Chapter 14

It was as if nothing existed but the other. The two lovers held each other and moved to the beat of the music, barely recognizing that there were others in their midst. Her eyes locked on the bard's, Xena leaned down and pressed her lips against the welcoming softness of Gabrielle's mouth. A soft whimper escaped the blonde as Xena pressed her advantage on the distracted woman and intentionally pulled her closer to her, bringing Gabrielle's center into contact with her firm thigh. Xena felt the woman jump at the unexpected contact but wouldn't release her hold on the blonde's lips, preferring to taste and feel all of the softness she could.

"Gods, Xena," the smaller woman moaned, as she was finally released and allowed to take a normal breath. "You are trying to torture me, aren't you?"

The warrior loosened her steady grip on Gabrielle, allowing her to wriggle a small distance away from her, and away from the firmness of her sleek body. "No, my love. Just trying to convince you to leave this party with me. Will you?" she asked, and bent in for another kiss.

Moments later, a completely breathless Gabrielle leaned her head against Xena's chest, feeling and hearing the racing heart that seemed to be keeping time with her own. "It's too early..."

When Xena heard the weak denial, she again brushed her lips against her partner's, parting the full lips with her tongue, and gently asking for entrance. Unable to help herself, Gabrielle moaned when she felt her woman so easily slip past her defenses, the nerves of her body knowing she would soon be begging Xena not to stop. "Too early..." she tried again, conscious of the fact that she was already lost.

The warrior's lips left the velvet softness of her mouth and moved to the sensual column of the bard's throat. Moving upward, the questing tongue discovered an ear, and set about exploring all the interesting curves and niches before finally stopping at the lobe. Xena pulled gently at the exposed skin, drawing another pleasurable gasp from her lover.

"Too..." the bard protested, but there was no denying the warrior or her own feelings. Now completely at a loss for words, Gabrielle abandoned all hope of trying to rationalize the situation with her headstrong lover, and gave into the feelings that Xena could build in her so effortlessly. Pulling the taller woman's lips to hers, she returned the kisses with a fire that seared them both in its intensity.

Xena clung to the woman as best as she could, her free hand pressing itself on Gabrielle's back, seeking more contact with the smaller woman. Her bound left hand squeezed Gabrielle's in equal passion, but finally unable to control her need for more intimate contact, the older woman pulled back slightly so she could look into the bard's eyes. "Please..."

Gabrielle saw her own passion reflected in the eyes of her lover. Powerless to do otherwise, her answer was simple. "Yes."

Bending down for another burning kiss, the warrior would have picked up Gabrielle and carried her to Kaliepus' hut if their hands were not tied. Instead, she entwined her fingers more firmly in their grip on the woman, and slowly pulled away from their lingering kiss.

No one stopped them as they made their way out of the field. In fact, Ephiny was amazed that they had lasted as long as they had; she and Phantes had barely finished their feast together before they had made their exit from their own Blending Ceremony.

Someone, probably Kaliepus, had been in the hut earlier and had prepared it for them. Candles glowed softly in the kitchen and in the room Xena had been using since their arrival. Wild flowers were placed on the bed, and a wineskin or what turned out to be a smooth savory wine and two goblets waited for them on a small table beside the pallet. Xena led the bard into the small bedroom, and then wrapped the woman in another embrace before pulling back to marvel at the dancing green eyes of Gabrielle. "I love you," she smiled, and grinning wickedly, brought their bound hands up to eye level. With one quick movement, her white teeth flashed and effortlessly untied the loose binding that had held their hands together. "Finally, I get to hold you completely," she breathed, beginning to nuzzle the creamy skin at the bard's throat.

"Oh, I don't know, I kinda liked being bound to you," the blonde gasped as Xena's hands found the outside curve of her breast, and were teasing with the green garment there.

"Don't give me any ideas," came the muffled reply. The warrior's lips continued to lightly nip at the tender white skin of her lover's neck, while her fingers made their way underneath Gabrielle's half-top, playing gently with the firm mounds they found there.

"You don't need any ideas when it comes to pleasing me...ooh!" Xena's callused fingertips had found the sensitive nipples, and had begun to rub the already puckered flesh into heated life. Gabrielle arched into her lover's touch, feeling a jolt of pure electricity ripple across her body. Closing her eyes, she gave into the pleasure she was receiving, clenching her teeth to stop from crying out her lover's name. Xena continued to trace light bites over the bard's throat, steadily moving downward to feel the pulse point against her lips. The ragged breathing of the blonde told Xena all she needed to know. Still pulling and teasing the woman's nipples, she arched her hands, bringing the green fabric with them. Unable to stop herself, the warrior's lips and teeth took up a new location on the bard's body, as her arms wound around the small woman, drawing her nearer into her warm mouth.

"Aaah, gods!" Gabrielle ground out, and with a sudden burst of movement born of practiced moves with her staff, she wrapped her arms around the bigger woman and half turned, throwing Xena onto the bed with her on top of the dark haired warrior. Eyes twinkling with mischief and blazing with longing, the bard observed her prey. "Now I've got you where I want you." She smiled at her woman. "And I'm not going to let you go."

