Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
LUCAS
I push Cash’s head back, my fingers tangled in his dark hair. His lips are swollen, his eyes glazed over with desire as he stares up at me. The power I feel in this moment—seeing him on his knees, completely surrendered—sends a rush through my veins that nothing else can match.
“You’re perfect,” I whisper, tracing my thumb across his bottom lip. “So fucking perfect for me.”
Cash’s breath hitches. “Lucas?—”
“Shhh.” I press my finger against his mouth. “You know the rules.”
The shower runs in the bathroom, Matheo’s off-key humming barely audible through the door. Somewhere downstairs, Kyren’s entertaining the elderly crowd with his piano skills in the hotel lobby. And Trinity...my chest tightens thinking of her curled up on that couch, refusing to share our bed.
Cash nips at my finger, drawing me back to the moment. “Someone’s distracted,” he murmurs, a challenge in his eyes .
I tighten my grip on his hair, just enough to make him gasp. “And someone’s forgetting who’s in charge.”
His pupils dilate, that beautiful submission washing over him again. This is what we both need—this moment of connection, of certainty in our roles when everything else feels so uncertain.
I guide him forward again. “C’mon, baby. You can take a little more. You’re so good for me.”
Cash moans, the sound louder than he intended. I glance nervously at the door, hoping Trinity’s a heavy sleeper.
“Quiet,” I hiss, though my body betrays my words as I let out a groan that’s anything but subtle.
Cash pulls back, a smirk playing on his lips. “You were saying?”
I can’t help but laugh, pulling him up to crush my mouth against his. We tumble onto the bed, springs creaking beneath us. Cash lands on top, but I quickly flip our positions, pinning his wrists above his head.
“I thought you wanted to be quiet,” he whispers against my neck, his voice carrying a hint of challenge.
“I thought you wanted to follow orders.” I nip at his earlobe, feeling him shudder beneath me.
The mattress protests again as I shift my weight, and we both freeze, listening for any sound from the living room. Nothing.
“This bed is so loud,” Cash mutters. “How are we supposed to make this work?”
“We’re not.” I sigh, resting my forehead against his. “I still don’t understand why Trinity insisted on that damn couch.”
Cash’s eyes soften. “She’ll come around. ”
“Will she? You saw how she looked at Kyren. Like he’d broken her heart.”
“And you saw how she looked at you at dinner. At all of us.” Cash reaches up, tracing my jawline. “This isn’t just business for her anymore.”
I want to believe him. The way Trinity had leaned into me during introductions, how naturally she’d fit against my side—it felt real. But then I remember her professional smile when we’d returned to the villa, the careful distance she maintains.
Six days to show her we could be real.
Days that will go too damn quickly if she sleeps on the couch.
The shower shuts off, and we both tense. Cash’s eyes dance with mischief as he pulls me down for one more kiss.
“Better make it count, then,” he whispers against my lips, just as the bathroom door opens and Matheo steps out in a cloud of steam with a towel wrapped low on his waist.
“Is this the point where I tell you two to get a room?” he asks sardonically, eyeing us.
I spread my arms wide. “We already did, but you’re more than welcome to join us.”
Matheo just shakes his head, but he’s smiling as he leans over the open suitcase on a rack in the corner.
I can’t help but admire Matheo’s physique as he turns to rummage through his suitcase. The towel sits dangerously low on his hips, water droplets still clinging to the defined muscles of his back. There’s something almost unfair about how good he looks without even trying.
I wonder, not for the first time, which one of us would come out on top in a challenge.
Sexual or otherwise .
It’s a thought I entertained even before this fake pack arrangement began.
A loud thump comes from the living room followed by a feminine sound of pain and we all freeze.
“Trinity?” Matheo calls out immediately, his voice tight with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answers, but her voice sounds strained, off somehow. “Just knocked over a...thing.”
Matheo moves toward the door, towel clutched in one hand. Cash is already rising from the bed, instinctively responding to the potential distress of our omega.
“Both of you, stay put,” I say, my tone firmer than intended. They both turn to me with surprised expressions.
I point at Cash. “You have that early morning conference call with Japan. You need sleep.” Then I turn to Matheo, eyeing his nearly naked form. “And you are not going to parade yourself around half-naked before I’ve even had my chance to impress her.”
“Your chance?” Matheo repeats, eyebrows rising.
