Love Conquers All
Page 54
Chapter 47
It was dark in the bedroom, but Talia sensed that she was not alone. Her heart sank. She sat up and pulled the light summer blanket over her body, her hand searching for the nightlight switch. She exhausted and could not find the switch. She continued to fumble, wondering in alarm whose heavy breath she was hearing, her own or the uninvited visitor’s.
“Are you awake?” Marvin’s soft voice came to her in the darkness.
Talia found the switch and, in the dim lamp light, discerned his figure, sitting on the rug, his hands hugging his knees.
“How did you get in? How long have you been here?”
“Two hours. You slept so soundly. I could not fall asleep without saying goodbye to you. You know I’m going to Spain Tomorrow to start shooting.”
“Really? I’m afraid I forgot.” His going did not make any difference. When he comes back, she would not be there anymore. She stared at him sternly.
“Talia, let’s say goodbye like lovers. We had such a good time together. Maybe there’s still a chance for us?” There was pleading in his voice.
Not that. Let him not start all over again, she thought desperately, lying flat in bed, stretching her legs.
There was a long moment of silence between them. Then he got closer to the bed without getting up. Suddenly Talia felt his hands caressing her ankles through the blanket. “Do you still like my caresses, Talia?
Much less than I used to, she thought, but did not say a word aloud. She was tired, too tired to resist, too tired to argue, and too tired to upset him. She was lying on her back, exhausted , and she let him roll up the blanket and expose her feet. He took her right foot in his hands and massaged it slowly and gently. A tingle coursed through her body. He kissed her toes one by one, and the intensity descended to her thighs, smoldering, blazing. Talia bit her lips to stifle a cry, but as her pleasure increased, so did her embarrassment. She wanted to tell him, “This is not right, leave me alone. I don’t love you anymore”, but the words would not come out.
She lay quietly defeated and yet gratified. Marvin’s tongue caressed the length of her left side, going further up along her thigh where it lingered. He continued to delight her with his tongue until she emitted a cry of pleasure. Then he continued his way up to her stomach, to her belly button, where he stopped, as a traveler would at a lake. Talia breathed deeply. The minutes passed. She heard the rustle of clothes thrown on the floor, and felt his hands peeling off her gossamer nightgown, then gently putting her arms at the sides of her body.
Now he crouched on top of her, and her heart stirred at the sight of love, desire, and pain that registered in his face. “Hey, Marv,” she said gently, forgivingly, “maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to say goodbye like this.”
His face lit up in a happy smile. He drew her face to his and kissed her. “You smell so good Talia,” he murmured between kisses. “Every spot in your body is so fragrant. Has anyone ever told you this before?”
“Yes, somebody told me this before,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She clasped him tightly to her body, and at dawn, they woke up in the same position.