The Englor Affair (21 page)

Payton had no doubt if he said no, Si would stop, but he didn’t want that. He nodded.

Si glanced down. The hot tip of his cock touched Payton’s crease, dragging up and down before inching in. Si’s eyes closed. “So fucking perfect.” He let out a long, jagged breath and pushed steadily in. The hair on his legs tickled Payton. Once he was fully inside he stopped. His eyes opened and his gaze bore into Payton’s. His hands slid up Payton’s chest and stomach, petting, feeling. “So good.” He gripped Payton’s cock and stroked slowly. “Feels so good.”

The sting was back. Payton’s breath caught, but he remained perfectly still hoping the discomfort didn’t last long. The constant drag on his prick made the ache in his arse subside. He couldn’t believe he was losing his virginity. He was glad it was Si.

Si’s cock slid back then thrust in. He didn’t rush, just let Payton get used to the new sensation.

It didn’t hurt, but Payton couldn’t quite make it comfortable either. His erection didn’t dwindle though. If he concentrated on the delicious drag over his prick, it felt almost good.

“Oh fuck, you’re beautiful. I love when you bite your lip like that.” Si dropped forward, and his hand continued working Payton’s cock. He gave Payton no time to think. His hips thrust again as his mouth seized Payton’s. Si gave no quarter, just kept fucking Payton with his tongue as well as his cock. He pulled back, his lips barely touching Payton’s. “Like my cock in your arse? You like me fucking you?”

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Payton’s whole body was on fire. He couldn’t breathe. He loved it when Si talked to him like that. His body melted into a trembling mass of sensation. This is what had been missing. Si had been such a gentleman, and while Payton liked it, he liked this too. There was something about Si’s growly voice whispering naughty things that really got to him.

And Si knew it too. He grinned against Payton’s lips. “I’ve been wanting to fuck you since I first saw you. Couldn’t wait to get my fat prick into your tight little virgin hole.”

“Dust.” Payton gasped and nipped Si’s lips.
Bloody hell.
He was close to coming.

Finally, Si pulled back. Sweat dripped down his chest, over the sparse matt of red-gold hair. He sat up on his knees and looped his arms under Payton’s legs. A piece of his gorgeous red hair fell into his eyes and he tossed his head to get it out. Si grunted and slammed forward.

Payton went wild, trying to buck up against Si. He was vaguely aware of the sound of their skin slapping together, Si’s grunts and his own moans. The uncomfortable feeling was long gone. Payton’s cock dripped onto his chest, spurting a little. His testicles drew closer as Si’s cock hit just right on every thrust. It was the most amazing feeling, like little sparks traveling up and down his spine. He clenched his arse tight and his thighs tensed. Eyes squeezing shut, he came. His cock jerked and hot semen shot out, hitting him in the chin, the chest and cheek.

Si roared above him and stopped moving.

Payton’s body relaxed slowly. His breath was still ragged, his heart still racing, but he felt utterly boneless. His muscles were no longer tense. It was the best orgasm of his life.

Lowering his legs, Si slipped from his body.

It sent a shiver up Payton’s spine. He opened his eyes to find Si staring at him.

Dipping, he licked off the semen dripping down Payton’s cheek. “You are amazing.

Thank you.” He took Payton’s lips in a gentle caress of lips, sweet and…loving. He lingered, placing little kisses along Payton’s jaw. He left the room and came back with a towel.

His fingers tickled over Payton’s side and up under his arm. “What’s this?”

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Raising his head, Payton looked at the place Si touched.

Si traced his birthmark. “It looks like a rose.”

“It’s my birthmark. All Regelens, those of us born of artificial procreation, have it.”

Bending, Si kissed the mark. He wiped off Payton’s chest and chin and ran the towel down Payton’s crease. Tossing the towel away, Simon lifted the edge of the comforter and climbed into bed. “Come on, Pay, get under here.”

He really did not want to move, but Payton scooted up and under the covers anyway.

Turning on his side, Si wrapped Payton in his arms, putting his back to Si’s chest.

