Author: Amy Star
Category: Paranormal
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/amy-star/page,15,567532-goldie_lox_and_her_trio_of_bears_goldie_lox_prophecy_book_1.html
“I don’t know what I thought.” She lowered her voice.
“Does it make you jealous to think of me with someone else?” He stopped eating and sucked the chicken seasoning off the tips of his fingers.
“You eat like an animal.” She rolled her eyes.
“Way to deflect.” He appeared unbothered.
“Does it make you jealous to think of me with someone else?” She tilted her body toward him.
“Do you want me to be?” His gaze intensified, and she blushed.
He propped his arms on his knees, lacing his fingers together. Jillian picked up the tray and set it on the chair.
“Are you going to get dressed, or are you planning on riding on my back in that.” He gestured to her robe. “Not that I’d complain either way.”
“Very funny.” She readjusted her robe so that her chest was completely covered. “I can’t leave yet. My father is going to scan the signed documents and sent them over to his buddy at the Capitol unless I stop him.”
“So, you want to what?” He looked around, and his site settled on the candles. “Burn the house down?”
“That would give him all the ammo he needed to discredit anything I had to say.” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “And it would destroy all the evidence against him.”
“It bothers me that you didn’t know I was joking.” He coughed. “So, what’s plan B?”
“I don’t know.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, her shoulders deflating as she hung her head. “I fucked everything up when I tried to talk to my dad. Now I have absolutely no chance at getting through to him.”
A tear dropped from the tip of her nose, and Conner realized this wasn’t a joke. He bit his lip, tugging at the collar of his hoodie before sitting beside her. She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. His cheek brushed against her forehead as she turned her face up to look at him.
His gaze moved from her eyes down to her lips, but he didn’t move to kiss her. Jillian knew that if he did, she would kiss him back. Just like she knew that if she started, she would likely end up going further than she meant to.
Closing her eyes, the memory of Vincent surfaced in her mind; the way everything in her body was pulling her toward him, and he somehow conjured up the will to stop. She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him, and yet he went out of his way to make sure she knew that it was entirely her decision. His wisdom, his restraint, his strength all made him the perfect candidate to father children.
Plus, there was the fact that he was the alpha of their den. Even though he had made it clear that the oracle didn’t need to be mated to the alpha, it would make for a strong structure for their tribe, which would, according to him, be growing exponentially in the near future.
There was the fact that Conner stood up for her when she and Vincent disagreed about how to save Finn. But could she be sure that he was doing that for the right reasons?
“Can I kiss you?” Conner’s voice cracked. “Just a kiss.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you.” She pulled back, wiping her eyes. “I have to pick one of you to raise children with. The four of us are likely going to spend the rest of our lives together, and I don't want to make things weird.”
“Vincent told you how his people do relationships, right?”
“I assume you mean the polyamory thing.” She rubbed her arms. “Yeah, he ran that by me.”
“And?” He prompted.
“And I'm not sure I want to be the village bicycle.” She turned away.
“That's a fucked-up thing to say.” He poked his tongue lightly to the inside of his cheek.
“Why? Just because I’m not cool being passed around like a peace pipe?”
“Like a what?” He grimaced. “We have treated you with nothing but respect from the moment we met you. We don't fight over you or objectify you. You say you want to kiss me, but then you don't because… why? You feel like you're cheating on Vince?”
“No… well kind of.” She blinked. “I'm just afraid of making a life-changing decision in the heat of the moment.”
“What is wrong with trusting what you feel?” Conner drew in a sharp breath before continuing. “What could be more important than that.”
“Look, I don’t even know what I feel right now.” She lifted her shoulders toward her ears.
“Yes, you do.” He took her hand and put it over his heart. “Everyone knows what they’re feeling. You’re just too afraid to say it out loud… Say it!”
“I feel something different for each of you.” She stood up, placing herself between his thighs as she kissed his forehead. “But I only get one shot at making this decision, and I don't want to fuck it up.”
“Look, I'm not trying to talk you into mating yourself to me.” He rested his hands on her waist. “I’m not even saying you should have your baby with me.” He sighed, looking up at her. “Even though their eyes would be the bluest-blue anyone had ever seen.”
“You’re too much.” She smiled, letting her hands fall.
“I know you care about Vince and Finn, and that doesn’t bother me.” He took her hands in his. “They care about you, too. But you're not breaking any hearts by giving in to what you feel.”
“I…” She started to speak, but his warm, parted lips touched the heel of her hand before moving to her wrist.
“If you don’t want me, then tell me to stop.” He looked up at her. “Tell me, and this time… make me believe that you mean it.”
“I'm so confused about the thoughts running through my head right now.” She breathed.
“Because you're still worried about how people would judge you if they knew you were falling for three men.”
“Hey,” she raised her index finger, “I never said I was falling for all three of you.”
“It’s not up to me to tell you if what you feel is right or wrong. But I think you're waiting for permission from someone. And the only one who can give it is you.” His jaw sharpened as he waited for her response.
