by Ginna Moran
Bronx smiles. “Nothing has ever sounded better.”
***
“You guys!” I clap my hands, cracking up, as Jameson lies on the narrowest table I’ve ever seen in only his boxers. He turns his head and flashes me a smile that makes me want to rush and cuddle the hell out of him. I know this had to have been his crazy-ass idea.
Mikkalo cuts up pieces of fruit faster than I’ve ever seen anyone do so while Everett arranges them on Jameson’s chest. It’s the most ridiculous and hilarious thing ever. I can’t stop the burst of laughter that escapes my throat. Talk about team work. It might be ridiculous, but I love everything about it.
“What the hell is this?” I ask, tugging Bronx along with me. I can’t get to my guys fast enough.
“My way of apologizing,” Jameson says, straightening his shoulders. “And you did say I had to serve you shirtless. So, yeah. You get what you want.”
I laugh again and take an extra moment to appreciate their effort to see to it that they fulfill my every desire, even if Jameson purposely misinterpreted it. His idea is far better than anything I could imagine. “This is so weird...and sweet. I love it. Thank you.”
Mikkalo waves a fork at me, drawing my attention away from the mouthwatering array of fruit. “Can I feed you?”
I raise my eyebrows as Jameson groans and tips his head back. Mikkalo looks fully set on jabbing Jameson with the fork in the process as punishment for the whole blood bloat thing. I’m sure both he and Everett might have given him some hell about his attempt to help me, but I know he had good intentions. And this most definitely makes up for it.
Strolling closer, I let go of Bronx’s hand to brace on the table. I bend down and suck a grape from the hard line of muscles on Jameson’s stomach into my mouth. All four of them inhale sharp breaths at my action, and I can’t stop from giggling like a maniac. Seriously. The. Best.
“No thanks. I think I’m going to feed myself.” I draw my mouth across Jameson’s chest next, grazing his skin with my teeth to pick up a slice of apple. “I hope you have something chocolatey with whipped cream I can lick off for dessert.”
Jameson releases a sexy purr from his throat as I glide my tongue over the hard line of his stomach to suck up some of the fruit juice. His body reacts with a hard-on, and he shivers.
“Damn,” Mikkalo says, stabbing the fork into the table. “Had I known...”
I tip my head up and smile at him. “I’ll gladly eat dinner off you tomorrow,” I tease, tossing a grape at him. “Maybe breakfast if you ensure I get my favorite kind of yogurt.”
Bronx hugs me from behind and kisses my shoulder. “I love how much you love this.”
His brothers watch the two of us with unreadable expressions as I turn to meet him for the kiss I know he yearns for. Our intimacy brought us closer together no matter how crazy it ended. I’m sure his brothers all saw that I let Bronx bite me, which none of them can ask about it. And now it’s starting to feel a bit awkward. They don’t show signs of jealousy, but I know they all crave the experience.
I shift on my feet. “Okay, you guys. Quit it with all the intensity. I know this is an adjustment, and we’re figuring things out, but I don’t like feeling like there is some big thing between us. I understand that you’re worried about your possessive streaks and jealousy. I get it. I respect it.”
“Gwen, it’s all good,” Mikkalo says, smiling at me, trying to show the truth to his words. “You don’t have to say anymore.”
I place my hands on my hips. “I do. Especially after earlier. I know you guys are probably thinking about how I asked Bronx to bite me, and you’re wondering why I didn’t ask you first. You should know that I look forward to getting to that point with each of you, okay? You all make me incredibly happy, and I want to do my best to do the same for you. I just—”
Jameson sits up on the table, spilling fruit everywhere. “As much as I wish that mark peeking from your shirt was mine, I don’t expect you to let me bite you. I love our time together already.”
Everett reaches across the table and takes my hand. “You know I do.”
“Same,” Mikkalo says. “But thank you for saying that. I’ve been struggling a bit with the amount of time between our days.”
Jameson whacks Mikkalo on the back. “You’re not the only one. Today has been the longest of my existence.”
