Daryl was a high-flying thrill-seeker, her hair constantly mussed by the wind, her hands callused and often stained with grease, but the ease with which she moved in a ballgown and could exchange her full-throated laugh for a demure titter betrayed her Jidoorian roots. The daughter of a wealthy couple who perished in a shipwreck when she was only in her teens, Daryl had taken her share of the family fortune and invested it in airships and adventure and business enterprises that failed as often as they succeeded. She refused to be confined by her class and the social expectations thereof and vowed to live the kind of life her parents never dared to.
Still, she returned to Jidoor every now and then, to patronize the Opera House or to scope out potential investors for her next venture, to keep old contacts updated and engaged, and to refamiliarize her palate with the tastes of her childhood. She kept her banter light and amicable, her ears tuned to fresh gossip, and her eyes on the man she'd arrived with, whether from across the room or inches from his face.
Though Setzer hadn't been born into luxury, he'd worked his way there through charm and wit and shrewd decisions and was just as much at home among the marble and crystal as he was in the cabin of an airship, possibly even more so than Daryl. Tonight, he looked particularly striking in a simple black tuxedo, his hair pulled into a low ponytail. Without the bulk of his usual overcoat, his silhouette was lean and lithe, so close to the Setzer Daryl knew in intimate moments that she couldn't help but notice the pressure building low in her stomach and traveling farther downward with each little movement of her body. He smiled at her through the crowd and raised his glass, and try as she might, she could not disengage from her current conversation and reach him before the music started up.
"Care to dance, m'lady?" Eldhorn, a tall, bespectacled man of about fifty, and owner of the mansion in which they were gathered, bowed deeply and offered Daryl his hand. She gave a strained, polite smile and accepted, noticing that Setzer had chosen a partner for himself, as well.
The musicians played a lively tune, and when Eldhorn swept her out toward the center of the dancefloor, Setzer was quick to follow. And so, for the duration of the song, he and Daryl turned and swayed within paces of one another, aware of the keen effect this proximity had on their bodies. At one point, Daryl caught Setzer's gaze, smoldering with his own unique mixture of playfulness and desire. In response, she tipped her head back, exposing the length of her throat down to the tops of her breasts, and parted her lips slightly. He cocked a brow and ran the tip of his tongue over his upper lip, even as the woman dancing with him fought to suppress a laugh.
Once the song ended, Daryl and Setzer each excused themselves from their partners and joined each other for the next dance.
"What was that about?" Setzer asked as they began to move to a slower tune. "Flaunting your lovely self like that? There are so many older men here; you could have stopped their hearts outright."
"Just reminding you of what you were missing." She slipped her hand beneath his ponytail and traced a finger up the back of his neck. He shivered. "Why didn't you cut in?"
"Well, I wouldn't want to be rude."
"You, rude?" she laughed. "You have a silver tongue, Setzer. You could murder someone and talk your way out of it."
"I'd rather not test your theory. But you've caught me: I wasn't being completely honest."
"Oh?"
"I didn't cut in because I wanted to enjoy the view." His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her closer. "See, from here, I can't see you get lost in the music. I can't see the way your hair swings across your back, or the delightful sway of your hips." To accentuate his point, he slid his hand down to her hips and pulled them flush against his. Though it was impossible to tell for sure through the full skirt of her gown, Daryl swore she felt his cock, already hard, straining against his trousers. She choked out a laugh as they continued to move to the melody, hips brushing against one another's, far too close to be socially acceptable, even for an established couple.
And she didn't care one bit.
"But from here," she said, pressing her chest against his and throwing her shoulders back to pull down the bodice of her dress, "you get an even better view."
"Can't argue with that." His eyes, momentarily captured by her cleavage, returned to hers, dark and already glazed with want, igniting the same desire in her, sending all the heat in her body to that space between her legs, softening her knees and causing both of them to lose the rhythm of the music. They stumbled through the remainder of the song, both stifling giddy laughter and decadent sighs, then hurried off the dancefloor before anyone else could ask to dance.
The ballroom opened to a loggia overlooking the formal garden, and, taking Setzer by the hand, Daryl led him into the shadows between the arches, next to a statue of some classical personification, then pressed him back against the wall and kissed him hard. Setzer eagerly reciprocated, sliding his tongue into her mouth to taste and stroke hers, running his hands all over her body. At one point, he caught the end of her ponytail and gave it a gentle tug, angling her face closer to his and drawing a lush moan from her throat.
