Page 14 of His Noble Savior

Richard moved through him, rotating his finger on the gentle in and out. So much lay in his emerald eyes. Lilian could’ve drowned in them. The oil lit up his hole, and a flush of pleasure washed over him. He fought it, but it was too late. Underneath the towel, his cock stirred. Shock bolted through him. How was this possible?

Richard pulled out. They were done for this morning. Lilian didn’t move, the heat and tingling of the faerie oil coursing through him. The ghost of Richard’s touch lingered, and Lilian held onto it until his insides settled. The oil had taken away the sting. He’d need more in a few hours, but for now, he felt betterthanks to Richard’s gentle and patient care.

Getting ready for the day, Lilian watched as Richard dressed, pulling his dark, fitted trousers up his long, muscular legs. Richard discarded his nightshirt, revealing his broad back and an expanse of smooth, beige skin. Too bad that a minute later, a pristine white linen shirt and a gold-embroidered doublet covered his torso. Lilian wouldn’t have minded if Richard walked around bare-chested.

He almost slapped himself. Thinking about Richard in those terms wasbad. Richard had saved him, and how was Lilian thanking him? By drooling over him.

It was hard to stop. Richard finger-combed his gorgeous curls in front of the mirror. Lilian loved Richard’s hair. He didn’t dare to run his fingers through it and risk ruining his carefully tousled look, but he bet those locks were soft as silk.

Oblivious to Lilian’s inner turmoil, Richard affixed an emerald and gold brooch with the House Dalton coat of arms to his doublet. When he looked up, he caught Lilian’s stare in the mirror and smiled. Lilian blushed furiously and tore his gaze away.

A knock on the door announced that breakfast had been delivered to the drawing room. With both of them dressed, they passed through the door, Richard’s hand on Lilian’s back. The touch ignited him. Drove him wild. What was wrong with him?

They still took their meals alone, George and Resh having withdrawn to the third floor. Richard had insisted on it, wanting Lilian to feel safe.

The attendants had delivered two plates of fried eggs, cheese and buttered rye bread and set the two servings on opposite ends of the table. Oh, that wasn’t how Lilian and Richard ate.

Richard took his seat on an upholstered chair, and Lilian climbed into his lap. He slung an arm around Richard’s neck, who curled an arm around his waist in return. The more pointsof contact, the better. It calmed Lilian. The world couldn’t hurt him when they were entwined.

Richard placed a plates on Lilian’s thighs, and they shared the food, finishing one serving of breakfast before they turned to the next.

“I feel bad that Resh is confined to the third floor,” Lilian said, licking butter off his lips.

Richard watched him intently. “Don’t worry about him.”

“No, I mean… he lives here. It’d be good for me if I got to know him. As you said, if your brother is with him, he can’t be that bad. And as much as I enjoy being holed up with you, I must mingle with people. Not everyone I’m going to meet will be my friend, so let’s start with someone who frightens me but isn’t actually dangerous.”

“Are you sure? I can arrange a family dinner for tonight if you like. We could eat in the dining hall.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

Lilian leaned in and kissed Richard’s temple. He froze. Damn, why did he have to do that? He quickly withdrew. Sure, Richard had kissed the top of his head a couple of times, but Lilian had never done this. Did Richard mind? Lilian found nothing but a content smile on his face.

“Uhm… do you think George or Resh will mind if I sit close to you during dinner?” Lilian asked. “They might find it strange if…”

“They don’t have a say in who gets to sit in my lap,” Richard said, his tone implying that the idea of Lilian sitting anywhere else was preposterous. His hand on Lilian’s waist tightened possessively, sending thrills through him. Richard’s gesture meant nothing, Lilian reminded himself, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. He was an eager puppy for every treat Richard gave him.

After breakfast, they moved to Richard’s writing room wherea couple of hours of work waited. Nobles were astonishingly busy with their duties. Lilian had imagined them as lords and ladies of leisure and was surprised to find Richard so dedicated to serving his people.

As much as Lilian would’ve loved to sit in Richard’s lap while he drafted letters, it wasn’t practical. When Richard asked how he’d like to spend his time, Lilian told him he loved to paint. In his hollow tree, Lilian had decorated his pottery with flowers and squiggles, and while making pottery in Richard’s writing room was out of the question, creating other types of art was possible. Richard had sent a servant to Somerdale town to buy canvases and oil paint for Lilian. That way, they could sit next to each other, knees brushing.

As they worked, the smell of paper, ink and oil paint filled the room. Now and then, Richard’s hand would wander to Lilian’s back and stroke him. The innocent touch set Lilian on fire, and he leaned into it. Deep warmth spread through him, sinking into his loins.

With Richard’s hand on him, he could barely focus on the apple blossoms he was adding in white and pink to his landscape painting. Lilian hummed as Richard slid to his shoulder, giving him a squeeze.

“I’m writing to my cousin James,” Richard said, glancing up from the letter he was crafting. “He’s helping me search for Nathan. We have a lot to discuss, and the plan was for me to see him at Castlehill, but I believe it’d be better if he joined us here. What do you think?”

Lilian wasn’t sure what to say. Why was Richard asking? Somerdale Castle was Lilian’s haven, and so was Richard. If Richard went to see his cousin, Lilian could either stay behind or come with him and leave the protective walls—ifRichard let him come. Lilian would rather go with Richard, but that might not be on the table. Staying put was the easiest solution, but Liliandidn’t want to inconvenience James either.

“Would you be more comfortable staying here?” Richard asked.

“I… uhm…”

Richard studied him for a moment. “I’ll ask James to come.”

Gratitude overcame Lilian. Richard’s hand slid off his shoulder, and he offered it to him. Lilian took it, interlacing their fingers. While Richard wrote with his right, Lilian painted with his dominant left, and so they held hands as they worked.

Lilian dipped his brush into yellow oil paint and dotted the canvas with buttercups. It would’ve been easier if he’d used the easel that stood in the corner of the room, but then he couldn’t hold Richard’s hand, and that was out of the question. Richard was his rock.

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