more Regency nonsense, apparently
THIS IS COMPLETELY WITHOUT HISTORICAL MERIT OR ACCURACY OR ANY COMMON SENSE. I JUST READ A LOT OF ROMANCE NOVELS. ALSO, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE RIDICULOUS TITLE.
An Impetuous Affair
Danny/Steve | R | 2700 words [WIP]
part one
He expected Steven to be contrary for the rest of the evening, insisting he be in Daniel’s personal space at all times, inappropriate touches at the worst moments, etc. But the instant they were escorted into the grand ballroom of Lady Kono’s estate, Steven was suddenly on his best behavior.
It might have had something to do with the way Lady Kono immediately picked Steven out of the crowd and came bustling over to them, clapping her hands gleefully.
“Lord McGarrett, I’m so pleased you could come!” she exclaimed, leaning in to kiss Steven on both cheeks. “Your father wasn’t sure if you would be able to make an appearance.”
“Yes, well, my father has never been one to have a keen eye on my social calendar,” Steven replied with a flirtatious wink, making Lady Kono twitter with laughter, although to Daniel’s surprised pleasure, she also rolled her eyes.
“I for one would not be able to keep up with it. Butterflies themselves do not flitter about half as much as you.” She then turned to Daniel, finally, and bestowed upon him a beautiful, dazzling smile that was equal parts curiosity and amusement. “And who is the lucky one that’s managed to arrive on Lord Steven McGarrett’s arm this evening?”
Daniel swallowed tightly and squared his shoulders, refusing to feel even the slightest bit of apprehension. “Daniel Williams, my lady,” he said in his most formal tone, words deep and clipped. He took her hand and placed a quick kiss on her knuckles, painfully aware that Steven was watching his every movement.
The Lady’s eyes flared happily. “Oh, yes! Your uncle is the Duke of ___ , is he not?”
“He is. Unfortunately, he has not been in the best health these past several months.”
She frowned in sympathy. “That is unfortunate, I’m very sorry.”
It was at that moment that Steven brushed his fingers over the back of Daniel’s neck and said, “I did not bring Mr. Williams to your grand ball to have him look so forlorn, my lady. If you’ll excuse us, I really must steal him away for a dance or two.” His touch was fleeting, nothing inappropriate in the least, and yet Daniel still shivered and felt the air in his chest grow thin.
A slow, knowing smile spread across Lady Kono’s lovely face. “Certainly. Help yourself to the champagne, gentleman!” She winked at Daniel, who could only blink in confusion as Steven all but tugged him toward the ballroom floor.
It took several moments for him to realize their fingers were linked.
“What are you doing?” Daniel hissed, despising the heat he felt building around his shirt collar. “I’m not dancing with you.” He tried in vain to pull his hand free, but Steven tightened his grip and soon he was spinning them into the current dance, letting go of Daniel’s hand long enough to bow and bring them into formation. Daniel panicked briefly, for it had been ages since the last time he’d danced, and he did not know the latest steps.
“You’re fine,” Steven whispered in his ear in passing, taking back Daniel’s hand as he pulls him into the next move.
Daniel hated the feeling of being lost, out of place, which was precisely how Steven always made him feel. He took a wrong step, nearly stumbling onto the hem of a lady’s dress. He mumbled his apologies, glaring fiercely at Steven, who laughed and shook his head.
“You never listen to me, do you?”
“Why should I?” Daniel mumbled. “This is all for your amusement. I’m here for your amusement.”
Steven laughed again, softer, and their hands suddenly tangled together somehow and Daniel found himself almost flush against Steven’s chest, his head tilted up to meet Steven’s eyes. Eyes which were, in Daniel’s opinion, a ridiculous shade of chocolate brown and framed by long, delicate lashes that had no business belonging on a man’s face.
“Perhaps what you call amusement I call being charmed,” said Steven, but his words were quiet, as if he were speaking for Daniel and Daniel alone.
Something warm bloomed in Daniel’s stomach, the heat snaking up his sternum and spread through his chest. He cleared his throat and replied stiffly, “You’re charmed because it helps our cause.”
Steven shrugged. “Yes, this is true. But you are quite charming, Daniel Williams, don’t pretend you are unaware of this fact.”
“How I perceive myself has nothing to do with me being forced to flail about like an idiot.” He finally gave up and pushed himself free of Steven’s hold (he refused to call it an embrace--Daniel wasn’t a blushing maiden, for god’s sake), leaving him alone on the ballroom floor as he headed straight for the nearest tray of champagne flutes.
