Chapter 9

Clara

They are like two magnetic poles positioned at both ends of the hall. They seem to always be standing on either side of me. And I am being pulled towards both of them. It’s maddening. It’s exciting.

I expect to feel bored, to be done with this silliness. Part of me longs to return to life before tonight. It was less complicated; there were less feelings, hopes, and egos at stake.

I half expect myself to push away from both Fritz and the Prince and run away. A small part of me wants this. I want to turn on my heels and race down the great glided hall and hide in the shadowy passages for a minute or two to catch my breath.

Can I lead them in a game of hide-and-seek? Can I sneak away for a moment to consider what is happening between us and what has changed within me?

Sooner or later, I think, I will have to make a choice, but not tonight.

Tonight, I will let Fritz and the Prince dance me around the floor. I’ll see how I react; I’ll let myself be carried away by the music, the sensations, and two beautiful men who can’t get enough of me.

When Fritz takes me in his arms, I follow. As he moves with the music, so do I. My body responds to him instinctively. I don’t struggle to remember steps. I dance effortlessly. I don’t turn the experience into a joke about having left feet. I’m practically floating. I throw my head back and laugh.

We spin, and then the Prince is suddenly there. Now, I’m in his arms and am looking into his eyes. He’s so serious, this Prince. He doesn’t say anything to me, but we begin to move and I see his eyes darken.

He kisses me. It’s a hard kiss, bruising. He wants me, but there is no lightness between, only this feeling of need and desire. It’s like he wants to devour me, to swallow me whole.

If dancing with Fritz is effervescent, than dancing with the Prince is sinuous and weighty. The Prince is a mystery to me, a brooding man with the future of a fantasy kingdom balanced on his broad shoulders.

I want him to let go for a moment. I want to see the burden he carries be lifted. I want to see the young man he might have been had he been born into a common family in my world. I move closer.

“No one is here but us,” I say, looking up at him. “Outside, the snow blankets our world, but in here, it is just us. The world is hushed. ”

I gesture towards the windows where fairy lights sparkle. Fritz stands, staring at us. I smile at him but then turn back to the Prince.

I whisper, “Let go, my Prince.”

He starts, but then drops my hand. And then I spin off, moving by myself towards the windows. I need them to come together on their own. And I need a moment to catch my breath. There’s magic in the darkest days of the year; there’s mystery in the darkness.

I look over my shoulder and see the two of them speaking. A smile, a nod. I turn towards them, and start to sway in time with the music. My hips move back and forth.

I love how they respond in unison. They walk towards me together, their strides matching. My heart beats fast. I’m not sure what’s coming.

In a beat, Fritz is there and I allow myself to be pulled into his orbit. And then the Prince is with us, his hand also on the small of my back. I move between the two of them, reveling in the easy openness I share with one and the passionate connection I feel with the other.

Fritz lowers his head to my lips while the Prince is pressed hard against my back. The three of us are moving together. I can feel the Prince’s thumb moving along the nape of my neck, as Fritz’s kiss grows deeper.

I accept both these men. Reveling in their admiration of me, their contrast with each other, and their eagerness to bring me pleasure.

The music seems to go on and on. My cheeks grow warm. We move towards the edge of the room in tandem. I can feel my nipples grow hard; I feel the Prince grip me tighter. We’re pressed against the wall in the studio, half hidden behind the fir tree dressed and sparkling for the season.

Fritz pushes hard against my chest, and I feel myself move firmly against the Prince. Fritz’s mouth moves to the tops of my breasts while the Prince’s hands continue to stroke my body as if enchanted.

Immediately, he’s able to find the right spot to circle and tease my clit. A groan escapes my lips and Fritz pushes harder against me while the Princes is able to navigate my my body with his hands.

I’m wet and excited. The world around me has dissolved into pure sensations. I close my eyes as these two men—one who has opened my heart, the other who has awakened my lust—compete to bring me pleasure with their hands and mouths.

I turn to the Prince. I push my bare breasts against his chest and kiss him, teasing him with my tongue. With one hand, I grab for Fritz’s and bring him towards me. I can feel him bend down behind me while the Prince leans forward to take my nipple into his mouth.

Fritz glides his hand up to my calves, my thighs, and the roundness of my ass. His fingers draw circles, and when he squeezes my cheeks, I become wetter.

The world outside is hushed, but inside, I am bathed in sound, touch, and kisses. It is the perfect gift of pleasure given and joyfully received. And I’m about to take everything they have to give.