Chapter One 

It was almost sunset, on a warm late summer evening.   

After spending more time prepping than usual, she was almost finished and ready for their first, formal night out.  Inga checked her lipstick one final time, to ensure a perfect balance, to the dramatic look. The deep ruby lipstick accentuated her lips in a way that almost made them seem surreal.  Inviting, intriguing, and surreal at the same time.  It was an ideal blend of structure and flow, which accentuated the lines of her face, perfectly.   

She stepped back away from the mirror, to have a full perspective of the overall ensemble.  Her outfit was centered around a subtly cascading deep black dress, that framed her figure like it was designed earlier that day, by a seamstress that understood how to emphasize her lines, flawlessly. 

The final detail was to merely zip up the dress in the back, but even before that last step, the look was already nearly perfect. She paused and studied the mirror, smiling widely; but not at the reflection in the mirror, but at the bequest of her internal reflection, for the night she had anticipated for so very long. 

As Inga studied the overall look - -

Rigel called toward the vanity area in the 2nd-floor suite, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. “Hun, we have to leave soon, how are you doing in there?” 

Rigel was dressed in a black suit that truly complimented his athletic body.  The ensemble was something he had worn before, and he was already comfortable with exactly how to dial in the entire look for the date tonight. The suit was complemented by a Baltic blue tie, which shined in the sunlight like a sun-kissed morning at sea.  He almost chose to go bold with the shoes that night, but finally opted for a conservative approach and chose his Steve Parsons, leather oxfords. 

His only real preparation dilemma was in choosing to brush his hair back tightly, or in allowing it to fall across his forehead, in the usual manner.  On this night, he chose the latter. He glanced at the full-length mirror in the hallway and joked to himself “It’s my signature look, just commit to it.” 

Inga finally called from the vanity area “Almost ready” excitedly and playfully. 

Rigel paused, as the anticipation of seeing her, any moment, suddenly made his heart skip a beat, or perhaps two beats.  A few anxious seconds later, he had to consciously remind himself to breathe again.  The anticipation of the night had been building for months, via hundreds of messages and phone calls and completely void of any physical contact. He thought to himself, “How could the chemistry be so strong before we had even held each other?

And how profound the messages from the Universe can become when you are truly paying attention.” After all, Rigel’s path had taken him down a very different road, for a very long time.  Tonight, that journey was taking a vastly different path, toward a completely new destination.  This new path was with a woman he loved, but the ideal match was contrived under circumstances that would normally prohibit love from being created and nurtured.  Communication from an ocean away didn’t seem practical.  But then again, was expecting and finding a soulmate, practical?

Regardless of the circumstances leading them to this place, he was one hundred percent certain that Inga was his shining star, in the night sky, until his days, no longer yielded nights. 

Suddenly, he remembered the entirety of his plan, as he darted over to the suitcase, next to the bed and pulled out a small JBL Bluetooth speaker.  He pulled his phone from his jacket and toggled through playlists until he reached one that said Inga 1, and hit play.  He then positioned the speaker in the corner of the room, which was now filled with subtle wave sounds and seagulls.  He lowered the volume to get it just perfect and then stepped back admiring the room and the view. 

The room was on the second floor with a large sliding glass door that led to an oversized balcony, with two chairs and a small table.  The chairs were a soft white, as was the table, so they would blend in perfectly with the white painted railing which led one’s eyes straight out to the white sand, and then onto the magnificent blue waves.  It was a view that flowed from the room, like it was well thought out by high-end designers and architects, long ago. 

Rigel thought to himself “What am I missing?” before answering his own question mid-sentence and heading straight for the ottoman at the foot of the bed. 

The ottoman matched the light grey-blue bedspread, which gave the room a cozy seaside feel.  The ottoman was approximately four feet long and two feet wide. Rigel grabbed it from one end and pulled it out away from the bed, positioning it in front of the sliding glass door, with the shallow end extending out toward the sea, and the width still facing the bed.  He then opened the sliding glass door and turned, just as Inga walked back into the main room from the vanity area. 

Rigel stopped and smiled.   For a person with an air of confidence, in almost any situation, he was completely unsure where to focus his attention.   Every part of her was so fascinating, that he was absolutely captivated by her beauty. 

After recapturing his focus, his attention landed on her face, and then her eyes, as he could muster only a single word “Wow.”

Inga did not move, nor utter a word.  She studied her man and simply returned his warm smile, with her warm smile.  She always loved his smile, as it triggered something in her that compelled her to dash up and kiss him.  Today, that smile meant even more to her, yet she resisted the temptation to move, allowing her lover the opportunity to study his cherished girl. 

Rigel begins to walk toward her, taking three steps in her direction and stopping again, to take it all in.   He repeated his single-word assessment “Wow” bit his lip and then allowed a smile to crawl back across his face.   

The dress came down below her knees, with the flowing fabric laying over her legs like it was beckoning a sea breeze to capture it, just enough, to outline the perfect symmetry of her limbs. 

The lines and cut of the dress highlighted the unique straps on the black pumps, which were an identical shade of rich black. The shoes highlighted her ankles and long lines, which directed his eyes up to her perfect legs, to her slim belted waist, and onto her hourglass upper body, leading his eyes, once again, to that warm smile. 

The smile was warm, but the shade of the lipstick also made it dramatic and compelling.  He wanted to kiss her right then. 

As soon as they made eye contact, she finally spoke “Can you zip me up, Hun?”
in a very soft, partially broken tone, that was emphasized by the sound of the waves playing from the speaker, or perhaps it was the ocean.  Rigel couldn’t focus on that right now.  He stepped back and gestured toward the recently repositioned ottoman.  She studied his request, unsure of the meaning before he interrupted her thoughts 

"Sit down over here Hun and I will take care of your zipper,” he said in an inviting tone.  She walked over cautiously and began to sit facing out from the bed before he stopped her.  “No, sit here on the end of the ottoman, facing the ocean, so you can watch the sunset.” She studied his face and eyes, thinking that this was a strange request, as they were getting ready to leave for dinner at the Chart House in La Jolla.   They don’t have time to watch the sunset, she thought, as she sat down on the edge of the ottoman facing the Pacific Ocean view, with her legs together. 

Rigel studied the unzipped dress which exposed half of her back, including her black bra strap.  He then straddled his legs over the ottoman, sitting directly behind his girl, in the perfect position to zip up her dress. Yet, he did nothing. 

He just sat behind her taking in the smell of the ocean breeze, coupled with the Lanvin Éclat d’Arpège perfume he had bought her the week before and gifted her that morning. 

After the measured seconds ticked off the watch on his left wrist, he slid up behind her a little closer. It was just enough for her to sense his warmth; yet the only warmth she was feeling at that moment, was the heat generated by her heart rate increasing. “Are we not going to be late for dinner?” she said in a soft and understated tone.   Rigel didn’t answer her question.   He took in a very slow, audibly apparent breath, before slowly and silently, sliding close enough for the inside of his thighs, to barely touch, the outside of her legs and backside.   

They were now both facing the sunset with Inga sitting up perfectly straight on the edge of the ottoman, and her man, straddling her position on the settee.   

As the sun began to surrender its hold on the day and light glimmered across the silent ocean; in the softest voice he could muster, Rigel leaned his head to the right and whispered in her left ear “this is the end of today and the beginning of a new tomorrow.”

He then placed his hands on both sides of her legs, before moving them toward her hands, which were placed on her lap.  He stroked his index finger up each hand in synchronization and retracted each one delicately caressing her skin. 

Inga took in a deep breath and leaned into him just a little, as Rigel’s hands drew back down to the top of her thighs, repeating the same subtle and soft movements with his index finger.  After what seemed like forever, his movements expanded from single-finger tracing to the expansion of his hand, generating more tactile touches, yet preserving the subtlety of pressure, to a whisper. 

Her mind started to race away from her focus only minutes before, as she could feel her heart accelerate rapidly.  She wondered if he felt that cadence, through his chest, which was touching her back.  Rigel pulled his hands slowly away from her thighs and sat up perfectly straight once again, as his hands moved to her upper arms and then her neck.     

The atmosphere, the timing, and the magic of the moment were all pointing to one outcome. Rigel leaned in again and gently kissed her neck like it was a treasure to be preserved forever. 

Both the Sun and Inga were trying desperately to hold on; yet both were finally beginning to surrender to their destinies, in complete harmony. 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

As Rigel ran his fingers, perfectly synchronized up and down either side of her neck, in a delicately sensual fashion, an unexpectedly cooler breeze, suddenly filled the room.  Goosebumps began to find their way across her neck and Rigel wondered if it was his touch, the chilly breeze, or a combination of the two. 

The cooler light wind carried a strong smell of the ocean with it, which also permeated their senses, just enough to snap their focus toward the open sliding glass door, an invitation to the origin of the salt aroma and for the interruption. 

