Afterstory: The Warmest Winter in the World (11)

There was something endearing about the urgency in Linea's voice. Theorad would ordinarily have smiled at her, but right now he could scarcely catch his breath. After making love to Ashley, he was exhausted, and Ashley herself lay spent in his arms.

“All right. Could you wait a moment?”

“Oh… yes.”

Linea's face fell at his matter-of-fact answer.

Ordinarily she might have protested. But tonight, after Theorad had already reached his climax twice with Ashley's help, his willingness to continue mattered more than her impatience. If he said he was too tired, she could hardly insist that he go on. So she held her tongue.

“Hah…”

Ashley heard the exchange and slowly gathered the strength to raise herself.

She was comfortable in Theorad's arms. After their intimacy, she wanted nothing more than to remain there and rest. But she knew Linea was waiting, and she couldn't bring herself to keep him entirely to herself.

“Ah… oh…”

Ashley eased herself off him. His penis slipped free, leaving a slick trail, and fluid dripped between her thighs. She was too satisfied to feel ashamed of the mess.

“You worked hard, darling.”

She bent and gave him a brief, bashful kiss on the forehead.

Theorad put his arms around her in return.

“So did you, Ashley.”

He lifted her gently and settled her at the edge of the bed.

“Rest here for a while.”

There was no reason to refuse his kindness. She was tired, and she knew it.

“All right… Theorad…”

Her answer trailed off into a long, sleepy sigh. He stroked her head once and turned toward Linea.

Linea's shoulders gave a small, involuntary twitch. Her turn had finally come, and somehow that made her more nervous than before.

“Well, then…”

Theorad noticed her discomfort. He moved a little closer and met her gaze, deliberately taking his time.

Through the translucent fabric of her lingerie, he could see the curves of her breasts and the faint outline of her nipples pressing against it. The sight revived a desire he had thought spent.

His body was beginning to respond again. He concealed it, however. Linea was so anxious that a little gentle teasing seemed irresistible.

“I'd like to see what you've prepared.”

“P-prepared?”

“You said you could please me better than Ashley.”

“That was…”

“Were you lying?”

He made his face stern. Linea folded her hands before her like someone caught misbehaving.

It had already taken courage to put on such revealing clothes for him. She deserved praise for that alone. Yet she was so embarrassed that no excuse came to mind. She didn't want him to think she had nothing else to offer.

At last she ventured, almost too quietly to hear:

“Master…”

“Yes?”

“While we're together… I'll call you Master.”

So that was her plan: a little game of master and servant. Theorad couldn't suppress a smile.

“But we've played at being master and slave before, haven't we? We used to make contests of it.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“I'm not trying to win this time. I just… want to serve you. Like a slave who belongs to you…”

Her cheeks were red, and she couldn't bear to meet his eyes.

Theorad found her so sweet that he could no longer keep teasing from a distance. He suddenly tipped her backward onto the bed and climbed over her.

“Ah…!”

Linea lifted her head, startled by the sudden change. Theorad was close enough that she could see the slight smile on his lips, and her heart began to pound.

“Very well. If that's truly what you want, I'll treat you like my slave.”

“Theorad…?”

“Ah-ah. Who gave you permission to call your master by name?”

“I'm sorry…”

“Then you'll have to be punished.”

He reached down and stroked her cheek. Linea leaned into his gentle hand, letting herself say what she had been too shy to voice a moment ago.

“Yes… A wicked slave like me should get pregnant with her master's seed…”

Words that had once carried frightening associations now sounded sweet in the intimate game she had proposed. Theorad remembered their troubled earlier days, but he could see her present eagerness plainly enough.

He pushed into her.

“Ah…”

She was already wet and receptive. Her flushed face turned up toward him, and she slowly spread her legs to make room for him.

“Please… come inside me, Master.”

Theorad almost laughed at how readily she asked for what was meant to be a punishment. It was a peculiar sort of discipline when the one being chastised was waiting for it with such anticipation. Still, he answered her request, pressing farther inside her.

