Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

"I want you to let go of anything, Jovana. I want you to be mine." Caspian said, as the pressure of his fingers increased, forcing a moan out of her. Her hands closed on his shoulders; her nails dug into his skin. Her instincts took over, and Jovana started moving her hips, grinding against his hand, desperately hungry for more of that twisting feeling that was growing inside her.

"Come for me, Jovana. Let me see all the beauty of your pleasure."

"Ahhh," Jovana moaned, as an electric jolt shook everything inside her, cutting through her breath and arching her back. It came in waves, one more intense than the other, under the perfect control of the Duke. When it was finally over, Jovana lay breathless on the grass and couldn't stop smiling while Caspian was back to kissing her chest.

"Do you want more, Jovana?" Caspian purred against her ears.

"There is more?"

"This was just the beginning." Caspian said, as he climbed on top of her, grabbing her thighs and spreading her legs wide open. "Do you really want this? I won't be able to stop myself once I'm in," he caressed her cheeks, as he fixed her an intense look. His eyes were filled with lust for her.

Jovana swallowed hard, as she nodded her head at him.

"Words, Jovana. I need your word."

"Yes." Jovana breathed, while Caspian guided his cock toward her region. Jovana could feel him, hard and big, pushing against her. Her heart started racing, the pressure increased, and he slipped right inside her, filling her up. "A-ah."

"Are you okay?" Caspian asked, while Jovana took a deep breath and nodded at him. It was a new, unbelievable sensation. She had never felt so excited, connected, and intimate with anyone. He started moving, slowly and gently, giving her the time to adjust and breathe. Jovana started relaxing her body, losing herself in those new, voluptuous sensations.

Push after push the rhythm increases. Caspian's hands closed around her wrists, keeping her arms on the grass. He leaned over her, meeting her lips with a kiss that tasted like pure desire and softly bit her lower lip. His weight pushes on her at every thrust, and the more he gives the more Jovana wants.

The waves of pleasure got deeper and deeper, they went through Jovana's body with growing intensity. "Oh, Caspian." Jovana wrapped her legs around his waist and pushed her pelvis against him, meeting every push. "Oh God, this feels so good," her body contracted, as jolts of pleasure spread through her.

Jovana and Caspian came together, and he released himself inside her. They pants in each other's arms, on the grass, covered with a veil of sweat. Jovana had never felt so stunned in her life. Her brain was completely disconnected, her body was buzzing. Caspian looked at her as he said, "How does it feel?"

"It feels like…. Like years, compressed in a fraction of second."

"Was it worth the wait?"

"No. It was worth much more. I believe honor is way overrated, Lord Clifford."

"I believe first name terms would be in order at this point."

"Oh. And what about the good impressions?"

"Fuck the good impressions." Caspian said, as he smiled and gave her a long kiss. Jovana lay there, in the Duke's arms, and she couldn't help but think one thing, 'Was this a step forward toward a resolution? Or had she just made her life more complicated?'

******

After two stretched hours of sleep, Jovana was back in the lab, making more serendipity. The jar was boiling, and she checked the pressure, ready to open the valves. Keith was watching her silently from a chair and Jovana could feel his eyes following her every moment. "Something on your mind, Keith?" She asked.

"Many things, Jovana." Keith answered.

"Your thoughts are so loud that I can almost hear them. Is it possible that the Duke has something to do with your frown?" Jovana said, and as the manometer finally climbed to the right pressure Jovana started opening the valves.

"You did a great job keeping the Duke busy last night. It was a very close call for my men and the whole operation." Keith said, while Jovana blushed and looked away, thinking back at the way she kept the Duke busy.

"I am just glad everything went in the right direction." Jovana said, as vapors from the jar slowly digested into glass spirals. Keith's prying eyes made Jovana feel see-through, and she didn't like that at all, especially in that particular instance. But he didn't ask for more details.

"Well, next time we'll have to be smarter. I'm sure he's changing his men's order at this very moment. From now on, the Secret Service will act first and question later," Keith said.

"I'm sure you're crafting a new plan, aren't you?" Jovana said,

"Yes, I want to stop the Duke, but I'm not sure if it is a good idea for you to spend too much time with him." Keith said, and Jovana shrugged.

"Maybe, but what choice do we have?" Jovana said, as she lighted a fire under a glass flask and regulated the gas to control the flame. "I could curb myself in the house until this whole thing is over, but that would be even more suspicious. Not to mention that not keeping an eye on the Duke is also dangerous," Jovana explained, and Keith sighed.

"I know, I didn't mean to reproach you. You're doing your best. But that man is just relentless." Keith huffed, and Jovana chuckled at his exasperation.

