Page 33 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

Elikki and I had come here yesterday on our morning stroll, and I ended up having to stand outside as she got our treats.

Once she’d come out, a heavy bag tucked in one arm, she’d fussed over me while she dug through the baked goods.

Such a small space—they should just use a takeout window so everyone can place orders, she’d said.

And that door is ridiculously short. I barely fit through!

Good you waited out here anyway. A guy in line had terrible BO.

Then she’d passed me a braided chocolate pastry and took my other hand, weaving our fingers together and tugging me along the road with an easy smile.

I don’t know how she could tell when I’m feeling self-conscious, but she always knew what to say.

Now the bell chimed cheerily at my entrance.

A bit hunched, I took a deep breath, inhaling the comforting scents of vanilla, sugar, and yeasty bread.

The remaining baked goods of the day were laid out in baskets on the wide counter.

An elderly man shuffled out of the kitchen, and I ordered one apple strudel for me and the last big cinnamon roll for Elikki.

She’d devoured one yesterday and had declared it “the most magnificent damned pastry” she’d ever eaten.

The baker rang up my purchases and waved me out the door with a wheezy “Enjoy, sonny!” I meandered down the cobblestone street, feeling surprisingly at peace.

There was still a chill at night, but it didn’t bother me.

The air smelled fresh and crisp, even here in town, and the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow on the rooftops and windows.

A mage was scurrying along, lighting the lampposts on each street with yellow-orange flameless fire.

More and more townsfolk walked to and fro, heading home after work or to the pubs for an evening drink and some entertainment.

It was week’s end. Tomorrow was a Resting Day, when most folks took off from work and relaxed or shopped or visited the bathhouse. Elikki was planning to set up a stall and sell her jewelry down in the main square.

As I thought of it, the memory of the first time I saw her flashed in my mind. She was so charming and vivacious—to me, it seemed like she drew everyone in her radius in toward her booth with sheer charisma. I couldn’t wait to see her back in action tomorrow.

My steps quickened as I approached our inn. It was still relatively quiet inside, just a handful of patrons and a fiddler tuning their instrument in a corner. I stopped by the bar for a large pint of cloudy cider—Elikki’s favorite—before making my way to our room.

My stomach buzzed when I drew closer, as it always did when I was near El.

I unlocked the door, then entered quietly in case she was still focusing on her magework.

But she was slumped in one of the large armchairs by the fireplace, eyes closed and face a bit drawn.

I set everything down and knelt, softly petting her hair and rubbing my thumb across her forehead the way that she liked. Elikki let out a long, tired groan.

“I could sleep for a week ,” she said, sliding down farther in the chair. “Today’s casting really took it out of me.”

I pulled the bakery bag closer and opened it up. After a moment, Elikki cracked one eyelid open.

“I smell sugar,” she said, lips curving into a small smile.

“Have enough energy for a little treat?” I said, pulling out the gigantic cinnamon roll. Her eyes widened.

“I’ll try to muster my strength.” She reached for the pastry, taking a big bite of mostly frosting. Groaning again—this time in pleasure—Elikki swallowed and then licked the frosting off her lip with her quick tongue. I stared, going still at her side.

She knew what it did to me when she licked her lips like that.

Sure enough, she flicked her gaze over mischievously before drawing my head toward her for a deep, sugary kiss.

I moved in front of her and leaned into it, placing my arms on either side of the chair, letting Elikki pull me as close as she wanted.

The buzzing in my stomach fanned into a full bonfire.

Her tongue swirled against mine, lips chasing lips.

She was sweeter than anything I’d ever tasted.

It had only been a few hours since we last kissed, but this quenched a longing I’d had since we parted after lunch.

Her free hand trailed down my side, dragging up my neatly tucked in shirt and drawing her nails lightly against the skin of my back. My breath stuttered, and I could feel her lips turning upward against my mouth.

I drew back just enough to murmur, “You scamp.”

Elikki drew an innocent face. “Who, me?” she said, before smearing a dollop of frosting on my neck and sucking it off. My cock stiffened.

“You seem much revived,” I said wryly, pulling down the neck of her blouse to reveal more of the ample breasts that spilled out of her yellow corset.

Kissing down her collarbone, I swiped some of the frosting for myself, smearing it in her cleavage before diving in, long licks of my tongue making her pant hot breaths against my neck.

“Yes, I’m feeling—ohhh—ten times—ooOO!—better now.” Elikki squirmed underneath me, fighting to remove her corset so I could tend to her nipples. I sat back on my heels.

“Here, love, let me,” I said. I picked the cold cider up from the floor and passed it to her, then I stood and knelt behind the chair. She beamed and took a deep gulp.

“Ahh, this is bliss,” she said, taking another bite of her cinnamon roll and washing it down with cider. “Now I am officially recovered! What a day.” She placed them on the table and sighed with deep contentment.

I kept loosening the corset strings. I was getting quite quick at it with all the practice I had this week. The anticipation, the time it took to unravel the strings and undress her, always left me rock-hard by the time I was done.

After lifting the garment over her head and placing it off to the side, I leaned forward and scooped each of her soft, heavy breasts into my hands.

Elikki hummed happily. Kneading them gently first, I then found her taut nipples through her linen shirt, rolling them each between my thumb and forefinger.

Her breath quickened, as I knew it would.

I pulled Elikki to her feet. Our gazes locked on each other, heavy with need.

“Take off your shirt, Barra,” she said, voice low and demanding.

I didn’t have to be told twice. With one hand, I pulled the hem up and over my head, throwing the shirt across the room instead of folding it.

I’d noticed Elikki loved it if I did things like that when we were heating up.

