touch them both in such an intimate way…the very thought of it, the memory of their latest joining and the lust that rolled through her so strongly she could barely control herself was frightening. It was wrong….dangerous.

  Kat frowned, clearly not understanding her reluctance.

  “Look, you don’t have to take off your bra.”

  “Actually, I’ve got a cami on,” Becca said in a low voice. “But that’s not the point. I…” But she couldn’t go on. Couldn’t explain the frightening lust she felt when she touched both brothers at the same time, not in front of them as well as Commanders Deep and Lock.

  “Oh, then a cami should be f
ine,” Kat said dismissively. “Look, if it’ll make you feel better I’ll have my guys turn around. Go on, boys,” she said to Deep and Lock who both turned obediently, putting their broad backs to Becca.

  Truth and Far, however, were still looking. And despite the disparity of their coloring—one light and one dark—the expression on both of their faces was the same—hunger.

  Hunger for me, Becca thought, feeling her stomach do a slow flip. Hungry to have me between them.

  “But…what if we have another…another joining,” she asked desperately. “Or another vision?”

  “That’s a chance you’re going to have to take.” Kat raised an eyebrow at her. “You took an oath to help these two bond, Becca. I hate to be pushy but I don’t think there’s any way Truth is going to hug Far unless you’re in between them.”

  “The lady Kat is correct,” Truth rumbled. “I will not embrace another male without at least some kind of impediment between us.”

  “An impediment, huh? Nice nickname—thanks, Truth,” Becca snapped but her mouth was dry. Was she really going to take off her shirt and get between the two of them voluntarily? It was the last thing she wanted to do but there didn’t appear to be any way around it.

  Slowly, feeling like she was moving underwater, Becca stood and began unbuttoning the modest, long sleeved blouse she’d been wearing. It came off easily—too easily, she thought—leaving her feeling naked from the waist up with only her cream silk cami on.

  She had no bra on under the thin half-slip and her nipples felt sensitive and exposed under the wispy material. Glancing down at herself she saw that they were pressing against the silk, making chocolate brown points against the thin fabric.

  Hastily, she covered her breasts with her arms, feeling even more vulnerable and horribly embarrassed. Truth and Far might have imagined her naked in their joinings, but neither of them had ever truly seen her in real life as anything but fully clothed. This was so embarrassing!

  As though her actions were their cue, both Truth and Far stood and began unbuttoning their emerald green uniform shirts as well. Becca shivered with some emotion she couldn’t name when both broad, muscular chests were revealed.

  Truth’s chest was completely smooth but Far had a small patch of dark blond hair between the flat copper disks of his nipples. Both of them looked like they had just stepped out of a bad girl’s fantasy. Or a good girl who’s trying really hard not to go bad, Becca thought, biting her lip. She was about to be sandwiched between them. Could she really deal with this?

  Before she could answer that question, Far was extending a hand to her.

  “Come, mi’now,” he murmured in his deep, soothing voice. “Come to me—to both of us. It seems that you must be the bridge between us.”

  Truth said nothing but he also extended a hand. In his pale gray eyes, Becca saw lust blazing. Did the dark twin want her so much that he was even willing to touch another male—to break the conventions he had been so rigorously trained in from birth? Or did he secretly desire to have her between himself and his brother? Perhaps it was a desire buried so deeply not even he knew it.

  Her musings were interrupted when Kat gave her a gentle push.

  “Come on, hon, I know it’s scary,” she murmured in Becca’s ear. “But it’s got to be done. Go on—just go for it.”

  Becca opened her mouth to answer but in that moment Truth touched one of her shoulders and Far touched the other and she completely lost the power of coherent speech.

  There was no joining this time—they weren’t locked in each other’s minds or transported mentally to bed—which was a relief. But the surge of lust still flooded her—so strongly in fact that Becca gasped and would have fallen if both men hadn’t held her upright.

  “All right, mi’now. It’s all right,” she heard Far murmuring. And then she was pressed against him, the tight points of her nipples rubbing against the hard planes of his chest. She pressed her burning cheek to his warm pec, breathing in the scent of his skin, trying to still her pounding heart. Why did it feel so good just to touch them? So good it almost hurt?

  The scent grew stronger and she knew it wasn’t just Far—the warm, spicy, masculine aroma was coming from the two of them together and she was surrounded by it. It intensified the lust flowing through her until it was a river raging out of control.

  Her nipples ached, begging to be stroked, to be sucked. Even worse, her pussy was suddenly pure liquid, so hot and wet and swollen she felt like she might die from the sudden need. Mother of God, she moaned silently, pressing her thighs together. What if they could tell they were affecting her this way? What if everyone in the room could? It was worse than embarrassing—it was humiliating. But she couldn’t stop it, no matter what she did.