Neither wanted to move, shift focus, nor break the spell.  Yet, they were both suddenly compelled to raise only their eyes, toward the sliding glass door, as the breeze hastened.  Just then, the faint sound of a wind chime could be heard, as it delicately, yet meaningfully, danced across the room. 

Then, the oddest thing happened.  An exceptionally magnificent monarch butterfly flew into sight and straight into the room, where it decided to hover, directly in front of them. 

The butterfly had a vivid, iridescent blue coloring which seemed to reflect the final glimpses of sunlight in a highly compelling and surreal, yet magical fashion.  Inga noticed that the cooler breeze seemed to be gaining momentum, as her goosebumps spread from her neck, down both of her arms. 

When the butterfly started to rise from eye level, toward the ceiling, they both followed with their eyes and Rigel’s hands stopped their caressing of her neck and dropped to her waist, as they both became transfixed on the butterfly. 

Surprisingly, the underside of the wings, was a dull brown color with many eyespots, probably for camouflage against predators such as birds and insects when its wings are closed. As the butterfly dropped back down, the contrasting bright blue and dull brown colors flashed, making it look like the butterfly was appearing and disappearing. It paused in front of them once again and then flew back out of the room, over the balcony, and off toward the sea, as the wind chimes subtlety chanted in rhythm.  After a few silent seconds, the cooler breeze, departed the room and the wind chimes faded to silence. 

Neither one of them spoke, as their momentum was completely interrupted. Yet, neither seemed to regret witnessing what had just transpired in front of them. 

Rigel suddenly broke the silence. “What was that?” As he answered his question with barely a pause “The loveliest butterfly I have ever seen.  It just hovered in front of us, like it was talking to us?” 

Rigel had a special connection to Blue Monarch butterflies, as he had commissioned a painting for his daughter when she was three years old, from one of the world’s most renowned floral painters, who also had four oil paintings, on display, in the White House.  

He chose a Blue Monarch, for it symbolizes joy and happiness and he thought that those were the best symbols to remember him by when he was gone from this planet. 

His thoughts were snapped back, as Inga responded. “That was so beautiful and so romantic,” she said in her soft, demure voice, which he adored.  For Rigel, her loving voice was always a welcoming invitation.  Inga was a highly intelligent, and determined woman, that was also very independent. Yet, those attributes dissolved when she allowed herself to be vulnerable.  And the lowering of that drawbridge was always proceeded by her tone, falling, losing prominence, and gently inviting him, into her heart.   

These moments allowed them to connect like they had been together for hundreds of years.  They were both extremely vulnerable, yet both were safer and more protected than they would ever be, at any moment, in the entirety of their lives. And when these moments came to be, they were both immersed in them like nothing they could articulate in words, or even in thoughts.  Nor did it matter, as words and thoughts were not required. They simply became exactly what the other needed. It was the universe's very definition of a symbiotic relationship.   It was love. 

As the final words poured from her thoughts, Rigel felt like time slowed, like molasses running from a barely skewed jar.  He suddenly felt everything reconnected to every sense, as he understood perfectly, what had just transpired. 

He began to tell the story to himself, in thought.   He did not realize that his hands had rediscovered his love and began to move from her waist, back to the sides of her neck, once again.  The same mindful tracing patterns brushed across her skin like an artist’s brush on the most delicate portion of their life’s masterpiece. It was purely intuitive magic. 

These touches were born of love and released like whispers of sensuality across the breast of a cloud, as sunlight illuminated, warmed, and welcomed it, to a new day.  She felt the warmth begin to rise inside of her. She sensed something different from him, something that was not apparent a few minutes earlier.  Her mind began to float effortlessly across the night sky while the temperature lifted in the room, and in her heart, in perfect synchronization. 

As his hands brushed delicately down from her neck, tracing her spine and branching out across her upper back, she inhaled deeply, slowly.  She sensed his passion, his touch, his desire and she began to release the thoughts that flew away on wings, only seconds before. 

Rigel stood from the ottoman, legs on either side, allowing his hands to trace their way upward, following his torso, as his chest was now equal to the top of Inga’s head.  He then very slowly pulled his fingers away from her upper back and stood, looking down at her.    Inga was waiting for the next move, with great anticipation.   She could sense his presence, as if he was a phantom, and was mesmerized by the silent moment.  The only sound that filled the room, was the slightly cool breeze, which lifted the mood, along with two pieces of paper, sitting next to a pen on the table. 

Rigel shifted his focus to the breeze and used it for cover. To Inga, he was completely silent, as his gaze was locked on her head, hair, and shoulders.  Finally, he raised his hand, elbows pinned at his sides.   As his hands glided upward, near her shoulders, she became very aware of the movement and anxiously anticipated the next touch, the touch that was not coming. 

Ultimately, he centered his hands on her back and very delicately, gripped her zipper between two fingers.  The touch was so soft that she barely recognized it, but when she did, her heart increased its cadence, twofold.   Slowly, methodically, he brought the zipper down to the place where it began its journey and stopped. 

He then put his hands together in the center of her back and slowly moved them away from her spine, his fingers dancing lightly across her back and out to her shoulders, where we placed a single finger below the fabric on either side of her dress and carefully exposed each shoulder, to the open air.   

The pace of his movement was so methodical that Inga was completely captivated with each touch, each pause, and each breath. She thought that this must be a dream, for these things only happen in movies. 

Rigel dropped his hands slowly to his side, ensuring she caught a glimpse in her peripheral vision, to understand that he was withdrawing, once again. 

He paused and allowed the moment to simmer. After what seemed like a lifetime to Inga, he raised his hands slowly to either side, elbows pinned, so she was aware of their movement.   Rigel stopped his hands equal to her shoulders, yet his palms were a few inches away from making contact with her skin. 

As she anxiously awaited his next move, she became aware of a warming sensation on her skin, on her shoulders, and in her heart. But his hands were not touching her, she thought.  “Or were they?” She asked herself. 

She was slightly startled when her hair was pulled gently to one side, as she was certain his hands were in a different location, at that exact second.  Rigel leaned in close enough for only his warm breath to caress the skin on her neck, followed seconds later by a gentle kiss that made her goosebumps return, rapidly. 

She was suddenly aware that he was now sitting behind her once again and was wearing some kind of rose cologne, as her senses were ignited with the smell of her favorite flowers.  But she wasn’t going to question his decision now, as she was completely immersed at the moment and was not willing to relinquish this feeling for any hasty judgment. 

She was brought back from her thoughts as something colder touched the bare skin around her neck.  “It was cold, so it must be metal,” she thought.  “He brought me a necklace” she claimed in her thoughts. Slowly, he allowed his hands to follow the gold chain forward, around her front, where the length was long enough to bring his hands to the top of her breasts.  Rigel allowed the chain to lay across the back of his left hand while he meticulously used his right hand to lower the neckline of her dress, allowing it to drop and gather at her waist. 

Her beautifully designed black bra, lace flowers on top, and solid black below was now the only thing protecting this sacred ground. The very place Rigel has been waiting to explore for months. He now shifted his right hand back toward his left to reveal the chain and perhaps a locket, as he carefully lowered the chain to her bosom. 

Inga felt more weight than anticipated and began to drop her chin to review her gift.  Rigel stopped that action; “No Hun, eyes on the ocean.” She reluctantly accepted his position, wanting to carry on, but she also wanted to see and know more about this necklace, right now. As she began to concede and allowed the thought to fade, she realized why he wanted her to focus back on the ocean. The moon was in a perfect position to reflect and skim light off the mild forward waves and dance across the calmer waters, further, and as far out as she could see.  It was very calming, beautiful, and romantic. 

“What a perfect night,” she said once and then repeated it to herself, as she took in a deep breath.  Just as she completed the breath, the clasp on her bra was released, but in a very controlled fashion.  It didn’t release tension or support, yet she was aware that it was no longer secured. 

As Inga was complimenting Rigel’s prowess in her mind, the back of the bra finally separated, fully releasing the support. With her arms lying naturally against her sides, his hands delicately dropped the straps from her shoulders and pulled down the center of her bra, with a single finger curled back as if he was pointing at her.  He then used that finger to guide her bra, followed by her straps, slowly down to her waist, where it sat atop her black dress. 

She wasn’t sure if she was more excited about being exposed and vulnerable or feeling the warmth of his skin against hers, as his right arm was wrapped around her body to achieve this feat and she felt his strength against her willing skin. 

“Wait!”  She said to herself.  “How was his skin touching mine? He was wearing a suit.”  At this minute, she was certain that he was some kind of illusionist, or perhaps a wizard.  “Surely he would make a wrong move tonight.” She told herself, before recalling the rose cologne and regaining some measure of control over her senses and self.  And then, she noticed something that she had completely missed.  Lying on the ground, starting at the back of her black pumps and around the edge of the ottoman, were pink, red and sterling rose pedals.  And now, goosebumps enveloped her entire body accompanied by the faintest, distant ringing in her ears. 

