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succeeded in bumping his forehead against the door jamb. Rubbing the tender
spot, he looked past Tovin to the guards and mumbled,  The regent is busy at
the moment 
 He will see me. Tovin shoved the door open, easily moving the page aside. As
he entered the regent s sitting room, Tovin took in the empty chaise lounge,
the low fire smoldering in the hearth, the dim lighting. Through the doorway
into the other room, he saw the bed neatly made;
there was no sign of Amery. Rounding on the page, he barked,  I have urgent
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matters to discuss with him. Where the hell is he?
THE REGENT S KNIGHT
67
The page closed the door, then leaned back against it as if he were afraid
Tovin might attack him out of spite.  The bath, sir. He said no one was to
disturb him.
With a laugh, Tovin helped himself to the carafe of wine set out on a nearby
credenza. Pouring a goblet, he sniffed at the blood-red liquid, then sipped
the tepid wine. It seemed to suck all the moisture from his mouth, it was that
dry.
 Announce my presence, he told the page, when it became obvious the boy did
not plan to move.  Tell the regent to stop whatever solitary pleasures in
which he may be indulging at the moment. I will not wait long for him to
come.
His double entendre was lost on the boy, who opened his mouth to speak,
thought better of it, then hurried from the sitting room. The bath was a large
basin set in the floor off
Amery s bedroom Tovin drifted to the doorway to listen in as the page
approached the regent. He stared into the flickering flames in the hearth and
from the other room, Amery s waspish voice snapped,  Who was it? I hope you
sent them away.
Tovin didn t hear the page s reply, but Amery shouted,  Why didn t you say
so?
The knight grinned at the splash of water on stone and could imagine all too
well the glorious sight of his lover standing in the bath, water and soap
running down the flat plains of his body. He d snatch a robe, maybe wrap a
towel around his long hair, and rush out to see what Tovin wanted.
His skin would be clean and fragrant, warm beneath the absorbent robe, still
slightly damp&
THE REGENT S KNIGHT
68
But it wasn t Amery who stepped through the doorway into the sitting room; it
was his page. Tovin set his goblet on the mantle above the hearth, face
hardening into the mask he wore around the servants.  Well?
With a low bow, the page admitted,  I have been dismissed for the rest of the
evening. The regent asks that you ensure his chamber door is locked when I
leave, and says you can find your own way to the bath. Any business you have
with him tonight may be conducted there.
Tovin struggled against the foolish grin that wanted to split his face. With a
nod, he indicated the same door the page had tried to block earlier. The boy
took a step toward it, then turned back to the knight, indecision twisting his
young features. In a small voice, he admitted,  I fear leaving the two of you
alone. The way you fight& 
 I am the regent s knight, Tovin reminded him. He let slip a hint of a smile,
and that seemed to relax the boy.  I
assure you, despite our differences, he is safe with me.
 Yes, Sir Tovin. He nodded, then hurried from the room, closing the chamber
door behind him.
Tovin waited, sipping his wine, until he heard an irritated splash from the
bath. A few moments later, Amery called out,  Tovin?
Moving quietly, Tovin crossed the sitting room and latched the door. Then he
downed the rest of his wine; the alcohol warmed him like dragon s breath,
curling down his throat and into his belly where it banked, waiting to burst
into flame. As he headed for the doorway between the rooms, he began to
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THE REGENT S KNIGHT
69
strip first his surcoat, which fell to the floor by the chaise lounge, then
his scabbard clattered down beside it. Amery must have heard the noise, for he
called out again,  Tovin?
Isn t that damn page gone yet
?
Without answering, Tovin shucked off his boots, hopping from one foot to the
other to remove them. Entering the bedroom, he untied his breeches, pushed
them down, stepped out of them, then did the same with the bries he wore
against his skin. Naked now, he padded barefoot to the elaborate folding
screen that separated the bath from the rest of the room. He heard more water
splashing, and Amery muttering beneath his breath. The regent was nothing if
not impatient.
The thought made Tovin smile. Regardless, he loved that man.
At the last moment, he ducked down behind the screen.
Keeping out of view, he snuck along its length, away from the opening where
Amery would be expecting him to appear.
Instead, Tovin entered the bath from the other side, easing into the slim gap
between the screen and the wall.
The basin had been cut from the floor around it, large enough for a man to
recline in comfortably. The sides were sloped, allowing the regent to lean
back with his head propped on a small pillow outside the tub. Nothing looked
more relaxing. Tovin often thought of the regent s bath when he was out in the
field, scrubbing in streams or standing water in any attempt at cleanliness.
At the moment, soapy water lapped the edge of the tub, and puddles formed on
the tiles where Amery had splashed it
THE REGENT S KNIGHT
70
out. The pillow had fallen away, and Amery sat with his back to the knight as
he ran a washcloth down one arm. All Tovin could see of the regent was the
back of his head and shoulders the rest was hidden by the suds in the tub.
Amery s long hair had been piled into a loose knot onto the top of his head,
and the heat from the water curled the few strands of hair that had escaped
the bun to rest against his nape. Tovin approached on tiptoe, not quite sure
what he d do to get the regent s attention but looking forward to the moment
his lover turned to see him&
Suddenly Amery cried out,  Tovin! Anger laced his words. In a quieter voice,
he muttered,  Where the fuck are you? No one else keeps me waiting.
Tovin suppressed a laugh, but when the regent stood from the tub, the vision
that rose before the knight silenced him.
Lust and desire crashed through him like surf as he saw
Amery s freckled skin slicked with water, suds sluiced away over taut flesh.
When the regent moved toward the far edge of the bath to exit the tub, Tovin
seized the opportunity to slip into the water immediately behind his lover.
The water was much hotter than it looked the moment
Tovin stepped into it, he felt a deep flush rise up his legs and sweat beaded
his brow. With a gasp, he pressed his dry body to Amery s wet skin; they
molded together perfectly, like stitches interlaced in an elaborate tapestry.
His arms snaked around the regent s wet hips, his hands already reaching for
the length that hung between Amery s legs. Hugging his lover close, Tovin
nosed aside the stray hairs on Amery s neck to
THE REGENT S KNIGHT
71
kiss the pinked, warm skin behind his ear. One hand found the regent s cock,
already erect.  Pleasuring yourself? Tovin whispered.  Your Highness, why was
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I not invited?
 You were, Amery countered, leaning back against the knight,  hours ago.
Tovin s reply was a suckling kiss that left a damp imprint of his lips on the
regent s shoulder. One hand smoothed up
Amery s chest, trailing over wet skin, as he massaged his lover s balls with
the other. His own dick pressed between
Amery s buttocks as if eager for entry.  Are you clean yet?
the knight teased.  Because your bed awaits.
Amery turned in Tovin s embrace but only managed a brief kiss before he lost
his footing in the tub and slipped. His lips glanced across Tovin s one [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]