Black Tide [Panther Key 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  Cash led the way to the master suite of the yacht. Diego could feel the heat radiating off of Emma’s body. He could sense the turmoil in her mind. Not turmoil over what she was about to do, but pure agony from the heat. And her pain was his pain, transmitted through their link.

  She wanted to end the all-consuming burn, and if it meant she had to fuck every man in a two hundred mile radius, Diego thought she just might be willing to give it a try. Cash had assured him the three of them would be able to satisfy the panther’s overwhelming need, however, so he comforted himself with the knowledge that she wouldn’t have to take such drastic measures.

  The master suite was larger than Diego would have guessed, spanning the entire width of the front of the yacht. Windows on either side allowed a view of the night sky and the full moon hanging over the inky, black water surrounding the boat. An oversized bed sat in the center of the cabin and consumed the vast majority of the space. It was apparent to Diego that this bed was intended for more than just two.

  Cash led Emma to the bed while Chase lowered the lights, leaving the cabin dim except for the bright moonlight shining through the windows. It cast a soft glow over Emma’s skin, already mostly exposed since she was only wearing a pink bikini.

  Cash backed her up to the bed and then tilted her face up to his. “Emma, by doing this, we are willingly tying ourselves to you forever. We will never leave you. We will always put your needs and your happiness before our own. But know this—our greatest joy will come by ensuring yours.”

  Cash cupped his hands on either side of Emma’s face. “Emma Walker, will you accept us as your lifelong mates?”

  Diego waited, not breathing, as he watched Emma’s eyes fill with tears. One drop spilled down her cheek. She smiled up at Cash and then looked at Chase before turning her gaze to Diego. Finally, she focused on Cash again.

  “Yes. I accept you. All of you.” Her face flushed a brighter pink. “Now, will you please make this damn heat go away?”

  That was all the motivation the men needed. Clothes went flying in every direction. This first time was not going to be a long, drawn-out mating. Emma’s discomfort level and the overwhelming need Diego felt radiating from her would require them to satisfy her as quickly as possible. They would need to prepare her, though. Chase had already told him that she would need to take them all for the heat to subside, and Diego had no idea if she was experienced enough to accomplish that easily.

  By the time the men were undressed, Emma had discarded her bikini and had scooted onto the bed. Her skin was glistening from the effects of the heat within her, and she was actually panting. Diego could feel her yearning through their link, and it fueled his own desire.

  She was magnificent. Her body practically glowed in the moonlight. Chase took advantage of her upturned breasts and took one perfect, pink nipple into his mouth. Emma groaned with pleasure, and Diego almost moaned from the sight of it.

  Cash crawled up her body, and Chase released her nipple with a small popping sound. Cash rolled her over with him so that he was lying on his back with her on top. Cash looked at Chase and then at Diego.

  “Diego, you take her ass. You’ll know if she’s in pain without her having to talk.”

  Chase reached into the nightstand drawer, pulled out a tube, and tossed it to Diego. Cash smoothed his hand over Emma’s back.

  “Are you ready, kitten?”

  “God, yes! Please, just do it!” Emma’s voice held all the desperation Diego felt rampaging through his mind.

  Cash moved his hand down between his and Emma’s bodies and groaned. “Damn, you’re already so wet.”

  Cash didn’t waste time with foreplay. Foreplay was not what Emma wanted or needed. He drove his cock into her with one swift motion, and she cried out. Diego felt her immediate pleasure rush through his mind, and he shuddered from the intensity of it. Her pleasure, however, was short-lived and was quickly replaced with an even greater need.

  “More! I need…” Her voice rose in desperation.

  Diego moved close behind her and ran his hand over her sweet ass. “I know, baby.”

  He opened the tube of lube Chase had given him and squeezed out an overly generous amount, not knowing how much Emma might need. He tossed the lube onto the bed and then rubbed the gel down the crack in Emma’s ass, letting his fingers get thoroughly coated and slick. With extreme gentleness, he caressed and teased her tight opening. Her muscles tightened and resisted as he slowly tried to push one finger inside her. Her fear and pain shot through his mind, though it was muted by her need. So, she wasn’t experienced in this, at least. He leaned down over her back and nibbled her ear.

