“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I saw you and Jusso leaning in close to each other, smiling. It was obvious that something was going on.”
“What? No.” I snorted. “When was this? And where?”
“Friday, week before last,” Taroc said. “You were in the red games room on the first floor.”
“The red . . .” I frowned as I tried to remember. “Oh! That's right. Jusso was playing cards with us. I got up to get a drink, and he got one too. While we were walking back to the table, he said he was going to win the next round. I stopped to respond, as one does to that sort of egging on. Then we went back to the game. There was nothing more to it than that.”
“That's all? But he touched you. And he looked at you as if . . .”
“As if what? He wanted to fuck me? He probably does. It doesn't mean I want to be with him.”
Taroc's expression went blank. Then he narrowed his eyes at me. “But then I saw you and Vardan. Don't tell me nothing was going on with him. I heard what he said, and I saw you accept it. You were going to kiss him.”
“That was after you made it clear you weren't interested anymore,” I said with a huff. “And I was just starting to flirt with Vardan. I did it to get over you!”
“Get over me?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “I was . . . having feelings.”
“For me?”
“No, for Vardan.” I rolled my eyes. “Of course, for you. Are you telling me that all of this was because of one vague conversation you overheard?”
Taroc grimaced. “It was that and then Jusso and then Vardan . . . I guess it was a bunch of terrible coincidences.”
“You're an idiot,” I said.
He sighed deeply. “I guess I am.”
“But even after all of that, you sat with us to show your support,” I went on.
Taroc grinned. “Maybe I was having feelings too.”
“Oh?” My heart instantly started to race.
How could I have ever thought Vardan could replace Taroc? I had started something with Taroc and I needed to finish it, one way or another.
Taroc drew closer. “Yeah. I'm having them right now.”
I grinned and deliberately glanced down. “Are you? I can't tell.”
He grinned back as he grabbed my hand. I thought he was going to put it on his crotch. I mean, that's what I would have done. But no, Taroc set my palm on his chest. Even through his tunic, I could feel the rapid beat of his heart.
My eyes widened, and I whispered, “All right. Now, I can tell.”
Taroc jerked me against him and covered my mouth with his. Immediate arousal. Flames. Mind-spinning desire. Bones to jelly, the only stiffness in my body concentrated in my cock. But my throbbing erection was minor compared to the passion and relief inside me. My heart had been withering under the notion that Taroc didn't want me anymore. Now, it blossomed. It burst back to life.
I fell to the side with him, onto the bed. Taroc growled and rolled with me so that he was on top. Something hard and big ground against my thigh. So hard it felt like stone. Shivers ran through me. My spine arched. Everywhere he touched sang.
And he touched a lot.
Taroc's hands made quick work of my belt, then my pants. He pushed them down, exposing my undershorts, then shoved my tunic up, getting me naked from nips to navel. Then he was at my left nipple, sucking hard. Taking my nipple and a chunk of flesh into his mouth. Feeding at me. Claiming. Like a fucking animal. I groaned and held him to me, one hand at the back of his head and the other around his shoulders.
“Taroc,” I said breathlessly. “I can't. Not yet. Especially not here.”
“I'm not going to fuck you.” He grabbed my cock through my underwear and pumped it.
