Page 8 of Victoria's Embrace

Damn, but she was sore and tired. And, glancing down at herself, absolutely filthy. Hiding her grimace, she and Thegan joined the guys where they were leaning against the far wall, speaking in low voices.

Smiling when she reached them, she opened her mouth to ask what they’d been talking about, but a noise from Thorn drew her attention. He was eyeing her hands where she was trying, and failing, to wipe the dirt off of them onto her pants.

His gaze met hers, no doubt taking in the mess her hair had become, the bags under her eyes, and the dirt she could feel streaking her face.

Stepping up to her side, he settled a hand against her back and led her out of the main room and down the back hall. Victoria wasn’t entirely sure where he was taking her but shrugged and looked back to offer a wave goodbye to Vi’kail and Thegan.

Chapter 5

When Thorn led her into the cleansing room, Victoria was more than a little surprised to find that it was big. Really big. Not only were there individual shower areas near the back, but there were dust-covered lounge couches and padded benches set in groupings near where they stood at the entrance.

“Huh. I guess you shower before trying on clothes here,” she murmured under her breath.

When Thorn stepped up behind her, she stood still as he undid her messy braids. That lasted right up until he sank his huge hands into her hair, massaging her scalp. Leaning against him with a groan, she let her heavy eyelids fall closed and resisted the urge to purr like a contented cat.

Two seconds later and she was suddenly feeling a hell of a lot less tired, due entirely to the cock she could feel growing hard against her lower back. Her pulse tripled and warmth spiraled through her. Eyeing the showers, she was sorely tempted to see if she could coax him to get in with her but bit her lip.

Sex was a big step. Not only that, but Thegan and Vi’kail weren’t far away. They’d definitely know when they returned what they’d been up to. Still, she felt more than ready to have sex with Thorn, with all of them. Had for weeks. It was thinking they didn’t like her that way that kept her from testing the waters. But was this something they should talk about first? Discuss their customs and expectations and how they felt about her potentially having sex with all three of them?

Probably.

She knew he and Thegan knew about her time in the closet with Vi’kail. They hadn’t treated her any differently knowing she’d been at least somewhat intimate with him, so maybe she was worrying for nothing? Even so, talking before they took that step was the most sensible course of action.

And, yet…

She wanted him. Badly. Feeling him hard against her filled her mind with images of him naked, water streaming over all those big muscles, his bi-colored eyes staring down at her heatedly. Those images left her flushed and tingly and oh so needy.

It was entirely possible their circumstances, the danger and not knowing if they’d make it out the other side alive, was giving the desire she already felt for them an urgency that was damn hard to resist. Maybe that was pushing her to be impulsive and just go for it before she missed out on the chance to have him at all. It was possible. Okay, more than possible. Probable.

But that seemed like a pretty solid reason to not overthink things and just… see what happened.

And then the anxiety that it would piss the other two off, or worse, hurt their feelings, tightened her chest to the point where it was hard to breathe. She cared for all of them equally. Differently, yes, but equally. Maybe loved them. The last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize or strain their relationships. What they had was so new.

Realizing he’d paused his massage at the tension he could no doubt feel in her, she blew out a breath and came to a decision. She was going to be impulsive and trust them. To her knowledge, they hadn’t had any fits of jealousy or resentment toward each other. Hell, each of them had snatched her away mid-kiss from another only to take her mouth themselves on more than one occasion, and she’d never once picked up on any animosity between them.

Realizing she’d gone stiff again, she pushed her indecision to the back of her mind.

Heart beating so fast she was convinced he could hear it, she tipped her head back against his stomach and looked up at him. He moved his gaze from her now-unbraided hair to hers. The need tightening his features was unmistakable and so intense it made her breath hitch.

“Shower with me?” she whispered.

His eyes widened ever so slightly, and she thought she caught a flash of nervousness slide through them, but it was quickly overtaken by heat. Silent, he gently turned her to face him, holding her gaze as he gripped the hem of her shirt, inching it up her stomach as he slowly walked her backward.

Victoria’s breath started coming in little pants, the distinct and exhilarating feeling of being stalked shockingly arousing.

He backed her up until her shoulders were pressed against something solid. The back wall of a shower stall, she thought, but couldn’t break their stare to check.

Drawing her shirt up, the backs of his knuckles dragging lightly over her skin, he pulled it over her head then threw it carelessly behind him. He repeated the move with the sports bra she’d fabricated, making her moan softly when his fingers brushed over her hard nipples.

Still holding her gaze, he lowered himself to his knees and drew her pants and panties down her hips. With a hand on his shoulder for balance, she stepped out. Only then did he look away from her.

A deep, hoarse groan vibrated his throat as he traced his gaze over every inch of her. She didn’t have to wonder if he liked what he saw. His expression left no room for doubts or insecurities. Something that looked a hell of a lot like awe mixed with hunger so raw it had goosebumps rising on her arms and wetness slicking her thighs tightened his features.

There was a fine tremble in his hands as he raised them to her hips then slid them upward to encircle her waist.

“Gods. You are… small, my Vee.” A flicker of worry crossed his face as he looked up at her. “I am not… experienced. I do not want to hurt you.”

She’d guessed he was a virgin and his size was undoubtedly going to make things… interesting, but she trusted him. Reaching out she ran her fingertips over his lips. “You won’t hurt me.”

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