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"And you have those beautiful eyes, but I am a wicked child" Eisley
It was a lovely party, honestly, but Cullen wished he could be anywhere else. He stood off to the side, nursing the same glass of wine he had been sipping from for nearly an hour, watching the crush of people chatting and dancing with one another. He wanted nothing to do with it.
It was the eve of First Day, and normally he would be at home, enjoying the solitude and a good book. This year, though, his friend Josephine had dragged him here. “You’ve been moping for the past two and a half months, Cullen. I’m sure she was lovely, but enough is enough.”
The party was being hosted by some visiting noble from the Free Marches, Ostwick maybe, though he wasn’t sure. Josie was a diplomat, working for the government of Antiva, which was why she was invited. She was delighted at this opportunity to mix business and pleasure, and even more so at the thought of dressing Cullen up and dragging him along. She was lucky he considered her such a good friend, and that he knew she was only doing this because she truly thought it would be good for him. He would not let any of his other friends do such a thing.
He scanned the crowd again, out of habit mostly, and checked his watch. Still almost an hour to go until midnight, and then he could try to make his escape. He had already been approached by several of the other party goers, but the requests for a dance with him had finally stopped. Perhaps it was the glower on his face. He was being rude, he knew, but he really did hate this sort of thing.
His eyes rested on Josie, the shimmering gold of her dress standing out in a sea of mostly dark colors, blacks and greys, and the occasional navy blue. She was in her element, dancing and chatting with a lovely young woman in a slim fitting charcoal dress. He scanned the crowd a little more, and started when his eyes found someone familiar. Eloise. She was vibrant in a bright emerald dress, her long auburn hair pulled away from her face, and falling down her back in thick waves. She was dancing with an older gentleman, the host of the party if he recalled correctly.
She tilted her head back, laughing at something the man said. He gave her a twirl, and her laughter stopped, replaced by what looked like anger. She had spotted him, though why she would be angry, he had no idea. After all, she had vanished from his bed without a trace, no goodbye, nothing .
She whispered something in the man’s ear, and strode in his direction, her graceful movements at odds with the look on her face. He put his glass down on a nearby table and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at her as she made her way to him, feeling his face tense up as he frowned. The closer she got to him, the faster his heart raced, thumping so hard he was sure everyone could hear it. He felt his face flush, his anger growing as she reached him, and he saw that her face bore an expression that was similar to his own.
“Cullen,” she spat.
“Eloise,” he returned with just as much venom. What right did she have to be so angry, when she was the one who had disappeared with nary a word?
Her eyes narrowed at him, lips tight and face beginning to flush a deep crimson. He saw her clench and unclench her fists at her side before she sputtered, “You... I can’t believe… of all the Maker’s damned nerve…” before turning on her heel and stomping outside.
He honestly wasn’t sure what to make of it, either her anger or her reaction to his, so he followed her through the ornate wooden doors. It was freezing out, the snow falling fast and heavy, and as he spied a flash of bright green in the distance, he felt a pang of regret. He wasn’t sure how, exactly, but it was at least somewhat his fault that she was outside in this, wearing nothing over her lace dress, which was both sleeveless and backless. He reached her, though she didn’t turn around until he slipped off his black cabled cardigan and placed it over her shoulders, leaving him in his vest and button up shirt.
She looked as though she wanted to take it off just to spite him, but thought better of it. “Don’t be a gentleman now, Cullen.”
He quirked his eyebrows at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was unaware that I had ever not been a gentleman. Why are you so angry with me, Eloise? You’re the one who left without even saying goodbye.”
Indignation flashed across her face. “I didn’t want to wake you! I left a note with my number, but you couldn’t be bothered to call me. I thought... “ her face fell for a moment before turning angry once again. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. You didn’t call.”
There had been no note, Cullen was sure of it. Because if there had been, he would have called her, would have done his utmost to convince her to see him again. It had only been one night, but he felt something, a connection, and he had wanted to explore it further. He thought she had felt it too, but when he awoke to an empty bed, he realized that he must have been mistaken.
“Eloise, I didn’t find any note. I woke up and you had vanished without a trace, as if I had dreamed you up.”
She tilted her head at him, her eyes narrowing as she furrowed her brow. “I left it right on your nightstand, so you would find it when you woke up.”
Her voice had calmed, anger turning to confusion. He thought back to that morning, but the nightstand had definitely been clear when he woke. He had checked, too, looking at all the likely places she might have left something in his apartment. He finally gave up when his cat had come begging for her breakfast.
He groaned. The cat, of course. “The Admiral.”
Eloise just stared at him as if he had suddenly grown another head. “The Admiral?”
