Vixen Claimed Read online

  “Devlin?” The name sounded foreign on his tongue.

  “Did he send you out here?” She spat the words out, her nose crinkled up, her lips twisted as if she'd tasted something sour.

  “I came because I wanted to. But he was worried too.” Her harsh snort of disbelief made him wince.

  “What happened with you two?” he asked, the words out of his mouth before he could really think the question through.

  “Didn’t he tell you about the girl he made a fool of? I gave that bastard everything I had to give and he threw it in my face.” Devlin’s voice was sinful. Rich and smooth, it made him think of silken sheets and massage oils. He’d think about it tonight when he was stroking his cock to completion with her name on his lips and her image in his head. Heat filled his cheeks. She was pouring out her heart and he couldn’t get his libido under control.

  “His version reads a lot different. You’re the heartbreaker who left and never bothered to look back.”

  “Bullshit! I called, I wrote. I did everything but hop on a plane and fly back to California.”

  “I think you two should talk.”

  “You see how well that worked. The man’s always had a temper like a powder keg and a stubborn streak a mile long.”

  “That hasn’t changed,” he said. His words made her laugh.

  “I’ll keep that in mind. Apparently old age doesn’t mellow everyone.”

  “Hmm, you don’t exactly scream tame.”

  “Astute observation, tall, blonde, and British.” She tilted her head and gave a saucy wink. “I like you.”

  And I like you, more than I should.

  “Glad to hear it, Ms. Devlin. Do you think you’re calm enough to go back inside?”

  “I think I am, Tristan. Thank you.” Her eyes sparkled like amber jewels in the glow cast from the lights above the door that shone in their direction. She lifted up onto her toes and placed a gentle kiss to against his cheek.

  “You’re welcome,” he whispered, remaining outside, his hand on his cheek as she walked into the shop.

  "I'm screwed."

  ****

  There was something about Tristan that made her toes curl. I’m such a little slut. Her panties were soaked from the sexual tension that flowed between her and both men. Tristan was Jace’s opposite in looks and manner. Yet, that didn’t change the fact that she wanted to rub her body up against him like a cat in heat. It’d been way too long since she had sex. The nipples straining against her bra coupled with her sensitive clit said her body thought now was a good time to remedy the problem.

  Let’s solve one problem before we make another. Devlin felt her face grow hot at the wayward path her mind had wandered down. Placing her hands over her cheeks, she took a deep breath, pausing in front of the door to steady herself. There was something about the British blonde that pressed all the right sexual buttons.

  ****

  He looked up from his stool behind the desk as the bells chimed and Devlin walked in.

  “I’ve waited a long time to tell you how much you hurt me,” she said. Her face was somber as she walked over to stand in front of him.

  “I hurt you? You could’ve just told me I didn’t fit into your plans, princess. It would’ve been a lot kinder.”

  “What are you talking about?” she asked. A frown marred her lush, fiery red lips.

  “Don’t play dumb with me,” Jace said.

  He sniffed, inhaling her scent. God, she still smelled the same, roses with a hint of something that was hers alone. The scent brought back memories of a time he wished he could leave buried in his past. They say you never forgot your first love and it was true. He’d done everything he could think of to cleanse his soul of the claim she’d placed on him. Nothing had worked. After all this time a part of him rejoiced at the sight of her. The years had been kind. She was even more beautiful now. Her shoulder-length ebony tresses had been styled to perfection. The full bodied waves he’d loved to twins his fingers in were set off by the blunt-cut, Betty Paige bangs that held two streaks of red.

  Given their current situation she wasn’t smiling. But he remembered the large dimple on her right cheek. It was a trademark worth its weight in gold considering how many times it had gotten them out of trouble. It made her look angelic but his girl had been all devil.

  “I mean you couldn’t be bothered to write or call once you got to your new home.”

  “Jace! You were the one who ignored all my letters and phone calls.”

