Strings Attached Ch. 31-36 - Complete

Thirty-One: Nathaniel

He released her arms with a huff, unable to keep the serious frown on his face. Leliana had a gift -- one of many, he admitted -- for making him laugh, something no one had really been able to do in years. It felt good, even if it was entirely inappropriate in the middle of an intimate...interlude.

It wasn't better that he was half-naked and more than half-hard from the sinful feeling of her hands on his skin.

He'd let her take the lead at every step so far in their relationship, terrified of overstepping, or painting a target on her back, or tainting her with his reputation. He'd waited until she approached him, made her be the one to flirt first, let her set the pace. He'd had to stop himself from asking her over and over again if she was certain she wanted to do this.

But he wanted her -- oh, how he wanted her -- and he was done with waiting. She had shown him in every way possible the feeling was mutual, and it was time to stop agonising over it and make a move. She deserved someone who would show her exactly how desirable she was, not someone frozen in condescending indecisiveness.

"I have a different idea, you little imp." He reached for her, cupping her face in his hand and tilting her chin up so he could apply his lips to her neck. She hummed in his ear and turned her head further to give him room to work. Emboldened by the obvious permission, his other hand fumbled with the laces on the back of her dress, until he felt it fall loose around her slender frame. When she stepped away again to let the dress fall at her feet, he closed his eyes briefly, sending a prayer of gratitude to the Maker.

He wished he could see her; he understood the need for privacy but would have given much for some light. Instead he stepped closer, pulling her against his chest, only to hiss as he realised she'd worn nothing under the dress and her bare breasts were pressing against him. He kissed her desperately, trying to convince himself to take his time despite the pounding of his heart and the butterflies racing in his stomach. Her arms tightened around his neck as she moaned and wriggled against him; he could feel her hard nipples dragging across his skin and he gripped her ass almost involuntarily.

Without thinking, he pulled her up into his arms; she wrapped her legs around his waist to help as he stumbled across the tent to the bedroll they'd shared the night before. He was surprised to find more there than he expected -- a few extra layers of blankets across a larger space big enough for both of them -- and was grateful for her forethought. He knelt, laying her across the blankets gently without breaking the kiss, and then shuffled to the side, propping himself up on one elbow to lean over her. He teased her with his tongue, dipping into her mouth briefly before withdrawing to slide softly along her lower lip. She growled under her breath, and he chuckled before being drawn into a deeper, soul-shattering kiss.

Then, finally, he had the chance to touch her the way he'd been dreaming of for months -- since the moment she'd walked through the door in his father's estate in Denerim. One of her arms was pinned below him, her fingers stroking his back and neck; the other was free and kept urging him on. Wanting to take his time, he took her hand and held it tightly with the arm underneath her head, then allowed his other hand to roam from her cheek, to her ear, down her neck to her collar bones. She gasped and writhed underneath him, and he made a mental note of each place that elicited a reaction to return to later. When he closed his hand over one supple breast, she shuddered and arched into his touch, and he pulled out of the kiss to curse under his breath as a spike of arousal traveled down his spine.

Leaving his hand where it was, he followed the path his fingers had taken with his lips and tongue, sucking and licking the smooth skin before peppering her chest with ardent pecks. She wove her fingers into his hair, and apparently impatient, dragged his face to her neglected breast. They both groaned as he lapped at her firm nipple before suckling gently.

He spent an eternity there, switching back and forth between her lush breasts, trying to commit every gasp and sigh to memory. He'd never been so turned on. She was delectable and sinfully sweet as she twisted underneath him, and he had to pause more than once to adjust his trousers and take a deep breath before he spilled before they'd even gotten started.

Thirty-Two: Leliana

She thought she would lose her mind; he'd played with her body, driving her mad with teasing licks and touches for what felt like hours, until she couldn't take it anymore. He'd reclaimed her free hand, so she could do nothing but wriggle and pant under his talented lips and fingers.

