Victor wiped the blood from his hands with a rag one of Selene's guards handed him as they walked. The noblewoman moved ahead, flanked by two of her men, their footfalls silent against the ground. The rest stayed behind to clean up the warehouse. No bodies would be found, no trace of the three dead sellswords. Business as usual.
The guards led them to a tavern on the edge of the noble district, a place with faded gilt lettering and a freshly swept entrance. It should have been bustling this late, but the door opened to an unnaturally quiet common room. Empty tankards still sat on tables, half-finished meals abandoned. Selene had cleared the place.
No patrons. No witnesses.
They ascended the narrow staircase, the wood creaking beneath their steps. The guards stopped at the top, standing rigid as Selene gestured toward an oak door at the end of the hall.
"Inside."
The room was lit by a single candelabra. A narrow bed, a table with two chairs, a washbasin. No windows. No escape if someone barred the door. Victor glanced back at it, still open, but Selene shook her head, and the last guard stepped out, pulling it shut with a soft click.
Victor took one of the chairs, spinning it around to straddle it backward, arms resting on the backrest. Selene watched him, her expression unreadable.
"You've got my attention," he said. "Now tell me what you actually want."
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stepped closer, her silk skirts brushing against the chair legs. Then, with deliberate slowness, she settled onto his lap, facing him.
Her fingertips grazed his jaw.
"You put on such a good show," she murmured, thumb tracing the line of his lower lip. Her scent, something expensive, floral with an edge of spice, warmed in the small space between them.
He didn't move. Didn't lean away. Just watched her, waiting.
"That wasn't the plan," he said.
"Plans change." Her lips curved, slowly.
Victor exhaled through his nose. This wasn't just about whatever job she had in mind anymore.
Selene's breath hitched, just slightly, as she leaned in. Her mouth met his, warm and insistent.
For a second, he let it happen. Let her set the pace. Then, with a sharp exhale, he gripped her waist and pulled her tighter against him.
She made a noise, something between surprise and approval, as he deepened the kiss, his free hand sliding into the silver strands of her hair. The pins holding them up came loose, and it tumbled in loose waves around them.
Selene broke away first, her lips damp, pupils dilated. The flush on her cheeks had nothing to do with artifice now.
Selene's fingers worked the fastenings of her dress with ease, the silk pooling around her hips before she let it slide to the floor. The candlelight caught the curves of her body, the swell of her breasts, the dip of her waist, the softness of her thighs.
Victor exhaled sharply through his nose.
He stood, hands settling on her waist, fingers pressing into soft skin as he lifted her onto the edge of the table. The wood groaned beneath her weight. She didn't resist, didn't protest, just watched him with hooded eyes, lips parted.
Victor knelt between her legs, gripping her thighs to spread them wider. Her scent hit him first, warm, heady. Gently he drew his tongue up her slit.
Selene gasped, fingers knotting in his hair.
He didn't tease. Didn't waste time. He pressed his mouth to her, tongue circling her clit before dipping lower, tasting her properly. She arched against him, breath coming faster now, thighs trembling under his grip.
"Fuck-" Her voice was ragged.
Victor smirked against her skin but didn't slow. He curled two fingers inside her, crooking them just enough to make her jerk. Her nails scraped his scalp.
Selene's hips rolled against his mouth, chasing the sensation. He let her, let her ride his tongue until her breath stuttered, until her thighs clenched around his head-
Then he pulled back.
She made a noise, half protest, half frustration, but he stood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You're not done," she hissed.
Victor smirked. "No." He unbuckled his belt. "Not even close."
Selene's eyes darkened. Her tongue flicked over her bottom lip.
The leather sliding free with a whisper of friction. His trousers pooled at his feet, kicked aside without ceremony. Selene's gaze dropped, lingering, not just looking, but assessing, like she was tallying up every detail.
He stepped between her spread thighs, gripping her hips and dragging her forward until she teetered on the edge of the table. The wood groaned beneath her weight.
