Tale of Obsession: Courting Daphne Ch. 04

He perceived her silence as an indication that she approved of what he was doing. Leander kissed her head as his hand started caressing the cheeks of her backside. He let his fingers slip forwards, touching her cunt; still, Daphne said and did nothing.

"I need you, my sweet," he whispered to her ears while he pulled the hem of her nightgown up so that he could touch her skin, not just the fabric she was wearing.

"I'm tired," she said in a small voice, although she made no move of separating from him.

"So am I," he said, groaning when he felt that his fingers were coated by her juices as he explored her sex. "But I need you, my love. It has been so long since I last had you. And you need me."

Daphne turned around to face him. There was determination in both her eyes and her voice as she spoke. She took his hand and placed it over her cunt. "This needs you. But this..." She placed his hand over her chest. "And this..." She moved the hand over her head. "They don't want anything to do with you."

Leander swallowed as unbidden emotions began to flood through his body. The pain that her confession brought him was nothing like what he thought it would be. Somehow, it was more potent than he had imagined.

"How sad," he murmured, tracing the curve of her lips as he spoke. "Everything in me needs you." He moved his face close to hers so that he could lick at her lips. "Everything in me wants you." He held the back of her head and pressed his forehead against hers. "And I swear that I will do everything in my power to have all of you, because you are mine, Daphne. I spent my whole life on you and I will never let you go."

He did not let her say anything more as he kissed her mouth. He felt her struggling against him, but Leander wanted nothing more than to claim her. Daphne was fighting him off more persistently than she had ever done before, and the general briefly wondered what triggered her resolute non-cooperation. He had to pin her arms onto the bed in order to stop her forceful pushes.

Daphne was groaning now, but not due to pleasure, as she used to. Her groans were triggered by her annoyance, Leander realized.

"What happened to your plan?" he asked in a teasing whisper when he ended the kiss. "You were to let me think that you lost your will to fight, then run away once I trust you enough, weren't you?"

Upon hearing that, Daphne stopped struggling. "I know nothing of what you say."

Leander grinned and began kissing her face. "You have so much more to learn, my sweet. Clearly, you are not as much of a viper as I was afraid you are."

"Get off me!" Daphne hissed as she renewed her struggles. "Now!"

It amused Leander to no end that her tendency of giving orders seemed to come out every time she was annoyed. He released her arms in order to make better use of his hands through stroking Daphne's body. She began pushing him away, groaning as she did so, but Leander was still more powerful than she was, at least physically.

The way she struggled only fuelled his desires. She moved so fluidly that even her objection seemed to be teasing him -- as if she was hell-bent on seducing him, as if her movements beneath him were intentionally sensual. Even her whimpers and grunts as she continued to fight were highly arousing. The general wondered if she realized just how crazy she was driving him with her fight.

Leander groaned and started to push her nightgown up to reveal her body. As his hands caressed the sides of her breasts, Leander used his thumbs to tease her erect nipples. Daphne let out a moan, arching her body closer to his. Her hands, which had been trying to push him away before, grabbed his shoulders instead. Leander felt an urge to make fun of her, but decided against it, knowing that she would not find it quite amusing. Instead, he started showering her neck with kisses, whispering sweet nothings all the while.

Daphne's grasp tightened when Leander moved a hand to her wet cunt. With a groan, Leander captured her newly-unattended nipple in his mouth, rolling it between his lips. Down where her sex was, he used his thumb to circle her clit while he stroked her folds with the other fingers.

Feeling her juices flowing and hearing her soft mewls aroused Leander even more, and he had to fight down the urge of ending the foreplay and claiming her instead. It was easily accomplished: he only needed to remind himself of his promise to Daphne -- he would never hurt her. Even if it meant torturing himself -- even if it meant always holding back.

"Leander..." groaned Daphne as she ran her fingers through the general's hair.

It was almost his undoing. He knew that Daphne only called him by his first name when she was in a pleasant mood, or when she was in the throes of pleasure. Her groans indicated her desire. The effect it had on him was almost instantaneous: he wanted to have her soon.

