CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They shared a Crème brûlée at the restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel on the 1st floor of the tower then walked hand in hand through the Jardin de Trocadero. On the steps of the Palais de Chaillot they turned around to view La Tour Eiffel standing proudly above the rest of the city. They hugged each other for warmth and spoke soft words of affection. Then they took a taxi back to the hotel room.
Implicitly they knew what would come next and as the door closed behind them, the air seemed to change. It sizzled and popped, drawing them out of the orbit they'd carefully maintained for so long, swinging them around into a spiraling vortex.
They were shy. Tentative. At first they stood, their hands moving together in a slow dance, gazes catching and releasing. The desire in Marina's eyes made Clara's pulse quicken, the smooth touch of her fingertips made her skin vibrate. She was the instrument and Marina was strumming her to a high C. Slowly, removing Marina's jacket, she ran her hands over her shoulders and down her arms. She rested her hands on those slight hips, feeling the weave of the dress below her fingertips. She pulled Marina in so their bodies barely touched, breathing her in, closing her eyes as she felt Marinas hands slip her jacket off too, her mouth traveling along her shoulder, her neck, her jaw, warm against her skin. They kissed. There was something about those lips against hers that made Clara tremble. That made that fire in the pit of her stomach crackle. That made her want. She whimpered into that kiss, felt herself melt and her breath catch as their tongues moved together. Marina's hands were on her back, pressing their bodies tighter. So soft. So achingly soft.
Then Marina pulled back, her hands on Clara's upper chest, fingers dipping beneath the elastic of her dress, grazing the swell of her breast, her lips kissing the length of her collar bone. Clara tilted her head, her eyes closed, feeling her nipples harden as her dress was pulled down, past her torso, past her hips, until it fell at her feet. Marina took her hands and drew her towards the bed and sitting her down on the edge. Clara watched as she stood in front of her, peeling her own dress off slowly, revealing a perfectly formed body, slipping out of her pumps, unabashedly coveting Clara with her bedroom eyes. Clara bit her lip. She had never desired the female form until Marina but there was something in the softness of those curves that excited her, that teased up a secret desire in her. She wanted to touch and yet barely knew how, she who had always touched men, not women.
Marina moved in to straddle her lap, her hand resting on Clara's cheeks, tilting her head up so to capture her lips. When Clara's hands smoothed across the sway of her back, she arched in as she deepened the kiss. Clara could feel Marina's hunger broiling beneath the surface, she could feel how she held herself just in check, keeping it slow, keeping it soft and tender, coaxing her gently out with the tip of her tongue. She groaned into her, wrapping her arms around her torso. She felt Marina slide a hand down to the clasp of her bra and deftly un-hooking it pulling back and watching her as she did so, as if to make sure that she was okay, that it wasn't moving too fast. When Clara made no protest, she slid it off. Then Marina guided Clara's hands to the clasp of her own bra, their eyes locked as that too was discarded, offering her body up for Clara to explore. With hesitant fingertips, Clara moved over stomach, back and thighs. She ghosted kisses across Marina's chest and down the valley of her breasts, pausing until Marina, understanding, cupped her breast in invitation. Clara looked up at those hooded eyes.
"Please." Marina whispered.
With shaky breath, Clara took the nipple in her mouth and heard Marina moan, a sound that shot straight through her. Emboldened, she sucked and circled her tongue around the tip, flicking it with her tongue, her hands splayed across Marina's back. Then she moved to the other breast and placing her wet mouth on the hard pink nipple, her nose pressing into the soft flesh.
"Oh!" Marina murmured, her breath heavy, her hands winding themselves into Clara's hair.
Clara could feel Marina's center hot against her thigh and her hips began, ever so slightly, to rock. When Clara released the nipple she looked up and saw Marina with her head tilted and her hair falling in waves over her shoulders. This woman was a goddess. Marina looked down, her eyes flashed and darkened. She pushed Clara down onto the bed, her hands trailing fire over her skin, making her burn, making her ache, making her groan into their kiss. Lips on skin, Marina's mouth claiming her, stamping her forever. A tongue darting out as she licked on the hollow of her neck, her hand and then mouth on her breasts, Clara's hands digging into Marina's back. Unraveling. Each sensation was a layer of what use to be discarded as Marina peeled away something that she hadn't even known bound her, loosening the stays of a confinement that became only apparent now. Those eyes. Those almond eyes that held hers, full of tenderness, full of love, full of desire.
She gasped when Marina's hand smoothed down a thigh and cupped her, her fingers boldly stroking the smooth fabric of her panties.
"You okay?" Marina whispered as she moved to settle against the side of Clara's body.
