Page 9 of Chill

He licks at my lower lip until I open my mouth with a gasp, and then a growl leaves his throat as he surges forward to devour my mouth much like Kieran had.

But Val is so needy, so desperate. He’s less in control than Kieran, but I love it just as much. I can’t help the way I throw my arms over his shoulders to drag him closer, and when he shoves a knee between my thighs, I can’t stop the soft sound that leaves me.

God, maybe I really am just desperate and easy for them.

“I have complaints,” I remind him, my fingers trembling in his jacket when he pulls away just enough that I can breathe. “I haveso many—” My words turn into a sharp yelp when he suddenly bites down on the side of my neck that Kieran hadn’t touched. He’s just as desperate, just as sloppy and enthusiastic as he bites once, then again, until finally he latches on and works to leave his mark on my skin as my head spins and my complaints start fading from my brain a little.

Especially with the way he’s moving his knee between my thighs. A whimper meets my ears that I realize is mine, and when I look around for something else to focus on, some kind of distraction, Kieran seems to sense my distress.

He comes in the door, closing it behind him. When I open my mouth to say something, though I’m not sure what, he growls softly and reaches out to grip my hair and drag my face up to his.

Kieran kisses me with the same level of need as Val, though they show it in two different ways. Trapped between them, I can’t be cold at all. Suddenly I want to peel off every layer I’m wearing and forget my complaints until the sun rises.

After all, shitty conversations are for daylight.

But my brain just won’t cooperate.

I force myself to pull back, force myself to let go of Val and press my hands to the counter behind me. “S-stop,” I demand, though I’m both relieved and disappointed when Val obliges with one last lick to my stinging throat. He steps away as I try to get my thoughts back in order, though I definitely don’t miss his self-satisfied smirk or the way he licks his lips like he can taste me on them. “Stop.” They have already, but the second one is mostly for myself.

“You left me,” I say, forcing myself to sound displeased. “Youleftme. Crying. After you made me a murderer. You…” I close my eyes hard, and I find it’s easier to do this when I can’t see them. “You fucking left mecrying on my fucking bed!” Forgood measure, I reach out and shove Val, who makes a noise of surprise.

“That was totally not my fault!” he squawks. “It was his idea to let you figure shit out. He said you might have a change of heart. And we wanted to give you a chance to be?—”

“Normal?” I demand, opening my eyes. “How the hell am I supposed to be normal, Val?” Though when he looks at Kieran for help, I decide to turn on him instead.

Which is…less of a good idea. He’s not so easily intimidated by me, or at the very least, willing to play along like Val is. When I step toward him, Kieran’s brows go up and he leans his elbow against the counter, clearly giving me an invitation I know I’ll regret.

So I do the smart thing and turn back on Val. “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t coming back?!”

He rolls his eyes, throwing Kieran an exasperated look that also seems like it might be a cry for help. The latter sighs, though he doesn’t move, and I look between them for an answer.

“Because you deserved to make a choice. We sort of figured you wouldn’t want this.” Pointedly, he pulls the sheathe with its knife free from his belt and lays it on the counter.

“RV life?” I ask, pointedly obtuse. “You think my cats and I don’t wantRV life? Haven’t you been on Facebook, Kieran? RV life is?—”

“You’re being facetious,” he cuts me off smoothly. “You’re being a brat. If you want to make serious complaints and have a serious, grown up conversation, Noa, then don’t act like you just want me to throw you on that bed back there and spank you until your thighs and ass are bruised.”

It’s hard not to let that sudden mental image sway me from my conviction. “Shut up,” I mutter, and once again his brows shoot up, just as Val whistles from where he’s leaning against the table.

“That’s bold of you, Noa,” Val chuckles, seemingly unbothered by my complaints. “Come on, look at me. Be mean to me. It’s your safer option.” He reaches out to grab my wrist, and tugs me forward to stand between the v of his legs where he leans on the table. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he murmurs. “Princess, don’t be mad at us. Can you really blame us for wanting to let you live a normal life? You know what we are. You know what wedo.And Noa, as much as we love you”—he trails his fingers down my face—“we can’t change what we are for you.”

Wait.

Everything in me is sure I’ve misheard him, and my eyes narrow as I look at his face, while Kieran lets out an exasperated breath behind me.

“Di-did you say you love me?” I murmur, sure I’ve misheard him. “Like, actual, l-word,loveme?” That can’t be right, and I’m absolutely going to assume he meant it as a figure of speech.

An exaggeration.

Hell, a murderous colloquialism, even.

Val glances at Kieran, who snorts. “You said it, not me.Itold you not to. I told you she’d run away,” he points out dryly.

“She’s not running away,” I snap, just to be contrary. “I just…” With one hand on Val’s knee, I pin him with my gaze. “You can’t really mean that.”

“Why not?” I barely notice him leaning forward until his lips are inches from mine. “Why can’t I mean it for you, princess? You think we would’ve hesitated to kill you if we didn’t have a healthy amount of affection for you when we first met?”

Distantly, I feel the curl of his fingers around my wrists, and it registers in my brain that he’s very slowly trapping me here. At the realization of it, I move to jerk back slightly, but a small grin curls over his lips and he doesn’t let me go.

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