Making a Tinderbox (The Tinderbox Tales Book 1)

by Emma Sterner-Radley

  Elise held up one of the glasses of sunberry essence by its stem. The light caught the thick, concentrated liquid and glinted in it. It looked almost magical. Although that was probably the brandy dimming her brain.

  “Here’s to extravagance!” Elise shouted.

  She drank half the contents of the glass and then handed the rest to Nessa. Cai took the other glass and drank half of it before passing the glass over to Fyhre.

  It was a new sort of social ritual. A mix between Elise’s past in Highmere and her current life here. She had shared something with these three people, and they all seemed somehow closer to each other now.

  Chapter 24

  Fastenings

  Hours later, Fyhre suggested they call it a night. Nessa had quickly agreed. She had watched the crowd in the Scarlet Crow change from groups of cheerful workers having a drink or two, into a much more sinister clientele. The people who were here now were in small groups, barely talking. Just scowling at the other groups. Quite a few were looking over at a small door next to the bar. A small, black door with a white raven on it.

  They said goodbye to Cai and Fyhre who were heading towards their rented rooms close to the port, hand in hand. Giggling and kissing.

  Nessa threw furtive glances at Elise, who was dragging her feet and singing under her breath, as they walked back to 21 Miller Street.

  Why did she drink that much tonight?

  Nessa had tried to keep up with her, not wanting to seem like the boring country cousin. But it had been hard to keep up as the brandy poured into the petite Noble. It had been even harder to read Elise’s mood. Was it the hired men who had been asking questions about them which bothered her? No, it had seemed localized to her, to Nessa. Again, she wondered if Elise wanted to take their relationship from friendship to bedplay. Or maybe she was bored with Nessa and her need for safety and frugality? Her thoughts muddled; it was tricky to keep one line of thought in place long enough to get answers.

  Nessa swayed as she moved to make room for a man on a pedal cycle and all those musings evaporated. Her focus was on the man, who looked neat, tidy, and well-dressed. And irate, of course. Nessa wondered if he worked nights.

  “You drunkards ruin this city,” the man shouted as he whizzed past.

  Normally, Nessa might have been offended. But the brandy, wine, and sunberry essence meant she couldn’t be bothered by such things.

  “My apologik… aplogi… apologies, sir. Have a lovely night,” she called after him.

  Elise laughed and Nessa laughed with her, not sure what they were laughing at. She seemed to be walking on clouds in a blissfully warm and dizzying world. The only thing in focus was Elise.

  The walk dragged on and Nessa was relieved when they were finally home. Elise struggled with the key to their room and mumbled, “We have to stop drinking so much.”

  “Sure! Why don’t you start?” Nessa said. She was aware that this made no sense but it didn’t seem to matter.

  The keys finally did their job. Elise walked in and, with clumsy hands, lit the lamp on the dresser, giving the room a small source of light.

  Nessa followed her in, shutting the door behind them while Elise took her coat, boots, and socks off. The closing of the door was loud; Nessa had pulled it shut too hard. She shushed the door, making Elise giggle. So, Nessa shushed her, too. The walls weren’t thick enough to guarantee that the people in the other rooms could sleep with them thudding doors and giggling. She was aware that the people in the other rooms had probably stopped at a glass of wine if they went to a tavern tonight. And probably gone to bed hours ago.

  Nessa took off her coat while humming quietly. Elise pulled her knitted cardigan off and threw it onto the dresser. Then, fumbling, Elise began to undo the many clasps on the side of her high-collared dress. It was an impractical design for a garment; Nessa had said so before. The clasps started at the side of her neck, went down her chest, around her armpit and then down Elise’s side, ending at the hip.

  Nessa got closer, wanting to help Elise who was struggling with the small metal fastenings. When Nessa was standing right by her side, she saw that there was an ink stain on Elise’s ring finger. Without thinking, she wet her own fingers on her tongue and rubbed at the stain.

  She looked up at Elise to say that the stain was gone and get a ‘thank you.’ Instead she found a strange look on Elise’s face. She reeled a little. Confusion and alarm were trying to creep into the drunken fog of her mind.

