Third Time Lucky sm-3 Read online

  Third Time Lucky

  ( Spellbound Moon - 3 )

  Loribelle Hunt

  SPELLBOUND MOON 3:

  THIRD TIME LUCKY

  Loribelle Hunt

  www.loose-id.com

  Spellbound Moon 3: Third Time Lucky

  Copyright © October 2011 by Loribelle Hunt

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  eISBN 978-1-61118-575-1

  Editor: Jana J. Hanson

  Cover Artist: April Martinez

  Printed in the United States of America

  Published by

  Loose Id LLC

  PO Box 809

  San Francisco CA 94104-0809

  www.loose-id.com

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id LLC’s e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  * * * *

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  Chapter One

  “All right, all right, I’m coming,” Harris yelled while he wrapped the towel around his hips.

  He stalked down the center hall but didn’t reach the door before the bell rang a fourth time.

  It couldn’t be Ethan. It was too early for their date. Besides, he’d just come in or use his key if the door was locked, which it rarely was.

  Harris damned near ripped the door off its hinges when he yanked it open. The sight that greeted him stopped his next angry words cold. He opened the door wide and stepped back to let her enter.

  Gabby.

  Werewolf soldier and major pain in his ass, but man could the woman work a short red dress. Clingy fabric wrapped around her killer curves, high, full breasts, and a mouthwatering ass. Auburn hair hung loose to her shoulders, framing a face more striking than beautiful. But it was her eyes that did him in every time. Rich brown and expressive.

  He hadn’t seen her for three months, and there could only be one reason for her showing up now. She looked him over with a smoldering gaze that confirmed his suspicions.

  “In heat again, darlin’?”

  Smoldering gave way to bright, sharp anger. “Are you complaining? That’s a first.” She moved to the living room entryway, leaned one shoulder against the wall, and wrapped her arms around her middle. The movement pushed her breasts up so they almost spilled from the top of the low bodice. It was a calculated move, playing dirty, and they both knew it. His own anger started to simmer.

  He wasn’t sure who was the cat or who was the mouse, but he was fucking sick of this game. They should be enemies. Wizards and werewolves weren’t allies, friends, or fuck buddies.

  Then again, nothing was as it should be, right down to his presence in Redemption, Florida. He’d been banished as a teenager and had made his way here to neutral territory.

  Neutral or not, it bordered werewolf land, and a good half of its residents were members of the neighboring Redhawke pack. He hadn’t exactly been welcomed with open arms, but he’d carved out a place for himself. Despite the odds, despite centuries of animosity between his race and theirs, Harris counted werewolves among his friends and lovers. He’d made a name for himself as an honest and ethical and dependable man.

  But that acceptance only went so far—and that was part of the problem, wasn’t it?

  Gabby would never mate with him. She wouldn’t let him get that close, but she trusted him when she was in heat in a way she’d never trust a wolf. Mating was an instinct a wolf would find hard to resist with a female in heat, but she didn’t believe Harris could create a mate bond with her since he was a different species. Because he’d been content with their arrangement, he hadn’t corrected her. The first time she’d come to him, two years ago, he’d resolved to just enjoy what part of her she was willing to share. He didn’t push. He didn’t make demands. He didn’t come close to taking her the way he wanted to. Why? Because wolves did not mate with wizards.

  But then things started to change. First Redhawke’s paladin—their third in command—Liza, the only person on the planet Harris knew of who was half wolf and half witch, had mated with her alpha and beta. It was a year ago now, and even though Liza had always been a part of Redhawke, was seen as more wolf than witch by her pack members, it had made Harris start to think. If that mating could be accepted, why not others? When he’d casually mentioned that to Gabby, she’d stayed away five months. On her return, he’d smelled what remained of a potion he knew werewolf females sometimes used to delay heat. He didn’t bring it up again, but it made him angry and resentful, and he felt ridiculous about it. Who complained about casual, nostrings-attached sex with a hot woman?

  “Earth to Harris?”

  He realized he was staring at the wall over her head while memories washed through him, and he shifted his gaze to study her face while he went on thinking. Liza had been the first, and her circumstances were special. But then came Harper, a witch looking for sanctuary. It hadn’t taken long before one of Redhawke’s soldiers and its healer had made her theirs. Why couldn’t two witches mated into Redhawke become two witches and a wizard? Harris had stopped thinking about it weeks ago. He knew what he wanted.

  “Harris?”

  A look crossed her face—something between unease and fear—that made his heart accelerate with anticipation. Let the games begin.

  “This isn’t working for me anymore.”

  At his words, her expression turned to one of annoyance. “Fine,” she said, straightening.

  “I’ll leave.”

  “I didn’t say you could leave, darlin’.”

  He was as good at spells and potions as the next wizard, but that wasn’t what set him apart.

