Mosaic Moon Read online

  "Okay, Gideon, enlighten me. How do we feel?"

  The direct question made him pause. It was one thing to try and force Jesse's hand, but to have him turn it around and demand the same answer from Gideon was something else entirely.

  "We care about her," he said, hedging his reply. It was still truth, if not all of it. "She's...important to us." He moved to safer ground. "And we both think Ethan is a schmuck. Emma can do better than him."

  "She knows we care about her. At this point, she'd better. And, Gideon, you of all people must understand that I am not going to try to force Emma to drop her relationship with Ethan. Yeah, he's a schmuck. Do you know what people say about you?"

  Gideon scowled. The way this conversation was going, it was going to end up nowhere.

  "Fine," he said. "Forget I said anything." Reaching for Jesse's hand, he pulled it across the parking brake and placed it over his crotch, molding his fingers along Gideon's burgeoning erection. Thinking about Emma these days always seemed to get him hard. "Let's talk about a certain promise you made for taking advantage of my generous nature tonight."

  Jesse smiled, his fingers curling against Gideon's shaft. "Let me get you home, and I'll show you how much I appreciate your very generous nature."

  "Can you drive with one hand?"

  "Well..." Jesse pulled his hand away long enough to shift the Jeep into drive, and then navigated out of the small lot. When his hand found Gideon's erection again, he had unzipped his pants. Jesse's fingers were hot and firm. "I did learn how to drive on a manual."

  Gideon grinned. It was the best thing he'd heard all night.

  Chapter 2

  * * *

  Jesse knew he probably wouldn't hate Ethan so much if he hadn't become Emma's favorite topic of conversation. As long as he didn't have to talk about, think about, or spend time with the other man, he was entirely indifferent. Jesse was not inclined to hate people who weren't actively evil, or hold grudges. He had seen too much ugliness in the world to expend energy on such petty emotions, but he really did not like Emma's friend...boyfriend.

  The morning would have been great, except Emma was still on some sort of emotional high from her date the night before. They had spent hours at the club, and she had had fun. Not only that, but she hadn't absorbed emotions from anybody else. She even danced. Jesse was happy for her, he was. But he couldn't help but be annoyed that she was so happy because of Ethan. When was the last time he had made her smile like that?

  By the time she left to meet Ethan for lunch, Jesse's nerves were frazzled. His first instinct was to go to Gideon, but he was busy with actual work. Actual work that Jesse needed to help with, but he couldn't concentrate for longer than ten seconds because his mind kept slipping to Emma, and Ethan, and dancing, and what happened after the dancing.

  Jesse didn't know if they were sleeping together. Gideon probably knew for sure, thanks to his super senses, but Jesse didn't want to know if Emma smelled like Ethan. And he certainly didn't want to know if Ethan smelled like Emma. He tried not to think about it at all. Occasionally, he would flash on an image of the two of them, but it made his stomach roll, and he dismissed it as quickly as he could.

  Jess went directly downstairs, to the bathroom. If he was going to get anything done that afternoon, he needed an outlet. Gideon couldn't help him with that, but Jesse knew he could help himself. He undressed as soon as he was safely downstairs, shedding clothes on his way to the shower. He didn't have a lot of time, and he wasn't feeling particularly creative, so he let his mind drift to a common fantasy.

  His first real fantasy of Emma. It was still his favorite.

  Hot water pounded on his shoulders, and he poured a healthy dose of soap into his palm to spread over his erect cock. He gripped his shaft and closed his eyes, wishing his hand belonged to somebody else. With a soft sigh, he imagined it was six months earlier, when Emma had kissed him, and two doors had opened. The first door was safe. It was the right decision. Even now, he couldn't say he regretted it.

  But the second option...the second option was something he could never quite let go. It was never a true option. It never could be. But his imagination went back to it again and again.

  * * * *

  "You worry too much," Emma teased softly. Her hand was suddenly back on his arm, and though the contact was gentle, the shock that jumped from her to him was not. Jess barely had time to register the emotion she was transmitting before her lips touched his, this kiss a little more firm, a little less platonic than before.