"Nathaniel, please!" she gasped, and finally -- finally! -- she felt his hand creeping lower, across her smooth stomach to the gap between her thighs. He paused to stroke over her mound, stirring the hairs there and leaving her panting for more. And then his mouth closed over one nipple, sucking hard, as he began stroking her lower lips. She bucked, surprised and aroused by how skilled he was, drawing out her pleasure effortlessly.

He hissed through his teeth when he finally dipped his fingers into her soaked folds, and she might have been embarrassed by how wet she was if it hadn't been entirely his fault. Instead she squirmed, alternately trying to press herself against his questing fingers and trying to free her hand to take care of the burning need herself. He hushed her, taking her lips in a passionate kiss, stroking her cleft more firmly now, teasing against her opening.

She mewled into his mouth when he stopped, withdrawing his clever fingers and his soft lips. "Wha-?" she whined, reaching for him even as he lurched to his knees beside her.

"I need to taste you," he soothed, and she felt something deep inside her clench deliciously at the thought. His tone was low and husky in a way she'd never heard before, and it sent shivers down her spine. She was too aroused to be self-conscious as he settled down between her thighs, his breath warm against her crease.

And then his mouth was on her, and she lost whatever train of thought she might have been following. She became nothing but a bundle of sensation, thrusting her hips up towards the pressure of his lips and tongue. He pulled one of her legs over his shoulder, pressing the other up towards her chest to open her to his questing mouth, and she cried out as his tongue swept from her opening to her aching pearl. She didn't even notice when her fingers clenched in his hair to urge him on.

He groaned and licked her again, before stiffening his tongue and plunging it deep inside her. It was too much and not enough at the same time, and she thrashed and ground herself against his face desperately. He tasted her almost leisurely, switching between the deep strokes she craved and the soft, tentative licks that just inflamed her more. When she whimpered and tried to pull him closer, he just pinned her hips and held her while he continued his deliberate exploration. She closed her eyes and threw her head back with a muttered curse, forced to just endure the rising pleasure.

She gasped when she felt one finger slide inside her, quickly joined by a second; they pumped into her gently but persistently as his tongue stroked over her pearl more intently. When she felt his lips wrap around the firm bud and suck, she arched and stiffened, crying out as she thrashed and came undone.

He continued to lick and stroke her as her orgasm faded, wringing several devastating aftershocks from her overwrought body. When she finally went limp, she felt him gently extricate himself from her tangled limbs and crawl up beside her. She could taste herself on his lips when he kissed her, and she moaned, helplessly aroused but too wrung out to do much about it. Somehow, he'd shucked his trousers during the transition, and she could feel his hard length against her hip.

"I won't ask who I should thank for that," she sighed, and smiled when she heard him chuff a laugh in the dark. "If this is my punishment for tickling, I think you may have made a mistake, yes?"

He kissed her again, and she lost herself in the feeling of his tongue teasing hers, his hand back on her breast, fingers tweaking her nipple softly. He shifted over her and settled between her thighs, and she flexed her hips and pulled him closer, her heels resting against the backs of his thighs, his length nudging against her damp folds.

"That's not your punishment," he whispered, and then before she knew what was happening, he'd turned, pulling her with him and reversing their positions so she sat astride him, resting her hands on his shoulders.

Unwilling to wait any longer, she adjusted her position until she could sink down and take him in to the root, his erection stretching her delightfully. He let out a long, tortured moan, and she'd have giggled if it hadn't felt so good, so necessary.

It had been far, far too long.

Thirty-Three: Nathaniel

Finally buried inside her, the heat and damp of her, like a tight velvet glove, was nearly his undoing. He clenched his hands, his nails digging into his palms painfully, as he struggled to think of something -- anything -- else to distract him from his imminent need.

And then she moved, rising up slowly and slamming back down until her skin impacted against his thighs, and he almost shouted.

The woman he'd been dreaming of for months was in his lap, making love to him, and he was about to shame himself by losing control too soon.

That thought did it; the mere idea that he would disappoint Leliana had the urgency of his orgasm receding, and with a shuddering breath, he reached up and grasped her hips gently, encouraging her to tilt and circle above him. She whimpered as her firm button pressed against his pubic bone, and he relaxed, now confident he could maintain control for as long as necessary.

