Title: From the Worst Intentions, Truth
Pairing: Kahlan/Cara; Richard/Kahlan/Cara
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: slight dub-con, in a way. Also, has a threesome in it.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm not making any money on this fic. Just borrowing them for fun! No copyright infringement is intended.
"NO!" Richard screamed, violently fighting the ropes around his wrists as he watched Denna throw Kahlan into the back of a wagon, then Cara. Both women were unconscious, and Zedd was still out beside him, no matter how much he poked and prodded with his feet.
Denna blew him a kiss and climbed up into the front of the wagon, giving a yell and a shake of the reins, her horses taking off at a brisk, even pace.
Kahlan jerked awake, eyes wide, gaze darting around the moonlit... cell? She was in a cell? And she was... standing up? She tried to take a step, but didn't get very far. Her wrists were chained to the wall on either side of her head, her ankles chained shoulder-width apart. "Richard?" she asked, squinting in the near darkness. "Cara? Zedd?"
A torch flared to life on the other side of the bars, and she saw Denna. Oh, Spirits. Now that there was light, she glanced around again, her breath catching at the sight of Cara sprawled out on the cold stone floor at her feet.
"Cara?" she asked louder, struggling to get free, to no avail.
Denna laughed. "She's fine, don't worry your pretty little head."
Kahlan's head snapped around, eyes narrowing at the Mord'Sith. "What do you want? Why haven't you killed us? Where are Richard and Zedd?"
"So many questions," Denna clucked, reaching her arm through the bars to trail a fingernail down the side of Kahlan's face.
Kahlan grunted as she jerked her head away, rattling the chains, trying again to get free. "Where are they?" she shouted, in a panic.
Denna laughed, withdrawing her arm as she noticed the other blonde start to stir. "Dead," she lied.
"NO!" Kahlan screamed, dissolving into sobs, with no reason not to believe Denna. The Mord'Sith was insane, bloodthirsty, and evil, and more than capable of killing.
Cara groaned and rolled over, spluttering awake with a mouthful of hay. She was on her feet in an instant, spitting the hay wildly as she reached for her Agiels... which were not there.
"Looking for these, Cara?" Denna purred, twirling the twin Agiels in her hands, reaching one through the bars to poke Kahlan in the side.
Cara flipped forward to grab the Agiel, but Denna snatched it back before she could reach.
"Patience, Cara," she intoned with a smirk.
"You're crazy if you think Richard and Zedd won't find us," Cara snarled, then turned to Kahlan. "Stop crying, they'll find us, Kahlan."
"The wizard and the seeker are dead," Denna said darkly, her eyes dancing with delight.
"What?" Cara replied, her voice hard, hand shooting through the bars in an attempt to grab Denna, but the blonde slipped quickly out of reach. Her chest tightened, breathing picking up speed, but she kept her face impassive.
"Richard," Kahlan sobbed, inconsolable.
"I'll leave you two to bond in your grief," Denna said quietly, tongue sliding across her lips as booted steps carried her from the dungeon.
Leaving Cara to wonder why Kahlan was chained and she wasn't. "Kahlan, I'm sorry," she said, pacing the small cell, occasionally shaking the bars here and there to see if the iron had any weaknesses. "Please, get yourself together. We need our heads on our shoulders if we want to get out of this."
Kahlan dropped her chin to her chest in shame, knowing Cara was right, knowing she had to pull herself together, but finding it more difficult a task than had ever been asked of her.
Several hours later, Denna descended the stairs and slid a tray of food into the cell. "Dinner," she called cheerily, rapping an Agiel on the bars.
Cara took the tray and fed Kahlan first, then finished what was left herself. "Why is she chained and I'm not?" she finally asked.
Denna waited until Cara had finished eating before she answered, taking back the empty tray and tossing it aside with a clatter. "I have plans for you."
"If you try to take me out of this cell without Kahlan, you'll be sorry," Cara whispered, eyes narrowed, hands gripping the bars nearest to Denna.
"My plans do not include you leaving this cell," Denna replied, her voice just as low. "Ever."