She pulled away, breathless. "Look at you," she said, moving back in to nip at his lower lip, his jaw, his neck, all while allowing her hand to travel slowly down his torso, "I was afraid you might erupt right there, on the dancefloor."
"If that song had lasted a moment longer, I might have." He captured her lips again. "You still don't understand the effect you have on me."
"Oh, I can hazard a guess." With a wicked grin, Daryl slid her hand up under his cummerbund, then down the front of his trousers to cup his cock. The heat of his skin sent shivers through her body, and his enraptured expression sent a shock straight to her clit. She squirmed, trying to douse her own fire while she tended to him.
"You might have a way with words," she went on, "but your body gives you away." She squeezed his shaft and drew a sharp whimper from him, then raised herself on tiptoe and placed her mouth next to his ear. "And your eyes! So intense, so desperate, so wanting." Tracing the tip of her tongue along the edge of his ear, she gave him another squeeze. He rolled his hips into her hand and groaned, and she quickly muffled him with another kiss.
Music drifted out of the ballroom, and she moved her hand along his length in time with it, not stopping even when an indistinct conversation grew louder, then faded away. Setzer muttered a curse through gritted teeth and placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder, trying to push her down, indicating exactly what he wanted her to do.
She gave him one last tug before dropping to her knees, pulling his trousers and underclothes along and freeing his cock. She licked the tip, already moist with precome, quickly and lightly, once, twice, feeling the tremors run through Setzer's body. He placed a hand on her head and tried to push her closer, but she resisted, muscles built from years of working on airships more than a match for his desperate grasping.
"Now, be nice," she chided, then circled his tip with her tongue. "Good things come to those who wait."
"I can't," he choked out, fingers curling in her hair. She would definitely need to adjust her hairstyle before heading back in, now. "I can't wait!"
"Well, why didn't you say so?" With that, she opened her mouth and lunged forward, taking him in. She ran the tip of her tongue along the underside of his shaft, then tightened her lips around him and sucked hard. He bit back a cry, then released it in a shuddering sigh. She sucked again, then pulled back to his tip before sliding down, delighted at the muffled sounds Setzer was making, at the way he palmed and grabbed at her hair. She increased her rhythm incrementally, matching it to that of the music for a time, before Setzer's grip on her tightened and he began to buck into her mouth.
She took this as a challenge.
Digging her nails into Setzer's hips, she matched his pace and punctuated it with a few hard sucks, reminding him exactly who was fucking whom. Setzer cursed again, his own fingernails pressing into her scalp, and moaned, not quite loudly enough to rise above the music.
"That's it," he panted. "That's it. Almost…Daryl…Daryl!"
Drawing out her name, he thrust once more and stiffened, releasing into her mouth. Daryl gave a muffled squeal as his semen splashed onto her tongue, swallowing what he offered and licking him clean afterwards. Wiping stray driblets off her chin, she looked up and found him slumped against the wall, eyes closed, chest heaving. She pulled his trousers back up, gently tucking his cock into them and giving it an affectionate pat, then rose, suddenly all too aware of her own unresolved desire.
"I hope you don't intend to sleep out here," she teased, straightening his tie and fixing his lapels.
He kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Sleep? Perish the thought! The night is still young."
"I'm glad to hear you say that." She pulled him forward and turned them both around, then leaned back against the cool stone wall and lifted her skirt just above her knees. "Because you still have work to do."
"Here?"
"Why not? I can be quiet. Quieter than you were, at least."
"Oh, that is it, m'lady! Challenge accepted!" He sank to his knees and pulled her full skirt over his head. She shivered as his hands traveled up her legs, along her thighs and around the back to grab her buttocks. His breath ghosted along her skin, hot and light, and she choked back a cry when he kissed his way up one thigh. He paused when he reached her crotch, and her underclothes already soaked with lust, as if deciding on his next move, then pressed the flat of his tongue against the fabric and licked, long and slow, along her slit. Daryl gritted her teeth as he repeated the gesture several times, his hands sliding up to her hips, fingers hooking into the waistband of her underclothes and pulling them down.
He did not immediately get to work on her, however, instead letting his fingers trace designs along her buttocks and hips, and mumbling words she couldn't make out against the inside of her thighs. Daryl squirmed at this tease, pushing herself closer to him, but he only drew away, laughing. His hand drifted down one leg to the back of her knee, where he pressed gently to get her to bend it, then slid her underclothes off her ankle and positioned her leg over his shoulder. He returned to her sweet spot via another trail of kisses, but when he reached it this time, he wasted no time in giving her what she wanted.
