Rough Exile

I put my hand on Ilya’s arm and tried to urge him away.

There were a few tense moments where his muscles corded under my fingers and I thought he would throw a punch, but he gradually allowed me to urge him back. He let me guide him onto a chair, then I sat on his lap to keep him there.

“You’re letting a woman tell you what to do now?” Bron sneered.

“She was the one you offended, not me. She wants me to stop, so I’ve stopped.”

“So much fuss over a woman,” Bron grumbled. He headed into the main bedroom with his luggage.

“Delilah is mine,” Ilya called after him. “I will always defend her.”

“Delilah is Delilah’s,” I reminded him teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. At least Ilya didn’t look like he was holding a grudge.

I tried to get up, but he had wrapped his arms around my waist, like a flesh and blood seatbelt, determined not to let me up.

“I like you here.”

“If we’re going out, I need to go get ready.”

Ilya sighed but let me go. As I rose, I was shocked to feel him grab my ass. When I glanced at him over my shoulder, he winked at me.

“You grabbed my butt!”

“It looked lonely.” The mischievous twist of his lips made me smile back.

“What are you going to wear?” I asked as I entered the bedroom, Ilya on my heels. I’d put my clothes in the main bedroom’s closet since there wouldn’t have been enough room in the spare bedroom’s closet.

Bron threw a T-shirt and jeans on the bed.

“Can I wear the same thing?” I asked, hopefully.

“No,” they replied in unison.

Groaning, I browsed through my new clothes.

Bron handed me a dress I didn’t remember trying on. It was a strange, iridescent black, and the fabric felt like metallic water in my hands. Of course, it was short.

“Should I wear some of my new underwear with this?”

“No panties.” His dark gaze bore into mine, and I couldn’t help but shrink back. “Don’t interfere between us again, woman, or I’ll blister your ass.”

“I think stopping the two of you from having a fistfight in a fancy hotel room was a good decision. There’s too much breakable furniture in here. And if someone calls the police, they might find out I’m here illegally. Maybe try to act civilized while we’re here.”

I hadn’t meant to snap at him, but he let it go. The look he gave me, however, before I stepped into the shower, made me cringe at what he would do to get even.