One Whore's Town Ch. 02

Janus shook his head and said, "That's okay. No need for that."

"I meant a free one," she explained.

"No need."

That left her more than a little perplexed, as he likely didn't attract much attention from women, due to his pocked face. "No need to be shy, honey."

"It's not that... I..." He sighed.

Betty took a step back and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"No. I..." He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and then continued, "Well, I got kicked by a mule when I was little, and nothing down there really works like it should."

It took a lot to make Betty blush, but that misstep did the trick. "Gods," she apologized. "I am so sorry."

"I've never known anything different. No need to fret. You ladies make yourself at home. I'll bring over the bedclothes and some wine in a bit."

"Thank you," she said with her face still burning. He nodded and headed toward the barn. Betty walked back to the house, but remained outside to regain her composure.

That poor man. I thought I got a bad shake, she thought. Her own sad story of being orphaned, nearly molested, and having to turn to whoring to eat paled by comparison — especially in light of where she ended up. She looked over her shoulder at him and sighed as he entered his workshop near the barn. How he managed to keep his chin up, she would never know.

****

The trials and missteps of the day were long forgotten as everyone sat in the front room of the house that evening, drinking and laughing. The prostitutes were feeling particularly good after taking advantage of the tub by the kitchen for their first good wash of the trip — something they took for granted at the Kip.

Though the girls had mostly stuck to wine, the look on Janus' face when they all took a shot of whisky straight without flinching had been priceless.

Ghent was still trying to stop laughing after Janus told them a story about one of his neighbors falling off the roof into a wheelbarrow of horse shit when he said, "We probably better lay off."

Betty said, "You're right. We've got to be up at first light."

"What for?" Janus asked. He was beginning to look a little unsteady from the alcohol.

"Got this fellow gonna come by with his boy in the morning and take a message back to Windsholme for us," Ghent explained. "We thought we were still going to be camped out with the wagon."

"What's his name?"

Ghent shrugged. "Didn't really get it."

"What's he look like?"

"Middle-aged. Run to fat. Brown hair going gray and falling out," Ghent began.

"Spotty beard and crooked teeth," Betty added.

"Horseshoe of hair with a little bit right here?" Janus asked while pointing a wavering finger at a spot a little above his forehead.

"That's the fellow," Ghent agreed.

Janus said, "Potter. He lives down the road a piece. He couldn't miss you if you wait for him out by the road."

Many of the stories the girls had told revolved around their work, so Betty felt comfortable openly saying, "I promised him and his boy a hump to take that letter for us."

Janus shrugged. "I said to make yourselves at home."

"But that?" Betty asked.

"Doesn't bother me."

"I don't want you to get on Josephine's bad side. She could send the law out here to hassle you."

"Not out here."

Betty sat up a little straighter and asked, "Why?"

"The men who run the law in the barony and in Hard Creek are both Draxnian, and they're from old rival families. Roja comes out here, or Corra goes into town, they're going to be in a blood feud. Already would be, if the governor didn't threaten to hang them both and charge their families for the scaffolding."

"Still got her bully boy and her cutpurses," Ghent said.

"Out here, they have to watch themselves. Corra knows they're in cahoots with Roja, even though he can't prove it. He'd love to hang them all out of spite. She used to have one more man stealing for her. Sent him out to rob these merchants who camped a ways down the road because one told her she wasn't worth what she was asking. He got caught, and they turned him over to Corra's men."

"Bet that didn't end well," Ghent said.

"Nope. Corra made sure Roja and Josephine both knew he was there, right in front of town, then read off the charges, and cut that fellow's hands off. They rode off and let him crawl back into town, but he bled out. Only time I've ever seen that bitch Josephine look worried. He was the only real thief of the bunch, and the three brothers that do her stealing now aren't that good. She's got the oldest under her spell. The two younger ones are afraid of Damson and not having anything to eat, or they probably would have run off by now."

Betty said, "Still, they could make trouble for you."

"If it makes Josephine mad, I'm all for it."

Betty said, "You really don't like her, do you? I know there's nothing to like about her, but, still..."

