He sucked hard on his smoke, sending a cloud of nicotine around his head.
Kas rocked against my clit, wrenching my eyes closed with bliss.
His lips found mine again, kissing me hard.
He scrambled my mind and lowered my inhibitions better than any alcohol. So what if we had an audience? So what if I was slightly afraid of the man watching?
Jareth meant nothing.
All that mattered was me and Kas and this.
I dragged my nails down Kas’s back as his hips drove up and deep. He hit the perfect spot inside me, making me go liquid and coiled, dreamy and hungry.
“Come on me,” Kas murmured, his breath catching with his own ragged desire. He reached between us, rubbing my clit as he thrust quick and sharp into me.
My second orgasm didn’t care Jareth would see me shatter.
It coiled and built with every thrust.
Kas successfully stole me from any distractions.
He pulled me from the bedroom and yanked me into the fantasy of forever as his hips moved quicker, feeding every inch of him inside me, triggering the waterfall of my climax.
My release shot outward, waves upon waves crashing over me as Kas chased me over the edge.
He groaned and buried his face into my neck, shuddering through his orgasm, spurting inside me until he was spent. His back jerked, and for a second, he went lax as if he’d passed out.
I froze, fearing his concussion had—
“Fuck.” He nuzzled into my neck, raising his head and giving me a lopsided, deliciously endearing smile. “I enjoyed that.” His eyes were clear and sated with no signs of imminent passing out.
I smiled back, trying to ignore my sudden racing heart and Jareth with his cigarette. “Me, too.”
He kissed me again, slow and erotic, his tongue teasing. A soft plink sounded by my ear, wrenching Kas’s head up and jerking him sideways to look over his shoulder.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kas snapped, spotting Jareth smoking in the doorway.
“Making sure she’s still alive.” He pointed the glowing end of the cigarette in our direction. “Oh, and giving you that.”
Kas bared his teeth and grabbed the blanket. Pulling it over both of us, he withdrew from me and sat upright. Ensuring we were covered in all the required places, he spat, “Give us what exactly?”
My fingers dug into the blankets, finding the small silver thing that Jareth had thrown at us.
Placing it onto my palm, I spread my fingers, letting the light catch it.
“A key.” My eyes narrowed. “Wait...it’s the key. The key you said you lost.”
Jareth nodded. “Parable’s key.” He inhaled on his smoke, his bi-colored eyes aloof and unreadable. “You’re welcome.”
Kas plucked it from my palm, his forehead furrowed. “Where did you get this?”
“Found it tucked on one of the stairs.” Jareth cocked his head. “I’m guessing you lost it? Otherwise, why else would you still be wearing pieces of that disgusting chain?”
Kas rolled his shoulders, staring at the key as if so many locks had been undone tonight.
In a way, they had.
Alcohol had helped fade a few boundaries. The sensible part of me worried what drinking straight bourbon would do to Kas with his ongoing concussion. But the other, more reckless part, was grateful we’d had the courage to overcome so many things.
So what if alcohol had been involved? It’d helped, so screw the consequences.
Jareth took another drag, his attention settling on my bare shoulders. “At least that time was better.” He grinned. “You seemed to enjoy yourself at least.”
My cheeks heated. “Go away.”
“What and leave you at the mercy of him?” He chuckled while arching his chin at Kas. “He still has a long way to go.”
Goosebumps shivered down my spine. “And I’m prepared to help...however long it takes.”
“Think you’re family now, Gemma Ashford?” Jareth asked coolly.
My spine straightened. “I’m—”
“Yes, she is. She’s my family now. So I suggest you tread carefully, brother,” Kas said equally as cool, turning the tiny key in his fingers.
Jareth bowed, his cigarette glowing as he added a hand flourish. “Of course. I suppose that’s fair. After all, we were baptized in blood together. I’m guessing you’ve drawn hers enough to warrant letting her join our band of slaves.”
“She’s no slave.”
“Everyone is a slave if they’re in love,” Jareth muttered, throwing his cigarette onto the expensive carpet and crushing the embers into ash with his boot.
I gasped.
Ugh, what a waste.
I agreed this house was a monstrosity for what’d occurred in its shelter, but it didn’t deserve cigarette holes in its beautiful carpets.
Jareth smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
A shiver ran down my back.
I couldn’t get a read on Jareth. Unlike Kas, who I’d been able to decipher almost right away, a forcefield around his brother bounced off all my attempts. I didn’t understand how he could sound so genuine and gracious in some things, yet only a few hours ago, he’d contemplated killing Kas as if he was nothing more than a bug to squash, all to protect me—a total stranger.