Despite being lost in the moment, she suddenly noticed her bra straps remained on the outsides of her wrists, creating a soft restraint, as the straps kept her hands gently pinned to her waist.  Once again, Inga felt compelled to move into action and began to lift her hands, to free them.  And once again, her love leaned into her ear and whispered ever so softly; “No Hun”. 

She didn't know if it was the way he said it, or the closeness and warmth when he said it, or everything else that had transpired.   But she immediately felt compelled to stop all of this, turn around, and jump on him. 

 

 

 

Chapter 3
 

Preamble

This moment had been building for months, like waves crashing against a sea wall, eroding the structure designed to keep them at bay. When this moment is preceded by love, the moment becomes immersive on a completely new level.  All of your body and mind are committed at one time, to one purpose, which is shared with someone that has immeasurable meaning in your life.     

Love captures many moments and fuses them into one long thread, that makes up the fabric of our existence.  Eventually, we realize that the best person each of us shall ever be will never be the person alone and free. 

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Rigel leaned into her body, from directly behind her on the settee. His bare chest was up against her bareback, leaving little room for anything else, including doubt. Inga could feel his heart begin to increase cadence and after a few seconds, or perhaps, it was much longer, and noticed that it seemed to be keeping perfect time with hers. 

Finally, his hands made their way around her body, embracing her tightly, like he had not attempted until this point.  It was a very warm and comforting embrace that made her melt in his arms and lean back, pressing against him.  She thought that there was nothing like pulling a warm blanket from the dryer and wrapping it around you on a cool day.  But today, Rigel blanketed her, with his love, and the crispness of the night air vanished with his first touch. 

He held that embrace for 10 seconds, before slowly unraveling his love lock on her body, and with arms crossed in front of her, he brought his hands in direct position over her breasts, hands crossed, just below his wrists.  The necklace he had placed on her neck, hung just above her breast line. 

He leaned in, kissing her neck, with warm breath pauses between each soft kiss. He kept his hands cupped on her breasts as if he was there to provide the support, he had removed a minute earlier.  When her nipples finally responded to the passion overwhelming the rest of her mind and body, only then, did he begin the single finger tracing over her nipples that made them listen and respond to his touch with an immediate and passionate reaction.     

As Inga began to melt away in his arms, she wondered how he had repurposed her fantasy, into his own.  For she wanted to blindfold Rigel and take him on a journey of sensuality, that would make him hers, forever.  And now, the opposite seemed to be taking place. Nevertheless, she was very willing to take this journey with the man she had been waiting for, her entire life. 

Unexpectedly, the words escaped from her thoughts and spilled effortlessly into the room “I am yours” came out like a whisper and surprised Inga, as much as it did Rigel. The words floated in the space above them, for a few seconds. 

He paused and leaned in closer to whisper his response. “For this day?” 
And she continued, after a measured pause. “For every day”. In a loving whisper, returning his tone. 
And he continued. “From this day, until all of my days are behind me?”
And she paused and then responded “Forever.” She replied delicately, yet insistently.  “And I am yours, forever” Rigel replied, without any delay, as if it was already expected and scripted in time. 

His hands moved effortlessly down from her breasts to her abdomen and then across to the bra straps which were keeping her hands in a position that he knew was increasingly more difficult for her to maintain.  He sensed this more from the chills she was receiving from his gentle kisses and mesmerizing movements, coupled with her desire to comply and keep her under-restrained hands in place.

He could tell that she was beginning to apply too much effort to remain composed, and he wanted to preserve that moment, for later. 

He pulled both straps away from her wrists at the same time, brought his hands back over the top of her hands, and then interlaced his fingers over hers, keeping her palms facing down.  He continued his subtle warm nibbling on her neck, and she breathed and leaned back into him once again. 

Rigel brought his head to her right ear “Look at the ocean and how it has illuminated for us, tonight” he whispered into her ear. She was so comfortable leaning back into him, and into this moment, that she was reluctant to pause and focus on anything else. “Describe it to me” she whispered back, preserving her place in time. 

Rigel paused and then continued, with barely a whisper “The sea is dancing with illumination tonight. The waves have no resistance, there is no gravitational pull that seems to affect their dance in any manner.   It is all so beautifully effortless.” 

Inga pondered this for a moment and then realized that the picture she painted in her head, born on a canvas of their love, was going to be superior to anything nature could provide, at least on this night. She let out a very slow and overwhelmingly satisfying sign of joy “Ahhhh” she said, as she flipped her hand position and interlocked with his fingers, palm to palm, and squeezed tightly. 

“I love you so much” she whispered into the night air.  “May I face you now?  I want to see your face” she requested, in a voice, that she knew he would relent to, within a few seconds. 

He did not respond, but held her words in deep thought, for what seemed like forever to Inga. “No,” he said abruptly.  Surprising her.   “I will face you” he responded in a more loving tone. Rigel slid back on the settee to create space to stand. He then stood and grabbed his shirt from the floor, placing it back on effortlessly, but forgoing the buttoning. Leaving his white dress shirt open to expose his chest and abdominals which she truly appreciated, he started moving. 

Rigel walked around to face his love, with his hands behind his back.  When he rounded the settee to see the moderately exposed woman of his dreams, he smiled widely, and she returned his gaze and his energy.   He then backed up, just a bit, and went down on one knee, releasing his right hand from his side and holding out a burgundy velvet box. 

Inga had expected a proposal at some point soon, as they had already discussed everything from children's names to ring sizes. But at this moment, in the heart of their passion, she was completely blindsided. 

Rigel then opened the box, which had nothing in it, and smiled at her puzzled reaction.  He then looked deep into her eyes “This empty box represents my heart and life without you” he stated in a very affectionate way. “And that offering, resting next to your heart, represents Everything with you”

And he dropped his gaze from her eyes to her chest. It took her a second, to realize what he was doing, and then she followed his focus and looked down. 

In the passion of the night, she had forgotten about the cold metal chain placed around her neck and conceded to his desire to wait until later.  But now, a beautiful and flawless round diamond was shimmering back at her, as she looked down.  Somehow his positioning in front of her allowed the moonlight to pass over his left side and be captured and preserved perfectly in that diamond and its yellow-gold accompaniment.  It captured and then refracted the light, as it glistened, just like her heart, in this perfect moment. 

She picked up the ring, between her fingers and studied it, as tears began to fill her eyes.  Rigel stood and walked to her, reached around, and undid the clasp on the back of the chain. He then backed up and went down on both knees in front of her. He placed the ring in his palm holding one side, allowing the chain to be released as he pulled on one side of the chain, lifting it and allowing the ring to settle, all alone in his palm.  He then placed the gold chain in his shirt pocket and smiled. 

Inga watched with a tear forming in her right eye. Rigel took the ring lifted her left hand and placed the ring on her ring finger. Inga looked a little confused like she was waiting for something else. Yet, she was still overwhelmed with emotion. 

Rigel interrupted that thought “were you waiting for me to ask you a question?” He said looking into her eyes, on both knees, in front of her. She looked at him with tears now in both eyes and smiled at him warmly.  Her lip quivered slightly, but she did not vocalize her thoughts. 

He continued… “But you already answered the question, honey, before it was asked” 

And he paused, for effect, and continued. “For this day?” he said in a soft, subtle questioning tone.  And she began to choke up, as she remembered now and answered him. 

“For every day” In a loving whisper, that carried far more emotion this time around, as heard in the fractured tone of her voice. 
And he continued. “From this day, until all of my days are behind me?”
She paused and they both responded in perfect synchronization “Forever.” 

He slid forward to the edge of the ottoman, where they both stood together.  He gave her the warmest, most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. It was so deliberately composed that she felt like she was in a movie scene, completely closing out the picture-perfect scene, in just one take. That ideal kiss was followed by the most loving hug he could offer, and she returned all of his warmth and energy and began to cry with joy. 

After a little time had passed, with both immersed deeply in that moment, she realized that his mostly bare chest was pressed tightly against her exposed skin. 

And a new kind of energy returned to the room, as they both looked toward the bed at the same moment and then back into each other eyes, before engaging in the most sensual kiss, that began with soft probing and quickly erupted into so much more. 




Chapter 4

 

Preamble 

The dance of tongues is almost always the first dance of sensuality that we are exposed to in our lives. The innocent jabs of flirtatious exploration summon each of us to a door where our worlds are opened up to a discovery of tactility, sensual touch, and erotic temptation. 

This is the transitional stage of humanity that carries us from innocence to prominence, in our societal spheres of life. We must all open this door and enter this new world, for the kiss, is the doorway to delight and desire and it beckons each of us, like moths to a flame. 

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Rigel felt her warmth, her desire, her love, in each brushstroke of her tongue. It was as if she was painting a picture in his head, of where they should journey next. It was almost bewitching, as the kissing was so wonderfully balanced, that each touch was designed to keep him drawn in and at bay, at the same time.  Her technique was flawless, and he started to lose control of his balance and position as the lead that night. 

