Chapter 22

Naomi’s mouth fell open in surprise. She only gaped for a moment before Tavik’s lips covered hers. She snapped her mouth shut, but he persisted. His kisses began as chaste presses of the lips, and with each press, his mouth opened a fraction more. Naomi’s brain was in a tailspin. He was kissing her, and she liked it. Being kissed well was always nice. But they weren’t supposed to be kissing! What about his whole monk thing? What about the deal? She was tied up and blindfolded. She shouldn’t be okay with this just on principle. Bondage wasn’t her kink, dammit!

Tavik’s tongue inched out and traced the seam of her lips. She liked it. Screw it, Naomi thought. She’d had a series of really crappy days, and this was the first day that had been going nicely. Kissing would be added to the list of nice things done today. She opened her mouth and returned the kiss. His hand moved up to the back of her neck to cradle it.

His tongue massaged hers. His mouth tasted like the sweet wine they’d been drinking. He wasn’t trying to choke her with the kiss or split her lip. No force involved and he gave equal time. He pulled back and let her explore his mouth.

If she weren’t tied up and blindfolded, this would go on her top five list of good make-outs. Soon, his lips crept from her mouth to her neck laying soft kisses down her throat. Naomi sighed in pleasure. She realized as Tavik moved down her throat to the top of her chest that his head was completely bald. She filed that little tidbit of information away. He put his other hand on her breast and gently stroked it. Naomi moaned. She could not help pulling against the restraints wanting to participate too in the touching. Tavik’s hand gently stroked her nipple, and it puckered.

“Tavik,” she pleaded. He switched his mouth back to hers and kissed her. Naomi continued to tug at her restraints. He slipped his hand down her dress to cup her breast. She arched her back and wiggled the restraints. They were beginning to come loose. His other hand left the back of her neck to trail down to pull up the long skirt of her dress. Naomi was working the cloth loose on her wrists. She would have them loose soon she knew.

Tavik left her lips again and returned to her breast. His hand pulled down her dress, and his mouth latched onto her nipple. Naomi cried out in pleasure and victory. She had worked her hands free. As Tavik suckled, she raised her hands to the sides of his head to press him closer. When she touched him, he jerked away from her and grabbed her hands. Naomi let out a protesting sound and tried to pull her wrists free.

“Naomi, you should not have done that,” Tavik said. His voice was a little breathless.

“Done what?” Naomi complained as she tried to tug her hands free or at least tug him back to her. She wanted to go back to the kissing and fondling. He switched his grip on her wrists to one hand. When he released her, he stepped away.

“Have you put your mask back on?”

“Yes.”

Naomi sighed and pulled the blindfold off of her eyes. “I didn’t try to take a peek,” she said a touch grumpily. Tavik crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

“You would have.” She rolled her eyes and looked at the table. She picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth. She was still hungry, but food was not going to satisfy her.

“Naomi, put your dress back to rights.”

She looked down at herself and found her legs bare with the skirt all bunched up in her lap and one of her breasts spilling out of her top. She sent him a dark look. “I’m not the one who got the dress this way.”

“Put your dress back to rights.” His voice sounded strained. She jerked the top up, and the cloth grazed her nipple harshly. The pain only made her sudden bad temper worse. She threw the dress back over her legs. She crossed her arms and glared.

“I have matters to attend to. Be ready tonight,” he said.

Naomi sat there staring at the door Tavik had just gone through. The impact of what had just happened began to creep up on her. She had made out with him. She had almost gotten to third base and may have rounded home if he hadn’t gotten skittish. What was she thinking?

“Well, that wasn’t much of a rut. You two barely got anywhere,” said a high squeaky voice from behind her.

Naomi swiveled around on her chair and found the mouse standing in the middle of the floor.

“Is there any cheese and wine left?”

Naomi turned back to the table. Three pieces of cheese remained. She picked up the wine canister and found it half full. She poured some of the wine in a saucer and set it down along with the cheese on a plate. The mouse scurried forward and began to gorge himself.

“What’s your name anyway?” Naomi asked.

The mouse looked up from the saucer. His whiskers dripped with wine. “Mr. Squibbles.”

“Squibbles?”

“MISTER Squibbles.”

Naomi smirked but didn’t comment on the insistence of the honorific. “So tell me about unicorns, Mr. Squibbles.”

“Unicorns are very rare. They have been nearly hunted to extinction by humans.”

“For their horns,” Naomi said.

“Yes, a lot of magic exists in their horns: the power to purify water, not just a bucket but a whole river with one touch; heal any wound; ward off harmful magic; counteract curses and poisons; call lighting; go in a blink of an eye anywhere you want.”

“Where can I find unicorns?”

Mr. Squibbles had finished the cheese and sucked up almost all but a few drops of wine from the saucer. “Sorry, you have gotten all you are going to get this time.”

“What? Wait a minute,” Naomi protested, but the mouse turned and began to waddle back toward the bed.

“Get more cheese and wine, and we’ll talk again.” He disappeared underneath the bed.

Continue to Chapter 23.