The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth #3)

Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

T homas had always thought of himself as unflappable.

As Captain of the Royal Guard, it was a point of pride that very little rattled him. Yet here he was pacing the floor of his cottage, his nerves jangling like a pail full of spoons while he waited for the duke.

It was ridiculous.

As soon as he’d finished his shift he’d hurried back to his cottage, only to spend the evening worrying that the duke wouldn’t find his quarters up to scratch even though they were as neat as a pin. Still, he’d made sure both his teeth and his sheets were clean and brushed his dark blond hair into some semblance of order. He’d kept his dress uniform on purely because he’d seen the way Evan had looked him up and down like he was some tasty treat from the kitchens.

He’d stuck his head outside no less than ten times, sure he’d heard someone approaching, only to be met with empty darkness. And now, as the evening dragged on and there was still no sign of his guest, Thomas was forced to admit with a heavy heart that it seemed like the duke had changed his mind and he was waiting in vain.

Or maybe he took the ambassador to bed after all.

Thomas shook his head to dislodge the thought and the sour twist in his belly that accompanied it.

He took a deep breath and reminded himself that someone was plotting against the royal family and Evan’s job was to find out who it was using any means possible. Obviously, Evan’s first duty was to keep the king and his husband safe—and as the Captain of the Guard, that should be Thomas’s main concern as well, not whether a man he’d kissed twice was shagging for king and country.

But he couldn’t help the possessive streak that burned low in his belly whenever he was around the duke. Something about Evan set Thomas alight in ways he’d never experienced. He found himself overcome with a deep, aching need to put his hands all over Evan and claim him. He wanted to pin Evan under him and make him squirm, make him beg , to see his usual devil-may-care attitude replaced with wide-eyed desperation as Thomas took charge and wrapped a hand around both their cocks and stroked them to completion.

To say that Thomas had had a lot of very detailed fantasies about the Rogue over the years was an understatement—and he had every intention of bringing at least some of them to life, if Evan ever bloody well turned up.

He huffed in frustration and paced the length of the room once more, trying his best to reassure himself that Evan would be here. Thomas had found him to be a man of his word. Well, apart from that whole spying thing, which didn’t apply here.

Picking up the poker, he crouched to prod at the fire that was blazing merrily in the hearth. He was so intent on his task that when a hand landed on his shoulder, he dropped the poker with a clatter. His heart pounded with a mixture of relief and anticipation when he looked up to find Evan standing behind him, a pleased smirk on his face. “I didn’t hear you,” he said, standing to his full height and running his hands down the front of his uniform.

“No, well, you wouldn’t. Spy, remember?” Evan dragged his gaze slowly up and down Thomas’s body, his voice rasping when he said, “You left the uniform on.”

Thomas swallowed, nerves fluttering, and dragged a hand through his hair. “You said you liked it.”

“I like it very much,” Evan said, “but I think I might like what’s underneath better.” He took a step closer.

Thomas’s breath caught and his heartbeat thundered loud in his ears. “I thought you weren’t coming,” he confessed, and immediately felt like a fool.

Evan gave a lazy shrug. “The ambassador is a rambly drunk. We had to circle the castle twice before he stopped talking. I left him asleep in the kitchens.”

“Did he let anything slip?”

“Nothing useful, and I don’t want to talk about it right now. I have other things on my mind.” Evan looked him up and down again and his mouth curved up. “He did tell me I’d chosen a handsome bedmate, though. And I tend to agree.” He licked his lips. “I’d rather like to kiss you now.”

Thomas found himself leaning forward without any conscious thought. Evan met him halfway, their lips clashing in a desperate, hungry kiss. Thomas closed his eyes and soaked in the taste of red wine and the sensation of Evan’s tongue curling around his. All thoughts of ambassadors and plots and spying left his head when Evan pushed himself up on his toes and plastered himself against Thomas’s front, tangling a hand in his hair and kissing him with an urgency that stole his breath away.

When they finally broke apart for air, Evan’s eyes were dark pools and Thomas saw his own need reflected there. It seemed only natural to hook his palms under Evan’s thighs, hoist him up, and carry him over to the bed. Evan wrapped his arms around Thomas’s neck and buried his face in the curve of his throat, leaving a trail of clever kisses that burned like hot coals and threatened to set Thomas completely alight.