He pushed his tongue into her, slowly and firmly, probing the wet heat between her legs and causing her knees to weaken with the sensation. She gasped and braced herself against the wall as he withdrew only to plunge into her again, a little bit harder. The interval between licks shortened until his ministrations took up a staccato rhythm, and Daryl grasped at the statue with one hand to steady herself, while biting on the knuckles of her other hand to keep quiet. Still, he continued, interspersing his thrusts with long, luxurious strokes that lapped up her flowing juices.
She was already trembling when one of those strokes traveled all the way to the front and he latched onto her clit and sucked hard. The unexpected sensation forced a husky grunt from her throat, which threatened to rise in pitch to a full squeal as he continued to suck and circle her sensitive nub with his tongue. Daryl bit her lower lip and thrashed her head from side to side, desperate to cry out, but just as determined to prove she could restrain herself. When she bucked her hips toward his mouth, he stopped what he was doing for a moment to laugh, and the vibrations traveling through her nearly pushed her over the edge. She hung on, however, for what felt like an eternity longer, until he gently captured her clit between his teeth and flicked at it with the tip of his tongue.
"Setzer!" His name tore from her throat in a strangled whisper, and no amount of laughing or support could stop the wild movement of her hips, her head flung against the wall and eyes rolled back, a low, stuttering groan coming from her mouth. As her orgasm ebbed, her bones seemed to soften, and she slumped back, but spasmed again as Setzer availed himself of the opportunity to further stimulate her. He did not linger, though, and soon helped her slip back into her underclothes before emerging from beneath her skirt.
Daryl, meanwhile, adjusted her bodice and smoothed her hair, feeling the heat retreat from her face and leave the threat of post-coital drowsiness in its wake. She looked at Setzer, hair mussed, tie askew, and smirked.
"See?" she said, straightening his tie again. "Quieter than you. I win."
"I don't think that's entirely fair," he replied, gathering his hair into a fresh ponytail. "I couldn't exactly hear you from down there. Certainly not well enough to judge."
"Then you can't say I've lost, either."
"No, but I do believe we should call this a draw."
"To be settled later?"
"Precisely."
She kissed the last of her essence off his lips, then licked her own. "You're going to regret that," she said, then turned and strolled back toward the ballroom, swinging her hips with each step.
She had barely entered the ballroom when Eldhorn spotted her and weaved his way through the crowd, champagne glass held high to avoid spillage. "There you are, Daryl," he said, smiling, "we were afraid you and your gentleman friend might have left already."
As if on cue, Setzer entered the ballroom behind her, and she grasped his arm and pulled him close. "No, Setzer and I only stepped out for some air, and to admire your garden. It's lovely in the moonlight."
"It is, isn't it?" Eldhorn turned to Setzer. "Gabbiani, my man, I wanted to talk to you. Your idea of mobile casino…how profitable is it? How do you sort out taxes? Do you even pay any? Come on, speak up, you've got yourself a flying goldmine of a concept here." Eldhorn slid his arm around Setzer's shoulder and led him away, to a group of businessmen along the far wall. Setzer cast a pleading look over his shoulder, and Daryl responded with a wink, plucking a glass of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter and taking a long, satisfying sip.
* * *
"I honestly feared that man would never stop talking," Setzer said as he and Daryl left Jidoor behind for the field in which the Falcon was anchored. "Every time I moved to excuse myself, he thought up a new question, or called over yet another associate. It's a good thing we didn't bring the Blackjack, or he'd still be following me."
"You ought to be flattered. Eldhorn's approval is rare, especially for those outside of his circle. You could be on the path toward untold riches."
"But at what cost? Catching glimpses of you from across the room, melting beneath your smile, watching you sway in the arms of other men, the feel of your flesh beneath my fingers but a sweet memory?"
"Such dramatics."
"You at least pretended they all were me, didn't you?"
Daryl slowly met his gaze and held it for a second longer than necessary. "Oh, but of course," she said, noticing that her answer did nothing to resolve the tension in Setzer's expression. In fact, his eyes only darkened with lust at her reply.
"And what else were you thinking while they held you?"
She smirked. "Things that are better demonstrated than told."