  “Wait. You wrote?

  “Yes! Dozens of letters, and every time I called, your dad said you were busy or not there. I got the message pretty quick after a month or two.”

  “That son of a bitch!” He stepped away from her. His hands balled into fists as he struggled to keep his temper in check.

  Her icy demeanor melted as her eyes clouded with confusion and she took a cautious step towards him.

  “What’s going on, Jace? I don’t understand.” She shook her head.

  “My family lied to both of us, Devlin. When I didn’t hear from you, I flipped out, got into too much trouble, and they shipped me off to a boarding school in England.”

  “What?” Her face twisted into a mix of horror and surprise.

  “It was the old man’s idea, though I bet you figured that one out on your own," Jace said. The bitterness against the man he'd never gotten along with growing up strengthened.

  “I-I don’t understand why he would do that.”

  “Back then he wanted to control everything and I don’t think we fit into his plans. He wanted a clean-cut, “yes man,” and I was anything but that.”

  “I was a straight-A student!” Her protest cut through the tension as their eyes met and they both burst into laughter.

  “Like that ever stopped you from being a hellion," he said, his voice wry and his spirit freed from the darkness that had colored it.

  He had to fight down a smirk when his eyes wandered down to her chest and he spotted the tattoo.

  “You always walk that line.” Her mother had said it on so many occasions he'd gotten used to hearing it. Two swallows held a banner in their mouths that said "Walk the Line". Their red and blue wings were a nice contrast to her sienna skin.

  Silence stretched between them as she shifted uncomfortably. She looked everywhere but at him.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Devlin said.

  “Me either. I spent a lot of time hating you.”

  “And now?” she asked.

  “Now…” He shook his head. He felt like a sail with no wind.

  “Can we start over?” she asked, glancing up at him from beneath long eye lashes.

  “I don’t want to start over."

  “Ooh,” she whispered. Her shoulders slumped. She turned, ready to walk away. He grabbed her wrist bringing her to a halt.

  “I don’t want to start over because that would mean forgetting everything that came before.”

  Another gentle tug brought her closer until she stood between his legs. He wound his fingers into her hair and his cock came to life in response to her lush body pressed up against him. “No matter how hard I tried to forget, you've haunted me all these years. I never met a woman who came close to comparing to you. I think you took my heart with you when your family relocated. Now that I have you here with me again, I can't let you go, Devlin. I won't. The question is are you willing to see where this can go?” He trailed his fingers against the petal-soft skin of her cheek.

  “A part of me still loves you, Jace. You were my first love. But six years is a long time. Neither of us is the same person.”

  “Not completely.” He took her hand and placed it on his heart. “But here where it counts, we are. You know my soul and I know yours. All the things that have happened to us in between are just minor details that can be filled in.” Jace bent and nuzzled against her neck. He was the kind of man who always knew what he wanted and right now that was Devlin. “Will you give us until your car is fixed to f
igure things out?” he asked.

  “Ja—” He pulled back to meet her gaze, moving his hands down to cup her face.

  “Devy, you can give me that much.”

  He cheered mentally when she sighed. “Okay.”

  “We should cement our deal."

  He caressed her soft lips with his own. His eyelids drifted shut as his tongue slipped inside her mouth. She tasted the same, sweet yet spicy like a red hot candy. Memories assaulted him. Devlin's curves had blossomed, become more womanly. Her B cup had filled out to a D and her hips would make a man fall to his knees and worship her like a goddess. Jace stopped his exploration at her hips, curving his hands around them to lift her up. Her legs encircled his waist, lining her heat up with his aching staff.

  "I can feel your heat through my coveralls." He moaned. “I think we should take this somewhere more private," he said, voice raspy.

  “Is this part of our deal?"

  “We have to make sure we’re still compatible, right?” he managed to say between kisses as he strode toward the garage.

