Page 29 of Born for Lace

And then, as the Missing Moon descends, the night closing, groans and moans take over until first-light.

That is most nights.

I’ve never stepped into the den, or the ruby-hued room, as I call it. It’s empty during the day, so I don’t know what goes on there, and I’m too tired to explore The Bite now that I’ve been caring for a newborn for nearly a week.

Raising the babes of The Cradle is an entire Trade—a coveted one. Being a Sired Mother and working in the nurseries is meant to be the supreme Trade for older women.

I do like to sleep… I mean, I’m a Lace Girl, but babies are like living magic. A new life. A blank slate. So precious.

I want sleep…My eyes feel deeper somehow, wanting to disappear into my head, close and not open again for a long, long time.

Each day is the same. First-light comes and goes. A bag of supplies is dropped outside my room, varying each day—cans of food, often fabric for nappies, soap or toothpaste. Once, a small wedge of coconut and a real baby bottle with a removable nipple—that was an exciting delivery.

At crown-light, despite exhaustion dripping heavily down my spine, I force myself to go outside. I usually head downstairs and avoid the line of men around the front desk. Sometimes, there are two girls on display, other times three. I have been trying to memorise their faces, and I believe at least four young girls live in The House with me. A black-haired girl I heard someone refer to as Beauty, a blonde with grey eyes, a tall brunette who always stares down her lashes at me, and the main girl, who Tide said is named Sweets.

Which she is not.

I would usually dash out to see Tide, and he’d reluctantly allow me to work and keep him company. I won’t say we are friends… But we are friendly, and I’ll take it. I don’t work on goodwill; I leave with something small for my efforts, using the trinkets to decorate my room.

But today is different.

I leave Spero secured in a nest I made for him and lock the door from the outside so I can go to the cove for a quick bath; hopefully, the water will revitalise me.

As I walk down the carpeted corridor, I encounter a blockade of House Girls ahead of me before the stairs. I hear a groan leave me, too exhausted to smile against their disdain-filled stares.

Sweets and the blonde lean on the right wall opposite an open door, robes hang loosely over their shoulders, revealing slim womanly figures and flushing skin.

Down that slither of material, I can see…everything.

My instinct is to close my eyes, but I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep right where I stand. I want to offer them modesty, yet they don’t appear concerned at all that I have an eyeball full of their... female parts.

They draw in deep breaths, and sigh heavy, a kind of longing breezing from them as they stare into the room.

Arousal is thick in the air.

I can’t see inside, but I can hear fierce grunts punching through long, unrestrained female sounds.

The hairs on my arms rise.

I prepare to stare straight ahead and ignore whatever is happening in the room, as I have a pretty good idea of what I will see. Maple has told me all about it—sex—so it most definitely is none of my business what they are doing to each other.

The blonde turns her head, her gaze taking me in as I approach. “Oh, it’s the Lace Girl. Best close your eyes, Lace Girl. Don’t want to tarnish your purity and infect your mind.”

There is mockery in her tone, but something else as well. Something vulnerable, which is why I don’t take offence.

“Or she can get in line.” Sweets trails her fingers across her décolletage, humming to her own attention. “I think she should watch with us.”

“No, thank you,” I say, darting between them and the open door just as Sweets steps into my path. I stiffen.

In my peripherals, I can see movement that matches the erotic sounds beating from the room. My spine straightens to not allow my head to turn.

I stare up at Sweets, anchoring my gaze in her pretty eyes, refusing to give in to the pull from the room at my shoulder.

“Oh.Yes.Yes,” someone moans.

A provocative grin spreads across Sweets’ mouth when I clench my teeth to the desperate calls from inside the room.

My body hums just being beside the door, energy so tangible it vibrates around me.

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