(Special thanks to Major Gee for her beautiful artwork for this story)
The drapes moved slowly aside, and Daniel found himself trembling with desire. His dreams of Gaia were only sketchily remembered - he knew he had been with her, that they had come together with a passion he could hardly believe, and that he desired her, but he could not remember what she looked like - only that she was his soul's desire. And now he would see her in the flesh. He could hardly breathe for longing.
And then he saw her - his Gaia.
Her hair was red, but not just any red. There had to be a dozen colours in that glorious hair, from a deep rich red to almost gold, and the candlelight caught and highlighted each one. Dancing green eyes shone in her face, and her smile held all kinds of promise. She was dressed in a long gown of deep green, the colour of a primeval wood. The gown left her shoulders and arms bare. A cord wrapped around the gown under her breasts and circled her waist, highlighting the curve of her breasts and hips.
Daniel sat up on the bed and reached for her, but she avoided his embrace.
"Gaia, what are you doing?"
"If you do not have to work for something, Daniel, often you do not appreciate it," she murmured as she moved away from him.
His irritation vanished - she wanted to be chased. He had always loved the pleasure of the chase, and he had an idea she would draw it out for a long time. She was right, of course - this would be so much more enjoyable than simply falling on one another like ravenous beasts. Although, he was feeling pretty ravenous. He had no idea what she was feeling. Her face was calm and smiling - she could just as easily have been discussing the weather as inviting him to chase and conquer her.
He got up from the bed and moved towards the french windows, where she stood looking out at the night. He stood close beside her - close enough to feel the warmth of her skin and smell the scent she wore. It was the same combination of fragrances that perfumed the air. It was entrancing - he couldn't work out if she smelled like the air, or if the air smelled like her. Either way, he was surrounded by the scent of her. She was shorter than he was - he could look down at the top of her head.
He could also look down the front of her gown. Her breasts were full and inviting. He moved to touch her.
"Daniel, why don't you take off your jacket? It is quite warm in here," she spoke softly. And her hands moved to his shoulders to ease the jacket down his arms.
She was so near, and yet she wasn't touching him. Her hands were bare millimetres from his skin as she pushed his jacket from his shoulders and down his arms. She stood only inches from him, and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his chest, through his T-shirt.
"Ah, that's better," she said, stepping back from him. "Now I can really see you, my best beloved."
Her eyes travelled hungrily over his body, from his broad shoulders and well muscled arms, over his chest and abdomen, so well defined under his T-shirt, to his slender waist. She looked at his hands, those long slender fingers.
"You are very beautiful, my best beloved," she said in a husky voice.
It was the first sign he'd had of her interest, the huskiness to her voice. And her nipples now showed clearly through the fabric of her gown.
"And so are you, my Gaia," he responded. He was very aroused now, and she hadn't even touched him. He was a little afraid of what might happen when she did.
"I have every confidence in your abilities, Daniel," she spoke in a whisper, so softly his ears didn't hear her. But his soul did. And he knew, suddenly, that this experience would be sublime - she was, after all, his soul's own desire, and everything would be perfect.
"Would you like some champagne, my best beloved?"
He hadn't noticed the ice bucket on the table beside the bed, or the glasses. But champagne sounded like a very good idea, another part of the dance they were involved in. He moved to take the bottle and pour two glasses of the sparkling drink.
"And what shall we drink to, my Gaia?" he asked, gazing deep into those green eyes.
"To life, and to the pursuits of the soul," she responded, meeting his gaze with a smile.
"Ah yes, definitely to the pursuits of the soul," he laughed, and they drank together. And then, without taking his eyes from hers, he reached out and took her glass from her.
"My Gaia," he murmured, and leaned in to kiss her for the first time.
His lips were full and sweet with the wine he had just drunk, and they touched hers very gently. His arms moved to embrace her, to draw her to him, but she stepped away, breaking the embrace.
He stared at her, confused. But she smiled gently and said, "My best beloved, I do not think you are truly listening to what your soul is telling you."
"My soul is telling me that I want you."
"Yes, my beloved, but what else is it telling you?" she moved closer to him, taking possession of him with her eyes. "What else does your soul say, Daniel?"
He stared deep into her eyes, as he searched his soul for the answer. His eyes grew distant, and then they cleared as he realised what else his soul wanted.
"Yes, my Gaia, now I know the answer."
"And what is the answer, Daniel?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.
"I thought I was meant to chase you and conquer you. But it is you who are meant to conquer me, my Gaia," he replied. "You are meant to possess me, not I to possess you. That is truly my soul's desire."
She responded by taking his face into her hands and drawing him to down to kiss him. A hungry kiss, a kiss that promised much more.
"Yes, my best beloved, that is truly your soul's desire. A woman who can possess you," she said, as her hands moved to his shoulders, and down his arms. She took his hands and placed them on her waist, moving closer to him and encouraging his embrace. "A woman who can be the aggressor, who can take the lead, that is what you desire, Daniel." Her lips sought his again as she pressed herself against his body.
He kissed her passionately, his hands moving over her body. This was truly what he wanted, a woman who would direct their lovemaking, who would tell him what she wanted and when. Daniel didn't want to be dominated. He had been tied up and spanked before, but that was part of a reciprocal love game, and had been very satisfying. No, he wanted to be . . . directed. He wanted to be a part of something aimed entirely at satisfying someone else - where his own pleasure might be incidental.
"Yes my love, that is exactly what you want," Gaia breathed in his ear. "And it is because you are so caring that your soul wants this. You are a very considerate lover, you always want to please your partner, but your soul knows that when you make love to someone, your pleasure is what drives you. Now, I am going to make love to you, and my pleasure will be what drives our . . . activities."
He was unsurprised that she had known what he was thinking - Gaia had proved to have many unexpected talents. He suspected he was going to discover quite a few more of them before the night was over. Then a thought struck him.
"Gaia, what time is it?" he asked, a bit embarrassed to be asking such a prosaic question while her body was pressed so deliciously against his, and her mouth was doing incredible things to the skin of his throat.
"Say that again, " she demanded.
"Sorry!" he apologised, not realising he had offended her.
"No, my best beloved," she soothed him, "I just meant speak again - I love the way it feels against my lips when you speak while I am kissing you."
And he felt he had to comply with such a reasonable request. Besides, it was a fairly delightful experience from his perspective as well.
"I said," he spoke slowly, drawing out the words to prolong the sensation, "that is to say, I asked, what the time was. I only mention it because I am afraid that dawn grows closer and there is so much more I had hoped would occur this night."
She chuckled against his throat and the sensation threw his senses into overdrive. She moved away from him, and fortunately he regained some control.
"Do not be afraid, my best beloved. The nights here last as long as I wish them to," she smiled, "and I wish this night to last a very long time."
"I just hope I can last as long as the night, my Gaia," he said with a smile.
"I have every confidence in your abilities, Daniel," she laughed as she pulled him into another passionate embrace.
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