§ § § - January 1, 2000
Leslie caught up with Christian and smiled at him. "All clear. So what'd you have in mind, then?"
Christian thought about it for one moment. "Take me to some truly secluded place that no one else knows about."
"I can do that," Leslie said, instantly knowing exactly where they would go. She took his hand and led him through the throngs of partygoers, away at last from the massive gathering and down a short trail to the Ring Road where cars were parked in long rows on both sides of the pavement. She headed straight to a station wagon and gestured for him to climb in the front.
"Well," said Christian with surprise. "It's that secluded that we have to drive there?"
"It won't take long," Leslie said, "but it's definitely secluded. It's always been one of my favorite retreats to go to when I needed to be alone and think." She started the car, eased it out of its spot in the lineup and headed west along the Ring Road.
A little less than ten minutes later she parked near what looked to Christian like dense jungle. "Is this safe?" he wanted to know.
"Safe as it can ever get," she promised. "Just follow me, my love." She led the way along, grinning when she felt him grab her hand to keep track of her in the intense dark. The trail was short and narrow, and in less than a minute it disgorged them into a small clearing set off from the rest of the world by low ridges covered with vegetation. Two broad, flat rocks bordered a beautiful little pool that reflected the stars; a small waterfall trickled quietly down the rock wall.
"This is amazing," said Christian, awed. "It feels as if we're all alone on earth. I can see why you come here to think and be alone—it's perfect for that."
Leslie nodded. "Leave your shoes here and stick your feet in the water," she suggested, removing her own footwear as she spoke. Shortly they sat side by side, feet in the pool, enjoying the night and their solitude. They heard only the soft plashing of the waterfall feeding the pool and, somewhere away off in the jungle, the regular call of Fantasy Island's night crier. The tranquility soothed them both.
"This is my idea of heaven," Christian murmured presently. "Here in the night, all alone with you…I can't think of any other place on earth I'd rather be." He turned her head to face him and kissed her softly. "Welcome to the year 2000."
"Nice to be here," Leslie said jokingly, shifting on the rock so that she sat looking directly at him. "I really do wish we could stop time—then you'd never have to leave."
Christian winced, muttered a resigned curse in jordiska and shook his head. "Don't remind me," he said. "We have this night and this place. Let's make it ours." He hitched himself closer to her, knees partly drawn up and a foot planted on either side of her, till she was close enough for him to cradle her head and kiss her again. But in this one, there was a message that Leslie got all too easily. Something inside her melted to liquid heat, and anticipation flowed through her, making her response to his kiss particularly avid.
Christian's hands left her face and began to caress, seeking out places he'd never dared go before. Leslie was wearing a white satin halter dress that left her back bare, and his hands on her skin kicked up an intense need, of the sort she'd nearly forgotten existed. She tugged his shirt out of his slacks and slid her own hands inside, exploring his back, all but drowning in him. Christian's moan, deep in his throat, told her what it was doing to him. His fingers found the knot that held the halter around her neck and began to play with it, just as his mouth left hers.
"Leslie, my darling," he groaned, voice raspy with need. "Let me, please, just once…just once."
She simply had to know. They had never really seen each other, not really touched nor learned the feel of each other, and she couldn't wait anymore. "Please," she murmured, "touch me, Christian."
He stilled. "You're not stopping me?"
The only sign of Leslie's faint nervousness was her swallow, quiet but still audible in the near-silence of the lagoon. "I got permission," she whispered.
"Permission!" blurted Christian aloud.
Startled, Leslie groaned. "Oh, spoil it, you fool," she said in mock disgust. "Do I have to spell it out for you, or do you think you can decipher the hint?"
Christian studied her, a smile very slowly blooming on his face. "So you'll not be dealing with your noisy conscience then, my Leslie Rose?"
"No conscience," Leslie assured him. Just to underscore her meaning, she deliberately began to free buttons from the holes in his shirt, one at an agonizing time.
Christian kissed her again, deftly pulled out the knot at her nape and let his hand stray inside the satin, brushing against hers as she continued undoing buttons. His very intimate touch lit a fire in her, eliciting a gasp that he absorbed in their kiss.
Nothing stopped them then. Slowly they removed each other's clothing, pausing each time to explore newly revealed territory with questing, sometimes trembling hands. Eventually they stood up to complete this final phase of their first real exploration of each other, and Christian led her off the rock and onto a patch of long grass.
"It's your last chance," he warned her quietly. "Stop now or go on—but I can't be responsible for my actions no matter which choice you make. I want you, Leslie, it's as simple as that. I've wanted you for ages, and I have very little control left now."
Leslie met his gaze and spoke carefully, knowing she was passing the point of no return in so doing, and looking forward to what was ahead. "I'm going to spoil you for any other woman, ever," she informed him in a faintly shaky whisper. "I'll see to it that you belong only to me, no matter what. You'll never be able to forget me." Neither knew at that moment just how prophetic those last seven words would become in the days to follow; they only knew each other and this insatiable, undeniable need that drove them both nearly mad.
Christian let out one loud groan and kissed Leslie yet again, simultaneously driving her flush against him so that she had no way of mistaking just how badly he wanted her. The shock of his heat against her made her cry out and cling to him as if for her very life. Christian pressed his advantage and began to explore her again, only this time with his mouth instead of his hands.
Leslie lost all awareness of everything around her: all she knew was his hands and his mouth on her body, building a fire inside her that had begun to consume her. All her years of being alone, and of waiting patiently for Christian's freedom, had taken a greater toll on her than even she had suspected; and the celibacy of Christian's loveless, politically-arranged business match, added to many years of widowhood, destroyed the last shreds of any self-control he'd ever had. In only minutes, they were one.
His moan as he entered her carried a note of utter fulfillment, a sense of having come home. Primality took over; when he spoke at all, it was a grunt in his native tongue. Leslie's only sounds were her feverish gasping and an occasional breathy cry.
And then she soared in his arms, her last cry a call of his name, rising in pitch. "Chris…ti…aaaaaaan…!" She thought she screamed it, but in reality it was a soft, ecstatic cry of joy that only he would have heard even if there had been others within earshot.
The sound undid him and he followed her ascent right then and there with a half-strangled cry, then a moan of repletion. Panting heavily and clutching each other, they sat with her straddling his lap, still joined, rocking gently back and forth.
In time they came to themselves and drew back to study each other with wonder. "My Leslie Rose," Christian murmured finally. "All my dreams had nothing on reality."
She smiled, worn out but feeling safe, protected, and most of all, loved. "Sometimes reality beats fantasy by miles," she agreed softly. "I don't know any words that would really describe how I felt just now, how I feel right this minute—all I know is how very much I love you."
"My darling," said Christian brokenly and gathered her in as close as he could, fiercely hugging her. Leslie felt him trembling with the force of his grip on her and returned the embrace in kind, closing her eyes, contented.