Grady's Awakening (36 page)

“You know, there is a solution to our mutual problem. It’s not one I can say I ever would have entertained before—and I’m not sure Gina will go for it—but we could try it as a threesome.”

There. The proverbial olive branch had been extended. Jim wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but he didn’t see any other choice that would satisfy them all. After his talk with Sam, the least he could do would be to entertain the idea. If the other two potential partners in this little drama were amenable, he’d give it his best shot.

“You mean like Jaci and her mates?” Grady turned to him, acknowledging him for the first time. “From what I have seen, Mike and Dave were best friends even before they met Jaci. You and I have no prior connection. We do not know each other. We have little in common and are not even of the same race. Do you think we could really share Gina’s love?”

“Well, when you put it like that, it does seem difficult…but not impossible. Perhaps we should try to see if we could be friends at least. There’s too much tragedy in this world already. I don’t want to be responsible for yours, if Gina chooses me. On the other hand, I can see this is difficult for her and I want to at least explore any idea that would make it easier. This is all about her happiness as far as I’m concerned.”

“A valid and important point.” Grady nodded, clearly thinking through what Jim had said. “Gina’s happiness is paramount.”

“We agree on that at least.”

“True.” Grady sported a rueful grin, but his eyes held darkness as he gazed out at the rippling lake. “So much is new to me. Emotion, interaction, true friendship…love. I don’t understand a lot of what I’m feeling at times. I know that makes it difficult for you to understand me, and it doesn’t help that I am one of the soldiers responsible for capturing so many humans. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for that, and I don’t expect you will either.”

Jim decided to let that statement sit for a while. He was touched by the man’s candor and his regret. Jim didn’t think Grady was sophisticated enough yet to be able to fake the deep emotion Jim sensed from him. Guilt ran deep in Grady Prime’s soul. The feeling was overwhelming. Nearly crippling. It would take time for him to come to terms with that kind of regret.

“So you’re a soldier. And a leader. That’s what Prime means, right?”

Grady seemed surprised at the change in topic, but went with it. “Prime is the designation given to the top of each hereditary line. I am the top Grady on this planet. All other Gradys are my subordinates. The Grady line is the top of the regular soldier lines. There are special ops branches, of course. Sinclairs head up the covert operators and Pfins lead the waterborne forces, but the majority of the regular army reports to me.”

“So you’re like a general. Or maybe a commander in chief.” Jim thought out loud. “I was a special operator, which I assume means the same thing in both our systems. I started my military career in the army, then sought special training to become what we used to call a Green Beret. That was our army’s special forces, but each division of our military had their own brand of special operator. After I got out of the military, I was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency. That was my country’s covert operations group that would work in secret, in other countries.”

“I am familiar with the concept. I’ve read a lot about the governmental and military structures that existed before my people came here. Justin O’Hara explained quite a bit of it to me as well. I believe he was also a Green Beret at one time.”

Jim thought that was interesting. He recognized the name. He’d known a new recruit named Justin when he was on his way out, right before he’d been hired by the CIA. He hadn’t made the connection until now.

“I think I knew him, but not well. Someday, maybe we’ll have a chance to catch up, but my duty to my people in Colorado means I’ll have to leave here soon. At least for a while. I owe them that much. If Gina and I do get together on a permanent basis, I’ll move heaven and Earth to be with her wherever she wants to be, but I have to square things in Colorado first. I can’t leave them high and dry.”

Grady looked at him with respect. “A good leader does not leave without putting his best man in charge. I made sure the army would be in good hands before I agreed to participate in Mara 12’s experiment.”

“So you’re retired?”

“I thought I was. But the Council recalled me for one special mission.” Grady sighed heavily and threw a rock out into the lake. It didn’t bounce. It made a huge splash about fifty yards away. Jim was impressed. Grady had a good arm. “If they truly understood what the experiment did to me, they never would have sent me on this fool’s errand.”

“They sent you to kill Bill, right?”

Grady scowled. “I am no assassin. That is what special operators are for. I agreed to track him but I never said I would kill him, even though I knew that’s what they wanted. I accepted the mission because I wanted to find him for my own reasons. I knew he’d had the treatment. I wanted to see for myself how it had turned out for him.”

“I can understand that.” The fact that Grady was no longer blindly following orders given by the Alvian High Council said a lot. “So now that you’ve found him, what have you learned?”

“I am left with more questions than answers, but I’m glad to see him stable and coming to terms with his new life.”

“How are you going to square this with the Council? I assume you’re not going to kill him.”

“No. I never thought to try—unless it was an act of mercy. If I found him deranged or posing a threat to others, I would have put him down out of respect for the friendship we once had. The man I knew would not have wanted to live that way.”

“But he’s sane, so everything’s cool. What now?”

“I don’t honestly know. The only thing I know for certain is that the secrecy of this base—and yours—must be maintained. I will not betray the humans living here no matter how this turns out.”

Jim felt a wave of relief for a worry he hadn’t known he carried. “Thank you,” he said with quiet respect.

“It’s the least I can do.”

“Are you two okay?”
Gina’s voice came to Jim telepathically. She was nearby.

“Yeah, we’re okay. This Grady guy is an interesting character. Why don’t you come over?”

She hesitated.
“I’ll be there in about five minutes.”

“Gina will be here soon,” Jim said to Grady.

“Did she communicate telepathically with you?” Grady’s eyes looked both stormy and wistful.

“Yeah. We both have psychic talents. That bother you?”

“Yes.” Grady was truthful almost to a fault. “That and other things will make any joint relationship difficult.”

“Like what other things?”

“My jealousy, for one. It is new to me and very powerful. Even now I am jealous that you can speak to her privately, without me knowing, unless one of you lets me in on the secret.”

