Page 34 of Third Offense

Novak was the first to move, his wings powering him up and over her in a whoosh of air. She startled, tears tracking down her cheeks as his mouth captured hers. Emotion seemed to ripple off his wings, coloring the air around us in a wave of heat and oppressive need. But he didn’t want to fuck her. He wanted to worship her. I knew that because I felt the same way.

We’d just wanted her to call us her mates.

But she said she loved us instead.

After claiming to hate us. A conundrum that only seemed to heighten the moment. Novak’s lips left hers, going to her ear as I leaned down to take over kissing her.

“I love you, too,” he whispered to her, the agonized emotion in those four words jolting through all three of us.

I doubted Novak had ever considered voicing such a phrase. But now that he’d spoken it once, he kept repeating it as he kissed his way back down Layla’s body, the words resembling a benediction.

She trembled, more tears leaking from her eyes as the importance of the moment overwhelmed us all.

“I love you, too,” I echoed against her mouth. “So fucking much, Lay.”

She continued to cry even as Novak brought her to climax with his skilled mouth. It was a beautiful embrace underlined in sensuality and adoration, and quickly shifted into something so incredibly intense, I couldn’t define it. Like we’d just crossed some sort of threshold.

I kissed her as though my life depended on it.

While Novak devoured her to completion again.

Then we switched positions with his mouth on hers and my tongue indulging in her sweet cherry flavor. I hummed in approval, licking every inch of her and ensuring she felt my love for her in my touch.

She squirmed, screamed, cried, and begged. It was a beautiful cacophony of carnality that cemented us all in this moment.

Her orgasm blossomed on my tongue.

Her whimpers and yelps soothed Novak’s beast.

And her essence swathed us all in the heady afterglow of her pleasure.

We took her into the shower to worship her more with our hands, washing her with soap, water, and then our tongues again, needing to taste her, to cherish her, toloveher.

By the time we finished, her pupils were blown wide, her lips were parted in a permanent pant, and her cheeks glowed with the contentment of a very satisfied woman.

“You look radiant,” I told her, loving the gold dress she’d chosen for dinner.

Novak and I were still waiting for our clothes, leaving us both clad in towels.

“I need a nap,” Layla whispered groggily.

“No, you need food first,” I corrected her, kissing her cheek. “Then we can discuss anap.”

Novak met my gaze, his expression telling me napping would not be occurring after dinner. But we’d give our mate the temporary reprieve for now.

Because that was how mates took care of the female they loved.

I lifted her and carried her to the bed once more.

We still had some more time before dinner, and our outfits hadn’t arrived yet.

May as well indulge in yet another appetizer, I thought, spreading her legs again.

“Auric,” she moaned, trying futilely to close her legs.

Then Novak silenced her with another kiss. “Mates,” he hissed against her mouth.

“Mates,” she agreed, her thighs falling to the sides and granting me entry to her version of heaven. “My mates.”