"I don't see how you plan to kill me, unless you intend to starve me to death. If you step foot in this cell, I'll snap your neck with my bare hands. I don't need my Agiels for that."
Denna threw back her head and laughed, the rich, decadent sound echoing through the small chamber. "You'll do what I want," she promised, drawing an Agiel, pressing it through the bars to drag down the length of Kahlan's arm.
Kahlan gritted her teeth, eyes squeezed shut against the pain, trying not to give Denna the satisfaction of crying out.
"Stop it," Cara barked, banging on the iron with gloved fists. "What do you want?"
Denna slowly withdrew the Agiel, blood-red lips curling into a predatory smirk. "Kiss her."
"What? Absolutely not," Cara scoffed, arms folding over her chest.
"Cara, she'll kill us," Kahlan breathed, eyes pleading with the Mord'Sith to just do as she was asked.
Cara shifted her weight, distinctly uncomfortable. "I can't violate you like that. I won't," she said firmly.
The sharp buzz of an Agiel pierced her right flank, and Kahlan yelled, her face twisting in agony. "Cara!" she gasped, trying to writhe away from the torture. "Just do as she says!"
"Stop!" Cara shouted, her eyes blazing with righteous anger. "Torture me instead."
Denna pursed her lips, put one finger to them in thought. "Mmm... no," she smirked, digging the Agiel in harder, delighting in the Confessor's shrill scream.
Cara's fists clenched at her sides, radiating tense pain up her arms, until she couldn't take Kahlan's screams anymore. "All right!" she flailed, slamming her hands into the bars again, frustration fueling her movements. She couldn't let Kahlan be hurt any longer. "Stop it! I'll kiss her."
Pleased, Denna withdrew, sliding the Agiel back into her belt.
Heart racing, pulse pounding between her legs and in her ears, Cara stepped in front of Kahlan, her eyes full of sorrow. "I'm sorry," she whispered, begging the Confessor's forgiveness as she pressed their lips gently together.
Kahlan smiled, the kiss preferable to the Agiel on all levels. "Is it so bad to kiss me?" she whispered as Cara pulled back.
"What?" Cara asked, expression alight with confusion. "No. That is hardly the point. I do not wish to do anything against your will."
"If you think I'd rather die than kiss you..." Kahlan started, but Denna interrupted them.
"How touching," the Mord'Sith said insincerely, a hand over her heart. "Give her a real kiss, Cara. I know you know how to please a woman."
"I kissed her," Cara said stiffly. "I did what you asked."
"And now I'm asking for more," Denna said with a shrug. "Unless you think an Agiel is more appealing to her senses?"
Cara looked at Kahlan, her expression pained. "Please forgive me," she breathed, sliding a hand into Kahlan's hair and pressing their lips together like she meant it. Kahlan's mouth opened easily under the pressure of her tongue, and she slid it inside, clamping down on her reaction to the sweet, overwhelming taste.
Kahlan kissed her back, trying to communicate that no forgiveness was needed. Cara's lips were softer than she would have imagined... her taste more subtle. She didn't know what she'd expected, but the sensation was pleasing, and had her hands been free, she might have pulled her friend closer. "Just do what she says," she breathed into Cara's ear when their lips parted. "No matter what it is, it's all right."
"You don't understand," Cara said tightly, too low for Denna to overhear. "I can't violate your body. What would Lord Rahl think? I would be betraying both of you... if you do not choose to lay with me, I cannot take that choice from you." It pained her to even try to deny how badly she wanted to do just that, but she had to protect herself. To protect Kahlan, and Richard.
"Your Lord Rahl is dead," Kahlan said softly, choking on the words, her eyes filling with tears at the reminder. "My Richard... he's... he's gone, Cara. All we have is each other."
"You would lay with me out of necessity."
"I would lay with you to keep us both alive, and because you're beautiful," Kahlan replied. "And you're my friend."
"Less talking," Denna suddenly snapped, drawing an Agiel and holding it threateningly in front of her. "You know what I want you to do, Cara. Please the Mother Confessor."
