Page 9 of Just Right (The Beasts of Blackmoor #3)

More than that, I feel flushed. My hair sticks to my cheek. With a huff of frustration, I shove it out of my face. I’m super fucking itchy under my skin, a sensation that has me scratching at my bare upper arm.

My heartbeat races; as I stumble down and away from the porch, it refuses to settle. My thighs clench with every step. I pause, tightening them together, trying to find some more relief for my needy pussy. My nipples harden against the top of my dress.

My pulse pounds. Thud. Thud. Thud.

But it’s not just my pulse, either. As I move blindly, so consumed by the sudden fever, I hear a thud, thud, thud and realize that I’ve stumbled my way over to one of the bears in the middle of chopping down a tree. That repeated thud? The swing of his axe hitting the wood.

I try to make my escape, but either the fever has its hold on me or I really didn’t want to go far because all it takes is Colt dropping his axe to the dirt and murmuring my name—“Aurelia”—for me to stand still.

And it is Colt. Standing there, shirtless and sweaty from all of his chopping, is the middle Brown brother, his hair sweat-damped, his gold eyes roving over me as though he can sense just how hot I am.

Maybe he can. Maybe he was waiting for just this moment. When it’s just him, just me, no Finn interfering or Rowan intervening…

My heart skips a beat.

His walk toward me becomes a touch more predatory.

“Aurelia,” he says again, the only one of the three who occasionally refer to me by my real name. “My little thief. What are you doing here?” His eyes sparkle. “Does Rowan know you’re here?”

I shake my head.

“Insteresting,” he muses. “Very interesting.” He wipes his brow with the back of his muscular arm.

“I’ve been wondering when I’d get my turn.

Didn’t expect it would be so soon… not with the way Finn’s trying to claim you…

but—” He pauses. Tilt his head. Narrows his gaze. “Oh, no. I see what’s going on here.”

I’m glad he does. “Yeah?” I say, my voice barely a whisper. “And what’s that?”

“Come here. I’ll show you.”

Really? Does he think it’ll be that easy?

That I ’m that easy?

Okay, maybe I am, but?—

Whoa. One second, Colt was on the other side of the clearing. Now? He’s right there, his hand circling my hand, pulling me close, tethering me to him.

“The magic has you in its grip.” No, Colt, that’s you… and, damn, does it feel good to have him hold me. At least, until he adds, “Your fairytale,” and I jerk out of his slight embrace.

“Fairytales?” I repeat. “Who said anything about fairytales?”

“This is Blackmoor. The home of every fairytale that’s ever existed.” A soft scoff that doesn’t hide the heat in his expression. “Who said anything about fairytales?” he murmurs, echoing my earlier words. “I did, because I’m living in one. And now, little thief, so are you.”

Little thief … that’s not the first time he’s called me that. I’ve ignored it before, only now? I cling to it because I don’t want the reminder that, despite everything, I agree with Colt.

We are living a fairytale, and while I believe in magic and monsters, too, now… if there’s one thing I know better than to believe in, it’s anything that might end with a ‘happily-ever-after’. They don’t exist. They can’t exist.

And if the three bears think they will… that, after my three weeks are done, I might stay in the cabin with them… they have another think coming.

“What did you call me?”

“Little thief.”

That’s what I thought.

My back goes up. “I already apologized for what I did. But if you think I stole something?—”

His dark gold eyes sparkle. “Of course you did.”

“The porridge?” I sputter. “You eat that super icy cold shit. I didn’t?—”

“Appreciate how tasty cold porridge can be, I know. Just like how you don’t understand how nice soft things can be.

” He shoots out his hand, twisting one of my curls around his finger.

“I like soft things.” With his other hand, he rubs the back against my nearest tit.

“And you, little thief, promise to be very soft.”

Little thief, again.

I tilt my chin. “I’m not a thief.”

“So you say.”

“What do you say, Colt?”

“That you stole something that belongs to me.”

“Yeah? And what’s that?”

“You’ll figure it out. And when you do…” He leans in, eyes locked on my lips as though he’s already imagining kissing them. “Blackmoor will have its due.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that the forest wants me to get laid?”

Because that’s what this is, isn’t it? This sudden fever?

It’s need, all right. Like I need to fuck.

And I want Colt. Hell. I want all of them.

Is that greedy? Probably. I’m not even sure how that would work.

These guys are, from what I understand, blood brothers.

Living together, waiting for their mate…

unless they can look past being blood, they’ve been celibate for a while.

If I fuck one of them, will that piss off the other two?

Rowan could probably give a shit, but Finn?

If I bang his brother, I think I’ll break the big teddy bear’s heart.

He already seems stuck on me. Rejecting his obvious affection for his brother seems so callous after how sweet he’s been to me.

But Colt… it’s taking everything I have not to grab him by his flannel, yanking him down, and kissing that slight smirk off of his face.

And then it widens. A gentle finger glides along the edge of my jaw, more gentle than I thought the middle brother could be, before he’s tipping my chin back, forcing me to see the lust and the heat and the need in his honey-colored eyes.

“I’m telling you that, from the moment you curled up in my bed, I had no intention of ever letting you leave it.”

The dark promise in his suddenly rough voice causes my fever to spike.

Danger, Goldie. You’re in danger…

“I didn’t curl up in your bed,” I tell him, searching for something, anything to break his spell on me. “I sank into it, and then I crawled out because I thought I’d get suffocated.”

“Doesn’t matter, little thief. Your scent is on my blankets.

My pillows. My sheets. I’ve spent every night since breathing you in, rubbing my cock to your deliciousness.

And now you’re here, and the wind carries your musk straight to me.

” His eyes flash. “To my bear. You smell like honey, Aurelia. You smell like mine .”

He stalks toward me. I don’t know how I get turned around but, suddenly, he’s there and my back is against another tree.

“Colt,” I say breathlessly.

“You want me,” he says, his tone both commanding and hypnotic. “Say it.”

Holy shit. I thought Rowan was the commanding brother, but having Colt right there, face inches from mine, the demand echoing in my ears…

Say it .