Mating Rituals [Impulse 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Zara Chase Page B

claimed their relationship was the reason why she wouldn’t let the kids come back. Kane couldn’t live with himself if he was the cause of their continued separation. “You know I’ll step aside rather than keep you from having your kids back.”
    “That ain’t gonna happen,” Tyrone said assertively. “Maria and I never should have mated, and that’s all there is to it. But shit happens, so it’s better to acknowledge the mistake and move on.”
    “She still loves you?”
    “You don’t blackmail the people you love.” Tyrone slapped Kane’s shoulder. “Come on, buddy, I’ll scrub your back in the shower.”
    All four of Tyrone’s limbs elevated at the same time as he leapt from the bed with an athletic grace that never failed to compel Kane. He followed his lover into the bathroom, aware that it was more than just his back that was about to receive Tyrone’s attention.
    They took their prolonged shower and reached the main room just as Aisha emerged from her bedroom. She looked fresh and rested and was dressed in jeans and a sleeveless top, her hair still damp from the shower.
    “Hey,” Kane said, stepping in for a kiss. “You cut and ran this morning. That wasn’t nice.”
    Heat invaded her face. “I was awake early and didn’t want to disturb you both.”
    “Is that all it was?” Tyrone asked, taking his turn to grab a kiss.
    “Sure, what else?”
    She shrugged, a little too casually, and it was clear that embarrassment had indeed been the reason for her swift exodus from their bed. When she caught them fucking each other, it was impossible to explain why it was necessary, so distracting her seemed like the logical step. It would be even harder to explain away the oddities she was bound to notice in Impulse if she hung around for long. Not that there was any question of her leaving. Kane was damned if he’d let her go, having waited so long to find her. No, they’d back off and give her time to get used to the way things were while they sorted out their problems.
    Somehow.
    “Hungry?” Tyrone asked.
    “I don’t usually eat much breakfast.”
    “Aw, honey, you need to have something.”
    Kane smiled into her remarkable eyes and felt his insides lurch with renewed desire. How the fuck was he supposed to keep his hands off her if she continued living here in the apartment right alongside them? He told himself to get a grip. This was too important for him to screw it up by being impatient. One step, one day, at a time. That was how these things were done, wasn’t it?
    “I don’t see why.”
    “That’s because you’ve never had one of Tyrone’s pancakes. They’re to die for.”
    “Well…all right. I guess I could manage just one.”
    “Atagirl!” Tyrone blew her a kiss and headed for the kitchen area, which was divided from the main part of the room by a curved counter. “Coming right up.”
    Kane poured freshly squeezed juice for them all and sat at the counter with Aisha, watching Tyrone grind beans and set the coffee machine working.
    “These records you have of Impulse’s weather patterns,” Aisha said, her tone all business. “Presumably they’re computerized. I was thinking that I’m in the way here, invading your space and privacy. I’d be better off checking into a hotel and working through them there.”
    “She hates us,” Tyrone pheromoned.
    “She’s embarrassed after what she saw us doing to each other. She’s not as worldly wise as she likes to make out.”
    “Sorry, darlin’,” Kane said, “but all the records we have are stored here, either in paper form or on microfiche. We haven’t gotten around to putting many of them on the computer yet. You’ll understand why when you see them. They go back years, aren’t in any sort of order, and we never allow them to leave the building.”
    “Oh.”
    “We don’t usually let anyone look at them, either,” Tyrone added, turning back from the stove to look directly at her.
    “Then thank you for trusting