Read The Surrogate Online

Authors: Ann Somerville

Tags: #Rape, #mm romance, #Slavery, #noncon

The Surrogate (54 page)

The kitchen had become his favourite part of the house—it was warm, dry, cosy and where Seve seemed to be most relaxed and confident outside the bedroom. Often he would end up reading in here rather than his cramped and rather austere office, or in the sitting room which would mean setting a fire they didn’t actually need. Seve would sometimes work alongside him after supper, as he was busy making notes on his experiments with distillations of herbs and medicinals—though the actual experiments had been banished to the laundry on account of the smell.

But tonight, Jaime wasn’t in a mood to work. It had been a long, tiresome day, he hadn’t seen Seve over the last three nights because of the weather, and stuffing himself and resting afterwards with Seve’s arms around him was all he felt like doing.

The soup was delicious, made from pork and apples, and a mysterious blend of herbs that Seve was keeping secret, just to tease. Jaime, having missed lunch because he’d been so busy, hadn’t the slightest difficulty eating a huge bowl, along with a thick slice of new-baked bread, and when Seve offered him seconds, he only hesitated slightly before accepting. But Seve had only just reached over for his dish, when there was a loud, insistent knock at the door.


It’s pouring,” Jaime pointed out, rather annoyed at the interruption.


It’s probably Jan—maybe a problem up at the farm. Help yourself, I’ll go answer it.”

Jaime grunted—it was most likely Gerde’s husband. Seve had been called up to help them before, his enormous strength and fitness useful in a crisis, and since the farmer’s family had been so good to them, it was only fair.

He was dithering over the bread loaf—surely he couldn’t fit another slice in, as well as the soup, and the soup was a particularly fine batch—when he heard Seve exclaiming at the front of the house and the low rumble of another male voice.

He stood up straight, waiting, his chest tightening in anticipation. He didn’t have to wait long. “Look what washed in on the tide,” Seve announced, walking in with the widest grin Jaime had ever seen on his face.

Behind him, stood a very bedraggled Nikolas—grinning just as widely as Seve. “Hello, Jaime—got any food left for a poor, lonesome traveller?”

Jaime ran to him, and Nikolas, wet and sodden though he was, swept him up into a hug. “Gods, I bloody missed you,” Nikolas whispered. “Every single bloody day.” He squeezed so hard, Jaime could barely breathe, but he didn’t care at all.


Jaime, let the man sit down, dry off. Nikolas, you’re dripping.”

Nikolas released him, grinning. “I
am
dripping,” he confirmed. “And I’m
starving
.”

Jaime dragged him over to the bench chair, and made him sit. “You, stay there. If you even
think
about leaving us again, I’ll tie you up.”


And I’ll help him,” Seve said promptly, coming to stand beside him. Together they loomed over their errant lover and made it very clear he was going
nowhere
ever again.

Nikolas held up his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, I’m your prisoner. But tell me something—can a man be a prisoner when he wants to be imprisoned?”

He held out his hands to them, and they took them, holding them tight. “If you’re a prisoner, so are we,” Seve said. “Because we want to be with you, and where you are.”


And where you are, is home,” Jaime said.


Yes, and here I’ll stay. Though there’s just one very small thing that might make my happiness complete,” Nikolas said, suspiciously innocent.

Jaime already guessed. “A bowl of stew.”


I might have meant sex, you know.” Still innocent and untrustworthy.

Jaime scoffed. “I know you too well. Food, then sex.”


Wrong,” Nikolas said, looking smug. Jaime frowned. Nikolas beckoned them both closer, and when they got within reach, he cupped the back of their heads, and kissed each of them in turn. “
Kisses
, food, then sex. It’s important to remember the kissing.”


Indeed,” Jaime said, unable to suppress his grin. “Welcome back, Nikolas Ekinze. Welcome home.”


Thank you,” Nikolas said graciously. “
Now
you may feed me.”

Seve laughed, and headed over to the stove. Jaime kissed their errant friend again, because the kissing was important, but not so important as the fact Nikolas was back, and not leaving, and now Jaime’s family was together. No god or man would ever separate them again.

 

 

The end

 

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