Page 99 of A Suitable Stray

“Honeybee.” Nikoly squirmed. He controlled it quickly, but he did. He was as bad as Tiiran but he hid it better. How useful to know.

“How do these work?” Tiiran asked next. He flicked each bit of jewelry in turn. “Don’t your clothes brush against them?”

“Yes.” Nikoly wet his lips. “That’s part of why.”

“Oh.” Tiiran stared at him, arrested. “Another challenge? How long you can go without stroking yourself off in a corner? Or for the fun of teasing yourself all day?”

“Tiiran.” It wasn’t a warning and it wasn’t telling Tiiran to stop. And to be honest, if Nikoly was close to finishing, Tiiran didn’t mind.

“Both?” He was never going to stop touching them now, or the rest of Nikoly’s skin, hot under his hands. “And you wore them around me and wanted me, but then went into the capital to find people?”

“You said you weren’t jealous.” Breathless, Nikoly gripped Tiiran but let Tiiran explore him as he pleased. Tiiran gave him another kiss.

“Of you withOrin,” Tiiran explained for what felt like the dozenth time although then he wasn’t sure he ever had. “Thosepeople didn’t appreciate you or you’d still be serving them. Dotheycall you Lyli?”

“Tiiran. Tiiran, no.” Nikoly’s eyes were shut, the sunlight behind him hiding not a single thing from Tiiran’s ravenous gaze. “Lyli toyou.”

“Even though I’m scary?” Tiiran pressed down hard over Nikoly’s trapped cock. Nikoly gave a start but didn’t push up as Tiiran would have done.

“I like scary,” Nikoly confessed, turning his head to look at Tiiran again with pleasure all over his face. “You worry over using Orin, most worthy.Orin. I’m safe with you even when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not…” Tiiran withdrew his hand, leaving Nikoly to groan. “You flirt on purpose.”

“To help you.” Nikoly scooted closer and curved in to hide his face against the side of Tiiran’s head. “And to prod you into showing what you feel for me. Forgive me.”

“Scheming.” Orin had been right about that. Direct words would have made more sense, but Tiiran probably wouldn’t have believed them. “I’m sorry I made you wait,” he admitted finally. “Look at me.”

Nikoly straightened.

“Nikoly of the Astvan,” Tiiran began, only to stop when Nikoly didn’t quite hide a flinch. He started over. “Lyli.” It was soft on his tongue, like the lovely before him trying to sit up straight and still though Tiiran had left him aroused and wanting. “Lyli when we are alone?” Tiiran made it a question but got no answer, just a hungry, expectant stare. Nikoly was waiting. He was patient—hewantedto be patient.

“My Lyli,” Tiiran tried next, pleased when Nikoly’s breathing picked up, “if you choose to be so friendly with other library visitors, even to help me, know there will be consequences.”

Nikoly liked that. He licked his lips. “Yes, Tiiran.”

Tiiran wanted to kiss him, but decided to try some patience too. He should practice because Nikoly wanted to be challenged and do well, so Tiiran should do the same.

“I’ll have to learn how to give you pleasure so I can learn how to delay it,” he observed out loud, and turned to kiss Nikoly’s mouth, slow and gentle since that seemed to undo him the most. “Once I learn, I will test you as you like, but you will be safe. As protected as this library. Will that do?”

“Honeybee,” Nikoly returned, impossibly soft. He had a tone that meantpleasetoo.

Tiiran cupped the side of his face, enjoying one more moment of Nikoly’s dazed stare before nudging the tip of his nose against Nikoly’s to make him smile. Then he kissed him again.

Chapter Nineteen

Tiiran had lovers.

He considered that fact while attempting to get some copying done at the desk Nikoly insisted Tiiran needed, watching Nikoly doze sitting up in the window seat but not waking him because Nikoly had risen early to unlock the library for Tiiran and Tiiran had made him spend not too long ago, and anyone might need a nap after that.

He considered it again when Orin walked into the library in the evening to take Tiiran to the kitchens for dinner, and while the kitchen staff eyed Orin lustfully as he ate at one of the long tables with Tiiran, and then again while Tiiran went to get more food for him. Orin had been startled by the gift, then embarrassed, but ate it all and grumbled to himself when Tiiran commented on the fact that he wasn’t the only one who neglected his body’s needs.

Tiiran had a lover he had to push to stay in his room, with Orin all the while telling him the barracks were fine and how he would never take his welcome with Tiiran for granted. Tiiran had another lover who had knocked on his door well after the sun had gone down, prepared to fight for his welcome only to smile when Tiiran had snapped for him to get inside already.

Perhaps it was strange to want them near him again all night, but Tiiran wouldn’t know. He’d never had lovers like this before. But neither had they, or so he believed from how each of them spoke. Lovers of their bodies and of the things they did in bedrooms, but not lovers to share meals or curl up with while one of them sat by the fire to read. He didn’t think even Lanth had had that. If she had, it had been far before he’d known her. But he thought she would approve, even if it meant Tiiran taking time away from the library.

He fell asleep earlier than he’d meant to, but woke to Orin finally getting into bed with them and quietly complaining about the gap between the beds needing more to fill it.

“A bigger bed,” Tiiran agreed, already drifting toward slumber again, “when the palace is run right again.”

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