  Jesse knew he had a choice to make. How ever he responded would entirely change the course of their relationship. But there wasn't a single part of him that wanted to stop. He brushed the tip of his tongue across her lips, testing her, seeking access. When she parted them, he probed deeper, gradually deepening the kiss, but giving her the chance to pull away.

  It was the heat of her that made his head spin. Literal heat. After so many months with only Gideon as a partner--or even all the vampires at Sangre--Emma was a swelter of sensation, her tongue fiery as he caressed it with his own, her soft breasts searing through his thin T-shirt when she leaned into his body. Her hand skimmed up his arm, over his sleeve, along his shoulder, coming to a stop at the ribbing of his collar. Tentative fingertips grazed over the small puncture wound that was exposed, and behind her, Jess heard Gideon's sharp hiss.

  "Finally getting your taste," Gideon murmured. The leather creaked as he slid off the couch, and his hard frame pressed into Jesse's side. "Was it worth the wait?"

  Jesse could only whimper in response. It was worth the wait. He pawed at her shirt, desperate to feel her hot, smooth skin beneath his fingers. Even though he only brushed against the small of her back, it was enough to send tingles up his arms. A small voice in the back of his mind kept reminding him that this wasn't right, but she felt right. She was right, and she felt good, and Gideon was sitting right there, allowing this to happen, allowing Jesse to deepen the kiss until their tongues were winding against each other, and that made it better.

  Her hand slid around the back of his neck, her nails scratching along his scalp. "I've wanted to do this since we painted you," Emma confessed between kisses. "I was so afraid you'd feel how much I wanted you then." When his teeth caught her full lower lip, she shuddered, a strangled cry coming from her throat. "I would have done anything you'd asked then. I still would."

  Jesse's cock jerked, a thousand images suddenly filling his mind. Is this what Gideon felt like when Jesse promised he would do anything the vampire asked?

  "No," he murmured, drawing his mouth down her jaw. Her skin tasted different than what he was used to, sweeter, saltier. He could smell the light perfume from her soap and shampoo--something floral and intoxicating. He skimmed his teeth over her throat, then covered her neck with soft kisses. "All I could feel was how much I wanted you."

  Emma tilted her head back, baring the slender column of her neck to him. Her breath was quickening, coming in heavier and longer pants that made her breasts rise and fall against his chest. "I locked myself in the bathroom and got myself off after that. I was so wet, so ready...it didn't take any time at all."

  At their side, Gideon chuckled. "I told you that's what she was doing," he teased.

  Gideon's soft words sent a chill down his spine--it wasn't what he said, it was his familiar tone. The tone that triggered several immediate, unconscious responses in Jesse every single time. He moaned softly, acknowledging that Gideon had been right.

  Jesse brought his hands around and slid them up her body to cup her breasts. They were heavy against his palms. He massaged her until her nipples hardened, his mouth never leaving her neck. His cock pressed against his pants painfully, and each time she shifted her weight, she pushed against his erection, sending sharp slivers of pleasure through his groin.

  "You made me crazy at the museum," he admitted against her skin.

  Her chin came back down, eyes that were nearly black meeting his. The hunger that gleamed the
re was so familiar, softer than Gideon's but just as hypnotic, and her swollen mouth was practically begging him to start kissing her again.

  "Because I was touching you?" she breathed. She let him go, dropping her hands to his waist in order to slide them beneath his shirt. Though her fingertips barely grazed over his skin, the minute glances were enough to make his breath hitch every time they came into contact. "Is that what you want? Tell me."

  "Tell her." The rumble of Gideon's coaxing was like thunder on a hot summer night, rolling through Jesse to command his immediate attention. "She's asking, after all."

  Jesse swallowed hard, his eyes darting to Gideon before returning to her face. He wasn't accustomed to telling anybody what he wanted--that wasn't his style. Hinting, asking, begging, but telling? But he wasn't opposed to the idea at all.

