Red Heir - Lisa Henry Page 0,26

everyone knows that.” Loth ignored Grub’s hard stare in favour of tilting his head in the direction of the bedroom where the thud of the headboard had stopped. “Do you think they’re done?”

His question was answered by Calarian shouting “Ride me!”, followed by what sounded like the crack of a whip, and then the steady thunk-thunk-thunk of charcoal on charcoal picking up pace.

Grub blushed bright red at the noises, and Loth regarded him more closely. “Tell me, Grub, are you blushing because you’re embarrassed, or jealous?”

Grub’s lips thinned, and he harrumphed and turned his back on Loth, taking most of the blanket with him.

Loth nudged at the prickly little beast. “Oh, come on, don’t be such a prude. Honestly, listening to those two? I’m jealous. It must be weeks since I’ve had a good dicking.”

Grub mumbled something into the blankets.

“What was that?” Loth curled up close to preserve the heat, leaning in to hear. “Did you say something?”

Loth could feel his bedmate practically vibrating with the need to say something, and he didn’t have to wait long before Grub jerked out of his grip, turned to face him, and hissed, “At least you’ve had one!”

That brought Loth up short.

Of course. Grub was anywhere between twelve and twenty. It was honestly hard to tell. But if he’d been locked up at say, fifteen or sixteen, and was the son of a nobleman, odds were good that he’d never had the opportunity to do anything fun. His sexual experience so far probably consisted of his hand, a straw mattress, and an audience of rats.

Loth wasn't sure if it was guilt, pity, or something else that prompted him to make the offer. “Well, if you want me to show you the ropes, I can. I won’t even charge you.”

Grub went still at that. “No, thank you,” he said stiffly.

Loth wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t often words failed him, but then again, it wasn’t often he got turned down, either. As he pondered it, there was a loud cry from the bedroom, “Harder, Benji!”

The room went silent, and then Scott declared, “Do they really have to be so... theatrical about the whole thing?”

Benji’s voice came through the wall. “Shut up, Scott! You’re ruining it!” before the squeaking of bedsprings started up again, and yes, that was definitely the crack of a whip.

Grub snickered, the tense set of his shoulders easing, and Loth pulled him back against his chest, smiling to himself.

Loth woke to warm puffs of air against the back of his neck. He opened one eye and noted the dim, pre-dawn light filtering in, ghosting everything in shades of grey. Early, then. He closed his eyes again and snuggled back automatically against the warmth of another body, and there was a tiny sigh in his ear. Grub, he thought blearily. They must have rolled in the night.

He tried to get comfortable, but something was prodding at him through the fabric of his trousers, something hard and thick and... Loth was still mostly asleep, which was why it took a second to register that yes, that was definitely a cock pressed up against his arse. His eyes snapped open, and he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. Grub might claim he wasn’t interested, but his body was telling a different story. Loth rolled his hips so he was pushing back against Grub in a sinuous motion and grinned to himself when Grub picked up the rhythm in his sleep.

If they’d been anywhere but on a floor in a room full of people, Loth might have woken Grub, whispered sweet nothings in his ear, then rolled them over and put his skills to use. Really though, he wasn’t the type to take advantage of someone who was asleep—he much preferred his partners awake and begging.

Besides, he’d been on horseback for two days, nearly been poisoned by swamp gas, and was covered in charcoal dust. In all honesty, he wasn’t confident he could perform at his best, not knowing two elves with ears like bats would be listening in, and likely judging him.

So he settled for reaching behind him and shaking Grub’s bony shoulder while whispering, “I’m flattered, Grub, but maybe later.”

Grub’s hips rocked once, twice, and then his whole body stiffened as he woke. “Fuck!” he hissed.

“We definitely could,” Loth murmured, “I’d be more than happy to, just say the word. But maybe now’s not really the time or place.”

Grub scrambled backwards, and when Loth rolled over, there was just enough light to