A/N: This one is a bit shorter than the first chapter, but I plan to update soon to make up for it. Please R and R, this is my first story so criticism is welcome!
Teta awoke to the feel of a hand sliding across her waist. She sighed in pleasure before she realized that yes, she was awake and not dreaming the encounter. Her sleepy mind raced to piece together the details of what was going on. The room was now pitch black and it took her a few moments to remember where she was. Algus' chambers. In his bed. With no boots. Then… oh dear Ajora, that must be Algus touching her. His palm came to rest on her belly as she felt the rest of his body press and curl around her back. The contact felt more amazing than anything she had experienced before and she briefly considered pretending she was still asleep so that she wouldn't have to pull away. But her conscience was screaming at her so loud that she knew she couldn't just decide to spoon with him all night. It wasn't right for her to be in a bed with a man, even if it was her master and he wasn't doing anything to her exactly. If the cook found out, she would never speak to Teta again, perhaps save to call her a whore. And the cook made up exactly fifty percent of her friends, so she really didn't want to lose her. Teta felt her heart pounding with stress about what to do. Life was always so unfair to her… Not giving her a husband while she was still young, but then dangling a young man in front of her face like this. She knew that no matter how good it felt to be touched by him, she needed to get away or lose her good reputation.
"Algus?" she whispered softly. Saying his name felt naughty as well, but it only heightened her pleasure at being so close to him. She felt his hand knead her flesh gently and she had to stifle a gasp.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Have I been asleep very long? I really should leave."
"Not very long," he murmured back, "I just put out the candles a moment ago."
So what now? Teta wondered. He made no move to release her or address her statement. She summoned all of her willpower and tried to shift out from under his arm in a non-aggressive way. Algus merely took the opportunity to fit his body more snugly
against her backside while his free hand found her hair and began to stroke it back from her face. He put his lips right against her ear and whispered, "Why so anxious to get away? I won't hurt you."
Oh god. Teta couldn't struggle anymore because she was certainly paralyzed now. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. Did it always feel like this when a man touched you? She had no previous experiences to compare it to. But suddenly she was clamping her thighs tightly together against the heat she felt between them. Every little bit of her skin was so sensitive now, she wanted to grind her body backwards into his, just to feel the friction of it. She hoped he didn't know what she was going through at the moment or she might die of embarrassment.
"Algus," she explained quietly, "You know it is improper for me to be here right now. If anyone found out…" she let her concern hang openly.
"But how will anyone find out? In the morning you will go about your tasks and no one will be the wiser."
That was so tempting. She shivered at the thought of what it would be like to fall asleep here, with his hands on her body and his voice tickling her ear.
"I… would feel better if I slept in my own bed tonight," she finally said. "I'd feel safer that way. And it is very uncomfortable to sleep in this dress. If I go back to my own room then I can put on my dressing gown."
He withdrew his arm and made his way out of bed. Teta knew this was for the best but physically it felt so wrong to be pushing him away. So many times she had fantasized about a situation like this (not with Algus, of course, but with some faceless man who was crazy about her) and now that she was in it she had to bring everything crashing to a halt. As she clambered out of bed, she didn't feel any sense of righteousness. Only regret that she was torturing herself like this, just to be a good girl.
Algus used magic to quickly light a candle so that she could collect her boots and find her way out. She felt quite awkward, crouching on the floor to button the shoes up while he sleepily watched her.
Teta gave him a timid smile as he handed her the tall candle for the walk to her quarters. "Thank you, I'll give it back in the morning."
He shook his head. "Just keep it. If someone happens to be awake and see you walking by, what will you tell them?"
Teta paused. "I'll say that Layla had a nightmare and I was looking after her."
"That's believable." Algus walked her to the doorway. "Goodnight then."
Teta shivered from cold as she walked through the empty halls of the manor. They were always a bit frightening at night. She was very glad to have the candle. Eventually she came to the narrow staircase that led to her attic bedroom. How gloomy it seemed after the spaciousness of Algus' chamber. When she entered her room, the first thing she noticed was that her bed was tiny and poor compared to his. Why had she chosen this for the night?
After Teta was changed and under the covers, she allowed her mind to wander over the events of the night. Algus' behavior was a bit of a mystery to her. He had treated her with more kindness in one night than in the previous two years put together. Even after his affectionate touches, she still didn't believe that he could actually be attracted to her. No one had ever found her attractive (as far as she knew), and he was a lord (even if a minor one) - she assumed he could have his choice of prettier girls. Perhaps he had felt bad for her when he saw her walking all alone and had decided to take pity. She supposed that was nice of him. What a very strange night.
