“Always,” Ford says with a conviction I’ve never once heard in his voice before.
I can feel their respect for Lo’s autonomy. They’re giving her space. But that’s the thing, they’re all here. They’re all in this, no matter what she chooses.
We’re pack, even if she leaves.
She’s ours, even if she pulls away.
Lo looks between us, between me, Ford, and Hayes, and I see the battle playing out behind her eyes. The desire. The confusion. The fear. And the need.
Then, I see the change.
I see the flare of her nostrils before the softest little whimper escapes from up her throat.
“I… I want you,” she says before she swallows hard. “All of you. Now, please.”
CHAPTER 21
Lo
Ifeel it in my blood, demanding. Pushing me forward. I need this. More than I’ve ever needed anything, and I truly don’t think it’sjustdesire. There’s something more here than just instincts. More than just scents that are nice and lips that feel even nicer.
There’s a destiny between the four of us. And isn’t that what I’ve always chased? Isn’t that what I’ve always helped others to achieve? Sure, I’m a whistleblower who investigates sleazy assholes who take advantage of others. It’s the penance I pay for being raised by the family I was raised by.
But I’ve always believed that I’m an instrument of destiny, coming around to bring down the hammer onto those who have done everything to deserve punishment. And if this is my destiny, then who am I to turn it down when it’s my turn to receive it?
But none of them move.
“Beck,” I say, my voice more breathless than I want it to be as my attention pans back to him, “I really do want all of you. I just can’t explain wh?—”
His lips are on mine before I can finish.
Slow at first, teasing. He’s testing me.
But when I don’t pull away, when I lean in instead, he deepens it, his hand sliding down to grip my waist.
A second later, Hayes is there, his fingers brushing along the sensitive skin of my throat, tracing a path lower, lower.
His lips find the shell of my ear, his breath warm, sending a shiver straight through me.
“You sure about this, Lo?”
My head spins. Passion is building in me. A fire spreading through my veins. I feel the power of their touches, their gravity pulling me in deeper.
I turn just enough to meet Hayes’s gaze, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Yes.”
That’s all it takes.
Beck’s hands are at my hips, tugging me back against him, the possessiveness in his touch undeniable. His scent, deep, musky, rain on the earth, wraps around me, filling my lungs. It’s intoxicating, a scent mark of ownership.
Ford’s mouth moves to my jaw, then lower, his stubble rough against my skin. His scent is woodsy, grounding as the earth itself.
Hayes’s fingers toy with the hem of my hoodie, waiting for my permission, his scent a comforting blend of clean summer linen, honey, and something uniquelyhim.
I exhale shakily, my body responding to them before I can even think. I tilt my head back, giving in to the moment, to them.
And just like that, the teasing is over.
