Page 67 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

Lirion sniggered against his chest. “Sexy Eyes, your ear for bullshit is finely tuned.”

Fenric pushed at his shoulder—not hard, but enough to show his exasperation. “You bastard.”

Still sniggering, Lirion lifted himself off and smacked a kiss against Fenric’s mouth, eyes sparkling. He really did look better, flushed and healthy.

“Thank you for being willing to cuddle, at least. I’m off to my room. Join me if you find the energy for round two.”

“You say that like you didn’t just drain me dry.” Fenric groaned. “Asshole. Go away.”

Lirion chuckled, not denying the accusation. He scooped up his clothes and walked naked to his own room, not a care in the world about being seen. Then again, the man had nothing to be ashamed of. His ass alone was a work of art, still wet from Fenric’s release. Fenric’s cock twitched at the sight.

Seriously shameless, that one. Fenric could tell the next few months were going to be very interesting.

Was it bad that he was looking forward to it?

When morning arrived, Lirion found himself surprisingly relaxed and well rested. It was easily the best night of sleep he’d had since discovering Aria had been kidnapped. It couldn’t have been from the sex—which had been rather amazing and fulfilling—because he’d had plenty of other sexual encounters since Aria’s disappearance.

Was it the fact he felt safe with these “villains”?

Or possibly because he was finally taking productive steps to saving his sister? That had to be it.

He bounced out of bed, quickly dressed, joined the queue for the bathroom for a quick wash, and then ate a simple breakfast he was assured had not been made by Maxie. Afterward, Fenric announced he would be inspecting Lirion’s gear before he went shopping for supplies.

“You’re shitting me, right?” Fenric said in a flat voice.

They stood in the middle of the room he’d borrowed from Fenric and his friends for the night. It wasn’t a bad room, with its narrow bed, stubborn stains, and lingering smell of carrots. Gods knew he’d stayed in far worse places over the years.

Lirion tried to puff up his chest and bluster through Fenric’s disbelieving look, but he knew before he even said a word that Fen wouldn’t buy his nonsense.

“What?” Feigning ignorance seemed the safer course.

“You’re not ready to spend several weeks on a ship.” The thief waved a hand toward the change of rumpled clothes on the bed, a tangle of spare lute strings, and an apple.

Hey, most of Lirion’s travel was done on foot. It was best to keep things light. Especially if he had to leave town suddenly.

“Gods, you’re not even prepared for a trip to Briani, and that’s barely more than a ferry ride across the bay.” Fenric paused and narrowed his eyes on Lirion. “Have you ever been on a long sea voyage?”

“What do you consider long?”

“Weeks. Not days. Weeks on a ship. Even months.”

“Then no, sweetheart.” He patted Fenric on the cheek. “I have not been on a long voyage.”

“Good to know. Pack up. You’re coming shopping with me. I’ll get you prepared for the trip. Bel and Puppy left ahead of us because Bel wanted the blacksmith to sharpen a few of our blades. We’ll meet up with them. Puppy has a list of supplies Rain came up with for the ship. Most of it we can have sent directly to the docks.”

Lirion could only stare. “You’re going to help me?”

“Of course.” Fen frowned as if he couldn’t understand Lirion’s confusion. “If you’re not prepared for this trip, you’re going to end up sick or dead.” He stepped close and tapped Lirion on the tip of his nose. “Having your sexual meals lined up isn’t enough. Malfas is going to handle the food we need for the trip. That’s why we’ve got Puppy with us. Can’t have him anywhere near the food. But both of you are going to need more clothes, boots with thicker soles, and a few other items. We’ll get it knocked out today. If Rain isn’t fucking around, we might be able to leave a day early.”

“Oh. Okay,” Lirion murmured, still feeling like his brain was struggling to keep up. He grabbed the ragged sack he’d used for the last decade and stuffed his few belongings inside. His thoughts swirled. When was the last time someone had attempted to look out for him? Possibly his mother, but that had been long before he left home to wander the world. Since then, he’d been on his own, surviving by his wits and luck.

As unexpected as it was, Lirion couldn’t deny the bubble of warmth growing within his chest. This rough and gruff thief had a hidden caring side, and for some strange reason, he’d taken Lirion under his wing.

A few minutes later, they were standing on the street, a smile growing on Lirion’s lips as he saw Maxie waving wildly at them as he and Belstrom approached.

“Lirion! Fenric! We found you!” Maxie shouted.

“Yeah, Bel is kind of hard to miss,” Fen mumbled with a roll of his eyes. He wasn’t wrong. The barbarian’s golden head towered several inches above even the tallest pedestrians, and most darted out of his way once they saw him approaching with a war hammer strapped to his back. “Lirion will join us on our shopping trip today. He needs to stock up on as many things as you do.”