Evan raised an eyebrow. “There’s a reason that the Rogue is legendary, Thomas. I’ve never failed yet.”
The tense set of Thomas’s shoulders eased the tiniest bit. “Have you really never failed?”
“Hand on my heart, not even once.” Honesty compelled Evan to add, “Well, apart from last week when someone put a knife to my throat and I was forced to conclude my business prematurely.”
Thomas had the decency to look at least slightly shamefaced. “To be fair, a strange man dressed in black was strangling a visiting viscount. I was obliged to intervene.”
Evan grinned. “Honestly, the viscount wasn’t going to tell me anything. You just hastened the inevitable.” He pushed his chair back and stood, scooping up one of the drawings, and strode toward the door. When Thomas didn’t follow, he paused. “Well? Are you coming to break the news to Leo and Felix about their trip?”
Thomas sucked a breath between his teeth and made a seesawing motion with one hand. “They’ve retired early.”
“But they’ll still be awake, surely.”
Thomas gave him a flat look. “They’veretired early.Even if they are awake, do you want to risk disturbing them in the middle of whatever they’re up to?”
Evan paused, considered what Thomas was saying, and folded the map carefully and tucked it into a pocket. “Perhaps first thing tomorrow then. I’m truly happy Leo has found love. I just don’t want to see it in quite that much detail.”
Thomas let out a snort. “Ironic, seeing as you’ve built your career on being caught in compromising positions.”
“Well, yes, but those positions are designed as a distraction,” he said. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, he found himself adding, “Most of the time it’s an illusion anyway.”
Thomas blinked, his mouth opening and closing before he asked, “Really?”
“Really. It’s only occasionally that someone takes my fancy and I bed them. A lot of the time it’s a matter of getting them tipsy, putting them to bed, making a tremendous amount of noise, and telling them the next day how marvellous they were. People are, by and large, stupid. So if someone as dashing and attractive as me tells them they’re the best I’ve ever had, their pride has them believing it.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Dashing and attractive, are you?”
“So people tell me,” Evan said airily. “I’ve heard them. ‘Not a brain to bless himself, but at least he’s attractive.’”
Thomas’s smirk disappeared and he stood suddenly, and two steps had him right in Evan’s space, a wall of tall, rugged muscle that took Evan’s breath away. But his touch was gentle when he reached out and tilted Evan’s chin up, capturing his gaze. “They’re wrong about you being brainless,” he said quietly. “Just because you act the fool doesn’t make it true.”
Evan’s breath caught in his throat and his chest squeezed tight. Thomas was seeing him for who he truly was. “I know,” he said, “but thank you anyway.”
Thomas ducked his head and caught Evan’s mouth in a tender kiss that had his heartbeat fluttering. Evan stood up on his tiptoes and leaned into the kiss, and when Thomas slid his hands down Evan’s back and pulled him close, the heat of the other man’s hands on him had his cock taking an interest. He was reminded once again of how delicious his captain had looked sprawled out naked that morning. All thoughts of maps and kings and plots fell out of his head. The only thing he was interested in right now was getting to see Thomas like that again—and in his own bed this time.
He pulled back from the plush softness of Thomas’s mouth, slightly breathless, and his voice was rough when he said, “Bed?”
Thomas’s face split in a wide smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter Ten
Evan had been mistaken when he’d claimed he was attractive.
Attractive didn’t even begin to cover it. With his lean, long-limbed build, his tousled dark hair, and ocean-green eyes, he was mouth-watering. But more than that, there was a catlike quality to his movements that made every twist of his hips a temptation, every arch of his spine an invitation to get to know him better in all the most intimate ways.
Or perhaps only Thomas saw him like that, knowing as he did what the man looked like in the heat of passion.
Still, watching Evan peel out of his brightly coloured clothing with casual elegance, his muscles rippling under his skin like silk, had Thomas forgetting how to breathe. When Evan looked back over his shoulder with a coy smile, Thomas found himself mesmerised. The smile became a smirk, like Evan knew exactly what Thomas was thinking. His voice was a low purr when he said, “I’m glad you’re enjoying the view, but are you planning on undressing yourself at all?”
His teasing broke Thomas out of his trance. He began to remove his clothing with absolutely no grace, fumbling with the lacing on his trousers and almost tripping over his boots in hishaste. When he glanced up, face heated, he half expected Evan to be laughing, but instead he found him staring at Thomas’s bare chest with blatant admiration.
Evan looked like he wanted todevourhim.
It struck Thomas anew that Evan was the Rogue and the Duke of Ravenport besides, and vastly more important than Thomas would ever be—yet here he was looking at Thomas like he was a prize to be won. It helped ease any lingering doubts he had about the difference in their stations, and the intensity of Evan’s gaze only stoked the fires of arousal that were already burning low in Thomas’s belly. He found himself straightening his spine, standing with his feet spread wide and crossing his arms over his chest to better show off his bulk.
Evan’s breathing caught, and in one quick movement he’d crossed the distance between them and tangled one hand in Thomas’s hair, dragging him down for a long, filthy kiss. Setting his hands on Evan’s waist, Thomas dipped his tongue into the heat of Evan’s mouth and slid his hands around to the perfect globes of Evan’s arse, giving a gentle squeeze. The flesh was firm and plump under his palms, and Evan moaned against his mouth as the movement brought their bodies into contact, and he moaned louder when Thomas squeezed his arse again, harder this time.
Evan wrapped his arms around Thomas’s neck and his kisses became more urgent as he rutted forward, his cock dragging against Thomas’s bare stomach and leaving damp trails.