He inhaled two almost at once, propriety be damned. And when he turned around, Daniel did not find Steven standing behind him. He was, however, greeted by the sight of Steven still standing on the dance floor, only he was no longer alone; he was leaning down ever so slightly to allow a beautiful brunette to whisper in his ear, her gloved hand resting at the crook of his arm. Steven suddenly burst into laughter, and the lovely woman laughed as well, her hand never leaving Steven’s elbow.
Well, then. Daniel knew the plan had little hope of being a success. He just never thought Steven would be so...so...Steven.
He grabbed another glass of champagne and swallowed its contents, envisioning the many satisfying ways he could break Steven’s nose without getting blood on his jacket.
Daniel was so lost in thought, so wrapped up in the swirling cacophony of humiliation and anger mixed with champagne, that he did not notice Steven coming up behind him, not until he nuzzled the back of Daniel’s neck.
Daniel jumped nearly a foot and whirled on Steven, jabbing his index finger into his chest. “Don’t ever do that again.”
An odd look of hurt confusion flickered in Steven’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. “You deserted me, we can’t have everyone thinking we’re in some sort of lover’s quarrel.”
“Indeed,” Daniel sneered before he could think better of it. “And was the lady whispering her concerns to you just now?”
“I don’t--you mean Miss Rollins? She is a dear friend of mine, nothing more.”
“Yes, and I’m sure you allow all your ‘dear friends’ to touch you so intimately in public. She is not even married.” His heart was beating too quickly, but Daniel could not seem to help it.
Steven narrowed his eyes, and then, slowly, he smiled, bright and boyish. It lit up his face, and Daniel was knocked breathless.
“Mr. Williams, are you--do you mean to tell me you are actually jealous?”
Daniel snorted. His cheeks were beginning to flush from the alcohol. “You’re ridiculous. I should have expected nothing less from you.”
“There is nothing to be jealous about, I assure you. Miss Rollins was merely telling me about her trip to Paris last month and I--”
“You seem to be mistaken in thinking that I want to know all about her and your intentions toward her, which I most emphatically do not, and in any case, as you so aptly brought to mind in the carriage ride here, you do, in fact, have a reputation to uphold, and far be it for me to keep you from reaching your full potential.” He was speaking too quickly, Daniel knew, but it was an embarrassing habit of his whenever he grew anxious and upset. Although why he should feel either was most vexing to him.
Steven reached a hand out, perhaps to touch Daniel on the arm. “Daniel--”
He backed away, shaking his head. “It was foolish of me to agree to this,” he whispered. “I shall go find a library, a sitting room, somewhere quiet. Too many people about, it’s giving me a headache.” Daniel turned and stormed off through one of the side doors that lead into a hallway, not having the slightest idea where he was headed, only that he could not be in Steven McGarrett’s presence any longer.
There was an open door that gave way to a small study; oak bookshelves lined the walls, flanking an elegant polish desk. The room did not look like it had been used much, but it was peaceful, the noise from the ballroom a dull roar as Daniel shut the door behind him, leaning back against it with a sigh.
He was such a fool. Agreement or no, it was impossible to expect a man like Steven to feign an emotion such as love. He probably had no concept of the thing, just as Daniel had no idea what it was to be in love.
Only...only, maybe he did, a little. Perhaps.
Daniel banged his head back against the door. He was a hopeless mess, and he should never have come. He should slip out and find their carriage, Steven would have no trouble finding a starry-eyed lady to take him home, and Daniel would be free to breathe and--
The door flew up, causing Daniel to pitch forward and almost stumble face-first into the mahogany desk. When he looked back over his shoulder, Steven was standing in the doorway.
He looked furious.
“I said I wanted to be alone!” Daniel said, heart leaping into his throat for some odd reason.
“Your wishes are not the point at the moment,” Steven replied in a low, dangerous voice. “Not everything in the world revolves around you, Danny.”
His entire face went hot at the nickname, both from anger and something else he dared not name. “I never said--”
“Not once have you let me prove myself to you tonight. I am as much a part of this arrangement as you are, and yet you insist on casting me as the villain at every turn.” He was advancing on Daniel like some jungle cat stalking his prey.
Daniel griped the edge of the desk and swallowed. “A tiger cannot change his stripes so easily.”
“I have done nothing. If you must know, Miss Rollins also told me how incredibly handsome you are, how I was fortunate to have someone so lovely escorting me.”