"Well, I think we should get rid of my armor, don't you?" the blue eyes sparkled in the light of the candles.

"Let me."

Xena relaxed as she watched Gabrielle undress her, the expression on the bard's face at once serious and loving as if she were unwrapping a present while she removed the metal breastplate of the warrior, along with the armbraces, the boots, and the leathers before helping Xena out of her shift. After carefully laying the clothes to the side, the smaller woman quickly threw off her own clothes, not caring where they landed.

The bard looked at her partner, appreciating the marvelous curves, sleek lines, and toned muscles that made up the warrior. She crawled on the bed, pulling her body along that of the other woman until at last she was straddling Xena above her hips. Gabrielle sat back on her haunches, making sure that Xena could feel the wetness of her body resting on her tight stomach.

Xena took a deep breath and released it slowly. It took all her concentration not to grab Gabrielle in a tight embrace and switch their positions. The warmth, the wetness, and the sultry smile of the blonde made the warrior clench her teeth to stop from crying out her need for the woman's touch. At last, Gabrielle leaned down, and passionately explored Xena's mouth with her tongue.

The warrior felt an electric shock shoot through her body. With the bard on top of her, the smaller woman's breasts crushed into hers, she felt a rush of liquid escape from between her legs, her body signaling its readiness to her lover. She gripped Gabrielle around the small of her back, trying to increase the contact the two of them shared.

"Uh uh," Gabrielle whispered, breaking the kiss when she felt what the warrior was doing.

"Gods, Gabrielle, please..."

"Xena, I love you. Let me make love to you on this night." The smaller woman sat up straighter, and then removing the hands that still held her waist, placed them above Xena's head. "Don't worry, warrior, I'll take care of you." Still holding onto the callused hands, Gabrielle stretched out on top of the darker woman, and shifted one of her legs until it was between those of her partner. Instantly feeling the wetness that greeted her there, she bit her lower lip in an effort to slow her thoughts and actions. The amount of Xena's arousal signaled a quickening of Gabrielle's heartbeat. Acknowledging the truth to herself, she didn't know how long she could hold herself back from ravishing the dark haired beauty. Instinct took over when her will of strength failed. Gabrielle's hands slid down the arms of her lover as she lowered herself a bit more to pleasure the sensitive mounds of flesh that ached to be touched.

Xena remained motionless, except for a shuddering breath as she waited for what the bard would do next. She felt the arms of her partner caress her, the experienced hands moving over the taunt muscles of her arms and then tracing the outline of her sides until they finally reached the swelled curves of her breasts. There the hands stopped for a moment, and then expertly held the breasts up from the bottom, making the rock hard nipples a more inviting target for a warm wet mouth. The warrior helplessly arched up into the lips and teeth of the bard, offering herself up to the person she loved. A groan of pure pleasure escaped her lips, and she again felt a wave of wetness wash through her.

Gabrielle heard her lover's groan and knew it wouldn't be long before the woman underneath her reached her limit. Her mouth continued to suckle and nip at Xena's left breast as her hand teased and stroked the other, rubbing and blurring the paint that Ephiny had put there earlier in the morning. The bard groaned herself when she felt another splash of warmth fall against her leg. Closing her eyes, she moved lower on Xena's body, her right hand taking over her place at the woman's delicious breast. Gabrielle licked and nipped her way down her lover's body, teasing the flat skin around her belly button, tasting the wetness she had left there earlier, before finally working her way lower.

Helplessly, Xena bucked her hips when she felt Gabrielle's hand leave her chest and slide down to her hips.

"Steady now...I've got you," the bard promised, just as loving fingers arrived at the damp folds and gently moved them aside before a questing tongue stroked it's way along the wet ridges.

A low groan ripped from Xena's throat as she surrendered to the bard, and thrust her hips again in invitation. The slow licking that greeted her attempts for more contact had her thrashing her head from side to side on the pallet, her hands clenching and unclenching themselves in the blankets. Almost past coherent thought, all Xena could do was moan one word. "Please..."

Using the plea as her signal, Gabrielle thrust her tongue into Xena, swirling and circling it around the smooth muscles that gripped it back. The readiness, the wetness of her lover acted as an aphrodisiac on the smaller woman. While continuing to taste all of her partner, Gabrielle let one of her fingers stray to the hyper sensitive nub nestled within the folds of the woman. Just grazing over it gently had the larger woman arch her back, trying to bring her center even closer to the expert touches of the blonde. Still thrusting her tongue inside her lover, the bard held the woman up with her left hand as she continued to play with the hard bundle of nerves, softly fondling it, circling it, but never pushing her woman over the edge.

"Ahhh, Gabrielle," the warrior moaned, her breathing reduced to short quick pants. Her heart raced in a steady rhythm, threatening to explode out of her chest. Instinctually, Xena continued to push her hips at Gabrielle, offering herself up to her lover.