Setting Evan down next to the bed, Thomas tugged at the shoulders of his jacket and Evan slipped out of it easily, letting it drop on the floor before grasping the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head with lithe grace. The shirt joined the jacket on the floor and Evan ran a hand through his dark locks, his mouth curving up in a teasing grin as he stood there with his hands on his hips, putting himself on display.

Thomas’s cock was already half-hard, but it stiffened further at the sight of Evan shirtless, his mouth curled up in a wolfish grin. He was lean but Thomas knew for a fact that there was a lot of compact strength packed in that limber frame. Evan boasted a generous dusting of dark chest hair and Thomas reached out and ran his fingers through it, tracing patterns against Evan’s skin.

Evan let out a shuddery breath. Emboldened, Thomas grasped Evan by the hips and kissed him again, slow and deep this time. Moaning against his mouth, Evan settled his hands at Thomas’s waist and pulled him close as he started to grind against him, his body rolling in a slow, sensual rhythm.

Thomas shivered at the press of Evan’s body, the prominent bulge in his trousers rubbing against his own rapidly hardening cock, and then Evan let out a breathless laugh and hooked one leg around Thomas’s calf, tipping them sideways so that they landed on the bed in a tangle of limbs.

Thomas was caught off guard for a moment, but his earlier fantasies of pinning Evan to the bed came flooding back and with a single deft move he rolled them so that he was on top and Evan was caught beneath him. Grinning at him, Evan slid his hands down and clutched at Thomas’s arse, and the strength of his grip and the extra pressure of their bodies rocking together sent Thomas’s heartrate soaring as his cock did its best to break out of its fabric confines.

Suddenly, Thomas was hungry for skin on skin, desperate to be rid of the barrier of clothing between them. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling his boots off. There was the distinctive clatter of metal on stone as the small stiletto knife he kept hidden in his boot hit the floor.

Thomas froze for a second and Evan sat up and glanced at the discarded knife. “Tell me, Captain, what other weapons do you have hiding under that uniform?” he asked with a teasing smile, his gaze lingering on the obvious bulge in Thomas’s trousers.

“Why don’t I show you?” Thomas said, returning Evan’s grin. He continued to undress, his heart beating faster in anticipation as he shed his shirt and jacket. He fumbled with the fastenings, his fingers clumsy with haste, but he finally succeeded in undoing his trousers. He shoved them down along with his smallclothes in one sweeping motion and kicked them away.

Once he was naked, he faltered for just a moment, but then Evan let out a low, appreciative groan and said, “Oh, look at you,” and any lingering nerves Thomas might have had fled. He clambered back onto the bed and sprawled out, looking at Evan’s clothed body expectantly.

It was Evan’s turn to sit up, and he kicked his own boots off with such vigour they landed halfway across the room. There was the unmistakable clang of metal bouncing on stone—not once but twice—as a pair of tiny but doubtless deadly daggers hit the floor. Evan stilled, then gave a grin that was decidedly roguish. “Um, ignore those.”

Thomas laughed and nodded toward his own knife. “I won’t mention yours if you don’t mention mine.”

“Deal.” Evan finished undressing with impressive speed and climbed back onto the bed, and when Thomas got a good look at the entirety of Evan’s naked body, any hidden weaponry was forgotten.

Evan was gorgeou s. His body was built of smooth skin, long lines and lean muscle, and he moved with a predatory grace. His erection bobbed against his stomach as he propped himself up on one elbow, the other hand wrapping around his cock and moving in slow, lazy pulls.

Thomas’s mouth went dry, and he wanted.

He leaned forward and pulled Evan against his side so they were pressed together chest to hip and kissed him for all he was worth. Evan’s skin was warm, and his erection was a solid line of heat. Moaning into his mouth, Evan made little hitching movements that set Thomas’s cock throbbing and his blood racing, and he shuffled an inch higher up the bed and thrust his hips forward so that their cocks dragged against each other. Thomas ached with the need for more and reached between them, but then he hesitated, unsure if he had the right to take control.

