Page 57 of On Burning Paths

“You’ve got something here, too,” Fenric says, appearing at my shoulder, swiping a thumb over the back.

“And here,” Talon says, brushing my hair over the other shoulder and lowering his mouth to where my pulse is hammering in my neck. He doesn’t bite, just runs his tongue over the skin as though he genuinely only wanted to lick it clean.

This has to be a dream, pooled in the warm water, surrounded by soft, supple skin on all sides.

“You are so handsome,” I say, sucking in a breath, trailing my hands up over Thorian’s chest. He closes his eyes, his hand dipping from my cheek down to my chin. I turn, dislodging Talon, turning to Fenric, who I touch on the shoulder. “So handsome,” I whisper, trailing my lips over the spot I am touching, not missing the way Fenric shivers at the touch.

And when I turn to Talon, he’s already staring at me with desire in his eyes like I’ve never seen before. “I know I’m handsome, Nyx,” he murmurs, “but more than that, I’m so damn hungry.”

I expect Thorian and Fenric to tense, to worry, but all they do is drift closer as we rise until we're standing half in the water, our chests and backs exposed to the cool air. Their hands find me. Thorian’s closes over my hip, and Fenric’s traces up and down my side, up to my chest, grazing so lightly over my nipple I’m not sure I really feel it at all.

They shift even closer, if possible, surrounding me like a wall of flesh and muscle.

“If you’re hungry,” I say, tipping my chin up to Talon, “do something about it.”

He swallows, and his eyes dip down to my neck. When I step toward him, angling it up for him, Thorian and Fenric come with me, like magnets drawn to me.

But rather than lower his mouth to my neck, Talon surprises me by lowering it to my lips, instead.

The kiss is deep, exploring, his tongue sliding against mine, his breath seeming to pull from my lungs. My body reacts, my chest arching against his, and when I groan, Fenric and Thorian groan too. Fenric cups a hand around my ass. Thorian reaches between Talon and I to take one of my breasts in his palm, dragging me back so I’m pressed against his chest, sandwiched between them.

It’s like every part of me is being touched, sparking with desire. Like I’m drowning in pleasure.

As young teens, Lyra and I used to daydream about our future husbands. We’d giggle and hide our faces in our hands as we flipped through our mother’s romance books. Even amongst those imaginings, talks of buff men and their chiseled jaws, I never could have conjured this moment.

So charged. So gentle. So wanting.

Talon pulls back from the kiss, trailing his lips down over my chin, his thumb pulling down at my bottom lip. I whimper at the touch, at everything. Thorian is breathing heavily behind me, and Fenric’s heat radiates through the water around us, his hands insistent and hot as they brush over my side, over my hip.

"Are you sure?" Talon whispers, his lips positioned over my pulse, ready. I can feel it skipping beneath his mouth, and let out a low moan when Thorian turns my head and kisses me deeply, his mouth unhurried and thorough, like he has all the time in the world and intends to use it.

Fenric has busied himself with my shoulder, his lips trailing warm and slow, his hips rocking gently against my side, his eagerness evident against my leg beneath the water.

It feels like enough and not enough, all at once.

Thorian pulls back from the kiss, his breath unsteady, his hands firm at my hips. His length pressed against my lower back. He looks at me with dark, serious eyes.

"Is this the drink?" he asks. "Or is this you?"

What? Oh.

"It's me," I say, without hesitation. "The drink isn't making me do anything I don't want to do." I hold his gaze. "It's helping me do what I've wanted to do for a long time. What I’ve been planning to do for a while."

Fenric stills against my shoulder. "You're certain?"

"I'm certain."

Talon lifts his mouth from my pulse just enough to speak. "If I feed while⁠—"

"Yes," I say. "I know. I want that too."

Thorian kisses me again, deeper this time, one hand coming up to cup my face, tilting my head exactly where he wants it. I feel Fenric's mouth return to my skin and Talon's breath warm at my neck, and my entire body hums with it. My core is molten, my skin impossibly sensitive. Every brush of the water is like a caress.

"What do you want, Nyx?" Thorian murmurs against my mouth.

"I want all of you," I say. "Whatever you want to do with me."

He makes a low sound and finds me under the water, nudging my legs apart gently. I tremble.