Gary of a Hundred Days (The Unwanted King #1)

by Isabel Murray

Down with Gary! Huzzah for Drusan! Right. I wasn’t going to lounge around and listen to this crap. Drusan the Liberator? How about Drusan the Murderer? How about that?

“I thought…“ He shook his head and tugged me closer. “Gods. I thought…” He was breathing hard. At a loss, I patted his back awkwardly. “There, there.” For some reason, this made him laugh. He released me, running his sharp gaze over me again.

“Of course I came for you, Gary. I will always come for you. Always. You’re my⁠—” I gazed up into his dark chestnut eyes. What? I was his what? We were plastered together, from knees to chest. My arms were locked around him. He was holding my face. Somehow, I didn’t think he was going to finish that sentence with my employer. “I’m your…?” I prompted. He didn’t reply. Instead, Magnus leaned down and laid his lips gently to mine.

I was a great admirer of nature. My preference was to admire it in the enormous books with beautiful illustrated plates in my library, and with a nice cup of tea. Maybe a scone.

Magnus was saying things like, yes, and you’re perfect, and like that, sweetheart. Yes, like that.

I hadn’t even thought about it. I was following him like a baby duck. I sighed. I’d follow him anywhere.

“You looked at me like you wanted to throttle me,” I said. “No, sweetheart. I wanted to throttle myself for letting you get hurt. I looked at you like I wanted to never let you be hurt again.”

“Why, Magnus?” My question came out tremblingly soft and I was about to roll my eyes at myself for being ridiculous when Magnus said, just as softly (but not trembling at all), “Because that was the day I recognised you as my bondmate.”

I dragged my gaze away from the large, erect cock right in front of me, a thing that I’d never expected to see at all, ever, let alone quite so close, to find Magnus watching me. Hungrily. Patiently. He took a deep breath and said in a strangely stilted way, “Gareth Augustus Lysander Rannock. Will you come out from under your blanket for me?”

“Yeah,” he said, brushing the backs of his fingers over a hot cheek. “You looked at me like that.” I could only imagine that I looked like a stunned mullet. There was no accounting for taste.

Magnus was slowly stroking us both, his gaze attentive on my face. “One day, Gary. One day, you’ll feel a fraction of what I feel for you, and you’ll understand. Until then—” he lowered to kiss me and murmur against my parted lips, “—trust me.”

I did trust him. More than anyone. I loved him.

“No. I thought perhaps you had never allowed anyone to touch you like you were allowing me, and I thanked the gods for the honour.”

“But I would like to fuck you anyway.” Magnus’ smile faded. “It won’t be fucking between us, Gary. Fucking’s for fun. It’s good, healthy fun.” “So what will we be doing?” “Making love.” “Magnus. You really are very romantic. I had no idea.”

I pressed my lips together and tried not to let the grin loose. Magnus laughed out loud, held my face and drew me down for a smacking kiss. His eyes, when he pulled away, were sparkling. I tilted my head and smiled back, bemused. Magnus sighed. “You are so beautiful,” he said. “You could have had ten thousand lovers by now, simply by smiling their way.”

“I didn’t want any lovers,” I said again. “But I think, perhaps, I’ve always wanted you.”

I was Magnus Torlassen’s bondmate. He was mine. Magnus.

I had gazed down into those eyes when they were soft with love, dark and hazy with desire, lost in pleasure, and—perhaps my favourite—just plain happy. Gods, how I loved that man.

I was more than happy to spend the rest of my life showing him that he didn’t need permission to do a damn thing, or ever wait to be told what to do. Except in bed. Gary very, very much liked to be told what to do in bed.

And he had no idea of how deep and all-consuming the power he held over me was. I would, after all, do anything for him.

The truth was, every kiss with Gary was like my first kiss.

But with each kiss he gave me and every day we passed together, my love for him grew deeper, and deeper, and deeper still. I was never going to stop falling for Gary. For the rest of my life, and whatever came after.