And it wasn’t hard to override my normal neat-freak tendencies when she looked at me like this.

I needed her body against mine as soon as possible, tidiness be damned.

Her gray eyes flashed. She stepped toward me—slowly, too slowly—and I felt my pulse race faster with every inch she drew closer.

When she reached me, she tugged her own shirt off and flung it across the room too.

I drank in the sight of her. Plump, beautiful stomach and full breasts, her strong arms reaching for me.

Sitting on the edge of the bed so we were face-to-face, I pulled Elikki close in between my legs, running my hands along the smooth length of her back.

I tangled myself in her thick hair and tilted her against my lips, desperate to taste her again.

“El,” I breathed, my chest full, heartbeat roaring.

She met my kiss fiercely. We moved against each other, exploring, savoring. Her small bites on my bottom lip got progressively sharper, making me moan.

Suddenly, she drew back. “Wait, I have an idea,” she said. Darting back to the table, she grabbed the remaining half of the cinnamon roll and stalked toward me again with her most mischievous grin.

“What are you…” I began to say, before Elikki smeared some of the thick frosting on my collarbone.

Her quick tongue swiped at it. She was back between my legs, and I locked my ankles together, tucking her tightly against me.

Like a cat, she lapped at the frosting, moving from my left shoulder along my collarbone to the base of my neck.

When she reached that spot and began kissing and nipping lightly, my head lolled back.

She’d recently discovered how sensitive I was there, and ever since had delighted in driving me to a frenzy at her whim.

Inconvenient when we’re, say, eating lunch in public and I had to hide my boner under the table until it goes down. But here, locked in our cozy room, smelling of sugar and magic and her , I could let myself go completely.

I rucked up Elikki’s skirts and found her ass, squeezing its fullness with both hands. She squeaked against my neck, and I couldn’t help chuckling. She moved her lips to my throat now, licking the hollow below my Adam’s apple once.

Two could play that game.

Slipping her underwear down, I let them drop to the floor. I reached between our bodies, knowing exactly where to go.

Letting my forefinger slide along the length of her slit, I waited for her to do her hum of pleasure and arch into me before I plunged it in up to my knuckles. Her breath caught. She was wet, soaking for me, and I felt myself get impossibly harder.

Curling my finger inside her and rubbing near her clit with my thumb, I used my other hand to lift her right breast to my mouth, sucking lightly on the hard nipple. My legs braced her. She was losing herself to my movements. Eyes fluttering closed, her weight leaning on me, breath loud and fast.

“ Fuck , Barra,” Elikki huffed out. “That’s perfect.

You… arghhhagagagh…” I felt her tense for a beat, nails sharp in my shoulder blades, before she came undone.

Limbs warm and loose against me, she let me hold her.

I kissed her forehead, nose, shoulder. Untied her skirts and let them fall so I could hold her flush against my chest, legs wrapped around my hips on the bed.

We stayed like that, torsos pressed together like two pages in a book, until her heartbeat slowed. After a while, she pulled back slightly and whispered, “I made you something.”

“Let me guess—is it edible or dirty?” I said. “Edible and dirty?”

She swatted me playfully. “No and no.”

Slipping down to the floor, Elikki pranced over to her rucksack, shamelessly showing off her nakedness to me. She returned holding a small velvet pouch. With an almost nervous energy, she offered it to me.

I took it, but said, “El, what is this?”

“Open it and see!” She laughed, nudging me. She crossed her arms under her chest and waited, watching my hands instead of returning my gaze.

I untied the pouch and upturned it on my palm. A long, thick silver chain spilled out, glinting in the candlelight. At its end was a four-pointed pendant with dark, amber-colored sea glass set in the middle. It was beautiful.

She made this for me?

As I continued to stare at the necklace, mind struggling to catch up with what I was seeing, Elikki jerkily shifted her weight from foot to foot.

She burst out, “I know it’s not perfect.

I’m still honing this new style. And I mainly wanted to make sure the enchantment was strong.

So it’s a bit rough.” She gnawed on her lower lip.

Stunned, I said, “Your magic is in this?”

“Yeah. It’s a protection spell, of sorts. It should keep you safe from any nefarious magic. If you want to wear it, I mean. It’s fine if you don’t.”

Elikki reached out as if to pick up the necklace, and I broke out of my daze. Trapping her hand between both of mine, I held it firmly.

“This is the most incredible gift anyone has ever given me,” I said quietly.

Her eyes finally snapped to mine. Relief in them, strangely, but happiness blooming as well.

“You like it?” she asked. “I used that lump of silver that I gave you to make the pendant. May have snuck it out of your pocket while you were sleeping. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“I love it,” I said, bending forward to say it again with a kiss. “El, I love it so much.” And I love you , is what I wanted to tell her. Instead, I asked, “Why did you make this for me?”

“I just… I wanted you to have some part of me. And to keep you safe,” Elikki said. “I want you to know you mean a great deal to me.” She lifted the chain up and over my head. The pendant settled, a reassuring weight against my bare chest.

My heart squeezed. “Are you leaving, then?”

“ No ,” she said, gripping my shoulders. “No. But it’s only a matter of time, isn’t it?”

I wanted to say, It doesn’t have to be . We could stay together. Make a life together.

But Elikki kissed me fiercely, and I let her.

Her kisses tasted like let’s not waste time and this is what I can give you .

She met my mouth with hunger. The pendant pressed between us, metal warming from our heat.

I made myself focus on the feel of her soft lips, her hair wisping against my cheeks.

Her smooth full body, my hands filled with her, and the sweat forming between us.

The pleasure we were about to have together, again and again and again.