#Why confess at all when that's all Venom wants? He's satisfied with staying loyal to the only person who saw any value in him

[hibernating-stag]

Obsessed with the treasures in Xrd Rev... This one here has me so so interested

[supremeuppityone]

Written for Klaroline Valentine's Day Bingo 2020 @kcvalentinesbingo

Prompt: Massage oil

Author’s note: This is the much-requested sequel to Chapter 19: The Red Light Special, found in my Klaroline series, A Beautiful Symmetry. I know it’s been ages since I wrote the first one, so I hope it lives up to your expectations!

Warning: Sexy times!

Please review here.

           Perhaps it was a mistake to add the laudanum to the ritual bath without first explaining a few things to Klaus. He kept lazily blinking up at her, an easy smile nearly sliding right off of his handsome face as he playfully kept poking his big toe in the porcelain soap dish. However, laudanum had been a part of the ritual since time began for her kind, and Caroline was nothing if not a firm believer in ritual. The fragrant olive oils infused with Phoenician juniper, saffron, cardamom and cinnamon flooded their senses, sending Klaus into a blissful euphoria while it sharpened Caroline’s appetites, making her ache with want. Klaus was hers.

           “That feels amazing, love,” he sighed sleepily, leaning his curly head back into the warm water with a sigh of contentment.

           “The massage oil will feel even better,” Caroline promised, pouring the last of the ritual ingredients into the bath, rubbing her palms over his bare chest to infuse his skin.

           “Massage oil?”

           She grinned at his eager tone, and she placed a soothing kiss to his damp forehead as she told him, “I’d love nothing more than to indulge in a bit of debauchery with you, but first we have things to discuss. Things you need to understand.” When Klaus favored her with another gentle, lazy grin, she reminded herself that his mortal physique would need to be sober for this conversation. Her kind didn’t take the unwilling.

           She leaned forward, the beast within warming her touch as she laid her hands on him. She carefully fed on the intoxicants rather than drain his energy, noting the instant Klaus was coherent. He sat up a bit straighter in the bath, gray eyes regarding her with confusion. “Sweetheart, how did I get here?”

           “I brought you,” she began hesitantly, wishing she’d asked Elena for advice on the best approach. Lilith only knew how many times Elena had thought to claim a hapless human. “Klaus, do you recall anything unusual from our time together?”  

           “Only that the moments we’ve shared have been incredible.” He caressed her cheek, brushing aside a blonde tendril. “You are incredible.”

           She allowed herself to smile, hating the flicker of fear she felt at what might happen next. How would he react?“You unwittingly wandered into another world. A dangerous one. My girls and I are of a separate origin than you. Than humans.” At his politely puzzled look, she pressed forward, anxious to make him understand. “The succubus myth has twisted the truth over the years, but we trace our roots to Lilith, said to be the mother of all monsters.”

           Klaus shook his head, lightly kissing her lips as he swore, “You could never be a monster.”

           From his indulgent tone, it was clear he didn’t believe her. With a small sigh, she allowed her monster to slightly bleed through, from the unnatural glow of her blue eyes to the rows of razor-sharp teeth. She steeled herself for him to recoil from her, the inevitable look of disgust crossing his face. And yet it never came. Instead, she could sense that while his thoughts were chaotic, he wasn’t afraid. If anything, he seemed aroused. Men were peculiar creatures.  

           “Heavens, you’re even more lovely than before. How is that possible?”

           Caroline felt herself warm — how long had it been since she’d blushed like this? She giggled, poking one of his dimples as she said, “You’re far too charming to be a human. I’m fortunate to have claimed you when I did or all of my girls would fight over you.”

           Before she let herself become too distracted by his inviting form in the soft candlelight, she added, “Speaking of my claim, it’s important that you understand what it means. Earlier, you said in jest that you claimed me, but it’s a bond not to be taken lightly. I initially claimed you to ensure your safe passage at The Red Lotus. My girls don’t permanently harm humans, but they do feed on sexual energy and I didn’t want you in their thrall.” She shrugged her bare shoulders, her voice uncharacteristically uncertain as she confessed, “I like you.”

           Klaus’ eyes widened, threading his fingers with hers as he told her huskily, “I like you too. And the only ‘thrall’ I wish to be under is yours.”

           Her pulse quickened, and she pressed her lips to his, lightly nibbling on his lower lip. At his tiny sigh of pleasure, she slipped into the bath to straddle him, their bodies sinking together in the delicious heat. She reached down to palm his erection, delighting in every pleasurable twitch. Spying the slender clay amphora on the ledge, she grasped the clay handle, pouring a thin stream of cardamom and cinnamon-infused massage oil. His flesh came alive under her touch as she rubbed soothing circles along his shoulders and chest, the oil paving a sensual path that made them both groan.      

