Page 24 of Royally Drawn

“I guess you didn’t. But thanks for telling me. I’m sorry if it was bad or?—”

“Stop, please. It was amazing, and I’d like you not to fucking ruin it now.”

I wanted him to assure me, but he didn’t. He ignored me as he filed through the cupboard.

“Ah, new sheets!”

Instead of ignoring me, Keir focused on fixing things.

Keir gestured. “Get up. I’ll take care of this. You do whatever.”

“What do you mean?”

I don’t know why I asked. As soon as I was off the bed, he was stripping the sheets and going to work.

“Can you get dressed enough to grab a first aid kit from the galley?” Keir asked.

“Sure,” I agreed. “Just… give me a sec.”

I pulled on clothes, secured a pad in my underwear to catch whatever annoying blood was left, and rushed down to the galley. Returning with a first aid kid, I watched Keir neatly folding the discardedsheets. Who did that? Why was he doing this? He wasn’t fussed, just fastidious.

“Find the thing of hydrogen peroxide,” Keir said. “Then put some on the bed and dab it with a washcloth. It will come right out.”

I did as he asked, dabbing the small stain from the mattress protector covering the bed. I was impressed.

“It will get blood out of anything white,” Keir said. “That includes a bed, I figured. But for me, it’s more parts of a dress uniform if you manage to cut yourself shaving but don’t discover it until after.”

I snickered.

“I hate shaving,” Keir sighed. “Oh well, I do it.”

“Thanks for helping. You don’t need to stay.”

“Are you not a cuddler?”

“I could be. But… I don’t know.”

“You really don’t know?” Keir shook his head. “God, you are so fucking lucky.”

“Why?”

“Because when I lost my virginity, I had no idea what I was doing. You held everything there—every bit of power—and never once let on that you had no idea what you were doing.”

I glared. “Keir, I knewexactlywhat I was doing. You got yours. Are there complaints?”

“No, ma’am,” he chuckled. “No complaints. Did I… I hope I haven’t fucked this all up?”

“No.” I tossed the washcloth aside and kissed him slowly. “You’re good. Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For being so fucking good at whatever it was we just did. And for caring for me in the aftermath rather than leaving me in a shame spiral.”

“You should know I don’t leave people behind, Ingrid. I’m also a legendary cuddler. I have my self-interest here,” Keir said.

The Morning After

KEIR

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