Yet, Leander could not afford taking her yet. He knew that she still had a will to stop him. He wanted her when she would least likely refuse him, for he did not want to take her when she was hardly willing. It might be true that Daphne only let him make love to her because she was already past the point of no return, yet that was still consent that she was giving him, reluctant though it was. Leander would take that anytime and be content, rather than have nothing of her at all.

He moved his mouth away from her nipple and kissed her lips, slipping a finger inside her as he did so. Gods, she was so invitingly wet. Leander slipped another finger inside her hole, groaning into her mouth. If only she had any idea how much it hurt to control himself just so that he would not scare her off!

When he began pumping his fingers in and out of her, Daphne moved her hips to meet his fingers. Leander kissed her forehead, loving the way she moved beneath him. She was indeed a very sensual creature, whether she realized that or not, and Leander wondered if knowing how to bring out that part of her was enough to keep her. He was almost sure that the answer was no, but a part of him wanted to hope.

Leander looked at Daphne's face, somewhat surprised when he realized that she was watching him. Her slightly parted lips added to a very arousing image of her, and for a brief moment, Leander was able to see the sensual woman who, as of yet, was just learning how powerful females could be.

Staring at those lips was not enough; Leander began kissing them, savouring her sweetness. Daphne let out a groan, as his fingers still relentlessly stroked her slick walls. To the general's delight, she started to respond to his kisses, tentatively at first, but growing bolder and bolder each time. She wrapped her arms around him, her movements synchronized to his. Leander immediately recognized it as the sign that she was ready for him. In the back of his mind, he wished that Daphne could be just as yielding as this every time so that he did not have to feel bad about seducing her when she so clearly despised the thought of being with him.

Still watching her, Leander began to move down. Daphne's eyes remained open, not breaking the eye contact that they had as Leander's mouth travelled across her chest, purposefully leading downwards. Even when he started licking at her clit and she let out a loud whimper, Daphne kept their gazes locked.

"Oh god," Daphne gasped when Leander started sucking on her bud. Only then did she tear her gaze away and closed her eyes.

Leander felt her thrusting her hips up to meet his mouth and fingers. Her right hand was gently stroking his hair, while he held the other one. Leander also felt her legs wrapping around his body, as if she was afraid to let him get away. To be reminded of how much she was dying to have him claim her made Leander groan as he continued giving attention to her nub of pleasure.

Daphne called his name again. He was delighted at the sound. Her voice was filled with so much longing, so much need, that for a moment, he forgot her initial reluctance and was even able to afford himself the luxury of imagining that Daphne was here of her own consent.

Before she could reach orgasm, Leander pulled his fingers out of her and moved his face away from her sex. Daphne groaned in frustration, clinging to him as he started kissing her face. She resembled a whimpering child, minus the tears and the tantrum. Leander wondered how she could possibly tame this side of her at all, but he secretly wished that she could normally be like this -- so that he could keep her and not feel bad about it. He would rather know that she only kept him for her pleasure and have her by his side than to let go of her.

"I want to fuck you, Daphne," he whispered on her ear. "I want to fuck you rough and hard until you scream, until you admit that you need me, you want me."

He watched as blood rushed up her face. The blush that resulted looked lovely on her otherwise pale skin. All Leander wanted to do was to start making love to her so that her blush would stay for as long as it could. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on -- if you could trust the judgment of a man as in love as he was.

Gods, how could he have fallen for this girl?

Leander guided her hand -- the one he was holding -- to his cock, and made her wrap her fingers around the base. He heard a soft moan from her, but was not sure if she liked it or not. To ask her was out of the question; she would never answer without snapping back to the logical, moralistic Daphne that he would have to force if he had to relieve his raging hard-on.

Hands still wrapped around hers, Leander began stroking his cock. He watched as the redness of her face darkened. Daphne bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, groaning as he kissed her shoulder. Something about that groan told Leander that she was aching for him now.

