| With Friends Like These ... |
| Bob and Murphy had spent the better part of the evening going over the details of the translation she'd found. At one point he led her back to Harry's lab and vanished into the dusty old books where he'd found the original. She stood right where he left her, more than a little afraid to touch any of the odd assortment of stuff that cluttered the place.
Bob reappeared, his face alive with excitement. "Yes, that's it! Nekomasu, that was the term I wasn't getting. Roughly translated, it means 'cat person.'" Murphy couldn't help grinning back at him; his enthusiasm was infectious. "That fits. The old sorcerer cast a spell on her changing her into a cat to be his familiar." "Yes, yes! Then her lover cast the counter-spell to allow her to return to human form at the full moon! Making her a cat-person!" Bob was so excited that Murphy hated to burst his bubble. But there was one thing she didn't understand. "Bob ... what does all this have to do with making you human?" Bob started to say something, then stopped. His expression faded. "I'm not sure, Connie. But somebody very important has pointed us in this direction. There must be something we can learn from this legend. Now that we know what it is. Thanks to you." By the end, his smile had returned, and Murphy found herself smiling back. "I'm glad I could help. For both of you." Once again, they found themselves smiling at each other like a couple of shy schoolkids. Bob shook himself out of it first. �Well. Now that we�ve found that, no need to stay back here in the lab. Shall we go back to the couch?� �Sure.� Murphy followed Bob. It was kind of weird when he just walked through the door like it wasn�t there, but she figured he�d done it so many times he probably didn�t even see it any more. But as she opened the door and crossed back into the living area, she was surprised by how dark it had gotten. She glanced at her watch � it was getting late. No wonder her stomach was growling. But while her stomach wanted to leave, the rest of her didn�t. She liked spending time with Bob. Even if she knew the flirting would never lead anywhere, it was just nice to be appreciated. Bob saw her glancing at her watch. He really didn�t want her to go, but she did have a young daughter � �Do you need to leave, my dear?� he asked solicitously. Murphy smiled at him. �Actually, no. Karrin�s with her Dad for spring break. I�ve got nowhere particular I have to be �� Bob beamed at her. �Then perhaps you will stay and keep a lonely old ghost company? Lord only knows when Harry will get back �� �What exactly is he doing, anyway?� Murphy asked as she sat back down on the couch. Bob appeared next to her. �Tracking down a lost wedding ring. I suspect that since he hasn�t yet returned it got gathered up in the trash at some point and he is pilfering the city dump trying to extract it �� Murphy�s nose wrinkled up just from imagining the smell. �Ugh. That�s a lot of ground to cover.� �Well, it was part of a set, and he has the matched piece, so he should be able to use his magic to bring it to the surface, so to speak �� �That could come in handy. I guess this magic thing really isn�t *all* spooky, creepy stuff?� �Not at all, my dear. I hope you don�t find *me* all that creepy? Being a ghost and all �� Murphy smiled. �Not in the least. In fact, I find you quite charming.� Bob practically glowed. �Thank you, my dear.� Perhaps this was the time to feel her out about Harry � "Connie, may I ask *you* a personal question now?" "Sure, I guess." "You're very fond of Harry as well, aren't you?" The intensity of his gaze implied it was more than just fondness. Murphy took a deep breath. "I work in a world where a woman has to be harder than the men to succeed, Bob. I don't have many people I can relax and be myself around. Harry's one of them. Until I met you, he was all of them." There was a hint of loneliness in her voice that Bob had not expected to find in one so beautiful. "It seems we both needed a friend, then?" Murphy smiled. "I guess so." Their eyes met, acknowledging the beginnings of a bond. "Did you ever think about you and Harry as more than friends?" The question caught her off guard. But somehow she didn't mind telling Bob. "Yeah, sure. I mean, he's a good looking guy. And a good friend. I guess I didn't want to mess up the friendship. And we do work together. But most of all ... I've tried the 'happily ever after' thing. It just doesn't work for me. But Harry, I always got the feeling that if we went that way it would be all or nothing. That he'd want more than I could give, at least now." She looked up into Bob's pale blue eyes. "I'm really glad Harry has you, Bob. He deserves the kind of love I can't give him. But you can." Bob gazed down at her and saw the truth in her eyes. She'd been burned too badly. Maybe some day she'd find someone who would heal those wounds. But not yet. Bob was touched by her honesty. "Thank you, Connie. I promise � I'll love him for both of us." Murphy smiled. "That's sweet.