by Andersen,Kai
Mrs. Goode-Heart was patting Frederick gently on the shoulder. “Never you mind about that, child. All in good time. Now, why don’t you enjoy these lovely grapes? They’re really sweet, as this young lady has discovered, I’m sure.”
Serena nodded woodenly.
So what if the grapes were sweet? Nothing would taste sweet again for the curious bitter pain spreading within her.
“Everything will be all right, dearie.” Mrs. Goode-Heart was strangely comforting as she patted her on the shoulder. “Remember, things aren’t always what they seem.”
Things aren’t what they seem? What did she mean?
Serena was still staring as the door gently closed behind her.
Silence.
Serena avoided looking at him, preferring instead to skim the high shelves packed full of books. She didn’t know if she could forgive him for this pain, but she feared that he only had to smile at her and she’d forget that he’d hurt her.
Finally, Frederick spoke up. “I’m sorry for that, Serena. But I want you to know something.” He paused. “I burn, Serena. I burn to know everything there is to know about you.” Her eyes sought his, startled and afraid. He held her gaze effortlessly. “Where you come from, things about your family, those closest and dearest to you, the food that you like, and those that you don’t, what makes you smile and laugh and ... cry. Do you understand, Serena? I need.”
Serena drew in a shaky breath. She believed him, believed that his question had come because of a burning need to know, because that same need tripped through her blood in a headlong rush to ... to ... somewhere. It burned through her, burned away the pain of betrayal, burned such that every pore in her being longed -- no, yearned -- to know, to touch ...
Desperately, she turned away from the raw emotion in his eyes. She couldn’t -- wouldn’t! -- accept being his mistress. She wouldn’t allow herself to be coaxed, cajoled or seduced nor would she be driven by her own needs, wants and longings to ... No! She would stand firm on her decision, a decision based on logic and clear thinking --
Blindly, she reached for a grape from the plate, anything to prevent her eyes from looking up and locking with his. Her hand was arrested when his voice reached her ears.
“Allow me.”
Low and seductive, his voice was in keeping with the tension that was building slowly and subtly until it became a palpable thing, so solid she could touch it. Her eyes helplessly locked with blue ones so pure they reminded her of the sky on a clear day.
Frederick plucked a fat purple grape and nudged it against her lips. Responding to the prompting, her mouth opened and then closed over the grape, sucking it in. She chewed. All her senses were magnified. The colors were sharper, her vision clearer. Her ears picked up the labored sounds of their breathing, which seemed loud in the silent room, and her nose filled with the clean, sweet smell of rain. Her skin tingled from the electricity arcing between them. The grape in her mouth tasted sweeter and her heart thumped faster at the increased sexual tension in the air.
A bit of juice from the grape dribbled down the side of her mouth. Serena reached up a hand to wipe it away, but he preempted her move. She didn’t see it coming, but his lips had somehow reached her chin. She froze. She felt his hot breath on her cheek, and then his tongue swiped upward, tasting the single bead of juice, tracking its path to the corner of her mouth. His tongue stilled.
She was motionless, not even daring to breathe. She wondered what he would do now.
It only lasted about a second.
Frederick gave a mighty groan, and then his hands were buried in her hair, moving her head until his lips closed over hers hungrily, plundering her moist depths and devouring her. He kissed her like he’d gone without water for years and was now drinking his first taste.
Serena reveled in the taste of him, wondering anew at the cool firm texture of his lips. She kissed him just as desperately, the hunger in her demanding instant gratification. Just before she drowned completely in sensations however, the sensible part of her managed to wedge in a protest. She struggled to be set free.
Frederick released her mouth, and something within her howled a protest. Serena was now totally confused with herself. What did she really want?
His eyes bored into hers as he panted for breath. His head lowered toward her once again. “One more, Serena, one more.”
Serena gave a token protest as he drew her into his lap, and then she gave up as his lips met hers once again. She may protest, but her body welcomed this as much as his sought it.
“You’re so sweet, love.” He kissed her, moving his lips over hers persuasively, urging her to meet him kiss for kiss. “So sweet.” He grunted with satisfaction as she responded.
He slanted his mouth, and his tongue stroked in, mating fiercely with hers. After awhile, his kiss slowed down, gentling, nibbling, making sure her lips were thoroughly kissed.
Serena marveled at the contrast of gentleness and fierceness Frederick was showing her. She felt cherished and savored, as if she were a banquet prepared for his pleasure. She clung to him, not sure now if she wanted him to let her go.
His hand inched beneath her dress and caressed her thigh. She sighed with pleasure at the feather-light strokes of his hard hand on her soft thigh. He drew circles on her inner thigh, moving higher. Something within her throbbed to the movement of his hand, signaling a welcome, sighing with anticipation ...
His hand slipped in between her thighs and cupped her mound. She shrieked at the suddenness of it, of a large warm hand covering her most secret place, of a foreign object curled hotly against her throbbing center. “Frederick!”
“Hush love, it’ll be good.” He lifted his head and frowned. “You’re not wearing any underwear?”
