His voice was low, almost a whisper-but it reached deep inside me.
I looked up at him through blurred vision, and he was just there, looking at me like I mattered.
And before I knew what I was doing, I moved into him-my arms wrapping around his waist. I buried my face into his chest. His scent surrounded me, calming and strong.
He held me. Carefully. Tenderly.
And for a moment, I didn’t feel so alone.
Then he pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. His hand lifted to cup my cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb.
His gaze dropped to my lips.
And then-he kissed me.
My heart skipped a beat.
And I didn’t pull away.
I froze. My mind went blank, my body stiffening as his lips pressed gently against mine.
This wasn’t like I imagined it.
It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t desperate.
It was soft. Careful. Like he was giving me a chance to pull away.
But I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
Because the moment I processed what was happening, every ounce of logic vanished.
Gabriel was kissing me-a man who wasn’t one of my mates…
And it felt so damn good.
And it felt so good.
Slowly, my body responded. My lips moved hesitantly against his, my hands gripping his hair.
Gabriel’s kiss deepened, and I let it.
His mouth was warm against mine, his hands firm on my waist, and the world melted away in the heat of the moment.
His scent, his breath, the gentle pressure of his lips-it was all too much and not enough.
Then, suddenly, a thought slipped into my mind like a crack in glass.
The triplets.
They would feel this.
The bond between us would carry it straight to them-my breathlessness, the racing of my heart, the electric heat spreading through my body.
And for a second, I hesitated. I should’ve pulled away. I should’ve stopped.
But I didn’t.
Because the very thought of them feeling this-feeling what I felt when they fucked Anita on our wedding night-lit something wild inside me.
I wanted them to feel it. Let them ache. Let them taste even a piece of the pain they gave me.
A soft moan slipped from my lips as I pressed into Gabriel, kissing him der-with need, not regret.
His hands gripped my waist, responding to the sudden change, and I gasped against his lips.
I wanted them to feel it.
I needed them to feel it.
Gabriel groaned low in his throat as he pressed me backward until my back met the rough bark of a tree. My breath hitched, but I didn’t stop him. I wrapped my arms tighter around his shoulders, grounding myself in him.
He lifted one of my legs, hooking it around his waist without breaking the kiss. His palm slid up my thigh, anchoring me there as he kissed me like I was the only thing he saw-like I was his.
The forest around us was still, but inside me, everything was burning.
I didn’t care if someone saw us.
I didn’t care about rules or shame or bonds.
All I cared about was this-how he made me feel seen, wanted, alive. 1
But then-suddenly-a sharp, searing pain shot through my chest.
I gasped.
Voices echoed in mind.
“Olivia!”
“Where are you?” my
“What are you doing-what is this pain?”
The triplets.
I stilled against Gabriel’s body, breathing heavily, the mind link buzzing in my head like static. Their emotions poured in-confusion, hurt, anger. Pain.
But I didn’t answer.
I smirked instead, slowly pulling my mind away from theirs until the lir snap, cutting them off.
‘osed with a
I blocked them from communicating with me.
I turned my gaze back to Gabriel, my voice barely a whisper. “I want more.
His eyes darkened.
A slow, knowing smirk curled on his lips.
“Then I’ll give you more,” he whispered back.
The second kiss was slow, but the heat between us intensified. Gabriel groaned between kisses, pulling me closer as his hands gripped my waist. I moaned into his mouth, the sound spilling from me without thought as I felt his hardness pressing against my stomach.
Driven by instinct, my hand slid down between us. The moment my fingers wrapped around his hardness, Gabriel broke the kiss with a guttural grunt, his eyes blazing with desire as they locked onto mine.
“You’re driving me insane,” he growled, his voice rough and full of need.
I smirked, leaning closer until my lips brushed his ear. “Then show me.”
Olivia’s POV
I didn’t know if this was really about making the triplets feel what I felt, but what I did know was that Gabriel’s touch was driving me insane-and I didn’t want it to stop.
Gabriel’s hands gripped my hips firmly as he pushed me back against the tree, his powerful body pinning me there. The rough bark scraped against my skin, grounding me at the moment, while the heat radiating off him sent shivers cascading down my spine. His dark eyes locked onto mine, burning with raw intensity. His chest heaved, his breaths coming ragged, as though he were holding himself together with everything in him.
“Olivia…” He whispered my name like it was both a plea and a curse, his forehead pressing against mine. His voice was low and guttural, full of need. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
“Then show me,” I said, my voice trembling but steady enough to carry the weight of my challenge. My hands slid up his chest, feeling the tension in his muscles, the rapid thud of his heartbeat beneath my palm. “We don’t have to label it.”
For a brief moment, regret flickered in his eyes. I mentally cursed myself. Goddess, I sound like a desperate slut.
He groaned, the sound coming from deep within his chest, his jaw tightening as he wrestled with his control. “Fuck,” he growled, his voice sharp, tinged with frustration. “You have no idea how much I want you, Olivi?. How much I’ve always wanted you.”
His words sent a rush of warmth through me, but before I could respond, he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against my ear. “But I can’t,” he said, his voice breaking. “Not like this.”
His words hit me like a bucket of ice water. I blinked up at him, my throat tightening. “Why?” I managed to whisper. “Why are you holding back?”
He pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, his eyes stormy with conflicting emotions. “Because,” he said through gritted teeth, “I want to make love to you. I want a label attached to us. I want it to be two people in love making love, Olivia, and this situation is not it.”
‘s Touch
Tears stung the back of my eyes at his words, but I couldn’t deny I understood what he meant. It was obvious he knew I was doing this as payback to the triplets, but that was not the entire truth… I also wanted him, aside from my payback.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.