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“Don’tfuck each other. Gods! Give me a damn minute. I just sprinted into nearly every room of this keep looking for the two of you.” Griffin tosses a hand at me, then bends back over. “I’m out of shape and drunk. Give me a break.”
I wait, arms crossed, positioned between him and Valeria like some sort of living barrier, as if it’ll protect her dignity.
“We’ve been drugged.” Griffin stands, holding up a bundle of some kind of herb. “The chef thought this was lavender and added it to the punch. It’s sirelouran blossoms. It’s strong enough to make even the most loyal, celibate monk horny. So, whatever the fuck you two are up to,don’t. Put clothes on, cover your assets, and for all that’s holy and sacred, go your separate ways. You’ll be fine by morning.”
My heart screeches to a halt, every part of me going numb.I almost…She wasn’t in her right mind. She drank the punch. I saw it.
Fuck.
I clear my throat, turning around to help Valeria up.Shame.All I can feel is complete, utter shame in myself. I can’t even look at her. “You should go. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Valeria quietly slips away from me without a word. Griffin clears out of the way as she gathers her dress, pausing in the doorway for a moment. A small part of me hopes she’ll look back, something to tell me that she’s okay. Instead, she shuffles past and disappears into her own room, the one next to mine.
I drag in a deep breath, pushing my fingers through my hair.
What have I done?It could’ve been so much worse, but it doesn’t take back what I did. Whatwedid.I’m not sure if I should admit that I didn’t drink the punch. I left the glass on a table.
“Did you at least not get to the final act?” Griffin asks, still leaning against the door.
“You, um… You stopped us before it got that far, luckily.”
He nods. “Good. Then the muscles and bruises I’ll feel tomorrow from drunkenly gallivanting around the keep will be worth it.”
For the first time since he’s barged in here, I really look at him. His hair is a sweaty mess. His shirt and pants are gone, leaving him clad in nothing but his boxers. “What happened to you?”
He lets out a sharp, “Hah!” and shakes his head. “Let’s just say I was figuring out the hard way that something was dangerously wrong. Between you and me, when you try to bang a rock spirit, check the punch. Don’t wait until after you brainstorm how to make it work. I’m pretty sure I put a permanent bend in my dick.”
I resist the urge to laugh, hiding the smile that threatens to split my face with my hand. “Noted.”
“Anyway, goodnight. I’m going to go try to summon an ice pack.”
25
Valeria
My eyes flutter openas the hell flame crests over the horizon, casting its fiery glow through the domed ceiling of my room. I lay here for a moment, basking in the warmth of the blankets wrapped tightly around me. My muscles ache in a deliciously satisfying way, a stark reminder of last night'sevents.
We didn’t even have sex… Yet, muscles ache where I didn’t even know muscles existed. A gentle rap on the door shatters the silence, slicing through my thoughts like a delicate blade.
"Come in," I call out, expecting to see Eep shuffling in, her broom in hand, ready to sweep the same corner she always does around this time.
Except, it's not Eep who enters. It’s Asmo who slips through the doorway, clad only in silk pants that ride low on his hips, leaving his chest bare save for a smattering of scars. In his hands is a tray filled with fruits and two cups of steaming coffee. Flashes of last night rush forward, no doubt painting my cheeks in scarlet hues.
Asmodeus steps into the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click, then gives me a sheepish smile as his eyesflicker to the tray. "I thought you might be hungry," he says, his amber gaze meeting mine.
Heat floods my cheeks as memories of last night fly to the forefront of my mind of us stealing kisses, of his hands on me, the piano keys filtering through the air…
I clear my throat and sit up, wincing at the soreness between my legs. "A little," I say, reaching for one of the cups of coffee. The rich blend of chicory and spices warms me from within as I take a sip. “But you don’t have to coddle me. I’m fine.”
A growl rumbles in his chest, faint, but I hear it. “I’ll coddle you if I want to, now scoot.” He juts his chin at me, telling me to slide over. The mattress dips under his weight as he sets the tray down on the bed and slips under the covers next to me. I try not to notice how his thigh brushes against mine, though I find myself stealing glances every time it moves against mine, that electrifying touch sparking a symphony of sensations within me.
"Are you sore?" he asks, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
I narrow my eyes and set my coffee down on the tray. "From the dancing, yes."
"Of course… The dancing," he echoes with a chuckle. He pops a grape into his mouth, his gaze dropping briefly to my lips. "Is that what we're calling it now?"
A warm blush spreads across my cheeks as I fight the urge to fidget under his knowing stare. Curse this man for being able to read me so easily, to see through my flimsy excuses. I quickly snatch a strawberry from the tray and take a bite, letting the sweet juices burst across my tongue in an effort to avoid answering. But as I savor the flavor, my body remembers something else entirely. Someone else.
