Reign

Nothing, not even my most vivid dreams — could have prepared me for the taste of Candy’s lips.

She was divine, her soft mouth pressed against mine sending shivers of pleasure straight down my spine. Sage slammed forward against my ribcage, threatening, howling, starving for a taste.

Her taste.

My hand cupped her jaw and, with a growl, I moved my mouth hungrily against hers, stealing a sip of heaven, my whole body grasping, aching for more.

More of Candace.

More of our mate! Sage snarled. We need to be inside her. Claim her already, Reign.

Pleasure surged hotly through me. The urge to tear every scrap of her bikini to pieces and spill that beautiful, supple body out for me to taste.

To touch. To feel. To ruin.

I kissed her deeper, my tongue sweeping past her lips to claim her mouth completely. She whimpered, a small, breathless sound that sent Sage absolutely feral inside me, clawing and snarling to get closer, to take more.

Sweet. She was so damned sweet, like honey and sin dissolved together on my tongue.

My other hand slid into her hair, gripping the silky strands and tilting her head back to give me better access.

She opened for me willingly, her body melting against mine as her fingers scraped against my chest, sending hot streaks of pleasure down to my cock. It throbbed, eager and insistent.

I caught her bottom lip between my teeth, biting down gently before soothing the sting with my tongue. Her gasp filled my mouth, her hips rolling forward unconsciously, and the scent of her arousal hit me like a blow to the chest.

Fuck.

My cock throbbed harder. She smelled incredible. My fangs pushed through, my mouth watering as the heavy, intoxicating scent of her arousal saturated the air around me.

She lifted her legs and wrapped them around my waist, grinding her center directly against my straining erection.

"Candy," I groaned against her lips, reaching between us to palm her ass.

I wanted to devour her. I wanted to drag my tongue over every inch of her skin, make her scream my name until her voice gave out, wanted to strip off my trunks, tear that bikini apart, and bury myself so deep inside her that she would never forget who she belonged to.

Mine, Sage growled. The word hammered through my skull with every beat of my heart. Mine. Mine. Mine.

"Reign," she breathed against my lips, and that was all it took — I kissed her harder, my tongue tangling with hers.

"Yes, little dove," I rasped. "Tell me what you want. Tell me, baby."

Her fingers threaded through my hair, pulling hard enough to sting my scalp, and the sharp pleasure-pain made my hips snap forward, grinding my erection against her.

She gasped, her eyes flying open to meet mine, those beautiful golden eyes glazed with desire, her pupils blown so wide they’d nearly swallowed all the color.

I groaned, hands roaming over her soft, warm body, when from the corner of my eye I caught Deidre standing in the doorway that led to the pool.

My entire body locked up. Then I shoved back from Candace, fury and shame scorching through my veins.

Shit. I took a step toward Deidre, her green eyes flashed with fury and then she turned and walked away, her footsteps silent against the tiles.

Sage howled inside me in frustration.

I had let it go too far. This was never supposed to happen. We had vowed never to touch her.

I dragged a hand across my lips, trying to scrub away the taste of her. It wasn’t working. It wasn’t going to work. She was going to live on my tongue for days.

I turned to glare at Candace. The flicker of hurt in her eyes only made the guilt pressing on my chest feel heavier. She buried it quickly.

"There’s no need to be dramatic about it. I only kissed you because your precious Deidre was watching," she scoffed, and my spine stiffened.

"What?!" I hissed. "You knew she was there? Was this some kind of game to you? Is that why you kissed me?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Of course you would blame her. You blame everyone but yourself, Sage accused, pacing restlessly inside me.

"Kissed you?" A short, humorless laugh escaped her. Candace tilted her head, meeting my gaze. "I don’t remember you being a coward, Reign. But I suppose three years is enough to change a man."

I stood there, guilt gnawing through me as I watched her swim away. I had to have lost my mind, putting my hands on her.

What if Deidre told Ragnor or Ryker?Especially Ryker.

Where are you? Ryker suddenly mind-linked me, and my stomach dropped.

Had Deidre reached him already? Had she gone straight to him?

Why, what’s up? I replied, pulling myself out of the pool and trying to ignore the unsteadiness in my hands. My cigarette lay wet and abandoned on the pool deck. I snatched it up and crushed it in my fist.

The hurt in those golden eyes kept playing like a loop in my head. She had called me a coward. A coward. The taste of her still clung to my lips, her scent burned into my memory.

It had been three years since I had come anywhere near her like that, and she tasted as divine as something I had no business wanting — something I craved anyway, like a man beyond reason. Like an addiction burning through my bloodstream.

Father summoned us, Ryker replied. We’re waiting for you in his study.

My chest tightened around the breath I didn’t know I was holding in. I dragged a hand through my wet hair, unease settling cold in my gut. My brothers I could handle but our father would be furious if he had even the faintest idea of what had just happened.

My brothers were already in his study, which meant I was about to walk in reeking of Candace from head to toe. Had Deidre told Pops herself? What could be the reason for father’s summons?