Duncan laughed and slid out of bed. Emma found herself watching him walk, the muscles in his perfect ass flexing as he strode to the doorway. He paused and looked back at her. Her eyes slipped over his muscled chest, admiring the way his pierced nipples pebbled in the cool air. He cleared his throat and her eyes flew up to his face.
He grinned at her. “You’re gorgeous too.” She blushed and Duncan laughed. “You’re adorable.” He turned and went across the hall to the bathroom. Emma flopped back onto the bed, covering her face with the sheet. She knew it wouldn’t do any good. Both men could sense her embarrassment. She felt Jake’s amusement even with her eyes closed.
“He’s right, you know.” Jake pulled the covers down.
Emma sighed, refusing to open her eyes. “Right about what?”
“You are adorable.” Jake kissed her and got out of the bed. Emma refused to move. If you two want to tease me, you can make your own coffee, she thought.
“I heard that!” Duncan called. Jake laughed from somewhere in the living room. She opened her eyes. How is this my life? she wondered. She was happy and it felt strange. She hadn’t been unhappy before, but now she there was a sense of fulfillment, of belonging, deep inside, that was as wonderful as it was weird. She looked at the clock and winced. It was a good thing she’d let the school know she wouldn’t be in today because half the morning was gone. She wondered if the bonding was finally complete or if they’d all start feeling terrible again when the men had to leave later that day. She shrugged. They couldn’t do anything about it. Duncan had a concert tonight.
Jake wandered back into the bedroom, clutching his phone. He was shirtless but had pulled on a pair of jeans. “Do you want me to make you breakfast?”
Emma looked at him, surprised. “You cook?”
Jake smiled. “Of course I cook. You know I cook.”
Emma shook her head. “I’m still getting used to this bonding thing. I have your memories, but they’re not always right at the surface where I can easily access them. And I’m too lazy to concentrate right now.”
“It’s okay. I am too.” Jake sat down on the bed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “I think it’s going to take us all a while to get used to it.”
Emma sighed and kissed his palm. Then she squinted. Jake looked like he was outlined in blue. She rubbed her eyes. He still looked glowy.
“What?”
“You look like someone sprinkled blue glow all over you.” She frowned, staring at him harder. She could feel the glow as well as see it. What is this? she wondered. She reached a finger out and ran it along Jake’s arm above his skin, inside the glow but not touching him. The blue glow swirled around her finger and Jake twitched.
“What did you do? It tickles.”
Emma concentrated, running her finger up his arm again. “I’m not sure.”
“What’s going on?” Duncan walked into the room wearing sweatpants and nothing else. Emma glanced at him. He glowed a warm red. He looked beautiful.
“You’re glowing red,” she said, confused.
“Emma says I’m glowing blue,” Jake explained.
Duncan walked closer. “Another bonding thing?”
Jake nodded. “Must be.”
“What’s the point of glowing?” Duncan asked as Emma ran her hand down his arm. The red glow swirled around, growing brighter where her hand passed. Duncan shivered. Emma noted that both men’s tattoos were extra colorful, the rainbow colors that had been imprinted around the black designs even more vivid to her eyes. She glanced down at her arm, not surprised to see a purple glow on her skin.
“I’m glowing purple,” she said.
Jake grinned. “Well, at least that makes sense. It’s a combination of red and blue.”
“Huh. If I concentrate, I can make it brighter or dimmer. I don’t know what that means.” Emma frowned, concentrating.
“I can feel it when you do that,” Duncan said as she idly ran her hand along his arm. “Feels weird. Not bad, just strange.”
“I think we need to see if this applies only to us, or if you can see it on other people,” Jake said. I can almost see it through your eyes, he thought.
Emma nodded. “It feels like I can play with it, but to what end?”
“The only way to find out is to try something,” Duncan said. Emma ran her hand up his thigh. He shivered again and she noted that his libido was taking a definite interest in what was going on. He put his hand over hers to stop her. “Sweetheart, I’d love to play, but I’ve got a phone interview in five minutes.”
Emma pouted, wondering what the glow would look like when they were aroused.
Jake grinned, catching her thought. “I say you torture him during his interview.”
“Jake!” Duncan said, exasperated. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to give an interview when you’re hard as a rock?” He grabbed Emma’s hand, lifting it away from his leg and kissing it before setting it down on the bed.
Jake laughed and shook his head. “I’ll go start breakfast.”
Emma smiled. “I need to brush my teeth, anyway.”
Four hours later, Emma sat in the back of a limo with Duncan and Jake on the way to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. She held Jake’s hand, watching as Duncan discussed the night’s concert with his bassist, Jon, and drummer, Tabb. She couldn’t believe she was there, riding in the car with them. Jake wouldn’t let go of her, and Duncan sat very close on her right. She had no idea what the others were thinking. Duncan and Jake introduced her as a “friend.” She knew they’d have to discuss how to handle the bonding, but for now they’d agreed to keep things under wraps until they had more time to hash out what they were going to say to the public. Emma hadn’t even thought about it until Jake brought it up over breakfast. She wasn’t used to thinking of fans and newspapers being interested in her life. She felt a pang of insecurity at the thought. She didn’t know what they were going to do. She was a teacher, and Duncan and Jake traveled around the world. How would they manage? What would they do if they couldn’t figure out a way to be apart because of the bonding?
Jake squeezed her hand, pausing in his conversation with Duncan’s publicist. She smiled weakly at him, fooling neither him nor Duncan.
“You okay?” Jake asked, sending waves of reassurance her way. Duncan slipped his hand onto her thigh, pressing lightly. She felt his concern loud and clear.
“Yeah, just a little tired,” she said, trying to relax. I’d be fine if I hadn’t suddenly discovered that I could see the auras of other people, she thought. Not everyone, thank God, but she could see auras on Lisa, the publicist, and Tabb. She wasn’t sure what that meant. Neither of them had bonding tattoos. Was she sensing potential? She noticed Lisa rubbing at her arms as if they were itchy.
“It’s not much farther,” Duncan said quietly to her during a pause in his conversation. She nodded, wishing they were at the venue already.
A half hour later they pulled up to the back entrance. She waited until Jake got out of the car and let him help her out. She was grateful that there were no fans or photographers waiting.
“We didn’t tell them what time we’d be coming,” Duncan murmured as he stepped out behind her. “It’s easier that way. I have a lot of fans and they get a little excited sometimes.”