  Chapter Three

  Tristan shifted his weight on his crutches as he stared at his shop. Things were quiet on the inside, so he knew they hadn’t killed each other. If he walked in right now, he was he was more likely to see a show of a different kind. His cock swelled in his pants and he cleared his throat as he closed his eyes. The one woman who was out of his grasp, thanks to the best-friend code, gave him one of the first independent erections since he’d regained more feeling in his legs. The journey from being wheelchair bound to being able to use arm braces had been a long one, and he still had a ways to go. A scowl lined his mouth as bitterness crept back into his heart. Three years after the accident and no woman had been able to see past his disability. Not that he’d been in the market.

  Pain came with rejection. He wasn’t about to open himself up for that experience again. Still, he wouldn’t mind getting laid. It’d been easy to ignore his urges when hard-ons required outside stimulation but this was different. A small kernel of pride unfurled in his chest as he regained another piece of his old self. He’d taken so many things for granted before the accident. Now every accomplishment seemed like a huge feat.

  Tired of waiting outside in the rapidly cooling night air, Tristan made his way inside. His gaze swept over the deserted foyer. Where did they disappear to? A lusty moan broke the silence. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as his dick threatened to bust through the crotch of his overalls. He moved farther inside and stopped short in front of the glass that separated the work bay from the front. The sensual buffet laid before him made his heart beat a rapid tattoo. Jace had Devlin splayed across a car facing him, her legs spread wide. He went rock hard. His length was stiff enough to use as one of the tools they had lying on counters.

  Entranced, he took a seat in a chair just out of the line of their vision and propped his braces up against the wall. I should not be watching this. Her dress had been hiked to her waist and Jace was wedged between her sexy stems. Jace’s broad shoulders blocked his view. Tristan’s mind wandered. Would she be shaved bare, trimmed or perhaps something a little more outlandish would fit her personality? His mouth watered at the thought of what her pussy would taste like. He massaged the bulge in his coveralls, willing Jace to move so he could get a better view of the smorgasbord. The wet squish of Jace's fingers inside her moist pussy was a match to dry kindling. Desire blazed through him like flash fire. A flush consumed his entire body and he gave in, unzipping his coverall, and the fly of his jeans. He pulled out his stiff prick and marveled at the beauty. Stretched out to its seven inches, the mushroom-shaped head leaked pre-cum and twitched, sensitive to his calloused fingers. He stroked down and nerves long unaffected sprang to life, firing like a display in the sky.

  He tightened his grip and pumped at a furious pace, unable to go slow as the couple in the other room began to reach their peak and fear of not being able to climax or losing his erection approached from the recesses of his mind. Liquid wept from his slit, spilling onto his hand to coat his cock. His eyes drifted shut and he grunted, careful to keep his voice down. His hand moved faster and his heart thudded as the sound of blood rushed in his ears. Muscles around the center of his spine tensed. His breath came in huffs and his lungs burned. His body vibrated.

  “Oh, God!Jace!” The passionate cry on Devlin's lips sent him flying over the edge. A white stream dispersed from him like a volcano, hitting the wall and splattering onto the floor. The ridiculousness of the situation made him chuckle as relief filled every pore of his body. I'm not broken. The sound of movement on the other side of the glass spurred him into action. He needed to get rid of this evidence fast before he was literally caught with his pants down. He scooted the chair over to the wall, snagged his braces, placed them on his arms, and pushed up to his feet, bits dangling as he hurried over to the place they kept the towels. Snagging one for himself, he quickly wiped down, tucked himself back into his boxer briefs, and zipped up his fly and his coveralls. He maneuvered with a lightning pace as he made his way back to his chair and sat down to wipe up the wall and floor. Jesus, that's a lot. Three towels later he was in the back tossing the strips of cloth in the dumpster.

  Phew. Tristan wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as guilt crept up. He'd just watched a beautiful reconnection of two souls like some Peeping Tom getting his rocks off. Worse, it made him want the beautiful women even more.