She hid her burning face in his chest, but she didn’t move away. If anything, her legs widened imperceptibly. “Giselda didn’t give me any, and ... and mine are still wet from the washing last night.”
“You must be cold.”
“Not now.”
He chuckled. He moved his hand slightly.
Serena didn’t know what his hand meant to do, but as it stroked her there, white-hot sparks shot through her body, causing that place, her pussy -- there, she said it -- to become wet. It was her first real experience, and it felt ... nice. No, more than nice. There was pleasure and ... and ... At the same time, she also felt a low pressure tightening her belly.
“Frederick!” Did that breathy moan come from her? She’d never made a sound like that before. She was aware of something she wanted him to do, but what?
“I’ll get Giselda to give you some undergarments.” His skillful hand never stopped its stroking.
“No!” Serena gasped. “She’ll know that you know and ... and ...” She buried her face deeper into his chest. “It’ll be so embarrassing.”
Frederick chuckled. “And you aren’t embarrassed now? You aren’t embarrassed when I do this?” He tangled his fingers among her curls. “Or this?” His fingers found her wetness and was spreading it around and among her folds. “Gods, you’re so wet.” He groaned, a tortured sound.
“Frederick!” A strangled gasp. “What are you doing?”
“Making you feel good, honey.” His fingers continued to stroke among her folds, slipping slickly among her juices. “Didn’t your other lovers do this, pleasure you like this?”
“Lovers!” Serena didn’t know what he was talking about. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. All her focus was centered on his skillful fingers buried in a place she herself had never touched.
“Yes, those men in your kingdom.” He pressed his palm against her mound, adding a deeper texture to the pleasure. “Don’t they know how to pleasure their women? Or are they selfish brutes, caring only for their own satisfaction?”
“No.” Serena grounded out.
“Not selfish?” A tense, dangerous edge had entered his voice.
She was fast losing her mind. “No ... lovers.”
His hand slac
kened. “No lovers?”
His surprise registered, but she was more concerned with the pleasure that was ebbing away. “No!” She wanted his hand to resume its motions. She moved restlessly in his arms. “Don’t stop.”
He chuckled and obliged. “This feels good, doesn’t it?”
She gave a raw, satisfied moan. “Yes.” It felt good, more than good. He was so … proficient at what he was doing. An expert. How could he make her feel this way, like she was about to burst ... He suddenly slipped one finger into her wet opening. Startled, she shrieked and keep her legs together.
“Open your legs, sweetheart.” Frederick’s trapped hand was drawing tight circles on her mound and pressing hard against her clitoris. “I can’t pleasure you properly this way. C’mon sweetheart, I won’t hurt you.”
Reassured by his coaxing voice and the knowledge of his gentleness, her legs relaxed and opened slowly. He continued massaging her folds, flicking once against her clitoris. He bent his head and kissed her neck, flicking his tongue against a sensitive spot. She shuddered at the double assault. “Do that again.” Was that demanding voice hers?
“This?” He teased her, biting lightly against her neck.
She shuddered. “Yes. No. The other one.”
“Make up your mind.”
“Your hand.”
“This?” He flicked his thumb against the tight bud once again.
“Yes.” She moaned, the tension coiling within her. “More.”
He stroked her clitoris, drawing the hard bud tighter as his finger pushed sluggishly into her opening. She tensed a bit, but didn’t protest. Her breath shortened.
His arm tightened about her, as he pushed his finger in and out of her tight sheath. At the same time, he continued stroking her clitoris with his thumb. Her hips arched involuntarily, moving upward to meet his finger. She hummed.
“One day soon, sweetheart, it’ll be my cock plunging in and out of you.” He stepped up the rhythm of his stroking finger, his palm brushing against the tight bud with every downward stroke. “My cock you’ll hold in that tightness. You’ll be mine.” He whispered the promise against her throat.
Serena didn’t know what was happening. What he was doing to her was causing that strange tension to build, spiraling upward higher and higher. She felt like she was reaching for something. Tighter ... tighter ... and then it snapped. She bucked on his lap, meeting the downward strokes of his finger. His thumb became more frenzied in caressing her, and then, she was bucking continuously, and her vagina walls were contracting madly around his finger. “Yes!” She sobbed. She chanted his name.
Reason left her as she reached her peak, and she soared for a few seconds before she slid back down into his arms. She was languid and boneless, content to lie there. She heard his labored breathing and knew she echoed his gasps.
She opened her eyes a moment later to see him bathed in sweat. Concerned, she reached up a hand and touched his cheek. “Are you all right?”
He smiled down at her. “That was for you. Do you like it?”
“Like it?” She started to cry. “I love it. That was wonderful, Frederick.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “It’ll be even more wonderful with my cock in your pussy.”
Chapter Nine
The stinging rain and the biting wind slammed against her, throwing her against the side of the lodge. Her breath was knocked out of her as she slid boneless to the ground.
Gritting her teeth, Serena forced herself to stand, hugging the wall for leverage to keep herself upright. Already, she was soaked and shivering. The raincoat that she’d worn over her traveling clothes was no match for the lashing fury of the storm.
