Chapter 10 - White Rose Petals.

It was two minutes to three and Jareth wondered at his eagerness. With any other woman he would turn up when he wanted despite any pre-agreed upon arrangements and take what he wanted, where he wanted. Yet, here he was, waiting. More than that, he had been standing around for the past half hour just in case Sarah decided to turn up early. He knew she wouldn't, her stubborn nature and pride wouldn't have her coming to him even a second before the appointed time, but still...

Jareth paced to the balcony windows pressing his naked fingers down on the table against the wall that held a single vase with two white roses. He picked one out and twirled the stem between his fingers as he looked out the windows. Outside, the beautiful day had quickly turned overcast and now the complete backdrop of the sky was a bluish-grey, serving to make indoors all the more intimate. He crushed the stem in his hand as it fisted. Where was that woman?

He opened his palm and absently removed the thorn imbedded in his skin and licked at the blood. The scent of the rose teased his nose and swiftly he smiled cruelly. Suddenly, Jareth had a different vision in mind then the mindless sex of the one he had the night before. He was going to seduce Sarah Williams, renowned Underground courtesan, he was going to make it so she always remembered their one time together, and while he got her out of his system, he would forever be in hers. But first he needed one more thing. He picked up his gloves from beside the bed and pulled them on. Perfect.

He heard the door click open and the whisper of light footsteps brush the floor. "I wasn't sure you were going to come" Jareth drawled mockingly and looked up at her. He couldn't seem to stop himself from inciting her. He loved the responses she gave for each emotion.

Sarah smirked even as the spark of anger lit her eyes. "Why else would I be here... Though it makes me wonder" she paused for effect and then said slowly "why you are pushing for this confrontation. Could it be that you simply can't resist me?"

Jareth was not to be outdone. "Perhaps I can't resist the way you can't resist me."

They stood facing off each other like foes until Sarah broke the deadlock and strode confidently to the bed. "Well?" she demanded, "how do you want this?"

Jareth grimaced behind her back as she faced the bed. She wasn't even trying the seductive ploy any court courtesan knew; instead she was acting like a street whore who knew that she only fucked for money and wanted the male to get it over and done with. 'Oh, no, sweet Sarah,' he thought, 'I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily. You're not the one in control here.' He was sure he could seduce her with pleasure alone but something in him demanded that he make her submit as well.

"Get undressed. Lie down on the bed" he told her.

Sarah arched an eyebrow, obviously questioning why he didn't want to undress her himself. She knew the fey enjoyed foreplay almost as much as the actual act of intercourse. However, she stayed silent and slipped the satin dress from her body.

Jareth sat in a chair and watched her reveal her body. He needed to sit so that his legs wouldn't carry him to her and it was only years of keeping control that he didn't grab the arms of the chair to hold himself down. She was beautiful. Her dark hair spilled down her back, almost completely black but for a few natural highlights of dark brunette. She obviously kept in shape but not so much that there wasn't an ounce of fat on her. Jareth experienced a sudden need to kiss the spot near her belly button and then suckle the flesh until it turned red. Her skin was white rather than tanned but there was a light coffee colour over the parts of her that were regularly exposed to the sun.

She bent to smooth stockings down each leg and his thoughts took a vicious turn towards lust. Jareth mentally shook his head, surprised that he hadn't actually moved from the chair.

Once she lay on the bed he leaned down and picked her stockings up off the floor. He held them up to his nose and breathed in the scent of Sarah. Moonlight. His mismatched eyes suddenly focused sharply on her. "Raise you hands to headboard" he said, his voice still strong, not betraying the lust he felt.

She made a show of it, arching her back and stretching her arms like a sun-warmed feline. She crossed her wrists and grabbed the wooden railing above her head in a parody of submission. For Jareth it wasn't enough. Even with his gloves on he didn't touch her skin as he wrapped one stocking around her wrist and tied her to the bed stretched out. He stepped back to admire the picture.

"I'm not going to touch you Sarah." He retrieved the rose with the twisted stem from the table where he had left it.

She blinked up at him, twice. "W-what?" she stumbled.

He twirled the white rose between his fingers. So she wasn't as immune to him as she portrayed, either that or she worried that he would leave her tied up alone. "And you're not going to touch me."

"I'm not?"

"No."

Jareth had to stop himself from smiling. She was so enticing in her confusion, she always had been. There had been that one particular moment in her run through his labyrinth in which she had looked so lost and confused. He had let her go that time. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

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Sarah found herself paralyzed when Jareth came towards her with her stockings. He didn't remove his gloves and no skin contact was made as he tied her wrist to the bed. She relaxed. Bondage she was used to. If Jareth wanted to hold her at the edge of climax for hours on end that was fine with her. As long as she got to climax.

"I'm not going to touch you Sarah" Jareth said as he retrieved sometime from a table.

She blinked up at him, twice. "W-what?" she stumbled. What game was he playing? He twirled a white rose between his fingers. Why was the stem bent and crumpled? The feeling that perhaps it was a warning sign from the universe crept through her.

"And you're not going to touch me."

"I'm not?"

"No."

She didn't understand. Wasn't the purpose of this whole thing to get an 'idiotic lust' out of their systems? How were they going to do anything if they weren't going to touch each other? She tugged at her bonds. They would hold. What was he going to do? Talk dirty to her? Mingle their auras in a spiritual joining. Make her orgasm by just looking at her? Mmm... looking at the heat in his eyes maybe that wasn't such impossibility.

Jareth twirled the rose in his fingers, looking hungrily over her body. He brought the rose up to inhale the scent then tapped the petals against his lips twice. Sarah narrowed her eyes at him. Just what was he planning to do?

