Page 15 of Lessons with the Mothman (Monster Smash Agency)

CHAPTER 15

Victoria

My steps paused as Elias opened the door to the room, my breath catching in my throat. It was gaudy . All shades of gold and chocolate brown and pink and red, dressed in lace and velvet and fringe, like the entire concept of St. Valentine's Day had exploded over every surface.

"Come," Elias urged, tugging gently on my hand, drawing me into the room.

The floor was covered in thick woven carpets, while an enormous canopy bed loomed and filled the space on my left. In front of us was a large dark armoire and a small vanity set at its side, with a mirror corroded by age. An oil lamp burned on its surface.

"Undress and put your clothes out of sight. There are stockings, drawers, and a chemise. I don't want you in a corset or anything like that," Elias said with a lazy wave of his hand. "But maybe pin up your curls. I'd like to muss them. And use the rouge. Especially on your nipples."

My eyes widened at that, and a startled, garbled laugh escaped me.

"Is this a…a brothel?" I asked.

Elias grinned. "The nervousness is good. I want to be your first tonight."

My heartbeat stuttered at the words. It'd been a long time since I'd lost my virginity, and the idea of pretending otherwise was unsettling.

Unsettling and somehow exciting?

"My first," I repeated in a murmur.

Elias nodded and tipped his head thoughtfully. "I imagine I won the privilege at auction. What do you think?"

I didn't have a clue. My head had started spinning at his demanding text messages, then simply careened right off my shoulders and out the door at the sight of the frankly atrociously decorated room.

Elias stepped in front of me, wings spreading as much as they were able in the stiflingly crowded space. His hands settled on my hips, and his dark gaze caught mine.

"I don't want to give too much away, but I really think you're going to enjoy this idea."

I swallowed and wet my lips, nodding slowly.

"My first first time, or just first time umm…paid?" I asked.

"First first," Elias said, voice lowering and growing thick. "A lovely, untouched, un trained flower for me to pluck."

Tell me what you like, though.

It's all good, baby. I like you touching me.

But I want to know.

Vicky, it's fine. I like it.

"Okay," I rasped, looking around once more, anywhere but at that potent black stare above me.

Soft claws stroked up my throat, guiding my chin higher. A slight furrow creased between Elias's eyes. "Is this all right, Victoria?"

I nodded, but he remained watchful until I answered, "Your ideas overwhelm me. I like it."

Satisfied, Elias smiled slightly and stepped away toward the door. "It's going to be a long night," he warned.

My breath was ragged as the door clicked shut behind him, and I swung in a circle, taking in every overwrought detail. The ruffled curtains draped to the floor, the bed topped with an outrageous number of ruched and fringed pillows. The red scarf over a tall lamp bathing the room in lusty shades. I reached for the doors of the armoire, and there was just enough space for me to open it while standing at the foot of the bed. My costume waited for me—delicate white undergarments, black silk stockings, and ruffled garters in white lace and pink ribbons. A burnt velvet robe hung from a hook on the inside of one of the doors, but Elias hadn't mentioned it in his instructions, so I left it there and pulled the rest out, laying it over the bed.

My fingers trembled as I reached for the buttons of my shirt, and I could almost imagine Elias at my back, watching me undress for him. Maybe he was watching. Maybe I should have offered. I stripped myself bare and shivered, my toes curling into the thick wool rug as I carefully folded and tucked my clothing into the wardrobe.

The bedding was soft underneath me as I sat on the edge, lifting one stocking and running it through my hands. There were creases and a little discoloration, as if Elias had found a pair of vintage stockings, still in the package, and purchased them for this occasion. Had he been thinking of me at the time, or was it just a product of his habit as a collector?

I dressed slowly, carefully, terrified of snagging the silk, failing to tie the garters tightly enough twice before finally getting them right. I blushed as I found the loose split at the crotch of the white silk drawers, open for a lady's ease but also convenient for a man's use, in this case. I pulled them up over my hips, and my skin pebbled at the gentle flow of air that licked between my legs. The chemise slid on over my head, leaving the tiny pearl buttons fastened down the front. Aside from the opening on the drawers, it was a surprisingly modest outfit, but the cool drape of the silk over my skin left me feeling decidedly naked.