  “I wanted to help you with the clasps,” Nessa said quietly.

  “Then help me,” Elise replied. There was a slight slur in her speech, alarming Nessa regarding their drunkeness and lack of control. Sadly, thoughts came and went in her mind like passing clouds, meaning that the alarm was gone as soon as it had arrived. Left was a feeling that everything was rosy and that Elise needed help with these silly clasps. Wonderful Elise. Of course she would help her.

  Nessa watched her own hands go to Elise’s throat and start undoing the fastenings. Now she understood why Elise had struggled, and she thanked the gods that corsets and bustles had gone out of fashion, more complicated garments would have been the last thing they needed. She bit her tongue, trying to focus. It was like her fingers were reacting a few moments after her mind. When she thought she was on her way to the next clasp, her fingers were still struggling with the old one. The dim light wasn’t helping. But she was halfway through now, by Elise’s ribs, which were undulating with her quick breaths.

  Nessa kept undoing the fastenings, trying to focus her eyes on the small metal things which appeared to be moving. As the clasps opened, the dress fell away. Over Elise’s warm, round shoulder, then over her petite chest. Now it looked more like a skirt. As she undid another set of those pesky fastenings, Nessa felt more and more of Elise’s warm skin under her hands.

  That was when it hit Nessa. Skin. She was seeing and feeling skin. Where was Elise’s undershirt?

  “Why are you naked? I mean, under the dress. On the top of your… body,” Nessa said, barely understanding her own meaning.

  “I stopped wearing an undershirt to work. I get too warm manoeuvring the printing press in these thick dresses. I can take a cardigan off when I get to work; I cannot do that with an undershirt.”

  Nessa felt like a cannonball had hit her.

  “Are you… are you… too warm for nether coverings, t-too?”

  Elise made a noise, somewhere between a hiccup and a laugh. “No, I am wearing those. I bought lots of them when I purchased my new work clothes. Have you not noticed that when I undress every night?”

  Nessa shook her head, a mistake as it made everything more out of focus. “Of course not. I never look at you when you change. It’d be rude and improper.”

  “But welcome.”

  “What?” Nessa asked.

  Elise swayed where she stood and put her hand on the wall to steady herself. “Nothing. I am wearing nether coverings. However, they are shorter and thinner than yours.”

  Nessa nodded. She didn’t trust herself to find words. She was starting to feel very warm. And the soft, fuzzy feeling in her belly was growing into something more energetic. Something more dangerous.

  She carried on with the clasps. Undoing them along the bottom of Elise’s thin waist. Trying not to look at Elise’s breasts which must be exposed. She focused on the clasps, ignoring her racing heart. More and more skin appeared, and it felt like magic.

  When Nessa reached the hip and undid the last three clasps there, she saw the nether coverings underneath. Grey, sewn with black thread as a low-cost form of decoration. She heard herself gasp and with shame understood that she was getting aroused. Not by the nether coverings, but by who was in them.

  Silly fool, she is not for you. Wait, why was that? Oh yes. Doesn’t want love. You do. Right. Yes. Where was I? Why is she the most beautiful thing I have ever seen? Prettier than a sunset, more tempting than honey tarts. This hurts. I want to kiss her. Gods help me.

  She pulled
her hands away and took a step back. “The clasps are done now.”

  Elise wasn’t looking at her. Her eyes were closed. She was still swaying where she stood.

  “Thank you.” Elise let go of the wall and clumsily tugged the dress down until it lay in a large pool around her feet. She stepped out of it and picked it up.

  Nessa watched as she smoothed it out and put it on the dresser, on top of her cardigan. Nessa could no longer stop herself, she took in the sight of Elise’s bared breasts. The skin of lightest brown and the nipples of rosiest pink. The nipples were rather big for such small breasts, and Nessa found herself drawn to them as if they were trying to get her attention. She cursed her drunk brain and squeezed her eyes closed.

  “You can look. In fact, I want you to look. I want you to see me. I want you to do more than just see me.”

  Nessa opened her eyes. Elise was standing before her, dressed only in those mist-grey nether coverings. Some of her hair was slicked to the underside of her jaw and Nessa tried to focus on that. All to avoid the shapely legs, those tempting breasts, and everything between. Her eyes still betrayed her, slipping down to the slim neck, the pronounced collar bones, and then to those beautiful breasts again.

