“Surprise me,” Rafe replied, with an answering smile.
He stretched out on the rug and watched eagerly while she lit several candles close to the harpsichord. She sat gracefully on the stool, adjusted her skirts and stretched her fingers. She chose a piece of music and spread the pages where she could see them. Then, after a brief smile at him, she began to play.
Rafe’s breath caught in his chest as he watched her. Her fingers were slender and elegant, and they floated lightly and nimbly across the keys. The song she played was soft and romantic, and the pace and phrasing of her playing made the piece even more poignant. Rafe swallowed against a lump in his throat. He had always loved music, but seeing her… his love…playing with such obvious passion and talent warmed his heart. When she finished, he applauded heartily.
Eleta blushed with pleasure. “You are too kind,” she said with a soft smile.
“No, you are too modest. Now, play more please.”
Eleta obliged happily. She played several more pieces, content to do his bidding. The songs she played varied from passionate to playful, and Rafe thoroughly enjoyed her performance. Finally, she tired, and she rose with a sigh. She smiled at Rafe and curtsied to acknowledge his applause.
“Brava!” he called with a grin.
Eleta sank down beside him and gave him a brief kiss. “I’m glad you enjoyed hearing me play,” she murmured.
“Do you play any other instruments?”
“I play the harp fairly well, and I play the violin, although I wouldn’t say I am truly proficient with that instrument. I love to play it, but I can never make it sound just right.”
Wolf smiled up at her. “I suspect you are being overly modest again, little one. I look forward to hearing you play the other instruments too.”
Eleta nodded her willingness. “I promise I will play them for you, but not now. What about you? Do you play any instruments?”
Rafe shrugged but nodded. “I play a bit,” he said as he rose.
He crossed to retrieve the cello and spent a few moments tuning it beside the harpsichord. Then, he brought a padded stool close to where Eleta sat, and he settled himself to play. When he drew the bow across the strings for the first time, Eleta gasped softly. He caressed the strings in such a way that she was almost jealous of the instrument as it came to life in his arms. His head was bent, and soft candlelight gilded his features. His eyes were closed, and he played from memory. It was obvious that music was a very special part of his romantic soul, and Eleta felt tears fill her eyes as she watched him. She had never expected a warrior like him to have such a soft and vulnerable side. The fact that he was willing to reveal it to her touched her deeply. When he finally ended the piece, she applauded with enthusiasm.
“You are the one who is being too modest,” she accused with a smile. “I’ve never heard anyone play so well! Please, play some more, Rafe.”
Rafe smiled with obvious pleasure. “As you wish, love.”
He proceeded to keep her enthralled for the next hour. Finally, he returned the cello to its stand and joined her on the rug. She showered him with kisses and laughed when he scooped her onto his lap. He turned her to face him, with her knees straddling his waist.
“I had no idea you were such a talented musician. How on earth did you learn to play so well?” she asked.
He shrugged again, looking slightly embarrassed. “There were a couple of things that helped to foster my musical talent. I always liked music, and I found that playing musical instruments was also one of the only things I ever did that seemed to garner my mother’s approval. She would sometimes insist that I play for her friends. It was the only time she praised me.”
“I’m sure your parents were both very proud of you, Rafe. Perhaps they just weren’t very good at demonstrating their feelings to you.”
“Perhaps,” he said noncommittally.
Eleta’s heart ached for him. She had never imagined him this way, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. She could picture him as a young boy, desperate for his parents’ love and approval. She wished his parents were here now, so she could scold them for their foolishness. If she had a beautiful son, she would make sure he knew how much he was loved every single day. At least she could shower Rafe with love now. She stroked his cheek and gave him a soft kiss on the mouth. Their lips melded in warm communion, and she finally ended the kiss on a sigh.
“I, for one, am extremely grateful that you have shared your talent with me,” she said softly.
“Oh yeah?” he asked with a grin. His eyes dropped pointedly to her bosom. “Why don’t you show me how grateful you are.”
Eleta giggled and kissed him again, this time with growing passion. When their lips parted, she grinned up at him. “How can I demonstrate my gratitude, my wolf?”
