Chapter 71
Awake
Lennox’s POV
Minutes passed, and though her breathing had steadied, her body was still trembling slightly between us. I could feel the cold radiating off her skin, and I knew something wasn’t right. She should’ve been warmer by now. I glanced at Levi, who was gently rubbing her arm, and then at Louis, who had stopped massaging her thighs, his brows furrowed in concern.
“She’s still cold,” Levi murmured. “Why?”
And then I realized it.
“She’s still dressed…” I whispered, brushing my hand along her side, feeling the thin, damp fabric clinging to her skin. “Her clothes are wet.”
Louis sat up slightly. “We need to undress her. It’s holding in the chill.”
I looked at Olivia’s pale face, her lips slightly parted as she breathed, her eyebrows twitching faintly like she was still fighting, even in her sleep.
“Olivia,” I said softly, brushing her cheek again. “We’re going to undress you now, alright? Just to keep you warm.”
She didn’t respond, didn’t resist—just trembled again.
That was all the permission I needed.
I moved slowly, carefully, as if any sudden movement might hurt her. I unbuttoned her thin nightgown and slid it down her shoulders, pulling the damp fabric away from her burning skin. Her body was beautiful, sexy, but right now, all I saw was how sick she looked—how in need of care she was.
Her panties were damp too. Without hesitation, I removed them and dropped the last of the fabric to the floor.
She was naked. Exposed. But I didn’t look at her like I had in the past—with hunger or lust. I looked at her with something deeper. Something I hadn’t felt in years.
She shivered again, and I knew what had to be done.
“We’re not warm enough,” I said quietly.
Levi looked at me, eyes narrowed. “You mean—?”
“We’re still dressed. That heat barrier matters.”
He didn’t argue. Neither did Louis.
One by one, we peeled off the last pieces of clothing, discarding our boxers until nothing separated us from her anymore. We lay back down around her—my arms wrapping around her from the front, Levi curling behind her again, and Louis holding her legs carefully, his warm hands pressed to her thighs and calves.
The effect was almost instant.
Olivia let out a soft, breathy sigh—like her body finally surrendered to the warmth. She burrowed into my chest, curling tighter between us as if she belonged there. Her skin no longer felt ice-cold. Her trembling slowed.
“She’s warming up…” Louis whispered, relief in his voice.
Levi leaned closer, pressing his face to the back of her head, breathing her in. “She smells like home.”
I held her tighter, her soft breasts pressed against my chest, her breath fanning over my skin.
“I was so ready to claim her out of anger,” I said quietly. “But right now… all I want to do is keep her alive. Safe.”
No one replied—but I didn’t need them to.
Their silence said it all.
We would stay like this the whole night if we had to.
•••••••
I didn’t even realize when my eyes had shut.
One moment, I was watching Olivia’s peaceful face—listening to her soft, even breaths, feeling the warmth of her skin slowly return… and the next, I was waking up, the dim golden light of dawn creeping in through the curtains.
I blinked, momentarily disoriented.
When had we fallen asleep?
But then I felt her… soft, warm, nestled perfectly against me.
Of course we’d fallen asleep.
Olivia felt like home.
I hadn’t had peace like this in years—not even in sleep. But lying there, with her in my arms, Levi’s breath steady against her back, and Louis still gently cradling her legs, everything had felt right.
I glanced at my brothers.
They were both completely out—Levi’s hand still curled protectively around her waist, Louis’s head resting near her hip.
And then Olivia moved.
Her breath hitched.
My gaze dropped instantly to her face—her eyes fluttered open, hazy and confused at first, then slowly clearing. Our eyes met, and for a brief second, neither of us spoke.
Then something shifted.
She gasped, her body jerking slightly.
It took me a second to realize my fingers had moved—brushed against the soft curve of her breast… and her nipple, now hardened under my touch.
Her gasp shot straight through me like a jolt of lightning.
I froze.
But not from guilt.
Something primal stirred inside me. She was so close, so warm, and the way she reacted to just that faintest touch—it unraveled every bit of control I had been holding onto.
I glanced at my brothers again. Still asleep.
Still unaware.
And then I leaned forward, unable to resist.
My lips closed over that soft, peaked nipple, and she let out a quiet, breathy moan—her hand instinctively curling against my chest. The way she arched ever so slightly, the way her body responded to me without thought… it drove me wild.
She didn’t stop me.
She didn’t pull away.
She was awake.
And she was letting me touch her.
Her gasp was barely audible, but it hit me like a growl in the silence.
I froze—my mouth still hovering above her skin, my breath warm against the hardened peak of her nipple. She hadn’t pulled away. She hadn’t protested. If anything, her back arched ever so slightly into me.
My tongue flicked out, tasting her.
Just once.
A soft, involuntary sound escaped her lips, barely a whisper—but enough to make my blood roar in my veins. Her body was so warm now, so soft, and the feel of her in my arms… it wasn’t just comfort anymore.
It was craving.
I let my lips close around her slowly, sucking gently, trying not to make a sound. My other hand gripped the back of her thigh, trying to steady myself. She whimpered softly—her breath catching—and I felt her hand, small and unsure, resting lightly against my abdomen.
I paused.
My heart pounded as I reached down and guided her hand lower, wrapping it around my thick, aching cock.
Gods.
I clenched my jaw, fighting the groan that threatened to escape as her fingers instinctively curled around my cock. She was soft, tentative at first, like she wasn’t sure if she should be doing this—but she didn’t stop.