“Pay attention. You’ll have to do me next.” A finger slid along the underside of Josh’s collar, eliciting a fountain of shivers that pooled tightly at his crotch.
His breath snagged. “What are you doing?”
“Valeting.”
The neckcloth came apart in West’s fingers, tickling as he drew it off. Hands swept under his jacket, easing it off his shoulders. A husky whisper, “Turn around.”
West grasped the lapels of his jacket lightly and slid it down his arms, laying it carefully on the bed. He curled his arms around Josh’s waist and met his gaze in the dresser mirror, Josh’s back absorbing his warmth. Fingers plucked at his waistcoat buttons.
“This is—”
“Maybe not strictly authentic,” West murmured, smiling. “I’m sure it’s confusing you, and may lead to you going home to host your own Jane Austen experience, where you’ll start undressing your flatmates and giving them false ideas of the nineteenth century.”
Josh choked on a groan.
West continued, mightily amused. “Question: is indulging you in this exception causing dissatisfaction?”
Fingers stole under the waistcoat as West slowly pulled it off him. He dropped his head back against West’s shoulder and sighed. “You play the rake so well.”
Josh eyed him in the mirror as West unfastened his breeches and they puddled to his ankles, leaving his shirt to cover his bare bottom and plumped cock. Josh wasn’t sure if he wished underwear had been the norm in the Regency, or was thrilled it hadn’t.
West crouched, trailing his fingers to the top of his stocking. He rolled one down, and then the other. Those delicate brushes against his skin . . .
God, it had been so long. He hadn’t been . . . explored since—well. With Cassius, mostly the exploration had been given rather than received.
“Maybe—” Josh gnawed his lip, “—we can . . . add a seduction plot?”
West turned him gently and looked up at him. “I like the sound of that, Josh.”
“Just as a weekend thing.” Did that come out husky?
“Of course. A mutual give-take. Makes sense to me.”
“Okay,” —he ticked off his fingers— “frottage, blow jobs, topping, bottoming—with a preference for the latter—all good. I’m on PrEP, but use a condom every time, and I test regularly.”
West chuckled.
“I’m serious.”
“I mean, yes, of course, it’s just . . . Never mind. I’m into all those things too. Also on PrEP, agree about the condoms, and I haven’t had sex in a year. After which I got tested.”
“A year? But . . . But you’re . . .” Gorgeous. Confident. Beautiful.
West raised a brow, waiting.
“Surely other weekends have presented . . . opportunities?”
“Yes. I was never inclined to take them up.”
“Not a wee defiling in the bushes? A sneaky rendezvous behind the church?”
“No, and absolutely not.”
Josh hummed. “And now you’re really desperate, and have to settle for me. Being choosey does have a habit of coming back to bite one in the bottom.”
West stared at him, mouth agape. He shut it, and stood. His eyes held Josh’s with a quiet intensity.
“What?”
“You have no idea how insanely—look. You get me very hot, okay?”
Josh couldn’t help dropping his gaze. There really was no lying in these breeches.
He swallowed. “I suppose I should . . . valet?”
West snickered. “And then for some defiling.” He opened his arms. “Undress me.”
The growl was so sexy that suddenly Josh felt fresh nerves creeping in. He forced himself to concentrate on authentically unclothing the man, which elicited a disgruntled little mutter. Josh brushed a finger over the pin on his lapel. “You don’t like your picture taken?”
West stiffened. “Not here.”
“There are pictures of you on the website gallery. In the package we received.”
“You have to be logged in to see the gallery, it isn’t public. Neither are the pictures in your information package.” West shifted. “Not everyone here is out.”
Josh snapped his head up.
West shrugged, grimacing. “I’m not. At least, not to my family. Their religion doesn’t tolerate same-sex seductions.”
“Oh.” He flushed. There might have been a message about not sharing information about the retreat, and he’d gone and logged in on Noah’s phone, shown him video clips. And Noah had searched around for that photo.
West studied him.
Josh bowed his head and confessed.
“So that’s how I became your fiancé.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not over social media, is it?”
Josh shook his head.
“Then it’s fine. It’ll be fine.”
Josh trained his eyes on his task. His fingers shook on the last waistcoat button, and West clasped his hands. “You can look at me, Josh.”
Josh struggled to lift his head and meet those kind eyes. “I really am sorry, West.”
West dragged a finger under Josh’s jaw and traced a thumb over his lip. “I’m not sure I am.”
The ghost-like touch thrummed through him, and he swallowed hard. “I need to take your pants off. I mean . . .”
West laughed, and Josh worked off his breeches with a professional flourish.
He set each garment away carefully and moved to the shelf where he’d unpacked all his books. As much as he wanted to fool around—and his body was making it abundantly clear he did—he was nervous now. His romantic life so far had stemmed from the classroom, research, a mutual love of the same subjects.
In fact, he’d never been with anyone for whom foreplay didn’t include an academic discussion.
Shaking, he pulled out A System of Etiquette and squeezed into the bed next to West, fluffing his pillows. Frissons of electricity stole through him as their legs touched, and Josh gulped and opened the book. West’s silent amusement was a heat-beam on his profile.
“What? It relaxes me.”
“Have you not been doing sex right?”
Josh pulled his book down and looked at him.
West chuckled. “What’s your book about?”
“You wouldn’t want to know. It’s very dense. Bit too much boring stuff.”
The bed shook as West laughed at Josh’s quote, their legs knocking together. “Look, I might not be a big reader, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested. I’m fascinated by all these old houses and how people used to live. It’s why I do this summer gig. I just prefer travelling and anecdotes and living the experience to reading about it.”
Josh dropped his gaze back to his tome, heat crawling up his neck.
Extra proof he was more Austen villain than hero, defensiveness lurched up his throat. “I . . .” He gritted his teeth against the urge to make a fool of himself. “You’re right. I’m being a prejudiced prick. Shall I summarize the last chapter I read?”
West shifted, his gaze burning Josh’s profile. The humour in his voice waned. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”
Josh flicked back through the pages, hoping it would look like he was jogging his memory. Not struggling to find his equilibrium.