True Paradise

For the next hour or so, they relaxed on the beach, enjoying the sun and surf. Eventually, Ben told Elizabeth that Francois, their driver, would soon be arriving -- he smiled and thought that perhaps she'd like to get dressed first? Beth smiled, stood up and pulled her dress over her head. As she fastened the buttons over her breasts, he frowned slightly. "Where's your bathing suit?"

She tilted her head toward the ocean and grinned, "You owe me a new one. Do you think they sell bathing suits on this side of the island or will I have to go to the more prim and proper Dutch side?"

Ben chuckled, "Oh, I'm sure they sell them on this side too, but why bother? I like you naked."

She sighed dramatically, "I used to be a good girl you know...but look how you've sullied me!"

He pulled Elizabeth into his arms and kissed her deeply, sliding his arms over her body, loving the fact that she was naked under that dress. "I'm going to keep sullying you too.... every chance I get."

Shortly thereafter, Francois came and returned them to their boat. As her lover walked ahead, Elizabeth held back and spoke quietly in french with their driver. The driver nodded eagerly at her. She smiled and touched his arm as she thanked him.

As she walked towards her lover, she smiled "Ben? I'd like to do some shopping in Marigot, and Francois has graciously agreed to escort me. You don't mind, do you, love? I thought you might want to relax on the boat for a while."

"Not at all." Ben knew they both enjoyed their private time and he thought that relaxing with his book and a cold beer on the deck sounded wonderful.

Francois waited with the car as Elizabeth quickly showered and changed into walking shorts and a t-shirt. She came up on deck as she was putting her wet hair into a ponytail. Ben was already in the chair, absorbed in his book, his cold beer beside him on a small table. She bent down and gave him a quick kiss, "Bye, love, have fun. I won't be too long!"

He smiled up at her, "Have fun, baby. Don't spend too much."

Beth grinned, "Me?? Never!"

***

"Ahh, m'sieur?" Ben awoke with a start. The book was closed on his lap -- he must have dozed off while reading. He glanced at his watch and realized that a couple of hours had passed. Francois stood smiling on the dock with another man whose looks implied a familial relationship. Francois was carrying a silver covered tray and his relative carried a suitbag and various boxes and bags.

"Yes, Francois?"

"Mam'selle asked me to bring these things to you. May I?" Francois motioned to the boat.

"Of course, I'm sorry."

Francois stepped onto the deck, and laid the silver tray on the small side table. He spoke in quick french to the other man, who handed up the other packages to him. He laid the suitbag gently on the chair and put the other packages on the deck in front of it. He then pulled a note out of his pocket and handed it to Ben. "Mam'selle said this would explain everything." He stepped off the boat, "A bientôt, I will see you later."

Ben stood there, still dazed from his sleep, looking around at the packages in utter confusion. Where was Beth? Remembering the envelope in his hand, he opened it and found a ticket for a charity casino at the Simpson Bay Yacht Club and his lover's note:

"Hello, my love,

It's my turn to surprise you. I hope you don't mind that I've made plans for us tonight? I believe you'll find everything you need in the suitbag. The other packages are mine, but you can take a peek, if you like...

I'm so sorry that I won't be able to join you for the lovely dinner I ordered, but I have to get ready for our evening.

Francois will pick you up at 8. I will meet you at the Yacht Club.

Until then...

Your Beth"

It took Ben three trips to bring the half-dozen packages, suitbag and tray down to the cabin. Beth had ordered him a sumptuous meal. The snapper, vegetables and rice, still wrapped in the parchment paper in which it had been baked, was divine, but he found himself missing her company. While still savouring the meal, he eyed her packages laying on the bed. They were going to have a long night tonight, he mused, and he was sure Beth would appreciate it if he put all her new things away. He wiped his hands and dropped the linen napkin absently onto the plate while heading towards the bed. He decided to go from the largest box to the smallest bag which, he estimated with a grin, was just about the right size for something like new panties. The large box had a white cotton dress; simple, but pretty. Ben hung it in the closet and continued to unwrap her purchases, soon discovering her new black bikini, a pair of sandals, and an emerald green teddie trimmed with lace. He smiled at the lingerie, this was going to look so nice on her.

