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Still within rasp, slid his hands up my back to hold me close

"Zharkat," he h e of the dresser, then heldme deliciously iht around him as he lowered me to the soft quilt He looked down at me with a smile that lit his entire face and kissedhis head to nuzzle ain, and I made a pleased sound in the back of my throat as I arched into him There was a lot to like about the stamina and quick recovery ti exactly how easily he could bring ht back up to the peak His hands and ging for yet another release With ed potencies and deep passion, we carried each other to new realle of li last I caught rinned over at him where he lay propped up on one elbow beside ers down my cheek "I am forever dubbed thus"

"Yep, you’re stuck with it!" I said, then gave a languid sigh as htfully with pleasure and potency

He shifted and swept all his hair over his shoulder I eagerly reached out to slide h the silky mass "There is ti a hand over htened at his touch I could get used to this"I’rin

He raised an eyebrow, then his face ain, and I will do…bad things…to you"

I gathered a handful of hair, tugged "How bad are we talking?" I asked I tugged again, harder

He closed his eyes briefly,the lines of holy fucking shit it feels good when you do that His reaction sent hty bits

"Bad," Mzatal s and pushed roaned and wound s that ood ways Once I recovered, I proceeded to do bad things to hiood

Eventually we lay liainst each other, spent and sated He wrapped his ar slowed, then turned ht side and shifted to lie behind me He dropped his left ar the confrontation with Rhyzkahl, pulled led his head over mine "Zharkat," he hed--a free, beautiful sound--and held me close as we both slipped into sleep

Chapter 41

I openedof unknown creatures greeting thestill twinkled Languor and deep peace drifted through me, and I smiled as I felt an arm draped across my hips and a black curtain of hair spread over hted wonder He stayed and slept with me I shifted very carefully to face hio, so I knew he’d chosen to sleep with me Rhyzkahl had never made that choice, even when I asked hi lord, I realized I’d never doubted that he would

And he was, indeed, asleep I reached and stroked his hair back fro to see how he looked in repose

Beautiful He breathed deeply and evenly, face relaxed and carrying none of the controlled -controlled, or scary-limpse of the true Mzatal, and I reveled in it

I coiled a lock of hair aroundI cared for Mzatal quite deeply, yet I knew this wasn’t any sort of "romantic" love It was far more than that I didn’t have words to explain it, and didn’t feel any need to do so It just was Even if we never slept together again, we’d always have this a shared closeness

A sh it wouldn’t be at all bad to do it again Maybe some post-ritual celebration?

Mzatal drew a deep breath and stirred, a s I stroked his hair, and a ain, opened his eyes and looked into ainst my cheek

"Zharkat"

I smiled "Hi"

His hand slipped to the back of hta smile that reached all the way to his eyes and shone out "There are no words adequate," he ers "I’ to try," I said with a chuckle "And today we retrieve the blade"

Mzatal slid his hand over my shoulder and down to"And with Vsuhl, forestallhow at ease I felt with hi me atop him "Is that ill do, zharkat?" he asked "Kick all the ass?"