It was bad enough that everyone in the mansion was no doubt already making guesses, since word that the two of them were in a sexual relationship had spread, and they were clearly sharing a bedroom while Nuri healed. That was the only reasonhe hadn’t bothered begging Silver to push their first game off until tomorrow when Nate would be gone.
Did it really matter at this point when everyone would already assume they’d done it come morning?
Nuri set the ball back down between them. “Usual rules?”
“Largest number wins,” Silver confirmed.
“N.I.M.,” Nuri licked his lips and shifted nervously on his feet, “roll two dice, please.”
He held his breath as the orb lit up, a pale blue light at the center glowing. A second later the distinct sound of dice clattering together came from it, and then the holographic image of two squares shot from the ball to roll across the floorboards.
The dice rolled for a good couple of feet before coming to a stop, and they both leaned in to see them.
Four and three.
“Seven,” Silver said with a frown.
Nuri exhaled in relief at the same time. Seven was good. It was high enough that he stood a fighting chance.
“N.I.M.,” since the AI was voice-activated, Nuri was going to have to be the one who initiated, something he was surprised the Emperor didn’t seem bothered by since he was usually so keen on being in control of every little thing, “roll two dice for the Emperor, please.”
The first set of holographic dice flickered and disappeared. The process started again, the tension rising with every realistic shaking sound emitted from the device.
N.I.M. sent another digital pair out and Nuri could have sworn time stopped as he waited for them to settle.
A five and a six.
“I win,” Silver sounded pleased, but Nuri was still staring at the dice, trying to sort out the emotion he was currently feeling.
Was he disappointed or…was he excited?
“Better luck next time, Narek.” It was the only warning Silver gave before he was scooping Nuri up off his feet and carrying him over to the king-sized bed.
“Wait!” He gasped as he was dropped onto the mattress, mind reeling from how quickly things had escalated. Sure, they’d done it once before and this morning Silver had given him a hand job but—
“I’ve been waiting,” Silver said. “My patience for you has come to an end, I’m afraid. You lost, pet. Now it’s time to pay up.”
Before Nuri could fully process what was really happening, his work clothes were practically torn from his body. In less than a minute, he was left naked, lying against the silk sheets with the Emperor kneeling between his spread thighs.
Silver drank him in, his palms resting on Nuri’s upturned knees, touch hot and possessive as his gaze swept down the length of his chest to the spot between his legs.
To say he was embarrassed would be an understatement, and it took all of Nuri’s resolve not to cover his face with his arm and try to hide from the other man’s scrutiny. Logically, he knew he wasn’t unattractive. His job kept him in almost constant motion, so he was lithe, and since he often times helped with moving heavy items around, he was also toned. He couldn’t be compared to someone of Silver’s stature, sure, but Nuri had a nice body.
That didn’t make this any better though.
For some reason, having the Emperor see him like this had him second-guessing his decision. Not that he’d had a choice in the matter. It was either this or pretend he wasn’t into it when Silver took him anyway. Having seen the footage of Ackor Hue, Nuri already knew that’s how things would play out. He may start off fighting, but he’d give into Silver’s ministrations in due time.
At least this way he could save himself some dignity. It didn’t matter that logically he knew for the Emperor this was technically their second time. For Nuri, who barely remembered the first, this was fairly new territory and now that he was here—and completely of sound mind—it all felt wholly overwhelming.
“You’re already dripping for me, Narek,” Silver’s taunting pulled Nuri from his thoughts, instantly putting him back on the defensive despite the resigned direction his mind had been taking him. “I haven’t even touched you yet and you already look like you’re about to explode. Do you honestly think you stand a chance here?”
“Is that your way of telling me I should change my mind?”
“Too late for that.” Silver leaned back and started to undo the buttons of his dress shirt, slowly exposing his golden skin to Nuri. “I’m not letting you get out of this.”
“I didn’t sign anything legally binding.” He wasn’t sure why he was instigating him, but Nuri was distracted by the anticipation brewing in his lower region and that had left his mouth with less of a filter.
“A gentleman’s agreement.” Silver tugged the shirt off and dropped it over the edge of the bed before his fingers went to the button on his pants.