"Why?" Cara asked, turning on Denna, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Why do you want me to do that?"
"I have my reasons," Denna said airily, waving the Agiel in the air. "Now do it."
When Cara turned back to her, Kahlan nodded, providing further assurance of her consent.
"I will need to rip your dress," Cara said flatly, removing her gloves and placing her hands at the neckline of the dirty white Confessor's dress.
"Stop asking permission, Cara," Denna said impatiently, driving her Agiel into Kahlan's right shoulder.
Kahlan gasped, making a tiny noise of protest, and Cara batted the Agiel away. "Denna," she growled in warning.
"Perhaps you're not taking me seriously," Denna suggested, her voice low and threatening. "If you continue to resist my orders, I will kill her."
Cara held in her own noise of protest, her throat dry at the thought of Denna carrying out that threat, and she ripped Kahlan's dress down the front, her hands working the stays of the Confessor's corset immediately thereafter. When she had Kahlan's chest bare, she flashed her one last look of contrition before lowering her head to one of her companion's full, heaving breasts.
Kahlan gasped again, this time in pleasure at the warm, wet mouth on her breast. "Cara," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering as a tongue slid across her nipple.
Denna sat back and watched, satisfied that Cara understood what stopping would mean.
"Kahlan I-"
"Shhh," Kahlan murmured, her eyes hooded, arousal stirring in her belly. "You feel so good."
Cara swallowed hard. This was like a dream and a nightmare stitched into one. "Tell me what to-"
"Oh no," Denna interrupted. "This is your show, Cara. Take the lead."
She had never wished so much for a blade sharp enough to disembowel as she did at that moment, listening to Denna chatter and order her to do immoral things. Things to Kahlan. Things she would not have been able to do if Kahlan had not given her blessing, no matter what the consequence.
"I don't know what your game is, but I'm enjoying Cara's touch," Kahlan said, her voice tipped with poison.
"I certainly hope so," Denna replied, mischief glinting in her eyes and settling over her smile.
Cara closed her eyes, took a deep breath, focused on Kahlan's scent, her warm, inviting skin, and the way the Confessor's nipples hardened when she laid hands on her belly.
Kahlan drew her lower lip between her teeth, sucking in a slow breath when Cara touched her stomach. She had always been sensitive there... Richard took full advantage of that every time they- She squeezed her eyes shut, vowing not to think of Richard. It hurt to think of him, and she would not disrespect Cara by slipping out of the present, even for a moment. She needn't have worried - as soon as Cara started to move, there was no way her thoughts could be anywhere else. Teeth drew lightly over her nipples, palms rubbing in circles over her belly, making her muscles clench.
Touching Kahlan was unlike anything she'd ever experienced, and far exceeded the realms of her fantasies. The Confessor's skin was so smooth, so flawless, and it jumped under her hands, retreating and then pressing firmly against them as Kahlan arched into her touch.
Kahlan tried to control herself, tried not to show how deeply Cara's touch was affecting her. Her friend didn't want to do this, she had to remind herself. Cara was only doing this to save her life.
Then why did it feel like something more? The reverence in the caresses didn't seem forced. The half-lidded expression of desire hidden behind hard eyes seemed so telling...
Cara gasped as her fingertips slipped between Kahlan's thighs to find her wet. "Kahlan?" she asked, her chest rising and falling with each raggedly drawn breath.
"Please," Kahlan trembled, her eyes rolling back, hips straining subtly against the fleeting contact.
"I want to be inside you," Cara confessed, barely audible, fingertips swirling in circles, waiting to dip inside.
Kahlan tried to answer twice before something came out. "Yes," she finally managed, urging her hips further downward.
Cara moved two fingers to the slick entrance, penetrating the Confessor smoothly. Kahlan's answering moan made her pulse jump, then race. She was careful; Kahlan was precious to her, she moved delicately.
