“You do realize that if you don’t tie your ribbon to his wrist, he can’t agree to be yours, right?” Nyx muttered from beside me, leaning over the bar to gain the attention of the bartender. “Also, you ran away before lighting the fire, so you’re going to have to go back and finish the job with him,” she said, turning to look pointedly at me. “I suggest you tie your ribbon to him then.”
I peered over my shoulder, watching Rhys, who stared at me through the crowd as women continued tying their ribbons onto his arms. Snorting, I rolled my eyes before turning back to tell the bartender what I wanted, asking if it was possible to get the entire bottle now. He chuckled like I was cute, and I stared at him without cracking a smile.
“Yeah, she’s serious,” Nyx chuckled and turned, exhaling. “Hey, Rhys, nice turnout tonight, don’t ya think?”
“Indeed, very nice turnout, but then they’re here to see Remington,” he said, grabbing my hand, turning me to look at him. “I need you.”
I swallowed against the warmth his words filled me with and then groaned out loud as I realized he meant to light the fire of Beltane. I nodded, allowing Rhys to pull me toward the large fire pit as people watched us. We stopped in front of a torch, and he handed me a candle, and together we touched the wicks against the flickering flame before turning to drop the candles into the large pit.
I turned to speak to Rhys, but he was already moving away from me to stand beside an ethereal brunette who smiled coyly when he reached her. Scanning the room, I noted several people were openly pointing and speaking about me and my odd complexion that they were strangely fascinated over.
Worrying my lip, I walked away from the fire, heading back to the bar. I accepted my glass that Nyx held out, downing it in one swig before placing it on the bar and nodding to the bartender for another. Nyx moved away when someone asked her to dance, and I spun around, watching her, noticing others were staring at me.
Illeron, one of Rhys’s brothers, stopped in front of me, placing his hands on the bar behind me, caging me against it. His dark blue eyes swept over my face, studying me as I stared back silently. His dark head leaned closer, forcing me to lean back, watching a cruel smile play over his mouth. He dragged his nose against my throat, slowly moving it to press against my ear.
“Is your pussy really that good? You have both my brothers drooling over your cunt, so it must be magical to have ensnared them so deeply. I wonder if you’d let me fuck you too, so that I could make an educated opinion about it as well? Can I fuck you too, Silversmith whore?” he asked as I shook, closing my eyes. His hand slid to my side and closed around my breast until I yelped in pain.
“I have not fucked either of them, so no. You may not fuck me either, Van Helsing. You can, however, get the fuck off of me. I am not a whore, nor do I intend to be shared among brothers for yours or their enjoyment. Excuse me,” I said, and yet he didn’t budge from where he pressed me against the bar.
People had stopped what they’d been doing to watch us together. My heart thundered against my chest, and panic was sinking in while his knee lifted, pressing against my apex as he nipped my ear, growling against it.
“Illeron, have you still not figured out how to tell when a lady isn’t interested in your cock, brother?” Cole asked, sliding in beside me. The moment Illeron started to back up, Cole pulled me in front of him, wrapping his arms around, resting his chin on my shoulder, daring his brother to argue with him for me.
“She’s already fucking both of you. Why not share her with the rest of us?” Illeron asked, lifting a drink to his lips, glaring coldly at me.
“Oh, my. Do you feel left out again? I mean, you did always go after our discarded pussy when we’d finished with it. Here’s the thing, brother. Remington hasn’t slept with any of us yet. Therefore, we’re not finished with her. It’s Beltane, and there’s pussy everywhere. Go find one that will gift you her ribbon willingly. This isn’t the medieval times where you can order a woman to hand you their ribbon. Now go, before I forget you’re my brother and that you’re one of the few I actually like.”
I watched Illeron until he disappeared into the crowd of people, finding Rhys watching me as a woman brushed her fingers against his chest. I turned my attention to Cole, crawling off his lap and grabbing the drink in front of him, downing its contents as I ignored the crowd’s curious stares.
“Are you okay, Remi?” Cole asked, slipping his hand around me. He pulled me into the heat of his body, cupping my cheek before his eyes searched my face.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, closing my eyes before peering up at the sky filled with stars. The night sky was always soothing to me, even as a child.
“Dance with me, Sunshine,” he said, grabbing the whiskey glass from my hand and placing it on the bar. Cole pulled me behind him out onto the dance floor, smiling at the worried expression on my face. Once there, he slipped his arms around my back, slowly moving us to the beat of the music. My hands lifted to rest against his chest, and he smiled when I leaned my head there too, resting it for a moment and closing my eyes. “You’re the most beautiful woman here tonight, and yet you look the most miserable, Remington. Tonight is a celebration of life. Stop caring what everyone else is thinking or doing. Just be you, and you’ll be perfect,” he whispered against my hair, inhaling deeply.
I opened my eyes, looking over Cole’s shoulder, locking eyes with Rhys, who glared at me from the opposite side of the room. The tick in his jaw hammered against his cheek, and his arms crossed over his muscular chest, displaying a multitude of ribbons on each wrist.
He wasn’t happy that I was dancing with Cole, but he’d left me on my own tonight. So far, the only people who had approached me were his brothers. I looked away from Rhys, staring up at Cole, who also watched Rhys. I parted my lips to speak, and he lowered his mouth, claiming mine in a sinfully wicked kiss that stunned me speechless.
Cole didn’t simply kiss. He fucked you with his tongue, leaving you dazed and struck stupid as you tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. I moaned against his lips, sliding my hands up his back, feeling his muscles tensing beneath my touch. Tilting my head for better access, Cole slid his hand to the back of my neck, deepening the kiss while barring any retreat.
He devoured me until I was trembling against his lips while he deepened the kiss further. Something brushed against my back, and then arms wrapped around me, pulling me back from Cole’s mouth as a soft cry of regret escaped my throat.
I was pulled from the dance floor while Cole remained on it, canting his head to the side, watching Rhys yank me toward the shadows. Rhys slammed me against the wall and slapped his hands against it, on either side of my head. He caged me in as I peered up into his angry azure gaze. My hand lifted, touching my swollen lips from Cole’s dominating kiss.
“What are you doing, Remington?” he demanded icily, glaring as I continued touching my lips. He grabbed my hands, pushing them above my head, leaning closer. He kissed me hard and fast until I was moaning against him, easily erasing Cole from my mind. “Kiss him again, and you’ll learn what voyeurism is when I rip your dress off and show all my guests how prettily you cry out as you come for me, little girl. I warned you that Cole was off-limits to you, and I fucking meant it. Don’t push me tonight. Not tonight, please.”