Clara nodded mutely. Her chest rose and fell, anticipation building inside her, sweet agony. Marina softly kissed her cheek as a finger traced the edge of the elastic, thrilling against the silky inner thigh. She pulled at the waistband of her panties. Clara obliged, lifting her hips up and then she lay naked and vulnerable on the bed.
"You're so beautiful." Marina said, her hands smoothing over her body and then settling back on her sex. Clara parted her legs wider. A silence fell upon them as they looked at each other, as the pad of Marina's finger dipped in between her lips, trailing her wetness over the sensitive numb, Marina watching her reaction, smiling when she found that magic spot. She set a steady rhythm. Clara moaned, bit her lip, clinging to Marina's body to anchor herself against the untethering effects of the sensation. The vortex began to close in on itself. When Marina's hand moved down to circle her opening, she bucked.
"Oh God!" she cried out as Marina slid inside her. Marina's eyes fluttered closed and she buried her face in her neck.
"You feel so good." she groaned, her fingers curving to stroke the soft ridges of Clara's g-spot. Her thumb began to deftly flick her clit as she moved steadily, capturing Clara's lips in a searing kiss, increasing the pressure. Clara could do nothing, only feel. Feel those fingers move inside her, as the heat in her stomach tightened, condensed into a pin prick as the pressure built, Marina's hot ragged breath against her ear spurring her on. The fingers moving faster now, making her sing, making her toes curl, making her come undone. She was on fire and everything gave way to it as it roared in her ears and made the world fade out of focus. Never had it been like this. Never had she been left so helpless, never had it felt so terrifying, so sweet; never had she wanted it more. She teetered on the edge.
"Just relax," Marina murmured into her ear, "I've got you, I've got you."
Then Marina's hot mouth claimed her nipple making Clara gasp. She arched against that hand, feeling that pin prick condense further to the epicenter of the vortex until it exploded as she cried out, as she shattered, as she felt a wave of extacy burn bright, enveloping her body entirely and pulling her out of herself into the stratosphere.
"My love, my love, my love." Marina murmured as she came back to rest in her body. Clara's hands rose to cover her face, overcome. She tried to catch her breath.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Marina asked, prying her hands away. "Don't cry, my love, don't cry! I'll cry too in minute." she said, the tears already pooling.
"No, no, Marina, it's good, these are good tears."
Marina wiped them away and kissed her face gently.
"It's just all so much, you know?" Clara said. "It's all so painfully beautiful."
"I know, I know," Marina said, "I understand."
They settled facing each other, Clara's hand moved slowly up and down the length of Marina's torso. She let her heart abate, she let the tears be, drifting. Then her hand skimmed past the hip, sliding past the waistband of Marina's panties, her tear washed eyes flicking up, her intent clear. Marina's breath hitched as the fingertips found her and she lifted her leg to rest on Clara's thigh, giving her access.
"Tell me...if you want something..." Clara whispered her heart pounding as her hand began to move.
"This...this is good." Marina said sucking in her breath.
Fascinated, Clara watched as Marina arched, sighed and tilted her head back, giving herself over to her ministrations. She was not used to this. The ebb and flow, the give and take of being with a woman. She was used to being taken, not taking. There was something heady in it, to hold this power in her hands, to have Marina suppliant beneath her when it had been her turn not five minutes before. She moved to capture her lips, the kiss quickly deepening. Impatient, Marina crushed their mouths together, guiding Clara's fingers inside her, moaning as they penetrated.
"Oh god, Marina!" Clara growled rolling on top of her, her leg driving her fingers deeper. She was so wet. She began to move inside her, sucked on that plump lower lip, her nipples grazing Marina's breasts with each thrust, the palm of her hand slapping against her clit. Marina hands moved to rest on her ass, urging her deeper, faster. She arched and moaned, her walls contracting around Clara's finger, her breath ragged. Clara bit on her neck, sucking on the vein that throbbed and Marina's cries escalated until all at once she cried out, her hands digging in, her body arching and her walls clenching and releasing.
"Oh, oh, oh..." Marina breathed when the orgasm subsided and pulled Clara in a for a kiss. The her body became limp and she closed her eyes, contentment playing on her lips.
Clara slid off and lay down, a leg draped over Marina's torso, a hand drawing lazy circles on her side. There it was, finally. Finally. Her heart felt soft, tender, full of love. This is how it should be. More than the decision to be photographed for the exhibition, more than that first kiss, more than the going to the airport, this was the defining, transcendent moment. Everything else had merely been a precursor, a prologue.
"I can feel you watching me" Marina said after a moment.
"I'm just looking." Clara said with a smile.
Marina laughed and stretched languidly. Her tussled hair spread across the pillow, her lips swollen, her body flushed. She looked satiated. She'd never looked more beautiful.
"I love you, Marina." Clara said.
Marina cracked her eyes open and grinned. She gathered Clara up in her arms.
"I love you too, my love. Forever."