           His kisses grew more urgent, fingers clutching at her back as he encouraged her to rock against him. “Your thighs tremble, love,” he panted in her ear, “what do you crave?”

           “You,” she demanded, her nails delivering a pinch to his aching tip. He cried out in ecstasy, surging forward until he joined their bodies. Dipping his fingers in the spilled oil, Klaus brought them to her breasts, tweaking her nipples until they were hard little points beneath his teasing caresses. Water churned as they writhed together, urgent need clashing with seductive strokes until they were on the precipice of release.

           With a frantic burst of energy, he moved Caroline along his cock, the sensual split causing her to clench around him. They rode out their passion; Klaus stealing kisses as she snuggled against him, lazily sliding her palm along his softening member.

           Mine, her monster whispered.  

           Caroline acknowledged that laying claim to a human was cause for celebration, but The Red Lotus was still a business that required her attention, so she sent Klaus off to photograph her girls while she tended to her responsibilities. He’d initially approached her brothel to showcase her girls’ humanity — a desire which amused her to no end — but he’d been so charming and earnest that she couldn’t resist inviting him into their world. Hopefully he would want to stay.

           She reviewed the books, lightly tapping the pointed toes of her boots to the jazz band playing in her parlor. Finally, she set down her pen, confident that she’d distributed the correct number of incentives to key individuals. She handed Enzo the stack of envelopes she’d addressed to each member of City Council, the bribes enough to secure their votes against upcoming rezoning ordinances. Lilith only knew why humans felt the need to legislate until  

their pleasure was in a stranglehold. Fortunately, Caroline and her kind were around to guide them toward a much more satisfying release of their pent-up energies.

           After her loyal houseman had left to secure their alliances, she decided to observe Klaus’ latest photography session. The enthusiasm he brought to his craft gladdened even the most jaded of hearts among her girls, and they’d become quite protective of her human. She was puzzled to see Katherine in one of the main rooms performing a sensual dance with Elena in her transformed state, as the twins were supposed to be posing for Klaus.

           “Where’s Klaus?”

           “Victoria insisted he photograph her first,” Katherine pouted, rubbing her cheek sensually along Elena’s diamondback scales.

           Caroline frowned as she said, “Victoria is visiting her brother.” Something was wrong. Not bothering to wait for Elena to shed her skin and morph back, they raced upstairs, scuffing the pine floor with their boots as they screeched to a halt in front of a closed bedroom door. Someone had burned silencing sage.

           Furious, Caroline slammed open the door, the brass knob breaking off in her hand. Klaus whirled around in surprise, almost dropping his camera case. “Sweetheart? Is something the matter? I was setting up for Victoria’s session.”

           She took in the smirking brunette posing provocatively on the bed in little more than lacey black garters and a strand of pearls. Scoffing, Caroline replied, “That’s not Victoria.”  

           Wavy red locks suddenly bled into the brunette curls, overtaking them while the girl’s features became more angular as she shed the cheap glamour spell. “Spoilsport.”  

           Elena snorted derisively from the threshold. “Oh look, it’s the wicked red bitch.”

           Nodding in agreement, Katherine stomped forward, her voice pure venom as she said, “To help you remember to stay away from Klaus, I’m going to rip out every bit of your stringy ginger hair, Genevieve.”

           To Klaus’ credit, he seemed to be handling his introduction into witchcraft fairly well. “Has she harmed any of the girls,” he asked Caroline in a low growl.

           “Of course not, darling,” Genevieve cooed, “I came for you.” She coyly looked up at him from beneath her lashes, “At least I hoped to come for you.”

           Caroline’s monster angrily rose to the surface, tired of the witch’s games. “That’s enough.” Glowing blue eyes cut through Genevieve as she told Klaus, “This is one of the girls from White Oak House down the street. She tried to trick you into committing a flesh dishonor.”

           “No sad little ginger could ever steal from Caroline,” Katherine hissed, linking arms with Elena as they glared at the witch.

           Caroline’s forked tongue flicked across needle-sharp teeth, savoring Genevieve’s horror as her spells failed to harm them. She commanded the twins, “Bind the witch and return her to White Oak House with a warning to her sisters. Come for me and mine again and we’ll consider the fragile peace broken.”

           It was only after they left that she realized Klaus had grown unnaturally quiet. Had she frightened him away by revealing too much? A forked tongue might be hard to accept.

           “Your tongue is forked.”

           She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the look of terror that must be on his face.

           “I’m intrigued by the possibilities,” Klaus purred, caressing her cheek as her eyes flew open in surprise. He kissed her slowly, with a possessiveness that left her reeling. As though a claim was being laid.  

           Tomorrow she’d need to arrange a summit with the Quarter Coven’s regent, to determine if Genevieve acted alone or if the coven had declared war. Caroline’s kind never sought a war. But they damn well would finish one.