The Gifted 1: Passions Awakening (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Not for anything would Cheri dim the spirit she sensed in the man. Yes, she had strong intuition that the reason she was on this cruise was indeed to meet her mates. The Concilium wouldn’t give her a cruise just on a lark. Yet she’d already gotten an eyeful of the dozens of gorgeous, bikini-worthy women on deck. Next to them, she knew she simply couldn’t measure up. It saddened her and maddened her, mostly for all the women who were wonderful and talented and beautiful and blessed with a curvy body. And while she liked herself just as she was, she had to face the realities of the world she would live in for the rest of her life.

  And in this world, appearance over substance seemed to rule supreme.

  Of course, she let none of her inner turmoil show. To her companion, she smiled. “You never know. I just might.”

  “Take those two right there—either one of them might be a good choice. Both of them are what I remember my granddaughter called TDH—tall, dark, and handsome.” He narrowed his gaze, as if really assessing them. “They look successful. Marrying for love is wonderful, of course, but a man must be able to support his family.”

  Prepared to play along so as not to hurt the gentleman’s feelings, she sent her gaze in the direction he’d indicated.

  Time stopped. For several heartbeats, there was only Cheri and the two men standing by the rail. Both had turned toward her at the same instant she’d looked at them. She felt such power from the visual connection despite their sunglasses, such certainty that, in that instant, she had no doubt whatsoever.

  The two hard bodies looking as though they’d just stepped off the cover of GQ: Billionaires Edition were, indeed, the two men she’d been sent here to find.

  As she watched, both men took off their sunglasses. The taller of the two, sporting black hair, blue eyes, and an angel’s face graced by a slight beard, met and held her gaze. She read heat, and interest, in his gaze. The other man, slightly lighter haired, wearing a kind face, gave her the once-over, the way she’d seen men do in some of the romance movies she’d watched back home.

  She could barely breathe. Her heart pounded, her nipples hardened, and her pussy actually gushed her juices onto her panties. Hunger filled her, and it was all she could do not to run over to them and demand that they fuck her senseless. She licked her lips and placed a hand on her stomach in an attempt to quell the butterflies within her. Inhaling a shaky breath, other sounds, scents, life gradually returned. She didn’t know how long she’d been staring at the two men, but she had to tear her gaze away now before she made a complete spectacle of herself.

  Unable to do anything else, she dropped her gaze and then turned to Mr. Ridgeway. It took all of her willpower to keep her reaction from showing, to appear untouched by the two gazes that had met hers—and the ember within each that had flared briefly in recognition and reached out and touched the power inside herself.

  “You could be right, sir. We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

  “We will, indeed. A lady I know who lives in Texas is very fond of saying that things generally turn out the way they’re meant to be.”

  Just then the ship’s horn sounded one long blast. Moments later, Cheri realized the huge vessel had begun to move.

  She dared to look, just once more, at the two studly hunks who’d made such devastating eye contact with her and impression on her. They both were still looking her way and gave her a short nod and a smile.

  Cheri swallowed hard. How could longing and fear rise up inside her with such equal force? Oh, there was something about those two men that pulled at her, and she knew it was more than their good looks and that trace of power. That which was within them—the inner man in each—drew her. Destiny, indeed, flexed its muscles, but she knew, perhaps more than most, that nothing was written in stone.

  Those two men appeared to have everything any woman could hope for, but they had something else, as well—free will.

  She couldn’t compel them to like her or accept her. In fact, beyond what any woman could do to attract a man, she was completely at the mercy of that free will of theirs. There were but two immutable laws that governed her actions in this realm. The first was that she was forbidden to use her powers in any way to deliberately influence the behavior of those men toward her.

  The second—she pushed away thoughts of the second. That one came into effect only if they were on the path to becoming lovers. And that was sure not likely going to happen.

  As soon as she stood up and they saw what she really looked like, she was very much afraid that they’d turn right back around and, like she’d predicted when she’d first learned of this cruise, run, not walk, in the opposite direction.

  Chapter 3

  He couldn’t look away from the pretty redhead. He slanted a glance at his best friend and noted that neither could Max. It took every bit of self-control he could muster to keep his cock from standing at attention. I hope two layers of clothing are enough to absorb my pre-cum. He couldn’t, however, do anything about the way his heart pounded and his breathing quickened.

  For a few moments, when she’d met his gaze, he felt as if everything inside him that had been waiting came alive. He’d never felt such a punch of instant, complete attraction in his life. It was more than just sexual attraction, too. He liked the sound of her voice and the cute little dimple that flashed all two briefly when she smiled.

  Cheri Ambrose. Tony Delvecchio thanked whatever quirk of water-based acoustics that was responsible for him and his best friend being able to overhear the entire conversation between Cheri and the older gentleman.

  He’d thought, at first glance, that the couple had to be together somehow. He felt just a tad ashamed now that his first thought had been the curvy woman was with her sugar daddy.

  That they’d just met this very day, and she’d apparently come to his aid during the lifeboat drill….well, the very idea was foreign to him.

