against the sensitive spot at the root of my channel making me convulse until I finally sag limp against the side of the pool. Dropping gently to kiss my back, he gives a few more thrusts, his cock jerking with fresh sprays until he, too, is depleted.
He doesn’t withdraw as I expect him to. Instead, Eliph gathers me up in his arms and resumes bathing me until I’m clean. He carries me out of the pool and dries me off with an incredibly soft towel, taking care to soak as much water as he can from my hair in the process before laying me on the bed. Only then does he go back to the pool to clean himself before returning to my side.
I don’t even bother moving. I enjoy watching him too much as he cares for his own cleanliness, especially the fascinating way he carefully cleans around his tail. I know he enjoys me watching him too, because already his cock is semi-hard again. He doesn’t do anything about it when he finally comes to bed. Instead, he gathers my spent, tired body into his arms and curls himself protectively around me.
If I wasn’t sure that things had changed before, I am now, but my mind struggles to discern exactly what I feel, what I want, and what I need. The desire to stay with him is definitely stronger, but again I’m still floating in a pool of sex-driven endorphins so I can’t help but be mistrustful of it. At the same time, I can’t deny that some part of me must want it. This wars with the responsibility I feel toward my family. Don’t I owe it to them to return?
Eliph’s hand strokes my side gently. “Don’t worry yourself, ahandral. For now, just sleep. There will be enough to worry about tomorrow.”
I relax further into the heat of his body, my eyes blinking against my fatigue. He’s right. I’ll be able to think more clearly tomorrow.
Chapter 29
Steph
As lovely as our quarters are, I’m too anxious to enjoy them. Even the lazy morning rolling around in bed was only a temporary distraction. And as much as I enjoyed staying in bed with Eliph for half the day, I’ve started getting antsy. We’ve literally seen nobody since we arrived. Each of our meals are delivered by what looks kind of like those Regency-era dumbwaiters. The small lift is tucked behind a little wooden door in the wall above where our cozy table sits.
It’s all charming, but having zero contact with anyone—even the palace staff to make sure that we haven’t up and died in here—is sketchy as hell. Not to mention that we haven’t even had Grimsal burst in on us, which I was expecting as much as I was dreading the interruption. Now that I’m thinking about it, it’s unlike him to not pop in just to remind us of his presence and catch a laugh at our expense.
Where is he?
It’s possible that he’s out breaking the rules and exploring. That little teleportation skill seems like it would be really handy right now if someone wanted to get a look around without potentially getting into trouble. I’m jealous as hell if he is. But it still doesn’t explain why he hasn’t inconveniently popped in on us.
“What do you think Grimsal is doing?” I ask, voicing my worry.
Eliph glances up at me from where he sits cross-legged on the bed. He has a pile of cloth in his lap and is working on another piece as he weaves the magic in his hands. He pauses in his work to give me his full attention with a blink of surprise… and also, I suspect, to make sure he doesn’t fuck something up on my clothes. While his own clothes appear instantaneously on him, apparently it takes more concentration and effort for him to construct them separately for someone else. I already feel guilty for interrupting and wince apologetically.
“Probably making a nuisance of himself somewhere now that he has someone new to potentially torment,” he suggests with a tiny smile.
I shake my head. “Okay, yeah, I could see him doing that… But you’re his top favorite person to annoy. I figure he would have dropped by at least once.”
“Honestly,” my mate says as he picks up the piece of fabric he’s working on and inspects it critically, “I haven’t given it much thought outside of being relieved at having some peace. But you are right,” he says, his brow furrowing. “That