Chapter 1 #2
“Are you hurt?” Bright asked, frowning.
“No, I’m fine,” Noelle said quickly. “Look, maybe you should just put me down.”
“Not until you get that star in the right place. Burn, you’re taller than me,” Bright said, looking up at his best friend. “Hell, you’re taller than anyone on the ship,” he added dryly. “Why don’t you help Noelle place the star?”
“Sure,” the giant Dark Twin rumbled.
And before Noelle quite knew what was happening, he was wrapping his huge hands around her waist and lifting her effortlessly so she could reach the top of the Christmas tree.
She was so startled that, for a moment, she just hung there in his arms. Then, realizing she wasn’t getting down until she placed the star, she reached out with one trembling hand and somehow managed to get the bottom of the sparkly gold decoration into place on the topmost branch sticking up from the top of the tree.
“There,” she said, trying not to sound breathless. “I…I got it. You can put me down now.”
“As you wish,” Burn rumbled and set her with surprising gentleness on her feet.
“Um, thank you.” Noelle was still flushed and panting. Dios, she’d never been so close to the Dark Twin—she could still smell his scent, which was wilder than Bright’s. He had a dark spice that reminded her of warm fur and campfires at night in the forest. Why did both of them smell so good?
“Is there anything else we can do to help you decorate?” Bright asked, smiling down at her. “You know we stayed after class just so we could help—I guess that makes us the ‘teacher’s pets,’ as you humans say.”
“Who said anything about being a pet?” Burn asked, frowning. “I thought we were staying to spend more time with Noelle?” He frowned at Bright. “Even though I told you a beautiful mature Elite probably wouldn’t be fucking interested in two males who can’t Bond with anyone.”
Noelle’s mouth was suddenly dry. What was he saying?
When Bright had volunteered the two of them to stay and help with the Christmas decorations in her temporary classroom, she’d thought they were just being polite.
But could it be that the two massive warriors were actually interested in her?
No—surely not, she told herself. That was crazy—right?
“It’s just a human saying,” Bright murmured, speaking to Burn but never taking his eyes off Noelle. “It doesn’t mean anything. So…is there anything else we can do to help?” he asked her.
Noelle swallowed hard, trying not to feel self-conscious with both sets of male eyes watching her so intently.
“Well, I…I think the tree is all finished now,” she said tentatively.
“What about the mistletoe?” Bright asked. “I thought I saw a sprig of it in your box of decorations. Isn’t it a human Christmas tradition to hang it somewhere for good luck?”
“Oh, well…yes, I guess so.” Noelle nodded. She went back to her desk and got the sprig of mistletoe from the box. It was tied to a long green ribbon with some Sticksall—a strong but easily removable adhesive—on the end of it.
Burn took it from her.
“Where do you want it hung?” he rumbled, raising his eyebrows.
Noelle looked around.
“Well, it’s traditionally hung in doorways, but I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t get caught in the door—since it slides open and shut, you know,” she added.
“I think we can make that work,” Bright said. “Why not hang it on the wall above the classroom door—that way it can’t get caught in the door when it opens or closes.” He nodded at Burn and the Dark Twin nodded.
“Got it.” He walked over to the doorway and reached high above his head to stick the end of the green velvet ribbon to the wall. When he finished, the sprig of mistletoe was dangling just above the entryway but wasn’t in danger of being caught in the sliding door.
“Oh—that’s perfect.” Noelle smiled up at him. “Thanks for your help.”
“Does this mean I’m your pet now, teacher?” Burn asked, his dark eyes going half-lidded again.
“What? No!” She laughed uncertainly. Why were the two of them being so flirty today? Was it because her job was ending soon and they knew she had to go back to Earth?
“It’s not a bad thing to be the teacher’s pet,” Bright murmured. “It’s supposed to get you preferential treatment—isn’t it?”
“What…what kind of treatment do you want from me?” Noelle’s heart was pounding again.
The way both of them were looking at her was making her feel nervous but in a good way.
She wasn’t sure why at first. Then she realized that it was just because it had been years since a man—or men—looked at her with desire.
