Chapter 31
Stew
Sinta
“They have those for Fae?” I gasp.
He only nods, face severe, eyes hard.
“I won’t tell.” I promise him.
“I like you, Sinta. I want to take you out and get to know you more.” He tells me, his voice grave. “But if you tell, if you hurt Tomashi, it’s him I’ll protect. Whatever it takes.”
I don’t think I’d ever been threatened with death so subtly. He was utterly serious – none of his usual playful demeanour present.
I felt like this moment was important. The life-changing kind.
And I knew I wasn’t the kind of person to tell other people’s business. I wanted to make sure Rapid knew he could depend on me.
Trust was essential.
“I promise I won’t tell.” I assure him, watching the ice of his eyes thaw. “And I’ll make us even – so you can be sure about me.”
He frowns. “What do you mean?”
“A secret for a secret. Leverage over each other, complete assurance on both sides.”
He jerks. “That’s not what I meant.” He refutes. “I don’t want that, it’d be like blackmailing each other—”
“It won’t, because I trust you not to tell. This’ll help you trust me.” I tell him, my tone firm.
He studies me from beneath furrowed brows, his fingers drawing patterns on my arm. “It feels wrong. But I also understand why you’d do that.” He says. “It’s not something lame like where you lost your virginity or something, right? I feel like that’s nowhere near an even secret.”
I laugh, feeling nervous, but bolstered by the deep-rooted determination to trust him. To hope he could be trusted.
Pulling in a deep breath, I push it out in one big exhale. “I-used-to-work-in-an-adult-pleasure-house-as-a-dominatrix-and-I-am-a-Dragon-Shifter-going-through-the-Fever.”
The look of utter confusion on his face was so child-like it was almost adorable.
“You used to….. did you say Dominatrix? And something about a dragon……” He shakes his head, taking a step back and releasing me to push a hand through his hair. “I feel like you’re making fun of me.”
Wincing, I shake my head and try again, but slower. “No. I used to work in a pleasure house, I was a dominatrix. I just found out I’m a Dragon Shifter, and I’ve started going through the Shifting Fever.”
The comical look of shock, the unhinged hanging jaw and utter disbelief, was hard not to laugh at.
But this was serious, literally my biggest secrets, and I needed him to understand that.
I needed him to understand that I was offering him my trust, to prove that I could protect and nurture his.
“Dominatrix……” He looks me up and down, head tilting, mouth gaping. “But you’re so tiny.”
Lips curling to hold in my laughter, I step forward and gently push his jaw closed.
“Height isn’t a requirement to be a Domme, Rapid.” I drawl. “Is that really what you’re focusing on? That wasn’t the only thing I told you.”
“But it’s fucking sexy.” He mutters, eyeing me up like he can picture me strutting around in lingerie. “Are we talking a whole leather outfit, or a lacy bodysuit? Did you ever whip someone? Fuck, I have so many questions.” He groans, swiping a hand over his face.
Unable to hold in my snort, I smack him in the stomach and shake my head. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I thought we were being serious?”
“Lace is no laughing matter.” He mumbles.
I realise very quickly he’s excited.
Like, his sweatpants are tented to the extreme, excited.
“Rapid.” I scold.
What I can see of his cheeks blush red. He likes that I was a Domme.
“Oh, you….” Clearing my throat, I decide not to point it out. “Did you miss the whole dragon thing?”
“Dragon…..” He murmurs, sounding dazed.
But then he jolts, his hand drops, and he’s staring all over again.
I nod slowly. “Mr Orichalcum figured it out when I first met him. He’s essentially saved my life, now that I’m going through the Fever.”
“The Fever. The Shifting Fever?” He shakes his head. “But you’re like 18…. 19? Shouldn’t you have shifted before now?”
“No. Everyone I’ve ever met thought I was a dud snake shifter. Until Mr O.”