I crossed to the vanity and found a small tin with a single shade of rosy red pigment, a bowl of black bobby pins, and an even smaller pot of black kohl. It'd been too long since I'd attempted makeup of my own, but I sat down on the stool, squeaking at the cold surface against a sliver of my bare sex, and fiddled with the delicate brushes laid out over the vanity like a set of surgeon's tools. I wasn't brave enough to attempt anything interesting with the kohl, aside from a few small brushes of it against my lashes, but I rubbed my fingers over the rouge, pinching my own cheeks until I looked flushed and then dabbing it into a small pout at the very bow of my lips. The effect, though small, was enough. I looked younger somehow, girlish and innocent and dressed up like a doll.

My hair twisted around my fists, and I stuffed it full of pins into a slightly lopsided bun at the top of my head. It would come undone easily, but that seemed to be Elias's aim.

Finally, I paused, staring at the girl in the mirror, a creature from another time in more ways than one. I looked closer to the version of myself I'd been a decade ago, and also like a stranger, a woman from another era. Slowly, I inched up the chemise, staring at my own bare breasts. I was more liberal here with the rouge than I had been on my face, finger painting them into bright little puckered cherries, my breath catching as I stroked circles around them and they tightened with arousal.

A knock tapped lightly on the door, an impatient throat clearing on the other side.

"Just a minute," I called, my voice too high and breathless.

I wiped my fingers clean on a cloth that waited on the vanity, then dropped the chemise. The fabric was thin enough that the rosy marks shone through, sharp tips beading in welcome.

I spun the stool to face the door. "Come in."

I hadn't been the only one getting into costume since Elias left me. He stepped into the room and took my breath away, long black trousers gleaming, brass buttons on his waistcoat catching the light, gold and onyx cufflinks flashing. He was wearing a beautiful black tailcoat, and a shining top hat sat crookedly on his head, one antenna sitting at a jaunty angle like a feather.

My eyes widened as my lips twitched.

"Well. Stand up. Let me have a look at the pretty piece I spent a fortune on," Elias rumbled.

I rose up immediately, smoothing the drawers and then raising my arms from my sides slightly to offer him a spin, the carpet coarse against my bare feet.

"Mmm, very fine indeed," Elias purred.

It was just a part of the game, but the words made me warm with pleasure.

"Let me help you with your coat, sir," I said, trying hard not to laugh at the ease of falling into this role. It should've been even more absurd than playing a schoolgirl, and yet somehow it was more fun, the real Victoria falling away to make way for this fictional little coquette.

"There's a snap at the back of the collar," Elias said, and I paused in my approach, the rasp of his voice out of character. I nodded, realizing that was the real him guiding me, somewhat bashfully, in how to undress him.

His hands came to my shoulders as I unbuttoned his coat, thumbs rubbing away some of the chill from being so underdressed.

"Are you pleased with your purchase?" I asked.

"That will depend on how well you take instruction, my dear."

I shivered at that promise and ducked my head, teasing my fingers under the short hem of his coat, against the high waist of the trousers. Elias bowed slightly at the waist, offering me an easier reach to his collar. I lifted my arms up around his shoulders, arching slightly, and smiled when his gaze seemed to point directly to my painted nipples under the white silk.

"I'm eager to learn," I whispered into his ear.

Without warning, one of Elias's hands slid between my thighs, up into the opening of the drawers, stroking over my sex. I muffled a cry and fisted the collar of his coat as he rubbed at me gently.

"Oh, yes, you are, aren't you? That is good. I prefer my indulgences sweet rather than sour."

My knees bent, body trying to fall into those questing fingers, but I managed to unlatch the two halves of the coat collar, the heavy fabric falling suddenly from Elias's shoulders. He pulled away, tugging at the cuffs himself, and I staggered in place for a moment.

"Sit on the bed, darling. Spread your legs and show me that fresh little pussy of yours," Elias said, the casual roll of the explicit words leaving me dizzy.

I'd never really cared about dirty talk, mostly found it embarrassing, false. But this was false. We were playacting, and yet it made everything come easier.

I hopped up onto the bed, leaning back on my palms and spreading my legs open so the split drawers offered a framed view of my sex, russet curls peeking out.

