It was, after all, only during the hours of late evening that he dared venture into the water. And the soothing waves of Port Emerald Bay always eased his tensions; a continual stress that seemed an inescapable symptom of a life lived on land—while underwater, he didn't have to worry about alarm clocks or deadlines, corporate takeovers or blown business deals. And though others chose to unwind by reading a book or pouring a drink, he opted to pour himself into the soothing waters of a private aquatic haven.
Here his body could flip and soar with the studied grace of a dancer, or dive and flip with the unbridled athleticism of a creature of the sea.
He even enjoyed an occasional race with a diamond-skinned dolphin. Secretly he preferred racing with the adorably bulky manatee.
"An easier win, with a lesser expense to my male pride,” he surmised.
He supposed he wasn't the only Floridian who enjoyed moonlit dips, or who regularly blew off steam with some well-earned laps around the bay.
So why did he have to be so secretive about his evening swims?
"Perhaps it's because I'm the only one who spouts a blasted fin in the water,” he snorted, talking out loud to himself.
Smirking openly at the thought, the ‘midnight merman’ glided gracefully through an aquiline seascape.
"Midnight merman,” he snorted. “That's probably the cheesy nickname those Port Emerald reporters would tag me with. That's if they could catch up long enough to manage an interview."
In an effort to sustain any sort of peaceful, productive life, he learned quickly to be secretive and ‘fast on his fin’ during his nocturnal swims.
His daytime life was just a long, ongoing attempt to fit in and get by in the world. An attempt that, because of the isolating nature of his ‘condition,’ frequently made him feel all alone.
"Ah, but this could always change,” he thought now, diving purposefully toward the ocean floor.
Tonight, the gentleman with the fin was also a man on a mission.
Chapter Four
Lillith stood before a full-length mirror, admiring the foot-length aqua wrap that emphasized her soft, fair skin and vibrant eyes.
These features also were emphasized by the graceful upsweep of her abundant blonde hair.
In her own estimation, she never had grown into the ravishing beauty that turned every male head on the street.
"Ah, but I did learn the finer points of strategic, if not downright militant, accessorizing,” she thought, arching a sardonic eyebrow as she grabbed her ivory silk handbag and made for the door.
Despite the sharp animosity she harbored toward Taron, she was reluctant to greet him at the door yesterday sans makeup, wearing a wrinkled bathrobe.
"He really didn't seem to care, though,” she thought now. “He looked at me the same way he always did, as if I'm the most beautiful woman in the world."
After Taron's visit, Lillith's longstanding anger dissolved into a state of bewildered curiosity. After checking his story about Talia with an old classmate, she was convinced of its truth.
"So he didn't run off with her, but he did run off,” Lillith pondered, adding with the curious cock of her head, “We shared so much in college. Every confidence, every insecurity. What secret could be so dark, so terrible, that he couldn't share it with me?"
This evening at dinner, Lillith decided, she would learn at last about the forbidden truth that ended her first love affair. One, which eventually left her devastated, embittered and unsure of herself.
Turning her head now, she came face to face with the man who eased her pain during that trying time.
Gregory's photo adorned the far wall of her expansive, brightly tiled entryway.
"It's the first thing I see when I open my front door,” she beamed softly as she admired the sandy blond hair and brown-eyed, smiling features of the man in the photo. “That way, I always come home to him."
Gregory, Lillith had to admit, was more boyishly cute than devastatingly handsome; in the eyes of friends, he and Lillith were the ultimate “cute couple.” Moreover, his soft-spoken, gentle demeanor lent succor to Lillith's soul. Friendship gave way to romance; romance to passion. And these ingredients eventually blended to create a satisfying marriage.
Yet, even as a newlywed, Lillith dreamed about the man who first set fire to her body and soul. Taron fulfilled every fantasy she confided to him, and even a few she didn't share. He seemed to know her desires instinctively.
Outside the bedroom, Taron was a genial and charming gentleman who always knew the right words to say in a given situation.
