The Bastard 2

by Jack Porter

  I was furious. If I learned that was the only reason Elaine had turned up at the Goose and Quill, I didn’t know what I would say or do.

  But the beautiful woman was already shaking her head.

  “No!” Elaine said, her voice filled with intensity, but quiet nevertheless. It came out almost like a hiss. “I was furious when I found out what he had done! I saw his reasoning, but to put you in such danger – I couldn’t believe he would do it!” As she spoke, the fire in her eyes returned, and her cheeks turned red, not out of passion, but out of legitimate anger.

  “We fought,” she said flatly. “And that’s why I’m here. To apologize for what my father has done.”

  At this, the beautiful woman, daughter of one of Camelot’s last surviving legends, lapsed into silence.

  For long moments, we both sat, saying nothing. I wasn’t yet prepared to let go of my anger, even though I believed her. And in the end, it was Elaine who broke the silence.

  “He is a good man,” she said, and at first, I didn’t know who she meant. “My father. He doesn’t want to overthrow the King. But Arthur is a tyrant. He has grown worse with time. The slaughter of his own children…” She shuddered again at the mere thought. “You have no reason to believe me. But if the King cared about the lands that he ruled as he once professed to do, then my father would have no reason to seek to relieve him of his throne. Even if he still hated the man, as he does.”

  Despite Elaine’s protestations, it still sounded as if she was arguing on her father’s behalf.

  “I will not be part of your father’s plan,” I said. “Even if I agree that Arthur is a tyrant and Camelot would be better off under someone else’s rule.”

  “Did I ask you to?” Elaine said.

  All at once, much of my anger evaporated, and I had to smile once again. “No. But you still argued his case.”

  At this, Elaine looked away. She knew it was true. Then she offered a small shrug and looked back to me. “He’s still my father,” she said.

  I sat there, not speaking for some seconds, just looking. And Elaine was spectacular to look at. All by itself, that would have been enough to gain my attention. But there was fire in her as well, tempered by a grip on her own nature. That she would stand up to her father at the same time as arguing for him, in my mind, was worthy of significant respect.

  I found that the original attraction I’d felt for her hadn’t suffered during our conflict but had somehow strengthened instead.

  But I was a long way from naïve, and getting further away with each passing day. I was no longer willing to trust just anyone, regardless of how attractive they were.

  “Is there anything else I should know?” I asked her.

  At this, Elaine began to shake her head in denial, but then hesitated. Her cheeks turned pink once again, but this time it wasn’t due to her anger. She seemed to want to tell me something but wasn’t sure if she should.

  “Tell me,” I said.

  “When I found out you were taking lessons from Lady Emmeline, I asked to change the timing of my own. I wanted to meet the Bastard son of the King, the only surviving child of the tyrant.”

  Interesting, I thought.

  “And?” I prompted.

  Elaine allowed herself the ghost of a smile. To my utter delight, she said, “And I’m glad that I did.”

  Perhaps Elaine’s attraction for me had survived as well.

  17

  I had always been good at saying the right thing at the right time, especially with women. Now that I knew Elaine was still attracted to me, it didn’t take very long to talk her into heading upstairs to see where that attraction might lead.

  In fact, it barely took any real effort at all. I knew before we even moved away from the table that Elaine had already decided how far she was willing to go before she entered the Goose and Quill.

  Sir George rode my shoulder as we ascended the stairs, and I opened the door to my room. I stepped aside so that Elaine could enter first, and she gave me a half smile as she went in.

  When I closed the door behind us, I paused to look at her beautiful form, which wasn’t all that hidden beneath her leathers. She spun on her heel and turned to face me, that smile not having left her lips. Then she took a moment to look around the room, her gaze going to the stand with a candle, the small fireplace, and the plain but comfortable bed. There wasn’t much else except a chair in the corner where I had flung one of my black coats. She registered that, perhaps realizing that it looked similar to what the Blackcoats wore, before returning her gaze to me.

