Page 17

Zane was good at this.

Really, really good at it.

Too good.

The suede of the coach shifted beneath him as Pavel readjusted his legs in a poor attempt to relieve some of the pressure on the spot between them.

The swollen, achy spot that he couldn’t touch or even slip free from the cinching confines of his pants. His eyes were locked on the man lying on his back on the floor before him, trying not to think about how close Zane actually was.

A moan filled the air and Pavel ground his teeth against the way that caused his stomach to lurch. Good Light, this was torture.

Zane played with himself as though he were alone, his feet set on the thinly carpeted floor, thighs spread wide so Pavel could see every minute detail. His lower abs bunched as he rolled his heavy sack in one hand, his motions switching between light tugs and squeezes as he fondled himself.

His other hand tweaked at his nipples, roughly yanking on them and rolling the buds between two fingers. He hissed whenever he was too rough with himself, but never shied away from the touches, the lengthening member between his thighs proof he was enjoying every second of it.

Once he was at full mast and straining, the hand cupping his balls dropped lower, middle finger circling his puckered hole. He lifted his ass, giving himself better access and Pavel a better view at the same time, both of them groaning when he hooked that digit inside of himself.

Pavel wanted to touch him. Wanted to order him onto his hands and knees. Wanted to demand Zane present himself like a good boy. Wanted—A harsh chuckle cut through his thoughts and his gaze lifted back to Zane’s face.

The Doctor was smirking at him knowingly. “Giving up already?”

Pavel frowned, realizing with a curse that his hand was rubbing at his own thigh. He forced himself to stop the movement, going completely still even when the other man laughed at him.

“Your eyes are glowing,” Zane pointed out. He continued to stretch himself, seemingly unbothered when Pavel could no longer resist and his attention dropped back down. “Where did you store the video file?”

The question came out of nowhere and his mind scrambled to comprehend it. Before he really could, Zane reached for the black bag.

He’d set the dildo on top of it while he warmed himself up, but now he moved it and took out a bottle of lube. Still on his back, he brought the bottle low, squirting a hefty amount of the clear liquid just below his balls.

“Remember the pool?” Zane asked, fingers roaming down until they came to his hole again. Slowly, he started to push the globs of lube into his entrance.

“I know what you’re doing,” Pavel warned, but his tone lacked all the bite that needed to be in it. “You can’t play me like Lyra or Kaz.”

“Lyra likes to finger me too,” he said. “And Kazimir? Kazimir likes to bury himself deep on that final pump and bite my shoulder, right,” his free hand taped at the mostly healed mark where Pavel had torn through his flesh, “here.”

“You get under people’s skin,” it was as much a personal reminder as it was a statement. “I know you.”

“Think so?” Zane sat up, maintaining eye contact while he reached for the dildo, slathering it in lube as well. Gracefully, he slipped a leg through one of the thigh straps, then the other, until he could slide the toy up his body. He moved into a kneeling position next, knees spread wide as he lifted and adjusted the thick crown of the black silicone cock. “You know what this is like then, right?”

He sunk down onto the object, lips parting in a silent gasp as he took all eight inches of the toy. “You don’t, do you? Because you’ve never had me like this. You can forcefully fuck me in a pool or in the dirt against my will, but this?”

Zane planted his left hand on the carpet, leaning ever so slightly forward as he fully seated himself. The glint in his eye was wicked, the mask he’d been wearing earlier for Nikita and Ledger dropping away to reveal his true face.

To the rest of the planet, protecting the Retinue was Zane Solace’s calling. What he’d done in the restaurant, throwing himself into harm's way because Nikita belonged to Ledger, that was common behavior. Madden kept them in line, Zane kept them safe. It’d been that way since the beginning.

If he had to take a guess, Pavel would assume even Kelevra was blind to the truth of the matter.

Zane didn’t care about the Retinue.

Zane cared about Zane.

He’d always been like that, even before he’d been adopted and lost his memories. His survival instincts had always been stronger than most, that was why when all the other children had avoided Pavel like the plague, the much smaller Zane had gravitated toward him. Even then, he’d easily calculated the odds and figured his best shot was at Pavel’s side.

“You don’t know what it’s like to have me welcome you inside,” Zane continued, fiddling with the controls of the toy. “To have me ride you. After tonight, you’ll never get to experience that.”

“Don’t be so sure,” he growled, cock twitching when the hum of the toy switching on reached his ears.

“I’d rather ride a million toys than willingly sit on your dick,” Zane said, head dropping back to expose the long length of his throat as the toy began to fuck into him, each pump causing his hips to roll. He settled back on his heels, wrapping a hand around himself as he began to leak precome. “This feels so good. So perfect. It’s hitting me so deep in all the right places. Nothing’s ever fucked me—” he adjusted the settings, turning them up, “—so hard before.”

Zane’s body twitched and jerked, a sheen of sweat breaking out over him as he gasped and mewled. His brow furrowed and he sucked in his lower lip, working it between his teeth before the dildo must have hit him in a particular spot that had him wailing and careening forward.

He caught himself, but not before Pavel shot closer, hand outstretched to catch him.

Pavel’s fingertips stopped less than an inch away from Zane’s face, his eyes widening as he stared at the offending appendage. He’d almost just…

Zane chuckled and shifted back onto his heels, squeezing his dick instead of stroking it, as though he couldn’t handle all the stimulation. “You want to take me,” he trailed his other hand up his thigh, “don’t you?”

He rested his clenched fists on his knees, digging his fingernails into his palms to help clear his head as the doctor taunted him.

