Sweet Surrender   Tammy wondered around the crowd in a daze looking for James when Des pulled her aside.   ‘Why so sad my puppet?’ she asked mischievously. Tammy ignored her scanning the crowd instead. ‘I’m looking for James, have you seen him anywhere?’ she asked concerned. ‘The last time I saw him he was speaking to the dowager’ Des replied helpfully ‘I think they headed towards the conservatory. Shall we go look for them?’ Glad to have some assistance Tammy followed Des through the double doors that lead into the garden.  The conservatory was a huge glass house situated at the far end of the garden.  A previous duke had been a botanist, building this massive conservatory to house all the specimens of plant life he gathered through his travels. ‘Are you sure they came outside?’ Tammy asked suspicious. ‘You know James’ Des said putting her at ease ‘he probably found the ball too suffocating and took solace amongst the flowers.’ Tammy still wasn’t sure but she had to admit that James looked a little tired. ‘See I told you’ Des exclaimed excited when she saw the candlelight shining through the glass windows. When they entered the glass building; all they got was silence. ‘Is anyone here?’ Tammy called out, but no one answered.  Tammy turned to Des only to have the door banged in her face. ‘Des!’ Tammy yelled out in fright hearing the key turn in the lock and Des’s wicked laughter on the other side of the door. ‘Enjoy your evening my little love birds’ she teased returning to the ballroom. Tammy froze; she was not alone.  He was watching her through the shadows.  ‘Who’s there?’ she asked near to tears. He came out from beneath a huge cherry blossom tree his eyes never leaving her face.  Tammy turned to the door in shock banging it with her fists, yelling for help, but none came. ‘No one can hear you out here’ he said gently coming towards her but Tammy was to fast for him sprinting across the floor and down a long row of rose buses. She gasped in shock when she saw the other end of the conservatory had been turned into a bedroom with velvet drapes hanging above a self made bed of soft pillows.  All around candles had been lit to illuminate the dark interior. He was behind her now running his hands up along the sides of her arms, stopping to pull her back against his firm chest.  He remained silent and Tammy was too afraid to move less her body betrayed her.  His hands moved over her body seductively, crossing over her waist to slowly make its way up to her firm breasts.  Tammy inhaled sharply as she felt his lips on her neck licking it lightly until he caught her ear lope with his tongue.  Her treacherous body gave in to his subtle seduction, her head falling backwards to give him further access to her cheek and then mouth.  He turned her in his arms capturing her lips fully, drawing the sweet nectar from her tongue.  Tammy felt weak under his spell her legs giving away from under her.  He caught her, lifting her lightly into his arms and laying her down on the soft bed of pillows. Tammy closed her eyes as he recapturing her lips, her treacherous fingers moved through his hair drawing his face nearer to hers.  Her body tingled with the feel of him.  She sucked in her breath as his mouth moved over her fully clothed body, planting kisses in a line down the length of her body. Her eyes flew open when he suddenly stopped to move on top of her.  He was smiling at her, his light blue eyes watching her with intensity. Only then did reality return making her push him off her and jump to her feet.  In silence he watched her as he stood up.  Like a trapped bird Tammy moved backwards until she backed up against one of the cherry trees. He followed her cornering her against the tree. ‘Please stop’ she breathed heavily, afraid to fall under his spell again ‘I can’t do this. ‘I love you Tamara’ he whispered gently ‘I fell in love with you the moment I saw you.’ ‘Please don’t say that’ she cried out suddenly ‘I’m a married woman, you have to forget about me.’ ‘Why stay married to a beast when you could have me? I know that you love me. I could feel it in your kiss.  Why deny your feelings for me?’ he leaned nearer, his lips an inch from hers. Her whole body ached for him but all she could see before her was her husband’s terrifying temper and what he’d do if ever he found out about the captain and her. She made up her mind she would not betray James more than she already had tonight.  She tried again, ‘Please let me go, James will be looking for me’ But he would not budge, instead he started collecting cherry blossoms in his palm, mischievously placing them in her hair and behind her ear and throwing the remaining blossoms over her like a shower. Catching a falling flower he brought it to his lips kissing it then running the petals over mouth. ‘I will let you go under one condition’ he smiled wickedly ‘promise me you will return here once your husband has gone to bed.’ Tammy swallowed hard, ‘You know I can’t do that!’ she exclaimed. ‘Then I’m afraid you are not going anywhere’ he said chuckling. He moved closer pressing his body against hers ‘promise me’ he whispered into her ear.  'You know you want me as badly as I want you’. How could she deny this, her body yearned for his touch, his lips, his hands and so much more.  Her body was on fire and he was standing much to close for her comfort.  ‘Yes’ the words left her lips before she could stop them ‘I promise I’ll come.’ On the other side of the conservatory the door creaked opened a firm voice asking in the darkness, ‘What’s going on here?’ Tammy thought she would die of humiliation, but the captain kept her pinned to the tree.  ‘Please Robert’ she said helplessly, ‘let me go’ He released her smiling at the sound of his name on her lips, but held on to her arm as she tried to flee from him.  ‘Remember your promise’. Tammy shook her head in acknowledgement as she fled from him nearly tumbling over the dark figure by the door.   Tamara slipped into her gossamer nightdress and tied the thin golden band at her neck that held the delicate fabric together.  This was another of Desireé’s little jokes; a wedding present for her husband Desireé had called it because she knew her friend would never wear such a scandalous article of clothing.  The material was so thin and translucent that it showed everything; leaving nothing to the imagination.  She went to the window and inhaled sharply when she saw the light burning brightly in the conservatory, he was waiting for her as he said he would, waiting for her to keep her promise. Her body ached for him; just the thought of having his hands on her naked skin made her shiver, but her husband was still awake, she could hear him moving around quietly in the room next door.  He looked so tired when he came in earlier to kiss her goodnight and would no doubt be turning in soon.  Her treacherous lips had kissed him then sending him to bed so that she could steal out during the night to meet with her lover.  With relief Tammy had discovered that his aunt had not told him anything about finding her in the conservatory with the captain. What a low deceptive creature she was, to be married to one man and desire another.  She was lower than pond scum she thought as she stood idly watching the bright lit glass in the darkness that beckoned her like a moth to the flame. Not even the chance that they could be caught scared her anymore; the only thing that matter to her now was being in his arms.  Feeling his burning kiss on her lips and becoming one with him.  She wanted him, no needed him and for once she would take what she wanted without considering the repercussions. She went to the door when she saw the candles were being extinguished in the room next door, he was most likely in bed already. With her hand on the bedroom handle she stood turning the brass knob when her conscious caught up with her.   Turning on her heel she crossed the room and entered her husband’s bedroom instead. James was standing with his back turned towards her in the process of getting undressed when she came in. Tammy was surprised to see him only in his slacks with his dark hair kissing the nape of his neck.  He seemed almost normal; there where no scares on his back or arms to betray his terrible disfigurement, and he was not wearing the black mask that normally hid half of his head away. He must have heard her enter because he immediately retrieved the mask from the bed tying it around his face before turning to face her. He gasped in awe when he saw Tamara; she was standing in the doorway nervously adjusting the cords at her neck drawing his attention to the rose tipped breasts that teased him through her transparent nightdress.  She was beautiful, more beautiful than he had ever imagined her, curves all soft and round. He swallowed hard, feeling his throat constrict when she came up to him.  He had not been expecting this pleasant surprise from his wife. His lips moved to ask a question, but she stopped him placing a finger on his lips. ‘James’ she whispered nervously ‘make me yours.  Make me yours completely.’ He sucked in his breath, not believing his ears; his little wife had come to him willingly asking him what he had been yearning to ask her since the day they met.  Tammy was not prepared for the hungry kiss that followed, or the arms that enveloped her drawing her against his naked skin.   His kiss was different somehow, not the normal gentle touching of lips.  His mouth devoured hers drawing her soul from her body.  Somewhere down below he was a igniting a fire Tammy never thought she would feel with him.  