Chapter 3
Bash
“Ihad a feeling that you’d be pretty. But you’re way beyond that.
You’re beautiful. Like an ocean goddess walking among us mere mortals.
” The words are out of my mouth before I’ve even processed them.
For a second, I contemplate taking them back, fearing I might have overstepped, but the stunning siren gives me a pleased smile, an alluring blush traveling across her cheeks as she ducks her head.
Silky black hair hangs down to her waist and my fingers ache to run through the strands to find out if they’re as soft as they look.
I bet Killian is already thinking about wrapping those strands around his fist. And Silas, with all his caretaker tendencies, would most likely want to brush or braid them for her.
I’ve always loved how well the three of us complement each other despite our vast differences. I can only hope the captivating creature in front of us finds these qualities endearing. And hot.
“You’re too kind,” the siren says, tucking some of that shiny hair behind her ear. “I’m Marisol.”
Silas places a hand on his chest. “We’re Pack Morgan. I’m Silas, the big guy on my right is Killian, and this ray of sunshine is Sebastian.”
“Everyone calls me Bash. But you can call me anything you like.” I aim to sound smooth, a little flirty, but the words come out too breathy. Marisol is indisputably gorgeous and she’s got my tongue all scrambled.
Marisol lets out the most adorable giggle as Lauren steps forward, and I cringe, realizing I didn’t even notice the coordinator was here too.
“Marisol, would you like me to sit in on this meeting?” Lauren asks, sounding fairly nonthreatening, though I find myself standing up straighter and clasping my hands behind my back.
Just in case. No one needs evisceration on the day they meet the potential love of their life.
But that’s not why we’re here. Only heat assistance.
Maybe. If all goes well, then perhaps we can see if there’s a chance for more.
“I think I’m safe with them,” Marisol says with a touch of humor and a quick assessing glance between the three of us.
Her easy—and accurate—appraisal of us has me bouncing on my toes. But only for a second before I try to school my features again and force myself to stand still.
Killian dips his head to catch Marisol’s eyes, his hands hanging loosely at his sides. “We promise you are. We’ll take good care of you.” The double meaning of his statement, combined with the unusually deep rumble of his voice, has Marisol’s attention locked on him.
Her lips part and she sucks in a breath, her back arching slightly. A second later, her scent hits us and our pack takes a collective sniff.
Marisol smells like a sweet ocean breeze, of mornings out beyond the crest of the waves, where the vast expanse of blue calms your soul just as much as it invigorates you.
She smells like secrets beneath the surface and warm sun caressing your shoulders.
Floral notes of roses and jasmine and water lilies. She smells like our future.
The fact that none of us says anything about how enticing her scent is right now deserves at least two high-fives when we get home. But based on her reaction to Killian’s voice, I think we can confirm the auralism kink she had ticked in her file.
Wanting to start early with wooing her, I rush to the big basket of folded blankets in the corner.
I touch each one, feeling their textures and looking for the softest fabric that Marisol can snuggle with.
Unable to say definitively which one’s the best, I pick up the entire basket and bring it over to our table.
Holding it out for Marisol, I babble through my reasoning, “Uhm, I’ve read that you might like nesting, or snuggling before a heat, and during a heat too?
I guess that differs from creature to creature.
But I thought maybe you’d want something cozy on the couch with you.
Or we can sit with you. I’d be more than happy to snuggle with you, Silas and Killian too.
But we’d need your consent first before touching.
” My eyes widen with every extra word out of my mouth.
It’s like once I start talking to her, I can’t stop.
I blink hard in an attempt to snap myself out of it.
“Oh wow, I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry.
Let’s rewind. Here are blankets. I didn’t know which one you’d like. Please pick one for yourself.”
Marisol rolls her lips together to suppress her smile. “That’s really thoughtful, Bash. Thank you. I’ll take a blanket for now. We can talk about snuggling together later.”
My mouth opens and closes for a couple of seconds as I stand frozen with the large basket in my arms. Marisol bends forward to run her hand across the top blanket, her hair falling softly over her shoulder and skimming along my bare arm.
I stay completely still, my whole body tingling at the hint of contact.
Marisol glances up at me and my gaze dips to her perfect mouth, her rosy parted lips and shallow breaths puffing between them.
“This one is perfect,” Marisol says a little too loudly as she straightens up with a deep pink in her cheeks and clutches a fluffy blanket to her chest.
Looks like I’m not the only one affected by that almost touch.
I set down the basket next to the table and a sly grin stretches across my face as I nod at her and walk back to our couch. I’ll give her some space for now, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be long until we’re snuggled together with her pussy walls squeezing around my knot.
Silas runs a hand through his reddish-brown hair. “Can I get you a drink? I see they have a good sea salt caramel latte here, or perhaps a glass of water?” He’s trying valiantly to look unaffected but even his voice has taken on a husky quality I’ve only heard him use with Killian.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like a warm cup of spiced tea.”
Silas’s hand stills on the back of his head and one corner of his mouth ticks up. “Such a good girl for telling us exactly what you want.”
Marisol shudders at his praise and her scent blooms again. We had hoped today might go well, but such a strong, visceral response to each of us is unexpected and very, very welcome.
“I’ll get it for you,” Killian offers.
I hold my breath as he walks toward Marisol. Her eyes track him as he rounds the table, and when he stops right next to her, Marisol’s chin tips up and up and up until their eyes meet. Physically, they’re not touching each other, but the electric current running between them is almost palpable.
Killian’s mouth quirks into a faint smirk. “Have a seat, sweet siren. Get comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Chest rising and falling rapidly, Marisol lowers herself onto the couch without a hint of resistance. She blinks a couple of times, then looks over at us.
