Page 88 of Virelai's Hoard
Sable had never asked her about her fingers, though she heard about all the versions Riley gave to the sailors who did. They’d made a game out of it for a while, betting on what sort of extravagant stories Riley would feed them next, theirimagination falling short every time. She wouldn’t ask about these, either. If Riley wanted her to know, she would tell her.
Instead, her touch turned to slow strokes, ranging from Riley’s waist, her back, the sides of her neck. After a while, she started relaxing under her touches, head tilted back, lips parted with the heavy breaths in the quiet of the room. Sable stepped closer then, the mattress dipping under her knee as she pressed herself against Riley’s back.
One of her hands moved from the side of Riley’s neck to her throat, a deep moan rewarding her. When her other hand dipped low, slipping past her stomach and between Riley’s thighs, her body shuddered against Sable’s.
“How long have you been this soaked?” Sable asked, lips brushing against Riley’s ear.
Riley scoffed a laugh, which would’ve been more effective if it weren’t accompanied by a shiver.
Sable flicked her fingers against her clit, but kept her pace torturously slow. “I asked you a question.”
“Too long,” Riley gasped out, pressing back against Sable, voice rumbling against her palm.
Sable smiled, a hot flare of satisfaction shooting through her and heating her up to her fingertips. She started up a slow pace in reward, dipping her head to trail wet kisses along her shoulder. “Do you need me to take care of that?” she murmured against her skin.
“Yes,” Riley whined. “Please.”
Sable let out a breath, picking up the pace. When Riley started grinding against her fingers, Sable tightened her grip on her throat, just enough to make her light-headed. Another loud moan, another, “Please,” ragged and impatient.
“How many fingers?”
“Two.Fuck.”
Without delay, Sable slipped two fingers inside of Riley, her own breath coming out ragged at the absolute mess she’d made of her, the heat of Riley against her hand, the way she was grinding and pressing against her. Sable thrust deeply, pressing the heel of her palm against Riley’s swollen clit to grind on–scraped her teeth against Riley’s neck as she fucked her, harder and faster the harder and faster her breaths came.
When she felt Riley tighten around her fingers, Sable’s mouth came to her ear again. “Cum for me, Riley.”
A few deep thrusts, a sharp breath and a low, deep moan, and Riley’s body shuddered against hers. Sable let go of her throat, wrapping her arm around her and pulling her closer. She allowed Riley to ride her fingers until the aftershocks wore off and she relaxed against Sable’s body.
Slowly, remembering the last time with stark clarity, Sable let her go and climbed on the bed, leaned her back against the wall. And tugged Riley to her. This time, Riley didn’t pull back, didn’t mock her. She settled against her side and relaxed into her. Sable sighed, too content to think to stop it.
When Riley spoke, it was so quiet Sable thought she made it up in her head. “I thought you’d hate me, too.”
An uncomfortable knot tied itself in Sable’s stomach. Her thumb circled Riley’s shoulder as she thought about what to say to that. Riley didn’t look at her. “Why would I hate you?” she asked, though she thought she knew already.
Riley shrugged, her arms looped lazily around Sable’s waist, cheek pressed against her unwounded shoulder. Her warm breath left Sable’s skin feeling damp. It was pleasant. She wished they could stay like this for a while. “Because I freed her.”
Sable sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. “We wouldn’t be alive now if you hadn’t. I should’ve told you to do it.” But she’d been too damn proud to, and it had almost cost them everything.
Riley nodded against her, her fingers now tracing the inside of Sable’s thigh.
The movement stirred a pleasant warmth in her belly. She should’ve thought to take her pants off, before. After a moment, she added, forcing the words past her throat, “And I don’t think Calla hates you.”
The statement got her a humorless snort in reply. “Right. She probably doesn’t think about me at all.”
Sable’s gaze darted from the ceiling to the black leather gloves abandoned on the floor in front of the door. The first time Riley had taken them off to fuck her, Sable had thought Riley knew what the gloves meant. Sable sure was intensely aware of it. The captain didn’t just hand out gifts to anyone, and certainly not these kinds of gifts. Gifts every pirate on this ship could tell at a glance where they came from–whothey came from. The gloves were a claim. WasCallaaware of it?
Sable didn’t know. It certainly wasn’t any of her business, and she would let the two of them figure out whatever this was at their own pace. So instead of saying anything about that, she asked, “Do you want her to?” She couldn’t help herself. It was morbid curiosity.
All of this time, she’d thought Calla didn’t want anyone. But maybe she just didn’t wantSable.
Riley looked up at her then, and it was Sable who wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“Yes.” The word came out wrapped up in a sigh. Then, softer, Riley’s fingers still on her thigh. “Does that bother you?”
It did, but not for the reason Riley might think. Sable shook her head, still staring at those gloves, their black stark against the wooden floor. “I’m not a possessive lover,” she said, not checking to see whether Riley was disappointed in that. An unbidden thought came to her, and it slipped past her lips before she could catch it. “Likely Alaric’s fault. My brother. Hehad both a girlfriendanda boyfriend, and I grew up thinking that was common.” It wasn’t, not on the mainland, but Vareth’s makeshift rules rarely followed them across the seas.
Riley tensed up all at once–pulled away from Sable. Sable didn’t hold on, arms resting at her sides as she frowned at Riley.
