The Divine Gambit

11. More Questions Than Answers

Eventually, Sam pulled back and said, "James, I want you to take me."

The hunger in her eyes was infectious, and I was perfectly ready to leap into doing just that when a sharp jolt of concern jarred my senses. Beth had a patient but slightly concerned smile spreading on her face, and she was mentally begging me to pump my brakes. The smaller, younger woman was still entangled with Sam, their legs intertwined, and Beth brushed Sam's hair out of her face while her eyes remained locked with mine.

Sam saw the change in my expression and joined me in glancing at Beth, now concerned that something was wrong and, yet again, she would be denied.

Beth spoke softly, "Sorry, I just..." She trailed off and then looked directly at Sam. "You've never done this before, right? Like, you spent high school pining after this guy even though you couldn't have him, and then you got stuck into work trying to forget everything, yeah? So you've never been with a guy before?"

Sam flushed with color and gave a flustered response, "Well, not exactly, no."

An eyebrow rose on Beth's face. I was curious about what she meant with that imprecise answer, but I certainly wasn't going to push for clarification. If Beth wanted to, she could navigate this minefield.

"Sam, what does 'not exactly' mean?"

"Well, J's gotten me off several times." She said barely audibly, her face now matching her hair. "And I've used toys before. But I've never done it with a guy."

Beth lifted herself up from the pillows to give me the same raised eyebrow, questioning what Sam meant by that.

I explained that I had done the same to Sam as I had to Zoey and Mallory during the initial roadside pitstop and then during our enchanting session. Sam added that when I had pushed my mana into her during the massage, she had been consumed by the most intense and overwhelming orgasm of her albeit limited experience. She then opened her mouth to say something else but swallowed her comments and blushed naively instead.

"So, your experience with boys is a couple of magically induced cums from J's hands this week?"

Sam nodded, embarrassed by her lack of experience, and she started apologizing, "Yeah, that's right. Sorry I don't know what I'm doing."

Beth fought hard to swallow a giggle at the insanity of that statement, and she shook her head, "Sam, first, don't ever apologize for being you. I can feel through our connection that J actually really likes the idea that you'll only ever know him. Second, I just wanted to be sure of that information because I figured you wouldn't actually speak up if I didn't ask. I'm not trying to pick on you; I'm actually really jealous. You get to skip the clueless teenage fumbling around in movie theaters and the back seats of an older sibling's car and jump right to the mind-blowing time J will give you. I really wish my first time had been in an actual bed with a guy I loved who cared about getting me off as well. Or at least one of those elements."

Beth had gotten distracted, her thoughts wandering off to our first time together. I could surmise that she was telling Sam the truth, but not the entire truth. She wished she had her first time with me because that would imply that she wouldn't have ever needed to use sex outside of a loving relationship for pragmatic reasons. Hell, even our first time together had been for similarly misguided presumptions. Beth offered a guilty smile in response to that shared thought before collecting herself and continuing.

"So, how do you want this, then? Do you want me to leave so you can do it alone with J? You only have your first time once. Since James is too nice of a guy to have simply ravished you last night, you get to tell us and make one of your fantasies a reality."

Sam almost immediately answered, "I don't know."

Beth frowned and tilted her head, producing an impeccable visage that, even without our link, I could tell meant she thought she was being lied to.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Sammie. I know you're not so innocent as to never have thought about it. Did you imagine it would be on your wedding night or something like that? We could go get you a dress and have a ceremony if you want something specific. C'mon, spill, so we can make it wonderful and just what you wanted. How do you want this to happen?"

Sam shook her head, "No. I mean, yeah, sometimes the wedding night thought was in my mind. What I meant was that I didn't really have a single fantasy. James winning one of his races at their big end-of-the-year meet, climbing out of the pool, dripping wet and all hot and trim in his suit, and taking me to the showers to celebrate was one. The two of us sneaking off during one of the school assemblies and defiling an empty classroom was a regular back then, too. Every time he talked to me at my locker, I silently wished he would grab my hand, pull me against him, and kiss me into next week.

