Ryland’s acceptance of the gift was perfect.  Even the act of placing the precious jewelry on the prince’s ear himself, which would’ve been the proper way had they been married, aligned with his fantasy.  Given it was a bit of underhandedness and not the real thing, it also rewarded him with a little satisfaction of the evil kind.<i>Taken,</i>the item broadcast as loud as any of its kind could with that level of richness.  Not that anyone there would understand the implication, but Kethaias could keep it all to himself and be content.<br/><br/>He remained quiet while the prince examined his new gift.  He wasn’t going to state any reasons for Ryland to not like it, and he wasn’t going to gush praises about the man’s beauty.  Even if it was true and meant as a compliment, and even if the angelic bastard used his looks as an advantage, Ryland almost seemed insulted whenever the topic went there.<br/><br/>The jabs were not as easily ignored.<i>I’ll get to you when I’m ready…?</i>Keth couldn’t abide by that.  He couldn’t just strip down and go wait on the bed, being ordered around like some pet dog in hope of getting attention.  But Ryland didn’t like the gentle romances or sweet gestures, did he?  He enjoyed playing.  He enjoyed the chase, the fight, and the roughhousing… all things Kethaias had also gravitated to in his youth.<br/><br/>So he attacked, his eyes alive as he sought his prey.  Even the destruction of Ryland’s expensive shirt didn’t induce a pause in the hunt, because the golden beauty was laughing as he fought and provoking him to continue.<br/><br/>Swift fingers used the mangled fabric to restrain him, or at least in the attempt.  Keth wasn’t above using his size or strength in the bedroom on a willing victim, and so lifting his arms up and encircling the smaller frame fighting against him was no difficult feat.  Then he was falling back onto the bed and dragging Ryland with him.<br/><br/>“Sleek little golden foxes are still no match for big black wolves,” he teased, chuckling against that jeweled ear.  He worked his hands free of the shirt sleeve with a few sharp tugs before rolling to pin his prey.  “Cunning only gets you so far.  Then you have to deal with the consequences of your actions.”<br/><br/>And what were the consequences?  Kethaias had waited long enough to feast on the pleasures the prince had been teasing him with since their first meeting.  He wouldn’t have at all felt guilty if he were to leave the man too sore to venture from his room the next day.<br/><br/>The scrap of shirt found its way into each hand and stretched across Ryland’s pretty throat.  Keth obviously wasn’t going to strangle the man he desired, but he wasn’t above applying a little pressure to spice things up and keep him, for a moment, under control.<br/><br/>“I thought you were going to use this wicked mouth of yours to taste me?” he growled, though it was still a delighted sound.  “Yet you have a barbed tongue.  Perhaps your highness is trying to stall and those highly touted skills are not all that impressive after all?”