Incubus Dreams - Laurell K. Hamilton [237]
I looked at Jason and settled more solidly against Nathaniel’s body. He sighed, and laid his head down on the bed.
“So what, the ardeur is the universe’s way of getting me where I needed to go?”
“Maybe,” he said, then grinned, “I can’t speak for whole universe. All I know is that I envy you, and I don’t envy many people.”
I frowned.
“Are you jealous?” Nathaniel asked.
Jason looked surprised, either at the question, or at who had asked it. He finally shook his head. “Not jealous of you or Anita, like in love with you jealous, no. Jealous of what you have together, hell yes. Jealous of not having that many people in love with me, hell, yes, again.” He smiled, and then grinned, and it reached his eyes this time. “Besides, I’m not Anita’s type for a relationship.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“I’m not submissive enough, or dominant enough for you. I’m certainly not domestic enough. I’m also not willing to take on all the responsibilities that Micah seems to embrace so easily. You’ve found another person who thrives on his job and taking care of other people’s crises. Not my idea of fun.” He spread his hands wide. “You and Jean-Claude, well, that’s something else. I know I can’t compete with it.”
“It’s not a competition,” Nathaniel said.
“You don’t see it that way,” Jason said, “but I’m just dominant enough, and guy enough, to see it that way.”
“If anyone of them saw it as a competition, it wouldn’t work,” I said.
“I know,” Jason said. He shook his head. “I’m going into the bathroom again, and this time I’m staying there until I’m called, or until I feel the ardeur rise. You guys have fun. Sorry, if I flattened the mood.”
“My mood’s fine,” I said.
“Mine, too,” Nathaniel said.
Jason stared at us both. “No ardeur, and I’ve made you talk and think too hard, and you’re still okay with this?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Why?”
“Because a very wise and dear friend told me I was going to fuck this up, and I don’t want to do that.”
He smiled and his face softened. “If you do ever pick one of them to actually marry, and it’s Nathaniel, I get dibs on being best man.”
“I don’t think that’s going to come up,” I said, “but if it does, you’d be our first pick.”
“You didn’t ask Nathaniel,” he said.
“She didn’t have to,” Nathaniel said.
Jason walked toward the bathroom, shaking his head. “Too dominant by half.”
I called after him. “You know I have to be the better man in any relationship, Jason.” I meant it to be a joke.
He turned at the bathroom door, and said, “Fuck, Anita, you are the better man. Just because you don’t have the right equipment, doesn’t change what you are.” He closed the door behind him, firmly, until it clicked.
We were left alone in the bedroom. Nathaniel raised up and looked down at me. “You don’t have to finish tonight, Anita. Jason’s right, the way you touched me. I know if not this time, then next. The sooner you feed the ardeur the better you’ll feel.”
I smiled at him, then unfolded my arms and slid my face down, until I was as far between his legs as I could get. He wasn’t as excited now, and the skin was loose. I licked that most delicate of skin and heard his breath go out in a long sigh. I drew the loose skin into my mouth, pulling it gently out and away from his body. The skin didn’t stay loose for long, and when it was tight and I could lick the balls inside that skin, I told him, “On all fours.”
He did it without being asked twice.
I drew his balls into my mouth, one at a time, carefully, so carefully. I rolled them in my mouth with tongue and lips, until they were wet and slick. I caught glimpses of the rest of him, just in front, but not all, and not well. I’d only seen him nude from the front three times. Once when I first met him, once when I made the triumverate between him and Damian, and earlier in my office.