“You can start by taking off your clothes,” Rafe replied, lifting a challenging brow.
Eleta pretended to pout prettily. “You don’t like my dress?” she asked while running a suggestive fingertip along the boundaries of the scandalous neckline.
Rafe watched her finger as it traced the hills and valleys of her curvaceous bosom. Her dress was reddish brown watered silk, the exact shade of her eyes. The color enhanced the paleness of her fine skin, but the most enticing part of the gown was the design. All afternoon, his gaze had been drawn repeatedly to the deep V in the center of the bodice.
The dress was clearly designed to inflame Rafe’s lust. The inside curves of both breasts were fully exposed, and with just a flick of his wrist, the two halves of the bodice could easily be folded down to expose her breasts entirely. In fact, if Eleta leaned over at the waist, she would literally fall out of the garment. He had visions of peeling the dress off her inch by inch to reveal her luscious body.
Rafe’s grin was wolfish. “Oh I like your dress fine, little one. I just prefer what’s underneath even more.” He reached inside to boldly cup her right breast in his right palm, watching her eyes cloud with passion as he fondled her. He pulled and twisted her nipple, grinning when she released a low moan.
“You’ve been trying to seduce me with that dress all day, haven’t you?”
Eleta blushed prettily, but she thrust her breast more fully into his palm. “Yes. I want you, Rafe.”
“Naughty girl. I thought this was about you showing your gratitude.”
She thrust her bottom lip out in a sexy pout. “Can’t I show my gratitude with you deep inside me?” She reached down and cupped his erection through his breeches. Her eyes met his, and she grinned. “That’s where I want you, Rafe…deep inside me.”
He returned her grin, still toying with her nipple as her breast grew increasingly heated in his palm. “Hmm, what a tempting offer,” he growled. “Let me just see how badly you want me.” He reached beneath her skirt and found her core. She wasn’t wearing any drawers, and he raised a mocking brow while she blushed a deep red color. “What a naughty little wet girl you are,” he teased. He delved into her with two fingers and grinned at the sloshing sounds of her arousal. “Did you leave your drawers off because you were hoping to get fucked, little one?”
Eleta nodded as she clutched his shoulders and pumped her hips shamelessly against his hand. She moaned as he teased her clit.
“Answer me, Eleta.”
“Yes,” she gasped, moaning softly. Her eyes met his, and hers were pleading. “I was hoping you would like my dress so much that you wouldn’t be able to resist fucking me. Oh please, Rafe.”
Rafe chuckled, rewarding her with another squeeze of her clit. “What a perfect little naughty girl you are. But we talked about the dangers of teasing a wolf, didn’t we Eleta?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t trying to tease you.”
“Weren’t you?”
Eleta frowned. She was trying to concentrate on his questions, but his hands were doing such wonderful things, and it was so hard to focus. “Yes. I mean no.” She blushed hotly.
He chuckled once again. Rafe loved seeing her so flustered, and h
e kept up the constant teasing caresses. “Which is it, love? Did you mean to tease me or not?”
Eleta bit her lip and moaned. “I meant to tempt you not tease you. I fully intended to satisfy your desires.”
“Naughty, naughty girl,” Rafe said with a grin. “I think I’ll make you wait a bit longer.”
He withdrew both hands and Eleta gave a frustrated moan. Rafe merely chuckled as he lifted her and laid her on her stomach across his legs. Her eyes opened wide when he lifted her skirt, exposing her naked bottom. He squeezed her bottom in his heated palm, and with his other hand, he freed her breasts from her bodice.
She held her breath as he fondled both her breast and her bottom. Her spies had reported that Rafe had a penchant for spanking, and she wondered whether he was about to spank her. Eleta had never been spanked before, but she was frightened that it would hurt. She had watched other women being spanked, and they usually cried and thrashed about. Eleta wasn’t at all certain that she wanted to be treated that way, but she held her tongue and waited to see what Rafe would do.
