Chapter 16
Lian
I didn't expect it to be already dark when we finally returned to the Town Hall.
We had been out for a long time, and I hadn't even realised how much time had passed.
We hadn't even really done anything other than walk around the herb garden and then pick up some rolls from one of the bakeries that we passed on the way back because I'd been starving.
"We missed dinner," I said as we entered through the side entrance. "Eva and Max—"
"Are fine," Pepper assured me, gently steering me further into the hall. "I left meals in the kitchen for lunch, and they went out for dinner. I arranged this with them in advance, and they were happy to go out and explore."
That did sound like my cousins, but even with Pepper's reassurances, I could feel the beginnings of guilt rise up in me.
Was it really fine for me to prioritise myself and cause inconveniences for them?
It went against everything I had been taught my whole life.
And what if it wasn't fine, even if they said it was?
If I thought about it logically, I knew that neither of my cousins had ever tried to make me feel bad about anything that prioritised myself, but that didn't stop me from worrying about it, especially because it wasn't as easy to silence the voices of our parents in my mind.
There had always been so much pressure on me to behave in a certain way, and to the tea witch support that the twins would need.
It would take more than a couple of attempts at reassurance for me to fully start believing what they said.
"You look like you have a lot of thoughts," Pepper said. "Would you like to talk to your cousins and make sure they aren't upset?"
As tempting as that sounded, that meant putting an end to our night together, and I didn't want that.
I was having a good time, a great time. It had been so long since I let myself feel like this around someone else, and I could tell that I was craving more, like a flower getting its first drop of water after a long drought.
It was greedy of me, but I simply hadn't had enough.
Besides, maybe it was good for me to decide that talking to them could wait.
If they were mad at me for it, what would it matter if I faced that now and not tomorrow?
It was a foreign thought, but one that I was going to embrace.
Today was a chance for new things, and potentially new beginnings. I was going to make the most of that.
"I will talk to them later," I said firmly.
Pepper gave me a proud smile. "All right."
"But right now, I would like to spend some more time with you." Feeling emboldened by our time together, and how good the kisses had felt, I reached out to pull her to me with an arm around her waist.
"You're not tired of me yet?" Pepper asked as she rubbed her nose against mine. It was a surprisingly tender gesture, and one that I liked.
I felt something stir in me. "No, far from it."
"Then perhaps you could come to my room for some tea?" Pepper said, brushing her lips against my cheek.
"Do you mean tea, or are you trying to bed me?" I asked, not wanting to misread the signals.
Pepper sucked in a sharp breath. "I meant tea, but I won't lie and say I haven't thought about sleeping with you."
The stirrings in my lower belly turned into a spark. "Then yes."
"To tea?" Pepper asked, her voice lower than before.
"To both."
Pepper let out a funny sound and pulled me in for another kiss, her lips firmer and more demanding.
I wasn't the only one who was craving more, and it felt good knowing that.
I could feel it in her touch. Her desire, but also her restraint.
Her hands smoothed over the swell of my hips, making me very aware of my body in the best way.
"Where is your room?" I asked. My coherent thoughts were starting to slide away, but I was still aware enough to know we were out in the hallway.
"This way," Pepper said, taking my hand and pulling me into a corridor that I hadn't been in before.
Until now, I hadn't really thought about Pepper living in the Town Hall.
I wondered how she had come to live and work here, realising I didn't actually know.
There was still a lot to learn about each other, but maybe that was all right.
After all, we had the time to do that. And it wasn't as if I'd shared everything about me either.
But we'd shared a lot, and I felt like I knew her in a way I hadn't gotten to know many people over the past few years.
It was as if she'd slipped beneath the walls that I usually kept up in order to protect myself.
Her room wasn't that different to mine. It was slightly smaller but with more personal items and touches sprinkled throughout the space.
Probably because she wasn't living out of several trunks while waiting for a house to be ready for her.
This was her home, and she was inviting me into it.
There was a knitted throw on her bed and spare aprons hanging over a chair.
There were loose recipes on the table and her shelf was decorated with dried flowers in a jar and small wooden carvings of pieces of fruit.