Janus explained, "I used to have friends in town. She turned them all on me because it bothered her that I didn't drool over her every time I saw her. Folks in town are afraid to buy bricks from me because of her too. I would have had the coin to build a second kiln by now if it wasn't for her." He poured another splash of whisky into his cup and downed it.

"It won't do you any good to have whores humping in your house, though," Betty said.

"Can't make it any worse at this point," Janus said and let out a chuckle — after which, he downed yet another shot of whisky. "Besides, my ma and pa always said it was work like any other, once I was old enough to understand, and we heard people saying nasty things. They always said hello to the ladies that used to work in town, and my ma made them dresses sometimes. The last thing me and my pa did before the pox was rebuilding one of their fireplaces for free. I don't know for sure, but I think maybe my ma used to do it before she met my pa. Maybe even that's how they met. I don't know of anybody from my ma's side of the family."

Janus fell silent and stared into his empty cup, looking increasingly wobbly by the moment. After a couple of minutes, Betty caught Ghent's attention and nodded toward their host.

The big man rose from his chair, walked over to Janus, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Looking pretty knackered there, fellow."

"I..." Janus began, the word slurred. He then said, "Yep."

"Let me get you to your bed."

Janus gave a nod, and the gesture nearly sent him hurtling out of his chair.

Ghent caught him, manhandled their host to his feet, and half-carried him out the door.

"That poor man," Jan quietly remarked once the door closed.

"You don't know the half of it," Betty said and sighed. "We should probably get to bed."

Lana stood up, walked over to Pallah, smiled at him, and held out her hand. He took it and stood up, wearing an expression of nervous excitement.

Jan and Betty waited until they heard a door close before they giggled.

Betty said, "Go on to bed. At least two of us are going to have our legs in the air first thing in the morning."

"Okay," Jan said, and then headed down the hall after Lana.

Betty waited in the front room until Ghent returned. He was steady on his feet, having imbibed less than everyone else, and having more bulk to absorb it. It wasn't particularly late, so between his relative sobriety and the likelihood that there were roosters as well as chickens, she wasn't worried about awakening in time to meet their messenger by the road.

"Got him in bed. Rough one that fellow's had," Ghent said.

Betty nodded. "Let's go to bed." As they walked, she said, "You know, I may have to hump one of those boys first thing in the morning, right?"

"I know," he said and smiled at her. Though it hadn't been an issue for a couple of years, he was well aware that she preferred to abstain with him when she had to work on her back. It was harder to play up for a man after receiving real pleasure, and she was always a little sore for a few hours after taking his big cock.

Once in the large bedroom that had likely belonged to Janus' parents, he stripped down to his breeches, and she to her panties. Despite the warning that they wouldn't be having sex, she could see even in the low light that he was half hard.

They slipped into the bed, and Betty gave him a kiss on the forehead. She lifted her eyebrows and said, "Well, I may not be able to have any fun tonight, but there's no reason you can't."

The big man broke out into a wide grin when she rolled on top of him and began kissing her way down his dark-haired chest. He groaned with every touch of her lips. Then she evilly swirled her tongue in his naval, because she knew he was ticklish there. His muscles tightened showing off their rock-hard detail. Betty giggled, tracing the little oval with the tip of her tongue while he squirmed beneath her.

She only relented when he nearly bucked her off, and then continued her kissing journey. By the time she reached the waistband of his breeches, the head of his big cock had already poked out. Betty gave it a kiss and a lick before pulling down the obstructing cloth to unveil him in all his glory.

She sat up over her knees, took the thick organ in both hands, stroked it, and smiled down at him.

"So good," he groaned.

Betty pumped her hands up and down his shaft, warming him up. Every so often, she would twist them in opposite directions, which always elicited a growl. When he oozed a drop of pre-cum, she quickly leaned down and scooped it up with her tongue before returning to her double-fisted handjob.

When a second offering welled up from the slit in his cockhead, she reclined beside him and rested her head on his stomach with his cock looming large before her. She moved in and suckled the mushroom tip to claim her prize. She was as ready as she ever could be, so she put one hand back to work on the shaft, parted her lips wide, and took him in.

Ghent stroked her hair, grunting and groaning from her ministrations. Betty's lips slid over the head and just a tiny bit of the shaft in quick bobs — her tongue working the whole while. Almost immediately her jaw muscles began to ache and the corners of her lips began to sting, but she ignored it.

