the inns and brothels were alight.
“Are we really alone?” Isabella whispered.
They were in the midst of a dark and nefarious sea of humanity: sailors out to spend everything they’d earned, spies, gamblers, prostitutes.
“Yes,” Javier said. “Come with me.”
She laughed aloud as he pulled her back through the streets that led circuitously to the Rossio Inn. Within five minutes of arriving, Javier had secured a room for two nights and given the innkeeper an extra coin for his trouble.
When they climbed the three flights of stairs, Javier nearly hauling Isabella up to hurry her along, they were both panting and smiling as the innkeeper opened the door to the room at the end of the hall.
“Oh!” Isabella gasped. “It’s so beautiful.”
Javier thanked the man and sent him away, sliding the bolt home as soon as he shut the door. Isabella swung around at the sound of that heavy, sturdy lock barricading them in. She covered her lower stomach with her palms.
“Javier…” she whispered.
He had dropped their saddlebags on a low table near the door, and he was removing his coat as he walked slowly toward her.
She took a step back toward the window that had captured her imagination when she had first walked into the room. Unbeknownst to Isabella when they’d sold the horses earlier in the day, this part of the inn backed up directly to the grand canal that led away and back toward the port. The view was an exquisite mix of passing barcos moliceiros and the rising moon.
“Isabella…”
“Are you going to… ravish me?”
“Absolutely.”
“What should I do?” Her voice was quivering, not because she was opposed to the promised ravishing, but because she disliked being at a disadvantage. She took another step backward. “But I’ve never done… anything… before.”
“I am certainly glad to hear it.” His blue jacket was off and tossed carelessly over the back of the single upholstered chair that had been set in front of the small empty fireplace. “I would have been very disappointed if you had.” He pulled the tails of his shirt out from where they’d been tucked at his waist for far too many hours, and pulled the entire shirt up over his face and off in one swift motion.
Isabella stared in fascinated fear. A half-naked man was walking toward her. Right. There.
“What is it, Isabella?”
“I… I…”
He was very close by then, taking her into his arms, his very naked arms. His skin was all around her. There was nowhere for her to look to avoid it.
“Open your eyes.”
She obeyed, and found courage when she saw his avid gaze. “I dislike my ignorance,” she said.
“Then let us remedy it immediately.”
He reached between them and began untying the front of her dress. A chill ran through her spine, so cold and fierce, she thought she might break.
“Just let it plow through you, my love… let the feelings… come…” As he loosened the ribbons at her breasts, he leaned down and kissed the tender skin that was exposed. “God, how I have longed for this flesh, Isabella…” He pulled the blue bombazine from her shoulders, and the retracted sleeves effectively bound her at the elbows. Her breasts were straining to get free of the corset.
“Everything feels too tight… and too warm…” Isabella stammered.
“Good.” Javier pulled her hands behind her back and held her wrists there. “I want you tight—” He kissed between her breasts, then licked the salty skin. “And I want you warm.” He reached his free hand under her dress and rested his palm against the heat at her center.
She whimpered softly. It all felt so deliciously good, but hot and forbidden. “I… feel like I should protest… but I don’t want to…”
He began stroking between her legs, through the fabric of her drawers. “You don’t want me to stop doing that, do you, Isabella?”
Even down to the way he said her name, with that sharp, hissing s and that long, silky aah , everything about
“Are we really alone?” Isabella whispered.
They were in the midst of a dark and nefarious sea of humanity: sailors out to spend everything they’d earned, spies, gamblers, prostitutes.
“Yes,” Javier said. “Come with me.”
She laughed aloud as he pulled her back through the streets that led circuitously to the Rossio Inn. Within five minutes of arriving, Javier had secured a room for two nights and given the innkeeper an extra coin for his trouble.
When they climbed the three flights of stairs, Javier nearly hauling Isabella up to hurry her along, they were both panting and smiling as the innkeeper opened the door to the room at the end of the hall.
“Oh!” Isabella gasped. “It’s so beautiful.”
Javier thanked the man and sent him away, sliding the bolt home as soon as he shut the door. Isabella swung around at the sound of that heavy, sturdy lock barricading them in. She covered her lower stomach with her palms.
“Javier…” she whispered.
He had dropped their saddlebags on a low table near the door, and he was removing his coat as he walked slowly toward her.
She took a step back toward the window that had captured her imagination when she had first walked into the room. Unbeknownst to Isabella when they’d sold the horses earlier in the day, this part of the inn backed up directly to the grand canal that led away and back toward the port. The view was an exquisite mix of passing barcos moliceiros and the rising moon.
“Isabella…”
“Are you going to… ravish me?”
“Absolutely.”
“What should I do?” Her voice was quivering, not because she was opposed to the promised ravishing, but because she disliked being at a disadvantage. She took another step backward. “But I’ve never done… anything… before.”
“I am certainly glad to hear it.” His blue jacket was off and tossed carelessly over the back of the single upholstered chair that had been set in front of the small empty fireplace. “I would have been very disappointed if you had.” He pulled the tails of his shirt out from where they’d been tucked at his waist for far too many hours, and pulled the entire shirt up over his face and off in one swift motion.
Isabella stared in fascinated fear. A half-naked man was walking toward her. Right. There.
“What is it, Isabella?”
“I… I…”
He was very close by then, taking her into his arms, his very naked arms. His skin was all around her. There was nowhere for her to look to avoid it.
“Open your eyes.”
She obeyed, and found courage when she saw his avid gaze. “I dislike my ignorance,” she said.
“Then let us remedy it immediately.”
He reached between them and began untying the front of her dress. A chill ran through her spine, so cold and fierce, she thought she might break.
“Just let it plow through you, my love… let the feelings… come…” As he loosened the ribbons at her breasts, he leaned down and kissed the tender skin that was exposed. “God, how I have longed for this flesh, Isabella…” He pulled the blue bombazine from her shoulders, and the retracted sleeves effectively bound her at the elbows. Her breasts were straining to get free of the corset.
“Everything feels too tight… and too warm…” Isabella stammered.
“Good.” Javier pulled her hands behind her back and held her wrists there. “I want you tight—” He kissed between her breasts, then licked the salty skin. “And I want you warm.” He reached his free hand under her dress and rested his palm against the heat at her center.
She whimpered softly. It all felt so deliciously good, but hot and forbidden. “I… feel like I should protest… but I don’t want to…”
He began stroking between her legs, through the fabric of her drawers. “You don’t want me to stop doing that, do you, Isabella?”
Even down to the way he said her name, with that sharp, hissing s and that long, silky aah , everything about
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