While Ryder held her, Draven began to work on the buttons of her shirt, easily stripping it from her shoulders.
Leaving her standing in the middle of the room in only her underwear.
Surrounded by her mates.
Her skin tingled with the need to feel their hands on her skin.
When Atlas lifted his chin, both Draven and Ryder each grabbed one of her wrists and held her arms up in the air. Atlas gathered the faerie cloth in his grip, then raised it above her head.
She shivered when the slinky material came into contact with her skin.
Draven and Ryder slowly slid their hands down her arms,trailing their palms over every inch of her, the faerie clothing following in their wake. Down her shoulders, over her spine and along her breasts, until their palms traced along her stomach and over her ass.
Then they destroyed the last bit of her sanity when they kneeled at her feet.
She wanted to tip back her head and close her eyes, bask in the wanton, carnal sensations, but she’d become ensnared by Atlas. He refused to let her look away. It was only when the material settled over her that the connection broke.
Then all three guys had their hands on her body as they smoothed the material down.
Fuck!
Who knew that getting dressed could almost be as sexy as undressing?
Because damn.
She trembled with the need to demand they finish what they started.
Atlas grabbed her chin, and her eyes snapped open. All three guys stood in front of her, Draven and Ryder on either side of Atlas. She licked her lips, but when she reached out for them, Draven and Ryder caught her hands before she could touch them.
Some of the sensual haze clouding her mind lifted, and she couldn’t help pouting.
And was rewarded when Ryder gulped, his breath leaving him in a rush.
“Naughty.” Atlas leaned down and gave a sharp nip to her bottom lip that stung, but quickly pulled back before she could deepen the kiss. “If you’re good at the meeting, maybe we’ll continue this later.”
Her eyebrows shot up, her brain sputtering, then a grin spread across her face. “Are you trying to bribe me into behaving?”
“Yes,” Atlas responded bluntly, his face darkening as he gazed down at her. “If you think I’m rigid and unreasonable, then you’re in for a rude surprise. To them, I’m a rebelliouschild. They live and breathe rules and strictures. Any emotions are trained and beaten out of us from childhood. Anything less is unacceptable. They see it as a weakness, something to exploit. Feelings and emotions go against everything they believe. Those who don’t meet their expectations are banished.”
“Excuse me?!” His words hit her like a sledgehammer, leaving a big gaping hole to the chest where her heart should’ve been. It was quickly filled by such rage that she gritted her teeth to keep her magic from lashing out. “They threw you away like you were trash, like?—”
“Because I wasn’t good enough,” he replied with no inflection in his voice.
Emotions bubbled and swirled through her gut as they fought for dominance, but one thing was clear. She cupped his face then smiled, liking the hint of uncertainty that entered his expression. “Then they’re fools, and I thank the gods every day that you came into my life. What they see as imperfections just makes you even more perfect in my eyes.”
He swallowed hard, the umber in his eyes blazing as he gazed down at her. Then his lips crashed over hers in a brutal kiss, one that stole her very soul, only for him to replace it with his own. Breathing hard, he pulled back, his chest heaving. He didn’t bother hiding his emotions, leaving them bare for her to see.
A precious gift.
She gave him a wry smile. “If they didn’t approve of you, they are going to hate me.”
He gave a bark of laughter, which seemed to surprise him as much as the other guys. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips against her forehead, then pulled back to stare down at her with a soft smile. “We think you’re perfect, and that’s all that matters.”
He pulled back, his lips pursed as he gazed down at the unshaped cloth draped over her. “Do you remember how this works? Create a mental picture in your mind on what you need, and?—”
“I remember.” But she didn’t do as he said, her hand comingto rest on his chest over the mating mark. “I don’t like that you’re going without armor. You should wear?—”
“No.” He pulled back, a furious scowl on his face, then he had to go and be all sneaky. “We will kill ourselves trying to keep you safe. If you really want to protect us, wear the armor. It’s the only way that any of us will allow you to be in the same room as them.”