  "Yes, that's what I want."

  He gently pushed her back, putting a few inches between them. He moved to pull his shirt over his head, but her eyes caught his, and he paused. Grasping her wrists, he guided her hands to the hem of his T-shirt. His hands covered hers, and she curled her fingers into the material and pulled it over his head.

  Jesse buried his hand in her hair, palming the back of her head. "Take off your shirt."

  A sudden trembling settled in her fingers as she extricated her hand from his. Without tearing her eyes away, Emma began undoing the tiny buttons that ran down the front of her v-neck sweater, revealing inch after inch of flawless skin. Her simple bra molded over her lush breasts, drawing his attention downward, and when she slipped the top from her shoulders, her hands came up to the front clasp.

  "May I take this off, too?" she whispered.

  Jesse could only nod, his breath lodged in his throat. She worked the clasp free, exposing her perfect breasts. His mouth watered at the sight of her hard nipples. He wanted to pull each one between his teeth and bite until she screamed. But everything that he wanted to do to her could wait.

  "Touch me." He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing each finger, and then placed her palm over his heart. "I want you to show me how much you want me."

  Her fingers curled into his skin, her nails creating sharp crescents that made Jesse hiss. She didn't loosen her hold as she leaned forward, and her hair fell over her cheek when she bowed her head to draw the tip of her tongue over Gideon's bite. The contact was fleeting, but enough to send frissons of pleasure through his blood. Letting his head fall back, Jesse closed his eyes as she drew a torturous path from the pulse point in his neck to the one in his wrist, all the while never easing her grip over his heart. He had never considered his arms an erogenous zone, but when she scraped her teeth over the heel of his hand, he decided he needed to rethink that assessment.

  She ran her tongue over his palm and down his fingers, licking him delicately. He moaned, surprised by how good the simple act felt. His eyes flew open as she drew one finger into her mouth, wrapping her tongue around it. She looked up, meeting his eyes boldly as she lavished his finger with her tongue, and his cock twitched and throbbed. His lips parted as he watched her grip his hand and pull his finger out of her mouth, scraping her teeth along the rough skin, before sucking it back in.

  So focused on what she was doing with her mouth, Jesse only became aware of her other hand when he felt the scratch of her nails across his lower stomach. His chest tightened as she traced first the elastic waistband of his sweats, then down, over the cotton, to outline his straining cock. Emma didn't stop there, sliding between his thighs to find his heavy balls, and cupped them through the fabric with just enough force to make him gasp.

  She dipped her tongue in the valley between his fingers one last time before drawing back, biting at the callused tip. "I'd rather it wasn't your finger in my mouth," she said, her voice husky.

  Jesse looked over to Gideon, who was watching them both with rapt attention. He inclined his head slightly, a small sign of encouragement. Jesse took a deep breath, every inch of his body tense, desperate to feel her mouth.

  "Get on your knees," he murmured.

  She was swift to move, almost clumsy as she let him go to get into the position he demanded. Jesse rose as well, standing out of her reach to push his sweats down his hips and off his legs. The cooler apartment air was a welcome relief on his heated skin, but it was the sight of Emma, cheeks flushed, eyes glittering as they fixed on his cock, that prompted him to reach down and fist his length, remaining out of touching distance.

  She licked her lips. "Don't make me wait. Please. Let me taste you, Jess."

  Every word sent a new wave of pleasure down his spine. The hungry light in her eyes made him shudder. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gideon shift and then unzip his pants, revealing his obvious arousal. It all combined to make him lightheaded, but it was the realization that she would wait for his word, the way he'd always wait for Gideon's, that made fresh liquid gather at the tip of his cock.

  Gripping his cock just below the head, he guided it toward her lips. "Have your taste, then. Lick me."

  As Emma opened her mouth, her breath fanned over him in short, hot bursts for long seconds before she dragged the flat of her tongue over the dripping tip. A groan filled the room, but Jess didn't know if it was hers, his, Gideon's, or maybe all three. It didn't matter. Because she did it again, swirling her tongue around the head before going back to the end and dipping its tip into the slit.

