JК
A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 248 из 338Did the strength of the reaction say something about how strong the man's virility was, sort of a supernatural sperm count? Nothing personal to Rhys, but if I had to sleep with anyone tonight, it was probably going to be Galen. The ring could pulse away to its carved little heart. I would decide who shared my bed. Until Auntie dearest sent her spy to me, of course. I pushed that thought away—I couldn't deal with it right now. There were sidhe in her Guard that I'd sooner kill than kiss, let alone anything more.
Rhys wrapped his fingers through mine, pressing the palm of his hand against the ring. The second pulse was stronger, bringing an involuntary gasp from my throat. It felt like things deep inside my body were being caressed. Things that no hand should ever touch—but power… power wasn't constrained by the bounds of flesh.
"Oh, I like it," Rhys said.
I pulled my hand out of his. "Don't do that again."
"It felt good and you know it."
I looked into his eager face, and said, "She doesn't just want me to find another fiancé. She wants me to have sex with several or all of the Guard that this ring recognizes. It's a race to see who gives her an heir of the blood royal first. Cel, or me."
He stared at me, studying my face, as if trying to read my expression. "I know you wouldn't make a joke of this, but it seems too good to be true."
It made me feel better that Rhys didn't trust it either. "Exactly. Right now she's told me the celibacy is off for little ol' me, but I have no witnesses. I think she's sincere, but until she announces it in full court, I'll just pretend that sex is still taboo."
He nodded. "What's a few hours more of waiting after a thousand years?"
I raised eyebrows at him. "I can't do everybody tonight, Rhys, so it's going to be more than a few hours wait."
"As long as I'm first in line, what does it matter?" He tried to make it a joke, but I didn't laugh.
"I'm afraid that this is exactly how everyone else is going to feel. There's only one of me, and what, twenty-seven of you?"
"Do you have to sleep with all of us?"
"She didn't say so, but she is going to insist on me sleeping with her spy, whoever he turns out to be."
"You hate some of the Guard, Merry, and they hate you back. She cannot expect you to take them to your bed. Lord and Lady, if one that you hated got you pregnant… " He didn't finish the thought.
"I'd be trapped into marriage with a man I despised, and he would be king."
Rhys blinked at me, the white eye-patch catching the light as he moved his head. "I hadn't thought about that.
Rhys wrapped his fingers through mine, pressing the palm of his hand against the ring. The second pulse was stronger, bringing an involuntary gasp from my throat. It felt like things deep inside my body were being caressed. Things that no hand should ever touch—but power… power wasn't constrained by the bounds of flesh.
"Oh, I like it," Rhys said.
I pulled my hand out of his. "Don't do that again."
"It felt good and you know it."
I looked into his eager face, and said, "She doesn't just want me to find another fiancé. She wants me to have sex with several or all of the Guard that this ring recognizes. It's a race to see who gives her an heir of the blood royal first. Cel, or me."
He stared at me, studying my face, as if trying to read my expression. "I know you wouldn't make a joke of this, but it seems too good to be true."
It made me feel better that Rhys didn't trust it either. "Exactly. Right now she's told me the celibacy is off for little ol' me, but I have no witnesses. I think she's sincere, but until she announces it in full court, I'll just pretend that sex is still taboo."
He nodded. "What's a few hours more of waiting after a thousand years?"
I raised eyebrows at him. "I can't do everybody tonight, Rhys, so it's going to be more than a few hours wait."
"As long as I'm first in line, what does it matter?" He tried to make it a joke, but I didn't laugh.
"I'm afraid that this is exactly how everyone else is going to feel. There's only one of me, and what, twenty-seven of you?"
"Do you have to sleep with all of us?"
"She didn't say so, but she is going to insist on me sleeping with her spy, whoever he turns out to be."
"You hate some of the Guard, Merry, and they hate you back. She cannot expect you to take them to your bed. Lord and Lady, if one that you hated got you pregnant… " He didn't finish the thought.
"I'd be trapped into marriage with a man I despised, and he would be king."
Rhys blinked at me, the white eye-patch catching the light as he moved his head. "I hadn't thought about that.