Page 69 of The Mentor
“True.”
“But I’m curious,” he said. “Have you been attracted to any other men than me?”
I shrugged, and it made him narrow his eyes.
“Who else?”
“Who else what?” I asked and pulled down my sweater.
“Who else have you been attracted to? Was it Finn?”
“Finn is nice but his beard is a little much for my taste.”
“Was it Marco?” He narrowed his eyes. “It was, wasn’t it? I could see why you would be attracted to him. He’s less threatening, being so young and all.”
“I’m not attracted to Marco.” Putting on my socks and shoes I sat on the edge of his bed. “Nor am I attracted to Boulder or Lord Khan, so there’s no reason for you to keep asking me names.”
“I don’t need to,” he said sourly and pushed himself up against the wall, his knees bent and his forearms resting on them. “Magni should have been my first guess.”
I shrugged, “Look, the first time I saw Magni, he was disguised as a Motlander. I thought he was fascinating, that’s all.”
“I thought all Momsies were afraid of Nmen,” he said grumpily.
“That’s true, but that’s because we grow up with all the stories about you being rapists and monsters. But for me it was different because I had already been listening to Christina talking for weeks about how much she missed Boulder, and how wonderful he had been to her. I knew from her that many of the stories were exaggerated or untrue.” I tilted my head. “And it probably helped that I met Magni and Boulder in my own home too, not to mention that Magni had shaved and looked really pretty with ribbons in his hair.”
That piece of information should have made Archer crack into a grin, but we were talking about my being attracted to another man and he wasn’t amused.
“Fascinating and attractive isn’t the same thing, Kya.” Jealousy was coming off Archer in waves, and I knew this could grow to be a problem between us if I didn’t set some boundaries right now.
“Look, this is a unique situation. I’m here to do a job, and that’s going to be my first priority. If you and I can learn to be friends who also share sex without any sort of commitment, then I don’t see why not. You just have to promise me that you won’t get possessive or jealous.”
“What are you saying?” he asked.
I was fully dressed now and faced him with a calmness that I didn’t feel inside of me. My words cut into my heart but I couldn’t risk Archer’s making scenes around other men. “What I’m saying is that I wouldn’t mind doing this again with you, but the minute you start behaving controlling toward me, I will find another way to meet my needs.”
His lips pressed into a firm line.
“If you don’t want to do it again, I understand,” I said and moved away from the bed.
He rolled out of bed and came over to stand naked in front of me. “At least give mesomething.” His eyes were burning with emotion.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He took my hand and gazed deeply into my eyes. “At least promise me that as long as you sleep with me, you won’t be sleeping with anyone else.”
Rationally I knew it was better to set clear boundaries and say “no.” There was no need to get Archer’s hopes up, and giving him that sort of commitment surely would. In a few years, I would return to the Motherlands and my own people – a place out of his reach.
“Promise,” he repeated.
I opened my mouth to say “no,” but when he squeezed my hand and I looked into the beautiful eyes of the man whom I had just made love with, my heart answered for me instead. “I promise,” I whispered.
CHAPTER 16
Just Tell him
Kya
“Kya, do you have a second?” Boulder asked with a worried expression.
