As always, thank you all for the reviews. I'm happy to discover I'm not the only one that enjoys playing in my imagination

(One quick note about the actual liquid refreshment. In spite of what they said on Moonlight, vampires, in my trained medical opinion, would have been exposed already if they were going for arterial blood all the time. Small holes in veins clot off much more quickly and reliably than arteries, and I've seen even small punctures in arteries require considerable intervention to stop the bleeding, even if we go with the Tanya Huff/Blood Ties premise that vampires have coagulants in their saliva. So in this story, our heroes are going for veins since they don't want Beth to die.)

Thanks for reading!

-Laurelin

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Josef finally drew back from the now-breathless Beth and smiled at her, letting her have one fleeting glance of his fangs as they retracted. He knew that soon they'd be coated in her blood, but for now he had to make due with teasing her. "Now, now, we wouldn't want Mick to get jealous, would we?" he said as he wiped some of Beth's lipstick from his lips.

"I certainly hope that won't be a problem," Beth said as she took the handkerchief out of Josef's hands and tried to tidy up her makeup, trying to cover up her nervousness. While he watched her retouch the color on her lips, he couldn't help but think just how much he'd like to mess that up again. The fact that her lipstick was the color of blood didn't help cool his desire any. Fortunately, they were pulling up into his driveway as Beth finished with her makeup and he was therefore not going to have to explain how he skipped a few steps of their plan and just took her right there on the seat of the limo.

"Whether or not Mick might be jealous of me is irrelevant. He just simply isn't going to be able to resist you. Trust me, I'm having quite the difficulty with that right now."

Josef helped her out of the car, acting like the perfect gentleman once outside of the close confines of the limo. Beth suddenly remembered that he was old enough to have been a gentleman many times over and probably knew the routine much better than she did. The thought made her question how her relative inexperience was going to stack up against the combined centuries of her two promised lovers.

As if noticing the slight reluctance in her step, Josef took her arm and walked them both into his private elevator. "Don't worry, Beth. You have Mick and I wrapped around your little finger and we will do anything for you. Anything," he breathed into her ear. "So realize that you are the one in charge in the room, not me or Mick, and what you say goes. It will help your confidence to embrace this little truth, and nothing, I mean nothing, is sexier than seeing you confident in your obvious beauty and allure. I'll be there to make sure nothing happens that you don't want, and to make sure you get everything you do want." He kissed her hand with a look in his eye that betrayed just how much of an effect she had on him.

The elevator doors opened on the second floor and Mick was waiting for them, dressed in a very similar tuxedo to Josef's. His hands were clasped in front of him very formally, like he'd heard their footsteps and was waiting for them to enter. Mick's somber expression on his face was quickly replaced by awe as Beth entered the room on Josef's arm and Mick walked forward to meet her. With a knowing smile Josef led her forward and handed her off to Mick, unable to shake the image of a father giving away his daughter's hand in marriage, then going on the honeymoon too.

Trying to clear his head of the latter thought, Josef said to the couple, "I'll go check on dinner. You two get, ah, reacquainted."

They both watched him go and Beth fought to keep her composure. Seeing Mick looking so devastatingly handsome, and knowing what was on their schedule for the evening gave her butterflies. She tried to take Josef's advice to heart about being confident while she smiled at Mick and took in his reaction.

"You look amazing," he told her as he took in her silhouette before folding her into his strong embrace. The smell of him and the feel of his arms around her instantly made Beth feel safe and loved, and she held onto him a few seconds longer to revel in the feel of it.

"Thank you." Beth returned Mick's smile and wondered at how she could ever feel so good as she did right at that moment, her nerves having been kept at bay by the reassuring faces of the two men she was to share a bed with in a few short hours. Though before that she was going to have to sit with them, likely between them, in a darkened theater for several hours while they watched Phantom of the Opera, and she wasn't certain her patience would be up to the test. As much as she wanted to see the production, she seriously doubted that she would ever be able to concentrate on what was happening on stage with both of these men at her side.

Mick still had his arms around her waist at the end of their hug, even though he'd pulled his shoulders back, seemingly unwilling to let her go. "I missed you," he said as he slowly closed the distance between their faces, his eyes drinking in every detail of her lips.