His breath tickled Payton’s ear.

Payton was almost asleep when Si asked, “How old are you?”

Payton blinked, surprised by the question. He’d never thought of that. He knew so many things about this man, knew his body intimately but he didn’t know how old Si was. “Nineteen. How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.” Again he got very quiet. Payton thought he was asleep when he squeezed Payton tighter and kissed the back of his neck. “Thank you for letting me be the first, Pay.” After that Si’s breathing evened out.

Lying there with Si spooned around him snoring softly in his ear, Payton realized his life was never going to be the same. He cuddled back against Si, gripping the arms that held him, and tried not to think about the change in his life. His stomach ached and a pain started in his chest. He couldn’t go back to the way he’d been before. He was falling in love with Si. Regelence was going to be a lonely, lonely place.

“Colonel,” Dunston exclaimed, followed by a loud bang downstairs. “Colonel, wake up, St. Albins is on his way up.”

A heavy thud of footsteps advanced rapidly on the stairs.

The Duke of St. Albins? The king’s brother? Si’s uncle? Payton shot into a sitting position. He looked down at blinking blue eyes.

“What?” Si asked.

Dread clawed at Payton’s stomach, and he darted a glance around the room. Where could he hide?

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The door flew open and St. Albins stepped into the room. “Simon, get up!”

Si shot up in bed, his eyes wide. “Uncle?”

Payton felt like he was going to vomit, and his heart raced. How could he have messed up this badly? What if…?

St. Albins never even looked at Payton. He leaned against the doorframe, trying to catch his breath, his shoulders drooping. “There’s been an accident.” His voice was barely a whisper. “The king and queen have been killed.”

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Simon raised his head off his forearm where it rested on the window frame, pushed away from the wall and let the curtain fall. The lift carrying Payton back to base had driven away two nights ago. Staring down the street wasn’t going to make it come back, nor was it going to change the situation. Funny, he’d buried his parents yesterday and all he could think about was that he hadn’t wanted Payton to leave like that.

Payton had been mortified at being walked in on, but even still, he’d tried to see to Simon and make sure he was okay before he left. That’s when Simon realized he was falling in love with Payton. Somehow Payton had slipped past his defenses. He’d only planned on a good time. The challenge to debauch the innocent had been too tempting to turn down, but somehow it had become more than that.

He strongly suspected that Pay was a Regelence lord even if he didn’t have a title.

Even the second son of a baron would be an acceptable match. Other than being a man, he would be a perfectly fine mate. He was highly intelligent, refined, elegant, came from a Regency society. He was also fun and caring. Simon loved how everything Payton felt was written on his face. Even having lived among the peerage, it hadn’t ruined his innocence.

“Are you all right?”

Nodding, Simon turned. “I will be.”

Aldred paced back and forth in front of the study fire. “He was important to you, wasn’t he?”

Simon didn’t have to ask who, Aldred had always had an uncanny ability to read Simon. He’d known as soon as Simon packed Payton into a lift to take him back to base the other night that Simon cared for Payton. The strange thing about the whole ordeal was he really didn’t know a lot about Payton, but it didn’t matter, his heart didn’t seem to 148

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mind. What he did know was enough. He knew what type of person Payton was, he knew what he was like deep down where it counted. “I wanted him to be, but it doesn’t matter now. I can’t have that, I’ve always known it.”

Aldred stopped pacing and glanced at Simon. He stood there for several seconds, an odd look in his eyes, then shook his head and began pacing again. “Are you sure? You’re King now.”

Simon swallowed the lump in his throat at the reminder. He felt nothing but numbness. He hadn’t been all that close to his father in many years and never had he been close to his mother. Even at the funeral their absence hadn’t sunk in. It would probably hit him later, but right now all he could think about was Englor was his to rule. He didn’t know if he was ready. His mind swam with the things he needed to do, nearly taking his breath away. He chose to ignore his uncle’s optimism and concentrate on the other problem. His parents had been assassinated. “It was military.” Civilians would have a difficult time getting the components to make a bomb.