  Most of the women he’d met wouldn’t bat an eyelash to help a stranger, unless there was something in it for them. He still wasn’t one hundred percent certain Miss Ambrose was as selfless and sweet as she appeared.

  But the woman had his attention, and Max’s, too.

  They didn’t speak until after Cheri had bid the elderly man a good day and headed off. He didn’t worry that they’d lose her. Yes, there were a lot of people on this ship, but he felt certain their paths would cross again.

  “I think I’m going to circle this day on the calendar, and not only because of the very happy fact that I’m on a moving ship and I don’t feel seasick.”

  “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Max turned and met his gaze. “We’re both attracted to her, and that feels right, somehow.”

  “Is she for real? When was the last time we met, or talked to, a woman as…as genuine as she seems to be?” He didn’t worry about sounding stupid to his best friend. When I looked at her, I felt awkward and gawky and stupid. I also felt drawn, incredibly drawn. And when she gave me her full attention and met my gaze, I felt invincible, as if I could slay the fiercest dragon.

  With nothing but ocean surrounding them, most of the people who’d crowded the rail had moved along to other pursuits. There wasn’t anyone within easy listening distance.

  “I was wondering the same thing myself,” Max said. “I watched her as she talked. The emotions that played out across her face—some of them made my heart ache.” He shook his head. “And that feeling goes against everything I’ve ever believed in when it comes to so-called relationships.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.” Tony looked around. There were a couple of women still on the fantail, including the two women Max had spotted when they’d stood at the bar before sailing.

  Those two reminded him of the women who would come on to him and Max during their modeling days. Beautiful on the outside, toxic on the inside. The blonde, in particular, was wearing too much makeup and too little clothing. She’d been eyeing them as if they were pastry-wrapped sausages designed for her
personal consumption. When the brunette ambled off, the blonde remained. She sent him a “come-fuck-me” look.

  Tony dismissed the bimbo and focused again on his friend. Max wore a slightly dazed expression. Then he chuckled, but it wasn’t a humorous sound. “Tony, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that I’ve just fallen in love at first sight.”

  Tony nodded. “Yeah.” He and Max really were on the same page. “An interesting situation for us both to be in since neither of us believes in love, period.”

  “Exactly! I do know better. Hell, Tony, we both know better. Love doesn’t exist, at least not for us. In all my thirty-five years, I’ve never felt more than mild interest in any woman I’ve ever dated—well, certainly not after Madelyn.”

  Tony frowned. Madelyn, our biggest regret in life. “Neither have I.”

  Max ran his hand through his hair, something he did only when he felt frustrated. “So what do we do now?”

  Normally Max was the man who always had a plan. That he obviously didn’t in this instance shocked Tony right down to his toes. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he liked it better when Max was in the driver’s seat. “What do you want to do?”

  “I want to get to know her. I need to know if what I feel—what we feel—is real. I can’t just turn my back and walk away. Not unless…well, you know.” He shook his head. “Those words I spoke after we found out the truth about Madelyn have finally come back to haunt me.”

  Max didn’t need to explain himself. Madelyn Stark had been seeing each of them during their first year of residency—without the other being any the wiser. It was one of the rare times they’d been on opposite shifts. The woman had the morals of an alley cat and had bet a friend she could break up their friendship. All she’d succeeded in doing was to make them leery of ever dating a woman, any woman, seriously again.

  I swear to you by all that’s holy, Tony, if I ever meet a woman who’s sweet and genuine and without conniving guile, I’ll marry her.

  Hey, Max, such a paragon of virtue has to be rare in the extreme. If you meet her, introduce me, will you? Maybe she’ll take us both on.

  “I agree with you, pal. They’ve come back to haunt us both.”

  He met Max’s gaze, and his best friend nodded, slowly. Tony could see he was thinking, and that was a relief. Max thinking equaled Max planning. “Tell you what. We won’t look for her, but if we see her again, we talk to her and try to get to know her. And then we’ll go from there.”

  That was a plan he could live with. Leave everything up to destiny. “Agreed. And, at least then, we’ll know if she’s real, or not.”

  * * * *

  Cheri rarely took a day and did nothing. When she wasn’t teaching or preparing lesson plans, she volunteered at a neighborhood childcare center and at an adult literacy center. She’d always been one to keep busy, for the most part.

  This was the first vacation she’d taken since she’d come to New York from the homeland. Once the city that had been her home for the last six years was out of sight and the cruise well underway, Cheri had excused herself from Mr. Ridgeway’s company and returned to her cabin to unpack and consider her options.

  She’d spent an hour in contemplation and had come to a decision. While she had her doubts those two incredibly handsome men would even look at her twice—she believed that neither the Sylph nor the Concilium, despite the power at their command, had any idea about the societal attitudes here—she still had faith in the prophecy itself.

  Therefore, if it was meant to be, it would be. She would do nothing to actively encourage or discourage the course of events herself. Any first step would have to be up to those two men. So she’d take advantage of circumstances, relax, and indulge her greatest passion.

  Twenty minutes later, in her one-piece bathing suit, with detachable maxi skirt cover-up in place, she snagged a chaise lounge poolside, stretched out, opened her e-reader, and began to read.

