*~*~*~*~*
When twilight set in, Ben peeled my hands from around him and looked into my eyes with depth, as though he was reading the emotional centre of my mind. I was fragile right now. I just wanted an easy answer to fulfilling Gran’s final wish.
We went out to the sitting room and sat on the aubergine coloured sofa in front of the fireplace. I leaned my head against the top of the sofa and closed my eyes.
I heard Ben’s footsteps as he left the room, then the jug of water boiling and smelled the aroma of cooking food. The next moment of being, Ben brought out a teapot, cups and saucers, and the food he had created, all on a wooden tray with seven roses; white, pale pink and dark pink. They were just starting to unravel to reveal their delicate form. He placed the tray onto the small table in front of the fireplace.
I looked up and smiled at him.
He nodded and his lips curled up at the corners, stirring the love potion inside of me. My lavender rose heart beamed at its sun.
Ben stared at me.
‘What?’ I asked, frowning.
He looked down and shook his head then looked back into my eyes with intensity. ‘I adore you.’
My breath left me. I was filled with an intense, intimate euphoria, his words as beautiful and as graceful as the delicate bloom of a rose. Simple words, yet weighted with such a depth of unending love. I wanted to launch myself at him and fuse our two souls together for eternity.
I absorbed his eyes into mine and placed my hand over my rapidly beating deep red rose heart, the fragrance of seven roses, crushed violet leaves, freesia, honey, musk and strawberry, with shades of vanilla prolifically infusing my life force—a hypnotic potion.
I moved my lips to speak, but no words came. I was intoxicated by him and the declaration of his words of intense love that meant everything. I reached up and took his hand in mine and pulled him beside me. I moved my lips close to his and whispered, ‘I adore you, more than life itself.’
His lips were on mine then, urgent, hungry, filled with the fire of yearning.
I groaned and he pulled back. He dropped his forehead against mine, inhaled deep and long then sat back on the sofa. His eyes were dark, filled with a dangerous desire. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. When he opened his eyes again he looked into mine and raised an eyebrow. ‘Let’s eat.’
I reached up and traced my finger over his bottom lip. ‘Before it is too late…’
He closed his eyes and nodded, then opened them again, moved away and sat on the floor opposite me. ‘This is safer … for both of us,’ he said with raised eyebrows and widened eyes that gave his cerulean eye colour a mesmerizing luminous hue.
I swallowed and nodded, trying to remain unaffected by the life altering energy I saw in his eyes. He became busy then and served me food like I was his queen. I should have been serving him—he was my sun, my moon and my stars.
After a short time, Ben returned to the sofa and sat beside me. I didn’t touch him. If I did, it would ignite my fire of passion that I had tried desperately to extinguish.
I gazed into the crackling fire in contemplative silence. Ben reached out and pulled me against him. He kissed my forehead in a tenderness that watered my lavender rose heart and infused my life force with floral and fruit notes. I snuggled into him, feeling his warmth and strength, and rested my head on his shoulder.
I inhaled him—jasmine, musk, oak moss and sandalwood—my favourite Ben scent—full of masculinity, and my safe place.
I closed my eyes. ‘You know, Ben, it’s got hieroglyphics above the keyholes,’ I said, keeping my eyes closed.
‘I thought you’d notice. The keys on the other hand have some different symbols on them,’ he added.
‘Yes. We’ll have to do some research. We’ll study them in the morning. But right now all I want to do is sleep—stay with me tonight.’
He was silent. His chest expanded. ‘Okay,’ he whispered without confidence.
I turned to him and frowned. ‘Thank-you…’
His eyes darkened, warming the centre of my being. I drank in the heavenly cerulean colour of his eyes and bathed in the love that radiated there. He seemed to be absorbing me. He lowered his lips to mine and gave me a gentle, long kiss. Heat radiated throughout my body, fueling my desire.
This was dangerous to our promise, but I relished in the way his lips caressed mine, the way he made me feel—the warmth that started from the centre of my being and spread throughout my body like molten lava flowing through my veins.
I placed my right hand onto his chest and became aware of the seven diamond promise ring that I wore on my finger. A gift from Ben, and a reminder. I broke away from our kiss and looked at the diamonds that sparkled in the firelight.
Sometimes I thought I loved him too much, if that was at all possible.
‘Ah—I don’t think I should stay with you tonight,’ he whispered.
I watched him and waited for my head to stop spinning. ‘Aye! I agree. Don’t kiss me like that anymore,’ I said with an Irish accent.
He bent his head forward and smiled.
I stood. ‘Let’s clean up and go to bed ... to sleep.’ I raised my right eyebrow at him. ‘I want to get up early tomorrow.’
He stood beside me, placed his hands onto my shoulders and gently pushed me back down onto the sofa. ‘You rest here and I will clean up. I won’t be long.’
But, before he could return, sleep had sprinkled its magic over me.