Shame was beginning to unravel in Daniel’s belly. “I--I didn’t think--”
“No, you think too much. It is something that is damn near impossible with you.” Steven was now inches away, his long, wiry body nearly caging Danny against the desk.
Daniel tipped his chin up haughtily, grateful that Steven could not see the way his hands shook. “I know you, Steven. You are a flirt, a rake, a scoundrel, and you adore every one of those titles, don’t deny it. You’ve loved them since we were children.”
Steven titled his head to one side, slid the tip of his tongue over his lower lip. Daniel could not breathe. “You say you know me,” he whispered. “Well, Daniel Williams, I know you as well.”
“And what, pray tell, does that mean?”
“It means I know you are more than this prickly exterior and your glares and your constant need to bicker. I know you are passionate, almost frighteningly so, and you feel with your entire being. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like, to be the focus of your passion.”
Daniel huffed out a breath, dizzy with the too-close air and the sudden rush of all-consuming want, the kind he had only ever felt around this infuriating man. “I’m none of those things,” he whispered, letting his eyes drift down to Steven’s mouth, which was soft, pink, and slick-shiny, bringing the memory of their earlier kiss in the carriage back with a vengeance.
And to think he had spent so many years mocking those who fell under Steven McGarrett’s spell. Now, Daniel felt sorry for them. He felt sorry for himself.
“You are all of those things and more,” Steven whispered back, and then, as easily as if it were simply inevitable, Daniel felt his lips parting to make way for Steven’s mouth, his tongue sliding slow and possessively over the edge of Daniel’s teeth.
There was too much champagne clouding Daniel’s thoughts. He could only focus on the taste and the feel of Steven sinking into him, his broad, solid weight pressing against Daniel, whose knees parted without hesitation, making room for Steven to curl around him, hand sliding around the back of Daniel’s neck, holding him steady as if he feared Daniel would push him away again.
But Daniel did not want to leave. He wanted to wrap himself in this moment, drink in the sounds Steven made whenever Daniel would hesitantly mimic his movements--a nip at his lip here, a slant of his mouth there. He didn’t feel awkward at all; he felt powerful, knowing he could make Steven shiver and clutch tightly at his arms, and when their hips collided almost by accident, Steven growled into Daniel’s mouth and breathed, “Fuck, Danny.”
He didn’t think at all, merely closed his eyes and arched into Steven’s body, whispering, “Please.”
“Oh, god, you are going to be the death of me.” Steven’s voice broke slightly as he hooked one of Daniel’s legs around his hips and ground against him, using the desk for leverage. And Daniel reveled in the sensations, of rutting against one another in blissful ecstasy. He was going to come soon, he could feel the building heat of his climax spooling deep within his stomach, spiraling outward, threatening to crush him.
“Danny, Danny, oh fuck,” Steven moaned, sinking his teeth sharply into the curve of Daniel’s neck, and he was close, so, so very close--
The door to the study opened abruptly, and a female voice exclaimed, “Oh! Oh, so sorry, we didn’t--that is to say, the door was not locked, and--” She giggled, and when Daniel managed to open his eyes he saw that it was an other couple, drunk-flushed and pawing at one another. They waved to Daniel and Steven and stumbled out of the room.
But by that point, Daniel’s haze of lust had evaporated, leaving behind an overwhelming humiliation.
“I’ve got to get home,” he mumbled, wiggling away from Steven as he tried to right himself. God, he had nearly climaxed in Lady Kono’s study. On her desk, of all things. With Steven. How could he have been so stupid? His erection was straining against the front of his trousers, painfully hard, but he couldn’t think about that right now.
“Daniel, wait,” Steven said, and his voice, dear lord--his voice sounded utterly wrecked. He tried to grab Daniel’s hand, but Daniel pulled neatly out of his grasp.
“As I said, this was a mistake. Thank you for trying, for--attempting to make it a good show, but I think--I think my uncle will just have to live with a suitor-less nephew for the time being.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, which was no doubt an absolute mess, given how Steven had pawed at it so. “Will you be able to find a ride home?”
Steven leaned back against the desk, watching Daniel right himself, his expression a convoluted mess of emotions Daniel couldn’t begin to decipher, and wouldn’t dare to try. “Yes,” he said. His mouth was swollen, eyes dark.
He was so completely beautiful it almost hurt to look.
Daniel opened his mouth to say more, but could not find the words. In the end, he simply nodded his head and left the room, barely resisting the urge to sprint to the carriage outside.
