Lan forced himself back to reality and told his errant cock to do the same.
Damn it. That man was fine.
“Ready for this, Sir Lan?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Without further warning, Arin attacked.
Their bodies met with a thud. They both landed on the hard, wooden floor, Lan wincing a little at the impact. He pushed at Arin, trying to get free.
No such luck. Garen had told the truth when he said his king was good at this. Lan was rolled over the floor until his head was spinning, and it was practically impossible to get rid of the insistent weight on his back.
Warm breath tickled his ear. Lan froze. The touch was surprisingly gentle and intimate. Desire pooled between his legs, and he grunted. For all the world, they could have been locked in an intimate embrace.
Lan let his forehead rest against the cool surface of the floor. The grip on his arms tightened.
“Ready to give up?”
Lan’s overactive imagination was all too ready to give the words a different spin. A shudder racked his long body.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Deliberately or not, Arin dragged his hips over Lan’s back. Lan stiffened. His body was altogether too happy to stay in this position. Lan, however, was not.
He wasn’t touted the best knight of his time for nothing. He twisted, managing to free himself. He didn’t trust himself to try and attack Arin right away. His muscles, already straining with effort, were trembling. And something else held him taut as a bow.
Arin took the blow graciously, managing to straighten himself almost immediately.
“You are good,” he acknowledged.
“I am,” Lan agreed, eying him warily. Arin looked like he barely broke a sweat. There was a devilish gleam in his eyes. He truly enjoyed this, Lan realized.
Lan lunged, changing direction in the last moment, grabbing Arin’s shoulder and trying to push him off balance.
A kick to his knees had him wavering again. He stumbled, and Arin yanked. This time, he landed with his back to the floor and Arin on top of him.
“I’m impressed,” Arin said. A lock of red hair fell over his eyes. Their sweat-slicked bodies rubbed against each other. Lan squirmed, only to realize something hard and hot was digging into his belly. Was that…He froze, barely daring to breathe.
The look in Arin’s eyes became speculative. The tips of his fingers brushed Lan’s arms as he pinned them to the floor.
“Do you yield?” Arin asked, his lips full and inviting.
Lan hesitated.
The grip became painful.
“I yield.”
For a moment, he wasn’t sure Arin was going to let him go. His heart thudded in his chest, the scent of a healthy and strong male filling his nostrils. Arin was so close...
“Your Majesty?” The words came from the door, breaking the spell. Arin twisted to look back but didn’t let Lan up. The movement made his erection rub over Lan’s belly. Lan’s lungs constricted.
“What is it?” Arin asked, frowning.
“Your Majesty, you are needed,” was the faceless courtier’s answer.
Suddenly, Arin’s weight was removed, and Lan was able to breathe again. A quick stab of disappointment speared his chest. Dazed, he rose on his elbows.
Arin gave him a tight smile. His eyes roamed over Lan’s body.
“It seems we will have to finish this some other time.” His teeth flashed. “I...truly enjoyed this, Sir Lan.”
With that, he was gone.
* * * *
There was a knock at the door. Lan’s head came up in surprise. He had retired for the evening, and he was quite comfortably resting in front of the fire merrily cracking in the fireplace, his robe loosely draped around his shoulders. He was quite grateful for the chance to be alone and away from the king and the confusing feelings he ignited.
Lan sighed and stretched his arms, letting the book he was reading fall into his lap. As promised, he had met Garen for dinner. His friends were a boisterous, merry lot. They were naturally curious about Lan’s bout with the king, telling many praises about his skill. Lan did not doubt it, but every time he heard Arin’s name, he couldn’t stop himself from remembering the heat that emanated from his body as it pressed into Lan’s, arousing his senses. Lan deflected their questions easily, a skill honed in the halls of his brother’s castle. He managed to make his escape early, with Garen recognizing his restlessness.
He needed to think, and for that, he needed to be alone.
One disastrous choice in bed partner had cost Lan his home and his family. He was extremely circumspect in his dealings since then. Certainly, he had had more than one encounter during the years. But those were rushed, hurried affairs. He never once attempted to know any of the men he bedded, preferring them not to know who he was. It was easier than one would think. He preferred an elaborate style of dress, and his manners, combined with his slender, blond good looks, had fooled more than one knight into thinking he wasn’t much more than a fop. He always took special pleasure in defeating those kinds of idiots. Even his armor was intricately decorated and coated with gold.
Lan closed his eyes, letting his head drop against the chair’s back.
His muscles still ached from the fight with Arin. The king was very good, no question about that. But the fight proved to be more problematic for his mind.
Was Arin flirting with him?
He had been aroused. There was no doubt about that. Lan’s skin heated as he remembered. But it could have only been the excitement from the fight. He wouldn’t be the first man to have something like that happen. Hell, Lan had more than once become half-hard during an especially challenging battle. It was nothing new.
But Arin couldn’t have missed Lan’s blatant ogling when Lan first joined him, and he went forth with the battle. A lesser man could have thrown him out of the castle right away for something like that.
No doubt about it, he was imagining things, and he could have cursed his foolishness in letting his dick dictate his behavior.
It didn’t stop him from jerking off while bathing after the fight, and try as he might, he couldn’t get rid of the vision of golden eyes staring at him and long, beringed fingers on his body.
Unconsciously, Lan touched his shoulder, where the scraping of Arin’s beard left the skin sensitive.
No. He shook his head to clear it. What was plaguing him was easily cured by a visit to one of the town’s brothels. Lan resolved to take care of it as soon as the next day. Maybe he would be able to find someone that looked a little like Arin. Oh, yes, definitely one that big, one that could easily hold him down with only his brute strength. He could learn to quite enjoy that.
He was jarred out of his musings by the knock at the door.
“Come in,” he called, belting his robe.