She leaned in, touched her face to his, raised her cheek to brush his cheek, and slowly tilted her head to allow their mouths to align lips to touch, and tongues to embrace, before slowly withdrawing and altering the position of her head again. 

It was a balancing act of sensuality that halted any real forward progress, yet captured and held the moments, like a mountain top captures and holds onto the last light of day.  It was all so very intoxicating for Rigel.  He was completely immersed at the moment.   

Just as his mood was rising and with impeccable timing, she pulled back and held his face with both of her hands and asked a question, without saying a word.   She simply looked deeply into his eyes and called him into her heart, into her mind, and her bed. 

This time, Inga asked Rigel to follow her pointed to the end of the bed, and asked him to sit. He didn’t hesitate, but after being seated wondered if he was handing over too much control of the evening. After all, this was the night he had planned for her, as he wanted everything to be perfect for her.   But perhaps this was perfect for her, he wondered, as she stepped up between his legs leaned forward, kissed him lightly on the lips, and began to remove his shirt, tossing it on the side of the bed and pushing him down on the bed.  She then kicked off her black pumps, and with her dress still gathered around her waist, she leaned back in. 

Rigel conceded for now but was already deciding he wasn't prepared to surrender control, after all, he knew that this was all about his girl on this first night, as he was a guy and therefore, far easier to please.  He smiled as his thoughts seemed to emanate from his mind and connect to hers.  “What are you smiling about?” asked Inga inquisitively.   “I know something you don’t,” he said with a smirk that made her bite her lip with anticipation.  “Like what?” she whispered as she leaned in and kissed him softly on his chest and continued navigating around that area, as he pondered giving in. 

Rigel could feel her warm breasts now holding a prominent position right above his crotch, as she continued kissing him lightly on his chest, passing over his nipples, teasingly each time and offering only her warm breath as she passed over each one.  She was masterfully avoiding using her lips but would hover her perfect mouth over each one and then while keeping her head in place, shift her eyes to watch his reaction.  “It was too well thought out,” he told himself. “She must have been rehearsing this for a while” he finished the thought in his mind. 

Rigel thought that he had better take control of this soon, or she was going to have total power for the rest of the evening. 

"Kiss me," he said and he pulled her by her shoulders, to signify that he wanted her lips on his.  She paused and then slid forward, watching his eyes, with complete passion in hers.  Rigel slid backward to get his full body on the bed and waited for her to readjust and lay on top of him.  But right when she positioned her arms forward, palms down on the bed, and shifted her arms forward to match his position, he swept her left arm across his torso and spun her.  Inga was shocked, as she somehow was now lying flat on the bed in the same position, he was in just one second ago. 

But now, he was on top of her, looking her in the eyes.  “Looks like you slipped,” he said with a wry smile on his face.  She was still trying to figure out how he did that so effortlessly because it was so fluid and easy and now, she was no longer in the dominant position.  And she had to look at him smiling about his masterful move, as he moved from his lying on top of her position, to sitting upright, feet below his bent knees, centered right over her waist.  Yet somehow, she felt no weight on her, or only enough weight to keep her pinned in that location. 

Rigel just smiled at her, looking her in the eyes before lowering his gaze to her perfectly balanced breasts.  “Did you know that your bra fell off somewhere?” he asked playfully.  She always liked his smile, but tonight, it was especially exhilarating.  She just watched him, thinking about how delighted she was to finally be in this position with her love.   She smiled back, and nodded to his question, without saying a word.  He smiled back at her, just studying her like she was a piece of art, that needed time and patience to truly absorb all of the information that it was offering. 

As he considered all of her, she thought to herself that this was something she could enjoy over and over again, year after year.  This wasn’t just about allowing the passion to overtake you; it was also about his well-timed pauses that gave her time to appreciate what was happening and who it was happening with.  This was completely new for her, and it was capturing her love passion, and desire in a manner that was forcing her to think about her breathing, as that rhythm, was disrupted.  And they had not even started the passionate and highly sexual work yet. 

Just as she finished that very personal, introspective thought, he interjected “The difference in having sex and making love” he said in almost a whisper. And smiled as he locked eyes with hers.  As she pondered how he read her thoughts once again, he slid backward effortlessly, while pulling the gathered material of her dress, down her legs and then stood at the end of the bed, holding it in his right hand smiling back at her.    She was hardly aware that it was even removed. Her dress just floated off. 

Rigel looked down at her crotch and smiled. “You know, I would think that someone that sold panties, would always have panties on,” he said while looking at her panty-less region.  She was wearing pantyhose, which she knew Rigel liked and they were tan, with crotch support, which provided a slightly visible vestibule of protection over her well-trimmed private area.   He was happy that she wasn’t shaven, as he likes his women to be natural in that area. Or trimmed-natural in that area. And since they had never discussed this because he was too much of a gentleman, he was hoping that she felt the same way. 

He thought “perfect, once again” and smiled once again. She lay there smiling back at him, somehow looking slightly devilish and angelic, at the same time. 

He slowly climbed back in position on top of her, legs straddled on either side, and then leaned his weight forward, holding his position with his hands against the bed, and hovered his face, right over hers. He tilted his head and moved down to her lips and brushed her perfect lips with his mouth, as she perched her lips and reached upward slightly with her head, to accept his offering. 

He withdrew his head slightly, changed the angle, and came in again, kissing her tenderly on the sides of her cheek, right next to her lips, grazing them ever so softly, as he passed over them.  She didn’t take the time to ponder his technique, yet he was deploying the very method that she had used on him only moments ago, over his chest. 

It was a very tender and loving dance in which they were both playing with each other, to keep them both immersed in the moments that they were creating together.  They were each becoming precisely what they needed to become, for the person they loved.  A dance that transcends the bedroom, while profoundly enhancing playtime activities.   

Inga could sense his warmth and tenderness and be captivated by it all. The aromas that filled the room, were magnificent, as it was a perfect blend of her new perfume, rose petals, the ocean, and whatever he was wearing, that somehow created an impeccable harmony of blended fragrances that could not have been more perfect.  Everything was like a flawlessly conducted symphony that deeply resonated with the entirety of her mind and body. 

His searching and probing kisses expanded to parts of her lips and Rigel was aware to keep proximity now and not withdraw, as the moment beckoned this. He was also very mindful that her ruby red lipstick could break the spell if transferred to his lips. 

Hence, he remained close and focused on her lips with probing, touching, subtle angles, that she met with perched lips, as he settled his lips, on hers. And finally, when the moment had built to the ideal point, he opened his mouth slowly, and she, hers, as their tongues reached for each other and embraced. 

The passion inside of them made them both want to explore each other at an accelerated pace, yet, they both managed to temper their mood and energy and allowed their tongues exploration to be slow, loving, and deliberate.  It was an appreciative and poetic dance, and it was intoxicating. 

Rigel moved his hands to embrace the sides of her face affectionally, softly, magnificently, as he continued the warm tangling of their shared nectars. She returned his energy with her own, reaching for his shoulders and then sliding her left hand up the back of his neck and running her fingers through his hair. She pulled his head ever so slightly toward her, he changed the angle of his head and reengaged. 

The dance of tongues was prolonged as each seemed to have no desire to move on too quickly from this highly sensual moment. They both wanted to remember and appreciate this time, as they were both confident in the outcome of the night and had no real sense of urgency.  It was perfectly sensual and exceedingly romantic, as their thoughts were on each other, only on each other. 

Inga was delighted in this exchange, as this was never something she had fantasized about, as a girl, or as a woman. Yet now, she would never forget this moment, this night, and these feelings.  And this moment would always be a part of her dreams, for the rest of her life.  It was exactly what Rigel had been telling her to expect with him, Joy! 

After the kissing moments finally began to lose a fraction of their powerful magnetic pull, instead of imposing the strategy, he pulled back and stood at the end of the bed. 

As he stood over her, his legs up against the end of the bed, her legs, bent at her knees, hanging over the edge of the bed, he began to run one finger tracing from her knee up toward her particular area. He never traced too far up, before returning the long-stroke down toward her knee.  All of this while looking into her eyes, never breaking contact and with a slightly devilish grin. 

Finally, he broke eye contact, and right after he looked down to watch his tracing repetition, he noticed that her breathing pattern was matching the stroke of his finger and decided to preserve the rhythm of his movements a bit longer.  When he looked up to reconnect with her, she had her eyes closed and had already escaped into the moment.  Somehow, she looked just as beautiful with her eyes closed.  “It was remarkable”, he said internally. 

Inga had disappeared into the rhythm of the moment and the rhythm of their love, as she pulled in the sounds of the ocean and felt as if she was floating on a boat somewhere at night.  The sound of the waves outside lifted and released her body like she was slowly rocking on the mild crest of each small wave.  It was such a relaxing and stimulating feeling that she did not wish to open her eyes.   