Evan must have sensed his uncertainty, and he broke their kiss long enough to rasp out, “You’re in charge, Captain .”

Nobody had ever used Thomas’s title in bed before, and he was not prepared for the shudder of arousal that ran through him. The words, combined with Evan’s warm breath against his neck and the press of his skin, had Thomas dangerously close to spilling right then.

He let out a low growl and wasted no time wrapping one broad palm around both their cocks. Evan pressed up into his hand, urging him on, and Thomas stroked them off fast and urgent, his palm slick from where they were both hard and leaking. Clamping a hand over his, Evan guided their movements. The soft skin of his palm in contrast to the heat and hardness of Evan’s erection dragging against his own length had Thomas’s cock throbbing like a second heartbeat. It barely took a dozen strokes before Thomas found himself teetering on the edge of climax.

He wasn’t the only one. Evan threw his head back and moaned, clutching at Thomas’s shoulders, then tensed and came in hot, sticky spurts between them, coating their joined hands. The broken sounds Evan made and the splash of cum against his skin was all it took to have Thomas’s balls drawing up tight, his cock pulsing as he came and added to the mess. Evan continued to pant and shudder against him, and Thomas worked them both through their release with gentle touches.

Once they were both spent, Evan let out a contented sigh and dropped his head against the curve of Thomas’s shoulder, pressing a series of kisses along his collarbone that had him squirming. Then, in one quick motion, Evan reached over the side of the bed and retrieved his shirt from the floor, wiping both Thomas’s hand and their stomachs clean before Thomas had even realised what he was doing.

Evan dropped the shirt and leaned in for a kiss, and Thomas melted against his mouth. They kissed slow and lazy until Evan gave Thomas a gentle shove, rolling him onto his back and throwing an arm across his chest as he moulded himself to Thomas’s side with a contented sound.

Thomas let out an answering hum as he drifted in his own happy daze, his body heavy with satisfaction and his very bones liquid. He wasn’t sure what had made this particular tumble between the sheets so satisfying. Perhaps it was simply that it had been such a long time since he’d bedded someone.

But even as he thought it, he knew that wasn’t it. No, there was just something about being with Evan that made the entire experience better. Maybe it was Evan’s playfulness, or his unabashed admiration, or simply that he’d given Thomas permission to take charge. Whatever it was, Thomas knew one thing—he wanted more.

He soaked up the weight of Evan lying against him and ran a hand down his back in long, even strokes, wondering when they could do it again. Then he wondered if Evan wanted to do it again or if he’d meant for this to be a one-time thing.

Thomas hadn’t had a chance to ask him before they’d fallen into bed, and as the minutes stretched out in silence, the last happy traces of his post-sex haze drifted away. Evan hadn’t left yet, which was a good sign, surely? His hand came to rest at the small of Evan’s back and he found himself pulling the man closer, as if to ward off the spectre of him leaving.

Evan came willingly and threw one long leg over Thomas, a twin to the arm over his chest that was pinning him in place. After a few moments, though, he sighed and said, “You know, I don’t think this is going to work.”

Thomas tensed, his gut twisting. He should have known he wasn’t good enough for a duke. He did his best to shove down his disappointment and opened his mouth to tell Evan it was fine, that they could just pretend this had never happened, but he found himself unable to form words. The best he could do was to force out, “Oh?”

Evan traced a fingertip over the dips and valleys of Thomas’s chest and stomach. His movements were gentle, affectionate—which made no sense, given what it sounded like he was saying. Those weren’t the actions of a man having regrets. But his meaning became clear when he propped himself up on one elbow, wincing. “This mattress of yours is bloody dreadful. Next time we’ll go to my bedchambers.”

Thomas wasn’t sure whether he wanted to kiss the duke or push him out of bed for making him think the worst. The kissing won, of course. He rolled them both over and settled on top of Evan, propping himself on his elbows. Evan’s breathing caught when Thomas leaned down and captured his mouth in a hungry, possessive kiss. When they broke apart, Evan beamed up at him. “So I take it you’d like there to be a next time?”

It really was impossible to be annoyed at Evan in the face of his rakish charm. “Actually, I’d like there to be many more times,” Thomas found himself saying. “Tonight barely counts.”

