For all the positions of power, there is only two that are blessed by the Divine Couple.
— Teachings of the Couple
The second time Lily returned to the harbor district, the smell wasn't quite as bad as before. It still was awful and she wished it would go away, but the rising joy in her heart held back the worst of the scents and left her looking forward to arriving at the public house.
The Martins had provided a carriage just as the sun dipped low. She was surprised to see it pull up but it was clear that Relik was interested in keeping Kendrick stable, and if that meant ferrying her across town at night, Lily was willing to go with it. Kendrick was a safe lover now, one that didn't have the burden of betraying her friend or resisting Hasan's affections.
The memory of Mindil's frown tore at her. Lily silently berated herself for not speaking up, for not being honest. She wondered if she didn't because Mindil offered to help with the embroidery or because Lily wanted to feel her kiss, but both reasons made her feel even worse about herself.
She took a deep breath. “Just… Kendrick. That's all I need.”
The words were hollow as she thought about Mindil sucking on her finger or Hasan's head buried between her legs. She wanted all of them, she didn't want to choose. She wanted Kendrick's wildness, Hasan's affection, and Mindil's seduction. Three sets of mouths against her body, fingers probing every hole as she writhed between them.
Realizing her thoughts were growing more heated, Lily clamped her thighs together and tried not to think about the moisture already gathering. Her nipples peeked out of the fabric of her dress, a thicker one that could handle being drenched without being scandalous.
She forced herself to concentrate on the humor. Kendrick's mercurial nature was alluring, that much she couldn't deny. She was sitting on a carriage, anxious to return to his arms.
The carriage came to a bouncing halt. She had two bags with her, one propped against the side of the carriage to pad her from the jostling and the other with some of Nirih's dress and her embroidery. She hoped to not need the dress, but Kendrick's nature made it difficult to know if she would be abandoned in a fit. She also had enough money for a carriage home nestled near the bottom.
Heart beating quickly, Lily waited for the driver to open the door and offer his hand. She took it and stepped down, careful to avoid the puddle that had gathered along the curb.
The two men were back in their place, mugs in their hands. “Hello, Dame,” one said with a nod of his head.
“Good evening for a visit.” They were less mocking than before. She wondered if being drenched had anything to do with it.
She blushed. “Y-Yes. I guess.”
The first one pointed to the public house. “Any chance your man cleaning up means Old Nag's will be opening again? Me and Pol aren't exactly welcomed over at the Spire or the Cask.”
Lily froze, her mouth opened in surprise. “My… man? Cleaning?”
“All day,” said Pol, scratching his chin underneath his beard. “He's been scrubbing out the place since this morning. Haven't said a thing, but I know what soap smells like even from here.”
“Old Nag would have thrown him out on his ass.”
“Old Nag made a lot of money when the dame's lord had to buy the place. I bet she's waist deep in pretty boys now.”
Both men shuddered, looked at each other, and then grinned at Lily.
Confused by the conversation, Lily hurried past. She didn't know what to expect when she entered, but it wasn't a shirtless Kendrick mopping down the floor. His scarred body was beautiful with the ridges of his muscles flexing. She could see a burn along his right shoulder and fresh, red marks from recent fighting. But, for all of the signs of damage painted on his skin, it was the way he moved that caught her attention. Even cleaning, he gave the impression of a cat hunting prey. It was primal, powerful, and utterly focused.
She stopped in shock.
Kendrick looked up with a tired grin. Setting the mop aside, he stepped over a large pile of broken glass and walked up to her. The smell of ozone and rain surrounded him like a cloud, teasing her body and drawing out more heat to dance along her skin. “Sorry the place is a mess, the maid took… a few weeks off.”
Up close, she could smell the sweat on his body and how the ozone clung to his limbs. It teased her senses as did the warmth of his body from his closeness.
He leaned against his mop, his body stretching slightly as he stared at her. “I'm glad you came back.”
She stared into his eyes, losing herself in the blue for a moment. Her eyes flickered down to his lips and a longing rose up inside her. She looked away in fear that she would lurch forward to kiss him. Noticing his jeans, she did a double take when she saw small rips and tears along his legs. His bare legs, corded with muscles, were visible in the gaps of the ruined fabric.