� Her face scrunched up, suddenly amused. �And a little kinky ..." Bob grinned. "Well ... now that you mention it ... I did have an idea on that front?" Murphy's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" "Well, Connie, we are both quite fond of our dear boy. Harry is my world. But as I said earlier, I would dearly love to feel the softness of a woman in my arms again after all these years ... even if they're really Harry's arms ...?" It took a moment for her to realize what he was suggesting. �Bob? You mean � me?� �If you would be so inclined � I hope you don�t mind that I have thought of you as a woman, not just as a friend?� Bob�s expression was so hopeful, his longing so evident she couldn�t be upset. Murphy let the idea sink in. The idea of Bob making love to her was definitely a turn-on. Even though it would look like Harry. Who wasn't exactly chopped liver himself. Knowing they had each other, there wouldn't be any of that emotional garbage she preferred to avoid. She had to admit she was intrigued. And it had been a fairly long time for her as well; a demanding job, a young daughter, and no real chance to meet people had kept her out of the game for quite a while. Not as long as Bob, certainly, but by her standards, more than long enough. "Have you mentioned this idea to Harry?" That got a smirk. "As you might imagine, our Harry is a bit � conflicted. I know he finds the idea intriguing. But he's afraid of hurting you. He didn't want you to think it could be more than a pleasant interlude. But also ... he's afraid he could fall in love with you." Murphy sighed. "Trust Harry to complicate things. He loves *you*, Bob. Doesn't he know that?" Bob chuckled. "Yes, he does like to make things more difficult than they have to be at times. He knows it, Connie. And trust me, when we're together ... we can feel each others' emotions. There's no way to hide what we're feeling. No room for doubt." It sounded intense. "Is there room for me?" she asked, suddenly hesitant. "Oh, Connie, yes! Please, don't worry about that. We�re both very fond of you. Believe that.� The ghost looked so sincere, his longing for physical contact so plainly evident in the hand that hovered over her arm that Murphy realized she couldn�t say no even if she wanted to. Which she didn�t. �I believe you, Bob. I � I�d like that. If we can get Harry to go along �� Bob beamed. �Leave that to me, my dear. He�s putty in my hands �� Murphy laughed. �I�ll bet he is! Just like me.� A ghostly hand reached out and brushed over her cheek. It felt cold, strange. Bob sighed. �You will be, my dear. Hopefully very soon �� At that moment, the door burst open and Harry staggered in. He was a mess; covered head to foot in something that didn�t smell very good. There was dried blood on his forehead. �Harry? What happened to you?� Murphy asked as he set his backpack down on the floor by the door. Harry finally registered that they were sitting there. Grinning at Bob, he fished in his pocket and brought out the pair of rings. �Got it!� he crowed triumphantly. �It and the rest of the contents of the city dump, apparently?� Bob responded drily. Harry just gave him a *look* and turned to Murphy. �Hey, Murph. What brings you here?� Murphy smiled sweetly. �Just keeping Bob company.� She wrinkled her nose as Harry came closer. �Ugh. Harry, you need a shower.� Harry wasn�t too pleased with the scent himself. And it wasn�t like he had much choice in the matter � �Yes, off with you. There�s a lady present!� Bob�s haughty voice rang out. Harry looked at the two of them, and realized that he had interrupted an interesting conversation. He wasn�t sure if he should be worried, or excited, or both � but for the moment, he bowed to the inevitable and trudged up the stairs. Bob wandered over to the backpack, giving it a disdainful glare. �Well, I can see we won�t be going out to lunch for a while.� Murphy frowned at him. �Why?� Bob indicated the backpack. �I cannot stray far from my skull, even when sharing Harry�s body. He usually carries it along in that, but �ugh.� A look of disgust crossed his face. �Uh, yeah. Don�t blame you.� She hesitated. �Should I go?� Bob dragged his attention away from the disgusting backpack. �No! If we play this right, we might just � ahem � get lucky tonight?� He looked at her hopefully. Murphy grinned back at him. �You think so?