Kahlan pulled on her bonds, straining until the cords in her neck pulsed, then she relaxed. "Cara," she begged, wishing she could wrap her arms around her friend. "You're inside me." She said it as if she couldn't quite believe it, and maybe she couldn't. She never would have imagined doing this with Cara, but it felt so right. "You're inside me, Cara," she repeated. "Stay there, please."
"I will," Cara promised, awed that she could even speak, with the knowledge that Kahlan's warmth was surrounding her fingers; that she was, actually, inside of the Confessor. Her lips went to Kahlan's neck, kissing gentle paths up and down, her tongue sneaking out every so often to trace little circles, leaving the pale skin glistening and wet.
The longer Cara moved inside her, the closer she edged toward oblivion, pleasure coiling deep in her groin and radiating through her entire body. Before she knew it she was close, too close, hovering on the brink of a climax, ready to fall and release her magic. "Cara, stop!" she hissed, eyes wide, inky blackness starting to swirl outward from her pupils. "Stop, I'll confess you!"
"Stop and she's dead."
So that was Denna's plan. Have Kahlan confess Cara, have her writhe in agony, spilling all of her truths until the confession killed her.
Even though she knew it would be excruciating, she would never, ever gamble with Kahlan's life. She would die first. It was the true test of her loyalty, and she didn't even hesitate. Her fingers curled, thumb brushing gently over the Confessor's clit, bringing her to release.
Kahlan's tortured wail echoed in her ears as the magic imploded around them, impacting the air as it hit her in the chest, pain like nothing she'd ever felt tearing through her, as if her muscles were being ripped from her bones. She screamed, sinking to her knees, tears streaming down her face, but when the magic had passed through her and into the space behind her, the pain stopped. It left her gasping for breath, but unconfessed. "Kahlan?" she asked weakly, barely able to lift her head.
Kahlan was beside herself, knowing she had just killed the one person left in her life that she cared about. Cara's scream tore at her heart, threatening to shatter it even more than it had already been. But the scream suddenly stopped, and Cara looked up at her, those blue eyes still her own. A strangled gasp passed the Confessor's lips, and her heart broke in a different way, its beating rapid and erratic. "You... love me?" she breathed.
Cara didn't have to respond because several loud thumps were heard from above, which could only be the sound of bodies hitting the floor.
Both sets of confused, troubled eyes shot to Denna, who simply glanced toward the ceiling, tilted her head to the side, and disappeared out a tunnel at the far end of the dungeon.
Not thirty seconds later, Richard and Zedd came hurtling down the stairs, both covered in blood, Zedd with his hands at the ready and Richard with his sword. When they found no adversaries to stop them, Richard swung the sword, cutting through the bars of the cell door, and kicked it open with one foot. He rushed into the cell, ignoring Cara's look of outrage as he pulled her to her feet and into a fierce, crushing hug. "Cara," he said, his voice choked, nearly squeezing the life out of her before he let go and cut Kahlan out of her shackles.
He hugged his lover just as fiercely, then gripped her face and kissed her, surprised by the magnitude of her reaction to seeing him. As if she thought he were a ghost, and when she realized he wasn't, she broke down in tears of relief. "It's okay," he said, concerned when after a few minutes Kahlan still hadn't calmed down.
Cara stood at attention a few feet away, and said quietly, "Denna told us you were dead."
Richard gaped at her, holding Kahlan tighter, then attempted to bring some levity to the situation. "Why aren't you crying to see us, then?"
Cara made a disapproving face, though her eyes were filled with tears. "Because I am Mord'Sith. I do not cry." She allowed Zedd to hug her, going so far as to pat him a few times on the back. "Can we please get out of here?"
Kahlan didn't push the love issue, mostly because she knew Cara wouldn't want to talk about it, and a little bit because her attention had been commanded by Richard's constant affections. She wanted to talk to Cara about what had happened, but she didn't want to be agieled in the face. Not that Cara had her Agiels back; Denna had escaped with them, but still. A figurative agieling in the face could be just as bad as a literal one. So, she chose to talk to Richard about it.
"Richard," she whispered, gently removing his hand as it slid up her skirts, bringing it to her lips and kissing his knuckles. "I need to speak to you about something that happened before you and Zedd arrived this evening."
