It was all a trick.
As though victory was all he’d needed to fully push him over the edge, Zane cried out then, cock spurting between them, painting Pavel’s expensive black dress shirt in cream. The orgasm had him twitching and moaning like a porn star, and he didn’t rush to bring it to an end, riding the toy all through it, wringing himself dry before he finally slumped.
Zane shut the vibrations off but didn’t remove the dildo right away, focused on coming down from his high.
He looked breathtaking. Like everything Pavel had ever dreamed of, used and satiated. Spent and lax and sitting naked in his living room while the moonlight and the glitter of the city outside danced across his skin.
Pavel’s hand lifted, but it was like Zane could sense the movement, eyes snapping open and landing on him. He froze, not entirely sure why he was doing so but unable to help it.
Finally, Zane grabbed the toy, pulling it out with a wet sound that had them both shuddering. Carelessly, he left it on the ground and lifted on to shaky legs, swaying slightly before finding his bearing.
“It took me a bit longer than usual,” Zane said, his voice husky as he moved away and started getting dressed. “You were right, of course, I’d never given you enough attention before. I had to remedy that first, in order to figure out what would make you tick.” When he turned back, tucking his shirt into his pants, he was already smirking. “What do you think? Did I dogood?”
Pavel flinched and stood. “Wait.”
“You lost.” He shook his head, onto the buttons of his sleeves now. “Fair and square.”
“There was nothing fair about that!”
“What ever do you mean?” Zane bat his long inky lashes at him mockingly. “I’m not the one who couldn’t follow the rules.”
“Where are you going?” Pavel reached for him when he went to exit the living room area.
“Home.” He glanced down at his hand on his wrist pointedly and then shook his arm. “Let go.”
“You mean to the Little Palace?”
“Where else would I mean?” Zane sighed in exasperation, as though he was dealing with a tedious child and not someone he’d just come in front of.
And all over.
With a scrunch of his nose, Zane seemed to recall that part as well, eyeing the stains on Pavel’s shirt. “You should go change. Just remember, no getting your injury wet. An infection would be nasty.”
“Doctor—”
“Stop.” He yanked his arm free. “You’ve got nothing on me, Pavel. The video is gone and you’ve lost our bet. Thanks for the tracking device though, I think I’ll be keeping it. It’ll make it easier for you to know my whereabouts and avoid me, don’t you agree?”
“I’m not doing that. I’m not—”
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Zane took a threatening step toward him, all of the mirth draining away so there was nothing but the cold, dark look in his empty gaze. “Whatever past version of me you’re clinging to in your head, get rid of it. Whoever that kid was, he’s dead. I’m not him, he is not me. You,” he stabbed a finger into the center of Pavel’s chest, “mistook me for someone else and it cost you, plain and simple. I’m Royal Zane Solace, future Royal Doctor to the Imperial family, and a Devil of Vitality.”
He leaned in, warm breath fanning against the curve of Pavel’s ear. “If you want to own me,gorgeous, you’re going to have to do a lot better than that.”
Chapter 17:
This was getting tiresome.
Zane sat across from Professor Diar, alone with the man in his office, and tried not to openly glower or grimace in disgust every time that leering gaze settled on him. Everything about this was stifling and upsetting, and yet there was nothing he could do but dance to the older man’s tune and pretend like he wasn’t fantasizing about all the ways he could kill him with various objects strewn about the room.
“I’m glad to see you’ve taken my advice,” Wells broke the silence as he continued to flip through the research paper Zane had submitted. His finger scrolled over the holopad screen, but his movements were too quick to convince his audience he was actually reading anything. It was all a farce.
Just like this meeting.
Zane didn’t need him, didn’t want him, and frankly, would be a lot better off without him. But accepting the professor as his mentor wasn’t a choice he was given. Lyra had been the one to set them up, and he wouldn’t risk disobeying her just to avoid a few uncomfortable situations with her cousin. It wasn’t worth it.
Risking his future on a loser like Wells wasn’t worth it.
Especially when he’d already had to speak to the staff at the Little Palace about touching his things. Some of his stuff kept going missing randomly, and he was convinced they were tossing items before they were fully used. He had half a mind to order them to stop cleaning his rooms altogether, but there was no way he’d have time for dusting and vacuuming with everything else he had on his plate.
