AYLETH

The buckle of his belt clinked as she tugged at it, and the leather slapped against his thigh when she pulled it through. But soon she had the belt open and she began on the buttons.

They were difficult, with so much pressure behind them. For a minute she was distracted, teeth gritted, just trying to loose them. But finally, she made it through the four, and with her lip between her teeth, parted the leather pants.

He sprang into her hand, and her eyes went wide.

What an odd thing it was, almost like a tall mushroom. Or one of the eels she'd seen in the butcher's pond. It stood up straight and tall and seemed… far larger than she would have expected, though not nearly as large as the stallion.

He mustn't use all of it for the mating.

Or perhaps that was why the mares sometimes looked a bit green?

"Ayleth, what are you thinking?" he asked in a gravel voice.

She tilted her head. "Just comparing you to the horse stud," she said honestly.

He choked again. "I'm so sorry, if you thought that's what—"

"No!" She blinked. "I only thought… when it comes time… you must not use all of it, surely? It seems… it seems that it would not fit?"

Etan closed his eyes and took her hand, the little muscles in the back of his jaw twitched. "Don't worry, my love. Please. I will only use as much as will fit," he said, his lips pressed together like he fought a smile.

Ayleth nodded, soothed. She had thought that must be it.

As Etan released her hand, she tilted her head again, considering her approach. He sat back, watching her, his eyes hooded again.

She reached out with a finger and stroked down, her eyes widening with surprise. The skin there was so soft, yet underneath, it was like steel!

Then Etan shuddered and it quivered. Instinctively she grabbed at it, as if it might fall over, and Etan groaned. Ayleth blinked. "You enjoyed that?"

"Yes, my love," he panted. "I enjoy that very much."

"The stroking, or the holding?"

"Both, at the same time, actually. The stroking will… will bring me… the pleasure that you had."

Ayleth smiled and tried what he had said, circling him with her grip, then stroking it softly down. Etan stiffened and gasped a curse, his eyes dropping closed, then flying open when she did it again.

She repeated the motion again, and again, each time his breath tearing harder from his throat, his shudder getting stronger. She leaned forward to get a better angle and Etan pulled her in to kiss her, his entire body quivering and shaking under her hand.

Is that what she had done? Was this how she had looked? She would ask him when he could focus—because it was clear, just then, that he was losing his grip.

Ayleth found she liked being the one to give him such uncontrollable pleasure.

"Ayleth?" he gasped. "Would you… would you sit on my knees and… and face me… while you do that?"

"Oh, yes!" she let go of him and shifted to sit on his long thighs, surprised by how her own body hummed. Her flesh so sensitive, that even that pressure made her shaky. She leaned forward a little to take him in hand and he made a strange noise.

As she stroked, and watched the tendons in his neck stand proud, his breath shuddered so that his shoulders heaved. His legs began to twitch under her, which made Ayleth breathless, then as he gasped and groaned, he sat up so they were almost nose-to-nose, and as she continued to stroke, he used both hands to press her blouse back and away from her breasts, cupping and kneading them, his thumbs rolling over her nipples which had both stood up hard under his attentions.

"Oh, Etan," she breathed. "I do enjoy that."

"Ayleth…" he sobbed her name, his head drop back again. "Please don't stop."

"I won't!"

"Oh, Ayleth, oh… you mustn't… oh, dear lord—stop! Stop!" he cried and Ayleth gasped and let go—had she hurt him?'

But he twisted underneath her suddenly, bellowing, grasping himself and as she pushed herself off behind him, he cried out and his entire body twitched once, twice, three times, before his breath heaved and he slumped on his side in the hay, panting.

"Are you… alright?" she asked carefully, one hand on his shoulder. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, Ayleth, no." Still panting and shaking, he hurriedly tucked himself back into his pants and rolled over to face her, sitting up and pulling her to him into a deep and soul-searching kiss. A minute later when he eased back, his breath was still heavy.

"That was… dear lord, that was wonderful. But for men. For men this part is… rather messy. I didn't want to you to… I just… it was wonderful. You are the most amazing woman, Ayleth."

She was still confused about what had happened, but Etan was smiling, stroking her hair, and much more relaxed than he had been after her own pleasure, so she leaned into him and enjoyed the feeling as he pulled her close, both of them spent, but happy.