Anniversary

For my wife

A gentle breeze carried the scent of mown grass as I stood over the stone, the letters and numbers of its engraving having been committed to memory long ago. The sun sat at the edge of the treetops in the distance. Soon it would drop past that line and darkness would fall.

I sensed her presence, just as I had for years, even though she made no sound, didn't touch me.

"Penny for 'em," she said quietly.

"Just thinking how unfair life is," I breathed after a moment.

"The usual, then," she said, her hand going to my shoulder.

I laid my hand on hers. The fingers were cool, but they warmed quickly. My only vocal response was a sigh.

After a minute, I turned.

Before anything else, I fell in love with her smile. I hadn't heard her speak, I didn't know anything about her but that one thing and I knew it needed to be in my life. Fortunately, she felt the same. I often wondered why, but she could never put it into words. It didn't matter. She was mine. It was enough.

"Come on, let's go home," that smile said to me and I nodded, holding out my elbow for her to slip her hand into.

Home wasn't far and it was a lovely night for a walk, so we took the long way. As the streetlights came on, she shivered and snuggled in closer to me.

If I'd had a jacket, I would have given it to her, but having none, I put an arm around her so she could get just a tiny bit closer.

By the time we reached home, the breeze had increased. I bundled her into the house and closed the door.

Inside, we stood a minute, her still huddled against me while I held her tight. When she finally looked up sheepishly, I simply gazed down at her, caressing her hair and returning a gentle smile of comfort.

When she stretched toward me, I lowered my head and met her lips. We stayed like this for some time, the simple pleasure of this act what we both needed and wanted right then.

A few minutes later, she took my hand and led me to the bedroom. Giving me one of those sparkling smiles, she began to disrobe. Following suit, we soon stood before one another wearing what we entered this world in.

As so many times before, I merely marveled at the perfection I saw before me. As so many times before, she blushed and accepted my adulation, though her opinion of her body was never quite so glowing as mine.

After several minutes, I stepped closer and gathered her in once more. Her soft contours felt incredible against me and this time I was the one who bent toward her for a kiss.

Moving to the bed, we continued where we left off, hands caressing, probing. Gasps and purrs followed the touch of particularly sensitive spots; those eventually transformed into moans.

When next she turned that smile on me, it accompanied a slow, deliberate retreat down my body, showering kisses all the way. Arriving at her destination, she eyed her favorite part of my body before leaning in and kissing it as she had so many times before.

It didn't take long until she'd covered every inch with her lips. She followed that with her tongue, and I treated her with all the gasps, moans and purrs I knew she wanted in reward.

Then, I was in her mouth. Oh god. She'd learned early how much she could comfortably swallow. To my delight, it was most of me.

Her mouth, tongue and fingers did the most spectacular things to me, until I reached the edge. As always, it was one of the hardest things to do, but before I tumbled over that edge into the chasm of bliss, I pulled her up and kissed her once more.

This time, when we parted, I made my way down her body, taking extra time when I came to the really good bits. She rewarded me in the same manner I had for her. The sounds she made were the most beautiful I could ever imagine hearing. Her movements simply spurred me further, and when I reached the fragrant, sensitive haven of her delight, the reaction I received was exactly the one I had hoped.

Leisurely, I explored her with my tongue, her scent filling my head, making me mad with desire to take her further, to take this further.

And it would happen. There was no doubt. For now I would find pleasure in hers and let it fuel me for when "further" arrived.

My tongue and lips teased and pleased while she moaned and writhed. Her fingers tangled in my hair and held me exactly where she wanted me...

...And I gave her what she wanted. She tumbled into her own abyss of pleasure, her scent and flavor intensifying as it struck.

Slowly, the pleasure eased and when I looked up the luscious geography stretching out before my eyes, at the far end was that smile. It was weary from pleasure, but the smile never faltered.

"Now... please," she begged.

Giving her my own smile, I slid back up her body, placing kisses as I had on the way down.

Again face-to-face, I gazed into her eyes, letting myself get lost in their depths. After a few long seconds, I began rubbing myself up and down her warmth then, finding the yielding spot, pushed slowly forward.

Our moans issued in unison when I was fully buried in her. Once more, our eyes met as we basked in the intimacy of the moment.

When I began stroking in and out of her, she gave a low, satisfied purr that I would never tire of. There was no rush, even if the finale to this encounter would contradict that. For now, the glory of the sensation was too delicious to bring to an end too quickly.

I felt myself building higher, as her signs told me she was, too. When she whispered, "My turn," I smiled down and reluctantly withdrew.

Taking position on my back, I gratefully let her settle fully on me once more. For a few seconds, she flexed herself around me, drawing a moan of ecstasy from my throat.

And then she began rocking her hips, our chorus resuming as the incredible pleasure surged through our bodies.

There was still no real hurry, but we were both aroused sufficiently that the end was on the horizon.

Up and up we climbed, our once leisurely movements increasing until they became a frenzy, the heartfelt sounds becoming an animal roar, the sensations translating from concentrated to full-body.

It never wanted to end and yet it couldn't be sustained. Much as we needed it to continue, we knew that was impossible. Still, it was worthwhile, as fleeting experiences often are.

I welcomed her as she lowered over my body, her breath on my face, aftershocks of climax shuddering through her.

A light, weary kiss and she went to her side beside me. I gathered her in, pulling her close. Her hand rested on my chest, her head on my shoulder.

"God, I love you," she whispered breathlessly.

"I will always love you," I replied.

As we lay there, her cuddled tight against me, her warmth went cool once more.

Moments later, I was alone.