I purse my lips and look at Everett and Bronx. “Do you guys feel the same?”
“I don’t know how else we’ll do this, dandelion,” Bronx says, sitting down at the table.
Sliding onto his lap, I study his eyes for a moment. I know that they all need time with me, and I need alone time with each of them, but they’re right about the amount of time that passes. It’s forever. Feels even longer since coming back from Corona’s.
“What if we do this more often?” I finally ask, turning to each of them to see their reactions.
“Let you eat off Jameson?” Mikkalo says, raising an eyebrow. “Because I don’t think he can handle the task. I can though.”
I throw a fork at him, rolling my eyes at his joke. Pretty sure Jameson’s going to get teased for the rest of time. I know how brothers are.
Bronx hums. “I’d love gathering for breakfast and dinner as a coven.”
“If it gives me the chance to see you every day, hell yeah, Gigi,” Jameson says, giving me the best smile that uplifts my heart.
I suck in my bottom lip between my teeth. “Maybe I can give you my blood too? I don’t want it to turn into you all just watching me eat and feeding me. I want this time to take care of all of you. I know I can handle it. What I can’t handle is thinking about not doing it.”
“That would stop Bronx from getting carried away,” Everett says, keeping his voice even.
Bronx releases a growl, but I cut him off with a kiss. I know he feels badly already, but Everett can’t help from mentioning it as my health keeper.
“You mean it’ll help me,” I say, getting Bronx to relax. “Because as much as I love the thought of devouring the lot of you...please stop me.”
“I don’t even think I’ve ever drunk a gallon of blood at once before,” Mikkalo says, his fangs peeking out from beneath his lips.
Everett materializes next to me and pokes me in the side with his finger. “It was probably closer to two.”
I grimace.
Jameson laughs, risking his hand to poke my belly. “Yeah, our girl can out-drink all of us. That mouth of hers. So hot.”
“Amazing,” Bronx says, smirking at me.
I blush so hard, knowing he’s not talking about my bite. “Okay, okay. Knock it off.” I turn to Everett. “Think I’m good to provide blood to you all now?”
“If you want to.”
I smile. “I do.”
Everett picks up a piece of fruit off the table. “Okay, but let us feed you first.”
Chapter 8
Date Night
“KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED,” JAMESON says, strolling behind me with his hands covering my face. I couldn’t even peek to see if I tried. He remains ultra-close, guiding me along.
“Are you taking me to the car?” I ask, focusing on listening to my surroundings.
I’m getting better at deciphering certain noises. I can tell that he already led me outside because of the elevator ride and the familiar feeling of fresh air. I can’t hear much else. Just the slight hum of what I think is the car’s engine.
“Stop listening.” Jameson shifts his hands from my eyes to my ears, cupping them just enough to muffle the sounds.
“All’s clear, brother.” Mikkalo’s soft voice trickles to me. I turn in the direction I think he stands. “Have fun, Gwen.”
Jameson pulls me to a halt, and cool lips meet mine. I catch the alluring scent of Mikkalo’s skin and draw my arms around his neck to kiss him deeper. He eases away with a chuckle, and I peek at him through my lashes and smile.
“See you at dinner, Mikkalo,” I say, patting his cheek.
“Can I
kiss our girl, too?” Bronx asks from somewhere behind me.
Jameson spins me around without complaint, already knowing that I wouldn’t deny any of them a kiss—especially outside in what we established as neutral territory. We just finished breakfast anyway. I had no idea how much I’d enjoy such a simple thing, just spending time with the five of us together.
Bronx touches my cheek, caressing his fingers along my jaw. I lean toward him under the weight of his fingers but keep my eyes closed. Something about the anticipation and not being able to see him sends my heart racing. I hum the second our lips meet and sink deeper into his arms for a hug that will linger.
“Try to stay out of trouble, dandelion,” he murmurs against my lips.
I suck his bottom lip. “Never.”
“At least try not to get hurt,” Everett says from somewhere to my right. “Bronx and I will be unavailable for the next couple hours.”
