Page 190 of Bliss & Her Idols

“Drink the wine.” Jin winked. “Then you’ll forget shit anyway.”

Cricket chirped, looking more interested in the chocolate.

“I was desperate to have a midnight feast in the dorms, but we never managed to do it secretly. Do you remember how much I went on and on about it to Zero?” Jin hugged the wine to his chest. “This was my dream date, when I was—”

“Thirteen.” Torin’s lips quirked. “Did you think that I’d forgotten? Better late than never.”

I lie on the floor in a nest of pillows, stargazing through the window out at the silver stars in the velvet sky.

Torin sits with his back propped against the cushions next to me, studying the stars silently and clutching a glass of wine.

I’m still dressed in my sheep pajamas.

Torin has unbuttoned his white shirt. It hangs open over his strong chest. He’s removed his shoes and socks. My gaze keeps flicking to the beautiful arch of his bare feet.

I’m beginning to understand the Victorian obsession withankles.

Glimpsing my Alpha’s, while he’s still dressed, is making me wetter than if he was fully naked.

Next to us, Cricket and Jin lie on their fronts in matching bronze pajamas, although Jin is only wearing the pants.

They’re working their way happily through the marshmallows, alternatively feeding them to each other.

They’re chatting merrily in hushed voices, licking at each other’s sticky fingers.

The purity of their excitement in the bond hits me hard because it’s not difficult to work out that neither of these men have felt much of this type of fun in their lives.

Cricket was responsible not only for himself and the housework since he was a kid, but also for raising his Alpha brothers.

Jin was scared to even rest in bed for a single day when he was ill.

I understand Torin’s contentment, as he swills his red wine in his glass, watching his mates.

“They’re reaching for the chocolates now.” I waggle my eyebrows. “Shall we confiscate them and eat them ourselves, before our bondeds make themselves sick?”

Torin smiles, indulgently. “Let them. They’ve never had this before. They’ve missed out on their childhoods and youth. Missed out on so fucking much. I’d give them the world, if I could.”

Torin leans over me, plucking a dark chocolate truffle from Jin’s hand.

“Oi, an Alpha raider.” Jin looks at Torin with dancing eyes, while he wraps his arms around what remains of his feast.

Cricket hurriedly stuffs the chocolate that he’s holding into Jin’s mouth as compensation.

Jin presses his chocolate flavored lips to Cricket’s bow ones in thanks.

Torin leans forward, holding the truffle to my mouth. “But you, what did you miss?”

I take the chocolate, moaning at its rich delicious flavor. I chew as slowly as I can to give myself a chance to think before I answer.

“I had a good childhood. I took my parents, home, and brothers for granted, until the day that I came back from high school, the cops were in my house, my parents were missing, and everything came crashing down.” I push my hair out of my eyes.

My throat is tight. I know that all my men are listening now.

Cricket’s gaze meets mine.

Unexpectedly, through the bond, I feel both held and squeezed twice.

I love you.

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