Chapter ten
"Smell this one, Will, it's called Cherrydew." she plucked the deep
Burgundy bloom and held it under his nose, her face alight with mischief
and wonder, "It smells just like the fruit, doesn't it?"
Will breathed in the sweet smell, and yes, it was definitely cherry scented and
He murmured his agreement trying his hardest to keep his chain of thought
directed to the flower in question, and not that he'd just recently
tasted something else that had decidedly tasted of something similar.
Deanna watched as his eyes flared with desire and instinctively knew
that he wasn't thinking about the flower in her fingers but something
a little more...erotic. Twirling the bloom between her fingertips
she linked her arm with his again and they continued moving around the
vast flower beds.
They looked like a normal, happy couple on a warm, summer's day
admiring the flora and fauna in the arboretum. Only it wasn't a warm,
summer's day. It was three o'clock in the morning. It was also pitch black
apart from the illuminations, and the couple were both stark naked.
They had made love again, but this time their love-making had been
different. It had been romantic. Now that the fears had vanished and
the newness of intimacy had gone too, a new awareness had risen. Love
had emerged from its secret place and surrounded them both with its
power. When Will had entered her a second time it was with not only her
blessings but her culture's too, and perversely he felt it was with her
mother's approval as well.
But even so, the shadow of his eventual leaving hovered between them
and it was the next large hurdle they faced. Could he stay, or should he
go? Could he leave her behind? In the back of his mind, the questions
churned over and over and sullied the precious memories he was creating in
the here and now.
Deanna looked up into his face and her eyes were alive with feeling. He dropped
a quick kiss to her lips, slipping his arm around her shoulders and
pulled her against his side making a visible effort to dispel the nasty
thoughts until another time. Until he had no choice but to think about
them. He felt her slim arm snake around his waist and he sighed with
contentment, squeezing her shoulder to spread the same feeling across to her.
She answered him with a squeeze of her own.
Slowly they gradually made their way back to the gazebo and
reluctantly began to put on their clothes both knowing that it was time to
step back to reality. From the moment they had sealed themselves in
the glass dome their life had become surreal. Unforgettable.
As the folds of her crimson dress shimmered down her thighs, Will
slid on the last piece of his attire, his shoe, and then it was done;
they were back to normal. Back to the now, and as they stood face to
face a shyness stole over each other and silence balanced equally
between them.
But pushing aside the shyness they unanimously stepped into each
other's arms. They felt as though they were saying goodbye even though
the feeling was illogical. Will wasn't leaving, and Deanna had long
since accepted that destiny had taken over and shown her what her future
held in store for her.
But then with a flip of the coin, Will remembered that he was leaving, and probably
sooner than later and destiny had got it wrong for them both.
How could she survive without her Imzadi by her side? How was she
going to survive without her Imzadi by her side?
Too many changes were happening tonight and every one of them was out
of their control, all except one; the important one; Imzadi. They were both
aware that they could, and probably would, walk away and never see each
other again, and they both knew that their lives had changed forever,
not because of Imzadi, but because of love. They had fallen in love.
They had become lovers and they would always have the memories.
But Imzadi...Imzadi had bound them together for eternity, no matter
what. Love could move on, a second best could take the place of the one,
true love. Time could be forgotten, and so could the memories, but there
would always be Imzadi.
/~*~ /
"Will I see you tomorrow?"
The whispered question tickled her ear and Deanna smiled, drawing his
body even closer than before if possible. She slid her hands up his
back testing the texture and marvelling at the power in his shoulders.
She dropped a light kiss upon his smooth cheek, her own voice as quiet
as his.
"Yes." And then she was gone.
Will watched the door close with a quiet click, her perfume, along with
another scent now, lingered in the porch and he drew a deep
breath, savouring and saving it for a private moment alone when he got
to his quarters.
He groaned as he turned away already missing her. Suddenly tomorrow seemed
a lifetime away and he still had the rest of the night to get through without her.
He wasn't sure he was going to make it without making a complete fool of himself.
Tbc...