Page 29 of Heartflame

This was bad. This was really, really bad.

I’d spent two weeks telling myself that Aeron Pyre was an insufferable asshole. That his confidence was annoying, his arrogance was insufferable, and his constant attempts to get into my pants were harassment. And then what? One ward breach and a moment of vulnerability in the dark, and suddenly I’m on my knees with his cock in my mouth like some easy slut?

The worst part was that I’d enjoyed it. More than enjoyed it. The taste of him, the weight of cock on my tongue, the way he’d said my name when he came…

I shook my head hard, turning on the shower. Cold water. I needed cold water.

As I stood under the spray, trying to get my head on straight, my mind kept circling back to what Professor Blackwood had asked me to do. She wanted me to spy on him, to watch for inconsistencies and report back. And instead, I’d just blown him.

Some spy I turned out to be.

But then there was the crystal ball communication with his grandfather. That had been real. That had been exactly the kind of thing Blackwood wanted me to notice. Elder Thaddeus telling Aeron to keep quiet about what we’d seen, to make sure I kept quiet too. Asking him not to report details to security. That wasn’t normal. That wasn’t transparent leadership. And having a crystal ball that could pierce the wards? That seemed suspicious too.

So why did I feel like a complete asshole for even thinking about reporting it?

I got out of the shower and dressed quickly, trying not to think about the fact that I could still smell him on my skin. Smoke and something I could only describe as dragon stink. I ran my fingers through my damp hair, trying to make myself look less like I’d just gotten my mouth fucked in the dark.

When I emerged from the bathroom, Aeron was still asleep. He was sprawled across the bed in all his naked glory, one arm thrown over his face, his chest rising and falling steadily. His cock was soft now, resting against his thigh, but even flaccid it was impressive. I forced myself to look away.

I needed coffee. And distance. And probably therapy, if I was being honest.

I was reaching for the door when his voice stopped me.

“Where are you going?”

I turned to find him propped up on his elbows, those golden eyes half-lidded and sleepy. He looked rumpled and content and absolutely beautiful.

“I need to check on my roommate,” I said, which was technically true. “And get some clothes. And think.”

“About what?” He sat up fully, completely unselfconscious about his nakedness. Of course he was.

“About this,” I gestured vaguely between us. “About last night. About what happens now.”

He studied me for a long moment, and I could practically see the wheels turning behind his eyes. “What do you want to happen?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? What did I want? Because the answer was complicated and messy and involved a lot of things that probably weren’t smart.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “This is... I don’t usually do this.”

“Neither do I,” he said quietly. “Not like that, anyway.”

There was something in his tone that made my chest tighten. Something that suggested this meant more to him than just getting his rocks off. And that terrified me more than the ward breach had.

“I need to think,” I said again, firmer this time. “Alone.”

He didn’t like that. I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way his hands flexed like they wanted to reach for me and pull me back. But he nodded anyway.

“Okay,” he said. “But we’re talking about this later. And Red? Don’t go blabbing to your roommate about what happened here.”

I almost laughed. “Trust me, Lysander is the last person I want knowing about this.”

“Good,” he said, and there was that possessive edge again. “Because he’s not getting anywhere near you.”

“You can’t claim ownership of me, Aeron.”

“Watch me,” he said, but he was smiling.

I left before he could say anything else that would make me want to crawl back into bed with him.