Page 45 of Silver & Gold
Seth didn’t want to stop touching Raider. He loved touching him. He loved how Raider responded.
Another image flashed: Raider finding such pleasure on Seth’s cock this morning, his own cock jutting straight up, flushed and threaded with veins. The position had allowed Seth to watch the building of Raider’s orgasm, the way his balls had tightened and his body had primed for the most erotic sight Seth had ever seen: the high spurt of Raider’s cum as he found such intense release on Seth’s cock. Seth hadn’t had a chance of holding back another second, not when he saw that, not when Raider’s ass had clenched on his own aching shaft. As much as Seth loved to dominate Raider during sex, he loved that reversal too.
But he had to stop thinking about sex. He was trying to have a conversation. Because as much as he craved, even needed, sex with Raider, he needed words too.
Seth lifted his hand from Raider’s knee and settled back. He picked up his cup of kahve from the tray, wincing slightly at the way his cock was torqued in his pants.
Seth eyed Raider’s obvious arousal and said, “Sorry.” (He wasn’t though, not really.)
“You’ve completely made me lose my train of thought,” Raider complained.
“You were about to tell me about your life before the palace.”
“Was I? That doesn’t feel accurate.”
“Please, Raider.”
Raider sighed. “Not fair. You know I can’t refuse when you ask me like that, all sweet and demanding at the same time.”
Seth sipped the strong kahve. “Huh. I didn’t actually know that, but thank you for the useful information.”
“Don’t expect it to work every time. It depends on my mood.”
Seth huffed a laugh. “Naturally.”
A smile tugged at Raider’s lips and, gods, that was good to see. There had been too many hard days lately. How Raider could come back from them like he did, Seth didn’t know. Oh, he was still hurting. Seth had seen this morning how deep that hurt was, how Raider had to carry it all the fucking time. But he rarely lost himself in it, like he had in the palace the last few days. Maybe it had been the place itself or maybe it had been the lingering effects of being drugged and strapped down to that table in the dungeon. Whatever the case, Seth was really damn glad he’d gotten Raider out of there.
Raider leaned forward to snag a piece of honey-soaked pastry from the tray. He sat back with it dripping into his kahve cup.
Seth prompted, “You said once that you’d been a thief since you were ten years old.”
Raider looked exasperated. “You remembered that? I mean, it’s true, so I must have said it, but I don’t remember telling you that.”
Raider had said it in anger soon after they’d escaped Aqarat, but Seth didn’t want them to backtrack to that moment, so he only sipped his kahve, hoping Raider would tell him why he’d become a thief so young.
But Raider skipped that part and said, “I was a very good pickpocket, as you yourself have experienced.”
“Many times, yes,” Seth agreed dryly.
“I had to be though, in the beginning. I wouldn’t have survived otherwise. It was safer to pick a pocket than to steal from under the nose of a watchful vendor. So I would steal money, hide in terror, then I’d go buy food. Looking back, I’m sure it was obvious that I was buying with stolen money, but no one ever refused to sell.”
Seth frowned. “Ten is very young to be on your own.”
Raider shrugged. “I managed.”
Seth wanted to press the point, but Raider obviously didn’t want to explain, so Seth let it go and listened to what Raider was willing to tell him.
“I spent the rest of my time watching the street performers. Studying their movements, trying to understand their tricks. I did a bit of juggling and dabbled in magic tricks, but I was always best at dancing.”
“I can imagine.”
“You can?”
“Your movement is incredible. Fighting, fucking, dancing. You’re beautiful to watch.”
Raider’s breath seemed to catch. Then he smiled and ate the pastry.
“Go on,” Seth prompted.