Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to enjoy my last night,” Levi announces as we all walk into the mansion from the garage.
He grabs Ezra’s hand, who doesn’t resist when Levi tugs him forward.
“Who knows what happens tomorrow? I’m gonna make the most of today.
” Then, with a devilish smirk, he calls over his shoulder as he pulls Ezra toward the stairs, “I’d say you guys do that too. ”
Koen stops at the base of the stairs. “Dove?”
Levi pauses halfway up, turning his head to glance back. “Yes?”
“How about you guys stay in your room for the rest of the night?”
“Haven’t planned anything else, brother.” He winks, then tugs Ezra up the stairs again. “Come on, Ezy baby. Fuck me like it’s our last night on Earth.”
Ezra sputters, his ears going bright red, and a laugh bursts out of me at the sight.
God, I love this. Love that this is finally happening.
Levi’s laughter echoes down the stairway, followed by a muffled protest from Ezra. Then the door clicks shut behind them, leaving the rest of us standing in the low light of the foyer, wrapped in silence.
Koen clears his throat and gestures toward the living room. “Come on.”
We follow him inside, and the room feels too quiet compared to the noise of moments before. Sylus plops down on one end of the couch and pulls me down next to him, his arm draping lazily over my shoulder.
Koen sinks into the couch across from us, stretching his legs out, one ankle crossed over his knee, while Ace and Nicholas each take one of the armchairs flanking the couches.
The room is bathed in a low glow, and the silence stretches long between us, not uncomfortable but thick.
I glance around at Sylus’s amused grin, Nicholas’s smile, Koen’s intense gaze, and Ace’s smirk, and I feel it—a warmth in my chest.
Love.
This is what love feels like.
For all the chaos and uncertainty, we have this.
Anticipation thrums in the air, making my skin buzz, but I don’t know what to say. My mind scrambles for something, anything, to break the tension. “So… do you guys want to watch some MasterChef?”
The question lands awkwardly in the space between us. Sylus blinks, then bursts out laughing, his head tilting back. Nicholas chuckles, and Koen’s gaze softens with amusement.
“Seriously?” Ace asks, raising an eyebrow, though there’s a flicker of amusement in his eyes too.
I shrug. “What? It’s a classic.”
“Sparkle baby, we can watch MasterChef later.” Sylus’s lips brush my ear. “But something tells me none of us came in here for the TV.”
The silence thickens again, and I meet Koen’s dark eyes. He doesn’t say anything. He simply watches me, and it only adds to the growing tension. In a good way.
Seconds stretch, and the heat of his stare crawls over my skin. My heart pounds harder, and I start to squirm.
Why does he have to look at me like that?
The corner of his mouth twitches like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. “Come here.”
My body moves to stand of its own accord, drawn to him like always.
But as I start to walk toward him, Sylus’s hands shoot out, gripping my hips and yanking me into his lap with a playful roughness that makes me yelp.
His arms coil around my stomach, locking me in place, his chin coming to rest on my shoulder.
“Hey!” I protest, squirming in his grip, though I don’t really want to escape.
Sylus chuckles, his breath hot against my neck. “Boundaries check.”
“What?”
“There are four guys here, Sparkle. Maybe we should make sure everyone’s on board, and you’re comfortable before we do… anything.”
Ace’s low chuckle rumbles from the side. “You’re talking to Trouble personified.”
“Yeah, I know.” I feel Sylus’s grin widen against my skin as he presses a kiss to the side of my throat, just beneath my ear. “This girl doesn’t have any boundaries because she’s a fucking freak.”
I swat at his head, half laughing. “Oh, shut up.”
His laughter vibrates through me when I shift slightly to look at him, but then his tone drops into something more serious. “But my guy, Ric, here…” He glances at Ace. “He doesn’t want to be touched by anyone but her. Is that going to fly?”
“We know that.” Koen leans back in his chair. “And it’s no problem. We’ll be mindful.”
Sylus’s gaze shifts to Nicholas, eyes narrowing with that teasing intensity only he can pull off. “I was more worried about the new guy.”
Nicholas snorts. “No offense, Alaric, but I wasn’t planning on touching you anyway.”
“Same here.” A smile tugs at Ace’s lips. “Thanks, man.”
“Good.” Sylus nods, his energy tempered with a rare seriousness. “Koen, what about you?”
“As long as you guys keep your hands on her, I’m good.”
“Fair,” Sylus hums, clearly approving. Then his gaze flicks to Nicholas, studying the hesitation in his expression.
“Short King?” Nicholas’s eyes shift between Koen and me, apparently searching for guidance.
“Huh…” Sylus drawls, his brow lifting as if he’s just put something together. “Now that’s interesting.”
