BRIELLE
Thorin cups my face, easing my neck back to a normal angle. He massages the back of my neck and the base of my skull with the tips of his fingers. “Anything hurting?” he murmurs, gray eyes searching my face.
I shake my head, my body floating. Thorin watches me, and I realize I must be a mess. My eyes are watery, and I can feel the mascara and tear streaks drying under my eyes. But he’s not looking at me like I’m a mess. His eyes are tight at the edges, and his hands smooth over my skin like he can’t get enough.
“Good.” His voice is slow and smooth, wrapping around me like a warm blanket. Thorin presses his lips to mine, giving me a long, drawn-out kiss. My heart stutters, then races to catch up before tripping all over itself. My head swims as he takes his time exploring my mouth.
He reaches around me with both hands, untying my ankles and wrists. The rope falls away, and Thorin pulls me into his lap. He massages my wrists and inspects my hands before moving onto my ankles and feet. He even pulls my blouse back together, fastening a couple of the buttons.
He dotes on me. There’s no other way to put it. His hands move over my skin, every motion filled with gentle affection. This, from the man who just face fucked me for smarting off to him.
The thought makes me snort. Thorin holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning my face up to his. “What’s so funny?” he asks, one brow raised.
“You’re so…” I trail off, not sure how to put it into words. “Cuddly.” He raises both eyebrows at that.
“I can safely say, no one has ever called him that before,” Mal chuckles from behind me. I look at him over my shoulder and realize he and Leo have both zipped back up.
“You two done with me already?” I ask, eyeing them with a pout.
Leo laughs out loud. “Oh, not by a long shot. But for what we have in mind… let’s just say the conference table isn’t ideal.”
That sends a shiver up my spine, and when Thorin nips at my neck, the shiver grows into a full-body tremble. “So where are we going?” I whisper, canting my head to the side to give him as much of my skin as he wants.
Thorin licks the length of my neck and bites my earlobe. “You’ll see.”
* * *
Leo drives and Thorin sits up front, but Mal climbs into the back of the SUV with me, and I’m a little surprised. Of the three of them, Mallon is the one that seems… a little less interested in me. Or maybe he’s just more closed off. I don’t know.
I sure as hell enjoyed his apology though. A little hair pulling goes a long way in my book. I sit by the window and buckle my seatbelt. A split second later it releases. Confused, I look down, and find Mallon’s finger on the button. He lifts that finger and crooks it, beckoning me closer with a hint of a smirk.
Licking my lips and trying to hold back a goofy smile, I slide into the middle seat. Mallon reaches around me and buckles me in before pulling me against his side and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I lean into him, resting my head on his chest, my heart rapid firing in my chest.
The city zips by. I watch the buildings turn to suburbs, but the only thing I’m focused on is the way Mallon’s fingers stroke my arm and play with my hair. He runs them over my neck, traces my collar bone, and brushes his knuckles along my jaw.
There’s nothing overtly sexual about his touches, but the message isn’t being received on my end. His questing fingers raise goosebumps on my arms and send little shivers down my spine. I’m intimately familiar of what those fingers are capable of, and innocent or not, those gentle touches are excellent reminders of what I have to look forward to.
Fucking Thorin and his teasing. The inseam of my pants rides against my soaked panties ensuring that I feel every tiny bump in the road and don’t have a chance to quiet the ache he started. I bite my lip, trying to ignore it, but then my mind wanders to Thorin and his precision with the tail end of that belt…
“You’re awfully wiggly, pet.” Mallon’s murmurs, the baritone of his voice seeping through me.
“Yeah, well…” I try to brush it off with a laugh, but I’m pretty sure I just sound tortured. Leo glances at me in the rearview mirror with a knowing expression.
Thorin full-on turns around, smirking at me as he makes a tutting sound through his teeth. I press my lips together and tug at the legs of my pants. No point in being stealthy if they can tell that I’m a mess over here anyway.
Mallon chuckles and it’s a devious sound. Borderline evil. “Do you need something, Brielle?”
God, I love the way he says my name. “Nope.” That didn’t sound any less tortured, despite my best effort. Mallon doesn’t say anything, but his fingers start toe-curling roving all over again. Thorin flips the visor down, but it’s not because the sun is in his eyes. He lifts the cover over the mirror, angling it so he can watch me suffer. His eyes bore into mine, making it impossible to look away.
The pads of Mal’s fingers dip under the unbuttoned collar of my shirt, teasing along my collarbone before exploring lower. I glance up at him, but he’s watching out the window, completely nonchalant as those fingers stroke my sternum. They caress the swell of my breasts, fingers sliding a fraction of an inch under the lace of my bra.
My heart races, wanting more, but there’s the aching frustration of being trapped in the SUV. Thorin watches Mallon’s hand move under my shirt and licks his lips. My irritation gets the better of me. I huff, squirming in my seat again, but pressing my thighs together does precisely zero good. Not when Mal’s fingers skate lower and Thorin is eyeing me like something to be devoured.
“You’re so mean!” I laugh, trying to sit up straight. Mallon isn’t having any of it, though. He grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping my face up in a firm hold.
“I asked if you needed anything, but you said no.” His expression is stern, but a little twitch at the corner of his lip belies his hard eyes. “You’re going to learn real quick that it’s best to be honest with me. Because what I want,” he stresses the word and tightens his hold on my chin, making sure I’m paying attention. I’m definitely listening. It’s the breathing part that’s difficult.
“… is to take care of you. If you tell me you’re hungry, I’ll feed you. If you tell me you’re thirsty, I’ll get you champagne. And if you tell me your pussy is soaking wet and your little clit needs some attention, that’s what you’ll get.”