All that was left was one small box and the smallest bag. The box was heavier than he expected. Ben opened it and found a bottle of cologne and another note:

"This reminded me so much of you. I can't wait to see you..."

The cologne was woodsy and masculine, but not overpowering, he could smell hints of cedar and pine. He smiled appreciatively, he'd wear it tonight.

Knowing time was short, Ben hurriedly took the last small bag and opened it up, expecting to find some small underthing that he would later enjoy sliding off her body. He was surprised when a little dress fell from the tissue paper. The wrinkled dark blue dress was so small -- not much bigger than a young girl's dress. He studied the tiny blue creation, pulling at it and discovering that the dress stretched. He could barely slide both hands into the dress and when he pulled his hands apart, the dress clung to him tightly. Sweet Jesus, if Elizabeth wore this, it would be skin tight...there would be nothing left to the imagination, every swell and curve of her body would be hugged by the blue material. He swallowed hard at the picture he had painted in his mind. Oh, the thought of his Beth in this dress; of taking her out to a little club and having every head turn. It would be so tempting to show her off and yet, he was so possessive, he didn't like the idea of everyone seeing so much of her. He'd have to wait and see what Beth had planned.

Ben glanced at his watch -- he had to get ready if Francois was going to pick him up at 8. He unzipped the suitbag. She had chosen a classic black tux -- this was obviously a very formal gathering. He quickly showered, shaved and dressed. The tux fit across his broad shoulders perfectly and he couldn't help but be impressed that she knew his body so well. Ben was just straightening his cuffs as Francois called out to him. It was time to go....

The Simpson Bay Yacht Club was a very exclusive, members only, society. As Francois drove through the front gates, they passed several townhouses and condominium buildings, each with a private pool and immaculately tended gardens. Ben studied the small shops that lined the main boulevard while the long line of cars crept toward the casino. He had no doubt that, should you find yourself walking along the Champs-Elysees in Paris, you could shop at any one of these same boutiques. He wondered if this is where Beth had purchased all those little presents and grinned with wry amusement. If so, he certainly didn't want to see the bills!

The car pulled to the front of the casino and an employee of the Club opened the door and greeted him with a welcoming smile. "Bienvenue, monsieur. Please, if you would follow the path?" As Ben followed along the torch-lit path with the other guests, he noticed another lit pathway coming in the from docks. The flames danced in the water and on the large boats in the Club's slips. He couldn't help but admire the large yachts, but he admitted that he wasn't interested a boat that size. A boat of 150 or 200 feet required a crew, and he liked the fact that it was just him and his lover; they were responsible for no one but themselves. If they wanted to make love on the upper deck there was no one to see and no explanations required.

The sound of laughter and music carried to Ben on the gentle tropical breeze as he walked towards the well-lit building. He looked at the people around him; most people were entering as couples. He wondered when Elizabeth would arrive and what she would look like. It had only been a few hours, yet he missed her already. A liveried gentleman accepted his ticket with a bow at the main entrance. He walked through the doorway onto the polished pink granite floor of the Grand Room. Most casinos were smoky rooms that overwhelmed one with noise and gaudy lights, but not this one. Though the room was slowly filling with people, there was a serene atmosphere. From the high ceiling hung a huge crystal chandelier which contrasted in typical Caribbean fashion with the ceiling fans slowly moving the air. The gambling tables against the pristinely white walls were manned by dealers in the same uniform as the gentleman at the door. In the large open centre of the room where people were socializing, Ben recognized a few of the world's wealthiest and most powerful among the crowd.

Knowing that Elizabeth was not here yet (Francois had said that he was to "Pick up Mam'selle right after dropping M'sieur at the Casino") but wanting to see her the moment she stepped into the room, Ben sought a spot opposite the door, where he could watch her enter in anonymity. As he passed through the crowd, smiling and whispering "Excuse me", he was unaware of the eyes that followed him. Ben was a man who walked with confidence, the cut of the well-made tuxedo emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and chest. He was handsome and it did not take long for the women in the room to notice that he was alone.

