A Taste of Pleasure (31 page)

She walked in to find that Christopher already had the fireplace blazing and the cappuccino machine brewing. She placed an open sign on the door for her customers, turned on the music, and lit the scented candles. They were ready for business. She and Christopher chatted. He had overheard Jen's comments the day before and encouraged London to consider going to see Deacon, just to be sure about her feelings.

Two and a half hours later, her store was empty. All the wonderful French antiques had been sold and the workers were bringing in new items to replace the original ones. She marveled at how the room's ambience changed with the new furniture and the colors blended with each and every piece. She changed the flowers, moved a few knickknacks around, and added a new statue. A bust of Marie Antoinette on a Corinthian column pedestal was now in front of the doorway leading to the front room, and next to it London placed a bouquet of yellow roses, which picked up the colors from the Monet
Water Lilies
painting that hung over the fireplace, replacing the portrait of Louis XV. What a change! Her previous theme had been mauve and pink, her preference, but now green and yellow were the predominant colors and she enjoyed the transformation.

Her day was beginning to get very exciting, with many sales. The drivers were constantly running back and forth from her house to replenish the inventory, and then back out to make deliveries of the French treasures to their new homes.
The store's ambience changed continuously. It seemed that just as she had gotten used to a certain look, poof, the items were sold. It was great for business, but tough on her. She liked her comfort zone, and the ever-changing adjustments were a bit difficult. She kept reminding herself that this was business, not personal, and that she would have to adapt. She walked around the dining room table, touching the crystal centerpiece. It shone so brightly, accompanied by the chandelier above. It seemed that they were competing for wall space to cast their rainbows of colors.

Suddenly a familiar and powerful fragrance engulfed her senses, stopping her dead in her tracks. She turned around to see Deacon standing before her. She wanted to embrace him immediately, but she didn't. He smiled at her, clinging tightly to a small box in one hand and a vase of flowers in the other. She stared at the bouquet of lilies mixed with English daisies, afraid to look into his eyes lest she fall into his arms. She moved along the table, adjusting the place settings and trying to stay focused. He set the gifts down on the table in front of her and pulled her to him. His lips took over and she went limp. Customers stood watching, envying what they were witnessing. He was her love and that was all that mattered to her at this moment. When he finally released her, she gasped for air. He turned without a word and made his way out of the store, debonair as he ever was. She was breathless and speechless as she watched him go, her heart crying out as her body stood frozen. She felt like a pull toy with her emotions, and for a moment she was ready to just leave the store and follow him, but she knew she had to stay for her patrons. She watched him cross the street, climb into his car, and drive away. She felt warm and fuzzy as she composed herself. She spun around, still blushing, and waited on another customer as people passed by smirking at her.

When she finally had a moment for a break, she decided to open the gift Deacon had left. Christopher was at her side, the curiosity killing him as she opened the card attached to the small box. The handwritten card read:

Congratulations on your new store! I will always love you, London. Please forgive me. I can't wait any longer. Meet me for dinner tonight at my place if there's still a chance for us. If not, I will be bound for England tomorrow morning. Yours Forever, Deacon.

She and Christopher both sniffled away their emotions.

“Open the box!” Christopher said.

She proceeded to peel back the ribbon and open the box to reveal a pair of gorgeous antique earrings. They were eighteenth-century Victorian natural pearls, each surrounded by nine glistening rose-cut diamonds in a pendant-style classical round cluster. They were exuberating with royal baroque grandeur, and his thoughtfulness melted her heart.

