Page 91 of Pucking the Team

The atmosphere grows heavy with unspoken desire. I exchange a loaded look with the guys, their eyes darkening with a shared understanding.

Tonight isn’t about lust or passion; it’s about healing, about reaffirming the unbreakable bond we share.

Wordlessly, I lay Emma gently back down on the bed, my hands skimming reverently over her curves.

“Let us take care of you tonight, sweetheart,” I whisper, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. “Let us show you how much you mean to us.”

Emma’s breath hitches, her eyes fluttering closed as she surrenders herself to our touch.

We undress her slowly, each brush of fingertips against skin an act of worship. I trail feather-light kisses along her collarbone, savoring the taste of her, the feel of her beneath my hands.

The guys join in, their hands and mouths mapping every inch of Emma’s body with aching tenderness. We pour all of our love, all of our devotion into each caress, each whispered affirmation.

“You’re perfect, Emma,” Alex breathes, his fingers tracing the delicate line of her jaw. “So beautiful, inside and out.”

The night wears on, and we lose ourselves in the intimacy of the moment, our bodies moving together in a symphony of sighs and gasps. The outside world fades away, the pain and uncertainty of the past few days temporarily forgotten in the face of our connection.

And as Emma arches beneath us, her face awash in pleasure and adoration, I know with bone-deep certainty that this is where we belong.

I never want to be away from this group of people. My polycule. My family.

Slowly, an idea starts to take shape.

CHAPTER 41

ALEX

The next day, I pace the floor of my office, my mind racing. Emma’s sudden termination consumes my thoughts, an injustice I can’t shake. How could they fire her over those photos? She did nothing wrong. My perfectionist nature won’t let this stand—I need to get to the bottom of this.

I pick up my phone and call Natalie, our team’s tech whiz. “Hey Nat, it’s Alex. I need a favor—can you meet me in 15? It’s urgent.” My commanding tone leaves no room for debate.

“Of course, I’ll be right there,” she replies, curiosity piqued. “Everything okay?”

“I’ll explain when you get here. And Nat, this needs to stay between us for now, got it?”

“Understood. See you soon.” The line clicks off.

I resume my pacing, my mind whirring. Who would want to hurt Emma like this? My protective instincts surge.

When I find out who’s responsible, there will be hell to pay.

No one messes with our girl.

A knock sounds, and Natalie pokes her head in. “Hey Alex, what’s going on?” Her brows furrow at my tense demeanor.

I gesture for her to close the door. “I’m not sure if you heard about this, but someone leaked photos of Emma, Ryan, and Lukas together to the paparazzi. Then her asshole manager fired her over it, blaming Emma for bringing negative attention to the team. I need you to trace the source of that leak.”

Natalie’s eyes widen. “Oh wow, that’s awful. Of course, I’m on it. I’ll need access to the photos to examine the metadata.”

I nod curtly. “I’ll send them right over. This needs to be airtight, Nat. We’re going to nail whoever did this to Emma and make them pay.”

A determined glint enters Natalie’s eyes. “Consider it done. I’ll update you as soon as I have something concrete. They messed with the wrong team.”

“Damn right, they did.” I clench my fists. “Thanks, Nat, I owe you one. Keep me posted.”

As she leaves, I sag against my desk, anger and worry swirling inside me. I have to be strong for Emma, but seeing her so distraught kills me.

I pull up her contact, hitting call.

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