"I missed you too," Beth replied in a whisper just before Mick's lips lightly brushed her own. The kiss was feather-light and lingering, but sensual in a way that a deeper kiss couldn't be. It was the first sip of fine wine before enjoying the glass, and Beth knew at that moment that he had every intention of finishing that glass tonight.

His lips moved to her cheek, her jaw, and finally to her neck where Josef's bite was still healing. Beth immediately stiffened when Mick planted a kiss over each puncture, thinking that for certain this was the point where Mick would backpedal and be offended. But that moment never came to pass, and he simply moved to pay equal attention to the other side of her neck. When he reached the same pulse point on her untouched side, she felt the barest scrape of his teeth and instantly relaxed into his arms, the tension replaced by the building of her desire. She leaned her head slightly away from Mick's mouth, opening the expanse of her neck to him, and the sudden tightening of his arms around her made her whimper with anticipation of the bite.

Josef cleared his throat loudly. "Mick, you were supposed to wait for me to start dinner."

The vampire growled low at Josef when Mick pulled his head back, and Josef couldn't help but notice how relaxed Beth was at that instant, as if that primal sound had helped her surrender to the moment. Josef's vampire answered Mick's challenge and their tension mounted.

"She may be yours forever, Mick, but until you learn to control yourself, she also belongs to me. I promised to keep her safe, which means you don't feed until I say so."

Josef waited for Mick to understand who was alpha male there, and once Mick's features returned to human Josef's followed suit. When Beth finally realized there wasn't going to be a bite just yet, her eyes fluttered open to find Josef standing next to them. He took her hand and kissed the pulse points in her wrist before leading her out of Mick's grasp and towards the elegantly set table. Several candelabras provided soft light and red rose petals had been scattered over the table.

"Appetizers haven't even been served yet and Mick is ready for the main course. Please forgive him, Beth, he must have been overtaken by your considerable charms." Josef smiled at the two of them with a raised eyebrow that said he was looking forward to exploring her charms further.

Mick sat down next to Beth and looked somewhat chastised. "I'm sorry, Beth, I just got a little carried away. I didn't believe what Josef had said about your ah, response, to his bite until just now. If you'd only told me earlier..."

Beth bit back the comment about how it would previously only have alienated and repulsed him and settled for, "well, now that you are back on freshies, how does it feel?" She had to commend Mick's progress with all of this but wondered just what Josef had said and done to convince him of the error of his ways. It couldn't have been easy.

If he could have blushed at that moment, he would have. "I'm feeling a little more clear-headed, thanks, especially about you, and tonight."

"If by that he means he's not such a self-pitying, depressed, miserable excuse for a vampire, then he's certainly feeling more clear-headed," Josef chimed in. "The fresh blood is always good for the mind, and a few other parts of the body…"

"Does that matter?" Beth couldn't resist teasing Mick just a little bit, given his drastic change of heart.

Before Mick could answer, Josef was answering her. "We'll just have to find out later tonight. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised what your blood does for him." Neither vamp failed to notice the subtle twitch of her shoulders at the mention of drinking her blood. Josef smiled at his two friends from the head of the table. They had no idea what they were in for tonight.

He looked as three humans came through the door. "Ah, good. Dinner is served."

A man in his late thirties and wearing a crisp white chef's shirt placed a Caesar salad and hot French rolls in front of Beth, while a statuesque brunette uncorked and poured a small amount of sherry into Josef's glass, waiting for his approval. Once given, a glass was poured for each of them, in addition to a glass of water for Beth that Josef encouraged her to drink.

"Madame," the chef addressed Beth, "when you are ready for your main course, please ring the silver bell on the table and I will bring it to you. We have a lovely Chateaubriand béarnaise with fresh asparagus and warm bread, if it is to your liking?" The French accent was genuine and her mouth watered at the thought of a real French chef preparing her meal. Tonight would truly be a night of firsts.

"That would be wonderful, thank you," Beth smiled at Josef and then at Mick. For some reason, the thought of watching the two of them drink blood shortly did not diminish her appetite. She was going to need plenty of energy tonight if all went well.

The men sipped their sherry, savoring the taste but staring at Beth with a hunger in their eyes that left no doubt they'd rather be enjoying her. They exchanged a few glances that Beth was having trouble understanding, but she was sure one of them from Josef was a warning to Mick to behave himself.