"Ah, so I see the rest of my night is settled. So much for making an early start for South Figaro."
"South Figaro? Why do you want to go there?"
"Your talkative friend hinted at a few business leads. Nothing terribly urgent, but interesting, nonetheless."
"I'd rather hoped to go to Albrook." Daryl dropped a handful of gil into the waiting palm of the Jidoorian man she'd hired to guard the airship. "I've heard Brumley's shop has got hold of another load of Vector salvage; there may be parts I can use to improve the Falcon."
"You have a single-minded drive, don't you?" Setzer stepped aside to let her mount the ladder. She placed a foot on the first rung, then leaned back and pulled his tie loose.
"Double-minded," she corrected him. "Airships only consume half my thoughts. Besides, you said your business wasn't urgent. We can fly to South Figaro from Albrook."
"Or," Setzer offered, following her up to the Falcon's deck, "we could make this interesting."
"Need I remind you we already have a standing challenge?"
"Scratch it." He stepped close and drew a finger along the lace trim of her bodice, purposely allowing it to drift over her skin. "I propose a new challenge: whichever of us wakes up first decides our next destination."
Daryl arched an eyebrow and leaned into his touch. "Are you sure that's wise?"
"You underestimate me."
"You overestimate yourself. I'm going to wear you out." She reached around him and gave his buttocks a hard squeeze, drawing a quiet yelp from him. Then, laughing, she flung open the hatch and ran downstairs, toward the bedroom far below deck, Setzer hot on her heels. He caught up to her at the bedroom door, spinning her around and kissing her, pushing her back against the cold metal as his tongue worked its way past her lips and teeth, seeking and finding her own. She moaned into his mouth and pulled his jacket off his shoulders, then kept her hands busy working at the buttons on his shirt. Once she had it open to his cummerbund, she broke the kiss and moved her mouth to his chest, licking and biting his skin, pushing the fabric aside and tugging at his nipples. His gasps encouraged her, and she closed her lips around one nipple, sucking and nibbling, then pulling free to blow on it. Setzer growled out nonsense and sagged against the door, and Daryl used this opportunity to turn around and open it.
She caught him as he stumbled across the threshold, then pushed him onto the bed. "Do you still think this challenge was wise?" she asked, hiking up her skirt and clambering onto his lap.
"Absolutely." He bucked his hips hard enough to make her bounce, then rolled over so that he was on top of her. "A good gambler never makes a bet he doesn't stand a good chance of winning." He rose to his knees and, in the dim light afforded by the high, narrow window, she watched as he undid his cummerbund and folded it in half lengthwise, considering it with more interest than any accessory warranted. Then, with a wicked grin, he laid it over her eyes, and Daryl cursed herself for not having this idea first.
"This feels suspiciously like cheating," she said, but raised her head to allow him to tie the ends of the cummerbund, nonetheless.
"There can be no cheating where there are no rules, love," Setzer murmured, the tickle of his breath and lips against her ear sending ripples of desire through her body. He wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly sat her up, then got to work on the multitude of fastenings down the back of her bodice, celebrating the completion of this task by trailing a single fingertip up along her spine, from the small of her back to the nape of her neck, lighting up all of Daryl's nerves along the way and drawing a shuddering sigh from her.
"Wear me out," he chuckled. "Look at you, practically come undone from my touch alone."
"Don't get your hopes up. You're going to have to work much harder than this."
"I intend to."
A sharp tug on her ponytail pulled Daryl's head back and exposed her throat to the heat of Setzer's mouth as he slipped the sleeves of her gown down her arms and peeled away her bodice. The air in the bedroom was cold against her sweaty skin, and her nipples tightened of their own accord. The bodice now bunched at her waist, anticipation coiled in Daryl's stomach, and she arched toward Setzer, desperate to feel his hands, his tongue, his teeth anywhere on the flesh he'd just revealed. He refused to indulge her, however, instead grasping her waist through the fabric of the dress and laying her back against the pillows. He said nothing, but Daryl could feel his gaze raking over her, and when the mattress shifted and she heard the nightstand drawer slide open, her pulse quickened.
That drawer was their treasure trove of delights, many acquired in their travels and put to work the moment they set foot back on the airship, then fished out again and again as their fancies demanded. Silk and feathers, metal and glass—an array of pleasures spread out at their fingertips, and from the sound of objects being laid on the nightstand, Daryl knew Setzer was considering them all. She heard the sound of a match striking, and the smell of a burning wick reached her nostrils; still, Setzer had not moved.
