Deceit: A Beauty and the Beast Novel (13 page)

Long minutes passed. His roar from outside
rattled the pane, and I began to doubt the wisdom of my impromptu
game. There hadn’t been any wisdom. I’d done something completely
outrageous to distract him from his arousal. And where did that
leave me? Under his bed. Just as I thought to creep out and find a
safer place, the door to my room slammed open. I heard fabric
ripping and furniture crashing. I trembled, regretting my
spontaneity.

The door to his room flew open, and I held
my breath. I heard him move around the room. I didn’t try to look
and follow his progress. I held completely still.

Suddenly, his hands closed around my ankles,
and he yanked me from under the bed. I stared up in shock at the
beast’s face, which hovered just inches from my own.

“Found you,” he purred.

“That’s because you cheated,” I said in a
rush, unsure of his mood. “You didn’t count the proper amount of
time.”

We stayed still, gazing at each other. So
many emotions flitted through his gaze that I couldn’t even begin
to speculate their meaning.

“Go,” he said suddenly, pushing away from
me. “Leave me in peace.”

Without hesitation, I quickly scurried to my
own room. As soon as the doors closed, a thundering crash came from
his side.

I’d thought to flirt with him but had only
done so with honest praise. I stared at the doors wondering what
had gone wrong.

Chapter 7

After two days of quiet avoidance—on his
part, not mine—I finally found him in the kitchen, waiting near a
set table. I approached cautiously and stopped a good distance
away.

“Sit,” he commanded. “Eat.”

“No, thank you,” I said softly.

He grunted in frustration but did not
growl.

“Why not?”

“I seem to upset you no matter what I do or
say. Then you upset me, and suddenly you’re wearing more of my
food.”

He snorted and studied me for a moment.

“A bribe then? What price do you ask to sit
and eat with me?”

“A full meal without any food decorating
your fur?”

He nodded with a slight smile curving his
lips.

“Answers,” I said.

“To what questions?”

“I’m not yet sure. All I ask is your calm
honesty. Instead of stating something isn’t my concern, tell me why
you do not want to answer the question.”

I moved toward the table, knowing he would
do as I asked.

“Why did my statement about liking it here
upset you?”

“I thought it a lie.”

“You no longer do?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

He sighed gustily and pushed back his
plate.

“Because...of so many reasons.”

I took a bite and waited. He didn’t
disappoint.

“You don’t hold back what you’re thinking.
And, you are willingly risking my anger to speak truthfully. Though
I’ve given you enough cause to leave, you haven’t yet done so. You
do not act resentfully toward me, nor do you make outrageous or
selfish demands when given the opportunity. What else can I think,
but that you really do like it here, with me,” he said softly.

I smiled widely at him.

“Well, there aren’t many places I can go
about my day naked,” I teased. “Perhaps that is the draw.”

He gave a half laugh and started eating. I
dared to hope we were actually becoming friends. I reached for a
covered plate to see what else he’d made.

“Wait, it’s—”

Too late, I touched the hot dome and burned
two fingers. I hissed in pain. The beast moved quickly to my side,
kneeling by my chair.

“Let me see.” Not waiting for me to move, he
reached for my hand.

The tips of my fingers pulsed red. He
brought them to his mouth, his tongue flicking out to swipe at the
pads. My heart gave an odd flutter as my chest tightened. He licked
the pads again, taking with him more of the sting. Heat crawled up
my neck, and a strange warmth started in my middle. I frowned at
him.

“Thank you,” I said pulling my hand free.
“They feel much better.”

His gaze held me, and he slowly nodded, an
unknown emotion lighting his eyes.

What did he see when he looked at me?

* * * *

After dressing in a plain dress for the day,
I led the beast on a walk to visit the old tree that had spoken to
me twice.

“What was your life like here before Rose
enchanted everything?” I asked, sitting on the bank of the
pond.

“I honestly don’t recall the details. I
drank fine wines and liquors, entertained many guests, played
games. Why do you ask?”