Mick finally broke the silence as Beth finished her salad. "So, Beth, have you seen Phantom before?"

"Not in years, though I remember enjoying it." She set her fork down. "But I was thinking maybe we could just skip the production if you don't mind."

Taking her hand gently, Mick did his best to be unthreatening as he asked her, "are you having second thoughts? About tonight? It's okay if you are… we don't have to."

A quick glance at Josef solidified her resolve. "Of course I'm not having second thoughts. I'm no longer willing to wait, and you aren't getting out of this that easily." She rang the bell to summon her main course while leaning over to kiss Mick on the lips. He responded immediately, and when she deepened the contact he tried to slide an arm around her shoulders, but she pulled back immediately. "Waiting's a bitch, isn't it, Mick?" she said with her face returning to within inches of his, only to sit back casually in her chair as he attempted to close the distance. The expression on Josef's face gave away just how much he was enjoying watching Beth toy with his best friend.

Mick looked at Josef for clarification of what just happened, but Josef just laughed. "I told you, Mick, you'll need to spend some time tonight convincing Beth that you've seen the error of your ways. I think she's been more than patient with you these last few months, don't you? Honestly, I'd recommend taking a little sip from her before the main event. She likes that very much, don't you Beth?" Josef was out of his chair and standing next to hers before she realized what had happened, and he was pulling back her hair to reveal the bite mark, as if showing it off to Mick. His fingers barely touched her skin but it was enough to make her glad she was already sitting. She wasn't sure if her knees would have held her up. There was too much desire tied up with that bite.

As her main course arrived, Josef did not bother to pause in his gentle caress of her neck, but soon moved down to the soft velvet covering her shoulders.

"Don't let me stop you from eating, Beth. You're going to need your stamina tonight. Vampires do not easily tire." Josef said seductively.

Beth tried to pick up her fork and knife but it was almost impossible to concentrate on her meal with Josef's fingertips exploring her neck and shoulders. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she focused on his touch. Not sure if he should join in or wait as seemed to be his punishment, Mick took the gold-plated utensils from her and cut thin slices of the filet and dipped them in the rich sauce. He touched her lips lightly with the food and she opened her eyes, now full of a hunger beyond that for food, as delicious as it was. Beth met Mick's equally hungry stare and let the bite of the succulent Chateaubriand slide into her mouth.

A few more bites of food and Josef suddenly ceased his ministrations but didn't move away. Beth intended to question why he had stopped, but then she noticed the two women who had entered quietly while she had been…distracted.

"Ah, it appears our meals have arrived as well, Mick."

Mick set down the fork he'd been feeding Beth with and winked at her.

"Which would you prefer? AB negative, or B positive?" Josef said, indicating each woman in turn, his eyes fading to their vampire light blue.

"B positive I think," Mick replied, exactly as Josef knew he would. A long glance at Beth ensued from Mick, a chance for her to voice some sort of protest or to leave the room, was met with an unspoken challenge to continue, to feed, right there in front of her. The redhead sauntered over to Mick and draped herself over his legs, offering simultaneously her wrist and neck for his choice. Mick looked to Josef first, as if unsure that he could feed while Beth was watching him.

Josef laughed. "They'll both enjoy it, but if you insist, I'll go first." Josef's eyes never left Beth while his fangs elongated and he pulled close the statuesque brunette and steadied her head with one hand, the other wrapping around her back as he pulled her forcefully up against him to plunge his teeth into the woman's neck. Only when she sighed in contentment and Josef needed to swallow did he close his eyes and give himself over to the pleasure of the blood.

Breathing in deeply, Mick knew Josef had been right. He could smell Beth's arousal and he couldn't deny that she enjoyed watching Josef feed. They both did, really. It whet Mick's appetite for his own meal, and he let Beth see the change in his features as he took the woman's offered wrist in an iron grip, much as he had done with hers so long ago in that hotel room, feeling both of the pulses there. When he bit down, Mick heard not only his freshie's heart rate increase, but also Beth's.

The blood was hot and rich as it poured into his mouth, overwhelming Mick's control only for a moment. The blood finally calmed him and satisfied his hunger in a way that the morgue blood never did. Only now that he was getting what he needed could he see that he'd been on the brink of starvation for years. Tonight was truly a feast for all the senses, and he intended to enjoy every one of them.

