“What the fuck is your problem?” Apollo demanded as soon as they were alone.
Lachlan turned to face him. “Youare my problem.”
“I haven’t done anything to you! We made peace. I’m being peaceful, staying out of your way. I’m leaving you alone. All peaceful like. You’re free to return to your sleazy hookups uninterrupted,” Apollo snapped back.
Lachlan had enough. He slammed his hand on the emergency stop. “I haven’t had any hookups for over a year now. The other night? I just wanted to get a rise out of you so you would talk to me, and you just walked away.”
“It was none of my business.Youare none of my business.”
“But I want to be!” Lachlan ran his hands over his face in frustration. “You know there’s something between us. There always has been since the night we met at thePaw. I’m not going to act like there’s not anymore. I thought you would come around on your own if I gave you your space, but you’re just hiding from me now like a coward.”
Apollo’s face was thunderous.Glorious.“You are delusional. There’s nothing between us, you presumptuous ass.”
Lachlan stepped into his space and bent his head so his lips were almost against Apollo’s. “You’re a bad fucking liar,” he whispered. “You licked my neck on Midsummer, Apollo.Licked me. And then ran away like it never happened.”
“That wasn’t me. It was my dragon,” Apollo said, moving a little back from him.
“You are your dragon.”
“No. My family have actual dragons that are waking up. It licked you because your neck was just there, all submissive-like. I didn’t hang around because I didn’t want it to hurt you,” Apollo explained, staring up at him.
“And your dick hard up against me? Was that the dragon too?” Lachlan demanded because he didn’t think he would ever get a chance to get Apollo alone again.
“I…how dare… My dick…” he stammered, cheeks going red.
Lachlan hummed. “Yeah. Your dick was as hard as mine that night. Bet it’s hard now.” He looked down at the bulge that Apollo’s tight tailoring did nothing to hide. “Oh, yeah, I’m definitely sending your tailor flowers.”
“You’ve got no boundaries at all. Stop looking at me like that,” Apollo demanded. He was pressed up against the back wall of the elevator and looked so flustered that Lachlan wanted to get down on his knees right there and then see how deep that flush on his skin could get.
“Ican’tstop looking at you, Apollo. This is the problem. It’s always been the fucking problem.” Lachlan dared to reach out and loop his finger around one of Apollo’s soft curls. “And I amdonebeing subtle about it.”
Apollo’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”
“It is. So this is how it’s going to go from now on.” Lachlan leaned down until his mouth was next to Apollo’s ear and whispered, “Unless you tell me to stop, I’m going to use every one of my considerable skills and turn them toward dragon hunting. I’m not going to stop pursuing you until I run you to ground and you finally lay down at my feet and give in to us.”
Apollo’s gasp was the sexiest thing Lachlan had ever heard. “And what if I don’t want that?”
“Consent is a thing, golden boy. Tell me to stop, and I will.” Lachlan pulled back so he could look directly into Apollo’s eyes. “If you’re so scared at the thought ofussay, ‘Stop, Lachlan.’ Right now. Go on.”
Gold flashed in Apollo’s eyes. Dominant. Aggressive. He had a dragon in him all right, and it didn’t like being challenged. Lachlan had never been so hard.
“I don’t have to say anything, because I don’t give in to anyone. If you think I’d lay down and whimper before the likes of you, you’ve been hit on the head one too many times,” Apollo said with an arrogant little smirk.
Lachlan smiled back because Apollo could lie to himself as much as he liked. He was agreeing to play this game by not giving in, which told Lachlan he still had a chance. Thank fuck.
“We’ll see, gorgeous,” Lachlan said, and because he didn’t know when to stop, he ground his aching dick against Apollo’s. His smile went wider as he found him just as hard. Apollo whimpered, and Lachlan laughed. “Yeah, my ass it was only your dragon acting up on Midsummer.”
Lachlan stepped back from a dazed-looking Apollo. Before he did anything else and pushed him too far, Lachlan hit the button to get the elevator to go again.
“You’re such an asshole,” Apollo muttered.
Lachlan only laughed. “When I’m fixed on my prey? Yeah. I am. As I said, I’m done waiting for you to come to me, so enjoy seeing the hunter side of me,dragon,” he said.
The doors opened, and he strode out of the elevator.
He didn’t look back.
26
