Page 31 of By Mistake

Shimari shifted to his cat form and rode draped across Andrus's shoulders like an indolent scarf.

Oresti was long used to being stared at—openly and rudely, at that—but it was so much worse right now as people examined him and Andrus, trying to figure out what the secret was, why Andrus was the one to win the prize.

He didn't have to stretch his mind to guess every mean, snide thought in their heads.

Some had the sense not to let the thoughts show, but most didn't, as though Andrus might be intimidated away by a few scowls.

"I get the feeling someone is going to poison my soup at the next royal banquet," Andrus said dryly.

"I wish I could say you're wrong," Oresti replied with a sigh. "Some will have the sense to befriend you; many will try to intimidate you. Anyone actually willing to resort to violent, deadly means will be dealt with swiftly as we find them—hopefully before harm is done."

Shimari growled low, only just audible to the two of them, a sound clearer than words that nobody would get the chance to so much as scratch Andrus.

The walk to his rooms—their rooms, so far as Oresti was concerned—seemed interminable, though he didn't know if that was because of impatient lust or tiresome staring or both.

Whatever the case, it all fell away as he finally flung his door open, hauled the other two inside, and closed and locked the door behind them.

In the next blink, Shimari was human again, discarding his coat and waistcoat carelessly on the floor before he pushed Andrus up against the door and kissed him like a dying man enjoying his last meal.

Oresti stripped to just his breeches and shirt, piling all the discarded clothes on the sofa before pulling the other two apart and hauling them to the actual bedroom, where Shimari had all three of them naked with remarkable speed.

Andrus was even prettier bare than Oresti had imagined, and he had imagined quite thoroughly over the past many days. He and Shimari were of similar size—Andrus by birth, Shimari by meticulous design, as the smaller and slighter you were, the weaker people mistook you to be.

Andrus's brown skin was still paler than it should be, something only time would fix after a lifetime of suffering, and he was covered with moles and freckles.

Oresti wanted to taste each and every one.

His cock was crowned with dark, springy curls, not quite hard yet, but getting that way quickly, damp at the tip, and speaking of things Oresti ached to taste…

Behind him, twining around him, Shimari was all pale white skin and dark hair, his eyes glowing red, teeth long and sharp as he teased them along Andrus's throat, hands splayed along his chest and stomach.

"What a pretty pair you make," Oresti murmured before closing the space between them to slide his hands along Shimari's before dropping them to Andrus's hips and diving in for a desperately needed kiss, despite the many he'd already had.

Andrus clung to his arms like he might fall over if he didn't, despite the fact he was sandwiched quite nicely between them. Oresti never wanted him anywhere else, only right in the middle where he belonged.

He pulled back slowly, dragging his teeth along that lush bottom lip before finally letting go. Walking backward to the bed, he let go only to climb onto it, sprawling against his mountain of pillows as he watched the others climb up after him.

Andrus's skin was flushed clear to his shoulders, but his face had that look of stubborn determination that Oresti already knew so well. "Nothing is ever the easy, simple way with you is it, Your Highness?"

"That's funny coming from the man who accidentally summoned Shimari of the Harvest."

Shimari smirked as he crawled up the bed to Oresti and straddled him bold as you please, biting and sucking at his lips until they were red and swollen. To his right, Andrus watched them avidly, one hand wrapped around his cock, stroking idly. "Don't stop on my account."

Oresti chuckled softly before leaning over to kiss him, then let Shimari have his turn. "I'm not stopping until I pass out." The magic bond between them seemed to thrum; if it were a visible thing, he would say it was glowing.

He got his hand around Shimari's cock, enjoying the grunt and immediate thrust of his hips to drive his cock through Oresti's tight grip. "Move and I'll suck your cock before I fuck our pretty lord."

"If you insist," Shimari said, but his dry tone was ruined by a sharp gasp as Oresti ran his thumb hard over the tip.

Shimari toppled backward, spreading out on the bed like the definition of indolent.

Oresti shifted him up enough he could kneel over him at the right point, so that Shimari's head was nearly hanging off the bed.

Andrus kissed him, then put his mouth to work everywhere else, licking and sucking and biting with an unabashed enthusiasm that was like seeing a flower bloom after a rainstorm.

