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The word “friend” sounded different coming from him.

“I’m fine,” I said, irritated.

His eyes traveled down my body and back up, slow and predatory, like he was examining me.

“Ye sure about that?” he asked softly.

And then he kissed me.

Rough and demanding. His hand fisted in my hair and yanked my head back to hold me in place. His tongue pushed into my mouth before I could even figure out what was happening.

I froze. My thoughts drowned beneath a wave of adrenaline, swallowed whole.

“Fuck, ye’re pretty,” he murmured, his accent thick and rolling. “Been watchin’ ye for months, Ashford. Wonderin’ if ye’d let me have ye.”

“I—” My voice cracked. “What are you doing?”

“Shh.” He laid his thumb across my lower lip, silencing me. He kissed me again, harder this time, and I felt my knees go weak.

I’d never been kissed by a guy before.

Thom’s hands moved to my belt, and I made a sound of protest, but he ignored it. He unbuckled me with shocking deftness and shoved my pants and boxers down just enough to free my cock. I was already hard. Mortifyingly, desperately hard.

“Christ,” Thom breathed, wrapping his hand around me. “Look at ye. So fuckin’ big already.”

And then he dropped to his knees.

I barely had time to register what was happening before his mouth was on me, and I gasped, my hands flying to the shelf beside me for support. He took me deep, his tongue working in ways I didn’t know were possible, and I felt the orgasm building almost immediately.

“Thom—” I choked out. “I’m gonna⁠—”

He didn’t pull off. Just hummed around me, the vibration sending me over the edge. I came hard, my vision whiting out, my whole body shaking with the force of it.

When I finally came back to myself, Thom was standing again, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and grinning like he’d just won a match.

“Fuck,” he said, his voice rough with satisfaction. “Ye’re exactly what I’ve been waitin’ for, Ashford. Pretty and needy. Perfect.”

The words should have offended me. Should have made me angry. I’d never been called pretty before, and I certainly wasn’t needy. I prided myself on being tough and self-assured.

But all I felt was a heady rush of want.

“I—” I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “I don’t understand.”

“Ye will.” He stepped closer, his hand sliding to squeeze my ass. “Tell me somethin’, Luc. Are ye a quick learner?”

I nodded before I could stop myself.

His grin widened. “Good. ’Cause I’d like tae teach ye some things. Would ye like that?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

He laughed, a low, rough sound that sent heat pooling in my stomach, and he gave my ass another squeeze.

“I’ll see ye later then,” he said, and walked away.

I stood there for a long time after he left, my heart pounding, my mind reeling. Thom MacLeod was gay. And he wanted me. I should have fought him off. But all I could think was that I’d finally found a distraction.

The first time we had sex was in the cottage.