Page 75 of Kings of Sherwood

“Maybe you should lie down, greasemonkey,” Will suggests, holding out a hand. “Take it easy a second.”

I nod. “Yeah. Sure.”

We trail upstairs, to Will’s room, where it’s calm and quiet in all his minimalism, and I plop right onto the mattress. Will sits next to me, brushes back my hair, then leans back onto the pillows and pats the space next to him.

“C’mere.”

I have no means to resist. I feel spent. I roll over, rest my head on his shoulder, and we lie like that a while, Will’s fingers delicate in my hair, my breath cresting over the skin of his neck.

It’s nice. Easy.

“Wanna fool around?” Will says, after a minute.

“Are you serious?” I pull back, half-incredulous, half-amused. But Willisserious, it seems.

“What?” He spreads his hands defensively. Then smiles a little. “Excuse me for letting my mind go where it’s...going to go, when you’re in my bed.”

“You’re excused,” I retort. I suck in a breath, sit up in bed, rub my forehead. “I just...now? When everything’s all...like this?” I wave a hand in the air.

Will chuckles and chews his bottom lip.

“Maren, darling, I say this with the utmost respect for your judgment and autonomy, but if you decide that sex is reserved for times when things arenotuncertain, dangerous, or volatile, you’re going to have ahellof a dry spell with the four of us.”

I tuck my legs under me, sit back on my heels, hands on my thighs. I guess he’s...not wrong.

He also smells really good.

But still.

Will gets up on his knees, too, facing me. He cups a hand under my chin.

“Want me to take your mind off things?”

“I...”

The truth is, I...wantto want to.

But...

“I can’t even think straight,” I admit.

“See, that’s the beauty of it.” He grins. “You won’t have to think.”

I must look confused, because he lets go of my chin. The joking tone drops out of his voice. “You want to see my setup, Maren?”

“Setup,” I repeat.

“My little...bag of tricks,” Will says. “Or, not little, really. But we can start small. Obviously, nothing you don’t firmly consent to.”

A trickle of curiosity beads up inside me. “I see.”

Even as I say it, I question my own sanity.Is this nuts?I wonder.Who could be horny at a time like this?

Will Scarlet, for oneI answer for myself.And...maybe me.

Maybe.

“I’m listening,” I say.

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