Page 84 of Guiding Desire
Col gasped. “Shit. I forgot.”
“Right. Anyway, after that, we’re headed to the Judiciary to get the sentence converted like Orrey wanted, and then I’m taking him to see his family. He hasn’t after everything that’s happened to him, and he needs to. By the way, they want to do a little get-together. I said we absolutely would.”
“Yeah, making a note of that, but we’re going to be doing anything like that only after whatever the fuck kind of mess Alesa is making here is cleared up. He wants to fuck me, does he? That little—“
“Whaaa wants to fuck you?” Taros asked in the background, sounding only about forty percent awake. “Do I need to cut them to ribbons?”
“Yes, but not now. Get changed. I have combat pants you can borrow. Senny? You’re coming here after that. Mmh. Vinnie’s place.”
“Not the team’s offices?”
“No, people would notice that. We’re supposed to enjoy some Covenant Week downtime.”
“Okay, Vin’s place then. By the way, do you know which S-classer Alesa is sleeping with?”
Col clicked his tongue. “I honestly don’t. I’ll find out though. It’s not like the list is that long.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Senny, how worried is Orrey right now? About everything else too.”
Senlas tapped the sliding door of his wall-integrated closet, turning it into a mirror. His pants were a medium gray, his shirt charcoal. It was good to impress his Conduit, would make him look as smart as his Conduit at the Judiciary, and show he was a Guardian who took care of himself in front of Orrey’s parents. If the need arose—which he hoped it wouldn’t—he could also fight in this.
“I played down the conversation we overheard. And I don’t think it registered with him. I don’t think he can conceive of Guardian going against Guardian or even the city as a whole.”
Col sighed. “You caught an idealist.”
Idealist was what the insurrectionists liked to call themselves. “He’s smart, Col. Smart enough to know a right for a right and a wrong for a wrong. He just needs a moment to take everything in. Don’t throw him in with that lot.”
“I meant it in the literal sense. He strives to uphold the ideals of our society. I like him for that, but I also want to smack him, just a little until he stops focusing on all the perfect bits and how the bits that aren’t should be. Don’t upset him too much. Worst case, he gets too scared and does something wrong he thinks is right.”
“You don’t have to tell me not to scare my Conduit, Col. Look, I need to get out there before Maro starts telling him stuff about me I don’t yet want him to know.”
Col snorted. “You worry about Maro and not me? I have so many more stories to tell, Senny. See you soon. Stay safe, both of you.”
He clicked off, leaving Senlas frowning at the screen.
Marohadpulledouttwo of the chairs integrated into the kitchen island. Behind her and Orrey, she’d yet to unpack food she’d brought from the weekly market she liked to go to. Going by the bulging bags, she’d also been meal prepping again to restock Senlas’s fridge and freezer.
Senlas hadn’t realized he was tense until, upon seeing Orrey, the tension left his body and he felt lighter. And seeing him in Senlas’s own clothes, his legs on display, that helped too, although if he kept staring, Senlas knew he’d regret the tight pants sooner rather than later.
“Your Conduit is a delight,” Maro said. “He has manners. He managed to thank me before eating that bun I specifically brought for him. And he offered to make me coffee.”
Senlas sighed and pulled out the chair next to Orrey. In doing so, he didn’t miss the way Orrey sat with his knees pressed together, his hands pulling the shirt down to cover as much of his lap as was possible.
I wonder what it would feel like to have him take me between his thighs,Senlas thought. He regretted the tight pants when he sat, but given that Maro was on Orrey’s other side and Orrey looking at her, no one saw.
“You sound like a dating agent, Maro. You don’t have to sell me on Orrey. I already want him.”
Senlas ran his knuckles along Orrey’s spine. Orrey looked back over his shoulder at Senlas, and the blush from under his slowly chapping skin spread all the way to his neck. Senlas cared more about the smile on his Conduit’s lips, tender and shy, just for that slice of flattery.
“I should take a quick bath. And get dressed.” He slid off the bar stool. “Thank you for thinking of me with the bun, Maro, but I’m quite full. I hope you don’t mind if Senlas finishes for me?”
Maro crossed her arms and chuckled, sounding like the antagonist from some drama who was trying to keep the lovers from finding a quiet moment together. “Fine. I can’t really say no to that, little Conduit. Piece of warning though. Little Sen-Sen there is like a vookas lizard, teachable and very food motivated. He’ll be expecting to be fed half your custard buns into perpetuity if you make this a habit.
“Maro, I am right here.”
She tapped one of the very full bags on the counter. “Just look at this. He is a fierce S-classer on all those missions, decided to move away from the Grounds, and still, he expects me to keep him fed.” She lifted a finger. “If you’re too soft on a vookas, it’ll train you as much as you think you’re training it.”
