Upon the Threshold (24 page)

Lukkis pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Pressing a kiss to her lips, he drew back.

When she turned, Kraven was there to hug her. He dropped a kiss on her lips as well before his arms loosened. “We won’t be long,” he said quietly.

“I know.” She pulled back and nodded. “I trust you,” she told him with a smile. “Go, get this done so that you both can come back to me quickly and hold me and keep me safe from everything and everyone, including myself.”

Kraven brushed his knuckles lightly to Eli’s cheek. “Danykia.” He looked to the woman.

“I will remain with her until you return,” she said.

“Thank you.” He tipped his head to her.

Lukkis pressed a kiss to her temple and then gave a quick wave to Danykia before he followed Kraven out of the medical tent.

“How are you holding up, Elisabeth?” her friend asked gently.

“I am as well as I think that I could be at this moment,” Eli said honestly. “I don’t know what to think, what to do on any of this. I can’t believe that son of a bitch would hurt my dad, but the proof is there and it’s very clear.” She rubbed her forehead and began to pace. “I hate this. A great deal. I hate it.”

Danykia stepped closer and rubbed her hand over Elisabeth’s back slowly. “I know,” she said quietly. “Sit with your dad, Elisabeth. I will have one of the guards collect us something to drink. We will sit and visit with your dad for a while longer.”

“Thank you, Danykia. I don’t know what I’ve done to gain a friend such as you, but I am thankful for whatever it is that I did. You are the best friend a girl could ever have, and I just hope that I am half as good of a friend to you as you are to me.”

“You are yet learning.” She smiled. “We will get you there. Promise.” Giving Eli a gentle hug, Danykia got her back in her chair by her dad’s bed. Then the other woman went over to speak with one of the guards, who left a moment later.

Eli leaned in and observed her dad. He looked as if he was doing much better. That made her so very, very happy. Sighing, she stacked her hands on the rail at his bedside and closed her eyes, falling asleep without meaning to.

* * * *

A gentle hand stroking her hair jolted her awake.

“Shh.” Kraven’s voice. “It’s just me, little mate. It’s time for us to get you to bed, I think. You fell asleep next to your dad, I’m afraid.” He sounded amused. “Danykia hinted that there might have been drooling, but I see no evidence of such a thing.”

Eli grinned and looked to her friend. “She would have wiped it up before you saw me. She’s a good friend like that.” Winking at her friend, she then looked up to Kraven. “And you are sure that he’s going to be okay here? They will come get us if he wakes again and wants us?” She had other questions, such as did they get Parker, but for now she would allow them to steer her to where she needed to be. Happily.

“He will be fine. The guards will remain stationed here and will alert us the moment he awakens and if he’s up for company.” He scooped her up from her seat and headed for the doorway of the large tent. “But you will be getting some rest for now. Your dad is sleeping well, so we will leave him to his recovery.”

“Thank you.” Laying her head on his shoulder, Eli simply wrapped her arms around Kraven’s neck and held on. “For taking care of me, for taking care of my dad. Thank you for being mine.” She knew she didn’t have to thank him, but she was also sending thanks up to the gods and goddesses for bringing her together with these two men. “I love you, Kraven,” she whispered against his ear as her eyes closed.

“I love you as well, little mate,” he said softly. She could feel him brushing a kiss to her forehead as he walked. “We will be back in our room soon, and you can sleep. But do not sleep yet, Elisabeth. We need to get you comfortable, and it’s hard to do that when you are too relaxed.”

“Oh, you know that you love the challenge of undressing me while I am all loosey-goosey.” Eli’s tone was teasing and one that he was used to from her. “I happen to really, really love the idea of your hands all over my body while I am just barely awake.”

He chuckled softly and gave her a squeeze. She could feel their movements changing, the sound of metal under his boots, and then the sounds of the outdoors were cut off. “Lukkis should be waiting with your bath, hopefully. And yes, you are to have a bath before you sleep. You need to relax fully, and that will help.”

