Page 24

There wasn’t a lot of space in the courtyard, but Samuel still managed to roll on his side to expose his stomach. He wasn’t going to say no to that offer.

Matthias laughed, but Thorne was staring at Samuel. Samuel expected him to wave the offer away, but instead, he stepped forward and gently touched Samuel’s stomach.

Samuel’s muscles contracted. He stayed still, allowing Thorne to touch him. This was a very vulnerable position, but it was one he’d put himself in voluntarily. He didn’t regret it. Thorne was showing a lot of trust in him by allowing him to take him flying, and Samuel was doing the same now.

“It’s soft,” Thorne said. “And warm. For some reason, I didn’t expect you to be warm.”

Samuel huffed. He wasn’t dead. Why wouldn’t he be warm?

That was enough to cause Thorne to step away. Samuel regretted it, but he rolled onto his stomach, then looked at Matthias and Thorne. Matthias knew what this meant, and he quickly stepped forward, grabbing Thorne’s wrist and pulling him along. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

Samuel half expected Thorne to change his mind, but he didn’t. Following Matthias’s lead, Thorne climbed onto Samuel’s back, and Samuel grinned.

This was going to be so much fun.

* * * *

MATTHIAS REMEMBERED the first time he’d gone flying with Samuel. It hadn’t happened that long ago, but he’d gone several times since, and he’d gotten used to it. As soon as Samuel landed on top of one of the towers, he slid off his back and got ready to help Thorne.

He couldn’t stop smiling. He loved flying with Samuel, and having Thorne there, sitting behind him, clinging to him as if he was afraid he would slide off or fly away, had been exhilarating. This was the closest Matthias had been to Thorne, and he wanted more of it.

Samuel had been a dragon, but Matthias had been on top of him, straddling him. Thorne had been plastered against his back. This was the closest the three of them had been since they’d met, and it did something to him. He wanted more of it, but he also wanted it to happen in a different situation, possibly one where fewer clothes were involved.

Thorne slid down, and Matthias offered him his hand. He was glad when Thorne accepted it. He remembered that his legs had felt like jelly his first time, so he stood there, ready to support Thorne if he needed it.

“You okay?” he asked.

“That was exactly what I expected and not what I expected at all at the same time, and I know that doesn’t make sense,” Thorne answered.

Matthias laughed. “It does, though. Don’t worry about it. I felt that way, too, but now, I love going up there.”

“And you will too,” Samuel said as he shifted back. “How was it? You didn’t scream bloody murder, so I think it was great, right?”

Thorne straightened his back and arched a brow at Samuel. “You’re a little full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Not really. I just know that flying is great.”

Thorne’s expression softened. “It is. I had a lot of fun.”

“Good. Maybe we can convince you to do it again, then.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet.”

“Well, you don’t have to be ready now. I wasn’t offering to take you back up this very second. Matthias loves it, though. He always comes and asks when he can go flying.”

It was true, but Matthias still felt himself blush. He didn’t need to be called out like that.

“Well, I have work to do,” Thorne said.

“There’s more to life than work. Matthias and I can help you with that,” Samuel said.

Matthias wondered if Samuel realized how that sounded. Knowing him, probably. Was he serious, though? Or was he just poking fun at Thorne? Both were possible, and Matthias wished he knew.

He wanted to ask, but he was afraid to ruin what they were building. If the only thing he could have with these two was friendship, he would happily take it. He wanted more, but he’d barely been in relationships, let alone with two men at once. How would that work? Would they be able to make it work? Samuel and Thorne butted heads quite often, but now that they were closer, it seemed like they enjoyed the bickering rather than getting angry. Would that be enough for them to get along?

Matthias didn’t know. He wanted to find out, but he was awkward on the best of days when it came to this kind of thing. He really wished Samuel would take the lead.

He looked at the way Samuel was checking on Thorne and how Thorne was brushing Samuel’s hands away. Maybe Samuel was taking the lead. He’d been touching Thorne a lot more than usual, and while it seemed innocent enough, there might be more to it. And Thorne didn’t seem to be reacting badly. Maybe that just meant that he wanted Samuel, and maybe there could be more.