And by the gods he was handsome!
I wasn’t usually one for the noble look of blond hair and jewel-tone eyes, but Leo was far more than the sum of those parts. He was… beautiful.
Before today, I hadn’t thought I’d like a beautiful man. I usually went for the big and rugged type with a strong jaw and weathered face, like Kel, who I didn’t want to think about right now.
Apparently, I had more expansive tastes. Perhaps it was the subtle dimple on Leo’s chin, or the high sharp cheeks? I didn’t know for certain. And as much as he was tall and lanky, he had some muscle on that frame of his, it just wasn’t trained for combat… yet.
But his muscle might be trained… for loving?
The question was: would he want a strange, strong woman like me? Though, as I thought about that, something occurred to me. Leo hadn’t been intimidated by me, like most men.
Once we’d had a chance to talk and work together, he’d seemed easy going — even friendly — around me. That, plus his gorgeous looks, meant he was the best candidate for a fling I’d had in a while. Halea knew how much I needed a fuck. I hadn’t had a cock in my nethers since the war! And I didn’t know if Leo would be up for showing me hisothersword, but I was very much looking forward to seeing him again.
Because as much as I — like Daz — needed to get laid, I couldn’t bring myself to visit the brothels of the city, even if themen there were said to be exquisite in their ability to please a woman. And I didn’t have the energy to go out looking for a man who wasn’t intimidated by me. I figured the right one would find me some day.
And I didn’t know if Leo was right, but he was the only candidate to have come around in a while.
So, I closed my eyes and imagined those long, slender fingers of his tracing over my body. He caressed my face and ran his hand up into my hair as he pulled me close for a kiss. His lips were soft and yielding, but his tongue could dance like a courtier. His other hand moved over the side of my breast, his thumb sneaking in to circle my nipple, slowly rousing the flesh to a taut peak. Then that same hand slid down my side and between my legs. His long fingers played in my slick folds, nimbly stroking my clit until I was a moaning, quivering mess.
Then he lifted me and…
Lifted me?
Could he lift me? I was a sturdy woman with solid muscle, which meant I wasn’t light. I could probably lift him, but that wouldn’t do either of us any good.
My imaginings broke apart.
I sighed as the day-dream faded. I’d have to pleasure myself for the time being… and a warm bath was just the place to do it.
I felt loose and relaxed when I finally got out of the tepid waters.
I hadn’t had a midday meal yet and from the angle of the sun, it was long past time. I expected to be greeted inside with a meal, since Daz usually liked — and was very good at — such domestic duties. But there was no food prepared and Daz was nowhere to be seen. The door to his room closed.
I sighed, not wanting to interrupt whatever he might be doing — probably some important Phorasti things — and foundsome dried meat and a few pieces of fruit, taking those to my room.
I’d have to send Avela out to pick up some special items to eat, to celebrate my newfound success and income.
But once I’d eaten, I was so relaxed I fell asleep on my bed, half-clothed. I woke hungry late in the evening, but again no evening meal had been prepared. Whatever Daz was doing, it must be important and lengthy.
I grabbed a bit more of the dried meat and fruit for my meal and returned to my bed. Tomorrow, I’d escort Veora to the market… perhaps I’d buy something interesting for my celebratory meal. I fell asleep dreaming of foods I’d never had and a man with green eyes ravishing me.
I did indeed pick up some exotic foods from the New Market the next day while out with Veora. My usual indulgence of choice was oranges. They were a local fruit, but very expensive and usually reserved for nobles.
Also, a caravan had come in from the south with many other exotic things to taste. Veora was far more knowledgeable than I on these delicacies and counselled me on what to try. There were kaffa beans, which could be ground up and put in water to make a hot drink of some sort. I had some ground at the market to try at home. She also introduced me to Jhokala, an odd, hard, black bar, which had an extremely bitter flavor, but apparently if combined with something sweet could be quite tasty. We tried a few shavings on orange slices and the Jhokala’s rich flavor, mixed very well with the sweetness of the orange. I picked up a bar to experiment with. I also picked up a bag of mixed nuts from the south-west which included: pecans, almonds, and cashews, none of which I’d tried before, but Veora assured me they were quite tasty.
Veora picked up two fruits called avocados and tomatoes. I was unfamiliar with these — both were from the south —but when I tried them, I was instantly hooked. The last new wonder I discovered was a large, green, striped melon with the uninspiring name of watermelon. But it was far sweeter than the name suggested, and I took one home as well.
I also purchased a few dresses. If I was going to look the part of a “friend” of Veora’s and not her guard, then I’d need some new clothes. Most of what I owned were pants and shirts — men’s clothes — and not very womanly. So, I found a few dresses in which I’d be able to move around well.
Veora was bubbly and chatty, which I usually found annoying, but something about her drew me in. She was easy to be around and welcoming. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad escorting her hither and yon for a while.
I returned home with my haul of treasures, hopeful and excited to see what Daz might be able to whip up with them. But he wasn’t there. Avela said he’d gone out but hadn’t told her where. So, my dinner wasn’t particularly inspired in how it was prepared, but it was still delicious.
The next day, Daz was late to get up. I began wondering if he was avoiding me for some reason. He was usually quite happy to do all things domestic for me. After my morning calisthenics I saw him working in the garden and went to him.
“Hey, you doing well?” I asked. “You’ve been in your room or away a lot the last day or so. I was starting to worry.”
He didn’t look up from the garden as he said: “Oh… ah, hey Dizzy. Yeah, I’m well, just… busy, that’s all.”