His nod is slow and dazed. “Yes. That’s right, cause you smell like reptile, and the scales……” Head shaking, still looking like I’ve socked him in the face, I let him take it all in for a moment.
“Fucking hell, Devil Eyes.” He rasps.
“Even?”
“More than. I feel like I owe you a dirty little secret now.” He laughs, hands raking through his hair.
“You really don’t—”
“I’ve been thinking about fucking you since you moved in, but more recently I want to take you out too. Feed you, watch movies, make you laugh.” He blows out a breath, nodding to himself. “Yeah, I think that makes us even now.”
It's my turn to be stunned silent.
“Mr O moving you in makes so much more sense now.”
I offer a stiff nod, not trusting myself to form a coherent sentence.
“Sinta.” He croons.
“Won’t Tomashi have a problem with you dating me?”
Rapid steps up close and brushes his long fingers against my cheek, his thumb sweeping over the skin. “No. We have an agreement – We don’t see other guys, but females are fair game. People would get suspicious if he wasn’t seen with a female, and everyone knows I swing both ways.”
“Wouldn’t that create tension between you?” I worry.
Rapid’s grin is full of carnal delight. “You and Tomashi have more in common than you think. I love it when he’s frustrated and takes it out on me.” He chuckles.
Oh. Oh.
Tomashi is ……… sexually dominant.
Thinking about the rigid asshole, how in control he seems, how he just expects to be obeyed – it made perfect sense.
No wonder we butted heads so much.
Two Doms in one house.
“I really should have realised that sooner.” I muse to myself.
Rapid only chuckles.
He's eyeing my body, his deep blue eyes blazing with heat, and I follow his gaze to my chest covered by a black Nickelback T-shirt.
“Rapid?”
“Please tell me you had a uniform. Like a sexy leather uniform….” He breathes, biting his full bottom lip.
I laugh and let him tug me against his chest, my hands falling to either side of his waist. “Sometimes I wore leather. Sometimes I wore lace. I had different outfits I liked to rotate.” I shyly admit.
He groans like I’m torturing him, his excitement pressing against my stomach.
“We technically did have a uniform.” I drawl, unable to keep my fingers still and gently tracing the dips of his abdominal muscles.
“Tell me, tell me, tell me.” He pleads softly, his head lowering like we’re sharing some wicked secret.
Letting my lips brush his, I curb the urge to suck and nip at his crazily defined jaw.
“No matter what we chose to wear, we always had to have something very specific with our outfit.” I murmur, feeling his hands glide around my sides, my own clenching on his stomach.
“Stop teasing.” He whines.
Letting out a low laugh, I press my lips to his ear. “A pair of five inch, black, snakeskin, red-soled, Louboutin heels.”
A primal sound rips out of him, between a growl and a deep earth-shattering rumble.
I gasp as he swings me up onto the counter and wedges himself between my thighs.
“Sinta?” He rasps.
His eyes are wild, full of desire. His grip is perfectly rough as he grasps my ass with one hand and my waist with the other.
“I’m gonna kiss you now.” He warns.
“Okay.”
Slamming together with a feverish passion, I melt against him with a moan.
Clutching me to him, our bodies as close as can be, I was at the perfect height to grind against his cock, my legs coming up to curl around him.
He rumbles a snarl and cups my ass, guiding me, showing me how he likes it, his fingers denting my flesh.
I put some sass into the kiss.
Dipping my tongue into his mouth, it curls around his, inviting him to play.
He traps it with a skilful lick and sucks, scraping it with his teeth. He slants his lips over mine in a sloppy, heated kiss.
We’re a knotted mess of moans and wild passion, hopelessly tangled together.
His chest vibrates between us.
My hips have a mind of their own, begging for his attention with every grind and sway.
He clutches the firm flesh of my ass, bruising it – marking me.
I want him to mark me more. To leave them all over me for everyone to see.
I want to do the same to him.
But we are interrupted.
Slowly pulling apart, I lick the taste of him off of my lips.
His hungry eyes follow.
