Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
T hrough the frosted windows I catch a glimpse of Grace dancing around the kitchen, and my breath leaves me in a rush.
She glides gracefully to a tune that I can’t hear, hips swaying enticingly as she carefully decorates sugar cookies. With gentle hands, she adds little candy accents, head swaying side to side, causing her hair to shimmer under the lights.
Watching her creates an ache in my chest. Even after the cruelty she's endured, Grace retains her warmth and joy for life. Her inherent sweetness draws me like a moth to a flame, making me crave to wrap her in my arms and shield her from all darkness.
When she notices us outside, her eyes crinkle up happily as she waves, beckoning us in from the cold. Needing no further invitation, I boot open the front door–completely decimating the door stop she had in place–and drag the sled in and off to one side with the intention of putting it somewhere proper later. Right now, all I want to do is bask in Grace’s sweet presence.
I pull off my snow-caked boots at the door before crossing to the kitchen, Atlas and Key right on my heels. Stopping in the archway, we watch as Grace continues to dance and sing to the Christmas music she has playing from a speaker, a wide smile on her face and a joyful flush on her cheeks. She can’t hold a tune worth a crap, but I find my own lips quirking up at the sound–it’s beautiful coming from her.
Grace turns from the counter, catching sight of us before giggling and swiping flour off her cheek. "You boys look frozen solid! Come get warmed up while I finish these cookies."
The domestic scene feels strangely comforting.
"Here, taste!" Grace insists, holding out a crispy golden cookie for me to try. As I lean in, sugar and vanilla explode across my tongue, and her eyes widen with delight at my obvious enjoyment. "So yummy, right? I call them my Christmas Crack Cookies because they are totally addictive."
I can't resist brushing the smudge of flour from her skin, my heart skipping at her pretty blush.
"Can I help with anything?"
She chuckles, eyeing the three of us who have still somehow not moved from her side. “Uh, yes. Actually, you can. You can go get changed. You’re tracking snow and ice everywhere!” She tries to sound irritated, but the glint in her eyes betrays her.
She just wants us to get more comfortable.
“Yes, ma’am.” I salute her, slowly backing my way out of the kitchen without taking my eyes off of her until I have no other choice.
Nodding my head towards the front door, we fix the lock, managing to get it back on–in a fashion–before grabbing our duffles. Heading upstairs, we ignore the second bedroom where our two hostages are tied up, and head straight to the master bedroom. As soon as the door shuts behind us, I start peeling off my wet outer layers.
"Fuck, it feels good to get out of those frozen clothes," Key groans, flopping back onto the massive bed.
I toss a blanket at his head. "Don't get the bed wet, dumbass. That’s Grace’s."
Atlas stands glowering, arms crossed over his chest. I know that look on his face well.
"What's on your mind, Atlas?"
His lip curls in a snarl. "I wanna know how the hell we didn't realize there was an entire cabin full of wood ten feet away from the damn door."
I grimace at the reminder. "Well, not only was it nearly covered in snow, but we obviously got distracted. First by the hostage, then by..."
"Grace," Key supplies when I trail off. He sighs dreamily. "Our little sugar plum fairy works some kinda magic. I swear, I’ve never been so enthralled by a woman before."
Atlas grunts in agreement. "Can't believe she just jumped on my back trying to protect her piece of shit ex."
I scowl. The image burned into my brain of Grace clinging to me after she opened up to me about everything he’s put her through.
"She's too damn sweet for her own good. But we'll teach her better judgment," I vow. At my words, twin grins of anticipation spread across Key and Atlas's faces. I feel my own smile turn wicked at the thought of Grace at our mercy. The perfect woman for three deadly sinners.
“Speaking of the ex.” I sigh as I sit in the armchair off to the side of the bed and quickly fill them in on what Grace told me about the fucktard.
By the time I’m finished, both Key and I have to band together to prevent Atlas from storming out to kill the dickhead in question. Even though I’d rather let him dole out his own personal brand of punishment, I don’t know if that’s something Grace would be okay with.
Knowing that is the only thing that actually gets him to stop snarling and fighting us. Somewhat appeased, we watch him closely as we stop by the second bedroom to make sure that Jason and our first hostage are still secure. The former of which is now awake, and by the looks of it, is close to soiling himself in fear at the sight of Atlas’ beet red, angry face.
“You can have your turn later, brother. For now, though, Grace is waiting on us,” I console, clasping a solid hand over his shoulder to prevent him from doing anything he’s going to regret.
