“You have not scared me,” Kit said. His gaze dipped. “You are kind. And honest. I cannot imagine you ever doing as she does. I know you would not.” Kit’s voice became stronger as he talked. His gaze rose to meet Nick’s eyes. Nick didn’t turn away from the eye contact, but he felt Kit’s tail release his own leg to wrap around Nick’s instead. “I wish for you to be inside me. I wish it for my own pleasure, and I wish it so that I might bring you pleasure too.”
Kit was so serious. He meant every word, and Nick couldn’t help but feel flustered and flattered by the casual good opinion Kit seemed to have of him. “I can work with that. Are you comfortable on my lap like this? Would you prefer a different position?”
Kit’s tail started to unwind, his body tensing again.
“You can keep it around my leg,” Nick said quickly. “If you can. Or would you be more comfortable having this conversation while we’re dressed?” Nick had his hands on the bed behind him, resting his weight on his palms. Kit was sitting on his lap, arms hooked on his shoulders, face close enough for Nick to feel his warm breath on his cheek.
Rather than retreat, Kit folded forwards. He buried his face in Nick’s neck and clung on, tail latching on tightly too. “Like this,” Kit said. “With me on top.”
“Thank you for telling me. What about my hands?”
“Do not reach for me,” Kit said, a snap in his voice.
“They’ll stay on the bed like this. I won’t touch you.” Nick was going to ask about holding his sides, since he’d inadvertentlydone that a few times and Kit hadn’t minded, but he shelved the question for now. “How do you feel about kissing –”
“No.” Another snap.
“Okay.”
Kit’s breaths were tense and ragged. “Scent-marking is fine,” he added tightly.
Right. Because Desre didn’t like anything actuallykit-related, so that would have been totally out of the question.
“You don’t want me to touch your cock at all.” It came out as more of a statement than a question. Kit nodded anyway.
“How about looking?”
“Looking is…okay.” Kit sounded embarrassed.
Nick tilted his head to rest his chin in Kit’s hair. “Great. Cause you’re nice to look at.”
Kit made a noise in his throat. “You said you like my cock. I do not want you to touch it, but I am happy for you to see it.”
“Such a sweet talker.” Nick huffed.
Kit shuffled on his lap. “Are there more questions?”
“Do you have any for me? Is there more I should know that I’m not thinking of?” Nick was sure there probably were a million things, but he couldn’t think of them in that moment.
A sharp rap of knuckles against the door answered Nick.
Nick glanced towards the door, debating for a moment, then sighed. Just because the room felt like a private bubble didn’t mean it was one. “I’ll check,” he said. He shifted his weight, and Kit slid from his lap. Kit sat on the bed, his tail lashing, his face filling with unease as he glanced at the door.
Nick righted his trousers as he padded across the bedroom. He set his foot in place so that the door couldn’t be opened enough to see the mostly naked Kit perched on crumpled sheets. He turned the key and pulled it open to find Seche standing there. He was dressed in polished mahogany leathers, a vibrant blue cloak clasped to his shoulders. His eyes flicked overNick, taking in his state of undress, but there was no disapproval when he met Nick’s eyes. “My scouts have spotted merfolk in the river. Are you ready?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“It’s an hour’s ride,” Seche said. “Ios will bring you breakfast, and I’d like to leave within the half hour.”
Nerves nipped at Nick, uneasy at the prospect of returning to the river. “Where’s Desre’s ship?”
The corner of Seche’s eye twitched, his gaze sliding sideways at the door—where Kit was beyond it—and then back to Nick. The meaning of his look was perfectly clear. Kit rose from the bed and pulled on his clothes in brisk, utilitarian movements. He righted his sleeves over his gloves with a sharp snap of each wrist, a fire burning bright in his eyes.
“Okay, I’m good to go,” Nick said, brushing over the distrust.
“No,” Kit said. He caught the edge of the door and waited for Nick to move his foot to open it fully. “I’m coming too,” he added in a tone of voice that reminded Nick of when he’d first been abducted. Thatlisten to me or elsevoice.
Seche simply raised his brows. “Afraid not.”