He was nearly home before his erection subsided. Steven’s taste, however, stayed in his mouth well after Daniel fell asleep.
An Impetuous Affair
Danny/Steve | R | 2700 words [WIP]
part one
He expected Steven to be contrary for the rest of the evening, insisting he be in Daniel’s personal space at all times, inappropriate touches at the worst moments, etc. But the instant they were escorted into the grand ballroom of Lady Kono’s estate, Steven was suddenly on his best behavior.
It might have had something to do with the way Lady Kono immediately picked Steven out of the crowd and came bustling over to them, clapping her hands gleefully.
“Lord McGarrett, I’m so pleased you could come!” she exclaimed, leaning in to kiss Steven on both cheeks. “Your father wasn’t sure if you would be able to make an appearance.”
“Yes, well, my father has never been one to have a keen eye on my social calendar,” Steven replied with a flirtatious wink, making Lady Kono twitter with laughter, although to Daniel’s surprised pleasure, she also rolled her eyes.
“I for one would not be able to keep up with it. Butterflies themselves do not flitter about half as much as you.” She then turned to Daniel, finally, and bestowed upon him a beautiful, dazzling smile that was equal parts curiosity and amusement. “And who is the lucky one that’s managed to arrive on Lord Steven McGarrett’s arm this evening?”
Daniel swallowed tightly and squared his shoulders, refusing to feel even the slightest bit of apprehension. “Daniel Williams, my lady,” he said in his most formal tone, words deep and clipped. He took her hand and placed a quick kiss on her knuckles, painfully aware that Steven was watching his every movement.
The Lady’s eyes flared happily. “Oh, yes! Your uncle is the Duke of ___ , is he not?”
“He is. Unfortunately, he has not been in the best health these past several months.”
She frowned in sympathy. “That is unfortunate, I’m very sorry.”
It was at that moment that Steven brushed his fingers over the back of Daniel’s neck and said, “I did not bring Mr. Williams to your grand ball to have him look so forlorn, my lady. If you’ll excuse us, I really must steal him away for a dance or two.” His touch was fleeting, nothing inappropriate in the least, and yet Daniel still shivered and felt the air in his chest grow thin.
A slow, knowing smile spread across Lady Kono’s lovely face. “Certainly. Help yourself to the champagne, gentleman!” She winked at Daniel, who could only blink in confusion as Steven all but tugged him toward the ballroom floor.
It took several moments for him to realize their fingers were linked.
“What are you doing?” Daniel hissed, despising the heat he felt building around his shirt collar. “I’m not dancing with you.” He tried in vain to pull his hand free, but Steven tightened his grip and soon he was spinning them into the current dance, letting go of Daniel’s hand long enough to bow and bring them into formation. Daniel panicked briefly, for it had been ages since the last time he’d danced, and he did not know the latest steps.
“You’re fine,” Steven whispered in his ear in passing, taking back Daniel’s hand as he pulls him into the next move.
Daniel hated the feeling of being lost, out of place, which was precisely how Steven always made him feel. He took a wrong step, nearly stumbling onto the hem of a lady’s dress. He mumbled his apologies, glaring fiercely at Steven, who laughed and shook his head.
“You never listen to me, do you?”
“Why should I?” Daniel mumbled. “This is all for your amusement. I’m here for your amusement.”
Steven laughed again, softer, and their hands suddenly tangled together somehow and Daniel found himself almost flush against Steven’s chest, his head tilted up to meet Steven’s eyes. Eyes which were, in Daniel’s opinion, a ridiculous shade of chocolate brown and framed by long, delicate lashes that had no business belonging on a man’s face.
“Perhaps what you call amusement I call being charmed,” said Steven, but his words were quiet, as if he were speaking for Daniel and Daniel alone.
Something warm bloomed in Daniel’s stomach, the heat snaking up his sternum and spread through his chest. He cleared his throat and replied stiffly, “You’re charmed because it helps our cause.”
Steven shrugged. “Yes, this is true. But you are quite charming, Daniel Williams, don’t pretend you are unaware of this fact.”
“How I perceive myself has nothing to do with me being forced to flail about like an idiot.” He finally gave up and pushed himself free of Steven’s hold (he refused to call it an embrace--Daniel wasn’t a blushing maiden, for god’s sake), leaving him alone on the ballroom floor as he headed straight for the nearest tray of champagne flutes.
