Page 9 of Bound and Beguiled

“Oh. Well, thank you.” I smiled at the big green guy, tickled when a flush rose to his cheeks.

“Thank him by watching your step,” the Gargoyle grumbled.

I fought back the suicidal urge to roll my eyes. Grumpy ass. Heh, Grumpy Gargoyle. The name suited him a lot better thanPookie, by all the gods. That had to be a joke.

“So, that’s the deal,” Khalon cut in, retaking the reins of the conversation effortlessly. “You work here, you have our protection. Anybody messes with you, we take care of it. In return, you give us loyalty. Not expecting you to lay down your life or anything like that, but if you hear something, see something, you tell Mouse. One of ours needs help, you help. Somebody out there asks you about us, you don’t know anything. Clear?”

I nodded. It was little enough to ask—less than I expected, honestly. Khalon just looked at me for long moments. I felt weighed, measured, and judged. A pressure on my chest predicted I’d come up lacking.

“Off shift, your time is your own. Don’t care what you do with it. But if you want to go outside our territory, you come to us first. And you stay away from the Twisted Crows’ territory. That’s a one-way trip.”

“I don’t know where—”

Khalon held up a hand. “We’ll get you a map. Understood?”

Chewing my lip, I nodded. Not like I had anywhere to go anyways.

Finally, he nodded back. Expression unchanging, he crooked a finger.

I rose gingerly, blowing out a breath when the minor twinge of pain in my abdomen faded instead of blooming. When my toes were a few inches from the tips of his heavy boots, I stopped.

“I’m flattered, Mouselet. But I need you closer.” The corner of Khalon’s mouth lifted.

I was pretty sure there was a sexual innuendo in there, but I was too flustered to figure it out. Taking two steps forward, I tried to breathe shallowly so he wouldn’t notice my panting. I was surrounded by him. His heavily muscled thighs barricaded me on either side, embraced by worn denim. All I could see was his chest, made even broader by the cotton and leather stretched across it.

“Don’t pass out.” Khalon chuckled, nudging my chin up with a tentacle. “There you go. Doing good.”

I stared up at him, eyes wide, head empty. He was beautiful. Wide, chiseled features. Generous lips. Black skin with an indigo sheen that wasn’t anything found in the strictly human rainbow. Locs hung down his chest, the ends lightening to charcoal shot through with purple, the upper ones swept back from his face to expose the pointed and pierced tips of his ears.

“Now, for the house rules. While you’re on shift, you’re off limits. No Rider will proposition you. You make the first move—game on. You come around in your off time, the rules don’t apply.” He must have seen my alarm, because big palms settled soothingly on my shoulders. “Nobody’s going to do anything to you without your say so, Mouselet. But if you want to come play, you’ll get plenty of offers.”

His fingers spread across my shoulder blades, caressing, and a hint of violet glow brightened his dark eyes.

“Oi, Pres,” Mouse complained. “What did you just say?”

“She’s not on shift yet,” Khalon purred, winking. But he moved his hands and the overwhelming cloud of sexual awareness lessened.

I drew in a breath, as relieved as if I’d been trapped in a burning building only to stumble upon a portal to an open meadow.

The meeting went smoothly enough after that.Pookiedidn’t say another word, containing himself to glowering in my general direction. Khalon inscribed the sigil of the Cairn Riders on my neck with magic-infused ink—a protection and a warning all in one. Mouse assured me it wasn’t permanent—it would fade in six months and we’d reassess—but I wasn’t worried. It was comforting, and I liked the look of it. Maybe I’d get a tattoo. I’d have to ask Mouse who did his.

Warned, welcomed, and inked, with map in hand, I emerged once again into the main bar. Mouse, looming beside me, hummed in satisfaction.

A cacophony of barking had him stooping, returning to his full height with Sir BurrRuss panting happily in the crook of his arm.

“Sorry about the Pres back there,” Mouse said, a little sheepishly. At my blank look, he shrugged, then had to soothe the jostled Chihuahua. “About the come on, I mean. He can’t always help it. There’s a succubus or incubus somewhere in his family tree, and they bred true in him. He hears no, though, don’t worry. And the rules apply to all of us.”

“I’m not worried,” I laughed, bumping his side affectionately. Overcome with Khalon’s ridiculous hotness I may have been, but I wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking there was genuine interest there.

“Tereza! Get your fine ass over here. I’ve been looking everywhere for you, girl!”

I waved at Emyr, indicating I needed a second, and pretended I wasn’t blushing.

Mouse’s grin was slow and evil. “Ya know, Mouselet. There’s no rule against inter-employee fraternization. Just saying.”

I glared at his retreating back and stomped over towards Emyr. Halfway there, Mared tackled me, body pressed against mine in a welcoming, drool-inducing hug.

Gods save me.

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