The Woman

Settler's Mine 3: The Woman released from Loose Id today. It was a challenge to bring these reluctant mates together. And I'm so excited to see it releasing. I'll share an excerpt below the more.

“You don’t save us by leaving us.” Jax folded his arms across his chest.

“Don’t leave us.” Tam’s voice took on a pleading note.

“You don’t even want me. You’re not sure about being with me. Why are you doing this?” She could have stomped her feet in frustration. They had to see reason. But even logical Jax wasn’t using his logic.

He leaned in to run a hand down her cheek and neck. Her skin sparked under his hand. Molten iron dripped onto her skin from his touch. Never had she thought touch would be this way. “Honestly, I don’t know what I want. I’ve never felt this way about a woman. I’ll make mistakes, but I have to see where being mated to you leads.” He sidled up to her. “Won’t you see where it leads with me?”

Pretty words, but the road would be hard for them all. Could she subject them to peril? Or would leaving them be more difficult than she’d ever thought? “Mates are a lifetime commitment.” A wrong decision could kill them all. But a part of her wanted to be with them beyond measure. They offered her normalcy. They offered her touch, both with their bodies and with their feelings. They offered companionship. Such things she hadn’t had in a long time. All the things she’d longed for stood in front of her in these two men. How unfair was that?

“We’ll see where this leads for now. Worry about the lifetime later.” Tam was suddenly there and leaned in for a light press of his lips to hers. “Take things one step at a time. But we have to take that first step.”

Jax still stood beside her. “Together.”

Her lips tingled from where Tam had touched them. “You two aren’t going to let me go, are you?” No one had ever cared about her. Not since her parents. It made it hard to walk away from them. Why should she leave what she most wanted in the galaxy?

“Not on your life.” Tam chuckled. “And we’re both pretty stubborn, if you can believe that.”

She could. “Are you sure about all this? Because being with me won’t be easy. It will be risky.”

Nods. From them both.

Their surety helped to drive out her doubt. How could she not believe in them with their eyes honestly brimming in front of her?

“Okay. I guess we’re in this together.”

Tam laughed and grabbed her around the waist. He swung her around, taking her feet from the floor. “I knew you’d agree.” His mouth latched onto hers in a punishing kiss. A kiss that stole her very breath.

She panted as he broke the kiss. She’d had no idea what an embrace could do to her. He tasted so good, felt so good against her body.

Jax came up behind them, pressing his body against her back. His erection stroked her butt, pushing into her. To know, even as unsure as he was, that he still wanted her, stoked her fires despite her words.

She was sandwiched between them. Funny how that kept coming up. Being between them that is. A standard ménage sexual position.

Jax pushed her hair to the side to press kisses along her neck. Her skin tingled with awareness.

Tam guided them all to the bed.

She arched a brow. “What are you doing?”

“Celebrating.” He smiled, and she went weak in the knees. “We have to celebrate our mating. Celebrate our togetherness.”

She didn’t turn, but asked Jax, “Are you ready for this?” She didn’t want to push him faster than he wanted to go.

He stiffened against her. And not his hard cock, either. “I… We should celebrate.” His voice didn’t sound thrilled, but did sound serious.

Not exactly a grand endorsement or an outright yes, but right now, she’d take what she could get.

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