I am apparently not the only person suffering from You-Are-Mine syndrome.
Oh hey. Maybe that means Thoren will want to keep me.
Chapter fourteen
Thoren
(The cards are stupid)
I’m such an embarrassment.Who tells the guy he hooked up with that he’s not allowed to let anyone smell him? Me. That’s who. I have zero chill.
“I wonder why you smell like my favorite memory,” Dec ponders aloud, and that’s the clincher for me.
I could have probably overlooked that his base scent is a reminder of passing into adulthood, when I raced the sun down the mountain, chasing the bevalan into the safety of the shade. It reminds me of finally catching it and sacrificing it on the altar of my youth. I fed our family, created tools from its bones, and wear its leather to this day. It was the happiest moment of my youth, and Dec smells like the memory of that day. However, I can’t overlook that I smell like his favorite memory too.
“When did you notice that I smell like that to you?” I ask, curious if this has been an on-going thing I’ve ignored, or if it’s a recent development, because I haven’t gotten close enough to scent more than his most vivid responses until now.
My uncle’s summons comes again. I’ve been ignoring it for the last forty minutes, and I need to go find him, but this conversation is important.
“Oh, a few days ago,” Dec replies as I walk him into my closet.
I’m glad to know I’m not too far behind him; it would have been embarrassing if I’d been ignoring what was right in front of my nose. At least now I know we’re pretty much in alignment.
I move to the back where I keep the shirts that I only wear when circumstances require me to and pull a soft cotton t-shirt from a hanger. It’s black and boring and I would never wear it if I could get away with it, but it will cover Dec’s nudity long enough for him to get back to his room. I’m going to have to buy clothing that will fit him to keep in my closet, because I fully intend to destroy every suit he owns. Hmm, I will also need to put some pretty things in my underwear drawer for him. This one time I’m going to let him walk out of here in a t-shirt, but next time he will have clothes that fit him.
I help him into the shirt and pull it all the way down. It hits him just above the knees and is decent enough that I’m not too worried about anyone seeing parts of him that should be for my eyes only. I take a step back.
“Turn around,” I order.
A small, stupid part of my hindbrain grinds out a happy laugh when he immediately spins in place, showing me his back side.
The t-shirt covers him, but it’s tight on his ass and his dimples are on display in it. The color helps hide them, but I can still see them.
“What are you doing?” he asks, looking at me over his shoulder.
I point to his ass. “I’m figuring out if I’m going to have to walk behind you all the way to your room or if I have something to cover your dimples.”
Uncle’s summons comes again with a note of warning.
I’ve got about a minute to leave my room before one of my brothers arrives to rouse me.
Dec turns, examining the clothes in my closet.
I don’t always use glamour to clothe myself, but I have physical copies of all the clothing I’m seen in so that it’s never questioned when I do. Also, glamour only works on humans if it’s realistic, so the best glamour can’t stand up to never having laundry. I have to own the clothes I’m seen in, otherwise the humans can’t see my clothing at all. All of us were accidentally seen naked a few times when we first arrived on this planet; we’ve learned how to be successfully hidden since then.
Dec pulls a sweater off a hanger, wraps it around his waist, and ties the arms together in front. He takes a spin, showing me that his ass is perfectly covered, and I nod.
“Perfect,” I approve, pulling him in close and kissing him again. Something in me needs to keep tasting him. “I have a meeting with Uncle now. I’ll come see you when I return.”
Dec pecks one last kiss to my lips. “Don’t wake me up if I’m asleep. I will murder you if you do, and I know exactly where to hide the body where no one will find you.”
“What I’m hearing is, sleep is important to you.”
Dec smiles broadly and shakes his head. “No-no, awake Dec doesn’t think sleep is all that important. Sleeping Dec thinks that anyone who tries to wake him up deserves a knife to the throat. I’m just trying to save your life, that’s all.”
I laugh. “I will be sure to disarm you before I attempt rousing you.”
The door to my suite bursts open and Greeley walks in, booming, “Thoren! Get your ass uuuu—ooooh. Dec. How naughty of you. I’ve been looking for you for an hour, mate.” Greeley adjusts the sword hanging from his belt, grinning lasciviously.
