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Neska blinks, digesting this. “So I am.” He slides an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in, and threads swirl around us, along with the air. The world seems to tilt around me.
A moment later, everything calms and we’re back in my chambers, Neska having maneuvered us there. He flicks a finger and points at one of the cobweb-covered walls, and the mirror settles itself there. Satisfied, he turns back to me and waits, a hint of challenge on his face.
Right. I take his hand and lead him over to my bed, settling on the edge of it. He sits down, bending awkwardly as if he doesn’t usually do such things, and looks wildly uncomfortable. His expression hardens and something tells me he feels vulnerable—and doesn’t like it.
“May I sit in your lap?” I ask suddenly. We’ll no longer be on equal ground—I’ll be at his mercy. But perhaps that’s what he needs for our first kiss. Perhaps he needs to feel as if he’s in control.
Neska gives me a stiff nod, and I get up and move into his arms, settling myself on his knee. His leg feels thin under my backside, but I tell myself that he’s a god and I’m not too heavy for him, no matter how willowy his frame.
Once I’m settled against him, I wrap my arms around his neck. “May I kiss you? If you don’t like it, all you have to do is tap my arm and I’ll stop.”
He gives me the tiniest of nods, his expression tense. He’s acting as if I’m about to attack him, not kiss him, but I’m starting to get a better grasp on Neska and how he thinks. He doesn’t like to feel vulnerable. Where Ossev is more open to things, and Zaroun trusts me completely, Neska is suspicious. He sees malicious intent where there is none. Perhaps it has something to do with the nature of their particular tasks, but whatever it is, I know Neska is the one I must be the most careful with.
I lean in and ever-so-lightly brush my lips against his. His mouth is a hard, tight seam that offers me no give, and it’s like kissing marble. I persist, pressing small, slow kisses to his mouth until he softens against me. I brush my nose against his and kiss his upper lip, letting my tongue tease against it, and I’m rewarded with a tremor going through his body.
Maybe Neska is so suspicious and cold because he feels more than the others and he doesn’t know how to cope. Maybe being the Spidae of the present is the most draining, and so Neska must work that much harder to keep himself together.
I keep kissing him as if we have all the time in the world. I press my mouth to his over and over again, covering every bit of skin with sweet, gentle kisses, and occasionally letting my tongue flicker against his skin to keep him guessing. I slide a hand into his soft, gossamer hair and hold onto him, and this time, I let my tongue flick against the once-tight seam of his mouth.
I’m rewarded with the barest parting of his lips. Then, his tongue brushes against mine, and I’m the one shivering. It’s just a light caress, but it’s enough to feel tender and cautious, and how long has it been since any lover was cautious with me? As if I’m a piece of prized glass that must be cherished instead of someone there simply for their convenience?
Then, Neska deepens the kiss. I’m no longer the one in charge. His tongue lazily plays against mine, toying with me and teasing with light flicks. I’m no longer the teacher, and I don’t mind. He’s picked this up very quickly, and by the time he releases me, I’m breathless and panting, my body throbbing in response.
He regards me with that cool gray gaze, saying nothing.
It’s like the tables have been turned and I’m now the vulnerable one. I breathe hard on his lap, my mouth tender and puffy from our kisses. “Did you like that?”
Neska’s eyes narrow.
I suspect he’s not going to answer me. If he says yes, he’s giving me power over him. If he says no, I’m going to kiss him again, or worse—kiss his brothers. I can practically see the gears turning in his mind, weighing his options.
So I decide to see for myself. I brush a hand over his cock, and yes, yes he did like that. He’s rigid under his robes, for all that he keeps his expression casual.
Neska grabs my wrist, pulling my hand off of him. He lifts it into the air, giving me an angry, indignant stare.
Perhaps I’ve pushed him too far. “I’m not laughing at you,” I say softly. “I’m trying to judge what pleases you so we don’t go down the wrong path. Not everyone likes kissing. There’s no sense in spending time on it if you don’t enjoy it.”
He releases me and then gets to his feet so abruptly that I have to scramble to keep my balance. I tumble off his lap, staggering to my feet, and watch as Neska leaves my quarters in a swirl of long, silken hair and pale robes.
Nine
“He liked it,”Ossev says, showing up at my doorstep later. He steps inside, not bothering to ask permission.
I look up at him, trying to hide my frown. I’ve been lost in thought all afternoon, wondering if I’ve angered Fate—a god himself—and now I’m going to suffer the consequences. I’ve polished and dusted my new mirror, hanging it back on the magical spot Neska had set it at and then stared at the shiny surface, wondering if kissing a god was so wrong.
And now Ossev is here. “What are you talking about?”
“Neska. You. Kisses. He liked it. He doesn’t know how to say he liked it, but I can feel it through our connection. He’s been thinking about your mouth all day instead of the mortals he’s supposed to be watching.”
Oh. That pleases me more than it probably should. I move over to my bed, sitting on the edge and adjusting my skirts. There is only one chair in my room and I figure I should leave that for Ossev. “Is that going to cause problems for Neska? If he’s not paying attention to his work?”
Ossev shrugs. He moves to sit next to me, so close that his leg touches mine. He always does. I should tell him that I need room to breathe, but it reminds me that he’s trying very hard for my sake, even if he doesn’t understand human things like personal space. So I say nothing and smile at him. “Neska gave me a mirror.”
“I saw.” He watches me closely. “You like it?”
“I do. I like the thought of being able to look at things. It’s more entertaining than staring at the walls.”
“It’s taking a piece of his power to keep it going for you. Every time you access it to view something, it will be like sending a request to him. He must like you a great deal if he made such an offer.” He says the words with a hint of wonder, as if he doesn’t quite believe it himself.
