Page 68 of Fox of Fox Hall

Conall looked caught out, eyes wide before heglanced away. “You might have said that to wound him—which I wouldunderstand. Regardless, if you think about what exactlywassaid, you will realize that you’ve agreed to nothing.” He workedhis jaw, bothered or in pain, then turned back to Fox. “As foreverything else… doyouknow what you told me?”

He regarded Fox gravely but there was a hint ofeagerness in his tone and in the tightening of his tail around Foxbefore he relaxed it.

Fox was never going to stop blushing. A flush ofnew heat reached his neck before warming him beneath his clothes.“I declared to everyone that I prefer you to the king and impliedthat you knot me so well that I beg for it.” He had also twined histail with Conall’s several times without meaning to and hidden hishot face against Conall’s chest. “I called you brave. The bravestperson I have ever met.” Conall nodded but seemed to be waiting formore, so Fox drew his eyebrows together to reconsider the scene inthe receiving rooms. “Which is likely why I feel so shaken insidearound you. I am not brave. I simply do what I have to. You… youchoose things.”

His reward was the light in Conall’s eyes,exactly what it had been when Conall had stood with him beforeDomvoda. “Which I have the freedom to do as a byr, according toyou. But now you have that as well, so you may also choose.”

Fox felt decidedly quaky again and was notsurprised when his tail found Conall’s. He couldn’t seem to controlit anymore. There were newly married people out in the world withmore sense and decorum than Fox. Anyone would think he waspassion-struck too.

Conall stared down at him, apparently pleasedwith whatever he saw. He bent to give Fox another kiss, then said,“Perhaps you would worry less and think on your choices easier ifyou were comfortable. I know I plan to be.”

With that, he reached up to the guard over hisweakest shoulder to tug one-handed at the straps.

“Show me how to do it?” Fox requested, as thoughhe hadn’t already put the purse down on the small table beforeslapping Conall’s hand away to get the buckle for him.

The look Conall gave Fox made him feelridiculous and perfect for it. But in the next moment, Conall wasguiding Fox through the removal of that and then his greaves andhis boots. He took off his mail while Fox clucked around himuselessly and then seemed to take joy in slowly undoing the buttonsof his protective doublet under Fox’s riveted stare. When he pulledoff his undershirt as well, Fox sighed with all of a lonelyfifteen-year-old’s longing.

“Do you wish to be comfortable?” Conall asked,distracting Fox from his thoughts of seeing Conall shirtless, ormore, under the sun. “You’re still carrying your lute.”

Fox twitched with surprise to realize that wastrue and slipped the strap over his head before setting theinstrument against the table by the door. “We should be packing.”He finally said what he’d meant to say at the start of this.“Ishould be packing,” he amended quickly. “Do you reallywant all these things in your way? That is—” Fox paused, horrified,then tripped over his own words. “They don’t have to be in yourway.Idon’t have to be in your way. I didn’t mean toassume. I’m sure it’s a large estate with many rooms.”

Conall picked up Fox and set him on the edge ofthe bed as if Fox weighed no more than the lute. “I am notDomvoda,” he said fiercely. “I have asked you to mate, Fox. You areright to assume that means I would have you with me, in my bedroomif you’re willing.” He slid a hand down Fox’s calf to his foot,removing the slipper as he did. He did the same to Fox’s otherfoot, then dropped the slippers to the floor. “But it is a largeestate… certainly larger than this room. So if you want yourbelongings elsewhere, space will be found for them. Even theslippers that hurt your feet so much if you desire to take themwith you.” He met Fox’s startled stare. “Shall I continue?” He heldthe end of one ribbon garter with his fingertips. “Like this?” heasked as though he didn’t already know how to undress Fox. Hetugged and the bow slid free. The knot likewise gave way without afight.

With the last ribbon still fluttering to thebed, he began to roll down Fox’s hose. His rougher hands mightcatch on the delicate fabric, but he took care and Fox did not tellhim to stop.