  “Relax, mi belleza. Push out against my finger.”

  Emma pushed, and Diego’s finger slid inside. Her whole body shuddered, but Diego didn’t detect any pain from her. Quite the opposite, in fact. Before he could even begin to move his finger, she was pushing back against him, wanting more. He eased his finger in and out a couple of times before pushing a second lubed finger against her tight opening. He felt a momentary resistance, and then his finger slid in even easier than the first one had.

  “God, she’s already loosening up.” Diego had never known a woman with a virgin ass to loosen up so fast.

  “It’s the heat.” Chase moved quickly to position himself near Emma’s head. “It’s making her body ready for us. She won’t last long this first time.”

  Diego could already tell that much. Emma’s mind was blank of coherent thoughts. Nothing but pure instinct raced through her as she moaned and pushed back against Diego’s hand. He scissored his fingers a few times, making sure she was loose enough to take him. He didn’t want her injured just because she was lost in her own overwhelming need.

  Cash groaned. “Damn, hurry Diego. She’s squeezing me so hard I’m not going to last long.”

  Diego pulled his fingers out, and his mind flinched with a harsh, unspoken protest from Emma. “Easy, baby. I’m getting there.”

  Her mental protest died as he pressed the head of his hard cock against her opening. Rather than tighten, she immediately pushed against him. She was ready for him. More than that, she needed him with a depth Diego had never experienced before.

  He pushed forward, inching his cock past her opening. She tried to push back harder, but he wrapped his hands around her waist and forced her to slow down. She needed to adjust and stretch slowly to accommodate his size, even if her instincts were driving her to take him hard and fast. Finally, after agonizing moments for both of them, he fully seated himself into her.

  She tried to move against them, but Diego gripped her tightly and held her still, letting Cash set the pace. As Cash pushed further inside her, Diego withdrew. When Cash withdrew, Diego reversed course and plunged into her ass.

  Emma groaned, and her skin grew even hotter under Diego’s hands. He would swear she was about to spontaneously combust. He didn’t know how her skin could possibly be this hot without bursting into flames. She raised one hand and groped in Chase’s direction. He moved close to her, and she took him eagerly into her mouth.

  The sight of Emma’s lips moving over Chase’s cock was almost too much for Diego to endure. His gaze locked on her mouth, and a shudder wracked his body.

  “Can’t…last…”

  Chase was already panting hard as Emma sucked and pulled on his dick. Cash’s breath came in gasps. He moved faster under Emma. Diego plunged harder into Emma’s ass with each thrust. He felt Emma’s desire building higher and hotter. With a final thrust, his hot seed burst from him. He heard the cries of Emma, Cash, and Chase mingle with his own as their bodies found joint release.

  And then an amazing thing happened. So sudden and so surprising, it took Diego’s breath away. It was as though a dam broke inside his mind. A great tide of emotions and thoughts rushed through him. It wasn’t just Emma’s thoughts, incoherent though they were, that he could hear. He could very clearly hear Cash and Chase’s thoughts in his mind, as well. He could feel ever
y emotion, every physical sensation, as though they were his own.

  Cash and Chase both gasped. Diego looked up and realized they were both looking at him with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

  Chase’s stunned face loomed in front of Diego. “What the fuck?”

  Diego slowly pulled out of Emma. They needed to make sure she was okay before they tried to figure out what had just happened. Cash pulled out as well, and Emma rolled off of him and over onto her back. Diego couldn’t help but smile when he saw the look on her face. He didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone look so blissfully happy.

  Cash rolled over onto his side and ran his finger down Emma’s neck and between her breasts. “Now that looks like one very satisfied little kitty.”