Beth was feeling lightheaded watching the two men feed and seeing the reactions of the freshies to their bites. It made her wonder if she had looked like that when Josef had fed from her… then she decided she must have. Both women had collapsed at the end of the feeding, with delightfully satisfied smiles on their faces. Josef, having started his meal first, took his freshie out of the room and returned just as Mick was finishing with his.

They both watched Mick finish licking the bloody wrist, the heat in his eyes directed entirely at Beth. When Mick carried his meal to the waiting couch in the living room, Josef wasted no time. His mouth descended on Beth's, demanding from the start, and he pulled her effortlessly up and out of her chair and against his chest. As his tongue slid into her mouth she returned the kiss with equal intensity, picking up where they had left off in the limousine.

Beth then felt the press of another body at her back and Mick's arms sliding around her shoulders. His hand running through her hair combined with the feel of his lips on her ear, Josef's insistent kiss, and their obvious desire left her breathless for more. Mick pulled the soft velvet jacket back and over the shoulders, but the two vampires were pressed closely enough against her that it did not drop to the floor, it only pinned her arms to her sides. A part of Beth knew she should be afraid, trapped between two vampires who could easily kill her with only a small mistake, but instead she felt safe and loved by both of them.

Finally, Josef pulled back and Mick seized the opportunity to claim her mouth and turn her towards him. Josef pulled Beth's jacket off of her arms and set it over the back of one of the chairs, quickly followed by his own. The tie and cummerbund were only a moment behind, but Josef found himself unable to take his eyes off of Mick and Beth. Mick's face was reverent as he kissed her in ways he hadn't dared before, tasting the skin of her neck and no longer hesitant to feel the blood just underneath it. It was like watching someone lose their virginity, and in a way it was for Mick, he supposed.

With her shoulders now bare, Josef's fingertips traced light circles over the smooth skin until Beth shivered and reached one hand back to him, the other still on Mick's chest. She felt Josef's arm wrap around her waist, just touching the underside of her breasts, tightening to hold her still as he pulled her head gently back to rest on his shoulder. Mick had begun to vamp out, letting Beth see him and know what he wanted from her. She nodded and Josef steadied her head, preparing to hold her still and safe for the bite. The sharp points of Mick's fangs grazed her neck and she whimpered, both fearing the pain and wanting the pleasure than would come after.

"Drink from her, Mick. She wants it. Don't you Beth?"

Beth knew without looking that Josef's vampire had responded to her as well. All she could say was a breathy, "yes, I want it."

Her words stirred something primal in Mick that he didn't want to admit to, but he'd longed to hear her beg for his bite. His fangs effortlessly pierced the vein and Beth's blood trickled into his mouth, filling him with a joy he didn't think he'd ever be able to feel as a vampire. Their first time had been too rushed, too urgent. This was languid, luxurious, and the blood went straight to his groin. Mick was glad that Josef would be there tonight, because he could lose himself in her completely. Her short cry of pain extended into one of wordless pleasure as she was caught between the muscular bodies that promised even greater pleasure.

Josef didn't have to tell him to stop, Mick knew it was time after only a few small mouthfuls. There was something rude about not letting Josef lick the wound he'd made, and when he opened his eyes, Mick could see the need plain on Josef's face. Mick stepped back just as a small trickle of blood slid down Beth's neck and the two vampires watched it with fascinated stares.

"Go ahead, Josef. She's delicious," Mick invited the older vamp. Beth just quietly begged him to drink, almost in a whisper.

Not needing to be asked twice, Josef bent his head and sucked at the neat punctures, drawing a long moan from Beth and a fresh wave of desire from her. They held her up as Josef finished his small taste, and when the wounds had closed over and he'd licked up all of the blood from her neck, Josef's face became human again. Mick pulled off his tie and threw his jacket aside, picking up the still weak-kneed Beth in his arms and headed for the stairs that would take them to Josef's bedroom.

Josef hesitated for a moment, his fingers lingering over something in his pocket while he watched them. A momentary pang of jealousy was all he could allow himself before Mick's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Aren't you coming, Josef?" Mick asked, already knowing what the answer would be. He'd seen the look on Josef's face and knew his friend wouldn't miss a night in bed with Beth for all the money he possessed.

As Josef headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time, he replied, "quite a few times, I imagine."