Page 61 of Night's Fall
Oh.
I deflated.
“However, afterIoffered you a visit,Iaccessed the databases, saw how much was in the same vault, soIcame down to see what might be available to you and decided, instead of having the skin brought up to one of the conservation rooms for you to inspect, to bring you to it so you could have access to all the rest.”
SoIcould have access to all the rest.
So he could give me this enormous, precious, unprecedented gift.
Oh yes.
He took time out of his life to come here.
Sohe knew.
“Is there a moratorium on kissing until we can explore it to its fullest, or canIthrow myself at you right now?”
He emitted a sharp bark of surprised laughter before he replied, “It’searly days, darling, butIsuspect there will never be a time you can’t throw yourself at me.”
With the path clear,Itook it.
I’d dropped the troll skin in favor of diving my hands into his thick, silken hair.Iwas pressed to him, and althoughIgot a taste of the hot, musky depths of the inside of his mouth, in short order,Alekseiassumed control, and he took a thorough exploration of mine before he again broke our kiss way too soon.
“I have a ship to catch in five hours,bissi,” he murmured. “Andyou have a room to play in.Yourgratitude is enthusiastically accepted, andIpromise to bring you back however many times you like.Butregrettably, this time, we don’t have much of it.”
I sighed but didn’t unpeel my body from his or untangle my fingers from his hair whenIshared, “Noone has ever given me anything this huge.”
Even if what he had to give was unheard of, his eyes darkened, those pinprick stars reappearing, both reactions showing he understood part of that statement had to do with the lackIreceived from my parents.
“Not true,”Iamended swiftly. “Mr.Truelockowns the building my flat and studio are in, he went all out on bathroom and kitchen upgrades beforeImoved in, andIknow he charges me bargain basement rent.”Ipaused as if to consider. “Butthis is better.Andanyway, he’s my dad not really being my dad, soIguess that’s part of his job.Atleast he thinks so.”
“I always admiredMammon, nowIvery much like him.”
“He’s pretty mega.”
Aleksei smiled, and oh my, butIloved watching him do that.
“NowImust ask a questionInever thought would pass my lips,” he said. “Gown, skin or loincloths?”
I burst out laughing.
And then, just to tease,Ianswered, “Totallyloincloths.”
His amazing chuckle sounded, we replaced the troll skin to the drawer, but left them open so we could come back.
He then wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and he took me to the loincloths.
Chapter11
The Zone
My eyes were bleary.Mysketchpads were scattered.Pagestorn from them were tangled in the mess.
Nova was asleep in a front window.Cometwas also asleep, flat on his back on the floor, his pudge spreading, his paws dangling in the air.AndJupiterwas batting around one of the many scrunched up rejects of paperI’dtossed aside.
This was in my studio, which was populated with a host of dressmaker dummies, deep shelves stuffed full of bolts of fabrics, a wall of painstakingly organized bins, cannisters, drawers, pots and binders filled with tokens, trimmings, pencils and past sketches.
There were large tables for pinning and cutting.