"Recently, I imagined just having him show up out of the blue to ask me for coffee, and I say yes, and then he hands me a to-go cup that he brought me because he didn't want to be distracted by anyone else and says he missed me. This week, I've been kinda dreaming about just being here, in this room. You're a bit vocal, and I've spent every night imagining I was you laying in here with him making those noises."

Beth offered her best precious moments impression, "That's just so sweet; you are really obsessed with him, aren't you?" What she didn't say out loud made me bite my own tongue to stifle a snort of laughter: Beth imagined that if I hadn't spontaneously become a dragon, Sam would've grown up to be a sexless crazy cat lady, but that wasn't actually an issue since she was a witch. A horde of cats was perfectly fitting.

Sam simply nodded in response to the rhetorical question.

"So, do you want me to go? I could go whip up breakfast and then run the tub so the two of you can have a nice relaxing normal dating experience morning together afterward." I could hear little doubts creeping into Beth's mind, reminding her that she didn't actually know what one of those 'normal' mornings was.

Instead of answering, Sam posed a question that I was also interested in understanding, "Beth, why are you doing this? Why are you being so accommodating and sharing? I know that it definitely wasn't James' idea to include me, and it probably took some convincing to get him on board."

Beth was momentarily caught off guard, and she stumbled into an answer. "I just, I mean, it doesn't really cost me anything, does it? And you've been great, and J likes you, and I like what I've seen of you. It just makes a lot of sense, y'know?"

The connection Beth and I shared must have developed overnight because I got a glimpse of the accurate picture. It was equal parts saccharinely sweet and horribly wistful. Beth wanted Sam to be intimate with me so that way she could always have someone in her corner. It was a gamble, reasoning that with our magical soul swap, she couldn't be forced out of the relationship. Including Sam would get her a best friend she could trust. Instead of fighting over petulant boys or favors from abusive men, they would share the best husband. Beth wanted what Sam had -- love to the point of obsession, a caring parent, security and safety, people she could trust and rely on. But she didn't know what to do with any of that. She had never lived with any of those for any length of time, so she didn't know how to sustain them. Having them today wasn't the goal -- having them for the rest of her life was.

She couldn't break up with someone who held her soul, and she was aware that she was fantastically overinvested in a situation in which she had no idea how to act. Her solution was to double down and invite Sam -- because Sam could teach her how to be a loving wife, caring mother, and wise woman. She couldn't screw this up, so she invited Sam to teach her how to do the job.

What a mess.

The frantic glance Beth immediately shot at me informed me that she was aware that I understood more than what Sam had been told. She was panicking that I would back out of giving Sam a first time to remember to comfort her, and she didn't want that. I offered a minute nod to indicate my agreement, but I wanted to return to her concerns at some point soon. If I could ever find a moment to catch my breath.

Sam astutely noticed something was off as well. "I think you're blowing smoke up my ass with that, but if you don't want to answer yet, that's fine. I certainly can't begrudge you anything right now."

Beth pressed on by returning to the question that still hadn't been answered, "So, how would you like to do this? We don't even have to do it now if you have an idea that needs more setup. And, should I make myself scarce? I can't imagine you want me here."

Sam reflected for a moment and then surprised me by saying, "No, I don't think so. We will be sharing him for the rest of our lives, right? I don't think it will bother me, but I'd like you to stay nearby, so I get a feel for it. If it's too weird, I'll say something, but I imagine I'll have other things on my mind once we get started. We're, like, co-girlfriends, right? Team Girlfriend? It would feel wrong to kick you out of his bedroom. We should set up some rules regarding that, but later. Even if I had some greater fantasy, I wouldn't care anymore. The anticipation is killing me, and the yo-yoing emotions make me want to do this now, so I know it will have happened at least once."

She said the last sentence staring into my eyes, and slipped her hand behind my neck to pull me into a kiss. I embraced Sam as we locked lips, my hand sliding down her body. It slid over her chest, rubbing along the shirt she was wearing and brushing against Beth on its way down Sam's body. Eventually, I reached my destination.

