Page 31 of The Necromancer's Prisoner

A nervous smile quirked Iggie’s lips. “All good things, I hope?”

Alistair bucked his hips, grinding into Iggie. Liquid fire coursed through Iggie’s veins like dawnflame as the paladin’s throaty chuckle echoed throughout the cavern. “Oh, I’d say so.”

They came together again, hands and lips scrambling for purchase. Iggie found himself desperate for each new touch, each fresh taste. He’d encountered his share of handsome men while on the run, even considered approaching several of them before deciding it was too great a risk. But never had he felt anything remotely close to this level of attraction, this degree of attunement to another person. And now that he had, he never wanted it to end.

For tonight.

Iggie’s stomach roiled. When their lips next parted, he leaned back and bit his lip, struggling to find the words for what he wanted to say.

“What is it? Alistair asked, his brow furrowing. “Don’t tell me it’s my turn to assure you this isn’t some terrible mistake?”

“No, it’s not that.” Iggie ran his hands over the sculpted contours of Alistair’s back, the unsettled feeling in his gut growing. “It’s just…this feels like a fantastical dream. Like something that could never happen tomeof all people. And I…well, I guess I’m just dreading waking up from it.”

“I see.”

A sudden, sharp pinch shot through Iggie’s side, and he yelped, swatting Alistair’s hand away. “Shadow and shade, what did you dothatfor?”

The paladin gave him a smug grin. “I was assisting you. See? No dream.”

Iggie rubbed at his side, unable to completely hide the quirk of his lips beneath a scowl. Then, his gaze fell upon the nearby logs crackling with dawnflame, and any hint of a smile faded. “I just can’t fathom why someone like you would want someone like me. Even setting aside your…profession, you are the heir of a noble house while I am less than a peasant.”

“Nonsense.” Alistair wrapped his arms around Iggie, attempting to tug him closer. Iggie put up a token resistance before allowing himself to be pulled against the paladin’s chest. Alistair pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. “I don’t care about your heritage. I’m attracted to you because no matter how many hardships you’ve faced, you’ve emerged on the other side with a keen mind, a kind heart, and a noble spirit.” His chuckle that followed sounded slightly forced. “Besides, it’s not like I’m asking for your hand in marriage.”

Embarrassment heated Iggie’s cheeks. “O-of course not. You’re right. I know I’m being ridiculous. Please, forgive me.”

He tried to turn and rekindle their previous passion, planting little kisses along the planes of Alistair’s throat, but the paladin didn’t reciprocate. Instead, he continued to gently stroke Iggie’s back, his expression contemplative. Iggie silently cursed his own stupidity. Leave it to him to put a damper on the mood and ruin everything. Was this when Alistair realized what they were doing here reallywasa grand mistake?

“I heard what you said the other day.” Alistair’s voice came out soft. His hands never stilled in their soothing touch. “About feeling like a curse.”

“Oh.” Iggie’s mind went blank. Not exactly the stinging rejection he’d been expecting. Perhaps the paladin was building up to it?

Alistair’s calloused hand cupped Iggie’s chin, lifting his head and forcing their eyes to meet. Instead of condemnation or regret, all Iggie saw in the paladin’s golden gaze was compassion. The dazzling sight left him breathless, and he listened with rapt attention as Alistair spoke.

“No matter what else happens between us, regardless of the Order’s claims or actions, remember that you arenota monster. You arenota curse. You are worthy of love and so much more, no matter how cruelly the world has tried to deny it to you.”

His vision blurring with unshed tears, Iggie launched himself atop Alistair, sealing their lips with desperate kisses as his chest constricted with emotion. Alistair’s rough hands tentatively probed the edges of Iggie’s shirt, and Iggie reached down to slide them higher. He was too far gone to remain self-conscious. He scrabbled at Alistair’s tunic, and Alistair chuckled, tugging it off to reveal his chiseled chest.

Iggie drank in the sight, marveling at the hardened ridges of Alistair’s abs and the faint dusting of hair there. His gaze paused on a pale, jagged line running down Alistair’s left flank. His fingers hovered over the scarred skin.

“Training accident,” Alistair murmured in response to Iggie’s unasked question. “My father was an effective teacher, but his methods weren’t exactly gentle. It was before I made my vows and earned my dawnflame. The wound never healed properly.”

“The better to prepare you for a life spent in service to the Order.” Regret filled Iggie when Alistair grimaced. “Sorry. Forget I said anything. This night is only about you and me.”

“That’s right.” With a visible effort of will, Alistair forced down whatever emotions Iggie’s mention of the Order had dredged up. He shifted so that he lay atop Iggie, another flex of his hips leaving Iggie’s body rigid with desire. “It’s past time we both did our best to distract ourselves.”

A blush rose over Iggie’s pale skin as Alistair’s hands crept lower, drifting beneath the waistline of his pants. His stomach fluttered. “Wait!” Alistair froze, giving him an uncertain look. Iggie cleared his throat. “I…uh…” He swallowed the awkward knot lodged in his throat. “I’ve never really this with anyone before.”

Alistair furrowed his brow. “Donewhat, exactly?”

Iggie’s blush intensified until he felt an instant away from combusting. “This. Anything.” Alistair’s eyes widened, and Iggie rushed to preempt any more questions the paladin might’ve asked. “I’ve been on the run since I was eleven, never staying too long in any one place in case someone realized what I was or the Order found me. That doesn’t leave much time for intimacy, especially when every encounter is so full of risk.”

The understanding in Alistair’s gaze left Iggie feeling far too exposed. “Fair enough. I guess I hadn’t really thought about it.”

A mixture of relief and regret filled Iggie when Alistair withdrew his hand, shifting it to stroke Iggie’s messy hair. Iggie didn’t entirely want to know the answer to the question on his mind but felt like he needed it all the same. “What about you?”

Alistair quirked an eyebrow, seeming more amused than embarrassed. “I’ve had my fair share of encounters over the years. There are plenty of people eager to get close to the heir of a noble house, even one as relatively small and unimportant as ours.” He cleared his throat, reddening slightly. “Also, plenty of horny boys as new recruits in the…in training.”

Iggie’s heart sank as he nodded. Chuckling, Alistair cupped Iggie’s face, rubbing his thumb along his chin. “No need to look so glum. We can go at your own pace, and I’m happy to assist if you require any guidance. Besides, I assure you that most of those exchanges hardly count. My own intensive training and familial duties left little time for more than fleeting encounters.”