Sisterhood - Temptation Ch. 43

"Not Louise, that's for sure," Julie laughed, "Too gentle. Hmm, Kathrin?"

Katharina purred again, the wary rising intonation of denial.

Julie laughed again, louder, her shoulders shaking, "No. Kathrin would be in my lap already by now. Hmm. Well, you have lovely delicate fingers."

Katharina smiled to herself. Across the back of Julie's neck her fingertips found the ridge of a slim strap of string, then a bow. She leaned a little further forward and peered over Julie's shoulder. She saw the shallow cleavage of Julie's small, firm breasts under the neckline of a red bikini top, tied in place around her neck. Katharina pulled at the bow she held in her fingers and slowly unraveled it, let the string fall onto Julie's chest. The peak of each triangle of the bikini top fell forward, exposing Julie's bust to just above her nipples.

Katharina resumed her massage. She spread her hands out along Julie's arms, gripped them, stroked her, and felt the roll and twist of her muscles. Then she reached over and slid her arms down across Julie's chest, pushed away the bikini top and held her hands over Julie's breasts, felt the stiffness of Julie's nipples against her palms.

Katharina almost made to kiss Julie's neck, but recalled the letter between her teeth as she leaned in. She could sense the paper dampening a little with her saliva despite her efforts to hold her lips apart, so she opened her mouth and carefully spat, allowing the letter to fall onto the seat of the couch beside Julie's thigh. Julie seemed not to notice it, and Katharina turned her head to plant her mouth on Julie's shoulder. She pressed, lingered, and released with a quiet smack of her lips. Julie purred and lifted one hand to slip her fingers into Katharina's hair, caressing her scalp. Katharina looked down past her nose at Julie's skin. There seemed to be no mark where she had placed her kiss. She nuzzled in again, close to Julie's ear, kissed once more and pressed harder this time. When she turned away to speak, she saw the faint outline of her pout in deep purple. Her lips looked full and large in the imprint, and were lined with little streaks where she had scrunched them up.

"I am a message," Katharina whispered, "That comes with a gift."

"Mmmh," Julie's hand was warm where it slid down to caress Katharina's cheek, "How sweet."

Katharina leaned a little further forward. She could see now the profile of Julie's face, inclined downward to bare her neck to Katharina's kisses. Katharina's hands slid on down over the smooth bulge of Julie's stomach and found the waistband of a pair of bikini bottoms matching the top. Katharina's excitement surged when she saw that Julie was already mostly hard, her dick, thick and heavy, protruding awkwardly to the side from under the slim red triangle of the bikini.

At Julie's hip, Katharina found another bow. She tugged it loose then slid her hand across to flick the triangle of material away and grip the base of Julie's dick. She put her lips at Julie's ear and whispered, "Shall I... suck you? Stroke you? Let me."

Julie finally turned her head to look at Katharina face to face. Julie's strikingly large brown eyes squinted at her, smiling. Aware she might squander whatever she had achieved with her boldness if she hesitated, Katharina thrust her face forward and touched her lips to Julie's.

Julie held still, and there was a delay that was just long enough for the beginnings of a slow dismay to sink into Katharina's chest. But then Julie's lips moved and opened to Katharina's, pursing and then writhing against them. Katharina heard the low squeaks of breath from Julie's open mouth and felt Julie's dick thicken in her hand, then her own do the same in sympathetic excitement, rising and swelling to full aching stiffness.

Just as Katharina had begun to settle into a messy rhythm and was gathering the courage to extend her tongue past Julie's mouth, Julie gasped and pulled back, "Come. Over here."

Katharina felt Julie's hands on her body, along her flanks and then under her armpits, hauling her up and over the back of the couch. There was a taut strength in Julie's arms, not overpowering, but breezy, confident, lifting Katharina with no appearance of effort.

Julie laughed, as if pleased with herself. Katharina was hoisted up, her waist dragged over the wooden frame of the couch, and she felt one of her shoes slip off and tumble onto the floor. With a stab of pain, she felt her dick bend backwards as it struck the backrest. She twisted her hips to free it and it sprang up with a stiff smack against her stomach as she turned and tumbled over onto the seat of the couch.

Julie's grip held firm, and she dragged Katharina across her lap, face up. Katharina's hair was tousled across her face and she picked it carefully away. She was sure she could feel some strands clinging to the gloss of her lipstick. She looked up at the rugged stone ceiling of the chamber, then at Julie.