“One look at those abs and it’s game over for the rest of us,” I explain with an overly dramatic sigh. “Some of us have to work with what we’ve got, you know.”
Cash bursts out laughing while Matheo’s cheeks actually flush pink. It’s endearing how someone who looks like him can still blush like a teenager.
“I’ll check on her,” I say, already moving toward the door.
My gaze immediately goes to the couch, where a rumpled blanket and pillows are haphazardly arranged. But the occupant of the makeshift sleeping space is noticeably absent.
A lamp lies on its side, clearly knocked over in her haste to get up. Something’s not right. The sliding glass door to the balcony stands slightly ajar—I know for a fact we closed it after coming back from dinner.
I move quietly across the room, my bare feet silent against the plush carpet. The night air rushes in as I push the door open further, and there she is.
Trinity leans against the balcony railing, her back to me.
She’s wearing nothing but a babydoll nightie that barely reaches mid-thigh, the silky fabric clinging to her curves in the gentle ocean breeze.
Her curls are tamed into two thick braids that hang down her bare back, an expanse of skin that shines like sculptured bronze under the moonlight.
“Trinity?” I keep my voice soft, not wanting to startle her. “Are you okay?”
She whips around, eyes wide. “Lucas! I—” She crosses her arms over her chest, but the gesture only accentuates her curves. “I’m fine. Just needed some air.”
That’s when it hits me—her scent. Sweet, heavy, and unmistakable. Arousal rolls off her in waves so potent, I have to grip the doorframe to steady myself. My body responds instantly, primal and hungry.
Holy shit. Her response can only mean one thing.
She heard us. She heard everything between Cash and me, and it turned her on.
The realization sends heat surging through my veins. Trinity’s cheeks flush pink as she watches my reaction, confirming my suspicions.
“You can go back to bed,” she says, her voice higher than usual. “I’m just... clearing my head.”
I step fully onto the balcony, closing the distance between us. “Funny thing about that. I was just in there thinking about how wrong it feels—all four of us in that gigantic bed while you’re out here alone. ”
Her breathing quickens. “This is a business arrangement, Lucas. I’m fine on the couch.”
“Are you?” I move closer until I can feel the heat radiating from her skin. “Because that’s not what your scent is telling me.”
Trinity’s eyes widen, her pupils dilating as she realizes she’s been caught. “I—that’s not?—”
“It’s okay,” I whisper, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. My fingers linger against her cheek. “We all want things we’re afraid to ask for.”
She shivers, but doesn’t pull away. “This isn’t part of our agreement.”
“The agreement can evolve.” I let my hand drop to my side, giving her space even as everything in me screams to pull her close. “You know, you’re more than welcome to join us in the bedroom.”
Trinity’s breath catches. “All of you?”
“However you want it.” I smile, watching her process the implications. “Just you and me. You and any combination of us. Or all of us together.”
Her scent spikes again, and I know I’ve hit on something she’s fantasized about.
“I’ve seen how you look at Matheo,” I continue, voice low. “At Cash. Even at Kyren, despite whatever is going on there.”
Trinity swallows hard. “It would complicate things.”
“Life is complicated.” I reach for her hand, relieved when she doesn’t pull away. “But this doesn’t have to be. We’re all adults. We all want this—want you.”
Her fingers tremble slightly in mine. “You don’t even know me.”
“I’d like to.” I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “And I think you’d like to know us, too. Really know us, not just the act we’re putting on for your family.”
The ocean crashes against the shore below us, filling the silence as Trinity considers my words. I see the war behind her eyes—desire versus caution, longing versus fear.
“No pressure,” I say finally, releasing her hand. “The couch is there if you want it. But so is the bed.” I take a step back toward the door. “Your choice.”
She lets out a shuddering breath and blinks those wide doll eyes a few times. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
I start to turn away, giving Trinity the space she clearly needs, when something stops me. A thought clicks into place—a recognition of something familiar in her posture, in the way she’s holding herself so rigidly against the railing.
I pivot back abruptly. Three quick strides and I’m in her space again, not touching her but close enough that she has to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. Her breath catches, pupils dilating as I tower over her.
“Or maybe,” I say, my voice dropping to a rumble. “You don’t actually want the choice.”
Trinity freezes, her scent spiking sharply with arousal before she can control it.
“Maybe what you really want,” I continue, leaning closer until my breath stirs the wisps of hair around her face. “Is for someone to tell you what to do.”