Moments later, the brush of cool silk against her wrist brought a smile to her face and a cascade of mischievous thoughts to her mind. As Setzer worked to tie the silk around her wrists, she turned toward him and playfully nipped at his arms. Sometimes she caught the skin, sometimes a mouthful of fabric, but most often, she was left clicking her teeth at thin air, much to his amusement.
"You're not getting out of this that easily," he said, chuckling and finishing the knot at her wrist. "I am well prepared to win this challenge."
"I'm not trying to get out of anything. I'm simply reminding you that I'm a force to be reckoned with, even while restrained."
"We'll see about that." He tied her other wrist, then let his hands wander down her arms, down the sides of her breasts, down her ribs to her waist, where he began to pull her dress over her hips and free of her legs, then discarded it with an audible whump.
"Did you just toss my dress onto the floor?" Daryl asked. "It'll get dirty!"
"Not as dirty as you'll get right here, my dearest."
She gasped when he slipped a hand between her legs and rubbed hard, encouraging her juices to flow with each stroke, winding the tension inside her tighter. She raised her hips and clamped her legs shut around him, grinding against his touch. Through the fabric of her underclothes, his finger pressed against her opening and she let out a breathy laugh.
"Yes," she said, "right there, now! Take off the pants, move them aside, just touch me there, deeper!"
Setzer jabbed his finger forward and swirled it, fabric and all, just inside of her as she clenched her muscles to draw him farther in. "I could," he said, fiddling at her waistband with his free hand, "but where would be the fun in that? We have all night, and I plan to make the most of it." He pulled his hand from between her legs and worked her underclothes off her body, ignoring her irritated huff. But the sudden rush of cool air against her moist heat sent a delicious shiver through her body, and she settled back against the pillows and waited for him to make his next move.
She didn't have to wait long. There was a rustling of fabric, the sound of objects being moved on the nightstand, and then a drop of warm oil fell on her inner arm, rolling over the curve and onto the sheets.
"How is it?" Setzer asked softly. "Too hot?"
Daryl shook her head. "No," she breathed, her skin tingling in anticipation, "it's perfect."
The stream of oil across her breasts was pure bliss, warm enough to excite but not so hot as to burn. Setzer drizzled some more down her abdomen, and with an arch of her spine, Daryl sent it slipping down her skin, slowly, luxuriously, to pool in her navel, humming at the sensation. Her hums became moans as Setzer spread the oil over her breasts and began kneading them, digging his fingertips into her flesh, pinching and tugging at her nipples, sliding his hands over her ribs and her stomach, her hips and thighs, stopping tantalizingly close to her sex before returning to her breasts en route to her arms. She writhed beneath him, calling out his name, and he responded by dousing her with a fresh stream of oil and lowering himself onto her.
He kissed her deeply, languorously, while he brought his chest down against hers and began to slide against her, his taut muscles and ragged scars rippling over her soft flesh, his hardened nipples roughly grazing her own. Still, he made no move to enter her, so she raised her hips to find his cock, already fully erect, and slid herself up and down the underside of his shaft several times before he groaned into her mouth and tried to move out of her reach. She wrapped her legs around his waist and caught his lip between her teeth as he broke the kiss.
"Don't," she mumbled. "Don't stop. I need it. I need to feel all of you."
"You will," he replied, his voice ragged with lust, "but not yet. There's so much more I've left to do with you."
"Is that a promise, or a threat?"
"A bit of both." His fingertips skimmed down her abdomen, electrifying her blood and sending it coursing between her legs to leave her entrance even slicker than her oiled breasts, her clit swollen and throbbing. She trembled as he dragged the backs of his fingernails along her inner thighs, and she tugged at her restraints to push herself toward his hand. He laughed, low and throaty, then parted her folds and slid a finger inside her, meeting no resistance at all. Encouraged by this, he added another finger and pushed in farther, and Daryl let loose an impatient growl.
"Finally," she spat, though her lips were stretched in a smile. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten what to do."
"Never." He curled his fingers inside her, finding one of her most sensitive spots. She moaned and wriggled against his hand. "I'd never forget this sweet spot, or the look it brings to your face." Her moans increased in volume, interspersed with obscenities, as he moved his fingers in and out of her, flexing them at just the right angle even as he increased his pace. She pushed her hips forward to meet his thrusts, her breathing quick and shallow as she careened toward the edge of pleasure. If only she could reach her clit, if only he would touch it, she was certain she would come right there, with enough force to shake the bed, if not the entire airship. With enough power to pull the stars down from the sky.