With that idea in mind, Leander let go of her hand, wondering what she would do if her fingers alone were curled around his manhood. Daphne continued stroking him slowly. She opened her eyes and found him watching her face.

The general noticed that there was doubt in her eyes. He felt bad for her -- always torn between the curiosity of a girl who newly lost her virginity and the morality of the woman she was raised to be. He offered her a lingering kiss on the mouth. If only he could help her...

Suddenly, he felt her moving her legs further apart, bending her knees at the same time. She did not let go of his cock; instead, she squeezed it and continued to pump. Leander grinned and started kissing her mouth again, demanding that she let his tongue in. He was not denied.

Moving her hips, Daphne sought the most convenient position for penetration. Leander realized this and helped her. In gratitude, she used her tongue to play with his for a while. Leander groaned, praying that she would get on with putting his cock into her so that he could start pounding in and out of her. His self-control was approaching its limit, and he did not want to shock Daphne by taking her suddenly.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Daphne guided his cock to her entrance. She used her own juices to coat the tip of his cock. She had just barely poised the tip at the very entrance of her sex before Leander finally let go of his control and thrust his hips forward, burying his cock inside her. The surprised cry that issued forth from her lips was muffled by his mouth devouring hers.

Unleashing his hungry beast, Leander did not even bother checking if Daphne was all right with what he had done. He drove his shaft in and out of her sheath, feeling her tightness all around him even as her juices eased his way. Gods, he would gladly spend most of his time inside her if she would allow it! She felt so good around him -- so hellishly hot.

With his every thrust, Daphne let out a cry, breaking the silence at that part of the camp. Leander growled and grabbed her thighs so that she could not get away if she had a plan to. He did not know how Daphne would react to a hard fuck, but made up his mind that he would deal with the consequences later. For now, he would enjoy himself as he tore through her flesh, because -- hell! He waited three weeks to have her again!

Daphne's arms went around his neck, pulling him down on her as she started meeting the violent thrusts of his hips. Leander started sucking on the soft flesh of her neck, overwhelmed by the fact that she was responding to him. He varied the rhythm of his thrusts -- sometimes slow, sometimes fast -- and was rewarded by Daphne's appreciative moans.

It was not long before Leander felt his muscles tensing for the release of his seeds into Daphne's womb. He bit the side of her neck lightly before whispering, "I'm coming, my love."

Daphne's response was to groan as she grabbed the hair at the back of his head and held him close to her body. As he shot his load into her, her walls began clenching and unclenching around his cock, milking him of every drop he had to offer. Leander held Daphne, fascinated by the way her body writhed beneath him.

As the fires of their passion died down, Leander rolled off Daphne, cradling her close. He braced himself for the inevitable pain coming to claim him. Every time he was done making love to her, Daphne would withdraw to herself. Leander knew why: she regretted the way she responded to him. That knowledge cut into him deeply, as he knew that it was him who coaxed her into giving in.

He began stroking Daphne's hair absent-mindedly. Being with this woman brought out the worst parts of her personality: the controlling part, the possessive part. His desire to keep her, to always have her near, was borderline obsession.

'No,' he thought; 'it is obsession.'

But who could blame him? He was just a man, and this woman had been under his watch for as long as he could remember. Was it a sin to develop these feelings for her?

Only when he sighed did he realize that Daphne was tracing lazy patterns on his chest, his abdomen. He caught her hand, thus urging her to look up at him. Leander noted that her eyes still do not reflect the misery she always feels every time they would have sex.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked softly.

Leander raised an eyebrow, hiding away the fact that her question pleased him. At least, she was not withdrawing inwards. "Apart from that one, I suppose?"

A small smile touched her lips. "Why, yes!"

"Go ahead, then," Leander said.

Her steady gaze warmed something inside him as she started speaking. "I saw your men when they violated the women from the village where I lived. And then, when you were gone, I saw some of the men taking the female captives against the women's will. The men were all rough to their women, only thinking of their own pleasure. But you..." She lowered her gaze to hide whatever it was that could have been reflected in her eyes. "You are different. You do not treat me the way that your men treat those women. You are always so gentle, always so considerate. I want to know why."

