Violet - Book Two

fifteen

A hemisphere of what was once the sun hangs just above the horizon, slowly but surely sinking beneath the waves. A light wind channelled between the headlands ruffles the edges of the blanket, disturbing a single cherry tomato which had found its way from a plate. My eyes follow it as it silently rolls around in a circle like a spinning top.

Enoch's grip tightens on my thigh. Neither of us have spoken for a while. We must have been sitting here for at least an hour - the night is approaching.

"What time is it?" I murmur.

Enoch flicks his right wrist to his eyeline and squints at the timepiece before him.

"I'll call that half six." His eyebrows raise in what appears to be disbelief. "It's been that long?"

"Surely not!" I take hold of his wrist and tilt the watch face towards me. As he announced, the longest hand sits just before the ornate 'VI' at the bottom of the face.

"Time flies when you're 'avin' fun, I s'pose." He flashes a smile at me, his hand still resting on my leg.

I turn to face him, and his hand slides onto the rug. He looks right back at me, his mouth curling into a slight smile. His cheeks are adorable when he smiles. I could kiss him - so I do.

It takes him by surprise, but he soon cooperates. His fingers knit their way through mine, and the other hand snakes around my back. I feel him lean forward, and I wrap my arms around his neck to bring us closer.

His hands are wandering - slowly sliding across my rear and to the underside of my thighs. Enoch pulls away for a moment, then hauls my body across the rug and positions me on his lap, one leg either side of him.

"That's better." I hear him whisper, before he plants another kiss on my mouth. His fingers retrace their steps back to my backside, but this time they stay there. It feels good.

It comes as a slight shock when he suddenly detaches himself from my lips, and I am left longing for his touch. His head dips lower and moves towards my right shoulder, where his lips gently press against the side of my neck. I let a small gasp slip as as warm patch appears on my skin as he kisses me. I place one of my hands at the base of his neck and let the other wander through his dark curls - this is an alien sensation to me.

I can feel a faint beat of a heart encased in the chest pressed up against my body. My legs wrap themselves tightly around his waist; my skirt rides up my thighs a little higher. The warmth of Enoch's lips disappears as he pulls away and returns to his original position before me.

"Did you like that?" He murmurs; his hands have now fallen away from my skin.

"Very much." I whisper, touching his cheeks with my fingertips. A copper strand escapes the mass of my hair and floats in my vision, and his right hand rushes to push it back into place behind my ear. His fingers linger in my hair for a moment, before his limb falls away.

"We should go back soon." He says, not quite looking into my eye. "Horace said his dream was interesting last night."

"Wouldn't want to miss that, would we?" I agree, shifting myself off his lap and begin to pack up the picnic back into the basket. Enoch rolls the blanket up and tosses it in after I've stacked the plates and returned loose food to their bowls inside.

Enoch insists on carrying the basket, and holds my hand tightly as we make our way towards the steps.

"I really enjoyed that, Enoch." I tell him midway up the staircase.

"I'm glad. Am I forgiven?"

"You were always forgiven, silly." I exclaim, kissing his cheek as we walk. The house appears as we reach the top, and our fingers separate and fall to our sides

~

"You're back early." Olive chirps as I enter the kitchen. She stands over the sink washing some plates.

"We thought we'd get back for Horace's dream show." I join her at the sink and begin to dry the cutlery with a tea towel. I can see Olive turn and look at my neck through my peripherals.

"Oh my goodness, Violet!" She shakes her hand dry and moves some hair from my neck.

"What? What is it?" I say, suddenly filled with worry. What on Earth could be bothering her so?

"What on earth have you been doing?" She exclaims, wide eyed, still peering at me.

"What do you mean, Olive?" I move away from her and dash to the mirror near the scrap table. I tuck my hair behind my ear and see an enormous purple patch on the side of my neck.

"What the bloody hell is that?" I shriek.

"I think it's a love bite Vi." She replies. I can see her reflection smirking at me.

"A what?"

"A love bite. It's a bit like a bruise. Did he kiss you there?" 

"Um, yes." I reply, hesitant to divulge details.

"There you go then." She giggles, holding her dainty hand to her mouth. "Cover it with your hair. It'll go soon."

Obediently, I sweep my hair back over the purple area and catch another glimpse of her in the mirror. She smiles, fondly.