"Except he couldn't say goodbye,” she observed now, shaking her head sadly.
* * * *
The outside of Taron's home, Lillith found, was much like her own; a two-story structure that stood regally above a scenic stretch of Port Emerald Beach.
Inside, however, his abode lay decorated in muted shades of brown and dark blue; colors that clashed with the bright, sea foam green sign posted just above his corner cherrywood desk.
"Siren's Call Public Relations,” she read aloud, then, nudging her host playfully, “Dare I hope those college English lessons had a slight something to do with this?"
She blinked with surprise as Taron drew her gently into a warm, all-consuming embrace.
"You had everything to do with this,” he assured her, then, drawing back to tilt her chin delicately in his strong hand, “Lillith, it was an athletic scholarship, and nothing else, that secured my place in college. When our tutoring began, I was coming dangerously close to failing my latest attempt at an English class."
Pausing, he graced her with what she considered a warm, dazzling smile.
"You taught me to love words, and to put them to good use,” he praised her. “And as a result, I'm now a P.R. representative for several major sports teams, as well as a number of up and coming athletes and entertainers."
Lillith returned his beam, In fact, it was the happiest, most deeply felt expression she had enjoyed in ages.
"I'm proud of my pupil,” she reached upward to kiss Taron's cheek.
She froze, however, as he moved his hands from her face, and wrapped them surely and suggestively around her waist.
"That's good to hear, Lillith,” he whispered, his voice pouring forth like soft, warm honey into her delicate ear. “You know how I love to please my teacher."
An unexpected wave of arousal coursed pleasurably through her body, before settling in her most private area. And she didn't resist when he used slow, sensual motions to draw her body closer to his.
"Care for a dance before dinner, Madame?” he invited.
Soon Lillith found herself in Taron's dimly lit living room, his arms around her, pulling her into his sensual embrace, and moving his body ever so slowly against her.
Dressed in a sleek black dinner suit, Taron's long ebony hair fell in leonine waves around his broad shoulders—shoulders around which she tightly wrapped her arms as he drew her into a candlelit dance.
Her date placed a single, vanilla-scented candle at the center of his coffee table. The solitary wick, planted in a decorative bronze holder, served to illuminate and compliment his sunkissed features. His azure-hued eyes fairly glowed, not only from the flame's ethereal light, but also from his appreciative appraisal of her body.
Lillith stared deeply into his eyes, while their bodies moved rhythmically to the music coming from the nearby stereo, which played the soothing, sensual rhythms of a romantic waltz.
The tune was a fitting one, as it recalled and embodied the raw, but gentle, sexual nature of the man before her.
She witnessed this characteristic even before they met, when she saw Taron compete with heated intensity in football games and swim meets. And it became more apparent after their first encounter, after she called a temporary halt to their tutoring sessions.
"I really shouldn't get involved with my students,” Lillith told him one day, recalling with a blush the true depths of their current ‘involvement.’ He
had ‘involved’ her several times that very afternoon.
"Lillith,” Taron sighed, rolling his eyes. “I'm not a schoolboy, I'm a man. I'm also your boyfriend."
"And I am your tutor,” she reminded him in a firm tone, adding more softly, “I'm also the product of a very conventional upbringing."
Yet, she took in her breath as Taron suddenly swept her up in his arms and seared her mouth with a hard, hot kiss.
"Don't you understand?” his voice lowered to a sultry whisper. “That's part of your appeal. You seem so very prim and proper; but even when you're reading, I can see the color rise in your face, and the way you squirm in your seat when you glance my way. Even your books arouse you."
Pausing, he pinned her with a probing gaze.
"Last week, for example, you were reading a story about a mythical jungle king,” he pointed out, continuing with a grin she found sly and adorable, “And although it wasn't an erotic tale, I could tell you were going ‘ape’ for that ape man."
Lillith returned Taron's smile, then chucked his chin playfully.
"Me thinks we need to work on your analogies, dear,” she scolded lightly, adding in a more serious tone, “Right now, though, we need to take a break. And you need to decide if you want me as a tutor, or as a lover. We can't have it both ways."