The rest of the day went by slowly. She was overcome by a sense of urgency to get to Deacon. Finally, Christopher rushed her out to be with him and assured her that he would take care of everything. She put on some lipstick and primped her hair before she ran out the door, jumped into the Beemer, and raced off toward his condominium. She couldn't drive fast enough and wanted to be in his arms now. When she spotted his place, her heart skipped a beat. She got out, walked on rubbery legs up to the door. She pushed the intercom button and heard his response, his deep voice sending shivers up her spine. “Hi, it's me, London.” He buzzed her in. As she entered, she found him juggling with cheese, crackers, wine, and glasses in his hands. She took the wine and glasses from him as he
bent down to kiss her lips. They turned to place everything on the table, then melted into an embrace. She put her arms around his neck as they kissed. He struggled to remove her coat so she could feel his body, a feeling she had missed for so long. Finally, with his help, she dropped the coat to the floor, their lips staying pressed together. They made their way to his bedroom, their clothes dropping to the floor behind them in a trail until they were nude. Meanwhile, his mouth explored her body. He ignited her as his tongue glided over her neck, her ears, her breasts.

She fondled his hardness as his hands pulled her into position at the end of the bed. His ultimate goal was to get inside her as quickly as possible and make her his again. She obeyed without hesitation. She was ready and opened her legs to welcome him. With one swift plunge he entered her, riding her wildly as they climaxed together moments later. In that wonderful moment of harmony, their souls reunited. He collapsed on top of her, kissing her tenderly with those lips that she had been longing for. He began to apologize for his haste and for his past indiscretion, but she placed her finger over his lips.

“All is forgiven, my darling,” she said with a gentle smile.

He relaxed as she snuggled into his arms. After a long silence, she finally spoke. “I thought you invited me here for dinner,” she said with a smile as the heavenly fragrance of food came wafting into the room.

“Dinner is on its way,” he said with a smile. He put on his robe as the buzzer rang and he opened the front door. Five men in waiter uniforms shuffled in, bearing trays loaded down with enticing cuisine. They set up the table and poured the wine. She was thrilled knowing that he had put so much thought and effort into planning this wonderful evening. She slipped on a robe and walked over to the table. Beside the
gourmet feast she noticed a mask lying on the table. It was the mask of her mystery man from the costume ball! She could only smile at him as he caught her glance.

A succulent pheasant was lusciously displayed under a glass dome, garnished with wild rice, and accompanied by brioche, white wine, and chocolate mousse for dessert. She was very pleased. She sat down to dine in her robe, knowing that the first round of sex was just a pressure release and that the main course would follow once dinner had settled. She cut the pheasant in small pieces, placing each one on her tongue. The moisture stayed on her lips as she took her tongue and slowly licked at the juices. She picked up some wild rice and placed it on her tongue. She casually chewed the meat and rice with deliberate allure, tantalizing him with every bite. She picked up the goblet and placed it on her lips, letting the liquid run down her throat as Deacon watched her, knowing that she could stop traffic with the way she was eating. He followed her every mouthful, and as she took her last bite, he moved over to her, cupping her face and licking the juices from her lips. His tongue invaded her mouth, and her body responded to his just as he'd hoped for. He clung to her lips as he got up, then let go as he cleared the table and brought over the dessert.

“I want to feed you,” he said as he pulled her chair from the table, turning her toward him. He took a spoonful of chocolate mousse and placed it in her mouth, following it with a kiss. He spoon-fed her each and every bite, her body wanting more than dessert. Then she proceeded to feed him as the intensity grew between them.

She helped him clear the table, and he touched her every time they were near, his hands traveling over every part of her aching body. She was still amazed by the way they connected. He grabbed her, kissing her as he untied her robe. He pulled
her to him, caressing her breasts as he bent down, taking a nipple in his mouth and encircling it with his tongue. He sucked it until her knees shook. He carried her into the bedroom, his lips never leaving hers. He gently placed her on the bed, kissing her, fondling her and tasting her juices. He buried his face in her breasts, licking and sucking them feverishly, then returning to her mouth and back again. She was lost in a state of euphoria as her world fell away once again. There was no house, no sound . . . nothing but the flickering of the candles and the hot, intimate forms that molded together as one on the bed. She placed her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. She felt him come alive as she kissed him and moved her attention to his throbbing hardness. She took it into her hands, rubbing it up and down as he positioned himself to lick her legs and everything in between.

