Page 86 of This Reckless Home

My breath catches. “Steele⁠—”

“Not the kids. Not what's fair. Not what we need.” His thumb moves, just slightly, against the inside of my wrist and my pulse skitters. “Do you want us?”

“You have an extra shift in the morning. You need to⁠—”

“That makes no difference.” He steps closer. The distance between us becomes something I can feel against my skin, warming me. Grounding me. “Do you want us, Blossom?”

My whole body is trembling. The silk of the dress feels suddenly too much, the makeup, the heels, all of it — armour I don’t want anymore.

“Yes.”

Ant comes to stand next to Steele, his blue eyes dark, his voice rough at the edges like he’s been holding back this entire time. Like he’s a dam ready to burst.

“Then show us.”

My breath catches, tingles racing along my nerves. He says it so simply. No performance, no demand or force. Just an open door, that I can choose to walk through.

“Come and take what you want, Bloom. Show us that we belong to you. That you belong to us.”

The word belong lands somewhere low and certain and deep in my chest.

Steele releases my wrist, both men stepping back until they’re in line with Nox. Waiting. Watching.

With an exhale I let the scarf drop to the floor, a whisper of silk along my skin, goosebumps following in its wake even though it’s warm in here. With shaking hands I reach up, finding the zipper at the back of my dress and gliding it down. The sound is very loud in the quiet room, the noise almost too much.

The golden silk falls to the floor, pooling around my red-bottomed heels. I stand there, in just ivory silk knickers and heels, unmoving, letting them look.

All three inhale sharply, Nox biting off a curse as his gaze burns along my skin. Something low and rough sounds from Steele’s chest, not quite a word but it has me flushing at the implied praise.

I may not be able to move my father, but I can affect these three strong men with my mere presence, and there’s something intoxicating about that.

I step from the puddle of silk, leaning down and slipping off one heel, then the other, leaving them behind me. Straightening, I unclasp the heavy diamond necklace, dropping that with a thud, then my earrings until the trappings of the perfect daughter are gone, just me left in their place.

Bare feet on the rug.

No armour left.

“Goddamn, Bloom,” Ant breathes, taking a step forward like he can’t help himself. “You are so fucking beautiful.”

His words have my chest warming, my cheeks flaring bright. His hand reaches out, his fingers skating down the skin of my arm, leaving shivers behind him, before he takes my hand in his and pulls me towards the sofa.

He takes a seat, then turns me to face the others, tugging me down into his lap, my back to his chest. There’s something about me being practically naked while he’s fully clothed, something that leaves me aching and my nipples tight.

Nox approaches us, the silk scarf in his hands. “Give me your wrists, Princess.”

I extend them without hesitation, my arms trembling with a mix of need and anticipation. He wraps the silk around them, each pass a caress that has my breath shortening. When he ties it off, it’s secure, but not painful, a visible sign of my surrender.

“You remember the rules? You tell me if your hands start to go numb or tingle.”

“Yes, Sir.” His shudder is visible, his hand flexing on my bound wrists.

“And your safe word?”

“Plum tree,” I reply, and Ant gives a little huff of laughter, then presses a kiss to my neck.

“Such a good girl for us,” Nox praises, and it’s like I light up inside. “Now you can’t grab, can’t control. Just take what we give you.”

My breath hitches. This is what I need. To let go. To freely surrender.