'My goodness David, I didn't expect this!'
Laughing. 'I get that a lot, but what did you expect?'
'I don't really know, my mind has been a bit of a blur to be honest, but not this, is it yours?'
'Yes, bought it about thirty years ago, it was a mess and took three years to renovate, I rented it out for quite a long time, then renovated it again and started to live in it ten years ago.' Unlocking the front door I step back. 'Will you come in?'
She turned in a circle, taking in the surroundings. 'I love it!' Then stopped, facing the front door again. She looked nervous, that trepidation again. Then, the decision made, she took a breath, almost squared her shoulders and muttered, 'I've come this far.' And stepped over the threshold.
I followed her in and closed the door.
She jumped at the door closing, I smiled at her. 'Welcome to my house Stella, just watch your head, some of the doors are a bit low.'
She stood in the hall, clearly still a little nervous but visibly relaxing with every minute,she's peering through the doors into the rooms beyond, still trying to work out what she's got herself into. I leave her alone for a minute, watching her take it in.
While she's slightly distracted I kick off my shoes and socks.
'Oh David it's lovely.'
Smiling, I take her hand. 'You've not seen it yet but thank you, shall we see what else you love?' And I led her up the stairs.
I heard her mumble, 'Oh dear.' as, fingers tightening on my hand, she followed me.
Leading her into my bedroom I let go of her hand and left her standing in the middle of the floor, then wandered around the room closing the sheers but leaving the heavy curtains open; it left the room suffused in a soft light. I completed the circuit and, after closing the door, stood at arms length in front of her.
All this time she'd been standing where I'd left her, slightly wide eyed, torn between watching me and looking around the room.
'David, you have a four-poster bed.'
I laughed again. 'Yes I do Stella: a bit stuck with it actually. I bought it from the people who had the cottage before me and they bought it from those before them and so on. Too big and heavy to move without breaking it up, and that would be a real crime. It's quite old apparently and I wouldn't change it for the world.'
'It's fabulous, if a little......scary.'
'Scary? Oh I hope not.'
And I took my shirt off.
She gasped, looked down and a very quiet moan escaped her lips.
I step into her, her eyes flick up, look into mine.
I lean forward that last inch, touch my lips to hers. She closes her eyes, her lips are soft, warm and dry.
My tongue flicks out. That quiet moan again. Traces the shape of her mouth; the outer edges, along the top lip, into the corner, along the bottom into the opposite corner, the gap between them, trace from one side to the other.
A slight pressure and it becomes a kiss, a kiss with intent, a kiss that says that there is more to come. That moan.
Her lips seem to yield, they open imperceptibly, they say yes. I feel her breathing quicken, another very quiet moan. I lick her lips again, push my tongue between them, touch her teeth, bump slowly from one to the next. Press against them, they open and the tip of her tongue touches mine, they explore each other, her kiss gains in intensity, passion, need.
I search for her fingers, find them, interlace the fingers of one hand with hers, brush lightly up the back of her arm with the other. Feel small shivers running through her body.
She breaks the kiss, gasps for air, her eyes still closed.
My fingers reach her shoulder, up the back of her long neck, under her hair, behind her ear, a light, delicate touch following the contours of her face: stroke her forehead, brush across her eyebrows, around her eyes, down the sides of her nose, over her cheek, round her lips, along her jawline and down the side of her throat.
Dip into the indentation at the base of her neck, along her collarbone to her dress.
Slowly follow the neckline down into her cleavage. Toy with the top button, flick it open. An intake of breath and a small noise in her throat. A hand shot up and gripped mine as her head flinched back and her eyes searched mine. I pause.
Wait for her as those feelings once again cross her face: nervousness, trepidation, indecision. Then decision, acceptance, want. The grip on my hand softened, released.
Her eyes close.
A flick, a slow move down to the next button and it parts, then the next, and the next, all the way down past her waist.
Push a finger through the gap in her dress, the slightest of pressures against her suspender belt, up onto her stomach, her skin warm to the touch, up, dip into her navel, up, push up between her bra clad breasts. Back to the base of her throat.
Let go of her hand.
Ease her dress off her shoulders, down her arms. Let it fall to the floor.