Under my hand, I felt his lips curve even more as he mumbled against my skin, the sound muffled, “You’re a sore loser.”
“I never said I wasn’t.” I glared, pointing at him with my other hand. “Now, to the important part. Did you make a bet with the other Kings about who would win?”
His eyes narrowed, and he said again with the muffled voice, “Why?”
“Well, I was thinking that tomorrow you pick the bigger payout, and we make it happen whichever way that is to keep them from betting about us.”
He lifted my hand off his mouth, and laughed outright. He had a dirty handprint on his face now. There was dirt under my fingernails, which I didn’t think would ever come clean from that last ‘little’ explosion. He only shook his head and started walking toward the cave’s entrance.
“Hey!” I griped, yanking on my boots and rushing after him. “It’s a good plan.”
Amber eyes met mine, full of mirth. “They’re my group. My team. Betting is our thing.” He shook his green curls, which were free of debris, very unlike mine. “I won’t ruin that by cheating.”
I felt my lips frown, but I understood, even if it wrecked my plans for revenge. “Speaking of cheating…” My gaze hit the ground, and I scuffed my shoes along the long grass. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” I could feel his eyes on me.
“Say you were in an…odd…relationship.”
He snorted. “Most relationships are odd at some point.”
“Alright.” I nodded. “Well, say you’ve just gotten out of a sexual relationship with someone you care for.” My hands waved in front of me in grand motions. “And say you both decided to take a break from each another because it was becoming too…” My hands fluttered all about. “Real.”
King Fergus rested his hand on my shoulder, stopping my progress and making me look directly at him. “Real as in ‘I’m falling in love with you’ real? Or real as in ‘oh shit, I forgot a condom and made babies with you’ real?”
My gaze was chilled at his bluntness. “The latter.”
His lips pressed together, and he seesawed them back and forth. “Okay, what’s next?”
“Well, say you’ve decided to take a break from each other. Does it constitute cheating if you have sex with someone else,” I held up a finger, “which was entirely expected during the break,” my finger twirled, “but you go about flaunting it,” I held up a stopping hand, “which was not expected, to the point it was specifically stated not to do out of respect for the other person’s feelings during a sensitive time for the both of you?”
“I’m honestly a little confused here, trying to keep that straight,” his eyebrows puckered, “but if you’re asking if it’s cheating when you’re on a mutual break, the answer is no, especially if you both discussed it beforehand and knew it would happen.” His head cocked. “But if you’re asking about flaunting the new lovers…”
I snapped at him. “Yes. That’s it. When it was explicitly stated beforehand that it would be disrespectful to do so.”
“Is he flaunting them in front of you?”
I waggled my hand. “Kind of. Using words like an ‘experience’ and saying he slept with four other women since us.” I blinked. “He tore a few things apart when he found out I’d slept with someone.”
King Fergus stared.
“What?” I shuffled on my feet, watching him intently for an answer.
Still, he stared.
“I’m waiting for an answer, dirt boy!”
He blinked. “You are so innocent.” He shook his head, chuckling quietly when I glared at him, despite that I thought my impression was pretty ferocious. “Let me ask you this…Do you want him back?”
That stopped me. “Like, back in my bed?”
His eyebrows rose. “Or wherever you two did it.”
“Oh.” My eyebrows slowly came together. “I don’t know. He kind of,” I rubbed at my chest, “hurt me, sleeping with those other women.”
He watched my hand’s movement, snorting as he turned and started walking again. “If you want him back the answer is simple.”
I ran to catch up. “I said I don’t know if I do or not.”
“Well, if you decide you do,” his grin was malicious, “don’t hide the fact you’re sleeping with other partners.” Amber eyes full of knowledge met mine. “If he wants you, too, he’ll be back once he can’t take seeing it anymore.” He raised his arms. “Or, you could go the responsible route and actually talk with him about it.”
“Hmm.” Yeah, no. “Our conversational skills have been lacking recently.”
He chuckled. “Well, actions do speak louder than words.”
“Not sure if that applies here.”