He and Clarysa departed. Their procession included Gretchen and her family and Stellan’s modest entourage. The King and Queen, along with sundry attendants and citizens, waved farewell from the castle gate, but Edward rode with them as far as the border. Stellan thought he might actually learn to like this new Edward, less quick to judge and more humble. Along the way, they discussed plans for future visits and hunts.
The journey passed by pleasantly under a blazing, late-summer sun. Song and laughter filled the air, as well as frequent prompts for the married couple to kiss. Stellan was more than happy to oblige.
A few miles from the peak of Eastender’s Road, the party stopped to rest and eat in a verdant clearing scattered with birch trees and lichen. After the meal concluded, Edward bid them farewell and returned to Aldebaran. Stellan and Clarysa headed west, arriving at Vandeborg several hours later.
Once in the great hall, Stellan turned to his wife. “Close your eyes,” he said.
She dutifully complied, and he led her up the wide central staircase. When he allowed her to see, she gasped, for the royal bedroom suite had been completely refurbished. The mahogany bed, now restored to its former glory, lay draped in swaths of rich red linen. Brightly colored pillows, throws and rugs accented the ornate furniture pieces scattered about the wide room.
Stellan built a fire in the hearth while Clarysa explored the room like mad. She squealed with joy upon discovering the myriad amenities of the washroom. Polished stones surrounded a large sunken tub. Stellan proudly demonstrated how to work the pipes. They were carved into a dragon’s head motif and hot running water gushed out of them with the turn of a handle.
“Hot springs are under the castle,” Stellan explained. “We discovered them during the renovation!”
Clarysa turned to him with arms outstretched. “It’s incredible! You did all this work for me?”
He enfolded her with his cape, for the air would remain chilly until the fire’s warmth spread. “I did it for us, if it pleases you, my beauty.”
She stared up at him, eyes shining. “You’ve done nothing but please me,” she whispered. “I love you, Stellan!”
“And I love you.” Sighing contentedly, he kissed her. After a moment he pressed his lips to her ear. “I think we should try out the bath.”
Clarysa’s breathing quickened, resulting in a delicious tickle against his cheek. “You mean now?”
Stellan removed her cloak and shot her a wicked grin. “Yes, I do,” he said, his gaze dipping southward as it drank in every one of her curves. He delivered another soft kiss before turning his attention to the bath. First he lit several thick, red candles, and then he manipulated the pipes until steaming water swirled into the basin below.
Satisfied, he turned around. Now it was Stellan’s breath catching sharply in his throat, for Clarysa stood before him completely nude. She shivered, perhaps from the cold, perhaps from the desire glowing in her face. Her beauty overwhelmed him, especially as she didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands. They fluttered like dainty hummingbirds against the hollow of her throat. Full lips parted with an urgent plea for him to hurry; the bath was ready.
Stellan realized with a start he’d been staring at her for quite some time. Blood rushed to his member, and primal urges–echoing from their tryst in the cave–coaxed it into a tight, thick erection. Finally, he could finish what he had started.
Crossing the short space between them, he set to work undressing. When had his clothes sprouted so many laces and knots? Clarysa smiled shyly while helping him to disrobe, and then, finally, they were skin to skin. Now she shivered steadily, clinging to him and feeling cold to the touch. He carried her into the tub. The water encased them in a warm embrace.
The liquid covered Clarysa up to her shoulders, teasing him. He could only see the faint outline of her body. In between fervent kisses they washed each other, sloughing away the dust from the journey using soft cloths and walnut-scented soap. Occasionally the hot water sloshed aside, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of a breast or knee. But underneath it was a different story. His hands learned the intimate language of her smooth back, dainty feet and the slight curve of her belly. Stellan could hardly believe his senses. How soft and supple was her skin!
Clarysa grabbed one of his hands and wrapped her lips around his forefinger. At the luxurious sensation, a memory flared–recollection of the time when he had fed her a piece of that roll before the curious eyes of his men. As she sucked his finger with slow, deliberate precision and sly glances, Stellan recalled how he had wanted to shove more than just a roll into her hot mouth.
“Would you…like to try out the bed?” he murmured. Rising from the water, he leaned against the basin’s edge. Water cascaded down his chest and abdomen. Clarysa was intently watching the flow.
“Clarysa?”
“In a moment.” She dove toward his midsection, sloshing water everywhere.
“What are you–gods of fortune, Clarysa!”
Stellan threw his head back. The way her mouth fondled his swollen shaft shocked him into happy delirium. She licked him from tip to base, her tongue sliding warmly against every hard inch. Her delicate hands closed around his erection, and she experimented with a few pumping motions. Closing his eyes and burying his hands deep into her golden tresses, Stellan envisioned the tub overflowing with his seed if he allowed her to continue unabated.
He was panting by the time she drew the whole length of him into her mouth. Hot. Wet. Tight. Rampant arousal made the contact almost painful. He fantasized about what could be accomplished with a well-aimed thrust. Or should he take her to the bed first? Stellan couldn’t decide.
As if in response to his thoughts, Clarysa broke
