Page 92 of The Cartographer

“Good, sir. Did you need something?”

“My phone to ring.”

“Yes, sir. Should I expect you home soon?”

“In an hour if things go well, which I anticipate they will. Are you there already?”

“Yes, sir. Finishing up some things.”

“Very good. I’ll see you soon.”

I don’t wait to hear his confirmation, which is a bit rude and I make a note to apologize for it if Matthew noticed, which he may not have. I’ll be able to tell when I see him. Now it’s time to finish this puppet show.

Allie and Julian are still flirting when I get back. Julian touching him frequently and in increasingly intimate places and Allie not backing away from his touch. Perhaps even moving toward it. Good, good.

They both turn at my approach, but not until I’m almost on top of them. If this is going so flawlessly, why does it feel like a nightmare instead of a dream? I shake it off and offer an explanation in response to their curious expressions.

“Matthew.”

“Everything okay?” It’s Julian, his eyebrow cocking while he studies me.

“Not an emergency, but I should go.”

Allie’s face falls, and it makes me take a hard swallow.This is what you want, this is what you’re getting. Don’t be unhappy.

“No need for you to go too,” I say to his crestfallen face. “In fact, why don’t you stay? I’m sure Julian would be happy to keep you company and bring you home at the end of the night. Wouldn’t you, Julian?”

He nods with a roguish smile, and images of Allie and Julian together flash through my mind. Images I wish I could block out. I know it’s going to happen. I should be happy it’s going to happen, but some selfish bit of me resents them.

The solution for this is clearly a binge on decadence and kink and hedonism, beating and fucking as many people as I can get my hands on for the foreseeable future. It shouldn’t be difficult. I’m in demand and not often available.

Allie grabs my arm, and his gaze is hot on me. “I’ll see you tonight, though? You mean home like your house, right?”

Those words I’ve ached for. Yes, I’d love for Allie to use his key when he’s had his fill and crawl into my bed where I’d do…well, whatever I pleased. Instead I smile and lean in.

“I think Julian would be more than happy to have you in his bed tonight.”

“But—”

I hold up a finger, and out of habit, Allie clamps his mouth shut, lovely boy.

“Give us a minute, Davies?”

Julian is all solicitousness when he drops an elegant bow and sweeps out an arm. “At your service, Walter.”

Both Allie and I watch him stroll over to a friend who he greets with a handshake and an easy smile. Handsome devil, he is.

Then Allie shoves me. Plants a palm roughly in my shoulder and pushes. It startles me, and though he hasn’t done it hard enough to elicit the reaction, I step back because of the shock.

“I beg your pardon.”

“What the fuck is this?”

His eyes are blazing, and not with the passion and desire I like to stoke. He is ripshit. I’ve made him angry before, certainly, but nothing like this.

“What does it look like?” I force my voice calm and collected, wipe all emotion from my features.

“It looks like you’re passing me off. Throwing me away. Is this your way of saying we’re done?”

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