a Pleasure Rites, #1 by Ines Johnson (top ten books of all time TXT) 📗

"She's a curious woman, isn't she?" Dain tossed the device in the air and caught it with the same hand.

The monk stayed mute. His chin set.

Khial knew the Pleasure Hounds' compound was in desperate need of the money Dain supplied them for Chanyn's training. The reputation of the hounds had been damaged because one monk ran away with some aristocrat's daughter. Since that incident, the First Sons wouldn't trust their precious few females to go under the tutelage of the sexually superior hounds.

The removal of a contraceptive ring was an offense of high magnitude. If a hound were to get a woman pregnant with his own seed, the Sisterhood would likely shut them down for good and persecute all the monks for crimes against women.

"She took the ring off, didn't she?" Dain's voice was coaxing.

The monk didn't answer, even though an accusation could mean he wouldn't get paid, or worse he could be brought up on charges.

Khial saw that the monk had no intention of selling Chanyn out. Khial leaned back against the fireplace, appraising the monk anew. Khial prized loyalty highest among all other traits in men.

"As I said, my Lord, the fault lies entirely with the teacher and his instruction," said the monk. "It might please you to know that Chan—that Lady Chanyn is very responsive. If my estimation is correct, and I believe it is, she is capable of orgasm."

Khial knew the monks believed that the female orgasm was necessary in order to conceive female children. Men had no trouble coming at the stroke of their cocks, but women, apparently, were not as fortunate. Hence the monks.

"We could forgo the one-on-one training," the monk continued, "and you and your mate can join us in the next session."

Dain glanced over the monk's shoulder and met Khial's eyes. Khial's heart sighed at the sudden stiffness in his lover's posture. Thank the Goddess! Dain wasn't ready for intimate relations with the girl. But just as Khial's heart breathed a sigh of relief, his dick hardened in anticipation of the time when they would partake in those relations.

Khial commenced clenching his hand once more.

Dain cleared his throat and pulled at his shirt's collar. A nervous gesture that Khial knew well. "In light of tonight's events, I would feel more comfortable if you took a bit more time in your evaluation of Lady Chanyn. She is untried and needs to understand the ways of men before we three bond."

From behind, Khial saw the monk's back stiffen beneath his robes. In the end, the monk bowed his head and turned to leave. As he neared the door, his eye caught Khial's. It was only a slight flick of his brow but Khial felt as if the man looked him over, sized him up, and found him wanting.

Before Khial could bristle at the evaluation, the monk was gone.

Now alone, Khial regarded his lover. Dain crossed his hands over his chest and leaned back in his chair stretching his neck. It was a catlike move that Khial had seen him do many times when he was stressed. Dain said the posture allowed his thoughts to turn upside down so that when he righted himself he came back with fresh ideas.

Khial always saw it as an opportunity to taste his lover's strong neck column. Bracing himself on the arms of Dain's chair Khial did just that. His tongue beginning at the base of Dain's throat and tracing a slow path to the underside of the other man's chin.

A low growl of pleasure sounded in Dain's throat.

Khial nipped at his chin before capturing Dain's bottom lip with his teeth.

"Hey," Dain breathed, looking into Khial's eyes.

"Mmmm," was Khial's answer as he crowded Dain in the chair and went seeking his earlobe.

"So," said Dain. "What did you see?"

Khial frowned as he pulled away. As he did, he also pulled Dain's shirttails from his trousers.

"Chanyn and the hound," Dain clarified. "What were they doing?"

Khial popped open a button on Dain's shirt. "You want to know the goings on in the bed of a man and woman?"

Dain's nod was a bit solemn. "We're going to have a woman in our bed soon, Khi."

Once again, Khial's dick jumped at the prospect. It was a thought and a feeling he was not willing to deal with, at the moment. Instead, he yanked Dain's face roughly to him and got lost in his lover's mouth. Pushing his tongue into Dain's mouth, Khial shoved all thoughts of Chanyn from his mind and tried his best to make Dain do the same.

It must have worked because soon Dain gripped the backs of Khial's thighs and pulled him down into the chair. Khial straddled his lap. Dain took over the kissing as Khial continued working on Dain's buttons.

But then Dain drew back sharply and grabbed his chest through the open shirt.

Khial hopped up. "Dain?"

Dain didn't answer. He gulped down lungful’s of air.

Khial looked around in a panic. It had been a long time since Dain had had an episode. None of the medicinals the Physics gave him were working. Heart conditions were largely incurable.

Khial felt helpless as he sank to his knees before Dain. Khial's fingers clenched, digging into his palms, needing to tear at the thing causing Dain pain. Khial's own heart beat painfully as he watched his lover catch his breath.

Dain's breaths eased. His eyes relaxed and finally opened. With a careless flick of his hand and small grin, Dain waved the episode off.

"It's passed," Dain insisted bringing Khial's head back down for a kiss.

Khial stopped him, his own heart still beating wildly out of control. "We can go to the Australias. There are some old world doctors there who might be able to help."

Dain shook his head.

"You cannot ask me to give up on you." Khial was certain that if Dain's heart ever stopped beating, his would too. And Khial had a lot of living to do. Living with this man in front of him—this