They passed baby ducklings and as they passed another boat, they nodded and waved to the two men in it. Alexander took them beneath a bridge and she felt like she was gliding through a dream somehow; some magic fantasy that could not be real, but there she was, right in the middle of it. There was sun on her skin, gentle air moving through her hair and against her cheeks, and the feeling that nothing could be more perfect than that moment with him there in the boat on the water beneath the beautiful blue sky and the spring blossoms that spun in the air around them.
After a long ride around the lake, he finally took her back to the shore, returned the boat to the boatman, and they went to a grassy spot beside the water, just underneath a wide tree dressed in brilliant pink petals. They set up their picnic and ate together and she poured more champagne for them.
He laid back on his elbow and sipped from his glass, looking out over the lake thoughtfully before he turned to her. “This day could not have been more perfect,” he said softly.
She smiled at him and leaned close to him, hungry for another taste of him. “Well, it’s not over yet…” she said silkily as she pressed her lips to his and began to kiss him slowly and sweetly.
He reached far behind him and set his glass down, and then slid his arm around her and a moment later she found herself beneath him as he kissed her in return, his mouth moving over hers with an ever growing need as his arms and hands tightened on her body.
Heat flooded her from her core, stealing through her veins like liquid fire as his tongue invaded her mouth and his lips pressed against hers more ardently. She wound her arms around the strong solid muscles of his back and she was able to touch and feel the form that she had admired so much while they were rowing in the boat on the lake earlier. His muscles were hard and warm beneath her fingers and she closed her hands tightly around them, pressing her fingertips into them as he aroused her even more.
His lips left hers and trailed slowly along her cheek to the hollow beneath her ear where he paused to breathe her in before brushing his mouth softly over her neck, kissing and sucking gently as he moved lower toward her throat. She lifted her chin and tilted her head back, riveted by the powerful gravitational force pulling her to him with mounting need.
A soft moan escaped her parted lips as he reached the base of her neck and she longed to feel his mouth on the curves of her breasts and her hardened nipples that were straining against the dark red sweater she wore. Her hands moved hungrily from the firm bulk of his shoulders to the back of his neck where her fingers threaded through his thick hair and she lifted her chest toward his mouth, breathlessly.
He groaned and traced his lips tantalizingly over the bare skin that showed at the neckline of her sweater, but then he raised himself up and kissed her mouth softly for a long lingering moment, savoring her lips, and Alexander pushed himself up away from her and leaned back, looking up and taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
She slid her elbows back behind her and pushed herself up, staring at him in surprise. She had not expected him to stop something so hot and delicious as the kisses they had just shared.
“Are you okay?” she asked, lowering one brow in confusion.
He drew in another slow breath and exhaled gradually, then turned to look down at her, giving her a smile. “I’m good. I’m better than good… you are an amazing woman, and you really bring out a desire in me that I haven’t felt in a while.” He leaned over her, hovering at arm’s length and reached a hand to her cheek, trailing the tip of his finger over her cheekbone.
“I loved kissing you. Thank you,” he said quietly, the corners of his mouth curved upward, his chocolate brown eyes steady on hers.
She began to have a sinking feeling in the depths of her that he was doing just what he had done in the car and she felt a wave of panic. She pushed herself up to him swiftly, and when she was not much more than a breath away from his face, she curved her hand around his cheek and touched her lips to his softly, kissing him sensually.
He closed his eyes and kissed her mouth lightly for a moment and she raised her eyes and looked up through her eyelashes at him. “Alexander… I want you to come home with me today. I want you to spend the afternoon with me in my bed.” She whispered as her hand drifted from his cheek down his neck to the open collar of his shirt. Her fingertips circled in the dark hair peeking out of his shirt at the top of his chest. “Come with me…” she breathed as desire burned at her.
Alexander sighed and pressed his lips together, closing his eyes for a moment before looking back at her and raising his hand to close it gently around hers, moving it from his neck down to the small empty space between them.