"Katharina," Julie said deliberately, smiling down at her. Julie's lips were slightly reddened with the friction of their kiss. "Or no, Katja."

Katharina was surprised that Julie remembered her name, or that she even knew it in the first place. They had spoken when they had met in the library, and had perhaps exchanged almost wordless greetings at various occasions before that, but Katharina did not recall ever having introduced herself.

"I... yes," Katharina mumbled.

She looked down at her own body as if somehow to confirm that she was indeed herself, then felt rather foolish. She saw how hard she was, her dick laid out on her stomach and pointing right up at her, the tip nearly brushing the hem of her top. Then she watched herself pulse as Julie laid her hand lightly across it at the base and slowly curled her fingers to grip it.

"You are a very healthy girl," Julie giggled. She squeezed, and a slow tingling throb spread across Katharina's skin. There was a tiny sting of promised relief as a small bead of clear fluid gathered at the very tip of Katharina's dick.

"I can..." Katharina found to her frustration that she was suddenly out of breath, her voice catching in her throat. She could feel her own chest lifting and falling.

"Shh," there was a trace of laughter still in Julie's voice as she set her finger to Katharina's lips. Not mocking, but rather innocently giddy, delighted. Julie's grip released but the press of the palm of her hand remained, then slid up the underside of Katharina's dick, fingers caressing her stomach. Julie looked down at what she was doing and seemed to notice then the lipstick marks on Katharina's skin. Julie's giggle resurfaced, "Oh, and you have been popular."

When Julie gripped her again and began to stroke, Katharina turned her head to try to expend some of the pressure of arousal by twisting or writhing. She found Julie's hand by her face and pressed her lips against it as she groaned.

The heat of desire that had gathered as Katharina had touched and kissed Julie was pulsing out from inside her body and up the length of her dick, twitching with Julie's strokes. Katharina noticed that she was making shallow thrusts up at Julie's hand. She was struck by how abruptly the nature of the encounter had shifted from what she had intended, or at least imagined, with herself as seductress. She had meant to offer herself as a gift for Julie's pleasure. Katharina glanced up at Julie's face and wondered whether that was perhaps still what was happening. Julie was looking away from her, eyes fixed on where her hand was slowly pumping up and down Katharina's shaft. Julie's eyes were bright with excitement, her lips moist.

Julie bent a little to clutch Katharina closer to herself as she quickened her stroking, "I bet you've fucked a lot of girls tonight, haven't you?"

"Uhh..." Katharina grimaced, focused on fighting back the swell of arousal for a little longer, "Maybe. But I'd love to... fuck... some more."

"Good," Julie purred, "You will."

Katharina was still somewhat disoriented by Julie's sudden move. She had expected to be on her knees and pleasuring Julie with her mouth next. She had prepared herself to suck Julie, had even been looking forward to it, another chance to feel a Sisterhood girl closely, examine her and test what strokes and movements made her groan the loudest. But if that were still going to happen, Katharina knew that she had to expend her own desire first. It was already overwhelming her. Like all of the Seven Sisters, Julie exuded a particular compelling aura of seduction, one that Katharina had already experienced briefly at their encounter in the library. While she had been massaging Julie's shoulders, with Julie's face obscured from view, Katharina had not noticed it, but she realized now that she had let it work on her, had not been ready. Now in the delicate strength of Julie's hand caressing her, and in the quiet burble of laughter in Julie's chest, Katharina felt the force of seductive charm, seeping into her and warming her insides with desire.

If what seemed to be pleasing Julie now was the exercise of her own power, Katharina resolved to provide the best gratification she could. As she felt the muscles behind the base of her dick tighten, and her limbs tense and tremble, she gathered her voice and breathed a long, theatrical groan, "Uhhhh, I'm... You're making me... Uh, please! Ohh!"

Katharina pressed her lips into the palm of Julie's hand, gasping and groaning. Then she let herself slacken and gave herself up to the first hard spasm of orgasm. Katharina reached for the flimsy top she wore and yanked it up to bare her chest, then gripped one of her breasts roughly between her fingers and tugged at her nipple. The comfort of controlled pain, the sensation that she had a hold of something, spread across her skin as a delicious warm glow. She felt herself thicken and strain against the clutch of Julie's stroking fist, and flinched as a long spurt of cum flew up and struck her face, spattering warm across her lips and cheek. Then her insides rang with hot relief as a second and then a third splashed up over her chest and neck.

