Page 120 of Pretty Ruthless Monsters: Complete Series

QUINN

I can’t believe I kissed Nico. He freezes for a moment, like he can’t believe it, either.

Then, as if a switch has been flipped, he surges forward, his lips crashing against mine with a desperation that takes my breath away. His hands cup my face, tilting my head back as he deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine.

Roughly, quickly, he pulls me to my feet without ever breaking contact.

His arms wrap around me, with one hand splayed across my lower back while the other gets almost instantly tangled in my hair.

He’s kissing me like he’s trying to devour me whole, like he’s starving and I’m the only thing that can satisfy his hunger.

I gasp for air as his mouth moves lower, but he isn’t letting up.

His lips move to my neck, leaving a trail of fire everywhere they touch.

He nips at my pulse point, then soothes the sting with his tongue.

It’s as if he’s trying to mark me all over again, not with ink this time, but with his lips, his teeth, his touch.

There’s an urgency to his movements, a fear that if he stops, even for a second, I might disappear. His hands roam my body, tracing every curve, every scar, every line of every tattoo. He pulls me closer, impossibly close, until I can feel his heartbeat thundering against my chest.

I lose myself in the sensation, in the heat of his body pressed against mine, in the taste of him on my tongue.

For a moment, I forget about everything else—the danger, the betrayal, the uncertainty.

There’s only Nico, his lips on mine, his hands on my skin, his body molded to mine like we were made to fit together.

The sounds of Killian and Atlas stir me from my trance. Their hungry gazes burn into us, their bodies taut with barely restrained desire. Nico seems to sense it too, because he turns me slowly, my back pressing against his chest.

His arm slides around my throat, his hand loosely curled there, his touch both possessive and protective. It should feel constricting, but it only fuels the heat and the need burning inside me. His other hand trails down my body, resting between my legs.

“Look at them, Quinn,” he whispers, his mouth close to my ear, his breath making me shiver and making it really, really hard to concentrate. “Look at what you’ve done to them.”

I glance over at the two men, their eyes glued to us, their faces flushed. They shift uncomfortably, as if they’re unable to tear their eyes away.

“I’ve known them for years,” Nico continues, his voice a low, steady growl. “They’re usually so controlled, so unaffected by anyone. But you… you’ve wrecked them. They’re hard and aching, and it’s all because of you.”

I swallow, my throat dry, as I take in their tortured expressions. “I have?”

“Fuck yeah, you have. You’ve left your mark on them, on us, just like we’ve marked you. They’re ruined now. Ruined for anyone else.”

Watching them, I know it’s true. I guess I’ve known it’s true for a while. But there’s a big difference between knowing something in my own head and hearing the words spoken out loud.

And damn, I love hearing those words.

Nico’s hand tightens on my throat, his voice dropping even more. “They want you, mia cara. Just like I do. They’re fighting the urge to come closer. To take what they want.”

I feel something powerful and primal well up inside me, a possessive hunger that matches the intensity in Nico’s voice. It’s like a wildfire, consuming every rational thought, leaving only raw desire in its wake.

“Good,” I growl, surprising myself with the ferocity in my tone.

Nico’s chest rumbles against my back as he chuckles deeply. His grip on my throat tightens just a fraction, sending a shiver down my spine.

“You’re playing with fire, mia cara,” he warns, but his words don’t scare me.

I lean back into him, pressing my body firmly against his.

“I don’t care,” I breathe, my voice steady and sure. I turn my head slightly, meeting his gaze. “I want this. I want you. All of you.”

Nico’s hand between my legs sends sparks of pleasure tearing through my body. His touch is firm and demanding, his fingers moving with purpose as he teases and strokes me over my tattered clothes. My breath is already coming in short gasps, and I know I won’t last long if he keeps this up.

“Do you have any idea how much I love feeling this?” he murmurs. “Knowing it’s me doing this to you?”

His fingers continue their relentless dance, and I moan, my head falling back against his shoulder.

“I know,” I gasp, my voice so damn needy that it sounds foreign to my own ears.

Nico’s other arm tightens around my throat, his hand curling possessively, sending a rush of heat through me.

“And you’re okay with that?” he demands. “You understand what this means, don’t you?”

I can barely think through the haze of pleasure, but his question cuts through the fog, sharp and clear. “What… what do you mean?”

