His hand was crushing hers. Or maybe hers was crushing his. He couldn't tell. Their fingers were locked in a death grip, a frantic connection that had nothing to do with the guards and everything to do with the sudden, shocking heat of her body pressed against his.
He could feel the wild, rabbit-fast beat of her heart against his ribs, a frantic rhythm that matched his own.
"Captain's a lazy sod," a gruff voice grumbled from the alley's entrance. "Making us search his private dumps for his 'Glimmerdust' stash. The man's sniffing his own profits."
His mind wasn't on the threat. It was on the small, firm curve of his hand pressed against Anna's ass. She was so close. Soft like a sweet. He looked into her eyes, wide and green in the dim light. She was staring right back at him, her lips slightly parted. She wasn't scared.
She was watching him, waiting.
She never complained about my antics before. Why stop now?
Slowly, testing the waters, he flexed his fingers, giving her a gentle squeeze.
A small, almost invisible smile bloomed on her lips. It was a private thing, just for him, and it was all the permission he needed. His hand began to move, stroking the roundness of her ass cheek through the rough fabric of her trousers.
He rubbed in slow, deliberate circles, feeling the warmth of her skin, the solid muscle beneath.
Yeah, this is definitely the best part of our partnership.
"Lazy and paranoid," the second guard agreed with a snort. "Thinks we're skimming his supply. At least his wife appreciates me. Says I'm better in the sack than he is, anyway."
August ignored them. He shifted his hand, his index finger tracing the deep cleft between her cheeks. She didn't stop him. Emboldened, he let his finger drift lower, aiming for the tight, puckered little hole hidden there.
Her smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed and she gave a small, sharp flinch. She stared at him with a face that said, 'Don't you dare'.
He grinned, not taking her seriously. He continued to prod gently with the tip of his finger, a slight pressure against the entrance to her asshole.
Her reaction was swift. She leaned forward and sank her teeth into his nose. It wasn't hard enough to break the skin, but it was sharp and sudden.
"Ouch!" he whispered, pulling his hand away.
She released him, her mean face instantly replaced by a mischievous glint in her eye. A silent, playful 'stop it'.
He took that as a challenge. He slid his hand around her hip to her front. He fumbled for a second with the button on her trousers. It was old and loose. It popped open easily.
With a quick, decisive movement, he plunged his hand inside.
The back of his hand scraped against the rough fabric, and then he was in. The air was trapped and hot, and her skin was impossibly soft. He felt the wiry, untrimmed tangle of her pubic hair, a thick, wild bush that tickled his palm.
His fingers sank into it, searching. He found her slit, a wet, hot valley between her plump outer lips. She was already damp, a slick wetness coating the entrance.
Against his leg, a powerful erection strained against the rough fabric of his own trousers, a painful, throbbing testament to his excitement.
This was Anna. He was inside her pants. He felt dizzy, his own control starting to fray.
He pushed his middle finger forward, parting the soft folds. The wetness was incredible. It coated his finger as he slid it just inside her, teasing the tight, velvety entrance.
She was so small, so hot.
As his fingers explored her, feeling the slick, sensitive flesh, her free hand, the one not crushing his, began to move. It drifted down between their bodies, a hesitant, questing thing. It found the hard ridge of his erection.
Her fingers closed around him through the cloth, her grip surprisingly firm.
A bolt of pure, white-hot pleasure shot through him. He bit back a groan. Her touch was hesitant at first, then more confident, squeezing him, stroking his length through the thick material.
His own fingers grew bolder. He found the small, hard nub of her clit hidden in its nest of hair and began to rub it with his thumb in small, insistent circles.
At the same time, he pushed his middle finger a little deeper inside her, just a knuckle, stretching her, filling her.
"Oi, what's this?" the first guard said. The sound was closer now. "Well, well. Look what the lady of the house threw away."
August froze, his fingers still working their magic.
Shit did they see us!?
He risked a look up over the edge of the garbage pile. One of the guards was holding up a pair of lacy, black panties between his thumb and forefinger, examining them like a prize.
He looked back down at Anna. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her teeth biting her lower lip. Her hand was still wrapped around his cock, squeezing in time with his own tempo.
Damnit. I'll need to get my hands free to use Mimic.
"Look at that," the second guard chuckled. "Barely a scrap of silk. I should take this. The captain's wife would look good in it. Or maybe just look good getting out of it."
Anna moaned. It was louder this time, a clear, breathy note of pure pleasure that cut through the alley's silence. Her hips gave a small, involuntary thrust against his hand, driving his finger deeper inside her.
Not now Anna! Save your moans for later!
August's blood ran cold. He panicked. Acting on pure instinct, he lunged forward and crushed his mouth against hers, smothering the sound.
It worked. Her moan died in her throat, replaced by a muffled gasp of surprise. Her lips were soft and tasted faintly of dust and something uniquely her.
But it was the final trigger.
The moment his lips touched hers, her whole body went rigid. A violent shudder ripped through her, a powerful, electric wave of pure sensation. Her inner muscles clenched around his fingers, a tight, rhythmic pulsing that squeezed him with surprising strength.
Then, with a strangled cry muffled against his mouth, she let go. A hot, slick gush of her fluids flooded his hand, soaking his fingers and palm, dripping down his wrist.
The musky, sweet scent of her climax filled the small space around them, overwhelming the smell of dust and perfume.
The guards' voices began to fade. "Nah, leave it. If the captain finds out you're shagging his wife he'll cut your prick off. Let's go. There's no dust here."
Their footsteps crunched on the gravel, moving away, until the alley was silent again.
August started to pull back, but Anna's hand shot up to the back of his neck, holding him in place.
Then, her tongue pushed past his lips and into his mouth. It was a wet, hot, and clumsy invasion, a desperate, greedy kiss that sent a bolt of lightning straight to his groin.
She pulled away, leaving him breathless. She stared at him for a second, her face flushed a deep, pinkish red, her lips swollen and wet. Then she grabbed his arm and pulled. "Come on."
She scrambled out of the garbage pile and he followed, tumbling onto the grimy ground. She immediately turned away from him, yanking her hand from his pants and fumbling to do up her button.
His own hand was soaked, her scent clinging to his skin.
The silence that fell between them was a thick, heavy thing, more suffocating than the pile of trash. He had never seen her like this. She was usually so cool and in control.
Now, she wouldn't even look at him.
His eyes scanned the ground, desperate for a distraction. He spotted the lacy black underwear the guard had dropped. An idea, stupid and brilliant, hit him. He had to break this horrible, awkward tension.
"You know," he said, trying to sound casual and jokey. "Forget the dresses and dented goblets. We should just sell these. We could start a whole new business. 'August's Lewd Lingerie'. We'd make a fortune."
He expected her to call him an idiot. To tell him to focus. He expected her usual sharp, business-like tone to cut through the awkwardness and put them back on familiar ground.
Instead, she spun around, her face even redder than before. "Yeah! That's... that's a great idea!" she said, her voice high and flustered. "A really great idea! I'll... I'll start sorting. Over here. I'll start picking out the merchandise now."
She practically ran to the other side of the garbage pile and began digging through it with a frantic, unnecessary energy, her back pointedly toward him.
August watched her go, his stomach twisting into a cold knot. He had messed up. Badly. He had pushed too far, crossed a line, and now he had broken the one good thing he had. He had to fix it.
He just had no idea how.