And then, the waves were being generated by the slightest movement of her hips, as she rose and withdrew with each crest, with each fall, with each kiss on her inner thighs. And her love became her dream, and her waves, as she adjusted her list and trimmed with each movement of his warm breath and warm kisses to right herself and remain balanced.  But their passion was strong this night and she struggled to remain composed and on point, as the sea took hold and began to prompt greater hip modifications to hold to her course.  

Finally, she reached down and held his dark hair in her hands to take control of the helm, and yet, he persisted and shifted his focus to her clitoris.  And even though her layer of nylon protection was prohibiting his direct access, she was not controlling the moment, despite her efforts to steer him by gripping his dark hair with one and then both hands.   

Rigel didn’t allow their combined passion to hasten his efforts.  Nor did he assume he knew exactly what she wanted.  He listened intently to her audible and physical clues, so he could predict her responses and modify his behavior accordingly.  It was the ideal way to discover someone’s needs when you presume nothing and simply pay attention.     

He managed to preserve a perfect balance of tactility in her most erogenous area, with impeccable precision.  When he noticed that she was responding in a heightened manner, he changed his technique, while focusing on the same area, he started flicking his tongue side-to-side, with the lightest touches on her most sensual area. 

For Inga, it was building so rapidly that she did not want him to stop for any reason.  But suddenly, he did.  “No!” she said to herself. “Don’t pause here” she screamed inside her head, before hearing a tear and realizing he had just removed the last layer of protection between what they were before tonight and what they were about to become. 

And without a chance to even blink, he continued.  But this time, the sensations were much stronger, and her hips followed the intensity of the waves they were creating together.   Yet this time, he added the same finger tracing he had deployed like a surgeon all night long.  And that same subtle movement, running up the crest of her buttocks, with a vertical tracing finger, coupled with the side-to-side manipulation by his tongue on her clitoris, was bringing her to somewhere special, at a vastly accelerated pace. 

And she released her grip on the bedspread and reached back out for his hair, before realizing her grip was too intense and then dropping it down to his left hand that was holding the side of her right thigh.  And then reaching for his right hand in vain, as that hand was preoccupied with her lower region as it traced her delicately down toward her other area, before returning slowly, perfectly back up toward her vagina, and dropping back down and settling at the very beginning of that region and tracing up her lower lips, while the subtle tongue movements increased slightly to match the intensity of her hip movements. 

And everything was beginning to close in around her.  The smells, the breezes, the ocean waves, and even the light. Suddenly, everything became one small point of light, even with her eyes closed tightly.  And her toes curled back to resist the lack of gravity that was pulling her toward that single point of light.  But resistance was meaningless, and it was too late, finally, the light lifted her and took her away, and she let go of everything…surrendering and accepting her destiny.   





Chapter 5

 

 

After allowing her to truly absorb the moment, Rigel slid up to her and they both maneuvered to the head of the bed, where they could finally reach for a pillow. Rigel pulled a pillow underneath them and allowed her to rest her head on his chest.

He began slowly stroking her hair, at her scalp, which was now very relaxing and comforting and she allowed herself to nestle into his chest and appreciate their closeness. This position and moment continued for serval moments, where they could both appreciate how their relationship was changing so much, in this one night.

As he rubbed her head delicately running his fingers through her hair, she whispered something across his chest. Somehow, it was so subtle that he could barely recognize that anything was said, as they seemed content just listening to the waves and smelling the aromas of the evening. “Did you say something Hun?” he asked in a loving and tender tone. She paused and then vocalized her feelings, with slightly more aplomb “Wow” spilling from her mouth, as she left her head and eyes on his chest while combing her right hand back and forth on his abdomen. Her comment resonated and then rested in the space next to his heart, where he would cherish and preserve it and finally, improve on it.

Since that single word, is the best compliment a woman can ever give her man; Rigel did what any content person would do, he smiled broadly and transitioned to his second act. But just as he started to shift this position, she interrupted his plans, with her plans. "Wait," she said sternly while lifting her head off of his chest, turning and making eye contact. "I have something" she quipped as she slid off the bed and headed toward the bathroom and disappeared behind the door.

Rigel thought for a minute and called toward the door. “Where did you go, I am not finished with you,” he said playfully, smiling at his comment and awaiting a response, that never came.

He waited for some kind of response for 15 seconds before - “Inga?” he called a little louder. “What are you planning in there?” he said with playful desire in his voice.

After a few more seconds of silence -

Inga had one other plan for how this was supposed to materialize tonight, but she was very happy that she tossed those plans out the window, at least for now. She stood watching her reflection in the mirror, managing an internal giggle, as she flashed back to how she looked, in this same mirror, a short time ago.

She vocalized her thoughts this time "Well this night did not unfold as I had planned" as she grabbed a washcloth and wiped the remaining lipstick off of her mouth. But wait! She was wearing a beautiful diamond ring and this was her first moment seeing it in the light. She rotated her wrist back and forth to allow the diamond to capture and release the light and was amazed at the clarity and beauty and didn't even notice that 40 seconds had passed, while she was repeating the same motion and enjoying the reflection of light and love, at the same time.

Inga snapped back and instructed herself to focus. She had chosen a ‘won’t kiss off lipstick’ that evening and it did a sound job of preserving their claims. However, it was all slightly askew now and she looked like someone was playing with a lip filter on her phone and wasn’t quite achieving the desired look.

After clearing her lips of any layer of sensual protection, she noticed that she was still wearing the nylons that he had managed to tear the crotch out of the first time she wore them. That thought made her smile widely and look back at her reflection. She pondered that reflection for a second and then realized that her best smile was purely a natural smile that was triggered by thoughts and not a command to smile. And then she thought about Rigel’s advice on smiling with her eyes. While standing in front of the mirror, with nothing on but her torn hose, she began smiling at herself, with her eyes, while thinking internally “This is not strange, right? I’m practicing for my guy” once she landed that perfect smiling with her eyes poses, she refocused on her next steps.

Inga reached down and started to remove the hose right as she heard Rigel calling out “Don’t take those nylons off” he finally shouted, as a last grasp to keep something he wanted more of before she took complete control of the night.

She started laughing to herself, and then it spilled out, into the large, marbled counter bathroom. She realized it was louder than she wanted and put her hand over her mouth to shush herself. “Does he have cameras in here?” she asked herself, knowing it was a ridiculous question, as the thought formed in her head while she looked around the bathroom for cameras.   But yet, “How does he do that?” she asked herself, two times.

Inga paused to consider the request and pondered how it would enhance her playful game. Finally, she started removing the pantyhose and managed to say in a soft tone “We can always do this again” she removed the hose, started to throw them in the trash under the marbled counter, and paused, as she remembered that they still had a dinner to attend, and those things were part of her wardrobe. After considering it for a couple of seconds longer, she tossed the damaged goods into the wastebasket.

Inga was already planning this transition, she just figured it would be when they returned from dinner and not before dinner. Then, she thought about dinner and the fact that she was a little hungry, but that could wait, although, she was a little hungry as she waited all day to eat a big meal tonight. Even though she considered eating like a bird in front of him, he had specifically told her to plan on eating, as the food was so good at the Chart House. 

As her thoughts regained their focus on her plan, she reached down, opened the cabinet under the marbled sink grabbed a deep brown leather bag, pulled it up on the counter, and unzipped it. The bag was large enough to carry almost anything she wanted, but what she wanted, was the man in the other room.

She stuck her hand in the bag and removed another smaller black satchel that was tied with black string at the top. After thinking about food, she then sifted around the bag, to see if perhaps she had left anything like a protein bar, which she could devour quickly, and brush her teeth, before heading back out. But there was nothing available to satisfy her sudden hunger.

Inga opened the black satchel, which was essentially another layer of protection from prying eyes, in case Rigel felt compelled to take a look at her things to figure out her plans.

She slowly pulled out an elegant satin and lace black baby-doll set, stepped back, and put on the playtime attire. She knew that the satin rubbing up against her man's body was going to drive him crazy.

The outfit had a lace area dropping off the left breast that elegantly dropped in a curve to her left hip, aligning perfectly with her curves. The black lace complemented the whole look perfectly. She then slid on the satin black panties and stood up straight, before shifting her position to view herself from different angles. She smiled at the result in the mirror, held up her hand to see how her ring looked against the black satin, and reached into her black satchel one more time, and withdrew a black leather and lace blindfold. It was cut small to fit tightly, without being overly costumey or Cosplay. It was soft, feminine, and functional.

She checked the mirror one more time, took a deep breath, and then opened the door. The room was now pitch black, with two candles, on either side of the bed, providing very little illumination. She left the bathroom light on and walked into the main room.

The music was soft string instruments, perhaps Cellos and the music was recognizable, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Her immediate concern was finding her man. The bed was made, and the pillows were fixed and positioned correctly. Everything was spotless in the room, not one thing out of place, except her Fiancé, who was nowhere to be seen.

