"Then tell me who Jak is," he murmured, his words little more than a heated breeze near my left ear.
I shivered, torn between desire and growing anger. "Why do you need to know? It's not as if you're jealous or anything."
"At first, it was nothing more than curiosity." He shifted his grip so that both of my hands were held in one of his, then he pulled me back just enough to slip his free hand between the wall and me. He cupped my breasts, pinching and rolling my nipples, playing me like a master played his favorite instrument—with ease and assurance. He added, "Now, however, it is something of a challenge."
"And yet another one you won't win."
"Oh, have no doubt that I'll win this one," he said softly. He continued to knead and press and tease my flesh, until I was trembling to the tune of his fingers and beginning to hunger for a whole lot more. It was frustrating—truly frustrating—that I just couldn't seem to say no to this man and actually mean it. It was almost as if he'd become an addiction. "When I mentioned a moment ago that I wasn't able to read your thoughts as much as I used to, I did leave a little information out of the equation."
"There's a surprise," I muttered, my body still quivering under the delicious assault.
He chuckled softly and once again gently prized my legs apart with his knee. Then he claimed me from behind, his cock thick and hard and oh-so-heated as it thrust up into me. I made a sound that was a confused mix of annoyed growl and moan of pleasure. He chuckled again, his lips brushing my ear before he whispered, "I can read you when I fuck you. And right now, I intend to fuck you so completely that protecting the elusive Jak's identity will be the very last thing on your mind."
And that's exactly what he did. Until the water went cold and the shower automatically shut down, until my body was trembling with exhaustion and the repeated waves of orgasm. Until, I guess, he'd finally mined the information from my mind. Only then did he allow himself to come, and finally end the ordeal.
For several minutes neither of us moved. His hands were still wrapped around mine, and my legs were so wobbly that his grip was the only thing keeping me upright.
He released me, then blew out a breath, the breeze of it whispering past my cheek. "So," he said, and for the first time there was weariness in his voice. The legendary Aedh stamina had finally hit a wall. "Jak is an ex-lover you met up with yesterday morning."
If I'd had the energy I would have pushed him away from me. As it was, it was all I could do to turn around and glare at him.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He's in town and wanted to catch up. Nothing more, nothing less."
His gaze swept mine, as if he was trying to work out whether I was telling the truth or not. And that surely meant he hadn't dragged all the information about Jak out of my mind during the marathon session. Though whether the relief that followed this realization stemmed from Azriel's distrust or my own lingering sense that something wasn't quite right, I couldn't honestly say.