Chapter 53
Blake
I stared at Kara slumped against my shoulder in the backseat of the SUV. Her deep gold curls spill across my chest, half-hiding her face, and her breathing has gone slow and deep—the kind of exhaustion that comes after emotional overload and a belly full of king crab legs.
But it's her scent that's killing me.
White musk and fresh snow, thick as honey in the enclosed space, wrapping around my senses like a drug. In her sleep, all her defenses are down, and the pheromones are pouring off her in waves—pure, sweet, and so fucking inviting that my wolf is clawing at my insides, demanding I sink my teeth into her throat right now.
Blake: Asher… I can't… her scent…
Asher: Ten more minutes. We're almost home.
His knuckles are white on the steering wheel, blue eyes flashing gold in the rearview mirror. Cole twists in the passenger seat, staring at Kara like she's the only thing keeping him sane—or driving him insane. His peppermint scent is flooding the car, trying to "soothe" her, but all it's doing is mixing with my gunpowder and Asher's ebony into a suffocating cocktail of need.
I adjust my grip on Kara, trying not to wake her, but my hand lands on the small of her back where the velvet dress has ridden up slightly. Bare skin. Warm. Soft.
My wolf howls.
Cole: Blake, your scent—Jesus Christ, tone it down—
Blake: I'm TRYING.
But I'm not. Not really. Because every breath I take is full of her, and every second that passes makes it harder to remember why we decided to wait.
The SUV finally crunches to a stop in front of Midnight Estate. Asher's out of the driver's seat in a flash, opening the back door, and the blast of sub-zero Alaskan air does nothing to cool the fire in my veins.
I slide out carefully, cradling Kara against my chest. Her head lolls against my shoulder, and she makes a tiny sound—half sigh, half whimper—that goes straight to my dick.
Asher: Get her inside. Now.
Blake: What do you think I'm doing?
Cole flanks my other side as we cross the frozen courtyard, using his body to block the wind. Kara shivers, and I pull her closer, my wolf rumbling with satisfaction at the way she burrows into my warmth.
Inside, the heat of the house hits like a wall, and her scent explodes again—stronger, sweeter, impossibly more concentrated.
Cole: Oh, fuck.
Asher: Upstairs. Her new room.
I take the stairs two at a time, Asher leading the way and Cole right behind me. By the time we reach the North Wing guest room—the one with the massive bathtub and king-sized bed we spent all afternoon preparing—I'm barely holding it together.
I lay Kara down on the velvet duvet, and she stirs, eyelashes fluttering.
"Mmm… Blake?"
Her voice is drowsy, confused, and so fucking innocent that I want to corrupt every inch of her.
"Yeah, Princess. You're home."
She blinks up at me, then at Asher and Cole hovering on either side of the bed, and her eyes widen.
"Why are you all…" She trails off, glancing down at herself. "I'm still in the dress."
---
Kara
My brain is foggy from sleep and too much food, but the heat in their eyes cuts through the haze like a knife.
All three of them are staring at me like I'm prey.
No—like I'm a feast.
"You can't sleep in that," Cole says softly, his voice like velvet. He's perched on the edge of the bed, close enough that I can feel the coolness of his peppermint scent wrapping around me. "It'll be uncomfortable. Let us help you change."
"I can do it myself—"
"Kara." Asher's voice is firm but gentle. "You're exhausted. You have school tomorrow at seven. Let us take care of you."
There's something in his tone—a command wrapped in concern—that makes my resistance crumble.
"Fine," I whisper. "But just… just the dress."
Blake's grin is wicked. "Whatever you say, Baby."
He kneels at the foot of the bed, his big hands wrapping around my ankle. I gasp as he slips off one silver heel, then the other, his fingers "accidentally" brushing the arch of my foot.
Electric.
My wolf: More. We need more.
Me: Shut up. This is just… practical.
Cole moves to my left side. "The stockings too," he murmurs. "They're too tight. You'll get cramps."
Before I can protest, his hands are sliding up my calf, pushing the black stockings down inch by agonizing inch. His touch is clinical—detached, even—but the way his mint scent thickens tells me he's affected.
My breath hitches when his fingers reach my thigh.
"Relax, Goddess," he whispers. "I'm just… helping."
The stockings pool at my ankles, and Blake sweeps them away, his gaze locked on my bare legs.
Then he stands, moving behind me.
"The zipper," he says, his voice rough. "Turn around."
I obey on autopilot, my heart hammering as I present my back to him.
The sound of the zipper lowering is obscenely loud in the quiet room. Each inch of separation feels like a countdown, and when the dress finally loosens and starts to slip off my shoulders, I freeze.
"Blake—"
"It's okay." His breath is hot against my nape—right where he left his mark earlier. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want you comfortable."
The dress falls to my waist, leaving me in nothing but my pink lace bra and panties.
I hear three sharp inhales.
"Fuck," Blake breathes.
Asher clears his throat. "The dress needs to come off completely, Kara. It's bunched around your hips."
My hands fly to cover my chest. "I—I can—"
"Let us." Cole's hands are gentle as he guides mine away, and together, he and Blake slide the velvet fabric down my legs and off.
Now I'm sitting in the middle of their bed in nothing but my underwear, and all three of them are staring at me like I'm the most beautiful—and dangerous—thing they've ever seen.
"The bra too," Asher says quietly. "It's digging into your ribs. You'll be sore tomorrow."
"No." My voice cracks. "That's—that's too far."
Cole cups my face, his thumb brushing my cheek. "We're not asking you to be naked, Kara. Just… comfortable. Trust us."
And against every instinct screaming at me to run, I nod.
Cole's fingers are deft as he reaches behind me and unclasps my bra. The click seems to echo in the silent room.
The fabric falls away.
I immediately cross my arms over my chest, but Asher's hands gently pull them apart.