“Just give me the word, and I’ll do it,” he taunts me.
Desire curls in my lower belly, and when he kisses my foot gently, I feel the tip of his tongue taste my skin, and my hands grip the desk, holding myself back from asking for more. In the background, I hear someone clearing their throat, but my eyes are on Lex, and I can’t stop looking at him. Nothing deserves my attention away from this moment.
“Mr. Morwen,” someone says with a voice full of authority.
Lex and I look at the same time, finding a man I don’t recognize. He has a fancy suit and hard eyes. I tense, thinking I’m going to be taken away for more interrogation, but Lex waves the man away.
“Don’t worry about me.” He chuckles.
Lex lowers my foot back on the ground, and instead of feeling grateful, I’m annoyed that the moment is over. A moment passes, and the man realizes that Lex won’t turn around or stand, so he clears his throat again and gives up on getting our attention.
“Grab your things. This class is canceled,” he tells them all.
“Where’s Cillian?” a student asks.
“This class is canceled,” he repeats. “Grab your things.”
With no other explanation, he turns on his heel and leaves the class. It’s not a surprise that Cillian is not around to teach this class, but there’s a weird vibe hanging thick in the air as everyone makes their way out and it comes from more than Lex nearly eating me out in front of them. I watch them all leave, apprehension coming back to me.
“Come on, I’m still here.” Lex takes my chin in his hand, and I smile, deciding there’s plenty of time to be worried later.
CHAPTER 70
LEX
Her eyes return to me,and I exhale easily. She is so damn beautiful it’s hard to remember more serious things when she’s looking at me. It’s been that way since the first time I looked at her. Things have gotten so much more complicated since then, and a visceral need to protect her swells in every part of me. The secrets and lies are about to implode inside Bellthorn, and we are counting down to the end of an empire that I have long benefited from.
The four families have always removed the obstacles in their way—people disappear or lose their investments—so it’s not surprising to me to find out another family got fucked because of the greed of our fathers. But this time sinks so much lower. All of us fear the implications of what our fathers pinned on hers, but something else about Sable’s story doesn’t add up.
She’s a Colefax, the fifth heir, and she’s a Briarwick. It almost seems like she’s a weapon manufactured to be used against them, but why would they create their own undoing? Hubris, I decide. She was made an Offering, and her dad got massacred by the fuckers. They thought they won, so why would they do all of this?
There are too many pieces in this puzzle, and I worry more people are waiting around the corner to harm us. Cillian, for example. I’ve been close to him for a long time without seeing the truth of the situation. Is he just jealous like Orion believes? Nina specifically warned Sable away from him, and sure, I don’t trust her, but she’s been right often enough to take her seriously. There’s too much haze in the air right now, and we need a full picture.
She stares at me like the full picture is right here, and I see why the founding families have always insisted on an Offering. Sable is one hell of a distraction. Too bad they never counted on us falling in love. Now, I have to be careful not to move the wrong pawn. I reached out to every money-motivated fucker I could find, rather than those with status, and started digging through a massive mountain of shit. The minute Nina said Sable’s dad was wrongly accused, I knew that was the biggest hole in this entire story. That’s an entire sex ring, and someone has to be responsible.
Sable is right. Bellthorn is not safe for her, but she needs to know the whole truth. Running away won’t do anymore, but that doesn’t mean I want her worrying about all that. She’s been in fight-or-flight mode for a long time, and it’s destroying her. Sure, she gained weight since she came back to us because we all forced food on her, but the scars she’s carrying aren’t only the ones carved in her skin. She brings me back to the room with a tug on the leash.
We walk through the university, but this time she sticks to the sedate hallways and secret passages. I smile at what a quick learner she is, but it’s obvious she’s not enjoying parading me around like before. She still tugs my leash, though, and I’m happy to go along under her command. I have big plans for us both. Sable lets the leash go the moment we are back to myroom, and I sigh in fake disappointment. “Are you done? Are you sure?”
Even through her worries, she smiles a little. “I really enjoyed our walk. You really are such a good boy.”
She’s so funny, I snort a laugh. “Do you think that’s all I need? A little praise?”
“Academic geniuses usually like praise. I thought it was all you needed.” She shrugs, but a hint of a smile plays on her lips.
“No, I have other plans to fulfill my needs.” I let my voice sink to a dirty tone, and her eyes flare.
“I thought I was the one making demands,” she says.
I give the leash back to her. “So make them.”
Her smile comes back in full as she pulls it, making me stumble.
“Kneel,” she orders.
Goose bumps run from head to toe as I quickly oblige her and sink to my knees. My hands slide over the smooth skin of her legs. Fuck, she’s so gorgeous.
“You look hungry, baby,” she says, anddamn, she’s right.