  Sir George, sensing that the mood had shifted, fluttered his wings and landed on the tiny windowsill.

  I unbuckled my sword belt and propped it up against the door. Then I looked at Elaine’s own sword, silently suggesting that she do the same. She smirked and slowly undid the buckle to her belt. I watched, fascinated, as her long, deft fingers pulled the leather from the clasp.

  Then she walked slowly toward me and set her sword beside mine. She was close now, and I caught the scent of something fragrant but indescribable as she straightened to look into my eyes.

  She bit her lower lip between her teeth as she watched me, and I sensed perhaps that she was waiting for me to make the first move. I stepped in closer, wrapping my hands around her hips and feeling the leather of another belt that held a dagger to her body. This time, I unbuckled it for her, my hands touching her stomach as I let it fall to the ground. There was another one strapped to her right ankle, and so with a grin I slid down, running my hand down her leg to unbuckle that one as well.

  “Any more of these I should know about?” I asked.

  Elaine then placed her foot on my left shoulder, bringing my face into direct line of sight with the apex between her legs. At first, I thought she was just teasing, but then I saw next to my ear a flash of silver—another dagger stowed into the top of her boot, the hilt barely visible but just within reaching distance. I smiled and withdrew it, carefully placing it on the floor next to her other dagger.

  “I’m not sure if I feel any safer or not,” I said, my hand running up her thigh.

  “Perhaps that is a good thing,” she said mischievously. Then she nodded to her boot and moved her foot down to the top of my knee. I grabbed the boot by her heel and held on while she pulled her foot out of it. The boots were well made, and had formed to fit her feet, so they took a little bit of coaxing to pull off. But once both booths were off, I stood and watched her remove a leather bodice that seemed to cover most of a thin shirt she wore underneath. That dropped to the floor as well.

  I swallowed, able to see the outline of her breasts beneath the shirt. Raising my hand, I ran my thumb along her face and jawline, touching her full bottom lip before dropping my hand to run my fingers along the top of her chest. She caught me, though, before I could go any further, before I could see any more of what I knew would be magnificent.

  “You first,” she said with a grin.

  Nodding, I quickly removed my shirt and threw it on the floor. I had a few scars, but mostly lean muscle, and Elaine stepped forward to run her hands over my chest and shoulders.

  Her hands then dropped to my waist and fidgeted around the top of my breeches.

  “Take them off,” I said huskily. I wasn’t really in a hurry, and dragging it out like this with her was only increasing the tension between us. She seemed to feel the same way, for her hand slowly went to the laces that tied my breeches. Elaine dragged it out, loosening them while looking into my eyes. But then she dropped her gaze as she opened them and pushed my breeches down over my hips.

  She inhaled long and slowly, her hands still on either side of my hips.

  I wasn’t modest, and in fact was rather proud of the view she was getting. After another long moment of staring, she pushed my breeches all the way down to my ankles, and I stepped out of them. So there I was, standing completely naked, and all I had to look at was the tantalizing outline of her own body still covered in clothes. I quirked
an eyebrow, as if daring her to tease me anymore.

  She turned around, and I saw her point to a small button that held the collar of her shirt. She could have reached it on her own, but I was happy to unfasten it and pull the shirt down over her shoulders. As I did, I planted a kiss on her bare shoulder, inhaling that wonderful scent.

  Elaine turned to me then, shrugging out of the loose-fitting shirt and giving me that view I had been longing for.

  She was exquisite. Lean and yet still with curves, strong and yet feminine. I reached for her, my fingers going inside the band on her own leather breeches, feeling around for the clasp I thought would be there. When I couldn’t find it, I tugged at them in frustration, and Elaine laughed.

  She reached around to the back and undid something, and they loosened. And now it was my turn to push them down over her hips, but I didn’t pause as I pulled them, along with her smallclothes, all the way down over her thighs and to her ankles, revealing her body.