Then, she hears the door beep, and Rigel walks in, black slacks on, his shirt untucked, but mostly buttoned up. He looks at her and smiles widely. He is carrying a basket in his right hand and mischief in his heart, for he was about to change her plans, once again.

“We missed dinner and although you are the perfect appetizer, you don’t provide many calories,” he said as he walked in, shut the door, and headed over to the bed.

“Were you about to try and take advantage of me?” Rigel quipped as he stared at the mask in her left hand. She didn’t respond but slid her hand slightly behind her hip. “No,” she said softly “I mean yes” she corrected her intentions, as there was no doubt where she was heading with that mask in hand.

“Wow, on that lingerie babe, you look incredible!” he said with applause layered in his tone.

“Come here sweetheart,” Rigel said softly as he moved to the bed, and removed his shoes, socks, and black slacks to reveal deep blue briefs that framed him perfectly. He stood the pillows more upright against the headboard, and sat down, setting the basket on his right side. He was sitting with legs together facing her, with the sliding glass door and the ocean to his immediate right, music still playing.

He then pulled his legs apart slightly. “Do you like the music? It is Now We Are Free, from Hanz Zimmer and Two Cellos” As he finished the sentence, she noticed the music faded out and then was brought back to life. It is a loop, she said to herself, as she cautiously walked toward the bed, mask in hand, with her warm, beautiful, and natural, smiling eyes.

“Are you a little hungry?” Rigel asked as she began to sit on the bed and slide over to where he was gesturing for her to move. She smiled and nodded, making eye contact that was mesmerizing for both of them. The light of the moon, coupled with the mild illumination from two candles, that are never supposed to be lit in a hotel room, caught their eyes perfectly.

As she crawled across the large king bed toward him, their eyes caught each other’s and their minds followed their looks straight into each other's thoughts. She could feel the Cello music resonate through her entire body at that moment and almost let herself fall forward, as she leaned unknowingly, toward him.

He caught her pulled her close and kissed her gently on the lips. Then he motioned for her to sit in front of him and lean back into him, as he leaned into the upright pillows, braced against the headboard.

The soft string instrumental, coupled with the waves breaking on the shore outside their room, struck a chord in each of their hearts, as she leaned into Rigel’s chest, in her soft satin baby doll nighty.

Rigel was sitting straight up, and she was lying at a slight angle, creating a slightly unequal positioning of their heads, as the top of her head, reached the bottom of his chin. But it was the perfect snuggling position and also ideal for what was next.

Rigel reached over with his right hand grabbed the woven basket and opened it up to reveal grapes, sliced melons, berries, crackers, jams, and a bottle of Donausonne Blaufrankisch, a slightly sweet Hungarian red wine.

“Do you want to play a game with me?” Rigel whispered in her ear.
Inga did not answer but nodded her head in acceptance.
“Are you still holding your blindfold?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” she answered with the same tone to match his.
“Can you put it on please?” he requested.
“On you?” she answered, only thinking of her plan.
Rigel chuckled very softly.
“No Hun put it on you” he whispered into her ear.

Inga was not planning this modification to her well-thought-out night. But when he asked her, she felt a chill go from her ear, where he whispered his request, right down to the base of her spine.

“Okay,” she said very softly, after regaining her composure.

She pulled the mask up from her side where it was sitting half grasped in her hand and slowly put it over her head. Rigel helped her guide it over her head from his perfect position sitting directly behind her.

“How do we keep ending up in this position?” he asked jokingly.

“I have to be honest Hun, having your body up against mine, where I can sense and feel all of your subtle responses to my closeness makes me feel like…” he pauses and wraps both arms around her waist and upper body –

“Like I’m in the most comfortable place on the planet” he increases his hug and she reciprocates by putting her hands up, crossing over, and laying her palms across his biceps, as his arms are coiled around her body.

They hold that pose for a minute, without saying a word; escaping into the music and the moment. Finally, he kisses her neck softly and whispers in her ear “The game is that you have to guess the fruit, as I let it touch your lips. If you guess right, you get to eat that bite and I give you a sip of the wine.” He continues –

“If you guess wrong, I will punish you…softly” he whispers.

Inga wonders what that means, but is not alarmed as she knows her man and also knows he would never harm her, especially since he added the word ‘softly’ to his description. So she gladly accepts the terms of the game with a one-word response “Yes”. She says in a manner that excites Rigel, as he was expecting some measure of resistance and was prepared to have to explain his plans in more detail. While he is pondering which fruit, to begin with, Inga is getting goosebumps anticipating the next move. Rigel feels her energy build and reaches into the basket.

The options in the basket include red grapes, green grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas, brie, swiss cheese, whole-grain crackers, apple jam, and boysenberry jam. And of course the red wine. Rigel begins by opening the red wine, in her lap, arms wrapped around her. He then pours the wine into a large wine glass and sets it on the end table on the right side of the bed.

He reaches over grabs the basket and shifts it to the left side of the bed. They are both positioned near the right side of the king bed, so he can reach the end table without stretching. To their left, the bed is wide open.

He then considers the candles, which are not supposed to be lit, and blows out the one closest to him, leaving the other end table candle going, for now. The single flame, further away, leaves only a glimmer of light in the room, but enough for him to see the fruits in the basket and preserve the mood in the room.

"Before we begin," he says softly "I wanted to tell you that I think you are the most beautiful and magnificent woman in the world.  And I feel very grateful that we found each other". He pauses as if there is more to say, allowing the last word to linger – she waits to see if there is more and then decides she should respond now.  Inga reaches her right hand up and backward, reaching for his face. He understands her intent and leans his head toward her hand, allowing her to brush his cheek with her fingers.  “I love you so much” spills effortlessly from her lips. 

While her hand is still extended back and brushing his cheek, he continues “Are you ready for the first test?” 

“Yes” answered Inga without any reluctance, as she withdrew her hand and sat up as straight as she could while remaining in a leaned-in position. 

Rigel looks over to the basket and selects what he believes is an easy first test. As he pulls a single green grape from its stem, he restates the rules "So I will touch the food to your lips, and you are allowed to open your mouth and use the tip of your tongue to probe for more tactile feedback.  But you cannot take a bite.  Okay?" 

She answers without hesitation, but with great anticipation “Okay” and she continues “But what if I cheat?” she states, playfully. 

Rigel ponders that question for only three seconds and responds in what he thinks is his quick-witted custom “Well, cheating is an egregious breach of the spirit of the game and carries a hefty penalty” He swiftly considers the penalty and continues “in the form of a spanking” He pauses for effect and waits for any measure of response from his love, who is pressed against his body. Inga doesn’t take long to respond, as she shifts her body slightly and internalizes a thoughtful pondering “hmmm” that escapes into the room, with a tone that denotes acceptance of the terms and a willingness, at the same time. 

Rigel smiles and almost bursts the grape in his right fingers, before realizing he was inadvertently squeezing the fruit.  He looks down at the grape and decides to discard that piece in the corner of the basket and grab a fresh piece. 

Inga realizes that she has an opportunity to cheat, if needed, without being caught, as she is aware that the mask blacks out just about everything, except what is directly below it.  She is pretty certain that she can see anything put in front of her lips.  The only challenge is the candlelight provides almost no peripheral illumination and that reality, coupled with the mask, is going to make deceiving Rigel a real challenge. 

Just as she is finishing her thoughts on bending the rules of the game, something cold touches her lips and she withdraws her head, slightly startled.  Rigel comments “Honey, it isn't that cold” and she giggles and moves her head back to the original position slowly until she makes contact with the fruit.  Instantly she can tell by the perfect shape against her lips that this is easily a grape and without hesitation commits to her position “Grape” she states succinctly. “Yes,” Rigel responds “But what kind of grape?  Red or green?” and now Inga is suddenly concerned that she jumped the gun, committing too early.  “Ummm, can I use my Tongue?” she asks softly.  “Of course” Rigel states as he brings the grape back to her lips.  "Just the tip of your tongue though" he finishes the instructional thought. 

She leans in again and touches it with her tongue, but there is no flavor at all on the outside of the skin. It only became more obvious that it was certainly a grape, but not what kind of grape.  Next, she would try her peaking game and bring her gaze down, which she knew was making her cross-eyed by looking at her nose, as she struggled to make out the grape.  What she didn't realize was that she inadvertently tilted her head back to try and get a better view and Rigel became aware of her tactics but said nothing. 

“Okay dear, is it a red or green grape?” he stated like her time was up.  Inga knew she was going to have to guess and blurted out “red” and before she could think about hearing a response from Rigel, she felt a bite, on the left side of her neck. 

She pulled forward in shock. The bite was not painful, but being in a mask, left her vulnerable to his rapid response, to her incorrect guess.  “Ow” came out of her mouth, even though it was just a response to the surprise and not that it was painful. 

“Incorrect!” stated Rigel emphatically as he managed an innocent laugh. 