“What of your family?” I removed my slippers
then pulled up my skirts before stepping into the water. It chilled
my skin.

“My father died long before Rose enchanted
me. My mother...she left not long before Rose came.” He cleared his
throat. “Mother was ill and went south looking for help. She died
years ago.”

“You’re alone.”

“I was,” he said.

My stomach grew warm at his sentiment.

“How deep is this water?” I asked, changing
the subject.

“Not at all. Why?”

I grinned at him, waded a few feet out, then
kicked water, hitting him fully in his face. He sputtered
indignantly for a moment before chasing me into the water in a
cascading splash that thoroughly soaked me.

Scooping more water to splash at him, I
waged war. His splashes far surpassed mine for the next several
minutes.

“I yield,” I called, finally.

His matted, wet fur clung to him, and I
shivered under my waterlogged dress.

“Would you kindly have a hot bath waiting
for me in my room?” I asked with a stutter.

“Of course,” he said, leading me to the
front door. A trail of water marked our progress as we made our way
to our rooms. He left me at my door with a bow and went to his own
suite.

A large tub waited for me, steam rising from
the water. I gladly peeled off the dress and sank into its depth
with a sigh. Not a moment later, the door behind me clicked open
then closed again.

“Do you mean to watch me bathe?” I asked,
resisting the urge to turn around.

“I do,” he answered softly.

I felt a twinge of pity for him. He meant to
face Rose again. I nodded and submerged myself, rewetting my
hair.

Bravely, I shifted to my knees, counting on
his restraint. My top half cooled in the air as I reached for the
soap. Closing my eyes, I lathered my hair, arms over my head. A
soft noise on the carpet gave away his move to see more.

Blaming my trembling on the cool air, I
rinsed my hair then started soaping the parts of me still out of
water. Curiously, my nipples hardened when my palms passed over
them. A tingle shot from my breast to my pelvis. I repeated the
motion, analyzing my reaction. I’d washed myself before. Why was
this time different?

A blush of pleasure warmed my face, and I
rinsed the soap away, aware of my audience. When I opened my eyes,
he did not stand before me.

Behind me, the door once again clicked open
and closed.

“Good luck,” I whispered in the empty room
before finishing my bath.

* * * *

I felt him lay on the bed beside me at some
point during the night. I rolled toward him and laid a hand on his
chest, feeling the fur.

“What happened?” I murmured in sleepy
disappointment.

“When I closed my eyes I pictured you
but...” He sighed. “It wasn’t enough.”

Reaching up, I stroked my fingers along his
shoulder.

“We will try again,” I promised before
giving into sleep once more.

* * * *

I rode to the Water just as the sun crested
the horizon. Two gold coins rested in my pocket, a gift from the
beast. This time I didn’t bother with the stables, but rode
straight to the Sisters’ house. The guard at the back door nodded
to me when I dismounted and tied Swiftly to the tree.

“Not a word of this,” I whispered to the
creature.

Swiftly nickered softly, his eyes on the
house. In the shadows behind the guard, I saw a very naked Ila
waiting for me.

“If you’re good, I’ll invite her to take you
for a ride. She doesn’t wear any underthings either,” I said with a
light laugh. He made an odd non-horse noise and shook his head as I
walked away.

“We’ve been waiting for you to return,” Ila
whispered as she wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace.

“I should have come sooner, but my master
demands so much of my time.”

“Things are well?”

“Yes. But I do have a purpose for my
visit.”

“Come, let us bathe.”

I nodded and followed her down the
steps.

Aryana did not wait in the tubs as usual,
but Ila didn’t seem surprised by it.

“I’d grown so used to Aryana down here that
it’s odd without her,” I said as we walked through to the back
room.

“She is still sleeping,” Ila said.

As she helped me rinse, I broached one of
the subjects on my mind.

“My master gifted me with some coin, and I
had hoped to purchase some of the oil you used in my hair. I like
the smell of it.”

