4
(then)
Lynx grunted and sat abruptly up. A familiar flicker of panic ran through him until the room came into focus. He shook the sleep from his head and disentangled his legs from the blanket, reaching down between the bed and wall until he touched his fingers to his dagger hilt.
‘So much for me thinking I was stealthy in the mornings,’ chuckled Kas from across the room.
Lynx froze. The dark-skinned woman was standing at the washbasin, naked as the day she was born and wiping a sodden cloth over her body. A handful of scars stood out in light curtailed by shutters closed over the narrow window, their abrupt lines highlighting the lean, muscular shape of her body.
‘I, ah, I’m a light sleeper,’ he muttered, unable to drag his eyes away.
‘That much I worked out,’ Kas said, deftly bundling her hair up so she could wipe the back of her neck down. Lynx found himself transfixed by the trails of water running down to her buttocks.
‘One day I want to hear that story.’
‘Eh?’ Lynx jerked back to his senses. ‘What?’
She paused and pursed her lips at him. ‘See anything you like?’ Lynx could only cough, but that was enough to make her laugh out loud. ‘Boy, you really are out of practice around women.’
‘Around anyone,’ he said, scratching his bulging belly and swinging his legs around so he was sitting on the side of the bed.
‘Around anyone,’ she agreed with a smile. ‘But last night was a creditable effort at remembering what to do with a woman. Bit o’ practice and you might be half-decent at it.’
A stupid grin stole across Lynx’s face at that. There’d been more than a little drinking before they turned in, enough to cast a pleasant haze over his memory, but it had also washed away the awkwardness of unfamiliarity.
‘Aye, you too.’ He stood and crossed the two steps to where she stood, sliding one hand around the taut curve of her left buttock.
‘Me? I’m more’n half-decent,’ she insisted, playfully slapping his hand away. ‘I’m fucking great, ask anyone.’
‘Anyone?’
She coughed at his tone and turned to face him, one hand slipping around his thick neck to pull him closer to kiss. Lynx did so willingly, but as their lips touched he felt her fingers tighten around his balls. ‘Anyone,’ she repeated softly. ‘Might not mean they know it first hand, o’ course.’ She looked down and tightened her grip a fraction more. ‘Looks like someone enjoys that.’
Lynx followed her gaze. ‘Depends who’s doing it,’ he said huskily. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close. Kas pushed her hips against his and kissed him long and hard before she broke off and leaned back, giving him a sharp slap on the buttock for good measure.
‘Hold up a moment, soldier!’
Lynx blinked. ‘What?’
‘Dawn’s come, time for grub and muster.’ She cocked her head at him. ‘Plus, you’ll be getting Anatin’s lecture.’
‘Why? He got his eye on you?’
Kas shook her head and pulled the damp cloth from behind her, draping it over his stiffening cock before slipping clear of his embrace. ‘There’s rules in the company, rules we all keep to.’
Lynx frowned. ‘About sex? He didn’t seem to mind last night. His second slipped off with a recruit, didn’t she?’
‘Aye, and he didn’t mind then, but as of muster we’ll be working. Rules change between work and play. The man likes to play hard – drinking, gambling, screwing, all the fun things in life – but that changes when we’re at work.’
Lynx regarded her a moment, wondering if she was trying to let him down gently or something else was going on. From the look on her face, and the way she was making no effort to cover herself, it didn’t seem like she was full of regrets.
‘He’ll expect us to explain it so he don’t have to go on about it,’ Kas continued after a pause. ‘Payl will be saying the same to that boy, whatever his name was. Anatin finds someone breaking the
(then)
Lynx grunted and sat abruptly up. A familiar flicker of panic ran through him until the room came into focus. He shook the sleep from his head and disentangled his legs from the blanket, reaching down between the bed and wall until he touched his fingers to his dagger hilt.
‘So much for me thinking I was stealthy in the mornings,’ chuckled Kas from across the room.
Lynx froze. The dark-skinned woman was standing at the washbasin, naked as the day she was born and wiping a sodden cloth over her body. A handful of scars stood out in light curtailed by shutters closed over the narrow window, their abrupt lines highlighting the lean, muscular shape of her body.
‘I, ah, I’m a light sleeper,’ he muttered, unable to drag his eyes away.
‘That much I worked out,’ Kas said, deftly bundling her hair up so she could wipe the back of her neck down. Lynx found himself transfixed by the trails of water running down to her buttocks.
‘One day I want to hear that story.’
‘Eh?’ Lynx jerked back to his senses. ‘What?’
She paused and pursed her lips at him. ‘See anything you like?’ Lynx could only cough, but that was enough to make her laugh out loud. ‘Boy, you really are out of practice around women.’
‘Around anyone,’ he said, scratching his bulging belly and swinging his legs around so he was sitting on the side of the bed.
‘Around anyone,’ she agreed with a smile. ‘But last night was a creditable effort at remembering what to do with a woman. Bit o’ practice and you might be half-decent at it.’
A stupid grin stole across Lynx’s face at that. There’d been more than a little drinking before they turned in, enough to cast a pleasant haze over his memory, but it had also washed away the awkwardness of unfamiliarity.
‘Aye, you too.’ He stood and crossed the two steps to where she stood, sliding one hand around the taut curve of her left buttock.
‘Me? I’m more’n half-decent,’ she insisted, playfully slapping his hand away. ‘I’m fucking great, ask anyone.’
‘Anyone?’
She coughed at his tone and turned to face him, one hand slipping around his thick neck to pull him closer to kiss. Lynx did so willingly, but as their lips touched he felt her fingers tighten around his balls. ‘Anyone,’ she repeated softly. ‘Might not mean they know it first hand, o’ course.’ She looked down and tightened her grip a fraction more. ‘Looks like someone enjoys that.’
Lynx followed her gaze. ‘Depends who’s doing it,’ he said huskily. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close. Kas pushed her hips against his and kissed him long and hard before she broke off and leaned back, giving him a sharp slap on the buttock for good measure.
‘Hold up a moment, soldier!’
Lynx blinked. ‘What?’
‘Dawn’s come, time for grub and muster.’ She cocked her head at him. ‘Plus, you’ll be getting Anatin’s lecture.’
‘Why? He got his eye on you?’
Kas shook her head and pulled the damp cloth from behind her, draping it over his stiffening cock before slipping clear of his embrace. ‘There’s rules in the company, rules we all keep to.’
Lynx frowned. ‘About sex? He didn’t seem to mind last night. His second slipped off with a recruit, didn’t she?’
‘Aye, and he didn’t mind then, but as of muster we’ll be working. Rules change between work and play. The man likes to play hard – drinking, gambling, screwing, all the fun things in life – but that changes when we’re at work.’
Lynx regarded her a moment, wondering if she was trying to let him down gently or something else was going on. From the look on her face, and the way she was making no effort to cover herself, it didn’t seem like she was full of regrets.
‘He’ll expect us to explain it so he don’t have to go on about it,’ Kas continued after a pause. ‘Payl will be saying the same to that boy, whatever his name was. Anatin finds someone breaking the
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