Xena's moans had their own effect on Gabrielle. She could tell her woman was close, with both the verbal and physical cues adding fuel to the fire that was burning inside the bard. Helplessly, she left the pleasure of tasting her lover's source, and gripped onto her center, sucking it while her teeth latched onto it and pulled gently. Two fingers slipped inside the sheath that her tongue had just left; the muscles there spasming against the digits, trying to draw them in further.

Xena gave into the expert assault; her jerking stopped as the bard continued to suck and lick her flesh. Eyes squeezed shut, her breath trapped in her chest, Xena felt every nerve ending explode in release and pleasure. Feeling as weak as a newborn puppy, the warrior collapsed on the pallet, her breathing now racing along with her heart. She weakly reached down, and grabbed Gabrielle by the arms, trying to pull the woman up close to her. Soon the blonde was snuggled up to her love, her head resting on a firm shoulder.

"You are so beautiful," Xena whispered, and held the bard tighter to her.

"I could say the same to you." Lying on her side, the bard's free hand made circling motions on Xena's flat stomach, slowly making it's way up to rest on the still hard flesh of her breast.

The warrior closed her eyes, and reluctantly pulled the hand from her chest. Shifting her weight, she pressed the younger woman into the soft mattress, and looked into the glowing eyes of the woman she loved. "And now I want to hear your moans, I want to hear you call out my name, while I pleasure my wife, the keeper of my soul."

Gabrielle looked up into the dark smoky eyes of her lover. Reflected in the glow of the candles, the smaller woman recognized the passion she saw there, and felt her heart lurch in her chest. She knew she had never been this happy, and was profoundly grateful to be able to share herself with her adored Xena. The bard raised herself up a bit, and kissed her woman while wrapping her arms around the strong back of the warrior. A soft moan escaped when she felt her lips parted by the soft advances of the other's tongue.

Xena tasted herself on the lips of Gabrielle. She cradled her beloved's face with her hands and slowly worked her way inside the mouth of her lover. The sweetness of the bard always amazed the warrior, even though they had been lovers for close to two years. Knowing now that they were truly partners, recognized by both the Amazons and Centaurs as such, only made her heart fill with more longing and love for the woman who decided against all odds to share her life with her. Xena closed her eyes and drew away from the soft mouth, to trace kisses on the brows, nose, and cheeks of her woman.

Gabrielle kept her eyes closed as she felt the soft lips trail across her face. The hands that were caressing her face dipped lover and started to explore her shoulders and arms. She felt her left arm being lifted, and then a soft kiss left on her wrist at the pulse point. A smile crept onto her face as she next felt the lips explore the inside of her elbow, and then a tongue leave a salty trail to her shoulder. The tongue moved with a will of it's own, until finally settling on a firm breast, circling the rauched skin before finally clasping onto a nipple. A shuddering cry escaped from the bard, her heart racing to keep up with her senses.

The warrior continued to suckle on the warm skin of her lover's chest, her free hand expertly rolling the other nipple between callused fingers. Not wanting to deny herself any pleasure, the dark haired woman was soon nuzzling the other breast, teasing and nipping, torturing the bard with sensations. Feeling a movement against her legs, she noticed that Gabrielle has spread her own wide, an open invitation to explore. A weak hip thrust accompanied the change of position, followed by a strangled moan. Xena knew her bard was ready, and unable to deny herself the pleasure, she slipped lower onto the woman, and between her legs. Helping the bard to bend her knees, Xena settled in and instantly burrowed her tongue against the engorged bundle of nerves inside the warmth of her lover.

Gabrielle arched helplessly into the embrace, spreading her legs a bit further, wordlessly pleading with Xena to increase her touch. A gasp escaped her as teeth took the place of her lover's tongue, pulling on the sensitive skin.

"Xe-na!" the bard screamed when three fingers plunged into her. Her legs shaking with unreleased passion, her chest heaving for lungfulls of air, she again urged her body downward, trying desperately to impale herself on her lover's hand.

The pace was slow as Xena held Gabrielle quivering against her. Still teasing the bundle of nerves, the warrior pulled her fingers almost out of her lover before again sliding them easily in. Gradually increasing the rhythm with Gabrielle's bucking hips, the dark haired woman was soon plunging in and out at a furious pace. The panting she heard equaled those of herself earlier, when the bard had been loving her. Flicking her tongue over the nub, Xena felt the bard go motionless as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through the younger woman. The warrior slowed the movements of her hand, and last stopping it completely. Then, unable to stop herself, she worked her tongue through the engorged leaves of her love, licking the remains of the passion they shared. At last giving in to the feeble attempts of Gabrielle to stop, Xena left the woman's center to lie on her back next to her, and brought the smaller woman closer to rest on her body.

"I love you, Gabrielle. You make me whole."

"Xena," the woman said quietly, her breathing beginning to slow to normal. "Promise me you won't ever leave me. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Don't ever worry about that, my love. I'll always be where you are."

"Hmm," was the quiet reply as the bard snuggled into her embrace and drifted off to sleep. "I love you."