  He used his mind to slam the still-open front door shut and turn the locks. The surprised look on her face was so comical he almost laughed. He did grin, and she gave him a dirty look.

  “I had no idea you could do that.”

  “Oh, I can do all kinds of things.” Read as much innuendo into that as you like, darlin’.

  Small white teeth bit down on her bottom lip. He just managed not to groan, remembering what they felt like on his skin.

  “How?”

  “Telekinesis.” He took a step forward, and she matched it with one in retreat. “It’s a rare talent, and mine is stronger than most.” Probably the strongest in the world, but she didn’t need to know that yet.

  “Can you read minds?” she asked curiously.

  “No.”

  “And what can you do other than shut and lock doors?” Ah, his curious little wolf. He had her. With a slow shake of his head and fighting a smile, he said, “Let me show yo
u.”

  But she didn’t take the hand he held out. “I thought you said this wasn’t working for you anymore.”

  She frowned, but her eyes were feverish, and her gaze kept returning to the erection his towel did nothing to hide. The heat was taking over. He used a finger under her chin to lift her face so he could see into those cloudy eyes. Deep and whiskey-colored, they only spoke of lust and need.

  He grinned. “Don’t you think we should wait and talk about this later?”

  “Oh yes.” She nodded, lust thickening her voice. “Definitely later.” She reached for him, but he stopped her and turned her around. He kept his hands on her shoulders and moved up close behind her, his cock pressed against her ass, as he whispered in her ear, “Wait in the bedroom. You know where it is.”

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  He slid his hands down her arms to her elbows, moved them to her hips, and held her still while he pushed his pelvis forward. She gasped and tried to get closer. It took all his restraint not to let her.

  “Harris.” It was a panted plea, and he let her desire wash over him, a hot, seductive wave.

  He knew what she wanted. A casual, undemanding, very vanilla joining. But he was certain that wasn’t what she needed. It might satisfy her body, but it wouldn’t give her the fulfillment she craved in her heart and soul. He wasn’t a telepath—he hadn’t lied about that—but he felt her emotions and most deeply hidden secrets on a psychic level. Secrets she probably didn’t even acknowledge to herself. The only other person Harris could read so well was Ethan, and Harris knew that was because both wolves were his. Ethan accepted that, but not his skittish little she-wolf. She required persuasion, and Harris was ready to use the most sensual kind.

  Releasing her, he stepped back and slapped her ass. “Go. I want you waiting naked for me.” He looked down her stocking-clad legs. It was time to make some demands of his own.

  “You can keep the shoes on.”

  With one last uncertain glance over her shoulder, she moved down the hall and disappeared into his bedroom. He could sense a low-level tension under her confusion. As a high-ranking soldier in Redhawke, her instinct to resist his order was only quelled by the desire flooding her body. He heard a key in the lock behind him and turned as Ethan sauntered in.

  Grinning, Ethan looked him over.

  “I figured dinner and a movie first, but if you want to skip straight to dessert, I’m game.” Harris rolled his eyes, but it was only a feeble effort to hide his excitement. “Not now.” Ethan shut the door and leaned back against it with a casual grace that fooled everyone who met him. It was a carefully cultivated image. He was tall and leanly muscled and looked more like a rich playboy than a dangerous soldier. Dark blond hair with tantalizing streaks of gold fell into his eyes, and he shoved the shaggy, wavy mass back to pin Harris with an emerald green stare. His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared. That easygoing mask slipped for just a minute as he waited Harris out.

  “She just showed up,” Harris replied to the unanswered question. He knew his werewolf lover could scent the woman they both wanted in the house. He’d been with Ethan long enough to anticipate him. Usually. Harris half expected him to straighten and make himself scarce. He didn’t.

  Instead a pained look crossed his face, and Ethan muttered, “That woman is gonna kill me.”

  Harris understood like no one else could have. He wanted Ethan and Gabby fiercely, always. He wanted a right to them. A right to make demands from them. He was sick and damned tired of being on the outside, and he was pretty sure Ethan felt the same way. Gabby would only come to Harris when she was in heat, but she would only go to Ethan if she wasn’t.

  The woman had serious commitment issues.

  He looked Ethan over and felt the usual lust strum through his body. He rarely allowed himself the fantasy of the three of them together, but things were changing, weren’t they?

  “I told her this arrangement isn’t working for me anymore.” Ethan gave him a sharp look edged with hunger. “And yet, she’s in your bed.”

  “Jealous?”

  He snorted. “Hell, yeah.”

  “I told her, but she isn’t exactly in a position to think right now. It would be cruel of me to send her away like that.”

  “The heat. I thought I scented the beginning yesterday,” Ethan murmured.

  “Hmm. No telling what she might agree to in that state.”

  Ethan blinked; then a slow smile curled his lips. “That’s not right. Sneaky. Underhanded. I like it.”