“Dinner.” Tomashi barks, delivering a final hard bang on the door.
Smoothing out my hair, trying to slow my breathing, Rapid just stands there grinning like a fool.
“Do you think they know we were—”
“Yes. I tend to avoid the laundry room, so I have no other reason to be in here.” He snickers, his hands leaving my ass to massage my jean-clad thighs.
I bite my lip and eye the door. “Do you think they’re mad? Elijah kind of kissed me the other day……. And Tomashi….”
“Elijah and Fade are interested in you too.” He says with a shit-stirring grin. “We had a little talk about it. Made a gentlemen’s agreement.” He snickers.
I can’t decide if I’m offended or surprised they gave their little chat a name.
“Fade may have mentioned it.”
“We all agreed not to interfere with each other’s relationship concerning you.” He murmurs, playing with a strand of my hair. “It was all very honourable.”
“And Tomashi?”
“Called us idiots and then said it wasn’t his business and wouldn’t console us if you broke our hearts.” He grins.
I smack his shoulder. “He did not.”
He just shrugs.
Tracing his way down my neck, over my collarbones, dancing his fingers along my skin, he explores the area with visceral focus.
I return the favour and smooth my palms over the strong width of his shoulder. Press my fingertips to the thriving pulse in his neck.
Then I wrap my hands around his throat and force his head back.
My dragon rises up, peering out at him.
“If I find out you are playing me, I don’t care if you’re a Prince – I’ll chop you into little pieces, brew them in a stew, and feed it to Tomashi.” I snarl.
I thought he’d get mad. Or defensive.
I was prepared for him to attack me in kind.
I wasn’t prepared for the obscene moan that vibrates the flesh beneath my hands.
Nor the hands that seize my hips and pull us flush together.
Right up against his throbbing cock.
“Talk dirty to me, baby.” He breathes. “What knife would you use?”
I malfunction. I don’t know whether to be amused or aroused.
“Behave.” I choke out, releasing him.
He pouts. “Tease.”
Squinting, I shove him away and slide off the counter.
Seeing he was still very much saluting me, I look up with an impish grin.
I pull out the waistband of his sweats, stuffing my hand inside.
Unsurprisingly, he was commando.
Watching his jaw tense and his eyes go from playful to lusty, I gently adjust his cock so it’s not so blatantly noticeable, then pull my hand back out.
There was something so empowering about touching a man’s favourite body part.
Gently patting his stomach, I jump to press a kiss to his jaw.
“There. Now I’m hungry.” I announce and sashay my way to the laundry door.
He watches me go with incredulous eyes. “That’s it?”
I laugh and step out into the kitchen.
Listening to him scramble to follow, I hesitantly take in the rest of the guy’s reactions.
Fade is smiling softly, reading some ancient tome while he enjoys his tea. He tips the mug towards me. “Evening, Mon Magnifique.” He greets softly before returning to his book.
Elijah is halfway through a burrito, chewing quickly like he’s late, but he offers me a wink and a naughty smile before he’s hurrying away with his food and bag.
And Tomashi is glaring at me like usual.
Glaring right back, I barely catch the plate he thrusts at me before turning back to the stove.
“Asshole.” I grunt.
He throws a snarl over his shoulder, and I swear he’s scratching his head with his middle finger.
Fade rumbles a low laugh.
I feel Rapid come up behind me while I’m eyeing the knife block.
“Be nice.” He warns in my ear.
I huff, taking a seat at the counter.
I shamelessly watch his half-naked body manoeuvre around Tomashi as he makes a coffee and accepts a burrito from his—
His other partner? Bed mate?
Fuck, what did this make us? Lovers?
Frowning and watching them move around each other like a well-oiled machine, I realised I’d have to talk to him about this later.
Taking a seat at my side with his breakfast and coffee, sitting close enough to press his thigh against mine, I return his soft smile and decide that discussion could wait a few hours.
I wasn’t going to rush it.