The woman astride him leaned down to press an ardent kiss to his lips, and he cupped her nape, holding her in place so he could plunder her mouth properly. He couldn't see her, but he could imagine her there, riding him, her hair bouncing in her face and her eyes closed in ecstasy. He slid one hand up from her hip to cup a small breast, his thumb flicking over her erect nipple, and she squeaked and writhed.

"So beautiful," he gasped, and then a flood of praise and prayers spilled out of his mouth as she rode him. He bent his knees to help steady her, and their fingers intertwined as he held his hands up to support her. Her whimpers turned to moans, and then to steady cries as she lifted and drove herself down on him again and again. He spared about half a thought for the noise they were making -- and decided he couldn't possibly care less if the whole camp heard them. He'd murder anyone who tried to harm her, and damn the consequences. He'd take out half the nobility if he had to in order to keep her safe -- and Cailan would probably thank him for doing it.

He didn't get a chance to think about it more; Leliana stiffened and came, losing her rhythm as she shuddered and wailed in his lap. He released her hands to press one thumb down just above where their bodies joined, the other hand sliding up to squeeze her breast, prolonging her orgasm - and gritting his teeth against the pleasure of her sheath fluttering around him. He cursed as he struggled not to spill himself into her despite the searing need burning in his blood.

She finally collapsed down onto his chest, and he held her as she caught her breath. It was sweet torture, her naked skin pressed against his, his length still buried inside her, but he couldn't imagine anywhere else he wanted to be. He tightened his arms, feeling her nuzzle against his neck softly.

"I'm still not convinced you've got this punishment thing figured out," she whispered, her voice raspy and light. She bit his earlobe playfully as she giggled.

He growled, holding her to him as he flexed his hips and flipped them so that she was underneath him, his hips between her thighs, his erection still stretching her. "That wasn't your punishment either," he bit out, closing his eyes and resting his forehead on her shoulder while he pulled himself together.

She squeaked adorably when the sudden move startled her, but it devolved into a low, strangled moan as he thrust once into her depths. "Oh, no," she gasped, though her arms locked around his neck even as she lifted her legs to give him more room to move. "I can't -- not again."

He hummed, leisurely thrusting once more. "I think you'll find that's not true, little minx."

He ground his pubis against her, and she gasped and clenched his length, earning herself another thrust. "Once more, now." He thrust again and again, slowly, savouring the feel of every deliciously tight inch of her welcoming him inside her.

He pushed up with his hands, getting his knees underneath him, pulling her pelvis into his lap; reaching up to take one of her hands, he brought it down to where their bodies met. "Show me. Make yourself come for me, Leliana." He rested his hand over hers so he could feel the movement when she followed his instructions and began circling her pearl in time with his thrusts.

Thirty-Four: Leliana

"Nathaniel," she sighed, her tone embarrassingly breathy. She was overwrought, her aching muscles clenching every time she touched herself, every time he buried himself inside her; she didn't think she could firm up her voice if her life depended on it. It was too much, but at the same time it was too good to stop -- she never wanted him to stop.

This was her punishment, she was sure of it. He was trying to pleasure her until she gave out. And as much as they'd both been joking about the punishment, she couldn't be completely sure she'd survive it. Her heart raced so quickly she felt dizzy, and she was already wrung out like a wet rag.

She circled her bud once more at his urging, turned on as much by the sound of his frantic, deep voice as by his body entwined with hers. She could picture him, his dark hair wild around his head, his face contorted by pleasure, his full lips pursed as he prayed, his arms trembling, trying to hold off until she came for him one more time.

It had been a long time since she'd cared for anyone -- longer since she'd cared for a man -- but she knew nothing in her past could compare to the way he made her feel. No one had ever been so focused on her pleasure, so dedicated to fulfilling her, so devoted to loving her. And he did love her -- there could be no mistaking it, though he'd never said the words. Leliana had thought that Marjolaine had felt the same way for her as she had for her mentor, but it was suddenly, clearly apparent that she'd never really cared. She'd used Leliana for pleasure and used sex as a method of manipulation, but had never spared a thought for Leliana's needs.