I open my eyes and turn to look at him. “Where are you going?”
“Following a lead.” Everett doesn’t have to say anything else for me to know that he’s attempting to find my brothers.
It makes me both excited and nervous. Nervous because I’m afraid of how to handle them, especially after they find out about Kyler’s death. Excited because I’ll have the chance to fix things. I plan to let my guys try to remove the blocks that Laredo put on their minds. I just hope it helps. It’ll make things easier when I beg them to trust in my decision to stay with my guys...except I’m not going to tell them about our agreement. Not yet. They have to see they’re not out to get us first.
“Be safe. The both of you,” I say, reaching out my arms to get Everett to close the space to me.
He engulfs me in a hug and lifts me off my feet. “Don’t worry about us. Our coven got the position of region leader for a reason.”
I kiss him, opening my mouth to let him glide his tongue over mine in a way that ignites desire through me. I ease away, heat blossoming up my chest. “Still be safe. I want more of this later.”
He squeezes my ass with a smile and sets me down. “Use the restraints, Jameson,” Everett says to his brother. “I mean it. Our girl isn’t invincible.”
Jameson releases a soft growl and hugs his arms around my shoulders. “I got her. Don’t doubt my ability.”
“I don’t doubt your ability to keep her safe. I doubt your ability to tell her no if she asks you otherwise,” Everett says. He turns and smiles at me. “Like Bronx said, behave, Gwen. Please try not to test Jameson too much.”
I laugh. “Oh, I will.”
Jameson buries his face into the crook of my neck, making me screech. The world blurs for a few seconds, and my back hits the cool leather seat behind the wheel of the car. I don’t even have a chance to orient myself to the sudden shift in my surroundings before Jameson quickly snaps my seat restraints into place.
He leans into the car and plants his mouth to mine, kissing me for a long moment until I try to pull him in with me. Chuckling, he eases away and shuts the door only to get into the passenger’s seat.
“I plan to let you drive, but we have to wait until my brothers disappear to turn off the autopilot,” he says, tapping a few buttons on the dashboard to send the car lurching forward.
I spot three figures standing together in the reflection of the rearview mirror. Bronx lifts his hand to wave a second before all three of them vanish.
“So where are we going?” I ask, shifting in my seat. I mess with the straps of the seat restraints because I can barely turn my body to meet Jameson’s gaze straight on.
He playfully slaps my hand and then takes it between his. “On a date. As much as I wanted to spend all night in bed making blanket mansions with you, I don’t want you to get restless from being kept inside all the time.”
I smirk. “Mikkalo was wrong about you.”
He chuckles. “Okay, he might have suggested I take you out for a bit.”
“You know, we can make blanket mansions anywhere.”
He reaches into the back and tugs a blanket between the seats. “My thoughts exactly. And fuck, I find you so sexy right now. Like you can read my mind.”
“Your brothers might have teased that if you had been able to apply to Blood Match with me that we would’ve rated high for a personality match.”
Jameson raises an eyebrow. “And attraction. Nutrients. We’re completely compatible, Gigi.”
“You think?”
“Oh, I know.”
I grin at him. “If only you could truly convince me.”
Jameson narrows his eyes at me as I mess with the latch of the seat restraint. He looks torn between listening to his brothers and my desire to take the damn thing off so that I can at least lean a bit closer to him.
“How much farther are we going? I don’t care about driving,” I add.
He releases a soft hum from his throat and relents to unfastening my seat restraint. I smile wider and hold my hands out to him so that he can pull me into his lap. His seat suddenly reclines, and I laugh and pat his chest. Grasping my cheeks, he leans up to kiss me, his body reacting to my closeness. I can’t stop myself from rocking against his boner through his pants, just feeling him through the sheer material of my thong.
Tonight’s the first time I decided to give in and wear one of the dresses Jameson had pushed to one side of his closet and out of the way because he was probably certain I’d never wear one. But I gave a few of the dresses a try and loved how perfect a flouncy emerald green one fit, hugging the curves of my breast perfectly while being short and flowy enough around the skirt as to not restrict my movements.