  Elaine stepped out of her breeches, and I helped to make sure that she didn’t get tangled up in them. Then I tossed her clothing aside and looked up at her. From this angle I could see everything. The way her shapely legs met at her hips, the soft curls that were hiding what I most wanted to touch, all the way up to her flat stomach and then her round breasts, where her pink nipples were just aching for me to take them into my mouth.

  But first, I would start where I was. I planted a kiss on her inner thigh, keeping my hands on her legs to hold her in place. Letting my tongue swirl around her soft skin, I tasted her, and then moved upward. She giggled a little as if I was tickling her, but then she gasped when I planted a kiss on the outside of her hip, inhaling her scent once more.

  And I continued my upward exploration, grinning when she exhaled in disappointment. “Don’t worry,” I mumbled against her skin, “I won’t leave anywhere unexplored.”

  Elaine’s hands went to my hair and then my shoulders as she encouraged me to stand and kiss her.

  When our lips met, I felt a surge of passion rise up between us — as if there hadn’t been enough heat in the room already — and my tongue eagerly delved into her mouth.

  Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lifted her just enough so I could walk the short distance to the bed. Sitting down, I pulled her with me until she straddled me, her entrance just above where I wanted it. But still I didn’t rush anything. She kissed me more hungrily, though, pressing her breasts against my chest and digging her fingers through my hair.

  Twisting around, I pushed her over onto the bed, and she laughed. Climbing on top of her, I kept kissing her, kept touching her, and eased her legs apart. Then I slid down her body, working my way toward those soft curls.

  “Wait, Mordie,” she said breathlessly.

  I looked up, worried that she was having second thoughts. But she only patted beside her on the bed. Raising an eyebrow, I did as she told me and settled myself next to her. Then, she surprised me by sitting up and swinging a leg over my head, her body facing the foot of my bed. It put me in the perfect position to taste her, and before she’d even leaned down to take me in her mouth, I reached up with my tongue and taken her in my mine.

  But before we could go any further, Elaine paused and put her hands on the bed, looking at something at the foot of the bed. I stopped what I was doing to look. Sir George had landed on the bedpost and was calmly watching us, his eyes unblinking, his wings slowly flapping up and down.

  “Make it go away,” Elaine said. I laughed a little but then looked at Sir George.

  “You heard the lady,” I said. “Get outta here.”

  But Sir George merely snorted and sat down, his tail moving back and forth as if he were an alley cat.

  “I guess he wants to watch,” I said, laughing.

  Elaine watched Sir George for a moment longer, and I was hoping that this wouldn’t change how she felt about me. The damn rat dragon was my pet, but I couldn’t make him do anything if he didn’t want to.

  “He’s staring at me,” Elaine said. “I don’t know how I feel about that.”

  “Take it as a compliment,” I said, and then I returned my lips and tongue to between her legs. Running my tongue along the outside of her folds, I dipped it in briefly before taking her bud in my mouth.

  Elaine gasped and then shifted to take me inside her mouth all at once. I squirmed a little and then set to work sucking on her and tasting her, listening to her moans and feeling my own pleasure increase as she slid her lips up and down my length.

  Wrapping my arms around her thighs, I worked a finger inside her entrance, feeling soft but tight walls. As I licked her sensitive button, I worked another digit inside her, gently but firmly seeking to add more pleasure to the experience. When she twitched above me, I knew I had found a pleasure spot and continued to stroke her with my fingers while working her with my tongue.

  It must have been working well, because a few times she forgot to keep sucking on me and paused to gasp or moan.

  When her legs were quivering, I paused, not wanting to take her any further just yet. Patting her bottom, I got her to move off me, but I pushed her face down onto the bed with that bottom still in the air. Getting behind her, I ran my hands all along her thighs and her entrance, which was now wet and ready.

  Spreading her legs apart, I knelt between them and took my cock in hand. I entered her carefully at first, letting her ease around me. She took another gasp of air and pushed back on me, and I took that as a sign that she wanted more. So I pushed all the way in. Leaning over, I kissed her back and stroked the hair out of her face. She smiled and wiggled her bottom again, so I pulled out almost all the way and then pushed back in.

