Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Hot & Bothered

Leo’s body pressed against my back as he guided my hands, his fingers warm and firm over mine. The heat from the grill wasn’t the only thing making my skin flush.

“Like this,” he murmured, his lips barely an inch from my ear. “You need to arrange them by density. Mushrooms cook faster than peppers.”

I tried to focus on the vegetables, but all I could think about was how his chest felt against my back, solid and warm. His hands dwarfed mine as he helped me thread the pieces onto the skewer.

“I’ve worked in kitchens before,” I pointed out, trying to sound normal despite the flutter in my chest. “I was a maid for years, remember?”

Leo chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest and into my back. “Cooking and grilling are different beasts, sweetheart. Trust me on this one.”

He adjusted my grip on the skewer, his fingers sliding between mine in a way that felt far more intimate than the simple act deserved. When he spoke again, his lips brushed the shell of my ear. I shivered when his breath danced across my skin.

“Hold it like this,” he whispered. “Gentle but firm.”

My breath hitched. Was he still talking about grilling? The double meaning wasn’t lost on me, and from the smirk I could feel against my ear, it wasn’t accidental.

“Now you try,” he said, releasing my hands but keeping his body flush against mine.

I fumbled with the next skewer, hyperaware of every point where our bodies touched. The vegetables kept slipping off as my usually steady hands trembled.

“I’m usually better at this,” I mumbled, embarrassed.

“Are you?” His voice dropped lower, lips grazing the sensitive spot just below my ear. “I bet you’re good at a lot of things, Hazel.”

Heat crawled across my skin that had nothing to do with the grill in front of us. I bit my lip to stifle a gasp when his hands settled on my hips.

said, but his touch was doing exactly

small of my back as I attempted to finish another skewer. When I finally completed it without dropping anything, I felt

his voice a low rumble. “Now for the

against my back. The contact made me acutely aware of something hard pressing against my

“We don’t want to ruin all your

when I tried to step back, Leo kept

“You need to learn how to turn them

from my hip to my stomach, fingers splaying wide across my abdomen. The possessive touch sent shivers up my spine, and I struggled

do I turn them?” I

the smirk in his voice. “You have to be patient. Wait

to emphasize his point, Leo’s lips found the curve where my neck met my shoulder—right where a mating mark would go. The brief contact made me shiver violently,

I was asking him to stop or

traveling down my spine.

to reply when Levi’s

the food ready yet?

sudden absence of his warmth left me feeling strangely bereft. When I turned to look at

he called back, shooting me a knowing smirk. “Just giving Hazel

amazed by how easily he’d switched modes while I was still

muttered, turning back to the grill with burning cheeks.

for my ears.

carried platters of perfectly grilled meats and vegetables to the table. My hands still trembled slightly, and the throbbing between

exclaimed as we