Lambert doesn’t respond, and when I frown, he mouths, “Can I talk yet?”
Shoulders slumping, I nod.
“I thought it was really good. The tick boxes were a nice touch. Everyone loves multiple choice.”
Those, of course, had been the Arcanaeum’s doing. I’d almost objected to such a clear-cut list of sex acts, growing steadily more and more kinky as they neared the end of the page, with four tick-boxes, two for me and two for him, to indicate interest in both giving and receiving.
It seemed…ridiculous how open I was to trying all of it. Part of me is still waiting for them to judge me for some of the things I admitted. Or the empty boxes I added at the bottom, in case there were acts or kinks I’d not considered or read about.
But…I’ve done a lot of reading in the last five hundred years. I’ve had a lot of time to fantasise and ponder. Plus, interest doesn’t guarantee enjoyment. I just want to tryeverythingonce. Is that so bad?
Lambert gives the contract a pointed look, and I oblige him by skimming the page on exclusivity and contraception, noting that his answers are the same as Dakari’s.
The only one I doubt knows about the potion is Northcliff, and I make a note to tell Eddy about it too. She shouldn’t be forced to endure inept medicine when a side-effect free magical birth control exists.
I pause when I notice he’s refused to select any of the termination options, and an extra clause has been added on the third page.
“You want me to wear that for all of your games?”
Magic, he’s already holding the jacket out in offering.
“And if I win a game, reward me.” He grins, bouncing on his feet. “It doesn’t need to be a sex thing if you’re not in the mood. I love back rubs too! Or hot chocolate. Or even just a smile?”
“It says here ‘blowjobs.’”
“That was just a suggestion! In case, you know…they were on the table?”
One of my favourite things about him is that if I just wait here for long enough, staring expectantly, he’ll dig himself deeper and deeper into a hole, growing more and more flustered as he practically vibrates with nerves.
“It’s not assumed consent, I swear. More like a…hopeful request?” He finishes the last like a question. “I mean, that striptease you gave me was the hottest experience of my life, and I just thought maybe?—”
“Lambert?”
“Yes, boss?” His voice hitches.
“I’m happy to celebrate your victories with you. However,blowjobs are only on the table if your team wins without losing any points.”
A gleam enters his eye, and I second-guess the wisdom of my words. But no. Surely, even with Lambert as the team’s reaper, the scorers are the ones responsible for the end result. He’d have to score, finishing the game before they dropped the beta once.
That’s not to say I don’t want to give him one, or that I won’t even if he doesn’t achieve the impossible task I’ve set. But if I’ve learned anything about Lambert, it’s that sometimes he thrives off a little extra motivation.
“Deal,” he agrees. “But… Do I still get other rewards?”
“Yes.”
I let him wrap the jacket around my shoulders, basking in the warm scent of him, then shock him by rising to my tiptoes and claiming a kiss.
When I pull back, his smile is blinding. “You’re adorable in my clothes. Now, get ready to watch the fastest game of magiball you’ve ever seen in your life!” he promises, vaulting over the banister in his haste to leave.
Snorting, I aim one last exasperated eye roll at the pile of books on my bed, then ghost my way downstairs, only to find an exhausted North sitting at the dining table. He’s chosen the end not cluttered with my pages of work on Leo’s degraded runeform and is flicking through his own copy of the contract with an agitated frown.
“Is this a condition of Sanctuary?” he asks the second I appear. “Because if fucking you is a condition of my sister’s safety, I’d rather be clear about it in advance.”
I flinch at the hostility in his tone, almost dropping Lambert’s contract in shock.
“What in magic’s name gave you that idea?” I retort. “I only wrote that because of Lambert’s foolish suggestion. It’snot an obligation. That’s why the platonic friendship option is right there on the first page!”
I’m not about to make him prostitute himself for protection. Dear stars alive. I’m honestly offended that he thinks so little of me.
