Karis’s eyes are closed, and disappointment briefly tightens Ronan’s chest. Maybe “just sleeping” wasn’t a lie after all, and Ronan’s grown too eager in his weakness.
But when Ronan strips down and dresses in loose sleeping pants, he notices Karis watching him with narrowed eyes. Ronan’s movements neither halt nor slow, but he’s hyperaware of the gaze on his bare skin.
He slides into bed, and Karis rolls towards him. Their knees touch under the blankets, and each of Karis’s freckles is outlined in moonlight. It’s the easiest thing in the world for Ronan to lean closer and press his lips to Karis’s forehead.
A small sound shudders past Karis’s throat and lodges deep in Ronan’s heart.
He pulls away enough to see the light shining in Karis’s eyes before lowering again to steal a proper kiss. Karis makes another sound, sharper, and kisses back. Dry skin ignites with a sweep of tongue. Breath and pulse intertwine in a wordless spell that leaves Ronan reeling.
He always thought kissing was a means to an end. A distraction while he picks a pocket. A token of sincerity to conceal deception. An unexciting preliminary step to having sex, those few times he’s sought out partners outside of jobs.
This is different. Ronan could spend the entire night lost in this kiss.
Karis kisses with clumsy enthusiasm. Too much tongue, too much teeth. Too fast. But he learns quickly, meeting Ronan’s pace. The kiss slows and sweetens until Ronan almost forgets how tired he is.
He breaks the kiss and presses their foreheads together. He doesn’t know when his fingers tangled into Karis’s hair. Every exhalation tingles along his licked-wet lips.
“So, you were lying about just sleeping?” Ronan teases in a low voice that makes Karis swallow audibly. He chuckles. “Some Varan you are.”
?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KARIS
Karis rolls onto his back with a dramatic groan. “Please don’t talk about Vara right now.”
His heart still drums through his chest, and his lips still tingle. He never knew anyone could kiss like that, and it’s a good thing he’s lying down, because his knees feel like jelly. A nervous thrill runs through him; he wonders how he’ll survive if they do anything else tonight. Just kissing is already mind-blowing enough.
For the past twenty minutes, he’s been trying to persuade himself that he really intended just to sleep. Nobody else seems concerned about how tired Ronan looks, during the rare moments Ronan doesn’t realize anyone’s watching. Or maybe nobody else even notices. Sleeping on the attic couch can’t be that comfortable—luring Ronan back to his own bed was really an altruistic scheme.
Altruism is overrated.Karis hooks his fingers into Ronan’s collar and pulls. Darkness amplifies every sound and touch as Ronan braces himself on one elbow. He hovers over Karis, then leans down.
The next kiss is maddeningly gentle. Like water heating slowly and inevitably over a low flame, until it boils beneath Karis’s skin. Ronan’s short beard rasps against his cheeks. No teeth this time. Karis parts his lips, wanting more—but Ronan pulls away, huffing a laugh.
“You should sleep now.” The rawness in Ronan’s voice shivers down Karis’s spine. The last thing Karis wants to do is sleep; he’s about to protest when Ronan adds, “We’re leaving before dawn.”
“Before dawn?” Karis releases Ronan’s collar. “Just sleeping. We’re actually definitely just sleeping.” He rolls away and buries his face in the pillow.
There’s another low laugh behind him, and followed by the faint pressure of a kiss on his shoulder, warm through the loose shirt. Then there’s only quiet, and the unsteady metronome of Karis’s heartbeat.
In the darkness, Karis touches his lips. He thinks a tentative wisp of a prayer.Hey, Vara?
The god hums acknowledgement in the back of his mind.I’m here.
Great.Karis shifts on the pillow.Do you think he likes me?
The pause that follows is thunderously silent. Karis imagines Vara rolling his divine eyes before the reply finally arrives:The Trickster’s acolyte was right. Go to sleep!
For some reason, the answer satisfies Karis. Maybe because he can imagine that Ronan telling him to sleep is a sign of his deeper concern, that he cares about Karis more than he cares about the other Locksmiths. He can imagine the kiss means something more than just the most searingly hot kiss of Karis’s life.
A while later, the bed shifts. Adrift on the border-sea of sleep, Karis is just awake enough to register the loss of warmth as Ronan leaves the bed. Any footsteps are inaudible, but he hears the click of the bathroom door closing. A few minutes later, he hears the sound of running water.
Karis sinks fully into sleep before Ronan returns.
***
If Karis knew how long it would be before he managed another kiss, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep so easily.
