Epilogue #2
A vague fluttering of fingers accompanied her distracted, “Just some new terms for the armament side of the deal with Froley. Putting a few sweeteners in for Orren if he stays on the full two years.”
Nocren glanced at the figures she’d scrawled onto the page. “Sweetheart, are you trying to poach the good lieutenant from Avenor Guard? Not very business partnery of you, is it?”
“It’s very businessy, though perhaps less on the partnership side,” she said mildly. “But that all presumes I want to stay business partners a few years from now.” She turned to the next page in her contract, not looking up as she added, “Captain Orren has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Nocren shook his head. He flipped the paperwork over and moved to set it down when he noticed a jagged list of names on the back, several of which were scratched out.
“What is this?” he asked. “V-L-E-N.”
“Some ideas for my new business name. I circled the leading candidate.”
“Valley Logistics, Exchange, and Navigation,” Nocren recited. “V-L-E-N. Villain, Calya? You can’t be—”
“What? Everyone’s going to be thinking as much anyway, so why not embrace it?” She laughed. “I couldn’t think of anything with ‘Helm’ that I liked.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, then, exhaling dramatically, reached for her. “I paid the toll,” he muttered before claiming her mouth.
The contract papers hit the floor as Calya tossed them—carefully—to the side and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You did,” she agreed, returning his kiss. “Overpaid. Such expediency deserves a reward.”
The front of Nocren’s shirt clung where it was soaked through by Calya’s damp skin. He ignored it, letting the water creep up his sleeve as he reached to cup her breast. She leaned into his hand, sighing with pleasure as his thumb circled her nipple.
“What strings are attached to this prize?” he asked.
“None.” Calya drew back enough to meet his eyes. There was a mischievous, hungry glint in her gaze as she waited for his reaction.
“An unconditional reward?” Nocren shrugged out of his wet shirt. “How unlike you.”
“Well, if you don’t want it…” she said in mock indignation. She moved to get out of the tub. “I’ll be—”
Nocren gently pushed her back, smirking when she hardly put up a fight. He kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the taste of her.
With one hand keeping her mouth tilted up toward him, he let his other roam freely across her chest. Her nipples had already begun to harden, and she shivered when he rolled each one between his fingers. Made a pouty sound when he tweaked them and made her jump.
He kissed the frown from her brow, then moved down, his lips feathering over her neck, trailing lower until he could replace the teasing of his fingers with his mouth.
Calya leaned back, letting her head rest on the tub’s rim with her legs splayed open.
Nocren’s cock throbbed against the confinement of his trousers.
He didn’t let it, or Calya’s restless shifting, hurry him along, as much as he’d like to toss her onto the bed and not surface until morning.
There was plenty of time for all of that.
Eager as he was, nothing instilled a wicked brand of patience in him than an impatient Calya.
She liked being a challenge, but as he grew bolder, as they became more familiar with each other’s desires, he suspected she enjoyed pressing him simply so he would take her in hand.
She let him. Trusted him enough to do it. Wanted it, at least with him.
Now, to be gifted so much discretion, so many fantasies clamored in his head. Being spoiled for choice made his hands shake as excitement and indecision clashed.
Best not to think ahead at all, but only of the moment.
Nocren laved her nipple with his tongue, eliciting another shiver and appreciative moan.
Calya’s back arched away from the tub as he increased his pressure, alternating between sucking and flicking with the tip of his tongue.
Her hands came up to grasp his head, her fingers tangling in his hair.
She held him close in one instant and tried to pull him away at the next, moans growing more insistent.
When Nocren swiped his thumb over her clit, a small gasp had her perfect tits bumping against his face. His mouth released her with a wet pop, and he nipped at her exposed throat before returning to her chest. Calya squirmed as he latched on to her other breast and gave it equal treatment.
“L-Lowe.” Calya’s voice had a breathless quality to it. Her hips canted up as she sought more of his touch.
“Hmm?”
His mouth never left her nipple. He settled on sucking the hardened point between his lips and massaging it with his tongue.
Tonight, that combination had her wound especially tight.
