Chapter 9

* Scene noticing_Nathan Take 1*

Needed Approvals: Nathan, Nora

Nora and Nathan sat next to each other on one of the Roasted Pig’s benches. It was late. The graduation party was winding down. Ariel had delivered on what the trainees asked. Tonight, the whores, rather than their clients had been in charge. It was a chance to celebrate the vulnerability they found on their terms: a chance to trust that no matter how open they chose to be, in this one time and place, their openness would be rewarded. Nora was tired and glowing. Nathan’s hand stroked her leg; her arm draped over his shoulder.

Action!

Nora smiled. “What a right amazing six weeks.”

She felt Nathan nod against her arm. “And it’s just starting. We’re going to be adventuring together.”

Nora’s smile covered her entire face as she thought back to Ariel’s reaction. She had been completely surprised when the princess and guild master had presented the charter. She was almost crying when she hugged them all after signing to accept the charter. Ariel’s Pride, she had called it. “Aye, ain’t like to find a better group to depend on. We got us a good connection already, an we ain’t even been adventuring.”

“No, although what we’ve done as Whores has already brought us close.”

Nora turned toward Nathan. “I ain’t mindin being close to you one bit.”

Nora caught a hint of longing in his smile. That didn’t make sense unless ... but he hadn’t said anything at all. “Mage Ledford, are ya like to be interested in me?”

Nathan blushed. “Ever since that first class, I’ve had my eyes on you. It wasn’t easy telling a bunch of strangers what you were afraid of.”

“Nah, like I told ya, if ya are a mite larger than life, they ain’t gonna know where to hit hardest.”

“That’s only part of it though. What you told us was your biggest fear, and even if putting it out there was easier than having someone else find it, well, it still can’t have been easy.”

“True enough.” Nora nodded.

“Then there you were helping us with the princess and rallying behind things like cunt slops—part silly, but deeper than that. You helped us be a team.”

“That weren’t me. That was Ariel done got us all behind helping the princess, and if she hadn’t told us how she got off on playing with cream pies, I never would have been like to open my mouth.”

“You had a big part in all that. You’re sexy, brave, skilled, smart, and you care about people. You are everything I hope for in a lover. Then after your initiation ... it’s no wonder I’ve fallen for you so hard!”

“If ya are like to keep stuff like that in here”—Nora tapped Nathan on his forehead—”how’s a girl gonna know?”

“I was so worried. I didn’t want to drive you away.”

“There I was crushing on Ariel, an there ya were fallin so hard that even an oblivious smith weren’t gonna drive ya away.”

Nathan laughed. “I guess it was kind of like that wasn’t it?”

“An I guess I can see how it’d be a mite scary to open your mouth an let me know.” She sure could: it was the same reason she hadn’t worked up the courage to figure out how to seduce Ariel. Ariel was focused on her training and what to do next. Nora wanted to wait for the right time to get a real shot at seducing the immortal. Oh, yes, she could understand Nathan’s fears in approaching her all too well.

Great Lady! While Nathan had been waiting, facing that fear, trying to find an opportunity to catch her attention, he made sure that if she wanted it, she would some day get that shot at Ariel. Even though she hadn’t noticed his interest—hadn’t reciprocated at all—he put together a plan that kept her close to Ariel. She liked that Nathan’s love—because it sure sounded like that’s what he was talking about—was the kind of love that would support her in what she was trying to do, rather than holding her back or turning her into the woman he thought she should be. She wasn’t quite sure what to think of him working to keep her with Ariel without somehow making his interest known: she thought she wanted a lover who would stand up for himself. Then she realized that the same plan that kept her close to Ariel kept Nathan close to her. Yeah, he was a cunning one; he made sure that when he finally had an opportunity to express his interest, she would be there. Now that he’d found his opportunity, Nora guessed that real soon now, she ought to tell him what she thought. It sure looked like he was getting nervous, the longer she sat.

Her body didn’t have any trouble giving its input. She was all tingly at the idea of someone who thought she was smart like that—someone who thought she had helped out the team. Taking care of her at her initiation, helping her out in all those ways only made it better. Nora agreed with her body’s reaction. Once she got over the idea that she wasn’t good enough for a mage—that somehow Nathan was out of her league—she saw him in an entirely different light. She already knew there was chemistry. They were both Whores; the sex was good and as their skills improved it would only get better. She thought back to her dream of coming home to someone after a dirty day’s whoring. Yeah, the idea of Nathan meeting her there got her going. She wasn’t sure if Nathan appreciated the physical nastiness like Ariel. He appreciated Nora though. He appreciated her enough to get her what she wanted and enough to make sure she was strong in her own mind.

Well, she could put that to the test, right sure. “I’m thinkin I’s wantin to take ya home with me, right enough. I know ya’ve been in my room before, that once. This is different. I figure I’m gonna take ya home an see if ya belong there.” She looked down. “That is, if ya wanna see if we’s like to fit together that way.”

Nathan squeezed her hand. “I can’t imagine anything better, Nora.”

Hours later, Nathan was pillowed on her breast, his arm sprawled across her chest. Great Lady, what an idiot she had been. She thought she liked sex before. But sharing herself with a lover who cared for her like that was Divine! Yes, this was what she had always wanted. This was the kind of love and connection that she had been dreaming of once she grew up to appreciate what her first foster parents had. She was going to keep him all right. They were young; it might not work out. For that matter, she might die tomorrow, and it wasn’t like anyone she knew was going to be able to resurrect her. But she wasn’t going to let anything like that stop her. She would enjoy the life and the love she had with all her being. “I’m thinkin,” she said, “that ya, Mage Ledford, belong right there. I’m thinkn I’m gonna be fallin for ya just as fast as ya fell for me.”