Thread: Dishonored: Whispers from Dunwall Tower (CanadianVet & StarSiren)

Jessamine shut her eyes as Corvo began the laborious work of undressing her. The maid would have done it, had she not dismissed the poor woman. Surely news of Jess' mood had already made rounds through all the servants. There would be questioning looks and knowing glances tomorrow, but none of that mattered. As the heavy dress fell to the floor, Jess exhaled her fears and opened her eyes. For the first time in hours, she felt like she could breathe. Her lover's deft hands were making short work of her corset, but already a weight hat been lifted. Every now and again, he would brush her skin or graze her with his nails. More than once, she arched her back slightly into his hands. But through all of this, there was no sense of sexual urgency. This was something entirely new, entirely different. When she was finally disrobed down to her underwear, Corvo stepped fully out from behind her and she watched as his eyes beheld her form. It was not the passion of a red hot poker that she saw reflected in his face, but the peaceful admiring of something cherished. How strange this new face of love was! In that gaze, Jessamine felt more beautiful and more loved than ever. Suddenly she understood that perhaps love had nothing at all to do with passion. Perhaps that was a mere side effect. Maybe he was showing just how deeply she filled the chasm of his heart by these simple, respectful ministrations. He was calm and being careful and moving slowly. His breath fell steadily upon her bare shoulders, and despite her mental state, her skin rose in expectant goosebumps. For all the worlds, yes, she wanted Corvo. And he wanted her too, she could tell. But she was both certain and grateful that tonight there would be no lovemaking, no foreplay. Only this. Only the steady hands of the one man she trusted over any other gently stripping, cleaning and holding her until she was ok. Jessamine felt her lip tremble a moment later and coughed out a chuckle as new tears christened her eyes. Why on earth was she crying now! This was certainly no time to cry, especially over Corvo. He was only doing what she had asked, or rather, what she had agreed to. As she blinked, the tears broke through the surface and drizzled down her cheeks. They were short-lived, however, and disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. Somewhere amidst all those thoughts, a smile had crept onto the Princess' face. It was this expression she wore while nodding at her lover to continue. ..yes. Thank you. She sniffled away a dark thought as Corvo dipped the cloths into the basin and rubbed the perfumed soap onto the newly moistened spot. Her eyes closed as he neared so he could better wipe the kohl from her eyelids like her chambermaid always did, but the cloth slid across her bare skin elsewhere. She gasped as the pressure of his touch excited yet another new feeling within her. Her eyes opened and she watched him closely through those glassy orbs, mouth upturned, as he delicately removed her makeup. There was a time for everything. And as enticing as Jessamine's half-naked body was, this was no time to engage in any sort of sexual play she was scared, stressed and vulnerable. Her state of mind was not entirely sound at this time, and should she consent to more than his cleaning her up, and perhaps holding her through the night, it would be unreliable at best. And if he could not entirely trust her judgement at this time, he definitely trusted his own in that if he did act upon that consent, he would be taking advantage of her, and that he could never allow himself to do, or be perceived to do. Just as he knew that if he started at her forehead and worked his way down, by the time he would be removing the white makeup from her breasts he would be hard-pressed to remain in control, to refrain from doing something he would deem to be beyond despicable. So, he went against logic, and started low, and worked his way up. First, he took the square of cloth to the tops of her breasts, and making sure it was only fabric touching her skin, never his own fingertip despite how much he wanted to make contact with her, he started wiping at the makeup, first washing with soap, then rinsing off. And so he started, removing the artificial pallor from her skin to reveal its natural creaminess. The tops of her breasts, then her shoulders, her neck, and finally he got to her face. He was working gently and deliberately, making sure to remove every last trace of the makeup. And when he was done, first he dabbed at her face with a towel, a towel which he then wrapped about her shoulders to cover her breasts, for he did not trust himself to be the one to remove every trace of moisture from her skin. And, as she'd asked him, he would be spending the night with her, providing her with the comfort she so desired. So, he gently took her hand and he started guiding her towards her large bed. Come on, let's get you in there, shall we?