Heirot

Vlad followed in pursuit, his pulse thick with excitement. He didn't know what she was up to, or what she was in the mood for. The anticipation made him feel drunk with happiness. On the bottom deck, there were mostly crew cabins and utility spaces. Vlad nudged her sideways as the passed a pile of huge crates.

"This looks like a quiet place," he murmured, trapping her against one of the crates. He slid his torso against hers. "Now, my love, ask me your questions. I am yours," he purred. His hands slid along her hips, under the fabric of her blouse.

Tenele felt distracted by his touch, the cool hands gliding over her skin. She glanced around just for a second to make sure there weren't any prying eyes. "What else do you like?" she asked him softly, resting her hands on his arms. She leaned back into the crate. "Or maybe a trade-off. You showed me something you like... now show me something I liked?"

Vlad's thoughts skimmed through her likes and dislikes. The question itself was riveting. Was she actually trying to get to know him sexually? This wasn't like last night. This wasn't about anyone else. It was about them, together.

The first kink that came to mind was one he wasn't sure she would want to try. He decided to be very cautious about it. "Usually...something like this," he murmured, taking both her wrists. He drew them slowly above her head, gripping firmly without being too rough. He pinned them to the crate above her head. His fingers weren't rough, but they were unyielding. He leaned forward carefully and kissed her, ready to let go the moment he smelled panic.

Tenele froze up, every muscle in her body tightened when she couldn't get her hands free with a quick tug. Her eyes clenched shut like she was trying not to look at something, or see someone. She felt his lips on hers and she knew she had to look at him. To see him. It was the only way to calm her heart.

He wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't hurt her. She liked this. This was something she liked, right?

"Wait," she blurted out when her lips parted from the kiss. She hadn't meant to say it, they just fell out of her mouth like a heavy object from a weakened hand.

Vlad let go instantly, putting his arms lightly around her waist and removing all his weight from her. "Okay. It's okay. I thought so," he soothed quietly. "I won't do it again."

Tenele pressed her face against the crook of his neck and clenched her eyes with frustration. She felt the need to apologise for not liking something that apparently had pleased her. She probably would have liked it if it weren't for... She stayed very quiet for a few minutes, listening to the sound of the ocean crash against the hull of the ship.

She reached down for his hands and took them in each of hers. She admired them, turning her green eyes up to him. She wanted to ask him to try again. Wasn't that the best way to overcome it? To prove to herself that he wasn't cruel and that he wouldn't hurt her by going through it? Facing her fears?

Tenele pressed a kiss to his hands and then lifted her arms above her head again.

Vlad looked at her hands, feeling a tendril of despair. She had enjoyed him, in the past, when he was aggressive and rough. Even if she made an effort to allow it now, that didn't mean it was what she liked. He realized all at once that he might not know what she liked anymore. She might not like what he liked.

He couldn't imagine making her afraid of him. He couldn't see anything worth the risk. "Tenele...if you no longer wish it, there is no reason for you to force yourself," he said quietly. His palms rested lightly over hers, more holding hands than pinning her down. His thumbs rubbed in light circles on the back of her hands, and he tried kissing her again.

Tenele met his kiss softly. This was nice, the light pressure of his hands on hers. It wasn't so bad. He was kind to her. Careful with her. Her fingers gave him a confident squeeze. Maybe now wasn't the best time to work up the courage to face her fears. There was time for that... She wanted to enjoy him instead, and hoped she hadn't ruined it. She hoped she hadn't disappointed him with another pointed reminder of how much she wasn't like the woman he loved.

While her hands pressed into the crate she lifted her body off of the flat surface to brush against his.

Vlad closed his eyes and relished the soft contact. His body, however, had gone calm. He'd almost forgotten that this was a different Tenele. One night of intimacy, and he had forgotten his self control. It would be so easy to push her away, to get it wrong. He didn't like it. His own insecurity shocked him. It wasn't a mood he experienced often.

He released her hands and drew his arms around her in a light embrace, and kissed her ear.

Tenele let out a soft approving breath at the light tickle of his lips against her ear. Her hands pushed under the soft silk of his shirt, brushing against his sides. She kissed his neck, like he'd enjoyed before. She repeated what she'd done, nibbling up to his ear and back down to his neck. Then, she bit him just as hard as before. At least one of them could still enjoy what they liked... Maybe, in the heat of the moment, she would also want what she had once desired.

Vlad's muscled stomach shifted with each deep breath. Her touch was so perfect, slowly bringing his body back to attention on her instead of his sobering thoughts. Her bite tore a growl from his throat. He guided her hands up to his chest and kissed her. He realized he was being spoiled, but he was far from capable of protesting. "Tenele," he huffed. His hands slid along her waist and under the hem of her skirt, caressing lower along her back. One hand cupped her but while the other began slowly sliding around toward her front. A psychic trick undid the clasp on her waistline and loosened the fabric, making room for his hand as he teased closer.

Her breath quickened, her lips growing firmer on his skin. She wanted his touch, remembering how blissfully good it felt last night and knowing it would feel that much better. Her body angled for him to touch her, her hands pushing up the fabric of his shirt. She pressed her lips to his chest, nipping at the flesh. She pinched his nipple between her teeth and pulled, snickering deviously at her thoughts. Had they both enjoyed a little bit of rough play?

Vlad's breath hitched and came faster as she tortured him. "Yes," he whispered, craning his head low against her neck and sucking at her skin. His fingers glided against her wetness in slow, skilled strokes, drawing her open and massaging her center. He was so pleased that she knew not to be gentle, that she wasn't offended by his craving the harder contact. The small jolts of pain mixed with her caress excited him beyond belief. "You are very good at that," he moaned.

Her fingernails dragged a little harsher over his flesh. She swathed her tongue over his skin and pinched his flesh when she could. But, his fingers were distracting. She wrapped an arm around his neck and lifted a leg, curving it over his hip for support to offer him more access to her. Her other hand glided down his flat stomach to the pants he wore. She worked at the clasp with one hand until his pants opened. She hesitated a moment and then slipped her hand inside to free him.

Vlad's breathing was a mess by the time she freed him. Even the faint brush of her skin against him felt like rapture. His instincts clawed at his composure. He wanted to claim her, to take her body with all the strength and skill he was capable of. He wanted to make her want it, make her demand that strength of him.

He leaned her back over the edge of the crate, guiding her onto her back. His pants slid to the ground as he leaned over her. He took her breast in his mouth and sucked at the skin while his member slid against her center, picking up where his fingers had left off. This time, he would make sure she could enjoy it. He would use all his skill and every fiber of his being to return the pleasure she'd so beautifully shown him. His hands curled around hers, clutching her fingers tightly. He drew them slowly up next to her head, where an invisible force held them. His real hands slid back down her body, lifting her thighs wide.