Chapter 12

he laid back upon the bed staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and her mind was spinning in a mindless whirlwind of images and memories. The way he touched her, the way he smelled upon her skin. She could never forget these things as she smelled the rose that she brushed under her nostrils. The aroma triggered memories of the bedroom when she awoke to find herself surrounded with rose pedals.

Unconsciously, she found her hand stroking her naked bosom. The robe she was donned in had slipped off her shoulders. With her eyes closed she imagined it was his hand touching her. Before she realized it, her fingers had wandered across her abdomen. Her legs began to part automatically, as if they were being drawn apart by some unseen force. Her body was reacting to his touch, his tender caress.

A knock upon the door broke her state of arousal. She sat up straight like a spring loaded bear trap. Immediately, she covered herself with the silken comforter that adorned the bed upon which she was sprawled.

Attempting to compose herself before answering, she ran her hand through her hair to loosen the strands that may have become matted while she lay back upon the bed. "Yes?" she queried the large wooden door that led into the room. As the door opened slowly, and the light from the hallway streamed inside. The creaking of the hinges reminded her of her mother's cellar when she was a child. It made her feel a bit apprehensive.

A hand appeared grasping the door, and his handsome face peered inside. "Art thou decent mi'lady?" he queried, from the doorway.

"As much as to be expected Mi'lord," she responded with a sly grin upon her face, inwardly amused at her quick wit.

He disappeared behind the door and she began to wonder once more as to what he might have been planning. Within a few moments he reappeared, carrying a large silver platter covered with a silken cloth. He closed the door behind him, and set the tray down momentarily, then returned to the door and locked it. "I hope you do not wish us to be disturbed mi'lady," he responded when he saw the quizzical look upon her face.

He picked the tray up once more and approached her slowly. "I come bearing gifts mi'lady," a twinkle in his eye and a sly grin upon his face.

Her curiosity was peaked, and she immediately began to feel a bit uncomfortable as he approached. She drew the covers around her tightly, and adjusted them so that she did not expose herself without knowing it. If only he had known what she had been thinking of before he arrived, and she was going to make sure that her body did not give her thoughts away. He sat down on the bed beside her and set the tray on the edge.

He removed the cloth covering the tray in one quick motion. "Viola," he said with a smile upon his face.

She looked down upon the tray to find it covered with various culinary delights. Strawberries, a few bowls (one of what appeared to be honey), and several other fruits that she was not familiar with. "Mi'lord, what is this?" she asked imploringly.

The corner of his mouth turned upward and with a flair for the dramatic he exclaimed, "Delights from the four corners of the world mi'lady. After the ordeal that you have been through, I wanted to give you something to ease your mind, put you at ease and tempt your palette."

He removed a strawberry from the platter and dipped it into a dark syrupy liquid. He allowed the excess to drip off the berry back into the bowl from whence it came and raised it to her lips. "Taste this," he offered.

She looked into his hazel eyes and never let her gaze fall from them. Her lips wrapped themselves about the offering and as she bit into it slowly, her eyes closed, as she tasted the sweet sensations that filled her mouth. The flavor was incredible, it was like nothing else she had ever tasted before, "Mmmmmmmmm," she cooed as she tried making it last as long as she could, finally swallowing the confection, "What is this Mi'lord, it is extraordinary!" She could hardly contain her excitement, and dipped a finger into the syrup for another quick taste.

"It comes from across the sea. From a bean called a cocoa bean. My cook calls it chocolate," he smiled as she continued dipping her finger into the liquid and licked it off in a greedy manner. He could she more then just the hunger for a new sweet in her reaction.

"Chocolate," she exclaimed out of shear delight, a slight squeal escaped through her pronunciation, "this is wonderful Mi'lord."

"But wait mi'lady, there is still more," he proclaimed as she sucked the last bit of syrup off her finger, and she stopped, looking him in the eyes. She felt like a child. A bit of the syrup had managed to find it's way upon her chin and he reached up and wiped it clean with the cloth that he used to cover the platter.

Her fears were confirmed, he thought she was being childish. She turned her face from him and lowered her eyes, realizing her moment of weakness, and her face flushed. "Now he believes me to be naive," she thought to herself.

His fingers came up under her chin and lifting her face towards him. She did not notice that he had come as close as he had when she opened her eyes, his face was right before her. His lips touched hers and he kissed her deeply. His tongue entered her mouth and she immediately began to feel a sense of relaxation she had not felt since they were last together what seemed like years ago to her. Her body quivered and she closed her eyes, knowing her desire and wanting more.

He broke the kiss and retreated. She opened her eyes to find him presenting another delightful treat. A peach covered in creme. She had once tasted a peach long ago when shopping with her mother in the market. So expensive they were, but her mother spoiled her as a child from time to time. She had nearly forgotten what one had tasted like. He had dipped it in creme and when she bit down into the fruit, the juices oozed out the side of her mouth, but she did not shy away as before. She felt that she had nothing more to hide from him. She was consumed by him. She needed him. He dabbed her mouth once again, and she was pleased to let him.

The flavor filled her taste-buds with a bitter sweetness that made her senses reel. Her guard had been broken and her mind spun in the delight he brought to her. The material that she clung to fell from her shoulder, exposing her breast and she did not care. She was his from the moment she first met him, and it was useless for her to resist any longer.