Chapter 18 #2
“Oh my God,” I moaned around the mouthful, closing my eyes to better appreciate the flavors. “This is incredible, as always.”
When I opened my eyes, I found all three brothers watching me with identical expressions of heated interest.
“What?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
“Nothing,” Logan replied, his voice rougher than before. “Just… enjoying the view.”
I realized belatedly that I was still wearing only an oversized t-shirt and my briefs, my fox ears fully visible, making those little appreciative twitches they did when I was particularly pleased about something.
The way they were looking at me made it clear that breakfast wasn’t the only thing on the menu.
“Eat,” Cade instructed, though his eyes remained dark with promise. “You’ll need the energy.”
That simple statement sent heat flooding through me, and I focused intently on my plate to hide my reaction. Beside me, Keir chuckled softly, clearly not fooled.
Breakfast passed in a strange combination of domestic comfort and simmering tension.
The conversation flowed easily—Keir discussing a new tech investment he was considering, Cade mentioning an upcoming business trip, Logan debating the merits of different martial arts for someone my size. It was so… normal.
Yet beneath the normality ran an electric current of anticipation. It was in the way Cade’s hand lingered when he passed me the syrup, in Logan’s eyes tracking my movements, in Keir’s thigh pressed against mine beneath the counter. They were waiting, I realized. Building the tension deliberately.
Two could play at that game.
I stretched elaborately as I finished my last bite, knowing full well that the movement would cause the shirt to ride up, exposing a strip of skin. Three pairs of eyes immediately zeroed in on the revealed flesh, and I had to suppress a smile at their predictability.
“I should shower,” I announced casually, sliding off the stool.
“Need help?” Keir offered immediately, earning an elbow from Logan.
“I think I can manage,” I replied with exaggerated innocence. “I’ve been doing it alone for years.”
“A tragedy,” Keir murmured, his eyes dancing with mischief.
“We’ll clean up,” Cade said, his tone making it clear this was not a suggestion for the other two. “Take your time.”
I nodded, turning to leave before pausing in the doorway. “I thought I might spend some time in the library after,” I added, glancing over my shoulder. “I’ve been wanting to finish that book on Renaissance art techniques.”
The look that passed between the three of them made my stomach flip with anticipation.
“The library,” Cade repeated, something dark and promising in his tone. “An excellent choice.”
I practically fled to my room, my heart racing with a combination of nervousness and excitement.
The shower gave me time to collect myself, the hot water sluicing away the last traces of sleep.
I took my time, partly to tease them and partly because I genuinely needed a moment to prepare mentally for whatever was about to happen.
The Sinclair mansion’s library was one of my favorite rooms—two stories of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, comfortable leather seating arranged in conversational groupings, and enormous windows that filled the space with natural light.
A massive stone fireplace dominated one wall, while the opposite featured a balcony that overlooked the main floor, accessible by a wrought iron spiral staircase.
I settled onto one of the oversized leather sofas with the art book I’d mentioned, though I found myself reading the same paragraph repeatedly as my mind wandered to what might happen when the brothers found me.
The anticipation was almost unbearable, every small noise making me look up expectantly.
When they finally appeared, it was all three at once—as if they’d coordinated their entrance for maximum impact.
They moved with the silent grace of predators, spreading out to approach from different angles.
Cade took the armchair opposite me, while Logan leaned against the bookshelf to my right.
Keir perched on the arm of the sofa, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him.
“Interesting book?” Cade asked, his voice deceptively casual.
I glanced down at the page I hadn’t actually been reading. “Very,” I replied. “Renaissance techniques are fascinating.”
“Hmm.” Cade’s eyes never left my face. “You seem distracted.”
“Can’t imagine why,” I muttered, setting the book aside with a sigh of defeat. “It’s not like I’m being circled by three alpha werewolves or anything.”
“Is that what we’re doing?” Keir asked innocently, though his eyes were anything but. “Circling?”
“You know exactly what you’re doing,” I accused. “The coordinated entrance? The strategic positioning? This is a military operation, not a casual Sunday morning.”
Logan’s laugh was warm and genuine. “Busted,” he admitted. “Though I object to being compared to Keir in any tactical scenario. He couldn’t coordinate his way out of a paper bag.”