He nodded. “My cat, Admiral Fluffington von Snuggles. She used to belong to my younger brother, until my nephew developed an allergy. I took her in, but she doesn’t much like me. She likes to steal my things sometimes and I imagine your note fell victim to her as well.”
She chuckled, her low, throaty laugh sending a shiver through his body. “I see. In that case, I suppose I should apologize for my anger.”
He nodded. “And I as well.”
Eloise stepped closer, invading his personal space. He breathed in her scent, lemongrass and something sweeter that he couldn’t quite place. She rested her hand on his hip for a moment before sliding it down, slipping it into the pocket of his pants to pull out his cellphone. He released the breath he was holding, watching as her fingers glided over the touchscreen. She slid it back into his pocket, pressing her body against his as her hand lingered for just a few seconds longer than was necessary to return his phone where it belonged.
She looked up at him, a sly smile on her face. “Now you have no excuses.”
“I would have called you, you know,” he rasped. “If I had found your note, I would have called you as soon as I woke.”
He hesitated only a moment before lowering his head to hers, capturing her mouth in a soft kiss. He felt her sigh against his lips, her body arching into his, which he took as encouragement, his kiss becoming more urgent, almost hungry. Her lips parted, and he swept his tongue inside to tangle it with her own. She tasted like cake and champagne, and Cullen wasn’t sure he would ever get enough of her.
He gasped into her mouth when he felt her hand slide down his body, resting on his growing erection, giving him a light squeeze through his pants. “Eloise,” he panted. “As much as I’d like to see where you take things, perhaps outside in the snow isn’t the best place?”
She smirked, giving him another gentle squeeze before removing her hand. “You’re right, of course.”
She pulled away from him, taking his hand in hers, and he already felt the loss of her body against his. Cullen let her pull him along, following her back inside to the party, wishing more than anything the crowd would disappear so he could have her all to himself.
His sweater started to slip from her shoulders, and she took it off, handing it back to him when they reached the ballroom. She waited for him to put it back on before taking his hand again. “Dance with me, Cullen.”
He wanted to object, tell her that he was a terrible dancer, but it wasn’t a question, the command in her voice leaving no doubt about who was in charge right then. He nodded, following her out to the middle of the crowd. They passed by Josie, who was still dancing with the same young woman from earlier, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw Cullen pass by. He was going to embarrass himself, and Josie would see it. She’d probably tell their other friends, and he would likely never hear the end of it. Still, as he watched Eloise weave through the crowd, her movements graceful, he thought it would be worth it just to feel her body against his as they moved to the music together.
The song ended, a slower piece taking its place. Cullen thanked the Maker for small miracles - he could probably handle this without too much embarrassment. She finally stopped, taking one of his hands in her own, then taking his free hand and resting it on her hip before she moved hers to his shoulder. She started to sway to the music, her body pressed almost indecently close to his own and he couldn’t help but move along with her, swirling amongst the other dancing couples.
She nuzzled closer, and he could hear her take in a deep breath at the crook of his neck. His steps faltered and he could hear her quiet laugh over the sound of the music. “I apologize - I’ve never been a terribly good dancer.”
She looked up at him with a sly grin. “Oh, I know for a fact that you know what to do with those hips,” she said with an almost imperceptible thrust of her hips into his. “At the very least, the potential is there.”
He could feel his face starting to flush, and he was certain he was bright red. “You’re incorrigible.”
“It’s not really my fault that you put so many lascivious thoughts in my head.”
Cullen quirked his eyebrows. “Please, do feel free to elaborate, love.”
Eloise flashed him a brilliant smile, and he faltered again, unable to remember what, exactly, he was supposed to be doing. Twirling and spinning to the music, when all he wanted was to pack her in his car and take her home, make love to her until dawn. “I’ve half a mind to drag you out of here, the rest of the song be damned,” she whispered, voicing his thoughts. “There are alcoves all over the hallways, half hidden in shadow, and I want to take you to one, show you exactly what kinds of things I’m thinking about.”
A low moan escaped from his lips. “I think this might be the longest song I’ve ever heard.”
No sooner had he voiced the thought than the song started to wind down, finally ending. She flashed him a wicked grin and motioned for him to follow her. He could barely keep up as she darted through the crowd, weaving this way and that until she slipped through a door at the far end of the room. He followed her through it, finding himself in a poorly lit hallway, dotted with alcoves just as she had said. She had made it to the far end of the hallway, and as Cullen reached her, she pulled him into one of them.
It was just deep enough that they probably couldn’t be seen, but he was still wary. That is, until Eloise pulled his face down to hers, tangling her fingers in his curls as she devoured his lips with her own. Maker, she felt amazing, her tongue dancing wildly with his own as she arched her body into his. He could barely help himself as he ran his hands up her thighs, pulling her dress over her hips so that he could further explore her body.