The page in the doorway respectfully bowed. “The king requests your presence, Lord Lan.”
Lan blinked. That was surprise. “I see. I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”
The page didn’t budge. “The king meant now.”
“Now? As in right now?” Lan glanced at lit torches in the hall behind them. It was late. He would have guessed that, even here, most people were asleep or preparing to retire.
The boy nodded. Lan found himself guessing what could be Arin’s reason for such a summons. Was something wrong?
His gaze fell on the chest filled with his clothes.
“I need to get dressed then.”
“The king said now.”
Speechless, Lan stared at the page, but it seemed like he was being offered no choice. He tightened his robe and crossed toward the door. “Lead the way then,” he said, hoping he sounded normal.
The page seemed to know where he was going, and the corridors, long as they were, were well-lit with numerous torches and candles. They weren’t empty, but no one said anything to Lan about the way he was dressed. He shrugged. He wouldn’t have tolerated it anyway, but this unnerved him. He wondered what those summons were about.
The page finally stopped in front of huge oak doors with Arin’s coat of arms emblazoned upon them. The dragon glared at them. The page reached for a brass rung that hung from one of the dragon’s claws and pulled. The door opened.
“The king is waiting for you, sir,” the page said.
Lan blinked but obediently went inside. The door swished closed behind him. He was now in Arin’s quarters.
“There you are,” said Arin’s voice. “What took you so long? I was tempted to go looking for you myself. ”
He didn’t sound angry, though, just amused. Lan squinted in darkness to find Arin kneeling in front of the fireplace, putting more logs in the hearth.
For a moment, Lan just stared. “My lord? Should I call someone?”
Arin snorted. “Of course not.” Arin stood up and brushed his palms on his knees. “What kind of king would I be if I didn’t know how to light a fire?”
As on cue, the bright flame flared up in the fireplace, lightening the whole room. Arin grunted in satisfaction. He swung around, and his eyes lit up when he saw Lan. His gaze heated.
“I’m sorry. Did I drag you out of bed?”
Lan colored.
“No, sire. I just—” He made a helpless gesture. “The boy said it was urgent.” His words trailed off. He was tired and confused, and now he felt foolish, too. It was not a feeling he relished.
“Mmm.” Arin boldly stepped closer until he was invading Lan’s personal space, their faces inches apart. Reminded of the way Arin’s body blended against his, Lan swallowed and turned his head. He gulped when he noticed the huge four-poster bed with dark green draperies, which occupied half of the room. The covers were turned down, so it looked inviting. There was a wooden chest with clothes sticking out of it and a sword in its sheath leaning on it. It was a man’s room, for a man and not a king. It was intimate, simple, and warm. Lan realized those must be Arin’s private chambers. Panic flooded him.
“My lord, I...”
A smile stretched Arin’s lips. His fingers traced Lan’s lips. Lan’s mouth went dry at the touch. He found the man in front of him extremely arousing.
“You keep calling me that,” Arin said, his fingers still lightly caressing Lan’s lips. “I can’t say I don’t like it,” he continued, a wicked gleam in his eyes, “but I think…” He paused, his hand sliding to touch Lan’s throat. “That I would prefer if you called me by name in these situations. After all,” he whispered, his hand dipping lower to delve under the robe and pinch one nipple, “I can’t be getting a hard- on every time you call me ‘my lord.’ That could be...embarrassing.”
Arin’s thumb was now gently rubbing Lan’s abused nipple. A surge of desire followed each small circle.
“My lord, I don’t—”
“Haven’t we just talked about it? It’s Arin.”
The hand on his chest pushed him backward. Lan kept walking until his legs hit something. He yelped in surprise before landing on something soft. He twisted to see he was now lying upon the bed.
“There,” Arin practically purred, climbing on top of him. “Now I have you where I want you.”
Lan opened his mouth to protest, only to be silenced with a kiss.
Arin’s warm, full lips found his, Arin’s tongue licking gently at the seams of his mouth. Lan moaned, Arin’s hand rubbing suggestively his shoulders and arms. He felt his body go slack, the kiss making him dizzy, sensations spiraling inside him.
“That’s better,” Arin whispered, moving his head to mouth Lan’s ear. His beard rubbed against Lan’s skin, adding a thrill to the kissing.
Arin suddenly retreated, Lan moaning involuntary in protest. Smiling, Arin shook his head. “Shh. It’s all right.” Both men were breathing hard. Lan blinked, feeling like he just had woken from a dream. Arin’s pupils were dilated, and his lips were swollen and red. It was an unbelievably sexy look.
He straightened, straddling Lan, his strong thighs rubbing Lan’s hips and causing his breath to hitch. He grabbed the edges of his tunic and pulled it over his head, baring a strong, masculine chest. By that time, Lan’s brain had made an appearance.
“Wait,” he said, attempting to sit up. Arin’s eyes flashed. Moments later, he pushed Lan back on the bed, stretching on top of him.
“You aren’t going to decide it’s too much and escape me now, are you?” he asked, settling himself between Lan’s legs. Small movements were massaging Lan’s dick, making it harden and start to leak.
Lan shut his eyes. “I...my lord, I don’t know what you want from me.”
Arin laughed, his breath tickling Lan’s neck. His tongue followed the path along Lan’s collarbone.
“Come on, Lan. Why do you think I called you into my personal chambers at this time?” His tongue left a trail of fire.
At the same time, he worked Lan’s robe open. Lan’s pale nipples peaked under the bite of cold air.
Arin’s gaze sharpened. He swept one nipple with his thumb, making Lan shudder.
“So responsive,” Arin murmured then bent his head to fasten his mouth at Lan’s exposed collarbone, biting into the soft flesh. Lan’s dick jumped. Arin continued to suck gently then pulled his mouth off, licking the quickly appearing bruise.