Though she didn't suck him very often — for obvious reasons — she loved the way the big man turned into a puppet in her hands and mouth. She could make him stiffen, groan, gasp, and struggle not to shove his cock straight into her throat. The last was especially invigorating because the same strength that could have easily forced her was barely able to hold him back.

He knew that when she gave him head, it was all for him. Though he could hold back his cum for a delightfully long time when he was buried in her pussy, he let go when she sucked his cock. It wasn't long before she could feel his cock throbbing harder between her lips and swelling.

"Betty, here comes," he said between tight grunts.

She sucked hard on the spongy tip and pumped her hand fast. His muscles tightened. A long, pained-sounding groan rumbled in his throat. Finally, an explosive grunt escaped him and hot cum flooded her mouth.

Betty moaned around his pulsing shaft, still sucking hard. By the third geyser-like eruption, she had to swallow, but he had plenty more. She milked him with her mouth until he was trembling, and every bittersweet drop had slid down her throat.

The whimper he let out just before she let him slip from her lips made her giggle. She gave the tip a final kiss, which caused him to lurch and cry out. Betty turned her head to look up at him, licked her lips, and said, "Yummy."

Another quake wracked his body.

"You're welcome, honey. Couldn't leave you all hard like that, could I? You're too good to me."

"Too good to me, Betty."

She crawled up next to him, settled in, and moaned when he slipped a still-weak arm beneath her. His breathing eventually slowed, and she drifted off, nestled against his chest.

****

Though she was once again tired and still hungover when Betty entered the front room of the house shortly after dawn, there was a pleasant surprise waiting. Jan had raided the stores and a few roosts to prepare bacon, eggs, and coffee. The smell was absolutely divine and served to improve her mood considerably.

With Ghent already out by the road, awaiting their messenger, Betty settled in to wait for breakfast. Almost immediately, she received another welcome distraction from the aftermath of the previous night's indulgence. Lana appeared in the doorway, sporting a cheeky smile and leading Pallah by the hand.

The young man was wearing the giddy, awestruck expression every man seemed to have the first time he poked his pecker into a pussy.

Lana turned to face him, gave his hand a squeeze, and said, "I'm going to go have a bath, honey."

"I'll... Uhm... I'll go check on the horses," he said, unable to escape the trap of her eyes.

She giggled and said, "Maybe the horses should be checking out you, big boy." She blew him a kiss and headed toward the kitchen.

Betty somehow resisted the urge to tease the blushing man as he exited to walk to the barn. There was no doubt that Lana had properly thanked him for foiling the thieves in town.

After breakfast — and more importantly, two cups of coffee — Betty felt almost well again. She heard horses outside, and when she peeked out the window, she saw Ghent leading their messenger and his son toward the barn.

The son was a strapping lad, and she briefly considered a change of plan. While the father and skinny Pallah weren't much of a deterrent to would-be assailants, they could possibly be part of a four-man overnight watch rotation. Pending Ghent's approval, that could provide them an immediate means to return home.

Even as she thought about it, she was also rankling over having the rug snatched out from under her by Miss Golden Pussy. Janus seemed willing to let them whore out of his place — though she had to consider that he'd made those suggestions while deep in his cups. The thought of turning the debacle back to her advantage was all too tempting.

She was torn.

"They here?" Lana asked, having apparently heard the horses as well.

"Mmm hmm," Betty answered. She then caught Jan's attention, cupped her breasts, and said, "I think these were what got him all worked up yesterday. Think you can give yours a jiggle and get him in your bed this time?"

Jan nodded, pulled the tie out of her hair that she'd put in while cooking, and shook out the golden locks. She and Lana both walked over to face the door and posed seductively. Both father and son's expressions were somewhat dark when Ghent let them in, but quickly brightened when the girls welcomed them.

Once both men and girls adjourned to bedrooms, Ghent said, "Surprised we were here, and not real happy about it. Think the old man's probably stepping out on a wife and afraid Janus might rat him out."

