Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Paranormal; Menage a Trois (MMF)
Release Date: January, 2007 (eBook)/August, 2008 (Trade Paperback)
Note: The print edition is an anthology of all three Thunderbird Chosen stories.
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Order at: Ellora’s Cave (eBook & print) | Amazon.com
Jessica thought her fiancé, Clay, was as happy and content as she was. But when an innocent conversation in the car leads to his confession about being bisexual, her world is thrown into turmoil. Now she has to decide whether she’s willing to risk further emotional pain, and if she’s strong enough to share him with another man.
Clay has never been one to overplan the future. When it comes to the big picture of his personal life he’s always trusted that he’ll see the brass ring and be ready to grab it. From the moment he first saw Jessica he knew she was the woman for him. He even managed to convince himself that she was all he’d ever need. Then the temptation to be with another man revealed just how dangerous and erroneous that assumption was. He loves hers. He desires her. He can’t bear the thought of losing her. But the only chance Clay sees for a future together is if they’re a threesome instead of a twosome.
Note: This story forms the sequel to Spirit Flight, although it can be read as a stand alone.
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Clay’s heart ached. Guilt shredded his guts. He hadn’t been with another man or another woman since he’d stumbled into a bookstore and fallen head over heels in love—or at least deeply in lust—with the soft-spoken blonde who was reading a book to a group of kids in the children’s section.
They’d meshed right from the start and he’d known that Jess was the one he wanted to share his life with. He loved her. Period. End of story.
You wish it were the end of the story.
Clay stabbed a fry into a pool of catsup. He fought the fear that had been threatening to suffocate him since “coming out” while he was driving. Christ! How stupid had that been?
He glanced up from his plate to find her looking out the window again. It hurt to see her like this. It’d kill him if she started crying.
His eyes went to the ring on her finger. At least she hadn’t hurtled it back at him. She hadn’t screamed or cursed or called him names. Not that he would have blamed her, though if she had he probably would have wrecked the car.
Her looks might have caught his attention in the first place but it was everything else about her, especially her innate gentleness, that had completely hooked him. She could take care of herself but he found he liked taking care of her. She could be tough when she needed to be, but she wasn’t afraid to be utterly feminine with him.
Fuck. Maybe they could settle this in bed. Maybe he should find out if there was a hotel in this seven-building town and take Jessica there. He could reassure her with his body that he loved and desired her. Hell, not just loved and desired, but desperately needed her in his life.
Clay rubbed his chest in an effort to erase some of the tightness there. Christ, need was too tame a word, especially when it came to sex with Jessica.
He craved it like an addict who was always looking for the next fix. He could be whitewater rafting on rough water and he’d still get hard just thinking about the way she yielded and went submissive when he required that from her. Fuck, more than once when he’d been rock climbing he’d gotten a boner he could have used as a chisel when his mind had strayed to how she’d accepted the rougher aspects of his sexuality—not that he’d ever, ever hurt her.
Yeah right, asshole. Look at her and tell yourself she’s one happy camper at the moment.
Clay risked another glance and wished he knew what she was thinking. What a fucking mess. They’d been engaged for three months. They’d dated for nine before that. He’d have proposed on the first date, that’s how sure he was that she was the right woman for him. But she was more cautious by nature, a little less quick to grab for the brass ring than he was, so he’d taken the time she needed.
In retrospect he realized he’d also been testing himself. By the time he’d finally popped the question he’d convinced himself that he was mainly hetero. Yeah, he noticed guys and sometimes he fantasized, but mostly he wanted to fuck Jess.
The last group trip he’d led ripped that false sense of security away like it was toilet paper. He’d been tempted, tempted to the point where only his old ironclad rule to never get involved with paying clients or client employees had kept him from doing something stupid.
Clay’s heart thundered in his chest just thinking about how close he’d come on his last trip to trashing any hope for a future with Jess. If he betrayed her with either a man or a woman, she would never forgive him. He’d be out of her life permanently.
It’d been a wake-up call, not just for the present but for the future. He broke into a cold sweat whenever he imagined what might happen down the road. It was easy to envision a situation where she was home with their kids and he was on a trip where there were guys who weren’t clients. It would happen in a weak moment, maybe after the rush of conquering some span of water or mountain or maybe just because he’d gone years without being with another man.
Christ, he would lose everything that mattered to him. Everything. Her. Their kids. His self-respect. Everything.
It’d be easy if he could see a shrink and get “cured” or take a pill and bingo, no more urge for gay sex. For Jess, he’d do either of those things—he’d give up an inherent part of himself. But one, those options weren’t available. And two, she’d never ask it of him anyway.
He knew Jessica had no problem with someone being gay or bi. Hell, that’s what had led to his confession in the car.
He’d intended to wait until they’d gotten to the cabin and settled in for the week. He’d imagined himself telling her after they’d made love in front of a roaring fire. But then she’d started talking to him about a book she was thinking of writing, a teen “coming out” book and he’d come out. Christ. Seeing her hurt was tearing him up. Somehow he had to convince her they could work this out.
He didn’t want an open marriage where they both screwed around like they were dogs with an itch that could be scratched by anyone. It’d kill him to be with her and wonder if she’d been with someone else earlier.
