The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth #3)

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

E van had been mistaken when he’d claimed he was attractive.

Attractive didn’t even begin to cover it. With his lean, long-limbed build, his tousled dark hair, and ocean-green eyes, he was mouth-watering. But more than that, there was a catlike quality to his movements that made every twist of his hips a temptation, every arch of his spine an invitation to get to know him better in all the most intimate ways.

Or perhaps only Thomas saw him like that, knowing as he did what the man looked like in the heat of passion.

Still, watching Evan peel out of his brightly coloured clothing with casual elegance, his muscles rippling under his skin like silk, had Thomas forgetting how to breathe. When Evan looked back over his shoulder with a coy smile, Thomas found himself mesmerised. The smile became a smirk, like Evan knew exactly what Thomas was thinking. His voice was a low purr when he said, “I’m glad you’re enjoying the view, but are you planning on undressing yourself at all?”

His teasing broke Thomas out of his trance. He began to remove his clothing with absolutely no grace, fumbling with the lacing on his trousers and almost tripping over his boots in his haste. When he glanced up, face heated, he half expected Evan to be laughing, but instead he found him staring at Thomas’s bare chest with blatant admiration.

Evan looked like he wanted to devour him.

It struck Thomas anew that Evan was the Rogue and the Duke of Ravenport besides, and vastly more important than Thomas would ever be—yet here he was looking at Thomas like he was a prize to be won. It helped ease any lingering doubts he had about the difference in their stations, and the intensity of Evan’s gaze only stoked the fires of arousal that were already burning low in Thomas’s belly. He found himself straightening his spine, standing with his feet spread wide and crossing his arms over his chest to better show off his bulk.

Evan’s breathing caught, and in one quick movement he’d crossed the distance between them and tangled one hand in Thomas’s hair, dragging him down for a long, filthy kiss. Setting his hands on Evan’s waist, Thomas dipped his tongue into the heat of Evan’s mouth and slid his hands around to the perfect globes of Evan’s arse, giving a gentle squeeze. The flesh was firm and plump under his palms, and Evan moaned against his mouth as the movement brought their bodies into contact, and he moaned louder when Thomas squeezed his arse again, harder this time.

Evan wrapped his arms around Thomas’s neck and his kisses became more urgent as he rutted forward, his cock dragging against Thomas’s bare stomach and leaving damp trails.

Thomas turned them and, still kissing Evan, walked him backwards across the room toward the massive four-poster bed. When the back of Evan’s knees hit the side, Thomas placed a hand on his chest and gave him a gentle shove. Evan landed with a soft whump, throwing his hands behind him to steady himself. The lamplight cast shadows up and down the length of his body, highlighting the dips and curves of his muscles, his long limbs glowing golden as he sat perched on the side of the bed. He grinned up at Thomas and spread his legs wide in silent invitation.

Thomas dropped to his knees, barely breathing. Ever since Evan had sucked his cock last night, he’d been hoping for a chance to return the favour. He took pride in being able to take a man apart with nothing but his mouth, and Evan’s cock was so very pretty like this, long and pink, and flushed and damp around the head. He licked his lips and leaned forward, steadying himself with his palms on Evan’s thighs, and took the shaft into his mouth.

Evan made a tiny, shocked sound, and that was all the encouragement Thomas needed to continue. He inhaled deeply, taking in Evan’s scent before he slid his lips further down, an inch at a time, enjoying the weight against his tongue. He set up a slow, lazy rhythm, bobbing his head and gradually increasing the suction until Evan was clutching at his shoulders and panting. His own cock was hard and aching, and Thomas wrapped a hand around it and stroked himself, groaning in relief around Evan’s length. When Thomas flicked his tongue over the slit, Evan’s cock pulsed and leaked, and he swallowed around the burst of salty liquid. Evan let out a low moan and grabbed a handful of Thomas’s hair, steering him none too gently forward.

Thomas let himself be led, burying his face between Evan’s thighs as he licked and sucked while stroking himself to the edge of completion. Evan gave a series of short, desperate thrusts and his cock throbbed hot and heavy in Thomas’s mouth. A tremor ran through Evan’s thighs, and Thomas hummed around his mouthful of cock as he reached underneath and fondled Evan’s balls, then gave a gentle tug. That was all it took for Evan to cry out, arch his spine, and come in Thomas’s mouth.

The broken sounds Evan made as Thomas swallowed around him were enough to send Thomas over the edge. His cock throbbed, heat raced through him, and Thomas spilled mere seconds later, his release painting the side of the quilt.

