Strongman by Denise Rossetti

buttocks clenched, just as he offered in the woman’s mouth, his dark eyes would snap open, to stare deep into Fort’s, deep into his soul, his heart…
    Fort’s hand moved faster and faster, pumping. He gasped for breath, his head thrashing on the bedding, inadvertently inhaling the scent of Griff’s skin. The smell sped straight to his hindbrain, bypassing every rational faculty, a sensual sucker punch deep in his balls that pushed him off the edge and sent him flying. The seed boiled into his cock in a seething flood of excruciating pleasure. His hips arched, a helpless groan tearing from his chest. Hot, musky jets splattered his abdomen, covered his fingers. It went on and on.
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    Denise Rossetti
    Lufra, he hadn’t come so hard since that first time with Bekah. What an offering!
    A gleeful voice whispered in his ear, So what are you going to do now , love ? The dusting ?
    Fort lay, his chest heaving, completely drained. He struggled to his elbows and looked down in disgust, mixed with utter dismay.
    Wash , that ’ s what I ’ m going to do . All over again .
    You little shit .
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    Strongman

Chapter Five
    Travelers — Religion :
    The god of the Travelers has two faces . As the Traveler , he is a deity of good luck , whose cheerful charm and cunning wiles protect his worshippers . In his darker aspect , however , he is known as the Twister , the Great Liar — manipulative and heartless . It is the Twister who “ runs the con ”, fleecing the helpless and preying on the weak .
    Excerpt from the Great Encyclopedia , compiled by Miriliel the Burnished .

    “Twister take me, what biteme stung your ass, Fort?” Leo the roustabout leaned against a vran’s feathered rump and shot him a filthy look. “That’s how I always do it.”
    “Not this time,” growled Fort. “You missed the corners. Vranee get hoof-rot in wet straw.” He ran a critical eye over the stall Leo had mucked out. “Change it. All of it.”
    He turned away, suppressing the urge to pick the man up by the scruff of his neck and slam him head-first into the water trough.
    Where the hell was Griff? Still in bed, the lazy bastard?
    From behind, he heard the roustabout’s muttered curse. Slowly, he turned, laying a clenched fist against the side of the stall. “You got something to say to me, Leo?” His lips drew back from his teeth.
    The blood drained from the other man’s face. “Uh, no, Fort.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in his skinny neck as he swallowed. “No.”
    “Good.” Fort strode out into the day, feeling somehow diminished. Lufra, he’d been in a hell of a temper all morning and he’d taken it out on all of them, especially Leo.
    Now they’d walk more carefully around him, leave him alone. Which was good, wasn’t it?
    He squinted up at the Sun and its Shadow, shading his eyes. Plenty of time to clean up and get into Valaressa, to Barnaby’s shop on the Leaf of Gems.
    Griffid Ringman could go to hell.
    * * * * *
    Fort slapped a silver quarter-mark on the battered counter. “Thanks, Barnaby.”
    The old man returned the nod. His veined hand shot out and the coin disappeared.
    “You signin’ on with the Fair then?” He cocked a bushy gray brow.
    “Ay,” said Fort, lifting the strongbox to his shoulder. This was his second visit of the day. He’d sat with the old scoundrel earlier and taken a cup of roberry, prepared the Valaressan way, darker than the innermost hells and strong enough to strip the fur 35

    Denise Rossetti
    from a fellwolf. Then he’d extracted nine gold marks from his box, slipped them into a pouch and taken a scull down the blue canals to the Noble Leaf.
    At the Winged Envoy’s palazzo, Mirry received him, frowning as he tallied the coins. “You’ve miscounted. She said seven.”
    Fort held his eye, trying desperately not to stare at those incredible wings, let alone the tail. “No, I didn’t. That’s what it’s worth.”
    The raptor’s gaze pinned him a moment longer and then the Aetherii