"Very healthy girl," Julie cooed, "So much."

Katharina doubled up, lifting her legs to put their weight behind a last tight thrust into Julie's strokes as they slowed. She wrung another throb of relief from her body and felt herself gush out onto her stomach, then her dick finally began to soften, the pressure draining in irregular twitches as more cum splashed out onto her skin.

Julie held her. Her grip opened a little, until she was cradling Katharina's dick in her fingers, gently rubbing it and shaking it from side to side as it wilted, long and heavy, slumped across Katharina's stomach. Katharina felt the press of Julie's thumb along the underside, wringing out a residue of cum that seeped from the tip with a hot sting. She could feel the slide of Julie's fingers was now slickened with moisture, and when Julie's thumb reached the most sensitive spot near the tip and began a slow circling, it slid perfectly smoothly across Katharina's sore skin, sending a little rippling frisson of simple, ticklish pleasure down into Katharina's body.

Katharina drew her breath. She could feel she was suddenly too light-headed and drowsy to trust herself to sit up immediately, so she slumped back across Julie's lap, let her head sink heavy against the seat of the couch. She felt the pleasing thickness of Julie's thighs against her back, slightly damp with sweat. She uncurled carefully the fingers she had dug into her own breast, and slid her hand down to test the skin of her stomach. There she felt a broad wet pool of cum, and when she touched it the tension of its surface broke and a thin trail tickled down across her flank, cool against the flushed warmth of her body.

"So," Julie sat up abruptly and spoke with energy, "Who do I have to thank for this delightful gift?"

"Um," Katharina blinked and gathered her thoughts, found she had been caught in a daze, "I'm Vera's. Vera's girl."

"Vera, hmm," Julie's lips tightened and she chuckled, then she shifted again suddenly and turned her head as if something had just occurred to her, "Oh."

"Oh?" Katharina croaked.

Julie leaned over and smiled at her, "I think I said I was going to paint you some time, didn't I?"

Katharina recalled that they had spoken briefly about Julie's paintings, when Katharina had encountered Julie while seeking a painting there, though she forgot what exactly had been said, "Right. I think so."

"Well you look really hot laid out on your back all messy like this," Julie giggled, "That's how I'm going to paint you. Come to my rooms some time."

"Uh," Katharina tried to imagine lying sprawled and covered in her own cum long enough to have her portrait painted, "I'd, uh, love that."

"So this is from Vera too, is it?"

Katharina held her head forward and looked up. She saw the folded leaf of paper held delicately between Julie's fingers, the imprint of Lena's kiss just under Julie's cum-smeared thumb.

Katharina wavered for a moment, recalled what she had resolved. "No," she replied, "From someone else."

Julie narrowed her eyes and held Katharina's gaze, a look of mock suspicion on her face. She slid her finger into the fold of the paper and flicked it open, held it out before her face.

Katharina watched Julie's expression as closely as she could. Julie's lips were mostly obscured behind the letter, but Katharina could see from the subtle tug of movement on Julie's cheeks that she was reading, and speaking words beneath her breath. Though the scrap of paper was small, and Katharina did not recall Lena having taken very long to write on it, Julie seemed to take some time to read, and slowly, as if she were having difficulty.

Katharina held still, not wishing to interrupt. The prickle of sweat at the small of her back began to irritate her awareness, and the cum pooled across her stomach was slowly trailing off and onto the couch and Julie's thighs. After some moments of quiet in which Katharina heard vaguely the sound and chatter of the bar space, Julie looked up.

"Thank you," Julie mouthed. The same bright smile was still there, in her eyes at least, but her lips seemed to have frozen into a pouting frown, pensive or slightly absent.

Abruptly, Julie set her hands on Katharina's knees and pushed her legs slowly aside. Katharina sat up as she was swung round, and shuffled quickly off Julie's lap to sit at the edge of the couch. She watched Julie stand, then look down at her.

Julie's lips softened for a moment to the same bright smile she had worn immediately before. "Thank you," she repeated.

Then without gathering her discarded bikini, Julie spun, poised on one foot, and turned to walk away, naked except for her tall heeled shoes. Katharina watched the dimples at Julie's lower back crease and shift as she swayed her hips, weaving her way between the tables and past the sparse crowd before the bar counter.

