Where Power Resides | Otto Hightower

8. CLAUSTROPHOBIA

1 Month Later...

THE meetings didn't stop after this.

If anything, they became more frequent, the two meeting in Otto's quarters up to three times every week. It had gotten to the point where Elaine would expect to see Erryk the following night if he wasn't there to retrieve her when she got to work. There was always a wave of disappointment whenever she'd enter the brothel and she wouldn't see the young guard.

The physical aspect of their meetups didn't stop either.

Ever since they'd kissed on their second meeting, there would be times where they'd just lay together, talking, Elaine in his arms. They'd kiss for a while, but it never went farther than that. As much as she sometimes wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Jon was still alive, and he didn't deserve full blown adultery.

She knew even just being there, emotionally cheating, was wrong. The guilt was at a constant in the pit of her stomach, but she was addicted to it. After misery had taken over her life, it was nice to talk with someone, touch someone, who didn't resent her, who had been nothing but kind. And, she had to admit that him being a powerful Lord made it all the more exciting.

Elaine couldn't even say that it was because he held status over her, that he was forcing her to do any of these things. She genuinely liked being around him.

It was wrong. But they had briefly talked and agreed that sex was not on the table.

Tonight was no different. They were in his bed, Otto leaning over top of her, kissing her with a soft eagerness that left Elaine feeling many different things. Excitement, guilt, lust, stress. One of her hands was on his cheek as she kissed back with wavering enthusiasm. Thoughts were racing through her mind, about Otto, about Jon, about the entire situation. Jon had been unkind to her most days, but sometimes, he would apologize for his behavior, he'd tell her he didn't mean to treat her so badly. That he appreciated that she was taking care of him. It was hard to believe, but it still planted the guilty seeds in her mind.

Was Jon truly trying to change?

As soon as she'd decided that maybe he was, that she needed to tell Otto they couldn't be physical anymore, Jon would scream at her, call her names, ignore her. One day he'd thrown a tea cup in her direction. He missed, but it frightened her, the cup shattering on the floor with a loud clang.

Elaine knew it was still wrong to cheat, despite all this. But Otto satiated that need for affection.

Otto pulled away for a moment, looking down at her, a few loose strands of hair falling across his forehead. She always enjoyed the disheveled look on him. "You seem distracted today dear," he said in his usual gruff, soft voice, a bit short of breath. Elaine felt a wave of shame wash over her as she met his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind the past couple days. I'm okay."

He looked a bit weary of her words, his eyebrows drawn down, so she smiled softly and leaned up to meet his lips once more. He seemed to appreciate it, letting a low grumble sit at the back of his throat as he kissed back, stroking her jaw with his knuckles. The light touch felt like fire against her skin, a warmth that she hadn't felt since early into her and Jon's relationship. His lips were firm, but as time went on and he got more used to their endeavors, he'd become much more gentle, as if he was re-learning how to kiss after so many years of not doing so. The man pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, her hands exploring his shoulders and upper back as he stroked her hair.

Elaine wasn't sure, but she thought that maybe Otto really did feel something toward her. If it was all selfish and he didn't care about her, she felt like it wouldn't be this nice. Why would he have taken the time to get to know her as a person?