Page 67 of The Summer Pass

“But that could have been anyone!”

“Yes. But it could have been you.”

Lill was looking at him the way he’d looked in the river chamber when he’d asked, “Why didn’t you fly?”

Everyone who was leaving their siege-within-a-siege had left, and only Susami, Atari, Nomi, and Halza’s party remained in the wine cellar with Vanu and Lill. That was still more people than Vanu cared to have around at the moment.

“Want to go upstairs?” he signed.

Lill sat up straight like a startled hare.

“Yes,” he said quickly. “Yes, let’s.”

“Right.” Vanu got to his feet and picked up a bearskin that was draped over the end of the couch. He bent to get his sword, which lay on the floor, and by the time he was ready to pick Lill up, Lill was already on his feet.

“You’re all right to walk?”

“Perfectly. It’s good to get up and move around—helps with healing.”

“Mm,” said Vanu doubtfully. He turned to sign to Susami. “We’re going up to keep watch by the upstairs door.”

“Have fun,” she signed back.

If Lill saw that, he made no comment.

They made it through the door and as far as the base of the stairs before they were kissing. Lill started it by putting his hand on the back of Vanu’s neck to pull him within reach, but after that neither of them was in control. They were gasping for breath, kissing like their lives depended on it, like they had been starving and would devour each other. It was sweet beyond belief to be met with such raw need—Vanu honestly hadn’t known his boy wife had it in him.

He tugged aside the neck of Lill’s gown with one hand and slid the other around to grip his ass. His teeth grazed Lill’s white throat, and his cock throbbed at the moan that escaped Lill’s lips.

Lill wriggled out of his gown and pulled at Vanu’s shirt. He wrapped his legs around Vanu, climbing him like a tree, and they were toppling over onto the stone stairs, still kissing. Vanu stopped their fall, one arm cradling Lill’s body, the other braced against a step. He could feel the hard heat of Lill’s cock against his stomach, the muscles of Lill’s thighs trembling as they gripped his waist. He could also feel the outline of Lill’s injured arm in its sling, trapped between their bodies.

Lill was tugging at the knotted cord that held up his borrowed trousers. Vanu broke the kiss.

Lill yanked up Vanu’s shirt and arched his back to rub his naked cock against Vanu’s skin. His eyes were closed, his face tense, and he was biting his lower lip—it couldn’t have been clearer that he was in pain.

“No, love,” said Vanu firmly. He held Lill still and pulled his own shirt back down. “I want it as much as you do, but not like this. I don’t want to hurt you.” That wasn’t putting it strongly enough. “I won’t hurt you, not if I can help it.”

“I don’t care,” Lill panted. “Pain isn’t—I don’t mind it.”

“I mind it, if it’s you in pain, and I don’t just mean hurt your body.”

Lill made a sound like a sob. Vanu scooped him up and staggered to his feet.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a monster. I will get you off. Just not on the stairs.”

Lill let himself be carried up the stairs. His member was still throbbing fiercely, but he felt rather silly. And he couldn’t deny that most of the rest of his body hurt in one way or another. What he’d been trying to get Vanu to do to him on the stairs would have been agony.

Vanu tossed down the bearskin that he had brought upstairs and laid Lill gently on it. He knelt between Lill’s legs.

He started to sign, “What—” and stopped, paused, and shook his head, smiling slightly.

“What do I want?” Lill breathed.

Vanu shook his head again. He stripped off his own shirt and dropped it on the floor.

“What do you need?” he signed. “I’m going to guess—you can tell me afterward if I was right.”

If he’d guessed that Lill needed to see him signing half-naked, the light dancing in his pale blue eyes, he was right already. Lill smiled back at him.