Page 26

There is more to this than just the carnal pleasure. It’s written in every breath, etched in every gesture. Pressing my chest against his, I tilt my head up to kiss him.

He savors the exchange, his arms tightly wound around my waist.

“You were right, it’s still pretty cold,” I say, my breath hitched from arousal as liquid heat pools between my legs once more. “We should get in…”

“After you, milady,” he says.

I step back from Oscar after staking my claim. He seems reluctant to let me go, and I can feel his eyes on me as I step up to the edge of the pool.

“I have a confession to make,” I say, gazing down into the blue-green waters. “Today is my birthday.”

“It’s your birthday?” Kellan asks. “You should’ve told us—we would have celebrated properly.”

“I think Bryan forgot from all the anxiety, but it’s okay. I think this qualifies as a celebration,” I respond, turning back to study the three of them in all their splendor. “I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present, either…”

Kellan stands bare-chested, while Oscar’s shirt hangs open at the collar. Alex is still fully dressed, but his shirt is stretched so tight, I can see the muscles ripple beneath the fabric. I’m dying to sink my teeth into all three of them, and to allow them to sink their teeth into me.

“Still,” Alex says, coming forward to circle my waist with his hands. “I’m sorry we didn’t get you anything.”

“The night is young,” I observe. “I can think of a lot of presents that I would love to get from the three of you.”

“Can I guess one of them?” Alex asks, spinning me around like a dancer in a ballroom. I laugh and hang onto his shoulders so that we don’t fall over. “A naked and raunchy exchange under the stars.”

“And would you be in charge of said raunchy exchange?” I tease.

“I’ll be in charge of whatever you want,” he says, sliding two fingers down my jaw before kissing me again.

“Let’s get in,” Kellan suggests. “The stars look beautiful tonight, but nowhere near as beautiful as you in the bubbling hot water, Kay.”

“I second that,” Alex murmurs, giving me a soft glance.

“I’ll get the champagne,” Oscar says.

I place my hand on Alex’s muscular chest, gently pushing him away. I’m teasing them and loving every minute of it. I reach down to pull off my high heels, one by one, and toss them on the terrace floor.

“I need to get out of these clothes, first, gentlemen,” I reply.

Kellan scoops me up and walks over to the pair of lounge chairs by the pool. He sets me down like a queen, taking a seat beside me. Alex takes a position opposite his brother, his magnetism making my skin tingle all over.

Oscar returns without the bottle.

“I thought you were getting the cham—” I freeze when I see what he’s holding.

It’s a jewelry box, long enough to contain a bracelet or maybe a necklace folded over itself.

“What is this?” I ask, instinctively reaching out.

Oscar goes down on one knee before me, nearly causing my heart to leap out of its cage. I know it’s not what I briefly thought this would be, but even so…

“I have a confession to make. We remembered your birthday,” Oscar says, his words cutting straight through to my soul. “We knew it was today.”

“Ah. And here I thought I’d serve you with a surprise, yet you were one step ahead of me, this whole time,” I gasp.

“Kay, I remember every single detail about you,” Oscar says. “Eight years apart or not, I never forgot anything. Especially your birthday.”

“Okay,” I reply. “That’s very sweet of you, but I don’t need a present. Just us… being here is more than enough for me.”

“Open it,” Alex instructs.

I give them each a stern look, hoping to convey the message that their gift goes above and beyond the call of duty.

They smile encouragingly, so I open the box.

Inside is a charm bracelet with three silver charms. One is a soccer ball, the next is a cufflink and the third is a book.

Each charm is intricately carved and hangs from the bracelet on a single loop.

I pull it out to examine it in the porch light.

“This is beautiful,” I breathe. “I’m shocked you got it here so fast.”

“We might’ve had some help from Bryan,” Kellan admits. “He helped pick it out and rush the delivery.”

I whisper, awestruck, “I can’t believe the work that went into this—just for me.”

“We’ve known you for so long,” Oscar says. “We simply couldn’t let your birthday pass without giving you something… meaningful. For you. For us, too.”

“Oh, and there’s also this. I found it at the gift shop,” Alex says, pulling out a wrapped present from behind the lounge chair.

Presents, hidden in plain sight. The Anderson triplets sure know how to get a girl’s blood pumping in all the right ways. It seems unreal, and the only thing I can do is accept them graciously as my heart expands to fill my chest.

“Open it,” Kellan insists.

I dig into the wrapping, the sound of paper tearing like music to my ears.