Elias folded his coat and draped it over the stool by the vanity, his figure long and lean in front of me. His wings shielded his back from view, but I realized he must get his shirts and coats tailored like halter tops to accommodate his wings, and the thought made me smile.

Elias dropped to his knees in front of my spread legs, and my smile faltered.

"What are you—Oh!" I gasped as he grasped my knees, pinning them open and then thrust his face against my sex, nuzzling there. "Eli—sir!"

"Nothing like a good clean cunny, untouched. Mmm," Elias purred, mouth burrowing against my pussy as I tried to squirm back. His fingers wrapped around the back of my knees, making me squeak, and he yanked me closer to his face, groaning into my cunt, licking there.

"Elias!" I cried, even as I bucked against his nose, rubbing myself over his open mouth, my head falling back.

He eased back, and I whined. "I thought I'd teach you to fondle me and suck me first, but I've decided I'll have to be a bit rough to start. Which means you need a bit of prepping, darling. And there's nothing that makes a honeypot sweeter than a good tongue-lashing."

I barked out a laugh, but it turned into a moan as Elias set to doing exactly that, his long tongue whipping back and forth over my sex. "Fuck. Fuck, put it—put it in again, sir," I pleaded, then shouted and collapsed back on the bed as he obeyed, thick, slick tongue delving into me.

Christ, it felt so good, swirling and petting inside of me like eager fingers. Nothing had felt this good since—I couldn't remember, not while I stared up at the carved roof of a vintage bed, humping Elias's face like my life depended on it, like I might just?—

I growled as he pulled away, starting to lift my head to tell him to get back to whatever it was he'd just been doing when two long fingers speared inside of me, making me scream and arch, thrashing on the velvet coverlet.

"Now, now, don't be greedy, darling. It's me that's paid for you, remember?" Elias purred, hot breath ghosting over my clit. My skin sizzled over my body, and all at once, the wispy undergarments were stifling. I reached for the hem of the chemise, lifting it to clutch at my own breasts but only making it as high as my ribs. "Oh no you don't," Elias snapped, grasping both my wrists in one hand. "You're my present to unwrap, you little slut."

I gaped at the words, my face hot as I choked on any possible reply. His thumb brushed over my clit in a brief cursory touch, but I quaked at the contact, freezing stiff as my core fluttered and flooded with arousal.

Elias chuckled darkly, and his fingers dragged out of me with agonizing patience, like he was trying not to stimulate me first. My breath was ragged, and I softened once more as he stood in front of me, one hand raised as he sucked his fingers clean with a noisy thoroughness that made me blush, the other hand quickly unfastening the front placket of his trousers and untying the briefs below.

A glitter of gold fanned out from the opening, and I smiled at the playful appearance of Elias's tendril-like coremata. They'd been a surprise last time, but an amusingly pleasant one. A moment later, with a tug at the hips of his trousers, Elias's long, thick shaft slapped free, bobbing in the air. My mouth filled with saliva as I recalled the strangely rich flavor, and I tried sitting up, only to catch the shake of Elias's head.

"Just remember, my dear, it only hurts the first time," Elias said, and then he reached down, scooping up one of my knees and pressing it back to spread me open.

He guided his cock into place and met my gaze.

"Sir, I—Ah!" I screamed as he thrust in fully, all at once. The stretch was sudden and shocking, but it didn't hurt. I was slick and ready for him. Instead, the immediate pressure and possession made me clench harder around Elias, throwing me close to the edge once more. I clawed at his chest, and he bent over me with a long groan, pinning me in place, his stillness almost as powerful as the single deep thrust.

"That's it, darling. You'll be all right," Elias murmured into my ear as I twitched and settled beneath him, my body adjusting into an eager, wet welcome of him inside of me. "There, now. Yes, what a good, tight little cunny you have. I know it hurts, but you're such a good girl."

I whimpered as if his words were true, although it was a whine of pleasure, need , rather than the opposite.

"It…it doesn't hurt." I relaxed the claw of my fingers into softer strokes, petting Elias's chest through the layers of clothing he still wore.

He lifted slightly, smiling at me, and tipped his head. "Oh, doesn't it?"

I shook my head and felt a pin catch against the bedding, slipping free. "No, sir. You feel good." I nudged my hips into his as proof, batting my lashes.