And was surprised to find that I only felt cold skin at the bottom of her shirt. Sam had slipped into my bed and been sandwiched between Beth and me all night, snuggled intimately between us, and she hadn't worn any undergarments. She had spent the entire night dreaming about precisely this, pretending that it was a typical night and that she belonged there. She was absolutely right about that and I intended to give her what she deserved.

I pushed my hand under the hem of her shirt as our tongues dueled in her mouth. Drawing my hand across her smooth skin, I left a trail of goosebumps as she shivered from the contact. It progressed to her well-endowed chest, where I cupped one of her breasts, her soft flesh spilling out over my fingers. I flicked my thumb across her rapidly stiffening nipple, and she released a gasp into my mouth.

Several minutes passed like this, our mouths becoming intimately acquainted and my hands exploring her entire body with much different intentions than the previous night. When I withdrew from our kiss, Sam's eyes were glazed over with lust, a dreamy expression on her face, and her chest rose and fell as she panted needy shallow breaths. I pushed the sheets down the bed and out of the way and was surprised to find Beth helping Sam sit up and then taking the older girl's shirt off.

Completely uncovered now, the momentary veneer of confidence was stripped from Sam. She seemed vulnerable and exposed as I moved on top of her to kiss her again. That wasn't my true destination, as I kissed her mouth, and then up her jawline, her earlobe, and down her neck. The goosebumps returned as I kissed down her clavicle to her breasts, placing gentle kisses between her mounds before lightly bestowing each nipple with some attention.

Eventually, I managed to push myself past her impeccable breasts where I could've spent the rest of my life, and I continued, placing kisses on each of her ribs as I progressed down her abdomen. The little peck I placed directly on her navel must have tickled because her little grunt of approval to my touch was blended with a stifled giggle.

My ceaseless trail of kisses continued along her hips. I left a tormentingly teasing kiss on her mons before leading the path away, out along her hips and to her legs. I progressed, intentionally remaining on the tops of Sam's legs. My hands brushed over her abdomen as I lowered my body down hers, and she quivered in anticipation. When I reached her kneecap, I paused and looked at Sam's face.

She was chewing on her lip, her head and shoulders lifted up on a pillow so she could watch me enjoy her body. Beth was curled up against her and was whispering into her ear. I mentally reached out into the ether, grasping at the distant strings of my connection to Beth, and found her train of thought. She told Sam everything running through my mind as I worshiped her perfect form with my gentle caresses, letting the older yet inexperienced woman know how everyone else viewed her.

Sam was captured by Beth's words, hanging on every syllable, because she knew they were from me. Although hooded and glazed with lust and anticipation, her eyes were deftly centered on my face. She wanted more, that much was clear from the shameless expression she displayed, but she wanted me to make the decisions.

I gently nudged her legs apart, placing insistent pecks on the insides of her thighs to pressure her into spreading herself open in front of me. Sam whimpered and quivered as my mouth moved further up her legs toward my inevitable goal. I could recognize her anxiety and embarrassment with my draconic perception and her arousal and need with my human senses. I realized why she was growing more concerned as I returned to her petals. The arousal she had during the massage was ostensibly typical for Sam.

She was soaked. Even more than the previous night, where she had some cloth to absorb her release, her skin was visibly wet. Several beads of her arousal had pooled on her skin from where they had dripped and collected. Above her slit, she had a perfectly manicured heart-shaped tuft of bright red hair. I ran a finger through it as I brought my face close to her. Manipulating the hair caused some of her skin to stretch, and her lips separated momentarily, a string of her lubrication left connecting the sides of her entrance.

Sam spoke up for the first time since we had kissed.

"Sorry. You should let me take a shower. I know I'm, um, productive? You don't have to do that. I'll go clean myself, and then we can do it, instead."

I opened my mouth to comfort her, but Beth spoke before I did.

"Oh, honey, you have nothing to be concerned about. You need to stop apologizing for being you. This is certainly better than the alternative. Look at James; look at his eyes. Does he look grossed out by you? No, he looks hungry. He looks like a predator that just found some delectable prey, and he's going to pounce and take her to new heights very soon.

