He watched me, a strange expression on his face, and I wondered if a woman had ever undressed him, had ever proclaimed her need for him. Urgency made my fingers tremble, and I fumbled at his belt until his firm hands helped me. Moments later he stood naked in front of me, the flickering of the fire allowing me to see the rigid lines of his muscle, the power of his chest. He may as well have still been a knight trained for war, for battle. His arms were long and slender and his stomach tapered down to where his cock stood, thick and proud, the gleam of cum on the head. I took it in my hand, stroking as he groaned. His fingers twirled through my hair, cradling my head. My lips burned as he pressed kiss after kiss to them, but I wanted more.
“I need you,” I whispered.
“Say it again,” he demanded, nibbling at my neck, his hand dropping to my hips to hold me steady while his hardness pressed between my legs.
My entire body quivered. “I need you,” I gasped. “All of you.”
My knees went weak as he lifted me in his arms and laid me down on the bed as though I were the most fragile treasure. Bending his dark head, he took one of my breasts into his mouth, his tongue lashing my nipple, eliciting cries of pleasure from my throat. I shifted my legs, wetness pooling between them. I needed him to take me, to thrust inside, instead of leaving me breathless and begging. Instead, he turned his attention to my other breast, pinching the hardened bud between his finger, watching my reaction as he squeezed.
“I want you to experience pleasure,” he told me, trailing wet kisses down my stomach. “Pleasure such as you’ve never felt before, just as you experience a mix of pain mingled with magic.”
He paused as he reached my dripping core, and touched a finger to my folds, gathering the wetness there and rubbing. I bit my bottom lip, but I couldn’t keep my hips from bucking, jutting up, shamelessly begging for more.
“Uriah,” I begged.
“No more words,” he said between kisses. “Close your eyes, experience the pleasure, just as you experienced the music.”
He parted my legs, exposing my most secret place to him, glistening with my arousal. He touched me again, making my hips shake while he bent my knees, putting one foot over his shoulders. “You are mine,” he whispered. “My angel of music, my savior and I will ruin you for all others.”
Amid pleasure, I ignored the darkness behind those words and spread my thighs wider, giving myself fully to him. My back arched as he licked between my folds, using his fingers to spread me even wider. His tongue delved inside, gently at first, exposing all my secrets, tasting, sucking. When his tongue grazed my swollen nub, a low keening burst from my lips. The ache intensified, and I pushed myself against him as he drove me to the brink of pleasure. I spasmed around his tongue, but it wasn’t enough; I craved more. I wanted him to go deeper, to take me over the edge until I sank in a pool of euphoria. He licked in steady circles, thrusting, probing. He brought me close to the edge, over and over again, holding my hips steady as I bucked and cried out, desperate for more. When at last he had his way with me, I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do more than lie there as he spread my legs achingly wide. And then everything stopped.
My eyes opened, glazed over with need, a sheen of sweat on my body as he hovered over me, holding an ankle, studying my face. He took his cock in one hand and rubbed it over my inflamed skin, making me cry out again.
“Tell me, what do you want?” he asked, eye dark with arousal.
My heart skipped a beat and my words came out at almost a sob. “You, Uriah. Just you,” I pleaded. “Please.”
In one motion he thrust into me, filling me in all the right places. A mewl of pleasure left my lips, and I reached for him, wanting to feel his skin against mine, his lips on me. Sensing what I needed, he slowly pulled and thrust in again, forcing me to lift my back, arching right off the bed as I cried out. His arms went around my waist in a moment, and I brought my legs up, allowing him to go deeper. He thrust into me again and I lifted my hips to take him until he and I moved as one. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him closer, pulling him to me until our lips met and tongues twisted. We moved in sync, in rhythm, our strangled cries matching each other beat for beat.
My muscles clamped around his hardness, taking everything he offered, relishing the pleasure. It built inside of me until I felt light-headed, woozy, and sparks danced around my eyes. It was almost too much, the delectable taste of him, the exotic touch, the frisson of skin against skin and the way, the way he made me feel as though my heart would burst. It was more powerful than the music and pushed past dark memories of pain, betrayal and fear. It filled the darkness like a burst of light, flowing inside and fixing everything that was broken, everything that hurt, mending, healing, making it, not whole but better than before.
My fingers dug into his back and everything burst in a blinding flash of light and euphoria. I was as light as air, floating, as waves of pleasure erupted. Faintly I was aware of Uriah sagging against me, his kisses against my neck. I held on, I’d never let go. How could anyone experience this and go back, back to what life was before? This was true transcendence, this was true magic.
Even as my eyelids fluttered, I heard that voice, that whisper in the back of my mind.Sing. Lady Aria. Sing for your life.
15
Uriah
Ilay on my side, cradling her in my arms, listening to the steady rise and fall of her breathing, calm, hypnotic, and yet sleep did not come so quickly for me. Everything that had happened that evening twirled through my mind, the beauty, the magic and then, making love to her only solidified what was between us. It was unimaginable, beautiful, and I held her tighter, enjoying her warmth, the scent of her as she slept. I dared not let go, for the magic would break if I did.
She was stronger than I'd ever imagined. With the power of our voices combined, I had no doubt we'd be able to break the curse, destroy the spell. I saw the truth now, the very truth I'd been afraid of. In taking her as my student instead of destroying her, I was waking her up, causing her to thrive, just like the rose buds. Which meant there was a future to look forward to, together. After this, after she helped me, we could belong together. Aria and I.
The truth was powerful enough to make me weep, to know the pain and sorrow I’d put myself through and the stain on my soul might be forgiven was almost too much to bear. It was dark. The fire had gone out and yet I lifted my face skyward, whispering a prayer.Please. Let it be this time. Let it work.
Aria stirred in her sleep, a contented sigh leaving her lips. My body ached with the need to wake her and take her again. To see the bliss on her face, to hear her cry as I brought her to climax again and again. Now the fates did not frown or laugh at me, I knew she had caught my eye for a reason, because we belonged together. Even our hopes and desires for the future were the same. She wanted to sing, to travel, to leave High Tower, just as I did.
Still, a cloud of melancholy marred the perfection of the night. The next month would be fragile. She still knew nothing, and I wasn't sure if I should explain my plan to her or leave her in the dark. It was dangerous and if he found out, what would he do to me, to her, to us? A fierce inclination to protect her threatened to choke me, but I could not keep her prisoner under lock and key. Her freedom was too important to her, and there was a chance she'd sing and he'd suspect nothing at all. Still, I had to plan for any obstacle, and most importantly, I needed to protect her.
An idea brightened my thoughts, and I cursed myself for not thinking of it sooner. Before the mine was closed, treasure was found, treasure I could imbue with magic. While I was unsure a spell of protection would work, I could try.
Closing my eyes, I leaned into her silk soft hair and breathed in her essence. Running my hand down her curves I reminded myself, once I enacted my plan and it was all over, we'd belong together.
16
Aria
“Aria.”