She took his hardness in her mouth, touching it with her tongue, going around the ridge and behind it, her lips lightly sucking on it, licking it like an ice cream cone, round and round, up and down. The precum forming on the tip was in her mouth and she sucked at it hungrily. He licked inside her legs and all the way up to her passion pit. He loved her zone, and he especially loved what he could do with it. He toyed with her button, stimulating it as she squirmed and moaned in ecstasy. Much to her delight, he sucked on it as he fingered her at the same time. Her attack on his maleness grew more intense. She nibbled at the tip, her lips slowly parting as she drew him all the way into her mouth, the tip touching the back of her throat. Deacon moaned, pulling her tightly to him, not wanting any space between them. She sucked on it until he stopped her. He turned her around and placed his lips on her mouth, kissing her with such passion that she felt it all the way to her toes. She could feel him throb and knew he was ready.

He pulled her to the end of the bed and placed her legs on his shoulders as he entered her. She moaned as he moved her into the position that gave him the greatest penetration. It was like his sex had a mind of its own and had found its way home. He rode her like a stallion, his eyes burning deeply into hers as if he were recording this moment for eternity. He continued to watch her every reaction, her every movement. She watched his eyes, his mouth, and the fiery thrusts of his body into hers. Her body responded, accepting its invasion, holding on to him as tightly as she could. She watched the sweat beads forming on his forehead, knowing that the moment was close. They screamed as he exploded, shooting into her, her body responding with her own climax, her legs shaking, her body jerking and contracting, squeezing every last drop out of him.

He fell on top of her as she wrapped her arms around him, their juices mixing together as they trickled out of her. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay in this moment of peace and tranquility forever. However, reality always sneaks in, as Deacon got up on one shoulder and hesitantly asked, “What happened to Max?” he brushed her hair from her glistening face.

Her first impulse was to ask, “How did you know?” But she took a breath and began to tell him that she cared for Max and tried to give the relationship a go. But ultimately they wanted different things. London proceeded to share the story, and how they had both realized they had to move on as their true loves awaited. “Max's true love returned to his life, she wanted children and I didn't, plus Max knew I had never forgotten you, which was true.”

“You know, I'm not necessarily against the idea of having children with you,” Deacon said in response. “I know you had expressed your concerns to me before about the hereditary
condition you may have, but I will be there for you. And we could always consider adoption,” he suggested.

“Maybe someday. . . .”

“But first things first,” Deacon said. He rose from the bed and put on his robe. He sat her up in bed, wrapped the blanket around her, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She was amazed at the magical power he still had over her. He knelt before her and gazed into her eyes, the moonlight and candles casting a glow over his handsome features.

“London, I love you with all my heart. The last few months were awful. I felt like a piece of me was missing, and the almost funny thing was that when we had the threesome, it kind of made me feel you didn't care who I was with, so I felt being with Jen was all right, but believe me I will never be with anybody but you for the rest of my life. London, will you please marry me and spend the rest of your life with me? I will always be here for you, no matter what happens, and I want no one else in the world but you. It has always been you, sweetheart. I might have been confused once but never again.”

“Oh, Deacon, yes! Yes, I will. Sex, passion, and desire mean nothing without love; the genuine, deep feeling of two souls intertwined forever, unconditionally.”

She leaped from the bed. “I'll be right back,” she said, leaving him still kneeling with a puzzled look on his face. She ran to retrieve her purse and returned breathless as she handed him the ring box. He smiled as he opened it and slipped the ring on her finger, kissing her again. He climbed back into bed beside her and held her, their hands clasped together.

“How about a honeymoon in France?” he whispered.

“That sounds perfect. I can't wait to go back,” she replied with delight.

“But what about your store?” he inquired.

“I have Christopher working with me, Jon's friend. I'm sure he wouldn't mind covering things for me for a little while.”