mind floods with images, each more enticing than the last. God, yes, I like this. I want them to do so many things to me. I want them to keep working together like this, want them to make me beg, want to cling to them both as they make me fall apart…
I haven’t been letting myself think about how attracted I am to Dmitri, but now that he’s made it clear he wants me too, at least sexually, it’s like a floodgate opening. I’m so turned on I can barely see straight, and the fact that Roman’s here too only makes it hotter.
My breath hitches, and I feel my underwear getting damp, my body slick and aching for them.
“Yes.”
The word falls from my lips like someone pulled it out of me, and it doesn’t sound as seductive and defiant as I was hoping it would. Instead, it sounds raw and… honest.
Their reaction is immediate. Roman’s fingers dig into my hips, and he kisses along the side of my neck as Dmitri hooks one finger under my chin, tilting my head up. His finger trails slowly down my throat, my chest—oh God, traces my breasts—
“How about this,” Roman offers, his voice rough. “You work on taking care of yourself and going easy on yourself. Giving yourself credit and believing you can do this. And if you’re very, very good…”
Dmitri’s finger reaches the waistband of my jeans. He toys with the button, and I’m so close to begging him to rip them off, so close to begging them both to just lock the fucking door, bend me over the desk, and put me out of my damn misery—
“…we can continue this little meeting,” Roman finishes.
His hands squeeze my hips, and then he and Dmitri step away in unison, leaving me standing alone on shaky legs.
I blink at them in shock, like I can’t quite remember their names.
Or my name.
Or how to speak English.
“Sound like a deal?” Roman asks, a businesslike tone returning to his voice.
“This isn’t just about the competition,” Dmitri says flatly, as if he wasn’t just fondling my boobs two seconds ago. “This is for your own safety. We could give a damn if you win or not. We care about you being happy and safe.”
Um… excuse me, what now? Dmitri cares whether I’m happy? He wants me safe?
That’s a new one. I guess maybe it’s because he wants to fuck me, but I’m honestly surprised he’s worried about my well-being at all. I thought I was just a sometimes-amusing, sometimes-annoying distraction he puts up with because of Asher and Cam.
“Well?” Roman’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
I nod, my throat like sandpaper. “Deal.”
“Good girl,” Dmitri growls, and my clit spasms again.
Oh my God.
When they finally do fuck me, I’m not going to survive it.
Chapter 13
All four of the guys help me to prepare for the next trial.
The two weeks in between each event give the admins time to fix any damage to school grounds and set up the next challenge, and for the people competing to catch a breather and go back to classes at their respective schools. Nobody wants to interrupt a student’s entire semester just for a competition, as prestigious as that competition might be.
My professors, Tamlin and Roman included, are clearly trying to strike some kind of balance between teaching me normal coursework and also teaching me shit I’ll probably need to use for the Trials.
Even after Dmitri and Roman’s little pep talk, which featured heavily in my special “me time” in the shower all week, I’m still struggling in my classes. I can’t stop thinking it should’ve been my grouchy roommate representing the school. He’d be doing a much better job of juggling all this than I am.
But if Dmitri finds out I’m thinking like that, it’ll be my head, apparently.
I’m trying to be kinder to myself, I really am. The guys help me with my homework and test me on my skills. Roman can’t do too much without it being blatant favoritism, but he starts tutoring me like Tamlin is. Since she’s doing it too, nobody can claim something untoward is going on—unless someone wants to get really creative and say I’m banging both of them.
Hardwick doesn’t want the Trials distracting us from the real reasons we’re here—gaining control over our magic, getting prepared for a career, learning more about our culture and history, and showing the world that Unpredictable magic isn’t the horrifying freak show they think it is.
But how the hell