He inhaled two almost at once, propriety be damned. And when he turned around, Daniel did not find Steven standing behind him. He was, however, greeted by the sight of Steven still standing on the dance floor, only he was no longer alone; he was leaning down ever so slightly to allow a beautiful brunette to whisper in his ear, her gloved hand resting at the crook of his arm. Steven suddenly burst into laughter, and the lovely woman laughed as well, her hand never leaving Steven’s elbow.
Well, then. Daniel knew the plan had little hope of being a success. He just never thought Steven would be so...so...Steven.
He grabbed another glass of champagne and swallowed its contents, envisioning the many satisfying ways he could break Steven’s nose without getting blood on his jacket.
Daniel was so lost in thought, so wrapped up in the swirling cacophony of humiliation and anger mixed with champagne, that he did not notice Steven coming up behind him, not until he nuzzled the back of Daniel’s neck.
Daniel jumped nearly a foot and whirled on Steven, jabbing his index finger into his chest. “Don’t ever do that again.”
An odd look of hurt confusion flickered in Steven’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. “You deserted me, we can’t have everyone thinking we’re in some sort of lover’s quarrel.”
“Indeed,” Daniel sneered before he could think better of it. “And was the lady whispering her concerns to you just now?”
“I don’t--you mean Miss Rollins? She is a dear friend of mine, nothing more.”
“Yes, and I’m sure you allow all your ‘dear friends’ to touch you so intimately in public. She is not even married.” His heart was beating too quickly, but Daniel could not seem to help it.
Steven narrowed his eyes, and then, slowly, he smiled, bright and boyish. It lit up his face, and Daniel was knocked breathless.
“Mr. Williams, are you--do you mean to tell me you are actually jealous?”
Daniel snorted. His cheeks were beginning to flush from the alcohol. “You’re ridiculous. I should have expected nothing less from you.”
“There is nothing to be jealous about, I assure you. Miss Rollins was merely telling me about her trip to Paris last month and I--”
“You seem to be mistaken in thinking that I want to know all about her and your intentions toward her, which I most emphatically do not, and in any case, as you so aptly brought to mind in the carriage ride here, you do, in fact, have a reputation to uphold, and far be it for me to keep you from reaching your full potential.” He was speaking too quickly, Daniel knew, but it was an embarrassing habit of his whenever he grew anxious and upset. Although why he should feel either was most vexing to him.
Steven reached a hand out, perhaps to touch Daniel on the arm. “Daniel--”
He backed away, shaking his head. “It was foolish of me to agree to this,” he whispered. “I shall go find a library, a sitting room, somewhere quiet. Too many people about, it’s giving me a headache.” Daniel turned and stormed off through one of the side doors that lead into a hallway, not having the slightest idea where he was headed, only that he could not be in Steven McGarrett’s presence any longer.
There was an open door that gave way to a small study; oak bookshelves lined the walls, flanking an elegant polish desk. The room did not look like it had been used much, but it was peaceful, the noise from the ballroom a dull roar as Daniel shut the door behind him, leaning back against it with a sigh.
He was such a fool. Agreement or no, it was impossible to expect a man like Steven to feign an emotion such as love. He probably had no concept of the thing, just as Daniel had no idea what it was to be in love.
Only...only, maybe he did, a little. Perhaps.
Daniel banged his head back against the door. He was a hopeless mess, and he should never have come. He should slip out and find their carriage, Steven would have no trouble finding a starry-eyed lady to take him home, and Daniel would be free to breathe and--
The door flew up, causing Daniel to pitch forward and almost stumble face-first into the mahogany desk. When he looked back over his shoulder, Steven was standing in the doorway.
He looked furious.
“I said I wanted to be alone!” Daniel said, heart leaping into his throat for some odd reason.
“Your wishes are not the point at the moment,” Steven replied in a low, dangerous voice. “Not everything in the world revolves around you, Danny.”
His entire face went hot at the nickname, both from anger and something else he dared not name. “I never said--”
“Not once have you let me prove myself to you tonight. I am as much a part of this arrangement as you are, and yet you insist on casting me as the villain at every turn.” He was advancing on Daniel like some jungle cat stalking his prey.
Daniel griped the edge of the desk and swallowed. “A tiger cannot change his stripes so easily.”
“I have done nothing. If you must know, Miss Rollins also told me how incredibly handsome you are, how I was fortunate to have someone so lovely escorting me.”
Shame was beginning to unravel in Daniel’s belly. “I--I didn’t think--”
“No, you think too much. It is something that is damn near impossible with you.” Steven was now inches away, his long, wiry body nearly caging Danny against the desk.