“Is he always so… bossy?” She tries to joke, but her voice is unsteady as she sneaks another peek at Killian walking toward the counter. She’s most definitely checking out his ass. That’s got to count for extra points.
“He can be,” I answer with a knowing smile. “If you want him to.”
Marisol clears her throat and crosses her legs. If her scent is any indication, it’s a fair guess that her pussy is feeling needy. Would it be too much to tell her exactly how much I want to lick every drop from her, right here, right now?
Before I can utter such premature thoughts, Silas asks gently, “This is your first heat at Nesting Grounds, right?”
Marisol arranges the blanket across her lap and glides her hands across the fluffy fabric. “Yeah. My friends encouraged me to sign up. I didn’t even know about the agency until a couple of days ago. I’ve just always handled my heats by myself. How about you guys?”
Leaning forward, Silas waits until Marisol meets his sincere yet determined golden gaze. “If you grant us the privilege to assist you, then it’ll be our first too.”
“Better give me a good reason to choose you then,” Marisol says with a secretive little smirk and the sexiest arched eyebrow I’ve seen in my life.
A tiny whimper escapes me and Silas reaches for the pillow next to him, chucking it at me so I can disguise the effect that challenge had on my cock. Marisol tries to smother her laugh behind her hand as Killian arrives with a fuckload of food.
Placing two trays laden with a variety of treats on the table, a rare sheepish expression steals over his face.
Resetting to his default grumpy state, Killian folds his arms over his chest and motions with his chin toward the food.
“I didn’t know if you were hungry, and I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I just got one of everything they had in the display case. ”
Marisol’s eyes soften. “Thank you. That’s really generous.”
Killian’s chest puffs out even further and I swear he’s flexing his biceps. “Well, we want to take care of you. This does not only include sexual stimulation, but food and aftercare and anything you might need when you’re with us.”
Tilting her head to the side and exposing that long beautiful column of skin I can just sink my teeth into—but shouldn’t be thinking about when I’m already hard—Marisol frowns at Killian before directing the question to all three of us. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Yes.”
“Obviously.”
Our three voices of agreement wash over each other and Marisol closes her eyes, arching her back as her scent spikes again.
Silas, Killian, and I watch each other, the silent question hanging between us.
When I realize that it might be the blend of our combined voices that’s causing her reaction, I point to my Adam’s apple first, then to theirs.
Silas nods in understanding before indicating that Killian should speak next.
Lowering his voice and letting that gravel quality through again, Killian starts explaining what he bought.
“So, if we move in a clockwise direction, you have chewy maple pumpkin cookies, a caramel apple cheesecake bar, a brown butter cinnamon roll, a pumpkin fudge brownie, maple pecan sticky buns, a churro cupcake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and… that’s it. ”
Wide steel-gray eyes stare at the cornucopia of seasonal treats. “Wow.”
Shifting on his feet, Killian adds, “But if you don’t like this I can ask them about the savory menu. I should’ve checked. Or what’s your favorite fish? There’s a shop not far from here I can order something from—”
Marisol touches a hand to her chest, her smile big and genuine. “Killian. I’m good. This is an amazing spread. Thank you for spoiling me.”
“You deserve it, Marisol. And more.” Passing her mug of tea to her, Killian holds her eyes as he adds a touch of dominance to his low rumble, “Careful, now. It’s hot.”
Marisol’s smile morphs into a soft expression with parted lips. She gives Killian a small nod before cautiously taking the tea from him. “Thank you.”
The moment their fingers graze around the mug, their gazes lock and everyone freezes.
Time itself stops to pay witness to this singular moment.
Killian starts pumping out a cloud of pheromones and, as packmates, Silas and I automatically join in.
Marisol whimpers and her scent blossoms with a deeper sweetness to it.
The electric buzz of the scent neutralizers kicking into a higher mode pulls me out of the moment. Across the room, I meet Lauren’s watchful eye and I quickly dial back my instincts. I cough into my fist and Silas and Killian finally snap out of it too.
“My apologies,” Killian says. “I did not mean to overwhelm you like that.”
Marisol pulls a pillow onto her lap and props her tea on top.
“It’s okay. Can’t say I minded it much. You three have this harmonious blend of voices, and it just does something to…
” She trails off as she closes her eyes, making a low humming sound in the back of her throat that has my cock twitching anew.
“Sorry, that’s probably too forward of me to say. ”
Silas adjusts his pants to hide the evidence of what that moment did to not only me, but apparently all of us. “Marisol, I think nothing is too forward for this conversation. If things go well, you’ll soon be taking our cocks in your tight little pussy.”
“You think?” Marisol asks breathily. Judging by the heat in her eyes and the flush across her cheeks, dirty talk really does it for her too. This definitely bodes well for us.
My once-minute spark of hope that she’ll choose us is being fanned into a steady but optimistic flame with every second that passes.
Silas pushes the sleeves of his cable-knit sweater up, and Marisol’s eyes home in on his nautical tattoos.
Before she can ask him about them, Silas gestures to the spread between us.
“On that note, why don’t you have something to eat while I check our files.
I’d like to discuss how comfortable you’d feel with taking one cock at a time, or two? ”
Looking a little mischievous, Marisol props her elbow on her pillow and directs the full force of her steel-gray eyes on Silas. “Well, there are three of you. Wouldn’t want anyone feeling left out.”
I choke on air and sputter, “All three? At once?” Did Christmas just come early this year? Maybe not Christmas, but if she keeps this up I know for sure who will be coming… in his pants.
Marisol takes a leisurely sip of her tea, then lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “When you’ve got the holes, why not fill them?”
Great. My dick will never be soft again.
I still don’t know how we’re going to convince Marisol to choose us, but one thing I know for sure is that one week with her will never be enough.