80. Violette
VIOLETTE
We’re supposed to proceed with our courtship rituals today. The realization sets my heart aflutter with jittery nerves. I quietly make my way downstairs to explore what we hadn’t last night due to exhaustion.
The kitchen is a large, cozy affair with a stone hearth, high beamed ceilings, multiple archways, marble countertops, brass fixtures, a gas stove, and panoramic windows overlooking the valley.
The light of dawn casts an orangy glow into the room and paints the surrounding forest, the deep valley, and the wall of mountains beyond with gold.
So beautiful it makes my heart ache. It’s much more extravagant than my own home, and I instantly envy whoever owns this place.
If I could only get my matchmaking business going.
My heart twinges at the thought.
I haven’t quite put my heart and soul into it because I’ve been so... depressed.
Lonely, like Azrael, but unlike Azrael, I was not even remotely at peace with it or myself. And still very much consumed by my need for revenge against my father.
The realization that I no longer feel either of those emotions, and have hardly thought of my father since meeting Levi, and now Azrael, is a revelation.
The burning fury that was previously inside me has all but been snuffed out by their loving hands.
And in its place, my ever-expanding heart is filled with adoration for them and a newfound optimism for the future.
It’s mildly terrifying.
I don’t dare imagine what it would be like if the proverbial rug were ripped out from underneath me—something I have become more than accustomed to and constantly find myself bracing for.
A notepad on the kitchen island catches my eye. I round the corner to read Levi’s note.
Went to get supplies. Be back in about an hour, princess. xo
The sound of Levi’s truck coming down the driveway makes my heart leap with excitement, and I quickly will my hair into smooth, glossy waves.
A few heartbeats later, I can hear his truck door shut and the crunching of his boots on the gravel driveway as I tug the front of my nightdress down to reveal a little more cleavage, and part my silk robe just so.
Look casual.
Be nonchalant.
I am the embodiment of effortless beauty.
I lean on the counter, trying to strike an elegant pose, but quickly decide against it.
Desperate fool. May as well tie yourself to his bed. At least then you might look less foolish.
Straightening, I glance down at my breasts, which prove mildly disappointing.
I pinch my nipples to harden them in the hopes of drawing his eye.
Much better.
“Are you quite alright?”
I yelp in surprise, cheeks instantly aflame. Turning, I find Azrael leaning in one of the archways, looking dashing as ever. Even with tousled hair and dressed only in his pajamas.
“Akash almighty, how long have you been standing there?”
A grin teases his lips. “Tell me, do you begin every morning with a good nipple pinching? Shall I try it as well?”
My eyes narrow to slits even as relief suffuses me. “You’re feeling better.”
“Much. Nothing more cleansing than a good weep and a night of self-wallowing.”
A frown turns the corners of my mouth. “Oh, darling…”
He waves away my concern. “Fear not. I’m nothing if not resilient…” His gaze roves over me, laden with no small amount of desire. “... And easily distracted.”
My eyes dip to the thickening outline of his cock in his pajama pants, which he quickly readjusts to pin behind his waistband. “Forgive me. It’s beyond my control. Especially when you’re sleep-mussed and dressed in nothing more than your intimates.”
A smile twitches at the corner of my mouth as the butterflies in my stomach take flight.
My heart gallops as the sound of the front door opening and closing has me straightening and tossing my hair over one shoulder. Azrael’s mischievous expression softens, voice ripe with sincerity and dropping low so only I can hear. “You’re the epitome of beauty, precious seraphim.”
Levi’s footsteps draw our gazes towards the archway in front of us, and a moment later, he appears, toting at least a dozen bags between both arms. The sight of him dressed in denim trousers, boots, a flannel, and a hunting jacket that emphasizes his thick, muscular arms and broad chest inspires my core to clench with need.
His eyes rake over me as he sets them on the counter beside me and presses a kiss to my lips. “Good morning.”
The action is too swift, and leaves me feeling breathless. Levi nods towards Azrael as he begins unpacking the groceries. “How’s the neck?”
Closing the distance between us, Azrael helps Levi unpack. Pride shines in his eyes as he meets my gaze. “Violette’s potion proved powerful and effective. You can hardly see the scar.”
Emotion squeezes my heart, and as if Azrael can sense it, he presses a kiss to my forehead. “You’re immensely talented, little seraphim.”
Levi’s gaze is on us as he shuts the fridge and comes to stand beside me, washing his hands at a nearby sink. Between him and Azrael’s praise, I can’t help but squirm. The two of them exchange a look, communicating what, I have no idea.