While discouraging that at the Kip had worked out well, it wasn't an option for Betty under the circumstances. She said, "They'll be happy enough in a few minutes." As if to illustrate the point, they heard Lana let out an excited squeal.

"Maybe sooner," Ghent said.

Betty asked, "What do you think about having them ride with us, instead of sending a message?"

Ghent grunted and narrowed his eyes as he considered it. "The boy's got some muscle, a sword, and a bow. Think we can trust Pallah to stay awake for a watch. If you want to head home, that's good enough."

"What do you think about staying?"

"I don't know about that. Even if Janus has the right of it about the law being at each other's throats, she could hump somebody to make trouble."

Betty sighed and combed her fingers through her brown curls. "What if we send the message, see how things go until Alice can send us a couple of boys, and make up our minds then?"

"Probably about the same as taking a chance on men we don't know on the road."

"And just for long enough to get some men we do trust for the trip home," Betty mused while she weighed the options.

Ghent nodded. "Alice will put some boys on horses as soon as she gets the message. Faster than walking, or the wagon. Couple days to get the message, one or two for them to ride here."

"It's going to be up to you to keep us safe, honey. Tell me straight."

The big man didn't hesitate to say, "Send the message and wait. May take the golden bitch a bit to realize we didn't go ahead and leave."

Betty pulled his hand to her lips and kissed it. "Fetch me my inkpot and quill?"

"Yes'm."

The sounds coming from down the hall confirmed that the two men had put aside any reservations in favor of getting their pricks wet. As Ghent was returning from the bedroom with her writing implements, the front door opened.

Uh oh, Betty thought when she saw Pallah's expression darken. Lana's cries of mock passion weren't sitting well with him at all. She knew the look on his face, and Pallah had grown a little too attached to the woman who had taken his virginity.

Ghent handed her the inkpot and quill and said, "I'll talk to him."

"Thank you, honey."

Pallah scowled through his long bangs at the doorway to the hall until Ghent turned him toward the door and led him outside. Though he had to learn a harsh truth, it was better for Pallah to hear it before his feelings grew even more entrenched.

Betty added a postscript to the message she'd penned to Alice, detailing the change of plan, and the possibility that she might be keeping the boys the Madame sent for longer than just a trip home. She also requested more of her coin from the vault. While she had enough with her to pay what she'd promised the girls, she preferred to have plenty on hand for whatever might come up.

After reading back through it and giving it time to dry, she folded it over and wrote, "To Alice. Heaven's Table. Windsholme," on the outside.

Ghent returned, and Betty asked, "How did he take it?"

"Well..."

"That bad, huh?"

Ghent nodded. "In the stable brushing the horses. Don't think he's going to come out until those two fellows leave."

"I'll say something to Lana. Hearing it from her will at least keep him from imagining things. Maybe we can cut his hair, get him some new clothes, and Lana can give him a little confidence. You should probably go shoo him out of the stable before they're ready to leave, so he doesn't give them the evil eye. Sounds like our messenger finished up. Won't be long."

"Or worse. Stableboy trying to be a knight." Ghent mimed a flourish with an invisible sword and then leveled it toward Betty while wearing a surprisingly convincing look of pompous nobility.

Betty burst into laughter, which only encouraged her guardian and lover. He danced around in mock combat — his boots thumping on the brick floor — denouncing the foul villain he was fighting. Betty laughed even harder at his shenanigans. He finished by disemboweling his opponent and dropping to one knee in front of Betty.

"Milady, I have defended your honor. That uncouth villain shall trouble you no more," he said while bowing his head.

Still laughing, Betty lifted his chin and said, "Honey, I think you overdid it a little for my honor."

He shook his head and said, "Nope."

"What sort of ridiculous stories have you been listening to that taught you that silly talk?" she asked while shaking her head and fighting off renewed laughter. "Get up before somebody thinks you're proposing to me and figures out that you've gone completely daft."

Ghent chuckled and stood up. "I should probably go check on Janus. Think I saw a light over in his workshop when I was coming back from the stable."

"Take him some coffee," Betty suggested. "Probably won't help much, but anything's better than nothing." Upon hearing a warbling roar from the younger man mingling with Lana's feigned screams of release, she said, "Don't forget to grab Pallah on the way."