Blade returned all her passion with more skill. He would have let his own enthusiasm run wild too, but there was still room in his mind for the thought that Jollya might be a virgin. He wanted to be easy, gentle, tender, letting her set the pace as long as possible.
When she started squeezing his erection between her thighs, he wondered how long he could continue to go slowly. He knew that if he didn't take her clothes off now, he would be tearing them off a little later. Although he nearly groaned with the frustration, he pulled away. His hands went to the top hook of Jollya's riding tunic, and slowly undid it. A second hook, and there was bare tanned skin running down to the beginning of the cleft between her breasts. Blade kissed the cleft, tried to slide his fingers in under the leather, discovered he still didn't have room, and undid the third hook.
Releasing the third hook seemed to release a spring in Jollya. She pulled free of him so violently that the fourth hook snapped off. Then she jerked the tunic over her head. Under the tunic she wore a linen shirt that clung so tightly that it was almost more erotic than her bare skin. It also clung so tightly that she couldn't jerk it off the way she'd done with the tunic. She fumbled with it, until Blade knew that it was desire rather than fear making her clumsy. He gripped the shirt at the throat with both hands and tore it down to the waist.
Jollya had almost a fashion model's body, tall and large-boned, with not too much flesh covering the bones. Her breasts looked much better bare than they did clothed. Blade did more than look. He stroked and kissed and fondled them until the large dark nipples jutted out like miniature lance joints against the palms of his hands. Jollya closed her eyes, wound her fingers into Blade's shaggy dark hair, and moaned softly.
When Jollya started shaking all over, Blade knew she was as ready as she needed to be. So was he. In fact, by now he was afraid he'd be almost too ready. He turned his back on Jollya and tried to make a long slow business of pulling off his clothes.
It didn't help much. When he turned back toward the bed Jollya was lying there on her back, completely naked. Her hair spread out across the quilts like a dark glossy fan, her legs were slightly apart, and her eyes were half-closed. At that moment they reminded Blade very much of the hunting cat's eyes. Suddenly he was on fire all over again. He had to force himself not to simply hurl himself onto Jollya and lose himself in the welcome her body promised. Instead he lay down and started to caress her, starting with her breasts but planning to go on to the rest of her.
Suddenly Jollya rolled toward him, gripped him by both shoulders, and pushed him hard down into the quilts. Blade didn't have time to resist, even if he'd wanted to. He could only grip Jollya's arms to pull her down on to him. The moment he was inside her he knew that she was no virgin and that she was incredibly ready. Blade heaved upward with his hips, going all the way into her. At the same time he pulled her down until he could stroke her breasts.
Silently Jollya exploded, heaving up and down on Blade until he was feeling pain as well as pleasure. Her breath rasped and hissed, but she bit her lip so hard that blood came and the screams and cries stayed inside. Then she fell forward onto Blade, so limp that she didn't even try to resist when he slid out from under her. Her eyes were shut, and stayed shut until she felt Blade entering her from above. Then they opened wider than ever, as she clamped her arms around Blade's shoulders and her legs around his hips. She was eager to take him any way she could get him.
Blade didn't try to hold back this time, and before long he couldn't have held back if he'd tried. Jollya's nails clawed at his back, her tongue was a tiny flame dancing along his throat and over his face, the musk of her body was an exquisite perfume. When she cried out he was so close to his own release that he barely heard her. Then he was pouring himself into her, so furiously and for so long that it seemed life itself might go out of him into her. He felt dangerously helpless as he rolled off her, but a quick look told him that there was no danger from Jollya. She lay as if she'd been stunned. Blade didn't quite fall asleep, but it was a while before he moved or heard anything.
When he was clear-headed again, he saw Jollya resting her head on his thigh, her rather sharp chin digging into his flesh. He cupped her chin with one hand, stroked her hair with the other, and smiled.
«All right, Jollya. Did you come here just for this, or for something more?»
Jollya sat up so abruptly she nearly fell out of bed. «I'm not a prostitute, selling my body for favors from men,» she snapped. She tossed her head angrily, so that her hair flew in a dark cloud.
«I didn't say you were a prostitute. I wanted to ask what comes next, because we may not have too much time. That cat of yours may have been seen and followed, even if you weren't. We'll have even less time if you don't keep your voice down.»
Jollya stiffened, took a deep breath, which did interesting things to her breasts, and clenched her fists in her lap. She sighed, and seemed to be trying to control her giddiness, but she was unsuccessful and gave a soft laugh which turned into something suspiciously like a giggle.
«You're right, Blade,» she said, finally becoming serious. «I should shut up. And I should have caged my cat.» She hesitated. «You are going to spy on Tressana for my father, aren't you?»
«It isn't your affair.» Blade suspected she had her reasons for wanting to know, and they might even be good ones. He also knew that the fewer people who knew a secret, the better-particularly when the secret's getting out might kill them.
«Are you no better than a man of Jaghd after all?» she said angrily. «One who thinks women are only a little better than slaves or rolghas and can't be told anything of importance? You didn't seem to be like that a few minutes ago.»
«I'm not,» said Blade, as sharply as he could without raising his voice. «England itself is ruled by a woman. I merely object to talking about matters which could get me killed to people who don't have to know about them.»
He sat up and gripped her by both shoulders until she had to turn and stare at him. Before she could resist, he went on more gently, «I'd also ask you not to be so thin-skinned and quick-tempered if you're going to jump into some sort of plot. If anyone can get you angry this easily, they may be able to get your secrets out of you as well. I suspect that could get you killed too, and I don't want that.» He kissed her, and felt her relax slightly. He kissed her throat, and felt her not only relax but reach up to embrace him. He stopped himself there, remembering his own warning about their not having too much time.
Jollya slid out of his embrace and lay back on the bed. «True enough, Blade. I'll try, but…. Well, you can have my life story some other time. For now, I must tell you that my father and I are not the best of friends. He has never approved of me being one of Tressana's guards, and I have always suspected him of being cowardly, greedy and deceitful. Some of his fellow Keepers don't think much better of him than I do. I want to help them, and at the same time show my father what I'm made of.»
«Would you explain?»
Jollya explained herself clearly and intelligently. Blade could almost see the woman in need drop away and the warrior take her place. It was mildly disconcerting, and he suspected it would be thoroughly unnerving for most Jaghdi men. Maybe that explained why Jollya had found so few satisfactory lovers that she was both inexperienced and desperately hungry.
Sikkurad was the leader of the Keepers in opposing Tressana if she wanted to destroy the Masters of the EIstani. His fellow Keepers were willing to trust him up to a point, particularly since he now had Richard Blade, the English warrior, working with him to find out Tressana's real intentions. They weren't willing to trust him completely, though. They were afraid his courage might fail him in a crisis, and also that he might use his information against his fellow Keepers.