� Bob nodded. �Here�s what I want you to do �� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harry�s brain went into high gear as he scrubbed the muck from his body. He knew very well how Bob�s mind worked, and what had been occupying it for the past several days. The big question was, how did Murphy feel about it? Or was the bigger question how *he* felt about it? Now that he�d finally opened his heart and let Bob in, he was beginning to realize just how defensive he�d been in the past. He�d thought he�d been looking for a meaningful relationship, but really, how meaningful could it be when he never let his own barriers down? He could have made a move on Murphy any time in the last couple of years. She was beautiful, and a good friend. Why hadn�t he? Because, like he�d told Bob the other night, he was actually afraid of falling in love. But he�d passed that hurdle, hadn�t he? He loved Bob. He was *in love* with Bob. He�d told Murphy as much yesterday. It was real, wasn�t it? Or was that what he was afraid of � finding out it *wasn�t* real? And what if it *was*? Could he �do� Murphy, to use Bob�s favorite term, when he was in love with Bob? He�d never been one for casual sex. He�d convinced himself he was in love with every woman he�d bedded. Even the slut who had stolen Bob�s skull from him. Of course, none of it had really been love, he knew that now. But Murphy was different. She was a friend. He cared about her, maybe even loved her, in a way. He remembered his dream from yesterday afternoon, Bob�s fantasy that had touched his dream. Almost immediately, his body began responding again. // So much for that question � // �Aha. Just as I suspected. You *do* want her!� Bob�s voice beside him in the shower startled him out of his thoughts. �Bob! Shit, don�t scare me like that!� The ghost was grinning like a cheshire cat. He was also completely naked and standing right next to Harry. �You know you want it, Harry. For once, just let it happen!� Harry reached for the shampoo and began working on the muck in his hair. Maybe if he ignored Bob, the ghost would just go away. When Harry didn�t answer, Bob decided to try another tack. �Harry, please. Just let me hold her for a few minutes. One kiss, that�s all I ask. Please?� The longing in Bob�s voice all but broke his heart. How could he refuse? He had promised, hadn�t he? Back that first night. He�d offered to set something like this up. But that was before he�d fallen in love himself. And he�d never imagined it would be Murphy. // Who else would you have asked? // The question stopped him in his tracks. Who else indeed? Who else could he trust with Bob�s secret? Because he really doubted he could �do� a stranger in the first place, and certainly not with Bob along for the ride. It wouldn�t be right. Harry sighed and shut off the water, reaching right through Bob to open the shower door and grab a towel. He dried himself off, toweled the worst of the wet out of his hair, and opened the bathroom door to let out the steam. �All right! You win! IF she doesn�t run screaming at the idea �� �I�m not going anywhere, Dresden. Not with a view like that!� Murphy�s voice floated in from the bedroom, where she sat curled up on his bed. Her tone was amused � and sexy. �Murph!� Harry yelped, reaching for the towel which he hurriedly wrapped around his waist. He looked back and forth between the two of them and realized he�d been suckered. �I never had any say in this, did I?� �No!� came the unison chorus. Harry shook his head, then let out a bark of a laugh. He turned toward Murphy, the humor leaving his face. �Murph? Seriously? You want this?� Murphy realized he needed her reassurance. She got up and came over to him, reaching out to run her hand over his arm. �Yeah, Harry. I want it. I know it�s not happily ever after stuff � that�s what you two have. I�m not ready for that again anyhow. Really. I just want two sweet, sexy guys to make love to me tonight. Let me feel like a woman again instead of a cop. Just this one night.� Her voice had gotten very soft there at the end, admitting the one thing she never admitted to anyone, not even herself. Harry looked into her eyes and saw a vulnerability he�d never expected from his tough-as-nails cop. He flicked off the lights and sent a pulse of magic out to the candles. Finally, he reached out his hand and touched her face, then bent down, drawing her in for a kiss. It started soft, gentle, but rapidly heated up as both of them felt the attraction. Murphy�s arms wrapped around his middle as his arms circled her. Hunger flared in both of them. Somehow, Harry managed to pull away. He looked up to see Bob watching them eagerly, his own hunger sparkling in those icy blue eyes. �Bob � join us?� The words were barely out of Harry�s mouth when Bob dissolved into mist and flowed into Harry. Murphy watched in amazement as Harry�s face � changed. Not structurally or anything. Maybe it was the expression, the carriage of his head, something was different. �Bob?� Murphy asked hesitantly. �I�m right here, my dear Connie.