BRIELLE
Thorin’s fingers tighten around the sides of my neck. His lips graze the shell of my ear as he whispers, “Come home with us so we can finish what we started. I didn’t even get a taste of you yet.”
I swear, my soul leaves my body for a second. The spice of his cologne invades my senses, and it’s all I can do not to whimper as memories of last night stream through my mind. His whispered praise, the intensity of his eyes as he watched me come, telling me what a good girl I was for him.
“But like you said, we’ll wait for Kelly.” His tone is amiable as he releases me, and the sudden shift leaves me weak-kneed. Holy hell.
Shaky, I watch the three of them go back around the table. Thorin with his Viking undercut and tattoos peeking out from under his shirt sleeves and unbuttoned collar. Mallon tugs the cuffs of his suit jacket as he sits, adjusting the cufflinks at his wrists and straightening his tie.
And then there’s Leo. Gorgeous Leo with his bottle green eyes. I might have an extra soft spot for Leo after the way he broke the tension. I’m so sorry. I never should have let you out of my sight. The tortured way he whispered those words in my ear is something I’ll never forget. He held me like something precious; something he couldn’t bear to let go of.
But even in the midst of all that, he was more worried about my comfort than anything else. Tell me to fuck off if you don’t want a hug. But the second he wrapped his arms around me, I already knew I didn’t want him to let go. That was all it took to erase the slow current of unease I’ve been wading through since the alarm went off last night, and we got separated.
“I have a question.” I tap my pen on my notebook and they all look at me expectantly. “How does this work for you three? Like… how do you not kill each other if you work together all day and then go tear it up at Club Sin? You share everything. That just seems kind of… intense.”
Thorin grins at me. “You know what they say—"
I hold up a hand and interrupt. “If I hear the words ‘work hard, play hard’ come out of any of your mouths, I’ll call security to have you removed from the building.”
“I was going to say, ‘sharing is caring.’” Thorin chuckles as I groan and reach for the phone. Mal’s too fast though. He drags it out of my reach with a wink.
“Fine, I guess you can stay. Are the three of you… together?”
The three of them kind of shake their heads, but it’s ambiguous at best. Leo finally speaks up. “Yes and no. If you’re asking if we cross swords, that’s a hard pass. But it’s still a spectrum. We all share… quirks.”
“Quirks?” I repeat. “Like what?”
“We aren’t turned off by each other, we just vastly prefer… you.” I can’t help smiling at that. That was a delicate way to word it considering I met them in a sex club and from the sound of it, they would have found someone if I hadn’t been there. Strangely, that doesn’t bother me the way I thought it would. I don’t mind being the beneficiary of their practice.
Thorin picks up the thread. “Specifically, it’s hot as fuck to tie you up and watch you get railed. I don’t need to play with his dick,” he hooks a thumb at Mal. “To appreciate the look on your face when he makes you come all over it as many times as you can.”
“You’re such a poet,” Leo mutters, shaking his head. My face is on fire. I’m pretty sure I can hear my mascara sizzling.
Just then, Kelly opens the conference room door, and I realize that in my fascination with their answers, I’ve crawled halfway on top of the table. I clear my throat and lean back in my chair. Kelly is juggling a drink carrier with four coffee cups and a blended something tucked under her other arm.
Mal hops up and takes the carrier off of her hands. “Thank you so much, Kelly.”
She beams at me and raises her frozen drink in a funny sort of toast. “And thank you for my sugar fix.” Mal holds one of the coffees out for me to take, letting the other two get their own. “Thank you.”
Lockwood, Lockwood, and Carris sip their coffees. That’s how I have to refer of them here, I think. Otherwise, I’ll say Mal’s name and be thinking about him fingerfucking me into oblivion.
I pull my chair in and sit down. I wince as my butt hits the chair, cheeks burning as I remember Leo’s ‘punishment’. I’ve been so careful all day. I haven’t winced once, even though he definitely gave me a keepsake. One that makes me blush every time I think about it. You’re going to remember what happens to naughty pets. Oh, yes I do. It’s just not much of a deterrent.
I glance up to see if they noticed. Oh, boy. They definitely noticed. Thorin presses his lips together and looks down at his tablet. Mallon has the grace to take a sip of coffee, even though the corners of his eyes give him away. But Leo? He lifts his eyebrows, outright smirking at me.
“Are you okay?” he asks me innocently.
“Fine,” I reply, looking down at my notes.
“You sure? You kind of winced there. Can I grab you some Tylenol or something?” There’s absolutely no mistaking the humor in his eyes as he watches me.
“You’re so sweet! Thank you for offering, but it’s nothing. Nothing at all. Just a teeny tiny bruise. I really can’t even remember how I got it, but I must have done something, right?” It’s my turn to smirk as his eyes darken with promise.
“I’m sure it’ll come to you.” He says it casually, but the heat in his gaze is nothing short of volcanic. Oooooh, I’m going to pay for that later. The thought makes my core tighten in anticipation.
I address Thorin and clear my throat, trying to get my mind out of the gutter and back on business. “While Kelly was out, you said I’m not selling clothes. What did you mean?”
“Exactly that. You’re selling an idea. A lifestyle. By giving people the chance to shop ethically and educating them on where their garments come from, they feel engaged. Connected with the wider world. Clothes are just the byproduct. A facilitator of that. What really matters is how people feel when they shop with you. Pair that idea with the quality you already have, add in effective marketing, and updated branding… you’re looking at a true empire.”