Chapter 1
Months later, he had
entered the room by way of the French doors on her balcony. She had meant to
close them, but one door remained ajar, allowing him access to the room. Once
she was asleep, he had taken her in his arms and held her fragile body close to
him. He loved her with everything in his soul and he had loved her deeply from
the moment the wind carried her cries towards him on that chilly night in
February. Her whimpering was distant but powerful enough to draw him to her.
Instinctively he went in search of the person who cried out so pitifully, their
body and soul begging to die. He found her curled up in a fetal position inside
of her bedroom, the room lit by a single candle. She was sleeping as he entered
her room by the open French doors that allowed the dropping temperatures to
chill her to the bone. She tossed fretfully, her naked body barely covered by
the down comforter on her bed. He shut the doors behind him and went to her,
immediately taking her in his arms and brushing the hair from her face. He had
intended to end her suffering right then and there but could not do it once he
had touched her soft flesh. Her lips were full, inviting him to taste her
sweetness while her eyelashes shed tears that seared his skin painfully. She was
the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, had ever touched, and she
unleashed something within him that he had buried for many years. Something that
over the course of time would test his resolve and take him to the depths of
hell and back.
Now his longing had brought them both
to this point. He had touched her, held her, professed his love to her night
after night and it had finally paid off. She wanted him, not only in her hours
of sleep- but in the waking hours he invaded her thoughts as well. The time had
come for him to make his move, the one that would either scare her away, send
him back to his miserable existence or propel him into the future with the woman
of his dreams at his side.
With the grace of a ballerina, he had retreated from her bed quickly, as she began to stir. He had no more blended into the dark recess of the room when she sat upright in bed.
She called out to him, not by name,
but to him nonetheless. He didn’t answer. He watched helplessly as she began to
cry silent tears.
His heart ached to go to her, to take
her in his arms. He was about to step out of the shadows when she wiped her eyes
hurriedly and pulled herself from the cherry four-poster bed with a never before
seen look of determination. He waited and watched, fascinated by her beauty as
she splashed water on her face and examined her appearance in the mirror. She
started walking towards the balcony when she stopped, a panicked look on her
face. She glanced around the room quickly as if she knew he was there.
"Hello?" she called out once again.
He waited motionless, his mind racing.
Should he move, should he take her now? Oh how he wanted to take her so badly,
to make love to her, to consume every inch of her. He wanted to tell her how
much he loved her, how wonderful they could be together if just given half the
chance. But he couldn’t, he had to make sure that she wanted him and that she
was ready for all that he had to offer.
After a moment, apparently satisfied
by the silence, she smiled and walked to the edge of the bed. As she sat down
and began to brush her hair, she spoke ever so softly.
"I sense your presence. I do not know
why you only come to me when I am sleeping, but I want you to know that you
comfort me and for that I am grateful. I know that you love me because I feel it
deep within my soul and when the time is right, I have every confidence that you
will show yourself to me. Until then, know that I am waiting for you."
She laid the brush on the nightstand
and boldly slipped her silk nightgown off of her shoulders and pushed it to the
hardwood floor. The sheer nakedness of her body astonished him as she crawled
back into the over sized bed. Within minutes she was sleeping peacefully, her
beautiful breasts rising with each breath she took. When he was sure that she
was sleeping soundly, he inched towards the bed, careful not to wake her.
He leaned over, his long dark waves
falling gently across her shoulders as he bent to kiss her. She moaned softly
beneath his touch, his breath catching in his throat. He hesitated momentarily
as her scent engulfed him. He found it harder to control his urge, his tongue
wanting to explore her, his manhood aching for attention, his heart longing for
acceptance. Instead, he settled for a soft kiss upon her lips to get him through
the morning. He was tired, the sun would be rising soon and it was time for
sleep.
"Tomorrow my love," he said as he
walked away from her and vanished into the warm night air.
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