~*~Hello, Literotica friends! Here is a short and sweet "mini" chapter, a parallel story that takes place at the same time of Lena and Renz's last coupling in KOL Ch. 1 ;). This is dedicated to everyone who has emailed or commented a desire for more of Karl and Ava. If this doesn't interest you, feel free to skip ahead right to Ch. 2, as there will be no continuity issues.
...But if you're still here, I hope you enjoy!
Love,
B xoxo~*~
*
"He's a complete animal! It's no surprise Lena left him for as long as she did!" Ava exclaimed. She was pacing back and forth in her bedroom suite in front of the fireplace, fuming with anger. She wanted to throw something, or destroy something...but she knew she needed to control the extremes of her emotions due to present company.
"Perhaps. But, she does love him. And he loves her," Karl answered softly.
Ava paused to fan herself for several moments, suddenly feeling as if she were overheating, and not just with anger.
She could feel Karl's kind gaze on her, and her negative emotions immediately began to dissipate. Almost as if he were exuding some kind of calming energy, Ava relaxed and sat down on the chaise in front of him.
Wordlessly, Karl poured a fresh glass of water and handed it to her, taking a seat on the small wooden table separating the sitting area of the lounge. Ava gratefully accepted the cool water, exhaling in relief as it calmed her heated skin.
"Ludovic was just like him in that regard, you know. Brash. Impulsive. Utterly uncouth. Clearly it's a part of the Wolfenbarger inheritance," Ava mentioned between sips. Karl laughed, and a boyish dimple formed in his left cheek. He really was a handsome man, with his intelligent pale eyes and long, sinewy form. She found it odd that he'd never married.
She purred in delight when, wordlessly again, Karl reached down and removed her heeled shoes, pulling her feet by her ankles into his lap.
When his strong, tender hands began to rub the aching balls of her feet, Ava felt like she would melt in delight.
She wasn't certain if it was because he was a doctor, or if he was just sensitive to her needs as a pregnant woman, but he seemed to know precisely where to rub her feet, with the precise amount of pressure.
"And...it's not as if I don't feel terrible about what happened," Ava added eventually.
"You shouldn't, Ava. I believe Renz should have known to send another man into town with you. If I'd known ahead of time, I would have gone with you today. Robbery has become much more common in that area," Karl replied.
His thumb tenderly pressed against the inner arch of her foot, and Ava felt an immediate instinct to arch her back and curl her toes. She gasped, surprised at the sudden sensation. There was a pulsing between her thighs that matched the pressure of his thumb, and Ava began blushing in embarrassment. Surely it was wrong of her to sexually react to a foot massage, while pregnant, no less.
"Too hard?" Karl asked. Ava shook her head quickly.
"No, not at all. It feels incredible. I can't thank you enough," Ava replied sincerely. She felt her heart slightly flutter at Karl's answering smile, and that heat between her legs continued to insistently pulse.
Yes, his touch was definitely beginning to arouse her.
"The pleasure is mine, Ava. How are you feeling otherwise?" he asked. Ava shrugged her shoulders.
"Fine, I suppose," she replied quickly. Immediately catching her lie, Karl raised an eyebrow and smiled at her teasingly.
"Really, now?" he asked.
Ava rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.
"I want it out of me. I have sacrificed my body for the better part of the year to bring this baby to the world, and I am exhausted! I can't stand longer than a few moments without wanting to faint. None of my clothes fit, of course not that it matters because I can only walk around in black for this goddamn
mourning
...my back aches, my...beastly appetite is embarrassing everyone around me," she complained. Before she realized it, Ava was shaking with heavy sobs, and violent, flood-like tears immediately followed.
She wasn't entirely sure why she was crying. She didn't feel sad, exactly, but these crying fits had been occurring sporadically throughout her pregnancy at the most inopportune times. She wasn't sure if it was merely triggered by voicing her grievances out loud, but Ava felt overwhelmed with emotion. As excited as she was to be a mother to another child, she was truly exhausted with being pregnant.
The rich velvet of the chaise rippled as Karl sat down next to her, and Ava accepted the handkerchief he offered. But it was quickly soaked as her cries became uncontrollable, and before she could stop herself, Ava continued complaining.