"Of course," Richard said, his smile fading into a serious expression, returning her kiss with one to her knuckles.
She spoke quietly, not wanting to be overheard, though with Cara across the fire and Zedd's snoring between them, she didn't think she had much to worry about. "Denna wanted me to confess Cara."
Richard nodded. "Well I'm glad you didn't."
"That's just it, Richard. I did," Kahlan said softly, her eyes cast to the ground between them. "It had no effect."
"You confessed her? How could you?" Richard asked, eyes wide, emotions tumbling.
"No, you don't understand," Kahlan rushed to assure him. "I tried not to... I didn't just reach out and confess her, I-"
"Oh," Richard said, understanding dawning. And then, after he blinked, again. "Oh."
Cara knew they were talking about her. The air around her crackled with tension, and she squeezed her hands into fists at her sides, staring up at the blanket of stars above them.
"Denna ordered her to... please me," the Confessor flushed, her eyes anywhere but on Richard.
"And she did."
"She didn't want to, but the alternative was an Agiel in my heart," Kahlan told him.
Richard tensed just at the mention of something like that happening, and was grateful that Cara had chosen the selfless course of action. "She did it to save you, even though she knew it could kill her."
"Yes," Kahlan said, her eyes welling with tears. "I tried to hold back, but she is..." she paused, let out a little laugh, unable to help it. "She is very skilled, and I couldn't stop it."
Richard nodded, the other piece of information filtering slowly back into his mind, and he ran his hands over his face. "She isn't confessed. She loves you."
"I don't think she knows that I love her just as much. She thinks she was violating me, Richard. What do I do?"
"You haven't talked to her about it?" Richard asked in surprise. "I suggest that as a first move."
"What am I supposed to say? I know I'm with Richard, but I love you too? Thanks for the fabulous orgasm, maybe we can do it again sometime?"
Richard snorted and elbowed her in the ribs. "No. I thought you were a Confessor, didn't they teach you how to tell the truth?"
"Shut up," she said, nudging him back. "I mean it, Richard. What do I say?"
"Do you want me to talk to her?"
"Yes, please!" Kahlan jumped at the chance to take the easy way out.
Richard snickered and kissed her, then stood up and dusted off his pants before making his way across the campsite to the brooding Mord'Sith.
Half an hour and many shouting matches later, both Richard and Cara crossed the camp to stand in front of Kahlan, Richard with his chest puffed out proudly and Cara scuffing the toe of one boot in the dirt, her head bowed, eyes on the ground. When she didn't say anything, Richard nudged her with his shoulder.
"Fine!" Cara snapped, finally turning to Kahlan, her anger dissipating when she looked into soft green eyes. "I understand that you and Richard love me."
Kahlan smiled, about to speak, but Richard wasn't satisfied.
"And the other thing!" he hissed, making a 'come on, Cara' motion with his hands.
Cara shifted her weight, clearly uncomfortable, and sighed. "And I understand that I did not violate you." She paused, swiped her tongue across the back of her teeth. "And, the only reason I'm telling you this is because I am under order from Lord Rahl."
Richard scowled. "You can go back to your little hole now," he said, waving his hand across the fire.
"No she can't," Kahlan said, rising up onto her knees, grabbing one of Cara's hands and kissing her knuckles. "I haven't gotten to return the favor."
"What?" Cara asked, snatching her hand back, head tilted, an alarmed smirk on her face. Her eyes flicked warily to Richard, to gauge his reaction. He seemed unfazed either way. When Kahlan slid closer, though, and pressed her face to Cara's thigh, she could tell he liked what he saw. "Lord Rahl?" she asked, duty before pleasure, always.
"Yes, Cara?" Richard asked tightly.
"I can't help but notice your lack of objection to your mate's advances toward me. Now that we are not in a life or death situation, and pleasure is not demanded for survival, I understand that I am not part of the intimate equation. You may want to make that clear to your mate." She did not acknowledge Kahlan at all. If she did, she would fall victim to some kind of emotion.
