The Sugared Game (The Will Darling Adventures, #2)

by K.J. Charles

“Damnation. I’m sorry.” “What on earth for?” “Well, you. This looks like a rotten job.” Kim’s face twisted, a sudden, shockingly open movement that made him look dreadfully like a child. It lasted a fraction of a second before his face smoothed over, but Will could see the tension in his jaw and neck still. “Kim?” “You startled me with sympathy. Ah, Christ, Will.” “What?” Kim hesitated. “Only that I’m grateful to have you with me thus far. And.” He exhaled. “And I don’t flatter myself that you’ll care, but I ought to say that I disappeared on you in January for purely professional reasons. You deserve to know that.” “What reasons?” “I had—call it omens of trouble with Zodiac at the end of last year. I thought I would do well to keep my distance rather than draw attention to you, and subsequent events proved me right. I’m rather afraid things are coming to a head.” “And you didn’t think to tell me?” “What, and expect you to sit tamely at home, keeping out of danger, because I said so? You aren’t famous for your obliging nature.” That phrase struck at Will’s gut. Kim had used it about himself, here in this flat. He had an exceedingly obliging nature, at least in some areas. And Kim had noticed that resonance too, because his eyes were on Will’s deep and dark. “I’ll decide what to do for myself,” he said, hearing roughness in his voice. “Stop playing silly buggers.” “Silly buggers is what I do. There’s no point waiting for me to do otherwise. There’s no point waiting for me a...

HE’D ONLY BEEN IN KIM’S bedroom a few times. It felt more familiar than it should. Kim switched on some of his many lamps as Will struggled out of his coat, then walked over and pulled him into a kiss without a word. His mouth was hard and demanding. Will got a hand on his taut arse, then the other. Kim snarled against his lips, and moved his head to bite gently at Will’s earlobes, clutching his shoulders. “God. Kim. Can I—” “Yes,” Kim said into his skin. “Please do.” They both stripped quickly. Will wasn’t sure where the urgency was coming from. Maybe they were trying to outrun whatever trouble followed; he didn’t care. He kicked away his trousers and stepped out of his drawers. Kim sucked in a breath, almost a hiss. “Every time I see you naked...” “What?” Will was in reasonable shape—he did a lot of manual work, and he’d filled out in the last few months—but he was solid, not graceful, and he had some ugly scars. Kim tipped his head. “Many things. Every time I see you naked, I marvel at the gift. I discover a structural weakness in my knees that makes them want to bend. I consider and reject joining a gymnasium.” He stroked a very light finger over the ridged line on Will’s belly. “I wonder how close you came to not being here.” “That wasn’t the bad one.” “Which was?” “My leg. If it hadn’t been for the bravest stretcher-bearer in Flanders, I’d have died out there. A month in hospital.” Kim’s fingers trailed down over his hip, to the gnarled skin on his thigh. “This?” “Mm...

“This is a rule for you: you don’t use me to punish yourself. You don’t decide not to talk to me for two months to keep me out of danger or because you’re a terrible person who deserves to be alone, or any of that. I’ll tell you what I deserve, and what I want to be involved in, and I’ll let you know when I’ve done with you, same as you can me. Got that?” Kim looked round at last. “What does that mean, ‘when I’ve done with you’?” “Like we said the other day. When I decide I don’t want to keep on, I’ll tell you so, and you can do the same. Only, actually tell me next time, all right?” Kim gave a half smile. “When you don’t want to keep on. When will that be?” “How should I know? I don’t know what I’m doing. Nothing’s gone like I thought it would since 1914. And all I can think about is you.” Kim’s mouth opened. He looked just a little desperate, and just a little hopeful, and then he reached for Will’s head, leaned over, and kissed him hard. Will grabbed his shoulder, feeling the tension, still holding his other hand. They kissed savagely, tongues tangling, need rising fast, and if this was a way for Kim not to talk about things any more, Will could live with that for now. Kim threw a thigh over Will and pulled himself across so he was sitting over his lap, leaning forward to keep their mouths joined, hips and pricks rubbing together. Will freed his hand and grabbed Kim’s dark head, the stupid beautiful lying hurting bastard that he was. “Just...” He didn’t know what to say...

Nothing’s gone like I thought it would since 1914. And all I can think about is you.”

“This is a rule for you: you don’t use me to punish yourself. You don’t decide not to talk to me for two months to keep me out of danger or because you’re a terrible person who deserves to be alone, or any of that. I’ll tell you what I deserve, and what I want to be involved in, and I’ll let you know when I’ve done with you, same as you can me. Got that?” Kim looked round at last. “What does that mean, ‘when I’ve done with you’?” “Like we said the other day. When I decide I don’t want to keep on, I’ll tell you so, and you can do the same. Only, actually tell me next time, all right?” Kim gave a half smile. “When you don’t want to keep on. When will that be?” “How should I know? I don’t know what I’m doing. Nothing’s gone like I thought it would since 1914. And all I can think about is you.” Kim’s mouth opened. He looked just a little desperate, and just a little hopeful, and then he reached for Will’s head, leaned over, and kissed him hard. Will grabbed his shoulder, feeling the tension, still holding his other hand. They kissed savagely, tongues tangling, need rising fast, and if this was a way for Kim not to talk about things any more, Will could live with that for now. Kim threw a thigh over Will and pulled himself across so he was sitting over his lap, leaning forward to keep their mouths joined, hips and pricks rubbing together. Will freed his hand and grabbed Kim’s dark head, the stupid beautiful lying hurting bastard that he was. “Just...” He didn’t know what to say...

