Pleasure's Offering
Page 21
She could feel them both so clearly. The bonds were so open, so jumbled, she could even feel herself through them, hot and slick as she gripped their cocks. She could feel the intense pleasure that shot through both men as each felt the pressure of the other’s member through her walls, the intense feeling of oneness. Zoa felt it too. The sensations all ran together, bleeding into and through each other until Zoa barely knew which of them she was. It didn’t matter, though. As Jeric and Izar began a pounding rhythm, nothing mattered except the feel of them inside her, filling her completely, joining their pleasure with her own as the magic built and built and built.
At last, after a final, wild thrust, she felt Izar’s body tighten as the orgasm hit him with the force of an avalanche. His pleasure surged through the bond, catching Jeric, who’d been on the edge for a while. He tensed as well, the pleasure exploding through him as he grabbed Zoa with all his strength, pulling himself into her with wild thrusts as the orgasm pounded all three of them in great, pleasurable blows. And as their orgasms struck her, Zoa’s enormous, building peak of pleasure finally slid over the edge, and she came with a force she’d never known she could.
The orgasm was like a living thing, as if it was a great work of magic. It hit her so hard she nearly blacked out, but there was no escaping this pleasure. It lit every nerve she had, filling her veins with painless fire. Her body convulsed as the pleasure overloaded her senses. All she could feel was the enormous release as, finally, the three of them let go of the spell they had built together and the burning white magic crashed over the sleeping city as if it was a river bursting its dam.
Woven into the power as she was, Zoa had no choice but to be tumbled along with it. The magic spread for miles in all directions, shooting out in a great wave no one was immune to. The feel of it was pure love, bliss mixed with the deep contentment of a powerful longing satisfied. It ran the full length of the Capital, through good neighborhoods and bad, touching citizen and refugee without discrimination, and everywhere it touched, the city grew still. When Zoa finally floated down, slowly coming back to herself, the night was so silent she could hear the sound of the river nearly a mile away.
As the world came back in bits and pieces, the first thing she felt was her lovers. Jeric and Izar were still wrapped around her, each pressed against her skin and silent as the city. They were both glowing with love and contentment, their deep breaths rising and falling in perfect unison. As the last of the power left her, Zoa let herself collapse into their love. They caught her effortless, and the three of them sank into the deep cushioned pallet, tumbling instantly into the same deep, peaceful sleep they’d given the city.
And for the few hours left before dawn, Solus’ city was Dezira’s, deep and silent and completely peaceful beneath the light of the waxing moon.
* * * * *
When Zoa woke at last, she was in her own bed at the temple. At first, she had no idea what had happened, but then bits and pieces came back and she settled into the soft mattress with a deeply contented sigh. She had slept very late. The sun through her windows was nearly to the horizon and her body was stiff and sore, but beautifully so. She stretched as if she was a cat, enjoying the feel of muscles well used, and then, because her magic was still too spent to manage even a tiny calling spell, she crawled out of bed and rang the bell by hand.
She was working on getting back into bed when the door opened, but rather than the expected acolyte, Jeric stood in the doorway. He was dressed in the elegant white robes of Dezira’s chosen, and he looked well rested, as well as very relieved to see her.
“Thank the gods,” he said, reaching down to scoop her back into bed. “We were beginning to worry you’d never wake up.”
“How long have I been asleep?” Zoa said, rubbing her eyes.
“Two days,” Jeric said.
Zoa blinked. “Two days?”
Jeric nodded, laying her on the mattress before sliding in beside her. “Silas said it was natural, seeing as you were at the heart of what was apparently the largest act of Dezira’s magic ever performed without an orgy. Still, even he was getting worried when you didn’t wake by lunch.” He pulled her close and pressed a kiss against the crown of her head. “I could feel you were all right,” he said, his lips feathering over her hair. “But it is nice to see you awake.”
“Nice to be awake,” Zoa grumbled. Two days was ridiculous, especially with everything going on. That reminded her, and she twisted to look up at Jeric. “What happened? Is the emperor back?”
“With a vengeance,” Jeric said, his mouth quirking. “He claims to have no memory of his time at Toric’s. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’s a good story considering Toric isn’t around to defend himself. No one’s seen or heard from him since that night. Anyway, the emperor is claiming he was the victim of dark magic and is doing everything he can to make a good show of being a loving, competent emperor. The granaries are open and there’s word going around that the war in the north is being put on hold while the Empire diverts its resources to building irrigation systems for the drought-stricken south. Izar sent the riders to call the Fifth Legion home this morning.”
Zoa smiled at the mention of Izar’s name. “And where is our handsome Chosen?”
“Probably the same place he’s been since he woke up the morning after our magic, at Solus’ temple. There’s a lot for a new Chosen to do and he’s still got his duties as a Legion captain. That’s all changing, though. Emperor Vallus is claiming Izar and Marcus as his personal saviors and has convinced the General of the Sun’s Chosen to appoint them both as his bodyguards. Izar’s taking over the Imperial Guard as well, a position I think he’s a little too happy about. He’s been going on forever about how he’d love to whip those ‘fat city soldiers’ into shape.”