“You are too good to me.” They both were so good to her, both of them ensuring that she was always taken care of. It was very, very good to be her. “A nice hot bath would be wonderful, especially if Lukkis puts those things into the bath that he usually does. I don’t know what they are, but they make everything feel so much better. They tend to relax me like crazy.”

“It’s a natural herb that is dried, ground up, and processed very lightly. Then it is mixed with a few other items, all natural again, and when put into the water…” She felt him shrug under her cheek. “You know the result well,” he told her as he paused. The sound of a door opening had her peeking under her lashes enough to see they were entering the lift.

“Yes, I know the result well. I happen to enjoy it a great deal.” Seeing the inside of the lift, Eli looked up at Kraven and grinned. “I think you should kiss me. Since we are alone, I really think that you should kiss me,” she teased.

“Like it matters to me where we are,” he said softly. Lowering his head, he pressed his lips to hers gently. Stroking his tongue over her lips, he slid it into her mouth when she opened. His hold on her changed a little, and he growled softly into her mouth, the vibrations waking her a little more.

That was one of the many things she loved about him. That he was willing to ensure that she knew how much he cared, no matter where they were. She loved him all the more for it.

When they parted, she licked her lips. “Wow,” she whispered with a grin. “You are truly amazing, and holy smokes, you can kiss like nobody’s business.”

“That is a good thing, yes?” he asked. He was wearing that little smile that sent chills down her spine. He nuzzled at her cheek and only lifted his head when the door slid open. Stepping out into the hallway, he took long strides toward their rooms.

“Oh yes, that is a very, very good thing.” The looks sizzled her body, made her ache and need in the first second he looked at her. “I’m thinking that when we get into our room, you should love me, and then I should take that bath. How does that sound?”

“Bath,” he told her. “But,” he added before she could really get worked up, “if you ask very nicely, I will join you in the bath. While we are in there, I might even be talked into making love to you. Again, if you ask nicely enough.”

“I will have to practice and figure out how to ask the best way possible. Then again I will be naked, so that’s a pretty great way to ask you, right?” she asked happily. “I think that is exactly the best idea possible. To be naked—wet and naked—so that you will give in to me. Does that sound acceptable?”

“Could not hurt your cause,” he said with a nod. Stopping before their door, he looked down at her. “If you could enter the code, please.” He smiled slightly. He brushed a kiss to her lips and nipped at her mouth gently.

She reached behind her and entered the code blindly. With him kissing her, she couldn’t think of anything but him. When they parted, she licked her lips, she heard the door sliding open and smiled. “I think I got it right.” That or Lukkis had opened it.

“You did,” he said softly. His lips curled against hers, and he was moving as he continued to kiss her. How he knew where he was going, she didn’t know, didn’t care. He was kissing her, they were in their rooms, and she could hear Lukkis moving around in the bathroom somewhere behind her.

In her mind, life was good. She was in a safe place, warm and happy. She was being held by one of the two men she loved, and the other was running her a bath in the enormous custom tub. If not for her dad being harmed, she would say that she had a perfect life in this moment. But, as it was, he had been harmed. However, he was healing. That was all that mattered.

Kraven let her feet down and eased her to stand on the floor. The bathing room. She recognized the tile under her feet. Only when she was on her own two feet did he lift his head to look at her. “Let’s get you undressed,” he said softly. She felt Lukkis move up behind her, his body heating her all along her spine and bottom.

Leaning back against Lukkis, Eli smiled. “I love it when the two of you sandwich me between you. No matter where we are, it makes me feel all warm and loved. I never, ever want you to stop that.” She allowed them to undress her and lead her to the bathing tub. This was what she needed—them.

“I think you’d have a fight on your hands if you tried to make us stop,” Lukkis told her. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he helped her into the deep water. Stepping back, he undressed, Kraven was already naked and moving toward her.

Eli watched every move that Kraven made as he stalked toward her. There was no other way to describe the way that he moved.

“What are you thinking, Elisabeth?” he asked. Stepping into the tub, he eased down into the warm water behind her. Running a hand over her arm, he urged her to lean back into his body.