Jason’s eyes bug out as he shakes his head and trembles in fear. The sight only serves to appease my inner demon by the smallest amount.
I’m also very glad the guys decided to gag him because I have a feeling that he’d be screaming and pleading like a little bitch if he didn’t have that on right now.
“Boys, dinner’s ready!”
Atlas’ head snaps round at the sound of Grace’s voice getting closer, effectively breaking him out of his murderous trance. Shaking off my hand, he rushes straight down the stairs towards Grace, leaving us trailing behind.
“Oh hey- Atlas! What are you doing?!” She squeaks in protest as we round the corner to find her thrown over his shoulder, marching her back to the kitchen. Key tries to hide his grin behind his hand, while I bite on my lip to stop the smirk from spreading.
She sure looks good like that, and at any other time, the blood would be flowing south, but from the pale and almost distressed look on her face, I’d hazard a guess that she’s not quite ready for that specific type of manhandling just yet. What a pity. Hopefully she’s open to the other forms of manhandling that we plan to put into action later.
“Put her down, Atlas,” I call out, command lacing my tone.
Doing as I say with a disgruntled huff, he puts her back on her feet but continues to stand in her way. Brushing the hair out of her face, smearing even more flour across her cheek, she blows out a breath before rekindling her inner fire and placing her hands on her hips while squaring up to Atlas.
This is going to be good.
“You can’t just use brute force to keep me where you want me,” she scolds, prodding a finger in his chest. “I know you have the guys up there. I was merely coming to see if they wanted-”
“They don’t get anything,” Atlas responds with a growl, causing Grace to falter in her stance.
“But, you can’t jus-”
“We’ll sort them out later, Sugar,” Key placates. “He’s just trying to protect your fragile little mind.”
A high-pitched, adorable growl escapes her lips as she swats at Key when he tries to hook her hair behind her ear with a cheeky grin on his face. “I do not have a fragile mind, and I most certainly do not need protecting!”
Swatting at a cackling Key, I look away to stop her from seeing the grin on my face in an attempt to avoid her adorable wrath. She may be full of sugar and all things nice, but she definitely has a fire as hot as the oven she bakes her cookies in, burning deep inside her.
Of course, none of us think she has a fragile mind. That’s just Key’s way of distracting her. And I’ve got to say, if her cute little outburst is anything to go by, it worked like a treat. Everything devolves into further chaos and disarray as he teases her, letting her know it was all in jest. Grabbing the dish towel, she proceeds to chase him around the kitchen, trying to whip him.
I clap my hands together to garner their attention and point towards the dining table.
“Dinner is getting cold. Let’s not waste Grace’s hard work.”
“Yes, Sir.” Key salutes, earning a caustic glare from me.
Settling down to eat, the sounds of cutlery clanging, Christmas jingles, and Grace’s jubilant laughter fill the void that’s been sitting in my chest for far too long. And if my intuition is correct, it does the exact same for my brothers too.
Atlas somehow has a massive grin on his face and looks like a besotted puppy dog, while Key’s enraptured gaze heats by the minute. He loves the back and forth that Grace engages in, giving just as much as she gets. Knocking back the wine, Atlas has to save Grace from toppling backwards off her chair on more than one occasion.
Throwing her head back in laughter once more, his hand is already there to catch her before she falls. Leaning into him, she peers up at him through her thick black lashes, giving him fuck me faces, which I’m sure she doesn’t even realize she’s doing. It’s obvious she doesn’t know the power she holds over us.
“Well, hey there, big guy. What’re you doing all the way over here?”
“Saving your cute butt is what I’m doing.” Lifting her into his lap, she squeaks but goes willingly this time. Although she’s swaying and slurring, she’s not all that drunk. Just pleasantly buzzing. Clearly, the alcohol has relaxed her enough to be somewhat calmer in our presence.
Although she’s never shown outright fear around us, you could tell that she’s reserved and somewhat guarded in our presence. Deep down, her heart loves the flirtation and interactions she has with us. Yet, on a primal level, she also knows that there are predators in the room. And up until now, that instinct has overwhelmed her, forcing her to act in self-preservation.
Not anymore.
With the assistance of lady luck and a healthy dose of the red nectar of life, she’s slowly opening up. The fact that she leans into Atlas’ touch, not once flinching away as he uncharacteristically flicks her nose, is proof enough.
