Excerpt from "House of Pleasure"

@ Deborah Court 2012

*****

For a long time, the house had given Jane all the pleasure she craved, and men who served her in order to fulfill all her wishes. Now, it was her destiny to serve. The whole essence of her existence was now to love, honor and pleasure the Sultan, a man she did not even know. But she couldn’t deny that she was excited about meeting him. She wondered what kind of man he would be and hoped that he'd treat her gently.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes and stepped through the mirror one more time. Before she reopened them, she realized that the scents around her had changed, the aromas that tickled her nose were … sweet, flowery, musky and sensual. She thought she smelled exotic flowers and sandalwood; she couldn't be certain of the blends but they made her nerves tingle and her senses awaken. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the most luxurious place she had ever seen: a vast chamber with gold-plated walls and high, arched windows that held no glass but were covered with skillfully-crafted metal grates revealing trees, flowers and foliage. The grating was not prison-like; you could see through it to the rounded towers and buildings of an old oriental town that nestled in the golden, already fading sunlight. A very petite woman who wanted to escape might manage to press herself between the metal bars, but a man could never fit through, even if he managed to climb the high, guarded walls of the Sultan’s palace. She heard the faint song of the muezzin in the distance, calling the faithful muslims to prayer; and the chirping and piping of exotic birds.

She was at one end of the long chamber. A high mirror – the one she had stepped right through – hung behind her on the wall. The floor was made of white marble and was covered everywhere with luxurious Turkish rugs and large cushions made of the softest silken fabrics. Several ottomans were lined up along the walls for the purpose of relaxing in the cool air coming in through the windows when evening came. Large water-pipes stood beside them. On the other side, a large bathing pool was set into the floor; it seemed to be filled with fresh water. Its surface was completely covered with floating fresh rose and orchid petals. Around its sides were teak tables bearing an assortment of soaps, cheek and lip colors, balms, lotions and thick soft towels. Silver brushes, combs and hand mirrors were set beside them. Several doorways in the walls led to smaller chambers, doubtless dressing rooms and private bathroom with privies.

But the most remarkable piece of furniture was a huge wooden bed that dominated the room. It was so large that six or eight people could have slept in it comfortably. It was covered with a rich dark red brocade, silken sheets and soft cushions. A thin white curtain hung down from a golden canopy and shielded the sleeper from insects, but it gave no privacy for it was almost transparent. Jane found herself staring at the bed, realizing that it was made for a single purpose – making love. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine, and her heartbeat quickened.

“Welcome, my lady.”

She winced when she heard a male voice behind her, for the stranger had entered so quietly that she had not heard him. When she whirled around, she stood before the tallest man she had ever seen. His skin looked deeply tanned and flawless, and his upper body was naked, showing off his bulging muscles. He wore only a turban and wide silken trousers; a dagger peeped out from under his wide belt. She had to admit that he was an attractive man with the noble features and regal posture of a prince, although now he bowed deeply before her.

“I am Aamir, the chief eunuch,” he said. “I have been expecting you, Lady Jane. You came to this harem willingly, but from now on you must understand that you have to fulfill the Sultan’s every wish and command if you want to live. As his new love slave, you might rise to possess unimaginable powers if you serve him well. You will manage to entice him with your beauty and quick mind, for you are a lady of humor and wisdom, I read it in your eyes.

"Soon, you could be the most powerful woman of the harem, if you listen to my advice and play your cards well. But beware and do not trust anybody but me. There will be others who will be jealous of you and may try to take your life. Know, my lady, that I will protect you with my own life if necessary. Now come, let’s hurry. Night falls early here, and we will have to prepare you for your first night with the Sultan.”

                                                              ****

Night fell quickly in the Sultan's realm. One minute the sunlight had warmed the room, bathing it in a golden glow, the next it seemed to grow darker rapidly while the muezzin sang the evening prayer, his beautiful voice creating a magical atmosphere. When he finished, the city seemed to fall into a deep slumber, all the noise and shouting from the streets and the bazaar gone. Only the night birds sang their sweet, seductive songs from a branch near the open windows.

