Page 178 of Court of the Fae Princes

“Maybe I like big parties,” I mutter.

Then Cobar’s shoulder is brushing mine. “We’ll have our own little private party.” His soft laugh eases the words.

Zane is at my other side, and his hand is suddenly in mine. “Tonight will be however you want it to be. Just remember that.”

The bedroom door is opened by a dead servant, and we all head inside before the door is closed once more behind us. My gaze slides from the giant bed down to my feet. I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I can handle this. I already nearly had sex with the four of them once. It’ll just be the same thing, but taking things all the way this time. So why can’t I seem to ignore the nervous flutters in my stomach?

“So, let’s get this over with!” I say, trying to sound confident.

“That’s sexy, just what a fella wants to hear,” Cobar murmurs, followed by a wink.

Geez, he’s right. I laugh. “Okay, yeah, not the sexiest thing I’ve ever said!”

“You’re just overthinking it,” Sulien says.

I lift a brow. “Oh, really?”

He closes the space between us, those auburn eyes of his filled with desire. “Really. None of this has even a little bit to do with thinking. Do you remember that day we saw each other again after so long apart?”

I stare, uncertain, but it’s Forrest who answers. “I don’t think we’ve heard this story.”

Sulien’s eyes twinkle. “I caught you mocking the fae in my room, and then you proceeded to offer to make me a bath. Do you remember that?”

My cheeks heat. “I’m not sure. That was… so long ago.”

He gives a sexy smirk. “You offered to bathe me.”

“She didn’t!” Zane exclaims, but I can’t look away from Sulien.

“I didn’t mean it! You made me flustered! I wasn’t thinking!”

Sulien’s grinning. “So, what would you have said if I’d agreed to your offer?”

I’m so embarrassed. I want to melt into the floor. “I-I don’t know.”

He pulls me closer. “I do.” And then he kisses me.

The kiss starts out soft and slowly grows harder. When I spread my lips to draw in a breath, his tongue sweeps inside, and heat uncurls inside of me, shooting straight to my core. I grasp onto his arm, trying to keep myself standing, but he tilts my head further and takes complete control. All thoughts melt from my mind, and I get the sense we’re moving backwards until I fall back onto the bed.

Rasping in breaths, I stare up at him. “Do you really think it’ll be this easy?”

He grins, reaching for his shirt. “I’ll be that easy.”

I watch him with complete fascination as he draws off his shirt, and then a gasp slips from my lips. The marks… they’re worse than I even thought. He tries to get me to lie back down, but I’m on my feet an instant, running my hands over the scars on his chest. I take a shaky breath, then move to behind him.

Fuck. His back.

A sob catches in my throat, and I reach out and touch one of the scars, running my fingers along it. “Does it hurt?”

It takes him a second to answer. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

I glance at my other men. “Are your injuries this bad?”

Zane shakes his head. “Not nearly. For some reason, the Keeper seemed to give Sulien the worst of it.”

Anger rises inside of me. “I hate her. I hate that monster! I can’t believe my own flesh and blood–”

“Family is who we choose,” Cobar says. “She wasn’t your mother. Your father, your grandmother, and us, we’re your family. Just like our fathers and mothers aren’t our family either.”

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