I exhale a held breath as Levi breaks the mounting tension.
“The next rites to complete are pampering and grooming?”
“Yes.”
One of those rare, ear-to-ear grins splits Levi’s face as he gazes down at me. “Perfect.”
A small giggled squeal leaves me as his hands suddenly take hold of my waist with a, “Watch out for your wings, love,” and I glamour them as he lifts me onto the counter, setting my bum on the edge of it.
He gives a dark chuckle as his hands roam the outside of my thighs, sets my legs over his shoulders, and meets my gaze.
“What better way to pamper you than by starting your day with multiple orgasms? Wouldn’t you agree, Az? ”
My heart thumps even heavier as Azrael steps forward to stand beside Levi. His gaze locks with mine. “I couldn’t possibly agree more.”
Chuckling, I lean back on my hands, watching with a held breath as Levi lifts my nightdress over my hips, and further until it’s bunched above my breasts. The look in his eyes is both devouring and reverent.
“Goddamn, princess. I’ve never been so inspired to worship God until you.”
My heart warms at his declaration. Levi’s mouth descends upon each of my breasts with a gentle fervor, firmly cupping each one in his hands to lavish it with his affection.
His groan is a sound of relief and pleasure in equal measure as he takes turns sucking each nipple into his mouth before teasing it with his tongue, turning them into aching points that make my clit tingle with mirrored sensation.
Azrael’s gaze is filled with adoration as he measures each of my reactions. “You deserve to be worshipped, sweet seraphim. You know that, right? You are a goddess after all.”
My heart pinches with a certain tightness that has emotion rising to my throat. His eyes dance between each of mine.
“Tell me you know it, love.”
I merely nod for fear that speaking it aloud will cause tears to disrupt this blissful moment. Levi’s teeth scrape against one nipple, making me whimper. “We need to hear the words, Violette. Say it.”
The back of Azrael’s fingers graze my cheek as he holds my gaze.
My voice is barely above a murmur. “I deserve it.”
Levi’s teeth scrape my other nipple. “All of it.”
Azrael gives me a nod of encouragement as his thumb caresses my lower lip. Levi presses tender, open-mouthed kisses to my breasts while using his thumb to swipe over my weeping entrance. My hips roll, and a soft, breathy moan parts my lips.
“Go on, angel.”
Tears burn my eyes.
Fuck me, I’ve never felt so cared for.
Swallowing back my emotion, I manage a deep, steadying breath.
The words come out barely a whisper. “I deserve to be worshipped.”
Pride fills Azrael’s eyes. “Such a good girl.”
Those words alone make my core clench. I find the look mirrored in Levi’s gaze as he straightens above me. “And good girls get rewards, don’t they?”
Oh, gods, I fucking hope so.
A mischievous grin tilts Azrael’s lips. “They certainly do.”
My heart stutters, tripping over the promise in their words.
In their eyes.
Levi’s thumb continues to lazily sweep back and forth over my clit. My hips rock gently back and forth with the motion.
“Tell us what you want, Vi.”
Oh, fuck...
When was the last time someone asked me what I wanted?
Even in bed, no one’s asked. After Lucen, when I fled to Caerwynath, and by some bizarre and cruel twist of fate, ended up working in a brothel—I did my best to ensure I was always the Dominant.
Tried to anyway.
I was never given the time and space to seek my own pleasure.
Azrael and Levi stand before me, patiently waiting for me to decide.
My cheeks flush, too afraid to ask.
Ashamed to ask.
Ashamed to be selfish.
Ashamed to want.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Violette. We are both here for you. To receive us in whatever way you desire.”
My eyes slide to Levi for confirmation. “There’s nothing you could ask of us that would make us feel differently about you.”
My heart skips with hope, but I need proof. Proof that there would be no imbalance between the three of us. That they would have as much adoration for one another as I do for them, and they for me. That there would be no jealousy. No animosity.
I need to know that this won’t all go down in flames.
That what we could have is sustainable.
Possible.
“I want to watch you find pleasure in one another.”
Levi’s sweeping thumb stills. The hesitation in his eyes is palpable.
And the insecurity in Azrael’s eyes is too.
“More than that, I want to know if we could be something... The three of us. Together.”
Levi and Azrael exchange unreadable glances. That fleeting moment feels like an eternity and sends panic tightening its fist around my throat.
Fuck.
I knew it.
I’ve asked too much.
The universe didn’t even have to intervene because I’ve now pulled the rug out from beneath my own feet.