Kahlan was content to wait and let Richard take care of any negotiations that were to be made.
"Are you under the impression that I am her Master?" Richard asked, stepping closer to Cara. "That I seek to control her and do not wish for her to express herself?"
Cara frowned at that, her breathing picking up as Richard stepped into her space, sharing her air. She wondered if this was what they had been discussing before Richard hauled her out of bed, and felt suddenly like the prey of two cunning but subtle predators. Not that she objected - the execution was flawless, and she didn't mind being anyone's sexual prey. She preferred to be the predator, but she had always prided herself on being flexible. She also wondered if she was about to be allowed access to both Kahlan and her Lord Rahl in very... inappropriate ways. The development was wildly unexpected, but not unwelcome. "Lord Rahl," she asked, rolling her tongue slowly, sliding one hand into Kahlan's long, dark curls and squeezing softly, pressing the Confessor's face more firmly against her thigh. "Is it your intention to use that..." her gaze lowered to his obvious erection, straining against his pants... "on me?"
Richard was suddenly nervous, sweat pricking at his brow. Cara was Mord'Sith after all, and could kill him with one hand if she so chose... if she felt threatened or insulted or otherwise affronted. She wouldn't, but she could. "Yes," he said with much more confidence than he felt. "If the idea doesn't repulse you or displease my mate."
"You are my Lord Rahl," she said, stroking Kahlan's scalp with her fingertips, her eyes on Richard with hawklike vigilance. "Nothing you could ever intend to do to me could repulse me." She grinned at him a little, tugged lightly on Kahlan's hair. "If the idea does not displease your mate, I would offer myself to your... prowess, and only beg that you know how to use it."
Kahlan's skin was flushed, her body heated, her nerves tingling at the focused attention Cara was paying her hair as well as the conversation. Throat dry, she swallowed, her voice still raspy when she spoke. "It does not displease his mate." She pressed her lips to Cara's leather-clad thigh, tilted her head back to look up into cautious blue eyes, whispered. "And he most assuredly does know how to use it."
Cara's eyes sparkled, one corner of her mouth quirking up at Kahlan's confession, and she moved her free hand to her belt, undoing the buckle and letting it hang suggestively open.
Kahlan licked her lips, swallowed, moved her hands to Cara's pants, fingers trembling as she undid the catch and lowered the zipper. She slid her hands down the sides of the leather, making quick work of the Mord'Sith's boots, then returned her focus to the pants, gripping the waistband and sliding them slowly down smooth legs.
Cara stepped out of the boots, then the pants, leaving her naked from the waist down, without removing her hand from Kahlan's hair. She was so focused on the Confessor's glossy pink lips getting closer to her skin that she didn't hear Richard step up behind her; didn't realize he was there until she felt his hardness pressing against her ass through his pants. She groaned, pulling Kahlan even closer, letting go of her hair to pet it instead. They were both going to go at her at the same time. Not that she'd never indulged before, but this was the Seeker and the Mother Confessor. Her Lord Rahl and his Lady. Richard and Kahlan. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. She was wet.
Kahlan had never smelled anything so sweet, not even the rich fruits of Richard's homeland. It was different, muskier, but still twice as sweet, and her mouth watered. "Bear with me, I've never," she breathed, before wrapping her arms around Cara's thighs and bringing her face between the blonde's slightly spread legs.
"Don't worry," Richard whispered, nuzzling Cara's ear with his nose. "She's good with her mouth."
Cara would have said she wasn't worried, but her motor functions were impaired as soon as Kahlan's lips touched her glistening folds, and she simply gasped inarticulately. Kahlan didn't have to be good with her mouth - even if she weren't, just the fact that the Mother Confessor was going down on her would be enough to carry her to climax. The feel of Kahlan's warm, wet tongue, the knowledge that she was Kahlan's first woman... Rahl, she had never felt such a strong reaction to anyone. Then throw in the annoying little fact that she loved Kahlan, and she was doomed to embarrass herself.
