Page 17 of Drawn into Oblivion

Forehead tight with guilt, she gave in and peeked. Vallen was thrusting slow and hard, twisting and jerking as though in pain. Shumei had clamped her legs around him, and her joyful cries rose above the din.

“They are in the grip of pleasure so pure the body arcs and the heart seems to stop,” Rosuke murmured. “One of many ways to be intimate, but also one of the most fulfilling, I feel.” His body heat against her back only added to the warmth pooling inside her.

“Is it magic?” she asked breathlessly. She had given herself orgasms before, but none of them had made her moan and writhe the way the empress and high general did.

“Yes and no,” he said cryptically. “There are no invocations or magic circles to draw. One only needs the right lover.”

Vallen and Shumei loosened their tight hold on each other. Shumei sat up to kiss her partner, who leaned down to meet her. Mai’s mouth tingled from the memory of kissing Rosuke. She became keenly aware of how much of his body touched hers—lightly, but from her shoulders to her bottom. His taller, wider frame tented over her, protective and intimate. She could hardly resist snuggling into him.

“The right lover?” Mai asked, conscious of the way her sex throbbed, warm and damp beneath her dress. Did the empress feel the same whenever she was with the high general, no divine intervention required?

Mai’s hair moved as though being stroked. In the other room, Vallen wrapped his arm around Shumei, braced himself over her on his other arm, and resumed pumping his hips.

“They—they’re not finished?” Mai asked, stunned. Shumei gave a ragged moan a second before she slinked her arms around Vallen’s neck. Heat washed over Mai. She couldn’t look away, could only squirm as something dripped down her thigh.

“Their desire for each other is legendary,” Rosuke conceded. “It’s enough to make anyone jealous.”

“Oh my,” she breathed. The lovers had adjusted their position, turning slightly. Vallen braced his knee on the pool’s edge. Shumei propped herself up on one elbow and held one of her legs back. She boldly stared at Vallen as he grasped her hips and renewed their rhythm from before.

“How do you feel?” Rosuke whispered. The rough texture of his voice sent a thrill through her, and another drop of arousal slid down her thigh. But she couldn’t tell him that. She couldn’t tell him what she wanted. By the dueling gods, she didn’t even know what she wanted.

“Confused more than anything else.” She gasped again as Vallen fondled Shumei’s breasts without slowing. The empress opened her mouth and closed her eyes, her next moan high and airy.

“You know what I mean, Mai,” he purred, stepping closer. Something hard brushed her rear.

“I-I…” was all she could think to say. She did know what he’d meant.

Every inch of her skin tingled. She knew what the hardness behind her was, but was he aroused because of her or because of the explicit scene they’d been spying on? Then again, she was also affected by him and their voyeurism. She couldn’t entirely blame the Divine One’s touch.

“Well?” Rosuke prompted.

“I feel…warm all over,” she admitted. “Your—it’s… You’re p-pushing it against me.”

He immediately pulled his hips back. “Better?”

No, for the carnal need scraping her insides had not abated one bit. “Yes, but what now?” Another of Shumei’s moans floated to their ears.

Rosuke brushed the shell of her ear with his lips. The way it peeked out from the fall of her hair had been too much to resist. He could smell a hint of floral soap and felt the shiver that traveled up her body. She wanted, craved. Hunger was riding her, and his mind raced with ideas for sating her. But first—

“I can either escort you to your room,” he said, “or I can take you one step further into intimacy.” Her breaths deepened, and she hesitated to respond. She was tempted.

“What would that entail?”

“I’ll sit on the bench and you’ll sit on my lap,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll hold you, kiss you, and touch you between your legs”—she softly gasped—“but I won’t remove my clothing. I’ll bring you to release with my hands only. That far tonight, no further.”

A breathy whimper was his only response. Did the mental image he’d conjured intrigue her? Or had it swamped her with embarrassment? In either case, she had to be blushing—her ear had turned a delicious bright red—and by the dueling gods did he wish he could see the exact shade of her face. He supposed he’d have to be content with the delectable memory of her flushed cheeks when she’d emerged from the baths.

“Is that what you want?” he murmured while nuzzling her blush-warm ear.

“Yes,” she said, soft and quick.

He hadn’t really expected her answer and exhaled hard. He wanted to sweep her into his arms but forced himself to take her hand and lead her to the bench. He didn’t let go as he tossed the sheet aside and sat. Even in the weak candlelight, he could see the deep crimson on her cheeks—the sight was even lovelier than he’d imagined—and he reminded himself to go slow. He settled her on his lap as she carefully leaned back against his chest, and her soft bottom put sweet, agonizing pressure on his cock.

“I-is this comfortable for you?” Mai asked, unable to relax. His hardness was one small movement from wedging itself between her buttocks.

“I should…adjust myself,” he said with a swallow. “Just…” He squeezed his hand between them, and the tip of that hardness swiped somewhere so intimate she gasped. By the time he had tucked himself elsewhere and pulled his hand away, they were both breathing hard. “That’s better.”

Divine One’s grace, her face was so hot she was sure she glowed.