Divided Read online

  “Look at her,” Far said to his twin again. “Before we find Vashtar or do anything else, we need to make sure she doesn’t freeze. Now, come on.”

  He lay down on his side, taking Becca with him. She was dimly aware of his broad, warm chest pressed against her shivering back and it did feel good. But it simply wasn’t enough. She knew that having Truth on her other side so that her smaller form was bracketed by the big male bodies would help. But would the dark twin bend his no-contact policy, even to keep her from freezing?

  “P-please, Truth,” she managed to get out through numb lips. “S-so c-cold. And you won’t…w-won’t even be r-really t-touching me.”

  “She’s right,” Far said from behind her. “None of our physical bodies are touching, no matter what it feels or looks like here. We’re actually back in that vast holding facility all in our separate tanks.”

  Truth muttered a low curse. “I suppose you’re right,” he said at last. “Very well, I will do this, but only because it isn’t real.”

  It felt real enough to Becca. I’m going to freeze, she thought miserably. I bet my body is going into hypothermia back in that damn slime tank. And all because we can’t figure out a way to make any blankets or clothes appear in this stupid mental internet place.

  Just as she was sure she was a gonner, Truth lay down on the bed facing her, and scooted close.

  Immediately, Becca began to feel better. But she still needed something more.

  “Arms,” she gasped. “P-put your arms around m-me.”

  From behind, she felt Far wrap his arms around her at once. Truth did the same though a little more hesitantly.

  The moment she felt their long, muscular arms overlapping around her, Becca at last began to feel warm. It started as a tingle in her toes and fingertips that grew and grew. Then a flash of warmth, like a wave of hot air, rushed through her arms and legs. But though the tingling heat felt wonderful on her extremities, it didn’t quite reach her core or her face.

  “Rebecca?” Truth murmured, bending his neck down to look into her eyes. “Are you feeling better?”

  Becca looked up, meeting the dark twin’s gaze. His pale eyes blazed with concern for her—concern and other emotions he wouldn’t speak aloud. They were emotions he denied he even had but he couldn’t hide them from her. Not when they were so close.

  It’s all right, she wanted to tell him. I feel for you too. I’m scared too. But it’s going to be all right…

  “Rebecca?” he asked again.

  Driven by some instinct she didn’t quite understand, Becca answered him, but not with words. Tilting her chin, she captured his sensual mouth with hers in a long, sweet, close-mouthed kiss.

  Truth groaned and started to pull away. Then he seemed to change his mind. Burying one hand in her hair, he pulled Becca forward and kissed her back, taking her mouth with a single minded intensity that made her moan.

  The dark twin took her open lips as an invitation. As his tongue slipped inside her, Becca felt the warmth penetrate her at last, starting where their mouths were joined and rushing over her face like tiny, tingling flames.

  So good! Mother of God, so good!

  She kissed Truth harder, pressing forward to rub her bare breasts against his broad chest. At her back she felt Far murmuring encouragement. She could feel his long, hard shaft pressing against her ass, branding her there. At the same time, Truth’s cock was rubbing hard against her lower belly.

  The realization that both men were touching her so intimately gave Becca pause. She could feel guilt hovering just on the horizon and a little voice whispering that good girls didn’t do this and she would be punished if she didn’t stop.

  But it’s not real, she reminded herself. We’re not even touching, no matter how good it feels. It’s all in our heads.

  The rationalization was enough to push back the guilt and let her really enjoy the intimate, three-way embrace. She writhed between the big, male bodies, pressing her breasts against Truth and her ass against Far. Hands stroked her everywhere, sliding over her shoulders and down her sides, cupping her breasts and caressing her thighs. It felt incredible and even better, she was finally completely warm through and through for the first time since she’d taken off her protective suit.

  Becca wasn’t sure how far it would have gone if Truth hadn’t finally pulled away from the kiss. With a low groan, he sat up and put his head in his hands.

  “Truth?” Becca sat up too and Far sat up on the other side of her.

  “Brother?” he asked quietly. “Are you well?”

  “Apologies…” Truth’s voice was hoarse. “I…we shouldn’t have. I don’t know why I…why I…”

  “Why you couldn’t resist kissing our lady as she lay between us?” Far asked softly. “Why you find it so hard to ignore your natural instincts?”

  “I should have been stronger. Should have resisted.” Truth ran a hand through his short hair and looked away guiltily.

  “It’s my fault,” Becca said quickly. “I’m sorry, Truth. I was just so cold and I had this idea that if I kissed you it might, um, warm me up.”

  “And did it?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

  Becca nodded quickly. “Oh, yes! Being between the two of you is better than bundling up in the quilt my grandma made me.” She felt her cheeks get warm as she said it but there was no denying the truth of the statement. She was toasty warm now even though they were no longer entwined.

  Truth frowned. “What is a quilt?” He looked at Far. “And I want to hear it from Rebecca—not you.”

  Far shrugged, his broad, bare shoulders rolling with the motion.

  “I have no idea what a quilt is, either. I didn’t make an exhaustive study of Becca’s culture—I just looked into a few things she liked.”

  “Well, that’s good to know, anyway,” Truth muttered. “So, Rebecca?”

  “A quilt is a kind of thick blanket made up of different colored squares all sewn together to make a top piece and a bottom piece.”

  “Different colored squares?” Truth asked. “What colors?”

  “Well, the one my grandma made me was pink and yellow and—Oh!”

  Her eyes grew wide. The quilt she was describing—the one her grandma had made for her back when she was twelve—was suddenly lying neatly folded across the bottom of the bed.

  “Is that it?” Truth’s eyes were also wide.

  “Should we touch it?” Far reached for it without waiting for an answer. He unfolded it and frowned. “It doesn’t appear very warm.”

  “It should be, though,” Becca said. “Between the top and bottom cloths it has a layer of batting in between. That’s like, uh, stuffing,” she explained, seeing Truth’s confused look.

  Far frowned. “But I thought stuffing was what you put inside the cavity of the avian your people eat for giving thanks.”

  Becca tried not to laugh. “That’s a different kind of stuffing than what we serve with the Turkey at Thanksgiving. We…wait. What’s that?” She sniffed the air and then looked down at the quilt. “Oh, no…”

  “What?” Far still held the pink and yellow quilt which now seemed fuller somehow. And lumpier, Becca thought.

  She leaned down and put her face close to the patchwork design and inhaled deeply. The scent of sage, breadcrumbs, and roasted turkey met her nose. Becca sighed and sat up.

  “What? What’s wrong?” Truth wanted to know.

  “Nothing. Only that we finally somehow get a blanket to appear and we can’t use it because it’s filled with dressing. That’s a food made of breadcrumbs and herbs,” she explained, seeing that Truth still looked confused. “It’s also another name for stuffing.”

  “What?” Far sniffed the blanket too and wrinkled his nose. “That smells…strange.”

  “With good reason. You don’t usually stuff a quilt with Stove Top,” Becca said. “I meant cotton stuffing when I first described it but I don’t blame you for not knowing what I was talking about. Put it off the bed before it