Page 22 of Randall
“Shh…” I dragged a finger across Darvon’s lips. “Of course, I want you. Both of you. Make no mistake about what I want.”
He pursed his lips and kissed the tip of my finger. “I want you both, too, but…” He sighed. “You’re right. Flynn needs time to recover.”
“He does,” I agreed. “We’ll continue to Riverside and secure rooms there.”
“Is there a vampire clan there? For Baron and his sons? The prince should be kept somewhere safe, and if there isn’t a castle, then I can’t think of anyplace safer than within their den.”
I nodded. “The Black Rill Clan.”
Darvon shuddered. “Ominous.”
“Yes, but they’re a small clan in comparison to Baron’s Onyx Ashes or Artor’s Midnight Claimed clans. We won’t have a problem with them, and I agree. Our prince would be safer there than anywhere else in the city. When we arrive, we’ll seek them out and inquire for our friends and about another place for us.”
“You don’t want to stay with them?”
“I’ve little to do with the vampires. Artor and I rarely interacted.”
Darvon pushed himself up, bracing on an elbow that allowed him to look down at me. “There’s something you’re not saying.”
Frowning at his intuitive question, I sighed and said, “I see there will be no secrets between us.”
His frown was equally pensive. “Should there be?”
“No, there shouldn’t, but I’m not sure I’m at liberty to offer a truth when it might affect another.”
“You shouldn’t reveal another’s secret if they entrusted you to keep it, but there must be something you can tell me.” Darvon laid back down, resuming his long strokes along my body.
I curled my arm and played with the braid Flynn had made, sliding my fingers along its silky length. “I can tell you that the queen is a formidable woman, and that I am more her man than the king’s.”
“They’re friends, you know. Your queen and my mother.”
“So I recently learned.”
Darvon tapped my chest. “I don’t want to feel like I’m a puppet, that they can pull my strings and force me or you to do what they want.”
“Nor should you, and I feel the same. Unfortunately, we are all puppets to this cursed goddess who ensnared Jarrah into her plans.”
“She can’t be all bad. She brought us together: you, me, and Flynn.” Darvon popped up, kissed me, and then gently slid his fingertips through Flynn’s hair.
“That she did.”
Darvon settled and resumed his contented stroking of my body, which did nothing to lessen my libido. My skin itched with need, but I pushed the feeling aside for now. Somethingmoreawaited us in Riverside, and I wanted to be ready.
When he started swirling a finger around my nipple, I suspected he knew how turned on I was, and as much as I wanted to take him up on his subtle offer, we needed to resume our travels. Covering his hand to still him, I asked, “Do you wantto stay here and rest with Flynn while I hook up the horses and get us moving?”
He hesitated, and I could tell he was torn between staying with me or staying with our mate, so I decided for him. “Stay. Keep Flynn warm. I don’t want him to wake up alone.”
Darvon’s sweet smile and nod confirmed I’d made the right choice. I grabbed my tunic and scooted out of the carriage as he lifted the blanket and gathered Flynn to his chest, tucking our mate close.
I collected the horses, and soon we were on our way. The day grew warm, but I enjoyed the solitude of the empty road, the sounds of the rushing water, and the calls of the birds and animals in the woods. The raven returned, bringing me visions of our friends behind us and the bustling city ahead. I offered him food and water for his troubles and bade him rest awhile.
Near midday, I heard Flynn and Darvon speaking in low tones, but I kept my eyes forward and my ears to myself until they asked me to stop. I drew the horses up along a small grassy field that bordered the bubbling river and hopped down to help them descend from the carriage. Darvon pushed open the door and jumped out before I got there, but Flynn, wearing a borrowed tunic, shyly took my offered hand. They scurried into the woods to water the trees while I led the horses to the river.
Flynn joined me riverside, crouching to splash water on his face and neck, and scrubbing at his belly. I couldn’t help grinning as he did so, remembering the way he looked when he’d come, the way Flynn’s cock had jerked and shot in my hand, semen coating him, and then watching Darvon slide a finger through the mess so he could taste him before I did the same with my tongue. My mouth watered at the thought of tasting him again.
He laughed, catching me watching, then his eyes narrowed. “Darvon said you didn’t come. He wants me to convince you to join us in the carriage.”
I glanced over my shoulder, spying Darvon trying to appear innocent as he circled the carriage and dug into our food bag. As much as the idea appealed, we needed to keep moving.