“Ah… ah…”

Linea's slick folds parted around him. Her body gripped his erection tightly as he pressed farther in.

She breathed through parted lips, half-lidded red eyes fixed on the man above her. One hand reached up to catch his shoulder.

“Master… Master…”

She couldn't quite bring herself to finish the request, but Theorad understood. He nodded and pressed deeper, until they were fully joined.

“Ahh…”

The heat and pressure were almost too much for her at first. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she embraced his back. It hurt a little, yet she was happy that he had continued with her after already exhausting himself twice.

There was one thing she wished he would stop doing, however.

He had entered her deeply—and then remained perfectly still.

Linea squirmed helplessly beneath him. Theorad was plainly waiting to see what she would say. Her eyes grew damp with frustrated embarrassment.

“P-please… stop teasing me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want… Master's…”

The words deserted her. Even if this was a game they had chosen together, saying such things aloud was mortifying, especially with Ashley listening nearby.

Theorad had no intention of prolonging the trick until it caused her pain. He knew what she was asking.

“I know exactly what you mean, you shameless little thing.”

He began to move, slowly at first. Linea's body tightened around him with every thrust.

“Ah… ah…”

It was an involuntary response, the friction of her body around his. In the past, being joined so deeply had brought her terrible pain. Over time she had grown accustomed to him, and now pleasure rose where she had once dreaded the sensation.

“Hah… ah…!”

Her face softened with delight. Their movements filled the room with wet, intimate sounds. Theorad bent down to kiss her, and she clung to him as their pace quickened.

“Mm… ah…!”

Her breasts brushed against his chest with each movement, making her arch beneath him. The awareness of being held and taken by the man she loved only sharpened her pleasure.

“Ah—!”

Linea trembled as she reached her climax. Theorad broke the kiss and stopped for a moment. When she gave a shy nod, he began moving again, and her cries filled the room once more.

Ashley had been listening from where she rested. Now she slowly raised herself to watch.

“Is this what you wanted, you naughty maid?” Theorad asked.

“Y-yes…!”

Ashley let out a rueful little laugh at their peculiar game. It was hard not to be amused.

She crawled closer and studied Linea's flushed profile. Linea was clinging to Theorad's back, gasping as he moved inside her, entirely absorbed in what they were doing.

You look happy, Sister.

Ashley might have felt jealous, but there was no reason to interrupt now. She stayed beside them and watched.

At last Theorad could hold back no longer. He drove into Linea once more and held her close.

“Ah…!”

He ejaculated inside her. Linea shuddered as she felt the warmth of his release deep within her.

“Ah… I'm sorry…”

They clung to each other, breathing hard. After a while, Theorad withdrew. Fluid glistened between Linea's parted thighs. He stared for a moment, dazed, then recovered himself and brushed her fallen bangs gently behind her ear.

“You did well…”

Even in exhaustion, he remembered to speak kindly to her. He smiled, then sank down beside Linea, his head spinning. Three climaxes in succession had finally caught up with him.

Ashley reached over and lightly stroked Linea's breast. The soft warmth beneath her palm was unexpectedly pleasant.

Is this how Theorad feels when he touches mine?

She thought she understood a little better why men liked a woman's breasts. Linea's seemed to have grown subtly fuller since the birth of her child, too.

After a moment of idle wonder, Ashley drew back her hand and leaned close to Linea's ear.

“Sister… what do you think?”

Her voice was soft. Linea gathered her wits and looked toward Theorad. He lay motionless, breathing heavily through his mouth, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

Should we stop here?

Yet he would not always be young enough to manage nights like this. Perhaps it was better to enjoy such moments while they could.

After considering it, Linea answered carefully.

“Once in a while…”

“Would once a month be all right?”

Linea nodded, blushing.

Ashley was delighted to have her agreement. She looked again at Theorad, still lying with his eyes closed, and felt another small twinge of pity. But she was not ready to abandon the idea. He had been the one to leave them both longing for his company all week.

God of Light…

Theorad, of course, could hear perfectly well what the two of them were discussing.