“No? So you’re just going to keep it to yourself?”
“Keep what?” Zane blew out a breath in frustration.
“The fact that the doorman wants to be impaled by your cock?”
Zane stared at him. “You can’t mean Byron.”
“Pretty sure I do.”
“The man is eighty-seven!”
“And?” Pavel quirked a brow. “Old people still get horny, Doctor.”
He couldn’t believe it’d taken him this long and the topic of sex to be brought up before he realized, but now that he had, Zane couldn’t help but ask, “Pavel. Where are your clothes?”
He grinned at him. “I wasn’t going to get them wet.”
“Where are they?”
“Over by the garden entrance.” Pavel tilted his head to the right where the side glass door entrance—which Zane could have sworn was locked—was located.
“Okay. Get out, go put them on, and go home.”
“I have a better idea.” Pavel took a step back and then dove, disappearing only for a moment before returning with a small waterproof black bag he must have dropped when he’d grabbed him. He set it on the edge and then reached for Zane, turning him toward the stairs that led in and out of the pool.
The pool itself was massive, and the domed ceiling above was gilded, with hand-painted depictions of angels and demons fornicating. Zane couldn’t help but catch sight of one particular painting where an angel had a demon bent over a chair and was roughly fucking him from the back when Pavel eased him down to one of the steps.
He was on one low enough the water was almost at the tips of his shoulders, but he didn’t complain when Pavel captured his chin a second time and tilted his head to get a better look at the bitemark he’d left there.
“Pleased with yourself?” Zane couldn’t help but break the silence after a while, a bit perturbed by the intense way Pavel stared at the wound. That shit had hurt, and he really wasn’t down for another one.
“Getting there,” Pavel said, then met his gaze. “You’re not resisting.”
“Is there a question in there somewhere?”
The corner of his lips twitched. “But you’re still a brat.”
“Let—” Zane found himself pushed until the back of his head connected with another of the steps. A hand circled his throat and held him pinned underwater as he flailed, his legs kicking out but unable to make contact with the way he’d been positioned on the steps with Pavel between his thighs.
He was already cursing when he was dragged back up, but Pavel didn’t seem to like that, clicking his tongue at him once before shoving him back down once more.
It took him an embarrassingly long time to get over the panic, going still much like he had earlier when the man had ambushed him. His eyes glared up, catching sight of Pavel’s shifting image above the surface.
This time when he was brought back up, he grit his teeth and kept the swearing to himself.
“Good boy.” Pavel brushed sopping strands of Zane’s hair off his forehead almost lovingly. “Such a fast learner for me.”
“What are you doing?” he was sure to keep his voice even and not raise it, afraid that would trigger the other Retinue member as much as the cursing had.
If he’d had his knife, perhaps he wouldn’t be at such a disadvantage, but as it were…Pavel was stronger than he was, a lot more than Zane would have guessed even, and if the other night in the forest had been any indication, he could, and would, easily overpower Zane if he wanted.
That shouldn’t be even remotely hot, and yet Zane could already feel the heat beginning to creep beneath his skin. He fought against it, not wanting Pavel to notice, but of course that was wishful thinking.
Pavel’s gaze dropped to the spot between Zane’s thighs and he smirked. “It’s not exactly growing as quickly as I hoped it would, but at least your body is reacting to me this time. Last time I had to play with you a lot before you rose to the occasion, do you remember?”
“I do not consent to you touching me,” he snarled, not even surprised when all that did was earn him a mocking bark of laughter. Honestly, he was surprised he’d bothered saying the words as well.
Consent?