Elias's smile softened. "You feel good too, darling. So good, in fact, I need to—" I yelped as he snapped his hips back and into me once more, roughly, just as he'd said. He groaned, eyelids sliding closed, head lifting. "Oh, yes, little girl. You feel good. I'll leave you sore after all, I'm afraid."

I opened my mouth to reassure him, but Elias reared up, thrusting hard once more, drawing a cry from my throat and fucking me across an inch of the bed, my hair pulling from the pins.

"Mmm. Pretty little whore," he rasped, and I flushed from head to toe, my hands flying to cover my face, to cover the strange shamed joy of the taunt.

Soft claws grazed over my chest, catching the collar of the chemise, and I shouted as he bucked again, brutal and quick, tearing the thin silk open nearly to the waist, shoving the ripped material aside to reveal my breasts.

"Hold your legs open," Elias ordered. I shook as I caught my legs behind my knees, squeezing my eyes shut, knowing the picture I made, loving it. I sobbed as his hand gripped my breasts, pinching and pulling over my nipples as he started a steady, rude rhythm inside of me. "A little tart all painted and primped for the first time. For me ."

"Yes," I breathed, the word ragged with the force of Elias's fucking.

"I'm going to teach you how to take a man in hand, little whore. How to suck and nurse on cock. But oh, I'm going to fill this little pussy so you'll be dripping with me for days, darling."

I twisted, trying to hide my face in the sheets, but Elias gripped my chin and my eyes flew open to meet his.

"No, darling. You'll watch me. You'll remember my face. The first man to ever teach this sweet cunt what it was worth."

"Oh god, El—Sir!"

Elias groaned, and his hands joined mine around my knees, spreading me until my thighs burned. His head fell back to expose the soft fur mane around his throat, and his wings stretched wide, monstrous red and rust and gold eyes staring down at me until lust and terror mingled and burned through.

"Oh, Victoria, you are tight," Elias squeezed out, his body shuddering over mine.

I was getting tighter, rocking back and forth over that edge that had evaded me for so long. Hot stinging tears rose to my eyes, and I wiped them quickly against my shoulder, not wanting Elias to mistake them.

I didn't care if I came. I didn't care if I didn't. I was just grateful for the shocking storm that came right before the fall, the way our breaths grew loud and echoed in my ears, the way my blood seemed to boil and race through my veins, the irregular clench and drum in my core that skittered away when I tried to focus on it.

So I watched Elias instead, watched the moment his eyes spread wide in surprise, his throat flexing as he bellowed his pleasure, his body jerking and stuttering forward, hands slipping free of me to brace his fall toward the bed.

" Fuck ," he snarled, the word drawn out on a groan, shoulders trembling.

I released my own legs and wrapped them around his hips, savoring the weak moan from his lips. He collapsed, and I trapped him there, my arms around his neck, my face buried in his fragrant mane, Elias twitching helplessly atop me.

My body thrummed in triumph and denial, frustration sweet as the near but uncooperative crash settled down once more, tamed by the weight of the man who'd just taken his own relief.

He sighed and tried to move away, but I tightened my grip around him, a grunt of over sensitized pleasure in my ear.

"I had a whole plan," Elias muttered, but he stroked his nose around my ear gently.

I laughed. "What happened to it?"

His hands stroked down my sides. "Got too into character, I suppose. You were close."

The words were light, more an observation than anything too pointed, but I was shy of answering, afraid of where it might lead.

"Do you want me to try next time?" he asked, leaning back enough to catch my gaze.

I shook my head quickly. "I don't know how to explain it, but I like how much you just want to fuck me and get yourself off. It feels…incredible."

Elias watched me for a moment and then nodded, shifting out of me and to the side but keeping us tangled together. "I can't argue that."

"Are we…done?" I asked. Please say no .

He huffed. "Not nearly." He had to sit up and rearrange himself to rest back on his wings, but it didn't seem to bother him to do so, and he raised his arms up to rest his head in his palms. "Undress me and then fondle and suck me until I'm hard again. I'll tell you when you do something I really like."

I scrambled up, shrugging out of the torn top.

"Oh, yes. Off with the drawers too," Elias nodded, watching me, the warm light of the room brightening his dark eyes. "I want a good view of all of you. My darling little whore."