  ****

  Satiated and boneless, Devlin struggled to gather the motivation to move from her position on the hood of the car. Jace rested his head on her upper thigh and she stroked his feather-soft, midnight-black hair.

  “That was amazing but I can’t believe we did it.”

  He peered up at her, green eyes still glassy from lust.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m sure Tristan heard us. What if he saw?” The scandalous question excited her more than it should.

  “I hope he did. It’d do him good.”

  “What?” She pushed his head off her thigh and sat up quickly, straightening her clothing. “I wasn't aware you were into sharing now, Jace.”

  Her voice was curt to hide the spark of want that ignited as wicked images played in her mind. The thought of the three of them together intrigued and made her clit swell anew. But the idea of being another in a string of nameless, faceless, women they had sex with cooled her ardor like a snow storm.

  “It’s not like that, Devy,” Jace said.

  His warm hand on her shoulder stopped her from hopping down off the car. He sighed and his eyes became sorrowful.

  “He’s had it tough the past few years. He was one of the top soccer players in London when an accident ruined his legs, killing any hopes of living his dream. His wife hightailed it out of there so fast his head spun and he's been having issues ever since.”

  “Issues trusting women?” she asked.

  “In spades but those weren’t the ones I was referring to in this case.” He gestured toward the pronounced swell in his pants and her eyes went wide.

  “Oh. Ohhh. Really? He has problems, um—getting it up?” She gestured upward with her hands.

  “Yes, and until you, a total lack of interest in the opposite sex.”

  “What do you mean me?” she asked. She cleared her throat and glanced away, afraid he'd see the pride she felt.

  “You know what I mean. The sexual tension between you was thick enough to cut with a knife. I know you both well enough. Time hasn’t changed you so much I can’t recognize when you’re aroused. The dilated pupils, stiff nipples, accelerated pulse in your neck.” He caressed her collarbone with his fingertip before moving down to the top of her cleavage.

  “Y-You’re not mad?” she asked. The old Jace was a possessive alpha male. Had time altered that?

  “With Tristan, no.” he placed a kissed on the side of her neck. Devlin reached up to cup his head. “Any other man…” She turned her head to meet his bright green graze and gaspe
d at the intensity visible.

  “You know I like it when you get possessive,” she whispered.

  “I do. We should head out there. It’s time to close up anyway.”

  “Where will I go?” she asked.

  “Home with us, of course How else are we going to get to know each other?”

  The thought of being alone with the two of them for the weekend made the bad girl in her rear her kinky head. You only live once. Are you really going to throw away such a prime opportunity? I'm here to get to know Jace again. Nothing more. Right. She was in trouble when she couldn't even believe her own words.

  “Come on.” Jace took her hand. “We can freshen up in the sink and then take you to get your things. I never asked what you were doing in Nevada.”

  “I had modeling shoot in Vegas.”

  “Wow, I always knew you were gorgeous. Not surprising others do too.”

  “Thank you.” Her stomach fluttered and she ducked her head. Jace was always a smooth talker, but unlike other men, she'd always believed him. Being with him now was like stepping back in time.

  “I need to call Dahl and let her know where I'm at.”

  “You still friends with the Vintage Vixens?” he asked, using the old nickname they’d earned due to their unique sense of style.

  She laughed. “Yeah, we kept in touch after the relocation to North Carolina. I moved back the minute I turned eighteen, and we started up our own store clothing store called, shocker, The Vintage Vixen. Which sells exactly what the sign would suggest, vintage clothing , trinkets, etc.”

  “How’s your family doing?”

  “Pretty good. Jude’s got his own garage now and Dad comes in to help out and get out of Mom’s hair for a while.”

  Jace chuckled. “So I take it they’re the same?”

  “Fussing and fighting one minute and lovey-dovey the next? Yep. But I don't think we’d know what to do if they ever changed. How are your parents?” She turned to peer at him.