The Ties That Bind

Chapter Five: No Longer a Girl, Just ALL Woman

March 25, Germany, 7:45 AM

Slightly bleary-eyed from the 23-hour flight (the only standby that had been available), Miles exited the airport taxi that had just dropped him off at the Von Karma estate. He stood there on the driveway of the place where he'd spent the majority of his childhood. Since moving to the States and setting up residence in his spacious, modern penthouse in Los Angeles, he hadn't paid much mind to his old home in Germany. Now, having spent the time away and looking upon the manor with fresh eyes, he felt a grudging appreciation at its splendor, where his earliest memories of Franziska had been established; many bittersweet since they had also included Manfred Von Karma.

The stone mansion, which had been built in 1822, sat on the 37-acre property, exhibiting a luxurious ambiance in Neoclassical style. The stately driveway led up to the 36 foot high fountain in front of it. At the side of the manor was an old coach house which had long since been converted into a garage suitable for four cars. The pretty garden with centuries-old oak trees featured an enormous pond, accompanied by another smaller pond with a little island. The lighting system around the grounds created a wonderful atmosphere after dark, although right now, in the daytime, of course, they were off, so the warm glow of the morning sun over the horizon was the illuminator of residence's resplendent beauty.

Miles took a deep breath, strode up to the front door, and rang the doorbell. He still had his keys, of course, as this had been the place he'd stayed at when he had last gone to Europe, but as he was catching Franziska unawares, he didn't want to startle her with his unannounced presence and have her mistake him for an intruder.

He was the surprised one, however, when the door opened a moment later not by Hans, their longtime butler, but by Franziska herself.

She stood there in a silky silver robe, glossy hair slightly tousled from bed-head as he'd obviously awoken her from her slumber, her sleepy grey eyes immediately widening in surprise as she stared at her unexpected guest.

"Miles?" She gasped, a hand fluttering to her throat. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to lay my sword at your feet, milady," Miles replied with his customary courtroom bow. He looked deeply into her beautiful eyes, which were now sparkling with delight at the sight of him now that the initial shock had worn off. He took her hand and pressed his lips upon it, giving her a roguish grin. "And to safely return your heart to your hands, along with my own."

Tears of happiness shone in Franziska's eyes as she quickly stepped aside and ushered him into the foyer, shutting the heavy wooden door behind them.

"I'm so happy to see you," she whispered, reaching up a trembling hand to his face and smoothing an errant strand of hair off his cheek. "I just need to touch you, to prove to myself that I'm not dreaming."

"Franziska Von Karma," he whispered back, threading his fingers through her hair, worshiping her face with feather light kisses. "If this is a dream, don't wake me up." He caught her lips in a searing kiss that left her breathless, then nibbled from her lips to her jaw and then down her throat. Franziska tipped her head back and made a low growling sound in her throat. He bit her. She moaned, pressing her body against his intuitively and wrapped her arms tightly around his back.

"The servants," he murmured against the satiny skin of her ear. "Where are they?"

"It's – their day off..." she rasped, barely able to form the words as he nibbled on her lobe.

"And a very lucky one for us indeed then." He smiled at her with a devilish glint in his eye as he deftly untied her robe and slid it off her shoulders, letting it whisper to the parquet hallway floor in a satin pool at her feet, leaving her standing before him in nothing but a black slip nightie.

She answered him with a sensual moan which caused him to kiss her even deeper as he ran his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks. Her hips gyrated slowly on his already rock-hard erection through his pants.

Without breaking the kiss, in one swoop Miles lifted her up on his powerful body. She wrapped her legs around his torso instinctively and cupped her hands around his neck. Franziska shivered with anticipation as he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. His eyes never left her face. They held an expression she hadn't seen ever before from him, and it shook her to the core. Intense. Sexual. Animalistic. She almost feared him but not in the true sense of the word. She was scared that once she became intimate with Miles, she would fall for him more than she already had.

Once they got to her room, he kicked the door shut, then laid her down onto the soft comforter and stretched his long body next to hers. With his head over hers, he stared deeply into her eyes as he tenderly caressed her cheek with his hand. Every fiber in her body was awake as he ran his hand down the length of her body, each touch sending excitement coursing through her bloodstream. She shuddered as he dragged his lips across her cheek and gently kissed the side of her mouth. She was in awe over his tender handling of her, and she turned her mouth to his, tasting the sweet essence of his lips that stroked hers with an intensity she'd never experienced before. She ran her fingers through his soft hair as he continued ravishing her lips with his as soft moans—which she had no control over—escaped her mouth. He moved on top of her pulling her legs up and wrapping them around his waist.

She closed her eyes so she could better feel his touch on her lips. His kiss deepened as his mouth tasted and pulled on her lips making them swollen. He was kissing her as if she was all his, as if he was taking possession over her which turned her on even more. The moistness between her legs became even slicker as she felt his erection rub against her panties. She met his kisses with more vigor and hunger. The power he had over her was causing her to lose her mind and heart to him with each caress of his lips.

"How I've been yearning and craving you, Franziska," he said in an intoxicating tone. "I promise to show you just how much."

The passion which erupted in her veins charged through at the intensity of his words. She grasped his shoulders tight to hold onto the roller coaster ride he had her on. When he pulled away from her, she let out a wounded cry.

"Don't fret, meine dame. I'm nowhere near done. Just taking off this damn suit jacket." He tossed it to the floor, yanked his shirt over his head, ripped off his cravat and sent it flying somewhere across the bedroom, exposing his well-muscled torso. His pants and boxers soon followed in the same fashion.

She sat up and met him, both standing on their knees in the bed. He tossed the pillow shams aside and pulled the comforter to expose the sheets. His lips sought hers once more, claiming power over them and her heart, which was racing with raw pleasure.

"What are you doing to me, woman?" he asked in an aroused tone as he planted kisses on her neck. "I've wanted to taste your beautiful, succulent lips again since the day you left me at the airport. All the way over here, I couldn't sleep without thinking about kissing you and hearing your soft moans as I make love to you."

"Oh, Miles. Please don't stop," she moaned.

"I don't intend to." His tongue probed into her mouth as he pushed her back on the bed, her legs straddling around his waist once more. "I want to satisfy you in every way possible. I want to know every inch of your body. I want to know where all of your hot spots are and find the ones that never existed until I provoked them, making them mine. Do you hear me, Franziska?"

"Yes," she managed to stumble out.

The grandfather clock in the room struck eight o'clock. They both turned their attention to the clock and then back to each other.

"You know, it's a good thing the servants aren't here today, meine dame," he said with a wicked grin, looking down at her with such an intense expression that her right leg began to shake uncontrollably. That only happened when she was nervous. The anticipation of what making love with Miles was going to do to her body was mind-boggling. "Because the sounds I'm going to arise out of you would scandalize them for years to come."