  And all this was just from being pressed against Far while Truth had one hand on her bare shoulder. What would she do if they ever went further?

  “Come, Brother,” she heard Far say, his low voice rumbling through her entire body. “Embrace me—embrace us. Let us hold our lady between us as it was meant to be.”

  “Maybe in your world,” Truth said stiffly. But despite his tone, Becca felt him move closer, the heat of his big body stroking along her spine in a way that was both seductive and frightening. Her need kicked up another notch making her want to scream. The wet heat between her legs was demanding attention—she actually ached inside, as though she needed to be filled.

  “That’s good,” she heard Kat saying. “Now just put your arms around Becca and your brother, Truth. Come on—Far won’t bite.”

  “What makes you think he would bite me?” Truth sounded mystified. Becca would have laughed if the overwhelming lust wasn’t still coursing through her. Instead, she tried to stifle a moan as she felt Truth’s broad chest come flush against the bare skin of her back.

  “Good. That feels good—doesn’t it?” she heard Kat murmur.

  “Yes,” Far said simply but Becca could hear the deep emotion in his voice as he spoke. Forcing herself to look up, she saw that Truth’s darker tan arms were encircling both her and his brother. Or, more accurately, he was hugging her and clasping Far’s upper arms lightly.

  It seemed to be enough. The expression on Far’s face was the look of a man who had wandered through the wilderness for years, finally coming home.

  He’s longed for this, Becca realized, forcing herself to think through the haze of lust that tried to cloud her mind. Longed for the day when he would have both a female of his own and a brother to share her with. To share me with.

  The realization made her ache for Far…and long to draw Truth even closer to his brother. To both of them. It should have felt wrong to be between them like this, to feel their bare skin against her own, but somehow it didn’t. It felt right—so right it scared Becca.

  This must be how the Twin Kindred seduce their mates in the first place, she thought, her throat growing tight with fear. This feeling that it’s all right to give yourself up to both men at once, this overwhelming pleasure and need, the desire to just let go and let them do…whatever they want…

  Suddenly she couldn’t stand it anymore. Ducking under Truth’s muscular arm, she slipped out from between them and stood gasping a little ways away.

  “I’m…I’m sorry,” she said brokenly when Kat looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “I just…I can’t. It’s too…too intense.”

  “Mi’now?” Far looked at her anxiously.

  “Rebecca?” Truth said, also sounding worried.

  Both men started to come to her but Kat put out a hand to stop them.

  “No. The two of you keep it up. Keep hugging.”

  “But—” Truth looked like he wanted to protest. However, the stern look in Kat’s eyes seemed to stop him. Reluctantly, he raised the hand he’d let drop from his brother’s arm and placed it stiffly on Far’s broad, bare shoulder once more.

  Far made no move to bring his brother closer, Becca noticed. Instead, he held perfectly still, avoiding eye contact, simply
standing there in his brother’s reluctant embrace. His own hands were clasped loosely at Truth’s trim waist, carefully touching very little skin.

  It’s like Truth is a wild animal he’s trying not to frighten off, Becca thought, watching them. Now that she was no longer pressed between them, she could breathe and also think a lot better. The twins stood so stiffly and so still she thought they looked like a matched set of marionettes, held together by some outside will not their own. How long would it last, this uneasy embrace? How long would Truth tolerate it?

  “There,” Kat breathed, taking a step toward the two of them. “That isn’t so bad, is it?”

  “It is…not as…” Truth frowned, as though searching for the right words. “It does not feel as wrong as I had expected.”

  “Far?” Kat raised a questioning eyebrow at the light twin.

  “You know how I feel,” he said quietly. “Truth is my brother. I’m glad to have him close.”

  “Then how about getting a little closer?” Kat coaxed gently. “C’mon, guys—don’t just stand there like a couple of Ken dolls—really hug it out!”

  “What kind of dolls, did you say?” Truth asked, frowning. But he didn’t try to resist when Far stepped a little closer.

  “Never mind,” Kat said. “Just hug your brother.”

  “This concept of hugging is still strange to me,” Truth admitted in a low voice.

  “It simply an expression of affection,” Far assured him. “Come, Brother, let me hug you.”

  Truth was looking increasingly uncomfortable but he allowed his twin to pull him closer and closer. At last he was completely enfolded in his brother’s arms, their chests pressing together and his cheek almost but not quite touching Far’s. His arms were no longer wrapped around the light twin—instead they hung stiffly by his side. But at least he didn’t try to push Far away, Becca thought.

  Far was still holding his brother lightly, clearly aware that this was a delicate situation. Becca swore she could see a tremble in his big frame—the evidence of emotions so long pent up they must be raging like the roiling waters behind a dam inside him.