“Do tell,” he said with a broadening smile.
“Councilwoman Reid’s daughter,” Lex said.
Hagen’s brows shot up. “That tall, skinny bitch?” he asked. “I thought she’d decapitate Naddi today. That’d have been a grand finish to this week. Venari would have a new castle.” He winked at Bala.
“Though it’s her father you want to be wary of,” Lex added. She looked down and gave Skye another squeeze. “He’s convinced she’s his good little girl.”
Skye smiled, biting her bottom lip, and she moved onto Lex’s lap, laying her head on her thigh. Lex stroked her hair and smirked at Bala, who shook her head.
“Haven’t had the gall to tell him exactly how good she is.”
Skye’s hand began moving up and down Lex’s thigh, and Lex hitched one of her legs up, spreading as Skye’s petite fingers slowly moved to Lex’s clit.
“Mm…” Lex uttered as she shifted, letting Skye tease her. And Lex relaxed like it was normal for her to be pleasured while smoking and chatting with friends. She drew a long inhale on her pipe, still brushing Skye’s hair back.
Hagen turned his head to Bala. “I want one,” he repeated.
Bala huffed a short laugh. “Maybe when you’re older,” she goaded him. “I’m actually surprised you were not in bed with the King and Queen tonight,” Bala added.
“Saving that for Dahrkenhill,” he said, exhaling the smoke. “Special occasions and such,” he said gruffly.
“That’s a secret adventure I’m staying out of,” Bala muttered. Her head tilted as she saw Skye lean forward, her tongue darting out over Lex’s clit, and Bala shifted in watching her. She liked the look in Lex’s eyes as she tugged and stroked Skye’s head. So confident and at ease as she drew another inhale on the pipe.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” Bala said under her breath.
And Hagen was already slowly touching himself. Bala reached over and moved his hand, taking over stroking him, and he rested his hand on her neck instead to massage her there in an encouraging manner.
Skye looked over to them and leaned up, hungrily eyeing Hagen’s cock. “Do you—“
“Keep doing what you’re doing, love,” Hagen instructed Skye. “You’re leading this. Show us what we want.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
IT WAS THE dead of the night, quiet all around, when Nyssa finally woke well enough to sit up. She moved to the end of the bed, grabbing Nadir’s shirt to put on and trying not to wake him. Her legs curled beneath her as she reached for some of the food he’d brought, along with some water, and the danish melted deliciously on her tongue.
She was starving, unsure of if her legs still worked, and she couldn’t help watching him sleep.
As creepy as she knew it was.
But he looked so innocent lying there, still rounded where she’d been laying in his chest, his arm thrown out on the pillows. Seemingly at peace. She wondered what kind of Commander he was to his people. If he was a commanderofthe people instead of to… If he mingled with them in their day-to-day lives and helped out when he could. If he was invested in their actual well-being or if he was more about keeping up appearances.
She liked to think he was the former, but she hardly knew him.
Nyssa leaned her back against the poster and watched the fire cackle in the fireplace to her left, chewing slowly now on the piece of cheese she’d sandwiched between a flaky pastry.
This week had seemed so long, and yet not. How could time fly by as it had and yet feel as though it had been a lifetime since the beginning? The castle had been so full of laughter and bonding. She wasn’t looking forward to everyone leaving the next day and the tense silence that would follow.
The bed shifted, and Nyssa looked over just in time to see Nadir stretching. “Fucking Infi,” he muttered, lying back against the pillow, hand propped up behind his head as his eyes landed on her.
She gave him a small smile, memorizing how gorgeous he looked against her champagne sheets, and her stomach knotted when she knew it would be the only time she would see him this way.
He would be gone tomorrow, and she wasn’t even sure when or if she’d ever see him again.
“You can keep that shirt after I leave,” he told her. “It looks much better on you than on me.”
She wanted to laugh. Truly, she did. But her heart constricted at the mention of him leaving, and she cursed her own fantasizing mind.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
