“Well.” She padded over to where they remained frozen. She eyed the scones before plucking the fluffiest from the batch. Slowly, she lifted the pastry to her lips, tongue testing the corner before she took a bite and moaned.
The sound went straight to Laz’s cock, and at his back, Dav’s twitched.
Rose swallowed and brushed a crumb from the corner of her mouth, giving them a once-over. “Don’t let me interrupt. I especially liked the part where you were recounting my make-out session with Laz at the tip of Dav’s cock?—”
Davarox released Laz and they both dove for her. Rose’s scone went flying as she squealed, and they chased after her until Laz got hold of her hips, Dav squishing them in his arms as he pulled them down to the plush rug in the living space.
A rush of kisses, lips on skin, and then they were laughing and gasping for air in a heap.
Rosalind still ended up in the middle, her legs draped over Laz’s lap and head resting comfortably on Dav’s chest.
“Are you both… We’re all good?”
Davarox pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Yeah, baby. Better now.”
Lazerath squeezed her knee. “Hey, beautiful?”
Her fingers froze where they’d tangled into Dav’s hair, his braid a lost cause. “Yeah?”
“I love you. Maybe that’s a lot too soon, but considering how miserable not saying anything made Dav?—”
“Hey.”
“True,” Laz said, anticipating Dav’s argument. But he turned his gaze back to Rose, whose eyes had gone watery. “I’m done not saying how I feel when I feel it, okay? Look at what that did to me and Dav, so, I love you. And youdon’t need to?—”
“I love you, too.” Her voice was steady, firm, even as she sniffled and gave him a gentle smile. “So much. My heart is so full with you.” She looked up at Dav. “Both of you. Dav, baby, I love you.”
When Dav smiled, Laz realized he’d never seen his friend so happy before. So at ease.
Davarox reached up and cradled her cheek, holding her gaze to his. “Baby, I love you, too.” His hand slid down her throat and belly, finding Laz’s hand without effort. “I’m sorry I was going to leave before?—”
Rose jerked upright, glare downright glacial as she pinned him to the spot with her look. “I’m sorry, you were going to what?”
Lazerath let out a howling laugh, enjoying the sight of Dav squirming in fear underneath her. “Oh gods, Dav. You’re going to need a dozen more of those scones to get out of this one.”
24
BONDS AND CHAINS
Davarox
“Idon’t like this.”
Lazerath flashed Dav a frown, though the bastard was doing no better with his nerves. He hadn’t stopped bouncing his knee since they’d taken up post on this wall. It kept Rosalind in perfect sight where she sat at the table, an unnecessary number of columns and alcoves and bodies separating them.
“This demon has information that will help her proposal,” Laz said, sipping his wine as his eyes trailed a passing group of demons. “Don’t you want that?”
“Of course I do,” Dav hissed, ducking his head as he tried to blend into the wall. No matter what corner of the mansion he found himself in—some noble’s party in a some founding village of Heck—he felt eyes on him. It was ridiculous, really, but that didn’t stop the sickly attention fromcrawling over his skin. “But you heard what Rose said about Ember’s trial.”
Thank fuck Laz had been at city hall to bring her food yesterday. Dav had kicked him out, partly to keep him from burning another batch of loaves as he waited to hear whether his brother could return to duty with the guard, mostly because Dav knew the air would do him good. Except all it had done was put the red demon into another panic after Rosalind had learned of Ember’s presence in the building, which only stressedherout further as Laz ran off to find Severath.
It was just a mess, but during that mess, Rosalind had convinced herself that Tarzul was responsible for Elliran not coming to work, and maybe her disappearance entirely. Why else was the Horn so adamant about pinning everything on a human who had nothing to gain?
Which had only reminded Rosalind of her perceived failures back in the human realm to defend Ember, forcing her to throw her entire self into defending the other womanandinvestigate a missing demon who worked for an increasingly suspicious councilor. So here they were, crashing a noble’s party because Mozke owed a favor to a friend of a friend who wanted a good look atone of those human womenin exchange for information on bribes and funding to the Horn of Finance.
But if Elliran really was missing, and if Tarzul was responsible, there was no way Davarox was going to be letting Rose out of his sight.
Mozke let out a laugh across the room, the pale blue demon blending in effortlessly, though Dav supposed they were much more accustomed to events like these when it came to politics. Even their partner, a broad-chested, giant gold demon in a tailored suit and not their glittery Serenity Storm attire, made looking casual its own statement.
