His expression warmed at Ryland’s happy acceptance.  Right then, spoiled wasn’t a<i>bad</i>thing, because it had given them their moments of fun, stolen as they were, on this little boat in the middle of the icy river.  It also had Ryland teasing him with the display of that perfectly shaped lip curling behind his teeth, only to reveal itself again with slow precision.  Keth was faced with the possibility that a weakness had been discovered…<br/><br/>The playful talk also had the prince going on about carpets of wildflowers and early morning bubble baths.  Well, afternoon.  None of it sounded practical, but that didn’t mean Kethaias wasn’t imagining it all.  It was the addition of the gold that had him wrinkling his nose.<br/><br/>“I would rather fuck you in the flowers, to be honest,” he chuckled.  “The gold is a little too much.  Don’t you think?”  Doubtful.  Ryland would probably have sex<i>with</i>gold if he could, and too much luxury would never be enough.  It was for Keth, but then if their trip out onto the river proved anything, it was that he felt freer in the quiet of nature’s beauty, breathing in the fresh air, the calm; like the absence of everything else made him something else.<br/><br/>But Ryland’s hands were playing with him, and the arch of that graceful body reminded him of how much he wanted the prince, whether it be with wildflowers, gold, or neither.<br/><br/>“Am I?” he asked, settling his weight somewhat.  “Are you sure it might not be you who owe me?  Taking up so much of my valuable time, and during these important negotiations…  I wonder if your brother would approve?”  He was teasing.  It served the prince right, because of the lip thing, and Keth found that he couldn’t let that slide.  He nipped at the corner of Ryland’s mouth, then assaulted the offending lip with his own teeth to show he knew how he was being played with.  Then he kissed the prince, a little hard but slow.  He felt his own body reacting.<br/><br/>“This should stop,” he warned in a soft growl.  “Otherwise, I’m likely to throw your boatman overboard, rip down this tent, and have you right here and now.  Exciting as that might sound, even you have to recognize the risk.”<br/><br/>He pulled away then, rolling onto his back and taking a deep breath to clear his head and calm his blood.  As an afterthought, he grasped for Ryland’s hand.  He could make up for missing affection later that night, when their closeness and the danger of rekindling desire wouldn’t be such a problem.