afraid of steel.'
'I will remember.' The man sketched him the slightest of bows. 'Good night, then.'
Richard did not bother to finish the wine. He considered taking it home for Alec, but it was bad enough to leave. Rosalie did keep a stock of decent vintage, but you had to know how to ask for it.
Ignoring the curious looks of his friends, he left the tavern and went home.
The eaves of the house were fanged with icicles. Marie's rooms were quiet, she must still be out. He looked up at his own rooms. The shutters were open, the windows dark. He let himself in by the courtyard stairs, mounting quietly to keep from disturbing Alec.
Despite his care, the floorboards creaked. It was an old house, built of heavy materials with a great care for solidness. At night they heard it settling on its foundations, like an old woman on her doorstep shifting into a comfortable position in the sun.
From the other room Alec called blearily, 'Richard?' The bedroom door was open; Alec usually left it that way when he went to bed alone. Richard could see him in the dark, a white figure propped against the heavily carven headboard. 'Are you going out again?'
'No.' Richard undressed quietly in the dark, laying out his clothes to air on the chest. Alec held the covers back for him -'Hurry up, it's cold.' Between the linen sheets Alec's warmth had spread; Richard sank into it like a hot bath.
Alec lay on his back, his hands folded demurely behind his head. 'Well,' he said, 'that didn't take long. Don't tell me it was another wedding.'
'No, it's not. It's a real job, looks like it could be interesting. Move your elbow, you've got both pillows.'
'I know.' Richard could hear the satisfied smile in the dark. 'Don't go to sleep. Tell me about it.'
'There's not much to tell.' Abandoning the pillow, he moved his head into the crook of Alec's arm. 'They're playing hard-to-get. I have to show some more interest.'
'Who's they?’
'You'll laugh.'
'Of course I'll laugh. I always do.' It was the voice, rich and arrogant and taut with breeding, that always undid him in the dark. He felt for Alec's lips with his fingers, and softly brushed over them.
'It's funny. I think he's a lord, all right, but he seems to be working for another house.'
'Working with them, more likely.' Alec's lips moved against his fingers, the tip of his tongue touching them as he spoke. 'I bet you're right, it must be something big. The fate of the state is in your hands -' Alec seized the fingers that were touching him, and Richard's other hand as well, drawing them from what they were doing in a convulsive grip, feeling there for the old ragged scar on Richard's wrist. Richard guided his mouth to it. 'So how do you know', Alec murmured into his skin, 'that it's two houses?'
Gently Richard freed one hand, and began stroking the length of Alec's back. It pleased him to feel the taut body relax under his touch, straining langorously to be closer to his. 'He showed me a medallion with a device,' he said.
'Which you didn't recognise and were too embarrassed to ask about... ah, that feels nice.'
'As a matter of fact, I did recognise it. It was that swan woman's, the duchess.'
For all the tricks Alec played with his voice, he had never realised how easy it was for the swordsman to read his body. It stiffened suddenly, although Alec's voice rambled on, 'How delightful. Isn't it nice to know, Richard, that you're not the only one to have succumbed to the allure of the swan boat?'
'I haven't succumbed,' Richard said comfortably. Alec must have recognised the nobleman. 'Although I wouldn't mind a ride on that boat. But they have to name their mark first. If it's a good job, I'll succumb to the money.'
'You think so?'
'I think so.'
Alec breathed out in a feathery sigh as Richard sought out his pleasure, always careful not to startle him with anything sudden or unexpected. Sometimes finding it was like stalking prey, or coaxing a wild creature to his hand. Alec stopped speaking,
'I will remember.' The man sketched him the slightest of bows. 'Good night, then.'
Richard did not bother to finish the wine. He considered taking it home for Alec, but it was bad enough to leave. Rosalie did keep a stock of decent vintage, but you had to know how to ask for it.
Ignoring the curious looks of his friends, he left the tavern and went home.
The eaves of the house were fanged with icicles. Marie's rooms were quiet, she must still be out. He looked up at his own rooms. The shutters were open, the windows dark. He let himself in by the courtyard stairs, mounting quietly to keep from disturbing Alec.
Despite his care, the floorboards creaked. It was an old house, built of heavy materials with a great care for solidness. At night they heard it settling on its foundations, like an old woman on her doorstep shifting into a comfortable position in the sun.
From the other room Alec called blearily, 'Richard?' The bedroom door was open; Alec usually left it that way when he went to bed alone. Richard could see him in the dark, a white figure propped against the heavily carven headboard. 'Are you going out again?'
'No.' Richard undressed quietly in the dark, laying out his clothes to air on the chest. Alec held the covers back for him -'Hurry up, it's cold.' Between the linen sheets Alec's warmth had spread; Richard sank into it like a hot bath.
Alec lay on his back, his hands folded demurely behind his head. 'Well,' he said, 'that didn't take long. Don't tell me it was another wedding.'
'No, it's not. It's a real job, looks like it could be interesting. Move your elbow, you've got both pillows.'
'I know.' Richard could hear the satisfied smile in the dark. 'Don't go to sleep. Tell me about it.'
'There's not much to tell.' Abandoning the pillow, he moved his head into the crook of Alec's arm. 'They're playing hard-to-get. I have to show some more interest.'
'Who's they?’
'You'll laugh.'
'Of course I'll laugh. I always do.' It was the voice, rich and arrogant and taut with breeding, that always undid him in the dark. He felt for Alec's lips with his fingers, and softly brushed over them.
'It's funny. I think he's a lord, all right, but he seems to be working for another house.'
'Working with them, more likely.' Alec's lips moved against his fingers, the tip of his tongue touching them as he spoke. 'I bet you're right, it must be something big. The fate of the state is in your hands -' Alec seized the fingers that were touching him, and Richard's other hand as well, drawing them from what they were doing in a convulsive grip, feeling there for the old ragged scar on Richard's wrist. Richard guided his mouth to it. 'So how do you know', Alec murmured into his skin, 'that it's two houses?'
Gently Richard freed one hand, and began stroking the length of Alec's back. It pleased him to feel the taut body relax under his touch, straining langorously to be closer to his. 'He showed me a medallion with a device,' he said.
'Which you didn't recognise and were too embarrassed to ask about... ah, that feels nice.'
'As a matter of fact, I did recognise it. It was that swan woman's, the duchess.'
For all the tricks Alec played with his voice, he had never realised how easy it was for the swordsman to read his body. It stiffened suddenly, although Alec's voice rambled on, 'How delightful. Isn't it nice to know, Richard, that you're not the only one to have succumbed to the allure of the swan boat?'
'I haven't succumbed,' Richard said comfortably. Alec must have recognised the nobleman. 'Although I wouldn't mind a ride on that boat. But they have to name their mark first. If it's a good job, I'll succumb to the money.'
'You think so?'
'I think so.'
Alec breathed out in a feathery sigh as Richard sought out his pleasure, always careful not to startle him with anything sudden or unexpected. Sometimes finding it was like stalking prey, or coaxing a wild creature to his hand. Alec stopped speaking,
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