“I can’t believe it’s this hot even with the wind blowing.”

Amused, Glorfindel left the window with its spectacular sea view and chose a round, yellow fruit with a pink flush from a nearby table set with heaped bowls of fruit, nuts and sweetmeats. Sitting on the edge of the canopied divan, he offered it to Erestor, who was lounging back against pillows, hair piled untidily atop his head. “Here, try this. Something sweet to cool your irritation.”

“Oh funny.” Erestor took the proffered fruit and examined it. “What is this? I’ve not seen these before. I’ve only tried the dried figs so far, they seemed safest.”

“Staying with what you know? You’re normally more adventurous,” Glorfindel chuckled. “I asked the girl who brought us fresh towels, and this is a peach. The darker, rough skinned ones are oranges, which you have to peel, and the little ones are loquats. Why not take your tunic off if you’re suffering that much, no one’ll come in here except the servants.”

Erestor sighed, pulled the tunic over his head and dropped it onto the divan, then set about unfastening his shirt. “It’s just that it’s so humid. I can’t take humidity. I like my heat dry.”

“It gets humid in Mithlond and I don’t hear you complain.”

“It doesn’t get like this, not where my hair starts sticking to my neck and all I want to do is go wade out in the sea.”

“You could if you wanted to? I’d just tell our hosts you had a strange religious rite that required immersion in the sea?”

“Oh, riiight.” Erestor picked up the peach again, sniffed it and began examining it closely. Glorfindel liked watching him with new things; he was like a cat, cautious and exploratory. “So strange that they don’t swim when they’re right by the ocean.”

“It’s about modesty, they only undress in front of their partners. Otherwise no flesh on display, just face and hands.”

“Very strange when you think of the dancing girls at the welcome dinner. They were next to naked.”

“They have different rules for girls who aren’t decently married,” Glorfindel told him. He had read up about local customs, partly from works selected for him by Erestor himself, who had either not read them or had skimmed everything except politics and history. This was Glorfindel’s mission, Erestor was there purely as an observer and was taking full advantage of the fact.

“Asexual in public and yet dancing girls who were handed out to the guests after, multiple wives, concubines of both genders – in fact three genders, there are eunuchs, too… and no trips to the beach even in the height of summer.” Erestor shook his head and loops of black hair threatened to work free from the impromptu topknot.

“Be flexible. Their views on sex and the body are more conservative than ours, that’s all.”

Erestor looked at him from under lowered lashes. “I am flexible. I have never heard you complain about my flexibility.”

Glorfindel grinned. “This is true. Seriously though, if we’re to cement an agreement between Lindon and the Prince and gain a reliable informant here in the south, we can’t afford to complicate things with differing approaches to sex and nudity.”

“I know all that. I read all the documents, remember? Even the ones I probably wasn’t supposed to.” Erestor was stroking the peach now, passing his thumb lightly across the surface. “It’s — fuzzy. Look at the skin, it has little hairs on it. Are you sure it’s meant to be like this?”

Amber eyes pinned him searchingly. Glorfindel smiled and circled Erestor’s wrist with his fingers, bringing the hand holding the peach closer for a better look. “It is a bit, isn’t it? Rather like your naked bottom and probably just as inviting.”

Erestor snatched his hand back. “My bum is not fuzzy, don’t be ridiculous.” He bit into the peach and pressed his mouth against the flesh to stop the juice from dripping all over his hand. Swallowing he said, “Oh, now that tastes wonderful, you were right. Sweet and refreshing…”

“Can I taste?”

“Yes, of course. Here…” He held the peach out, but Glorfindel ignored his hand and leaned in to lick slowly up from Erestor’s chin to the corner of his mouth.

“Mm, you’re right. Sweet. Any more?”

Giving him a level look, Erestor deliberately drizzled peach juice in a line down the centre of his chest, careful to avoid his clothing. Glorfindel felt the twist of lust, nodded and leaned forward, lapping warm skin. Above his head he heard Erestor take another bite. He brushed a dusky nipple roughly with the ball of his thumb, then kissed his way up to the fruit-sweet mouth.

“It’s far too hot for this.” Erestor’s voice was husky-soft, his tone belying the words.

“Heat feeds heat,” Glorfindel responded, equally low, reaching up to undo the piled hair. “Hot and humid needn’t always be a bad thing. Come, let me show you, creature of the icy north.”

Their foreheads were almost touching, eyes too close for a wider view, so all he could see of Erestor was flushed skin, parted lips and cascading ink-black hair. Glorfindel felt a hand rest on the centre of his chest followed by a slight push. He drew back at once, looking a question. Erestor smiled that slow, seductive smile that turned his insides molten and held up the peach. “Should we share this?”

Glorfindel took it and rubbed his lips against the skin: Erestor was right, fuzzy was the word for it. “I think so. Slowly though, because I want some left by the time I get where I’m going. I still want to see how much your gorgeous rear truly resembles a peach.”

~*~*~*~*~