  Emma giggled softy. “Wow. Just…wow. I can’t believe we just did that.” She gasped, and her eyebrows rose. “Oh, my gosh! The burning—it’s gone!”

  Cash leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. “Your cat got what she wanted.” He nuzzled the side of her face. “For now. The heat will come back off and on for a while, but it won’t be nearly as bad.”

  Chase rolled off the bed and left the room through a door next to the bed. Diego heard water running, and then Chase returned with a wet towel.

  “Let’s get you cleaned up, babe.” As Chase began washing Emma off, she broke into a huge yawn.

  “Sorry.” Her devilish grin implied that she wasn’t sorry at all. “You guys wore me out.”

  Cash chuckled. “I’ve been told that’s normal after the first mating. Go to sleep, kitten. We’ll take good care of you.”

  Emma smiled and closed her eyes. Within seconds she was asleep. They finished cleaning her up, and then Cash scooped her up in his arms and headed out of the room toward the lounge, Diego and Chase following in his wake. Cash laid Emma down on the couch while Chase pulled a soft blanket out of a cabinet and then threw it over Emma.

  “Mmmm.” Emma didn’t open her eyes but snuggled down into the blanket, a smile on her lips. Within seconds she was breathing deeply, lost to exhausted slumber.

  The three men stood there, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the woman who had just changed the course of their entire lives.

  Chase cleared his throat. “Now could we please talk about how and why both of you are inside my head all of a sudden?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cash stared at his brother. “Think about something random, but don’t say it out loud.”

  Chase looked momentarily confused, but then he shrugged and his brow furrowed in concentration.

  Cash and Diego both spoke at the same time. “Spring break, 1995.”

  Chase’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah.”

  “Wait—what’s Spring break 1995 mean?” Diego looked back and forth from Cash to Diego.

  Cash cleared his throat. “Thanks for bringing that up, brother. You couldn’t have picked something else?”

  Chase chuckled. “You said random. It was random enough.”

  Cash huffed and then looked at Diego, who still wore an expression of confusion on his face. Cash rolled his eyes. “I hooked up with a girl in Fort Lauderdale. Her boyfriend wasn’t thrilled.”

  Chase snorted. “Not thrilled? He threw you off a three-story balcony! Lucky for you, you’re hard to kill.”

  Cash smacked Chase on the side of the head. “Ouch! Hey—what the hell?”

  Cash smiled. “Just wanted to see if Diego and I could feel that. I didn’t, did you?” He turned to Diego, who shook his head. “Hm. I swear I could actually feel both of you a few minutes ago when we all climaxed.”

  “I think you did.” Diego looked down at Emma and then moved behind the bar. He held up a decanter of brandy and raised his eyebrows.

  “Please.” Cash rubbed his hands over his face. “I think we’re all gonna need it.”

  Cash and Chase took seats around the dining table, and Diego brought over three glasses and the decanter. He poured three healthy portions into the glasses. All three men downed their glasses and then set them down again. Diego refilled them and then sat down. The men stared at each other.

  Cash could sense that no one really knew where to start. “Okay, so we can hear each other’s thoughts. And apparently we were able to feel each other physically, at least for a few minutes.”

  Diego and Cash waited for him to continue. Cash tried to gather his thoughts before turning to Diego. “Chase and I are littermates, so we’ve always been able to sense each other’s emotions.” He looked into his glass, uncomfortable with where the conversation was about to go. He didn’t like talking about what was coming next.

  “Chase and I should have always been able to feel each other’s physical sensations, as well, but we’ve been…handicapped.”

  Cash could feel Diego’s concern. He could also sense Chase’s surprise that Cash was bringing this subject up. He looked up and glanced at both men before looking back down at his glass again. He pulled in a deep breath and plunged into territory he didn’t venture into often. Or ever.

  “Chase and I weren’t born twins. We had a third brother…the youngest. He was killed in a boating accident when we were younger.”

  Horrible images surfaced in Cash’s unwilling mind, but he couldn’t hold them back. He had blocked them out for too long, and now they burst forth, unable to be contained any longer.