  Harris grinned. Gabby didn’t feel any compunction about playing dirty. Why should they?

  Besides, all was fair in love and war, and this was both. “After you, then.”

  Chapter Two

  Gabby tried not to obey Harris’s order too quickly, too eagerly, but it was impossible. She burned. Unfortunately she couldn’t blame it all on the heat. Her craving intensified each time she came to him. Heart racing like she’d just run a marathon, she shut the door behind her and stared, unmoving, at Harris’s huge bed. Three adults could comfortably share it. Leaning back against the door, she squeezed her eyes shut. This wasn’t the first time she’d thought about the number of people who’d fit in that bed. It wasn’t any more welcome now than then, especially when she reminded herself whom Harris would invite to join them. Ethan. The wolf who teased her, tempted her, irritated her, and generally made her crazy.

  It’s just the hormones, Gabby. Forget about it.

  Damn the heat. Men didn’t have to suffer through this indignity. They didn’t get ambushed by their hormones every three months, didn’t become consumed with lust. Sometimes the desperation was so bad it hurt. The women in the pack said it wasn’t so bad if you were mated.

  In fact they said the opposite—that it was incredible with a mate. Gabby would never know. She had no intention of mating. It didn’t tend to work out for the strong females in the pack, like her mother. Even Liza, who was paladin—second in strength and power only to the alpha and beta—constantly struggled against her mates’ instinct to dominate her.

  No. Gabby would rather be alone than turn her personal life into a battleground. So why was she here now, imagining Harris and Ethan in that bed with her? And worse, imagining being in their power, giving them total control. It was just the heat, damn it. Had to be. Ethan drove her up the wall 90 percent of the time, and despite the time she spent with Harris during heat, she hardly knew him. They didn’t exactly spend their time together talking. When he tried to initiate conversations, she did her best to keep it impersonal. Why tempt herself by deepening the attraction she already felt for him? It was better to keep him at an emotional distance.

  With a groan, she moved to sit on the edge of the bed and put her face in her palms. None of that had stopped her from having sex with him before. She almost stood to leave, but where could she go? It was too late for the mix of herbs that would deaden the heat, and dangerous to use more than once a year anyway. If she went home, she ran too big a risk of running into a male who might scent her condition, and he’d try his damnedest to seduce her. She’d probably give in too, not because she wanted to, but because she couldn’t fight her hormones indefinitely.

  No, that wouldn’t do.

  At least there were no expectations of something more with Harris. They’d spend a couple of days together. She’d screw it out of her system and leave with no strings attached. And if that was getting harder to do, oh well. Life was a bitch sometimes. She’d deal.

  Decision made, she kicked off her heels. Harris may like them, but they pinched her toes to the point of numbness. She gasped and wiggled them when they were free, then stood to roll down her thigh-highs. She tossed them away and hurried to reach the zipper on the side of the dress when she heard footsteps in the hall. The zipper was pulled to her waist before she realized there were two people out there. She held her breath, staring when the door opened, but she knew who was there. His scent was just as intoxicating, just as seductive as Harr
is’s. Rich and male. A hint of forest and dominance.

  “Oh no,” she whispered.

  “You’re still dressed,” Harris said.

  No shit. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Did you assume I didn’t have plans today, darlin’? Not very thoughtful of you.” She hadn’t considered it one way or the other. “You should have said something. I don’t want to interrupt.”

  Oh gods. Was that a note of longing in her voice? Get a grip, Gabby. She couldn’t have sex with both of them and expect nothing to change. Ethan especially would be insufferable.

  He’d brought up relationships and commitments more than once in the last year. Hinted at but never uttered the dreaded m word. Mate. Every time he did, she ran hard in the other direction.

  He was blocking her escape now, though, wearing an expression that said he knew exactly where her thoughts had gone.

  “You aren’t interrupting,” Harris said. He let the towel drop, and her mouth went dry.

  “You’re joining.”

  “Um.” She licked her lips and wrenched her gaze from his cock. Need punched hard in her belly. “Bad idea.” She picked up her shoes, but Ethan didn’t move from his position blocking the door.

  “I should go,” she said softly. “I need to go.” What she really needed was one of them moving hard and fast inside her, but if they knew that, they’d use it to keep her here. To make it reality. She shut her eyes, afraid they gave her away, and took a deep breath. A mistake. She took their scents deep into her lungs. Ethan was masculine and woodsy, while Harris was rich and mysterious. She got a seductive hint of how theirs would mix with hers if they were mated. She frowned and took another breath. One already had a piece of the other’s. Harris and Ethan belonged to each other, though she didn’t think they realized it was a done deal yet. She opened her eyes, looked first at Ethan, then at Harris.

  “I really don’t belong here,” she said, ignoring a twinge of regret. You don’t want that, remember? Two obnoxious alpha males trying to control her life? No way.