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“Why is this shit even necessary? We’re not even having a sit-down dinner the night of the ball.”

“Aw, the rocks rolling around in your head aren’t clever enough to figure out which fork is for salad, and which is for mains?” Ace teased from his position across the table from me.

I picked up the largest of the forks and waved it at his face. “This one’s for your fucking eyeballs if you don’t shut up.”

Ace sniggered, with Noah joining in. I sighed, looking longingly over at Fallon, who was giggling with Lou, Kendra, and Zane. Stupid etiquette lesson. What a colossal waste of time.

“Cheer up, Big Red,” Dick said as he smoothed out his own utensils. “Just a little longer and we’ll be out of here. Wanna work off some of that frustration at the gym?

“Yes, actually. Yes, I do.” I stabbed the crab on my plate and watched as Dick dabbed at his mouth daintily with a serviette. “Why do they even have this many forks? A fork is a fork. It puts food in your mouth,” I complained again.

Dick chuckled. “In high society, screwing up something as mundane as dinner etiquette will immediately mark you as lower class. Rich people are already assholes, they don’t need more ammo.”

I eyed him sceptically. “You say it like you’ve lived with them all your life.”

He shrugged. “I come from Tritosa. We’re a lot more laid-back than other circles, but we still have a hierarchy.

My parents are pretty wealthy, so dealing with all this is pretty normal for me, though I avoid parties and dinners at all costs.

Honestly, my parents are probably some of the worst of them.

” He bowed his head, his blond hair falling into his eyes.

My poor, sad Little Dick. Something about seeing him down was just too wrong, so I patted him on the back… right after he’d taken a bite. A piece of chewed-up crab flew across the table to land on Ace’s cheek. Dick looked at him in horror as Ace turned stormy eyes onto me.

“What. The. Fuck.”

I burst out laughing, Noah joining me as we both stared at the crab now dripping down Ace’s face.

“It was an accident,” Dick started. “I—I—”

Ace held up his bionic hand, which instantly silenced him. I only laughed harder as he swiped the crustacean from his cheek with a finger and flicked it back over at me.

“The crab fork is this one, Twiggy,” I pointed out innocently.

Ace’s face turned beet red. “You and I are going to have a real fucking problem if you open your mouth one more time.”

Before I could answer, a wail sounded across the room, and I looked in alarm as Zane jumped out of his seat. “Seb! My bunk buddy, my cuddly little crustacean. I thought Kendra murdered you a little while ago but turns out someone else did!”

“Me?” Kendra said indignantly. “Why the hell would I—”

“Who would do such a thing?” he continued theatrically, patting the crab on the plate gently. He glared at everyone. “How could you all? They’re just trying to live their best sand-loving lives before you rip them away from their splendiferous seas.”

“Don’t you eat meat?” Ace asked bluntly. “What’s the difference?”

“I’m from the ocean you cantankerous turtle! It would be like being a cannibal. Do you rip the legs off your mates? No! That would be psycho even for you.”

As silly as the idea was, I could tell Zane was genuinely upset over the choice of dinner and his missing friend, even if I couldn’t understand it.

“It’s okay, Zane,” Fallon said quickly, patting his hair. “We’ll, er, we’ll give him a burial.”

She rose and we followed, padding over to Zane and Fallon’s table where he lifted his gloomy face. Zane’s eyes turned to daggers as he beheld my hand. “What. Is. That?!”

“Um… this?” I waved my fork, which only caused the juicy wad of crab meat to fly off and thunk on Zane’s plate, right on top of his now succulently cooked friend, Seb.

“Oh, no,” Noah muttered.

“You’ve done it now,” Ace said smugly.

“Shit,” I agreed.

Zane roared as he leapt across the table at me, his fists slamming into my face one after the other.

“Potentials!” Luna yelled. “Stop this at once!”

Zane ignored me, pummelling me with all his might. I just let him take his rage out. Poor Merman baby needed to get some steam out, too.

“Why is it always on my watch and why is it always your group?!” Luna grumbled from across the room. “Etiquette lessons are over. Now, all of you get out!”

Fallon gave her an apologetic look, which Luna just waved off with a stressed smile. Zane was still trying to rage on me, so Ace and Noah held him back while Fallon steered me out the door.

“I think it’s best if you give him a small break.” She considered. “Okay, maybe a long one. You know how he gets with his sea stuff.”

“Unfortunately.”

Zane pushed out the door shortly after, gave us a look resembling a deer in headlights, and then bolted down the hallway.

