AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nariana wore the most beautiful red dress. It clung to her curvaceous body in the most sensual ways. The front was closed with a single long zipper that ran from between her breasts all the way to the middle of her thighs. There, the fabric fell to her ankles, leaving a slit to tease the eye with flashes of her legs. A black velvet ribbon around her neck bore only a pair of triangles embroidered into the middle. A symbol to mark her as a priestess - as if the black lace covering her arms like evening gloves, the swirls decorating her chest, or the lines winding down her legs didn't already do that.
To match her, I'd picked out a suit in all black. From the cravat at my throat, to the handle of the dagger in my belt, all the way down to my highly-polished boots - I couldn't be confused for anything other than a Priest of Temptation, and a guardian at that. The only hint of color I wore was the red pocket square that matched her dress.
I had no idea what her date would consider appropriate, but if the man wasn't ready to go as soon as he laid eyes on her, then he was a fool. Nari looked amazing. Her eyes were painted dark enough to make the honey-gold color gleam. Her lips were stained red to match her dress, but not glossy. No, this color wouldn't come off. And I'd seen what she had on beneath that gown. I also wanted to beg her to wear it again just for me.
Together, she and Eladehl had spent an hour on her hair, pinning it up to show off her elegant neck, but in a way that would be easy to take down. Two long pins held the whole thing together. I couldn't help but wonder if this guy would even bother. I also couldn't decide what would look better on her: to have her hair in disarray or flowing freely.
But when I offered her my arm and the pair of us set off for the center of the temple, I couldn't be more proud. Unlike most guardians, I'd done this before. Once. With Amerlee. Granted, that was easier, but I had some idea of what was expected of me - and what would be done to her. That middle of the night talk had helped, though. Her words had been exactly what I needed.
She liked to be desired. She was turned on knowing I was watching. She enjoyed the physical pleasures, but didn't confuse them with emotions. I was still a fucking fool for trying to resist this pull between us, but after our talk, I'd given up. I'd also admitted it all to Eladehl. Naturally, he'd laughed in my face. There was no denying her, he said. She was divine temptation, and the sooner I learned to accept that, the easier my life would be.
So I accepted it.
When we reached the temple's sanctum, we followed the other initiates toward the center. Here, rooms for sessions were built in curved rows shaped to match the domed area in the center. In the very middle, on the ground floor next to the railing that overlooked the display area, were Oryll and three other Priests of the Word. Initiate Priests of the Body were all escorted by their guardian, and each of us had dressed for the occasion, yet no one outshone my girl.
Finally, we reached the front of our line - one that didn't lead to Priest Oryll. A kind woman smiled at Nari, ignoring me completely, but didn't ask her name. She simply glanced at the lines on her arms and reached for a card.
"Priestess Nariana, correct? Your partner has already been given the key and should be waiting for you. Just follow the map, and knock at the door. His guardian will let you in."
"Thank you, Priestess," she told her.
"Good luck, Priestess," the woman replied with a smile.
Nari passed me the card and we stepped out of line, just to double back. Her private room was in the second hall, halfway down. In my opinion, not far enough, because I wasn't quite ready to let her do this.
"Nervous?" she asked when we turned off the main hall.
"A little," I admitted. "You?"
"Not really." She smiled up at me. "Granted, my goal is to see if your pants are tight enough."
"Trust me," I whispered, dropping my voice so no one else could hear, "I will be watching every single move you make. Although I almost wish your dress was a little harder to get into."
"To keep him out of it?" she teased.
"No, because I want to enjoy seeing it removed slowly as your nipples make hard little peaks against that cloth."
"Talin? I just thought of something." She stopped in her tracks. "I don't know how to, um,clean upwithout looking disgusting."
"That's my job," I assured her. "We got this. Now tell me this man is sexy?"
She nodded. "He is. I like his beard."
"I'm starting mine tomorrow," I teased, deciding it was a good idea.
She bit her lip and reached up for my jaw. "You'd look sexy with one." Then her fingers fell away. "I told him no anal, because..."
I nodded, not needing her to finish. She wanted her first time to be on her terms, and hadn't even realized that Eladehl and I were already working on that. Every time we'd been together, we'd played with her ass, getting her used to the contact and relaxing her body to make it easier. But if this guy tried, I would definitely stop him.
"Anything else that's a no?" I asked
"Blood or bruising." She looked down the hall, her eyes finding the door to the room she'd been assigned. "Ok, let's get this over with."
I placed my hand over where hers rested on my arm and started walking again. Those words proved she was a little nervous. Probably excited too, but that was good. I wanted her to enjoy this. I needed her to be happy about this, because the idea of her regretting it tore me up inside. Mostly because I wasn't convinced she'd say anything if she changed her mind. Not until it was already too late.
Then we were at the door. I reached up to knock, deciding I was the gentleman here. On the other side, I heard the latch click, and then the handle turned. There was a click just before the wood swung inward. Standing on the other side was a woman dressed in a suit instead of a dress. Like mine, it was black. Unlike mine, it was cheap.
And my insides twisted when I recognized her face.
