Page 127 of Heart of the High King
“Hmm…I love you, too,” Aleksander said, kissing his nose, his chin, and finally his mouth.
“I laughed because that orgasm nearly killed me. We fuck and I might stroke out.”
Aleksander’s mirth was music to Rafe’s ears. “Nearly the same thought crossed my mind. What do you think? Worth the risk?”
“Fuck, yes.”
“Not bad for a couple of virgins, huh?”
Rafe smiled, and warmth flowed through him at the affection in Aleksander’s voice. “Brogan might disagree, but fuck him.”
Aleksander pulled back the covers and stole a kiss before rolling away. “I haven’t wanted to fuck Brogan since I was twenty.”
Those words snapped Rafe out of his lassitude, and he sat up when Aleksander headed for the bathroom. “Wait,what?”
“I had a crush on him for a couple of years,” Aleksander explained. The water came on; then his mate reappeared with a washcloth in his hands. “No big deal. Apparently, he had a thing for me too, but since he thought I was straight, and I was too scared of my dad’s reaction to finding out I was gay, neither of us acted on it. I didn’t even know he returned my feelings until after I met you. He was pretty pissed that I didn’t come out to him, but he’s fine with the fact that I kept it a secret now.”
There was color in Rafe’s cheeks, but it wasn’t a reaction to Aleksander’s confession. It was strange to have just had sex with Aleksander and reach a blistering orgasm only to be shy about the gentle way his mate cleaned the come from his skin, but Rafe was a strange mix of contradictions. The truth was, he was a freak. “Oh.”
Aleksander threw the washcloth, and it hit the bathroom floor with a wet splat. “Are you mad?”
“What? No,” Rafe responded, allowing Aleksander to tug the blankets over them. Eagerly Rafe scooted, rolled to his side, and went into his arms. Again, he was moved by the simple touch of their lips. “I just didn’t know.”
“It was probably a stupid time to mention it.”
Rafe managed a one-shoulder shrug while rubbing Aleksander’s back. “It doesn’t bother me, and everything we learn about each other only brings us closer as friends. So, Brogan was pissed off when he found out about me?”
“He wasn’t mad that I met you—he was angry at me for keeping my sexuality a secret. Up until you, he was my closest friend, and he believed I was wrong not to share that part of myself with him. I’m sorry I hurt him, but I don’t know what good it really would’ve done to tell him any sooner. Even if I’d known he had a crush on me, I wouldn’t have been willing to sacrifice our relationship for a night in bed together. I was very lonely when I was growing up. Before I was seven, I occasionally got to play with Dravyn and Noir, but then my father had their parents killed. He turned the pair into servants, and I was forbidden to go near them. I had no one until I was out riding my horse and ran into Brogan about ready to be pounded on by some other drakelings. Once we straightened that situation out, we found out that we clicked, and much to my father’s dismay, we were together constantly after that.”
“Your father’s a real dick. I guess we can add that to the ‘things we have in common’ spreadsheet.”
“Did you make a real spreadsheet like that?” Aleksander asked with a grin.
Rafe gave him a smacking kiss. “No, but I could make one if you want.”
“A little weird, even for us, maybe.”
“What about your mom? Didn’t she stick up for you? I had Molly to do that for me when I was young.”
“I never met my mom. I was told her name is Ismay. She’s Worth’s mother, too. Essentially my dad paid her to have us both. Worth and I decided we have no interest in locating her. She was willing to leave us with that asshole and has never sought us out. What about your mom?”
“I don’t know who she is. Sully’s mom was my father’s mate. She died or disappeared, and I was born sometime after. Same with the twins…I have no clue who birthed them and, to be honest, I’d be surprised if they are actually King Kestle’s biological children.”
“Here we go delving into shit from the past. Did I ruin our first time?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? A tornado could rip through this room right now, and I’d still think it was unbelievably good.”
“On that, we can agree,” Aleksander told him. Rafe lifted his chin as Aleksander took his mouth again and prepared to lose himself to the wonder they created whenever they touched. It was a good thing he’d already agreed to only one more day in their room together. If he was asked right now, Rafe would probably demand the eternity they were supposedly promised be spent in their bed. It wasn’t about the sex but the closeness that grew with each conversation and beautiful kiss.