Selene exhaled sharply through her nose, fingers tightening on his shoulders. "You're stalling."
Victor smirked. He palmed himself, stroking once, twice, just to watch her pupils dilate further. Then he gripped her waist and pushed in without preamble.
Selene arched, her breath catching. Her nails bit into his skin, but she didn't look away. Didn't close her eyes. She held his gaze like a challenge.
Victor exhaled through clenched teeth. She was tight, too tight, the kind of tension that spoke of restraint, not inexperience. He rocked deeper, savoring the way her body resisted before yielding.
"Tell me," he murmured, voice rough. "It seem, you patiently waited for such opportunity"
Selene's lips curled. "Wouldn't you like to know."
He thrusted harder, knocking a gasp from her throat. Her hips jerked, trying to match his rhythm, but he pinned her down, controlling the pace.
"Answer."
Her laugh was breathless. "Months."
Victor stilled. Then he leaned in, lips brushing her ear. "Liar."
Selene shuddered.
He pulled out almost completely, watching her face as he pushed back in, this time slowly. Her breath hitched.
"You don't engage much with your betrothed don't you?"
Her fingers dug into his biceps. "It's complicated."
Victor hummed. "Pity." He snapped his hips forward, driving a choked moan from her lips. "Guess I'll have to make up for lost time."
Selene's thighs trembled around him. She was warm, slick, her body clenching around him like it was trying to pull him deeper. He let her, let her take him to the hilt before withdrawing again, dragging it out until her nails scored his back.
"Victor-"
He smirked. "Say it again."
She bared her teeth. "Fuck you."
He obliged.
Victor hauled her closer, angling her hips until every thrust punched the air from her lungs. Selene's head tipped back, silver hair spilling over the edge of the table. Her breasts rose with every ragged breath, the flush on her skin deepening.
He could feel her tightening around him, her body coiling toward release. Victor slowed, just enough to make her groan in frustration.
"Don't stop-"
"Why?" He nipped her collarbone. "You gonna beg?"
Selene's eyes flashed. Then she hooked a leg around his waist and rolled, flipping them with surprising strength until Victor's back hit the table. She straddled him, sinking down with a sharp gasp.
"No," she breathed.
She rode him with slow, grinding rolls of her hips, her nails tracing his chest, his throat. Victor let her take control, for now. His hands settled on her waist, thumbs brushing the underside of her breasts.
Selene's rhythm stuttered when he pinched her nipples, her breath coming faster. She leaned down, her lips crashed into his as she ground down, her body shuddering around him. Victor groaned into her mouth, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips as pleasure coiled low in his gut. He was close, too close, and Selene knew it. The smirk playing at the corners of her swollen lips said as much.
She lifted herself almost completely off him, glistening in the candlelight, breath coming in ragged gasps. Victor's jaw clenched as he fought to hold back.
"Don't even think about it," she whispered, nails scraping down his chest.
Like hell.
Victor seized her waist and flipped them both again, pinning her beneath him with a growl. Selene gasped as the table creaked dangerously under their combined weight, but she didn't fight him. Her legs hooked around his hips, drawing him deeper.
He set a brutal pace, each snap of his hips wrenching a gasp or moan from her throat. Selene arched beneath him, her fingers clawing at the wood beneath her, struggling to grip something as pleasure took over.
Victor's breath came in sharp rasps. He could feel the heat coiling tighter, pressure building. Selene keened beneath him, her back bowing as her thighs trembled.
"Kaiser-" His name was half gasped, half whimper.
He pulled out at the last second, spilling himself across her stomach in hot, uneven stripes. A choked moan tore from her as her own climax hit, her body clenching around nothing, trembling through the aftershocks.
Victor exhaled sharply, watching as her fingers griped the table, her breath still unsteady. Sweat glistened on her collarbone, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
For a long moment, the only sound was their breathing, the occasional drip of wax from the candelabra.