Page 95 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

Perian tried to explain: “I’m mindful of where we werebeforeI was injured, so while I would like you to help me with everything that’s hard for the foreseeable future”—probably way more of the future than was feasible, in fact—“I really couldn’t bear the idea that you’re doing this when it’s not really something you want because you feel guilty.”

Brannal sucked in a sharp breath.

Perian swallowed again and admitted in a low voice, “I swear I’m still interested, and I’m going to keep being interested whether we have sex or not. And my forgiveness of what happened today is not in any way connected to what is happening right now. So, if you’d rathernotdo this, it’s totally fine. What I willnotforgive is if you put yourself in a position you don’t want to be in, all right?”

For a moment, there was complete silence, and then Perian could hear and feel the shaky exhale as Brannal’s breath gusted past his cheek.

Perian was pretty sure that was the end of that, and while his body was a bit annoyed, he meant what he’d said.

Only then Brannal pressed a kiss to the skin behind Perian’s ear, and it was his turn to suck in a breath.

“Thank you,” Brannal whispered, voice quiet but perfectly audible because of how close they were together. “Thank you for caring about me and what I feel no matter what. This isn’t guilt. It’s maybe a little bit of relief, and mostly, it’s the realization I could have lost you today—if not through Cormal’s actions then through my own—and the realization of how much I want you, even if it’s sometimes complicated. I appreciate more than I can say that you have been giving me space to figure this out. I promise this isn’t doing what I think you want, this is me wanting to make you feel good, forusto do what we want together.”

Perian felt tears sting the back of his eyes and just breathed for a moment because that was exactly, precisely the answer he’d wanted, even though he hadn’t known it.

After a moment, he managed to say, “It isdefinitelywhat we want.”

“Are you sure?” Brannal asked. “Because now I sort of feel like I ruined the moment.”

Perian sniffed. “Not at all. I mean, really, is there ever a time when a hand job is inappropriate?”

Brannal snorted a laugh and obediently began to slide his finger back along the skin under Perian’s waistband.

Ignoring reality, he agreed, “Absolutely not. Hand jobs are appropriate at all times.”

He rolled his hips, making sure Perian could feel that he was back on board with everything they were doing. Perian squirmed, trying to get closer.

Brannal clucked his tongue. “Ah, ah, ah. You’re injured. You’re not going to move, and I’m going to take care of you.”

Since this was very clearly a form of pleasurable torture, Perian didn’t protest. Apart from all the times hedidprotest and try to convince Brannal he should do more, for the sake of all the elements.

But they both knew Perian didn’t actually want him to.

Brannal continued to tease him slowly and steadily, taking what was truly an absurd amount of time to get his hand down to the one area Perian desperately wanted him to touch. He hadn’t been aware he possessed so many sensitive areas, but Brannal found every one located between his hip and his groin with impeccable skill.

Perian was actually astonished he didn’t come the moment the man wrapped his hand around his erection, but with more of that incredible skill, Brannal made his touch too light at first, just teasing for several long minutes, listening to all of Perian’s begging before he finally grasped him more firmly and pumped him until he came.

Perian was so wrung out by the end of it that he almost didn’t remember Brannal, but he could still feel that erection pressed against him, and he wanted Brannal to feel as good as he did.

“What ’bout you?” he managed to say with more effort than he thought it should take.

“I’m fine.”

“Come for me,” Perian requested. “Want to feel it.”

Brannal pressed another kiss to the back of his neck—Perian hadn’t known just how much he liked that, either, until Brannal—and rocked against Perian’s body until he came with a sucked in breath. Brannal cleaned them up, and they fell asleep together, spent and replete.

Chapter Eighteen

Regainingconsciousnessmeantbecomingaware of how much his arm hurt. Having Brannal wrapped around him was awesome, but the arm, not so much.

Thankfully, the pain was not nearly as intense as it had been yesterday, but it still hurt. And his bladder was letting him know it was full.

His attempt to wriggle out of bed awoke his companion, and sleepy kisses and rocking hips made him decide that he wasn’t in that much of a hurry after all.

Eventually, they made their way to the water closet.

Then it was time to reapply the salve and re-dress Perian’s burn.

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