by Sarah Piper
Asher’s words undid me, tender and unexpected and exactly what I needed to hear. I fell into his embrace, letting him wrap me up in his warmth. His strength.
He pressed his lips to the top of my head and said, “Let it go, baby. I’ve got you.”
The emotion that I’d strangled back for weeks broke through the surface, finally erupting.
I wept shamelessly in his arms, releasing my heartbroken frustrations about Ronan’s deal with Sebastian, my pain at all we’d lost when the memory eaters stole Darius’s history, the betrayal I’d felt toward Liam, all of the fears I’d buried when we’d come so close to losing Emilio. I wept for the women downstairs, for all they’d endured at the hands of the hunters and the dark fae, for all they’d lost before then, for all they’d grown up afraid to say and do and be. And I wept for the little witch I once was, the little girl full of magic and possibility, one of four magical sisters whose mother attempted to drown them out of petty jealousy.
When I’d cried enough tears to compete with the ocean outside, I looked up into his eyes once again, trying to find the words to apologize for the outburst. But there, reflected back at me, I saw so much love and support that in that moment, I truly felt like I could do anything. My crying turned into laughter, bubbling up from some deep, magical place inside me.
Wordlessly, Asher took my face in his big hands and kissed the tears from my cheeks. From my chin. From my neck.
It wasn’t enough, though. With Asher, I was always hungry, always desperate for more.
He was kissing my cheek again, and I turned toward him, capturing his sensuous cupid’s bow mouth, my core melting as his tongue slid between my lips.
We tumbled backward onto the bed, tearing off clothing as we fell, mouths and hands seeking warm flesh, seeking unmet desires, seeking love.
And then he was inside me, anticipating my every need once again, bringing my body to the very edge of my limits, making me cry for an entirely different reason.
Twenty-Nine
GRAY
“Not that I’m complaining, Cupcake, but what are you smiling about now?”
I traced a path along the black symbols tattooed across Asher’s chest, every muscle in my body relaxed and happy. We’d been locked away for an hour; eventually, someone would come looking for us, and I’d have to go back downstairs and face the music—more specifically, the magic. But for now, I was perfectly happy to hide away in a bubble of bliss with one of the men I loved, basking in the glow of all the ways he’d just made my body sing.
“I was just thinking about the day we met,” I confessed. “Officially, I mean.”
“At Bloodstone Park, across from Norah’s place,” he said.
“I’m surprised you remember.”
“How could I forget? You were so into me. I thought I was going to have to restrain you.”
“What?” I laughed, smacking him on the stomach. “I was so not into you! You were the biggest jerk I’d ever met. And that’s saying something, because I’ve met a lot of jerks in my life.”
“And you were wearing a tight pink-and-white hoodie that made you look like a giant cupcake. All I wanted to do was pin you down and lick off all the frosting.”
I sat up, the sheet falling down to my waist. “Wait… that’s why you call me Cupcake?”
Asher grazed his palm over my exposed breast, threatening to stir my body into a new frenzy.
“It suits you.” He leaned forward and captured my nipple between his lips, his tongue sliding out to tease me. “Mmm. Very lickable.”
“You are such a beast. You know that right?” I laughed. “For your information, that sweatshirt was Sophie’s. I don’t own anything pink.”
“As someone who just spent half the day hanging out between your thighs, I beg to differ. You’ve got plenty of pink—”
“Asher!” I smacked him again. Did this man ever stop?
He pointed at me, his grin stretching even further. “And now your cheeks are pink, too. Perfect.”
“Now you’re just trying to embarrass me.”
“It’s a skill. Seriously. Don’t play a game of wits with me, Gray. You will lose.”
“Say whatever you want, Mr. Big Bad Incubus. I know your secret.”
“You think so, huh?” He kissed my jaw, my earlobe, his soft lips buzzing over my skin and making me shiver. Somehow he’d gotten me horizontal again, the sheet around my waist mysteriously vanishing. He rolled onto his hip, propping his head up on his hand, watching me intently. “Which one?”
