Page 45 of Duke Sothbridge's Vessel
Jem is next to Harry, with my parents on his other side. He seems engrossed in listening to their conversation. He is doing well for his first social engagement as an adult. I do really hope I can wrangle more for him.
Denise and her lovely wife are next to me.
It’s a shame Garrington and his vessel declined but I understand. Burying the hatchet as they say, is one thing. A dinner party with your former foe is quite another.
But everyone who is here looks happy. My mother’s insistence that the key to a good dinner party is good wine, appears to have paid off. My gaze flicks back to Eban. He has poured himself a third glass of the alcohol-free wine that I hunted high and low to find. I’m so relieved. Finding one that actually tasted decent was certainly a challenge.
I look back at Harry, sitting at the head of the table, opposite me. His eyes are fixed on me. Everyone around us is chatting. A sea of noise and movement. A room full of people, but we steal this private moment. He gives me a naughty wink, sips his wine and turns his attention back to his guests, like the good host that he is.
I won’t be ripe for another three days but that doesn’t stop my arousal from flaring. I can’t wait to get my hands on him tonight. And I know he won’t mind at all.
I take a sip of wine to hide my filthy grin. I might actually keel over from happiness and die. Everything, absolutely everything is perfect. I know there will be rumblings from Revivalists for years. But I’m confident that Harry and his new allies can handle anything that is thrown our way. Revivalist idiots have been a thorn in society’s side for hundreds of years, nothing has changed there. Except that Harry is no longer one of them.
Because he chose me.
My heart flutters like crazy. As it does every time I think of it. How romantic can you get? My husband is the most romantic man in the entire universe.
Dinner finishes far too soon, but we move to the parlor and the conversation continues to flow. I drift around and make sure to talk to everyone. Jem seems to really hit it off with Eban and they are soon laughing about something. The sight fills me with joy. Though I shouldn’t be surprised, they are both flamboyant, confident and gorgeous. It’s not surprising that they’d get along.
I check on Charlie and Hathbury, and Charlie gives me a shy smile. I don’t think he is completely hating the evening, which makes me want to burst with pride.
Harry sits at the piano and an expectant hush falls. The first few notes flow out and dance along my spine, making me shiver. He is an excellent pianist. Really, really good. He looks so happy playing as well. I need to encourage him to do it more often.
We spend most of our nights in my room, but I have seen his a few times now. The sheer amount of instruments strewn everywhere, tells me that it’s not just the piano that he plays. He doesn’t need to hide his passion away. I want to hear him. I want everyone to hear him.
Time in jovial company passes swiftly, but soon I’m hiding my yawns. Hathbury and Charlie retire first and I have a moment of panicking if their room is good enough. Even though I inspected it myself. Several times. I know it’s perfectly clean and that they have everything they need to be comfortable.
I suppose Hathbury could open a portal and whisk them home if they really hate it, but it would be a frightful waste of magic and I truly hope they don’t feel the need.
Taking a deep breath, I make myself stop fretting and turn my thoughts to magic instead. I’m fascinated by the knowledge that vessels can pass on magic without intercourse. I’m not even annoyed that Eban and the others knew but thought I shouldn’t know. It is a dangerous secret. All powerful ones are.
But now Harry and I are in this top secret club, they have been very willing to share all they have learned about it. I still can’t get over the fact that it was timid little Charlie that discovered it. He is not keen on experimenting any further, but that’s fine, because I am very willing to. As is Harry. I never thought I’d be interested in magical research! But such is life. Always full of surprises.
Another yawn overtakes me. I can’t hide them anymore. I walk over to Harry who is sitting on a settee with my parents and discussing Beethoven.
“I’m going to retire,” I say.
He starts to rise but I stop him by leaning down and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Enjoy the rest of your evening,” I say.
He smiles at me, takes my hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “Goodnight.”
I grin soppily all the way to my room.
A quick shower and then I dive under the sheets. Naked. Because I’m sure Harry won’t be long. He never is. And now I’m in the comfort and solitude of my own room, my tiredness has vanished. Replaced by excited anticipation. I’m sure it’s the effect of my subconscious connecting being in bed with very naughty things. Really can’t blame my subconscious for making that connection. It has an awful lot of evidence to go on.
I lie back and get comfy and wait.
And wait. And wait some more. The distant sound of the piano drifts up to me. I frown. Really? He really wants to play piano more than he wants to be up here ravishing me?
Huffing in displeasure, I roll on to my side and reach into my bedside cabinet to retrieve the magic dildo. I’ll just have to remind him what he is missing.
I hold it gently in my hands and start to lick it. Long wet licks all the way from the base to the tip. Tracing a different path with my tongue each time. The dildo throbs in my hand and the sound of a piano thunking suddenly makes me giggle.
A few minutes later Harry opens my door. He stands there silhouetted in the doorframe. He doesn’t turn the light on, but I know he can see me from the light from the hallway.
“Colby,” he says warningly. His voice deep and his tone implying I’m in trouble.
I merely grin at him, hold his gaze and swallow the dildo down, taking it all the way to the back of my throat. I’m getting so much better at this. I pull it back out and hold it tauntingly close to my lips.
Harry groans, strides in, slams the door behind him and stalks up to the bed. He snatches the dildo from me and throws it aside. I wince, he is very trusting that it goes inert the moment no one is touching it. I’m not so sure I’d be so brave.
The sound of his fly unzipping catches my full, undivided attention. Then I lick my lips hungrily as he pulls out his full, heavy cock and offers me the real thing.
I crawl forward so that I can accept it. I mean, it would be rude not to, wouldn’t it?