"You know what he's thinking? He thinks it's hot as fuck that you get so worked up. He's feeling proud that he caused this in you. He's happy you're so ready for him because it will make it better for you. But he's going to take his time, and enjoy you, and get you really worked up, to make it the best that it can be. He wants nothing but the best for you. So stop fretting over your insecurities and just focus on what you feel from him. Let your brain go for a few minutes."

Sam was watching my face as Beth spoke, and I nodded in agreement with her assertions. Sam bit her lip again, nervous energy apparent in her eyes before she exhaled forcefully. She reached out and ran a hand through my hair, then closed her eyes and allowed her shoulders to sink back into the pillows.

With her tacit approval, I kissed her mons intently, peppering her mound with love. I brushed around the insides of her hips with my hand, massaging and stroking around her vagina, hoping to draw her under the swell of lust and out of her anxious mind. I kissed at the top of her slit, my lips adjacent to her clit, my exhaled breath flowing against her engorged hood.

My fingers advanced and came into contact with her lips. She shuddered when they did, a moan released from her other lips, and I cautiously stroked her. Her juices rapidly moistened my fingertips, preparing them perfectly for manipulating her sensitive folds. Still kissing her intimate places, I brought a finger directly over her entrance. Wet with her plentiful juices, it slipped in to the first knuckle with no resistance. Instinctually, she raised her hips off the bed, attempting to draw more of my finger inside of her.

With my face, I pressed her back down into the mattress. She gasped at the sudden forcefulness, and I felt her grip around the tip of my finger. I could feel that she was dying of need and rapidly increasing impatience, so I deliberately fully inserted the finger into her. She desperately groaned out as I entered her, her velvet inside clamping down on the intruder and her hand gripping my hair tightly. I gave her a moment to adjust to the new feeling, and then I kissed her clit. The sensation was somewhat numbed by her hood, but she jerked like I had shocked her. Her grip on my hair yanked my head further into her crotch, my initial soft contact converted into a forceful faceful of her.

That was when I got my first taste of her, and I can honestly say that I was hooked from the first moment. Sam was unlike any other girl I had ever been with -- her juices were sweet, with tantalizing hints of citrus or honey. I was already committed to ensuring I gave her the best I was capable of, an easy task with such a beautiful specimen, but her surprisingly enticing output made me want to do it for my sake. I was no longer eating her out because I wanted her to cum before we had sex to ensure she had a good experience and was undeniably ready. I was now making out with her lower lips for my own enjoyment.

I spread her open with my lubricated fingers and pressed on. I explored every part of her that I could reach with my tongue and my teeth. Time became meaningless as I became obsessed with devoting my mouth to pleasuring Sam. She was overwhelmed and passive for the first minute, but as she became accustomed to having my tongue buried inside her, she slowly became a participant. When I drew back her hood, her clit pink and inflamed and engorged with blood, she firmly held my hair to moderate my advances. My first lick was an experience Sam immediately demanded more of, and she pulled my face against her, insisting I continue by dragging me up and down against her sensitive nub.

I want to say that my first time with Sam was a perfect experience and that she was amazing. It wasn't precisely that. She was incredibly hot and engaged with what I was doing to her, and responsive in the extreme. That was part of the issue. The unsettling moans and groans she expelled sounded much more like she was in pain or distress than that she was overcome with pleasure. In a roundabout way, that was comforting; If she had any brainpower left for self-awareness, she would have been mortified to hear herself. Instead, she was overwhelmed, and all cognitive function was shut down while she came on my tongue.

And cum she did. A ghastly, horrible, alarming sound grew out of her lungs as she wrapped her legs around my head and writhed in beautiful agony on the bed. Her juices flowed freely, positively drenching my face, and I continued lapping up the goddess's nectar as dutifully as possible. For thirty seconds, my world was nothing but disturbing whines from her mouth, soft thighs firmly pressed against my ears, and her syrup on my tongue.

She gave one final rasping gasp and released my head from her capture. Her completely vacant and unresponsive eyes stared into space, and a dumb smile grew on her face even as she took worryingly desperate breaths. I noticed then that her other hand was firmly held by Beth's and that the younger woman was giving me intense bedroom eyes of her own.