“Of course,” she said as she poured water
over me to rinse the soap away. “I make it myself.”

“It’s lovely.”

Ila laughed lightly.

“I will make a new scent just for you.”

I thanked her as we dried.

“I have another question,” I said after a
few moments of quiet. “You’ve explained pent energies. I’m
wondering if a woman could have pent energies, too.”

I’d watched their demonstration with Gen,
and after my interaction with the beast, I deduced sight and touch
of a woman and her body contributes to a man’s energies. But would
the same work for a woman? The beast had alluded that it was
possible. But, if so, did the beast have the knowledge to try and
build the enchantress’s energies? I thought that might be the crux
of the problem in achieving a full night of pleasure. The beast was
certainly able to find his pleasure but could he find hers?

Ila smiled at me.

“Yes, we can. Though, we don’t become angry
like men do when it occurs.”

“How do a woman’s energies become pent?” I
wanted to help the beast, but part of me was plain curious after
his remark.

Ila made a slight coughing sound.

“Perhaps we can discuss this when you came
back for the oil? I should have it ready by midday. It should give
you time to visit your sister.”

Reluctantly, I agreed and went to visit with
Bryn.

Bryn excitedly spoke of all the people she’d
met now that she’d engaged herself to the baker’s son. She gushed
about how the baker himself treated her as a daughter and often
took her on a tour of the bakery to explain the business
further.

I tried to ask about the babe, but it seemed
to upset her otherwise bubbly mood so I quickly asked about the
wedding again. She spoke of her wedding feast guest list and Blye’s
growing success as a dressmaker.

“She wanted me to ask if you could find her
some more embellishments for hats or if you might have more of that
thread,” she finally finished.

“I’ll see what I can do,” I promised,
standing to leave.

I walked Swiftly back to the Sisters. Ila
again met me at the door and handed me a vial the size of my
palm.

“You don’t need to use much. Apply it when
your hair is wet, and comb it through.”

I grinned at her and gave her the two gold
coins.

“This is too much,” she said with a rough
gasp.

“An advance for the next order. Please give
anything that remains to my father.” She seemed mollified by
that.

“Do you have a moment to speak?” I asked,
hoping she still might explain how a woman’s energies become pent.
Her appearance at the door, and the fact that they now had
customers made it unlikely.

Ila glanced to her right, and Aryana stepped
into view.

“We need to leave some mystery for you to
discover on your own,” Ila said. “If we reveal all of the secrets
of seduction, it takes the magic from the moment.”

“Seduction?” I tested the word, trying to
recall a meaning.

“Not something generally discussed in polite
company. The art of persuasion in which the end result is...” Ila
looked to Aryana.

“I believe fornication would be the best
word choice with our Benella.”

Neither would say any more. With nothing
further to discuss, I left.

* * * *

When I returned to the manor, in my
frustration, I slammed the door to the kitchen.

“This is unusual,” the beast said as he
entered the room. “What vexes you so?”

“Have you ever heard of the Whispering
Sisters?” I asked.

“Yes, but why have
you
heard of
them?”

“It is where my father teaches. And, I’ve
made a few friends there. At least, I thought they were friends.” I
sat heavily on a chair. “They’ve been an invaluable source for
information. There are things they know that have helped me
understand—”

“You’ve been receiving advice from
whores?”

His sudden upset surprised me.

“There is no need to yell. How else am I to
learn about these things? Men are complex creatures on their own.
Throw an enchantment on one, and he is impossible.”

He took a slow, deep breath, and I waited
for him to calm.

“Why are you upset with them?” he asked.

“As I mentioned, they’ve been open with
their advice. Until today.”

“What did you ask today?”

“How do a woman’s energies become pent? I
understand fucking, as you put it, but don’t understand where the
appeal is for the woman.”

He made a choked noise and immediately left
the room.

“That’s about the reaction they had,” I
yelled after him. “I don’t think it fair that everyone is keeping
this knowledge to themselves.”

Really, how was I supposed to help him when
I didn’t know?