Page 12 of Knot So Sweet (Leather and Lace #1)

Chapter 11

Candi

G host’s strong arms banded around my waist, steadying me as my knees wobbled, threatening to give out. I swallowed hard, my throat tight as I met Ghost’s knowing smirk. Bastard. He knew exactly how much the two of them were driving me crazy.

This was the first time he’d ever been this close to me, and his pine scent enveloped me like a comforting cloak—warm Christmas Eve and long-lost happiness. I breathed in his scent with a desperate need, trying to ground myself.

They both tugged at my omega instincts, equally tempting. Viper stepped up behind me, and even though he wasn’t touching me, I could feel his presence just out of reach, heightening my senses. I let out a whimper, my head spinning. Ghost’s strong arms were the only thing keeping me from collapsing.

A fresh wave of slick pooled at the apex of my thighs, and I bit down hard on the inside of my lip, fighting a shudder of arousal. I needed to get the Den secured quickly or risk everything, because I wasn’t sure if I could deny my need for them.

My thoughts were a jumbled mess. Touching either of them was a mistake. Being here in Viper’s office was a mistake. I hated my body at that moment. I couldn’t control it, and I hated it more than anything.

"I can smell your heat coming, princess," Ghost purred, his head tilting as his predatory gaze roamed over my curves.

"Let me go," I murmured, my voice barely more than a whisper.

I exhaled and pushed against Ghost’s solid abs, desperate for a moment of clarity. He took a deliberate step back, granting me the space I desperately needed.

The smirk on his lips vanished, replaced by a flash of genuine concern.

With a shaky breath, I squared my shoulders and managed to croak out, "I need security at the club. Are you still planning on helping me?"

I didn't know what I would do if they refused.

"Why? What’s happened? Is it the Hounds?" Viper asked from behind me. Despite his questions, my gaze remained locked on the Serpents’ enforcer, unable to look away from the storm of emotions roiling within him.

There was something about Ghost that pulled me in, and I was lost in his mossy eyes. He calmed me in a way no one ever had. It was dangerous and addictive.

"No. It’s not the Hounds. Not really," I whispered, licking my dry lips.

"Then what is it, princess? You know you can stay here if you need to. We’ll keep you safe." My heart ached at the sincerity in Ghost's voice, but I shook my head. I hated asking for help, but I was desperate.

"Can you help me or not?"

Ghost’s nostrils flared in response, and he broke our connection to shoot daggers at his president. Viper and Ghost looked at each other over my head, their unspoken exchange sending a fresh wave of unease through me. Viper brushed my hair from my shoulder with a feather-like touch as he spoke.

"Ghost and Pixie will set up security. I’ll have them come by tomorrow. Don’t worry, your club will be safe."

I glanced over my shoulder, caught off guard by his willingness to help. The surprise wasn’t just at his readiness, but also at the fact that he wasn’t including himself in the security detail. Why did that disappointment gnaw at me?

"You won’t be there?" My voice cracked, betraying the desperation I felt. It was fucking embarrassing how much I wanted him near me.

I bit my lip, acutely aware of how ensnared I was between them. Viper’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought he might kiss me. But then his eyes met mine again, darker and more intense, as if he could peer into every dirty thought swirling in my mind.

I hated how effortlessly he could read me, when I couldn't read him at all.

"Did you want me there, sweetheart?" he asked, his brows furrowing in genuine surprise. His fingers landed on my chin, drawing small, soothing circles that sent electric jolts through me.

I swallowed the denial on my tongue, my mouth parting as I tried to resist his insinuation. But instead, I nodded, feeling my resolve crumble.

I did want him there. I wanted both of them with me. The idea of having them close made me feel safer, even if I was teetering on the edge of my heat. It was risky being near them when it was this close, but I couldn’t fight the pull.

What the hell is happening to me?

"I wish I could, sweetheart. But I have club business to handle. However, if you want to stay, my club doors are always open to you. And when you’re here, no one will dare touch you." His voice dripped with a dark, dangerous promise.