“ Oh, Rudolph’s butt !” She gasps, throwing herself off Atlas and towards the warming drawer in the oven. “The guys haven’t eaten yet! We need to feed them.” Bundling the warm plates out of the oven–nearly dropping them more than once in her tipsy haste–she beelines for the stairs, only to be cut off by Atlas.
“I’ll take them,” he grunts, gritting his teeth as he removes them from her grip and tries not to show her his anger.
“No, you won’t,” I state plainly. He fixes me with a murderous glare. “Key will see to them.”
Our staredown is broken when Grace makes a sound, immediately capturing our attention. But her attention is fixed on the biscuit and hot chocolate tray she’d prepared before we even arrived, and from the sheer devastation on her face alone, I can say without a doubt that she’s reminded of everything that she’s been through today.
“I can’t believe he did that to me.” Her sweet, angelic features are broken, a deep sadness reflected in her glassy gaze, and my chest aches in reflection of her pain.
Glancing at Key, I nod, giving him permission to lay into the fucker who hurt her. Sure, he can do a decent amount of harm, but I know Key won’t get lost in the rage like Atlas would.
Completely forgetting about everything else, Atlas doesn’t even acknowledge Key when he takes the plates of food from him. His sole focus is on the tiny bundle of joy that he wraps up in his ginormous frame. Barely an inch of her can be seen as she buries her face in his chest as his arms wrap protectively around her.
Key disappears, and I take that as my cue to grab a couple of bottles of Irish cream and silently command Atlas to follow me. Picking her up bridal style, he keeps her secured to his chest to offer comfort as we navigate to the back of the cabin.
Stepping into the hot tub room, the bellowing air of the heated water hits us smack in the face. Lifting her face from Atlas’ chest, Grace looks around, confused.
Placing the alcohol on the stone floor at the lip of the tub, I step in front of them and take her cheeks in my palms, smiling gently at her.
“You don’t have to get undressed if you don’t want to. We just wanted to bring you here to relax and forget about today.”
Her lower lip trembles, and she bites at it as if trying to stop herself from crying. Pulling it free, my gaze snags on the poor, abused section of her lip. Licking my own in response, my dick throbs when I see her chest rising and falling heavily. Her heated eyes fixated on my lips. I grin.
“What will it be, Little One? On or off?”
Her eyes widen at the ultimatum and I can tell she’s fighting herself for a decision. Giving her some time, I head back over to the Irish cream and realize I didn’t bring any glasses with me.
“I’ve got you,” Key’s voice says over my shoulder. Strolling into the room bare-chested, I take the glasses off him with a muttered thank you, before pouring us all a generous amount.
When I turn back to address Grace again, I get the vision of a lifetime. While Key and I were distracted, she must have given Atlas permission to remove part of her sleep set. Currently standing in only a skimpy cookie-covered top and a red thong with mistletoe as a bow on the front, her long, lean legs are on full display. Her pert ass is pushed up against Atlas as he caresses her body with sweet strokes and starts to nibble on her neck.
Key leans against the wall next to me, palming his erection. “I could get used to this sight.”
I completely agree.
Downing my drink to try and distract myself, I watch as Atlas whispers in Grace’s ear and by the looks of it, garners permission to remove the rest of her clothes. Slowly lifting her top up, her breath hitches, and her eyes lock onto mine. Full of fire and heat, she stares me down, only a slight twinge of conflict and unease seeping into her gaze.
With her sweet heart and caring personality, it’s not hard to guess at what she’s thinking right now. Despite her bastard of an ex and everything he’s done to her, she’s still struggling with everything he put her through.
She thinks she needs to be loyal. That it’s too soon for her to move on. She likes what she sees, but she’s more cautious now. She hasn’t even known us for more than twelve hours yet. How could she let us into her home and give herself over to us? Mind, body, and soul. Surely that’s too soon?
Taking another swig of the Irish cream, I place the glasses down. Striding over, with each measured step I take, her chest stutters. Her now exposed breasts heave with each breath. Her nipples puckering and her thighs clenching as Atlas continues his gentle perusal of her creamy skin.
Grasping her chin in my grip, I run the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip and tilt her head up towards me. Slowly leaning in, I give her plenty of time to pull away. Remaining steadfast under my gaze, she allows me to slide my thumb into her mouth, her jaw automatically falling open in submission.
Keeping eye contact with her, I remove my thumb and replace it with my mouth. Her eyes shoot open in surprise when the Irish cream flows from my mouth to hers. My cock throbs at having her at my mercy. Licking the inside of her mouth with slow laves, a sweet moan leaves her lips and her eyes roll in her head as Atlas’ hands begin to roam further.
