The warm summer breeze ruffled her hair and the faint sounds of music came from the ballroom as she stood on the balcony overlooking the magnificent grounds of the manor house. No matter how far she came in life, no matter how much recognition or rewards she seemed to gain, at these types of formal functions she still found herself...
"Bored?" The voice startled her and she whirled to see who was finishing her thoughts. He stood quite near, all 6'1" of him - - his brown eyes wrinkling into his smile. He was holding out a glass of champagne. "I saw you sneak out here. It's a beautiful night, and an even more beautiful view, don't you think?" She nodded in agreement, more than a little annoyed at his sudden intrusion, and then turned away from him again to resume her quiet reverie.
He had seen her alright. He'd been watching her all night. The way she moved through throngs of people. The way she carried herself: her dress, her hair - perfect. The fact that she wasn't waiflike attracted him even further - he liked the idea of having something to hold on to. His eyes drank in her every move, and he had to concentrate at times to keep his body from overreacting and betraying his thoughts to everyone in the room. He knew he wanted her but he just wasn't sure how much until he saw her there, leaning against the granite of the balcony in the soft bluish moonlight. Her beautiful shoulders were framed perfectly by the dress she'd chosen. It was all he could do not to walk up to her right then and there and begin to nibble on them. Her graceful neck and perfect earlobes beckoned him as well. In the subtile nighttime glow, he could see the softness of her flawless skin and smell her perfume wafting in the air around him - - - and it nearly made him weak with wanton desire.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" she had turned to look at him - her blue eyes burning into his very flesh, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.
He realized, then, he had been sort of groaning under his breath while watching her lean against the balcony rail - watching the Ruebenesque roundness of her buttocks press against the softness of her dress and her heavy breasts strain for release from their bondage.
He quickly stuttered a "n-n-no" as he held the glass of champagne out to her once again, and this time she took it from him, her hand grazing his lightly and causing him to stir in his tuxedo pants.
"Thank you," she said, and turned back to the view.
He cleared his throat, and, almost like a teenager asking his father for the first time to borrow the family car, he stammered, "I've been watching you all night, and there is one thing I've been dying to ask you..."
"Okay... " she responded, turning seductively toward him, carefully placing the delicate glass champagne flute on the granite planter next to her. He stepped forward boldly, taking her into his arms "... would you care to dance with me?"
Her arms automatically went to his broad shoulders, and she threw her head back - - her laughter lilting across the terrace. "You know I will, silly... " and she melted against him, sliding her hand into his as they began to glide across the marbled floor like Fred and Ginger.
"I know you hate these things," he said, nuzzling that delicious neck he'd been lusting after all evening, breathing deeply of her scent, "and I appreciate you coming with me tonight. But if we don't get out of here soon, I'm going to take you to that cabana over there..."
She tilted her head slightly and whispered the words he so wanted to hear: "So, what's stopping you?"
They had been best friends forever. They flirted with each other all the time, were each other's confidantes, touchstones, and backup dates for functions just such as this, but they had never, ever made love. Sure, they had hinted and played at it with each other, things like holding hands and kissing each other lightly, but had never come to the brink - - mostly because they were both so afraid that sex would ruin their perfect friendship. Until that very instant, he had no idea how very much she wanted him, and she really had no idea how much he really, truly, deeply loved her.
He placed his hands on her hips and pushed her away, looking deeply into her eyes: "Are you kidding?"
She reached between them, placing her hand on the front of his trousers. "What do YOU think?" She gripped him and then she just smiled.
"I think I'm taking you home..." he said and took her hand, leading her briskly to the car.
Her heart sank. This was NOT the reaction she was hoping for! A million things swirled through her head, not the least of which being that he probably thinks her to be a whore. She was so embarassed by her aggression that all the way home she kept her hands in her lap and watched out the window of the car at the scenery skirting by. He tried to engage her in conversation, but she wasn't interested... she merely moped and answered him in short, cryptic sentences. He knew something was wrong, but wasn't really sure what he had done to provoke such a sudden "cold front" between them.
They arrived at her home, and he walked her to the door. "I'm sorry about earlier," she said, "about grabbing your... you... um..." her eyes downcast so not to show her growing fears.
He smiled, "Oh, babe... I'm not sorry! So, THIS is why you were so quiet! No... no... no! Look at me."
She did, and her blush told him exactly what he needed to know. Taking her face gently into his hands, he kissed her. Not like the usual kissing-his-sister peck that he usually gave to her, but a long, slow, deep kiss borne of his escalating desire. His tongue found solace in her mouth and in doing so, his hands slid from her jaw to her shoulders and then down to her breasts. He took them into his hands and through her dress slowly ran his thumbs across the nipples until they stood out.
Completely confused, she broke the kiss and stepped back, "I don't understand. I offered myself to you at the manor house, and you chose instead to bring me home..."
He pulled her to him one more time, kissing her deeply and taking her hand in his. He slid it to the front of his trousers, and in a breathless whisper said, "yes, and I believe this is where we last were..."