Viper’s lips curled into a sly, unsettling smile as his hand traced along my face, finally cupping my jaw. His implication was clear. No one but him or Ghost would ever dare touch me. The thought ignited a dark thrill within me, and I leaned against Ghost’s solid chest, my eyes fluttering closed.

Viper’s chuckle was a low, throaty rumble that sent electric shivers racing down my spine. He lightly tugged a strand of my hair, his smile widening as I instinctively leaned closer, nearly stumbling forward, lost in their intoxicating scent and touch.

"I won’t lie," Viper’s voice was dark and teasing, holding a raw edge that made my pulse race. "I wish I could be there. I’ve been fantasizing about taking you in one of your back rooms at the club. Making you beg for release."

The image that invaded my mind was vivid and relentless.

Viper’s dominant form bending me over this very desk, his grip like iron on my hips as he claimed me from behind. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to shake the thought, but it clung to me with maddening persistence.

Ghost’s heat at my back and Viper’s wicked words were a dangerous combination, pulling me ever closer to the edge of surrender.

My breaths were ragged, each one a struggle to regain some semblance of control. But all that did was drown me in their whiskey and pine, a delicious concoction that made me dizzy with need.

Viper’s provocative words only served to unravel me further. I was standing on the edge, every moment threatening to plunge me into a churning sea of desire and desperation.

Ghost’s arms tightened around me, his erection pressing insistently against my back. I forced myself out of his hold, not even sure when he had encircled me. Though, let’s be honest, when it came to Ghost, I could never force him to do anything. He had chosen to listen to me and let me go. Again .

Once he took a small step back, I finally found my voice. "If you think I’ll ever beg for you, you’re delusional," I forced out, trying to sound resolute, but my voice betrayed me with its tremor.

Viper's smirk twisted into something even more wicked, his eyes alight with dark amusement. Leaning his hip against the desk again, he let his gaze rove down my curves with unsettling hunger.

"No?" he taunted. "Not even if both Ghost and I promised to share you? Ghost taking that filthy mouth of yours, while I spread your legs and fucked you from behind?"

"I can smell your slick, princess," Ghost murmured, his voice like a low growl. "As soon as you walked in here, you were craving us."

I whipped my head around to face him, and my breath caught in my throat. He looked down at me with an intense gaze, his hand sliding to my collarbone.

This time, I didn’t push him away. Every inch of him radiated dominance, from his touch, to the feral hunger in his eyes. His pupils were blown, completely swallowing up the green.

Viper’s hand slid to my hip, yanking me closer until I was practically sandwiched between them. "It wouldn’t take much convincing to have you right here, right now, would it?"

I gasped as his hand moved lower, grazing against me with a roughness that made my toes curl. Ghost’s arms tightened around me, anchoring me as I struggled to keep my balance. The electric tension between the three of us was almost unbearable.

"You smell so fucking good, princess. Like a garden of sin and desire," Ghost purred into my ear, his voice a dark promise.

Viper’s hand tightened on my hip, tugging me closer with a roughness that made me whimper before I could stop it. Overwhelmed by their raw, unrestrained desire, my mind began to unravel. The mingling scents of leather, pine, and the sharp bite of whiskey filled my senses, making my head spin in a haze of intoxicating arousal.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity fuck.

The storm inside me was raging. I was trapped between them, torn between the primal urge to flee and the overpowering desire to submit to my alphas.

What? No, not mine. Never mine. But my traitorous body ached for their touch, even as my mind screamed at me to escape before it was too late.

Give in, my greedy cunt insisted.

I met Viper’s dark gaze, the intensity pulling me in and overwhelming me. My breath hitched as I teetered on the brink, dangerously close to falling into whatever twisted game these alphas were playing.

Let go.

That same voice urged me on, my body screaming for release, surrender. I couldn’t deny the thrill that surged through me at the thought of giving in, of submitting to their power and succumbing to the fire they ignited within me.