Rafe gazed intently at her gorgeous heart-shaped bottom. The ivory globes were smooth perfection in his hand, and they shone pale and bright in the candlelight like a blank canvass. His palm itched to smack her and see the imprint of his hand on her perfect little ass. But at the end of the day, she was still the queen. Striking her, even if it was part of their foreplay, was a line he didn’t think it would be right to cross. Still, the fantasy of spanking her was sweet, and he imagined it in vivid detail as he caressed her delectable bottom.
As the moments passed without him spanking her, Eleta was surprised to realize that she felt disappointed. She wasn’t sure why he didn’t spank her, but she knew something was holding him back. She wished she knew what it was. She wanted to please him in every possible way, and she wiggled her bottom enticingly. Rafe gave her nipple a sharp tweak and stroked his finger down the length of her slit. She was soaking wet, and he grinned knowingly. He flipped her skirts down as he lifted her off his lap and set her on her knees.
“I don’t think you should have your reward yet, little one.”
He surprised her when he pulled her bodice back up over her breasts and abruptly stood up. Seeing the stunned look on her face, he grinned. Rafe reached down a hand and lifted her to her feet. “Come. I would like to hear you play the violin.”
Eleta frowned with confusion as he towed her to the center of the room. Rafe left her staring after him while he went to fetch the instrument. She had thought they would move on to other diversions. Her body was more than ready for him, especially after he had toyed so intimately with her. She wasn’t really interested in continuing their music recital.
“But Rafe, I’m tired. I don’t want to play right now. Besides, I told you, I’m not very good with the violin.”
“I insist, Eleta.” Rafe quickly tuned the strings and brought it to her. He handed her the violin and grinned when she took it with a mutinous frown. “You asked me earlier how I had learned to play so well. What I didn’t tell you is that I had a very unusual music instructor.”
“Oh?” Eleta asked with a raised brow.
“Yes. You see, my mother insisted that I learn music, but my father didn’t approve of a young man learning such…to use his words…‘sensitive and romantic nonsense’. However, it was the one area of my upbringing where my mother was adamant. She adored music, and she wanted me to learn. She simply would not be denied. So, my father agreed, but as I got older, he did his best to undermine my musical education and to ensure that my lessons would not amount to anything.”
“What did he do?” Eleta asked, frowning suspiciously.
Rafe gave her a wicked grin. “By the time I was fifteen, I could play several instruments. I was proficient, but my talent was lackluster…average at best. Hoping to make me lose interest, father hired a very beautiful music instructor, and he told her to spend her time seducing me rather than teaching me music.” When Eleta gasped, he chuckled.
“But you play so well! I don’t understand.”
“What my father didn’t know was that Madame Sophie was an extremely talented music teacher, and she had the very highest standards when it came to her students. She devised a plan that would satisfy both my parents, although neither of them knew the details of her scheme. My mother was ecstatic that my musical talent was blossoming, and my father received regular reports from Madame Sophie about my ever growing sexual prowess.”
Eleta tapped her foot impatiently. “Explain yourself, Rafe.”
He grinned at her. She was adorable when she was haughty and imperious. It made him instantly hard, especially knowing that a large part of her impatience was due to sexual frustration. He circled behind her and pulled her against his chest as he began to nuzzle the curve of her neck.
“Madame Sophie’s plan was the very essence of simplicity. She taught me music by using positive reinforcement.”
Rafe cupped her breasts, kneading the heavy mounds through the silk bodice. He squeezed her nipples, bringing them to achingly hard nubs as Eleta panted in his arms. She was trying to follow his words, but it was difficult with the distraction of his hands on her body.
“I don’t understand,” she said again.
Rafe gave her nipples one more sharp tweak, then he released her and took a step back. “Madame Sophie was a very beautiful and alluring woman, and she knew I lusted for her. Every time I played well, Madame Sophie would reward me with sexual favors. When I did not please her, her favors were withheld. Suffice to say, I practiced long and hard so that I could please her…in every way.”
Eleta felt a flash of jealousy, imagining him with his beautiful music instructor. She frowned at him over her shoulder. “You truly are a scoundrel,” she scolded.
