Lucien’s arms tighten around him. “I’m serious. I’m so into you, it kind of scares me.”
“Fucking lunatic,” Kazia mutters.
“I know, I’ve got it bad,” Lucien says, the smile clear in his voice. “You’re even cute when you insult me.”
That’s the second time Lucien has called Kazia cute, he’s pretty sure. The man is clearly unwell.
Lucien is also still hard. Kazia should do something about that, even if he’ll probably fuck it up. Hoping his nerves don’t show, he straightens up. “I’ll finish you.”
Lucien kisses him again, sweet and slow. “I’m good.” He grins when Kazia looks at him doubtfully. “I feel like I might only get one chance here, and I don’t want it to be over. I’d rather just hold you for a while.”
In his post-orgasm daze, Kazia wants to make all sorts of foolish promises. But he’d like Lucien to keep holding him, too. “Marek was right. You’re dangerous.”
“Look who’s talking, brat.” Lucien kisses his forehead. His lips are gentle as he touches Kazia’s throat. The click of metal echoes as he unbuckles the collar.
Light and free, Kazia follows Lucien’s tug and rests against Lucien’s chest. He never knew a heartbeat could be so loud.
“You’re right,” Kazia says quietly. “I’ll send a letter to Marek—on one condition.”
Lucien strokes through Kazia’s hair. “What is it?”
“You have to incinerate him if he gets near me.”
Lucien’s hand pauses. Then continues. “I can do that.”
Kazia smiles and closes his eyes. He doesn’t dare fall asleep, but he can rest here and forget the pain for a while.
?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Lucien
Two days later, Lucien watches Kazia pace and hopes he’s right about the kind of man Marek is.
They’re in Kazia’s second parlor—the fancier, seldom-used one. Lucien is discovering that private spaces are important to Kazia. Allowing people into the inner layers of his quarters feels like a threat.
So the second parlor is better for today’s meeting. Especially since, as Kazia put it, he’ll be less annoyed if they have to destroy this room.
“You’re going to be out of breath by the time they get here,” Lucien says on Kazia’s seventeenth circuit.
Kazia wags his finger. “It’s rude to point out when someone is having a nervous breakdown.”
“Sorry.” Lucien leans against the table. “I didn’t learn proper manners in the pigsty.”
It’s the wrong thing to say. Kazia’s face fractures.
Maybe that means it’s the right thing to say, because this is yet another thing they’ll need to clear up. Lucien thinks through his words. Not because he’s afraid of angering Kazia, but because he wants to convey the truth. “I like talking about my family. Keeping them around, in a way. Ma would have laughed at the pigsty joke.”
Kazia doesn’t look any happier. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong?” Lucien says, reaching out.
Kazia places his hand in Lucien’s. Carefully, like he’s grabbing a snake. “Nothing’s wrong.”
Lucien tugs Kazia just an inch closer, then waits.
“You should hate me for it, but you don’t,” Kazia says eventually.