“We could use Koen’s stoplight system,” I offer quickly to ensure Nicholas doesn’t get too uncomfortable under Sylus’s scrutiny.
“What’s that?” Ace asks.
“We’ll check in with her and each other,” Koen explains. “When I ask for your color, you say green if you’re enjoying things, yellow if you’re getting unsure, and red if you want to stop immediately. And, of course, you can call out your color even if no one asks.”
Sylus nods. “I like that.”
Koen’s gaze flicks to Nicholas. “Consent isn’t fixed. If you find a new boundary, you can always pull back.”
“Yeah.” Nicholas exhales slowly, his shoulders relaxing. “I’m good with that.”
Sylus kisses the top of my head. “All right, sounds like a plan.”
“What about you?” Koen asks Sylus. “What are your boundaries?”
“He doesn’t have boundaries.” I laugh, rolling my eyes. “He has kinks.”
Koen raises an eyebrow, intrigue curling through his expression. “Kinks?” He eyes Sylus. “What kind of kinks?”
“You little minx,” Sylus growls out playfully, his teeth sinking lightly into the side of my throat, making me pull up my shoulder in defense.
“What?” I smirk, my voice dripping with innocence. “If you’re going to air my dirty laundry, I’m airing yours.”
“Okay, now I’m curious too.” Ace leans in. “What kind of kink?”
“Somnophilia.” Sylus shrugs.
“Somno-what?” Ace frowns.
Koen’s brows knit together, suspicion flashing in his eyes. “You’re drugging her?”
“No!” I snort, shaking my head. “He just… plays with me while I’m asleep. Consensually.”
“And you don’t notice?” Koen furrows his brows.
“I wake up eventually.” I shrug, but the heat rises to my cheeks. “Although, that’s part of the fun. At least for me.”
“So you’re into fucking her when she’s unconscious?” Koen asks, but there is no judgment in his tone, only curiosity.
“It’s not about her being unconscious.” I shoot him a look. “I mean, yes, but…” Sylus pauses, pushing my hair from my shoulder. “It’s about trust. The stillness. Knowing she’ll feel everything in the morning.” He nuzzles my neck before he shrugs again. “It’s hard to explain.”
Ace shifts, his eyes darkening as he adjusts himself, and I turn to see Sylus’s grin turning smug.
Koen taps his fingers on his thigh, thoughtful. “I think I could help with that.”
“What?” Sylus and I say in unison.
What in the world?
A slow smirk curves Koen’s lips. “I promised never to hypnotize you again, Little Thief, but—”
“Oh my God,” I cut him off, excitement buzzing through me. “You would put me in a trance for him?”
“I mean, if you both want it.”
I turn back to Sylus and nod eagerly, and he lets out a shaky laugh.
“God, yes. Please. Fuck, I love you, brother.”
Koen chuckles at our enthusiasm. “It’ll be fun. You’ll hear and feel everything, but you won’t be able to move.” He furrows his brow again. “It’s a lot of trust, though.”
“I want it,” I say quickly, the conviction in my words leaving no room for doubt. My gaze sweeps over all of them. “I trust you. All of you. And if anyone else wants to give it a try, I’m okay with that.”
The words hang in the air, a hint of vulnerability lacing my confidence.
God, does that sound weird?
Does anybody else want to use me while I’m defenseless?
A slow heat creeps up my spine.
Yeah, I definitely have a problem.
And I don’t want a cure.
Koen looks to Ace and Nicholas, checking their reactions. Ace shrugs, a small smile on his lips. “I mean, I think I’d like to try if you’re okay with that, Trouble?”
I nod. “Very okay.”
“I don’t. I’m sorry. I prefer her awake.” Nicholas smiles sheepishly.
“I can switch her between trance and awareness,” Koen suggests.
Fuck, I’m pretty sure my G-string is soaked.
Sylus’s arms tighten around me as if he knows. “Switching it up sounds like fun.” His excitement is tangible in the quickening of his heartbeat against my back, his hardness under me, and it sends a thrill through me.
“All right, so… what do we have in mind?” I ask.
“Sy, why don’t you give her a little warm-up?” Koen’s lips quirk into a half-smile as he leans back in the armchair, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. “We’ll take things from there.”
Sylus lets out a laugh that stirs the hair on the back of my head. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Before I can protest—or encourage him—his teeth sink into the side of my throat, the pressure causing my breath to catch. His hand slides under my shirt before he lifts it over my head.
When he reaches for my tits, he pauses. “These damn things.” His thumb brushes over the edge of one pastie, and I can feel the smirk in his voice. “Such a tease.”
Oops. I forgot about them.
I hook my fingers under the edges of both pasties and rip them off in one swift motion. The burn stings, and I let out a hiss at the sensation.
Koen growls low in his throat while Nicholas and Ace both suck in sharp breaths.