But he denied her. The moment her thighs began to quiver, he ceased his movements and withdrew his fingers.
"Setzer," she cried, "what are you doing? Why did you stop? I was so close…oh gods, it was going to be marvelous! Touch me, now, Setzer. Touch me, my love, and give me release!" He didn't answer. "Setzer! Touch me, dammit!"
"I know." His voice came from the far end of the room. "I know you were close; you've got an easy tell."
"Then why did you stop?" She crossed her legs and rubbed them together, hoping to finish what he'd started. The friction felt good, but…not quite the same as his hands or his mouth.
"I was close, too. Too close." His voice drew near again, and he sat on the bed and set something heavy on the nightstand. "I don't want this to be over so soon. We've only just begun." He swallowed hard. "Take a moment and breathe, dearest. The best is yet to come."
"Come being the operative word. Will that happen at all, tonight?"
"Oh, yes. I wouldn't dream of leaving you unfulfilled—"
She snorted.
"—for any longer than it takes to get my own matters…under control. You're looking rather parched, love. Perhaps you'd like a sip of wine, to slake your thirst." He pressed the rim of a wineglass against her lower lip, and the scent of the wine, heady and sweet, traveled straight to Daryl's brain, the promise of its taste blotting out her whatever snide remark she'd prepared. She nodded and parted her lips, and he slid a hand behind her head to raise it, then tilted the glass until she was able to drink. The wine was warm and pungent, having sat out since the night before, but it satisfied her thirst. She swallowed as much as she could, and Setzer licked away what dribbled from the corners of her mouth and down her chin. The fire between her legs growing hotter by the second, she leaned forward and captured Setzer's mouth in a hungry, lascivious kiss, stroking his tongue with her own, desperate to diminish the distance between them in other ways as well.
"Ready to get back to business?" she purred once he'd pulled away.
Another gulp told her he'd downed the last of the wine. "But of course! I think you'll enjoy what I've got planned for you next." Once again, the weight shifted on the bed. Setzer's hands traveled up Daryl's legs, from her ankles to her hips, before he slid them around to her buttocks and lifted her hips clear of the mattress. A question about what he intended to do had already formed on Daryl's lips, but came out in a luxurious squeal when pressed his hot tongue against her slit and dragged it along its length.
"Yes, oh yes! This is what I was hoping for!" She squirmed in Setzer's grasp, trying to force his tongue into the most pleasurable angle for herself. "Go on, dear, go on! Take me over that edge!"
He mumbled something against her, then pulled his mouth free. "You can't rush a quality performance." She could practically hear his wink.
"But you can drive a woman mad with teas—oh! Ohh, yes, like that!" He had abandoned licking for probing, curling the tip of his tongue inside her to lap up her generous juices. Though his tongue wasn't long enough to reach the glorious spot his fingers had caressed earlier, its warmth and texture delivered their own variety of pleasure. The tension inside Daryl grew tighter still, and she struggled to lower her hips, to bring the throbbing bundle of nerves Setzer had so cruelly neglected right into the center of his view.
"Setzer," she whined, "go higher, higher! My clit…lick it, touch it, do something! Setzer, I wanna come! I need to come!"
He gave her slit one long, final lick, then lowered her hips back onto the bed. "As do I, love, more desperately than you know. But only when the time is right."
She flung her head back against the pillows. "Time?" she screeched. "What are you talking about?"
"Have you already forgotten our little deal? I promised to wear you out. If I let you come, you'll just bounce back—incredibly quickly, I might add—and I'll be on the losing end." He planted kisses down her leg, through her silk stocking. "You are a force of nature, a tempest at sea. There's not a man alive who can handle everything you offer."
"That's not my problem."
"Certainly, it's not. It's mine, and what a delightful problem to have! I've often wondered how I ever got so lucky."
"You don't believe in luck."
"In gambling, no." He brushed her hair back from her temple and kissed her there, then moved to her cheek, her jaw, her neck. "But in love, there is no other explanation."
Daryl smiled, her competitiveness momentarily quelled by Setzer's humility, by the soft kisses he continued to press against her skin, by his hands that gently brushed over her nipples to fondle her breasts.
"Ready to continue?" he said.