Jane followed Aamir the chief eunuch to the huge bathing pool on the other side of the chamber, secretly admiring his broad back and sculptured muscles while he lit the candles. He had discarded his turban and revealed long, dark hair that reached over his shoulders; she had the inexplicable wish to entwine her fingers in the glossy waves. Jane couldn't believe that he was not a real man anymore. His deep voice and the unveiled desire in his eyes clearly spoke against it, although this only occurred when he thought she was not looking at him. The slave led her to the marble steps leading into the water and told her to undress. Jane looked around, but there was nothing with which to shield her body from Aamir's eyes. She shrugged, quickly removed her clothing and stood naked before him. Her body was fully exposed to his sight and although he stood behind her, she felt his eyes examining her body, doubtless deciding if she was beautiful enough to please the Sultan.

"I will bathe you now," she heard his deep voice before he took her hand and led her deeper into the warm water. The flowers on its surface made her dizzy with their exotic perfume. Then, his large hands were all over her body, washing her with a soap that was scented like orchids and something earthy, ambra perhaps. It made her skin tingle and left it soft like velvet. He washed her hair, neck and back, moving his hands in circles until he reached her breasts. Jane gasped, but he continued mercilessly, gently kneading her breasts and rubbing her nipples with his palms until they stood upright. Aamir laughed, a pleased look on his proud, handsome face. It was the face of a noble prince, not a slave, she thought.

"Oh yes, you will be well-prepared for the Sultan once I am finished with you," he said. "The Sultan likes his concubines ready and willing once he visits them in the harem. He is not a very patient man, I have to admit. When he joins your bed and takes you, he'll expect you to be aroused and wet for him. If you are not to his liking, he'll punish me severely. So relax, milady. I know that although I'm not a whole man, women usually like my touch for I'm not unpleasant to their eyes - at least this is what I have been told. If you let me do my work it will be better for both of us, I promise. Just let it happen."

Jane still thought about a possible answer but cried out with surprise when he sat her down on a low marble column that rose slightly out of the water, then parted her quivering thighs with his strong hands. She felt heat rising inside her while she watched this beautiful man staring at her most intimate places. He seemed to savor the sight. Her light skin must be as exotic to him as his olive complexion to her, but also seductive, awakening curiosity and the desire to touch, to taste. He started to wash her there, too, his fingers gently parting her swollen nether lips. "Your womanly orchid is a lovely sight to behold, my lady," he said while lathering her womanhood with the foamy soap. "But my master likes his women smooth and soft, so we'll have to remove all your body hair so you will gain his favor."

Jane gulped, closing her eyes and surrendering to his skillful hands. His fingertips moved up and down between her opened folds, rubbing over her pulsating little nub, circling there shortly until probing deeper. She covered her mouth with one hand, biting into her soft palm when she felt his strong, sensitive fingers entering her, a single one first, then more, washing her slick channel that was made for love. Suddenly, her whole being was reduced to feeling pleasure. It was all she was, all she needed.

Sighing, she leaned back on the cool, hard marble until her back touched the water. Aamir slung one arm around her waist while he kept moving his fingers inside her, turning and widening, exploring her womanly core. At the same time, his thumb touched her aching nub, rubbing it carefully to heighten her pleasure. His hand worked her gently, but with the loving, masterful touch of an artist sculpting a statue. In and out, deeper and deeper, adding more fingers until it felt as if it was a long, hard manhood penetrating her, not his hand. And he knew all the right spots, where to use pressure and where to caress her so softly she trembled with desire, always wanting more.

Jane spread her arms and let them float on the surface of the water. She laid her head back with closed eyes, and her wet hair was soon covered with oriental flowers. Their luscious scent seemed to emanate pure desire now, and they made her feel like a goddess, cherished more than a precious gem.

Aamir laughed sensually, clearly enjoying himself. "You enjoy this, I see?" he murmured. Then he hooked his fingers upwards, giving pressure to just the right spot, a small pillow of flesh inside her depths. Jane arched her back and moaned with pleasure.

