Page 24 of Garlands and Gauntlets

“Sex?” I blurt out. “Yeah, of course I have.”

He laughs. “Did you know you’re a horrible liar?”

I grin. “That’s what I have you for.”

“Rude.”

My face falls. “I didn’t mean to–”

“I’m kidding,” he says. “In that case…come with me.”

He takes my hand, clearly forgetting about the

I didn’t see it earlier, but his bed is actually near the hearth, tucked away behind a cluttered bookshelf. It’s warm back here, cozy–his bed almost certainly too small for us to sleep withoutgetting cramped. That reminds me that we’re not here to sleep, we’re here to…

Vaelin’s hands go to his tunic, untucking it and pulling it off over his head to toss on the floor. I lose my breath at the sight of him–slender, muscular, with a tattoo in elven across his collarbone. I’ll have to ask what it means one day; not tonight, because I don’t think I can force my lips to form words right now.

I’m standing there like a stupid lug when Vaelin comes back and takes my hand again, then leads me to the bed. It’s a simple wooden frame and I worry I’ll break it, but it just groans as he sits me down. Sitting like this, I’m eye to eye with him, and Vaelin tugs at the hem of my tunic.

“Can I take this off?” he asks.

I nod, wordless, and Vaelin does as he promised–pulling my tunic off over my head. He lets out this shuddering breath when he sees me, his eyes going wide as they roam over my torso.

“Is it…is it bad?” I ask.

“Gods, no,” Vaelin says. “I’ve just–I don’t think I’ve ever seen quite this much muscle in one place.”

He leans forward and kisses me again, then pulls his lips away to go lower.

His tongue flicks over my pulse.

I melt.

He’s taking his time with me, but I don’t know if I want him to; I’m eager, willing,beggingfor…for what, I’m not sure. I don’t know if he’ll want to fuck me or want me to fuck him. The bottom line is that I’ll give him anything.

Vaelin kisses a line down my throat, to my chest, over my shoulders. His hands roam over my muscles, the soft hair there, my abs. I jerk a little at his touch–I’m ticklish–and he laughs low in his throat.

“Ticklish?” he asks.

His tongue darts over my left nipple, and all I can do is take a raspy breath. “Yes.”

He moves to the other nipple, rolling the first between his fingers. I’ve never experienced anything like this and it makes my hips buck, my cheeks flush. Vaelin notices and increases the rhythm, the tension mounting.

I’m so hard I can barely stand it.

“Vaelin…” I moan, reaching for him. I wind my fingers into his hair, trying to pull him closer as he kisses lower, lower…

His hands are on my belt now, working at the clasp. The anticipation mounts, almost overwhelms. “Can I take these off, too?” he asks.

“Please–”

He somehow gets my belt off in a blink, then he’s untying the lace of my breeches. I feel like I’m about to rip through my pants–I try to make a mental note that I need to buy a second pair if I’m going to be spending much time with Vaelin. I move my hips off the bed just enough for him to pull my pants down and pull my cock free–

His fingers wrap around it.

Oh…oh gods…

“I’d always been told orcs are well-endowed, butthis…” he trails off. “Can I suck it?”

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