“And that was the easy one, although, I was not thinking that it would be more difficult to determine the kind of grape.  So let’s make it easier for the next one” he reached in and grabbed a strawberry that he knew had a distinctive shape, so it should be much easier to decipher without the sense of sight.

Rigel brought the strawberry up but decided to hesitate. 

He leaned in and asked Inga to slide forward a little bit. When she obeyed his request, he created just enough space to move his legs to one side and then proceeded to remove his briefs, pivoting back into position, straddling his legs to either side of hers, and then asking “Okay, slide back please”. 

Inga questioned his movements “what are you doing back there?” she asked with intrigue and desire in her voice.  “Never mind” Rigel stated. “You need to focus on your next test”.

And Rigel pulled the strawberry around in front and brought it to her lips, touching them ever so lightly, before dropping his hand down and using the tip of the strawberry to draw a circle around her right nipple. 

“Can you guess what fruit I am offering you now?”  And she smiled and responded, as he expected “It is not touching my lips” she said, just as she felt something press up against her vagina. “What was that?” he asked in a playful tone. And he rotated the strawberry to offer her a sensation against her satin panties, that may reveal more of the shape of the strawberry, as he rotated it in between two fingers, pressing it up against her lower lips, in a subtle, yet highly arousing manner. 

Inga was unsure and thrown off by this approach, and she was not focusing on the game at this minute, but on other things.  "Honey, we need to remove your panties, as that is making it more challenging for you" as Rigel finished the final words, she slid her hands down and bent her knees to create leverage, while she pushed her weight back into his chest, as he braced against the headboard.  She then slid her panties off of her raised buttocks, down her legs, and then lowered herself back into position once she passed her knees. She lifted her feet slightly, leaned forward, showing her flexibility, and slid the panties off, tossing them out to her right side.  She then pulled her legs back, so her knees were bent, which allowed her to open her legs comfortably and lean back into her love. 

Rigel just smiled and was astonished at how fluid and effortless she made that look, in just a few seconds, with a blindfold on. 

“Wow.  Okay.” He managed to squeeze out as he tried to peak down over her shoulder, for a glimpse of tonight’s dessert.  “Ready?” he said in a whisper, as he lowered the strawberry and touched it gently to her now-exposed vagina. 

Rigel had shown the forethought to hold the strawberry in his enclosed palm long enough to ensure it was warm and ready.  Inga was immediately aware of the fruit this time, as she sensed the subtle sensation of the seeds on the outer surface and her mind recaptured the strawberries she saw in the basket.  But just as she was about to call out her answer, another piece of fruit was introduced into the game, and she inquired about the change in the rules “One at a time, my love” she said very softly.  “That is not fair to change the game” But she wasn’t that concerned with the rule change, as the banana he had slid between her cheeks, was not bothering her at all. 

And he leaned forward and kissed her neck as he massaged the strawberry very softly around her upper clitoris. 

“I am not changing the rules my love” he whispered into her left ear. She could feel his chest muscles tighten against her back as his left hand moved down to her thigh and gently rubbed her skin, as the right hand kept the strawberry in place, against her clitoris, but with changes in pressure and angles.  And then she realized that the banana was much warmer and harder than it should be and realized what his shifting forward request was all about. 

“Hmmm,” she managed to vocalize, as she basked at the moment and slid her hands onto his thighs, which lay on either side of her and she had managed to avoid until this point.   She finally allowed her fingers slightly to show she was approaching a change in mood, by gripping his skin around his lower quadriceps.  And her grip was stronger than he expected.  Rigel leaned into her right ear again, as this side was presented more often because, for some reason, she was always tilting her head slightly to the left. 

“If you can guess this one correctly, we are going to expand the sensations of the game" He whispered in her right ear. 

Inga continued her grip on his thighs but eased the tension, as she pondered the question for which she already knew the answer.  She responded with a question.

“So if I choose correctly, what happens next?” as she regrips his thighs with more force.  She continues… “Will I then be in charge of the next part of this game, if I am correct?” She quips. 

Rigel is thrown off by her request, as he has plans and knows exactly what he wants to do next.   He pauses and reluctantly agrees.  “Okay dear, if that is your wish, then if you are correct, your reward is a sip of wine, a piece…” – he looks and imagines she is hungry, as he remembers hearing a soft call for nourishment coming from her abdominal area…and continues;

“A piece or more of fruit and some wine, and apparently….me!” He trails off his final word, as though he is reluctant to concede control back to Inga. 

He also suddenly realizes that his current state, in the lower hemisphere, is going to be a little awkward with the consumption of fruit and wine and commands his friend to retreat. 

He needs a little time to get his friend back into a lesser state of prominence and reacts quickly “Okay, but we choose what we feed each other.  We can only pick up and choose food for each other and that includes feeding each other” He states as he had already planned this all out.   

She ponders this for a few seconds and answers without hesitation. “Okay. Is it a Strawberry?” She states in a slightly questioning tone. 

Rigel smiles and leans into her neck again, but doesn’t respond.  He opens his mouth as if to biter her again, but then only offers a soft kiss.  “You are 100% correct,” he says emphatically.

And then he laughs as he considers their next steps and audibly reflects on the state of affairs.  “So…we are about to pause our Garden of Eden evening and have some wine, crackers, cheese, and fruit.  We will not be choosing our options, as we shall be feeding and choosing for each other.  And each of us will be completely naked for this next step on our special night?”  He states in a funny and questioning tone as if asking how silly they were together. 

Inga reflects on this and realizes that she is hungry, but she also has no desire to lose the momentum that they have built.  She starts to express a new thought when her lover interrupts “I love it!” he states in a commanding tone. 

“This is a perfect extension of our game, it fits the tone and mood of the game and I have no concern about losing energy, as this is a perfect segue into a slight shift of power, from me to you.”  He says confidently as if convincing both of them, at the same time.  “Keeping in mind of course, if you relinquish any forward momentum, I shall usurp your power and take it back for myself. 

Rigel takes command of the moment and allows his instructions to flow as he considers them.  "You may remove your blindfold, as I suppose I will be wearing it now, after our brief snack break." 

Inga does not hesitate and removes the mask in one fluid movement and awaits the next command or suggestion, as her lover seems to be making this up as he goes.  But she is enjoying allowing him to lead the way, after all, that all changes after the intermission, as she has something she wants to do for him. Something she wants to do to him.   

Rigel continues "All right, let's grab the wine and basket and face each other, for a change.  We have to make eye contact and not make each other laugh.". 

Rigel knows that the mere suggestion of this element to the night of games will make her subconsciously consider avoiding laughter, which of course, encourages it. 

Rigel also knows that he is certainly going to be playful and try to elicit a giggle or two from his favorite girl. All he needs to do now is think of some clever ways to achieve this goal, in a few seconds. 

Inga begins to pivot on the bed so she can turn and face her guy. Neither of them is wearing anything, any longer.

Inga shifts into position facing her man and smiles broadly, effortlessly.   "Where has that been since I have known you?" He quips.  She ignores his question and continues her smile, but the sparkle has shifted to her eyes.  She looks into his eyes, tilts her head, and then changes her gaze to the basket of goodies, off to her left and his right side.   

“Okay, sweetheart.  Let’s begin.” He states, as he grabs the basket and pulls it too close to his right side and her left.   They are both sitting cross-legged, directly in front of each other, knees almost touching. 

Rigel considers the positions for a second and then decides they need a change.  He begins to regret his choice as he thinks it through, as his appendage hears his thoughts and jumps in front of him on the enthusiasm line. 

This is tougher than he thought, as he has a chance to admire all of her now.  Even in the soft moonlight, he is awestruck by how beautiful she is. 

She is sitting cross-legged, obstructing the view to her lower regions, but watching from her hips on up, slowly reveals a classic figure that is magnificent. 

If Leonardo Davinci sculpted a woman sitting in this position, to be preserved for eternity, she would be the ideal model for his project. 

Her skin glistened somehow like the moon was capturing the warmth and projecting it directly onto her body.  Rigel thought to himself, wondering how he looked to her, as he was older and his skin would not be unflawed or capture moonlight in such a magnificent manner. 

He then began to rethink his position changes that were going to require their legs and bodies entangled and pulled closer.  Then suddenly she captured and addressed his concerns. 

“You look so sexy right now, I cannot stand it.”  She said looking directly at his body and making no eye contact, before realizing she was lost on his abdominals and refocused on his face. 

This time he responded with the same warm smile, she had offered a minute earlier, regained his confidence and footing, and reached into the basket for something of substance.  After grabbing the plate of multi-grain crackers, he reached back in and grabbed three kinds of cheese a spiced plum jam spread, and a knife. 

“I am feeding you first sweetheart,” He said and realized how much he enjoyed calling her loving names.  Years ago, he had personally described the term “I love you” as a perfect way of telling your loved one, “Thank you for being in my life” and that resonated with him internally, and everyone that has heard that sentiment since that day. 

