She sat quietly on the tabby wall belonging to the old fort. In the days of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, it had stood proudly along the waters of the intra coastal waterway. As time had passed, the walls of this fortress had turned into nothing more than crumbling rubble. She felt a kindred spirit with this place. As a child she had played among the ruins. She was once carefree and full of life. Now, she crumbled as did the walls around her.
Nothing in her life had turned out as she had planned. She had married the young man that she had loved from her sophomore year in high school. She worked and made a home for him. Within the second year of marriage, she gave birth to their first child. Two years later she had their second. Since that time, the frequency of their lovemaking had dwindled to months between any type of intimacy. Feelings of failure led to the tears that ran from her clouded hazel eyes. Lost in her own thoughts, she did not see the male figure approaching the fort.
He came to capture the beauty of the southern spring with his camera. Never did he expect to find such beauty that did not belong to the floral explosion of Wormsloe Plantation. There she was. She looked to be a living statue adorning the picturesque garden. Rays of sunlight, that dared to penetrate the coverage of the majestic oaks above, reflected sparks of fire from her long auburn hair. Her slender body strode the wall of the fort effortlessly. Her long, outstretched legs gave a vision that could not escape his artistic eye. His camera went to work. Frame after frame of celluloid took in her graceful stance. The spring azaleas were now a backdrop for her beauty. In such close proximity, the shutter sound gave his presence away. In the breaking of her self induced trance, she looked at him. Fear filled her eyes.
'No', he said quietly. 'Please dont be frightened.' I' would just like to take your picture,'
She could see that he was keeping his distance, albeit near enough to speak. His warm smile showed no sinister motive. 'Why would you want to take my picture?' she asked, wiping the tears from her face.
Removing his face from the camera he smiled, 'Beauty, such as yours, does not find its way here very often.'
A disbelieving chuckle came from her. 'What brings you here? ' she asked softly.
'I came to remember my boyhood and the dreams that I used to have,' he answered. 'I thought if I came here, as I once did long ago, I would find someone that I seem to have lost.'
'I know that feeling well,' she smiled. 'I suppose that I came here for the same reason,' she added.
'I once knew a girl that came here every spring to take in all of this floral beauty,' he said as he gestured to the cascades of color around them. 'Her favorite flower was the grape like grouping of the Wisteria .' 'Its lavender coloring is so short lived, you could almost know to the day when she could be found here,' he spoke lovingly.
With a gentle smile she responded, 'I, too, had someone that loved to come here with me.' 'As a matter of fact, I was just thinking about him,' she said with a heavy sigh. 'I was remembering what glorious plans that were made in this very spot, and how few of them have been realized.'
His heart melted as he listened to her. How betrayed she must feel. He could readily tell her heart was heavy with sadness. The only glimmer in her eyes was the welling of the tears that lay just below the surface. How could any man neglect such a woman?
The camera found its way back to his eye. In silence, he snapped frame upon frame. As he drew closer to her, he could see that her breathing became more rapid. Was she afraid that he was going to hurt her? He reached for her hand that stabilized her on the wall. He could feel her trembling. He was not accustomed to being so unsure of himself. It was his way to go after what he wanted without fear of consequences. This time he knew that it was not that easy. It was obvious to him that she carried such pain inside. He was not sure that even he could take it away. He wanted to hold her and tell her how he felt.
Looking deeply into her eyes of green and gold, he found that she did not turn away. An intense gaze came back from her to match his own. He searched for words, but none were to be found. He stroked her silky mane and touched the softness of her ivory cheek. All the while his heart picked up into a pounding pace. He wanted her so much.
She watched him closely. She was unsure of what her reaction to his touch should be. She knew that her body cried out for him, but her heart warned of caution. At this moment, her bodily needs were winning. Caution was being tossed away.
His finger traced the outline of her lips. The gentle touch sent ripples of desire through her. Her thoughts were no longer focused. They were instead running rampant with every touch of his hand. Inner screams of long denied sensations fell upon her as she felt the softness of his lips against her bare neck. Her head fell back against her shoulders, as if it no longer had the strength to stand alone.
His touch moved to the bountiful breasts that now heaved with her rapid breathing. Slowly he loosened the tiny buttons that held her blouse together. Small gasps of pleasure came from her as he moved deliberately, yet gently to kiss her.
Realizing her sparked want for him, he continued his exploration of her. Unzipping the jeans that covered her lower body, he gently inserted his hand to reach for the warmth of her. He found her to be accepting of his wanderings below. Her moistness apparent, he gently massaged her with his fingers. Tremors wracked her body while her moans of pleasure vibrated against his moving mouth.
He moved her from her perch upon the tabby wall and placed her in the cool softness of the new spring grass. Relieving her from the constriction of her jeans, he knelt between the embrace of her inner thighs. Her body undulated to every movement that he made. Not wanting to have this moment pass, he reached for her hand and brought it to her own space. Guiding her gently to explore herself, he reached for the camera that lay nearby. On her face he found such emotion and beauty. He watched and recorded on the celluloid every aspect of her being. Never before had he witnessed such natural pleasure and grace. He had never even given it much thought until now. He felt his own needs and desires reaching monumental proportions. He wanted her like no other. He could no longer stay a bystander in this marvelous dance of nature. He must become a part of it.
Leaving his camera as well as his own jeans behind, he lowered himself to embrace the full length of her body. Entwined around each other, passionate kisses became fevered. He could tell by the way she moved against him that she was lost in the passion. Every gasp and moan that crossed her lips was purely spontaneous.
'I want you,' she cried in a soft voice while reaching for him to come to her.
Raising himself to meet her face, he looked into the eyes that looked up at him. 'I want you, too,' he spoke in a loving tone.
With the spoken words echoing in his ears, he gently placed himself next to her and moved gently in order to enter. With his first long, deep plunge within she arched herself in total acceptance of him. He felt her softness close in around him. Holding her close, he thrust himself in a slow deliberate pace. Every thrust brought a renewed feeling of primal pleasure. He kissed her deeply and passionately. He wanted to drink her into his very soul. She answered him with the same conviction.
The pace built to a mutual crescendo. In unison, their bodies crashed against each other in unbridled excitement. The world around them did not exist. They became as one. At the height of passion, she opened up to have him reach even further within. She shook with spasms both inside and out. Feeling her trembling inner space against him, he released himself into spasms of his own. Her movements pulled against his release as if to take in every drop of him.
Slowly their rapid breathing and sighs of pleasure brought them back to the garden of floral beauty around them. The wisteria hung above them, draping in the ancient arms of the elderly oaks. The scent of the spring flowers around them penetrated their senses. It was as though time knew no bounds here.
Turning to him she smiled. 'Thank you,' she uttered softly resting in his strong arms.
'I had forgotten how truly beautiful and magical this place was,' he smiled at her. 'I promise you, I'll not forget again.'
'Let's not wait this long again,' she sighed. 'After alI of these years,
I love you every day, my dear husband, not just when the wisteria blooms.'