Behind the Masks Continued

[Nyx]

The last of the petals dropped from her hand as his boots clicked across the tile, dulled to her ears because of the pounding of her heart. She was nervous, despite their little game they were playing, and her hands folded into her lap so he couldn't see them shaking slightly. Perhaps she was getting in over her head with this man, her breath catching in her throat as his fingers trailed along her temple. Something fluttered in her belly as his fingers touched her skin, her eyes closing briefly before focusing on him again. He was interested in her? A man who had countless women after him.....and yet he wanted to know about her. It surprised her so much that at first she didn't answer his question, staring at him blankly before shaking her head. She then took his offered hand and stood up, hesitating a moment before speaking. "I....know a place,"she said softly, blushing slightly as she realized the only place she could really take him was her rooms. But that was what she was here for right? Mischief and mayhem, to be the person she wouldn't normally be.

With that thought in mind, she squeezed his hand a little tighter and pulled him along, leading him back through the gardens to the ballroom. She decided to skirt around the party and take some of the less occupied hallways, that way fewer people would notice their passing...if they did at all. Most of the people they did pass were occupied with acts that made her flush, causing her to trip over her dress before righting herself again. Her face aflame, she cleared her throat led them up the staircase that would lead them to her rooms. "Not too much farther now,"she said, wondering if he was staying in the castle as well.


Upon reaching her door, she let go of his hand and opened the door, startling the maids that were there. Surprised looks were soon replaced with giggles and whispers, causing her to blush and fiddle with her hands. "You are not needed tonight....or tomorrow,"she said with as much dignity as she could muster, inclining her head to them as they scuttled off amidst giggles. As soon as they closed the door, her shoulders sagged in relief, glancing around the room to see her books still scattered across the bed and desk. "I apologize for the disarray...I tell them to leave my work alone,"she said softly, moving to close one book in particular that was open on her bed and stacking it on the desk with a few others. He didn't need to know that she wanted to study magic.

 

[Stigandr]

Vlos watched her reaction with extreme interest, wondering just how willing she would be to entertain his company, in any manner, as this little game progressed. Would it end here? Would they continue it elsewhere? How serious would things get in either matter? His eyes stayed on her, noting absently her hands were held in her lap, either in an effort to control herself and not give away her thoughts by reaching out to him, or to hide another tell-tell sign. After a moment of his touch, she answered in a slightly staggered reply that she knew some place they could go. Her cheeks colored slightly as blood rushed to them, his view of her reaction hidden quickly as she squeezed his hand and half lead, half dragged him behind her to the castle. Her feet led her and him around the party, avoiding the eyes of any potential gossipers (at least the ones who would have noticed their passing).

She led him through the halls, murmuring that it was not much further and he only smiled, his heart beating with an excitement of mysterious events that were to come, no matter what happened. He had spent so long locked away minding his own business, dabbling in things often frowned upon by the mass populace, even if most of his attention was on strictly forbidden arts.

They reached the door to the her room, she disengaged his hand and opened the door and dismissed the maids who left in fits of giggles, undoubtedly going off to gossip. "Are they your personal maids or were they assigned to your castle room for the event?" He asked the question after the door had shut, his eyes watching her move about trying to clean up the mess, watching her close one book and stack in in a way he could not easily see what it is. Natural curiosity getting the best of him, he stepped towards her and the desk where the book was, stroking his finger down her arm and over her index finger to trail along the edge of book, the spine of it turned away from him, "What is this little curiosity, if I may so ask? Another mysterious facet of an already intriguing woman perhaps?" His voice was light and playful as it had been the rest of the evening, his other hand coming up to rest on the small of her back, his index and middles fingers trailing up her spine to the nape of her neck.
His eyes were on her, waiting for a reaction for as he had ran his fingers up her body, he has let a subtle cooling sensation escape his fingers to trail along their path up her spine, something strong enough to be noticed but subtle enough that a non-magic user would simple shudder with the chills of a pleasurable touch, something he hoped she would enjoy and would only pull her deeper into her night with him. He had no way of knowing at the moment the book she had closed was a book on magic, or that she might have the possibility of knowing that the chills he caused her magic based; he was simply going with the unavoidable flow that the evening was carrying them along.

 

[Nyx]

"Lettie is the only personal maid that I have here. She came with me when we left home, but the rest are just ones that were assigned to me. Why they feel that I need so many, I'll never understand,"she said with a shake of her head, stacking the books neatly on her desk with a few of her papers. Layli never really cared for maids, Lettie being the one acception. She was perfectly capable of dressing herself each day and making her own bed, something that Lettie fussed about all the time. Perhaps it was because that Layli preferred to wear breeches over skirts when she was studying or working, or maybe it was because she liked to clean up things because then she knew where everything was. It was an endless argument, and the two just seemed to accept it as daily routine now. However, the finger trailing down her arm and over the spine of the book caused her to look up at him, a flush spreading across her skin at his touch. The game that they were playing was...pleasurable and alluring, and Layli wondered if they were still playing or giving in to their natural desires. Either way, there wasn't any way that she was going to quit.