They had had only one previous encounter and that had been months ago, but her body felt familiar under Cullen’s hands and mouth. His breath hitched as he felt Eloise reach down and unzip his pants, and he felt her smile against his lips as her delicate fingers wrapped around his erection. He groaned in pleasure as she stroked him, her grip firm and sure, until she placed a finger against his lips. “Hush, now, darling. We wouldn’t want anyone to find us here, would we?”
He didn’t care, not one whit. His senses were consumed by her, the scent of lemongrass filling his nostrils, the warmth of her hand wrapped around him, her body pressed against his own, the taste of her flesh as he stifled his moans in the crook of her neck. He wasn’t sure he would even notice if anyone came upon them right then, and he knew for sure that even if he did, he certainly wouldn’t give a damn.
Eloise took her hand away, fumbling with something before she sheathed him in a condom that she had pulled from Maker only knew where. He started to reach down, wanting to give her pleasure in return, but she pushed him away, shimmying out of her panties before shoving the balled up black silk into his back pocket. “Eloise, let me…”
She cut him off, pulling him closer until he had her backed against the wall. “No time for the niceties, I’m afraid,” she purred, her smirk letting him know that she was perfectly alright with that. “Hard and fast, darling. That’s how I want you to fuck me.”
Her words sent a jolt of warmth through him, and he swore under his breath as he lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, her dress bunched around her waist as he held her against the wall with his body. She was even lovelier than he remembered, especially now, as she looked at him like she wanted to devour him, body and soul. He would let her have him, too, he thought as he sank into her warmth, let her have him however and whenever she wanted. He thrust slowly, wanting to savor the feeling of being buried deep within her, but she rolled her hips into his, hard and fast just like she had already told him.
Well, he would certainly comply with her wish, then. He thrust harder this time, grinning as she cried out her pleasure. He placed a hand over her mouth, leaning down to tell her, “Hush, now, darling. Isn’t that what you just told me?” in a breathless whisper.
Her eyes widened but he felt Eloise smile against the hand that was holding back her cries. He continued his unrelenting pace, spurred on by the sounds of her muffled cries and by the continued rolling of her hips into his. Maker, but she felt amazing, even better than he remembered in all his recollections of their first night together. The sound of her panting behind his hand grew faster, her breathing shallower as she neared her climax. “Come for me, love,” he whispered, feeling the pressure of his own orgasm starting to build.
Cullen removed his hand from her mouth as she came, swallowing her cries with a kiss. Her muscles clenched around him, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. Waves of pleasure crashed through his body as he thrust once more, still kissing Eloise so that his own cries didn’t give them away. He pulled out slowly, leaning down to place his head against her shoulder until he could control his breathing.
The sounds from the rest of the party started to come into focus again, and Cullen could have sworn he heard a muffled countdown starting. He grinned down at Eloise, still not quite believing what had just happened. It was so unlike him, not that he was feeling any regret. His smiled was returned, and they both started to set themselves to rights, Cullen pushing a stray lock of her hair back where it belonged, Eloise producing a handkerchief from somewhere inside her dress and handing it to him. “We should get back to the party,” she whispered. “There’s a bathroom just down the hall behind us if you need to clean up some more.”
Cullen nodded, though he didn’t feel quite ready to leave her yet. It was incredible how this woman he barely knew could make him feel as he did, as if he was on the verge of something spectacular. “I’ll call you soon, maybe make plans for a proper date?”
Her smile lit up her entire face. “That would be lovely, Cullen,” she replied, slipping out from behind him.
He tucked everything back in its place, his gaze following her as she made her way back to the ballroom before he headed in the opposite direction.
~~~~~
Cullen found Josie fairly quickly after entering the ballroom again. She stared at him, her eyes wide with a mixture of incredulity and dismay. “Tell me you didn’t do anything inappropriate just now, Cullen!”
Of course she would have picked up on something - Josie was one of the most observant people he knew, and she certainly knew how to read a situation. It was, after all, part of her job. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling much like a schoolboy being scolded by his teacher. “I, um…”
“Cullen Stanton Rutherford!” she interrupted in a harsh whisper, pulling him out of the crowd. “Do you have any idea.. Maker’s blood, let’s hope nobody else saw the Bann’s daughter come in, all disheveled, and you following not ten minutes later looking like the cat that ate the canary.”
“Wait, did you say the Bann’s daughter? That was Eloise, my Eloise, from Alistair’s wedding. You must be mistaken.”
He knew she wasn’t, and Josie’s eyebrow quirked up to confirm that. Maker’s breath, what had he managed to get himself into?