Jeric’s impression of their lover was so perfect that Zoa burst out laughing. Jeric laughed with her, hugging her tight and kissing her until she was breathless. They ordered food after that, and then Zoa took a bath while Jeric went to tell Izar she was up. By the time the acolytes had oiled her skin and wrapped her in towels, Jeric and Izar were both waiting on her bed. Considering how hard Jeric had said he was working, Zoa expected Izar to look exhausted, but the captain looked happy as a cat in cream, especially when he saw her come in wrapped in nothing but a towel.
He grabbed her and kissed her hard before sitting her in his lap, perching her neatly on one armored leg. On his other side, Jeric leaned back with an equally contented expression, his eyes trailing lovingly over the tops of Zoa’s breasts where they were pushed up by the wrapped towel.
“Good to see you too,” Zoa said when Izar released her lips.
“I was going to suggest Jeric and I try waking you up if you didn’t do it on your own by tonight,” Izar said, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of each breast. “Of course, maybe we still should.”
Zoa laughed at that and then reached down to bring her lover’s face back up to hers. “Izar,” she said warningly. “Focus, love. Dezira’s Chosen are the supposed to be the endlessly randy ones, not Solus’. You’re supposed to be dutiful and stuffy.”
“Hang that,” Izar said. “I blame the two of you for rubbing off on me. All over me.” He kissed Zoa again. “You’re bad influences.”
Jeric snorted and cast a rueful eye at Izar’s hand, which was inching its way up his former lieutenant’s thigh. “Who’s the bad influence around here?”
“I think we’re all to blame,” Izar said sagely. “But that’s not what I came to tell you. I’ve got good news.” He looked up at Zoa. “Jeric told you about my promotion, didn’t he?”
“That he did, Mr. Head-of-the-Imperial-Guard,” Zoa said with a grin.
“Don’t forget emperor’s personal bodyguard,” Izar reminded her. “But that’s not the half of it. Vallus is desperate to keep me close, seeing as we were the ones who had to drag him away from his wine bath. As such, he’s given me a town house in the Royal Quarter. It’s not quite as big as Toric
’s palace, but I think I could still bunk half a Legion in it if I had to.”
“You’ll be living there, then?” Zoa said, feeling a little disappointed. As a Chosen, she’d thought Izar would be living with the others at the Sun Temple, which was just across the square. The Royal Quarter was much farther away.
“I will,” Izar said. “Far better than sharing a temple with my fellow Chosen. Those sticks in the mud are about as much fun as watching plaster dry. But I was thinking I’d get lonely with all that room, so I convinced our temple heads to let me bring my two favorite Chosen along with me.”
Zoa’s eyes went wide. “How did you convince Silas to let us go? Chosen always live in the temple when we’re in the city.”
“Oh, Silas was the easy one,” Izar said with a wave of his hand. “He said that so long as we kept making magic for the temple, he didn’t care if we wanted to live on the emperor’s roof. Solus’ General was a bit harder to sell on the idea, but he gave in when I threatened to bring you to the sun temple and do you both very loudly right across from the acolyte’s hall.”
Jeric burst out laughing. “That would almost be worth it,” he said at last. “Zoa, you should have seen the General’s face when I went over there looking for Izar earlier and he kissed me in front of the assembled Chosen. I’ve never seen so many red faces in my life.”
Zoa rolled her eyes. “I’m sure the Sun’s Avatars had a few choice words about Dezira’s whores corrupting the honor of the Sun’s warriors.”
“They might have,” Izar said. “But I wouldn’t know, because I didn’t listen. Solus Chose me just as I am and I have no intention of changing a damn thing for those stuffy posts in golden armor. That said, I still haven’t heard an answer.”
Zoa and Jeric exchanged a confused look. “Answer?”
“About the two of you,” Izar said, looking back and forth between them. “Living with me in my new home.”
Jeric’s face broke into a slow smile as he made a show of thinking it over. “I don’t know, it might get a little demanding.”
“Sex every night,” Zoa said with a long sigh. “When will I sleep?”
“Every night and most days,” Izar corrected. “Being Chosen did wonders for my recovery.” He looked at both of them. “You might as well come along. If you don’t, I’m moving in here. Since there’s no way you’re ever getting rid of me, you’d better just give in and come let me take care of you away from all these other nosy Chosen.”
“If it can’t be helped, I guess I’m game,” Jeric said, glancing at her. “Zoa?”
Zoa heaved an enormous sigh. “I’ll come on one condition,” she said, leaning back to make sure both her lovers saw the heated look in her eyes. “I never want to spend the night alone ever again.”
Jeric and Izar exchanged a look of their own, and then Izar’s hand slid up her thigh, pushing back her towel. “Beloved,” he growled. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”
Zoa’s laugh turned into a delighted moan as Izar’s fingers crept up her leg and when Jeric came around to untie her towel, kissing her neck and breasts as he did. Zoa surrendered to them with a joyous prayer of thanks to Dezira. Truly, her goddess had kept her promise, and since Zoa wasn’t one to waste her goddess’s gifts, she set herself fully to the pleasant task of loving both her men as much as she could for the rest of their long, happy lives.
About the Author
Moira is an unrepentant attractive-man ogler, double entendrepreneur, and gutter minder. A multi-published author across numerous genres and names, she sometimes forgets who she’s supposed to be, but never forgets to have a good time. Her latest project is the Chosen series, a Romanesque erotic fantasy about gods, men and those in between.
Moira welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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