Valen’s chest slowly expands. His exhale is harsh and he combs his hair back. “That is a suitable way of putting it.”
“A compliment? I might blush.”
Valen smirks. “Yes, I do know how to dole them out as needed, magician.”
Lucas lifts up on his elbow too, my head shifting off his bicep and giving me an excuse to turn slightly to peer at Lucas through my lashes. His voice rumbles in his chest. “I think you shouldcall me ‘Lucas,’ seeing as we’re having this conversation naked in bed.”
“No, and that’s the next part we need to discuss. I wish this were simple. That Astoria, you, and me were the only factors.” He exhales harshly. “But they’re not. There’s a huge complication, one that I must consider deeply because I sense you would never be satisfied with being a filthy, little secret.” He smirks. “Though I’d ensure you’d enjoy every last second of being my secret.”
Lucas’ brows furrow, but he stays silent.
Valen’s fingers on my hip tremble, the only hint to his growing nerves for me alone to know. He whispers softly, “My father might never accept you.”
Lucas’ lips part, but he hesitates. Slowly, he wonders, “Is it because I’m a magician?”
“Yes. He views your kind as magic thieves and will be vocal about his prejudices.”
Lucas smirks. “I’m not easy to chase away from something I want.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should be exposed to such hate.” Valen sighs, shaking his head. “I need time. Time to figure out if this, the three of us, is something worth fighting for. It would cause a great fissure in my family, and I need to know how great.” His hand balls into a fist on my nightgown. “It’s not something I’d want to go into lightly with you.” He lets go to rub his forehead. “It’s a complicated mess.”
Lucas nods slowly. “So, what do you want to do? Try being friends?”
“I don’t want to be your friend.”
Lucas huffs angrily, leaning back. “Fucking great?—”
“You misunderstand.” Valen’s voice is so low, so sensual, that both Lucas and I hold our breaths. Valen leans forward, his eyes glowing brighter. “I don’t want to be friends because I can’t stopthinking about your smart mouth and all the ways I’d like to silence it. I don’t want to be your friend because I’m wondering who you’d prefer being on their knees, you or me, and if you’d fuck my mouth as good as you fight.” His voice purrs, the sound shivering over me. “I don’t want to call you ‘Lucas’ because I want you tomake mewith those little, gold threads of yours.”
Lucas’ breath shivers. “Valen?—”
“And then, when we’ve fucked all the lingering hostility out of each other, I want to know how we’d work together to bend this beautiful woman between us. I want to know how we can work against each other. I want to see who can make her come harder. I want to know if you’d prefer her mouth or her ass while I fuck her drenched pussy and if you’d want to kiss me while we did it.”
Lucas is lightly vibrating and it takes every ounce of control for me not to arch into his rock-hard erection against my ass. His voice quivers. “Could we kiss if I fucked her mouth? You’d be too far away.”
Valen huffs a laugh and it’s so sensual that my thighs clench. “I’d like to find out.”
They’re close, as close as they can be with my body between them. Lucas’ breathing is heavy, his gaze dipping to Valen’s lips. “I think I would, too.”
Valen reaches for Lucas and his hand encircles the other man’s neck. His fingers catch on Lucas’ strong jaw and Lucas leans against them with a sharp inhale. Lucas’ voice is rough. “What about all the things you said earlier? About not being sure?”
“Lucas.” He shivers violently at Valen’s firm tone, his hips shifting against me. “Shut up and kiss me.”
All he can do is nod before Valen’s grip tightens and pulls the magician forward by the neck, my body clenching in hot want when their lips seal. Lucas grips Valen’s bicep, moaning deeply and opening his mouth wide for Valen to kiss as deep ashe wants. Valen’s breath shivers and he licks, his hips shifting against me when Lucas releases a soft whimper of pure want.
Valen pulls back enough to speak, his lips still brushing Lucas’, his thumb running over his pulse. “I’m not going to coerce you. I’ll respect whatever you decide, but we might die tomorrow in a hail of vicious magic and I don’t want my last thought to be regret that I don’t know what your cum tastes like.”
Lucas exhales harshly, panting heavily. “What about Tori?”
“I doubt she’ll object as long as she’s included. She’s been awake this whole time.”
Heat blasts across my face. Caught.
Lucas huffs a nervous and excited laugh, combing his too-long hair out of his face. “I—Tha—” he clears his throat. “If that’s what Tori wants.”
“I’m not asking what Tori wants…” Valen glances down at me. “Unless you have objections?”
I shake my head furiously, not daring to speak.
