Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

STEVE

I tried to slip back into my room unnoticed, but Reykr was there, lying on his bed, arms folded behind his head, waiting for me.

"So, how was the meeting with Agnarr?" he asked, brows raised.

It took me a second to remember what he was talking about. Right. Billie had lied to everyone and told them I was meeting with Agnarr about the progress on the bar. How had my conversation with Agnarr gone? My imaginary conversation with Agnarr.

"Uh, it was good," I said, noncommittally.

Reykr's brows rose even higher. "Good? Did he ask for any details? Like when we expect to be finished?"

"Er, no. He, um, was just happy that we were making progress. I… I told him about lacquering," I finished lamely.

Reykr grabbed his pillow from behind his head and threw it directly at me, hitting me in the chest.

"Hey," I said, catching the pillow, "what was that for?"

"That was because you are a terrible liar," he said.

"What do you mean? I was with Agnarr!" I tried to sound indignant.

"Really?" He grinned. "You reek of sex because you were with Agnarr?"

I immediately flushed a deep green. I didn't realize others could smell sex on me. I thought Billie just smelled of me this morning. Does that mean…

"So, where do you think I was?" I asked.

"I am going to guess, based on the way Billie smelled this morning, that it was you who Billie took her to the berry patch and that no actual berries were picked."

I looked at him, flummoxed. Did I try to keep up the lie, or confess? He had such a knowing look on his face, and Reykr was my oldest friend. There was no way I could keep seeing Billie for the rest of the season without him noticing.

I sighed. "Yes, I was with Billie. Joey covered for us."

"Well?" he asked, eyebrows at risk of disappearing into his hairline.

"Well?" I played dumb.

"Did you fuck her?" Reykr asked.

"You don't need to put it like that. " I dragged a hand over my face. Fucking is not how I would describe what happened between the two of us. It was more than fucking .

"But you did?" Reykr prompted.

"Yes. Okay? Yes. And you aren't getting any details from me, so don't ask."

Reykr hooted for me and punched a fist in the air. "Finally!"

I did not feel as if it was possible for me to flush a deeper shade of green. However, I couldn't stop the small smile from creeping across my face.

Reykr gave me a big stupid grin, "Do you want my advice?"

"I don't know, do I?"

"If you don't want everyone to know about this, you need to go take a very thorough shower," he said smugly.

I groaned. "Could everyone smell us?"

"Orkin can smell sex. Can't you smell it?" Reykr looked confused.

"I can smell Billie, and I can smell when she's…er… interested in me, but don't know that I can smell when other orkin or people smell of sex," I tried to explain what I was smelling because there was clearly a difference between smelling Billie and smelling of sex.

"You can smell when Billie is turned on?" He arched a single brow at me.

"Yes? I mean, she smells more strongly of Billie." I tried to explain, but I felt I was failing.

"Interesting," was all Reykr said. "So what is this going to be? Are you taking each other as mates? I am guessing you haven't discovered you are Elskas?"

"No, we talked about that. We don't know if we are even capable of being Elskas," I didn't really want to have this whole conversation with Reykr, but now that he knew, I couldn't see a way of getting out of it.

"So, are you chosen mates?" He followed up.

"We're… dating." I cringed as I said this because I knew Reykr would have no idea what I was talking about.

"And what is dating ?" he asked, incredulous.

"We are going to continue to spend time together and get to know each other and then decide at the end of the season if we are ready to make a permanent commitment," I explained.

I knew the next question Reykr would ask before he opened his mouth.

"So if you decide to be chosen mates, one of you will have to move to the other's tribe?" he asked.

"Yes. But I have already decided. If she'll have me, I am staying. I already feel more at home here than I ever did at Snaerfírar. And it isn't just because of Billie. This tribe feels so much more welcoming and interested in each other's well-being. Their sense of community is stronger. And, I like it here more." I wasn't able to look Reykr in the eye at the end.

"Well, I can't say that I am surprised," he said. "But I think you should continue to think about it and see what happens with Billie before you decide. I won't tell anyone. You know I barely like talking to Tyr, and Berit anyway,"

I let out a sigh of relief as I gathered my belongings and headed to the shower. "Thank you for listening and for keeping this to yourself," I said to Reykr as I left.

