AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I can be," I taunted.
He caught my hand and stepped back, dragging me with him. "So what happens when I make demands?"
I saw the chair he was aiming for. A priestess danced on the table before it, two paces out of the way so she wouldn't get bumped. Three men sat before her, leaned back in their chairs with a glass of alcohol in one hand, their eyes on her body and their erections blatantly obvious. At the same time, they were casually discussing their businesses and the teamster strike.
Zayr lowered himself into the chair and tugged at my hand again. "Is this a demand?" I taunted.
"Oh, I'm thinking it could be," he assured me. "I'm dying to taste those lips."
So I crawled right into his lap with a knee on either side of his hips. My hands found his shoulders, and I leaned in. "Will you beg for me, Zayr?" I asked, my voice breathy.
Catching my hips, he pulled me right across his dick, proving he was hard. "No, but I love a challenge." His hand tangled in the hair at the back of my neck and he pulled me closer. "Right now, my rank is protecting you, Nari." His words were deep and husky, but I knew he wasn't talking about the way he was throbbing beneath me. "The men at the other end of the bar wanted to have you thrown out. The ones two tables over think they should get a turn on you. This? It's not a safe place for you."
I arched my back to slide my chest against his. "I know, but I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, Zayr." Then I leaned in close to his ear. "It's a favor for a dear friend."
He turned his face and his eyes met mine. "The strangest thing was that I didn't expect to like you. Instead, I think I've met my match." And then he kissed me.
It wasn't the soft and gentle kind. Zayr's mouth claimed mine, explored it, and took what he wanted. My teeth caught his lower lip and he thrust his hips into me, forcing me to let go when I gasped. This was a battle, but the kind I liked. Zayr was playful, seductive, and all man.
In other words, I wanted him. No, I didn't love him - and I never would. I didn't really want to feel anything for him except pure, carnal lust, and I did. Behind all of that was a bit of respect, the first hint of friendship, and something else. As our mouths dueled, each of us trying to out-do the other, driving both of us breathless, I realized what it was.
I trusted this man. I also trusted my guardian, who was casually leaning against a chair directly behind ours, watching me as if he was making plans of his own - and that was what got me wet.
Chapter 68
Talin
My brother had excellent taste in men, I had to admit. Zayr Horvat was tall, sculpted, and delicious-looking. The man's jaw was square and angular. His lips were the kind that begged to be devoured. His sultry brown eyes were a bit darker than his sandy brown hair and golden-brown skin. Set against the white and gold of his suit, the man reminded me of caramel and cream.
And my desire looked like she enjoyed sampling him. I watched as her hips rocked against his, and Zayr encouraged the friction. Both of her hands were on his neck and jaw, holding his face to hers. As they moved, I got glimpses of the way that thin silk outlined her breasts and the hard peaks in the center.
She was beautiful like this, and the sight of her with a man I found sexy made it even better. Each time she rocked against him, her subtle movements were betrayed by those golden chains. The mass of her dark braid and the adornments in her hair may have hid the lace down her back, but not the shape of it. Zayr's hand was wrapped around her just low enough to dip inside the fabric and caress her ass. His other hand held her mouth to his.
Clearly, this was a guy who was more comfortable with women than men. He touched her like he knew exactly how to get the best result, and Nari was holding nothing back. So when Zayr began to kiss his way down her neck, I wasn't surprised at all to see Nari close her eyes and lean her head back. A man in a grey suit, however, was watching her intently.
He stood more than twenty feet away, so I didn't bother moving yet. I also didn't want to stare at him. Instead, I allowed myself to enjoy the show my beautiful woman was giving. Casually, I checked my weapons, flexing my ankle in my boot to tighten the leather against my calf so I could feel the dagger hidden there. My hand brushed the sheath against my back. I could feel my sword resting against my other leg, and the weight of the pistol was obvious.
When Nari's hands began to work open Zayr's shirt, the men on the opposite side of the dancer's table laughed. They were convinced they were about to get a front-row seat. Well, I hoped they enjoyed it. A man to my left pointed to the couple, making his friend turn so he could see too. And to my right, Ela and Thiemo paused to look.
Ela made a production of shrugging it off and then tilting back yet another glass of what I could guess was port. He had to be feeling that by now, and his eyes were glazed but still much too aware. Thankfully, the relaxed expression on Wraythe's face assured me that this was fine. Ela's darkness wasn't trying to take control, and if he was drunk, he'd already made his consent clear.
I breathed a little hard, refusing to actually let it become a laugh even as my gaze returned to Nari. From what he'd said, my brother had only ever been with one man in his life. He found others attractive, but he was still trying to figure out what to do about that. I could understand, but only to a point. I had been twelve when I'd figured out that I liked boys just as much as girls. Thiemo was at the end of his twenties, and now trying to start all over with his seductive moves.
Yeah, Ela would teach him a thing or two. Oddly, I also hoped that he enjoyed being with my partner. I knew Ela liked him. I'd also figured out that Ela didn't love him. Those were two very distinct feelings for that man, and he never blurred the lines. Friends were people he'd help. Lovers were people he cared about. Family were people he'd kill for - and never even stop to think about it.
And he considered me to be family.
I liked that feeling. What I didn't like was the way that man in grey was casually moving closer, meandering with another man. I checked his companion's tie, but didn't see a mark of Zeal. That meant he wasn't a priest. The other men to my left had pulled in an additional friend. This guy had a scowl on his face, which made me think he was one of the many people who despised Nari.
Then the man in grey split from his companion. Nari had Zayr's shirt open. Her hands were inside the fabric, caressing his chest. His hands were under her dress, clearly caressing something else. Zayr's lips were on the skin just above her neckline, teasing my desire as he kissed across the exposed flesh instead of down. The pair were completely lost in their passion, and yet the man in grey didn't seem at all embarrassed to be staring.
He also didn't look happy.
One more step brought him close enough to talk to the trio watching the dancer. I couldn't hear what they said from where I leaned, but someone gestured to the swaying priestess as if he wasn't overly impressed. It seemed the men weren't worried about her performance as much as the size of her breasts. The man in grey chuckled with them, nodded as if in agreement, and then turned.
His path took him even closer to Nari and Zayr, but he was aimed for a spot between them and the chair next to them. Still, every muscle in my body had tensed, because something felt off. I did not like the way that asshole looked at my woman. The thought of him even talking to her made my mind slow and my rage grow. This time, I didn't try to push it back down for the sake of polite society. Instead, everything else shut off, and all I cared about was his next step.
Without warning, he lunged. It took him three steps to reach Nari. I pushed away from the chair. His grubby fucking hand landed in the back of her hair and he yanked her back, pulling her face to the sky and her body so far from Zayr that she should've toppled over. My feet moved. Those golden eyes jumped open in surprise, but Nari didn't cry out. She didn't yelp in fear.
