A Faire in Paradise by Tianna Xander Read Free Book Online Page A

me.”
    Alexa stared up at him and swallowed. She couldn’t miss the bulge in the front of his jeans and the damned thing kept getting bigger as he stood there in front of her.
    “Stop it, you two. You don’t have to lie to me. I get it, you have a thing for older women and you want some sort of fling. I’m not saying it doesn’t appeal to me.” She slowly looked them over. “You’re both very nicely put together. However, I’m not into the whole cougar business. While I might think younger men are attractive, I would feel like a dirty old woman if I ever slept with one.”
    “But we aren’t younger.” Ryker, walked around to sit at the other side of the table, careful not to touch her. “I was born in nineteen twenty and Wade was born in eighteen sixty-seven. As I said, we are a lot older than we look.”
    “Okay,” Alexa said as she held up her hand. “Let’s say that for the sake of argument, I believe you. What has that got to do with me and what did that other man want you to tell me?”
    “You’re our mate.”
    “What?” She couldn’t have heard that right. The man had said that she was their mate. Not his mate, not Wade’s mate. Ryker had clearly said that she was their mate, as in belonging to both of them. “I know I didn’t hear you right.”
    “Yes, sweetheart, you did,” Wade said. “Ryker said that you are our mate. Here in Paradise, we have what some would call poly amorous relationships. We love more than one person.” He grinned. “At least most of the women do.”
    “What-what…” Alexa cast her gaze around the inside of her trailer. She couldn’t bring herself to look at either of them. Her face burned with mortification. It was one thing to think about doing something like that. It was something else to actually do it. Did they expect her to do that?
    Her breath hitched as she thought about what they implied. Was that why Milla was with two men earlier? Was that why two men kept staring at Nadya with such longing?
    She looked at Ryker and Wade in turn. Did they expect her to sleep with them both? She swallowed thickly when she realized that the idea appealed to her more than it should. She was almost forty-five for crying out loud. She was too old to change her ways, now.
     
     

Chapter Twelve
     
     
    Ryker watched the emotions chase across Alexa’s face. The last one looked a lot like regret. Why? Did she still think she was too old for them? The idea was laughable, considering their advanced years.
    “Look, Alexa, we don’t age like humans. We’re older than we look and when we mate, our blood exchange will make you like us. You’ll slowly take on the appearance of a shifter of your age.” He pushed his fingers through his hair. “Hell, as Leoparo we’re still going through a kind of puberty at fifty.”
    “Puberty at fifty!” She stared up at him with wide eyes. “I barely survived human puberty. I don’t think I can handle the shifter variety.” She laughed and shook her head. “Am I going mad? I know this isn’t a dream, as much as I might wish it were. I’m wide awake. I know I am. How can this be happening?”
    “As you have seen, our people are different, Alexa.” Ryker wracked his brain for something else to say—something that would convince her to stay here in Paradise with them. Should we tell her she’s our mate? He asked Wade through their mind link. Or do you think it’s too soon? They might not have a choice.
    We have to tell her. You heard Adam. He practically ordered us to do so. Wade didn’t sound happy about any of it. I’d rather let her get to know us first, but our alpha has taken that choice out of our hands. She’s going to continue to ask us about it until we tell her.
    “Exactly how different are you?” She waved her hand with a blush. “I mean aside from the whole shifting shape thing. What did that other man want you to tell me? What did he mean when he told you to tell me what I am to you? Was it the whole mate