Page 34 of Stealing the Star Stone
She slapped his upper arm.“I don’t care if you think it will be heaven-sent.It’s a no.”She closed the buttons to under his chin.“There, temptation averted.”
Sliding her hands over his shoulders, she froze, realizing his gaze was fixed on her.Something sizzled along her nerves.Despite his eyes being hers, the intensity in the amber depths was all him.
The door slid open.
“Knock, y’know,” she yelled.
Frederik strolled in and directed a few catering staff to lay out a tea/coffee station, then pack a hidden fridge with bottles of water.A glare at her made her removed her feet from the coffee table, onto which went a platter of sandwiches.On the table by the windows was an array of long-lasting snacks for those midnight nibbles.
“Any chance Eli can call his manager?He’s got to prepare for the premiere, right?”Thorne arched a brow at her.
“Yeah, interviews and the like.Not to mention what to wear.Was thinking shirtless this year with maybe a tribal loincloth—” She gasped then glowered at Thorne, who’d pinched her without Frederik noticing.
“I will mention this to Lord Orien.He has invited you to dine with him this evening.”
She clenched her jaw, desperate to tell them all to go eff themselves.
“That would be…lovely,” Thorne said, giving her knee a squeeze when he’d pinched that spot just moments ago.
Unfortunately, his touch sent a frisson of heat lower.Itstirred in her pants, and a throbbing ache preceded the forming of a bulge.She gaped at it then hastily threw her leg over the other to hide her crotch.
Frederik nodded and ushered the staff out, shutting the door behind him.
She scrambled to her feet and pointed at her semi-hard on.“What the fuck is this?”
Thorne giggled.“Oh, yeah, that happens.”
“How do I make it…stop?”She stroked it and it grew, pummeling her control with a crazy urge to kiss him.
“Think unpleasant thoughts and wait,” he said around a mouthful of cucumber sandwich.
She stomped her foot at that useless bit of instruction and headed to the tea station.A calming cup of Lady Grey would do wonders to ground her.As she poured the boiling water into a cup and let the dunked tea bag stew, she took a few moments to breathe in and out.
“I was looking forward to cheese.”He opened and shut sandwiches, checking their contents.
“I wasn’t.”She pressed a hand to her stomach, grateful the gastrointestinal explosion hadn’t reoccurred.With tea in hand, she sank onto the couch beside him, cradling her cup against her chest between satisfying sips.
He got to his feet, shoving the last bite into his mouth.“Need to pee.”He groaned.“Do Ihaveto drip dry?”
Her brow furrowed.“Huh?What are you talking about?”
“Waiting for your bits to dry.”
She laughed, almost choking on her tea.“Wipe down, from clit to ass.Never the other way.”
Smiling, he disappeared into the bathroom.
When he emerged minutes later, she was halfway through a ham sandwich.“Tell me, do I shake or what?Piss goes everywh—”
“I gently squeeze from base to tip then dab the head dry with tissue paper.”He drank from a bottle of water before choosing another triangle.“Any leakage stains my pants and gets my image plastered across all digital outlets.”
That sucked.To live under so much scrutiny, she didn’t know how he coped.“Accidents happen.”
“Not in my world.I ‘piss’ my pants and it’s a full on discussion on my state of mind at the time or whether I was roaringly drunk.”He grimaced.“Sometimes they’ll go even further, analyzing what medical conditions or drugs on the market could lead to incontinence.”He bit into the chicken-mayo sandwich and settled back.“I’ve had doctors reach out to me, offering their services.”
“Shit, you can’t be serious?”She licked mustard off a thumb.“And you like living this way?”
“It comes with the job.Good and bad to all things in life.”He shrugged.“Graham earns his salary, I tell you.”