"I hardly think you are interested in what I may read at the moment, my lord,"she said with a quirk of her lips, as slight gasp escaping them as she felt his hand near the base of her spine. It pulled her forward slightly, causing her to rest her hands against his chest as she was forced to step a little closer to him. Not that she minded that. "If you wish for books, then perhaps I should have led you to the library." The subtle feeling of fingers moving up her spine made her step even closer to him, a shiver flowing through her as her flesh broke out into goosebumps. Something was odd about the touch though, even as his hand rested at the nape of her neck. Her brows furrowed slightly even as her lower body stirred, unable to place why the touch felt strange to her. She couldn't concentrate long enough to place what it was though.

Her fingers came up slowly to trace the line of his jaw, her touch light as moved her fingers across his skin. She then moved to trace his lips with her index fingers, watching them part slightly before placing her hand back on his chest. "Why did you choose to come here with me,"she asked softly, the question gnawing the back of her mind for awhile now. He was someone who could clearly have his pick of women, and yet he was here in her room, touching her intimately. Her fingers then moved to trace his hidden collar bone, her eyes focused on the path of her fingers. "I suppose that isn't really a question to ask on a night of indulgence though."

 

[Stigandr]

He smiled at her as she explained the brief history of the main maid, a tone of affection there as she spoke of her, then briefly addressed the others, dismissing them almost as needless annoyances that she could not get rid of. While the information, as all information is, was interesting, it was not of the utmost concern to either one of them right now. There were more…pressing matters to attend to, such as the pressing of her body gently against his.

He had not intended for her to suddenly move this close to him, but he was not going to let this opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful woman this close to him just slip by like water through his fingers. With his hand at the back of her neck, he began making small circles with his index finger. "Oh but I am interested in what you are reading my dear. Now, whether or not I am more interested in books or you is the true question here." Slowly he began running his finger down her spine, still making the small circles as he did so, feeling each gentle bump of her spine along the way, the smooth surface of her skin pleasant to feel and easy for his finger to glide down over.

"Though, if there is truly any doubt in your mind as to which I desire more," here, with his finger at the base of her spine and his hand now pulling her a bit closer to him, he leaned down and placed his lips softly on the base of her neck then whispered, "take me to the library and see which I study more tonight." The last words were uttered with tempting promises of what would happen in the library if she led him there, as well as what might happen here in her room.

Waiting her answer for the few moments it would take, he hovered where he was, his body firmly pressing together with her, his lips lightly resting on her neck, his warm breath falling over her bare shoulder.

 

[Nyx]

It was almost like an electric shock had passed through her body, her awareness of the man in front of her intensifying with each little movement of his finger along her spine. A small intake of breath was all that could be heard as his hand moved fluidly down her skin, her hands tightening in his shirt. A brief thought passed through her mind as she tried to collect her scattered thoughts, one that brought a brief smile to her lips. Her mother would kill her if she found out what she was doing tonight, and Layli was sure Lettie would tell her when they return...if she wasn't already writing a letter to her right now. That would be something she would attend to tomorrow, she had much more....urgent matters to take care of right now.

The hand at the base of her spine pulled her closer to him, molding her body to his and keeping her firmly against him. She hardly knew what to say to him, her heart beating wildly in her chest. It was so loud, it was a wonder that he couldn't hear it...or maybe he could, she really had no idea. But suddenly his head moved, her breath catching as he lips came lower and lower. Her eyes closed as if she was going to kiss him, but as his lips touched her bare skin she gasped, a shiver running through her body. She had certainly never been kissed there before....and she was certain that there would be a lot of other places he would find that she had never been kissed. Her head tilted to the side, some of the small ruby pins falling to the floor and her hair came loose to tumble over her shoulder.


"Your offer....is a generous one,"she managed to get out, her voice sounding slightly breathless as she began to move her hands farther upwards. The idea of doing those kind of things in the library was a delicious one, and rather risky, but she wanted to stay here with him, in the safety of her own room. She filed the information away though....perhaps they could do that at a later date. "But I prefer this to be a private study. After all,"she said with a chuckle, moving her hands up his chest to wrap one around his neck, the other tangling into his hair and giving it a tug. "We wouldn't want our secrets to be revealed to just anyone now do we?"