The tension in the room was suffocating. Every nerve in my body screamed for release, but my mind fought against the pull—against the intoxicating temptation that these two alphas represented.

My heart raced, the steady rhythm turning erratic as I felt Viper's hand press into the curve of my waist, and Ghost’s heat radiate against my back. I was so on the verge of losing myself that I didn't even realize they had turned me back around. They were manipulating my body like a toy. A plaything.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms as I fought the new wave of slick that threatened to pool between my thighs.

"This is a mistake," I whispered, more to myself than to them.

Viper’s dark chuckle filled the air, low and predatory. "Mistakes are what make life interesting, sweetheart," he teased, his breath ghosting against my ear. "Tell me you don’t want this. Tell me you don’t want us."

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry, my legs trembling beneath me. I could feel my control slipping, piece by piece, and I hated it. Hated how they had this power over me. My heat was close—too close—and their proximity was making it impossible to think straight.

"I—" My voice broke as Ghost’s fingers grazed the side of my neck, his touch only feather-light, but still enough to send an electric shiver down my spine.

The sensation burned through me, hot and cold at the same time, making my pulse quicken. I knew I needed to get away, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him as if it had a mind of its own.

Before I could regain any sense of control, Viper’s hand gripped my chin, firm but not painful, forcing my gaze back to his. His eyes were molten, dark and wild, filled with a hunger that made my knees weak, and my pulse spike even higher.

His lips hovered dangerously close to mine, his breath warm against my skin. "We could make you feel so good, Candice," he murmured, voice low and seductive. "You know that, don’t you? Just let go, sweetheart. Get out of your head."

A soft whimper escaped me, unbidden, and I cursed under my breath. I hated how easily my body responded to them, how my omega instincts screamed for their dominance, for their touch. It was primal, raw, and it terrified me.

But I couldn’t give in. Not now. Not when I had so much at stake.

"I can’t," I whispered, shaking my head, though my resolve was already starting to fray, hanging on by a thread. "I’m not going to be your plaything, Viper."

Behind me, Ghost’s grip tightened on my waist, his fingers digging into my flesh just enough to make me hyper aware of him. His voice was a low growl, sending a pulse of heat straight through me as his lips brushed the shell of my ear. "We don’t want a plaything, princess. We want you."

The raw intensity in his words sent a shudder through me, making my thoughts scatter for just a moment. I felt myself sway, caught between wanting to run and wanting to collapse into their arms.

But then reality crashed back in, bringing with it the weight of everything I had to protect. The Den, the Hounds, the danger looming over me and the people I cared about. I couldn’t afford to lose focus. I couldn’t afford to let my body rule over my mind, no matter how much it screamed for them.

I straightened, steeling myself and pushing back against the arousal that clouded my mind. I met Viper’s gaze head-on, forcing my voice to be steady, though it trembled at the edges.

"If you’re going to help me, help me," I said, almost pleading. "But don’t toy with me. Please."

Viper’s smirk softened, his expression shifting into something unreadable. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a flicker of respect in his eyes, but it was gone too fast for me to be certain.

He released his grip on my chin, his fingers trailing down my throat in a way that made my breath hitch, even though I tried to stay calm.

"Fair enough, sweetheart," he said, his tone taking on a more serious edge. "We’ll help you. Tomorrow." His voice dipped lower, darker, a teasing edge curling around his next words. "But tonight… we’re not done with you. Not by a long shot."

Ghost’s arms slowly slid away from me, leaving a chill in their absence. Though his presence still felt like a weight on my chest. His gaze, intense and unwavering, lingered on me, like he was making a silent claim. "You’re ours, Candi," he said, his voice soft but firm, like a vow. "Whether you realize it or not."

I swallowed hard, the weight of their words sinking deep into my chest, settling there like a stone. A part of me wanted to deny it, to fight back. But the truth was, I didn’t have time for this. Not now. Not with everything unraveling around me.

And yet, as I stood there, caught between two alphas who could undo me with just a touch, I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe they were right. That I really couldn't deny this.

But I still had to get through tonight. And I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on.