Kissed by a Rose

3. Rendezvous in the Moonlight

"Charlotte?" There it was again, that deep, buttery voice which wielded my body to turn around. The sun was slowly descending beyond the horizon, and the warm painted colors of the sky reflected against his emerald eyes. A sigh escaped from my lips and I seemed to have become a woman in the mere minutes that passed as he walked closer.

Flora whispered into my ear, "Miss, I will stay for a bit, but I must head back in order to make sure that no one suspects anything. You may have this night, but be back at the manor no later than sunrise. And do not do anything you might regret later."

Nodding, I erected my stance and patted my dress down. As Quinton approached, I could make out his facial features more clearly. His jawbone and cheeks were strong like that of a warrior, but his eyes held the amusement like that of a child.

Soon we were face to face, and his eyes remained locked onto mine. His fingers threaded into mine before bringing my hand up for a chaste kiss. His lips grazed upon the back of my hand, and I could feel my womanhood stir with desire, desire for a man I had not met for even an hour. I let out a sigh, and he smiled against my hand before kissing it again.

"Sir, I would like to announce Miss Charlotte Mariner, your fiancé." Chuckling, Quinton released my hand before acknowledging Flora behind me. I, on the other hand, furiously turned around to glare at Flora, who only shrugged and gave me an 'I do not know what you are so upset about' look.

As I turned around, Quinton bowed and introduced himself. In return, I curtsied, and did the same. "Would you care to walk along the shore with me, darling?"

"I would love to, Quinton." Turning my head slightly, I gave Flora an assuring nod. Understanding, she headed back to the manor.

Quinton and I started our walk in silence. I felt that neither of us knew what to say to the other. Mustering up my courage, I decided to be the one to break the silence.

"Um, how was your voyage from Vaheera?"

"It was pleasant, the weather was very good for the, um, for the trip."

Nodding, our walk continued in silence. The sun continued to set and the waves seemed to excite at the prospect of seeing the moon. As I continued to stare at the sea, I hadn't noticed that Quinton stopped walking.

"Are you alright?" I said.

"Yes...no. I'm not Charlotte." Tenderly, he took both of my hands into his own and looked down upon me softly.

"I have thought of only you from the moment that I saw your picture. At first, I was indifferent about the situation, but as the days went on, I could not help but wonder what you liked to do and what you did not like to eat. When my manservant brought the idea up of meeting you secretly, I just had to agree."

I was unprepared for Quinton's confession, but he managed to take my breath away. I was about to say something in response, but his thumb brushed against my bottom lip.

"Do you know what else I have thought of for these long months?" I gasped and he chuckled. "I've thought of dancing with you."

I was thankful for the darkness that was surrounding us, because my face was incredibly red. "O-Oh, of course," I laughed. Reaching my hand out, Quinton took it in his and spun me around. Placing one hand on his shoulder and the other in his, we swayed to the sounds of the sea.

"I've thought only of you as well," I said. Embarrassed by my sudden outburst, I shifted my eyes to his feet. That, however, did not last too long, for he tilted my face up to meet his. As I was looking at him, I felt wetness between my thighs urging me to encourage him. I nibbled on the bottom of my lip as I fluttered my eyelashes a few times.

His thumbs brushed against my cheeks and before I knew it, his mouth was on mine. His tongue glided across my lips, and I let out a moan. As my lips parted, I could taste the sweet taste of his tongue rolling across mine. Grabbing my hips, he pulled me into his body. I could feel his erection against my thigh, which only caused me to moan deeper into his kiss. He pulled back slightly, taking in the sight of my swollen mouth and flushed cheeks. His erection pulsed against my thigh and my body swooned into his.

"Charlotte," he groaned into my ear, "I want you. Now." I moaned at his commanding words, my womanhood pulsing, demanding more of him. As he unlaced my dress, his teeth gently worked their way up the length of my neck and pulled on the lobe of my ear. With my dress off, he brought his mouth back onto mine, heavier than before. His kisses were full of want and of need. His hands worked his way up the length of my body, brushing against my stomach until they reached my breasts. He gave them a vigorous squeeze before fondling my nipple between his fingers. "Charlotte," he groaned once more, "Touch me."

It was when I reached my hand onto his manhood that we had problems. After feeling his erection, I let out a small shriek before falling down. Quinton looked surprised before laughing out loud. "My god, look at us. Nothing more than newly acquainted strangers and we are already making our wedding bed."

'Quinton! This is not funny!" I laughed. As he helped me up, Quinton brushed off the sand from my arms. "You can call me Quinn, by the way. It's what my friends and father call me."

I smiled, "I love that."

We talked throughout the night. We talked of the places he had visited and the places he wanted to go to. We talked of the books we loved to read and of the food we loved to eat. He told me about his home and of Vaheera's beauty and trade. I talked to him about my home and all that Coroneos had to offer.

In between these conversations, he would brush my hair away from my face or plant chaste kisses against my forehead. Secretly, I was hoping that he would kiss me as he did before, but I knew that a line had formed between us, and that was a matter that would not be revisited until our wedding night.

Sometime as the moon grew higher in the night sky, we fell asleep against one another on the sand. I stirred often to make sure that he was really here and not some vivid dream that would disappear once I was to wake.

Before long, I had fallen asleep, and in a matter of time the sun began to peak over the horizon. I awoke to the warm feeling of kisses along my hairline and an arm around my waist. "Good morning, beautiful," he breathed into my hair.

"Quinn?" I looked over, "I was afraid this was all a dream."

He chuckled as he stroked my hair, "You are quite adorable to wake to. As much as I truly want to just stay on this beach with you all day, I cannot miss my ship back home. I told my father I was on a business trip and wouldn't be gone long."

Smiling, Quinn helped me to get fully dressed before we headed back towards the docks. As he took my hand in his, I could not help but to imagine what my life will be like once I move to Vaheera and get to sleep and wake up with Quinn everyday. I would bear him children and be a mother, I imagine, a mother like Flora. I smiled to myself and looked up at Quinn who seemed extremely focused on the task at hand. His facial features were far more prominent in the new daylight and with his tussled hair; I wanted to kiss him ferociously.

As we approached the docks, I squeezed Quinn's hand harder, knowing that he would have to let go soon. He gave me a reassuring squeeze back.

"Don't fret, my love. We have just one month until our wedding. Then we will be together forever, only to be parted by death," he said as he kissed my cheek.

"I know, but it is so hard now that we have seen each other."

Quinn touched my cheek lovingly, "I must go, but we will be together soon."

Placing a chaste kiss upon my lips, he turned and started towards the shipping yard. I stopped him and brought his lips forcefully upon mine. Letting out a groan, he slipped his tongue in between my parted lips and massaged my tongue with his. I pulled him in closer and could feel his erection press against the moistness in between my thighs. "Quinn," I moaned against his lips.

As we parted lips, I quickly turned around and headed for the manor. Although I left him caught off-guard, at least I knew that he would think of me during his journey home.

I quickly ascended the hill that the manor rested upon, knowing that Flora would have my ear if I were not home by her deadline. The sun was now rising upon all of Coroneos, gracing the island with its presence. As it cast light upon my home, I looked to the future with hope and the absence of fear.