Amma writhed under his brief touch, hip shifting into the hardness in his lap. That elicited a reaction from him, a quietgroan from the back of his throat that didn’t read on his face. His fingers came back to rove over her inner thigh, painfully close but never slipping beneath the swath of fabric between her legs. A smirk finally began to crawl up his face as she wiggled her hips to rub against his length, but his hand clamped down hard, and she fell still.
Never had anyone teased Amma like this, coming so close to touching her over and over and then veering away, but if this were how Damien carried out consequences, maybe she had no idea how cruel he truly was. Her breathing had gone ragged, her arms weak from keeping the cards at eye level, and her breasts and core ached in need of even just the brush of his fingers.
She gnawed her lip, watching him, but he refused to meet her gaze, focused instead on the game, only acknowledging that he was doing anything at all when she squirmed and he smirked. Amma let her arms fall only once, and there was a pinch to her thigh, the pain making her snap back to attention.
She leaned her face closer to his then and whined quietly. His eyes flicked from the game to hers, and she knew she had to look desperate, but she didn’t care, she wanted—no,neededhim to touch her. If she didn’t get some actual relief soon, she was afraid of what she might do to get his full attention.
Damien pouted, a look so on the cusp of sympathetic that it gave her the tiniest sliver of hope. “Are you suffering?” he asked lowly, throwing a card onto the table mindlessly but not taking his eyes from her. Instead of replacing his hand on her thigh, he brought it to his chin in contemplation.
She nodded, mouth open, unable to form the proper words to express what she needed.
“And you believe that I’m merciful enough to end your suffering, don’t you?” Damien stuck his finger in his mouth, tongue running over it and leaving it wet.
Amma’s eyes widened, core clenching, and she nodded muchmore vigorously. She couldn’t watch as his hand descended between her legs, gnawing on her lip, heartbeat pounding in her ears.
“Well, I’m not.” He tore his gaze from hers and chose another card from her hand to play leaving her unspoiled.
Amma whimpered, and, totally frustrated, brought her legs together to end things.
Damien dug fingers into her hip and mumbled against her ear, “Don’t you dare.”
Her breath caught, and she slid her thighs apart again. He only ticked a brow and then went back to perusing his hand, the game continuing along with her suffering.
Finally, there was a shout and a bevy of swears as both the dwarf and the scaled man stood, throwing down the rest of their cards and pacing away. While she was captive on his lap, Amma hadn’t been paying attention to the game at all, but it came to an end and Damien took the rest of the cards and threw them onto the table, finally turning his full attention on her. Eager, Amma sunk toward him, hands on his chest, but he only grabbed her waist and held her still.
“I expect you’re willing to behave now that you know what happens to bad girls when they don’t.”
Heat prickled all over her. “Why would I?”
He cocked his head. “Because there might be something better in it for you if you do.”
She opened her mouth, not sure what was going to come out, but his eyes suddenly darted away and then widened, making her fall silent. Amma began to look over her shoulder, but his hand shot up to grip her jaw, holding her there.
“Don’t.” His voice had lost its playful tone, eyes pulling back to her. “Stay here, and do not move. This is not a game.” He shifted her to the side and stood, plopping her down into the empty chair. “Idris, keep an eye on her.” Damien swept away,and the man at the table’s far side nodded in agreement, his own captive having found his way into the vampire’s lap.
Frustration flared in her belly. If this was some sort of test that would make Damien fulfill the last threat he’d made, she would absolutely turn herself to stone for him, but the urgency with which he’d left told her otherwise.
Amma sank into the chair, the largeness of it swallowing her. Fear began to replace her frustration, watching the back of Damien as he mingled into the crowd. He had promised no one would touch her because she was his, but if he was gone, then what? His form came to a stop across the hall where another figure stood partially shrouded.
“My, my, kitten, what alovelysurprise.”
Amma’s breath was stolen by dread. She prayed to Sestoth it was only her imagination, but when she gazed upward, there was Xander Sephiran Shadowhart, leaning down just beside her ear.
“And here I thought you’d be in your husband’s bed by now, not in Bloodthorne’s lap.”
Amma squashed herself into the corner of the oversized chair as far from him as possible. In contrast to most of the others, Xander’s white coat gleamed under the dim lights, matching his hair, gathered up into a braided knot atop his head. How she’d not seen him over the course of the day, she had no idea, but that was likely by Xander’s design.
“No touching,” rumbled the vampire Idris from across the table, golden eyes flicking to Xander only once then refocusing on the man in his lap who was happily digging around beneath the table.
Xander laughed, a high and joyous sound. “Don’t worry, even though I would adore partaking in some catty shenanigans, I will abide by the truce.” He held up his wrist, flashing the cuff they all wore. Then he rested his chin in his hand and leaned even closer. “Must say, though, if you are for sale, I would bedelighted to take you to my chamber tonight. How much?”
Amma scoffed, all the anticipation between her legs immediately drying up.
“Suit yourself. I’m getting most of you for free as is.” He leered down at her, and she threw arms over her chest, feeling her skin go as red as the silks. “Really, I’m disappointed to see the two of you. I thought I’d finished you off, and I never expected Bloodthorne to be in such a good mood after all that. Though…” Xander pouted, gesturing across the hall.
Amma followed his gaze to where Damien was standing, back to them as the other figure had taken a step into the light. It was a woman, nearly as tall as Damien with long, black hair falling in a perfectly straight cascade on either side of her sharp face.
“Now, why didn’t I think ofthatangle?” Xander sighed, a sound like pleased exhaustion. “Probably because I can’t stand even the thought of that monster, but it does look like he’s tolerating her pretty well, doesn’t it?”
