Page 78 of In Control

“Probably,” he says, lightheartedly.

It isn’t. Unlike other dressing rooms I’ve seen, it’s not cluttered with photos of himself, awards or billboards. The walls are bare apart from a mirror or two and most of the contents are there for fitness and recovery. Around the mirror on his dressing table, though, are photos of us, his alphas as well as photos of the pack together. The one at the top stands out. It was one taken when we’d only just bonded, our faces so young and our unbridled joy shining in our eyes. Gabe sits in the middle of us, the rest of us gathered in close around him. There’s also a photo of his mum, the woman who raised him and died before we met him.

Sophia examines the photos, her eyes lingering on the picture of Esra.

“Is this a one-time-only invitation or can I come visit you in your dressing room again?”

“I’d very much like to find you waiting here for me when I finish a performance, pretty little thing.”

“Don’t be fooled,” Liam teases, hooking his arm around Gabe and kissing the crown of his head. “It’s only so you’ll give him a foot massage.”

“So are we staying here for the rest of the evening?” Sophia asks, sauntering up to Gabe and Liam.

Gabe sighs dramatically. “As good as that sounds, I really don’t need the stench of sex in my dressing room, not if I don’t want to be dancing with a hardon.”

Sophia’s eyes automatically drop down to the crotch of his trousers.

“Would you like to come back to our place?” I ask her. “With all three of us?”

“Esra–”

“Isn’t a problem,” I tell her.

“We could go back to mine.”

“There’s more room in my bed.” Gabe smirks.

Sophia bites her lip. Just like down there in the vaults, she’s tempted again.

“You don’t need to worry about Esra,” Gabe says softly and it seems his reassurance is what she needs. She nods and he steps in closer, wrapping her up in his arms and nuzzling her neck. “We want to make you ours, Sophia,” and there’s something about the way that Gabe says it – not full of possessive alpha bullshit – that has her melting in his embrace and agreeing to everything.

17

Sophia

I haven’t been backto the packhouse since the morning Esra and Liam started squaring up to one another. This time I get a proper look at the place, Gabe insisting on giving me another tour. I have to admit I love the place. They’ve kept all the Victorian character of the place, from its high ceilings and fireplaces to its picture rails and wooden floor boards. Downstairs, as well as Liam’s room, there’s a living room, kitchen, dining room and a study with bookshelves brimming over with books. It’s so cosy with its armchairs that I try to convince Gabe to leave me there to explore all the books. But he grabs my hand and pulls me up the staircase to his room, Liam and Roman prowling close behind.

The room is gigantic, taking up most of the floor. I suppose that’s not so surprising seeing as Gabe has three alphas. The bed is also enormous, full of soft-looking pillows and throws. If I owned a bed like this, I’d never want to leave it. Which, eyeing up the three men watching me hungrily, sounds like a very tempting idea.

“Take your clothes off, sweetheart,” Liam tells me as he shuts the door behind him.

I roll my eyes in the way I’m learning stirs his blood. “You are so damn bossy.”

“I just know what I want.”

“You don’t like my outfit,” I tease, peering down at the light summer dress I picked out for this date.

“I love this dress,” Gabe says, “I’d like it even better on my bedroom floor.”

“I’m only getting undressed if the three of you do too because–”

I don’t finish my sentence. They are already shedding clothes all over the floor and then three very naked, very hot men are stalking towards me.

I stifle a moan, wondering what I did to deserve a fantasy like this come to life.

As they come closer, Liam drops to his knees, Roman comes to stand behind me with Gabe at my side. Did they coordinate this? Are they well practised? Or perhaps it’s something in their bonds, that mythical way they have of communicating.

Roman lowers the zip of my dress and Liam tugs it down my body. My heart drums with anticipation. I have no idea what they have planned for me and it has a pulse beating between my legs and my curiosity seriously piqued.

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