Ben found an ideal spot to watch for Elizabeth and accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, ready to stand back and wait quietly. However, he only enjoyed his peace for a few moments before finding himself surrounded by young women, enjoying the polite conversation and subtle flirting while casually glancing towards the door. Ben was the consummate charmer, and when he smiled at one of the ladies, he made her feel as if it were only the two of them in the room. Women were drawn to him like moths to a flame, willing to risk almost anything for that one, brief moment when he turned his attention to them.

Elizabeth entered and quickly scanned the room for her lover. Ben was there, on the other side of the main room, in a crowd of several women. She stood there and watched him, chuckling as she saw him flirt with first one woman and then another. A laugh, a casual hand on theirs....she knew the power of those eyes and what it felt like to be the centre of his attention. It didn't bother her to see Ben pay attention to other women, she trusted him and was confident enough in herself to know how he felt for her. And, as she had told him so many times before, she knew that she would be the one to kiss him goodnight, and that was all that mattered to her.

Ben was teasing one of the ladies, matching wits against her with subtle innuendos and quick repartee when he glanced up at the door and froze in mid-sentence. Beth was there, smiling at him. He mumbled an apologetic "Will you excuse me?" and walked away from the group of women, not noticing he left them shocked and silent with the quick withdrawal of his attention. He walked towards his lover, trying to absorb every detail about her. Beth stood there in a long fitted strapless dress, the black satiny material hugged her figure, but didn't cling. Her tanned shoulders were bare except for a matching black stole, which wrapped around her arms and then fell alongside the dress. It had been so long since he had seen her dressed up. In fact, Ben didn't think he had ever seen her as she looked now. Her long curls had been pulled up elaborately at the top of her head but a few tendrils had insolently escaped and curled around her face. Her makeup didn't detract from her looks, but merely enhanced them, drawing your gaze to her large blue-grey eyes which twinkled when she smiled. Her smile....he loved to see her smile, especially as she was doing now.

Beth watched him walk closer and felt as if her heart was going to burst with pride. He was an incredible man and deserved the best. She had planned all of this merely to show Ben how she felt. She wanted him to know how much she had wanted to dress up for him, wanted to look pretty for him. She wanted to give him something of which he could be proud...and the look in his eyes told her that she had succeeded.

Ben took her hands in his and gently pressed his lips to the back of her fingers. "My God, but you're beautiful."

Elizabeth could feel his gaze wandering over her, and she knew he wouldn't miss a detail. She dropped her chin and smiled sweetly. "Thank you." Looking up at him, she whispered, "Do you have any idea how fantastic you look? You take my breath away, my love."

Ben cupped her face in his hands and kissed her...a soft, sweet, lingering kiss that said so much more than simple words can convey.

The sounds of the crowd finally filtered back into their small world. Ben smiled and offered her his elbow. "Would you like some champagne?"

She slid her arm through his, smiling brightly at him, "Yes, I think that sounds wonderful." As they walked towards the bar, neither of them cared about the stares and envious glances they elicited from both men and women as they passed. Beth was admiring her surroundings, and he was admiring Beth.

Ben passed her a glass of champagne and was suggesting that they head towards the gaming tables when her face lit up. "Max!" she exclaimed as a petite man walked towards her, his arms outstretched as if to embrace her.

With a cursory glance in her lover's direction, the petite man went to Elizabeth and kissed her on both cheeks. Taking the champagne flute from her and handing it back to Ben, Max took her hands in his and stepped back, studying her dress carefully, "Oh ma chere, I knew this was the dress for you...you are radiant!"

"Merci, Max." She laughed and gratefully took her drink back from her lover. She laid her hand on his arm and introduced the two men. Ben shook Max's small hand and noted that the slight young man studied him, seeming a bit overwhelmed by the difference in their sizes. "Ben, Max and I met while I was shopping in Marigot. He not only told me about this casino night, but he was kind enough to help me pick out my dress and organize all the necessary details."

Max smiled at Ben and then at her. "It was a pleasure to help such an incredible lady. As for the dress..." Max made a dismissive wave of his hand, "...it was nothing. Elizabeth was having difficulty picking between three dresses, I merely gave her my opinion." Max ran his hand down her arm and sighed almost dreamily. "However, a beauty such as you could wear rags and still be the belle of the ball!" Max turned again to Ben, "Is that not correct, m'sieur?"

