Page 1 of Suffer No Fools
Chapter 1
Hugo
Hugo hadn't expected it to be so easy. All he'd said was, "I want you," and suddenly, both Stan and Tovey were in his personal space, touching and kissing him. Hugo found himself in the middle of a man sandwich, loving every minute. How had he missed out on this experience for so long? Kissing Stan was quickly becoming His favorite pastime, and Tovey was going to get him off without a touch, simply by holding him close, massaging his scalp, and nibbling his neck.
Starlight Specter'shold was as frigid as the surrounding ocean, but Hugo was sweating for the first time in ages. He felt like he was soaring in the airship that had brought him aboard.
He followed Stan's lead and pushed his tongue inside Stan's mouth. The earth weaver tasted of the cinnamon tack they'd eaten for lunch.
He ran his hands up Stan's bare arms, enjoying his warm skin and bulging muscles. Stan made Hugo feel small in the best way. He wanted Stan to pick him up and pin him against Tovey. He tugged at the narrow strips of cloth over his shoulders, pulling Stan closer toward him.
"Wait." Stan pulled back, and the shirt stretched. Hugo let him go, and it snapped back to its usual fit between his neck and sculpted shoulders.
"We need to talk about this."
"You always want to talk when things get interesting," Tovey grumbled. His breath was still hot on Hugo's nape.
Hugo groaned. He was so close.
"What do you want, Your Majesty?" Stan's voice was soft, pleading. Any other time, Hugo would have been grateful Stan wanted to restore some of his lost autonomy, but for once, he wanted to lose his fucking will.
He didn't even argue about the title. "More," he pleaded. He needed more. He physically ached for more in a way he hadn't since he was a horny teenager.
"You said you wanted everyone," Stan said, more for Tovey's benefit than for Hugo's, since he barely heard the words over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. "Not just the two of us. Half the ship's coupled up, but if we're not your first choice, I want to know."
"You're here, now!" Hugo rubbed his hard cock along Stan's thigh.
Stan grabbed his shoulders and took a step back, and Tovey did the same.
Now that he wasn't pinned between them, Hugo felt cold and alone. "Olivia's beautiful," he mumbled. He'd always been expected to like women, or people with uteruses. They were the only ones who could give him heirs, after all. If that was what Stan and Tovey expected of him, too ...
"She's taken?"
Stan's eyebrows scrunched as he considered Tovey's question. "Not yet. She and Petri are close, but she hasn't committed."
"It's harmless fun, right?" Hugo asked. "Only if she's willing."
"I'll ask her." Tovey's footsteps were overloud as he hurried away. Hugo felt worse with each step he took, but he plastered on the smile that always had appeased Coryn.
"See?" Stan grinned. "All you have to do is ask, and we'll do what we can to find you some joy."
Stan left Hugo alone to pace his room between the sails. What he really wanted was to be between Stan and Tovey again, but the moment was ruined. Hugo and his big mouth. He repositioned his orange sash over his shoulder and straightened his crimson robes, trying not to think about how close he'd been to stripping them off.
Yes, Olivia was beautiful, but he'd only spoken to her when he'd first boarded the ship. Everyone else had made the effort to visit him in the galley or the hold. They had wished him well and offered him help. Even Klaus. The seeker had every reason to hate him for the way he'd acted when he'd first reunited with Vadim. Instead, he'd given Hugo books to fill his time, and he'd offered to answer Hugo's questions. Finally, Hugo had made the acquaintance of a pleasure house worker, though not as he'd first hoped. He had been trying to get the guards to sneak him out to a pleasure house the night ...
The night General Coryn had dragged him to his mother's room to show him her dead body. And blood, so much blood. No weapon could have made the cuts all over her. An air weaver, or Coryn using stolen air weaves, had killed her.
Olivia blushed as she entered his makeshift room. "Your Majesty?"
"Hi." He couldn't meet her gaze. He didn't know what protocol dictated in these circumstances. She was still dressed in her full naval officer uniform and tricorn hat. This wasn't a social call. He wondered what Tovey had said to her.
"I was just thinking about the night my mother died." He winced. It was the truth, but he wasn't helping his cause. At this rate, he would be a virgin forever.
"Oh." She nodded. "I'm sorry. Do you want to tell me about it?"
That was the last thing he wanted, but he couldn't stop himself. He'd never been free to talk about it with anyone. He dragged Olivia to sit on the divan nestled against the side of the ship, and she took both of his hands in hers.
"You remind me of her," he said. "Your dark hair and eyes." He'd just described half of his empire, but it was more than that. He got the impression that Olivia brokered no nonsense and suffered no fools. His parents would have liked her.