  Being fair skinned, she’d been careful to apply sunscreen before she’d left her cabin. Cheri had brought the waterproof kind with her, even though she wasn’t certain she’d actually swim. She didn’t mind wearing her suit with the cover-up. Getting in the water, though, meant leaving that long skirt behind. She didn’t know if she wanted to be that daring.

  She felt eyes on her, but a quick look around didn’t reveal anyone in particular looking at her. She didn’t see the men from earlier, either. And then her mind dove into the story she was reading, and reality slipped into the background.

  For Cheri, reading was a vacation all its own, one she indulged in as often as possible.

  “What are you reading?”

  The sexy male voice sent ripples of pleasure across her skin. Cheri hadn’t noticed the movement on either side of her. While she’d been lost in the story of a small Texas town with a provocative name, the two men Mr. Ridgeway had speculated upon—the two men she’d recognized as her mates and were the most attractive men she’d laid eyes on—had settled themselves down on either side of her.

  Cheri looked up at the man who’d spoken. He’s got the most mesmerizing blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

  She turned her attention inward, her mind seeking to know what he’d asked, as well as the one her own inner voice had posed—when had they shown up? As if watching an instant replay on a sportscast, she saw how the men had come out onto this pool deck and scanned the area. There’d been several chaises available—and, in fact, there was one free on the other side of each of these men.

  But then the man who’d just spoken to her nudged his friend and pointed at her.

  They watched me as I left the fantail, and they got a good look at me here before they settled down beside me.

  Cheri filed the thought away for later and offered him a smile. “I’m reading an erotic romance novel.”

  “It must be a good book. You looked completely absorbed.” The man on her left spoke, and she turned her attention on him. His eyes were soft brown, with a slight tint of wariness. Yes, his face seemed kind, but there was a sense of…Cheri immediately closed that part of her magic that would have easily allowed her to know his thoughts.

  That was a power she rarely used. People were entitled to the privacy of their own minds. Since leaving home, she’d reached into a mind only once, and that had been during her second year. One of her pupils had been traumatized, and she’d needed to know what had happened so she could help the boy.

  She brought herself back to the moment. “It is, and I was.” She reached out her hand to the first man who’d spoken. “Hi, I’m Cheri Ambrose.”

  He took her hand, and she needed all her self-control not to betray the arousal that shot through her with his touch. As it was, her eyes went wide, and she knew he’d seen that.

  His smile turned a bit smug. “I’m Max Tanner, and this is my best friend, Anthony Delvecchio.”

  Cheri turned and offered her hand to Anthony, not at all surprised when that same river of sensuality doused her for a second time. “How do you do?” She had no idea where that expression came from in human history, but the words slipped out easily enough.

  “I’m well, thanks. I prefer Tony to Anthony.” His fledgling smile tugged at her heart.

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “Romance, is it? Should we read some deeper meaning into your reading choice here on this cruise?”

  Tony Delvecchio’s question managed to land on the polite side of the rudeness border, but only just.

  She took on a serious expression. “Yes, indeed you should.” She looked around as if checking to ensure that no one could overhear her. Then she leaned toward him, lowered her voice, and said, “The deeper meaning is I like to read erotic romance.”

  On her right, Max Tanner snickered. “You’ll have to forgive my friend. He’s a mite suspicious by nature.”

  Cheri sat back, closed her e-reader, and set it on her lap. She turned her attention back to Tony. She didn’t think the color on his face could be the effect of the sun so soon into t
he cruise. “I’m sorry. That must be a tough way to live.”

  He raised one eyebrow. “Not at all. I sleep very well at night.”

  “I imagine you do. Subjecting yourself to all that tension and using all that extra energy through the day to be suspicious of everyone and everything must leave you exhausted by bedtime.”

  “Yes, but think of all the messy emotional situations I save myself from experiencing.”

  Cheri didn’t need her powers to feel the basic sadness wrapped in hostility that surrounded Tony Delvecchio like a fleece cloak. That certain knowledge tempered her response.

  “I suppose there is that. As long as you’re happy, of course, then that’s all that matters.”

  “Thank you. I am. Very.” He looked down at her Kindle. “So we shouldn’t read anything special into the fact that you were stretched out here like a goddess, reading romance?”

  Like a goddess? Cheri knew her confusion showed. She wasn’t certain what Tony was actually asking. She turned to look at Max, but he didn’t appear to want to offer any explanation for his friend’s strange question.

  She turned her attention back to Tony. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you mean. I like to read romance when I relax. I also like to read mysteries. Of course, I read non-fiction books as well. I like biographies and books on history. I teach second grade, so I’m always interested in theses on early childhood education and on education in general.” Then she shrugged. “I read children’s books, too. That way I know which ones are good for my pupils.”

  “Oh.”

  Well, that was certainly an enlightening response.

  “Oh?”

  Tony looked over at his friend, and then he sighed. “I suppose I should just come out and ask you. Are you on this cruise hoping to hook yourself a rich husband, so that’s why you’re reading romance? To get in the mood? Maybe you’re hoping for Mr. Right Nice Big Bank Account to sweep you off your feet and provide for your every whim from this day forward till divorce you do part.”