The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,41

Elli pressed up against him. “What are you doing?”

“Just…just Mirroring, like we’re supposed to,” Elli whispered breathlessly. “We…we have to do it right, Roke. We don’t want to get…to get kicked out of Supper.”

At that moment, the noblewoman the Crown Prince had chosen as his “Bride of the Night” began moaning and gasping, drawing all eyes to the golden dais. In a minute, Elli saw why. The Crown Prince was not simply running his hands over her breasts now—he was actually circling her nipples with his fingers and then tugging gently at the stiff peaks, drawing cries of delight from his lover.

“Ellilah?” Roke murmured in her ear again. “Do you want me to—”

“Yes!” Elli pressed up against him. “Yes, do…do what you have to, Roke,” she told him. “Don’t stop!”

“As my Lady wishes,” he murmured again and then he was copying the motions of the Crown Prince, circling Elli’s nipples with his long fingers and tugging gently, which sent sparks of pleasure straight from her tight tips to the secret spot between her thighs.

“Oh!” Elli heard herself moaning as she writhed against him. “Oh, Roke!”

“Such an eager little priestess,” he rumbled, still stroking and teasing her nipples. “Is this making you hot, sweetheart? Is your little pussy getting all wet for me?”

His dirty words made Elli blush but they sent another shiver of pleasure through her too. Goddess, she knew she shouldn’t be enjoying this but she couldn’t seem to help herself…

“Don’t…don’t talk like that,” she begged him breathlessly. “I…I’m not…I’m only doing what…what we have to do.”

“Of course you are.” Roke chuckled softly. “We both are, little priestess. It’s no fault of mine that I find pleasure in stroking your beautiful, curvy little body and tugging your tight little nipples and no fault of yours for enjoying it.”

Elli opened her mouth to answer but only another moan came out. Goddess, she didn’t know when she’d been so hot and bothered! Well, during the Christmas party she had been, but then she’d had the drugged punch to blame. What could possibly be making her act this way now?

Elli didn’t know and she didn’t care. At this point, she had become a creature of pleasure—wanting only more and more of Roke’s big, warm hands on her body, cupping her breasts and tugging her nipples…

“I say—do stop it, you two! Supper is over.”

The Duke’s voice cut through Elli’s moans and she realized, with mortification, that she was the only female still writhing under her partner’s touch. Everyone else was rising and putting on their shoes and stockings.

Looking up to the golden dais, she saw that it was empty—the Crown Prince and his Bride for the Night were gone.

“Where…where did the Prince go?” she asked breathlessly as she sat up and reached for her slippers.

“Off to the Royal Bedchamber, of course,” the Duke said matter-of-factly.

“Really? But we only had soup and fruit,” Elli protested—not that they’d had much of either course. “Is Supper always so short?”

“The length of Supper depends entirely upon the Crown Prince and his carnal appetites,” the Duchess told her.

“Lately he’s been quite randy,” the Duke remarked. “I can’t remember the last time we got through four courses together—let alone five. However…” He shrugged. “Don’t worry if you didn’t get enough. Any of the servants will be happy to bring as selection of victuals to your bedchamber. Just let them know what you want.”

“Although it seems to me that what you two most want is more of each other.” The Duchess gave Elli a knowing smile.

“Oh, no! We don’t…that is, we wouldn’t—” Elli began but the Duchess only shook her head.

“Don’t worry, my dear—Mirroring can often have that effect. Especially when you’re new to it.” And she hooked her arm through the Duke’s and winked knowingly. “Goodbye. We’ll see you tomorrow, I’m sure.”

Then, arm-in-arm, the Duke and Duchess swept out of the large Supper room.

“Well…I guess we’d better get going,” Roke growled, reaching for his boots.

“I…I suppose so.” Now that they were alone together and not being forced to touch each other, Elli found herself feeling shy and ashamed of the way she had acted. Why had the big warrior’s touch driven her so crazy when she wasn’t even drugged? Why couldn’t she control herself when she kissed him?

She had no answer to either question, so she followed Roke silently out of the room as they headed for their own bedchamber.

Twenty-Two

“You all right, sweetheart?” Roke cast the curvy little priestess a sidelong glance. She’d been silent ever since Supper had