I trailed my fingers down his chest, down over the ridges of his abs, lower still until I reached his velvet-smooth cock. He was already hard again, but stiffened further at my touch, the beat of his heart pulsing just beneath his hot skin. “The one where your heart is almost as big as your—”
“Almost,” he said between kisses, groaning softly into my ear as I began to stroke him. “But not quite.”
“Hmm. Lucky me.”
“Lucky?” Asher rolled on top of me and grabbed my wrists, pinning them over my head as his solid weight settled over me. His cock teased my entrance, unleashing another moan from my lips despite my best efforts not to let him win.
“You don’t even know the meaning of the word,” he said. “But before the sun comes up? You damn well will.”
I lost the ability to speak, my retort melting into a puddle of sighs as he rocked his hips and plunged inside me again. I felt his incubus hunger tugging lightly at my magic, and a rightness pulsed through my veins, warm and delightful and perfect. I loved the way we filled each other up, loved knowing that my magic could make him strong, could take care of him, just like he’d taken care of me.
I opened myself up to him fully, slowly sending out a warm pulse of magic, and Asher deepened our kiss, his body seeming to hum with it. He was close to the edge, thrusting in deep and perfect, faster and faster until I was certain he’d explode. But then, without warning, he stilled inside of me, pulling back to see my face.
In one big, impossibly strong hand, he cupped my chin, searching my gaze with an intensity that made me gasp. For a brief moment, I fell right into his ocean-blue eyes.
I saw his soul there. All the pain and regret and love and hope.
And he saw mine. I felt it, knew it. And for the first time in our relationship, I dropped every last wall, leaving myself completely open. I let him see it all—the brave, the scared, the shameful, the beautiful, all of the parts of me that made up the whole.
“I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you,” Asher whispered. He dipped his head and stole another kiss, stole my breath, stole my heartbeat. And I let him take it all, because in that moment, as he slid back inside me and finally brought us both over the edge of that cliff, as I fisted his hair and shuddered beneath him and sighed his name into the darkness, I knew without a doubt that I was his.
To protect.
To love.
Just as he was mine.
After a quick shower, we crept back into bed, sliding between the sheets and wrapping up in each other’s arms once again. I felt him growing hard again, and I was certain we’d spend the rest of the night just as we’d begun it. But instead of slipping inside me, he turned me onto my side, snuggling against me from behind and wrapping me up in his embrace. With a fluttering of kisses on the back of my neck, he whispered, “You need to rest, Gray. It might be your last chance for a while.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but a yawn escaped instead, and before I could even find the strength to rally for another round, I was fast asleep.
I didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually, the soft, pleasant rumble of low voices woke me. I opened my eyes to find Ronan and Asher by the window on the other side of the bedroom, their heads close together, deep in conversation. Darkness had fallen, the moonlight illuminating their silhouettes. Ash was bare-chested, a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips. He had one hand on Ronan’s shoulder, his other hand gesturing emphatically. Ronan’s head was bent lo
w, nodding at whatever Asher was saying.
My heart swelled. I loved them both so much. I opened my mouth to tell them just that, but before I could get a word out, Ronan’s smile glinted in the darkness.
“Looks like Sleeping Beauty’s finally awake,” he said.
Both of my demons left the window and joined me in bed, Ash curling up behind me, snuggling in close, Ronan sitting on the very edge before me, careful not to touch me.
Though mere inches separated Ronan and me, it felt as if another person had wedged himself between us. That invisible, formless monster was a constant companion we’d always carry, reminding us of everything we used to have. Everything Sebastian had stolen.
It was a sharp contrast to the closeness Asher and I had shared tonight, and it lit me up with rage.
There had to be another way. But until we could find it, we’d take what we could, stealing glances, breathing in each other’s scents, memorizing the sounds of laughter and voices and whispers, which had their own sweet cadence.