� Harry�s hand caressed her cheek. The voice was Harry�s, but � different. It was clearly Bob talking, his cadence, his vocabulary, his accent. It sounded very strange. The fingers against her face trembled slightly as Bob was overwhelmed by the simple act of touching another human being. And then the hand slid around, burrowing into her hair, pulling her close. Bob kissed her with a barely restrained passion. Again, she couldn�t say exactly what was different, but it was definitely Bob now, not Harry. His other hand slid down her back, over her ass, squeezing gently. Some dim part of her brain was amazed by how big Harry�s hands were. But the thought didn�t last long; it couldn�t hold up against the flood of emotions and sensations running through her. Murphy's hands slid over his back, caressing, warm, human. Her mouth was soft against his, her tongue eager, probing. Bob felt the fire rising in his belly, the need for this contact, the hunger. And beside it, he felt Harry responding too. He felt so good, so alive! On impulse, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bed. The towel came loose as he walked, but he didn't care. As soon as he set her down, he began unbuttoning her blouse, wanting to touch her soft, warm skin. Once it was off, he began kissing her neck, working down along her collar bone, as his hands slid over her arms. Finally his hands found her breasts. For a moment her bra confounded him, but Harry quickly showed him the trick of it. Women's undergarments had not been so lovely in his day! It seemed almost a shame to remove it, but right now he wanted skin. So soft, so lovely! Not excessively large as some men preferred; just perfect handfuls. She sighed and moaned softly as he ran his thumbs over the pert nipples, all pink and rosy. Harry had the weirdest feeling that he was watching a porno flick from the male actor's point of view. This was Bob's night � he gladly let the ghost run the show. It was still Harry's body, he felt every sensation. And he felt Bob's exhilaration at being able to touch someone, to hold a woman close. And he had to admit, his own emotions were involved too. This was Murphy he was touching. She was special to him. It felt good to be able to let the final barriers dissolve. She really was beautiful. And sexy. And a hell of a good kisser. Murphy wasn't quite sure when she realized that it was Harry kissing her again. By that point it didn't matter much. She hadn't felt this way in years. Her body was alive with passion. She was here with Harry and Bob, and both of them cared about her. It didn't matter who was doing what. It all felt marvelously good. While Harry took over the kissing, Bob focused his attention on their hands. Connie's body was so warm, so soft. He loved touching her. He wanted more. So he reluctantly tore his hands away from those perfect breasts and moved down to open her pants. His right hand slipped inside, under the silken panties, probing into the tangle of curly hair between her legs. His left returned to her right breast, kneading gently. Murphy moaned as a long finger found her clit and began stroking gently. Harry let go of her lips and began kissing a trail down her throat until finally he sucked her left nipple into his mouth. A gentle bite sent an electric charge through her body. She arched toward him, seeking more. Harry was only too happy to oblige, sucking and pulling on the tender flesh of her nipple, while Bob took care of the other one with his fingers. And of course, continuing his southerly explorations with his other hand. It wasn't long before Murphy was writhing on the bed beneath their combined ministrations. Her movements were helping dislodge her pants, so Bob took a moment to finish the job. Finally she lay before him in her full glory, and it was magnificent. Even Harry had to pause a moment and enjoy the view. "Connie, my dear, you are so lovely!" Bob's voice was breathy with desire. Murphy grinned up at them. "You're not so bad yourself!" She took the opportunity to turn the tables. Even though Harry was much taller than she was, she knew how to use her smaller mass to her advantage. The next thing the boys knew, she was on top and grinning down at them. She began kissing a trail down Harry's chest, her tongue darting into his navel as she passed by, until finally her mouth hovered an inch away from his dick. She kept them hanging like that for what felt like forever but was actually less than a minute before finally reaching out her tongue to lick at the tip. "Ohhh!" It came out as a whimper, and Murphy really wasn't sure who it was. She took it slow, licking it like a lollipop at first, letting her fingertips trail lightly over the velvety-soft skin. Eventually, her touch got firmer, her tongue swirling over the hot flesh, until finally she took it into her mouth. "Ohhh .... god!" Harry's voice sounded deeper than usual as the pleasure overwhelmed him. Murphy was sucking his cock. That alone was intense beyond imagining. But Bob was with him, and their usual 'reverb' effect was working. It was almost like he could feel it twice. And he could feel Bob's joy as well as his physical pleasure. It was almost too much, too soon. Harry reached down and grabbed Murphy's face with his hands. "Not too much ..." he gasped. When Murphy let go to look up at him, Bob took the opportunity to turn the tables again. Before she could complain, he had buried his face between her legs, kissing her tenderest spot. He kissed, licked, and sucked at her clit, while slipping two of Harry's long fingers deep inside her. Soon she