Daniel tipped his chin up haughtily, grateful that Steven could not see the way his hands shook. “I know you, Steven. You are a flirt, a rake, a scoundrel, and you adore every one of those titles, don’t deny it. You’ve loved them since we were children.”
Steven titled his head to one side, slid the tip of his tongue over his lower lip. Daniel could not breathe. “You say you know me,” he whispered. “Well, Daniel Williams, I know you as well.”
“And what, pray tell, does that mean?”
“It means I know you are more than this prickly exterior and your glares and your constant need to bicker. I know you are passionate, almost frighteningly so, and you feel with your entire being. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like, to be the focus of your passion.”
Daniel huffed out a breath, dizzy with the too-close air and the sudden rush of all-consuming want, the kind he had only ever felt around this infuriating man. “I’m none of those things,” he whispered, letting his eyes drift down to Steven’s mouth, which was soft, pink, and slick-shiny, bringing the memory of their earlier kiss in the carriage back with a vengeance.
And to think he had spent so many years mocking those who fell under Steven McGarrett’s spell. Now, Daniel felt sorry for them. He felt sorry for himself.
“You are all of those things and more,” Steven whispered back, and then, as easily as if it were simply inevitable, Daniel felt his lips parting to make way for Steven’s mouth, his tongue sliding slow and possessively over the edge of Daniel’s teeth.
There was too much champagne clouding Daniel’s thoughts. He could only focus on the taste and the feel of Steven sinking into him, his broad, solid weight pressing against Daniel, whose knees parted without hesitation, making room for Steven to curl around him, hand sliding around the back of Daniel’s neck, holding him steady as if he feared Daniel would push him away again.
But Daniel did not want to leave. He wanted to wrap himself in this moment, drink in the sounds Steven made whenever Daniel would hesitantly mimic his movements--a nip at his lip here, a slant of his mouth there. He didn’t feel awkward at all; he felt powerful, knowing he could make Steven shiver and clutch tightly at his arms, and when their hips collided almost by accident, Steven growled into Daniel’s mouth and breathed, “Fuck, Danny.”
He didn’t think at all, merely closed his eyes and arched into Steven’s body, whispering, “Please.”
“Oh, god, you are going to be the death of me.” Steven’s voice broke slightly as he hooked one of Daniel’s legs around his hips and ground against him, using the desk for leverage. And Daniel reveled in the sensations, of rutting against one another in blissful ecstasy. He was going to come soon, he could feel the building heat of his climax spooling deep within his stomach, spiraling outward, threatening to crush him.
“Danny, Danny, oh fuck,” Steven moaned, sinking his teeth sharply into the curve of Daniel’s neck, and he was close, so, so very close--
The door to the study opened abruptly, and a female voice exclaimed, “Oh! Oh, so sorry, we didn’t--that is to say, the door was not locked, and--” She giggled, and when Daniel managed to open his eyes he saw that it was an other couple, drunk-flushed and pawing at one another. They waved to Daniel and Steven and stumbled out of the room.
But by that point, Daniel’s haze of lust had evaporated, leaving behind an overwhelming humiliation.
“I’ve got to get home,” he mumbled, wiggling away from Steven as he tried to right himself. God, he had nearly climaxed in Lady Kono’s study. On her desk, of all things. With Steven. How could he have been so stupid? His erection was straining against the front of his trousers, painfully hard, but he couldn’t think about that right now.
“Daniel, wait,” Steven said, and his voice, dear lord--his voice sounded utterly wrecked. He tried to grab Daniel’s hand, but Daniel pulled neatly out of his grasp.
“As I said, this was a mistake. Thank you for trying, for--attempting to make it a good show, but I think--I think my uncle will just have to live with a suitor-less nephew for the time being.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, which was no doubt an absolute mess, given how Steven had pawed at it so. “Will you be able to find a ride home?”
Steven leaned back against the desk, watching Daniel right himself, his expression a convoluted mess of emotions Daniel couldn’t begin to decipher, and wouldn’t dare to try. “Yes,” he said. His mouth was swollen, eyes dark.
He was so completely beautiful it almost hurt to look.
Daniel opened his mouth to say more, but could not find the words. In the end, he simply nodded his head and left the room, barely resisting the urge to sprint to the carriage outside.
He was nearly home before his erection subsided. Steven’s taste, however, stayed in his mouth well after Daniel fell asleep.