Page 27 of The Ruin of a Rake
“Oh, the usual. Gaming, women, drink.”
“I feel certain he and I would have gotten along swimmingly.”
“I thought so too, at first,” Medlock said without elaboration. “Monastic,” he repeated, glancing around the room.
“Not entirely,” Courtenay reminded him with a pointed glance at the sofa.
“Oh, that’s different,” Medlock said with a wave of his hand.
“True, I’d bet monks did a fair bit of what we did last night,” Courtenay suggested. “It was probably the only way to keep warm.”
Medlock’s mouth twitched with the effort to hold back a smile. “What I meant is that we were discreet. Perfectly acceptable.”
“Oh, yes, I’d wager most of thetonwould find nothing indiscreet or unacceptable about what we did.”
“Don’t be daft. Of course I know they wouldn’t. But I’d likely go mad if I were celibate.” He said this as if it quite settled the question. “You’re going to have to pay for that wall before quitting the lease.”
Medlock had to know Courtenay didn’t have cash on hand for that sort of expense. He sighed. “This visit’s been lovely but I’m for bed.”
Medlock held up a hand as if to halt Courtenay. “Eleanor told me you got a letter from Radnor’s secretary. I have a plan to get Radnor to let you see Simon. Do you think you’d mind if Radnor sets fire to Carrington Hall?”
“I suppose it would depend on whether the house was inhabited.”
Medlock furrowed his brow. “Unfortunately, I would have resettled your mother in Bath by then,” he said apologetically.
Courtenay managed to keep a straight face. It had been so long since anyone had taken Courtenay’s part, had thought him worthy of defense, that Medlock’s venom towards the parent who had cast Courtenay off warmed a part of his heart he had long thought decayed. “Then I see no objection.”
“I’ll let you know when the papers are ready for you to sign.”
Courtenay had no idea what papers Medlock was referring to and didn’t much care. “I didn’t want to pay for company. Not after last night, Medlock.”
“I’m not sure I follow.” He turned his back to Courtenay and suddenly became focused on tracing the bullet hole in the plaster.
“I think you follow perfectly fine.” The man’s mind went at twice the speed of any normal brain. He could certainly keep up with Courtenay.
“If you’re intending to compliment me,” Medlock said, still facing the wall, “I suppose I’m gratified to learn that my services compare favorably with those of a prostitute.”
“Services be damned.” Courtenay closed the gap between them so he was speaking nearly into Medlock’s ear. “It had nothing to do with services. It was you.” With one hand he drew the shabby curtain closed and with the other he brushed a strand of hair behind Medlock’s ear.
Medlock shivered at the touch. “You probably say this sort of thing to all the people you consort with. It’s why they jump back into bed with you time and again, I suppose.”
He was half right. More than half. Courtenay knew what to say to endear himself to the people he wanted to consort with, as Medlock appallingly put it. But that wasn’t what he was doing now—Medlock had no use for pretty words. “Is it working?”
Medlock rested his forehead against the wall. “Always. I think I get half hard whenever you start talking. It’s a character flaw on my part, I’m quite certain.”
“Good.” Courtenay bent to kiss the tender spot beneath Medlock’s ear. “You need more character flaws.”
Medlock exhaled, almost a sigh, as he sank back against Courtenay’s chest.
“I want you naked this time,” Courtenay murmured into Medlock’s neck as he slid his hands down the man’s chest. “I want to see and kiss every inch of you. Later, after you’ve fucked me”—he felt Medlock’s body jolt to awareness at those words—“I want you to spend the night, and when we wake up I want to do it all over again. You cheated me out of that last night, Medlock, and I won’t have it happen again.”
Medlock turned then, looking slightly dazed. “After I’ve fucked you,” he echoed. “That’s what you want.”
“Want hardly covers it, Medlock. It’s all I’ve thought of all damned day.”
He licked his lips. “Me fucking you.”
“Do you need a diagram?”