She nodded.
"Great. I want to see my tempest in motion." He placed something cool and smooth against her neck, just behind her ear, and trailed it down her body, following the wake of his kisses. "I want to see your full force. I want to see you shake the stars from the sky."
By the time Daryl recognized the object as a glass dildo, Setzer had drawn it over her navel and between her legs. The tip was cold against the hot flesh of her entrance, and she couldn't suppress a shiver when Setzer pushed it into her, though whether in reaction to the cold or in anticipation of stimulation, she couldn't say.
He worked the dildo slowly, almost excruciatingly so, letting Daryl feel every degree of its curves. Though it lacked the warmth and texture of the real thing, its shape more than made up for that. Tapered at both ends and bulbous in the middle, it stretched and caressed with every movement, warming in the molten desire inside her, moving slick and easy when coated with her essence. Daryl moved her hips in time with Setzer's strokes, gradually increasing her speed in a desperate attempt to get him to do the same.
But he would not play her game, not even for a moment. His breathing became shallow, and his hand began to tremble, but still he kept up his tortuous rhythm. She moaned with each pass of the dildo's curves, loudly and wantonly, hoping that her voice might coax Setzer close enough to his own release to give her hers.
It seemed to work. With a shaky breath, he withdrew the dildo, then leaned forward and pressed it against her lips. "Here," he breathed, his voice quivering, "have a taste. Taste how delicious you are. Then wonder why I can't get enough of you."
Daryl took the dildo in her mouth and licked it clean, laughing that the taste to which she'd grown accustomed after many a solo session had such power to bring a man to his knees. Literally.
Setzer removed the dildo and kissed her for one more taste, grinding his hard cock against her slit as he did so. "I can't hold out any longer," he said. "Shall we finish this, my love?"
The notion to deny his request flashed through her mind, but her throbbing clit made the decision for her. "Yes, but on one condition."
Setzer stifled a groan. "And what is that?"
"I come first."
"Love, I'm not sure I can—"
"I. Come. First."
"Very well." He positioned himself between her hips and lifted her legs onto his shoulders. "But I won't hold back."
"I never asked you to."
"Good." The word tore from his throat as he thrust forward and plunged into her. Daryl cried out; fingers, tongue, or dildo, none compared to the heat of Setzer's cock and the way it still stretched her so wonderfully, even after years together.
"Oh gods, yes, Setzer, fuck me! Give me all you've got!"
Her encouragement spurred him on, and he pounded into her at a brutal pace, withdrawing nearly all the way only to ram back into her. He slipped out completely on two occasions, but grabbed his cock and slid back in without missing a beat and returned to his pursuit of release.
Daryl, meanwhile, filled the bedroom with luxurious moans, calling out Setzer's name, invoking a pantheon of nameless gods, and cursing like a sailor. She tried her best to match his rhythm, her breasts jiggling with each thrust, and she grasped her restraints and flung her head back onto the pillow, relishing the feeling of being filled, of being ravished, of being desired so deeply by the man she loved.
His rhythm became irregular, and she knew he was close. She reminded him, as best she could through gasps and moans and words fractured by his thrusting, of the condition she'd made, and he responded by pressing his thumb against her clit and rubbing in ever-tighter circles.
"Oh, you’ve got it! Setzer, more, please, more!" Her pride dissolved completely beneath his ministrations, and she writhed and cried and chased her release. He redoubled his efforts, stroking the length of her clit, faster and faster, winding that beautiful tension inside her tighter and tighter, until it finally snapped, and her eyes rolled back under the blindfold, and the stars came crashing down around her. She bucked her hips and screamed, convulsing from head to toe, clenching hard around Setzer's cock, as pleasure washed over her, each wave bringing with it its own storm of sensations, its own tempest.
Setzer's cries mingled with her own as he drove into her several more times before releasing inside of her. The rush of heat sent Daryl into one more wave of ecstasy, and she strained against the silk ties, convinced they were the only things holding her inside this airship, the only things preventing her from drifting up into the clouds, from pulling down the stars with her own two hands.
Panting and still twitching inside her, Setzer leaned forward and removed the cummerbund from around her eyes. She looked up into his face, tired and sweaty and half-hidden behind his hair, and smiled.
"Thank you, love," she said. "That was amazing."
"Tempest," he growled, grinning. "I did all I could to best you, but you…you know how to wear a man down."
"I told you I would."
