Of course, I mused,if Landis wished, he could offer himself to try my newest batch of the Elixir of Divine Fertility. It would rather be exciting to attempt the creation of a womb within a tom. If I wasn’t so busy and unattached, I would try it myself.As I considered about the possibilities, my gaze once again landed on Hugh, who leaned against the wall beside me. His light brown, gold-flecked eyes were fixed upon me with no small amount of amusement. I huffed, and my tail fluffed.
“What now, Hugh?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking,” Hugh repeated.
“Oh,” I said, chagrined, realizing I had ignored the tom. “That’s new. I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“I was thinking about Landis and Corrin.”
“Really? So was I. What were you thinking?”
“How happy they are.” Hugh’s voice sounded almost… soft, almost yearning.
I shot him a curious glance. Hugh’s gaze had shifted to once again focus on Landis and Corrin who were talking with Lord and Lady Morne politely. Corrin was offering Lord Morne some brandy. The scene by the blazing hearth with the light accompaniment of a string ensemble and the boisterous chatter of the other guests imbued the whole scene with a sense of normalcy I would never have thought possible. Hugh seemed to be struck by what he saw as well. There was something here that he saw—and wanted.
Desire to know what he was truly thinking about shot through me. Curiosity about Hugh had always slept within me since the day I first laid eyes on him. Today, I wanted to know more.
“Do you think you’ll ever be as happy?” The words popped out of my mouth before I could fully process them.
“I don’t know,” Hugh admitted. “But I was thinking about Corrin and Landis and everything that brought them together… and then I was thinking about the ball, where Corrin made an ass of himself, but I’m sure Landis was impressed. When Corrin found out about skerra—the skerra potion. You remember? You were there that day. And then I was thinking about what I experienced that night, our first night together.”
“Hm.”
Where was Hugh going with this?
“I suppose I’m trying to say that I understand why Corrin was so horrified that day. That night we had together, those moments… how I felt. It was… beautiful,” Hugh finally ended. “I wonder if you felt the same way. I hope you did.”
“Well, I was there,” I said mildly. I continued thoughtfully. “I thought it was… Well, I cannot find the words for it, but whetherit was the best, I couldn’t say, truly. I’ve only had those two experiences, and both experiences involved magick and—“
Beside me, Hugh stiffened instantly.
“You mean—“ Hugh’s tan skin flushed even more darkly as his golden-brown eyes glittered intensely. “Alan—gods—Alan, tell me that night at Brockhurst’s together hadn’t been your first.”
I chuckled then, lightly, flushing a little. I suddenly felt rather shy. To admit such a thing to a tom you admired felt more than awkward. I shrugged.
“I thought it was—special,” I finally said. “It felt special to me. Was I wrong?”
“Alan.”
Hugh’s face was now in front of me. His broad fingers gently tugged on my chin. No sooner had my chin lifted than his lips found mine. This wasn’t the demanding kisses of a fevered Hugh, nor was it the sensual flirtatious kisses that he’d promised me with his eyes. Instead, this was a soft touch, as light as a butterfly’s touch. The faintest pressure of his tongue against my bottom lip invited me to a familiar dance, but this time it felt less like a reel and more like a waltz. I savored the slow pace he set, the lingering flavor of sweet red tea and biscuits, the intense assurance of his tongue.
On either side of my head, Hugh’s arms bracketed me, giving me much-needed privacy even as he stole a kiss. I found myself clinging to the edge of his dark wool jacket and leaning into his solid, muscular frame. My tail curled about to brush against his, lighting more sparks between us as his kiss deepened. I moaned softly as his fingers massaged me right behind my right ear.
If Hugh had whispered right then and there a suggestion to meet him in one of the vacant offices nearby, I would have succumbed. All I could see, scent, and hear was Hugh. I was attuned to his very being. So, when Hugh eased back, bringingthe kiss to a close, I moaned again. My unspoken desire betrayed my unwillingness to let him go.
“Alan,” he whispered.
“Say it again,” I said huskily.
“Alan…?”
“I-I enjoy hearing you say my name,” I mumbled, blushing and burying my head in the folds of his cravat and jacket.
Hugh chuckled, but his hand remained tangled in my hair, drawing down to cup me comfortingly on the back of my neck. I liked the weight of his palm there. It was as though he too did not wish to let me go. That’s what I imagined, at any rate.
“Why did you not say anything?” Hugh asked after a moment.
“About what?”