Leander debated about whether to tell her the truth or not. Daphne raised her eyes and looked at him again. The fire in those eyes seemed to burn him, as if she was trying to remould his character, trying to reshape his will without saying a word. And Leander knew that she was succeeding. This gentle, considerate Leander was not him. Being with this woman not only brought out the worst in him; it seemed to bring out the best parts of his personality.

In the end, Leander realized that he was not strong enough to see the reaction that his confession would trigger in Daphne. If he scared her away, he did not know what he would do.

"This is not the time to talk about this, my love," he said softly as he stroked her cheek. "You said you were tired. Perhaps you should sleep."

Daphne was quiet for a while, before a forced smile appeared on her lips and an accusatory tone crept into her voice. "I said I was tired and yet you used me for your own pleasure. Now that I ask a question, you tell me to go to sleep? Is this your way of telling me that I am just a tool you can use whenever you please, however you please?"

Leander was shocked. "Daphne!"

"No!" she said, her eyes burning with flames of anger. "I just need to know the man who claims possession of me. If that is who you are, I am perfectly fine with it. All I need is to know, because I have no desire of being in the dark when I am dealing with you."

In all the years he had watched her, Leander never saw this side of Daphne. She was never one to say her opinions aloud. But perhaps, that was because she was never expected to. Besides, he never actually expected her to escape when she did, did he?

"Tell me who you are," Daphne said softly, lowering her gaze. "I have been kept in the dark for most of my life and I hated it."

"I know," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it.

She looked at him again, saying, "No, you don't -- " She stopped. "Oh god. You do."

Leander nodded. "I have known you since you were a babe crying your heart out for want of milk."

"How -- " Daphne visibly swallowed, shaken. "Who are you?"

"How much do you know about yourself?" Leander asked, wondering how he would proceed from here.

"I know everything now," she answered. "I am the eldest daughter of the Duke of Wildercross, but his duchess, my brother's mother, is not mine. The mother I never knew is the present Duchess of Brayhorn."

"She is the one I am working for," Leander explained. "You were still with her when I first saw you crying in a crib, unattended. She was hiding you from the duke, you see, and had to run away from her family in order to do so. Having known your father, I am sure you understand why. She hired my friend, Anthony, and I to help her take care of you. That meant bringing you to nursing mothers when you got hungry while your mother was trying to earn a living. In return, your mother kept us, until Anthony left when his uncle took him.

"When your mother was found by the duke's guards one day, you were left with me, and I had to take care of you alone, leaving the house your mother leased when the guards started to search the neighbourhood. For almost a year, it was only you and me living in the charity of different people. I agreed to be a hired hand for any family that promises to feed us. Only Anthony knew where to find us every time, so it was him that your mother was able to locate when she was finally able to slip away.

"It was because of that one year of being your only guardian that, when your mother decided to take you from me, I begged her to let me take care of you in return for mere food and shelter," he said, averting his gaze when he saw Daphne's tears. He never liked seeing women crying. "I was with the two of you until the duke found your mother again when you were already four. He took you away and imprisoned her. As for me, I followed you, promising your mother that I would watch you until she was released. As soon as she was out of that prison, your mother started paying for my education, putting me at the centre of her elaborate plot of getting you back."

"So you watched me and watched me and abducted me the moment you got the chance?" Daphne sounded appalled.

Leander flinched and looked at her. "I lost you when you escaped from Wildercross. I did not exactly expect you to pull that off as well as you did."

Daphne's face reddened, and to Leander's surprise, she laughed. "It was that good, was it not?"

At last, Leander asked the question he had been dying to ask since then. "How did you pull that off?"

"Through the assistance of more than half of the servants in the ducal estate and the welcoming embrace of my aunt," Daphne answered. "She had been hiding from her brother for decades, and had never been found."

"How did you find her, then?" he wondered.