Landon is the only one who doesn’t seem at all fazed by what happened, but that doesn’t stop him from turning a concerned gaze on me when he hears Hunter’s remark. “It’s not the new powers, is it?”
“I don’t think so,” I reply honestly. “I think, after everything we’ve been through, I’m just ready to breathe again. Like, without worrying Academy agents are going to storm the building or something.”
“You and me both, Boots,” Shade says, rubbing a hand on the back of his stiff neck. “I’m going to go lie down. That charm did a real number on me—I think it’s given me a migraine.”
“I’m sorry—” I begin, but Shade silences me with a kiss on the top of my head.
“Don’t be,” he says as he pulls away. “If it weren’t for you, I would still be frozen in that damned field.” Turning to go, he raises his hand to us. “See you guys at our next meeting with you-know-who.” I don’t fail to notice his eyes roll as he talks about Theo.
“Silas?” Landon asks, turning to the dragon shifter. “I don’t know if I told you guys, but my suite has a hot tub.”
My eyes go wide. “You’re kidding.” Landon gives me a bold smile, and I shake my head in disbelief. “No fair.”
“Why do you think I brought it up?” Landon says, reaching out to run a hand through my wet hair. “You look like you could stand to warm up.”
“I think I’ll pass, actually,” Silas says. “I’ve… got a lot on my mind.”
“Understandable,” says Hunter. “If you need anything, let us know.”
“I will,” the dragon shifter replies, before turning to me. “Thank you again, Boots,” he says, the uncertainty in his eyes giving way to affection. “I mean it.”
“I wasn’t about to hurt your father,” I reply quietly. Silas takes a step closer to me, touches my cheek for a moment, and then pulls away before wordlessly turning and heading around the corner to his room.
Landon, Hunter, and I are left to size one another up. “I hope that offer is good for all of us,” the vampire shifter says, crossing his arms, “because I’m completely wrung out.”
“Atta boy,” jokes the siren shifter. “Boots?”
For a moment I’m on the verge of declining, but all propriety seems to have gone out the window. “Why not?” I ask, throwing my arms out to my sides.
“Yes!” Landon exclaims. “Now all we need is some champagne, and we can make this a party.”
“I hear ‘party’ from you, Landon…” Hunter says.
The siren shifter elbows him. “Don’t make me rescind the offer.”
Hunter grins, and their lighthearted bickering lifts my spirits long enough for me to grab a change of clothes from my suite before following them to Landon’s room. As soon as the lights are on I suck in a breath: the room was either meant for royalty or newlyweds—I’m not totally sure which—and it’s dominated by a large, marble jacuzzi in the middle of the floor. I raise my eyebrows at Landon, who shoots me a grin—all the permission I need. For lack of a bathing suit, I strip down to my bra and underwear and clamber into the hot tub, not even bothering with a shower beforehand. Almost immediately I begin to relax as I slide into the steaming water, and a sound to my right tells me the others have followed my lead.
Hunter sighs in contentment as he gets in beside me, sliding his arm around my shoulders and leaning back against the wall. “You’ve been holding out on us, Landon,” he mutters.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” The siren shifter wraps his arm around my waist from the other side. “You can send me a gift basket or something.”
After nearly nodding off in the warm water, I reluctantly drag myself out to take a real shower and rid myself of the remains of my dip in the river. Landon does the same, leaving Hunter to continue to bask in the hot tub. It’s only after I’m clean, changed into dry clothes, and sitting on the couch, that I’m feeling better than I have all day.
“You had us worried back there, Boots,” Landon informs me, coming to stand behind me. “This is really taking it out of you, isn’t it?”
“I’m fine,” I say. It’s almost a reflex at this point.
“Boots.” Landon tips my chin up so he can look at me, his hands dropping to my shoulders. “You don’t have to pretend with me. With any of us.”
“I…” My throat feels thick. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I forget sometimes.”
“Shh, it’s okay,” the siren shifter says, his hand running through the hair at the base of my neck. “You can relax now.” And slowly he begins to rub my shoulders, massaging away tension I didn’t even know I was carrying.
“Mm…” I hum. “Shouldn’t be letting my guard down.”
“I’d say you’ve earned it,” Hunter says from across the room, where he’s pulling his shirt back over his head.
“Damn right, she has,” Landon agrees, his hands caressing my neck and shoulders in slow, soothing movements that send butterflies flying through my stomach. I close my eyes, and when the siren shifter leans down to kiss me, I reciprocate with passion.
It’s only when I open my eyes and see Hunter watching us pointedly from the other side of the room that I blush. This polyamory thing is new to all of us, something that’s easy to forget when I’m being kissed by a gorgeous shifter. “Sorry,” I hasten to say. “It’s probably a little awkward for you to watch this.”
Hunter shares a look with Landon, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk that, while out of place on the vampire shifter, he wears pretty damn well. “Who said anything about watching?” he asks, and crosses the room to where we are.
By now, the adrenaline in my stomach is giving way to excitement of the best kind, and I can feel my heart hammering in my chest as Hunter drops to his knees in front of me, pulling me in for a kiss of his own while Landon’s hands continue to explore my upper body. My head is practically spinning by the time he breaks the kiss, leaving me searching for more, and the vampire shifter gives a low chuckle before sliding down my body, undoing the button of my jeans as he goes. A little maneuvering is all it takes before he has my bottoms off, drinking in the sight of my naked body like a starving man.
Landon’s mouth claims mine again just as Hunter dips his head between my legs, his tongue sweeping over my pussy cautiously at first. The wave of pleasure the single, tentative action sends through my abdomen is too much to ignore, and I can feel myself getting almost shamefully wet as he focuses all his attention on my clit. Landon moves his lips to my neck, watching Hunter’s actions intently as he sweeps my hair to the side, his hands dropping to my breasts, still covered by my shirt. I can feel his thumbs sweep over my hard nipples, toying with them almost lazily as the vampire shifter continues to wring pathetic noises out of me.
The feeling of Landon pinching my nipple gently makes me gasp, my legs snapping together almost involuntarily, and Hunter hums in contentment against my thigh as he gently pushes them back apart. My head falls back against the sofa as the two shifters continue their ministrations, neither focused on his own pleasure; I’m their complete center of attention.