Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey [209]
"Oh, no." Her eyes narrowed. "You're not going to exert yourself and start bleeding again. At least not until after dinner.”
"It's no effort," I assured her.
"Nonetheless." She picked up a ball of soap. "I insist.”
I let her bathe me, smiling at the simple pleasure she took in it. It reminded me of the pleasure I'd taken in rubbing Dorelei's belly with flaxseed oil when the babe had gotten so big. The memory hurt, but it was good, too. And strangely, it did nothing to lessen my arousal. When Sidonie finished, we both clambered out of the tub. She patted me dry with a thick towel, careful not to disturb the water-softened scabs.
"Leave it be for now," I said. "They need to dry. I've a salve to put on them later, it will keep the bandages from sticking.”
"Oh, I've somewhat else in mind at the moment." Sidonie slid a dressing-robe over my shoulders; heavy black silk embroidered with the golden Shahrizai key pattern, thoughtfully provided. Her lips curved in a wicked smile. "Don't worry, it's no effort.”
She led me over to the nearest chair, the robe hanging loose around me, then knelt between my knees when I sat. Her naked skin was moist and flushed from the bath, her hair spilling over her shoulders in damp coils.
At the first touch of her mouth on my taut phallus, I groaned and sank both hands into her hair. Sidonie made the languisement an act of worship, performed with lips and tongue; beautiful, wonderful, and maddening. The sounds she made, the murmurs of pleasure, set my entire body to quivering. I never wanted to it to end and I never wanted to stop watching her. And then she took the whole of my shaft into her mouth, cheek and throat muscles working, and uttered a deep, stifled moan, and my eyes nearly rolled back in my skull. I held her head hard, my hips jerking, as my body sought to turn itself inside out, sending spurt after spurt of seed down her throat.
"Name of Elua!" I sank back in exhaustion. "No effort?”
"A little, mayhap." Her voice was low and sensuous, hoarse from her exertions. Sidonie gathered herself and rose to straddle my lap, sitting on my knees. We regarded one another. "I love you," she said. "You're headed off Elua-knows-where, like as not into a hostile nation, pursuing a man who may or may not be able to turn himself into a bear, a bear that nearly killed you. Imriel, I understand why you have to do this. I do. But if you don't come back, if you don't survive this, I will spend the rest of my life with an aching hole in my heart, mourning you.”
I wound a lock of her damp hair around my fingers. "And this helps?”
"Yes." Sidonie traced my lower lip. "If nothing else, I want to leave here with the memory of you inside me. Everywhere.”
"Everywhere?" I asked.
She leaned forward and kissed me. "We'd better eat. You're going to need your strength.”
The servants of the manor house had provided a prodigious feast. We uncovered platters to find roasted partridge with a quince sauce, rabbit stew, simmered leeks and mushroom tarts, an array of nuts and candied peels of orange and lemon.
To my surprise, once the food was revealed, I discovered I was ravenous.
Small wonder, I suppose.
Sidonie, clad in a robe that was the twin of mine, ate half as much as I did and spent the balance of the time watching me with a spark of laughter in her eyes. "You needn't stare," I observed, washing down a mouthful of partridge with a swig of cool white wine.
She smiled. "Your appetite amazes and impresses me.”
I swallowed another bite and pointed my fork at her. "You're the cause.”
"Oh, I know." Her smile deepened. "It's just…Elua! I don't want to let a moment pass unmarked. It seems so strange, after all the secrecy and hiding, to be here with you, like this. Even if it's only for one night. To have stood up to my mother, to have defied all those men today…”
She shook her head in wonderment. "You know, I never thought I'd do such a thing for the sake of love. I could never have imagined the need. Betimes I think the gods must have a peculiar sense of humor, to visit this on us. Don't