"I won't tell a soul. But you'll have to get better at lying. And showering," he replied with a mocking expression.

I just rolled my eyes as I headed out the door.

The next morning, I had breakfast with everyone to avoid further suspicion. Billie was also at our usual table, but she sat at the far end with Joey and Osif and seemed to be deep in conversation about mead. I ate quietly, again grateful for the breakfast options outside of gautr that Snaerfírar had. Today was flaky pastries with some cream and jam in the middle. I devoured them with vigor, considering my time spent with Billie had led to some skipped meals in the last few days. It wasn't very long before everyone at our table stood, and we headed toward the bar together. I hung back a bit, pretending to tidy up the plates, hoping that Billie would notice and stay. I looked up from the stack of plates I was creating and was grateful to find it was only the two of us left.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey, yourself." She grinned.

"Want to walk with me to the bar?" I asked.

"Obviously."

I couldn't help but smile. Was this what it was going to be like being with Billie? Me just constantly grinning like an idiot? We left the longhouse, walking close to each other but not too close.

"So, how was the rest of your night?" I asked, wishing I could have spent it with her.

"Oh, you know, the usual shower, interrogation by Joey, etcetera."

"Ah, it sounds like we had very similar nights. Reykr had many questions. He knows, by the way."

I wasn't sure how she'd respond to Reykr being in the know, but I didn't want to lie to her about it.

"How much does Reykr know?" she asked, brow raised.

I coughed uncomfortably. "I didn't give him those kinds of details. He knows we're dating. And I explained what dating is."

"Well, I am glad we each have someone who knows now. Though, that isn't going to make working side by side any easier." She gave me a heated look.

"We will have to ensure we stay apart during the workday and get plenty of time together outside of it." I looked around quickly to see if we were near anyone. It was only the two of us on the path, so I caught Billie by surprise and pulled her into a rough embrace before consuming her with a hungry kiss. She parted her lips for me immediately, allowing me to plunder her mouth while I stroked my hands up and down her back. She tangled her fingers in my hair, matching my enthusiasm and deepening the kiss.

All too soon, she pulled back.

"We need to…" She paused. "Sorry, losing my train of thought here. We need to get going, or this will continue." She waved her hand back and forth between us.

Regretfully, I agreed, nodding. When we reached the bar, all the others were well underway with their work, and it was only Joey who shot us a knowing look. Billie and I parted ways, deciding to work in completely different spaces, which was probably for the best.

I spent the entire morning focused on work because I couldn't let my mind stray to Billie and risk doing something stupid and obvious. However, several times, she walked by me when I was tempted to stroke a palm down her arm or pull her in close so that I could inhale the scent of her hair.

When Osif called for a lunch break, I was tremendously grateful. It was taking a lot of mental energy to focus on lacquering a wall instead of laying naked with Billie, perhaps pulling one of her nipples into my mouth and dragging my teeth across it while I watched her face contort with pleasure.

I was putting away the tools when Billie told Joey, "Go on without me. I want to check the attic before lunch. I don't know how long it will take to do those walls as well."

I pretended to keep working at putting away the supplies as the bar emptied, leaving just the two of us.

"Did you want me to join you in inspecting the attic?" I asked Billie.

"I wish you would," she said, looking me up and down before turning and running up the rickety stairs.

I reached the landing to find Billie already unlacing her tunic.

"Let me help you with that. We need to be quick." I quickly loosened her laces and pulled her tunic over her head, revealing her magnificent chest, nipples already hardened. I plucked at each of them with my forefingers and thumbs, earning me a delicious whimper from Billie. I pulled her closer and latched down on one nipple, between sucking on it and dragging my teeth along the puckered tip, just as I had imagined earlier. I slid my hands up Billie's bare back, pulling her closer to me. Billie slid her hand between us and dragged the heel of her palm up and down my cock.

"I want this," she said, stroking me. "Right now."

She began unlacing my pants as I continued to explore her breasts with my hands and my mouth. I groaned as I felt her small soft hand dip into my waistband and wrap around my cock. She tugged up and down slowly, causing bolts of pleasure to shoot out through my body. I looked around. There was no furniture, and I didn't want to take her on the rough wood floor. I saw the back window was open, with no glass in it and got an idea.