Oresti followed his efforts, leaving kisses on or near the same places, until he diverged to trail a line of them down to Shimari's cock.

He kissed along its length, ending at the tip, licking it thoroughly before suckling teasingly, until there a rough yank at his hair.

Chuckling around the bit of cock in his mouth, he finally worked the length in deeper, until it reached his throat.

"That's better," Shimari hissed before his words were lost to the noises of him and Andrus kissing again. Oresti looked up through his lashes briefly, but beautiful as the image of them hungrily kissing was, he had a task before him, and he'd never been accused of doing it poorly.

He bent to it in earnest, bobbing his head, cheeks hollowing, tongue stroking all it could reach, meeting the greedy movements of Shimari's hips, until his face was a mess of spit and precome, sweat stung his eyes and jaw, and his throat ached from the exertion.

Nails digging into his scalp was all the warning he got before Shimari spilled hot down his throat.

Pulling back, panting softly, he rested on his heels and used a corner of mussed blanket to clean his face. It wasn't like the blanket would be usable by the time they were done anyway. "Come here, Andi."

Andrus obeyed, still looking faintly shy somehow, or maybe simply disbelieving. Oresti certainly couldn't believe he'd gone from interested in no one to having two lovers. Clearly he'd just had such ridiculous standards even he hadn't known them.

He stroked Andrus's cock teasingly, laughing as that got him several choice curses and orders to stop before Andrus came before he wanted.

"Want to come on my cock?"

"I should think that was obvious, given you do—"Andrus broke off, forehead digging into Oresti's shoulder. Shimari smirked, kissed his shoulder, then leaned over it to kiss Oresti as well. "He's so tight and soft and warm."

"Oh?" Oresti asked, and slid his own fingers back to push one gently in to join Shimari where he was carefully but thoroughly working Andrus open.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck ," Andrus said, nails leaving divots in Oresti's arms, teeth biting at his throat between whimpers and moans as he clung helplessly while they fucked him with their fingers.

Shimari kissed the side of his throat. "Just wait until you can take us both."

"I hate you," Andrus said on a moan.

"I don't believe you," Shimari said, slowly withdrawing his fingers.

Oresti pushed a second finger in, but Andrus was more than ready to take him. "Lift up slightly."

Andrus obeyed, rising on his knees and moving as Oresti adjusted him slightly before slowly sinking down on his cock.

"Fuck, you're the best thing I've ever felt," Oresti said on a groan, thrusting up as he dragged Andrus down, driving as deep as he could, desperate for more more more . "I could do this and nothing else the rest of my life."

Shimari bit at his lips over Andrus, then shifted around to their side so he could touch and kiss them both as he pleased while they fucked. "That's not true, because you will gladly bend me over that couch in the front room and fuck me hard enough to move it tomorrow. Don't lie."

"All right, fine—" Oresti pulled out and, before Andrus could protest more than a brief confused yelp, put him on his knees and fucked back into him, driving as hard as he could, overheated and sticky with sweat, thighs burning as he thrust and thrust and thrust.

Andrus's hands slipped, and Oresti grabbed them, pulling them to pin behind his back, improving the angle still further, going and going until Andrus finally came with a shout.

Oresti thrust a few more times, then released Andrus's wrists to grab his hips and sink in as deep as physically possible before spilling inside him.

He groaned as he pulled out and fell back on the pillows.

Shimari retrieved poor Andrus, wrung out too thoroughly to move himself, and then slipped away. He returned shortly with damp rags to wash them up and a fresh blanket.

It only took a few minutes before they were all settled comfortably, filling Oresti's large bed in a way that it never had been, strange but satisfying after a lifetime of always sleeping alone.

He yawned before taking several large gulps of water from the glass and pitcher he always kept by the side of his bed.

He'd have to see to it now there was one on either side of the bed, and bring in additional furniture as needed to accommodate three people.

How long before the talk spread through the court?

That he was sleeping with Andrus and his personal assistant?

Because he had no intention of hiding it, though that might be wiser, given Shimari's true nature.

Still, the idea of hiding left a bad taste in his mouth.

He'd already gotten burned for keeping secrets, and his job entailed more than enough subterfuge.

He didn't want more of it in his life than was necessary.