Chapter 67

  It was strangely quiet. In the weeks they had been back, they had never had a quiet moment to themselves. Nereida leaned into her wife, holding her tightly. She listened to her heartbeat, breathing in her scent. Ael kissed her forehead.

  “Is the door barred?” Ael asked softly.

  “Yes.”

  “Love… I know we said we would not use each other,” Ael began softly. “But I don’t want to waste this time.”

  “Are your emotions your own again?” Nereida asked, closing her eyes.

  “Yes.” Ael kissed her ear, then nibbled it gently. “I am in control, I know who I am, and what I want.”

  “Do you?” Nereida asked, her tone teasing. She gently, slowly, removed Ael’s coat. She did not toss the coat to the floor, but took a moment to hang it up. Ael would be distressed in the morning if the coat showed wrinkles from their activities, from ck of care.

  “I do.” Ael came up behind her, her hands over Nereida’s hands as she hung the coat. “Will you let me take control?” She whispered the words into Nereida’s ear and the siren shivered, a sly smile on her face.

  “Winter means stop,” Nereida replied. “And until I say that… do what you will.” She leaned backward into her wife, feeling her breath on the back of her neck. “I surrender, Admiral,” she added, her tone husky.

  Ael wasted no time. She turned Nereida around, kissing her roughly, weaving her hand into Nereida’s hair and gripping tightly.

  “My wife,” Ael growled, after her kiss left Nereida breathless. “I want to do something very, very naughty.” She tugged back, just a little, enough that Nereida tilted her head back, exposing her neck. She trailed slow, nibbling kisses down Nereida’s neck, making the siren shudder. “Will you let me be naughty?” Nereida gasped out a yes. “Good. First, let’s get these pesky clothes off.” Slowly, deliberately, Ael began to unce Nereida’s overdress. She moved with a maddening pace, and Nereida tried to help her, but the pirate was not having it.

  “If you take your own clothes off, love, I’m going to spank you,” Ael warned, her voice deeper than usual. Nereida felt her heart speed up at the thought. She looked lovingly into her wife’s eyes, and slowly, deliberately, reached for her own ces.

  Before she could issue the taunt that was on the tip of her tongue, Nereida found herself being pushed into the wall. Ael pinned her hands up against the wall.

  “If you wanted to be spanked, lovely wife, you could have asked,” Ael said, kissing her neck. “Now I have to punish you for your little stunt. Five spanks should do.” She brought her hand down to Nereida’s breast. “Are you ready?” Ael made eye contact with her, her gaze searching. She was asking permission.

  “Yes,” Nereida breathed out. “Spank me, punish me, please.” She was expecting her behind to be struck, but Ael surprised her and spped her still-clothed breast. Nereida squeaked in surprise and felt a rush of heat spreading through her.

  “One,” Ael said softly. She pulled the st ribbon out, opening the top of Nereida’s dress, exposing her underdress. She caressed the breast, gently rubbing where she had hit. “More?”

  “More,” Nereida agreed readily. “I can take them all. Punish me, love.” Ael leaned in, kissed her gently as her one free hand worked the ribbons of the underdress. She kept Nereida’s hands pinned up high above her head. With each kiss, Nereida leaned further into her wife, her body pleading for more contact, any contact.

  The dress finally tumbled away, and there was a sudden sharp sp on her other breast.

  “Two,” Ael said, smiling. She leaned in, kissed where she had just struck. She took the breast into her mouth, using her tongue and teeth to gently tease Nereida. The siren moaned, shivering under the touch. “Now, love,” Ael licked her once again, and then brought her face up to Nereida’s face. “Turn around, love, and beg me for the st three strikes.” Nereida rushed to comply, wanting, needing, to feel her lover’s hands on her. She began to beg, begging to be struck by Ael, to hit her, to punish her. Ael pressed her still-clothed body against hers, kissing her shoulders before she slipped her fingers inside Nereida. She let go of Nereida’s hands, and as she pyed inside Nereida, she used her newly freed hand for three quick strikes. The siren cried out, feeling warmth and nearly coming undone by the contact.