Aldred nodded. “I thought the same thing.”

Simon’s first thought was IN. It was on the tip of his tongue to deny that the Englor Marines had anything to do with it, but he couldn’t possibly guarantee that with the current move in parliament to have the Marines disbanded. “Who can I trust, Aldred?”

He took a seat in front of the fire. He felt defeated. He’d been going over this question since the night his parents were killed. There were only three people he knew he could trust and one of those people was in this room with him. He needed parliament members to advise him. The only thing he was certain of was that he didn’t want his father’s advisors. He’d released them of their duties yesterday, but he had yet to choose their replacements.

Simon caught Aldred’s gaze. “If you were king, who would you choose as advisors?”

Aldred shook his head. “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it.”

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planet. He also admired Hawthorne’s intelligence and political savvy. He thought the duke would make a great advisor, but he wanted Aldred’s input.

“Hawthorne is a dear friend and an honorable man. He too thought the idea of Englor going without its own military unit was preposterous and told your father so.” He gave a crisp nod. “I’d trust Hawthorne with both of our lives.”

Dipping his head, Simon rose to pour himself a scotch. “Dunston, send someone around to Hawkins House and Bradford House and let His Grace the Duke of Hawthorne and the Marquis of Oxley know I request their presence as soon as possible. And locate Colonel Eason and Major Bennett and tell them I need them post-haste.”

Simon sat quietly sipping his scotch with Aldred next to him, staring into the fire for what seemed like hours but was probably only twenty minutes or so.

They were really gone. A tear ran down his cheek. He’d hoped to get to know his father again, maybe try and change some of his mother’s radical views. He’d thought he’d have years. He’d wanted to get to know them better, to care for them…have them care for him. He glanced over at his uncle, the man who’d been a parent to him most of his life, and smiled. Maybe it was awful to think, but he was glad it was them and not Aldred. “Uncle…I’m glad you’re here.”

A tear streaked down Aldred’s cheek, gleaming in the firelight, then he turned to face Simon. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else, my boy. I don’t have to tell you how important you are to me.” He patted Simon’s hand where it rested on the arm of the chair.

“Besides that, he was still my brother.”

Simon nodded. He knew exactly what Aldred meant. As horrible and self-centered as his parents could be, they were family. He supposed like him, Aldred mourned the past and what could have been more than the present.

Taking a nip of his scotch, Simon closed his eyes and leaned back. He thought about the other night, having Payton in his bed. He’d never brought a lover to his home before, but it had felt like the right thing to do with Payton.

When he’d learned about Regelence’s artificial reproduction, he’d actually let himself hope a permanent relationship with Payton was possible for just a brief moment.

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He’d known of such processes on other planets, but none where the female DNA was completely removed like on Regelence. Not only was it not done on Englor—no artificial procreation was done on Englor—but Simon didn’t know of it being done anywhere. It was an amazing concept. It was— “Uncle.” Simon sat up straight and set his tumbler on the table next to him. “The cloning technology that Benson spoke of. Do you remember?”

Aldred sat up straighter, giving Simon his undivided attention. “Yes, you said he’d overheard someone speaking of our weapon plans and some cloning technology. What about it?”

“On Regelence, the lords are born of an artificial procreation process that removes the female DNA entirely. Do you suppose there are benefits that come with that?

Something that would make them more appealing to the military? More testosterone or something?”

Aldred frowned. “Are you certain? Removing the egg donor’s genetics is not possible.”

Simon sat forward on his chair. “I’m positive. I just don’t know why the IN would want that information.”

“Your Highness, His Grace the Duke of Hawthorne, the Marquis of Oxley, Colonel Eason and Major Bennett have just arrived.”

“Show them in, Dunston.” Simon jumped to his feet, his mood lifting for the first time in days.

Roc came in first. He bowed. “Your Majesty.”

Simon had the insane urge to slap him on the head, but refrained.

“Your Grace.” Roc bowed briefly to Aldred as well.

Aldred dipped his head. “Major Bennett.”