Chapter 5

Emery’s pov

Jax stood towering over me, his face an unyielding mask of stone, while Miller and Brody watched my reaction like hawks waiting for prey to break.

I looked down at my bare feet against the hardwood floor, my mind frantically searching for an exit that simply didn't exist.

"You don't have to look so terrified, love," Miller murmured, stepping into my peripheral vision as his low voice cut through the quiet room. "It’s not like we’re asking you to do anything you haven't already posted online for a bunch of nameless strangers."

The hypocrisy of his words made my stomach churn, but I kept my lips locked tight to stop myself from crying out.

Jax reached out, his long fingers brushing against the hem of the oversized jersey I was still wearing. The sudden contact made my skin prickle with heat, sending a shiver straight down my spine that I couldn't hide fast enough.

His dark eyes locked onto mine, tracking the subtle rise and fall of my chest with an intensity that felt far more dangerous than Miller's casual smirks.

"Go upstairs, grab whatever outfits you use for your little cameras, and bring your ring light down to the living room," he ordered in a voice that left no room for negotiation.

Brody leaned back against the sofa, crossing his heavy arms over his chest as a slow, lazy grin spread across his face. "Make sure it's something short, Emery, because we want to see every single thing those paying subscribers get to see," he added softly, his eyes trailing over my exposed legs.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of all three of their stares pinning me to the floor like a specimen on display. My

knees felt weak as I took a slow step backward, turning away from them to head toward the staircase before my composure completely shattered. Every step up to my room felt like walking toward an executioner's block, each second dragging me closer to the point of no return.

I slipped into my bedroom, locking the door behind me and leaning my head against the cool wood to catch my breath. My hands shook violently as I opened my closet, pulling out the small box where I kept my camera props and my most popular online outfits.

I picked up a delicate black lace corset, staring at the fabric with a sickening mixture of humiliation and overwhelming anxiety.

Downstairs, I heard the low rumble of their voices and the clink of glass bottles as they waited for me to return. I took a deep, shuddering breath, unbuttoning Jax's jersey as my heart hammered wildly against my ribs, knowing that tonight, there would be no screen to protect me.

I pulled the lace corset over my ribs, hooking the tiny eyelets down the front with fingers that wouldn't stop trembling. The lingerie hugged my waist tightly, accentuating every curve while leaving my chest and stomach almost completely exposed through the delicate black weave.

I paired it with the matching lace bottoms, staring at my reflection in the mirror with a sudden, suffocating wave of vulnerability.

This was the exact outfit RinkKing99 had tipped five hundred dollars to see last week, but wearing it in front of three live, breathing men in my own living room felt infinitely more terrifying.

I grabbed my tripod ring light, unlocked my bedroom door, and forced my legs to carry me back down the carpeted stairs.

When I stepped into the living room, the main overhead lights had been turned off, leaving only the dim amber glow of the kitchen counter illuminating the space. The three of them were spread across the large leather sectional, their massive athletic frames taking up almost all the room in the shadows.

Miller was casually swirling the ice in his glass, while Brody leaned back with his arms stretched along the top of the cushions.

The second my feet hit the hardwood floor, all three of their heads turned in unison, their eyes locking onto my exposed skin like predators spotting prey.

Miller let out a low, appreciative whistle, his jaw dropping slightly as his gaze swept slowly down my neck, over the sheer lace of my corset, and down my bare legs.

"Well, shit, captain," Miller breathed out, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees to get a better look.

"I guess our girl really doesn't hold anything back for her online fans after all." Brody didn't say a word, but his dark eyes darkened as his chest rose and fell in a heavy, measured rhythm. Jax sat perfectly still in the center of the sofa, his broad shoulders tense and his knuckles white where his hands gripped his thighs.

"Set up the tripod right there in the middle of the rug, Emery," Brody instructed. I moved like a ghost into the center of the room, my skin burning under the weight of their unrelenting stares.

My hands fumbled with the metal legs of the tripod, setting it up right on the soft woven rug in front of the coffee table.

I plugged the black power cord into the wall socket, and the large circular ring light snapped to life with a blinding, icy white glow. The bright light washed over me, casting my shadow long against the wall behind me while keeping their faces hidden in the dark shadows of the couch.

I stood trembling in the center of the ring light, wrapping my arms tightly around my waist in a desperate effort to shield myself. "Position the camera angle like you would for a video," Miller commanded softly. "We want to see how you pose when those strangers drop their tips into your account."

I swallowed down the lump in my throat, reaching up with shaking hands to adjust the phone holder mounted in the center of the light. I stepped back into the glowing circle, standing helpless under the harsh white halo while the three of them watched every breath I took.

Jax slowly pushed himself up from the sofa, his towering six-foot-two frame stepping out of the shadows and directly into the edge of the light. The bright halo caught the sharp, dangerous angles of his jaw, his dark blue eyes burning with an intense, chaotic mix of rage and raw arousal.

He walked up until he was standing barely two feet away from me, his shadow completely enveloping my smaller frame. The heat radiating off his broad chest was overwhelming, filling my senses until I couldn't focus on anything other than his massive presence.

He reached out, his long fingers brushing against the lace trim at my waist, sending an electric shock straight through my nervous system.

"You like playing the seductive little temptress for men who pay you online, Emery?" He rasped out.

He leaned down until his breath brushed against the sensitive shell of my ear, his fingers hooking gently into the edge of my lace corset.

Jax’s grip tightened on the lace until my heart nearly burst out of my ribs. I squeaked when he smacked my ass.

“Get on with it.”