I shared a look with Fallon. “That was weird.”

She snorted, then shook her head. “What isn’t weird when it comes to Zane? Come on, let’s get out of here. Wanna workout? We never got to finish our sprint on the treadmills, you know.”

I groaned, remembering the time my treadmill had fritzed out, sending me crashing off the damn thing. We’d been sprinting as part of a game… Turns out I’d had none. Somehow, it had worked in my favour, though.

“Maybe let’s move to the weight racks,” I suggested. “Meet you in 10?”

She slapped my bum before walking away. “You got it.”

“Hey sweet cheeks,” I called, watching that beautiful face crinkle in amusement.

“Yuh?”

“Wear something sexy.”

Ten minutes later on the dot, she walked in looking like a damn snack. Tight black shorts with a blue sports bra that ended at her midriff and her hair was tied up in a long plait with a purple ribbon woven in.

“Shit, baby. How do you expect me to concentrate with you looking like that?”

“Simple.” She cocked her head as she adjusted her arms into a stretch, which only served to push her tits out. “Just don’t look.”

I snorted. We both knew that was never going to happen, but I could at least try to focus on my own workout.

She continued stretching as I grabbed my weights and hooked up the smith machine to start with some shoulder presses.

My chosen exercise wasn’t at all so I could spy on her.

Not one bit. I started my set, keeping it light as I warmed up my muscles.

I didn’t even have to concentrate, which meant my eyes kept wandering to a certain dark-haired delight.

She was doing a good job of ignoring me, the little minx.

With a huff and a shake of my head, I finished my set then added a bunch of weights to dive into my session, soon fully focused on the high of working out. I finished my set, then looked up to find Angel doing yoga right in front of me, her ass fully in the air as she did the downward dog.

By all the gods, that ass was just begging to be slapped.

She rose, then padded over to me, giving me a good look down her top as she leaned over—unnecessarily, might I add—to grab a weight stacked near my feet.

“Don’t mind me,” she said cheerily, continuing to perform squats right the hell in front of me.

“You’re just asking for it now,” I said as I swooped. She yelped and giggled as I snatched her off her feet and settled her onto my lap. “A little tease like you needs to be punished for distracting me.”

“Oh, no, someone help me,” she said mockingly, a devilish grin on her lips.

I grabbed the base of her plait and tugged. “No one is going to hear you cry except me. And believe me when I say I’m going to make you moan, baby.”

She ground onto my lap, coercing my cock to rise even faster. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

I grinned. “You had no plans for working out today, did you?”

“If you fuck me hard enough, we’ll both be sweating,” she replied sweetly.

Gods, this girl…

I rose, setting her on her feet as I dropped the barbell to the lowest setting. “Stand there and turn around.”

She moved to the middle of the machine as indicated. I rolled her shorts down her perfect legs and she stepped out of them obligingly. She gasped as I swept her feet out, making her stretch so her ass was on full display. Her hands gripped the poles on either side as she did.

“Beautiful,” I remarked, right before I bent her over and thudded to my knees.

Her muscles tightened and relaxed as I stuck my hands on her cheeks, held on tight, and went to town on her sweet pussy. She bucked as I licked and sucked, lapping up every inch of nectar from this perfect goddess.

“Sing for me, Angel,” I said with a breath. “Let the heavens come crashing down.”

“Oh, gods, yes,” she answered, her moans growing louder and louder.

I quickened my tempo, sliding two fingers around the front of her to rub her clit.

She writhed, her legs beginning to shake as she orgasmed.

I tasted the moment she came, relishing every drop like a man starved.

When she was done, I pulled back, staring up at her with admiration as she turned and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“That…” she said with a few shaky breaths, “…was incredible.”

“You’re just hot and bothered because we didn’t get to start something earlier,” I said with a little flourish.

She began to kneel on the floor, but I shook my head. “You don’t want me to go down on you?” she asked, a little confused.

“You think I’d allow you to leave this gym without coming again?” I laughed. “Oh, baby. We’re not done yet.”

I pulled her to me, digging my hands into her hips as I kissed her deeply. She didn’t even mind tasting herself on my tongue as we crashed together. My fingers entwined in her hair, messing her plait up entirely. The ribbon fluttered over my hand, and I caught it before it could drop to the floor.

“I have an idea,” I said, pulling away.

“Okay. But these are coming off first.” She grabbed my cock through my shorts.

I moaned as she pumped it a few times before shimmying my shorts and underwear off altogether. I was just about to get her into position when someone entered the room.