Author's note: although I have read much more spicy things in this page, I have classified this chapter as M, that is to say, for adults. If you're underage, don't read it, and if you're offended by reading about sex, you'd better not read it either, or if you complain, at least make it funny.

July 9th. The beginning of it all.

Victoria was arguing with herself in her room. The tavern was empty and closed for the night.

This is silly, and I don't even know if he'll come. she said to herself, but she undressed nevertheless and put on a skirt and blouse instead of her nightgown. The feel of the fabric on her naked body felt a little strange to her, even though it was the fourth or fifth time she had done it.

Well, even if she comes I don't have to do what Gertru told me. After all I don't know if I'm ready to give myself to him for the first time on a table. Maybe it seemed like a good idea after those bottles of wine, but now I'm not so sure. mumbled Victoria blushing even though she was alone. She remembered how a few days ago she had visited Gertru, her godmother, who lived in Santa Paula and whom she had visited often since she was a child. Gertru was a dressmaker, and was the one who helped her the most when she had to take over the tavern. Over the years they became friends despite their age difference. She was her only confidant, the only one who knew that Zorro had promised her that they would marry someday, and she had ended up confessing to her that she was beginning to lose hope that she could ever marry Zorro, especially after Manuela, the daughter of one of the landowners, told her that maybe Zorro wasn't that interested in her and that he must have three or four other girlfriends around, otherwise he would have found a way to keep his promise by now. Gertru had set her up with a glass of wine, and after drinking a whole bottle between the two of them, Gertru ended up saying that Manuela was a gossip and envious, and that if she wanted to know if Zorro was really attracted to her there were ways to check, ways that she described in increasing detail as they drank the second bottle.

She heard a noise downstairs and peeked out cautiously, because she couldn't tell if it was the man she was expecting or someone who had snuck in, and she wasn't dressed to receive other visitors.

She saw Zorro at the foot of the stairs, holding a red rose in his hand.

"Buenas noches, preciosa." he said. "I'm sorry to come so late and not have visited you in almost two weeks." he added with a seductive smile.

She walked down the stairs trying to contain her nerves and not trip.Just what I was missing, to slip and break my neck.

Trying to appear normal she picked up the rose and sniffed it. "Thank you, Zorro." she said in a slightly high pitched voice.

"Are you all right Victoria?"

"Sure, I'm fine." she replied going to the bar to get a high necked bottle to put the rose in. Gertru had told her to walk wiggling her hips, they had even rehearsed between fits of laughter, but just thinking about it made her feel very ridiculous, so she didn't do it.

She stepped through the curtain into the kitchen, poured water into the bottle and put the rose on a shelf. Zorro had also entered and was standing by the door. She was going to approach him, but Gertru had told her to leave a table right behind her, so she motioned for him to come closer. He obeyed her gesture without suspicion. She kept remembering Gertru's advice. Gloves are the first barrier, they prevent contact with your skin. If you want something interesting to happen you will have to take them off.

Victoria had imagined this scene in her head at least a dozen times, so she offered her right hand to Zorro to kiss. He took her petite hand between his larger ones and brought it to his lips, then with her left hand she removed a glove, hiding it behind her back.

"What are you doing?" he said with a gleam of interest in his eyes.

"I have taken a prisoner. You'll have to pay a ransom."

"And what do you want in exchange for his freedom?" he said, smiling.

"A kiss." she said with a shrug.

"You don't need to take prisoners for that." he said kissing her.

She was aware of his hands around her waist, and for a moment she couldn't think of anything else, but then she remembered her conversation with Gertru and began to caress Zorro's neck, who continued to kiss her with more fervor.

It was time to move on to the second tip: once you have removed at least one glove guide his hand under your blouse, to your waist. The contact with your skin will encourage him to continue. Without ceasing to caress Zorro's neck with her right hand, she slid her left hand along Zorro's arm until she caressed his hand, and then guided it first down, then up again, under her blouse. Noticing the smooth skin of her back, he broke away from her and looked at her a little alarmed.

"What are you doing?" he asked heatedly.

Victoria had to hold back a smile of triumph. "I just want to feel your hands on my back, without those gloves that always separate us." she said trying to sound innocent. Then she took his left hand and removed his glove as well.

"We mustn't..." he started to say, but she kissed him again and got him distracted. A few seconds later she noticed Zorro's left hand also reaching under her blouse.

If he's already kissing you and caressing your back it's time to raise the stakes. Sit on the table and pull him to you by running your hands behind his neck and tugging on him. Remembering what Gertru had told her, Victoria put her hands on either side of her, on the table, and propelled herself slightly so that she was sitting on the wooden surface. Zorro startled slightly, pulling away immediately, but she slipped her hands around his shoulders, placed them behind his neck and pulled him in to continue kissing him.

Victoria had to strain to remember the next step. If he's still there and hasn't run away in a panic, he's just as eager as you are to continue, maybe he really is as gentlemanly as you say, and you'll have to keep convincing him to make advances. In that case he won't be completely glued to you, so without him noticing, lower one of your hands and start pulling your skirt to place it above your knees.

After pulling up her skirt Victoria felt so hot she was convinced she was red as a tomato. What came next. Wow, I think that was the previous step. Well, I don't think the order is that important. She thought. She took Zorro's left hand that was on her waist and brought it up to just below her right breast. He moaned a little, but she continued to kiss him and caress his neck. His hand moving cautiously upward reminded her that she was also supposed to be touching him in the same area, so with the fingers of her right hand she reached for the top of his black shirt and began to play with the first button, stroking his ear with her other hand and making him gasp slightly. With her thumb, forefinger and middle finger she managed to undo one button, although it took a little longer than she thought. Encouraged by her success she continued to undo buttons and caress his chest as she felt his thumb begin to graze one of her nipples.

Zorro pulled his hand away and broke away from her to look into her eyes for a moment; she feared he would escape.

"Victoria, we have to stop right now, I..."

But she didn't stop to listen to what he said, following Gertru's advice, who had warned her not to do so if she wasn't sure she wanted to advance their marriage vows, she swung her right leg between the edge of the table and him so that she was right in front of him instead of slightly to the side, she stretched both legs out and swung them behind his, locking them around his hip. As she did this she noticed how she slid towards the edge of the table, while he momentarily lost his balance and fell towards her causing their pelvises to come into contact.

Victoria found herself almost lying on the table, with her legs around Zorro, who had his left hand on her chest, his right hand on the table and a panicked expression in his eyes. She sat up slightly, causing him to rise with her, took Zorro's right hand and placed it on her bare thigh, then brought her lips to his neck and whispered in his ear "I want to be yours", knowing what the bulging form pressing between her legs meant. As he tried to process what he'd just heard, she got to the last item on the list: unbuckling his belt and pants.

He would have to be a saint not to take you right there. Gertru had said. Just as they had predicted, Zorro was no saint after all.

Notes:

If you've read my craziest fanfic, "Unleashed Victoria" I was referring to this when I said she narrowly makes him a man on top of the kitchen table, except this time he doesn't get away from her with an excuse.

The moral is that it's still not a good idea to follow the advice your friend gives you at 2 a.m. after a couple of bottles of plonk.

The second moral is that men are easy, especially when they are unprepared.

Until the next fanfic. Comments are greatly appreciated. If you don't review this chapter I really don't know what else to write.