“Hey!” Keir protested. “I’m plenty strategic. I’m just more… improvisational.”
“Children,” Cade admonished, though his lips twitched with amusement. His eyes returned to me, darkening perceptibly. “But you’re right, Finn. This isn’t casual. Nothing about what we want to do to you is casual.”
The blunt statement sent heat flooding through me.
“Oh?” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathless. “And what exactly did you have in mind?”
“Why don’t we show you?” Logan suggested, pushing away from the bookshelf to approach the sofa. He moved with deliberate slowness, giving me plenty of time to retreat if I wanted to.
I didn’t move an inch.
“Starting with getting you out of these clothes,” Keir added, his fingers already playing with the hem of my Henley. “As nice as you look in them.”
“In the library?” I squeaked, glancing toward the door. “What if Drew comes back early?”
“He won’t be back until six,” Cade reminded me, rising from his chair with predatory grace. “And even if he did return early, no one would disturb us here. Not when they know we’re… occupied.”
The way he said “occupied” made it sound like the filthiest word in the English language.
“But still,” I protested weakly as Keir’s hand slid beneath my shirt, his fingers warm against my skin. “It’s the library. There are books. Important, valuable books.”
“We’re not planning to defile the books, little fox,” Logan assured me, his voice tinged with amusement as he settled on my other side. “Just you.”
“Oh,” I breathed, my objections evaporating as Keir’s hand traveled higher, pushing my shirt up to expose my stomach. “Well, when you put it that way…”
Cade remained standing before me, his eyes tracking every reaction as his brothers began their sensual assault. There was something intensely erotic about being the sole focus of his attention while Logan and Keir’s hands explored my body.
“Lift your arms,” Keir murmured, and I complied without thinking, allowing him to pull my shirt over my head.
The cool air of the library raised goosebumps on my exposed skin, though they quickly gave way to heat as Logan’s mouth found my neck, teeth grazing the sensitive spot just below my ear.
Keir’s fingers traced patterns on my chest, circling but never quite touching my nipples, the teasing touch making me arch toward him, seeking more contact.
“Patience,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “We have all day.”
“Some of us don’t have your supernatural stamina,” I retorted, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the breathy quality of my voice.
“Don’t worry,” Logan assured me, his hand sliding down to cup me through my jeans, drawing a gasp from my lips. “We’ll make sure you keep up.”
Cade finally moved, stepping forward to stand directly in front of me. He reached down to tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“Last chance to back out,” he said softly, his thumb tracing my lower lip. “Say the word, and we stop.”
The tenderness in his voice, the genuine concern in his eyes, made something in my chest tighten. This powerful alpha, who could simply take what he wanted, was instead asking—making sure I was completely willing.
“Don’t you dare stop,” I replied, holding his gaze steadily.
Something flared in his eyes—satisfaction, desire, and something deeper I wasn’t ready to name. Without breaking eye contact, he leaned down, his breath warm against my lips for a heartbeat before claiming my mouth in a kiss that was pure possession.
The first press of his lips was firm but controlled, a statement of intent rather than a request. When my lips parted on a gasp, his tongue swept inside, hot and demanding, tasting of coffee and something uniquely Cade.
I yielded immediately, my hands coming up to grip his broad shoulders, fingers digging into the hard muscle there as the kiss deepened.
He tasted me thoroughly, his tongue stroking against mine in a rhythm that made heat pool low in my belly.
When I tentatively responded, meeting his intensity with my own, a growl of approval rumbled through his chest. His hand came up to cup the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair to hold me exactly where he wanted me as he angled his head to deepen the kiss further.
The taste, the scent, the feel of him overwhelmed my senses.
His lips were surprisingly soft against mine, a contrast to the demanding pressure of his mouth.
When he caught my lower lip between his teeth, applying just enough pressure to send a shock of pleasure-pain through me, I whimpered, the sound swallowed by his mouth as he soothed the sting with his tongue.
I was vaguely aware of Logan and Keir watching us, their desire a palpable force in the room. Logan’s fingers had found their way into my hair, stroking through the strands with unexpected gentleness, while Keir’s hand rested on my thigh, his thumb tracing maddening circles against my skin.