Page 23 of Distant Heart

Rexton blinked, a feeling of foreboding cutting through some of the relaxation he’d started to experience under Illya’s skilled hands. “What the hell does that mean exactly?”

Illya’s palm came down on the back of his thigh hard enough he yelped. “There you go, cursing again.”

“You curse too!” Rex bit his tongue when that earned him another slap. “All right, all right, I’ll stop!” For now. “Just answer my question. What is this, Illya?” He waved his wrist, and the bracelet, in the air.

“It’ll only upset you. It can wait until morning.”

Rexton rose to his knees, moving to sit and face the other man, only partially registering that Illya had allowed him to get up once their eyes met. The Black Hart was still fully dressed, which only made Rex feel even more at a disadvantage. He held up his hand. “Remove this. Now.”

“No.”

“Illya.”

“It’s not happening, baby. Save your breath. You and I had a deal, remember? You lost our little game, now it’s time to pay up.”

His spine stiffened. “Is this a tracking device?” When he was met with silence, a burst of anger overcame him. “Did youput a tracking device on me?! Like I’m some kind of fucking pet?!”

Illya shot forward, taking him down onto his back. One of his hands, still slicked in oil, covered Rexton’s mouth, while the other reached down and undid his pants. Once his cock was free, he ground himself down between Rexton’s thighs pointedly. “Nod your head if you’ve decided to be good, baby.”

He hesitated but in the end…Rex conceded defeat. He nodded.

“You can’t actually mean to keep me here,” he said as soon as the hand was gone, though he was careful to keep his voice down. “That’s insane.”

“Is it?”

“It’s certainly kidnapping.”

“No one will fight for you.” Illya tilted his head in thought. “Maybe that friend of yours will. What do you think? Do you think Aneski will come storming onto the planet, pitchfork raised, ready to defend your honor?” He lowered his face close enough all Rex could see were the mismatched colors of his eyes. “Could that be what you really wanted?”

“What?” He frowned. “No.”

“No?”

“Why would I want to drag my best friend into this?”

“Because he’s dating a member of the Brumal mafia,” Illya replied. “Do you wrongly assume they’d get involved for you? Flix is a high-standing member, true, but my connection with the Imperial family of Vitality is more than enough to keep him from risking a falling out.”

It occurred to him what was really going on here, and Rex wasn’t happy about it. “You’re leading me to my own conclusion, aren’t you. I don’t like being toyed with, Ill.”

“How ironic, because neither do I.”

He held his gaze for a moment and then exhaled. “Fine. I’m sorry. Let’s just forget—”

Illya captured his wrist and pinned it to the floor, then slowly shook his head. “The night isn’t over, xa’us. Don’t spoil my fun. I think even you can agree you don’t have a right to.”

It was a cryptic statement, but he got the point.

“And trying to get me to see that I don’t have a way to fight you? Is that part of the game too?” Rexton wasn’t buying it. “You want me to know that I’m powerless here.”

“You already knew that,” he said. “You knew the second you stepped foot on Usurn, you were leaving yourself open to this.” One of his thumbs traced the edge of the bracelet. “This stays on. I’m the only one who knows how to remove it, and it’ll signal me immediately if someone tries to tamper with it. I’m warning you, Rexton. You’ve tested my patience enough.”

“I have a life on Vitality.”

“A life that no longer fulfills you.” He rolled his hips. “Not the way I can.”

“Don’t.” Despite his protest, Rexton’s eyes slipped shut and his unbound hand made its way to Illya’s waist. The next time he rocked into him, Rex’s body lifted to meet him.

“Should I fuck you again, xa’us?” Illya’s silky words were breathed against the side of his neck. He planted a soft kiss there and moved to lick at the curve of his ear. “Do you think you deserve that with how you’ve been behaving?”

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