The only thing I skipped was the heels and instead paired it with some flats that I’m nearly certain have real gemstones sparkling on the tops.
“Have I told you how stunning I think you are tonight?” Jameson murmurs, running his fingers down to touch the skin of my legs peeking out from the hiked up hem of my dress.
“Mmmhmm. Three times.”
“That’s not nearly enough.” He breaks away from my mouth to kiss my jaw and then glides his tongue to my earlobe to suck it into his mouth. “You’re ravishing. Spectacular. So fucking hot it’s hard for me to accept this is not just a fantasy.”
“It’s not a fantasy,” I say, reaching down to touch the button on his jeans. “Unless you want to make it one.”
“Gwen.”
My name sounds so hot on his lips that I unfasten his pants and pull his cock out to play with him. I had expected him to make a move during the day, but he just cuddled me until I fell asleep in his arms, just being with me, something I had no idea I needed. But now that we’re both refreshed and alone, I can’t stop myself from wanting to give into his desire, especially because it mirrors my own.
“That feels so good.” He draws his tongue over my jaw and glides it down my throat. “I hope you know that I wasn’t expecting this.”
I bend my neck so he can trail his lips over my collarbone. “I was. Ever since dinner.”
Moaning, Jameson tightens his fingers on my hips until he trails his hands up to drag my dress over my head, tossing it on the seat next to us. Jameson leans back in the seat to gaze at me, his eyes flashing silver with more than their usual hunger.
“I feel so lucky to be with you,” he says, his voice low, sultry. “I know you might not believe this, but I feel like you’re my soul mate. I’ve never felt such a connection to anyone in my existence.”
“Is that why you were willing to die for me?” I ask. I can’t help it. The memory of Francisca giving Mikkalo an ultimatum of losing his brother or losing me, and Jameson not letting Mikkalo make a choice and instead choosing to risk his life—it haunts me. “That’s one of the things I thought about over and over while I was imprisoned apart from why Kyler would choose everyone else over me.”
Jameson sits up to hug me, pulling me closer. “I hate so much that you went through that. It should’ve never happened.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I s
ay, running my fingers through his light brown hair.
He fake-glares at me. “Maybe I don’t want to.”
I puff out my bottom lip. “Please.”
He sighs, releasing a breathless laugh. “My brothers were right. I can’t deny you. We’re going to get in so much trouble all the time. I can already feel it.”
“Well, I am a lawbreaker,” I tease.
Leaning in, he kisses me. “So am I. Zaire would kick my ass all the damn time that it turned into almost a competition between me and Mikkalo.”
I grip onto the hem of his shirt and lift it to graze my fingers across the dozen tattoo lines decorating his side. “You sleep with the enemy too?”
He raises his eyebrows. “Me? No. These are from various...discrepancies. Zaire didn’t always approve of my method of creating and holding alliances. He was an asshole while everyone loved me. These are supposed to be reminders of who was the board member on Donor Life Corp and who—never mind.”
I clutch his face. “Who was charming as hell? Way hotter. Sexy. Delicious. Oh, and a great kisser.”
His sudden frown disappears at my words. Closing the space, he kisses me softly. “Where have you been all my life?”
“Hiding in a bunker,” I say, grinning at him.
“Well, I’m glad we found you. I rarely speak for my brothers, but on this, I know they agree. Just you being here makes us happy. I can only hope that you’ll be as happy as us one day. I know this situation isn’t ideal, but I promise we’ll try everything we can to annihilate the threat of the Anderson Coven, get things settled with Donor Life Corp, and bring your brothers back.”
I nod. “So you know, even if you can’t make all of that happen...I like being here with you. I’ve never felt so equal. Free. Close to anyone.”
The car slows to a halt, and Jameson groans and looks out the windshield. “I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of having fun in here.”
I lace my fingers around his erection, gliding my hand up and down again. “Even though we totally got distracted?”
He chuckles. “Nothing like baring my soul along with my body.”
