The Fall of the Wolf Ch. 10

The next day brought even more snow. Eleta and Rafe were content to stay indoors, and they ventured downstairs around noon in search of food. While Eleta prepared them a cold collation of bread, meat, cheese, fruit and wine.

Rafe explored the main floor of the lodge. He was already familiar with the large front parlor and the kitchen, but there were several rooms he had not ventured into before. He found a study, lined with shelves of books.

It was obvious that the royal family liked to read and were well educated on all sorts of topics. There were books on history, geography, politics, religion, science and philosophy. There was a section of the classics, with volumes of poetry and works by Pliny the elder, Homer and Shakespeare. There was also a large collection of works of fiction, ranging from adventure to suspense to romance.

A large desk was framed at the back by large windows that shed an abundance of light over its surface. It was tidy and uncluttered. Either not much business was conducted at the lodge, which would make sense, or the papers were filed away in the drawers. Rafe refrained from snooping to find out. There was a huge, comfortable looking leather chair behind the desk, and several others spread around the room. It was a room where one could make oneself comfortable and read in peace for hours if desired.

Rafe wandered down the hall to the next room and stopped in surprise. He had not expected to find a music room in a remote lodge. There was a large, handsome harpsichord to one side of a cozy fireplace. Nearby, he saw a gleaming cello resting on a stand, along with a harp and several other smaller instruments. There were neat stacks of music on low shelves that ran along the wall. Weak wintery light filtered in from the large window. Several chairs were placed around the room, and he could imagine small gatherings of family and friends being entertained.

Rafe heard Eleta approaching, and he turned his head as she appeared in the doorway beside him. His gaze dropped to her audacious neckline and he suppressed a wolfish grin. Her dress was as daring as any courtesan might wear, and he knew she didn't intend to be wearing it for long. She was obviously trying to entice him to ravish her. He met her gaze with an innocent expression. He definitely intended to accept her offer, but he would make his naughty girl wait.

"Here you are," she breathed with a smile. "I almost didn't see you. I was about to look for you upstairs."

He accepted the proffered plate of lunch and drew her against his side, with an arm around her waist. "I was just looking around. Do you play?" he asked, gesturing toward the room with his plate.

"Yes. Why? Do you like music?"

"Very much so," he said with a grin. "Why don't we eat our lunch in here, and you can play for me?"

Eleta gave a smile and a shrug and preceded him into the room. Rafe built a fire to chase the chill from the room, and they sat together on a large rug as they ate. Eleta had purposely dressed for seduction, so she wasn't surprised that Rafe's eyes strayed frequently to her bosom.

Her dress was the most scandalous one she owned, and she had worn it in hopes that he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her. It was sleeveless, leaving her shoulders and upper back exposed. The dress was so tightly fitted through the waist and upper bodice that it pressed her breasts up and together into an impressive display.

As if that weren't temptation enough, the neckline was designed with a plunging V in the center that extended to well below her breasts. The only thing that kept the two halves covering her breasts were small whalebone stays cleverly sewn into the silk fabric. Because the neckline plunged so deep, Eleta wore no corset or chemise under the gown.

The watered silk rubbed against her bare nipples, keeping them constantly hard. She longed for Rafe to reach inside her bodice and fondle her, and she leaned near, offering him multiple opportunities to do so. She wore a matching silk shawl to guard against the chill, but she frequently let it drop to her elbows as she tried to entice her lover.

However, for once, Rafe seemed distracted by their surroundings. He was secretly delighted by the sight of her charmingly displayed breasts. He could clearly see the outline of her hardened nipples, and he knew she was aroused. He was content to let her desire build, and he made no seductive advances during their meal. He fully intended to ravish her, but not until she was restless and needy. Letting the anticipation build only increased the pleasure. Besides, he loved music and wanted to hear her play for him.

While Eleta was disappointed that Rafe seemed immune to her gown, the idea that he might love music as much as she did was intriguing. Music had always been a balm to her spirit, bringing her joy and peace of mind when she was troubled. Once their lunch was finished, Eleta rose and set their dishes on a small table near the door. She removed the shawl that she hadn't really been using anyway and tossed it aside.

"Alright, my wolf," she said with a grin, "what would you like to hear?"

"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.

Rafe's 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 for my musical performance."

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 deep inside you."

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. Won't you please fuck me now?"

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 he kept up the constant teasing caresses. "Which is it, little one? 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, so I wasn't trying to be a tease." She broke off with a breathless moan as he stroked high inside her, rubbing against the sensitive spot inside her pussy. She clenched his fingers and moaned again. "Oh please, Rafe!"

"Naughty, naughty girl," Rafe said with a grin. He continued to toy with her, loving how wet and desperate she was getting. "I think I'll make you wait a bit longer, little one."

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 breasts 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 that he had caused. 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."