  A fishing trip. It was supposed to be a fun-filled weekend, just the boys and their father. But it had gone terribly wrong. Cash’s body shook as the images came fast and hard. A rogue wave. Clay being swept overboard. Dad jumping in after him. The propeller. Screams. Blood.

  There were some things—awful things—that even panther shifters couldn’t recover from.

  Diego drew in a ragged breath. “My God. How old were you?”

  “Seven.” Cash’s voice was rough, and it took all of his effort to get the words out. He gulped the rest of his brandy. “Chase and I felt the pain of the propeller when it first hit Clay, but after that we lost the ability to physically feel each other. It’s something that we were only able to do when we concentrated or when we were experiencing a particularly strong physical response, but from that moment it was just…gone.”

  Cash looked at his brother and saw the same anguish in Chase’s eyes that he felt from his brother’s mind. But another presence also pressed on him. He turned to Diego and felt his sorrow for the brothers.

  Cash took a deep breath, needing to go on. “We always hoped our mate would be able to fill the hole that Clay left. We never thought we’d recover the ability to feel each other on a physical level again. We just hoped she would—”

  “Heal you,” Diego finished Cash’s sentence.

  “But she didn’t do this.” Cash motioned between them. “I can just…feel it.” He looked at Diego. “You did.”

  Diego shook his head. “I didn’t do this. I’ve always been able to sense the emotions of others, even their futures, but I’ve never felt their physical reactions or heard direct thoughts.”

  Cash thought about the bond he and Chase had shared with Clay. The mental and physical closeness the three of them had shared was something he never expected to experience again. He now realized that he never truly expected the hole in his soul to be healed.

  He looked over at Emma, peacefully sleeping on the couch. “She is our soul mate. She brought us all together and will be our reason for living from here on out.” Cash shifted his gaze to Diego. “But I think we could only be healed by a brother. You may be centuries older than Chase and I, but you were meant to be our brother, Diego.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Emma’s nose tickled. She scratched it and snuggled back down into the blanket, but the irritating sensation didn’t stop. In fact, her feet itched, too. She rubbed them together, but it didn’t help. Then her legs started itching. And her arms. She threw the blanket off of her and let out a growl of frustration. Was she allergic to the fibers?

  “Emma?” Diego’s voice sounded above her.


  Emma opened her eyes. Diego was standing behind the couch looking over the back at Emma with a concerned expression.

  “Are you okay?”

  “No.” She sat up and realized she was naked. Oh well, it wasn’t like the guys hadn’t seen her already. “The blasted heat’s gone, but now I’m itching all over!”

  Chase got up from his chair at the table and held his hand out to her. “Yeah, we’ve been waiting for this to start. We figured it would wake you up eventually.”

  Emma took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. Moving around just made her itch even worse. “You knew this was coming and you didn’t tell me?”

  Chase grinned down at her. “Would you really have wanted to know ahead of time?”

  He had a point. No, she wouldn’t have wanted to know. She already had enough to worry about with everything else she had already been told. Chase picked up a folded fluffy, white robe from the end of the couch and helped Emma into it.

  “So what does it mean?” She wrenched one arm behind her and tried to scratch an itch between her shoulder blades.

  Cash descended the stairs from the deck. “It means it’s time to run.”

  He shot her a wicked grin and raised his eyebrows. He was so startlingly handsome when he grinned that Emma forgot what they had been talking about. She focused on his lips, turned up at the corners in such an enticing way. She couldn’t take her eyes off of them. Would he taste as good as he looked?

  Cash narrowed his eyes and then walked across the room and stopped in front of her. He lifted her chin with one finger, and his lips descended on hers. It was the first time any of the guys had kissed her, and she knew immediately she would never be able to get enough. Chase’s tongue roved over her lips, and she parted them, allowing him entrance. His tongue seared a path across her lips and into her mouth. She groaned as he probed deeper, reveling in the feel of the kiss.