Page 89 of Crown of Lies

His fingers find a rhythm that threatens to undo me, and I bite my lip to hold in a moan. “I-I know that,” I whisper, my eyes fluttering closed as pleasure coils tightly within me.

Nico continues, his voice a low, gravelly temptation. “You’d belong to us. To all three of us. Body and soul. In every way that matters. The law be damned, marriage vows be damned. You understand?”

“I do,” I breathe, my hands curling into fists at my sides. It’s as if I’m taking those marriage vows all over again, but these are a whole new set of vows, with a whole new meaning. My heart is pounding, my body on the edge of something I can’t name, but something that I crave with every fiber of my being. “I want it. I want them. I want you.”

Nico’s hand stills, and for a moment, I want to beg him not to stop. But then his fingers begin a new, slower dance, sending tendrils of pleasure spinning out from my core.

“Are you sure about that, mia cara? Because there’s no going back.”

His fingers tease and toy, drawing out the tension and making it almost unbearable.

“I’m sure,” I gasp, my hips shifting involuntarily, seeking more of his touch. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

His thumb brushes over the pulse point at the base of my neck, sending a jolt through me.

I nod, eager for more.

Nico leans forward, his lips brushing my ear as he speaks. “Good girl. Now kiss them like I know you want to.”

His words—the permission to do the things I’ve barely been able to suppress—send another surge of heat through me, and I don’t even try to hold back a moan as his fingers continue their magic.

Atlas takes a step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. I reach for him, and he pulls me to him, his lips crashing down on mine with a desperation that borders on pain. It’s different from Nico’s kiss, hard and powerful and just as intense. His hands slide down my back, pulling me firmly against him as his tongue tangles with mine.

Nico’s fingers continue their dance from behind, and I’m overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through me. I break away from Atlas, breathing heavily.

“I can’t believe you came for me,” I whisper, my eyes searching his.

His thumb brushes my cheek as he cups my face. “You don’t understand, vicious. After what we did… there was never a question of ‘if.’ Only a question of ‘when.’”

Our lips meet again, softer this time, but no less passionate. I can taste the regret in his kiss, the unspoken apologies, and the unvoiced promises. His hands roam my body, possessive and protective, as if he’s finally able to touch something he’s craved for so long.

Between kisses, he murmurs against my lips. “I’m sorry. So sorry for everything. I’ll make it up to you if you let me.”

“There’s nothing to make up for,” I reply, my voice hoarse. “We’re all here together now. That’s all that matters.”

His hands tighten on my hips as he pulls me closer, his lips moving to my jaw, then lower, to my neck. “No one will ever touch you again. I swear it.”

Atlas’s lips leave mine, and I’m left breathless, my heart racing. The intensity of his kiss lingers, a promise of more to come. I turn, my eyes locking with Killian’s. He’s standing just a few feet away, his gaze burning with an intensity that makes my knees weak.

I move toward him, fully aware that he doesn’t kiss on the lips. It’s something I’ve known about him, a boundary I’ve always respected. My intention is to press my lips to his neck, to show him my affection in a way that won’t make him uncomfortable.

But before I can, his hand catches my chin. His touch is gentle but firm, stopping me in my tracks. I look up at him, confused and a little worried as he leans in.

“You don’t have to…” I whisper, not wanting him to feel pressured.

His eyes soften, and a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I want to.”

My breath catches in my throat. The significance of this moment isn’t lost on me. Killian, who’s always kept this part of himself closed off, is willingly opening up. For me.

I bring my lips to Killian’s, and it’s like discovering a whole new side of him. He’s fucked me so many times, but this feels entirely different. His lips are soft but firm against mine, a sensation I’ve never experienced with him before.

At first, the kiss is hesitant, almost awkward. Killian moves cautiously, as if he’s learning the steps to a dance he’s never performed. I can feel the tension in his body, the uncertainty in the way he holds himself.

But then, something shifts.

Killian groans, a deep, primal sound that reverberates through his chest and into mine. His hands come up to grip my head, fingers tangling in my hair as he angles my face to deepen the kiss. Suddenly, I recognize the Killian I know—the one who’s fucked me senseless more times than I can count.

Once he opens up, he kisses me the same way he fucks. Punishing. Ravenous. Without mercy. His tongue invades my mouth, claiming every inch as his own. There’s a desperation to his movements, a hunger that seems impossible to satisfy.

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