“Now’s your chance. You could do it. We’re all alone and the door is locked. This is your territory, Pav. No one can stop you. Sure, I’d fight you, but that’s half the appeal, isn’t it? You like the way I resist.”

He really did.

He liked the rush he got whenever he forced the delectable doctor to accept him. To submit.

“Submit?” Zane quirked a brow and Pavel realized he must have spoken that single word aloud. “I don’t think so. If you want me, you’re going to have to take me, before this rubber cock completely ruins me for the real thing. It feels so good. It’s stretching me so wide and pounding me—”

“That’s enough, Doctor.” He wouldn’t fall for this. Pavel felt blood pool beneath his nails and dug in harder.

Zane quieted for a moment and tipped his head, the buzz of the toy filling the space between them. With a sigh, he reached back into the bag, only this time he didn’t pull anything fun from it.

“What are you—” Pavel sprang to his feet the second Zane brought the edge of his star crystal dagger to his own throat. “Doctor.”

“Not everyone is capable of gaining the upper hand with me,” he said, still rocking on the toy as though he wasn’t threatening his own life. “Where’s the video stored?”

“It’s on my multi-slate.”

“Any backups?”

“No,” he cursed, “no. I was never going to use it against you anyway, so there was no reason to take it that seriously. I didn’t create a backup.”

“Remove your device and toss it over.”

Pavel did as he was told, unstrapping his multi-slate from his right wrist. Carefully, he bent and slid it toward Zane.

Faster than he could blink, the doctor slammed the hilt of his dagger down, shattering the screen. But before Pavel could move even an inch closer to attempt to disarm him, the blade was back against his jugular.

Zane shook his head. “Sit back down. I’m close.” He clicked his tongue when Pavel went to return to the couch. “Not there. Here.”

Pavel stared at the empty space between Zane and the couch that he indicated with a jut of his chin.

The incredibly small space.

How had they gotten here, and so quickly? He tried to go over all of the rules and terms of the game they’d set, but he’d been distracted. Foolish. He’d allowed himself to fall right into the doctor’s trap even knowing how manipulative Zane could be.

Zane, who was growing impatient. He caught Pavel’s eye and dug the blade against his neck.

The second he saw a spot of red roll down the length of Zane’s throat, Pavel reacted without thought. He slammed onto his knees, grabbing onto the doctor’s wrist to tug the dangerous weapon away. “Don’t.”

His answering grin sent a cold wave racing down Pavel’s spine. Zane leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss, neither of them closing their eyes or looking away.

Shock held Pavel in place, his finger still loosely around Zane’s wrist even though rational thinking had finally caught up with the rest of him.

The doctor would never take his own life.

It was all a trick.

As though victory was all he’d needed to fully push him over the edge, Zane cried out then, cock spurting between them, painting Pavel’s expensive black dress shirt in cream. The orgasm had him twitching and moaning like a porn star, and he didn’t rush to bring it to an end, riding the toy all through it, wringing himself dry before he finally slumped.

Zane shut the vibrations off but didn’t remove the dildo right away, focused on coming down from his high.

He looked breathtaking. Like everything Pavel had ever dreamed of, used and satiated. Spent and lax and sitting naked in his living room while the moonlight and the glitter of the city outside danced across his skin.

Pavel’s hand lifted, but it was like Zane could sense the movement, eyes snapping open and landing on him. He froze, not entirely sure why he was doing so but unable to help it.

Finally, Zane grabbed the toy, pulling it out with a wet sound that had them both shuddering. Carelessly, he left it on the ground and lifted on to shaky legs, swaying slightly before finding his bearing.

“It took me a bit longer than usual,” Zane said, his voice husky as he moved away and started getting dressed. “You were right, of course, I’d never given you enough attention before. I had to remedy that first, in order to figure out what would make you tick.” When he turned back, tucking his shirt into his pants, he was already smirking. “What do you think? Did I do good ?”

Pavel flinched and stood. “Wait.”

“You lost.” He shook his head, onto the buttons of his sleeves now. “Fair and square.”

“There was nothing fair about that!”

“What ever do you mean?” Zane bat his long inky lashes at him mockingly. “I’m not the one who couldn’t follow the rules.”

“Where are you going?” Pavel reached for him when he went to exit the living room area.

“Home.” He glanced down at his hand on his wrist pointedly and then shook his arm. “Let go.”

“You mean to the Little Palace?”

“Where else would I mean?” Zane sighed in exasperation, as though he was dealing with a tedious child and not someone he’d just come in front of.

And all over.

With a scrunch of his nose, Zane seemed to recall that part as well, eyeing the stains on Pavel’s shirt. “You should go change. Just remember, no getting your injury wet. An infection would be nasty.”

“Doctor—”

“Stop.” He yanked his arm free. “You’ve got nothing on me, Pavel. The video is gone and you’ve lost our bet. Thanks for the tracking device though, I think I’ll be keeping it. It’ll make it easier for you to know my whereabouts and avoid me, don’t you agree?”

“I’m not doing that. I’m not—”

“Let’s get one thing straight,” Zane took a threatening step toward him, all of the mirth draining away so there was nothing but the cold, dark look in his empty gaze. “Whatever past version of me you’re clinging to in your head, get rid of it. Whoever that kid was, he’s dead. I’m not him, he is not me. You,” he stabbed a finger into the center of Pavel’s chest, “mistook me for someone else and it cost you, plain and simple. I’m Royal Zane Solace, future Royal Doctor to the Imperial family, and a Devil of Vitality.”

He leaned in, warm breath fanning against the curve of Pavel’s ear. “If you want to own me, gorgeous , you’re going to have to do a lot better than that.”