A/N: Was driving around when a song from the Fifty Shades soundtrack popped up in my playlist and this story was born. Fluff is great but kink is too ;) Big thanks to Mavis275 and oc7ober for all their wonderful suggestions for future stories. I will be hard at work for the next few months!
When the eyes of the flesh are shut, the eyes of the spirit are open.
-Willa Cather
Charles and Liza had resolved to maintain a regular weekly date night. Between work and the girls life could get hectic and this was their way of stepping back and recharging. Charles had read about a new dining experience at a restaurant downtown called Abigail's kitchen and on Wednesday nights they did a dinner in the dark experience.
Patrons would be given an orientation outside the restaurant before donning black satin blindfolds. They would then be led into the dining room and served unlimited wine paired with a four course menu. The menu was disclosed at the end of the 2 ½ hour experience so guests would spend their time trying to figure out what they were eating and drinking using their other 4 senses. He had thought this could be a very fun and very sensual experience so he knew he wanted to try it.
When he'd told Liza about the restaurant she was all in.
"Ooh that sounds like so much fun! You know how I love surprises."
He booked tickets for the following week.
Liza had done some research of her own after Charles told her about the restaurant. The place got rave reviews and she was very excited to try it out. One reviewer had mentioned that she was able to connect with her date in ways she hadn't thought possible. While Liza and Charles never had trouble connecting with one another, there was always room to try something new.
One of the best aspects of their relationship was their mutual respect for one another and their desire to experience new things together as a couple. Neither ever felt pressured to do something just because the other wanted to do it. If Liza had said no to Charles' suggestion for this dinner that would have been the end of the discussion with no anger or resentment on his end. They however were so in sync that saying no was something that rarely ever happened.
That night Liza wore a deep burgundy satin backless dress that fell a few inches above her knees. She walked down the stairs with a huge smile on her face. It had been a rough week and putting on this dress made her feel beautiful and sexy and she was really looking forward to tonight. When Charles saw her walk down the stairs he almost thought about skipping the dinner altogether. The dress hit her in all the right places and she took his breath away. The start of the week had been particularly stressful for both of them. Seeing Liza like this made him realize how truly important it was that they make time for themselves.
"You look stunning," he said, holding out his hand to her.
"Thank you, you don't look too shabby either." Arm and arm they walked outside to their waiting Uber.
Charles couldn't help but let his gaze fall hungrily over her body as they made their way to the restaurant. It should be a crime to look as sexy as she did.
Liza could feel Charles' heated gaze and it sent a thrill through her body. The dress had done its job.
"So you like the dress? I wasn't sure if I liked it when I bought it," she said nonchalantly. Oh she knew he more than liked the dress but playing with fire was fun and exhilarating. It always was with Charles.
"Like it? The only thing I could possibly like more than you in that dress is you out of it," he hissed through clenched teeth.
He knew what she was doing. Damnit if that woman wasn't a master tease. Well two could play at that game. Charles placed his hand gently on her thigh before slowly sliding it under the hem of her dress.
"So how did that lunch meeting with Arkos go?" he asked innocently.
Liza had barely heard what Charles said. The second his hand slipped under the hem of her dress she felt her insides turn to liquid lava. She would love nothing more than to close her eyes and revel in his touch but she wasn't about to let him win that easily.
"Hmm what did you say?" she whispered as she let her lips brush against his ear while she placed her hand on his upper thigh giving it a gentle squeeze.
Now it was Charles' turn to lose his train of thought. Damn this woman, she was good.
By the time they got to the restaurant the temperature in the car seemed to have risen 20 degrees. Neither was sure how they hadn't asked to turn the car back around but that would've meant someone had to admit defeat.
They, along with the other patrons signed up for tonight's experience, were given a brief orientation of how the night was going to go, before being blindfolded and escorted to their tables.
As the first sip of champagne crossed her lips Liza swore this was probably the most sensual experience of her life. They had been sitting for a few minutes in 'complete darkness', before their glasses of champagne arrived.
