Tor stripped out of his tunic and hose, then tugged on his nightshirt. He didn’t even know if Pel was coming, and he didn’t know what would happen if he arrived. He didn’t want to make assumptions.
At what point would it be clear that Pel wasn’t coming? Oh, why hadn’t he made actual plans with the man?
Maybe Pel was tired. Maybe he’d gotten stuck talking to his father. Maybe Bavil or Larexa had the worst timing ever and had picked today to try to enact a reconciliation. (Of course Tor would support them, even if any other day would be better.)
In the meantime, he turned back the covers of the bed. He straightened his discarded clothing. He made himself lie down on the bed as he realized that he’d been basically pacing.
Maybe he should try to read a book.
Maybe he should—
Maybe he would spring from his bed and bolt for the sitting room door, because that had definitely been a knock.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tor
Tor pulled the door open, and there Pel was, still dressed in the clothes he’d been wearing at dinner. Tor hadn’t really thought about the message he might be sending by answering the door in his nightclothes.
Pel’s eyes traveled the entire length of him, and then he grinned. “It looks as though you’re ready for bed.”
Tor was helpless to do anything but grin back. “Yeah, I might have been hoping you’d join me. What do you think?”
“I’d be happy to,” Pel agreed, eyes bright.
Tor ushered him in, closing the door firmly behind him.
“There are biscuits,” Tor pointed out, gesturing at them. “If you’re hungry.”
“So hungry,” Pel said roughly.
Tor’s eyes snapped to Pel’s face to confirm thatyes, those were the best bedroom eyes Tor had seen in quite a while, and no biscuits were going to be consumed tonight.
Grinning, he guided Pel into the bedroom and closed that door, too.
“It looks like I’m wearing too much clothing,” Pel observed.
Tor hummed a noise of agreement and then offered, “I could help with that.”
“Oh, could you?” Pel said, raising an eyebrow.
So Tor got to undress Pel, which involved a fair bit of kissing and a lot of groping, though Tor was careful where he touched. But Pel was inexperienced, not shy, and he was very eager. He groped Tor right back, which Tor loved.
There was a bit of tugging on hair—not all of it deliberate, because Pel seemed to really enjoy weaving his hands into Tor’s hair, and that worked until Tor decided to kneel to get the other man’s boots off.
Tor made a surprised noise of pain at the tug, Pel apologized, looking horrified, and then they both giggled like children.
It was exactly what Tor hadn’t known was missing from his life.
They were both thoroughly aroused by the time Pel was naked. His eyes were bright with lust and a little bit of uncertainty, but he smiled at Tor nevertheless and said, “Now I think it’s you who are overdressed.”
“Maybe you’d better come and get me naked,” Tor invited.
Pel’s smile deepened, and he did quite a good job of divesting Tor of his nightshirt, running his hands up Tor’s body as he moved.
There was a moment where Tor was blinded by fabric, and then Pel’s lips were on his, and Tor kissed him back eagerly.
And then, finally, they were both naked, Tor gazing avidly at Pel.
