Page 97 of Shattered Souls
Smirking like an asshole, Gray’s eyes shine with amusement as he raises a questioning eyebrow. “What about me?”
Ducking my head, I bring my lips to the shell of her ear. She shivers, and I grin at her reaction to me. “He’s as invested as we are, Shortcake. Moreso, even.”
“The schedule washisidea,” Royce adds. “Hewas the one who said he’d look after her on weekends when you’re working, and Logan has hockey.”
“Assuming returning to Lux is something you’re considering,” I murmur.
She swallows but nods. “I want to—but maybe after we’re sure Bertram is no longer a problem.” Her lips purse. “I don’t want to leave Aurora if I don’t have to.”
Grayson makes a low growl of discontent at the mention of her returning to work—or maybe at the thought of his dad touching either of them. Either way, we all ignore him. Otherwise, the two of them will spend the rest of the night bickering.
When he doesn’t say anything, Royce jams his elbow in his side, and with a grunt and a death glare, Grayson exhales and meets Riley’s wide-eyed stare. “I might not know how to show it or what to do with a little kid, but IwantAurora here. We all do.” His tone is soft as velvet as his hand moves to cup Riley’s cheek. “So stop doubting us, and let us help.”
Her throat bobs. “I’m not used to having help.” Her voice is soft, vulnerable.
“I know, baby,” Royce soothes, and Riley practically melts against me. She’s protesting, but she doesn’t want to win. It’s painfully obvious.
“I’m scared I’ll let you all the way in, and you’ll change your mind. I couldn’t handle it if you broke her heart. I-it would break mine.”
Boxing her in so we’re a solid ring of muscle around her and all she can see is us, Royce soothes, “No one is changing their minds, Ry. There’s nothing you can do or say that will scare us away. We’re all in. All the way when it comes to youandwhen it comes to Aurora.”
He presses a kiss to her lips and the last of the tension drains from her body. “You don’t have to do this alone.” Another peck. “Not anymore.” Kiss. “Not ever again.” This time, his tongue slips into her mouth, and she moans into his touch.
The sound goes straight to my dick, and I pull her against me, bending to kiss the juncture between her neck and shoulder. “What do you say, Shortcake? You going to let us take care of the both of you?”
Her only response is another moan, followed by a soft whimper when Royce pulls back, staring down at her with piercing eyes that burn with desire. “Answer his question, James.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?” he pushes as I continue to pepper her skin with kisses that have her shifting against me.
She takes a moment, holding her gaze with each of us before nodding her head in defeat. “Yes, you can take care of us both.” A bite to her tone has me glancing up, chuckling at the defiant glare she’s giving Royce.
Royce simply smirks, his hand sliding to the back of Riley’s head and tugging on the strands, forcing her face upward. “So much attitude in such a tiny body.” His gaze slides to Grayson’s and then mine. “What do you think we should do about that?”
“Hmm.” I blow a breath along the bare skin of Riley’s shoulder, grinning when she shivers. “I’ve always found orgasms are a good way to release some of that tension.”
Riley chokes. “We can’t do that. Aurora’sright there.” She waves toward the living room.
“Logan fed her enough sugar that an atomic bomb could go off, and she’d sleep through it,” Grayson drawls, his dark eyes blown with lust as he rakes his gaze over her. Lifting a finger, he drags it down the center of her chest, between her breasts, to the top of her jeans, where he lingers with the tip of his finger just beneath the waistband. Leaning in, he nips at her lower lip. “Do you think you can be quiet for us, Tempest?”
Her gulp is audible, and a predatory smirk flashes across Grayson’s face. “Hmm?” he presses when she doesn’t answer.
“I-I don’t know.”
“Guess we’ll find out.” I need this woman so badly that the words come out as a growl when I haul her flush against me. Lifting her off her feet, I walk backward until we’re in the kitchen.
Royce and Grayson follow, practically incinerating her clothing as they mentally undress her with their eyes. Closing the kitchen door behind us, Royce reaches forward and tugs Riley from my grip, spinning her so her back is to his chest, and I have the perfect view of her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes.
Fuck, she’s so beautiful like this, all wild and wanton.
Royce’s hands slip beneath the hem of her long-sleeved top. His fingers stroke along her abdomen, causing her breathing to hitch and drawing my attention to the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. I can only see a glimpse of them through the V-shaped neckline, and my teeth grind, wanting to rip the damn thing from her so I can watch the way her rose-pink nipples would pebble beneath my gaze.
Royce works his hands up to cover her breasts, squeezing them until her eyes fall closed and she moans, arching into him. My dick is so hard that it’s painful, and it’s taking all my restraint not to steal her back and strip her naked.
“You see the way Logan’s looking at you, Babydoll,” Royce purrs in her ear. Her eyes snap open, pupils blown wide as she drinks me in. “See what you do to him. I think he deserves a proper thank you after today, don’t you?”
Licking her lips and utterly oblivious to how fucking tempting she looks right now, Riley nods. Reaching down, I squeeze my painfully stiff shaft through my jeans.