  “Please do not look away, Nessa. See them. See me. I am more than someone to travel with or a cuddly toy to warm your bed. I want to warm you, inside and out.” Elise still sounded drunk, but more in control now. Utterly earnest.

  Nessa swallowed hard. Her heart was thudding in her chest, so hard that she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. She didn’t know what to say. What to do.

  Elise tilted her head and then sighed deeply. “May I at least kiss you? Please?”

  Nessa had no words. Her mouth felt dry and useless, unable to form the simplest of syllables.

  She nodded. Once with hesitation. Then again, with conviction.

  Elise took her face in her hands. Nessa felt her feet go up on tiptoe to be the same height as Elise. It wasn’t done consciously, it was just her body reacting, her mind left somewhere far behind.

  Then Elise’s lips were on hers. They were eager, demanding, and velvety soft. Nessa groaned into the kiss and parted her lips, granting Elise access to her mouth. The world was slipping away. Or perhaps spinning out of control. It didn’t matter. Only Elise’s lips against her own, Elise’s hands on her cheeks, Elise’s breasts pressed against her own… only that mattered. Suddenly her clothes bothered her, they were keeping her and Elise’s skin apart. They had to go. She pushed away, making Elise look mortified.

  “I need to be undressed,” she explained.

  Elise’s face changed from concern to determination. “Yes. You do. Come here.”

  She pulled Nessa closer and quickly undid the laces at her neckline. Then she pulled the shirt over Nessa’s head, barely waiting for her to raise her arms properly. The undershirt suffered the same fate. They were thrown next to the bed, discarded as punishment for separating the two bodies that were so eager for each other.

  Elise began to undo the fastening on Nessa’s trousers. Nessa groaned as she felt Elise’s breaths hit her bare shoulders and breasts. The whooshes of air were hot and rapid. Part of her wanted to tell Elise to breath properly so she didn’t become dizzy. But she knew she couldn’t form the words. Not anymore. Between the drink, the desire, and the deeper feelings which prodded at her heart, she couldn’t even tell Elise that she was still wearing her boots.

  Instead she gently removed Elise’s hands and bent over to undo the laces on her boots. Her vision filled with smooth, sand-coloured skin and black hair, as Elise crouched down to help her. She soon had the laces undone and Nessa kicked the boots off, not caring that they went flying across the room. The socks soon followed. Nessa did her part, pulling her trousers down and then off.

  Now they were both in only nether coverings. Nessa felt a hot wave of shame to see how much longer and dowdier her own were. But Elise didn’t seem to even see them. She was staring a line from Nessa’s eyes, all the way down to her breasts, and then back up again. When her gaze dropped once more, her hands followed it to the breasts.

  As she cupped them, she whispered, “I knew they would be too big for my hands. I have imagined this so many times. Gods, how I adore your curves.”

  It didn’t surprise Nessa that Elise had thought about this. Still, Nessa’s drunken mind was flattered. She might never get Lady Elisandrine Falk to be her spouse. But she was at least the beautiful woman’s wet dream. And soon-to-be actual lover. That would do fine for now.

  Elise leaned in to kiss Nessa’s neck. Tenderly at first, but as her grip on Nessa’s breasts tightened, the kisses turned rougher. Nessa felt teeth raking over the column of her throat. It made her aware of all the sensations in her body, the rush of blood, the increased sensitivity. And that there was now an ache between her thighs that demanded to be acknowledged. She hadn’t let that part of herself be touched for a long time, not even by herself. She wasn’t sure why. Right now, it seemed like that was all her world revolved around.

  Distantly, she felt Elise tug her nether coverings off and when she looked down on them on the floor, Elise’s were next to them. A fire lit in Nessa’s belly. Elise was naked. And hers to enjoy.

  She drew her eyes over the naked woman, feeling almost animal in her hunger. She grabbed Elise’s waist and manoeuvred her over to the bed. Elise let herself fall, groaning “yes” as she landed.

