Page 22 of Silver & Gold

“Just be careful coming back to the dressing rooms.”

Julian’s lips quirked. “I did make it from Masir all the way to Aqarat, you know. I’m not totally helpless.”

“Yeah, I’ll have to give you that one.”

Julian looked surprised, even … pleased. Because Seth had acknowledged his accomplishment? Why should that matter to him? Whatever the reason, pink spots appeared on Julian’s smooth cheeks, and he turned around to watch the stage with Adavasti.

Seth stroked Raider’s side until he stirred, mumbling incoherently. Seth murmured, “Let’s get someplace more comfortable.”

Raider straightened and scrubbed at his eyes. “Fuck, I fell asleep. At a comedy. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. Let’s go.”

They made their way along the row to the walkway. From there, they exited to the stairway and descended to the ground level outside the theater. A short walk took them to the actors’ entrance.

Despite the public’s love of theater, the actors themselves enjoyed very little status or wealth. Their mudbrick quarters were a shoddy add-on at the back of the theater. They lacked the painted brick and wood trim of the public face.

But that meant they were of no interest to thieves and therefore unguarded. More importantly, Rahim would check the inns and stables and other, more likely sleeping quarters first. Raider’s idea of spending the night here had been a little bit brilliant.

Before the play, Seth, Raider, and Julian had identified two unused dressing rooms. There, they’d hidden their conspicuous weapons and gear.

Now, as Seth and Raider entered the dressing room they had chosen, Seth went straight to the corner. Using the weak light from the hallway, he checked under the stiff-with-paint, moth-eaten “sultan’s gown.” His shoulders sagged with relief at the sight of his sword, chakram, and pack. Paranoid, he opened the flap. The book was still there.

Seth grabbed the arcane lamp from his pack and clicked it on as Raider pulled the doorway curtain shut. The light revealed the small, shabby room full of dusty costumes, fake jewelry, and old instruments.

“I told you it would be fine,” Raider said as he tripped over a sitar. It let out a discordant twang. With his foot, Raider pushed the sitar under a turquoise divan that leaned on its broken leg.

“I know.”

Seth grabbed their bedrolls while Raider cleared more space. As Seth got his woolen bedroll and Raider’s sheepskin laid out on the dusty mudbrick floor, he frowned. He wanted better. He wanted them someplace comfortable and clean and safe.

“What are you scowling about?” Raider asked as he stepped close and started unbuckling Seth’s vest. Raider had already removed his own kaftan and sandals. He was wearing only the rose-colored shalvar pants from Aqarat and his violet sash.

Seth sucked in a breath as Raider parted the halves of his vest and set his mouth to one of Seth’s nipples. He grabbed Raider’s ass and hauled him in until Raider’s erection pressed against his own. Raider shuddered at the contact and moved his mouth to Seth’s other nipple.

“Fuck,” Seth breathed and arched into it. He couldn’t believe how good that felt.

Raider shoved Seth’s vest off his shoulders. Seth let go of Raider’s ass to shrug the garment off. Raider immediately went to work on the laces of Seth’s pants.

“Well?” Raider prompted.

“Well what?”

“What were you scowling about?”

The teasing pressure and movement of Raider’s fingers over Seth’s aching cock made it almost impossible for him to think, but somehow he managed, “I was thinking about all the things I want. With you.”

But where Seth had been thinking about the future, Raider was clearly focused on the present. “The only thing I want is you, inside me,” he said in a raspy voice that sent a pulse into Seth’s dick. “No playing tonight. Let’s just fuck. I need you.”

Raider tore at the laces then plunged his hand inside Seth’s pants. They both let out a ragged sound as Raider’s hand curled around Seth’s cock. Raider’s other arm hooked around his back. Gods, he loved the way Raider touched him, the way Raider demanded his body.

Seth took Raider’s face in both hands. Raider had been staring down at where the crown of Seth’s cock protruded above his waistband, but he lifted his face at Seth’s urging. He parted his lips for Seth’s kiss. It was sweet and hungry and needful.

Seth murmured against Raider’s lips, “Lie down.”

Usually, Raider liked to make him work for dominance. Seth couldn’t deny how much he enjoyed those struggles, but they were both impatient and needy tonight. Raider did as Seth told him, breaking away to lie down on the bedrolls.

When Raider started to take off his sash and pants, Seth said, “No. I’ll do that.”