Page 117 of Crucible
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I scold when I remember how it felt to have him inside me, taking and owning what’s his. “Your first time should have been special.Iwould have made it special if you’d given me time.” It takes me a moment to realize I’m pouting.
Seth tucks an errant curl behind my ear without even opening his eyes. It’s the same one that’s always falling down the center of my forehead and brushing my top lip. “It was special, Sunshine. It was with you.” I’m quiet for a long time, so he peeks an eye open. “Was yours?”
I snort. “No.”
Behind me, I hear Khalil grumble sleepily, “What’s his name?”
“And would you like us to kill him slowly or quickly, Sunshine?”
I roll my eyes because,really? Hypocrites much? My first time wasn’t good or memorable, but it was a hundred percent consensual, which is more than these two can say. “None of your business, creeps.”
Eyes closed once more, Seth brushes his cold lips over my forehead. His chest gives such a deep rumble in contentment that my toes curl in the sheets as he says, “We’re your creeps.”
“What’s this?” I ask as I hold the bottle of conditioner—myconditioner—that Thorin gave me after I made them breakfast and then waited on them while they ate, refilling the plates and mugs in my milkmaid costume like some kind of medieval tavern wench.
Some dark part of me I’m not yet ready to give credence to even liked it. It’s been fucking me up ever since, so I was grateful when Thorin pulled me aside and unknowingly took my mind off it.
How the hell had they found my expensive conditioner in all ofthat? Thorin and I are standing by the floor-to-ceiling A-frame window that overlooks the upper deck and Cold Peaks. I still haven’t found it in me to enjoy the view, though I pretend I can’t get enough of it whenever I stand or sit here for minutes, sometimes hours at a time, looking for a search plane to flag down.
“It’s your reward for last night.”
I gape at it and then at him. “No, this isn’t enough.”
“Excuse me?”
I toss the conditioner, and it hits his chest before falling to the floor at our feet. “Need I remind you that I let all three of you fuck me last night? Rewarding me with the conditioner that I already own is not enough. I want more,” I say, like the spoiled princess they already think I am.
But fuck ’em. I bet none of them have ever taken it up the ass thrice in one night.
“Like what, Aurelia?”
I don’t even pretend to think about it as I cross my arms and pop my hip. “I want the loft.”
Thorin looks stumped for a moment, and then he just looks annoyed.
God, he’s such an asshole.
Out of three of them, he’s the only one I’m having a hard time waving the white flag for. He’s the only one who hasn’t tried to make me feel like he actually wants me here.
In my peripheral, I can see Khalil and Seth’s eyes darting back and forth as they silently watch Thorin and me go at it from the living room…again.
We’ve been fighting nonstop ever since we made it back to the cabin almost a week ago. Thorin’s pissed because I ran, and I’m pissed because I know if it were solely up to him, he would have let me die. And I still let him use me.
“For what?”
“To sleep? For a space to call my own? You all claim this is my home now, and I should get used to it, but there’s nothing here that’s mine.”
Shrugging, he says, “So, take the couch. We have two.”
“I want somewhereprivateto sleep and relax.”
“No. You want someplace you think we can’t get to you.”
My shoulders drop as I say a little despondently, “I didn’t fight any of you last night.”
“You fought a little.”
“Because I know you like it!”