It’s a special edition of The World Atlas of Wine, and by the looks of the hardcover alone, it was handmade and painted to order.

“Jancis Robinson,” I manage. “This… This is gorgeous. I have a newer reprint, but this… this is something else. There are probably a few hundred of these in circulation.”

“You deserve this and so much more,” Alex says.

I lean over to kiss Kellan first. He gets excited, pressing a hand to the nape of my neck to deepen the kiss. I have an agenda though; I don’t want to get carried away with any one brother at the moment. I move on to Alex, giving him an equally thoughtful kiss, before sharing the joy with Oscar.

After I’m finally done thanking each of them, I pull the bracelet out of its box and loop it around my wrist. “I’m going to wear this, and only this,” I announce, watching their faces light up in response.

Alex reaches forward to help me secure the clasp.

I’m ready to slip into the water—if only this knit dress weren’t still clinging to me.

I catch the hem and peel the dress over my head, the cool air skimming across my bare skin.

The shock is almost too much; goose bumps race across my skin, spurring me toward the heat.

“Last one in is a loser!” I shout, racing for the hot tub as my men laugh.

I’m still wearing my bra and panties, but I don’t mind getting those wet as I wade into the steaming water in relief.

There are three small steps that lead down to the bottom.

Each step I take feels like heaven, surrounding my ankles, then my calves, then my thighs in sweet relief.

By the time I’m halfway submerged, the chill vanishes.

I’m left staring up at my handsome trio on the deck, still laughing at my sudden display of energy.

“Oh, this feels nice,” I moan softly.

“Give us a second,” Kellan says, kicking off his shoes and undoing his belt.

It seems like he’s going to be the first to join me, but then Alex gets into the race. I clap my hands, watching them disrobe in such fury. Before I know it, they’re completely naked and melting into the tub beside me.

By contrast, Oscar takes his sweet time while his eyes never leave me. He undoes each shirt button carefully and then folds the garment neatly onto one of the lounge chairs. “I don’t mind being last, considering you’ve got my brothers to rile you up until I get there.”

“Oh, so, they’re just keeping me hot for you, then?” I reply.

“Not that we mind,” Alex says.

“On the contrary,” Kellan chimes in.

They come at me from both angles, two warm bodies pressing in on me. I reach my hands up to circle Kellan’s neck. He kisses me soundly, capturing my breath as Alex strokes my hips from behind.

These are the kinds of men I crave leading me. With an audible sigh, I relinquish command, letting Alex and Kellan take over. They seem to sense the change in plan, tightening their hold on my body as our eyes meet.

Alex lowers his lips to the nape of my neck. I shiver from excitement instead of from the cold. Kellan’s hands are on my shoulders and Alex’s hands are on my hips. I can feel one solid chest in front of me and another pressing against my spine.

“Every inch of you begs for us, doesn’t it?” Kellan whispers in my ear.

“Can’t you feel me?” I whisper back.

“Oh, I feel you, baby.” Alex unhooks my bra, letting his words pour down the side of my neck.

He slips the wet lace off and tosses it away. I hear a splash and realize that it hasn’t made it successfully to the deck, but I don’t care. I’m too busy burning up.

Oscar wades into the pool. I sense the water shift, but I can’t see him. My eyes are closed and I’ve given myself over to the purest sensations. I’m barely aware of my surroundings when I feel Oscar wrap a hand around my wrist and pull me free of my hot guy sandwich.

“Kellan and Alex didn’t like it when I took you to my bedroom all alone,” Oscar says.

I open my eyes and find a dark, sizzling power burning in his gaze. At times he’s fastidious, but he often gets the last word. In that way, he’s the de facto leader of the group, and understanding that really turns me on.

“I liked it,” I admit, sinking into his embrace with all of my heart.

He pulls me toward the edge of the pool, taking a seat on one of the submerged benches and guiding me down onto his lap. The water washes out of the way, allowing our privates to connect slowly. I spread my legs to accommodate him, straightening my spine until I’m riding him like a bull.

“Good, because I plan on doing it again—right here, right now,” Oscar whispers.

“Can’t say it bothers me,” I moan harshly.

“That way my brothers can see the effect I have on you.”

I close my eyes again, knowing that I’m in for a treat. Behind me, I hear the sloshing of two bodies dipping beneath the waves and I know that both Alex and Kellan have taken their seats. The three of them circle me on the outskirts of the tub, while Oscar comes to life between my thighs.