Page 31 of Drawn into Oblivion

“Shumei and your assistant took care of that,” he said, gaze averted. She glanced at his lap, and… Oh.

“I meant it when I said to look at you is to want you,” he confessed in a rough whisper. Then he cleared his throat, stood stiffly, and gestured to the far side of her room. “By the way, many of the surviving brownies in the city were also grateful for what you did, and some left gifts for you.”

Mai could barely focus on what he was saying. Now that he was standing, she could only see a faint bump, for his military jacket didn’t reveal much, but his reaction to her state of dress was strangely alluring. She was already rather warm under the blanket, but a tingling sensation swam between her legs.

She recognized the feeling for what it was—arousal. She had felt it when alone with him in the empress’s bedroom on the day of the joining ceremony as well as yesterday morning when she’d kissed him in the hall. Knowing he wanted her but was denying himself only intrigued her more. She was surprised how easily her desire for him had grown, and her inhibitions made only a token effort to dissuade her from admitting, at least to herself, that she wanted more of his attentions—much more.

Taking care to keep the blanket over her chest, she sat up with a bit of effort. Her hair whispered across her bare back, making her shiver. Her strength was returning, but drowsiness still clung to her like cobwebs as she looked up at Rosuke. He stood with his feet braced apart, hands fisted and body tense. His expression was ravenous. His heavy-lidded eyes looked at her with such hunger that her body answered, sliding her from one kind of sleepy heat into another. She yearned for his touch on her skin, his taste in her mouth, and his scent all over her.

Rosuke knew it had been a mistake to look at her again. Her silky, unbound hair, her naked shoulders… She had been staring at his groin with sweet fascination, which morphed into appreciation as her gaze traveled up his body. She sat up, her attention focused on him rather than the pile of gifts he’d attempted to point out.

“You look like you want something,” he said, hating how low and growly his voice had become. He’d scare her with his desire, if he hadn’t already. But her soft eyes were those of someone in the grip of lust, and he had to know.

“I do,” she breathed, leaning toward him as though offering her jugular to a predator.

“Is it something I can give you?” She nodded and licked her lips. “Is it a kiss?” She nodded again, eyelids drooping. By the gods, why did he engage in this wordplay? Why, when he knew already what she wanted and exactly how he’d give it to her? “Tell me,” he ground out.

“Kiss me, Rosuke,” she begged.

His feet were moving before he could stop himself. He dropped to the bed and slipped his arms around her. She tipped her head up, eyes closed, and he groaned with exultation as he claimed her mouth. His groan turned into a hum of pleasure, for the taste of her… If he didn’t know better, he’d think she’d eaten fresh honeycomb upon waking.

Sucking and pulling at her luscious mouth, he savored her sweet, dizzying flavor, and stroked as much of her naked back as his starved nerve endings could reach. Her hair slipped over his hands like the finest silk.

He wanted to pull her even closer, to rip open his jacket and bring her breasts against his bare chest, but her hand between them said she didn’t want to lose the protection of the blanket. He clamped down on his lusts with the last of his control, determined to wait until she was entirely comfortable and prepared. But then she laid her hand over his erection.

He broke off their kiss, moaning sharply as he nearly lost himself right there, still fully clothed. Panting, he released her and scrambled to his feet.

“Oh!” She looked up at him with high eyebrows and flushed cheeks. Her lips were still wet. He backed up another step. “Did I hurt you? Should I not touch you there?”

“You would tempt the king of Oblivion,” he said gutturally. “I love your touch—I do—but I also cannot endure it.” Frowning, she furrowed her eyebrows in a silent question. By the gods, how could he help her understand? “I’m saying that if you keep touching me, I will rip that blanket away and bury my cock between your thighs.”

The shock that burst across her face was more than enough proof she wasn’t ready for his unleashed desire. She clutched the blanket as though it was a shield, and shrank in upon herself. In a way, he felt relieved, for if she had responded in any encouraging way… He swallowed at the thought of how quickly his brain would shut off and his body would take over.

He had to leave before he gave her an even worse impression of his resolve. He was able to still his agitated ball of magic, but he’d need time and some privacy to deal with his erection. He reined in his desire and took a deep breath.

“Instead, I’d like you to eat dinner with me,” he offered, hoping to lessen the tension. He prayed he hadn’t shaken what little trust she had in him. “If you’re interested, we can eat either with the others or privately. Your choice.”

“Privately,” she said softly.

Relaxing, he nodded. “I shall see you this evening, then. Someone will come with a small repast and a note. I’ll not disturb your afternoon further.” He turned on his heel, went to the door, and let himself out.

Mai released the breath she had been holding and flopped back on the bed, heart racing and the rest of her rather unsatisfied. Though she knew how sex worked, including what Rosuke could do with the hard limb she’d briefly touched and how children were conceived, she hadn’t been able to help her initial reaction when he had graphically described exactly how he wanted her.

Just imagining his warm weight on top of her, his hips between her legs… Dueling gods, she truthfully wasn’t sure whether or not the thought frightened her, but it certainly made her insides twist. Then again, so did the thought of that night in the spare changing room.

Her cheeks burned and her fingers curled tight as she recalled laying her hand upon his erection. She had been drowning in his scent, in the feel of his calloused palms on her skin, and in the heady frisson of kissing him. Touching him had been more impulse than intention. She knew to be gentle, but she seemed to have given him pain rather than pleasure. Or at least frustration, if his tone were any hint.

So yes, she knew how sex worked, but she didn’t how to do it, it seemed. Would Shumei have time to give her some answers, she wondered.

Chapter Eleven

After a few minutes, Mai managed to rouse herself from her soft, warm bed. She was thirsty and in need of a bath. Her hair was tangled, her scalp itchy. After finishing the cup of water Rosuke had left, she carefully stood and waited for her head and body to adjust to the change in elevation.

The warmth of summer was notably absent despite the sunshine, and she shivered under her curtain of hair. She found her usual underrobe draped over a chair and shrugged into it before tying a hasty knot in the belt, not caring too much about making it neat.

She had an uncluttered room—a bed and a small vanity next to a standing wardrobe—so she couldn’t miss the stack of gifts in a corner that was usually empty. Rosuke had said the surviving citizens of Houfu had left them for her out of gratitude. Curious, she walked over and picked up a box sitting at the top of the pile. It was wrapped in fine, blue silk and secured shut with a pair of long, pink ribbons. She laid it on the foot of her bed, untied the ribbons, and brushed aside the silk wrapping.

The wood box gleamed under a thick layer of lacquer, and she touched it hesitantly. She hadn’t received a present in many years—not since her mother had died. She smiled as she remembered the gifts her parents had given her over the years. A cloth doll, ribbons for her hair, and a simple necklace made with string and a peacock feather.