"I am a widow, and I will have two children, completely alone. I prayed for years to be rid of Ludovic, but now I wonder...is it truly better to have a life where I am destined to become a spinster?!" Ava cried.
She could feel Karl's strong arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her into his chest. She wept against his shirt, soaking it with her tears, and he held her close, keeping her hair from her face. He remained largely silent as she cried, offering nothing more than a few soothing whispers when her sobs risked a nauseous reaction.
Ava leaned into him, accepting the restorative strength he was quietly offering her. She couldn't quite understand how it worked, but Karl, with his knowing silence and gentle touch, was supporting her more than any other person had in her life.
Her eyes felt raw and heavy once the tears stopped falling, and she nervously sat up on the chaise, wondering how Karl would think of her.
But to her relief, his gaze was full of concern, and his smile was gentle.
"I'm sorry, Karl dear...you must think me a lunatic," Ava said sheepishly. Karl's smile widened and he gently kissed her on her forehead.
"Not at all, Ava," he said, bringing his hand to her chin. He softly and carefully wiped her lingering tears, pausing to gently caress her cheekbone. His expression became serious as he stared at her with a slightly parted mouth, and Ava wondered if he saw something he found displeasing.
But the more he looked at her, the more...confident she felt. It wasn't lustful, nor was there any scrutiny.
Karl was gazing at her as if admiring a work of art.
"Karl?" she asked softly.
"You're far too beautiful to ever end up a spinster, Ava," he said.
Ava gasped, immediately taken aback by his admission. She'd certainly been no stranger to the petty compliments of gentleman ever since she'd made her debut, but Karl's words carried a depth that was unfamiliar to her.
She extended her hand and ran her fingers through his smooth, wavy straw colored hair, instantly feeling her erratic emotions shift to another, more primal extreme in response to his appreciative low groan.
"You know, Karl...for a very long time now...I have been wanting to...with you," Ava heard herself say.
She couldn't help but giggle when she saw his eyes widen once he fully understood what she meant. Karl cleared his throat several times as faint blush appeared on his pale cheekbones.
"Was I too bold?" Ava asked.
"Not at all, Ava. I'm...wholly flattered. But surely you're aware of the kind of risk that can put on your pregnancy, especially at this stage," he responded quickly.
Ava shifted away from him, mortified that she'd suggested something so provocative out loud. The fact that he found her beautiful certainly didn't mean he found her sexual, despite what their stolen kisses from the night before suggested. She tried not to let her displeasure at his rejection show, but the sudden coaxing caresses from Karl on her shoulders indicated that it was obvious she was feeling humiliated.
Like the tides of the sea, Ava's emotional polarity instantly rushed to a dark, angry extreme, and her tenuous control began to erode. She knew she needed to move far away from Karl before she verbally assaulted him. She couldn't control her emotional outbursts, but she could at least try to hide them from him.
But before she could escape, Karl suddenly shifted onto the floor in front of her. She was about to protest, but he brought his hands back to her ankles, and once more rubbed her swollen feet.
She swore in exasperation as her head immediately fell back in delight. She wanted to curse him and his healing hands. It wasn't long before her anger became no more than an idling simmer, with a bubbling arousal taking its place. To have those tender hands on another part of her body...it was wicked of her to consider, but she longed for the gentle touch of a man. And gentle he was. His touch was so precise, so perfect.
Too perfect...
"Karl?" Ava called softly, staring up at the painted ceiling. She didn't want to bother with the humiliation of struggling to see him beyond her swollen belly.
"Yes, Ava?" he answered innocently.
"You're...fully aware of the effect those ministrations are having on me, aren't you," she replied. His immediate answer was a low, rumbling chuckle that made the pulses between her thighs deepen in intensity.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Ava. I'm just a simple medical doctor, after all," he said teasingly.
His thumb pressed against a sore spot on the arch of her left foot, expertly loosening a lingering cramp, and Ava sighed in rapturous delight as she felt herself begin to moisten between her legs. He was flirting with her, with his words and with his hands, and Ava was only too eager to flirt with him.