Evan’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Tonight’s not over yet.” He rolled his body against the length of Thomas’s frame in a way that suggested it wouldn’t be long before he was ready to match his words to his actions. And even though it was barely half an hour since he’d spent, Thomas found his own arousal burning hot once again. He rutted against Evan’s body, his cock stiffening rapidly.

Lunging up, Evan flipped Thomas onto his back, and before Thomas could catch his breath, Evan was moving down his body leaving a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses that had Thomas groaning, filthy and desperate. Evan didn’t stop, kissing his way along the jut of Thomas’s hip bone before licking a hot stripe up the length of his shaft.

Thomas clutched at the sheets, his spine arching when Evan took the head of his cock in his mouth and sucked lightly, his tongue flicking over the slit in tiny, teasing movements. Thomas groaned, and his entire world narrowed down to Evan’s mouth on his cock, hot and wet and overwhelming. “Oh!” he gasped out. “Oh! Oh !”

Evan pulled off long enough to shoot him a wicked grin, then swirled his tongue around the head once more before taking more of Thomas in his mouth, his head bobbing as he licked and sucked on Thomas’s throbbing cock, his mouth sliding up and down in a steady rhythm. Need surged through Thomas and noises escaped him that he hadn’t even known he could make. Heat pooled in his belly low and urgent, and it wasn’t long before Thomas found himself clutching at Evan’s head, his hips rocking upward and thrusting into his willing mouth.

Then Evan reached a hand between his own thighs and there were the unmistakable sounds of him stroking himself off as he continued to swallow around Thomas’s length. Evan looked up at him from under dark lashes, grinned around his mouthful of cock, and gave a clever flick of his tongue, and any last shred of control Thomas might have had snapped. Every nerve in his body lit up and he grasped a fistful of Evan’s dark hair, thrust into his mouth, and spilled down his throat.

Heat pulsed under his skin and satisfaction flooded his entire body as Thomas all but melted into the mattress. Sparks danced behind his eyelids and his cock twitched with the aftershocks of his powerful orgasm.

Evan’s breathing quickened and he pulled off Thomas’s softening cock with a low groan. Thomas’s eyes snapped open in time to see Evan sitting back on his haunches, head thrown back and eyes closed, one hand wrapped tightly around his cock as he reached his peak, spilling over the bedsheets and Thomas’s spread thighs.

Slumping forward, Evan let out a shaky breath. When he lifted his head, his eyes were heavy-lidded and his mouth was curved up in a lopsided smile. He looked the very definition of well-fucked.

Thomas grinned back at him and he had no doubt that his own smile was just as debauched, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He lifted the arm by his side in silent invitation and Evan wasted no time snuggling up in the space there and resting his head on Thomas’s shoulder, breathing warm puffs of air against his skin.

“You know,” Thomas said, “there are plenty of stories told about the Rogue, but nobody ever said he was a cuddler.”

“Mmmm,” Evan said. “Perhaps because the only people who know that are dead.”

Thomas was certain he was joking. Well, almost certain. Regardless, it was hard to see Evan as a threat when he was curled up against Thomas like a cat who had found a particularly comfortable lap and had no intention of moving—even if Thomas was aware that this particular cat had claws more deadly than most. His body was a comforting weight, and before long Evan’s breathing had turned slow and even as he drifted off to sleep.

Thomas gazed at the sleeping duke, noting the way his long, dark eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks, the pink flush to his cheeks, and the soft pout of his mouth.

He debated for far too long over whether he should wake him up. Part of him said it would be the sensible thing to do. He had no idea whether Evan had intended to fall asleep or if he wanted to stay the night. But another, selfish, part of him whispered that perhaps Evan did want to stay and Thomas was allowed to enjoy this without questioning it, and that it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they just happened to find themselves bundled up beneath the quilt in the morning.

Besides, Thomas got the impression that not many people got to see Evan like this, still and quiet and unguarded.

It felt like he’d been given a gift, and he didn’t want to waste it.

So he rolled Evan gently onto his side and wrapped the quilt around them both. Then he curled up behind him—always the big spoon—and threw an arm over Evan’s sleeping form, holding him firmly in place.

