There’s a gruffness to him as he clears his throat, but he never does avert his silver eyes from mine. Even as his heartbeat lifts to this slamming, demanding pound that matches mine beat for beat.
“Please,” I beg in that same desperate tone.
His fingers slide through my blonde locks fast and hard, gripping the roots in a painful pull. At that, I do gasp. The simple sound of my lust seems to rock through him, and he releases me just as fast as he came. With urgent care, he slides me off his lap and deposits me on the bed before leaping to his feet, adjusting the very thick outline beneath his pants. Then he’s fumbling with the door, using that same hand he just owned my body with, and then with what must be a mumbled apology, he’s gone.
And I’m left breathlessly staring at that inky door once more.
Alone.
Confused.
And still completely pissed off.
* * *
It takes less than an hour for someone to come storming back to me. Where Avian offers me sweet kindness, Zilo is all growling authority, and he’s hard to look at.
“Did you fucking come on Avian?” He’s screaming at me the moment the door offers us the appearance of privacy.
“Come? What? No!”
“I meant come on to him. Did you come on to him!?”
Wait… “No,” I affirm all over again.
But...did I?
“No,” I say once more. “I wanted him to understand how infuriating thistrainingis.”
Yes. That was it. Definitely. Originally that was it…I think.
Roman stands at the door, his shoulder leaning into the frame as he crosses one leg over the other in a cockier than ever stance that demands attention. “Next time, try using your mouth. I hear mouths usually talk more than pussy does.” His gem-like gaze is a mixture of dead attention and…anger.
He’s angry. That aggression lingers there for several seconds before Avian sinks his fist fast and hard into Roman’s stomach. The man doubles over instantly without a single groan slipping from his lips.
“Watch your mouth, Roman,” Avian warns, and this is the second time I’ve watched him correct his friend this way.
And I’m still surprised.
They have the strangest affectionately harsh friendship and overwhelming anger I’ve ever seen.
“It doesn’t matter. Don’t let it happen again,” Zilo warns, his finger pointing at me like he’s shaming a puppy instead of a full-grown woman right now.
“Fine.” I force a smile to my lips and hold Zilo’s hard gaze.
I note the way his attention shifts over my body, my tattered shirt and tight pants. It’s a heated, lingering look that he corrects in the blink of any eye.
“She’s going to get us all killed,” Roman growls.
“No, she won’t.” Avian shakes his head adamantly, setting loose some of his shining dark locks into those silver eyes.
A silence falls over the room as the three of them seem to have a passing of words without using actual words. Two of the three still have a heavy furiousness weighting their brows.
As for me, I just wait. I stand trial before these three men who brought me here to help save their kingdom.
Now, they’re ready to throw me to the wolves already.
“Get going,” Zilo commands without so much as a second glance my way. “Dinner starts in ten minutes.”
