understand what worked best, if he were of a mind to get something out of Dane. Dane leaned forward to
tug the tray closer, until it bumped into one of his knees. “Think you can remember how that whole
vacation thing works?”
Lindsay tilted his head. “I think there was sunshine involved. And sex.”
“Very good.” Dane picked up a fork and stabbed a slice of steak, popping the meat into his mouth. He
looked thoughtful. “Won’t be sunny here for a while yet.”
Lindsay worked his way through the slice of toast, and reached out for the bowl of fruit. “It’s not like
I’m going to get a tan anyway,” he pointed out. “I can improvise.”
“I’m sure we can find something to do.” Dane offered Lindsay a piece of steak and gave him a stern
look.
When Lindsay saw Dane’s expression, he sighed and obediently opened his mouth to take the bite.
Dane fed him, and leaned in to kiss him with a satisfied grunt. “You’re going to need your strength for
your vacation,” he murmured.
“I’d better eat up, then.” Lindsay stole another kiss, and then stole Dane’s fork to get himself another
bite of the steak.
Dane laughed and slid his arms around Lindsay, getting Lindsay in his lap once Lindsay ate a little
more. “Good. I’d hate for anyone to say I’m not doing my job.”
Lindsay snuggled into Dane’s lap, getting comfortable, and tipped his head back so he could see
Dane’s face. “Oh, I think you’re doing excellent work,” he murmured, popping a bite of melon into his
mouth.
“So you’ll be keeping me, then?” Dane teased gently, holding Lindsay against him.
“I belong to you, not the other way around.” Finally, Lindsay felt perfectly comfortable with who and
what he was, and his place in the world. He rubbed his cheek against Dane’s bare chest. He knew Dane
wouldn’t willingly give him up, not now.
Dane was quiet a moment, and he pressed a kiss to Lindsay’s forehead. “Yes,” he said. “You have it
right. That’s how it is.” His arms tightened around Lindsay and he ducked his head so that his hair fell all around them and Lindsay was wrapped up in him, safe.
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About the Author
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No trust without truth.
Many Roads Home
© 2009 Ann Somerville
Fleeing his murderous brother-in-law, Vicont Yveni, heir to the Duchy of Sardelsa, seeks safety
abroad until he can reclaim his birthright. Instead he ends up shipwrecked, captured and taken to the one
country where he dare not reveal his identity. Worse, he’s just been bought by a man with no love for
Sardelsa.
Ripped from his family as a child and sold into slavery, Paole’s natural gift for healing made him a
valuable asset but did little to shield him from abuse and prejudice. Though he’s now free, for the first time in his life he’s alone—and he hates it. All he wanted was an apprentice and traveling companion in this
hostile land. Instead he winds up the unintentional owner of a slave with a mulish attitude…and a
suspicious history.
Yveni dares not tell the truth about who he is, and Paole refuses to trust him until he comes clean. The
battle of wills only serves to heat up a sizzling attraction that throws a new complication into the mix: love.
Paole wants acceptance. Yveni wants his birthright. Even if they manage to come to an understanding,
forces are gathering against them that could tear them apart forever…
Warning: Virginal angsting, interminable UST, and tender loving.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Many Roads Home:
His irritation grew as he discovered another difficulty keeping an unwilling prisoner brought him. His
normal routine when he arrived in a town, same as Mathias’s had been, was to make a camp just outside
and go in on foot with what he needed, occasionally taking Peni if he was collecting materials or supplies.
Mathias had always taken Paole with him, and even sent him off to deal with patients on his own, as
Mathias’s age meant he could do less than was demanded of him. But Paole couldn’t turn up to see people
with a slave on a chain. Mathias had never chained him, had never needed to. Gaelin would run off as soon
as Paole unleashed him.
So he was forced to drive into town, leaving the boy chained to the wagon while he visited the
ironmongers for what he needed, then head out to where he planned to make camp. He had to make sure
there was a tree sturdy enough for the purpose, since he didn’t dare leave the brat with easy access to the wagon and all its tools in the back.
Gaelin resisted as Paole dragged him over to the tree. “Why are you chaining me up here?” he
demanded as Paole fastened the lock on the new longer chain and tested it. “What have I done now?”
“Nothing, and that’s the way I want it to stay.”
“But what if it rains, or I need to eat?”
Blast it. Paole hadn’t considered that. “Then you’ll get wet.” The sky was clear, so there was no risk today, but it was something else to worry about. “I’ll leave you food and water.”
“Is there no task you want to set me?”
Paole had a dozen things a trustworthy apprentice could be set to, but nothing for this boy. “No, and
mind your tongue.”
“I just want to be useful, master.”
Paole felt like rolling his eyes.
“Is there not even a book I could read?”
He supposed that was reasonable, though he suspected the boy’s motives. “I’ll see if there’s
something. Now, no more demands, or you’ll do without food and water until tomorrow.”
“I understand, master.”
Again that flat tone which carried no obvious insult, but it still managed to sting. Perhaps it was just
Paole’s guilty conscience. Better not to engage with him at all, until he felt calmer.
He left the boy with Kusa’s Herbalist, since it was replaceable if the brat decided to damage it, as well as the canteen of water, some fruit and dried meat. He’d buy bread in the town and other supplies.
Something else to consider—he’d have to buy enough for two now. And what about the winter? He nearly
groaned. He hadn’t thought this through in the least.
He did his best to lose his foul temper before he reached the town again, but Addler the healer still
quirked an eyebrow at him. “Something biting you, Master Paole?”
“Not really. Just some business in Kivnic that went awry.”
“Someone said they thought you had a companion with you as you came through earlier.”
“Aye. Giving a lad a ride towards Sunik.”
Addler lifted the other eyebrow in surprise, but Paole didn’t elaborate on the lie. Let people chatter.
Better that than they learned the truth.
He bought supplies, spread the word he was in town, called in on two of Mathias’s regular patients
and spent time socialising, all the time with his mind half on the brat back at his camp and what mischief he might be up to. When he returned that evening, he was so wound up to expect a problem, that finding the
boy quietly reading and causing no difficulty whatsoever didn’t appease his annoyance at all.
He held out his hand for the book. “Give it to me.”
The boy frowned but handed the volume over without further argument. None of the pages had been