Kazia tightens his grip, afraid Lucien will drop him in shock. Even worse—that the shock will subside into rejection. Kazia lifts his chin with rigid composure. “You don’t have to look so surprised.”
“I’m not,” Lucien says immediately. His grin returns, more hesitant. “Okay, I’m a little surprised.”
Fuck, Kazia shouldn’t have made the proposition while Lucien was holding him. Definitely not while Kazia is too reluctant to escape.
“It was a joke. Of course, I don’t want to have sex right now,” Kazia says haughtily. “Especially not with you. I mean, you kiss all right, but you talk too much about how good you are in bed to actually be any good. Plus, you’re super old, so you need lots of rest before you murder my parents, and—”
Lucien stops Kazia’s rambling with a kiss. He delves deep into Kazia’s mouth, and his hands shift beneath Kazia’s ass. Long fingers massage gently into muscle, until Kazia squirms.
When the kiss ends, Kazia can’t remember what he was saying.
“It was a good surprise.” Lucien’s eyes sparkle. “Do you have salve?”
“Bedside cabinet,” Kazia breathes.
He squeaks as Lucien lurches into motion. Lucien carries him effortlessly, and Kazia doesn’t want to be set down. The bedroom is dim, half lit by lanterns, none shining as bright as Lucien.
Safety used to look a lot like loneliness. Now, it’s Lucien kneeling on the bed and tumbling Kazia onto the mattress. Kisses chain them together with each intertwined breath.
Kazia has never fucked a man before, but he knows how it works. More importantly, he wants all of Lucien right now.
“Take your shirt off,” Kazia demands, fumbling with Lucien’s shirt laces.
Lucien laughs into another kiss, but not like he’s laughing at Kazia. “That’s complicated when you’re clinging like a leech.”
“Too bad. Figure it out.”
But after a struggle, Lucien extricates himself enough to pull his shirt off. He’s gorgeous in the low light. No bruises this time, bared willingly.
Kazia’s still gathering the nerve to touch when Lucien slides off the bed and out of reach.
“You haven’t done this before, have you?” Lucien asks, bending to unlace his boots.
Kazia works on his own shoes. “I haven’t.”
No point in bluffing or blustering—Lucien knows him too well. Kazia has never trusted anyone enough to get this close. He’s never wanted anyone enough to overcome his fear.
And maybe it’s silly, but Kazia wants Lucien to be careful with him.
Lucien grins like the sun, freckles dancing over high cheekbones. “Then congratulations, Your Highness. You’re about to have an incredible first fuck.”
The arrogance should be insufferable. Kazia can’t get enough. Any retort dies in his stuttering mind when Lucien unlaces his trousers.
“It’s okay to be impressed,” Lucien says, sliding his trousers past his hips.
Kazia scoffs. “If you were that impressive, you wouldn’t need to talk so much.”
Then he falls silent. Okay, fine. The sight of Lucien’s cock sends Kazia sliding in stockinged feet to fetch the salve.
Lucien catches him on the way back, bending down for a shallow kiss. His body is a furnace.
“One question,” Lucien murmurs, pulling away. “Do you want me to swap earrings?”
“What do you mean?”
Lucien taps his ear. “I’m wearing the fake now, but I can put the real one in, in case I accidentally hurt you. That way, you can be sure I can’t take your magic.”
Kazia’s first instinct is yes, he’d like Lucien to wear the fake. But reluctance shadows Lucien’s face, so subtly he must be trying to hide it. Suppressing any impulsive answer, Kazia asks, “What do you think?”
