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The smell of coffee and bacon reached Ava’s nostrils, slowly rousing her. Her stomach growled as she lifted her head. A low chuckle sounded beside her. Mason. She turned to him and couldn’t help smiling. “What’s so funny?”
“It sounds like you’re starving. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a stomach growl so loudly.”
She groaned and attempted to hide her face in the pillow but Mason pulled her to him. “Do you guys hear everything?”
With a shrug he leaned down to brush his lips across hers. “You’ll get used to us.”
Ava sat up. “Will you get used to me?”
“What do you mean?”
Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed. “Well, I’ve gotten to know Zac, and I can see how serious he is about this, about us. You’re different. I know how much you like the ladies.”
Mason scrubbed a hand over his face. “Ava, please don’t let my rakish ways turn you off. That was before you.”
“You can’t tell me you’ve changed overnight, Mason. I don’t want to fall for you and end up getting hurt.” And quite possibly she was already falling for them. It was insane to think that she could fall in love with two men so quickly, but there was no denying that it was happening. Both of them together were like one perfect man, giving her everything she needed in a relationship. “You want me to accept the both of you. If I do and one of you leaves, it will hurt. I don’t know how I know that already. I just do. It’s like all of a sudden you two are a part of me. Am I making any sense?”
Mason smiled. “Perfect sense. You’re getting a taste of how we feel about you, our mate. Your human brain and heart won’t love us with the same intensity as we love you already but you’re getting there, especially since we’ve claimed you completely.”
Ava looked down, wearing a blush. Oh, they claimed her alright. Over and over. Memories of being woken, at least two times after their first steamy session, played in her mind. They were insatiable. Her blush deepened. How could she still be blushing after everything they did last night?
“I love it when you blush,” Mason said softly. “I won’t hurt you, Ava. I’d rather die before I do. You’ll come to understand how I feel about you soon enough. How we both feel about you.”
She studied him for a long while before finally nodding. “Alright.” Crawling into his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder. “I assume Zac is making breakfast.”
“Mhmm. He’ll send me a message when he’s finished.”
She cocked a brow. “A text.”
He laughed. “No. Telepathically.”
It took her minute to process. “Right. I have so much to learn about your...species?”
Mason’s lips twitched. “We have all the time in the world, baby.”
“So, are there a lot of dragon shifters walking around?”
“Plenty and not just dragons. There are all kinds of shifters, both ancient and young.”
Peeking up at him, she asked, “Are you and Zac on the ancient side of the age spectrum because if you are, you two look amazing.”
Mason laugh. “Zac and I are on the younger side, compared to the centuries old shifters.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m a mere ninety years old and Zac is one hundred and fifty. That’s why he thinks he has the right to boss me around.”
“Oh my God, you guys are totally old,” she said with a giggle.
“To the world we’re just a couple of regular thirty something fellows.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “While we wait for breakfast, tell me all about yourself and how you ended up in Houston. Zac got the chance to wine and dine you, to learn things about you, and I admit, I’m a tad bit jealous.”
She giggled and started her story. “Well, it all started with a promise I made to my father.” She pulled away to eye him with narrowed eyes. “You’d better not laugh when I get into how utterly inexperienced and clueless I was at my age.”
Feigning innocence, he stated, “I wouldn’t dare laugh.”
*****
SIX MONTHS LATER
Ava parked in the driveway and hopped out of her car wearing a broad smile. There was always a smile on her face where Mason and Zac were concerned. She walked to their front door. She was sure they knew she was outside. It had taken a while to get used to the fact that they could smell her from a mile away.
She pulled nervously at her dress and felt ridiculous. They’d been in a relationship for half a year and she still got anxious like a school girl in love when she was about to see them.
The door swung open before she could ring the doorbell. Mason, the handsome devil, leaned against the door. His gaze did a slow sweep of her from head to toe and back up. He let out a low whistle. “You in that dress is just asking for trouble, gorgeous.”
Ava’s heart fluttered once, twice. He never failed to have that effect on her. “Don’t even think about it you fiend. I was promised dinner and I want my food.”
He grinned and stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. Closing the door, he pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her lips that left her breathless. “I suppose I can fight temptation for a little while.”
She rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen where she found Zac. He was stirring something in a sauce pan when she spotted him. His gaze met hers and she had to suck in a breath. He’s so damn intense. And she loved it. He practically undressed her with his eyes and immediately her panties got wet. Oh, boy.
He smirked, as if he knew what she was thinking. Oh, wait, he probably knew because he could smell her arousal. Ava stifled a groan and marched forward to greet him with a kiss. “Hello, you.”
“Hi,” his smooth baritone made her even wetter. “Dinner is almost ready. It would be finished already if someone helped.” He sent Mason a glare.
“Come on, man. You know I can’t cook worth a damn. I would poison us all.”
Zac grunted. “You have a point.”
Ava rested her chin on her hand. It was adorable listening to them bicker sometimes.
Mason leaned against the counter, his face inches away from Ava. “It’s a good thing I excel at other things, right Ava?” His tone was low, suggestive.
She smiled, her eyes dropping to his mouth. “A damn good thing.”
“Cool it you two.” Zac gave Mason a reprimanding look. “Mason, we’re feeding her first. She had a long day.”
Ava sighed. It had indeed been a long day doing a shift in the emergency room of the hospital where she was employed. Now she was ready to relax with her men. “Sorry, Mason but he’s right. I’m starving.”
“If you moved in with us, we could take better care of you,” Mason suggested. He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. “Think about it, breakfast in bed, dinner ready when you get home, full body massages after a long day of work, all the sex you could ever want.”
Zac grinned. “For once, I have to agree with him.”
Ava rolled her eyes and pulled away. “As tempting as all of that sounds, I’m not changing my mind. I refuse to shack up with you animals just months into a relationship.”
Letting out a huff, Mason shrugged and addressed Zac. “I tried. Next month you can make another attempt.”
Zac grinned but remained silent as he began carrying dishes to the table. Ava jumped to assist but was shooed to the table to sit down. She watched as the men filled the table with various dishes. God, she loved them and there was no doubt that they loved her. There were times when she was tempted to give in to their pleas to give up her apartment and move in with them, just to be close to them all the time. But she would give herself a little more time to adjust.
Her father would have liked them. She wasn’t certain how he would take the news of her dating both of them, but the way they devoted themselves to her and made her feel safe would have pleased him.
For a time after her father passed, she had felt alone. Now she was a part of another small, unconventional family. She sent a silent thanks to her old man for making her promise to do new things or she probably wouldn’t be sitting at a table with two men that meant the world to her.
Before Zac took the seat beside her, he kissed her cheek and Mason followed, kissing the other. He drew his chair to the other side of the table so that he and Zac sandwiched her.
“Alright, come on, gorgeous let’s fatten you up,” Mason said holding a fork of pasta to her lips.
She groaned. “Mason. I do not need fattening up. I have way too much flesh already.”
“Nonsense, you’re perfect,” Zac said. “He just likes watching you eat. So do I. It’s sexy. Everything you do is sexy.”
“Keep the compliments coming boys. I love it.” She grinned broadly and accepted Mason’s offering. They settled into easy conversation with Mason teasing Zac from time to time, as usual.
Intermittently, Ava stole peeks at them through her lashes, each time feeling a burst of happiness.
THE END