Lily started to say something before she realized he had inched closer. It would only take the briefest of moments to reach out to press her hand against his muscular chest. She could already feel his body underneath her palm.
Her heartbeat began to drum faster. Sweat prickled her brow as she stared back into his eyes.
Kendrick sighed. “I can't describe what I want to do right now.”
She let out a little whimper.
His jaw tightened, the muscles barely visible underneath his dark scruff. His feet scuffed slightly as he stepped back. “I need to finish cleaning.”
Lily lurched forward. She let out a little exhalation of disappointment.
Kendrick sighed and shook his head. “I need to clean.”
“Why?” it came out in more of a whine than she wanted.
He gestured to the ruined bar, his hand ended with two fingers pointed toward the broken glass. “This was supposed to be the greatest thing in my life, the prize that kept me sane for nine years. I had it in my hand, a large purse for the prize that was never on the table.”
Kendrick favored her with a wink and then headed toward the broken glass. “The worst part was I was sitting at that bar thinking that everything was ruined. There was no point to anything, no reason for living, no reason for ever leaving that Couple-damned prison.”
He sighed and stared at the cracked stool at the far end for a long moment. As he did, the bottles on the bar rattled for a moment before he took another deep breath. Shaking his head, he grabbed the mop and shoved a bottle toward the pile.
Lily watched him for a moment. She could see that he was struggling with his inner demons. She could press him to ask question, to force the words, but then she knew he would then just yank back. The only thing she could do was let him come around.
With a start, she realized Mindil had seen the same thing in her. The guilt and fear was no doubt burning in her eyes just like Kendrick's shadow hung over his shoulders. Lily closed her eyes tightly for a moment, trying to steel herself against the sharpness of her betrayal.
When she opened her eyes, she held out her hand. “Can I help clean?”
Kendrick shook his head. “Not this time.”
“Why?”
He looked back at her, darkness pooling in his eyes. The air around him grew wetter, streamers of fogs seeping out from around his feet. “Please, I did this. I made this mistake.”
Kendrick straightened his posture. He spoke again, “Please, Lily? I have to.”
She nodded, her own thoughts darkening. “Yes.”
Lily had to tell Mindil tomorrow.
Tears in her eyes, she looked around. She couldn't help him clean but she had to do something. Near the door, she spotted her bags. Maybe she would need to work on the dress. With a smile, she grabbed the one with a dress in it and found a dry corner to sit down.
A few minutes later, she had the dress on her lap and her attention back on her outfit.
It only lasted twenty minutes before she looked up at Kendrick. He was struggling with the mop, using it more like a broom. She wanted to suggest he change, but kept her mouth silent. Instead, she just spent a moment watching him move, enjoying how even a mundane task like cleaning would cause his body to move like a primal creature.
She smiled and ducked her head. Concentrating, she worked her way through a few more whorls of the pattern before peeking up again.
Kendrick looked away sharply but there was a smile on his lips.
She blushed and returned to her needlework, peeking up and down every few moments. She caught Kendrick smiling at her and she grinned at the little thrill that quickened her heart.
Lily enjoyed the strange sense of peace and surrealism. Here was the man she lusted after for days, driven by her fantasies and fueled by an amazing morning. Instead of ripping each other's clothes off, they were sitting on opposite sides of a pub doing very domestic tasks.
She grinned and returned to her work.
“How is her dress going?”
Lily jumped. “W-What?”
“The teenage girl, the debutante? You've been working on it for a while.”
She looked up in shock. “How did you know?”
Kendrick leaned on the broom he was using. His entire body tensed as he looked at her. “I may have some slight stalker tendencies.”
She snorted and pulled the needle away. Gesturing toward his torn outfit. “I got that hint. The last time I repaired that suit of yours, you were standing in the middle of my backyard.”
He grinned.
She remembered how he looked as he sat naked on the chair. Her body tingled with growing affection, the surreal feeling peeling back to a familiar ache of desire.