It was warm, inviting, and comforting, all things I thought of when I thought of Pepper. Her name was a good choice for her in that respect. Pepper was warm, just like her.
She closed the door behind me, and I took my shoes off, not wanting to drag in any mud that I might have picked up in the herb garden or elsewhere in the village.
I expected to feel nervous taking this next step, but not having to worry about whether we were having tea or tea was taking away a lot of the stress.
We were going to sleep together, and that was that.
Instead of worrying about the if, I could think about the how.
"I might need assistance with my hair," I said, not wanting to get into bed while having hairpins in.
Eva had insisted on doing it for me and had used a more elaborate style than I was used to.
It looked good, even if she'd avoided the dangly ornaments she liked, but it was harder to undo by myself.
No doubt she'd be able to guess what happened tonight based on the fact that I didn't come to her in order to get them removed, but that was something else I'd deal with in the morning.
"I can help," Pepper said, standing and staring for a moment. "Umm, let me clear a chair."
"Or I can just sit on your bed," I said, not wanting to create extra work.
Pepper's voice sounded different when she spoke again. "Or you can do that."
I sat down on the side of her bed, feeling the first flutters of nerves. There were only a few people who had ever undone my hair or seen me with it down. I would be revealing a version of myself that I hadn't shared with anyone in a long time, but it felt right.
She took place behind me, and her hands fluttered against my back, soft and exploratory.
"Where do I start?" she asked, her voice thick with something.
"The clasps first, then the hairpins. The ribbon comes off last," I instructed, relaxing when I could feel her take some of the ornaments out. She was careful and gentle in how she handled them, in how she handled me. Just how it should be.
There was some pressure on my scalp as she wrestled with the ribbon, but my hair came free, falling down to my waist. It felt as intimate as taking off my robe.
"Your hair is beautiful," Pepper said, her fingers running through the length of it. "It's so dark and smooth."
"I wash it with rice water. It keeps it healthy."
"The rice water you save from your breakfasts? I've been wondering why you don't throw it away." Pepper said.
I nodded, not in the slightest bit surprised that she'd noticed me doing that. Pepper was observant.
I leaned into her touch, enjoying the feel of her hands running through my hair. It was very different from how anyone else did it, but it felt really nice. It was making me want to be touched more, and in other ways.
A soft sigh slipped from my lips, and the mattress moved when she shifted her weight so she could press her body against mine. She was radiating heat, and I could feel the firm press of her breasts against my back.
Her voice tickled the side of my face. "Lian. I'm having trouble focusing when I'm this close to you, especially when you're making those kinds of sounds."
"Sighing?" I asked, humming again when her hands kneaded my shoulders.
"Moaning," she said in my ear, sounding breathy and strained.
I felt her desire awaken mine, and I reached for the knots on the front of my chest, letting the fabric wrapped around me fall away.
I let it slide down my shoulders, pleased when I heard the sharp intake of air behind me.
I didn't want her to be disappointed with my body, but that didn't seem to be the case.
There was a rustle of fabric behind me, and when Pepper pressed against my back again, I could feel her skin against mine.
Her arms wrapped around me and I leaned back to kiss her while her hands roamed over my body.
I could tell she was eager from how she touched me, from how her tongue stroked against mine.
She flicked one of my nipples, and I arched into her, feeling a spark of excitement between my legs.
"Again," I whispered, wanting to feel it again. "But firmer, please. Soft touches feel like you're tickling me."
Pepper kissed my neck and took my nipple between her fingers, tugging on it until I moaned. It seemed my sounds were encouraging her because she was getting bolder with her kisses, with her touches.
I reached up to her so I could kiss her again, enjoying how it felt to be desired and wanted. The heat between my legs was building, and it was making me feel needy.
"I want to touch you properly," Pepper murmured between kisses.
She didn't need to tell me, I could feel it in her touch. Her hands were sliding further down my abdomen until they were resting on the top of my thighs. I parted my legs, letting her hand slide in between them and moaned when her fingers brushed against my most sensitive parts.
"There," I said, moving my hand over hers and applying pressure when she touched the right spot. That was what I needed.