That night, Taron reminded her of just how many delightful ways they could ‘have it.’ After retiring early to the comforting confines of her dorm room bed, she was startled by the sudden appearance of a lone figure at her back patio entry. Rising cautiously to her feet, she turned bravely to face the unwelcome visitor on the other side of the locked glass door.
Her fear turned abruptly to desire as she saw a chiseled, muscled Adonis poised in a strong and masculine pose on her patio.
She easily identified the man as her strapping boyfriend; yet in lieu of his usual attire, which consisted of jeans and muscle T-shirts, he wore a skimpy leopard skin loincloth that barely covered his long shaft; a most impressive and fully erect body part that seemed to salute her in greeting.
His chest, toned and freshly oiled, along with his chiseled abs proved a compelling outline for the sleek, sexy loincloth.
Although nearly speechless, Lillith attempted a casual laugh as she opened the door to welcome him.
"Well I'll say one thing for you, Taron-zan. You certainly know how to prove a point,” she acknowledged. “And I'll say another thing: you, dear sir, have better legs than I do."
The laughter she expected was replaced by an intense, sexy stare that melted her heart, and that made her soaking wet. She moaned softly as Taron swept her up in his arms and kissed her trembling mouth.
Acting perfectly the role of the gentle but primitive jungle king, he growled softly as he licked and nibbled her cheek, neck and upper chest. Then, cupping her soft, delicate breasts in each of his big hands, he laved her nipples until they were hard and fully erect.
Giving her another sultry, narrow eyed gaze, he swept Lillith from her feet and cradled her tenderly against his chest. He then carried her to an overstuffed easy chair and set her gently into the depths of its cushiony confines.
"Why here?” she asked, voice raspy with the heat of desire. “My bed would be better, don't you think?"
Still he said nothing, only regarded her for a long, silent moment before moving slowly away from her.
Without warning or hesitation, he dropped to his knees and crawled like a heated, hungry savage animal toward her chair. His legs and arms moving in a sleek, smooth concert, he never took his azure gaze from her face. Finally, when he sat at her feet, he raised the hem of her nightgown and planted sweet baby kisses along her legs and thighs.
Leaning forward, he brazenly licked her sensitive feminine folds, his heated gaze shifting upward to gauge her reaction.
Opening her eyes wide, Lillith reached forward and buried her hands in his long, silky hair, pulling his head gently but purposefully forward.
"Yes.” She offered a deep, whisky voiced reply to his unspoken question.
Growling his own assent, Taron lightly nipped at her womanly hood until it opened like a flower before him. She hissed as his full, luscious lips made searing contact with her wet clit, sending shock waves of arousal throughout her entire body.
He suckled her with expert slowness, applying gentle, succulent pressure with his mouth and tongue. As her clit began to heave with the weight of arousal, and her moans grew louder and almost desperate, Taron plunged his head forward and fixed his mouth surely and certainly around her sensitive nub. With a long last lick, he finally sent her soaring into the throws of a heated, prolonged climax; one that rocked her body with its sheer, unbridled intensity.
Falling back into the depths of her comfortable chair, Lillith drew deep breaths as she fought to regain her control. Yet she didn't resist as Taron rose to his feet and collected her in a warm and loving embrace—speaking his first and only words to her that evening.
"I want you as my tutor,” he told her, grasping her flushed cheeks and looking deeply into her eyes. “I want you as my lover. I want you as my everything."
Lillith never forgot these words. And they now echoed loudly through her mind as Taron danced her across his living room.
Seeming to read her mind, he drew slowly back and cupped her beaming face in two tender hands. Then, gracing her with the same intense, passion-dazed stare he gave her long ago, he covered her mouth with his.
Her lips parting easily and willingly beneath his, Lillith accepted the courtship of Taron's luscious tongue, engaging him in a decadent tango of a kiss that matched the graceful movement of their bodies.
As their lips smacked deliciously together and their hungry hands clasped, they continued to sway smoothly and in elegant time with the music.