He took her breath away placing her mind in a spin. He released her slowly taking a step back so he could untie the cord at her neck, she looked anxiously at him when the material filtered to the floor leaving her completed exposed.  In amazement James ran his eyes over her exquisite body, stopping to swallow when his eyes reached the juncture between her thighs. This beautiful creature was all his for the taking, but he had to put her at ease first.  She looked so nervous and tense that he was afraid she might change her mind and flee at any moment. Gently drawing her nearer he brushed her long luxurious hair from her shoulders so that it could cascade down her soft back, then he captured her lips again more gently than before, allowing her to come to him until he felt her soft breast tease his chest.  He deepened his kiss when he felt her relax against him picking her up in his arms; he walked over to the bed to lay her on top of the soft covering, leaving her only to remove the last of his clothing. Tammy watched in astonishment as he discarded his pants and stood before her as naked as the day he was born.  He was a man, a real man she thought as she glanced over his smooth muscular body, stopping in awe to look at his manhood that stood out proudly.  She panicked slightly was she prepared for this? He loosened the ties at the bedposts and drew the curtains around the bed before he came to lay next to her enveloping them in darkness. ‘Don’t be afraid’ he whispered against her neck, as he placed soft kisses all over her face before recapturing her mouth in a devouring kiss.  Tammy bit her finger trying to stop the cry that rushed to her lips when his mouth left hers to wonder down her body until it met his hands on her breast.  He squeezed her breasts together making her catch her breath, then licked her nipples, taking them into his mouth to suck them, moving from breast to breast.  But still he was not finished with his subtle seduction as he kissed the smooth skin of her belly moving further down to the juncture below. ‘No’ she cried out sharply when he parted her legs to kiss the soft skin at her thighs, but he ignored her opening her up until she was completely bare before him.  Tammy panted loudly when he buried his head between her thighs and allowed his tongue to play with her womanhood until she thought she could not take anymore.  But she needed more than the just his lips on her she wanted to feel all of him, so decide to remove his mask, this was a new beginning for them, they would start it as equals.  He withdrew from her sharply when her hands ran over his head trying to dislodge the mask, pinning her to the bed with her hands above her head. ‘I’m not ready for that yet’ he breathed heavily as he slid his fingers into hers keeping her hands imprisoned on the pillow. ‘But I am’ she replied her voice laced with desire ‘take me now’ ‘Your wish is my command, my love’ he replied awkwardly trying to calm himself as not to hurt her.  Parting her thighs wide with his legs he moved above her entering her swiftly to take her maidenhead with one hard thrust. Tammy cried out from the sharp pain that surged inside her, but he subdued her with his body, laying inside her motionless until he could feel that she was ready for him.  Slowly he moved inside her, each thrust matching her breathing until she started panting heavily, but he could not control himself any longer as he started to move faster taking her with him on this mad journey of passion. Tammy thought she was going to die from the delicious pleasure he was giving her, she was almost angry at Des for not telling her before just how lovely lovemaking was.  She cried out his name when he bought her to fulfilment digging her nails into the hands that imprisoned her as the waves of ecstasy moved over her body. James collapsed on top of her exhausted, burying his face in her neck, their sweaty bodies clinging together. ‘Have I pleased you madam?’ he asked chuckling softly. Tammy wiggled seductively against his weak erection, screaming, ‘Oh James, do it again!’ Pleased with himself James turned on his back taking her with him so she could rest her head on his chest saying, ‘We have all night my love.’ Tammy sighed softly kissing his chest, who cared about all night she wanted him inside her right now.  ‘I’ve created a monster’ her husband barked out laughing when he felt her hand on his manhood ‘well madam you asked for it’ he said flipping her on her stomach to imprison her body under his, so he could kiss he shoulders, back and hips before showing her how to crouch on her knees to accommodate him from behind. Tammy dug her face in the pillow to muffle her screams of pleasure. Gosh she thought as her husband thrust vigorously inside her, this lovemaking business was getting better by the second.  The captain and her promise forgotten.     (Extract from my unpublished novel Masquerade)