Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Exposed

My fingers hovered at the zipper like they had forgotten how to work. Dante’s command still echoed in my ears. Take it off. Three men stood around me, tall and unyielding, their eyes burning with something I had never seen directed at me before. Not shame. Not pity. Pure, hungry need mixed with a strange kind of reverence.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I had signed the contract thinking I could stay detached. Keep my walls up. Stay in control even if my body was part of the deal. But the way they looked at me now made control feel like a distant memory. The cool rain light from the windows washed over us in soft blue shadows, yet their presence felt like warm gold pressing in from every side. It confused me. It scared me. And it made heat pool low in my belly.

Dante stepped closer. His hand stayed gentle on my jaw, but his thumb stroked my lip again, slow and deliberate. “You signed, Serena. No more hiding those beautiful curves. Show us.”

I swallowed hard. My hands moved on their own, finding the zipper at my back. The sound of it sliding down filled the quiet room, louder than the rain outside. The dress loosened and slipped from my shoulders. Cool air kissed my skin as the fabric pooled at my feet. I stood there in nothing but my black lace bra and panties, my full breasts heavy, my soft stomach exposed, my wide hips and thick thighs bare under their gazes.

I waited for the usual twist in my gut. The urge to cover up. It did not come.

Nico moved behind me. His breath brushed my neck as his fingers traced the line of my spine. “Look at you,” he murmured, voice smooth like silk. “Every inch of this body is perfect. Those hips were made to be gripped. That soft belly deserves to be kissed until you forget every cruel word anyone ever said about it.”

Tears pricked at my eyes. I blinked them back fast. I had spent years telling myself I did not need anyone to validate me. I was strong. Independent. I did not need a man, or three, to tell me I was enough. Yet here I was, trembling because their words felt like truth sinking into my bones.

Leo came around to my front. His large hand settled on my waist again, thumb stroking the curve of my hip with such care it made my knees weak. “You’re safe,” he said quietly. His eyes held mine, steady and protective. “We see all of you. And we want all of you.”

Dante’s gaze darkened as it roamed over me. He reached out and ran one finger along the top of my bra, following the swell of my breasts. My nipples tightened instantly under the lace. “Good girl,” he said again, low and rough. “Look how responsive you are. Your body knows exactly who it belongs to now.”

I shivered. Heat flooded between my thighs. I had never felt like this. Exposed, yes. But also powerful in a way I could not explain. Their praise wrapped around my vulnerabilities and turned them into something beautiful.

Nico’s hands slid to my shoulders. He unhooked my bra with practiced ease. The fabric fell away and my breasts spilled free, heavy and full. He groaned softly. “Fuck, Serena. These are incredible. Heavy and soft just right for our hands. For our mouths.”

I gasped as Dante cupped one breast, thumb circling the stiff peak. Pleasure shot through me sharp and sudden. Leo’s hand moved lower, palming the generous curve of my ass, squeezing with just enough pressure to make me arch into them.

I was surrounded. Their heat pressed in from all sides. Dante kissed the side of my neck while his fingers continued their slow torture on my breast. Nico’s mouth found my other shoulder, teeth grazing lightly. Leo dropped to one knee in front of me, his big hands sliding up my thighs, spreading them slightly as he looked up at me with raw hunger.

“This is just the beginning,” Dante whispered against my skin. “Tonight we show you what it means to be worshipped. Every curve. Every moan. You’re ours now.”

My head spun. Part of me still fought, the independent woman screaming that I did not need this. But my body betrayed me. I leaned into their touches. My hands found Dante’s shoulders, gripping tight as Leo’s fingers hooked into the waistband of my panties.

I was about to tell them to wait, to give me a second to breathe, when a sharp ring cut through the room.

Dante’s phone. He ignored it at first, mouth still on my neck. But it rang again, insistent. With a low curse he pulled back just enough to glance at the screen. His expression changed in an instant. The warmth vanished, replaced by cold fury.

“It’s Marcus,” he said to his brothers. “The rivals hit one of our warehouses. They know about the contract. They are coming for her.”

Leo stood up fast, his hand still protective on my hip. Nico’s arms tightened around me from behind.

Dante looked at me, eyes blazing with possession and something darker. “Get dressed, Serena. We are taking you to the safe house. But when this is handled…” He cupped my face again, thumb brushing my swollen lip. “You will finish what you started tonight. On your knees. Begging for more.”

My body throbbed with unfulfilled need as they moved to protect me. The contract had just begun, but already the danger outside felt as real as the heat between us.

And I had no idea which one scared me more.