"Very true, Max," he said seriously, "She is one of a kind...." and fought the urge to add "...and she is all mine." He was not usually a jealous man, but as he slipped his arm around her waist, Ben realized he was a bit perturbed that Max had seen her in this dress before he had.

Max spent the next several minutes pointing out those of importance in attendance at the ball. Beth leaned against her lover, enjoying being close to him again, and listened intently to Max. Bored, Ben gently squeezed her side. But, where he had thought to feel her softness under the dress, he was touching something rigid. He let his fingers follow the hard line up Beth’s side, trying to figure out what this thing was. As Max droned on, he discovered another hard line a few inches behind the first. He looked down at her, questioning her with his eyes. It felt like the boning one would find in a.... he swallowed hard as the realization came to him...she was wearing a corset. Beth smiled at him devilishy, letting him know she that she had been waiting for him to discover this little secret, and then turned back to listen to Max, who had yet to stop talking long enough to take a full breath.

Suddenly, Max found someone that he simply "must" see, excused himself and set off across the room to corner the poor gentleman. Elizabeth looked up at her lover and smiled again. She could see the fire in Ben’s eyes and it made her knees weak. He leaned over and whispered against her ear, "Tell me something?"

She closed her eyes for a moment as he nibbled very gently on her earlobe, "Hmm?"

"Did Max help you pick this --" he gave her waist a little squeeze, "-- out as well? Because if he did, I'm going to have to kill him."

Beth laughed and turned into his arms. Laying her hands on his chest, she lightly kissed him. "Ooh, you're jealous? Of Max??" She giggled, "No, love, rest assured that Max was nowhere near me when I tried this on. Besides when it comes to Max, I should probably be jealous of the way he looks at you, if you know what I mean?"

Ben laughed, both in relief and at his own possessiveness. He knew that Beth was his and his alone, but the thought of another man seeing her almost naked...well, it simply bothered him. But at least he knew Max was not a threat. "Okay, babe. I know what you mean. Now can we run away before he comes back? I don't think I can stand listening to him talk for another minute."

Beth laughed, "Oooh, but he likes you so very much! He's going to be very disappointed. You see, I told him all about you and your wonderful hands, the way your moustache tickles when you kiss me...."

He quickly steered her towards the nearest gambling table and whispered "You're going to get it."

They spent the next couple of hours wandering through the casino. Elizabeth had never gambled and was eager to learn, so Ben took her from table to table, teaching her how to play blackjack, roulette, baccarat and the like. Normally, she was a quick study. Tonight, however, between all the champagne and the different rules to the various games running through her mind, she soon found her head spinning and knew it was time to call it quits. As they were walking towards yet another new table, Beth stopped Ben and handed her remaining chips to her lover. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised, silently questioning her.

She raised her hands in front of her and closed her eyes. "No more for me, love. I've had enough."

Ben looked at the half-dozen chips she had placed in his palm and chuckled, "Well, at least I still have the shirt on my back..." Beth wrinkled up her nose at him and stuck out her tongue. He couldn't help but laugh at her. "Oh baby, I'm sorry. That wasn't nice."

"You're right, that wasn't nice...because I paid for those chips." She laughed, "So I'm afraid I've lost the shirt off my back, not yours."

Ben had just told her how very much he liked her without her shirt when the waiter interrupted, offering more champagne. He accepted two glasses and handed one to her, but she placed it back on the tray. "No, thank you, I'm at my limit. One more and I'll end up dancing naked on a table." The waiter started and looked at her with wide eyes then, with a bow of his head, quickly excused himself. Elizabeth put her hand over her mouth and giggled, "Whoops. Did I say that outloud? I think I've had too much already."

Ben placed his full glass down on a table, put his arm around Beth’s waist and walked towards one of the open balconies that circled the casino "Come on, let's try to clear your head."

They walked out onto large balcony and followed the balustrade until they stood away from the light coming from the casino. The large potted plants partially hid them from the crowd inside and if anyone were to glance onto the balcony, they would think it was unoccupied. After the champagne and the warm interior of the building, the sweet Caribbean air helped erase the fuzziness in Elizabeth’s mind, but she was chilled by the light breeze. She leaned into him and pulled her stole over her shoulders.