As she sipped her glass, she noticed the bubbles tickled more than usual as they went down. They were seated side by side and Charles had placed his hand on her left thigh when they sat down. It didn't help that he was slowly tracing a finger up and down her leg under the table. Between the tickle of the bubbles and electricity of Charles' touch she thought she was going to combust. God if they hadn't even started their first course how was she ever going to survive four?
Charles was just finishing his glass of Moët, when he realized this was going to be the longest dinner of his life. Within a few minutes of being seated they had been given glasses of champagne. It was a totally new experience tasting it without seeing it. He didn't know what it was until he'd taken time to savor his first sip, searching to place the vintage. It also didn't help that Liza had looked breathtaking tonight leaving him totally distracted. And while he could no longer see her, he could feel the heat of her body and her scent was intoxicating. All this combined with the picture in his head of her outfit left him 'drunk' before he'd even finished his first glass. He thought he'd tease her by running his finger up and down the outside of her thigh but it had teased him as much as it did her (as touching her always did) and he wasn't sure how he was going to last through four courses.
When their first course arrived, Liza was relieved. Charles now needed the use of his right hand and had to remove it from her thigh. While her body was disappointed, her mind felt like this might actually allow her to make it through the rest of their meal. She had thoroughly enjoyed her glass of champagne but she wasn't going to last if he kept up his ministrations. Liza felt a bowl with a spoon be placed in front of her, and deduced that it must be some kind of soup. Before she could take a sip she felt Charles' left hand on the side of her cheek.
"Here let me," he said before bringing his spoon up to her lips. His thumb gently grazed her bottom lip, and her body reacted immediately. Liza took the soup and savored the delicious flavor of what she assumed to be cauliflower soup. The heat of the soup combined with Charles' hand on her face, did nothing to help her already inflamed insides. She returned the favor and knew it was going to take every ounce of self control she possessed to make it through this dinner. Their first course was accompanied by a new glass of wine, a Chablis, which paired excellently with the soup.
Charles felt the bowl of soup being placed in front of him. It smelled delicious. With it came a new glass of wine. One sip told him it was a Chablis. He was about to try the soup when he had a better idea. He decided he would let Liza try his soup first. He reached out slowly till he found the side of her face. Cupping it with his left hand he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, before gently bringing his spoon to her mouth. Liza let out a small, almost imperceptible moan, as she sampled the soup and Charles was very glad he didn't have to stand up for the next couple of hours.
When the second course arrived Liza had no idea what it could be. She felt it was plated, not in a bowl, and a fork was beside it. She put her hands over the top of the dish and didn't feel any heat radiating off of it so she assumed it was something cold. She could feel Charles' breath close to her ear so she decided she needed to step in or this meal was going to be over real soon. Liza placed her hand on Charles' thigh and whispered in his ear, "I'm not going to make it if you don't give me a break for this course."
She heard Charles' throaty chuckle but he obliged her, but not before whispering back, "Okay, but only for this course." His breath on her ear was nearly her undoing and she took a deep breath to steel herself. She could do this.
The second course was a salad with fruit, beets and goat cheese and was just as delicious as the soup. Wanting to make it through the whole dinner, Liza made sure she did not touch Charles this course, though admittedly that had been difficult.
The third course was a pork tenderloin dish served with polenta and a medium bodied glass of Pinot Noir. Liza thoroughly enjoyed the third course. The pork was so tender it practically melted in her mouth. The wine was excellent as well and Liza finally felt like she had gotten herself under some semblance of control when Charles leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"This wine is exquisite." He said it huskily as his breath caressed the side of her face before he placed a feather light kiss on the side of her neck.
Liza momentarily lost the ability to speak. This meal should have come with a warning label, highly flammable. She felt like her whole body was on fire. She reached her hand over to caress the top of his thigh under the table but not having the ability to see meant her aim was slightly off and Charles gasped at her touch.