He moved to the bed and the mattress dipped as he sat on the edge near her hip. Suddenly, Sarah became aware of a slight breeze of air drifting over her body that made her incredibly aware of how hot her skin really was. A shiver of premonition ran over her and suddenly she wanted out. But just as she was about to speak Jareth pre-empted her and laid the rose against her mouth.

"Shhh. Not a word."

Her vocal cords seemed to seize up on her and she couldn't speak even if she wanted to.

Jareth ran the rose over her chin and down her throat, dragging the petals along her skin. He traced a snake-like path between her breasts then swirled around her stomach until he closed in on the small indention of her tummy. Maybe he was using magick but it seemed everywhere that the rose traced her skin it left behind a cool tickling sensation that sensitized her skin.

Carefully, without touching her, he laid the rose along the indenture of one of her hips, as if he was arranging her for a painting. The weight, though faint, was intensely noticeable. She watched fascinated as he stripped the glove from one hand. Just as carefully he lifted the rose from her and rubbed the petals between his fingers as if her skin had left behind a residue that he had to feel. Sarah watched fascinated as he curled his hand around the rose and closed his fist, crushing the petal and pulling them from the stem with his bare hand. He sprinkled the petals over her, the crushed fragility covering her in a strong aroma of white sensuality and passion. The petals tickled her breasts and stomach like the lightest touch of angel wings.

Jareth lowered his head to her stomach but didn't quite touch her. He inhaled. He blew. The feeling was incredible. The warm air making wings of velvet dance up her flesh, skipping and jumping over the skin. Her breath hitched just as the aroma of roses reached her via the gentle breeze and she breathed in seduction.

Jareth bent his head and his tongue flickered out to touch her skin through a petal lying just below her breast. Sarah arched into the warmth. Frustratingly slow he pushed the petal over her skin with his tongue, leaving behind a scented path. His tongue made the petal translucent until it seemed that nothing separated his tongue from her flesh, until the heat between them sparked and flared and burned. He lifted his head to leave the petal stuck to her skin and found another to tantalize one that lay on the top curve of her breast.

Sarah gasped in pleasure and was shocked at how fast she was being pushed to her peak, how subtly Jareth had sensitized her body with so little manipulation. Petal after petal he paid attention to, pausing with timing only known to him to blow over his work and watch her every reaction. White velvet petals upon white skin of silk. Translucent foliage and corporal floral scent. Denied actual touch but over sensitized. Tears squeezed out of her eyes. Just one more touch, one more feeling, one more…

Jareth blew a cool breeze inbetween her legs. She hadn't even realized that she had parted her thighs. Fire swept through her, spiraling up to burst in a volcano of blazing fever. Raining pure lava. Her hips surged off the bed and she cried his name feeling utterly consumed by him as land is consumed by molten rock in the climax of natural disaster. Like the living land, would she too be destroyed in the furnace of his passion? She opened her legs wider so that her body was wide open to receive his non-touch. He blew again, a long stream of cool air curling up through her heat. Her body tensed and locked in the mid-spasm. Then, she exploded.

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Jareth watched in fascination as Sarah stretched taunt with completion. He had watched countless women come but this had to rank up there with the best of them. Perhaps it was the history he had with her, perhaps it was a defeat over one of the few who had completed his labyrinth, perhaps it was her beauty in that moment. Some woman possessed ethereal beauty when they came. Whatever it was, it left satisfied warmth deep inside. That, and the male pride that swelled in knowing that he had brought her to orgasm with so little effort. He might have suspected that the release was faked, some courtesans did do that, but there was honesty in her response. The true powerful climax had left Sarah dazed and weak – if nothing else Jareth knew that Sarah would never willingly let him see any sort of vulnerability, even if she was faking it. Yet, it had left her as weak as a kitten. He had a ridiculous urge to curl her up in his lap and pat her.

When she calmed down he instantly knew something was wrong.

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Zekial stroked the dark sweat-soaked hair of his bed partner that lay splashed against his stomach, occasionally tugging fondly on the short strands. His other arm was thrown behind his head as he stared across the room thinking. "Tell me, why is Sarah off her game lately?" he asked bluntly of his present lover.

Carrick rolled so that he could look up at Zekial but keep his head near the stroking hand. "You know the appearance of the Goblin King has upset her."

"I had hoped that it would be but a passing feeling. She spent but a little more than thirteen hours in his presence. It has been years since she had seen him. Her training has been perfect."

Carrick remained silent. What answer could he give?

"You will tell me should this become more of a problem that what it already is" Zekial ordered. "Sarah must be ready to take Kayla's place in the High King's bed."

"There is one way to put her off him," Carrick knew he was inviting trouble, "you could just tell her of the King's plans for the labyrinth."

Zekial fisted his hand in his courtesan's hair and yanked him up at a painful angle before last syllable fell. "Where have you heard of the King's plans" he asked calmly.

Carrick lay placidly in the hold despite the kink in his neck. "I overheard the Elvin King speaking to his wife"

"His bed or hers?"

"Hers. She came to court late last night in the hopes of finding out what Luc is up to. I was hiding under the bed when he walked in and she confronted him."

Zekial's mouth twisted without humour. "That bitch has been cheating on her husband for years, mainly with the priest. Unfortunately, Luc has a weakness for his wife. This could cause problems."

"Too bad you can't just have her killed"

"Mmm…" Zekial mused and finally released his sharp hold.

Carrick rested his head against Zekial's stomach once more and the stroking fingers started up again.

"You've done well" Zekial eventually said. "And it is time for you to leave."

A/N: Chapter has been edited. Full version found in . See profile for more details.