Pepper kissed my shoulder as she angled her hand up. The sudden change made me gasp and twitch. She rubbed my clit until I felt unbearably turned on and wanted more. Needed more.
I gasped when I felt one of her fingers against my entrance and tensed as she pushed into me. It had been a while, but it felt really hot.
"You're tight," Pepper whispered, kissing the side of my face. "Am I going too fast? Are you not ready?"
"No, it feels good," I said, putting my hand over her hand. "Touch me more."
"I'm trying. The angle is not the best," she admitted sheepishly.
That was frustrating, but there was an easy solution to that, even if it meant breaking apart.
"Hang on," I said, standing up from the edge of the bed so I could take the rest of my clothes off. I draped them over the chair with her aprons so they wouldn't get all messy and turned back around, finding Pepper staring at me with dark, desiring eyes.
It was my first time looking at her, and she was soft and curvy and beautiful. She was lovely. Perfect. It made me want to touch her, even while I was desperate for her to continue touching me.
I returned back to the bed, kissing her while pressing her into the mattress. Her nipples were red like her lips, and I kissed them both, pleased when it made her moan. I wanted to please her and make her feel good just like how she did to me.
"Lian," Pepper murmured, her hand stroking up my arm. "I really want you to touch me."
She didn't have to ask twice. I pushed my hand between her thighs, finding the source of her heat easily. Her clit pulsed against my fingers, and I stroked her slowly, paying attention to her sounds and twitches.
"Does this feel good?" I asked, wanting to make sure I was doing it right.
"Yes," Pepper moaned, her grip on my arm tightening. "I've been thinking a lot about your fingers, your long fingers, in me."
I didn't know she had been imagining that, but her statement was making my heart race. I teased her opening before pushing my finger into her, pleased when there was no resistance. She was so turned on, I could feel it against my palm.
I was so distracted by touching her that I didn't feel her hand between my legs until she made contact with my clit.
It sent a bolt of electricity into my belly, and I pressed myself down on her fingers, causing her to moan and spasm.
She clearly liked how my body was reacting to her, how our bodies were connecting.
"Kiss me?" Pepper said, sounding vulnerable.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers while giving in to the haze of desire.
Everything else was fading away except for the motions of her hand and the pleasure it was sparking.
I echoed her movements, or maybe she was copying mine.
I didn't know, and it didn't matter. My release was building in me and it was only growing stronger until it was too much to handle.
My orgasm ripped through me, and I lost control over my body, collapsing on top of Pepper. It drove my fingers harder against her clit, and it pushed her over the edge, making her buck and moan. Her whimpers and twitches prolonged my pleasure until I couldn't bear it anymore and I had to roll off.
Pepper let out a delighted laugh. "Oh, goodness. Oh, Lian. Wow."
"Was that as good as you imagined it when you thought about my fingers?" I asked, liking how she snuggled into me. It felt nice to be touching her again, but a very different kind of touch.
She kissed my arm. "No, it was better. And I didn't think about it that much. I'm not some lusty beast."
That made me chuckle. "You can think about whatever you want. Your thoughts are your own."
"Then you better believe I'm going to be thinking about this," she said, reaching up to brush some of my hair out of my face. "That was lovely. You're lovely. I didn't expect tonight to go like this, but I'm not complaining."
"We didn't have tea," I realised.
Pepper snorted. "We didn't, but we can. Would you like some tea?"
"I would."
She gave me a sweet kiss. "I'll brew you some. just give me a moment longer to recover. My legs are trembling."
"I can make the tea."
"Absolutely not. You're just going to lie here and relax," she said.
I stretched out my legs. "I do feel very relaxed."
"Good, because I want to look after you, not take advantage of you." Pepper kissed me again, lingering briefly while she cupped my face. "I promise I won't."
A different warmth spread through my body, and I felt myself melt even more. I didn't think I would be meeting someone like Pepper who saw me for who I was and still treated me like I was a precious gem.
It was a good thing we were staying in Purple Oak for a while because when she looked at me like this, I didn't want to go anywhere.