“If you let them in, mia cara, if you take their cocks inside you and let them mark you up… you’re theirs. Ours.”

His fingers find a rhythm that threatens to undo me, and I bite my lip to hold in a moan. “I-I know that,” I whisper, my eyes fluttering closed as pleasure coils tightly within me.

Nico continues, his voice a low, gravelly temptation. “You’d belong to us. To all three of us. Body and soul. In every way that matters. The law be damned, marriage vows be damned. You understand?”

“I do,” I breathe, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

It’s as if I’m taking those marriage vows all over again, but these are a whole new set of vows, with a whole new meaning.

My heart is pounding, my body on the edge of something I can’t name, but something that I crave with every fiber of my being. “I want it. I want them. I want you.”

Nico’s hand stills, and for a moment, I want to beg him not to stop. But then his fingers begin a new, slower dance, sending tendrils of pleasure spinning out from my core.

“Are you sure about that, mia cara? Because there’s no going back.”

His fingers tease and toy, drawing out the tension and making it almost unbearable.

“I’m sure,” I gasp, my hips shifting involuntarily, seeking more of his touch. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

His thumb brushes over the pulse point at the base of my neck, sending a jolt through me.

I nod, eager for more.

Nico leans forward, his lips brushing my ear as he speaks. “Good girl. Now kiss them like I know you want to.”

His words—the permission to do the things I’ve barely been able to suppress—send another surge of heat through me, and I don’t even try to hold back a moan as his fingers continue their magic.

Atlas takes a step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.

I reach for him, and he pulls me to him, his lips crashing down on mine with a desperation that borders on pain.

It’s different from Nico’s kiss, hard and powerful and just as intense.

His hands slide down my back, pulling me firmly against him as his tongue tangles with mine.

Nico’s fingers continue their dance from behind, and I’m overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through me. I break away from Atlas, breathing heavily.

“I can’t believe you came for me,” I whisper, my eyes searching his.

His thumb brushes my cheek as he cups my face. “You don’t understand, vicious. After what we did… there was never a question of ‘if.’ Only a question of ‘when.’”

Our lips meet again, softer this time, but no less passionate. I can taste the regret in his kiss, the unspoken apologies, and the unvoiced promises. His hands roam my body, possessive and protective, as if he’s finally able to touch something he’s craved for so long.

Between kisses, he murmurs against my lips. “I’m sorry. So sorry for everything. I’ll make it up to you if you let me.”

“There’s nothing to make up for,” I reply, my voice hoarse. “We’re all here together now. That’s all that matters.”

His hands tighten on my hips as he pulls me closer, his lips moving to my jaw, then lower, to my neck. “No one will ever touch you again. I swear it.”

Atlas’s lips leave mine, and I’m left breathless, my heart racing. The intensity of his kiss lingers, a promise of more to come. I turn, my eyes locking with Killian’s. He’s standing just a few feet away, his gaze burning with an intensity that makes my knees weak.

I move toward him, fully aware that he doesn’t kiss on the lips. It’s something I’ve known about him, a boundary I’ve always respected. My intention is to press my lips to his neck, to show him my affection in a way that won’t make him uncomfortable.

But before I can, his hand catches my chin. His touch is gentle but firm, stopping me in my tracks. I look up at him, confused and a little worried as he leans in.

“You don’t have to…” I whisper, not wanting him to feel pressured.

His eyes soften, and a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I want to.”

My breath catches in my throat. The significance of this moment isn’t lost on me. Killian, who’s always kept this part of himself closed off, is willingly opening up. For me.

I bring my lips to Killian’s, and it’s like discovering a whole new side of him. He’s fucked me so many times, but this feels entirely different. His lips are soft but firm against mine, a sensation I’ve never experienced with him before.

At first, the kiss is hesitant, almost awkward. Killian moves cautiously, as if he’s learning the steps to a dance he’s never performed. I can feel the tension in his body, the uncertainty in the way he holds himself.

But then, something shifts.

Killian groans, a deep, primal sound that reverberates through his chest and into mine. His hands come up to grip my head, fingers tangling in my hair as he angles my face to deepen the kiss. Suddenly, I recognize the Killian I know—the one who’s fucked me senseless more times than I can count.