The Copper Horse #2 Pride by K.A. Merikan Read Free Book Online

burst out
laughing. “His books might be full of cunt, but in real life it’s
the cunts that are full of Frey.”
    “So they’re...
picture books?” Reuben looked up at the lines of bookshelves. How
many could there be? It almost looked like there could be as many
as there were ants in a colony he’d once discovered in the backyard
of the bakery. He and his father had caught as many as possible and
ground them into the flour.
    “Some of them
are, but there is something much more interesting behind their
backs.” Erik lowered his voice, looking straight at Reuben with
those hypnotizing eyes. “Can you keep a secret, my Copper?”
    “Oh, yes,
Master!” His heart pounded at the thought of Erik entrusting him
with something important. Erik’s grin convinced him his enthusiasm
showed on his face.
    “Seal the
promise with a kiss.”
    Reuben arched
up to kiss Erik without hesitation and then sucked on his upper lip
for a second, never breaking eye contact. He felt proud when he
heard a whimper break from Erik’s throat.
    “Above the
desk, on one of the shelves is a book about the Third Seville War,
about a slave uprising against the ancient Romans.” Erik raised his
hand, roughly indicating the volume he meant. “When pulled halfway
out of the shelf, it opens a secret passage to London. My brother
doesn’t know I know.” He chuckled like a mischievous child.
    “I will never
tell anyone,” Reuben promised with a smile.
    “I sure hope
so, because if you did, Frey’d have us both killed,” Erik told him
casually.
    “Even you?
Aren’t you too important?” Reuben nuzzled his knee.
    “Not as much as
his pathetic life.” Erik opened his mouth as if to say something
more, but stilled when they heard the sound of approaching
footsteps.
    Reuben stayed
where he was, but he tensed up and looked to the door. It opened
with a quick swing and in came Frey, just like Reuben remembered
him: tall, intimidating, and cold. Even the fine midnight blue coat
didn’t make him seem more gentile.
    “You will dine
with us, won’t you, Erik?” he asked, walking past the fainting
couch, but his impassive expression quickly turned into a scowl as
soon as he spotted Reuben. “For God’s sake, what is this fucktoy of
yours doing here? Couldn’t you leave him with my servants like you
always do?”
    Erik didn’t
even flinch. “I could, but I didn’t wish to.”
    Reuben found it
hard to fight a smile at those words. He even straightened his back
a bit more, looking at Frey without fear.
    Frey rolled his
eyes. “Can it at least stop staring? I’m not in the mood to
argue about this.”
    Erik sighed.
“Fine. Copper, look at me only. Can you do that?” he asked,
lovingly cupping Reuben’s face.
    “Yes,
Master.”
    “Oh, Erik.”
Frey shook his head while walking to his desk. “Do I really deserve
this? Of all people, why does my brother have to be the biggest
deviant I know?” He rubbed his forehead and sank into a chair.
    Erik frowned,
gently massaging the hairy top of Reuben’s head, sending sparkles
of pleasure under the leather covering all of Reuben’s body. “I
don’t know why. Maybe you should find some new friends in Bedlam to
lift that burden off your chest?”
    Frey shrugged.
“I was just trying to be honest. So, are you staying for
dinner?”
    Reuben was only
looking at Erik or to the floor, but he could still see Frey from
the corner of his eye. The man seemed in a better mood than during
their first encounter. Or he was just trying to be sweet to Erik to
butter him up for something.
    “Only when you
let my pony dine with us.”
    “Can’t he just
stay under the table or something? Wouldn’t you like that?” Frey
couldn’t suppress a laugh that made Reuben’s smile falter.
    Erik shook his
head. “I am well aware you never had any interest in studying
nature, but it’s still striking you don’t know a horse cannot live
on his master’s seed alone.”
    “Uh, that is
disgusting. You don’t want