King Cave (Page 58)
His lips pressed together, and he seesawed them back and forth. “Okay, what’s next?”
“Well, say you’ve decided to take a break from each other. Does it constitute cheating if you have sex with someone else,” I held up a finger, “which was entirely expected during the break,” my finger twirled, “but you go about flaunting it,” I held up a stopping hand, “which was not expected, to the point it was specifically stated not to do out of respect for the other person’s feelings during a sensitive time for the both of you?”
“I’m honestly a little confused here, trying to keep that straight,” his eyebrows puckered, “but if you’re asking if it’s cheating when you’re on a mutual break, the answer is no, especially if you both discussed it beforehand and knew it would happen.” His head cocked. “But if you’re asking about flaunting the new lovers…”
I snapped at him. “Yes. That’s it. When it was explicitly stated beforehand that it would be disrespectful to do so.”
“Is he flaunting them in front of you?”
I waggled my hand. “Kind of. Using words like an ‘experience’ and saying he slept with four other women since us.” I blinked. “He tore a few things apart when he found out I’d slept with someone.”
King Fergus stared.
“What?” I shuffled on my feet, watching him intently for an answer.
Still, he stared.
“I’m waiting for an answer, dirt boy!”
He blinked. “You are so innocent.” He shook his head, chuckling quietly when I glared at him, despite that I thought my impression was pretty ferocious. “Let me ask you this…Do you want him back?”
That stopped me. “Like, back in my bed?”
His eyebrows rose. “Or wherever you two did it.”
“Oh.” My eyebrows slowly came together. “I don’t know. He kind of,” I rubbed at my chest, “hurt me, sleeping with those other women.”
He watched my hand’s movement, snorting as he turned and started walking again. “If you want him back the answer is simple.”
I ran to catch up. “I said I don’t know if I do or not.”
“Well, if you decide you do,” his grin was malicious, “don’t hide the fact you’re sleeping with other partners.” Amber eyes full of knowledge met mine. “If he wants you, too, he’ll be back once he can’t take seeing it anymore.” He raised his arms. “Or, you could go the responsible route and actually talk with him about it.”
“Hmm.” Yeah, no. “Our conversational skills have been lacking recently.”
He chuckled. “Well, actions do speak louder than words.”
“Not sure if that applies here.”
“Believe me,” he nodded, still grinning, “in this situation, it does.”
Well, it took me a whopping two weeks — and many stiff brush-offs and arguments — after calling a hiatus with Ezra to want him back in my bed. Finn just wasn’t cutting it, even if he was excellent in the sack, and no other man really caught my eye. To flat out want Ezra back. I was woman enough to admit that it was pretty f**king pathetic, but there it was: I wanted him something fierce.
Even more pathetically, I had no clue how to put King Fergus’s advice into action. Or more precisely, I didn’t feel right doing it. It just seemed…childish. Not to mention, I didn’t really think it would work. But after Ezra came back that morning smelling of roses again, I used the entire day contemplating the pros and cons of flaunting a partner in front of him.
During that day’s meeting with Elder Camden, Elder Harcourt, the other Elders, and the Kings, I thought about having Finn show up at our room, even as I half listened to them talk about the botched mission for Philip Masterson. The ass**le had apparently evaded them and gone into hiding with a few other United States officials as the rumors of war began to escalate. The Elders arguing for peace deduced that the Com leaders of the world weren’t under a spell but hating us only out of fear and out of the bitty fact that we had lied to them — unknowingly — when the first treaty had been signed.
Through dinner, I debated asking Felix back to my bed. But I quickly vetoed that since he and I had struck a decent relationship of boss and protector. In the end, when I had decided King Fergus’s advice just sucked, it came down to dancing that night at the bar where many had come to celebrate King Nelson’s birthday.
Ezra and I weren’t speaking to each other, which was half a blessing since it meant we weren’t fighting — most Mysticals had gone back to watching us, waiting for a sparring match to occur. No, tonight he was firmly ignoring me, and I was trying my hardest to ignore him as we all drank a birthday toast to King Nelson, who was busy trying to make sure his mate, already two sheets to the wind, didn’t drink all of the alcohol in a whiskey bottle.
The place was packed full of kiss asses, so I didn’t notice when Elder Merrick slid behind me. His arm circled my waist as he pressed his lips lightly to the side of my neck. I jolted in surprise but laughed at his antics, never one to miss an opportunity when Ezra was near and still boggling my mind.
“Would you like to dance?” He nibbled at my throat again.
I tossed my drink back, more than ready to get out of Ezra’s evasive sight. “Why not?”
He grinned, pulling me from the King’s table. “It’s about time you quit telling me no.”
“You caught me on a good night.” I pointed against his chest, which was just too muscular for his own good. “You know, a little ugly within the Mys could go a long way.”
He laughed, pulling me to the edge of the dance floor, which had been constructed after Ezra and I had started a brawl that had resulted in a clean slate of space to work with. “Lily Ruckler, you’re something else.”
I bowed. “Why, thank you.”
“Now, dance with me,” he growled low, grinning like the devil. He pulled me flush against him. My eyebrows rose at the action, but I went with it, feeling just tipsy enough to enjoy myself. Lord almighty, the man could dance, making the act more sexual than two people on a crowded dance floor had a right to be. I chuckled as he lifted my leg over his hip, dipping me backward to place a line of hot kisses down the center of my chest, only just missing what cle**age I had.
“You’re dirty.” I grinned when he lifted me. “Watch out or my wolf might wake.”