“Do you plan everything?” Fox wondered, undoingthe buttons at his collar and cuffs to make the removal of hisdoublet easier.

“I take advantage of opportunities as theyappear.” Conall teased newly bared skin. “Anyone might dothat.”

“You arranged some of those opportunities,” Foxmuttered to be heard while parting his legs to let Conall closer.Conall brushed Fox’s hands away to work on the rest of Fox’sbuttons himself. “Like this one,” Fox pointed out, since hehadbeen placed on the bed. “And earlier.” He watched Conallpretend to be focused completely on undoing a row of tiny buttons.“Passion-struck for me you may have been, but you don’t really knowme. You should think on this.”

Conall didn’t even pause. “We have a wholejourney to make, if you choose to come with me. And once we reachour destination, you are free to leave, or leave and return, orvisit me as it please you.”

“What of what pleases you?” Fox had to ask, evenwhile lifting his arms so Conall could gently pull the doublet andthen Fox’s undershirt away.

Conall met his eyes. “I’m fairly certain thepassion was telling me you will please me, and so far, it has notbeen wrong. You please me greatly, Fox, which I made clear to youboth last night and today.”

Very clear, Fox reflected faintly.

He tried to rally despite how smoothly Conallpushed Fox’s breeches down to expose the tops of his hips. “Becauseof one moment where you saw me and you trembled inside?” Thequestion left Fox frowning, caught on part of a memory. The rest ofhis words did much the same, falling from him slowly and clumsily.“And then felt as if all would be as it should if I were withyou?”

“Do you think I am not trembling inside now?”Conall asked, taking one of Fox’s hands and holding it to hischest. Fox could feel no tremble, only a heat to match Conall’sgaze.

“It doesn’t soothe you to be near me?” Foxdidn’t mean to sound petulant but he had never imagined someonebeing calmed by his presence, and for the second he had, the ideahad been pleasant.

Conall raised his head to look at him, hisinterest hotter with every moment that passed. “Do you know we’venever done this in daylight? You turn fascinating shades of pink inunexpected places.” Fox resisted the urge to cover himself. Conallsmiled. “Something new I’ve learned about you already. Imagine whatelse we might discover in time.”

That did not answer Fox’s question, but wasintriguing enough to make him look up—after tossing his head tomake his curls bounce and draw a sigh from Conall. “What might welearn?”

Conall’s hand in Fox’s hair made Fox sigh inturn. Conall petted him sweetly as though he hadn’t undressed Foxintending to touch much more than Fox’s hair. “Were your parentshappy with each other that you remember?”

“Yes.” Fox frowned again. “I think so. I mostlyrecall tone of voice, not their words, but even that is vague. I… Iremember the ceiling above my bed, and how the kitchen looked, andmy bearer telling me stories. They touched each other.” The memorywas sudden but clear; his bearer greeting his other parent bytwining their tails without turning from the oven. “Their tails,probably only at home. But they…. Yes, they were happy.”

“Mine were as well.” Conall’s eyes crinkled withthe strength of his smile. “And passion-struck. My sister was not.It took her years to settle down because she had some idea of allthe things she wanted to do before worrying about love or findingsomeone, but she and her spouse are inseparable now. Struck or not,friends or lovers, everyone has to learn about themselves and eachother, and how to move around and with one another. Here we are inthis tiny room, encircled by all of your things,” he went right ondespite Fox’s scoff, “but we’ve done all right so far. We walkedSaravar together and it’s still standing.” Fox scoffed again.Conall’s smile went vicious. “You are kinder than I am, but I’mwilling to cede to your soft heart if you’re willing to let me beruthless for you. Think of what we might do in a wider world.”

The Fox and the Dragonslayer, like some sort ofstory.

“Is that all?” Fox narrowed his eyes. Saravarwas standing, it was true, but he doubted the two of them wouldever be invited back. Conall might regret that later.

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