Her ex, Branson, had made her feel ugly and fat all the time, but Bright and Burn had lazy looks of lust in their eyes.
“Hmm…preferential treatment.” Bright made a show of thinking it over. “I guess I might ask if we could perform an Earth holiday tradition together—one you, as our teacher, wouldn’t normally perform with a student,” he suggested.
Noelle took a deep breath, trying to slow her rapid pulse. Dios, she was reading too much into this. She had to stop thinking crazy things, like that the two huge warriors wanted her or desired her. They were just being a little flirty—that was all.
“What…what tradition is that?” she asked, trying to sound calm.
“Well—isn’t it true that when you stand under the mistletoe, you’re supposed to kiss the one you find attractive for good luck?” Bright asked.
“Oh, well…” Noelle trailed off, biting her lip. “I…I don’t know if that would be appropriate,” she said at last.
“Why? Do you not find Bright and me attractive?” Burn asked, raising his eyebrows.
“No! I mean, of course I do,” she exclaimed, feeling her cheeks getting hot again.
Dios, these two were making her crazy! Had they plotted this together—staying after class just to tease her?
“I mean, of course you’re attractive—you’re both so big and muscular and…
and…” She trailed off, not sure what to say.
“Then why can’t we kiss you?” Bright asked reasonably. “Not on the mouth—just on your cheeks. Both of us at the same time,” he added.
“Oh…just on the cheeks?” Noelle felt a little less nervous.
She’d been picturing kissing both warriors on the mouth…
and wondering what it might feel like. Which was definitely very unprofessional of her, seeing that she was their teacher.
But just letting them kiss her on the cheeks wasn’t so bad.
Why did they want to do it at the same time, though?
Maybe they want to see what it feels like to have a woman between them, whispered a little voice in her head. They are Twin Kindred, after all—they probably long for everything other Twin Kindred have, but neither of them has a twin to share a woman with.
She had a sudden mental image of being sandwiched between the two huge warriors while all three of them were naked…and quickly pushed the thought away.
“I…I guess it would be okay for you to kiss me—as long as it’s just on the cheek. For luck, I mean,” she added.
“Mmm, thank you, my lady. You honor us,” Bright murmured. He took Noelle by the hand. “Come on…let’s try it now.”
He led Noelle right under the mistletoe and Burn came to stand on her other side. The two of them were so tall, she felt like a child standing between two adults for a moment—but that analogy didn’t work, since she was older than both of them, she decided.
“All right,” she said, trying to sound unbothered by the strange situation. “I’m ready—go ahead and kiss me.”
The two big warriors shared a look over her head and then, without speaking, both leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.
At first, it felt fine—both of their lips were soft and she could feel the slight prickle of Burn’s beard and mustache.
Also, she had time to notice that their masculine scents—while very different from each other—seemed to mingle perfectly to make a fragrance that would put any high-end men’s cologne to shame.
But then, something strange started to happen.
A tingling sensation started where their lips were touching her cheeks. At first, Noelle thought she was imagining it. But it got stronger and turned into something more—a kind of pleasurable warmth.
The warm wave of sensation rushed down from her cheeks and spread through her whole body.
Barely a second later, she felt her nipples tingling and then her pussy started to get hot and wet.
The tingling reached her clit and it almost felt like a warm set of lips had molded around her aching button and was licking and sucking gently but firmly.
What is wrong with me? Noelle thought frantically. Oh my God, if this doesn’t stop, I’m going to come!
She’d never been so instantly turned on before—was it just because Burn and Bright were kissing her? But why would a kiss on the cheek make her so crazy? Her whole body was lit up like a Christmas tree with pleasure and desire!
I have to stop this—I have to pull away! she told herself urgently.
But before she could make a move to step away from the two big warriors, she felt her body betraying her. She tried to hold still and stifle her exclamation but as an incredibly strong orgasm rolled through her, she felt her legs giving way and suddenly she was sinking to the ground.
“Madre de Dios!” she gasped, and then the world went gray and everything around her seemed to fade.