wanted to debauch her in the nearest shadowy alcove, hard and deep and maybe more than once in quick succession.
Damn it, he thought. The other him’s lust for her was rubbing off on him again.
~
The crowd in Cade’s anteroom was finally thinning out. He was deep in discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs when Joseph sent him a scroll message that Elyse had returned.
“Excuse me, minister,” he said with no remorse whatsoever. “We’ll continue this later. I need to take another report right now.”
The minister bowed and retreated. After a decent pause for discretion, Joseph brought Elyse in. Aware that Cade wouldn’t want to talk to him just then, the magician closed the door behind her.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Cade said.
Elyse smiled a little shyly and came to him. “Joseph said it would all right to interrupt.”
“More than all right.” He stretched in his chair and groaned as his vertebrae realigned. “God, I hate sitting like that all day.”
She perched on the edge of his desk facing him. “You look tired.” She stroked the hollows beneath his eyes with her thumbs. The touch was gentle and wonderful.
“That’s funny,” he joked. “I was thinking about you a minute ago, and it gave me a second wind.”
He caught her nearer leg, lifting and bending it so that her shin rested lengthwise along his groin. He hadn’t lied about her being in his thoughts—or about becoming aroused because of it.
“Hm,” she said, the swell of his erection pressing the embroidered silk of her trouser leg. “That is funny.”
Holding her calf wasn’t enough for him. He lifted her onto his lap, wrapped her slender waist in his arms, and kissed her thoroughly. This was the way a long day of work should end. She held him back, her breath coming faster with the kiss. Her head fell back as he trailed his mouth down her neck.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
Cade slid one hand up her front to squeeze a sharp-tipped breast. His cock was painfully hard, his whole being aching to take her. “Starving,” he growled at her.
“I meant for food.” She pushed weakly at his chest.
He tipped her back onto the desk, propped above her with his hips positioned between her lolling thighs. She bit her lip, her cheeks flushed inspiringly. Then, just as he began to tug down her silk trousers, her stomach growled noisily.
“Damn it,” he said, not knowing whether to cry or laugh. “Didn’t the other me feed you?”
“We were busy. If you let me call for a meal, I can bring you up to date on what we found out.”
“Fine.” He subsided back into his chair, his groin pounding annoyingly. Chances seemed good he looked sullen.
“You’ll have more energy once you’ve eaten,” she pointed out.
“Will I need it?” he asked, intrigued by that idea.
Elyse smiled at him.
Chapter Three
JOSEPH the Magician—formerly Joseph the Eunuch—knew he shouldn’t resent Cade and Elyse’s happiness. They weren’t so wrapped in each other that they forgot the city needed them.
They’d simply forgotten him.
In sharing the challenges of their journey home, Joseph had come to consider Elyse a friend—his first female friend in life. He’d trusted her with his secret: that he’d unintentionally made his double a whole man. At the time, Elyse had reacted more understandingly than he could himself. By making his copy different, he’d jeopardized the chance that he and it would reunite. Considering this was necessary to restore his power to its former level, a power their city certainly could use, his mistake wasn’t trivial. Ever since he’d discovered it, he’d been afraid to think sexual thoughts.
They didn’t belong to the man he’d been.
He laid his hand on the outer door to his apartment. Though he served the commander closely, Arcadius had long ago granted his request not to reside in his house, allowing him to have separate rooms. Joseph liked privacy—creature comforts too. He had both
Damn it, he thought. The other him’s lust for her was rubbing off on him again.
~
The crowd in Cade’s anteroom was finally thinning out. He was deep in discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs when Joseph sent him a scroll message that Elyse had returned.
“Excuse me, minister,” he said with no remorse whatsoever. “We’ll continue this later. I need to take another report right now.”
The minister bowed and retreated. After a decent pause for discretion, Joseph brought Elyse in. Aware that Cade wouldn’t want to talk to him just then, the magician closed the door behind her.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Cade said.
Elyse smiled a little shyly and came to him. “Joseph said it would all right to interrupt.”
“More than all right.” He stretched in his chair and groaned as his vertebrae realigned. “God, I hate sitting like that all day.”
She perched on the edge of his desk facing him. “You look tired.” She stroked the hollows beneath his eyes with her thumbs. The touch was gentle and wonderful.
“That’s funny,” he joked. “I was thinking about you a minute ago, and it gave me a second wind.”
He caught her nearer leg, lifting and bending it so that her shin rested lengthwise along his groin. He hadn’t lied about her being in his thoughts—or about becoming aroused because of it.
“Hm,” she said, the swell of his erection pressing the embroidered silk of her trouser leg. “That is funny.”
Holding her calf wasn’t enough for him. He lifted her onto his lap, wrapped her slender waist in his arms, and kissed her thoroughly. This was the way a long day of work should end. She held him back, her breath coming faster with the kiss. Her head fell back as he trailed his mouth down her neck.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
Cade slid one hand up her front to squeeze a sharp-tipped breast. His cock was painfully hard, his whole being aching to take her. “Starving,” he growled at her.
“I meant for food.” She pushed weakly at his chest.
He tipped her back onto the desk, propped above her with his hips positioned between her lolling thighs. She bit her lip, her cheeks flushed inspiringly. Then, just as he began to tug down her silk trousers, her stomach growled noisily.
“Damn it,” he said, not knowing whether to cry or laugh. “Didn’t the other me feed you?”
“We were busy. If you let me call for a meal, I can bring you up to date on what we found out.”
“Fine.” He subsided back into his chair, his groin pounding annoyingly. Chances seemed good he looked sullen.
“You’ll have more energy once you’ve eaten,” she pointed out.
“Will I need it?” he asked, intrigued by that idea.
Elyse smiled at him.
Chapter Three
JOSEPH the Magician—formerly Joseph the Eunuch—knew he shouldn’t resent Cade and Elyse’s happiness. They weren’t so wrapped in each other that they forgot the city needed them.
They’d simply forgotten him.
In sharing the challenges of their journey home, Joseph had come to consider Elyse a friend—his first female friend in life. He’d trusted her with his secret: that he’d unintentionally made his double a whole man. At the time, Elyse had reacted more understandingly than he could himself. By making his copy different, he’d jeopardized the chance that he and it would reunite. Considering this was necessary to restore his power to its former level, a power their city certainly could use, his mistake wasn’t trivial. Ever since he’d discovered it, he’d been afraid to think sexual thoughts.
They didn’t belong to the man he’d been.
He laid his hand on the outer door to his apartment. Though he served the commander closely, Arcadius had long ago granted his request not to reside in his house, allowing him to have separate rooms. Joseph liked privacy—creature comforts too. He had both
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