  "More," she whispered. She looked up at him through her lashes, her mouth poised and positioned. "I need more."

  Jesse slid his hand further down his cock, revealing less than an inch of his shaft. He guided it to her waiting mouth, knowing that he was doing nothing but tormenting both of them. He should move his hand and push his cock down her throat, and she would take it. But he wanted her to beg for it. Unfortunately, the second her lips closed over his cock, he almost forgot his resolve.

  If he had thought the heat while kissing her had been extreme, it was nothing compared to the fiery suction now wrapped around the head of his cock. Lifting her hands, Emma braced her palms along the top of Jesse's thighs as her tongue curled around the sensitive tip. She stretched her thumbs to stroke along the smooth crease between his balls and his inner thigh, never easing up on the dance of her tongue around and around and around the crown. Every once in a while, she would glance across the slit, capturing the pre-come collecting there, and he would see her throat work as she swallowed it down.

  "You could keep her like that for hours." He had never even heard Gideon rise, but now the vampire stood behind Jess, his mouth at Jesse's ear. "Look at how much she wants it. I haven't seen greed like that since that day I asked you out for our first date. Remember? You couldn't get on my cock fast enough."

  Jesse did remember, very, very well. He reached around with his free hand and gripped Gideon's hip, pulling him closer until Gideon's cock pressed against his ass. He had been excited, thankful, tense, eager, and he saw all of those emotions reflected in Emma's eyes. Was it possible that she wanted him as much as he wanted Gideon? As she increased the suction, he thought the answer was yes.

  "Do you want more?" Jesse asked.

  Before Emma could reply, Gideon was crouching slightly behind him, lowering just enough for his cock to slip between Jesse's thighs. It rubbed along his balls, and Jess spread his feet to accommodate his thick length.

  "Not yet," Gideon said. "I want to see her suck on both of us first."

  Emma's eyes widened, but the speed at which she reached through Jesse's legs to grasp Gideon's cock was only rivaled by how quickly she'd gotten on her knees. With his pulse thundering in his veins, Jess changed the angle of his hold, tilting his cock down and twisting his fingers so that the underside of his shaft was exposed to the cool skin of Gideon's. Emma's hand was shaking as she held them close together, dropping her jaw even further to suck both heads into her hot mouth.

  The pressure against his balls from Gideon's cock and the amazing heat from her mouth made him throb. The small sounds of pleasure
from Gideon and the soft moans of hunger escaping Emma's throat intensified the ache. But the past year with Gideon had been more than enough to teach him about self-control, and he could ignore the impulse to do whatever it took to come.

  "You know why I wanted her to do this, don't you?" The hush of Gideon's query was followed by his tongue swiping across Jesse's ear. "Because in just a bit, you're going to bend her back and fuck her face, and I'm going to use the slick left from her mouth to split your ass, boy. I can't wait to watch our girl clean my spunk from your hole. You think her tongue feels good now? Just wait until it's buried in your ass."

  Jesse gasped and shuddered. He couldn't wait any more. "Swallow my cock," he said hoarsely. She released Gideon's cock, and pulled back, looking up like she expected more from him. "All the way."

  Her eyes darted over his shoulder, but before he could see what Gideon was doing, a small smile curved Emma's mouth. Grasping Jesse's hips, she pulled him gently forward, forcing him to follow as she leaned back against the couch. His knees came to rest on the edge, trapping her between his legs. Sliding her hands further back, she cupped each cheek of his ass and spread them wide as she tugged him the rest of the way down, opening her mouth to accommodate his cock long before the tip touched her lips.

  "That's it," Gideon hissed.

  He pressed tight to Jesse's back, coiling an arm loosely around his throat. It closed his airway the smallest of fractions, but that didn't matter because Jesse lost all capability of breath at the sudden influx of sensation. Emma's hot mouth sliding down his shaft. The blunt tip of Gideon's cock breaching his ass. Everything burned, from his groin to his back to his lungs.