Page 50 of Enemies with an Earl
“A jest, Bentley? Be still, my heart. I think I just fell in love.”
Bentley rolled his eyes, but the smile he sent Sam’s way had an odd fluttery sensation filling Sam’s stomach.
“Let’s not make it complicated, Thorne,” Bentley said. “We’re just two men. Enjoying each other. Behind closed doors. As equals.”
Sam’s heart clenched painfully. He didn’t know what to say to that, didn’t think he could voice anything over the thickening of his throat. He didn’t even know why there were stupid emotions clogging his bloody chest. The man had simply stated he wanted to have a fun time shagging Sam. That wasn’t something someone was supposed to get all mixed up over.
But you do know why, though.
Equals.
It was how, with that one word, Sam felt respected. Valued. When it was clear, even Sam’s family didn’t feel that for him.
So, Sam did what he did best when things got too serious, when he started feeling too many emotions. He deflected.
He closed the distance between them and claimed Bentley’s mouth as his.
26
Felix
ThornepracticallyattackedFelix.Not that Felix was surprised. That seemed to be the way of things with them, shagging or not.
The man’s hands went to the band of Felix’s breeches and tugged. Felix thudded into a firm, broad chest. His temperature spiked. Christ, this man. He was solid as stone, a granite wall of a man. All sharp, rectangular angles, thick thighs, and shoulders Felix wanted to sink his teeth into. He groaned against Thorne’s mouth.
Their tongues tangled, stroking, sliding. They were fused together, so close it barely allowed for breath. Just the taste of berries and the scent of clean linen existed.
Thorne ripped his mouth away, ragged breaths sharp against Felix’s skin. “What are you doing to me?” he growled against Felix’s mouth.
Then he was back to kissing Felix, hands touching every inch of Felix’s skin. His fingers found every dip and valley, teased down Felix’s stomach, then back up to his chest, fanned light circles over his nipples.
A broken moan fled Felix, and his body trembled. He pulled away and gripped Thorne’s face, that jaw that could cut glass in his grasp. He squeezed.
“What am I doing toyou? What are you doing to me?” He gave Thorne a small shake. “Just yesterday, we wanted to snuff each other out. One minute, you’re reminding me why I can stand you. And the next… God, I don’t know. But here I am. Every fucking time.”
“Well…” Thorne lifted a brow and shot Felix a saucy smile, the one that always had Felix’s stomach fluttering. “This is the only time we find each other tolerable. So, clearly this is what we should be doing when in each other’s presence.”
“That’s the first intelligent thing you’ve ever said.”
Thorne chuckled as he walked Felix backward until the firm wall hit his back. Then Thorne dropped to a knee and patted his thigh. “Boot,my lord.”He glanced up at Felix from beneath his lashes.
Felix leaned against the wall and lifted a foot. A sharp tug. Boot gone. Other leg. Boot gone. Then Thorne stood and began removing his own. Felix’s gaze devoured the man, latching on to the flex and strain of each muscle as Thorne bent and tugged off each boot. He was so large. So consuming. Felix shivered.
Thorne’s gaze snagged on the movement, and he stilled, boot still in his hand. Grey eyes clashed with Felix’s, and his heart tripped over itself. Because there was something dangerous brewing in those midnight eyes. It was need. No, that was too tame a word.
Thump.The boot hit the floor. Thorne straightened slowly, lids heavy. That look; it was a demand. Felix would be Thorne’s. There would be no other option.
And that was what Felix wanted tonight. Wanted Thorne to know they were equals in this, both giving. So far, it’d only been Thorne. He’d handled—quite literally—their first encounter. And then, even though Thorne most definitely was the one who’d come out on top during their last encounter…Thorne had been the one on his knees. Felix took what Thorne offered and gave nothing in return.
That was changing tonight.
Thorne’s hands slid under the backs of Felix’s thighs, and in the next moment, Felix’s back crashed into the wall. His legs instantly wrapped around Thorne, arms going around the man’s neck. He dropped his head against the wall and let out a needy whimper. That had been… He had no words.
Thorne ground against him, the man’s hard length creating the most intoxicating friction against his own. His groin tightened, cock aching.
“You liked that, didn’t you?” Thorne said, dragging his lips up Felix’s exposed neck.
Felix gripped Thorne’s face in his hands, forcing the man’s gaze to his. “You have no fucking idea. Do it again.”
