I slip my Allure from its strong hold, whispering power into the night, into the universe. Just for the few seconds that it takes to collect the bag and retreat – that’s all I need. A few seconds is easy enough.
“Pause,” I tell the world.
And the world pauses.
I snatch up the saddle bags, then take the stairs two at a time, pooling the Allure back inside of me. Pushing it down. Leaving it to congeal in the pit of my stomach, sharp and painful.
Kitten is still quietly lying between Seth and Pax. I can’t tell if she’s actually sleeping or not; she’s proven to be able to trick us there anyway. But she’s breathing.
Which should settle my agitation, but it doesn’t. Gritting my teeth, I finish the climb into the workroom and pull at the buckles with too much fury to actually get the things open. I drop the bag onto the nearest bench, bracing myself and doing my best attempt at inhaling with slow grace.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Screw this.
Eleven Paces
“What do you mean you’re both sleeping in the bed with me?” I demand, following Pax into the bedroom.
“Either that or we lock you in the larder,” he says.
“What? Why?”
Seth just chuckles, dumping his bag on the floor and pulling his shirt over his head. Damn those arms – sculpted could be the right word. Defined. Cut from stone and polished smooth to perfection. Then his chest… Then his abs… I have a problem.
I think I’m starting to go weak in my middle. Or lower. Much lower.
Get a grip, Shade.
“Bralls no, you’re not going anywhere near me in your braies,” I declare, giving Seth a pointed stare before swiveling back to where Pax has also stripped his shirt off.
Oh, for chuck’s sake!
I consider my options in the small space of the bedroom and the even smaller space of my bubble. Consider – and come up with nothing.
“I’ll put clean pants on,” Seth says, dropping his dirty pants to the floor.
Damn. Damn. Damn. This is such a bad idea.
“We have rules,” Pax says, or rather repeats, because he says that a lot.
“New rule. If things involve Shade, then Shade gets all of her questions answered,” I say.
“Beautiful,” Pax says, scooping down to dig out a pair of clean pants.
Seth tugs on a fresh pair of black cotton pants and crosses the room to me, resting a hand on my shoulder as he dips low, whispering, “Vexy,” in my ear.
That’s all.
Then he climbs over the foot of the bed and begins testing each of the pillows. I cross my arms over my chest, my foot tapping. Pax unfastens his belt and lets his pants fall to the floor. The gentle flicker of the only lit lantern dances across the long, hard lines of his back. I can think of a pretty long list of circumstances where climbing into bed with them would be very enjoyable. The thought alone ignites that spot low in my abdomen, again, with a flutter of nerves and a rush of excitement. But being told I have to get into bed between them, and that my alternative is to get locked in a cupboard, that’s not on my list at all.
I keep my arms crossed over my chest and wait.
“Get into the bed,” Pax orders, pulling clean pants on.
“No –” The words I actually intended to say were ‘not until you tell me why’ but the severe look, hard determination, and slight glow to Pax’s eyes as his head snaps up and his gaze meets mine, cut the words off.
He stalks towards me, and I step backward – until I’m against the wall.
“We have to sleep,” he says, his tone deep and challenging.
“You have to sleep,” Thane adds.
Thane. His voice makes my insides crush into a ball of need and want and fear and desire and… so many feelings.
“You can sleep whenever you want,” I blurt out.
“We need to sleep,” Pax repeats, their voices are the same, yet so different. “I have to let you out of my sight.” As he talks, he picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder. “But I’m not letting you out of my reach.”
“So you’re going to pin me down in the bed?” I demand, and if Seth wasn’t already snoring on one side, I might begin to freak out.
But Seth is snoring, and Pax drops me not-too-gently into place next to him.
“You do stupid shit when I’m not looking,” he says.
“Get under the blanket,” Thane snaps.
“I do stupid shit even when you are looking,” I say, ignoring the order.
He offers me a lopsided smile and stretches out beside me.
“Exactly, so either you’re right here – or I’m locking you in the larder.”
I groan, the fight seeping out of me. It’s helped immensely by the way his hand splays out over my stomach and pulls me in to mold against his body, my back to his chest.
My right arm is almost squished between me and Seth. I gently pull it free and rest it on Seth’s hip. He’s not under the blankets either, but the body heat from the two guys is going to be more than enough to keep me warm.
Seth sighs, reaching back and gripping my thigh, then repositioning my leg so it’s pressed into the back of his.
“Go to sleep, Beautiful,” Pax whispers in my ear, his hand sliding up and settling against my chest. The guy sounds half asleep already.
“Vexy,” Seth moans in a deep, heavy tone.
“Beautiful Vexy,” they both mutter, a hint of Thane in the mix.
I’d groan at them and argue, but I have to admit I’m tired and comfortable. Their breathing slows, settling into two distinct rhythms. The rise and fall of their chests and the muffled snore that occasionally settles over Seth.
My eyelids droop low. Then close.
Pax nuzzles closer, his face in my hair. He draws in a few long breaths, the kind that makes me think Thane is smelling me,