“That’s it, Sugar. Give yourself over to us,” Key purrs from beside us as he kisses up the side of her neck. I pull back to admire the vision we have created.
Kicking her legs apart, Atlas’s booted feet look huge compared to her tiny, cashmere-clad feet. Her toes curl into the stone beneath them before she rises onto her tiptoes as I slowly trail a finger up the inside of her leg. Dropping to a knee, she notices my movement, and her breath catches as she notices just how I’m positioned.
Restricted by Atlas’ arm which is banded over her stomach, and his other hand which gently forms a necklace around her throat, she can’t do anything but squirm as Key takes one of her nipples into his wet mouth. Keeping her gaze trained on me, her hands shoot up to grab Atlas’ arm in a vice hold as he whispers dirty things in her ear.
Mewls and whimpers escape her with every second my brothers spend worshiping her body. Each one making my dick harder than the last. But that’s not why we’re here today.
No. Today is about her. Today is about showing her that she is the focus of all our attention. She is the one who takes priority over all else. She is the one who deserves to be cared for, cherished, and worshiped for the beautiful, loving woman she is.
“Beautiful,” I growl. Lifting one of her feet, I start by removing her socks before moving on to her panties. Keeping eye contact with her, once she’s bared to me fully, I trail a path from the top of her foot to her sensuous thigh with my tongue. Stopping just short of the apex of her thighs, her breathing becomes even more erratic as her body squirms.
My dick stirs at the sight she presents us with. Her pussy glistens with her juices. Her nipples pert and pulled to peaks by Key’s ministrations as her chest and cheeks flush red with desire and need. Demanding she be satisfied, her creamy, silky-soft skin shines with a fine layer of sweat as her body craves more.
Hooking her leg over my shoulder, I lean in and stroke a path through her folds with my tongue. Mewling in delight, her hips wiggle, trying to get more friction. Softly gripping her ass in my hands, I secure her to my face and devour her pussy like it’s the nectar of the gods itself.
Her cries of joy are soon joined by praise from Atlas and dirty promises from Key. All serving to work her up even more.
Wrapping my tongue around her clit, I move a hand from her ass and work two fingers inside her warm pussy. Holding onto me with a death grip, pre-cum leaks from my dick at the thought of being inside of her wet heat.
“Just look at how well you take his fingers, Sugar.” I catch Key whispering in her ear out of the corner of my eye. “Imagine what it would feel like when you’re splayed out, wet and wanting, with all three of us inside you at once,” he purrs, biting her ear lobe as she screams and clamps down hard on my fingers. Gushing all over my face, I lick her clean, not wanting to waste a drop.
When I’m finally satisfied, I remove myself from her and place her shaky leg back on the floor. Rising to my feet, Atlas keeps her in a loving yet firm hold as she tries to collect herself. Her eyes remain glazed over with lust and desire. Her features are somewhat slack as her body finally gets the hit of adrenaline and relaxation it sorely needs.
Stroking his hand down her chest and swooping low across her stomach, Key continues to kiss her neck and explore every inch of her skin. Yet, she still only has eyes for me. She knows who’s in control here, after all.
Just as I raise my hand, Key pulls away and sees what I’m planning. Lust strikes his face hard as his trousers tent impossibly larger. Licking his lips, he looks between Grace and I, not wanting to miss a second.
“Open up, Little One,” I command, holding my two fingers out. A flash of confusion dances across her face at first, before the blush on her skin intensifies. She tries to fight to get out of Atlas’ hold, but he isn’t letting her go anywhere.
It’s clear she wants this. She’s merely playing hard to get.
Without an ounce of hesitation, Key reaches forward and grips her chin in a firm, yet gentle hold. Shaking her head, her eyes blow wide with desire and fervent need as I approach.
“Stay still and take them like a good girl,” Key growls, causing a whimper to fall from her lips.
Slowly moving them into her mouth, Key lets go of her chin, and she takes over like a pro. Tongue swirling and undulating around both digits, she cleans them impeccably before nipping at me. A feral grin tilts my lips.
“In the hot tub. Now .”
Stripping down, we all slip into the steaming water, the heat enveloping us instantly, soothing muscles and drawing out a collective sigh. The night air is cold enough that steam rises from the water in thick clouds, creating an intimate cocoon of warmth around us.
