Page 2 of Ivory's Familiars

No, you don’t, Seth thought,you want to make sure the big, bad drunk doesn’t hurt little ‘ole me.The protectiveness was tiresome … but also nice. It was a gift to know you were loved – and not just by one person, but by two. He was a firm believer that love knew no bounds. Love wasn’t like a bucket of water that you could fill up; it was limitless and flexible and enduring. Feeling a little sentimental, he leaned down and pecked a chaste kiss to Vaughn’s lips;

“Thank you.”

Apple-green eyes widened in surprise, but also lit with warmth, “What was that for?”

He shrugged, “Just because I can. I –oof!” his breath left him in a rush as he was rudely shoved in the shoulder from behind.

“Bloody fags! Typical!” was the insulting mutter from behind him and he didn’t need to turn to know it was the same mouthy drunk from minutes before.

Vaughn being Vaughn didn’t even bother to comment – or blink – aiming a punch at the drunkard’s extended belly. Seth watched him stumble back into the table behind him, wheezing out a breath as he grasped at his gut. At least Vaughn had tempered his strength. If he hadn’t, the guy’s stomach would have a fist-sized hole in it and his spine would be on display to the entire bar. Their kind was very strong … and very dominant … and very possessive. Which was why good-natured Ronan was also on his feet, cracking his knuckles and brushing against Seth’s bicep in an attempt to remove the idiot’s scent from his skin.

Three men rushed over to the fallen man, helping him to stand upright and glaring daggers in their direction; “What the fuck?” one of them yelled, advancing aggressively towards them.

Uh oh, not good, Seth winced internally. It was never wise to corner a cat.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Ronan, the peace-maker, held his hands up in supplication. Seth really hoped they listened, for those same hands could twist the heads off these idiots’ bodies in the blink of an eye.

The advancing man sneered, “Oh, you don’t? Well, you should have thought of that before you attacked my brother!”

“We didn’t attack anybody …” Ronan tried appeasing the man but Seth could tell it was going to be in vain. Unfortunately, they ran into these types of ignorant arseholes with alarming regularity. They also found themselves in an alarming number of bar fights.

All four men were now glaring belligerently at them, their postures hostile, and their intentions clear to the whole bar given how quiet the large space now was.

“This is going to be fun.”

Seth rolled his eyes at Vaughn’s muttered words. But even as he took up a defensive stance, he couldn’t help the small thrill leaping in his belly. The sex was always stupendous after a good brawl. Vaughn was like a –ha ha– animal.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.”

The reprimand came from behind them and was as sharp as it was sexy.Sexy? Where the hell did that come from?Quickly on the heels of the auditory stimulation, came a delicious scent – like thunderstorms and vanilla and freshly turned earth. Three things his panther very much appreciated. Eager to see why his inner animal seemed so interested he turned to the owner of the voice … and was shocked to see an average looking woman, perhaps in her late twenties with average looking brown hair and average clothes. This was the owner of the sexy voice? Not that he had anything against average – he didn’t care what people looked like on the outside as much as he cared about how they acted. But the woman’s voice was husky, alluring … seductive. It was hard to reconcile that voice with the woman standing in front of him.

“No fighting in my establishment, boys. Either take your seats or leave.”

Seth shivered. That voice was really working for him, no doubt about that, and he found himself wondering what it sounded like in the midst of passion. Next to him, a loud throat clearing interrupted his unexpectedly lustful and entirely inappropriate thoughts, and he started guiltily, looking hastily toward his lovers. He was shocked to see that they appeared to be just as transfixed as he was … and just as lustful if the heat coming off them was any indication. What the hell was going on here?

Early in their relationship, they had often invited others to join them in the bedroom. To his mind, multiple partners always added to the enjoyment and experience. But as their relationship had evolved from pure enjoyment to intimate loving, they had stopped sharing themselves with others. In fact, he hadn’t been tempted in years to revisit that part of their past, even though all three of them enjoyed the feel of feminine curves and the sound of feminine sighs. He knew the others felt the same way – what they shared was far too important to jeopardise for a mere roll between the sheets with a stranger. He was quite content to never touch another woman – or man – ever again. So why did the average woman in front of him stir such dormant desires?

“He started it! He hit me!” the drunk yelled childishly, pointing an accusing finger at Vaughn.

Vaughn merely raised one eyebrow looking handsome, bored, and belligerent at the same time – a look only he could pull off.

“I don’t particularly care,” the sexily average woman said, “No fighting. Full stop.”

“We apologise. We didn’t intend to start any trouble,” Ronan apologised, “We were just leaving,” he added, causing Seth to whip his head around and stare at him.

They were not just leaving – they were supposed to be having another drink. Besides, he was now more than a little intrigued not just with the bar but also its owner.

He opened his mouth to dispute Ronan’s claim, only to close it again when Ronan shook his head. The man was clearly serious about leaving. Sighing, Seth turned to the mysterious woman, “Right. Just leaving. Great place you have here.”

The woman smiled, revealing even white teeth, “Thank you. I like it.”

“Great name,” he added. What was he doing, he wondered? Was he stalling for time, creating conversation just so he could hear the woman talk some more? Glancing at Ronan and Vaughn, he saw they were both watching him curiously and he felt another stab of guilt. His flirting days were supposed to be over, “Anyway, sorry again for the trouble.”

Spinning, he forced himself to walk away without looking back – a task that was surprisingly and confusingly difficult. Feeling warmth on either side of him, he knew that Ronan and Vaughn had caught up. He had everything he needed and wanted right beside him, he assured himself. So why was there a small traitorous voice inside his head calling his bluff?

CHAPTER TWO

Ivory waited a full ten seconds after the door closed behind the three strangers to release the breath she had been holding. Holy cow, talk about sex on legs! Those three men were absolutely spectacular in their virility. All so different in their looks and yet each one just as appealing to her from the tall black-haired one, to the shorter brunette, and even the blond broody one. She’d never really had a type per se, and with those three she figured she didn’t need to. She’d just take the trifecta, thank you very much. Shaking her head at her crazed, lustful inner ramblings, she turned and ran head first into her head bartender, Lee.

---