"What about the Serendipity?" She asked.

"I was thinking about the vials you always carry with you. They're dangerous. People are developing an eye for spotting serendipity's influence on people. Someone could notice that you always get the perfect effect on the situation." Keith said, and Jovana nodded in agreement.

"I know, Keith. That's why I hardly use serendipity at all, and it's not just that. I'm always afraid I will miss some crucial detail, like a stain on my hands or the particular chemical smell that someone like Falcon Ridley could recognize." Jovana confided, and Keith waved her off.

"Falcon is a man of science. He lives completely disconnected from the world. You shouldn't worry too much about him." Keith said, and as the information sunk in, the liquid in the flask started to change color, Jovana's thoughts wandered to the Duke.

She glanced at Keith, she could tell by his eyes that there was something about Caspian Clifford he was not telling her. "Keith, is there something in particular about the Duke that you would like to discuss?" Jovana said,

Keith sighed, and nodded as he answered, "Yes. I didn't want to burden you with my concerns, you already have a lot on your plate. But since you asked, the truth is that I'm very worried about the Duke's behavior. He's acting in a very unusual way, and you are at the center of it."

"What do you mean?" Jovana asked with raised brows.

"He left the Debutante's Ball right after you, alone. That's the first time on record he ever did that. And he went to the King's garden, another first. And he spent an awful lot of time with you." Keith said, narrowing his eyes at Jovana.

"Well, you told me to distract him, so I–" Jovana trailed off when Keith interrupted her.

"I know. But believe me, that man knows how to stay out of reach of everybody except for you. My fear is that he might be so available because he suspects something about your involvement with Serendipity." Keith concluded.

Jovana snorted and shook her head while increasing the flame under the jar. "He doesn't suspect anything," She said.

"He's the head of the Secret Service. No one can know what he does."

"Keith." Jovana called out, as she cut off his words midair.

"What?"

"He doesn't suspect a thing. Trust me on this one. Besides, if you were right, I wouldn't be here right now. I would be in a cell, heavily drugged and under interrogation," Jovana said.

"You are right, and that's the reason I'm so worried. If he's acting differently, out of character, then he might have something even worse in store." Keith said,

"What if he likes me? He left the ball alone for the first time in forever, remember?" Jovana said, and Keith stared speechlessly at her.

"That's absolutely absurd, Jovana. We are not talking about a naive romantic boy. This is Caspian Clifford, one of the most cold, calculating and ruthless men in the kingdom." Keith said, not wanting to believe that a man like Caspian would actually like or fall for anyone.

"I know who he is, Keith, and I know what he does. But we can't ignore how he behaves. We need to exploit every advantage we can," Jovana said,

"You're taking a huge risk, Jovana." Keith said with a sigh.

"I know, but it's a dangerous game and the stakes are high. Trust me, Keith, I'm doing my math." Jovana said, as the pressure in the tubes increased, and the first drops of Serendipity started to splash into the flasks, the different rates created a vaguely musical sound.

"We should focus on our next operation. After the ball, the demand for Serendipity is through the roof." Keith said, and Jovana nodded as she thought, 'Right after the King decided to find out who made it? What a coincidence.'

"In fact, I just received a massive order for a Serendipity Ball." Keith said, as Jovana added different substances to the flasks, using a long glass dropper.

"Serendipity Ball?" Jovana repeated.

"Yes. A huge social event where every guest has to drink a vial of Serendipity to gain access." Keith said,

"Sounds like a trap to pierce through our distribution network," Jovana said,

"Exactly, Jovana. Exactly." Keith nodded, showing her an old fox's smile. "But it's also a huge opportunity, and we can turn it into our most successful operation."

"Do you have a plan?" Jovana asked, as she leaned forward curiously.

"Of course. First, as a precaution, we will change all our serendipity hideouts in the city. Then we'll need to make a lot of vials. At least two for each of the many nobles that will attend the event. And a few dozen power-enhancing vials for my shadows." Keith said, and Jovana nodded.

"It can be done. What else?" She said,

"You will attend the ball and create a diversion from the inside, while my men will carry on the operation from the outside." Keith said, and Jovana frowned.

"It seems pretty dangerous." She said, while Keith looked at her, pointing at his temple with a long and bony index finger.

"That's why I have done my math. You just need to take a random Serendipity when you get in, and shine bright at the ball." He said, and Jovana widened her eyes.

"Keith, are you sure you're in your right mind?" Jovana said, and Keith got up and shrugged as he adjusted his sleeves.

"I guess only time will tell." He said, and even in that andrenalic moment Jovana couldn't help but pictured her brother as she thought, 'Hold on, Eli. I'll save you, I promise.'