Page 96 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

He was ready to put all of this behind him. From the look on Brannal’s face at that stark white bandage, he wasn’t going to be doing so any time soon. Perian would rather change it himself—except that trying to dress your own wound on your right arm when you were right-handed was actually not easy to do at all.

“Let me,” Brannal said.

“Are you going to brood and feel guilty about it forever?” Perian questioned.

Brannal shook his head. “Notforever.”

Perian rolled his eyes, and Brannal managed a small smile.

“I can’t help but feel bad about it, but I realize my guilt doesn’t help you, and that’s my priority. I really don’t want to see you struggle with the bandage. May I help?”

Well, Perian couldn’t really say no to that, could he?

So Brannal unwound the bandage, clearly tried very hard to keep his expression neutral, and helped Perian carefully wipe it clean with a soft wet cloth and pat it gently dry.

Perian insisted on looking at it, and Brannal helped arrange him in front of the mirror so he didn’t have to contort his body and make it hurt more.

“Actually, it doesn’t look quite as bad as I thought,” Perian said, staring at it. “This is obviously superior salve. And I guess everything about yesterday was a bit of a shock.”

Perian could have sworn there were more blisters, but it wasn’t like he’d actually made an in-depth examination yesterday. He’d been shocked, in pain, angry, and upset.

“If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s not working,” Brannal told him.

Perian met his eyes in the mirror, startled, and then turned to face him properly.

“No, I really think it looks better, and it definitely doesn’t hurt as much as it did yesterday. I’m sure once you put some more of that salve on it, it’ll be even better. I’m definitely going to thank the doctor when I next see her. That stuff is great.”

Brannal huffed a breath, but he came over and applied the salve with extremely gentle fingers. The skin wasverysensitive, especially in the absence of pain thanks to the salve.

Perian blew out a breath. “In case you were wondering, you arewaybetter at putting that stuff on than Arvus was.”

Brannal paused in his ministrations, perhaps confused by the slightly breathless voice, and then he looked down Perian’s body and smirked. His fingers started to move again, and this time they were a definite tease, ghosting over his sensitive skin.

“Is that right?” Brannal asked.

Perian sucked in a breath. “That’s so right. I’m pretty sure we just did this in the bedroom, but you’retouchingme, and…”

He wanted so much. Again. Already.

Brannal was grinning now. “Let me finish with the salve and wrap it, or we’re going to have to start all over again. But I promised to take care of all your needs, didn’t I?”

Perian swallowed heavily, because that was sort of what he’d said, but Perian hadn’t really thought of it quite like that. He knew what Brannalmeant, and he was totally on board with the sex—like, so on board with it—but maybe he really liked the idea of Brannal taking care ofallhis needs, not just the sexy ones.

His expression must have given some of what he was feeling away because Brannal paused again, his expression shifting from a teasing leer into something much softer, and he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Perian’s lips. Perian returned the kiss eagerly, gratefully, not even trying to make it deeper or harder, just excited about the intimacy of this contact, the sweetness of it, something they hadn’t done in days.

“Your arm,” Brannal murmured against Perian’s lips.

“Uh huh,” Perian agreed between kisses, pulling Brannal closer with his left hand, letting his right arm fall to his side, pressing the two of them together and wrapping his good arm around Brannal’s neck. “My arm.”

Brannal’s hands came up to Perian’s hips, and Perian could feel where the salve was now smearing onto the skin above his ass on one side, making everything slippery.

Brannal’s tongue delved into Perian’s mouth, the kiss deeper but still sort of languorous, not too forceful, not too hurried, just a thorough exploration.

And then a voice called from the living room, “Is anyone alive in there? Perian, do you need help to hide the body?”

The kiss fell apart, and even though Perian was now incredibly frustrated, he couldn’t help but laugh. Brannal leaned his forehead against Perian’s for a moment.

“I want new friends,” Brannal mumbled. “Can I give these ones back?”

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