Page 102 of Heart of Winter
It was a good wine, the sort of thing he would have drunk at home, and it eased the last, lingering tension of watching Leif fight Ormr, so that Oliver watched the next few moments in contented silence beside the king, only realizing how late it was when a huge yawn overtook him.
“I think that’s enough for one night, lads,” Bjorn announced as the last two fighters handed over their swords.
There were some good-natured groans of disappointment, but many more yawns and nods of agreement.
The celebration was winding to a close.
Revna climbed the dais, her arm looped through Tessa’s, who looked a little tired, but pink-cheeked and happy, too.
“That was mostly a success, I’d say,” Revna said as they drew to a halt on the other side of the table.
Erik lifted a single brow at her. “Only mostly.”
“Isn’t that what I said?” She grinned, and then lifted a hand to stifle a yawn. “Goodness. We ladies are all retiring to the second floor solar for tea and gossip. I suppose you’ll be down here for the drinking games.”
“There’s going to be more drinking?” Oliver asked, faintly distressed.
“The men who wish to remain may do so,” Erik said. “But I’m going to bed.”
Revna’s look turned sly before it cut to Oliver. “Mmhm, I see.”
Erik’s gaze slid over, too, less sly, more inviting.
Oh.
Oliver set his cup down and hitched up straighter in his chair. “Tessa, if you’d rather go to bed, too, I’d be happy to escort you.” His pulse throbbed and quickened; a heat that had nothing to do with the wine he’d drunk crawled up his throat, and he couldn’t decide whether or not he wanted her to refuse. It was one thing to dream of something and entirely another to get it. One thing for a spontaneous tryst to unfold in the baths, and another to walk calmy to bed side-by-side.
Tessa smiled at him. “Oh, no. I’ll take tea with the ladies.” She looked apprehensive, he thought, a little nervous, but her smile was genuine enough.
“If you’re sure…”
“Oliver,” Revna said. “Go to bed.”
“Right.”
A low, cut-off sound beside him might have been Erik chuckling.
“Goodnight, boys,” Revna said, as she and Tessa turned away and started down the dais. “Sleep tight! Don’t let the – well, you can letsomethings bite.”
Tessa let out a shocked giggle.
Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “It makes sense, I suppose,” he said. “All you Northerners are more straightforward about everything else. Why not this?”
When he turned to face Erik again, the king was studying him with concern. In a low voice, he said, “Oliver, you really can go to bed – to your own bed – if that’s what you want. Or stay here drinking. Or go to the library, or–”
Oliver cut him off with a smile – a sudden, irrepressible one that warmed him all the way through. Gods, but the man wasadorable.
“I very muchdo notwant to go to bed alone,” he whispered. “If there’s a better offer on the table.”
Erik’s brow smoothed; a smile dawned, slow, mischievous, positively boyish. “I think that can be arranged.”
Footfalls sounded on the dais steps, and Oliver bit back another groan when he saw that it was Ragnar approaching.
He glanced between them, smirking. “I hate to interrupt–”
“What is it, Ragnar?” Erik asked.
“I want a word with you, if I can, before you retire.” He cocked his head and his expression went serious. “In private.”