was bucking against him, grunting and moaning with pleasure, crying out as he took her to her peak and held her there. Bob smiled. It gave him tremendous pleasure to be able to give her such pleasure. He kept at it until she reached out and silently begged him to stop. Only then did he release her, kissing a trail up her body until at last he returned to her mouth. Murphy could taste herself in Bob's kiss ... and somehow she knew it was Bob, not Harry. She could almost imagine she saw blue in the eyes that looked down at her. She smiled up at him. "Wow. You really know how to make a woman happy ..." she sighed. "I told you you'd be putty in my hands, my dear." Yup. Bob's voice. Sort of. It occurred to her again that this was a little strange. But it was a very nice kind of strange. She ran her hands down his chest, to the hardness below. She wrapped her hand around it. Harry took over to ask a question. "Hey Murph ... we ok here? You on the pill?" She grinned. "Got it covered, Dresden. I trust you'd tell me if there was anything I needed to know?" Harry nodded, knowing he didn't even have to ask in return. He'd used a condom with the skull-stealing tramp. But this was Murphy. There was trust here. He slipped back into the background. Murphy could see Harry's face change as Bob took over. She stroked his cock, making him sigh happily. "Make love to me, Bob. Please?" she asked quietly. His eyes opened, and again she could swear she saw blue. "What milady asks is my pleasure to give!" He moved over her, settling between her outspread legs, and gently plunged into her. She moaned and pushed back against him, taking him in as deep as he could go. Arms and legs tangled as Bob thrust into her, gently at first then more and more forcefully. So hot, so wet! It was everything he remembered and more. Because now he felt Harry beside him, felt Harry's pleasure as well as his own. And felt something else; a deep current of affection running between all three of them. He felt his pleasure mounting as his climax neared, and then everything exploded in an orgasm the likes of which he'd never felt. When his vision cleared, Bob found himself sprawled on the bed beside Murphy. She was gently stroking his chest. "You guys ok in there?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with delight. "I think so ..." Harry answered for both of them. // Bob? // "That was quite extraordinary!" There was absolutely no doubt that was Bob. Murphy grinned. "You know, it's easier to tell you apart than I thought it would be." "Tell us apart?" Harry looked at her, confused. "Yeah. When you talk, I can tell who's talking. Harry, you sound really weird with Bob's accent ..." Harry chuckled. "Yeah, weirded me out the first couple of times. Actually, still kind of does." Murphy shifted, snuggling in close. "But it wasn't just that. Something changes in your face, maybe it's the expression or something. And I could definitely tell who was kissing me." Bob nearly exploded with joy as she settled against their body. So warm, so soft. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Oh, Connie ..." he sighed softly, suddenly feeling the sting of tears behind his eyes. Something in his voice warned her. "Bob? You ok?" At the same time, he felt Harry's mental voice asking the same thing. Their concern, their affection for him was overwhelming. It had been so long since he'd been able to show physical affection. Not just sex, but love. This gentle touching afterward. Harry's left hand caressing his right arm while Connie held him close was more than he could have ever dreamed of. He didn't ... quite ... cry, but it was a close thing. He hadn't slept in over 500 years, but right now he dearly wished he could fall asleep in this wonderful, warm, safe place. Wished he could stay with them all night. But he knew that couldn't be, not yet. Maybe someday they'd solve the Tsukata mystery and he'd be able to fall asleep in Harry's arms. For now, he just snuggled closer, nodding against Connie's shoulder. "I'm fine, my dears. I can never thank you enough, both of you ..." Murphy gently stroked his face, kissed his cheek, then settled back down. Harry sent out his magic to snuff the candles, and relocate the covers over them. He knew that as soon as he fell asleep, Bob would be expelled from his body, so he tried to keep that from happening as long as he could. // Bob? // he asked quietly, even inside his mind. // Yes, Harry? // // I do love you, you know that? // // Of course I do. Silly boy. How could I not? // Harry chuckled softly. Bob's emotions were riding pretty high right now. He could feel them like a warm blanket. Of course, he was feeling pretty much the same. Something very special had happened here tonight. Something ... magical. He was happy and content and tired. Murphy was warm and soft, snuggled against him. Life was good. continue to Chapter 7 Send me some Feedback Back to my Dresden Home page Back to the Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Chapter 6 |