“Still remember your name?” “There’s an Aloysius in there to forget. For Christ’s sake—”

“This is a rule for you: you don’t use me to punish yourself. You don’t decide not to talk to me for two months to keep me out of danger or because you’re a terrible person who deserves to be alone, or any of that. I’ll tell you what I deserve, and what I want to be involved in, and I’ll let you know when I’ve done with you, same as you can me. Got that?” Kim looked round at last. “What does that mean, ‘when I’ve done with you’?” “Like we said the other day. When I decide I don’t want to keep on, I’ll tell you so, and you can do the same. Only, actually tell me next time, all right?” Kim gave a half smile. “When you don’t want to keep on. When will that be?” “How should I know? I don’t know what I’m doing. Nothing’s gone like I thought it would since 1914. And all I can think about is you.” Kim’s mouth opened. He looked just a little desperate, and just a little hopeful, and then he reached for Will’s head, leaned over, and kissed him hard. Will grabbed his shoulder, feeling the tension, still holding his other hand. They kissed savagely, tongues tangling, need rising fast, and if this was a way for Kim not to talk about things any more, Will could live with that for now. Kim th...

“You make me feel like a prize bull.”

KIM CRAWLED DOWNSTAIRS at about ten the next day. It was lucky the shop was empty. “You look like a tramp,” Will said, in lieu of greeting. “That’s surprisingly positive, since I feel like a corpse. I imagine I have a fair bit to apologise for.” “You have no idea how much. Get cleaned up, get some food and coffee into yourself, and then get back here. And don’t piss me about, Kim. If you disappear on me now, you don’t ever show your face again.” “Worse than I thought, then.” “You’ve got half an hour. Try not to let me down, for once.” Kim was back within the allotted time, which was mildly impressive since he looked as if it hurt to move. Will doubted he’d eaten anything. “Tea?” he said, because the kettle was on and he was furious but not a monster. “God, yes.” Will locked the door, switched the sign to Closed, and led the way into the back room. Kim shot a glance at the camp bed. “I take it I stole your bed last night. Sorry.” “Don’t be. If I’d been in it with you, we’d have been up a gum tree when the police came round.” “What?” Will gave him a brief summary. “I’m no expert, but I don’t think the rozzers generally bang on the doors of private homes at four in the morning to check whose beds people are in. The chap in charge was a Sergeant Spencer Thomas at Vine Street station, which isn’t the local nick, but is the station that covers the High-Low. I suppose that was Mrs. Skyrme’s parting shot at us.” “Spencer Thomas,” Kim repeated. Will passed him the sheet with the se...

saturnine.

saturnine /ˈsadərˌnīn/ I. adjective 1. (of a person or their manner) slow and gloomy • a saturnine temperament. 2. (of a person or their features) dark in coloring and moody or mysterious • his saturnine face and dark, watchful eyes. 3. (of a place or an occasion) gloomy. II. derivatives saturninely adverb – origin late Middle English (as a term in astrology): from Old French saturnin, from medieval Latin Saturninus ‘of Saturn’ (identified with lead by the alchemists and associated with slowness and gloom by astrologers).

“So pleased you’ve brought a murder weapon to a house party.” “You said to come armed. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” “Not a clue.” Kim sounded almost cheerful. “I expect we’ll get a hint from Waring shortly. You probably don’t need to go armed to that meeting unless it makes you feel better. Did you have a set-to with Maisie?” “I was trying to warn her about Waring and see if she’d go home. But I couldn’t say why, so it didn’t go well. Actually, I did about as badly as was humanly possible.” “At least we’re consistent,” Kim said. “This is the hell of it. Prepare to feel like the villain of the piece to Maisie, to Phoebe, to whatever audience Waring decides to perform in front of, and primarily to yourself as you wonder if, after all, you are quite rational and have not been deceived, or deceived yourself. I spent a long time persuading myself I was wrong.” “I heard Fuller say Etchil.” “Keep that in mind. It isn’t going to make things easier with Maisie, though, right or not. I’m sorry about that.” “She doesn’t like Waring,” Will said. “Can’t put her finger on why.” “I expect because she is used to moving defensively through life. When people are obliged to keep an eye out for threats, their eyes tend to be sharp. That’s what women’s intuition means, if you ask me: being unconsciously alert for dangerous men.

“And what about Maisie? She had a nasty experience at the start of all that and very little space to breathe after.” “She seems all right,” Will said. “I think it helped that Phoebe needed her—you know, having something to do, keeping busy. And she’s pleased with herself for crocking that chauffeur fellow.” “As she should be. An excellent shot.” “I told her, by the way.” “Told her?” “About us. We had a proper talk, her and me, before it all kicked off.” “Did you. How was that?” “It was fine,” Will said. “Better than fine. Being able to talk properly about this stuff, about myself, with her—I needed that. I didn’t know how much.” “I realise my limitations, Will, but I’ve been negotiating these waters for a while now. If you’re struggling with your nature—” “I can look after myself, thanks. The part I’m struggling with is a bit under six foot, and driving too fast.” A rueful grin twitched at Kim’s lips, and he eased off the accelerator a touch. “Sorry.” “But,” Will went on. “But then the thing was that she knew, and Waring and Cheveley knew, and DS knew, and it felt like everyone but Bubby Fanshawe knew. Like suddenly the whole world knows I’m—” He wasn’t sure what to say. Your boy friend. Fucking you. Neither one sounded right. “Ambisexual,” Kim said, which didn’t sound right either, or real. “You what?” “Ambisexual. Inclined to men and ladies alike.” “Oh, is that what Maisie meant? She said ambidextrous.” “That’s a different state, probably one with more practical use.” “...