Hawk’s eyes dropped to the bed.
“He does that, sucks all the oxygen from the room, and I'm there, light-headed and fighting for breath and wanting him all the same. But what a sight it was." Hawk's eyes shifted to meet mine, something that seemed so hard for him to do until now. "You were beautiful, Jules. Like some kind of fucking goddess." He turned to Brandon. "How do you do it, share her with other blokes?"
"Because I love her, not own her." I looked back over my shoulder and saw a startling expression. It was all there, what he thought and felt. Rather than kept locked up behind a wall of rationality, my breath caught in my chest at what I saw. "For some, love is about squirrelling the other person away—to protect, to hold, to love—in a secret space just for the two of you. There's nothing wrong with that, if that's what people want. You fight for your relationship, your exclusivity, with a fierceness that further feeds that bond between you. Me, I hold Jules as lightly as I can, not because I don't care, but because I do, so much. I care enough to want to see her happy, loved, protected. I care enough to know I'm not going to be able to provide everything she needs, and I love her so much I can't bear her to go without it. She's got strong arms to protect her, and people to listen when she needs someone to talk to. She's got blokes who'll fight for her and tell her how it is. But I think what you want to know is about sex."
Hawk's nod was stiff.
"Her pleasure is as much a part of her as anything else. Just as I want to hear about her day or her complaints about what the others are up to right now, I want to hear her sighs and gasps, the hitch of her breath, the moans. When I see her legs wrapped around one of the others, I want to sandwich myself between them so I can experience it all with her. They love her, I love her, and she loves us. That's what matters."
"And others? She adds more to this pack, you're gonna get less time with her."
"That's not what I think about," Brandon answered. "I wonder if they're worthy. So, Hawk, that's my question to you. Are you worthy?"
I didn't give him a chance to answer, turning in Brandon's arms and grabbing his head and pulling it down to mine. The burn of my venom filled my mouth as we kissed, the sensatio
n spreading over his lips and mine, until it almost hurt to kiss. I didn't care though. I felt like I was trying to climb into his mouth in an attempt to get closer to him.
"You've got to let me bite you," I said, pulling away.
"Not yet. Soon, but not yet," Brandon said with a wide smile.
"Slade says you’re always manoeuvring us into place."
"He's right. Can’t help it, but I promise, it'll be better to wait. Now, back to your suitor."
He turned me around gently, shifting so his body was a hard line against my spine. We both noted Hawk’s fingers plucking at the fine fabric of the bedspread, eyes watching his hands sightlessly. I covered his hand with mine, ceasing the picking.
He looked up, meeting my eyes. He felt warm and strong underneath me. My Tirian shifted within me, whuffing curiously, which was interesting in itself. She rarely paid attention to any of them initially.
"I don't know if I'm worthy, Jules. But I want to find out," he said.
Hawk's voice was a ragged growl, something that sent a shiver up my spine. The shirt he was wearing was swiftly unbuttoned and pushed off, revealing those tattoos scrolling across his broad chest. I felt Brandon's mouth on the back of my neck as Hawk came closer, crawling across the bed to me. I shifted, unable to sit still, not sure if I wanted to back off or come closer. He made the decision for me, taking his place lying in front of me.
I reached out and traced a finger along the lines of one of the tattooed wolves. "These are you and Jack." He nodded. "And how does he feel about all of this?"
"I don't know. I never fucking know, and right now, I don't care. He put me in this place, but I've got to know if there's anything there."
He came for me, looming large as I stayed curled within Brandon's body, then his mouth crashed down on mine.
In my mind, I saw his Tirian and mine running along a dark plain as his fingers dug into my hair, as his mouth pressed against mine. They ran in tandem, not too close yet, but still arrowing towards the same point on the horizon. He nipped at my lips, and I felt a thrill as those big square teeth grasped at my flesh, my hand going up into the heavy curtain of his hair. He moaned into my mouth, his tongue sliding into it as my fingers bit down into his scalp.
Brandon's hand snuck around my waist, holding me where I was as Hawk pulled away. He chuckled when my lips followed his, wanting more of that biting pressure.
"You staying for this?" Hawk asked Brandon.
"If you're OK with that. I'm hard as nails over here, listening to the kitten noises you're pulling out of her," he replied.
Hawk smiled at that, drawing me closer so I rested on the length of his forearm lying across the bed. "That's it," Brandon said when Hawk kissed me again, harder, more insistent this time. "Down her neck. She loves that."
Brandon pushed my t-shirt up, rubbing his hand along my stomach where the burn started to build. Hawk's shoulders were heavy with muscle as I clawed at them. The tickling prickle of his beard against my skin had me bucking up underneath him, wanting something harder.
I was panting when he pulled back, and caught his nod to Brandon, the other man swooping in and taking over where he had stopped.
"Doing alright, love?" Brandon asked between little glancing kisses. It was driving me mad. Hawk's lips were trailing down my collarbone, and he pulled the neckline of my shirt back so he could get to more of my skin.
"Yes, now kiss me."
They were the perfect counterpoint: hungry and scratchy and soft and sweet. I felt like I could drown in the sensations their lips wrought. Finally, I pulled away and sat up, the two of them reclining like hungry beasts below me, lips bruised, skin flushed. I scrambled off the bed and shut the door before my hand went to my shirt.