Keeping our voices low in the moonlit room, the three of us talked about the plans for the days ahead, which would be full of magical and combat training, Reva’s shadowmancy practice, intelligence gathering, big speeches, and above all, constant vigilance.
After what felt like minutes but had probably been an hour, Ronan rose from the bed and stretched, wishing us both good night.
“There’s room in here,” I said, patting the space in front of me. “If we slept in our clothes, and didn’t get too close…”
I trailed off. It was ridiculous that it’d come to this, and we both knew it.
“Emilio and Darius are on beach patrol tonight,” Ronan said. “I should probably go check on them. Good excuse to take the hounds for a stroll, anyway.”
“Aww, leaving so soon, demon?” Asher asked. Despite the teasing tone in his words, I knew he could sense how badly I wanted Ronan to stay.
I could sense the same feeling from him.
Ronan turned his back on us and opened the door. When he spoke again, his voice was rough. “You know I have to.”
“Ronan,” I said firmly, and he shook his head, refusing to look at me. I could almost feel the demons inside him, threatening to tear him apart.
Threatening to tear us both apart.
“He owns our souls, not our hearts,” I whispered, and he finally turned around, locking his fierce hazel eyes on mine. “Stay with us tonight,” I said. “Please.”
Ronan closed his eyes and let out a sigh, but he finally pushed the door closed, sealing the three of us away in this perfect bubble once again.
With Asher still behind me, Ronan resumed his place in front of me, but this time he stretched out on his side, closer than he’d been before. His breath stirred the hair around my face, and he stared deeply into my eyes, reading me even as his own thoughts remained veiled.
“I wish I knew what you were thinking,” I said softly.
“You know exactly what I’m thinking, Gray. I’m always thinking it. Same thing, every minute of every hour of every day.” He lifted a hand to my face, keeping it just shy of actual contact. Heat radiated from his palm as he traced an invisible caress down my cheek. “Every time I see your face. Hear your voice. Feel your presence. All I can think about is how much I need to touch you. How it’s eating away at me inside, knowing that I can’t do it without hurting you.”
Asher’s body went rigid behind me, anger pulsing from his skin. “One day, I’m going to kill that Kentucky Fried fuck.”
“You and me both, brother,” Ronan said.
“There has to be a way,” I said.
“To kill the prince of hell?” Asher said. “You bet your sweet little ass there’s a way. And as soon as we figure it out, we’re all getting a plane to Vegas, and we’re going on a motherfucking crime spree. Because we’re not just killing Sebastian. Hell no. We’re taking out every one of his minions and burning his casinos to the ground, too. And after that, we’re gonna piss on all the ashes.”
Ronan laughed, shattering the dark, dense weight that had settled over us. “You’ve got it all planned out, huh?”
“I’ve got sketchbooks full of ideas. Just you wait.”
“Okay, boys,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I appreciate your vivid imaginations when it comes to tormenting Sebastian, and believe me, I’m all in. But when I said there has to be a way, I meant a way for us to be together tonight.”
Asher’s hand slid over my hip, his lips tickling my shoulder blade. “Now there’s a sketch I’d like to see.”
“Will you guys try something with me?” I asked.
Asher cracked up, and Ronan gave me a crooked smirk.
“Let’s see,” Ronan said, tapping his lips. “You’re lying in bed next to a beautiful woman, who also happens to be naked, and she asks you if you’d like to try something with her. Your answer is… Ash, would you like to field this one?”
“Hmm, it’s a tough one. I might need to phone a friend,” Ash said. “But… No. Let’s go out on a limb here and say…”
“Fuck yes,” they both said, laughing so hard the bed shook. Then, from Ronan, “What are you thinking, Desario?”
“I can’t wait to hear this,” Ash said.
“Sebastian is all about the fine print,” I said. The idea was gathering momentum inside me, making my heart flutter. I gazed into Ronan’s eyes, hoping this didn’t freak him out. Hoping it would bring us closer, not push us further apart.
