learning potions already?”
“Yeah, Lisette said this one wasn’t complicated, and she wanted to introduce potion making to me.” He screwed off the lid and knelt just off to Alric’s side, dipping his fingers generously into the jar. How did he ease Alric’s tension? How did he communicate that he liked the look of this man and the scars were absolutely not a deterrent?
First order of business, activate the salve. “Fekats gev adi.”
The salve sparked briefly, the magic mixing in like glitter. He scooped a generous amount onto his fingers. Fortunately, Cameron’s mouth had never had a problem supplying words. He touched three fingers to the top of the shoulder and then jumped. “Damn, you’re hot! I mean, you’re hot in that sense too, but I didn’t realize dragons ran this warm all the time. I find the inside of the castle a little cold, and you’re sitting here shirtless like it’s nothing and you’re still warm. This is unfair.”
Alric’s attention was on him now, and was that a blush heating the man’s cheeks? Making the King of the Fire Dragons blush was kind of fun and very adorable. Cameron would so be doing that more often. “It’s common for the fire dragons to be warm generally, yes. We carry a great deal of heat with us.”
“Makes sense.” Cameron smoothed oil over Alric’s shoulder, dipped his hand in for more oil, and kept going, keeping a weather eye on Alric’s expression as he did so. He didn’t want to cause pain, but wasn’t sure how much pressure to apply, either. He didn’t see any hint of discomfort on his face, so he figured he’d gotten it correct.
Lisette cleared her throat. “It seems that Cameron has this well in hand. I’ll leave it to you, Cameron.”
“Sure.” Yes! The chaperone had left the room. Now Cameron had a chance to get some game on. He waited until he heard her high heels on the wooden floor in the hallway outside before speaking again. “I imagine your right side is trying to compensate for the left, so I’ll oil up that side too, okay?”
Alric was back to shifting uncomfortably. “No, that’s fine. I’m taking away time you should be spending with the rest of the clan and your studies. If you’ll leave the jar with me, I can—”
Cameron needed a clue by four. So he could hit Alric over the head with it. Right, time to change tactics. He shouldn’t try to come on as nurturing. Make this sexy. “Alric. You ever have this fantasy you think will never come true?”
Alric paused, studying him as if Cameron was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. “I think we all have those.”
“Well, mine involves a sexy man—older men are my preference, by the way—and oil, and a little privacy.” He dipped his fingers in again, this time soothing the oil directly over Alric’s chest with both hands, looking the man dead in the eye as he rubbed the oil into his skin with a firm sweep of his palms. Alric’s breath audibly hitched in his throat, and he stared back as if mesmerized. Cameron murmured in a low voice, “Let me indulge, okay?”
Alric’s voice was husky as he breathed, “As you will.”
Alric’s body burned. Every seductive pass of Cameron’s amazing hands left Alric aching to pull Cameron closer. He wanted to claim his mouth in a deep, drugging kiss that would finally wipe away his knowing little smirk. The man massaging tense muscles was well aware of how he was driving Alric crazy. It was all Alric could do to hold back the moan rising in his throat.
He was fairly certain all the blood in his body had flooded south to his throbbing cock pressed against the front of his slacks, demanding to have a turn with Cameron’s magical hands and that wonderfully slick oil.
To have those long, nimble fingers wrap around him and—
No! No thinking about that.
Clenching his teeth, Alric fisted his right hand at his side, inwardly praying Cameron didn’t notice the fine trembling of his muscles as he struggled to get control of himself.
Of course, that wasn’t possible.
Cameron chuckled softly, his warm breath brushing against Alric’s bare neck. Goosebumps broke out across his flesh, and Alric sucked in a breath through his teeth.
“Relax,” Cameron murmured. “The point of the massage is to help you relax. Make you feel good.”
“Would you be able to relax if someone was doing this to you?” Alric asked, his voice little more than a harsh growl.
Cameron hummed