Page 257 of Between Two Kings
The carriage ride was silent, which was no surprise to Tem; there was nothing left to say anyway. She was struck by how calm Leo seemed. If their positions had been reversed, Tem wasn’t sure she would have been quite as calm. Leo had no idea what awaited him tonight. And if Tem was being honest, neither did she.
They exited the carriage together, and Tem led them into the mouth of the cave. It was just as it always was—dark and warm and lit by the fireplace carved directly into the stone. The fire was perpetually burning, and Tem wondered suddenly whether Caspen did that on purpose, so she always felt welcomed when she came here.
As soon as they were inside, Tem turned to Leo. “Take off your clothes.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You won’t need them.”
“And why won’t I need my clothes?”
“Because basilisks don’t wear clothes.”
He blinked. “Are you saying that everyone is…naked?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Leo stared at her blankly. “Tem,” he said. “I cannot go in there naked.”
She almost laughed at how different his reaction was to Gabriel’s. Not everyone was so willing to be nude. “Why not?”
“Because it’s…preposterous. And improper.”
“Improper?”
“You really expect me to make peace with the basilisks without any clothes on?”
“Yes.”
“Tem. Please be serious.”
“I am being serious.”
Leo was staring at her like she’d just asked him to recite a limerick. Perhaps that would have been less ridiculous than what she’d actually asked. Leo had no concept of basilisk traditions. Everything that was about to happen tonight would be a surprise, and Tem had no time to prepare him for it.
“You’re wasting time. Everyone else will be naked. It will be disrespectful if you’re the only one wearing clothes.”
“So now it’s an insult if I’m not naked?”
“Yes. It is.”
“Kora.”
“Would you just take these off already?” She yanked at the leg of his trousers. “We don’t have all night.”
Leo ran his fingers through his hair before letting out a heavy sigh. “Will you be naked too?”
“Yes.”
He seemed to cheer up at that. “Very well.”
“Really? Now you’re ready?”
“I am but a man, Tem,” he smirked.
That he was.
Leo undressed first, and Tem watched every second of it. She hadn’t seen him naked since the night before their wedding, and she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t missed his cock. It was as straight and proud as ever, and well on its way to being hard. Tem didn’t bother suppressing the rush of warmth that touched her cheeks at the sight. As soon as Leo was naked, he turned to her expectantly.