  “Mordie,” she whimpered.

  She was breathing heavily, and so I placed a hand on the small of her back and began to pump in and out of her. Elaine soon began to moan, and I increased my pace, placing my hands on the bed on either side of her body, rising up so that I could enter her at a different angle. Her moaning increased to a wail, and I pounded a little bit harder, my heartrate increasing as I worked to bring her pleasure.

  After a few moments, she rose up on her arms, panting, and turned herself over. So I grabbed her legs and pulled them up alongside my body to spread them. With a foot on either side of my head, I entered her once again. This time, I was able to touch her and stroke that sensitive button as I thrust into her over and over.

  “Touch yourself,” I said when I needed both hands to hold onto her.

  With a smile, Elaine wet her fingers with her tongue and then began to stroke herself as I moved in and out.

  I would pause when I sensed myself getting too close to the edge, waiting for her, and by the quivering of her thighs I knew she wasn’t far away from her own climax. Her fingers quickened as she pleasured herself, and I let one of her legs drop down, bending the other as I straddled the leg on the bed to give us a new angle.

  “That’s it,” I said in encouragement.

  “Fuck me, Mordie,” Elaine said. “Harder!”

  This woman had stamina, and I attributed it to all the time she spent practicing with the blade. But I spent plenty of time doing the same thing, and I didn’t have any problems matching her. And so our time together became a little bit of a competition, to see who could hold out the longest.

  I slowed, pushing in and out, watching her eyes, rolling my hips. Finally, Elaine took a big breath and let it out with a soft scream. I felt her grow wetter around me, and that was all it took. I came, shaking and letting out a harsh grunt of my own. Then I collapsed on top of her, kissing her neck and laughing a bit at how sweaty we both were.

  18

  Of all the ways to spend a good chunk of a day, sex with Elaine proved to be one of my all-time favorites. We explored each other thoroughly, relaxing and playing together long after the main event, and were still enjoying each other’s company late into the afternoon, when my stomach decided it had waited long enough. It let out a long, grumpy growl, a complaint that it ha
d missed lunch completely due to Elaine’s presence, and would no longer be denied.

  Elaine looked at me with an arched eyebrow and laughed. “Maybe it’s time we went downstairs and had something to eat,” she said.

  I grinned at her as I lay in my bed. I couldn’t help but admire how well she had been put together. I knew that her sessions with Lady Emmeline were enough to keep her lean and fit, but the perfection she displayed went far beyond that. She was a match for Meghan, only built on a taller scale, with every part of her in perfect proportion.

  Of course, she couldn’t hide that perfection even when she was wearing her leathers. I’d known right from the start that she would be magnificent, and so she had proved. But the extent of that magnificence… Even after so many hours together, my lingering gaze was enough to lead to a stirring, no magic required.

  She noticed. “Again?” she asked, sounding surprised. She ran a delicate finger down the center of my chest. She seemed willing to go another round, but at the same time, there was just a hint of intimidation in her tone, as if she was worried she wouldn’t be able to match my intent.

  As if to settle the argument, my stomach rumbled again, and I had to laugh. “Perhaps not,” I said. “Perhaps you are right. We should head down and see what there is to eat.”

  Elaine shifted position a little, as if in preparation to get up. “Good,” she said. “I’m hungry as well. And I don’t want to be the cause of you missing even a single meal. There is not enough meat on your bones as it is.”

  She was right. While I had recovered much of the flesh I had worn before my date with the hangman, my life since then had been more active than it had been before. That, and Lady Emmeline’s sessions had left me wiry and lean where before I had been a little bit softer.

  Not that it mattered either way, I guess. In fact, it might have been helpful. I was perhaps a little bit quicker, as well as a lot stronger than I had been before.

  With a laugh that was an expression of general happiness more than anything else, I pushed myself upright and off the bed, intent on following Elaine’s example of using the washbasin to get clean before climbing back into my clothes.