It’s like he’s reading my every thought. Jillian’s legs trembled underneath her robe. Is he right? Am I falling for all three of them? And if so… am I okay with that?
Conner’s eyes dulled as he accepted defeat. She thought about that moment when Ted had dropped down on one knee. The girl that cared about what everyone else thought had rebuked her for breaking off what everyone would have perceived as a fairy tale romance. That girl hated her for disappointing everyone, for driving a wedge further between her and her parents. But she didn’t want to be that girl.
Jillian had made a conscious decision to leave that broken person behind when she said no to a loveless marriage. It didn’t make sense to allow that fear to be a driving force in her life, not anymore. As she kissed his parted lips, the slack, vacant expression that had settled over his face disappeared.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she whispered, running her fingers through the back of his hair.
“Are you sure?” His eyes ignited like blue embers, as his hands slid hesitantly from her hips to the curve of her lower back.
Her body stirred as she wet her lips. “Kiss me,” she demanded.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jillian purred as Conner forced her mouth open with his. Their tongues danced together, passionate and hungry as he dug his fingers into her hips. She lifted her knee over his thigh, causing the front of her robe to fall open, exposing a flash of milky skin to the soft light of the candles. His mouth devoured hers in a frenzy as he flexed, pulling her core against his thigh.
She moaned softly, and her head fell back. He left a trail of kisses down the delicate bow of her throat, cupping the mound of her breast in his palm. He kissed lower and lower until the warmth of his tongue swirled around the tender peak of her nipple, causing her to gasp, clenching her fingers around a handful of his hair. Her whole body shuddered at first, but she then pulled him closer as she warmed to the sensation.
&nbs
p; Lifting her other leg to straddle his waist, she angled her hips, grinding on him as he growled into the flesh of her breast. Her core, slick and famished, yearned for him, and his manhood ached against the stiff fabric of his jeans, begging for release, but he’d already promised that it wouldn’t go that far. He would only kiss her, but dammit, he would kiss every inch of her if she would let him.
Rolling her onto her back, he pressed himself between her parted thighs, slowly working his way down. The sharpness of his teeth glided over the ridge of her hipbone as his lips found the crease of her center. He licked and sucked, flicking his tongue against the soft nub above her opening. Jillian’s back arched, and she covered her mouth to keep from alerting the guard in the hall as Conner flicked his tongue against the round nub above her opening.
She’d had a healthy amount of sex for a twenty-four-year-old girl. Or at least, she had what she’d thought was a healthy amount of sex. But this was a sensation that was completely alien to her. She curled her toes as sparks covered every inch of her skin. She held her breath, struggling not to make a sound until finally…
“Stop.” She practically shrieked as she sat up.
“Did I hurt you?” Conner wiped his lips, standing up and taking a step back.
“No.” She glanced at the sizable bulge in his jeans, panting and shaking her head. “You didn’t hurt me.”
“I’m sorry if…” He took another step back.
“I promise you didn’t do anything wrong.” She pulled her robe shut, retying it. “I loved every second of that.”
“I don’t understand.” His chest heaved as he chewed his bottom lip.
“Oh my God.” Jillian looked at the candles that had melted down to almost nothing. “Okay, I didn’t realize how long we were… uh… I should have told you this as soon as you got here. I wrote this article that I have on this laptop and a thumb drive. It would destroy my father and put a kink in the oil drilling thing, as well as any bill he put his name on that hasn’t processed yet.”
“Okay, so why don’t we just do that?” Conner gave a quick nod.
“Because that would only be a temporary solution to the problem. If there’s oil under Hemlock Park, there will always be some asshole trying to make a profit off of it. Plus, there’s this Vampire named Eden who’s going to wake from his vampire coma and start slaughtering people if we don’t protect the park.”
“Uh, wait a second.” Conner blinked and raised both eyebrows. “A vampire? Like for real?”
“I know…” Jillian frowned. “I thought Eden was a weird name for a guy, too.”
“That is so not what I was thinking.” Conner gestured stiffly.
“I need to get into my father’s office before he gets up.” Jillian rushed over to her closet and started throwing on an outfit. “I need to get all the dirt I can on him, destroy his computer along with all the hard copies of the signed documents for the drilling permit, and then get the fuck out without getting caught by my dad’s evil minions.”
“I told you.” Conner beamed. “All good ideas are preceded by a good distraction.”
“The only problem is going to be getting past minion number one who’s lurking out in the hall.”
“Are you serious?” Conner simpered. “That’s a piece of cake.”
“How do you figure?” Jillian’s eyes darted to the door then back to Conner.
“Why don’t we just climb around the outside to his office window?” He rubbed his chin. “You must have a vague idea as to where it is.”
That made Jillian stop and think.
“How’d you know which room was mine?” She tilted her head.
“I guess it’s a feeling that pulls me toward you.” He walked up to her and ran his fingers from her shoulder to her elbow. And when I get close enough, I recognize your smell.”
“You can’t smell me.” She gave him a playful shoulder shove.
“Yeah, I can.” He grinned. “Even under all that…” He inhaled through his nose. “Tea tree, rose oil, and… bergamot?”