"I think you like this even more," he said. Then he lowered his mouth down to her breasts and kissed one of her already-tight nipples with his full, sensual lips. He tugged lightly on her with his teeth before she felt a soft, flexible tongue playing with her, circling and licking her, then sucking in turns.

She covered her lips with one hand and bit into her soft palm so no one would hear her outcry of pleasure. How was it possible that this slave could awaken such unknown feelings inside her? He was not a real man, capable of doing such things to her. Did the Sultan really allow him to ...

She never finished her thought because at this very moment, Aamir increased the pressure of his fingers on her willing flesh while his thumb circled her faster, his soft lips and teeth working her nipple. It was too much to endure.

Her orgasm was so pure, so exquisite that tears of joy ran down her face. It began softly and grew rapidly until she reached a crescendo that made her forget all except his hands upon her, inside her, playing her like an instrument. His manly scent, familiar and yet so new; his lips so incredibly soft; and his tongue! Oh God, his tongue! It was skilled and smooth, and he knew so well how to move it. She wondered if he could use it on ...

The world turned crystal clear and exploded in a flash of light while she was drawn over the edge by sheer ecstasy.

Afterwards, she drifted on the water's surface, unable to move. Aamir laughed once again before he took her into his strong arms and carried her out of the water. He lay her down on a large ottoman beside the pool, drying her wet body and hair with scented towels.

"You will be the Sultan's favorite once I have instructed you, my lady", Aamir said. He left the room shortly, then returned with several jars of liquids. "I know this will cause you some pain, but I will remove all your body hair now," he told her before ordering her to spread her legs once again. Then he poured a very warm, almost hot scented wax over her nether parts and pressed a long strip of silk onto it. She moaned when the thick, hot liquid streamed down her womanhood, the slight pain so exquisite that it revived her senses, making her wet and longing for his touch again. After a few moments, he commanded her to breathe deeply. In one instant, he ripped off the cloth, taking every small hair with it.

Jane screamed when the sharp pain hit her, but it was so short-lived that it was bearable. Aamir looked down at her, smiling. "Naked as a babe," he said with a contented look on his face, while he poured some warm oil over her tormented womanhood. It felt heavenly and eased the pain at once. He also poured the oil over her upper body. It ran down over her breasts, her arms, belly, and down her thighs. Its smell was even more exotic, like night flowers mingled with honey, but there was another, deeper scent mixed in, earthy and sensual.

He sensed her curiosity and smiled. "This oil is called the Balm of Love, milady," he explained. "It is made to awaken the senses and prolong pleasure in both men and women." Jane could only shiver. Her skin tingled and felt hot in all the places that had been touched by the oil.

"Let's make your skin soft and smooth all over now. I will rub the oil all over your body until you glow and shine like a gemstone," Aamir said, smiling at her seductively. His sensual lips parted and showed his perfect white teeth. Jane let her gaze wander down his sculpted shoulders, chest and flat stomach, right down to his ...

She gasped with shock. Aamir’s silken trousers, still moist from the bath, revealed something very surprising to her - it was undeniably a bulge, clearly recognizable as a manhood in a state of full arousal.

"But ... that's not possible!" she whispered breathlessly. "You ... you are not a eunuch!"

Aamir threw back his head and roared with laughter before opening his belt. It fell to the floor in an instant, as did his trousers. His cock sprang from its silken prison, standing proud upright, so erect that it nearly touched his tight belly. He was larger than any man she had laid eyes upon before. His beautifully veined manhood was as hard as the marble columns that surrounded them, the thick, velvety head throbbing with desire. She couldn't help but stare at his seductive body, mesmerized. He was sheer male perfection.

"Indeed I am not, Lady Jane," he said with a roguish grin, locking his eyes with hers. For the first time, she looked into them properly and saw that they were not brown as she had expected, but a dark emerald green. Then he bowed before her, the gesture slightly mocking.

"I am Sultan Aamir. And I am most pleased to make your acquaintance." With that, he grabbed her around the waist, pulled her up against his rock-hard body, and captured her lips in a deep, hungry kiss.

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