Chapter 3
Later that night in Mei's room Rihito laid out a fabulous dinner for two in a room softly lit by candles with classical music playing quietly in the background. If he had to leave in the morning, he wanted to make sure tonight was special. Mei seemed to be thinking along those same lines because when she finally appeared for dinner she was wearing a shimmering emerald evening gown that clung to every curve making her youthful body look voluptuous and oh so sexy, with delicate shoulder straps and a sweetheart neckline showing off her porcelain skin. She took his breath away. She must have been wearing a push-up bra Rihito thought to himself noticing how her young breasts seemed fuller and more enticing. A slit ran up the side of the dress almost to her hip revealing a long toned leg and a tantalizing little foot shod in a glittering, crystal covered high heeled sandal that made her legs look even longer. She was gorgeous and his hands itched to find their way under the shimmering green fabric and caress every inch of the delectable skin underneath. His mouth watered at just the thought of what that creamy skin would taste like and he had to close his eyes for a moment to reign himself in. Heat flooded Rihito's body, pooling down in his pants causing an embarrassing tightness there, but apart from the flush on his cheeks he betrayed none of these feelings.
He pulled out the chair for Mei to sit down and when he bent down to put the napkin on her lap he caught the citrusy scent of her body wash and the subtle almond aroma of her shampoo, together with a delicate earthy fragrance that belonged to Mei alone; he closed his eyes and breathed it in deeply, regretting it almost immediately as he felt a twitch in his pants and had to clamp his mouth shut to keep a moan from escaping it. He quickly sat down at the table opposite Mei, grateful that for once he was not standing next to her as she ate. That would have been entirely too embarrassing.
Once he had finished serving her and they were both finally able to enjoy their meal, Rihito frowned, turning to Mei he asked, "What did you mean earlier when you said I'd made my decision?"
Mei sighed sadly, not wanting talk about such depressing things on her last night with him. "I don't want to talk about it." She said. "It doesn't really matter anymore anyway. Let's just enjoy our dinner and talk about happy things."
"Please Mei-sama. We have to talk about it. I believe there may be some kind of misunderstanding and I don't want to leave for two entire weeks without it getting resolved. Please Mei" he pleaded, dropping the honourific, "tell me what you meant."
"Two weeks, huh!" she said a little too pointedly. "Let's be honest Rihito-san, we both know that when you go back to Lucia-sama tomorrow, you're never coming back to me. Just admit it. You're in love with her and you're thrilled that you get to be with her again. It's alright you know, I'll be fine on my own. I don't need a butler. I never really did."
Astounded, Rihito just looked at her for a moment before he asked, "What makes you think that I'm in love with Lucia-sama? Or that I want to go back to her? Where is this coming from?"
"Please don't lie to me." She said looking down at her plate. "I saw you two embracing in the greenhouse a couple of days ago and Shinobu told me that you and she were lovers until you were ordered by my grandfather to leave her side and attend to me. Well, I don't want to be the reason that you are unhappy Rihito. If you want to be with her, I'll find a way for me to be ok with that. I mean I really want you to be happy and be with the person you want the most."
Mei had practiced that little speech while she was in the bath before dinner and was quite proud of herself for being able to deliver it without breaking down and sobbing loudly into her peas. Once finished she looked up at Rihito and was surprised not to see relief but a simmering rage in his eyes.
"So you've already packed me up and moved me out have you. Without even asking me how I feel? That's very generous of you." He practically spat out at her. Mei drew back as if slapped and instead of mollifying him at all her reaction seem only to increase his ire. He pushed away from the table, knocking his chair over and swiftly came around the table to grab Mei's arm and pull her up. "You think I've been lying to you all this time? Did you ever really trust me, at all?"
"I did trust you. I do trust you. But I also know what I saw. She was in your arms and you were looking at each other like you were about to kiss. And today, I noticed that you couldn't take your eyes off her. By the way, that was a set-up, wasn't it? I mean, as soon as I heard the words re-assigning butlers, I knew you would end up at her side. It's ok if that's what you want, I'm fine with that. But what I don't need it Shinobu and his magic lips trying to placate me while you're playing house with Lucia." Mei's grip on her emotions had worn thin, her voice rose as she spoke, tears began falling from her eyes.
"Wait. What? What are you talking about, Shinobu and his magic lips, have you…?" he couldn't even finish that sentence. Instead his grip on her arm tightened to the point he would leave bruises, and he gave her a little shake as he glowered down at her.
"Let me go Rihito!"
"Tell me what happened with him. With Shinobu."
"I don't want to talk about it. Just let me go!"
Rihito's eyes narrowed down until they were mostly just slits. He didn't dare give voice to the thoughts and images conjured by her words as he slowly walked her backwards until her bare shoulder's met the wall and he growled down at her "Tell me."
Mei tried to push him away, but Rihito merely grabbed both her hands and secured them to the wall above her head with one of his own. With his other hand he grabbed her chin and forced it up until she was looking at him instead of the floor. "Did he touch you Mei? Did he dare to kiss you?" he whispered low and menacing.
