A Rake Of His Own (Stariel Book 5) by AJ Lancaster

Author:AJ Lancaster [Lancaster, AJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780473539269
Publisher: Camberion Press
Published: 2022-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

20

THE AWKWARD MORNING AFTER

Marius woke sore and thirsty. The wages of sin, he supposed, stretching and expecting to encounter—but there was nothing. He opened his eyes. The other side of the bed was empty. When he touched the rumpled sheets, they were cool. Then he remembered that Rakken hadn’t slept, afterwards. Or at least, he hadn’t slept here.

Which was… fine, obviously. This wasn’t a romance.

The warm dregs of sleep fell away, and he sat up, feeling self-conscious and wary. He was alone in Rakken’s vast bedroom, in a pool of light from the skylight. Clouds moved across the glass, far above. How late had he slept? Probably not that late, since the skylight’s lack of curtains allowed the light to stream down undiluted.

Did Rakken never wish to have a lie-in? Oh gods, he was one of nature’s early riser types, wasn’t he? Marius added this offence to the list of Rakken’s other vices. Unless Rakken possessed a second, darker bedroom that he used for actual sleeping. Also possible, he allowed, remembering Rakken’s night terror. The episode felt like a dream in daylight, that glimpse between Rakken’s impenetrable armour. Strangely intimate.

Unsettled by the direction of his thoughts, he got out of the bed and purloined a dressing gown again. Now just what was the etiquette in this situation? He spotted a stack of towels, clean clothes, and bandages left meaningfully out. They were topped with another vial of the pain-easing potion from yesterday. Marius eyed it, wondering if this represented consideration or a hint that Rakken wished to limit further interaction. Perhaps last night had been ‘sufficient’ for him, enough to snuff out his half of the desire that simmered between them.

Maybe it’s sufficient for me also, Marius thought hopefully. Maybe now he knew what all that burning tension led to, he’d—

Oh, who was he trying to fool? That had been the best sex of his life; he was hardly going to turn down the opportunity for more if it arose. Though he’d feign nonchalance if he had to. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than Rakken treating the entire thing as an average Tuesday.

He padded through to the bathroom. It was even more impressive in daylight, with a sunken pool filled with slow-moving heated water. The benefits of royalty, he thought, watching the current. An image of the sunset reflecting in the water lily pond came to him, and his heart gave an odd squeeze.

No, he told his heart sternly as he washed. None of that. Just because he can be personable when he chooses and hints at possessing a tragic backstory in the dark of night doesn’t magically make him anything but a bad idea. Remember how insufferable he can be? Remember how casually he cast off Emyranthus, a lover of several decades? Remember how miserable you made yourself pining after John? Hmmm?

Drying himself off made the wound on his arm ache, and he unstopped the vial of potion Rakken had left and swallowed it down before sorting through the clothes.

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