Page 70 of Serpent In White

"Hi." I wander farther into the room, making sure to keep my distance. I don't know why I'm still so wary around him, but he makes me crazy nervous, in a very different way from Darian. The silence between us stretches until I decide to speak just to fill it. "I'm glad you came to dinner tonight."

"Are you?" He cocks a brow, swirling the liquor in his glass, around and around andaround... It's hypnotizing.

Blinking hard, I shake myself out of it. "Yea. It seems everyone was happy to have you join."

He lets out a little scoff, eyes falling away. "It sure seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Well, yea," I reply with sincerity, and they dart back up to mine. "They set a place for you every night."

"I know," he mumbles, almost petulantly.

I squint at him. "Then why don't you show up more?"

His jaw clenches as he sets his glass down, stalking up to me, so fast I back into the wall. “You certainly have a lot of advice to give, little mouse.”

He towers over me, leaning in so close I can smell the scotch on his breath, and the rest of him... sweet and sort of musky, like fire and the evergreens that surround us.

"I just call it like I see it." I puff my chest a bit.

I'm not sure where I'm getting any of this confidence, but I think he loves the cat-and-mouse game, and I don't want to play into whatever he's doing, especially if he plans to put me between him and Darian.

I refuse to do that. I won’t be a wedge between anyone.

That said, I'm dying to see Darian again tonight, and I'm also stiffening up in my pants from the current closeness of his brother, so who the hell knows what I'm doing anymore.

"Well... you don't call it like youhearit, hmm?" He grins, inching over my lips. "You can't hear me right now... And it's driving youcrazy."

His tongue lashes out to catch my lip, and I shiver, pulling away. The last thing I need is Darian walking in right now, thinking I chose the Serpent and his mind games over my King.

"You could fix that, couldn't you?" I burn him with a fiery glare. He shrugs. "Give me more Empyrean."

He eyes me for a moment, sliding his index finger up my chest, then throat, tipping my chin upward before humming, "Mmm... nah. I'm good."

"You're an asshole," I seethe, jerking away from him again, this time walking away.

"Never claimed I wasn‘t.” He follows behind me. "Where are you going, little mouse? It was just getting fun."

"I'm going to find Darian," I mutter, leaving the study and heading in the lounge's direction to see if he's there. "You just admitted you have nothing for me... Nothing but games."

"I never said I hadnothingfor you," he rasps, and I stop walking, turning over my shoulder. "I suppose you could have more Empyrean..." I face him fully, folding my arms over my chest. "But I can't just give it to you."

I pause for a moment, my confidence wavering. "What would you want for it...?"

He reaches out and wraps his long fingers around my forearm, tugging me closer to him. I have no choice but to go. My body just moves to him, on its own, like an instinct.

He places his hands on my hips, holding me close, almost as if we're slow dancing. My gaze darts around, nervous that someone will see.

"Remember what we were talking about in my office?" He tilts his face down to my ear. "You wanted to give me something... Wanted me to teach you..."

My dick stirs significantly between us. I'm afraid he might feel it.

I wanted him to teach me how to suck dick...

I can't help but whimper, leaning into him. "I can't now."

"And why is that, little mouse?" His breath warms my ear, and my cock jerks again.

I answer him with only one word... "Darian."