  “You like this,” Ael observed in wonder. Nereida mewled, unable to properly form words. “My perfect princess. Go y down on the bed and wait for me, love.”

  Nereida hurried to the bed, pulling the bnket up around herself to keep warm as she waited. Ael appeared after a moment, already naked. Her hair was still bound in braids. She pushed the bnket off Nereida, straddling her.

  “I’m going to tie you up now, love,” she said, pulling several silk scarves from a nearby table. “Put your arms up so you are helpless…” she spoke as she worked. Nereida repositioned slightly to be more comfortable. Ael moved too, making sure she was comfortable before she continued. Once her arms were bound, Ael slowly dragged one of the silk scarves from her arm down to her leg. Nereida whimpered, anticipation growing. Ael teased her with the fabric for a moment, dragging it gently over her breast, over her hips, down all the way to her toes. “Spread your legs, love. I’m going to tie you so you are spread out, helpless to do anything but beg for more.” Nereida opened her legs.

  “Please,” she murmured, not quite sure what she was asking for. Ael tightened her clever knot.

  “Soon, love,” Ael promised, tickling Nereida’s toes. She tried to thrash about but could only barely move. Ael trailed kisses up Nereida’s leg, stopping at her inner thigh. Nereida felt like she would burst in need. She wanted her wife, wanted to come apart.

  “Please!”

  “Such good manners, pet,” Ael cooed. But Nereida felt her heart go cold. Pet. Faces of the demons who had held her captive fshed in her mind. They had called her pet. All of them. They had meant it. She was no one's pet, not any more! No! She had trouble breathing, her heart ramming in her chest in a way that was not at all pleasant.

  “Winter!”

  Ael froze, then pulled back, immediately working to untie her without touching her.

  “Love?” Ael asked, worry in her tone. Nereida shook her head. She needed a moment. Ael finished untying her and then covered her with the bnket, waiting at her feet, carefully not touching. Nereida focused on her breathing, she felt the wool, smelled the iron and wood, and listened to the sound of the ocean. After a few moments, her heart returned to normal. She could breathe. She was safe. She was safe. She was safe.

  “Ael.” Nereida sat up, reaching for her wife. Relief flooded Ael’s face as she pulled Nereida close, holding her tightly.

  They sat cuddling with the bnket between them for some time, while Nereida let the pain ebb away.

  “Did I hurt you?” Ael asked softly.

  “No,” Nereida looked into her wife’s eyes. “But I can’t ever be “Pet” again.” She saw a slow, horrible realization dawn in Ael’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t think… it didn’t seem horrible.”

  “It… they….”

  “Shh,” Ael replied, tightening her grip for a moment. “I won’t ever again, I swear. I’m so sorry.” She shivered.

  “I know.” Nereida closed her eyes, leaning into her wife.

  They sat together in quiet companionship until Ael began to shiver.

  “Come beneath the bnket, love,” Nereida said softly.

  “I’ll get dressed.”

  “You don’t have to,” Nereida insisted. She gently took Ael’s hand. “I love you. I trust you. I still want you. I just needed a break, a…. I needed you to understand. I needed to understand.” Nereida guided Ael’s hand to her breast. Ael’s hand was slightly chilled. “Join me under the bnket, at least for a bit,” Nereida urged. “Besides… I was promised something naughty, and I don’t think you’ve delivered yet.”

  “How daring are you feeling, love?” Ael asked, her hands zily roaming Nereida’s body. “Because I would very, very much like to make love to you beneath the full moon.”

  “We could open the curtains.” Ael ughed, her expression almost impish.

  “That will do for tonight. But the next time there is a full moon, love,” Ael brought her head down, and began to nuzzle Nereida’s neck as she spoke. “Next time, I want to take you on the deck of the ship. I’ll send everyone below, and we will drop anchor… and I will touch you, like this,” she lowered her fingers, touching, teasing. “And I will kiss you, taste you… and then I will make love to you on the ship’s deck, beside the base of the mizzenmast. Maybe I will tie you to that mizzenmast. I will have you begging me under the light of the moon for more, and I will give you all that you ask for and more.” Nereida felt the fine hairs on her body stand up. A thrill of pleasure ran through her, along with a healthy amount of trepidation.