We waste no time devouring her–kissing, caressing. Over and over again, we bring her to the edge and beyond, her soft moans blending with the sound of bubbling water. It’s a symphony only we can hear, one that makes the world outside seem a million miles away.
When she’s finally satiated, her body trembling with sensitivity, we hold her gently, letting her rest. She’s too spent, her skin too tender even for the lightest touch, and we know it’s time to slow down. The night isn’t about taking it further, but about the quiet intimacy that follows.
We settle into the warmth of the hot tub, our arms around her as we all lean back, our heads tilted towards the night sky. I let myself relax, peering out at the scenery beyond, marveling at the beauty of it all.
We’re lucky that the hot tub is elevated just enough to give us a perfect view of the landscape. If it were any lower, the view would be blocked by the towering mounds of snow that have piled up around the property, isolating us in our own little winter wonderland. The snow is thick, pristine, and impassable, making this moment feel even more secluded and special.
The stars are bright tonight, scattered like diamonds across an endless stretch of velvet. And above them, the aurora lights have begun to dance–long ribbons of pink, blue, green, and purple stretching across the entire night sky. The colors blend and shimmer, painting the darkness with a magic that feels almost unreal. We trace their movements in silence, each of us lost to our thoughts, the weight of the world forgotten for a while.
Then, a soft snore pulls me from my reverie. I glance down at Grace. Completely relaxed, her head rests against my chest as her lashes flutter in her sleep. Her lips are parted just enough for that gentle snore to escape, and I can’t help but smile. The others notice too, and a quiet chuckle passes between us.
“She did so well tonight,” Key praises, stroking an errant hair out of her face.
“She’ll do well taking us all,” Atlas chimes in, making my dick stand up to attention when it’s only just settled down. Key groans, palming his cock.
We all have a bad case of blue balls right now, but it was worth it. Tonight was all about Grace, not about our desires and wants. Besides, I don’t think she’s quite ready for that step yet. With this storm showing no sign of ceasing soon, we all know there’s plenty of time to work up to that.
She deserves to have a man–or three–in her life who treat her with dignity and respect, rather than as a hot commodity to supplement their disgusting image.
“I’m going to take her up to bed,” I state gruffly, trying to keep my temper in check in case she wakes up.
Slowly rising out of the water, Key is already ahead of me, and by the time I climb the steps with her in my arms, he’s standing there with an open towel. I pass her over into his arms and then wrap her in the towel before taking her back.
Not bothering to dry off, Atlas puts a pair of spa slippers down at my feet so I can slip them on to prevent me from slipping and falling with my precious cargo. Each of them bids goodnight to our sleeping beauty before following me up the stairs to get changed.
“You can work on both of them tonight. Just make sure to release Jason afterwards.”
“I still don’t get why we have to let him go and not just pummel him to death,” Atlas growls. “He’s a piece of shit.”
I glance at him over my shoulder as I walk over to the bed. “He is, but he also meant a lot to Grace at one point.”
Grunting in affirmation, they both get changed silently as I work at drying Grace off. Just before leaving the room, Atlas heads over with an adorable, fluffy gingerbread sleep set for me to put her into. I smile as I take the set off him, noticing a slight pink tinge to his cheeks. Completely ignoring me, he strides straight out of the room.
Key lets loose a small chuckle at the bashful giant before handing me a pair of candy cane panties. “She’ll be more comfortable wearing them under it,” he adds, giving me a wink before leaving the room.
Glancing down at Grace’s exquisite body, my heart settles in my chest. We may be wanderers by nature, but we’ve always wanted to find a wife to share between us and settle down. Maybe, just maybe, this will be our chance.
Taking my time to dress her, she never once stirs.
Thankfully, she didn’t get her hair wet, so she shouldn’t be too uncomfortable when she wakes up tomorrow. Resting her down and tucking her under the duvet once I’m done, she lets loose a satisfied sigh before tucking her knees up to her chest and burrowing down under the covers.
I place a kiss on her forehead. “I just hope we don’t taint you with our darkness.”
As if in answer, her nose wrinkles before the lines of her face relax, and a serene smile stretches across her face. Personifying all things good in this life, she lays there like a little Christmas angel, her shiny blonde hair acting as a halo fanned out around her head to accompany her sweet disposition.
Tucking the duvet all the way up to her chin, I stroke a few stray strands out of her face and then peel myself away. All I want to do is crawl into bed with her and love her like she deserves, but the anger and desire to cause pain to that fucker of an ex of hers and to get answers for our friend win out in the end.