Page 89

“You could never be fucking ugly,” I rumble. “There’s a light inside of you that can’t be extinguished. Whether or not you have hair anywhere on your body isn’t going to change that.”

Biting her lip, she glances at her hat where it fell and then pulls off her wig. The three of us stare for a moment before I grin.

“I think you’re the only one in the world who can pull this off. You’re gorgeous,” I murmur, my hand cupping the back of her head.

I’m in her personal space, but I can’t get myself to move. My lips travel down her face to her chin, and Nina seems to tremble with anticipation. Everyone has hesitated around her. It’s all been for very good reasons, yet it has left her feeling unwanted.

That’s unacceptable.

My lips press against hers, waiting for her to respond. Her little noises are loud in the quiet of the house, and she opens her lips slightly for me. Slowly, deliberately, I devour her, and she drops the wig to fist my hair as I kiss her.

I’m very careful not to crush her or lay fully on top of her body. All I can smell is honeysuckle, it completely surrounds me. My fingers claw at the pillow behind her head, struggling to rein myself in. Nina sucks in little puffs of air as if she’s starved, or trying to smell me.

We still don’t know how ruined her sense of smell is after the water boarding.

“I think I could kiss you forever,” I mutter, my eyes gazing into hers as they flutter open.

“I hate that I can’t smell you,” she sighs. “You feel so right, but I’m still broken.”

“Not broken,” I growl, dragging her with me as I sit up to cuddle her in my lap. “Being able to tell if we’re your scent match or not doesn’t change the fact that we are.”

Ethan moves over to sit next to us, pulling her feet into his lap. He takes off her socks and begins to rub her feet absently as Riley sits on the coffee table. Nina lays her head on my chest asmy arm wraps around her waist, and I vow I’m going to do whatever possible to keep her.

“Mine,” I purr against her hair. She rubs her cheek against my shirt before squeaking in embarrassment. “Why did you stop?”

“I’m scent marking you,” she gasps, looking up at me. Color runs high in her cheeks, and she looks adorable.

“Good, I like it,” I say, pulling my shirt off and tossing it to the side. “Come do it some more.”

Her lips twitch slightly in amusement, and she lays back against me with a happy sigh. Her fingers gently rub against my chest where my heart beats just for her as if mesmerized. Ethan and Riley leave her to it before one of them clears their throat.

“What?” she asks petulantly, pouting. My lips curve in a smile, leaving the other men to look at me as if I’ve lost it.

Yeah, I haven’t exactly been a joy to deal with lately.

My thumb moves to tug her lip down teasingly, but that makes my cock thicken underneath her ass. I’m imagining all the things her mouth can do, and her head lifts to gaze up at me.

“Are you having dirty thoughts?” she teases me.

God, there are so many ways she’s changed, yet others where she’s still herself. Her eyes glitter with mischief, her body language more open than it ever was before.

“The filthiest,” I growl, enjoying the way she shivers. “Before I act on any of them, we need to talk about a few things.”

“Talking never leads to good things,” she mutters.

“I promise to bury my head between your thighs until you’re screaming my name if you hear us out,” I murmur.

I love the way she smiles up at me, until her eyes cloud over.

“I don’t even know your name,” she realizes. “What does that even say about me?”

“It means Cooper jumped the gun,” Riley says gently.

She repeats my name, as if tasting it on her lips, and my cock fucking twitches. Ugh, I need to get a grip.

“I can’t help myself around you it seems,” I confess.

Riley picks up Nina’s abandoned wig and puts it behind himself on the table when she’s distracted. She’ll never have to wear it again unless she wants to.