Sweet Torture

First, he took her lips again, kissing them until they were swollen and red. Panting, they broke apart and he used the seconds to pull his hands free of his gloves and throw them aside. "I want to feel your skin."

When Katherine was about to open the jacket she wore over her dress, he stopped her and slowly removed it in her stead. Every few centimeters, he planted a kiss on her arm, following the woolen fabric with his lips. Though his eyes were intense, he did it ever so gently. It looked like he was desperate to keep in control of the raging need by getting even gentler.

"This doesn't feel like payback." She breathed out tremblingly, when he continued with her shoes and socks, then removed his own.

His hand ran over the sole of her foot, weaving his fingers through her toes. Suddenly, he pulled her leg up to kiss the toes as well. Under his caresses she felt herself weaken, turning into an mushy ball of pleasure. There was silence in the room, only the sensual little sounds of lips against skin and rustling clothes.

Brushing his nose along her leg, he murmured: "Does it not?"

"No." She would have laughed if it was not so comfortable under his touches. Like a flower blooming for the light, she sucked all of it in. It was wonderful being with him like that. Seeing his light-hearted smile, she thought it was a rare treasure. Just now he wasn't burdened down by thoughts of the future, of destruction and war.

Suddenly, she found herself under his tall frame again, her hands pinned over her head, his red eyes looking into hers deeply. It was a serious gaze, but also slightly curious. "Is it not torture enough to take it slowly? I was under the impression that my wife is an impatient woman. Especially when she herself is not allowed to take her turn and push me into the covers herself."

Blushing all the way to the tips of her ears, Katherine huffed. Then realization settled in and she tried to wriggle free of his grasp, yet he lowered his body to stop her movement. His height alone made him several times heavier than her and with her hands bound by his, she could not do much. Annoyed and flustered, she stopped and saw another smirk twinkle in his eyes.

"Why can't I push you in the covers, too?", she demanded to know, only to hear him chuckle.

"Because I learned that things tend to get out of hand when I leave them to you. Especially when it comes to something you are passionate about. So, I deduced that when you get free reign, you will inevitably seduce me to do more than we should. My little wife, isn't that true?"

His lips brushed over the crook of her neck with the last words, whispering them against her skin. With a tremble, Katherine tilted her head to give him free access. "I - I actually wanted to follow the rules this time."

"I know." He nibbled on her nape, then up to her earlobe, relaxing his full body on hers and letting her feel almost all of his weight. And it was not only his weight, there was also the heat of his skin, and the undeniable proof that he wanted her. It throbbed big and hard against her leg, making her abdomen clench with need.

She had to feel this inside her. Soon. Without a thought, she parted her legs to wind them around him, and moaned when his hardness hit just the right spot through the fabric between them. He groaned, rubbing the hot rod against her once, before he pulled back again with nearly inhuman control.

"See?", he spat out, panting. "A lioness is not a pet. You will never be truly tame. And I wouldn't want you to be. So, let me hold you in place, just this time. And also... "

She was too distracted by the throbbing inside her to notice that he didn't continue directly. When she finally did, she breathed out: "And what?"

With a sigh, he kissed her chin, the cheeks, her nose. Finally, he leaned his forehead against hers, gazing into the depth of her soul.

And just for this moment, Katherine stilled. She felt like she could see his soul as well. The exhausted, vulnerable soul of this mysterious lover of hers. It was undeniably beautiful, like a lone panther wandering in the wild. But as it was also wounded, it was still afraid to reach for the helping hand too eagerly. Seeing this, warmth flooded her for the wild being that was hurt so deeply it was afraid to trust completely again. Trust that it was truly safe to let go, however much he craved for it. The craving could be seen in every sliver of his soul, hungry and so desperate that it challanged even his strong self-control.

Suddenly, she knew that she could wait for him, because every second would be more than worth it. Though reluctantly, she lowered her legs again and arched her neck to place a kiss on his cheek. It was a kiss to placate him, even when she herself felt like bursting with need. "It's fine. I can wait. We will have a lifetime together, won't we?"

A long breath left Nathaniel's mouth, then his smile returned. "Yes. Though I hope it will not be so long until I learn how to cope with this fear. I want to truly be with you and also tell you the words that I know you want to hear very badly."

Katherine smiled back, a smile full of hope. "I said it's fine. I can sometimes be pretty patient for an impatient woman, so it's not like I will suddenly stop loving you because you aren't fast enough to return the words. I will always be right here, waiting for you. Now give me a kiss, will you?"

She arched her neck again, and Nathaniel grumbled something about a demanding woman, before he fulfilled her wish. Despite his caution, he also fulfilled several other needs that she never knew she had, only never letting her touch much of him while he explored, kissed and licked every part of her body.

"How - how do you even know of this?", Katherine asked between gasps when he shortly raised his head from between her thighs.

His eyes were glinting evilly as he licked her wetness from his lips. "The servants weren't always cautious. First, I thought it as annoying, now I know it also had its perks. You are very delicious, my wife."

She shuddered with pleasure when he lowered his head again, her hands clenching in the covers, then hesitantly reaching for his head. A moan vibrating against her flesh encouraged her to bury both her hands in the white mass. With all her heart she wished that he would allow her soon to pleasure him this way as well.

.

Though the time in bed turned out different than Katherine expected from the passionate first few kisses downstairs, it was still very satisfying for her. Her only remaining wish was to have him inside her next time. Despite this, she was very happy.

Seeing Katherine fall asleep after the hours of foreplay, Nathaniel felt a bit guilty for exhausting her magic completely again. Simultaneously, he felt very lucky to have such a wonderful woman in his arms.

Before she fell asleep, she had removed the remains of darkness in his veins and asked him to stay with her. Seeing her rosy skin and the hopeful look in her eyes, he didn't think twice before putting on his gloves and socks, then sliding under the covers with her.

Now, she was snuggled against him as they laid on the side, one of his arms as her pillow, the other hand gently caressing her tummy. Despite the deep breaths that indicated that she was asleep, he still continued moving his hand, too fascinated by the softness of the body beneath, the small waist and rounded hips. Those hips that were torturing him as they pressed against the hardened area in his pants.

Chuckling to himself, he remembered the mischievous glitter in her eyes when she'd positioned herself like this. She'd felt it very clearly, yet snuggled against it intentionally. It took the threat of him leaving and a little slap on her side to finally stop her from moving. A little later she was asleep, and he alone with the torture. But at least it was a delicious torture, he decided. The best torture he ever knew.