Not fuck.
Love.
A thing I do not think I have done with anyone else.
He swallows hard.
Glances down at the bruises on my body. His hands are heavy on my hips.
“You do not have to,” he whispers, looking up at me through his lashes.
“I want it so much, Sully,” I speak over his mouth, our temples together.
Then he nods, so slowly.
And I reach between us, stroking him under the water, then I settle my hips, and a gasp leaves my lips as I slowly sink myself down on the full length of him.
A groan leaves his throat, and it sounds like the rest of my life.
I slipout into the hallway, leaving Sullen sleeping soundly in the bed, sheets pulled up to his neck, his eyes closed, body at peace. I cannot stop the smile on my face, thinking of his cum inside of me, both of us reaching climax when his fingers worked me over between us with only a little of my own help. I clung to his neck, his lips pressed softly to my sternum, and the growl in his throat was probably heard by half the house.
Let them hear,I think to myself as I pull the door partly closed behind me.Especially Maude.
But it is Cosmo I come face-to-face with, as I knew I would.
I could feel it between us, considering his room is only across the hall from mine. Or maybe it was only in my head, but he’s here, on the floor, spine to the wall, his own door open at his side, light spilling into the corridor.
He has a bottle of whiskey between his fingers and his bleary gaze is on mine.
In Sullen’s black T-shirt and black joggers, I sink down across from my friend, mirroring his posture.
And Cosmo asks, “Are you okay?”
But we both know there is no proper way to answer that question with any ounce of truth. If I tried, we would be here all night.
And so I just say, “I think I will be,” and I mean it.
Cosmo nods once. Takes a drink from the whiskey. He is wearing a white sweatshirt, white joggers. But the aura around him is as dark as the night outside Haunt Muren.
“You’re the evil scientist now,” he says with a hiccup, grinning at me, but it does not reach any part of his heart. “This is your castle, isn’t it?”
I humor him because I know he is hurt and ask with care, “The scientist?”
“You ran an experiment and calculated the conclusion. You were right, choosing him.” He gestures toward my back. “Yourhypothesis that there was more beneath the broken boy, it all checked out.”
“He was never broken.” I do not care what type of mood or hurt Cosmo carries. No one will ever insult Sullen Rule again. Not in my presence.
Cosmo nods once, and drops his gaze to the bottle he holds in both fists now, balancing it on his knee. He is staring at it like it’s his salvation.
I know that feeling.
Too well.
“I’m sorry, about the trap door.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re not.”
“I wanted to keep you safe.”