She inched forward in the direction of the stables, her progress torturously slow with the wind blowing against her. It seemed that for every forward step she took, the wind pushed her back two steps. Still, she persevered, having some idea about collecting her horse and sneaking away in the middle of the night.
It was an idea born of desperation and fear. She was afraid that if she stayed, Frederick would make love to her again, and that scared her. She liked it too much and was already anticipating the next time. She had heard of affairs and one-night stands, but never thought she’d be a party to one. The thought of her even contemplating it had scared her more.
However, the scariest of all was that she was changing so fast she didn’t know herself anymore.
For her own sanity, she had decided to run. For the second time in a month.
She had reached the far end of the lodge when hard fingers bit into her shoulders and spun her around. She screamed.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Hearing the familiar voice, she shut her mouth. The storm had drowned out the sound of her scream so effectively she wasn’t able to hear it herself.
The fright she received lent her the anger to shout back. “It’s none of your business!”
“While you’re a guest under my protection, whatever you do is my business!”
It was hard to glare up at Frederick, because the rain was falling directly into her eyes, and the cold wind was seeping through her wet clothes into every pore of her body.
“Get back to the lodge!”
“No!”
It wasn’t difficult to imagine Frederick frowning and his blue eyes flashing retribution.
In a sudden move, he scooped her up and strode toward the lodge door.
Serena struggled, though she realized the futility of her actions. “No! Put me down, I’m leaving! Put me down!” She pummeled his chest with her fists, but her movements were sluggish and weak.
The door flew inward as soon as he opened it, the wind helping it on its course. He deposited her in the middle of the hall and then turned to close the door. The wind was blowing so hard his muscles bulged as he struggled and pushed with all his might. No lazy, puny, weak prince was he. Serena found herself checking out his butt and admiring his strength and physique.
Stop that, she scolded, biting her lip and looking away.
Finally, the door clicked shut. He locked and bolted it.
“How long do you think you’re going to last out there?”
Serena flinched. “Lower your voice. Do you want to wake everyone up?”
“Serves you right if they did.” But he spoke softer than before. “So you’re leaving. Without even a good-bye.”
That reminded her of their conversation, but she refused to feel guilty about it. She lifted her chin defiantly. “It’s a free world.”
“I would’ve thought saying farewell was common courtesy.”
“All right!” She was vastly annoyed at his only complaint. “Now you know. Good-bye, I’m leaving.”
She made for the door. “Please move aside.” She looked at him pointedly. He was standing right in front of the door.
“You haven’t yet made your farewells to the rest.”
Serena gasped. “This is ridiculous! What does it matter to them whether I leave or not? Move! You can’t stop me from leaving!”
“Try me.” His voice was hard and uncompromising.
“Why won’t you let me go? I’m only disrupting your life!”
He looked as though he was about to say something, but what finally came out was an implacable “No!”
“Oooooh!” Serena stamped her foot, managing to land it on top of Frederick’s bare foot.
Not that he noticed. He was too busy staring at her with those narrowed eyes.
“Strip!”
“What!” She stumbled backward. “No!”
“You’ll catch pneumonia.”
“I’ll -- I’ll do it in my room.”
“Wait!”
He strode over to where she poised, ready to flee up the stairs. Before she could guess what he intended, his mouth crashed down on hers, cool and firm and angry. His hands slid over the curve of her bottom and lifted her, molding her body to every hard part of his anatomy.
His head slanted a
nd his tongue pierced her open lips. He was holding her much too tightly, and she squirmed. He groaned and pressed his lips harder against hers. He kissed her without finesse, without his usual practiced grace, but with a certain frantic desperation.
She realized she was echoing the same desperation in the way she pressed against him and in the way she held on tightly to his shoulders. She was also kissing him back like it was her last chance, devouring him, drawing out his fury and drowning in his hot, male virility.
“No!” With a sob, she broke free of his lips and tried to push him away.
He didn’t budge; instead, his arms tightened even more like manacles at her back. Appalled, she realized that her legs were wrapped around his waist, and that he was breathing harshly and staring down at her. Breath heaving, she unwrapped her legs and slid them down slowly.
“You’re afraid of this, aren’t you?” He asked into the stunned silence. “You’re afraid of what’s happening between us. That’s why you ran away.”
Serena shook her head, pushing ineffectually at his chest. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m right.”
“You know nothing about me!”
“Prove me wrong.”
She stared at him in the darkness, her hair and clothes dripping into puddles at her feet. It was as if that moment was frozen forever in eternity. Dare she take up his challenge? Dare she? Dare she?
In the end, she broke away from him with a little cry and fled up the stairs.
He let her go.
* * * * *
You’re the best thing that’s happened to me.
The words that he hadn’t been able to utter last night hovered now on his lips. They had popped into his head from nowhere, and he had been taken so much by surprise that he had denied it instantly. The “no” hadn’t been intended for Serena, but fortunately, it applied to her as well.
He’d been uncomfortable with the notion of telling her, but he’d practiced all night until the words felt right and natural on his tongue.