And Leliana couldn't bring herself to care. If not for her betrayal, Leliana would still be that girl, shallow and naïve and unfulfilled. She couldn't romanticize her time in the dungeon -- Raleigh and his men had tried, and nearly succeeded, in breaking her completely -- but it had been a necessary awakening to bring her to where she was meant to be. And she had no doubt that the Maker had ensured she was here, with the people she was meant to help, and the man she was meant to love.

And she did love him; she couldn't deny it. She'd never loved anyone the way she loved him.

Any further thoughts on the subject were interrupted when he leaned over her, the angle driving her fingers against her clit, the hair on his chest rubbing against her nipples, his lips on her ear. "Please," he begged, his warm breath giving her goosebumps. "Please, you feel so good, please come for me."

He thrust once more, then twice, his arms snaking beneath her limp shoulders to hold her to him; she shuddered, and then fell apart. He swallowed her hoarse cry, using her lips to muffle his roar as he stiffened and came inside her, the two of them riding out their shattering orgasms together. The world greyed out around Leliana, so that all she could feel was him, cradling her and protecting her even as he spilled deep inside her.

Later, when their racing hearts had slowed, and their bodies settled together into a comfortable tangle, she stretched her legs experimentally and groaned.

"Well, tomorrow should be interesting, yes? I'm not certain I can even walk, never mind ride."

She could hear the smirk in his voice when he replied, "And that's your punishment, naughty girl."

She couldn't do anything but laugh.

Thirty-Five: Nathaniel

They fell asleep entwined, the soft sound of Leliana's breathing lulling him to sleep. He'd held her as she nodded off, and he'd wanted to tell her he loved her, and he didn't. But she was naked and vulnerable in his arms...and tomorrow was another day. Another chance at bravery.

He should have felt guilty at the mental image of her riding her route, stiff and sore from their exertions...but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything but smug. Mind you, he was pretty sure his legs would still be shaking in his meeting with Cailan in the morning, too.

They reached for each other in the night, as new lovers often do; the memories of her rear pressed to his groin, her back arching underneath him as she babbled demands for more and harder and don't stop, were something he'd take with him to his deathbed.

He woke when the first light of dawn pierced the sky, slightly brightening the interior of the tent. They'd shifted during the night, so he was spooned behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her, one of his hands cupping a bare breast. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but even with her hair in his face she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He'd blinked only a couple of times when he realised she was smiling at him over her shoulder almost shyly.

"Good morning, my Lord," she whispered, lips quirking at the title she knew he hated.

"Good morning, Scout Leliana," he replied, before pulling her closer, clumsily, and kissing her thoroughly. They both had morning breath, and bed head, and they were twisted awkwardly so they could reach, and he didn't care, taking the kiss deeper and groaning as she sucked his tongue briefly before biting his bottom lip playfully.

He broke off with a gasp, rolling his eyes at the self-satisfied grin on her face when he touched his tender lip. She stuck her tongue out at him, and though he tried to stifle it, he couldn't help the laugh that rumbled out of him, deep and resonant. Her eyes lit up at the sound, and she rolled towards him, plastering her ear to his chest to feel the vibration as he guffawed.

When she peeked up at him, her expression was...besotted, was the only word he could think of to describe it. He knew his answering smile would be equally loopy, and he shook his head slowly. "You undo me." He stared at her, aware of her curvy body in his peripheral vision but enraptured by her alluring face, her stunning eyes, her adorable nose, her full lips drawn back in a dazzling smile.

He should have said it then, too, but he didn't. And then someone outside sneezed, and they both jumped as though they'd been zapped by a mage's lightning spell, and the moment was lost.

"I have to go," Leliana whispered, reluctantly peeling herself out of his arms, stretching sinuously before getting up to search for the dress she'd dropped somewhere on the floor of the tent.

"Why?" He sat up, frowning. "Your route shouldn't start for—"

"That's not it." She spied the dress several feet further away, and scurried over to it. "It will be too difficult to sneak away later, yes?"

"Leliana..."