“We could agree not to use telepathy around you. It’s not like we have to, and I can see how secret communications could be divisive. As for jealousy, you’re not the only one who has to deal with it.”

“You too?” Grady looked over at him, seeming surprised.

“I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t feel some discomfort with the idea of sharing. As you said, we don’t have a history like Mike and Dave do. We’re relative strangers. But I think we could be friends given time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“Rome?”

“It was an ancient city on another continent.” Gina joined them on the sand, sitting between them and jumping right into their conversation. “The Romans ruled most of the Western world at one time before their civilization fell. So why are we talking about Rome?”

“We weren’t,” Grady said, seeming lost himself as he tried to backtrack. “Jim used a phrase I did not understand, and I asked for clarification.”

“Ah.” She nodded sagely, looking from one to the other with a gentle smile. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. That’s a very popular saying. It means things will improve with time. What, in this case, were you speaking of?”

“The possibility of friendship between Grady and me,” Jim supplied. “We were just saying that we don’t know much about each other, but we’re willing to learn.”

“That’s a good start.” Gina seemed really pleased. “So why the turnaround? I thought you two were on the outs.”

“It’s because of you, Gina.” Grady Prime was so earnest Jim almost rolled his eyes, but Gina seemed genuinely touched by his words. Grady took advantage, moving closer to her, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I am in love with you, Gina. If you could only hear the Hum of our resonance, you would understand. I would die for this. For you.”

“Grady.” Her voice trailed off as she moved into his arms and they shared a passionate kiss, oblivious to their surroundings.

Jim was about to get up and leave when he remembered Sam’s words. He could see how much Grady loved her and that she wasn’t indifferent to him either. How could he fault her for responding to such an impassioned declaration?

But Jim loved her just as much, if not more than Grady did. Could he really stand by and let the alien walk off with his prize?

He had three options. Walk away. Fight for her. Or the toughest of all—work to make all three of them happy, if such a thing was possible. He looked to the example set by Jaci and the cousins, and the other threesomes he’d heard about. If they could make it work, perhaps he could too. It was worth a try. Anything was better than doing without her or making everyone miserable.

Making a decision, Jim scooted forward on the sand, reaching out to touch Gina’s waist. It startled Grady enough to break the kiss and stare over her shoulder at Jim. A silent moment of understanding passed between them before Grady looked back at Gina’s upturned face.

“Do you want this, my love? Do you want both of us?”

“What?” Gina moved away, confusion on her lovely features. “Is that what you guys were talking about? You want to try this as a three-way?”

“Want? Honestly, no.” Jim was man enough to admit. “But we can’t always have what we want, and I think this is what we need to do. It’s the only way I can see for all three of us to be happy.”

Gina didn’t know what to think. The idea of having both of them was tantalizing, though she’d only just started thinking about it since meeting Jaci and the cousins. From what she could see of their relationship, it worked for them. Could such an arrangement work for her and these men? She had no idea, but if they were game, she was willing to try.

More than willing, if truth be told. Each man turned her on in his own special way. Together, they would be devastating, she was sure. But was she brave enough to try? There was only one way to find out.

Turning to Jim, she leaned into him, kissing him deeply. When Grady’s arms came around her waist from the other side, she suppressed a shiver of lust. Having two men at once should have shocked her. Instead, the naughty idea tantalized, making her want to try all sorts of things with them.

Jim broke the kiss and stared down at her. “Are you sure?”

There were still doubts, but they were eclipsed by the kindling flame in her womb as Grady’s hands stroked between her thighs. “I want to try.”

The cloth barring Grady’s touch was too much. She wanted to feel his fingers against her skin, just as she wanted to feel Jim’s. At the same time.

Just the thought of it made her hot.

Jim’s hands went to her shoulders, pulling her in for another deep kiss. His kiss spoke of possession, of desire, while Grady’s hands worked on her trousers. He tugged them off completely, along with her panties and shoes, placing the pants on the sand beneath her bare butt. Gina was almost too far gone to notice, but the special care he took for her comfort was appreciated.

Grady manipulated her lower body until she was half-lying on the sand. He spread her legs, coming down between them. His tongue preceded his fingers as he parted her folds and licked her clit, making her squirm in Jim’s arms. Jim supported her shoulders, his fingers working the buttons on her top until her bare breasts spilled into his hands.

Jim moved, kneeling beside her, shifting her to lie in his lap while he bent over her breasts. Between his mouth on her upper half and Grady’s between her thighs, she was in heaven. She’d fantasized about this sort of thing once or twice, but fantasies could never equal the reality of having two hungry males totally focused on her.

Two men she loved.

The thought brought her up short. She did love them. Each in their own way, but neither less than the other. She’d been half in love with Jim since she was a kid, and he’d only endeared himself to her more since meeting again. He was a demanding lover who pushed her to new heights every time they came together.

Grady, by contrast, was a considerate lover whose gentle handling told her without words how precious he thought her. He made her feel like a queen, and his lovemaking gave her a feeling of ultimate ecstasy she’d never known before him. He was magic.

Gina had always had a love of literature and making love to Grady was like making love to one of Tolkein’s elves. He had the pointy ears, the melodic voice, more strength than most human men and the coloring. He was also so careful of her—except when he was in the thrall of his own climax. Then all bets were off and the animal inside him came out to play.

She loved that moment when he was out of control. Even then, she knew he would never use his superior strength against her. He’d die before he ever hurt her. She trusted him beyond doubt, beyond anything. She felt the same way about him.

Which is why the idea of having to choose between Grady and Jim had been so painful. She prayed this little interlude worked for all three of them. It was certainly working for her!