There’d been a time in his life when he’d been quick to fuck anyone who caught his eye. But even before he’d met Jess, he’d slowed down on the casual sex. Not that he’d been a saint, but deep down he was already waiting for the right person—the right woman. He’d never pictured himself setting up house with another guy. He’d never thought much about what it would mean to be bi and married.
The truth was, he’d never been one to overplan the future. Yeah, he was meticulous about the adventure trips because lives were on the line. But when it came to the big picture of his personal life he trusted that he’d see the brass ring and be ready to grab it when it came along.
He’d seen Jessica and he’d known she was the one. Now he had to hang on to her. The trouble was, the only way he could see that happening was if they were a threesome instead of a twosome.
“Strong delivers once again in these unique stories about hot, sexy and sensitive Native American heroes with mystical powers.”
- Donna M. Brown, Romantic Times BOOKreviews, 4 1/2 stars for Thunderbird Chosen (print anthology including Spirits Shared)
“Hauntingly beautiful in its intensity and sexuality, SPIRITS SHARED is a novel that appeals to the senses. I could hear Tekoa’s thunderbird cry out for his mates and I could hear the lovers’ cries of passion and murmurs of love. I could feel how both men cherished Jessica and she them. Their coming together was exquisitely well written and breathtaking.
“SPIRITS SHARED is a sequel to Spirit Flight, also written by Jory Strong and published by Ellora’s Cave. However, it is a full stand alone novel and as such, is simply magnificent. Any book by Jory Strong, SPIRITS SHARED included, should not be missed.”
- Talia Ricci , Joyfullyreviewed
“Love and lust combine in this HOT story of acceptance to give readers a ride they won’t soon forget. Ms. Strong’s use of Native American folk lore adds an additional dimension to the story that pulls readers straight into the novel and only to reluctantly let you go at the end. Jessica’s pain after hearing Clay’s confession adds an emotional realism that is seldom seen in works today. Bravo to Ms. Strong for tackling such a risqué subject! The balance of plot and passion the author is able to attain places her on my auto-buy list. I’m a big fan of homoerotic romance, but my absolute favorites are when an author is able to successfully throw a woman into the mix and give you a believable story. SPIRITS SHARED is one such novel.”
- Larissa Hayes, The Romance Studio
“Jory Strong’s SPIRITS SHARED engaged me from the first word. A deeply emotional story, it is filled with passion and beautifully depicted scenes.”
- Tara Renee , TwoLips Reviews
“Can three people truly become one unit? Jory Strong sets out to answer that question in SPIRITS SHARED. The bond that Jessica and Clay share is a wonderful thing and you can tell that they are truly in love, yet missing something. Watching them struggle with that and their subsequent attraction to Tekoa was a truly fascinating thing. As Ms. Strong is apt to do, she concentrates on their feelings and their reactions to one another almost in exclusion to all else. This made it a very intimate story that was a great read.”
- Serena, Fallen Angel Reviews
“Jory Strong has beautifully written a story about a very sensitive subject. Because Jessica and Clay have such a strong connection to Tekoa, their relationship works. They can all share each other and have their physical and emotional needs met. The sensual scenes are also creatively written. The additional element of the Native American spirituality also adds a special touch to the story. Readers that are not uncomfortable with the bisexual aspects will really enjoy the story of SPIRITS SHARED.”
- Paige Lovitt, Reader Views
“Jory Strong is a master at creating a strong, erotic and truly loving threesome and this story is no different. Clay finds the acceptance, happiness and love he yearns for and Jessica gets to be part of a stronger union than she ever imagined. Add in a bit of drama, some mystical Native American lore for ambiance, and SPIRITS SHARED becomes an darkly passionate and unforgettable love story.”
- Sarah W, Romance Junkies
“Stories about two men and one woman who love each other and have sex together are among my favorites and Ms. Strong has written an awesome one. Jessica, Clay and Tekoa could not be more perfect for each other, nor could the sex scenes be any hotter than they are. I devoured this book very quickly and then went back to read it again. SPIRITS SHARED is a magnificent tale of a three way love relationship.”
- Susan, Coffee Time Romance
“Jory Strong is a talented author indeed. The ability to form genuine relationships between two characters is a difficult enough task, make it three and things can easily spin out of control. But with a masterful grasp of emotional and erotically charged writing, the author makes this threesome work beautifully. The sequel to SPIRIT FLIGHT, SPIRITS SHARED is nonetheless a stand alone read. Jory Strong has once again proven why she deserves a place on any paranormal fan’s must-buy list.”
- Lori Ann , Romance Reviews Today
“FANTASTIC would be the one word I would use to describe this story… Ms. Strong once again delivers a well written story with strong characters.”
- LT Blue, Just Erotic Romance Reviews
“No matter the combination when the loving starts the passion shreds the pages making the end of Spirits Shared come far too soon. With just enough drama to make Spirits Shared impossible to put down, I can’t wait to see what Ms. Strong chooses to write next.”
- Megan, Erotic-Escapades
“Spirits Shared is a wonderful sequel to Spirit Flight. Once again we get a glimpse at the beauty of the People of the Thunderbird and their way of life. Tekoa is sex personified and it is interesting to watch two alphas claim not only the woman they love but each other as well.”
- Debbie H., Gotta Write Network