Page 19 of The Gods of Chaos and Chance

Yesss.He was a fucking genius. ‘Really? Do we? You didn’t tell me that. We could have gone.’

‘I was using the Royal We. I meant I donow.’

‘I expect you own some of the smaller islands there too. Private ones?’

‘I have no idea. I seem to own an enormous amount of the world. It’s all rather overwhelming.’

‘I could help you out anytime you need me to. You only have to ask.’

‘It’s terribly common to flaunt wealth, Nikki.’

‘Oh, no, I was thinking the other way around. You could give me one of your islands. Give you less to worry about.’

‘Right, I’m going now, before you try to inveigle Cornwall from me. Goodbye. My love to Ben. Tell him to grow up and see life as you and I do, through the lens of—’

‘Borderline personality disorders?’

The harshness of the click amused him.

So, she wasn’t going to gift him a nice little island like Sark (but without the annoying residents). He was fairly convinced that, although she’d bluffed well, she actually had no idea what she did or didn’t now own. He quite liked the idea of owning Cornwell, however, and amused himself for while picturing how he’d run it. He ended up with a place that very much resembled what he currently had in his Devon valley, only on a bigger scale.

‘Are you getting up?’

That used to be a cue for the inevitable rejoinder. Not so much these days.

‘Why, am I needed for something?’

Ben slid onto the bed next to him, plucking his cigarette from his fingers and stubbing it out.

Yeah, it was coming. His last pleasure denied.

He rolled onto his belly and stretched a little.

Ben poked into his ribs. ‘I thought we could go for a ride. It’s a beautiful day.’ He suddenly swung up and straddled the small of Aleksey’s back, sitting gently and carefully onto his buttocks. ‘Or I could ride you here.’

Aleksey groaned a little, more at the weight than any sexual pleasure, but grinned into the pillow.

‘Come on! I’ve packed a picnic.’

‘Field rations, Ben. We’ve had this—’

‘Ten minutes. You don’t need to shower.’

‘Wh—?’

‘Shhh.’ Ben nuzzled into the back of his hair. ‘Because I’m going to fuck you on top of a tor and mess you up so bad no shower will ever get you washed clean of me.’

Aleksey turned with difficulty, Ben now on his (extremely empty) stomach.

‘Can I have my picnic first?’

Ben grinned. ‘No. I’m going to feed it to you bit by bit if you’re good.’

‘Define good…’

* * *

Chapter Nine

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