And despite the fact he was currently spooning the most dangerous man in Lilleforth, he was asleep in under a minute.

W hen Thomas woke up, he was the little spoon.

He wasn’t sure how it was even possible, but somehow in the night he and Evan had changed places, and now there was a face pressed against his shoulder and an arm gripping him around the waist. Evan’s breath was warm on his bare skin, and it took Thomas a moment to register that most of his body was uncovered. He lifted Evan’s arm and rolled over and couldn’t help but smile to himself. Not only had Evan switched their positions during the night, he’d also made off with most of the quilt, and it was piled on top of him in a cosy heap.

Thomas was tempted to steal it back just to see the expression on Evan’s face, but he refrained. Duke in his bed or not, he still had a regiment of guards to oversee. He slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of trousers and a shirt, then went and stoked up the embers of last night’s fire to take the chill off the air.

At the clink of metal on stone, he turned back toward the bed. It was empty and Evan was sitting at the table wearing his trousers. He was bent over, collecting his secret knives from the floor and slipping them back into his boots.

Evan lifted his head, his expression serious, and propped his elbows on his knees. “Thank you for last night. But I’ll understand if you don’t wish to repeat it.”

Thomas frowned and his shoulders slumped. One night in his bed and the duke had changed his mind?

“This is not me changing my mind,” Evan said with a rueful smile, and Thomas had to wonder if his disappointment was that obvious or if the man was just incredibly good at reading people. “Last night was the most fun I’ve had in a long while. But I did rather back you into a corner by kissing you in front of the ambassador, and I don’t want you to feel obliged to carry on a charade that could damage your standing as Captain of the Guard.”

Oh.

That was unexpectedly considerate, and Thomas was reminded that the flippant, self-absorbed duke that everyone saw was an act. It was true that perhaps there would be stares and whispers from his guards, but Thomas found that the thought didn’t bother him as much as the idea of putting a stop to this fledgling arrangement did. And besides, the whispers wouldn’t last—not if his men knew what was good for them.

Thomas might never get the chance to dally with someone as attractive and clever as Evan again, and he had no intention of walking away before he’d fulfilled every one of his fantasies.

He prodded at the fireplace with the poker, raising a flurry of sparks, before straightening and facing Evan. “That was the most fun I’ve had in a long while too. I don’t intend to stop just because some people might not approve. And it’s not like the court can say anything. After all, if the king can marry his groom, what’s to stop a captain and a duke cavorting a little?” Then, feeling bold, he strode over to Evan, cupped the side of his face and tilted his head up, kissing him lightly. And in case it wasn’t clear, he added, “If you recall, you already had me half seduced before the ambassador turned up last night.”

Evan arched one eyebrow. “Only half?”

Thomas gave a shrug. “Perhaps three quarters.” He retrieved his own boots, sitting on the side of the bed to pull them on. The hidden space where his knife normally lived was empty, and when he glanced around the floor the blade was nowhere to be seen. His brow creased. “Where’s my?—”

“Think fast.” The stiletto came whistling through the air towards him.

Thomas reached up instinctively and plucked it out of midair. “Is that how you seduce all your lovers?” he asked, heart racing. He eyed Evan warily to make sure there wasn’t another one on the way. “By throwing knives at them?”

“Only the ones who can handle it,” Evan said with a smirk.

As Thomas slipped the stiletto into his boot, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d passed some sort of test.

Scooping his shirt up from the floor where it had landed last night, Evan pulled it over his head just as Thomas had a sudden memory of him using that same shirt to clean them up the previous night.

Evan tensed and wrinkled his nose, then let out a sigh and said, “I’m going up to the castle to bathe and change. And after that I’m going to spend the day listening at keyholes. Come to my room tonight to compare notes?”

Thomas nodded. The search for the would-be assassin was their top priority, after all. Still, Evan’s messy hair and rumpled shirt made him even more rakishly attractive, and Thomas found himself asking, “Just to compare notes?”

Evan’s eyes gleamed with promise. “Well, perhaps not just that.” And with that he strode out the door and Thomas hurried after him.

Tonight couldn’t come soon enough.