He stroked himself through it until he was spent, and rested his head against Evan’s thigh as his entire body went as limp and boneless as his cock. Evan ran his fingers through Thomas’s hair with slow, gentle movements that very nearly had him drifting off, and he could have stayed like that for days except it got to a point where he couldn’t ignore the ache in his knees from the stone floor any longer.

Thomas reluctantly levered himself to his feet and stood, unsure what happened next. Did he join Evan on the bed, or was he supposed to get dressed and leave? He’d only ever seen Evan leaving other people’s bedrooms, not the other way round. But by the same token, Evan had invited him here, and he didn’t think he was enough of a bastard to kick Thomas out while his cock was still damp.

Was he?

Evan answered his question by standing, draping his arms around Thomas, and kissing him, slow and sweet. Then, in one swift motion, he pulled Thomas downward, sending him off balance, and they landed on the bed in a tangle of limbs. Thomas let out a surprised laugh when Evan rolled him onto his back and straddled him, grinning down at him. “I hope you weren’t thinking of leaving because I have plans.”

“It never crossed my mind,” Thomas lied.

“Good,” Evan said, and leaned down and kissed him with surprising tenderness. Thomas kissed him back, wrapping his arms around Evan and pulling him down so they were plastered together. Evan made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but Thomas got the feeling he really didn’t mind being manhandled, not if the way his lips curved up into a smile against Thomas’s mouth was anything to go by.

When they parted, Evan propped himself up on his elbow, expression hopeful, and said quietly, “You can leave if you’d prefer, but I’d rather like it if you’d stay the night?”

Warmth flooded through Thomas at the request, and he almost felt bad when he said, “If I stay, I’ll have to leave early. I’m on the dawn shift.”

“And I have to break it to Leo and Felix that they’re going to Koroslova.” Evan wrinkled his nose. “Terrible place. Much too cold for my delicate constitution.”

Thomas suspected Evan was about as delicate as a cast iron frying pan, but he kept that opinion to himself.

Evan kissed him once more before he settled his head on Thomas’s chest and threw an arm over him with a contented sigh that suggested he wasn’t moving any time soon. Thomas didn’t mind. They fitted together like Evan was meant to be there, and in his current boneless, fucked-out state, it was almost perfect.

Almost.

Something was poking into Thomas’s shoulder from underneath the feather pillow he was currently resting his head on. He shuffled around a little and managed to get a hand under the pillow, only for his fingers to close around cold, hard steel.

It took him a moment to identify what he was feeling, but once he realised what it was, he pulled out the short blade and examined it with a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

Of course the Rogue slept with a weapon. Of course .

Still, he couldn’t resist faking outrage when he prodded Evan in the side with the handle of the blade. “Really, Evan?”

Evan’s head jerked up. When he saw what Thomas was holding, he didn’t even try to hold back his smile. “Don’t tell me you’re surprised?”

“Not even slightly,” Thomas said. “I just hadn’t planned on getting impaled in my sleep.” If he was honest, there was something deeply arousing about sleeping with a man who always had a weapon within arm’s reach. Perhaps he would let Evan impale him later—just not with a knife.

Evan rolled his eyes and took the blade from him, dropping it off the side of the bed where it hit the rug with a dull thud. “Better?”

“Much,” Thomas said with a smile.

“I feel very unprotected right now,” Evan muttered as he settled himself back against Thomas’s chest. “An army could come for me in my sleep.” Thomas got the feeling he was only half joking.

“Don’t worry,” he said as he wrapped an arm around Evan and pulled him close, “I’d fight an army to keep you safe.”

And he was surprised to find that he meant it.

T homas woke before dawn—somehow, he was the small spoon again—and let himself soak up the warmth of Evan’s body for a few extra minutes before reluctantly easing out of Evan’s grip and sitting on the side of the bed. He stood and stretched and yawned, smiling at the memory of the night before. Evan had woken him sometime in the small hours of the morning with a trail of light kisses down the side of his neck, which had led to other, more purposeful kisses. That had led to Evan climbing on top of him and grinding his cock in the crease of Thomas’s hip, and Thomas rutting up against Evan’s belly. They’d found a rhythm that worked and moved together, slow and lazy and barely awake, until they’d collapsed against each other in a sticky, sweaty mess. Thomas had barely had the energy to reach out and grab the corner of the bedsheet to wipe them clean before they’d both fallen back into a deep sleep.