“I am just sitting here, thinking of how lucky I am that you are my mates. I look at you and I need. I look at you and I want. I can’t tell you how much I like that fact. I also love the fact that I know when you look at me, you feel the same way that I do for you. It’s wonderful, being able to share those feelings with both of you.”

“You forgot
crave
and
hunger
,” Lukkis said as he joined them. Sitting in front of her, he lifted her legs and settled her feet in his lap. Her toes brushed against his abdomen lightly. Very gently, he began to massage one foot, working the arch lightly and carefully.

“Oh, I do crave and hunger for both of you as well. I really happen to love that you both know me so very well. I love that the two of you are just as eager to be with me as well. It makes me all kinds of happy. Just saying.”

“I think we get it.” Lukkis grinned at her. Lifting her foot from the water, he pressed a kiss to the ball of her foot. Chuckling when she squirmed, he set it back in his lap and went to work massaging her other one. “We’ll be leaving for the homeworld in two days,” he said suddenly.

“Two days?” She was shocked, very much so. “Oh.” She took in a deep breath and nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. “Are you certain that we will be okay there on your homeworld? Are you sure that this will work out?”

“It will be fine,” Lukkis said, squeezing her foot. “But we need to decide whether to leave guards behind to watch over your dad or to see if he wants to come along. We can bring him along with us, if you’d like,” he offered. “He would be welcomed there, as a part of our family unit.”

“I would feel far better with him with us. However, knowing him, he will remain. He leads our people. He would see it as his duty to remain and ensure that life continues the way that we had originally intended before leaving Earth.”

“And he will be safe to do so,” Kraven told her. “His attacker is locked away and will be coming with us to Droushanian. Parker will face his judgment and punishment there. You will have the opportunity to speak, should you wish to, and give your opinion on his punishment. You don’t have to. We have enough evidence from the recordings as well as the medical staff on your dad’s condition to ensure Parker’s punishment is harsh.”

“Good.” Eli closed her eyes and yawned. “Are all of your people departing from the planet and leaving it to my people, or will some be staying here?” She wanted to know.

“We’ll only be taking one vessel back. The other and its crew will remain,” he told her quietly. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he hugged her tightly for a moment. “We’re leaving a presence behind to protect your people. Plus, it has the added benefit of giving you peace of mind in knowing that your dad is watched over while we are not here.”

“Thank you for that consideration. I don’t know what I have done to deserve the two of you, but I am grateful that I have you both in my life. Thank you for thinking of what I might need and want in life. It makes me very, very happy.”

“We want you to be happy,” he said softly. “This will let you relax more during our trip. We are your mates, Elisabeth. We are just trying to anticipate what you may need and want.”

“I am extremely happy with the two of you.” she said with honesty in her voice.

That earned her a kiss on her neck. Which, of course, led to other things right quick. She couldn’t claim that her mates were not as insatiable as she was.

Kraven’s hands moved to cup the weight of her breasts, his fingers tugging on her tight nipples. Lukkis, his gaze on hers, slid a hand slowly up her leg to cup her pussy and thrust two fingers deep into her. She was already needy, but the sensation of his lightly calloused fingers stroking her tender flesh ratcheted up her need an extra few levels.

“Oh, yes.” She bit her lower lip and rubbed against her men as best she could. “Please tell me that even when we are on your homeworld, we will still be able to do this?”

“We can do this anytime you want,” Lukkis said. He smiled at her as he pushed his fingers in deeper and curled the tips slightly. “We will have a bit of time just for ourselves when we are in the capital. And even more time when we go to Kraven’s property outside the cities.”

“Oh, that is very, very good.” She was riding his fingers now, begging for more with just her body language. “I was worried that the two of you would become stiff and distant when we got there.” She was worried they would be back to the staid men they had been before she walked into their lives.

“We will be more formal in the capital,” Kraven said, flicking her nipples. “But only when we are meeting with those of power. Beyond that, when we are with you away from them, we will be as we have been here.”

She rubbed against Kraven and squeezed Lukkis’s fingers inside of her pussy. “So good.” She moaned. “However, I really, really think that you need to do something more than touch me. I really think that the two of you need to have sex with me.”