They played.
Velario barely heard the conversation flowing around him; he couldn’t stop thinking about Reyn. If Khiran was right, and she would return to Moial soon, then he didn’t want to miss any opportunities to be with her.
He wondered how she’d react if he showed up in her room that night after he left the card game. Would she be indignant that he had snuck in? They had only made love in his home so far, where no one but servants might overhear. Would the awareness of Selona in the next room inhibit Reyn? Velario thought not. He could imagine her fighting to be quiet—she was quite vocal in bed—and every suppressed moan would only intensify the experience.
Velario shifted in his seat. He wouldn’t be able to stand for a while if he continued to let his attention wander in this direction.
But he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He’d have to help Reyn stay silent. He didn’t really care if Selona heard them. His cousin knew that Velario and Reyn were sleeping together. But trying to stay silent would be fun. He’d have to kiss Reyn, swallowing every sound she made, the entire time.
Velario shifted again and considered tossing the rest of his cards on the table, getting up, and making his way to Reyn’s bedroom immediately. He set his cards down and gripped the table, the urge to run across town nearly overwhelming.
Del’s voice broke the silence. “That’s enough, Khiran.”
A moment later, Velario’s need to leave dimmed. Oh, he still wanted to go to Reyn’s room rather than continue playing cards, but the intensity of his daydream faded. He looked over at Khiran.
“My apologies, Del and Danten. It is hard to keep such a potent lure targeted in a narrow area. I hope I didn’t hit you with too much of the overflow.”
Danten cursed. “That was the overflow? What did you hit Velario with, then?”
A lure. Khiran had used a lure on him. “Why don’t I get an apology?”
Khiran raised an eyebrow. “Because you were being a fool. Tell me, Velario, what were you trying to prevent with that white-knuckled grip on the table?”
Velario’s eyes narrowed. “I think you know.”
Khiran looked over at Danten. “Do me a favor and tell Vel what you wanted to do when my lure hit you. And be perfectly honest, Danten.”
Danten glared. “You’d better have a good reason for this, Khiran.”
“I do.”
“Fine. Your lure made me want to jump you.”
Velario looked at his friend. “Khiran? You wanted to jump Khiran?”
“Oh, don’t lie. He directed that lure at you. You had to grab the table not to throw yourself at him.”
“I wasn’t trying to stop myself from going for Khiran. I was trying to stop myself from running out of here, tracking Reyn down, and getting her naked as fast as I could.”
Khiran nodded. “Because you are in love.”
Del sighed. “If you weren’t in love, Velario, you would have had a similar reaction as Danten. No matter your usual preferences, an incubus’s lure directs lust at themselves. With the amount of power I’m sure Khiran was throwing at you, you should have been fighting not to throw yourself at him. The fact that you were focused on Reyn instead means that you truly love her. It is the only way to circumvent a lure.”
Velario crossed his arms. He already knew he was in love with Reyn. He had never said the words aloud, but he didn’t deny his feelings. “And what was the point of that little experiment?”
Danten nodded, also glaring at Khiran.
“I’ll ask you again,” Khiran said, unruffled, “Are those the only reasons for Reyn to stay?”
He threw his hands in the air. “Fine. I’m in love with her! I can’t ask her to stay for me, though.”
Danten groaned. “Five hells. How stupid are you, Velario?”
“I’m not stupid,” he said through clenched teeth. “Telling Reyn I love her and then asking her to stay in Lhanaperi is manipulative. She has plenty of other reasons to stay. If those aren’t enough, then I don’t want her to stay only for me and end up miserable.”
“She knows all those other reasons, idiot. Maybe the only reason she is hesitating is because she doesn’t know your feelings.”
“She knows.” She had to, didn’t she? “You all knew.”
