Page 35 of Sold to Three Alpha Kings

I laugh genuinely, the sound surprising even me, and she looks briefly startled that she managed it, like she didn’t expect her own bitterness to land as anything but bitter.

“See, that.” I point at her, grinning. “That’s what it means to grow a personality. The polite, careful version of you that you trot out at breakfast is boring. This one’s got teeth. I like her.”

“Careful now, my lord,” she says, her voice devoid of sarcasm. “If she’s got teeth, it means she bites.”

“Do I strike you as someone afraid of getting bitten?” I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her to myself.

The air around us is thick with tension as we stare into each other’s eyes. My heart is racing, and judging by the rising and falling of her chest, I can say hers is doing the same.

My right thumb finds her full lips and begins tracing the gentle curve of her mouth. She doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t push me back either.

“Tell me your name,” I say softly.

“Charlize,” she replies, voice sweet like honey. “Charlize Abernathy.”

“Wayne.” I don’t take my eyes off her. “Wayne Black.”

The force pulling me to her is stronger now, and all I want to do is claim those cherry lips.

My body moves before I can stop myself. I lean forward, lips inches from hers, and in a heartbeat, I kiss her.

She goes still for one full second.

Then she kisses back, sharp and startled and hungry all at once. My hand finds her jaw, tilting her closer, and she makes a small sound against my mouth that undoes something in my chest I didn’t know was still tied down.

I shove my tongue in her mouth, and she reciprocates the gesture. My heart is hammering in my chest, my hands on her waist pulling her closer to me.

My dick quickly hardens beneath my pants, and it grazes her stomach. We devour each other’s lips with an intense fervency that leaves us both breathless.

Her generous swells are pressed against my torso, heads dancing to the rhythm of our passion. The kiss deepens, and I feel myself losing control.

I’m hooked. Completely, stupidly hooked. The world has faded into the background, leaving just the two of us. Nothing else matters.

Her fingers curl into my shirt like she’s decided to stop fighting it.

Then, just as fast, she shoves me back.

“Wait.” Her breath comes ragged, her eyes wide, something like panic chasing the heat still flushed across her face. “Wait, I can’t—we can’t—” She swallows.

“Okay.” I step back right away, hands raised, giving her the space she’s asking for even though every part of me wants to close it again. “Okay. We stop.”

She purses her lips and wraps her arms around herself. Unable to meet my eyes again, she stares at the floor as though she’s furious with her own body for reacting the way it did. “You should um… you should go.”

I want to argue. I want to point out that she kissed me back, that whatever just happened wasn’t one-sided no matter how hard she’s trying to convince herself otherwise.

Instead, I just nod, because pushing feels like exactly the wrong move right now. I leave her standing there with her arms wrapped around herself and her mouth still swollen from mine.

I don’t stop thinking about it the entire walk back to my own wing.

***

Turns out I’m not the only one sneaking down to see her.

Sinth doesn’t hide it at all. He mentioned it plainly over breakfast, like visiting our fated mate is just part of his routine now, no different than reviewing border reports.

“I stopped by her room last night,” he says, buttering bread like it’s nothing. “She’s settling in better than I expected.”

“You just announce that?” I ask.