He cut me off with his lips on mine.
It took me a second to process what was happening, because what the fuck? But no sooner had my mind caught up to the fact that Axel waskissingme, there was a firm hand on my shoulder wrenching me backwards.
“Really, cousin?” Dathal growled from beside me, violet eyes so dark they looked almost black.
And furious.
His sole focus was Axel, but his fingers dug into my shoulder like he thought I’d run any second.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
“You couldn’t leave it alone, could you?” Dathal spat. He hissed more words I struggled to hear but heard enough to know I didn’t understand a single one of them.
Axel’s eyebrows rose to his hairline, and he clapped a hand over Dathal’s mouth. “Rules, D. Remember the fucking rules.”
Dathal closed his eyes, chest heaving with each breath in. His grip on me loosened, and when he opened his eyes again, the fire in them had dimmed, simmering like a banked fire.
I felt like a spectator at a boxing match. Gaze ping-ponging between them, all while people continued to dance all around us, like we were invisible. And thank fuck because the last thing I needed was to make a scene in my own club on opening night.
Whatever was happening here, and I had a fair idea, we needed to take it off the fucking dance floor.
“Come with me.” I peeled Dathal’s fingers off my shoulder but kept hold of his hand. “Both of you,” I added, glaring at Axel. I wiped a hand across my mouth, still tasting him there, and it felt so wrong I was at a loss for words.
Fucking Axel.
I led Dathal off the dance floor and headed to my office, Axel following. I fully expected Dathal to reclaim his hand, but instead his fingers wrapped around mine in a death grip.
Okay then.
With them both in my office, I kicked the door shut and leant against it. “What the fuck was that out there?” I glared at Axel because it was all his fault.
Mostly.
Maybe?
I didn’t fucking know anymore.
Dathal let go of me and stalked across the room to perch on the end of my desk, fingers curled around the edges. I wondered fleetingly if that was to keep his hands occupied so he didn’t strangle his cousin.
“Axel?” The eye-roll I got from him was totally unwarranted as far as I was concerned. “Youkissedme, for fuck’s sake.”
“Yes,” Dathal murmured, his tone glacial. “Why did you do that when youknewthis would happen?” He gestured around the room at the three of us.
I had the distinct feeling I was missing something.
“You know why I did it,” Axel replied.
I was pretty sure we all knew why. The anger still rolling off Dathal was evidence enough, but why had he felt the need?
I rubbed my eyes, suddenly tired. It’d been a long day already and I still had a few hours to go yet. “I’m assuming you kissed me to make Dathal jealous?”
Axel nodded, then smirked. “I mean, it was no hardship, but I think we’re both way past that now.”
“Yes, we are.” I glanced at Dathal as I said it, hoping to convey that in no way was I interested in Axel as anything more than a friend, but he wasn’t looking at me. He wasn’t looking at anyone.
He had his head bowed, eyes closed, and a pained expression on his face.
“What I don’t understand,” I said softly, “is why you needed to make Dathal jealous?” I held my hands out wide and looked to Dathal, who’d finally decided to face me, then Axel. “I’m a big boy. If Dathal isn’t interested in pursuing anything other than friendship with me, then that’s fine. It’s his decision. I don’t see why you,Axel, thought you needed to try and force us together.”