But some part of me knew it would bring us closer. That we needed this tonight, maybe more than we ever had before.
Be bold, girl. Fearless, just like the Six of Wands.
Okay, maybe Tarot hadn’t been referring to the demons in my bed, but still. The fire inside me surged anew, reminding me that living a fearless life wasn’t always about big, courageous acts of bravery in the face of life-threatening adversity.
Sometimes it was just about making a small, bold leap in the quiet space of your own heart.
“The deal specifically says you can’t touch me,” I said, and Ronan nodded. I tugged the sheet down and grabbed Asher’s hand, pressing it to my bare breast, a slow smile stretching across my lips. “But it doesn’t say you can’t watch.”
Thirty
GRAY
Ronan’s eyes darkened with lust.
“No,” he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. He swallowed hard. “It doesn’t say that.”
Emboldened by the new intensity in his gaze, I kicked the sheet off completely and slid closer to him, bringing my lips within a hair’s breadth of his. Everything about this moment felt dangerous and delicious, a heady mix that was already making me dizzy. Ronan’s cloves-and-campfire scent called to something deep inside me, a familiar longing I’d associated with him ever since I’d started to have feelings for him—a longing that had only intensified since we’d finally crossed that boundary together.
“I want to do this for you,” I whispered. “But only if you’re okay with it.”
He nodded, the tip of his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. My thighs clenched; that one little gesture flooded my core with so much heat, I thought we’d start a fire even without touching. I wanted nothing more than to slide my tongue into his mouth, to taste him, to unleash everything we’d been forced to hold back since we’d escaped the Shadowrealm.
“Take off your clothes,” I said, arching back against Asher. “Both of you.”
Ash slid out of his sweatpants, and Ronan followed suit, yanking the shirt over his head and kicking off his jeans and boxer briefs. My two fierce, beautiful demons stretched out on either side of me again, and Asher kissed my neck, swirling his tongue behind my ear, his fingers trailing slow circles down my ribcage, my hip, my upper thigh, then back up to my breast.
Both of them were hard as steel, Asher’s cock pressing urgently against my backside, Ronan’s so close to the apex of my thighs, if I closed my eyes and thought back to our last time together in the woods of the Shadowrealm, I could al
most feel him inside me again.
“Touch yourself,” I said to Ronan, soft but fierce, my breath hitching as a flood of raw desire coursed through my veins.
He did as I commanded, fisting his cock and stroking himself slowly, a soft moan escaping his lips.
Asher rolled my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, the sensation sending ripples of pleasure straight down to my core.
“Ronan,” I breathed, as Asher increased the pressure on my nipple, tugging and teasing, making me writhe. “Tell us what you want to see.”
“I want to see your face,” he said. “Your eyes. I want him to fuck you from behind and drive you absolutely wild… But your eyes are mine.”
At those words, Asher growled in my ear, more than ready to comply. I arched backward again, and he slid inside me from behind, his hand on my hip as he slowly rocked against my backside.
My body was still buzzing from our earlier time together, my skin hypersensitive, but holy fuck he felt good. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.
Ronan’s eyes blazed with new heat.
Asher grew harder inside me, his fingers digging into the flesh at my hip as he plunged in deeper, his teeth nipping at my neck, my shoulder.
Ronan leaned forward, dragging his nose through my hair and inhaling my scent, careful not to let our skin touch. His chestnut hair tickled my cheek, and I skimmed my fingers in front of his chest, feeling the heat rise from his body, our energies connecting even as our bodies couldn’t.
“Touch yourself,” he whispered, and I obeyed, slipping a hand between my thighs. I was hot and wet, two fingers gliding over my clit as Ronan stroked himself harder and faster, Asher’s chest slick with sweat against my back.
Finally, I did cry out, the intensity almost too much to bear.
All three of us were getting close, the heat and energy and magic rising between us, invisible tendrils pulling us close, wrapping us in a cocoon of love and desire.