Chapter Eighteen

Part One (R18+ Sex)

In the car, Rick looked at Kate and said, ‘I can’t describe how much I have missed you, Kate.’ No further words were needed or said. He drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her, feeling her and being with her as she melted into him.

Harold delivered them to Rick’s building, understanding the brevity of the farewell they offered him. Driving off, he dialled Mason’s number and after exchanging greetings, they talked. Answering Mason, he said, ‘Yes sir, I’ve never seen him like it either…There’s a hard-wired connection there. They didn’t even kiss on the drive… No, that’s exactly what I mean, They just held each other… I do too, sir… No doubt in my mind… Perfect. Goodnight, sir.’

The lovers stood arm in arm for their ascent to Rick’s apartment. An older resident shared their elevator car and left them only two floors before theirs. Rick bade her goodnight with warmth after asking about her recently ill spaniel on the way up, and Kate watched the woman blush at Rick’s attention. Feeling a pang of empathy for her, a line from a popular science fiction series came to her mind. ‘Resistance is futile...   >> MORE <<

Part Two

The lovers savoured the balmy air and fragrant scents of the summer night as he led her to a table on the balcony. Fussing to ensure Kate was warm in her bathrobe, his hand cupped a breast for a moment before his fingertips slid up her chest and throat to muss her hair in slow, luxuriant movements, kissing her neck when her eyes fell closed. He went inside and returned a few moments later carrying two linen wrapped glasses of hot tea. Kate could smell the chamomile and peppermint, but other scents defied her identification. It was different and delicious.

A siren’s wail in the city below broke both of them out of their silent stupor. They had stalled, lost in each other’s eyes. Neither had the slightest clue how long they had been like that, and they laughed happily at the cliché of the moment…   >> MORE <<

Part Three

At another market stall, Rick ordered them both a pot of green tea and some vegetarian dumplings. As soon as they’d finished, a young boy invited them through the kitchen and into a wide semi-enclosed space behind the stall. A group of men were playing dominoes on a wooden table, and they grunted in recognition when they saw Rick. When Kate came into view, they sat up straight, sucked in their stomachs, and suddenly became knights of the old world.

Kate found dominoes less than captivating but having Rick there made up for it. After half an hour of play, one of the boys started strumming a guitar. She picked up a large upturned plastic bucket, sat next to the young guitarist, and started drumming, surprising everyone there with her skill. Someone quickly produced an African djembe drum and passed it to Kate. Rick watched her hands and listened to her play, entranced. One of the older youths disappeared for a few minutes before returning with his own guitar…   >> MORE <<