When she was sure Julie was not going to look back at her, Katharina turned her attention to the spreading glisten of cum that coated her stomach. It was dripping down through the crevices of her thighs and onto the stone floor. Where she sat at the edge of the couch was a dark patch of dampness in the red upholstery. She looked around for something with which to wipe herself, but saw only the empty glasses on the nearby table, and the flicker of the candle.

But she saw something else that immediately drew her attention. The note that Julie had just read lay discarded on the couch, within arm's reach of where Katharina sat. Katharina looked up, and around. She saw the heads of some of the girls at further tables turn away, smiling and tittering, as she surveyed them. She sat straight, stretched her arms and legs out in front of her to flex her aching muscles, and then leaned discreetly to one side to pull the note towards herself with her fingers. She lifted it and flicked it open.

Katharina saw the curling lines of a pair of symbols, traced in the thick black of an eyeliner pencil. She recognized what looked like a few of the features of the Old Sisterhood's symbolic writing system, the same writing system that she had deciphered in the library just before the ball had begun. But before she could begin to orient herself within the first symbol, there was a flick of movement at the edge of her vision and the paper was snatched out of her hand.

Katharina turned quickly, startled, worried that one of the other novices or someone else might see what she presumed was supposed to have been a private message. She was at first relieved to see that it was Vera now clutching the paper. Vera was standing behind the couch, wearing a short black silken gown wrapped about her waist with a sash. She stood for a moment, tightened the sash, and nodded silently at Katharina. Vera held the note at her hip, did not seem to want to examine it further. Instead she held her gaze on Katharina, seemed to examine her for a moment, then the tension in her expression faded to a smile. She strode briskly round the couch to sit down beside Katharina.

"Best not to look at that," Vera reached out, holding the note by one corner, and touched it to the dwindling flame of the candle on the table in front of them. The edges of the paper blackened, curled, and then quickly the flame took and swept up across it, dissolving the imprint of Lena's lips. Vera shook her wrist, tossed the scrap of burning black to the table, then laid the palm of her hand on top of it to extinguish the flames.

Katharina wondered at Vera's dramatic gesture. She hesitated, but found herself compelled to ask, "What was...?"

"Not really a message," Vera turned to her, then pursed her lips pensively, "Depending on what you count as a message."

Katharina looked at the small ragged triangle that remained of the paper, where Vera had held it at its corner. The rest was a scatter of gray ash against the tabletop.

Vera sat back and leaned closer. She spoke softly, "A spell, Katharina. Of sorts. Something that you may learn eventually. But not something that you are ready for just yet."

"From..." Katharina felt sure that Vera must know the identity of the sender. But it felt somehow crass to say it out loud, as if it might spoil the delicate atmosphere of conspiracy.

"I think we can now be sure that she has worked Julie out," Vera looked over her shoulder out across the tables towards the far archway, a tight grin of amusement on her lips, "Not that she is an especially enigmatic case."

"She is not? Julie, you mean?" Katharina followed Vera's gaze. Julie was gone, presumably departed through the curtained archway.

"Very young," Vera turned back.

"So it's her isn't it?" Katharina nodded toward the archway, "The dmaani."

Vera's nose wrinkled and she shook her head, "Not really. But for our purposes, yes."

"And is she still a friend?"

Vera sat back against the back of the couch, "Yes. Or a friend of a friend. And we have a lot going for us still. I have you to thank for, along with your friend Ivy."

"What did we do?" Katharina asked.

"Our offerings. The cousin is ours, and she is exquisite. One of the best girls I have seen here for a long time."

Katharina wondered for a moment at the mention of a cousin, then recalled what she had recently learned, "Caroline?"

Vera nodded. Then she turned again and tossed her head to indicate the far end of the bar counter, "And those you and Ivy found, Josephine and Emmie, also delightful. Beautiful temptations."

Katharina looked along the row of girls standing in front of the bar. There were fewer again than there had been when she had entered. At the very far end, near the archway that led into the testing chamber, she saw a bob of glossy red-tinted hair, and the bright white and pastel splashes of the dress that Josephine had been wearing earlier on at the ball. Josephine seemed to be standing on the bar counter, high above the other girls around her. She was laughing and waving her arm as some of the girls seated nearby cheered her on.