Page 14

R ufe paced before the window, keeping his back to Niam, hiding any facial tells. He failed to keep the accusation from his voice—accusation Niam deserved. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Time to be truthful now if he ever expected Rufe to trust him.

“I come to the keep to be myself for a while instead of King Niam. You’d have treated me differently if you knew, wouldn’t you?

” They wouldn’t have gotten to know each other, laughed together, or shared a kiss that might be their last. The very thought put an ache in Niam’s heart.

“Yes. But you deceived me.”

Niam wrenched his hand through his hair—a habit Mother had tried to scold out of him.

“I’ll admit that at first, I thought posing as a servant would gain me more information, but as I came to know and like you, I didn’t want anything to change.

As a matter of fact, I’m amazed Draylon didn’t let something slip. ”

Rufe turned then, fixing Niam with a dark-eyed gaze. “He mentioned King Niam but didn’t describe him. I thought I wasn’t important enough to gain an audience with the king.”

Niam stalked across the floor, stopping a few steps from Rufe. “You are important enough. I don’t know who made you feel unimportant in the past, but I got to observe you when you weren’t on your guard. You strike me as a good man, and I’m glad to know you.”

“Yet, I don’t know you.”

Yes, he did! “Everything I told you was true. I’ve told you about my sons, how I love riding in the mountains, reading books, and playing games, but I seldom find the time to indulge. My time here, with you, is a gift.”

Rufe raised a brow, staring with narrowed eyes. “You’re not laughing because the bastard was so arrogant as to kiss you?”

“I could never laugh at you. You’re a brave warrior, loyal to those who’ve earned your trust. You’re all I could want in a friend… or a lover.”

They held each other’s gazes for several uncertain moments until Rufe placed a tender hand on Niam’s cheek, his soft smile warm and inviting. He slanted his mouth over Niam’s.

It felt like coming home.

Rufe shrugged out of his dressing gown, letting the fabric pool at his feet on the floor. “This possibly could be the biggest mistake of my life, but I’ve never shied away from jumping off cliffs to see what happens.”

Should Niam be offended or flattered at the comparison? Suddenly, the distinction didn’t matter. His mouth went dry as he took in the sight of Rufe’s well-muscled body.

Rufe shook off his slippers and hastily stepped onto a nearby rug. His naked beauty stole Niam’s breath: the broad shoulders, narrow waist, and chest Niam wanted to worship. The scars and bandages took away nothing, a roadmap of this man’s life spent in service to the empire.

Niam pulled his tunic over his head, removed his boots, and dashed to the bed. While he wasn’t ashamed of his body, he likely wasn’t as solidly built as the men Rufe typically took to his bed.

“Let me see,” Rufe urged, crawling onto the bed and staring down at Niam.

Niam swallowed hard. “I’m nothing much to look at.”

“To me, you are.” Rufe lowered his head, sealing their lips together. He probed gently, urging Niam to respond. When Niam finally relaxed enough to twine his tongue with Rufe’s, Rufe let out a long, contented-sounding sigh.

He pulled back and helped Niam off with his remaining clothes. “I’ve never undressed a king before.”

Niam pressed his fingers to Rufe’s lips. “Shhh… When I’m with you, I’m not a king. I’m merely a man. A man who wants you beyond reason.”

Rufe kissed the fingertip, then sucked it into his mouth. The suction went straight to Niam’s cock. He groaned, which earned him a wicked grin.

Rufe kissed his way down Niam’s body, pausing to suck up marks on soft skin or skate his fingers through the sparseness of the hair low on Niam’s belly, leading the way to his groin.

“Copper curls,” Rufe mused with a laugh. His tone grew somber. “You have a beautiful body. You have a beautiful everything.” He took Niam’s cock into his mouth .

By all the gods! Niam nearly jolted off the bed. Even knowing where Rufe’s direction would lead—or at least hoping—the reality surpassed Niam’s wildest imaginings.

He groaned again, burying his fingers in the soft waves at Rufe’s nape. “That is so good! Your mouth….”

Deeper suction left Niam speechless as Rufe worked his way up and down Niam’s shaft, paying close attention to the slit at the end. He swirled his tongue around the head, then sank once more, taking Niam far into his mouth.

Niam clutched at the bed coverings, writhing on the sheets that smelled of Rufe and herbs. He lost himself in the feelings Rufe evoked, not fighting his body’s tendency to arch, seeking more friction, more pressure, just… more.

He whimpered when Rufe released his cock with a pop. Disappointment vanished when Rufe climbed up the bed and kissed him again. Weight braced on one arm, Rufe wrapped a large, callused hand around their cocks, bringing them together. He rocked his hips, driving his hardness against Niam’s.

Together, they bucked their hips, tongues tangled together in a slow dance that belied the frantic action below. Rufe’s warm breath mingled with Niam’s, and at the moment, nothing existed but the two of them. No cares, no worries, just two men seeking comfort in each other’s arms.

Niam submersed himself in the play of hard muscles under his fingertips as he gripped Rufe’s shoulders, the friction of Rufe’s thrusts, the softness of his lips, so at odds with the rest of him. The kisses grew more heated until Rufe devoured Niam’s mouth, catching Niam’s muted cries.

Sensations grew overwhelming. Rufe pulled back, rhythm faltering, and let out a strangled cry.

Muscles taut, fathomless dark eyes staring into Niam’s, Rufe came on a long groan.

Niam bucked up into Rufe’s tight grip, his cock now sliding more easily against Rufe’s.

He thrust once, twice… and came with a cry of his own, every muscle taut, then… .

They lay together panting, Rufe supporting his weight on his good arm. He collapsed to the side, enveloping Niam in a hug and bringing him along, holding him close. Kissing him like Niam was the most precious thing in the world.

Niam clung tight to Rufe’s sweat-slick skin, ear against Rufe’s chest, his fast-paced heart sounding impossibly loud in Niam’s ear.

He lay in a post-orgasmic daze, not caring that they left evidence on the sheets or that the evidence would soon dry on his body. For the moment, Niam had everything he needed, plus someone who didn’t seem to want anything from him but a few shared moments.

Would their interactions change now that Rufe knew who “Ned” really was? If they did, perhaps Rufe wasn’t the kind of man Niam wanted—or needed—in his bed.

Please let Rufe not be someone who only wants my title and what I can do for him. For now, Niam would enjoy his warrior. For however long what they had lasted. He drifted off to sleep feeling more secure than he had in ages .

In the wee hours of dawn, Niam dressed and crept from Rufe’s room. Casseign waited in the hallway, merely nodding, saying nothing. Casseign, who’d likely worked an extra-long shift to ensure only he witnessed Niam leaving this room at such a time.

Niam must be more careful in the future, lest anyone find out. As he strode to his room, though, he couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in recent memory, he’d taken someone to bed he’d truly wanted.

And damned the consequences.