“I didn't stay long in that suit, did I?”
Her heart beating rapidly, she carefully set the dress down. “You tore it again.”
Kendrick leaned the broom against the bar.
Lily stood up, a rush filling her. She started toward Kendrick and then stopped. Holding up two fingers, she carefully put the dress in the bag and closed it tightly. “I don't want this drenched.”
Kendrick grinned and cocked his head.
She finished and came around the table. “But, as I was saying, it took me a while to fix that suit of yours. I had to steal a bunch of fabric. There is still a hole in my couch.”
“I remember, I was sitting in your kitchen.” He took a step toward her. “Naked.”
She rocked her hips and swayed closer. “You know, I should fix it again. It looks like you've been in a few sword fights.”
“I don't need swords, I never needed them,” he said in a low, rumbling voice. It sent a thrill across her skin. He drew closer until he was only inches away from her.
“No, you soak the front of stores with wine.”
“You hit me over the head with a bottle.” He was almost whispering.
She reached up, her hand trembling. Her palm hovered over his pectoral for a moment, feeling the heat of his body. She held herself still for only a heartbeat before spreading her fingers along the hard muscles of his chest.
A breeze rippled around her, tugging at her dress and caressing her skin. It moved unnaturally, tracing the back of her buttocks and coiling down over her thighs, knees, and then to her ankles. It left a dampness against her skin, cool and sparkling at the same time.
Lily moaned softly and inched closer. She focused on Kendrick's chest, drawing her hand along the ridges of his muscles and his scars. Underneath her touch, an electrical surge pulsed through her body. It tingled along her nipples, clitoris, and even her toes. Her breath came in soft gasps as she traced along the bottom of his pectoral muscle and then down to his ridged abdomen.
She breathed, “You are so beautiful.”
“Isn't that my line?”
With a grin, she shook her head and smiled. “No, you're beautiful.”
His smile brought a thrill. “And what are you?”
She glanced down for a moment, the thrill rising into a playful hunger. The front of his was ridged with his hardness. She knew exactly what strained underneath the fabric and couldn't wait to feel it sliding into her where it belongs. With a grin, she brought her hands to his waist and hooked her thumbs on his belt. “Someone who is going to fix these trousers.”
“Am I'm going to be sitting naked in a chair.”
She pushed him gently toward a chair behind him. He resisted only for a moment and her breasts bumped against his chest. Her hard nipples dragged against his skin, the fabric of her dress rasping against the sensitive tips.
The moist wind slid underneath her dress, sliding up and down her inner thighs in silent encouragement.
As they approached the chair, she worked her hands to the front of his trousers. She danced her fingers along the seam, enjoying the heat and hardness of his cock underneath the fabric. The thickness felt exhilarating as did the anticipation of having it inside her soon. With years of practice, she easily undid the buttons and peeled open his pants.
His cock bounced out. The tip had soaked through the silk boxers she had sewn for him, darkening the fabric. She ran her palm along the top, smearing the slickness around as she wrapped her fingers around his heft.
Kendrick let out a low, guttural moan.
Lily looked up and smiled. She tightened her grip on his shaft and slid up and down a few times. “You like this?”
He reached up with both hands and cupped her chin. She froze in his steel-like grip, the sensation of being wonderfully trapped sending flares along her senses. With a growl of lust, he pulled her close and kissed her passionately.
Lightning arced between their lips, an intense bolt of pleasure that snapped through her body.
She jumped and gripped him tighter, grinding her hand around his thick shaft for balance. Her other hand dug into his hip, her fingernails not quite breaking skin.
He growled before he kissed her again, driving his body into hers.
Lily gasped, losing herself in the embrace until the world seemed to blur around them.
When she regained her senses, the world remained blurred behind her and Kendrick. It took her a second to realize that the main room had flooded with a thick mist that obscured everything but a hint of the bar and a shadowed wall.
Kendrick grinned and nodded to the door leading outside. “I'd rather those two guys not catch me in the buff. They'd get ideas.”
“What about me?” she said, stroking his cock again.
His cock grew harder in her palm, if that was possible. “You've already caught me.”