"It was worth a shot to prove otherwise, though." He kissed her, leaning on his elbows, then withdrew and reached for her restraints. The warm tingle of blood returning to her fingertips sent one more spasm through her body, and she indulged it before sitting up and watching him pour another glass of wine. They sipped from it in silence, leaning against each other and idly rubbing the other's back. Their drink finished, they extinguished the lantern, then slipped under the covers and into one another's arms, peppering each other's faces with sleepy kisses before drifting off, their silly challenge lost in the pleasant fog of satisfaction and exhaustion.
* * *
Daryl awoke to the rumble of engines. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recognized that as a sign she had lost a bet.
"Damn." She sat up, remembering her challenge with Setzer. So, Albrook would have to wait for another time. Glancing at the nightstand, she noticed that the pleasure paraphernalia of the night before had been put away, and a basin, pitcher, and towel now stood in their place. How long had Setzer been up?
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she reached for the pitcher and poured water into the bowl. Even scented with rose petals, it was no match for the musky, feral scent that clung to her skin. Still, she cleaned as best she could and began searching for her clothes. She couldn't help laughing when she noticed not only a fresh outfit folded neatly at the foot of the bed, but also her ballgown on a hanger, hanging from a peg on the wall.
Let it never be said that Setzer Gabbiani was not a gracious winner. In fact, he often blurred the distinction between winning and losing for those he most favored.
Clean and dressed, Daryl made her way to the deck and found Setzer at the controls, in his familiar overcoat, his hair whipping in the wind. He did not hear her approach from behind and jumped when she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Good morning," she said.
He smiled. "What's left of it. It was half past ten when I left Jidoor."
"Headed to South Figaro, I presume?"
"Only for a day or two. We'll continue to Albrook from there."
Daryl frowned, then sighed dramatically. "Well, I suppose it's only fair."
"You'd best believe it."
"But I have to ask: I truly thought I'd worn you out. Was it all simply a pretense to save my pride?"
"Not at all. You did." He yawned. "I'm half-asleep even now."
"So, how come you got up so early? You did sleep, right?"
"Certainly. But the call of nature woke me." He turned toward her. "And then the strangest thing happened. I stopped at a window to see whether it was still dark, and I saw a purple sky out here, normal, save for the lack of stars. Of course, my rational mind recognizes it as the dawn, with the stars fading in the coming light of day. But at that moment, half-awake and addled with passion, my first thought was, by gods, she did it! She really brought the stars down from the sky!"
Daryl laughed. "Well, that settles it. I honestly did wear you out."
"But it didn't stop there. Suddenly, I knew I had to do something for my star-stealing woman, I had to make sure she'd have everything she ever needed."
"So, the pitcher and basin…"
"And the clothes and the dress. I didn't dare venture to make breakfast, though, lest you wake early and beat me to the controls."
A tender warmth flooded Daryl's heart, and she cupped Setzer's face with one hand, tracing his features and scars alike with her thumb, feeling incredibly fortunate to call this man her lover. She pressed her lips to his, gently, light on the passion of the night before but heavy on the affection of the everyday. "Thank you," she said, then patted his shoulder and let him turn back to the controls.
"My pleasure."
They continued to fly in silence for a while, the ocean below them stretching out on all sides as far as the eye could see. In places like these, the airship's compass was an invaluable tool. Daryl peered at the one in the control console and noticed it read ESE.
"Setzer," she said, "you're drifting off course."
He glanced at the compass and shook his head. "No, I'm not."
"South Figaro is nearly due east of Jidoor."
"But Albrook isn't."
"Setzer…"
He shook his head. "Business will still be bustling in South Figaro a few days from now; those parts you're looking for in Albrook might be gone by then. And besides, if these contacts in South Figaro are anything like Eldhorn, I'd welcome a chance to rest my ears before conversing with them."
"This isn't right. You won, fair and square."
"And the winner gets to decide the destination. I've decided that you need to take a look at whatever parts they're selling in Albrook far more than I need another dull business meeting."
"I appreciate the thought, but…now it feels like I've cheated, somehow."
He reached out and hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "What did I tell you, my love? There can be no cheating where there are no rules." His hand slid down and he gave her buttocks a quick squeeze. She yelped and returned the favor.
"If you're sure," she said, still laughing.
"Absolutely." He gave her a quick kiss, then resumed the controls. "Next stop: Albrook, for the woman who shook the stars from the sky!"