Page 9 of Forfeit

“You don’t understand, sweetheart. He was the only thing holding me together for too long for me to disregard him.”

“So, he was a good fuck, and that—”

“It was more than that,” Rey growled, falling into a crouch in front of her. Squeezing her cheeks with his fingers, he forced the violet-blue of her gaze to his. “He’s my best friend, the only person in this world I ever trusted not to stab me in the back. The sex was good, but only because it was Beau, and it was never all of it.”

“And I was… what?”

“Dangerous.”

“That is not an answer.”

“It is,” Rey said, that same sad smile tugging at his lips. “You upended everything, Devin. All my plans, my relationships, my ideas. The moment I saw you shivering in front of those lights, so afraid and trying to be so fucking brave, I knew I wanted you. I didn’t even understand how brave you were until you told me Beau was your first and I figured out what happened. Stupid, but brave.”

“It wasn’t stupid.” Devin’s lip curled, denying the truth of it.

“Yes, it was, and you know it. But you threw yourself into the work, got mad when he tried to make you his toy instead of earning your paycheck. You know how many slits would have been over the moon for his proposition?”

“Don’t… use that word,” Devin grumbled, poking Rey’s shoulder. “And yeah, maybe, but they wouldn’t have been if they knew what Beau was like. You’re still not giving me a straight answer, Daniel. Why did you let him?”

“I’d never seen Beau so into someone. I know you don’t think so, but he fell for you. Hard. But he was willing to share you with me, even after he realized I was falling in love with you. If that didn’t complicate things enough, I couldn’t just fuck you a few times and get it out of my system. I wanted more of you. I needed to make you mine, always. Claim you, live in that sweet pussy and fill you with my babies.” Rey’s breaths were hoarse, almost panting as he edged closer. Shoving the flat of his stomach between her thighs, he tugged the towel out of his way. “And I’d sworn I’d never do any of that. Not just because of her or how she humiliated me. I didn’t want to be tied to anyone like that, not with this life. The death challenges, the shoot outs, every moment wondering if it’s my last. My back is a target no matter what. My children would grow up orphans if I tied a woman to me like that.”

“You did it anyway.” Devin’s breath caught as Rey moved against her, her distress and arousal a potent mixture that left her clinging to him.

“I did it anyway, because the idea of anyone else having you, touching you, was enough to drive me fucking insane.”

“Until Beau…”

“Untilyou, Devin.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You never do, but you are so very good at it, my love.” Rey’s forehead came to hers, his hands dragging her to the edge of the bed so he could grind her against him. “After you came back to me, I enjoyed him as much as you did. I won’t lie about that.”

“But I’m still better, right,” Devin asked with a trembling smile, her attempt at levity falling flat on its face as Rey’s brows crashed together. Letting her breath out in a hard sigh, Devin tipped her head towards the bed. “Help me make this back up.”

Chapter Three

His scent was everywhere. On her, in the fabrics, the very air permeated with it. She still couldn’t get enough, so she tugged Rey’s arm until he sat beside her again and let her curl around him like a greedy cat.

“Can I go tonight,” Devin asked with a throaty purr as she moved to straddle him.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, you’re still—”

“I’ll be upstairs with Beau, not in the crowd. He won’t let anything happen to me.”

Rey grunted, leaving it unsaid that he was just as worried about Beau taking advantage of her hypersexual state that persisted these weeks after everything happened. Things were complicated there, to say the least. She and Rey were still in strange waters, and the addition of another Alpha threatened to make it more precarious than any of them could handle.

While Beau kept his distance from the nest that reeked of her fear and need alongside the caustic scent of Rey’s aggression, he came by every day. Papers for Rey to fill out along with the club’s inventory slips and various accounting papers for them all to try and sort out. He’d also resumed bringing some little tidbit for Devin. No more chocolates and flowers, he found out she liked sci-fi novels and filthy romances, and she’d begun acquiring quite the collection of paperbacks.

“And you’ll be a few steps away if I need you.” Devin darted her tongue out to taste his lips, grinning as she pulled back before he could kiss her. Rey still refused to have sex, having broken down only the once to use his fingers to bring her to an intense climax. He’d denied her trying to return the favor though. “I have to admit, I kind of miss you taking me against that big desk.”

“I’ll order another one and put it in the spare room.”

“Not the same. No one can hear me here.”

“Why you little deviant,” Rey said with a mock growl as he toppled Devin back into the couch. “Who knew my mate was such an exhibitionist.”

“No, no, no! I like theideaof being caught, not actually being watched.” Devin made an exaggerated shudder before falling into a fit of giggles.

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