“Yes, and now that I have you, you need to get these pants off.”
The hardness jumped again.
It took effort to unwrap her fingers from his hardness to grab his trousers. Pulling the fabric further apart, she pushed it down over his hips. When she reached the limits of her reach, she sank to her knees in front of him while guiding his trousers to the ground.
Kendrick released her head. Her hair slipped through his fingers, tugging on her scalp. The little tugs felt good against her skin and encouraged her to keep lowering herself to her knees.
The smell of his cock surrounded her and she licked her lips as she got a close view of the wet silk draped over his hardness. Thoughts of Hasan's mouth against her sex—and the intense pleasure that came from it—raced across her mind. She looked at his cock with new ideas; there was no doubt he would enjoy her lips against his shaft as much as she liked feeling Hasan's mouth against her clitoris.
With a moan of desire, she tugged the waistband from his body. The tip of his cock caught on the fabric and she had to pull it even further away to try clearing it. The smell of his excitement, the musky desire of a man who hungered for her, grew stronger with every passing second. She licked her lips again and tugged on the fabric, stretching it to get it eased around the swollen head.
Kendrick watched with intense eyes. His chest rose and fell with his deep breathing. Even though he didn't say a word, she could feel the tension shaking through his body. His cock also jumped with his heart, twitching back and forth.
Lily pulled the boxers down the far side of his cock. The fabric slid down along the thick ridge, smearing precum along his darkened shaft. The band caught on the top of his black-haired balls before she pulled it free.
Seeing his naked cock in detail, since the first time was when she was bent against the wall, brought a low moan of pleasure. It was just as beautiful as the rest of him. She loved the ridges of his veins and how they glistened with his juices and the heft of his balls covered in dark hairs.
The idea of kissing his cock rose up again. It was slick and glistening but smelled good. She took a deep breath and leaned into it, parting her lips.
“Oh, Couple,” Kendrick whispered. His cock jumped in her mouth, swelling slightly until the head was smooth and shiny.
The first touch of her lips on his cock was just as electric as his lips.
He shuddered, his body tensing as his hands reached out for the side of her head but then dropped it. His cock surged against her lips, moisture painting her lips.
Lily giggled and kissed it, tasting the saltiness on her tongue. “I've never done this.”
He let out a low sound, it may have been words.
She kissed his cock again. The warmth caressed her lips. She licked her lips and then his head, trailing the tip of tongue along the ridge of his glans. When he moaned loudly, she was encouraged to keep going. She had to tilt her head to work her lips down the side of his shaft to his balls and back again.
“Hold the shaft,” he whispered with a cracked voice. “N-Near the base.”
Lily wrapped her hand around the base and squeezed the thick member as she opened her mouth around the top, swirling her tongue along the top. The clear liquid flooded her mouth as she tried to pull more of it into her mouth but it was too thick. She was content to soak his head with her lips before sliding down the side with her mouth.
“L… Lily….” Kendrick said with a low, guttural growl.
She looked up, her mouth still on his twitching cock. She smiled around it, enjoying how he was watching her with rapt lust.
“I can't take much more,” he said in a low voice.
Lily pulled from him, sucking on his shaft until her lips popped. Licking her lips, she smiled broadly. “You want me to stop?”
“Yes,” he said with a moan. “If you keep going, I'm going to cum—”
She grinned wider and stroked his dripping shaft.
“—but I spent all day thinking about you impaled on my shaft.” At her surprised smile, he shrugged. “It kept me company while I was cleaning.”
Lily loved how he was using sex to distract her just as she was doing the same while embroidering.
“Well then,” she said as she stood up. With one hand still on his shaft, she pushed him back toward the chair she had been aiming for.
It only took a heartbeat until the back of his knees hit the edge. The legs of the chair scraped against the floor a few inches before he sat down. His cock slipped out of her grip before his bare buttocks smacked heavily against the top.
Lily considered stripping off her dress in a dance, to tease him further. She knew that he would love to see her drawing her dress up over her buttocks and breasts. But looking down at his cock, oozing precum and bobbing with his rapid-beating heart, she realized he didn't need to be teased any further.
