Pleasure's Offering (25 page)
“Nice to be awake,” Zoa grumbled. Two days was ridiculous, especially with everything going on. That reminded her, and she twisted to look up at Jeric. “What happened? Is the emperor back?”
“With a vengeance,” Jeric said, his mouth quirking. “He claims to have no memory of his time at Toric’s. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s a good story considering Toric isn’t around to defend himself. No one’s seen or heard from him since that night. Anyway, the emperor is claiming he was the victim of dark magic and is doing everything he can to make a good show of being a loving, competent emperor. The granaries are open and there’s word going around that the war in the north is being put on hold while the Empire diverts its resources to building irrigation systems for the drought-stricken south. Izar sent the riders to call the Fifth Legion home this morning.”
Zoa smiled at the mention of Izar’s name. “And where is our handsome Chosen?”
“Probably the same place he’s been since he woke up the morning after our magic, at Solus’ temple. There’s a lot for a new Chosen to do and he’s still got his duties as a Legion captain. That’s all changing, though. Emperor Vallus is claiming Izar and Marcus as his personal saviors and has convinced the General of the Sun’s Chosen to appoint them both as his bodyguards. Izar’s taking over the Imperial Guard as well, a position I think he’s a little too happy about. He’s been going on forever about how he’d love to whip those ‘fat city soldiers’ into shape.”
Jeric’s impression of their lover was so perfect that Zoa burst out laughing. Jeric laughed with her, hugging her tight and kissing her until she was breathless. They ordered food after that, and then Zoa took a bath while Jeric went to tell Izar she was up. By the time the acolytes had oiled her skin and wrapped her in towels, Jeric and Izar were both waiting on her bed. Considering how hard Jeric had said he was working, Zoa expected Izar to look exhausted, but the captain looked happy as a cat in cream, especially when he saw her come in wrapped in nothing but a towel.
He grabbed her and kissed her hard before sitting her in his lap, perching her neatly on one armored leg. On his other side, Jeric leaned back with an equally contented expression, his eyes trailing lovingly over the tops of Zoa’s breasts where they were pushed up by the wrapped towel.
“Good to see you too,” Zoa said when Izar released her lips.
“I was going to suggest Jeric and I try waking you up if you didn’t do it on your own by tonight,” Izar said, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of each breast. “Of course, maybe we still should.”
Zoa laughed at that and then reached down to bring her lover’s face back up to hers. “Izar,” she said warningly. “Focus, love. Dezira’s Chosen are the supposed to be the endlessly randy ones, not Solus’. You’re supposed to be dutiful and stuffy.”
“Hang that,” Izar said. “I blame the two of you for rubbing off on me. All over me.” He kissed Zoa again. “You’re bad influences.”
Jeric snorted and cast a rueful eye at Izar’s hand, which was inching its way up his former lieutenant’s thigh. “Who’s the bad influence around here?”
“I think we’re all to blame,” Izar said sagely. “But that’s not what I came to tell you. I’ve got good news.” He looked up at Zoa. “Jeric told you about my promotion, didn’t he?”
“That he did, Mr. Head-of-the-Imperial-Guard,” Zoa said with a grin.
“Don’t forget emperor’s personal bodyguard,” Izar reminded her. “But that’s not the half of it. Vallus is desperate to keep me close, seeing as we were the ones who had to drag him away from his wine bath. As such, he’s given me a town house in the Royal Quarter. It’s not quite as big as Toric’s palace, but I think I could still bunk half a Legion in it if I had to.”
“You’ll be living there, then?” Zoa said, feeling a little disappointed. As a Chosen, she’d thought Izar would be living with the others at the Sun Temple, which was just across the square. The Royal Quarter was much farther away.
“I will,” Izar said. “Far better than sharing a temple with my fellow Chosen. Those sticks in the mud are about as much fun as watching plaster dry. But I was thinking I’d get lonely with all that room, so I convinced our temple heads to let me bring my two favorite Chosen along with me.”
Zoa’s eyes went wide. “How did you convince Silas to let us go? Chosen always live in the temple when we’re in the city.”
“Oh, Silas was the easy one,” Izar said with a wave of his hand. “He said that so long as we kept making magic for the temple, he didn’t care if we wanted to live on the emperor’s roof. Solus’ General was a bit harder to sell on the idea, but he gave in when I threatened to bring you to the sun temple and do you both very loudly right across from the acolyte’s hall.”
Jeric burst out laughing. “That would almost be worth it,” he said at last. “Zoa, you should have seen the General’s face when I went over there looking for Izar earlier and he kissed me in front of the assembled Chosen. I’ve never seen so many red faces in my life.”
Zoa rolled her eyes. “I’m sure the Sun’s Avatars had a few choice words about Dezira’s whores corrupting the honor of the Sun’s warriors.”
“They might have,” Izar said. “But I wouldn’t know, because I didn’t listen. Solus Chose me just as I am and I have no intention of changing a damn thing for those stuffy posts in golden armor. That said, I still haven’t heard an answer.”
Zoa and Jeric exchanged a confused look. “Answer?”
“About the two of you,” Izar said, looking back and forth between them. “Living with me in my new home.”
Jeric’s face broke into a slow smile as he made a show of thinking it over. “I don’t know, it might get a little demanding.”
“Sex every night,” Zoa said with a long sigh. “When will I sleep?”
“Every night and most days,” Izar corrected. “Being Chosen did wonders for my recovery.” He looked at both of them. “You might as well come along. If you don’t, I’m moving in here. Since there’s no way you’re ever getting rid of me, you’d better just give in and come let me take care of you away from all these other nosy Chosen.”
“If it can’t be helped, I guess I’m game,” Jeric said, glancing at her. “Zoa?”
Zoa heaved an enormous sigh. “I’ll come on one condition,” she said, leaning back to make sure both her lovers saw the heated look in her eyes. “I never want to spend the night alone ever again.”
Jeric and Izar exchanged a look of their own, and then Izar’s hand slid up her thigh, pushing back her towel. “Beloved,” he growled. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”
Zoa’s laugh turned into a delighted moan as Izar’s fingers crept up her leg and when Jeric came around to untie her towel, kissing her neck and breasts as he did. Zoa surrendered to them with a joyous prayer of thanks to Dezira. Truly, her goddess had kept her promise, and since Zoa wasn’t one to waste her goddess’s gifts, she set herself fully to the pleasant task of loving both her men as much as she could for the rest of their long, happy lives.
Moira is an unrepentant attractive-man ogler, double entendrepreneur, and gutter minder. A multi-published author across numerous genres and names, she sometimes forgets who she’s supposed to be, but never forgets to have a good time. Her latest project is the Chosen series, a Romanesque erotic fantasy about gods, men and those in between.
Moira welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her
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