"Billie," I breathed in between peppering kisses up from her chest to her neck, "could we do this… could I take you from behind while you hang onto the window?" I panted and nodded to the back window so she understood what I meant.

Billie followed my eyes and smirked. "That seems like an excellent idea."

We were a tangle of arms and legs and lips as we headed toward the window, unwilling to stop touching. She had my pants nearly undone, and I was still attempting to suckle on her nipple while we made our way across the room. I moved my hands to undo her pants while I kissed down the valley of her breasts. She finally got my pants all the way down, and it was a tight squeeze, but she freed my cock. Grabbing me firmly, she stroked me up and down, causing me to moan into her chest. I couldn't get enough of her.

But just when I went to turn my attention back to her deliciously sensitive nipples, she dropped to her knees in front of me. Without any warning, she wrapped her lips around my cock and took me as deep as she could. I felt the head hit the back of her throat as she hollowed her cheeks, sucking me while pumping my knot with her hand. It was too much.

I let out a strangled cry, "Billie!"

She didn't even slow her pace. She just kept sucking me down like she was starving and my cock was the best thing she'd ever tasted. I twined my fingers into her hair as I rocked my hips forward each time she swallowed me up. I briefly wondered how my cock going this far down her throat could possibly be enjoyable, but the thought disappeared from my mind as she popped me out of her mouth and started dragging the tip of her tongue under the sensitive underside of my shaft all while using one hand to tug on my balls gently. Pleasure was exploding everywhere throughout my body. I felt tingling in the base of my spine, and my balls tightened

"Billie, if you don't stop soon, I am going to come all over your face," I moaned.

"That sounds pretty hot," she said between licks. "Is that where you'd like to come?" She looked up at me through her lashes while she dragged the flat of her tongue across the head of my cock.

"While that sounds… incredible…" I seemed to be having difficulty forming words. "… that is definitely something to keep in mind for the future. I would very much like to come inside you."

Billie rose from her knees and turned her back to me, facing the window. I slid my thumbs into either side of her pants and pulled them down to her thighs, revealing her beautiful ass. I kneaded her cheeks and admired the way her flesh rippled under my fingers. I closed the gap between us so my cock was wedged between her ass cheeks.

"Bend over, put your hands on the windowsill, and spread your thighs," I said. Having been with Billie once before, I knew she liked it when I took control. I knew exactly what I wanted.

Billie did as she was told, and I was rewarded with a magnificent view of her shining pink cunt. I dragged my cock up and down her slit, over and over, wetting myself with her juices and coating her with my precum. With each pass over her sensitive clit Billie whimpered.

"Steve, stop teasing me and fuck me now."

I notched the tip of my cock at her entrance and began to press in slowly. With her pants still around her thighs, she couldn't spread her legs very wide, making everything tighter. I grabbed onto her hips and continued the delicious torture of sliding all the way into her warm cunt. I felt every part of her exquisite channel as I drove further in. After a few more seconds, our thighs met, and my knot brushed up against the lips of her pussy. I didn't move for a moment; I just enjoyed the feeling of being buried to the hilt in Billie's wet heat. I bent over her so my chest was flush with her back, and I could wrap my arms around her and tweak her nipples. Billie gasped at the sensation, and her channel clamped down on me. She tried to arch her back to swallow more of me up, but I was as deep as I could go without knotting her, and she was still too tight for that.

"Steve, if you don't start fucking my brains out right now, I am going to lose it," she said through gritted teeth.

I sincerely hoped that "fucking her brains out" was a human saying because while I wanted to fuck Billie with every fiber of my being, I did want her brains to stay intact. I slid out of her slowly, almost to the tip, before setting a steady, deep pace. There was nothing, nothing like the feeling of delving into Billie's warm cunt over and over again. I tried to keep an even rhythm, but every thrust had me wanting to go faster and harder. I groaned into Billie's neck and dug my fingers even deeper into the flesh of her hips as I pistoned in and out of her. Billie reached up and grabbed my neck from behind, pulling me flush against her.

She turned and licked up the column of my neck, then whispered one word into my ear, "Harder."