  “What if we get caught?” she asked breathlessly. Ael chuckled darkly.

  “No one will dare stop up. They will just go back inside and pretend nothing happened.” She continued her barrage of kisses, trailing them down Nereida’s neck to her colrbone. “Would you like that, love? To be out on the deck, my deck, brought to the edge of all pleasure can do?” Nereida shivered as a wave of need overtook her.

  “Yes,” she whispered. There was a bit of thrill to the idea of being caught.

  Ael opened their curtains, let the light of the moon in.

  “I’m ready to be the moon, love, if you are ready to be my ocean.” She gently touched Nereida’s cheek. “How naughty do you want to be?” Her voice had returned to its more husky tones, and Nereida felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the cool night air.

  “No new names,” she whispered. “We can make a list of safe things ter. But other than that, love, I still want to surrender. I want… I want you to take control.” She leaned into her wife.

  “Perfect wife,” Ael replied, kissing her. The kiss was hungry, desperate. She grinned mischievously when they broke apart for air. “You can’t scream like on the isnd you know… someone might hear you.” She gently cupped one of Nereida’s breasts. “Can you be quiet, love, while I make you come apart?” she rubbed Nereida’s nipple as she spoke. Nereida arched her back, wanting more. “Or will I have to put something in that pretty mouth of yours?” Nereida moaned, a shiver running through her at her wife’s words.

  “I can be quiet,” she managed. “Silent as a mouse.”

  “If you aren’t,” Ael whispered, her fingers pying, heading lower to tease, “then I’ll have to punish you. Do you want this, love?” Nereida nodded. “On the bed, Nereida. Let’s begin again, but silently this time.”

  Nereida y on the bed, spreading herself wide so that Ael could tie her. The pirate took her time, teasing her by dragging the fabric over her wrists, tickling her with the tassels at the end of the scarves. Then she tied her up; trailing kisses from her wrist to her ankle in one long line, before she tied her ankles so that she was stuck, spread out, helpless and full of need. She wanted to beg, but kept her mouth firmly closed. Ael began to touch, to tease, to taste, starting at her ankles and moving up slowly, kissing behind her knees. Nereida thrashed and buckled, needing, wanting. It took all her willpower to not cry out. Ael kissed her on each thigh.

  “I’m going to taste you now,” Ael whispered. “Keep quiet, love. Show me your strength.”

  Sensation ripped through Nereida as Ael went to work, touching and tasting. She shuddered apart, trying to keep silent. Ael’s clever fingers brought her to pieces again before she could recover from the first. Ael came up for air, looking satisfied.

  “So strong,” she whispered lovingly. “My willful siren… I want you to bring me to pieces now, still bound beneath me. Will you do that for me, love?”

  “Yes!” The word escaped her before she remembered she was supposed to be silent. Ael chuckled, a deep, rumbling chuckle.

  “Forgetful, my love?” she asked, lowering herself over Nereida’s face. “I’m going to strike you three times while you taste me.” Nereida nodded her assent, and then began to use her tongue on her wife. The first sp came on her breast, and she felt a surge of need and pleasure even as it stung. The second nearly made her come undone, and on the third sp, Ael was the one who came undone. Ael id on top of her, using her hands and tongue until they both came apart in shared ecstasy.

  Ael untied her, and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

  “Are you alright, love?” she asked soft, a worried tremble in her tone.

  “More than alright, Ael.” She cuddled into her fit wife, seeking her warmth. “That was good. Very good.”

  “Even the hitting?”

  “Yes.” She kissed her wife’s cheek. “It’s thrilling to me, there is… it’s hard to expin, and I know others don’t feel that way. But even though it stings, it fills me with need.”

  “I don’t think I’m interested,” Ael said softly.

  “That’s fine. We don’t have to like the same things, Ael.” She kissed her wife’s shoulder. “It’s enough that we want to be together….”

  “Always, Ner. I want to be with you always.”