Page 128 of Ruthless Legacy

Holden and Finn finally make it into the room. Her agitation reaches new levels. She’s shaking as she stands beside me. This girl is like a bomb waiting to go off.

“Relax.”

“I am relaxed. Why are you here with me instead of taking care of him?”

She tries to shrug out of my hold, but I maintain my grip on her arm. There’s nothing she can do about Holden and Finn’s matches. That’s a decision made by the high council.

I’m keeping her on a tight leash. Not because I hate the fact that she’s possessive of Holden. It’s long overdue that someone recognizes how great he is, but tonight isn’t the night for her to act up.

He’s looking for an excuse to dump Paisley, which will end badly for him. I explain, “Holden has to show he can navigate this party with a woman on his arm. I know he’s uncomfortable, but he’s a Wren, and doing uncomfortable things is expected. You’ve already heard that everything is a test. This is a test, and he needs this win.”Weneed this win.

They finally announce dinner. I pull her to our table and shove her into the seat next to mine. Finn and Holden drift over to us. My arm’s around the back of her chair, my hand on her neck to hold her in place. I lean over and murmur, “Keep it together, Thea.”

Saying it does nothing to calm her down. The more tense she gets, the more tense Holden gets, feeding off her energy.

“Why are they all masked?”

It’s not until she’s asked her question that I realize her tension might be about more than just Holden and Finn. She’s twisting her napkin to hide the fact that her hands are shaking.

I look to the front of the room to see what she’s talking about. She jumps when the room’s plunged into darkness.Shit. None of us thought to warn her about the ceremonial dress, or the lights being out.

She goes to stand, and I clamp my hand against her thigh to hold her in place. It’s disrespectful to leave.

“Relax, Nem.”

“I- I-”

Her breathing’s ragged. Her eyes bounce around the room. She’s losing it. I slip my hand under the hem of her dress, hoping the touch of my hand will ground her. I stroke my thumb back and forth across her thigh, and lean over to whisper in her ear, “Fight through it.”

Her breath hitches when I drag my nails across her skin and slide my hand higher, letting my thumb graze across her clit. I inch my finger under the thin strap of her panties. I can’t see them, but the design feels like it crisscrosses. Her skin interspersed between the material.

I find a bow and untie it, then ease my finger between her folds. Toying at her opening, before pushing it inside and pulling it out. I keep my movements small. Moving my digit in and out, slow and steady.

“I heard you’re into timed orgasms. This part of the speech is usually fifteen minutes long. Can you hold out or will you be creaming my hand in the next few minutes, proving to me that you truly have no self control?”

Her jaw clenches, and her back stiffens with the challenge I’ve thrown out. I tease her, alternating between long, languid strokes and forceful thrusts of my finger. She fights her release, edging herself because she refuses to let me win.

The longer she holds out, the wetter she gets. The harderIget.

This is easily the most dangerous shit I’ve ever done at a league event. Not that I’ve never thought about it, but none of the girls I’ve escorted have ever made me even consider it. They were always too well put together. Too perfect.

But my dinner companion this evening likes the danger. Likes the dirt. She grips the arms of her chair, her hips rolling with the smallest of movements.

The speaker wraps up; the crowd applauds, and then they call for the servers to come forward. Thea pushes my hand away, springs from her seat and hurries out the door. Finn and Holden glare at me, as if I did something to upset her. I ignore their looks.

I know she’s upset. Being overly stimulated will do that to you. But it’s a minor discomfort than what she’d have been experiencing if I hadn’t distracted her.

She’s gone long enough for people to notice, so after giving the server our dinner cards, I go after her. She’s in the back hallway, last in line for the bathroom. I wait a few minutes after she enters, then follow her inside. She’s pacing back and forth in front of the mirror.

The door swings open again, and Finn and Holden step into the bathroom. The door lock clicks behind them.

She looks from them to me, with a panicked look on her face. “What are you doing in here?”

“You’re upset, Pet. We came to check on you.”

“I’m fine. Go back to the table and your dates. I’ll be out soon.”

Finn steps forward. “You’re not fine. Your cheeks are all flushed.”

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