Page 17 of City of the Lost
A whoop went up, followed by some good-natured exclamations of shock.
“Come on, pay up.” Mack began collecting the losers’ money.
Azren polished off the tankard of killer honey ale someone had handed to him and then shook his head, blinking rapidly. He looked in horror from me to the six empty tankards lined up on the counter.
I gave him a lopsided smile. “I have an iron constitution.”
Tay appeared behind the bar, his gaze zeroing in on me, and my stupid, traitorous heart picked up its pace. He smiled, small and intimate, and my pulse thudded hard in my throat.
Fuck, six pints of knock-you-on-the-floor ale and my willpower was ready to pop on its boots and take a hike.
I grabbed Azren’s arm. “Okay, listen. Whatever happens, do not let me go off alone with Tay.”
Azren’s eyes narrowed. “You think he would hurt you?” Was that a slight slur to his tone?
“God, no. Tay would never hurt me. But I may hurt him.”
Azren smiled, flashing his razor teeth. “I doubt even you could do that.”
The lip-loosening effects of the ale were truly in force now. “Look, I like Tay a little too much, if you get what I mean. It’s not good, so I need to stay away.”
Azren glanced over my shoulder at Tay and then back to me. Something dark and undecipherable flitted across his face, but heck, with the way I was buzzing, deciphering anything would be a feat right now. Six tankards? Why the heck?
“I think he may like you a little too much too,” Azren said. “I’ve seen that look before on many a male when faced with the object of their desire.” He raked me up and down with his slightly glowing jade eyes. “What’s stopping you from pursuing this?”
I took a deep breath and filled him in on the troll-needing-a-mate thing. “So, you see, it can’t be.”
“Because you don’t like him enough.” Azren nodded as if he was totally on the same page.
I blinked up at Azren, momentarily stumped by the statement, because even though it was logical, it wasn’t true. “I like him too much. I just don’tdothe love thing.”
He leaned in, his sweet ale breath kissing my lips. “But what if he was happy to justlikeyou, over and over again, forever.”
The warm yearning Tay’s appearance had inspired intensified into a pulsing throb between my thighs.
Azren’s hand slipped onto my hip, and a gentle tug pulled me up against him. His jade eyes glowed softly as he leaned in. “I’m all about the liking, and I’m happy to like the fuck out of you.”
He’d said it again—the F word, and my insides were suddenly molten. Part of me was like, what the fuck? But the other, ale-intoxicated part of me was ready to hit the gas on this, and then an arm wrapped itself around my elbow and pulled me away from the demon.
“A word please, Wila.” Tay’s tone was frosty.
Azren released me with a wicked smile filled with promise. God, I wanted to lick that smile. But then I was being tugged across the room and through the door leading to Tay and Mack’s private quarters. We’d come this way last time, mouths fused together, hands tearing at each other’s clothes. Whoa, bad move.
I slammed on the brakes as my better judgment asserted itself. “I can’t have sex with you again, Tay.” I shook my head. “Uh-uh. Nope.”
Tay blew out an exasperated breath. “How many have you had?”
I held up a bunch of fingers, hoping it was the correct number. “Six.”
“Fucksake, Wila. That Shedim was all over you and you didn’t even care.”
Azren, he was talking about Azren. Yum. And yes, Azren had been a little up close and personal, which wasn’t really like him ...
“You should sleep it off,” Tay said sternly.
God, he smelled good. That fucking cologne mixed with his heady troll scent chock full of pheromones. So good. My hand was on his chest, stroking his pectoral, and then I dug in with my nails just the way he liked it. A low, guttural moan tore from his lips and his eyes flared with primal hunger. The fuzzy feeling evaporated as common decency reared its head.
“Shit, Tay. I’m sorry.” I pulled away. “I’m a fucking idiot. A total bitch.” I turned to leave, but he snagged my elbow again.