Evan was still out cold. His face was half buried in the pillow, his hair was tousled, and his shoulders were bare where the quilt had fallen away when Thomas climbed out of bed. He looked so tempting that Thomas wanted to climb back in just so he could run his hands over that bare skin. He settled for sitting on the side of the bed and brushing Evan’s hair off his forehead before leaning in, his lips brushing Evan’s cheek in a soft kiss.

The effect was immediate. Evan’s eyes snapped open, he sat bolt upright, and between one breath and the next he’d grabbed Thomas around the waist, shoved him onto his back, and straddled him, holding a forearm across his throat while he thrust his other hand under the pillow—only for it to come back empty.

Thomas’s head spun with the speed and grace of Evan’s movements, and was it wrong that despite the threat to his person, his cock gave an interested throb at Evan’s deadly display of skill?

Probably.

Still, he was heartily glad he’d insisted on removing the knife the night before. “Looking for something?” he said drily, pushing Evan back off him with a grunt and standing next to the bed, safely out of reach.

Evan blinked and glanced between Thomas and his empty hand and back again, and he had the decency to look at least slightly sheepish. “Would you believe me if I said it’s almost reflex at this point?”

“I would actually,” Thomas said, “which is why I took your pointy toy off you last night.” He bent down and picked up Evan’s knife from the floor, balancing it upright on one fingertip before tossing it upward in an arc and catching it by the handle with ease. He spent a moment examining the knife before holding it out to Evan on the flat of his palm. “That’s a nice piece of weaponry.”

“Only the best,” Evan said, tucking the blade back under his pillow and patting the spot with his palm. Thomas didn’t think he even knew he’d done it.

Evan stood and stretched. Now that he was more awake, Thomas was fairly sure his murderous urges had abated, so he risked stepping closer and cupping the back of Evan’s skull in his palm, pulling him in for one lingering kiss before releasing him with a sigh. “I have to go,” he said, fishing about on the floor for his clothes and pulling them on. “Early patrol.”

“And I need to inform Leo and Felix about their unexpected trip,” Evan said, running a hand through the dark tangle of his hair.

Thomas tugged his boots on. “How do you think they’ll take the news?”

Evan shrugged. “Leo trusts me. Felix does too, despite how he reacted when he became chancellor and found out the truth of my position.”

“Was he upset that the king was keeping a secret from him?”

Evan laughed. “No, he was mad at himself for not seeing it. He glared at me every day for a week.”

“I can imagine,” Thomas said, grinning. “It’s quite the shock to discover you’re not a bumbling fool.” He turned toward the door and then paused. He wanted to ask when they could do this again, but he wasn’t sure if Evan wanted that, and he didn’t know how to broach the subject without coming across as demanding—or worse, needy.

He was still searching for the words when Evan said, “You know, if Leo and Felix ride out with Vasily and Mother, the rest of the guests will have to leave too. And do you know what that means?”

“Apart from a hellish day for the staff?”

“That, yes. But it also means that if you stayed here for the night, neither of us would have to rush off in the morning.” He flashed Thomas a bright smile. “We could do this again, if you’re not busy.” He made a vague gesture in the direction of the rumpled bedclothes, and Thomas took ‘this’ to mean ‘fun, dick-related things that end with orgasms’.

Thomas wanted nothing more than to say yes, but the temptation to keep Evan on his toes was too great—and he deserved at least a little teasing, what with the whole ‘tried to pull a knife’ thing. Thomas schooled his expression. “It happens that I am busy.”

“Oh.” Evan’s face fell. “I suppose you do have other duties.”

He looked so crestfallen that Thomas didn’t have the heart to continue. He bit back a smile and said, “Just one. As Captain of the Royal Guard, it falls to me to keep a close eye on the only member of the royal family in residence.”

A smile lit up Evan’s face when what Thomas had said registered, and he perked up immediately. “Oh! Well, I’m all in favour of you keeping a close eye on the royal member. Perhaps a hand as well.”

Thomas snorted and Evan’s smile widened. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow after supper?”

“Of course,” he said, warmth flooding his insides. It still didn’t seem real that someone as clever and attractive as Evan wanted to bed him, but obviously the attraction was there, even if this was only temporary—and it had to be temporary. Thomas had never heard of the duke entertaining a serious affair in all his time working at the castle.

His stomach twisted, and Thomas told himself it was hunger. Still, he decided he wasn’t going to think too hard about what would happen if and when Evan grew tired of spending his evenings with a lowly soldier, or the time came for him to start travelling again.

Instead, he was going to make the most of their arrangement, however long it lasted.