The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

propriety there was, demanded that I look away and pretend
that I had no idea what they were doing. But I did know. I’d
read about the act Lyra was engaging in now in Miss Willa’s
diary. My heart thumped heavily. It was like when Casteel
kissed me between the thighs, except the way Willa had
described it, there was less kissing and licking, and more…
sucking. That whole act had confused me greatly when I
first read about it, but that was before I had learned that
there were all kinds of acts one could do with any number of
body parts.
“I’ll take your non-answer as a no?” Casteel queried.
Feeling my cheeks warm, I dragged my gaze to the fire
where people sat and talked, either unaware of what was
happening in the shadows or not caring. “You did say the
wolven were into public displays of affection.”
He laughed again. “I did, and they are very open with
their…affections. They feel no shame in doing so. I’m sure at
some point you will definitely see a bare ass or two.”
I liked that they felt no shame, possibly never even
knowing the sourness of that emotion attached to such
actions. There was an enviable freedom in that, to exist and
be so free and open.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel embarrassed
to say so,” Casteel said quietly. “We don’t have to stay, and
we can leave whenever you want.”
His offer tugged on my heart, and I turned my head,
kissing the underside of his jaw. “Thank you for saying that,
but I’m not uncomfortable.”
“Okay,” he said, tilting his head and kissing me.
And I really wasn’t as I leaned into Casteel, resting my
head against his chest. If there was no shame in their
actions, then there was none in my heart.
But I really shouldn’t be watching, and that was exactly
what I was doing, my gaze finding where Kieran and Lyra
had gone with rather unerring accuracy. I saw Lyra place a
hand on his chest, pushing him back as he started to sit up