Night Shadows

(Night 3)

Erotic Contemporary Paranormal Menage a Trois Romance, M/FM, HEA

Serena Abbott’s relationship with Ian and Alastair Wyndham was anything but normal. Her psychic abilities presented a challenge that neither man could ignore. Her abilities grew with her confidence, and the very real threat that she could one day read their minds stood between them. Because of it, she kept a distance between them that frustrated both of them.

While their love and passion for each other continued to grow, her growing and changing abilities had begun to terrify them. Serena had begun to get into the minds of people being murdered and, to Alastair’s and Ian’s horror, when the victims died, Serena started to go with them.

They could protect her from a physical threat, but was afraid that they couldn’t protect her from the visions that threatened to take her from them.

Fearing that she could one day read their minds and change everything, she fought letting them in—something neither one of them could allow.

Excerpt

Leaning against Ian, and with Alastair rubbing her feet that he’d pulled onto his lap, Serena stared at the fire. “You two don’t have to stay up with me.”

Ian pressed his lips to her hair. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

Lifting her head, she turned to look up at him. “Are you still mad at me?”

Gripping her chin, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I was never mad at you. At times I get frustrated at the situation. But the thought of you married to someone else infuriates me.”

Cupping the back of her head, he urged her to lay her head on his chest again. “We’ll figure it out. You and I need to do some practicing, though.”

Drowsy, but afraid of falling asleep, Serena sat up again. “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll get into that hard head of yours?”

Alastair handed her the glass of brandy he’d poured for her and swirled his own. “I’m sure Ian’s head is filled with the same lecherous thoughts I have of you.”

Ian’s lips twitched. “True. That could make for some very interesting conversations.”

A sudden thought occurred to her. “When he shot me, I heard someone call my name and the barrier slammed down. Which one of you did that?”

Ian slid a fingertip down her body where her robe had slipped, lightly caressing the curve of her breast. “We both did it together. You were crying out and thrashing on the bed. Scared the fuck out of me. Both Alastair and I grabbed you, but you fought us as if it was part of your dream. I turned on the light, and we both kept calling your name, but you didn’t seem to hear either one of us.”

Alastair leaned closer to her, his fingers dancing over her hair. “We couldn’t get to you, and we both panicked.”

Laying a hand on her knee, Ian lightly caressed her. “Since we couldn’t pull you out, we slammed the door.”

Serena smiled. “And shut everything else out for me. I’m impressed. I’m just glad you waited until the end. It gave me the chance to see everything.”

Ian’s lips thinned. “If I’d known what you were dreaming, I would have slammed the fucking thing down sooner.”

Amused at his outrage, Serena laid her hand over his. “No. I need to see.”

Turning his hand, he took hers in his. “You don’t need to see that kind of ugliness. You’ve seen enough of it in your life.”

Touched, she smiled. “I appreciate your concern, but—”

“Fuck that!” Ian took her brandy from her and handed it to Alastair before pulling her back down to recline against him. “It’s more than fucking concern, and I’m not going to let you go through shit like this again.”

With a sigh, Alastair rose. “Here we go again.”

Serena scrambled from Ian’s lap, whirling around to face him. “You’re not going to let me?”

Ian raised a brow and got to his feet, his hands on his hips as he towered over her. “That’s right. I’m not going to let you put yourself through that again.”

“I need to see, damn it! There’s a reason I have this ability—”

Ian raised a brow. “I see you’re no longer calling it a gift.”

Hating the disadvantage of arguing with someone a foot taller, Serena jumped up to stand on the sofa. “I have this gift for a reason, Ian. I see what I’m supposed to see. What I need to see.”

Closing his hands on her waist, Ian steadied her. “You don’t need to see things like that. Christ, it’s worse than watching a horror movie, and you wouldn’t be caught dead watching one of them. Hell, you cry when they show the commercials about abused animals!”

“What kind of person abuses animals?”

Ian smiled. “People who don’t deserve to live. The point is, baby, you have a soft heart, and you don’t need to have the kind of dreams that scare you so much that you don’t want to go back to sleep. You’ve had enough ugliness in your life.”

Serena stomped her foot on the cushion and would have lost her balance if Ian hadn’t tightened his hands on her waist. “I need to see whatever I’m supposed to see. Maybe it would be better if I move out.”

Ian’s eyes narrowed. “I dare you to try.”

“Damn it, Ian!”

Ian gathered her close, turning and lowering them both to the sofa again, settling her on his lap. “I can’t stand to see you this way.”

“You piss me off.”

“Back atcha, baby. Don’t threaten to leave again.”

“It wasn’t a threat.”

Pulling her down to recline against him, Ian tugged her braid. “Careful.”

Alastair handed Serena her brandy and sat at her feet again, pulling them onto his lap. “Serena, neither Ian nor I can allow you to move out. We’d worry about you constantly. We can protect you here, and you know damned well you need us.”

“I’m sick and tired of needing you.” She took a large sip of brandy, coughing at the burn.

Alastair covered her with the soft throw she kept on their designer sofa, lifting a brow as he took her glass. “We need you, too.”

“I still think it might be better if I can get my own place. Maybe an apartment in the city.”

Ian pulled the throw higher and put his arms around her, lacing his fingers together and settling back. “Tying you to the bed is starting to sound better and better.”