The beds were filled with a riot of bright colors, flowers of every type, blooming wantonly. The heat from the day was just starting to abate, and a cooling wind was blowing, carrying with it lush perfume from the flowers. “It’s beautiful.”
Richard nodded. “My aunt had it made. She loved having a sanctuary in the middle of the city that she could escape to.” He led her along the edge of the garden, stopping with her to watch the sun setting low in the sky. He lightly placed his arms around her as he gathered his thoughts. Absently he noted the way the sunlight brought out the highlights in her hair, reminding him of the orchid he had given her.
After a minute, Charlotte asked, “What are we doing?”
All of Richard’s worry and concerns broke away with the smile that warmed his face. “We’re watching the sunset. Shhh. It’s romantic.”
“I’m not seeing the romance here,” Charlotte disagreed. “I see New Jersey.”
Richard laughed as he turned her in his arms to face him. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“I’m not really the romance type,” Charlotte stated. “And you know that.”
Richard sighed dramatically. “Come over here then, my nonromantic one.” They walked into the maze to the elegant wooden benches at the center there. He took her to one that was covered with a large, plain, dark green cushion. “I was going to put out some candles but—” He stopped at the expression on her face.
They sat comfortably side by side in silence. Finally Charlotte pulled out her cigarettes. “I need this,” she murmured before offering one to him. Sitting together, smoking, brought them both a flood of memories, both good and bad. Gently, Charlotte explored them, evaluating again her feelings for the complex man beside her.
Richard struggled for a moment, and Charlotte let him, waiting silently to see what he was going to say. Finally he began, “Char, I don’t know why this is so hard. I can talk to you about anything, but when it comes to us? I’m tongue-tied. What I want to say is I want you, and I want us to be better.”
“Better?”
“I know,” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands for a moment. “That’s not very good. Sorry. What I mean is, I don’t want us to go back to how we were. I want us to be better.”
Charlotte crossed her arms and then started rubbing her forehead with her hand. She sighed. “Richard, you’re the only one who’s keeping us from being better.” She dropped her hand and looked up at him. “I was doing what people usually do, moving from nonexclusive dating toward exclusive dating.” She tilted her head a little. “You, being the creative soul that you are, went from nonexclusive dating to not dating me, to not dating at all—if your phone calls are to be believed. I think the next step would be to reverse puberty.” She stopped herself, wondering if she had gone too far, and regrouped her thoughts. “My point is, if you want us to be better, then be better.” She touched his arms to emphasize her words. “I don’t need the orchid and candles in the middle of the day and the view of beautiful New Jersey. I haven’t suddenly morphed into Jane. I want us. You and me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Richard put out his cigarette and slowly wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
His expression carried the uncertainty he felt. “You know I’m not cured, right? I mean, I want to be. I want to be with you and only with you, but,” his voice dropped, “I might stumble.”
“I know. All I’m asking is that you be honest with me.” She put out her cigarette and placed her hands on his chest. “I can handle stumbles. I won’t like it, but as long as you’re sure that you want to be with me, I can handle it. But I need you to promise to tell me. And if you ever change your mind, and you don’t want to be with me, you have to tell me that too.”
Richard considered her words solemnly. “That’s actually a really big promise.”
Charlotte nodded. “I know it. It just came out, I didn’t mean to…” She ran out of words. Then she took a deep breath and continued, “It’s what I need to be able to trust you again.”
“Can you promise the same to me? Full honesty? No keeping things secret to ‘protect’ my feelings?”
Charlotte paused and thought about what he was saying. “I can promise to do my best. That’s about all.”
“I think that will be enough,” he agreed. “We do pretty well when we’re honest with each other.” He took a deep breath, “And I promise to be honest with you, Charlotte.” He smiled and kissed her, slowly, sealing himself to her.
Charlotte felt like a tight band that had been wrapped around her chest was being removed. She felt like she could breathe again. All the grief and anxiety left her, leaving her rejuvenated. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched luxuriously against him, as if her body was responding to the relief in her heart. A smile of deepest joy graced her features. “Thank you,” she breathed softly as she leaned against him, lifting her lips to his.
Richard opened all his senses to her: her beautiful dark eyes against her luminous pale skin, her scent, her taste, the feel of her slender body in his arms, and he was transfixed by what he beheld. “Charlotte,” he whispered in awe. It had been a long time since he had thought of her as anything but beautiful, but in this moment, she was transformed again, almost like magic, to magnificent.
He kissed her, trying to express all the love and wonder that he felt for her. “I love you.”
She kissed him back, long and deep. Smiling, she said, “I got that. I love you too.” She threaded her fingers in his long dark hair, enjoying the silkiness of it. “Promise me you’ll stop being so stupid?”
He kissed her again, longer, using all his skill to pleasure her. “I’m trying.” He kissed her until she moaned. “I was trying to save you from me.”
She hit him, hard, on the shoulder. “Ow!”
“That’s what I mean. Stop being so stupid!” She kissed him again, sucking hard on his tongue as she worked at the buttons of his shirt.
“Okay,” he grinned before kissing her again, his hands slipping under her shirt.
She moaned as she felt his hands on her bare skin. “Oooooooooh God! It’s been so long.” She hit him again. “Don’t ever keep yourself from me again.” She kissed him again, hungrily, trying to touch all of his mouth with hers.
He grinned wickedly. “You like hitting me, don’t you?” he asked as he nipped lightly along the length of her jaw, before moving to the sensitive curve of her neck.
She cried out as the new sensations assaulted her. “Maybe I do. But I think you deserve it.” She found his hand and placed it on her breast, squeezing hard. “You’ve been a very bad—oh!—man and you should be punished.” She put both of her hands on the sides of his head and pulled him away. “Are we alone here? No one else has access to the roof, right?”
“We’re fine. It’s all ours,” he answered as she quickly removed her top. “Oh Char!” he whispered as he pulled her to him, needing to taste the newly revealed skin.
She curled her arms around his head as his mouth pleasured her, finding a hard nipple and suckling it eagerly. Longing that had been denied for so long flamed, causing an almost physical pain, driving her on like the lash of a whip. Her skin was on fire every place he touched. He was hers, finally, and she intended to possess every inch of him.
She pulled away from him and stood up to quickly remove every last remnant of clothing, until she stood before him, proud, her body throbbing.
Richard watched. His eyes were filled with her beauty, but his mind was stunned at what her eyes were telling him. This was completely different from any woman wanting him before; this was his mate demanding him. This was primitive, primal, and yet he was fully aware of the commitment he was making. This wasn’t a promise of words, or even of his heart; this was a promise of his soul. He removed his clothing and prepared himself until he stood like her, naked in that improbable garden, and he held out his hand to her.