“What do I smell like?” Her smile relaxed as she softly bit the inside of her bottom lip.
“I guess.” His brow wrinkled as he contemplated. “It’s kind of sweet, like how a new baby smells. I mean, when they’re all clean and haven’t…”
“Stop talking.” She giggled, cupping her hand over his mouth.
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “It was the closest thing I could think of.”
“How does one avoid falling in love with someone?” She swayed gently, looking up into his starry blue eyes.
“I think I’m probably the least qualified person to ask.” He swallowed. “I already feel like I’ve known you forever.”
Quieting the butterflies in her stomach, she grabbed her backpack and stuffed a few outfits inside. She carefully packed the soft clothing items around her computer and the thumb drive. The last thing she wanted was for either of those things to get damaged. Conner held out his hand and took the pack to put it on.
“You’re wobbly enough without something to throw you off balance.” He winked as she followed him outside onto the balcony. Hopping onto the railing, he reached for the roof and pulled himself without much effort. Jillian took a deep breath, climbing onto the railing, she teetered, putting her arms out to the sides as she slowly stood up and reached for his outstretched hand.
She made the mistake of looking down as she reached for him and almost toppled backward off the ledge. He caught her by the arm and hauled her up, pulling her to his chest. Heart still racing, she nodded to him, acknowledging that she was okay before they continued up to the highest point of the roof.
Peeking over the ridge, she noted the security guard that was patrolling the courtyard.
“How many of them are there?” Conner mouthed.
Jillian held up seven fingers, and he nodded. One at her door and one in the courtyard meant there would be five more wandering around the grounds. Panic welled in her throat as two guards walked toward each other down below them.
“Shh.” He put his hand on her chest, lying flat against the roof, nodding for her to do the same.
She obeyed, lying perfectly still until they passed one another. They must have been patrolling the perimeter of the house.
That’s four minions accounted for. She thought to herself. That means two more were running around somewhere.
Conner looked one direction and then the other before getting up and waving for Jillian to follow him. They moved along, crouching and stepping as lightly as they could. As they moved around the base of one of the eastern towers, Jillian’s feet slipped out from under her. Her chin smacked into the hard surface as she rolled twice, then slid face-first over the edge.
“Shit!” she blurted out.
Conner dove, catching her by the ankle, nearly going over himself. Dangling upside down, Jillian craned her neck back to look at the ground, fifty feet below.
“Jesus, woman.” He groaned, pulling her up. “We should assume that someone heard that. They’re going to be checking on you any minute.”
“Then, we need to move fast.” She panted. “His office window is at the northwest corner.”
All right, well, we need to get off this roof.” He nodded to the windows in the tower. “If I heard something on the roof, that’s where I’d go to check it out.”
“Okay.” She looked up at the tower, and the light inside flickered on. “Shit. The power must have just come back on. We’re out of time.”
They climbed down the stone molding and held on for dear life as they moved along decorative trim just above the second story. The casting was only about six inches wide, so they had to face the wall and slide along sideways on their toes. When they finally found themselves over the corner window, they looked at each other.
“How do we get down?” She frowned, clinging to the wall. “My legs are shaking.”
“Don’t be scared, okay?” He nodded earnestly before suddenly dropping off the ledge, causing Jill
ian to have another mini-heart attack. As soon as the initial shock wore off, her eyes fell to the ridge where Conner stood a second ago. The fingers of one hand still grasped the concrete seam, and he was now standing on the window ledge while using his free hand to jerk the window open. After he was inside, his head poked out, and he waved her to move over the window.
“Drop down, and I’ll catch you.” He held both his arms out.
“I can’t.” She croaked, tightening her grip as her hands started to sweat. “I’m freaking out.”
“I know.” He rubbed his hand down his face. “But I need you to trust me, okay. Just drop down.
They glanced down at the ground seeing one of the guards coming around the corner. Conner pulled back inside, and Jillian clenched her eyes shut, hoping that if he didn’t sense her looking at him, he might keep walking. She held her breath, fingers slowly slipping off the edge.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck-fuck!
She felt herself slipping and jumped back a few inches, dropping down. Conner caught her around the waist, but her shins smacked into the concrete windowsill. She clenched her teeth as he pulled her inside. She looked down at her bloody shins, confident that nothing was broken, but it hurt like a mother fucker.
“You okay?” He grimaced at her shins.
“Peachy.” She put her hand on one of the scrapes and immediately regretted it. “Did he see us?”
Conner looked out the window one way and then the other. “I…” He panted.
“Conner, did he, or didn’t he?” She got to her feet and rushed to the computer desk.
“I don’t know.” He shook his head and closed the window. “I don’t see how he couldn’t have at least heard something, but maybe we pulled you in before he looked up.”
“Can you barricade the door while I try to get in here?” She typed her name and birthday into the password field, first capitalized, and then not capitalized.
Nope.
She typed her mom’s name and birthday to no avail. Conner scooted a massive bookshelf to the center of the room and then scooted it a few feet in front of the door before carefully tipping it over and leaning it against the doorway