Page 57 of Silent Desires

Shit, that fits perfectly. I look down at Mina, holding her tighter to me. “We’ll just have to do our best to protect her. We can’t lose her,” I whisper, my voice low and rough. I see her shiver in her sleep, and a small smile tugs at my lips. She burrows deeper into me, her face pressed against my chest, and I can’t help but inhale the soft, sweet scent of her. She’s so warm, so small,andsoours.Or at least, I hope she will be one day.

I let my fingers drift over her face, tracing the delicate lines of her cheekbones, the curve of her nose, and the soft bow of her lips. She stirs, and I chuckle as her lips part and a silent sigh escapes. I glance down as Dom massages her feet, and Atlas’s hands roam up her calves, his touch firm and steady. She’s surrounded, safe, and cared for. It feels right—shefeels right.

She squirms slightly, her body reacting to our touches even in sleep. A heat builds in my chest at the sight of her, soft and vulnerable, completely trusting. I lean close to her ear, my voice dropping lower. “Do you feel safe here, Princess?”

Her body responds again, another silent deep sigh escaping her lips. I glance at Dom and Atlas. They’re just as captivated as I am. None of us planned this, but none of us can deny how we feel about her. She’s not just a girl. She’sourgirl.

My hand continues its slow exploration, brushing over her lips. When I let a single finger press between them, her lips part instinctively, and I slide it inside. The way she responds, biting down just enough to hold me there, then licking and sucking softly—it’s enough to drive me insane. I know I’m pushing past our self-imposed limits, but a low groan escapes me before I can stop it, vibrating against her cheek. Her eyes flutter open, wide and surprised, locking onto mine. For a moment, neither of us moves, the connection between us electric. She’s still holding my finger in her mouth, her tongue pressing along its length.

Her eyes widen as she realizes what she’s doing, and she slowly releases me, her lips parting just slightly. I pull my finger back, but I can’t stop staring at her. Her lips look soft and sweet, and I can’t help but wonder how they’d feel against mine. I know I can’t kiss her yet, and it takes everything in me to restrain myself from taking that leap with her right now.

I help her sit up when she tries to move, but the second she shifts away, I pull her back into my lap, wrapping my arms around her from behind. My chest presses against her back as I nuzzle her neck, unable to resist the way she melts against me. There’s nothing wrong with a little cuddle, now is there?

“Hi, Princess,” I murmur, my lips brushing her skin. She shivers, and I can’t help but smile.

She groans, covering her face with her hands. I share a look with Dom and Atlas, does she feel embarrassed about her reaction to me?

“Whatever you’re thinking right now, stop,” Dom says firmly, his hand resting on her thigh. “You haven’t done anything wrong. There is nothing wrong with the way your body is reacting to us. As long as it feels right to you.”

I feel her tense in my arms, her embarrassment palpable, but slowly she relaxes, dropping her hands as she looks at him and nods. Relief washes over me as I press a kiss to the side of her head.

She’s overthinking, doubting herself, doubting us. She doesn’t understand yet, but she will. She’s not just a girl we’re drawn to. She’sours.We can’t explain that to her yet, not without telling her everything, and we can’t do that until we figure out what’s going on and who the real killer is.

Dom grabs the remote and turns onThe Office, and I lean back into the couch, holding her snug against me. Atlas and Dom each hold one of her hands, and for now, it’s enough. She’s here, she’s safe, and she’sours.Even if she doesn’t know it yet.

Chapter thirty-eight

Ishove my phone back in my pocket after reading the group message from Dom.

Dom:We have a new theory, she might be in witness protection.

I can’t focus on the basketball game the freshmen are playing, as my mind keeps flashing to the image of Mina passing out in my arms. I have a feeling it’s going to haunt me for a while, at least until I know what caused it and how to fix it. I’m sure she’ll be upset when she wakes up. I hate that I can’t be there to apologize to her and make sure she’s okay.

But at least I know she’s in good hands with my brothers. Another benefit of this potential relationship is that when one of us can’t be there, one of the other’s can. It’s why this could work. Not that we’d had the conversation yet, but I knew it was coming.

Today was the first chance I’ve really had to interact with her outside of school and I want to kick myself for ending it on such a sour note. Now, not only is she just going to view me as her overly friendly teacher, but the one who scared her into passing out. I hope she likes what I picked up for her on my way back to school.

I know relationships take time and effort, but it’s starting to feel like I’m going to be left behind. Even Gideon has been able to spend some one on one time with her in his office last week. There is no usewhining about it though, I just need to do my best to find a way to connect with her.

It’s hard not to constantly think about her, worry about her. The way her sad green eyes move around the gym, watching everyone like they are a potential threat, has me dying to know what’s really going on in her life. Is she really on the run from someone? Witness protection explained everything we knew, but we couldn’t ask her outright about it. They might up and leave without a trace in the middle of the night if they thought they’d be compromised, then we’d never see her again.

I blow my whistle when I see a student going out of bounds. “Alright guys, let’s end it here, I’m letting y’all out ten minutes early today,” I say loud enough for all the students to hear me.

I can’t stand being in this gym one minute longer, I need to see her with my own eyes. Unable to stop myself, I head to my office to wait for her, hoping she’s not too put off by me to show up today. She might be too mad at me to come to class today, but I hope not, she doesn’t seem like someone who would hold a grudge for long.

I sigh as I exit the gym and open my office door. I stop, my eyes widening when I see Mina standing there waiting for me. I shut the door a bit firmer than I mean to, grab her hand, and the gift bag from my desk, and drag her into the bathroom. I want as many barriers as possible between us and the hall for this conversation.

I shut the door and turn to her. She looks confused but, luckily, not scared or mad.

I stare at the green gift bag in my hand and suddenly feel stupid about buying her this present. I just wanted a way to show her I’m sorry, and when I saw it sitting on the shelf, I thought it’d make her happy. But now I worry she’ll think it’s lame. I rub my hand on the back of my neck as I try to think of what to say.

I feel a slight tug on the front of my shirt and turn my head as Mina drops her hand and steps back, but then she holds up her phone to show me what she typed.

Mina:Are you ok?

She’s asking if I’m okay? She’s the one who had a panic attack today, and she’s worried about me? She’s too sweet for the likes of me, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to woo her.

I drop my hand from my neck as I smile at her. “Yeah, Sugar. I’m just worried about you. I’m so sorry I upset you earlier. I—” I look down at the bag, trying to find the right words, but when nothing comes to me, I practically shove the bag at her. “I got you this… as an apology.”

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