"I think we both know that you've already risen to the challenge," she whispered. She brushed her lips lightly over his skin as she snapped the fingers of her free hand.
In response, all the buckles of her clothes fell away almost immediately and in seconds, she was as naked as he was. Her tongue brushed his flesh while her fingers continued their exquisite torment.
"I'll need to take your word on that," Skharr noted. "And if that is all that is needed to impress you, I suppose it bodes well for the rest of the night."
The goddess laughed and let her teeth score over the hard planes of his chest as his hands started to rise, brushed lightly over her waist, and moved higher to tease and knead her flesh.
"Well, it remains to be seen if you possess enough stamina to match a goddess. It would be my pleasure to judge how far a man can measure up to divinity."
Skharr smirked, moved his hands to take a firm hold on her hips, and lifted her effortlessly off her feet. She laughed, wrapped her thighs around his waist, and draped her arms around his neck as she pulled herself in close to press her lips hungrily to his.
Mentioning that he was tired from a long day of travel felt like making excuses at this point. All he could promise was his finest effort, and that was what she would be given.
There was certainly some magic afoot, as he felt a rush of passion course through his body—the kind he couldn't resist indulging in.
She squealed delightedly as he tossed her onto the bed and followed her to stretch beside her. Ahverna welcomed him hungrily and their limbs tangled and hands explored one another. The same passion he felt gleamed brightly in her eyes as he claimed her and she gave herself willingly to his mastery.
"Yes!" she screamed and her back arched as her hands twisted into the sheets around her. They rode the tide of their passion together, two moving as one until reality faded and all that was left was the power of their joining.
"Skharr! Yes!"
There was no time to wonder if someone would overhear her cries. He honestly didn't care if anyone did.
The water had gone everywhere.
After a few moments, Skharr realized that the whole floor was tilted so that any water that escaped the bath would collect in the same place all the water continued to flow out of. It wasn’t a foolproof process as a few puddles remained, but they would be quick and easy to clean once someone had the time.
He most assuredly did not. He was more than willing to allow the mess to remain for a moment as he leaned back against the edge with the warm water still lapping gently at him and the woman-goddess on his lap.
She clutched his arms, pressed against him and her legs wound tightly around him so not even an inch of space remained between them. He could feel her hot breath on his cheek and her chest heaved gently as she sucked in deep breaths.
He knew the feeling. Breathing didn’t come easily for him either. It felt like his whole body was being drained dry of everything it had, and fuck it, he wanted it to continue until there wasn't a drop left in him.
"Oh, fuck…" he whispered as her body loosened and she relaxed slowly against him. She slid down his lap to lay her head comfortably on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.
"I should find a way to turn that into praise to my name," Ahverna whispered softly and ran her fingers lightly over his chest. "So I'd hear it every time you said it."
"As…" he paused, still struggling to catch his breath. "I use it as often in my regular day as I do during sex. You might find yourself being summoned when I handle a handful of foolish highwaymen."
"I merely like the sound of you saying it, no matter the reason." She pushed carefully off his chest and looked into his eyes. "How many times was that? Six? Or seven?"
"Seven, I think," Skharr said uncertainly. He'd lost count about the time that they moved away from the bed and into the tub in his room. It had been an interesting transition that required an entirely new set of muscles to keep her filled and screaming his name.
Ahverna rose from his lap, tried to stand, and winced. She shook her head. "Oh…that still hurts a little."
"Is something wrong?"
She smirked as she settled onto the seat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "As if you wouldn't know what a woman feels like after your particular brand of lovemaking."
"It would have thought a goddess would be immune to that kind of thing."
"After the first three or four times, most certainly." Ahverna tilted her head and smiled. "Yes, definitely seven times."
That did touch his ego somewhat, although he felt as though he would have a difficult time walking himself. His knees were a little wobbly, and he would need water and a moment's pause before they began again.
"Another round then, barbarian?"
He turned to look at her as she pressed her lips into his shoulder and moved hands teasingly down his body.
"A barbarian would never dare disappoint a woman such as you."
His voice spoke with a confidence that his body wasn't sure it could match, but damned if he wasn't willing to at least try.
"Truly?" She laughed and her movements turned from light teasing to tantalizing insistence. "Do you have it in you?"
Her answer came when his body responded reflexively to her intimate caress.
"Unbelievable," she whispered, shook her head, and narrowed her eyes at him. "Unfortunately, I feel as though I would need to heal myself to continue, and that would break the spirit of this test."
"So you would instead stir my passion and leave me with no satisfaction?"
"I am sure you could fulfill that yourself with the mere thought of filling my body in any way you deem most satisfactory," she commented, pushed up from the seat, and climbed gingerly out of the bath.
She looked for a moment like she might fall, but as she stroked her body lightly, Skharr could see a decided difference in her gait. Whatever aches he might have caused, she was more than capable of healing them. He shouldn't have felt in any way surprised by that.
Before she'd gone three steps, she tilted her head, looked around the room, and snapped her fingers again.
This time, the reaction was considerably different. The water on the floor gathered itself and poured into the drain. The bed neatened as well, with the sheets carefully tucked in to make it seem as though there hadn’t been people laying fucking on it.
And, most disappointingly, her dark clothes wrapped around her again like armor.
"Yes," she whispered with a small smile. "I feel two more followers and…oh my."
Skharr looked up from openly admiring her form. Even covered, it was a thing to behold and brought back memories of his hands running over her bare skin. Among other things.
"What?"
"I would appear that Brahgen has found someone and has been thoroughly thanking me for bringing her into his life. But I had little to do with that. Was it your doing?"
"I might have…influenced events," Skharr conceded. "Both were trying to come up with effective and clever ways to approach each other and I indicated that such frivolities were not necessary."
She turned to face him as he climbed out of the bath as well and found a nearby cloth to dry himself with.