Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

A sigh slipped past Gunter’s parted lips. “We had just sat down in the library when Hoheit called.” Great skies above, did he just whine? But to be fair to himself, Nikki had been straddling his lap, their head resting on his shoulder, while he flipped through a book he’d been reading for some research. A deep sense of peace and rightness fell over him when Nikki was in his arms. It was where the mage belonged. Having their cuddling cut short was not putting him in the right mood for a meeting with the kings.

“Well, after this meeting, we’ll have to sneak off somewhere they can’t find us,” Nikki suggested. “The library is a horrible hiding place. That’s the first place anyone will look for us. We need to go somewhere else. That way we can’t be called to any more meetings.”

A slow grin spread across Gunter’s face. “You want to sneak away?”

“For a little while. I know we can’t for long. The Jaeggi need to be found and stopped. We’re the only ones who can save the other mages in the world.”

Gunter took Nikki’s hand in his and started walking again. “What would we do when we found a good hiding place?”

Nikki hummed like they were thinking about it, but the blush starting to stain their pale cheeks argued Nikki knew exactly what they wanted to do. “I’m thinking you need to kiss me again. Like you did when you were drinking with Alric. You know, so we are sure it wasn’t a fluke or anything.”

“A fluke?” Gunter gasped, outraged at just the idea. At least, until he realized Nikki was teasing him. And he wanted to pay back that teasing tenfold, but…. With Nikki’s hand held tight in his, he quickly scanned the hallway. They weren’t far from Alric’s office, and he could already hear the voices of the other kings echoing down the corridor. But that door was perfect.

Gunter pulled Nikki along and stopped at the door in question. He jerked it open and stuck his head inside, checking to make sure the room was indeed empty. While decent sized, it was filled with boxes of office supplies and some random cleaning products. Not exactly romantic, but it would serve his purpose.

After closing the door behind them and dropping his tablet on top of a box, Gunter deftly lifted his mage up and pinned their back against the door, while Nikki naturally wrapped their legs around his waist. Their face remained flushed, but now there was a wonderful sparkle of surprise and maybe even mischief in their wide eyes.

“What are you doing?” Nikki gasped.

“I thought it would be quite obvious. I’m proving to you my kisses are never a fluke.”

Nikki breathed a soft “Oh” before he captured those perfect lips in a deep kiss.

Gunter’s tongue slid inside and tangled with Nikki’s. Fingers bit into his shoulders and their legs squeezed his hips, trying to pull him in tighter. Perfect. Everything about Nikki was so damn perfect. He could get lost in their kisses and the adorable little whimpering noises escaping their throat.

Gunter wanted to explore every inch of Nikki with his tongue. He’d simply peel away each piece of clothing, licking bits of flesh and nibbling on the truly interesting areas until Nikki was writhing and panting beneath him.

But they couldn’t. The meeting. The Jaeggi. They were expected.

Reluctantly, Gunter broke off the kiss, but he couldn’t completely pull away. He trailed lighter kisses across their jaw and then licked across Nikki’s Adam’s apple. Gunter moaned hotly against the damp skin. “You even taste like candy.”

“I do?” Nikki asked brokenly.

Gunter hummed again. “You smell like spun sugar and taste like cotton candy.”

“Then we should just stay in here forever. No one will find us. You can lick me all over.”

A ragged laugh escaped Gunter and he forced himself to finally lift his head. It couldn’t be a good sign when he and Nikki were thinking the same thing.

“We have to go. The kings are waiting for us.”

Nikki groaned and unwrapped their legs from around Gunter’s waist. Gunter kept ahold of Nikki until he was completely sure they were steady on their feet. His eyes swept over their mussed hair, puffy lips, flushed cheeks, and even a bit of beard burn along their throat. They looked as if they’d been mauled.

“Do I look like I’ve been kissed?”

“Thoroughly kissed,” Gunter replied without thinking.

To his shock, Nikki puffed up and grinned wickedly before extending his hand to Gunter. “Good. I bet I even smell like you now. Let’s go to the meeting.”

Oh fuck. Nikki really had no idea what that did to Gunter—the knowledge of Nikki happy to be marked and claimed by him and wanting everyone to know it. He nearly said fuck it and tossed the meeting out the window. It took a second for him to reel back the impulse. Taking Nikki now—roughly—was not how he wanted their first time together to go.