"Ungh, Cara," Kahlan mumbled, followed by a rather lewd exclamation that Cara had never even heard from a Mord'Sith's mouth. And then, "am I doing this right?"
Cara's breath was coming in labored draws. Her chest heaved, her sex burning. "Yes," she managed to grind out through clenched teeth, leaning back against Richard for support. His hands immediately went to her waist, giving her the support she sought, allowing her to relax in his hold.
Kahlan moved slowly, savoring every lick, every kiss, every jump of Cara's muscles. When she pushed her tongue a little ways inside, she groaned at the tightness. Cara was so wet, her lips and chin were covered with it and her tongue slipped when she tried to find her way out, to the nerve center that she knew would feel good. "You're so wet," she murmured, refocusing her efforts, wiping her mouth quickly on her sleeve for friction and moving back in, wrapping her lips around Cara's clit and sucking softly.
Cara leaned her head back on Richard's shoulder, clenching her thighs around Kahlan's head, releasing after a few seconds as little shudders began through her body. "Kahlan," she panted, the Confessor's hair tickling at her thighs and the inside of her knees.
Richard clutched Cara's hips tighter against him, trying to be patient, but it was starting to hurt. His cock pulsed and ached to be stimulated, and when he couldn't hold out any longer, he wrapped one arm around Cara's waist instead and used his other to undo his pants. As he slipped it inside, he felt fingers curl around his wrist to stop him, a strong hand pushing his out of the way and gripping the base of his shaft. Oh, Spirits. She was going to give him a hand job. But he wanted her to focus on what Kahlan was doing... "Cara, it's okay," he grunted.
Kahlan looked up, her eyes darkening as she saw Cara's hand in his pants. She purred, laving gentle attention on the backs of Cara's thighs with her fingernails, flattening her tongue and pressing it harder against the Mord'Sith's clit. "I want him to be inside you," she whispered. "I want to watch your face when you come."
That just about did it right there, and her hips twitched, hand tightening around Richard's cock. "Kahlan," she exhaled slowly, nostrils flaring with the effort to rein herself in.
"Would you let me?" Kahlan asked, kissing her way up Cara's pubic bone to her hip. "Will you lay over me and let him fuck you, with your face close to mine?" Her skin was more flushed than it had ever been, with the words she was speaking, but she wouldn't apologize for them, nor would she be ashamed of them.
"Of course," Cara breathed back, her eyes glazing as she released Richard and dropped to her knees, carefully lowering Kahlan onto her back, then moving on all fours above her, gazing into the sweetest, most beautiful face she had ever seen. It was easy to justify loving this woman.
Time seemed to slow for Richard, and he went to his knees behind Cara, taking hold of her waist again and pressing himself against her, small noises of relief escaping his throat at the contact. He slipped one hand between them, to guide himself, positioning the head of his cock between her legs and giving a gentle push with his hips, one long, drawn-out groan permeating the air as her soft, inviting wetness gripped him.
Cara's groan matched Richard's, her head falling forward, hair framing Kahlan's face. She forced her eyes to stay open, knowing Kahlan would want it. Her lips parted, a constant keening noise building up and slowly gaining intensity the further he pushed into her.
With one more careful thrust, he was seated fully inside her, enveloped completely within her warmth, his cock twitching as she moved back against him. He wished he could see the rippling muscles of her back, the flat planes and ridges that were working under her leather, but it was enough to feel her. He slid one hand beneath her top, fingers stretched out, palm sliding over the shifting skin, committing each sensation to memory.
Cara moaned, flexing her shoulders like a wild cat on the hunt. "Can you get this off of me?" she asked, biting her lip and then arching her back.
Kahlan nodded, reaching up to undo the laces and pull the leather toward herself, over Cara's head. The blonde lifted one arm at a time until she was free, then threw her head back and shook out her hair, her lip sliding from between her teeth as she arched the other way, back pressing up into Richard's hand, head lowering to capture Kahlan's mouth in a slow, heated kiss.
