Page 46 of Fall Before Her Throne

“Now you sound like Ryu. He’s rubbing off on you.”

“Yeah, Cas,” Wynn said slyly. “Rubbing off on you.”

“Shut up, Wynn.”

I grinned and tightened my grip on her waist.

She wound a hand up my neck to the back of my head. “Wynn and Ciel were just about to make me feel better. Want to help?”

His eyes flared with heat, but he hesitated—like he wanted to push more—before he looked at me and I gave a slight nod. She needed this. To process. To relax. Otherwise, she’d be up all night. Her nightmares were always worse after she and Max had a fight.

Finally, a lopsided grin pulled the corner of his mouth up. “Do you really have to ask?”

“Cuddles,” I said as I tugged her to the bed with a grin. It wasn’t just sex. She needed to know how much we loved her. “Come on, it’ll make you feel better.”

Her smile was bright and infectious, a miracle on her beautiful face. “I love cuddles.”

“I know.” When I laid down on the bed, I opened up my arm. Quickly, she pulled off her jacket and her shirt, leaving her in only her bra, before she tucked underneath it and pressed her head against my chest. My heart squeezed when she let out a deep sigh of relief. I pressed a kiss to her hair while Wynn climbed in behind me, his bare chest pressing into my back. Cas pulled off his shirt and went to Leona’s other side. We were a four person, bare-chested sandwich.

I drew my fingers up and down the skin of her arm while she snuggled closer. “You know what was pretty cool about tonight?”

“Hmm?”

I pressed a kiss to her head. “You held your fucking own with Piero Greco.”

She was incredible, sitting there with her head held high and her back straight. She didn’t flinch at all, despite the overwhelming presence of the man. I’d never met Piero Greco, and I’d killed more than my share of powerful men before, but Greco was in a league of his own.

She was in that same league, and she didn’t even realize it.

“Hell yeah, princess,” Cas said. “I didn’t know you could flick knives like that.”

“Ryu’s been training me.”

“It was awesome.”

Wynn rested his chin on my arm so he could see her on my other side. “It doesn’t matter what else happened. You’re our queen, and tonight you showed that to every single person at that table.”

“He expected to get the best of you, and you didn’t let that happen,” I said. “You are so fucking strong. Don’t forget it.”

Her lips pressed together and wobbled. “Thanks, guys.”

I hooked my finger under her chin to lift it so I could kiss her. “Te veo.”

“And I love you.” She kissed me back, even letting a little tongue brush against my lips. It sent electricity coursing through my body.

For a few moments, I just let myself kiss her slowly. Enjoying the softness, letting her feel it from me. Letting her know that we’d always have her back, no matter what it was. Letting her know she could let go of all the stress, and we would be there to catch her.

Wynn’s teeth nipped the back of my neck, and I gasped into Leona’s mouth. She giggled.

“Feeling left out, Wynn?” she teased.

He mumbled something while his hand trailed up my stomach. I could already feel the outline of him pressing against my ass, and I swallowed heavily as desire surged through my nerves.

I gripped her chin again and brought her mouth back to mine, harder this time. Devouring her. Pulling her tighter against me. She moaned when Cas’s fingers slipped beneath the waist of her jeans.

“Let us take care of you,” I said, nipping her bottom lip.

She nodded fiercely, and that was all Cas needed to unbutton her jeans and start pulling them down her legs. Cas helped her pull off her sports bra, and as soon as it was off, I tugged her lips to mine again. I was already hard in my sweatpants, and so ready for consuming every inch of her.