“Are you angry?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Rin grinned. “I like that you want to keep me. It’s nice being wanted. It’s nice knowing it’smethat you want.” His gaze took in the corset again. “You’re so flashy.”
“This pill is more annoying than I anticipated,” Kelevra said. “You sound like you’re drunk.”
Rin was only partially listening, trailing his hand down, down, over his hip to—He yelped when Kel rolled them, pinning him to the bed with his wrists up by his head.
“We aren’t doing that right now,” Kelevra told him. “Sex can’t solve everything, remember?”
“I think I lied then too,” he said, only to have Kel click his tongue. “Come on. I want to. You want to.” To help drive that point home, he lifted his hips, grinding up against the impressive bulge already forming in the Imperial Prince’s pants. “See?”
“We’re talking.”
“We can manage to do both at the same time.”
“This is serious.” Kelevra searched his gaze. “Did your father ever hurt you?”
“We got sick a few times when he locked us out of the house at night,” Rin admitted. “And he’d raise his hand now and again, but nothing major. It wasn’t about that for him. He wanted control. He and I are very similar in that respect.”
“Except you want to give control up, don’t you remember, Flower?”
“Only sometimes,” he corrected. “Only with you.”
Kelevra paused. “Do you even like me?”
“There are times I want to drown you in the nearest body of water,” he said honestly. “But I’ve liked you since you first lured me up here and made me take that pill. It was…fun. I liked being forced. Why do you think I didn’t try to fight you off?”
“You didn’t want to risk getting your brother and you thrown into prison,” he guessed dryly.
“That too.” Rin snorted. “But no. It was deeper than that. Yes, you’re the Imperial Prince and I had to be more cautious. I couldn’t just hit you like I did Brennon last week.”
“I’m still mad about that too, Flower.”
“It didn’t mean anything, and his breath was awful.”
The corner of Kel’s mouth twitched. “Was it?”
“The worst. Even if you and I hadn’t been together, I would have pushed him away. I’ve never wanted him like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like how I want you.”
Kelevra settled himself more firmly over him. “Tell me you’ll become Rin Varun for real. On paper.”
“I already said I would. My brother will do the same. He likes being Sila. He just won’t admit it.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I know him.” The two of them had always known each other. That’s probably what kept them from going crazy. “We never had a mother, and our father was never interested in forming any sort of bond with us. For the most part, we had only each other to rely on. Then you came along…I hated you that day in the locker room. When I found out about the betrothal? I hated you so much that day.”
“The decree said Rin Varun,” Kelevra easily understood what he meant. “You were worried I’d trap your brother or discover your deception.”
“It was supposed to be one night, what we did here. Then you were meant to get bored and forget all about me.”