Reaching out, she straddled his hips. As soon as she got close enough, she planted one hand against his shoulder.
Kendrick grabbed her hips, guiding her up toward his cock. She felt the heated length thump against her thigh and then bounce up between the heated space between her legs. His cock head rubbed against her thong, smearing the soaked fabric with his own juices, as both of them worked to aim it toward the entrance of her sex.
Panting with need, Lily hiked her dress up enough to jam her hand between her legs. Clawing at her thong, she managed to catch her fingertips on the soaked fabric. Yanking it aside, she whimpered as she used her knuckles to guide the swollen, slick head up against her entrance.
It sank in slowly despite her slickness and the pressure of her weight driving down. His head was too wide to easily penetrate her. Instead, he impaled her with incredible pleasure, tracing out the sensitive parts of her inner walls. Her labia clung to his shaft, tracing out the thick ridges and veins with waves of pleasure.
They both moaned as she put more of her weight down on his cock, driving him deeper into her. It only took a few seconds for her to reach his base, but it felt like an eternity of being penetrated.
She held herself still, enjoying the feel of his pulse vibrating along his entire length, teasing her insides with growing pleasure.
“I've been waiting—” Kendrick started.
“Shush,” she said with a smile. “I'm enjoying this.”
His hands tightened on her hips. He smiled at her but said nothing.
Rocking her hips, she swirled his shaft inside her depths for a moment. Then, with a flex of her legs, she pushed up. His cock slipped out of her inch by inch, teasing her sensitive nerves with his ridges. Even his thick cock head dragged down her inner channel, stretching her out again and sending waves of pleasure to inundate her system.
She thrust back down, impaling herself again with a smack of her inner thighs against his. She let out a gasp of pleasure and did it again, pulling herself further up before shoving down harder as she grew more accustomed to his length and girth.
Kendrick's muscles and legs tightened as he helped her move. She clamped one hand on his palm and kept the other on his shoulder. Staring into his eyes, she impaled herself repeatedly on his cock.
Lily lost herself in the pleasure, impacting with wet smacks that filled the room. With each thrust, she let out a louder moan that Kendrick mimicked with his own grunts.
He met her thrusts with ones of his own, the muscles of his legs bunching powerfully to lift his body from the chair and into her descending sex. It didn't take long before he was thrusting up into her as much as she was driving down. The connection of their bodies, his hard cock, grew hotter and slicker with every thrust.
Kendrick let out a guttural growl and released her hip to grab her breasts, digging his fingertips into the soft flesh as his thrusts grew more powerful. His powerful legs drove her completely off the ground, impaling his shaft deep into her pussy as he picked her off the ground. His face twisted with pleasure.
Her feet tapped against the ground at the same time their legs smacked together. His balls seemed to thrust up against her clitoris and labia, driving the pleasure deeper into her tightly stretched pussy with a wave.
Lily's moans of pleasure turned into short gasps. The crest of her orgasm flooded through her, taking her to an edge that needed only the right touch to set her off. She pounded herself against his hips, taking his cock deep with rapid burst of energy.
He caught her nipple and dug his nails into her nips. Pinned in place, he slammed into her with powerful thrusts. Each one drove it deeper and deeper into her.
Lily's orgasm exploded. Pleasure coursed through her veins, wracking her with an intense wave of sensation that left her screaming out in ecstasy. She clamped down on Kendrick, thrusting repeatedly with shorter and more erratic strokes.
A liquid explosion flooded her insides. Kendrick let out a growl as he came inside her, painting her insides with his own cum as they both lost themselves in their orgasms.
The strength fled her legs and she settled down, enjoying the throb of his heartbeat deep inside. Still staring into his eyes, she rocked back and forth in slow waves, enjoying the afterglow that fluttered through her body like a thousand butterflies.
Kendrick slid his hand to cup her head again. Pulling her close, he kissed her tenderly. “You don't have to fix these clothes tonight, do you?”
She moaned and then giggled. “No.”
“Good, because in about five minutes, I would like to continue this in my room.”