3. Hunter

Three

Hunter

I can still feel her pulse pounding. That little shiver when I leaned in? It's gonna stick with me for a while. And I know Maddox and Jax felt it too. We haven't stopped watching her since the second we stepped out of the maze.

Kisha's in our lounge now, comfortably seated on one of the leather couches, acting like she isn't aware of the three alphas in the room, practically circling her. But I can see that glint in her eye, the little smirk she's barely holding back every time one of us looks her way. She knows exactly what she's doing to us.

I lean against the back of the couch, close enough that I can see every change in her expression. "You want a drink?" I offer, nodding toward the small bar against the wall.

She looks up, tilting her head like she's sizing me up, then shrugs. "Sure. Whatever you're having."

I grab a bottle and pour us each a glass, then pass one to her, letting my fingers brush hers. The smallest touch, but it sends a jolt up my arm. Her eyes flick up, and I see that she felt it too. Good.

"So," Maddox starts, settling across from her, that rough, assessing look in his eyes. "What'd you think of our little haunted maze?"

Kisha sips her drink before she answers, "I think you all have way too much time on your hands, if that's what you consider fun."

Jax chuckles, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "Think you're just scared to admit you enjoyed it."

Her eyebrow arches. "Boy, please. It takes a lot more than a few creepy clowns to scare me."

I smirk, letting the silence stretch a beat, then lean down to her level. "What does it take then?"

The question hangs heavy in the air, and for a second, she's quiet. Then she straightens, shrugging, like she's not about to let us get under her skin. "Guess you'll have to keep trying if you want to find out."

The woman's got guts, I'll give her that.

Maddox shifts in his seat, setting his drink down with a little more force than necessary. "Maybe we will." He's rattled too.

Kisha's eyes meet his, then flick over to Jax, and finally land back on me. "Sounds like you three don't know how to handle a simple business meeting," she says, smirking over the rim of her glass. "Or maybe I'm misreading this whole vibe."

She's baiting us, and damn if it doesn't work. I set my own glass down, not breaking eye contact. "Maybe we're just not interested in keeping things that simple."

Her breath hitches. Barely. But I catch it. And I know Maddox and Jax do too.

"Oh, really?" She shifts, just enough to cross one long, toned leg over the other, the skirt of her dress hiking to reveal a patch of smooth brown skin. Like she's challenging us to make a move. "Then what exactly are you interested in?"

Jax grins, his gaze locked on her. "We're interested in a lot of things, sweetheart. And right now, most of them involve you." His words are casual, but there's that rough, possessive note in his voice, like he's already picturing her as ours. The same way we all are.

Kisha leans back, feigning indifference, but there's fire in her eyes. "Is that so?"

Maddox moves next to her, brushing his hand down her arm, just a light touch, but it sends a shiver across her skin. "Yeah. That so."

She meets his gaze, her chin lifting slightly, defiant. "And what if I'm not interested?"

I chuckle low, leaning into her other side, my breath close to her ear. "You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. But we all know the truth."

Her breath catches again, and I can see her grip tightening on her glass, the pulse at the base of her neck beating wildly. She might act like she's in control, but we've got her exactly where we want her. And I'll be damned if we don't show her just how serious we are.