Her body froze a moment later, however, as their sensuous dance was followed by a slower, sadder tune; this one performed by a contemporary soul singer named Delilah Wade.
Gregory's favorite singer.
Soon another set of sentimental memories flooded Lillith's psyche. Yet this one involved another man, in another time.
After Taron's departure, Gregory tried to cheer Lillith with an invitation to a Delilah Wade concert. What began as a friendly gesture evolved into a fun, playfully romantic date. And as their relationship grew more serious, Delilah became ‘their singer.'
This particular song, in fact, played at their wedding.
Letting out a loud, sharp sob, Lillith broke away from her confused date.
"I'm so sorry, Taron,” her voice trembled. “This is just too soon. I'm afraid I won't be able to stay for dinner."
Frowning in confusion, Taron opened his mouth to object, then closed it just as quickly. “Now I remember,” he sighed. “Greg was a huge fan of Delilah Wade."
Nodding, Lillith smiled apologetically as she retrieved her silk purse and kissed her date's cheek.
"I'm sorry,” she repeated, adding with an uneasy shrug, “I guess it's just too soon for me."
"And I was moving too quickly,” Taron added, then, reaching his hand deeply into the pocket of his sleek black jacket, “Before you go, though, I would love for you to accept this gift."
Lillith started to refuse. Her mouth fell open as she saw the small but radiant object clasped in Taron's palm.
It was a single pearl that shone luminously in the candlelight; a nature-made gem with delicately merged hues of ivory and fuchsia.
Gaping, Lillith accepted Taron's gift with a small, silent nod.
"Taron, it's beautiful. It's so pure and looks as though it was taken directly from the ocean floor."
Smiling slightly, Taron lifted the pearl to rub it with long, delicate strokes across her fair-skinned cheek.
"It suits you perfectly,” he whispered.
Suddenly he replaced the pearl with his lips, grazing her cheek with a whisper soft kiss.
Drawing back, Lillith regarded Taron with a curiously cocked head.
"Listen, I may not be
ready for a romantic date,” she allowed, “but I am in the mood to head out to Port Emerald Beach for a moonlit swim. Care to join me?"
Taron shook his head.
"I'm really not much for swimming these days,” he admitted.
Pausing, he added with a cordial beam, “I would, however, love to invite you to a party I'll be hosting this weekend. It's a masquerade bash."
Drawing closer to Lillith, he chucked her chin playfully.
"If I remember correctly, you love it when I play ‘dress up,” he whispered, tone soft and suggestive.
Reddening, Lillith gave him a teasing smile before turning toward the door.
"I'll be happy to attend the masquerade party, Taron. Just know, though, that I fully intend to remain ‘dressed up’ at all points during the evening. No messing around."
Chuckling, Taron hugged her tenderly.
"We'll see, Love,” he winked.
Chapter Five
As Lillith's car cut through the quiet, palm-lined streets that lead to Port Emerald Beach, she couldn't help but ponder the mysterious reason behind Taron's refusal to join her.
"He loved swimming in college. He was the star of the Port Emerald University swim team,” she recalled. “And we spent many fun afternoons at the campus pool."
She also remembered that this weekend tradition ended shortly before his disappearance. After inexplicably quitting the swim team, he avoided the campus pool at all costs, and even declined a flirtatious invitation to share a bubble bath with his beloved.
"I wonder if this in any way relates to this ‘secret’ life of his,” she scowled. “And wouldn't you know it? With all the dancing and heated remembrances, I forgot even to ask about the illusive ‘secret.’ Drat it to blazes!"
She felt her body relax as she witnessed the wonder of Port Emerald Beach in the moonlight. It was a marvel defined by the presence of vast, soft ivory sands, made all the more luminous by a gently hued blanket of crystalline moonlight.
Tall, emerald-leaved palms and a clear, radiant star-kissed sky oversaw the beach. The waters beyond held a deep azure beauty that Lillith yearned to experience.
Romp Fantasy Digest Page 8
