She licks her lips before they begin to move, and seconds later Zoey is running this way.

I set my drink down, ready for her to come back to me, but she doesn’t so much as step onto the blanket.

“Um, I want to make a necklace. Can I?” she asks, a little confusion in her tone, as if she doesn’t understand her own question.

Can she make a necklace?

“Dandelions,” Raven says.

My eyes move to hers, only to jump to Royce when he speaks.

“They ain’t close, Cap.”

I canvas the area, spotting a small patch about a hundred feet away.

I swallow, my eyes moving to Victoria, who stays seated on the grass, waiting.

Maddoc, he frowns unsure, his hold on Raven tightening.

“Zoey,” I begin, sliding my gaze to hers, the heavy beat of my pulse ringing in my ears.

As if she can sense my denial, her shoulders fall, her head slightly tipping to the side.

It’s too fucking much.

I swallow. “Don’t run off, okay? Stay beside her, no matter what.”

She smiles, nods, and takes off.

Victoria stands before she meets her and the two race across the grass, both falling to their knees.

They waste no time and begin pulling the small weed-like flowers from the ground.

Without climbing to my feet, I reach across the blanket, grab the garbage bag and start filling it for something to focus on, trying for a deep inhale, but all it does is create more pressure.

This shit isn’t fucking easy.

Sharing Zoey, trying to trust Victoria, forgiving.

“You know...”

My head snaps toward Raven.

Slowly, her eyes peel from where I’m trying not to look.

She grips Maddoc’s shoulder, using it as leverage to push herself to her feet as she eyes me. “Victoria hates cinnamon rolls.”

My brows crash together, and I watch as she makes her way to the girls.

For almost an hour, my brothers and I sit in the same exact spot, not once removing our eyes from them, not a single word spoken.

Once each of them has a flower crown and necklace on, they head back and we snap out of it, hopping to our feet and quickly pack up our things.

“I say we play a game of hide and go seek before we go, loser cooks all week,” Royce suggests, clapping his hands and then Zoey is in his arms. “Zoey Bear will be my buddy. Not it!”

They run off, making us laugh.

Maddoc grips Raven’s hands, tugging her in with a hard jerk. “You wanna hide behind a tree with me, baby?” His intentions are clear in his growl.

Raven, though, she laughs and shoves him away. “And risk Zoey walking up on Uncle D giving D, I don’t think so.” She quickens her steps as she walks away to hide. “You’re it, Big Man. Let’s see if you can find me wherever I go.”

“I’ll find you across the fuckin’ world, Mama.”

Her steps falter a moment, and if I didn’t know Raven better, I’d swear she blushes, but she quickly turns away, disappearing into the brush around us.

I look over and Victoria shrugs, rushing off just the same.

“Should we say you lost? You’ll get the kitchen and be able to control the menu a whole week.” Maddoc laughs.

“Yeah, Royce didn’t think that through.” I chuckle.

“No cheating, asshole!”

“Oh, Uncle!”

“My bad!”

I shrug and take off to hide.

I head across the pond, ready to slip between the small bush and rocks when a wall catches my eye a few feet down.

I move straight for it.

I push a few branches to the side, stepping past the outer lined ferns, and there she is.

Eyes closed, back at the white petaled ivy, palms flat against it.

As soon as my feet crunch against the fallen leaves, her eyes pop open.

While she doesn’t move, a cutting laugh escapes. “The irony, right? I didn’t even notice it, slid behind a bush and here it was. Like fate. Like I needed a reminder of what I’d never forget.”

I can’t focus on what she’s saying, all I see is Victoria, buried in a bed of ivy, white flower tips framing her in, like a fucking gift for a god.

Before I can stop myself, I’m against her, the opening of her flannel between my knuckles. I drag my hand down until I can’t reach anymore, quickly moving my grip to her waist.

When I squeeze, her head falls farther into the pillow of leaves.

All the things I could give you, Beauty...

“Maybe it’s a good thing to be reminded.” My chest rises with a heavy inhale. “You can’t run from your past.”

“How about my future?”

“What’s your future look like?”

“You tell me,” she dares.

“I’ve got an idea.” I trace the curve of her body with the pads of my fingers. “But I’d be lying if I said I knew for sure.”

Victoria doesn’t close herself off at my words. She’s not a needy girl who wants promises, likely doesn’t even believe in them anyway.

Instead she finds my belt loops and tugs me closer.

She leans in, the rise and fall of her chest mixing with mine as she pushes to her toes, her lips now on my neck.

She tastes me, and her body quakes, causing my groin to tighten.

Remembering my rule, she swallows her moans, eyes glossed over and begging.

Heat runs up my veins, and before I can stop it, my hand is sliding into her jeans, past her underwear.

“Warm and wet,” I groan, my forehead falling to her shoulders. “Just the way I like you.”

“So.” A harsh breath comes from her nostrils as she fights away her whimpers, pushing into my hand. “You like me, huh?”

A chuckle makes its way up my throat, but it quickly cuts off as she begins riding my hand.

I let her set her pace, not moving an inch, but applying pressure where she leads me.

I’m straining in my jeans, aching.

But all I want right now is to drown in her raspy hums, to force the filth I’ve denied myself of into the air.

I want to hear her screams, feel her screams like a pulse beneath my skin, but before I can beg her for them, before I shred my own rule, a not so swallowed moan breaks through our little shelter, a deeper, heavier one following and we both freeze.

My head pops up when Maddoc groans, “Fuck, Snow.”

Victoria’s eyes fly to mine, but she doesn’t laugh or pull away.

She keeps chasing what she wants, intruders be damned.

Her pussy clenches around me, so I shift the slightest bit, letting her play on the tips of my fingers instead of my palm.

“Cover your ears,” I demand. “Your orgasm belongs to me.”

That has her eyes rolling back, her muscles squeezing.

I push two fingers inside of her, keeping my thumb up to push against her clit and she starts to shake, the ivy beside her quivering with her, alerting the others they aren’t alone either.

She comes, biting into her lip as her eyes slam shut, her walls flexing against me, and I press my hard-on into her leg, my thigh muscles tightening to chase some relief.

Heavy steps against dead leaves follow, but she doesn’t hear them, and I don’t dare pull out of her, not yet, not when she’s still riding out her orgasm.

And when her eyes finally open, they’re focused over my shoulder.