Rafe laughed without even a hint of remorse. “Don’t blame me, love. I was but a young teenager. I could hardly be blamed for showing a passion for music once my father hired Madame Sophie.”
“I’ll just bet you did,” Eleta said with narrowed eyes.
“And now, it’s your turn to benefit from Madame Sophie’s technique, little one.” He motioned at the violin. “You will play, and when I approve of your performance, I will reward you. If you do not play to the best of your ability, you will be denied.”
Eleta was shaking her head. “But Rafe, I’ve already told you. I’m not very good with the violin. Can’t I at least play the harpsichord or the harp? I’m much better with those.”
“No. The whole idea is to help you improve. Now, play something. Anything you like.”
“I need sheet music,” she said.
“No. Play from memory. It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember everything about the piece. It’s your passion that is important, not the notes. Music is all about feelings. It’s not meant to be cold and perfectly calculated. It’s supposed to elevate the spirit through emotion.”
Eleta let out a huff of irritation, but she positioned the violin beneath her chin and tentatively began to play. It had been ages since she had played, and her fingers felt awkward on the strings. Rafe stepped close behind her, and his hot breath feathered the side of her jaw as he whispered in her ear.
“Close your eyes and feel the music as you play, little one. Let it flow through you.”
Eleta did as he instructed. At first, it was difficult, knowing he was watching and standing so close behind her. However, as she played, she began to relax and lose herself in the music. When she felt Rafe’s hands start to caress her, she hesitated.
“Keep going,” he whispered. “I’m enjoying it very much.”
Eleta resumed playing, and Rafe cupped her breasts once again. He fondled her boldly before skimming his hands down over her stomach. He lifted her skirt until it was bunched at her waist, and began to fondle her glistening folds. She was swollen and delightfully wet. He toyed with her throbbing clit and began to finger her in time with the music. She hesitated, panting lightly.
“That’s wonderful, Elet
a. Keep playing, love.”
Eleta did as she was told, and she was surprised by the results. She found that her attention was drawn to his hands rather than concentrating on her technique. The result was that her playing was more natural and less stilted. She continued playing while Rafe explored her intimately. She grew ever hotter and wetter, and he stoked her inner fires higher as she played.
“You are in control of the tempo, love. I will follow your lead.”
His voice was dark temptation in her ear, and she shivered with pleasure. His words intrigued her. She slowed down, and he also slowed, stroking her leisurely. When she sped up, so did he. She began to experiment, noticing he paused when she did. When she lightly stroked the strings, he lightly stroked her. When the music began to build, his caresses became more blatant and possessive. She was panting in his arms, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to finish the song.
“Rafe, I can’t,” she moaned, dropping the violin to her side and looking up at him from over her shoulder.
“Don’t stop. If you want to have your satisfaction, you must finish.” To emphasize his words, Rafe removed his hands from between her thighs and let her skirt fall once again.
Eleta moaned in frustration, but she took a shaky breath and once again began playing. She closed her eyes, letting her passion pour into the music. She felt Rafe’s hands again. This time, he unfastened the hooks that held the front of her bodice together. The dress dropped to the floor, leaving her dressed in only her stockings, garters and slippers. She shivered as the cold air rushed across her naked skin, but Rafe’s warm hands soon chased away the chill.
At his urging, she spread her legs further apart, continuing to play as he resumed stroking her. The contrast of playing the violin, usually considered such a tame activity, while Rafe blatantly fingered her and squeezed her clit was extremely erotic. Rafe could feel her tension building, as she trembled in his arms.
“Almost there, little one. Finish the song and you shall have your pleasure.”
Eleta managed to finish, drawing the bow across the strings with a flourish at the end. Rafe reached up and took the violin, laying it on the bench of the harpsichord as he took her the last few steps up the mountain. With a deep thrust of his fingers and a squeeze of her clit, she shattered. Her knees buckled, and he held her upright as she clenched around his fingers. She clung to his arm and moaned her delight. Rafe grinned as he watched her. She was everything he wanted in a woman.
The Fall of The Wolf (Historical Romance) Page 19