Had her chest already beginning to heave as her breaths turned to soft pants and her pelvis chased his teasing fingers.
Even her hands were beginning to tremble, still clutched around his head.
A warm, pleased hum ran through Nocren’s mind. He could have a lifetime of exploring her body and it wouldn’t be enough. To learn the whole of Calya and her preferences required constant study. An eternal craft he could dedicate himself to and still be surprised every day.
Thank the wind for its prescience.
Nocren let a single fingertip slide through her folds. Delved in only to his first knuckle, resisting when Calya tried to bear down.
“You’re very needy tonight,” he said, raising his head. He traced his tongue along the column of her throat, letting his finger rub over her clit before toying with her pussy again.
Calya tried to spear herself on him, a frustrated exhale ruffling his hair when he eluded her efforts. “Lowe.”
“Did you not take care of yourself while I was gone?” he asked, tone innocent as he tapped her clit.
“I thought you liked it when I put you to work.”
Nocren pressed his thumb against her sensitive nub, chuckling softly when her head tipped farther back, her eyes squeezing shut with anticipation.
“I do,” he murmured into her ear. “Though it hardly feels like work when you’re so willing.”
Another exasperated huff left her mouth when Nocren ignored her attempts to coax his finger deeper. “Don’t make me regret it.”
“I would never.” He let a second finger join the first. Let them slide slowly in until he couldn’t go any farther. He crooked his fingers, satisfaction streaking through his chest when Calya’s inner walls gripped him, her inhale sounding more like a long hiss.
She was already so close. So primed for him.
So mistaken, if she thought giving Nocren free rein would mean a nice, quick release and then some passionate lovemaking.
Impassioned, yes. As for the rest, that was where the similarities ended.
“But tonight, Calya, love,” Nocren rumbled, “I will make you beg for it.”
Her questioning sound turned into a yelp as he withdrew abruptly and gathered Calya into his arms. Ignoring the bathwater cascading down, he carried her to the bed and tossed her onto it.
He ditched the rest of his clothes in record time as she perched on the edge of the bed.
She leaned over to drag the nightstand’s top drawer open.
Gods all bless his woman for always being prepared.
No sooner had Calya finished swallowing a contraceptive potion than Nocren had spun her around and bent her over the bed.
Fingers slick with lubricant, his fingers penetrated her without any further warning. No hesitation or leisurely strokes. Nocren set an immediate, rapid pace. One might even have called it punishing.
But not Calya. She gasped, her thighs twitching closed by reflex as her pussy clenched. When she started to rise, he leaned forward, his fist wrapping around her hair to keep her head still. Down. She growled at him, shaking her head to test his grip.
He could have sworn that she clenched even harder when his hand tightened in her hair. Or maybe it was caused by the slight angle of his wrist so his thumb could join the assault on her most sensitive parts.
Caged between him and the edge of the bed, Calya could only shift restlessly from foot to foot. Hoarse gasps mingled with short, stifled cries as Nocren’s thrusting fingers ratcheted up the tension in her.
“You spoke of being earned once, do you remember?” he asked, the hand in her hair not letting Calya bury her face in the mattress. “But you don’t want that. You want to be taken, don’t you, sweetheart? Taken by me. No one else.”
Her legs shook as she came. She trembled in his grip, her desire dripping down his hand as he gave her a final stroke.
She moaned when he pulled his fingers out. It was a plaintive, low sound. One that went abruptly high and indignant when he gave her pussy a slap. And then it became a cry as he replaced his fingers with his cock.
Nocren released her head so he could grip her by the waist. Better leverage.
Better for him to watch his cock as it disappeared into her beckoning heat.
He allowed himself a few long, measured thrusts, reveling in the way Calya grabbed fistfuls of the sheets.
She cried out, her legs shaking. Her inner walls fluttered weakly around him, already swollen from the vigorous finger fuck he’d given her.
His skin still glistened with the evidence of her enjoyment.
She turned her face to the side, enough so he could glimpse one of her eyes. Catch the slight curl of her smile, the dare in her arched brow as she met his next thrust and squeezed when he was buried balls deep.
Nocren picked up his pace.