"Yes, alright! He did kiss me and I kissed him back." The words slipped out and Mei was horrified as she realized the truth of them. She had kissed him back.
The minute the words left her mouth, something in Rihito snapped and his control lay shattered at his feet, his body was being consumed by the hot flames of jealousy. He pressed himself again Mei pushing her painfully into the wall and his lips descended upon her in a punishing assault. She kissed Shinobu. Rihito had been holding himself back because of the gentle spirit and innocence he always saw when he looked at her, but now Shinobu had tainted it with his devil's touch. He stole Mei's first kiss. And she kissed him back! These thoughts skittered across his brain feeding the flames as he angled Mei's head so he could better access her mouth, then biting her lip when she refused to open her mouth to him. His hand slid down from her chin to her chest and then covered her left breast causing Mei to gasp in surprise. It was enough to allow Rihito to push his tongue deep into the cavern of her mouth to seek out her own tongue and dominate it. Rihito was lost. The hot flame of jealousy had changed to a different kind of flame that ripped through his body, sending his blood pounding into his lower half. His need to touch her and kiss her and make her forget about any other man overwhelmed any sense of restraint he may have had. He craved her body and soul and needed to hear her scream his name and know that no one else could make her feel the way he did. He pushed his hard cock against her while one hand played with her breast and the other skimmed down her body until it came to rest on her ass cheek, squeezing and pulling into closer contact with his arousal. Mei whimpered into his mouth as she once again used her hands that he released to try to push him away. That small sound, however, seemed cut through the red mist covering his brain, like a hot knife through butter, piercing his soul as he realized what he was doing.
He released her lips and took his hands off her immediately. Looking deeply into her tear filled eyes. "Mei, please." he begged sinking to his knees in front of her, "Oh my God, Mei, I'm so sorry. I lost control. Please, I'm so sorry Mei. Please forgive me. I never wanted to hurt you. I'm not worthy to be your butler. You deserve someone who can control themselves and not attack you like some animal." His words were drowning in his regretful sobs, but Mei heard him. She heard the pain and sincere regret in his voice and forgave him instantly. How could she not, she loved him so very much.
She knelt down and clasped his face in both her hands pulling him back up. "I forgive you Rihito, and I'm the one who should be apologizing. It happened just after I saw you and Lucia in the greenhouse. I was lost in a haze, I didn't know what I was feeling or doing. I'm sorry, I wasn't really paying attention when he started kissing me and then I don't really know what happened. I- I kissed him back for a minute, then I stomped on his toe and left him in the forest. I swear I didn't mean to kiss him Rihito. I'm so sorry.
Rihito pulled her for a tight hug, burying his face in the side of her neck, while Mei wrapped her arms around him holding him pressing herself closer still. They stayed entwined like that for a few minutes before Rihito gently pulled himself out of her arms and without another word, he took her by the hand and led her to the large queen size bed, pushing her to sit on the edge. "I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me. I'm being perfectly forthright with you Mei, when I tell you that I do not love Lucia-sama. I know what she feels for me – that isn't love either, it's some sick kind of obsession that she's decided is love. Shinobu, I believe, cares deeply for Lucia and will do anything to make her happy, even if it's to separate us and try to get me back to her. But please believe me when I say that I don't want to be with her. I don't love her."
As he spoke, Rihito began to undress Mei slowly, beginning with removing the sexy high-heeled sandals on her feet, laying a tender kiss on each foot then sliding his hand up her exposed leg until he reached her waist before capturing her hands and pulling her back to her feet. He embraced her in another sweet hug then allowed his hands to roam across her body until they reached the zipper of her dress. He slowly pulled it open, trailing a finger down the warm skin of her back as he went. He then hooked his fingers in the delicate shoulder straps of the dress to pull it down until her newly grown breasts were revealed. He laid his forehead against her chest and breathed in deeply, appreciating again the wonderful smell that was her's alone, feeling his body once again answer her silent call. Laying a gentle kiss on each breast, Rihito knelt down in front of her again pulling the dress all the way down and allowing her to step out of it before standing up and placing the beautiful garment carefully over the back of the chair.
Mei now stood before him clad in only a pair of pink lace panties and Rihito groaned at the mezmerizing site before reaching for the silky soft nightgown he had prepared for her earlier. He slipped it over her head and pulled her arm through, as if she were still a child needing his help, then he snuck his hands underneath the falling fabric to run his hands along her body before she was once again respectably covered. He pulled back the cover on the bed, then picked Mei up bridal style, laying her down gently and climbing on top of her, pressing her into the mattress.
"Mei, do you really want to know what I want more than anything else in the world, including my job as your butler?" he whispered into her ear, making her shiver with excitement. "Do you really want to know who I love?" He gazed directly into her large brown doe-like innocent eyes before dropping a loving kiss on her still swollen lips. "It's you Mei. I love you and I want you just like this. Not as a lady and her butler, but as a man and a woman. I want to be able to look at you and touch you any time I want, with you underneath me, just like right now." He whispered before his lips came down on hers in one more deep and loving kiss. When he was done Rihito buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply and holding her against him, just like that, until she fell asleep.