A Long and Lonely Mile

Chapter 19

As Marigold's hand ventured across the bed, it found only an empty space. Her first instinct was to panic but each of her senses calmed her as they awoke, one by one. She could hear over the prickle of snowflakes against her window something that sounded very much like food frying in the kitchen and smelled the soothing aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee.

Before heading downstairs, Tavington had even ignited fresh a stick of Nag Champa incense and left it to smoke and smolder on her dresser. Love warmed her heart and she dozed comfortably until his voice summoned her to join him in the space- their space.

"Good morning, my beautiful one," Tavington placed noisy a tray on Marigold's nightstand and nudged Moxie's curious snout away from its contents, "I am marrying you in four days..."

Another sense, touch, sprung to life as he moved the back of his hand against the curvature of her hip and buried his lips into the bare flesh of her waist.

He drew her into his warmth and all that she could feel was his skin. "You made me breakfast completely naked?" Marigold laughed, smoothing her hands across him in every direction. Affirmative, butt naked. His feet weren't even properly sock'd!

"I most certainly did," Tavington started to stir his coffee, casually. He tried his best to remain suave, but finally broke and laughed along with her. "Now, you have French toast topped with your famous honey mint berry salad and powdered sugar. Oh! And your ideal cup of coffee. Stumptown House Blend, all the way from beautiful Portland, Oregon." Someone wanted a bribe and not of the monetary sort. But Marigold was swept off her feet, nonetheless. "Two pumps of hazelnut with a thimble's worth of milk. I used a real thimble just for safety. As always, it is served in your favorite bumblebee mug."

She stole a quick glance at the undeniably beautiful breakfast that he had prepared for her and gave him a gracious kiss on the forehead. It wasn't long before she started laughing again. "I'm sorry, I was just imagining you frying up French toast in the nude..."

"I'll wake you up early next time so you can watch," he took a small bite of a strawberry slice that Marigold offered him from her own plate, "only if you're interested, of course..." The smallest bit of juice from the strawberry glistened in the corner of his mouth. She started to wipe it away, but Tavington seized her wrist and started to kiss the tips of her fingers one by one. "Have I ever told you that you have the most beautiful hands?" The warmth of his breath moved from fingertip to wrist as he spoke, gradually enveloping her entire hand as a glove would. "Because you do. So slender, so soft. I've always adored that backward bend at their tips. They are to me ten small, white calla lilies. Lovely and sweet; my goddess' passageway to the tactile world. What, I wonder, did I ever do to become worthy of each caress that they have given me?"

"You're beginning to sound very much like a poet, William Tavington." As she placed the tray on the bed, Moxie jumped up, spoiling the mood only slightly. Still, Tavington continued to plant occasional kisses all along her ivory shoulders and unclothed back as they had their breakfast. "I take it you slept well, William?" Once finished, she allowed herself to be held once more, cup in hand. "I missed you for the second part of our dream... what were you doing?"

"Uhm. To use your words, frying up French toast in the nude." He threw his final bite of food to Moxie, silencing her high-pitched whining for a second or two. "Here's hoping I didn't traumatize your dog. What were you doing? Did you learn anything new about our little girl?"

"She asked where you went. And briefly whistled "My Little Buttercup" to her horse as she was leading her to the stable after their ride. You know, like from "The Three Amigos", so it's nice to know that she has excellent taste in films. And is a complete nut. Oh, and she calls you 'Fa' and me 'Ma'. Of course, she might have just been acting cute. I have a feeling she's very ironic..."