“Well, we can discuss it with her in full before we head in today. I think it’s important there be no ambiguity with any of us,” Alek said about the time Kinsley came in, looking timid with a beautiful blush on her face.
One of the pretty little sundresses I’d picked out for her clung to her figure, accentuating her graceful curves. Her hair was bound in a single braid that hung over her shoulder.
The sight of her stole my breath, rendering me speechless. She stood in front of us, looking so uncertain. Her eyes darted around as her fingers smoothed out the dress, a subtle gesture showing her nerves.
“Come here,” Alek commanded, and she quickly obeyed and stood before him. “Tell us who you belong to.” He pulled her chin up to look into her eyes.
Her words pierced the air with a quiet intensity, seemingly powered by Alek’s question. “I am bound to you, Reaper, eternally,” she declared, her fingertips delicately tracing the intricate details of his tattoo.
Sensually, she moved toward me, and her unwavering gaze met mine. “After you claim me tonight, Crow, I shall belong to you forevermore as well.” Her touch grazed my tattoo, and her words caused a shiver to run through me.
Stepping over to Ivan, she licked her lips. “And you, Blade”—she dusted his tattoo with light kisses—“you bound your soul irrevocably to mine long ago. So when you take me, know that I am yours until the end of time.”
Her small feet retreated a few steps back, and in that quiet, beautiful way, her head lowered in submission. The weight of her words lingered, heavy in the air, casting a profound sense of commitment. Each touch she’d given us, each declaration she made, revealed the complex tapestry of something special, something meaningful.
“By saying those words, you realize it means we will share you. Equally, in all ways,” Alek said.
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
“Each of us may want something different from you. Do you understand that?” he continued.
“Yes, Sir, of course,” she said, her voice shaky.
“I suggest you spend the day determining your soft and hard limits,” Alek declared.
Her head snapped up. “Hard limits, Sir?” Her voice wobbled.
“Yes, in order for this to work, we need to have some kind of agreement. Full disclosure, your needs are of supreme importance, and there will need to be some negotiations done individually for each of us. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my King,” she said, a bit more confident.
“Understand, though, that as your Kings, we will have our own things that are nonnegotiable, as I’m sure you will,” he said, making me smile.
“Nonnegotiable as in I can’t use my safeword?” Her face paled to a ghostly white.
“No, kitten, your safeword can be used freely at any given time. It’s never off the table. The nonnegotiables will be more in line with your grooming, clothing, eating, and taking care of yourself properly. Things of that nature,” Alek reassured her, and her shoulders sagged in relief.
“So I’m to be your play partners or subs, then?”
“No, you’re so much more than that,” he said, grabbing her in his arms and stroking her back. She melted into him, her hands wrapped around him possessively as he continued to hold her for a few minutes. “Now sit down and eat. You’re going to need to keep up your strength.” He pushed her toward her chair.
“Yes, Sir.” When she pulled back, she was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Still reeling from her declaration and the absolute devotion of it, I spoke, “Kinsley, as much as I want you to come in with me today, Alek is right. You need to start on that list. I want to review a copy of it tonight.”
Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth opened, then closed. “Yes, Sir,” she finally answered, her voice wavering slightly.
We each kissed her goodbye and headed out the door. I had several back-to-back meetings scheduled for the day. And as I was knee-deep in one of them, Elena’s notification buzzed through the air.
Sebastian was on the other line, and a pang of concern shot through me as I read the text. It was unusual for him to call me at the office. The weight of unease settled in my chest. I swiftly ended my other call and dialed him.
“Bash? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, swamped with work.” Fatigue weighed heavily in his voice.
Ivan, Alek, and I had made a collective decision not to take on any new clients. We needed to head home soon. We’d been in Seattle long enough.
“I’m actually calling because I got a very distressed call from tiny tot,” he said, his voice filling with a hint of humor in his voice.
