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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 gri
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.
He was an enigma, and I didn’t like things I couldn’t understand.
Kas shifted to face me, angling the covers so they stayed over his naked lap. “Give me your leg, Gem.”
I hesitated only a moment.
Kas hadn’t been lying when he said he’d lost the key.
It’d been his faulty mind. He’d genuinely lost it, and somehow...Jareth had found it.
I threw Jareth another suspicious look.
Ever since he’d arrived, things had moved so fast. It felt as if he’d pressed fast-forward, shoving us out of our slow-paced motions, forcing us to bulldoze through walls that’d seemed impossible to breach.
And now...now he’d offered another means of freedom. A physical one and not just emotional.
Holding my breath, I pushed my leg out from under the covers, resting it on Kas’s knee.
His fingers grazed my bare skin, sending a scattering of new lust between my legs. If Jareth wasn’t here, I’d grab Kas and start all over again.
I’d show him just how much he meant to me. How much I cared about him as his hands shook a little as he inserted the key into the padlock around my ankle and turned it.
He did something I hadn’t dared dream of when I first met him.
He willingly let me go.
The lock snapped open.
I sighed in relief as he unbuckled the cuff and removed it entirely from my person.
My skin was red and damp, itchy with the need to breathe. Rubbing the redness, I looked at Kas.
I waited to see how he’d feel about me being completely free. Did he still fear I’d climb away without a goodbye? Did he still want me to leave like he’d demanded two nights ago?
His lips quickly pressed to mine, his voice heavy with guilt. “I’m sorry for trapping you.” Kissing me again, he added, “Never again, Gem. You’re free now.”
I smiled, my heart full to bursting.
Kissing him back, I stole the key from his fingers. Without saying a word, I pushed away the blanket from his waist and inserted the tiny key into the padlock.
With a small turn, it unlocked.
Kas shuddered as I unbuckled the leather from around his muscular, scarred middle, pulling it free and tossing it over the edge of the bed. “And now, you’re free too.” I leaned forward and kissed him again.
Jareth cleared his throat, wrenching my attention to him.
He stood with his hands balled and body braced in the doorway. The look in his eyes sank low in my belly, heralding premonition and fear.
He looked as if he saw what we were and what we’d become.
As if he could see the future, and it frightened him.
“What?” Kas asked, sensing the same thing I did. “What’s wrong?”
Jareth shook himself, slipping back into the self-assured ice king. “Nothing. I’m hungry. I’m go
Kas jolted, his hand coming up like a threat. “Don’t raid the vegetable garden. We don’t have enough as it is.”
Jareth narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean...don’t have enough?”
Kas cleared his throat, throwing me a glance. I waited for him to spin a lie—to assure his brother that we had everything under control with snow fast approaching—instead shock kept me silent as he admitted, “We don’t have enough to get two of us through winter, let alone three. We still haven’t solved that issue.”
“Wait.” Jareth suddenly laughed, loud and mocking. “Let me get this straight. You’ve lived in this valley ever since you freed us, you somehow figured out all the shit it takes to grow food and survive, yet...now that you have company, you don’t have enough to go around?” He wiped his mouth and rolled his eyes. “So your plan...before I came along was what? Starve to death in each other’s arms?”
“We’re going to hunt and—”
Jareth cut me off with a slash of his hand. “That won’t be enough. Not with the heavy snow and ice that settles here.” He shivered dramatically. “I hated winters, even when the rooms were warm and we had enough food to keep us content.” Laughing again, he turned to leave. “You truly are more fucked than I thought, Kas.”
“Where are you going?” Kas asked, his gaze following Jareth as he stepped into the corridor.
“Go
“Go wherever you want, but do not take any food. I’ll gather and cook us something.”
Jareth nodded. “Whatever you say, brother dear.”
He vanished down the corridor without another word.