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A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 193 из 236Why the change of heart now?"
"He's still scary, Merry, but he's also a terrible stuffed shirt. He wasn't always like that, but somewhere over the centuries he became more. . human, in the worst sense of the word." The grin faded around the edges.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Just thinking about what might have been. Taranis used to be good for a few laughs, and a drunken brawl or two."
I raised eyebrows. "Taranis? Having a boys' night out on the town? I can't picture it."
"You've known him for only thirty years. He hasn't been at his best." He sat up, got to his feet. "Dibs on the shower."
"If you get it first this morning, I get it first tomorrow," Nicca said.
"Only if you're fast enough," Rhys said, heading for the bathroom.
Nicca's arms slid around my waist, turned me to him. "Let him have his shower." He raised a slender brown hand to trace the waves near my face. He rolled over on his back, drawing me with his hands at my neck and waist. The sheet had rolled off of him, and I saw that he was firm and ripe again.
I half laughed. "Don't you ever grow tired?"
"Of this, never." His face grew more serious, a little less tender. "This with you is the first time I have ever been with a woman and not been afraid."
"What do you mean?"
"The queen is a fearsome thing, Meredith, and she likes her men submissive. I'm not dominant, but I don't enjoy her idea of sex."
I leaned in and gave him a very gentle kiss. "We do some rough stuff."
He suddenly hugged me to him. "No, Meredith, no, you don't. You never scare me." He held me, and I relaxed against him, let him hold me. Almost too tight. It almost hurt.
I stroked his sides and what I could reach of his back, until he began to relax. His arms were not quite so crushing. I'd thought only days ago about sending Nicca back home, because I did not want him to be king. He wasn't able to be king, and it had nothing to do with whether or not he could breed.
I held him, stroked him gently, until the sudden panic in him eased. When he was calm, he reached for me again, and I went to his arms, his mouth, his body. I hoped King Taranis wouldn't call while we were in the midst of things, but the lovemaking took the last wounded look from his eyes. I needed to see those brown eyes turned to me with nothing but smiles in them.
When Rhys stepped out of the bathroom with his towels, we were just finishing. He cursed under his breath. "Is it too late to join in?"
"Yes," I said, and gave Nicca a last parting kiss. "Besides, I get the shower next.
"He's still scary, Merry, but he's also a terrible stuffed shirt. He wasn't always like that, but somewhere over the centuries he became more. . human, in the worst sense of the word." The grin faded around the edges.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Just thinking about what might have been. Taranis used to be good for a few laughs, and a drunken brawl or two."
I raised eyebrows. "Taranis? Having a boys' night out on the town? I can't picture it."
"You've known him for only thirty years. He hasn't been at his best." He sat up, got to his feet. "Dibs on the shower."
"If you get it first this morning, I get it first tomorrow," Nicca said.
"Only if you're fast enough," Rhys said, heading for the bathroom.
Nicca's arms slid around my waist, turned me to him. "Let him have his shower." He raised a slender brown hand to trace the waves near my face. He rolled over on his back, drawing me with his hands at my neck and waist. The sheet had rolled off of him, and I saw that he was firm and ripe again.
I half laughed. "Don't you ever grow tired?"
"Of this, never." His face grew more serious, a little less tender. "This with you is the first time I have ever been with a woman and not been afraid."
"What do you mean?"
"The queen is a fearsome thing, Meredith, and she likes her men submissive. I'm not dominant, but I don't enjoy her idea of sex."
I leaned in and gave him a very gentle kiss. "We do some rough stuff."
He suddenly hugged me to him. "No, Meredith, no, you don't. You never scare me." He held me, and I relaxed against him, let him hold me. Almost too tight. It almost hurt.
I stroked his sides and what I could reach of his back, until he began to relax. His arms were not quite so crushing. I'd thought only days ago about sending Nicca back home, because I did not want him to be king. He wasn't able to be king, and it had nothing to do with whether or not he could breed.
I held him, stroked him gently, until the sudden panic in him eased. When he was calm, he reached for me again, and I went to his arms, his mouth, his body. I hoped King Taranis wouldn't call while we were in the midst of things, but the lovemaking took the last wounded look from his eyes. I needed to see those brown eyes turned to me with nothing but smiles in them.
When Rhys stepped out of the bathroom with his towels, we were just finishing. He cursed under his breath. "Is it too late to join in?"
"Yes," I said, and gave Nicca a last parting kiss. "Besides, I get the shower next.