  Nessa was on top of her, and all over her, faster than she could register. She was tasting it all. Remnants of sugar pumpkin oil on Elise’s pulse points, a hint of salt from the heating skin between her breasts, another ink stain on a slender finger. She even dipped her tongue into the tangy slickness between Elise’s legs. She felt a strange need to sample all of it before deciding where to start. In the end, that choice was taken from her.

  “I need you on top of me. I need your mouth on mine,” Elise croaked.

  Nessa obliged without question. She kissed her, hurriedly and passionately. As her tongue slid into Elise’s mouth, two of her fingers slid into the soaked heat she found between Elise’s legs.

  Elise opened fully to her in both places. Taking Nessa’s breath away with her exquisite silky warmth. As she pushed her fingers in and out, she felt Elise move her pelvis, rubbing her swollen pearl against Nessa’s wrist.

  As she made love to the woman who had become the most important person in her life, Nessa felt overwhelmed. Bewildered and filled with feverish thoughts. That didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was the whimpering woman writhing underneath her. Still, the thoughts haunted her. What was this? It was purely fun for Elise, right? Just bedplay. That’s all Elise wanted. All she needed. But then why did Elise kiss her shoulder so tenderly? Why did she whisper her name so reverently almost every time Nessa entered her?

  She pushed all thoughts away and focused on leading Elise further into pleasure. Rolling her fingers around, curling them to find every groove, and to push against the most sensitive spot inside her lover. Soon she felt Elise grab hold of her shoulders and shudder against her body. Pushing herself tightly against Nessa’s wrist until oily, hot, wetness trickled down it. Elise yelped and then buried her face in Nessa’s neck. Her breathing was lightning fast and her heart beat so hard that Nessa felt it as if it was in her own chest.

  Soon Elise softened, her whole body seeming to relax. She was silent until a single word slipped past her lips, brushing against Nessa’s neck. The word was “again.”

  Nessa smiled. She could make a joke about spoiled ladies of court. Snigger and call Elise greedy. She could claim her own right to go next. She could do these things. After all, that ache between her legs was still there. But what she most wanted to do was take Elise again. Make Elise give that high-pitched yelp of pleasure again. But this time, she wanted to see her.

  “Yes. But only if I get to watch you. Only if you are on top,” Nessa whispered back.

  She hadn’t thought any further than that. No details on the position
. She just wanted to watch Elise get her next dose of pleasure.

  Elise’s nostrils flared, and her golden eyes glinted. For a brief moment, she looked like the hungry animal Nessa had felt like earlier. Then this waif of a woman managed to roll them over and straddle Nessa without any apparent effort.

  Nessa felt the air leave her lungs as she was pushed over and into the mattress by the goddess sitting on her, coating the hair on her pubic mound in hot liquid.

  The straddling woman began to move. Pushing herself back and forth over the top of Nessa’s sex. She closed her eyes, and Nessa watched the pleasured expression change to frustration.

  “Not… enough… friction,” Elise panted.

  Nessa didn’t know whether to apologise or to offer her hands and mouth. As usual, she didn’t have to worry. Lady Falk would know what she wanted and ask for it. Or in this case, go for it.

  Elise moved so that she was a little to the right. Pressing her wetness, especially the hard nub, against Nessa’s right hip bone. Nessa had always hated how much her wide hip bones protruded, but now she was grateful for it. It was as if they had been made that way to pleasure Elise.

  Elise began to thrust herself against it. Hot, wet liquid coated Nessa in a new place, and it felt natural, dirty, and sacred in a strange blend.

  Nessa grabbed Elise’s hips and helped her roll them, making the ride faster and smoother. Elise was panting and moaning now, grabbing Nessa’s shoulders to steady herself. It felt possessive. As if she was holding Nessa still for her. Claiming her body. Nessa couldn’t remember the last time she felt such a rush. Elise looked confident and dominant, moving so fast that a sheen of sweat coated her slender torso. The effect was making Elise look like a gleaming goddess in the process of claiming her worship. And Nessa was so ready to worship her.

  Elise’s eyes rolled back, and she gave another of those high yelps. She collapsed onto Nessa, nearly knocking their heads together as she fell.