Neither of them were quite sure how they made it through the rest of the meal. The final course was dessert. A dry, semi sweet, dessert wine was paired with a crepe topped with chocolate sauce and raspberries.
Charles picked up a raspberry and fed it to Liza. But before he had a chance to pull his hand away Liza gently sucked off the last of the chocolate sauce from his fingertips, leaving Charles momentarily breathless.
"You're a wicked woman," he whispered as tried to steady his racing heart.
Her ensuing giggles melted Charles' heart. God how he loved this woman. He'd told Bob that he felt free when he was with Liza but it was more than that. He felt like he was finally living again when he was with her. She gave him a new lease on life. When dessert concluded the blindfolds were removed and they got to see the entire menu of the night's dishes. They both agreed this had been a fantastic experience and one they'd definitely want to do again.
They walked out hand in hand waiting for their Uber.
Now that he could finally see her again he couldn't take his eyes off her.
"I love your eyes. But I love my eyes more. Because without mine I can't see yours," he said before leaning in to kiss her lips softly.
The ride back to the townhouse saw them making out like teenagers. When they finally made it home the door had barely closed behind them before Charles crushed his lips to her backing up against it. As much as Liza was enjoying this, another idea had come to mind mid make out session on their ride back. She gently pushed him back, seeing his eyes dark with desire and slight confusion. She reached into her purse and pulled out the blindfolds they had been given earlier. Now at least if she couldn't see him she could touch him and not just discreetly under the table.
Charles was so consumed with his passion for Liza that he was momentarily confused when she pushed him away. If their car ride back had suggested anything, it was that they were on the same page. When she reached into her purse and pulled out the blindfolds he understood swallowing hard.
Liza took Charles' hand and silently led him upstairs to their bedroom.
Once inside they faced each other at the foot of their bed before donning their blindfolds once again. Liza started by slowly undressing Charles. His jacket was removed first, followed by his tie, then she undid the buttons on his shirt in an achingly slow manner.
Charles had put his hands on her hips as she slowly undressed him. With his other senses heightened the smell and feel of her was driving him absolutely crazy. The speed at which she was undressing him added to the delicious torture. Every place she touched he felt as if a fire was left in her wake. When she'd finally freed him from his shirt she took her time kissing and caressing his entire torso starting with his back. By the time she'd made it around the front of his body, he felt like he was ready to combust at any moment. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He felt his legs getting weaker and he ached to do to her what she was doing to him.
When she kissed him right above his belt buckle, he could no longer contain the moan that escaped his lips. She removed his belt before dipping her hand into the waistband of his pants. She could feel how ready he was but she wasn't quite done. She made quick work of his pants, but before she could go any further he grabbed her wrists letting out a strained, "My turn," before he started to undress her. He cupped her face in his hands and he leaned in for a sensual kiss. One hand weaved through her hair to find the top of her dress where it was tied at her neck. He undid it before moving his lips down to the side of her neck.
As the top of her dress came down he placed kisses down her throat before continuing down her chest. Now it was Liza's turn to moan. Her head was spinning with his kisses and her body was engulfed in flames.
"True beauty touches the heart not the eyes," he said while continuing the slow torture on her body. "I don't… have… to… see you… to know... you are.. the most beautiful woman in the world," he said between kisses. Charles could feel Liza's legs going weak so he picked her up, and gently placed her on the bed.
He continued his slow assault of her body until she just couldn't take it anymore. Reaching down she pulled his body back up fusing her mouth with his. She wrapped her legs around his waist letting him know she was ready.
He entered her slowly but that pace didn't last long as mutual impatience overtook them. They climaxed together in an explosion made all the more intense by their lack of sight. This had been one unforgettable night.
As they lay there sated, Liza snuggled into Charles' chest, their blindfolds remained. They were so content and relaxed that neither saw the necessity to remove them. Before succumbing to sleep Charles whispered into Liza's ear, "If love is blind then let me lose my sight for eternity."
This was definitely an experience Liza Miller wanted to repeat.