58: A dangerous game (2)

Jesper swallowed, but his voice was softer this time, uncertain. "Do you want me to stop?"

Subedei's hands flexed on his waist, his breath uneven. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, with a quiet intensity that sent a shiver down Jesper's spine, he murmured, "I don't know."

Jesper's heart skipped. He didn't know either and that terrified him. He had never felt unsure of himself. He was clever, sharp-tongued, always a step ahead, always knowing how to get what he wanted.

But as he held onto Subedei, feeling the hard rise and fall of his chest, the warmth of his hands gripping his waist, he realized... he had no idea what he wanted or rather, he did and that was the terrifying part.

His body still hummed from the friction, from the heady rush of power he'd felt when he first pressed against Subedei, but now something deeper stirred beneath it. Something he didn't have a name for because Subedei wasn't just reacting, he was struggling.