“You were amazing.” Deryn’s lips caressed her earlobe, soft aftershocks traveling up her spine from the words, from the touch. “So so good. Do you know how good you are?”
Paloma could not quite believe the words—the simple, everyday words—were doing so much to her. She had just come, brilliantly, strongly. Her thighs were shaking, she was sure she was dripping… What was happening? She opened her eyes to watch Deryn bring her fingers to her mouth and lick them up and down before sucking two of them, and Paloma fought for oxygen.
“Mm-hmmm…” Deryn’s tongue delved between her fingers, leaving no drop. “So so good. Do you know? Do you want to try?” And then that wicked mouth that still tasted of her came within a breath of hers, giving her the choice to do just that. Try. Taste. Paloma didn’t know what was sexier: the move or the seeking of consent. But it was. All of it was, really, and so she closed the distance, smelling and tasting herself on the sinful lips that immediately devoured, given permission. As the breath was being drunk from her lungs, Paloma felt the fingers at her opening and wanted to gasp, to say something, to… Nothing. She tilted her hips, three fingers spearing her, thrusting fast and deep, hooking in the front, drawing her very essence from her.
Who needed air anyway? Deryn’s mouth took and took, lips and tongue and teeth. Paloma’s vision grayed as her thighs began trembling again.
Surely not this fast, not this fast…
“Yes, yes, yes… Give it to me. Give me everything.” Deryn’s lips left hers abruptly to whisper in her ear, caressing the shell with every word. “Can you feel how open you are for me? How easily you take me? I think you can take four, what do you say? Four fingers?” Paloma wanted to shake her head, wanted to say no. She had never taken four in her life, and Deryn must’ve sensed the hesitation because she didn’t follow through, didn’tchange anything, just kept thrusting, the obscene sounds of wet flesh, of her cunt being fucked and fucked and fucked… So fucking good. Paloma bit her lip to not say it. To say nothing at all…
“I know you can do it. The way you are taking me now. So beautiful. Taking me so well. Maybe later you can take four… Now… Just take me now, like this, exactly like this, so hot and so full of me. Such a good girl.” Paloma felt something akin to a bubble of laughter in her chest. Nobody ever did this. Nobody ever asked and took even the subtlest “no” for an answer. Goddess… And yet Deryn heard her, understood her hesitation, her discomfort and respected it. It was just one more turn on, perhaps the hottest one yet.
Why this woman? Why now?
Her walls were convulsing in seconds, and Deryn’s voice carried her through the climax and held her up as she spasmed around those fingers, coaxing more and more from her as the lips kissed everything they could reach—her hair, her ear, her neck, her cheekbone.
“So good, so gorgeous. Coming too well for me. I think we can try for more. Don’t you think so?”
Paloma remembered laughing then. Weak and bleary-eyed, she remembered laughing and Deryn smiling at her before kneeling again.
In the darkness of the room, Paloma pulled her wet fingers out of her silk sleeping shorts, her legs still shaking. She tugged the chemise back down, a gesture so furtive she had to bite her lip in embarrassment.. Weeks later, and the mere thought of Deryn made her come. Yes, it was a damned mistake.
Except, it wasn’t just one. The mistakes were legion. One after another. The hallway. The wall. The couch. The grand piano. The bedroom was debauched in several ways, and she could see all of them when she closed her eyes. They had spentone night together, but it felt like a week, a month maybe. They fucked in so many places in so many ways, it made Paloma weak. It made her wet still. Just the memory of all those mistakes. Mistakes that could prove costly still, in the big scheme of things, because theCawwas right. As was Prudence Fowler. Deryn Crowhart was the beloved daughter of the little town, as well as a ridiculously attractive and approachable individual who was popular and adored. And Paloma could use her. After all, didn’t Deryn say that was what she was there for?
4
DERYN, UNFORTUNATE NAMES & FAMILY
CROW’S NEST IN DEMAND!
Mayoral candidate Paloma Allende was seen surveying several properties under the Viridescent Cliff with the town architect. Is Ms. Allende looking to expand her hospitality empire? Land in Crow’s Nest is already a commodity that cannot be spent willy-nilly. As the town wonders what else might be built, John Moss, according to many reports, made an offer to Rhiannon Crowhart for the burned-down former Atelier. Our sources report that the restorer and auctioneer refused his inquiries and intends to fully restore the town’s jewel of historical architecture and re-open the antique bookstore, now to carry the name of Crow, Cat, & Possum.
Additionally, rumor has it that the youngest Crowhart, the heartthrob and internationally acclaimed pastry chef Deryn, is looking to make her stay in Crow’s Nest an extended one. Will we see a new bakery open on the island? Dragons could surely use more cupcakes, as do my cravings.
Watch this space and watch the Nest’s real estate market.
—Crow’s Caw
“How doesthis rag know anything about your plans? Or my plans? And why are none of us mad that they are invading our privacy this way?” Rhiannon popped what looked like a stuffed fig into her mouth and batted away Deryn’s attempt to steal one off her plate. “Get your own, pip-squeak.”
“I don’t know how they know, and I can’t get my own. Victoria is upset with me.”
Right on cue, the oldest Crowhart waltzed into the quiet kitchen carrying a stack of towels. She stopped by the table and looked Deryn dead in the eye.
“Khalid is afraid of you, which means you might as well not exist for me. And Deryn isn’t mad at the Caw, Rhiannon, because?—”
“They called her a heartthrob!” her sister and aunt finished in unison.
Deryn shrugged. “I liked that part.”
With Rhiannon distracted by Victoria, Deryn managed to sneak a fig off her plate. She moaned when the chewy goodness hit her taste buds. “Amazing, simply amazing.”
“Don’t you try and suck up to me, girl. You’re in enough trouble already. You and your fancy-ass recipes! How much espresso did you need to make for that latest ‘content experiment’ of yours? Julie Anbrews was on the ropes for a week! I had to have the repairman come in to take a look at her. You have no respect for vintage machinery. Not to mention that ham.” Victoria raised her voice. Rhiannon perked up.
“You named your espresso machine Julie Anbrews, Victoria? Of course you did. That’s so you. And what ham?”
Deryn winced and lowered her face into her palms. Victoria did not spare her as she lectured.
