Page 45 of Gilded Caresses

She crosses her arms over her chest and those plump breasts of hers push up. I spot the swell of both through the opening of her blouse and the sight is tempting. I always love a good teasing.

We all three back up and come to stand in front of her and mirror her body language. She wants to be hardheaded, and so can we.

“We don’t give up what we’ve claimed.” Lev offers with an arrogance that has her teeth gnashing.

“And you could be carrying our child.”

Gregor backs our friend up with the second reason she’s not leaving this condo and I have a third.

“We are not going to send you out to the street to be harmed. It’s inconceivable.”

“I guess that puts us at an impasse.”

It’s cute she thinks she can gain the upper hand here.

“What did you think was going to happen when you took our semen inside you? When you let all three of us come in that pretty pussy?”

Panic and what I recognize as fear tears across her face.

I pull her into my chest and bury her beneath my chin. Lev and Gregor take her hands and wipe at the tears I feel wetting my shirt.

“Has he threatened you? Tell us,malyshka. Has Harlon or his men hurt you or threatened you in any way?”

Her head tilts back and she looks into my eyes with so much pain my soul cracks. “I know your darkness, sweet thing. I know you have witnessed crimes and deaths. I know of your father. We all have. You’re not alone.”

Embarrassment tinges her cheeks a deep ruby and she tries to duck her head but I push her chin up until her eyes meet mine again.

“We all have dark secrets.”

“Lev said that to me this morning.”

She turns to him and my friend kisses her gently with the same reverence we all feel for the woman in our arms.

“We’ve faced darkness. We’ve survived. And here we stand. Isn’t that proof we should stop running?”

For a moment she stares up at me and then she asks the hard question I know she’s been thinking about since Gregor touched her cheek. “What happened? The scars. I know the tattoos are to cover them. But who caused them?”

“Answer us first.”

She shakes her head. “I’ve seen Harlon kill. He’s the head of the Northern Alliance for God’s sake. He’s been forced into becoming his father. But no. He hasn’t touched me. I didn’t have the balls to tell him about our contract either, so…”

I kiss her with a fiery passion that has my balls in a death grip for her. The movement of her lips as she speaks hypnotizes me and I take what I want. I sweep my tongue across her lips and steal the kiss I’ve craved for weeks.

I hitch her up, wrap her legs around my waist, and don’t let either of us breathe until we are in the adjoining bathroom. I place her ass on the counter and step from between her legs.

She’s breathing hard. We both are.

“I’ll make this fair. Take a pregnancy test. It comes out negative and you will have the option of leaving. If it’s positive you belong to us.”

She says nothing so I take that as acceptance. I point to the four tests I picked up earlier in the day. “We will be right outside.”

Thirteen

Sapphire

Ican’t look. I’ve peed on four sticks and the timer has dinged and I still can’t move. If—when—I look it’s over. I missed my period and that never happens. I don’t need to see the tests to know what is going on with my body. What if I could just get out of here? I could toss the tests out the bathroom window and just run for the elevator. I could probably catch at least two of them off guard.

It’s just your fear, Sapph. Stop fearing change.

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