Sending a silent thanks, Richard's eyes trained on every inch of revealed flesh as his hand traversed the landscape, pausing every so often to squeeze or rub.
When she needed more, she pulled back just enough to speak. "Richard, please."
He grunted softly, withdrawing a few inches and sliding back in, reveling in the strangled cry he coaxed from the Mord'Sith. He pulled out again, pushing in smoothly, his groin connecting with the toned cheeks of her ass and the tops of her thighs.
Cara was used to quick and hard, and the slow, deep thrusts were going to kill her. Sweat glistened on her forehead and clung to the back of her neck, and soon a light sheen covered most of her body, from the effort to slow herself down and accept her Lord Rahl's pace. "Kahlan," she said beseechingly, though not entirely sure what she was asking for.
Kahlan somehow understood. She couldn't reach Cara's clit without giving up the view she wanted, so she played with the blonde's hard nipples instead, drawing teasing circles around them and then grasping each between thumb and forefinger, slowly increasing the pressure until Cara gasped.
Several more leisurely-paced thrusts later, Richard could feel a tightening in himself, and gave warning. "I'm close," he panted, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand before returning it to Cara's waist.
Cara looked at Kahlan.
Kahlan shrugged, her teeth pressing on the middle of her lower lip. "Up to you," she whispered.
Cara was still thinking when Richard started to pull out, and her hand shot back, blindly searching until she gained purchase on the open flap of his pants, holding him inside her.
Surprised, Richard let go, relaxed his muscles, pleasure taking him as he grunted his release, fingertips digging into Cara's hips as he squeezed her and held her to him.
Kahlan shivered at the sound of Richard's climax, fingers pinching harder, making Cara cry out and look at her with wide, wild eyes.
Cara could feel him, feel his release in her belly, mildly warming her from the inside, and when he had spent himself, he slid out, and she prepared to finish herself, stunned when she felt his rough but gentle fingers on her clit. "Lord Rahl," she gasped in protest, wanting to let him rest.
"Richard," he corrected her, rubbing in circles, dipping down every so often to gather some wetness and bring it back up. "During sex, it's Richard."
Kahlan's melodious laugh reached her ears and she relaxed, letting the Lord Rahl please her. "Uh!" she cried in surprise when several fingers of his other hand slipped inside her, filling her again as he kept rubbing circles over her clit. No man had ever done this for her, and she felt spoiled, especially with Kahlan's attention on her as well. She felt like a princess, like someone important, like someone who was loved, and one more firm, drawn-out pinch from Kahlan sent her over the edge.
Kahlan watched in awe as Cara started to come, mouth dropped open, eyes shut tight, a look of pure rapture on her face. It was incredible, watching the play of muscles across her face and throat, the way her jaw clenched and released, and her tanned skin flushed. She could see Cara struggling not to throw her head back, and she knew it was because she had asked to watch her come.
"It's okay," she breathed, pinching tighter. "Do what you need. You've let me see."
Cara groaned and immediately threw her head back, pressing her hips toward Richard and her chest toward Kahlan, stretching out her arms and shoulders with a shuddering cry. Muscles tensed around invading fingers, trying to push them out as her pleasure coiled and sprung. Her climax washed through her, leaving her limp on top of Kahlan, breathing ragged and shallow.
She allowed herself to rest for a few moments, then pushed up to her knees, Richard's seed leaking out of her and down her thighs as she did so, staining Kahlan's dress. She moved to stand, intending to dress herself and return to her bedroll, imagining the Lord and his Lady would want their privacy now, but Kahlan's hand gripped her forearm, a questioning expression on the Confessor's face.
Without a word, Cara lay back down, half on the blankets and half on Kahlan, not sure what to expect. She felt Richard nudging her legs apart and glanced down to see him with a damp cloth. He gently cleaned her thighs and Kahlan's dress, then tossed the rag aside and lay behind her, settling down also without a word. They meant to have her lay with them, all night, for sleeping, not just for sex. It confused her and made her wary, but it also made her... happy. The word was even hard to think, let alone admit, but she was. She was warily happy. And for now, that was good.