Therefore, every time he used a loving expression with Inga, he always thought about what that meant.  Gratitude is the perfect reset button for all anxiety.  Not that he had any, especially right now.  But gratitude can also keep anxiety at bay.  And it can also open the door for joy like it was at this moment. 

As he was playing this story in his head, he prepared a few crackers with cheese and jam, looking to his girl for acknowledgment of which cheese to choose and confirmation that the jam was fine. 

She watched him with a slight smile, as she seemed to be enjoying this little break in their night and realized that there was very little chance they would be walking through a restaurant door anytime soon.  And she was hungry.  So this was all interesting, playful, fun, and also practical. 

Rigel smiled as he lifted the first cracker, with a slice of Swiss cheese and the plum jam.   He brought it to her mouth at an angle, as the cracker was as wide as her mouth, so the angle presented a more realistic opportunity to take a bite, without dropping crumbs everywhere.  Regardless, he held one hand under her mouth to ensure the bed didn’t become filled with cracker crumbs. 

She took a small bite, and he withdrew the remaining cracker and his hand, as she slowly chewed and made eye contact.  He smiled and responded “We are very strange people” and without hesitation, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. Then he leaned back, looked toward his speaker, and called out a command “Hey Siri! Play mood music four” The sounds of the cello disappeared and a new song, soft, inviting, and romantic began to play. 

As he turned back to her, she was holding one of the crackers that he prepared and lifted it to his mouth.  He didn’t hesitate and bit off half of it and caught the small crumbs as gravity pulled it toward an area he didn’t want to search for it, in his lap. 

The music began to increase in cadence and energy.  It was an extended version of Anya, Storms in Africa and it provided a lifting and upbeat energy into this frisky game.  Rigel smiled as he noticed her mood lift while enjoying this playful experience. The music seemed to set a new tone and they were both relishing it. 

The extended version of this song offered mischievous notes of playful pleasure that made each of their turns of feeding one another, fun, humorous, and shockingly rewarding.  It was a completely unexpected dance on that night, but it was now a very welcomed one. They continued until the song started losing pace, after almost fourteen minutes, of consuming fruit, cheese, crackers, and wine. 

As the song faded, Rigel held up the bottle of wine, which was now over half empty.  “This was all you,” he said in a loving and fun tone.   She laughed as “no” spilled out over her mouth, for she was still chewing and held her hand over her mouth as she finished the bite. With her free hand, she pointed at her love as if blaming Rigel for the unexpected disappearance of the surprisingly refreshing Hungarian red wine. 

As the music offered its final notes, another Enya song began Caribbean Blue. This song was also playful and Rigel decided he could not take anymore and broke his agreed-upon rules, as he leaned forward and pushed Inga onto her back in a very playful manner.  Since she was sitting cross-legged still, she rocked back in a rolled-up fashion and didn’t uncross her surprisingly adorable legs, capturing both his spirit and the spirit of the song, in unison. 

She laughed and said “What?  It’s my turn” but as she was completing her statement, he held his finger up to her mouth asking her for silence, as his lighthearted eyes told her it was all fine.  And she agreed with him and did not oppose, as he uncrossed her legs and positioned himself atop her, using his arms to unweight most of his body, to keep her comfortable. 

He then straightened her legs and straddled her, knees behind him, sitting atop her with both of their private areas aligned, he called back out into the darkness
“Hey Siri, play the last song” and Enya Storms in Africa began to play. 

As the light and playful bass and tenner notes began to fill the room, Rigel moved his fingers playfully across her upper body, as if he was playing an instrument via the upper regions of her torso, with light flicks of his fingers. He managed to do this with impeccable precision, matching the notes perfectly, all while looking into her eyes and smiling.   Inga loved his smile and perhaps that charmed her into believing that all of this strangeness, was somehow not only okay, but it was also sensual and fun.  She felt like they were two teenage kids experiencing this for the first time, and had no clue what they were doing. It was perfectly innocent and silly, but as she was considering all of this childishness, something happened. 

The drumbeats caught on and took control of the pace and cadence of the song. Rigel suddenly changed his loving and friendly smile, to a smile that also showed mild amazement. It was written in his eyes and expressions that were still lovingly locked on his love. 

Inga suddenly realized that she was now revealing the warmest and most loving smile she had ever offered another person, in her entire life.   She could not see her reflection, but she could feel it in his eyes and his loving expression. And she could feel it in her face and her heart. 

Rigel felt a bit overwhelmed by this change in mood and tone.  Sensual evenings offer very different moments, and this moment was completely unexpected.   This moment was moving him in a very special way, as there was nothing but his own personal description of love, a ‘thank you for being in my life’ written all over her face.   It was the first time she had expressed this to him and it was without saying a single word. 

 

Chapter 6
 

Rigel cleared the bed, removing the basket and wine, and carefully, but thoroughly began brushing off the crumbs from the bed. 

Inga watches and then takes the hint and clears space for him to complete the cleanup job.  She stands and watches him bent over naked, as he cleans up the slight mess, they created playing their last game. 

When he is finished, he turns to her and says “Okay dear, it is time to enhance the playtime with some more serious” – clears his throat “Or more sensual games” 

Inga just smiles, but she is not looking into his eyes any longer. Then she chimes in “Do I need the blindfold?” she manages to say.

Rigel begins to look like he is about to say no and changes his mind. 

“Yes,” he states with stumbling authority.  “Go ahead and lie down, with your head upon the pillow” he states.  Inga just smiles and jumps in the air from the foot of the bed, rotating from a prone position to landing on her back, mostly hitting the mark, as she bounces off the bed slightly and back down again, just short of having her head on the pillow.   

“What, are you kidding with your gymnastics tonight?” he quips.  She considers her actions and assumes it is part of her overly playful mood.  One she has never experienced before, at least not in this kind of a setting. 

She smiles again, bends her knees to push herself back to the full position, where her head is comfortable on the pillow, pulls the mask over her face, slips the band around her head, and then drops her hands to her side. 

Rigel stops and just watches her for a moment, as seeing her lying there, with nothing but the moonlight wrapping around her glistening body is a wonderful sight to behold.  And this new perspective, of being back a bit, to absorb all of her, was quite mesmerizing and also, very enjoyable.   

And then he smiles and begins his long-awaited game of sensuality. 

He doesn’t say a word but scoots up and lies beside his love on the right side of the bed. 

He then rolls to his side and begins tracing the fingers of his right hand up the full length of her legs, as far down as he can reach without shifting his position. 

“You are my most beautiful woman, my love” comes out as a whisper, as his right hand begins to shift to her stomach where he very delicately traces his finger around her belly button, watching his movements and enjoying the view, and tactile feedback and finally the first audible returns, that cascade across the bed in a whispered inhale and exhale from his favorite woman.  

Behind her mask, Inga is escaping into the night by closing her eyes and listening intently for each clue he offers to tip his next move. She anxiously awaits each soft caress and even each word that he whispers into the sea-fragranced night.  Once again, this moment is swiftly becoming hypnotic. 

Rigel moves his hand slowly from the slow tracing around her belly button and brushes the back of his fingers up her stomach and toward her breasts. Still lying on his side, watching intently and studying her reactions, to each new touch he offers her. 

“And moments become memories” he whispers to her as his hand moves up to her right breast, and brushes across the nipple.  Inga reacts this time, as her body shifts, when she suddenly feels a pulse, like a very mild electric current, travel right through her breast and down the entire right side of her figure. 

“Oh, what was that?” she asks in a loving but slightly nervous tone. 

“It was our energy connecting my love,” he says ever so softly as he shifts his touch across the valley of her ribs to reach her other peak. 

Inga is not sure how to accept that answer, but she doesn’t care. The only thing that matters right now is that she is completely engrossed in this experience. Her audible clues as to her acceptance of this treatment, are now becoming more telling, as Rigel moves his mouth to her left breast while his right hand remains occupied on her right bosom. 

She meets his touch with her breath, as she exhales in perfect synchronization with each kiss on her nipple.  Rigel connects to her cadence and slows his pace, to ensure that they remain in perfect time. 

Rigel has determined that she loves this approach of measured cadence, as she responds to each technique and measured pause as if it resonates through her mind and body in a manner that keeps her deeply connected to the moments.   Even though he is reaching a point where he feels compelled to race toward the finish line, he shall continue this dance, until it has run its course. Or, until his resolve holds out, which might not be that much longer. 

He snaps back into full focus and decides it is time to sneak a kiss. He leans forward, stretching his neck to allow his lips to reach hers offering her a soft and warm kiss.  Inga is delighted by his surprise and offers her lips in return.  To Rigel, this pairing doesn’t seem fair, as her lips are soft, supple, and quite abundant when compared to his thin offering.   But he internally complements himself regarding his head angle and probing approach, as he needs to overcome not only his narrow lips but his Italian heritage nose.   Based on her responses, he has not compromised the moment for her, in any fashion. 

Inga, being blindfolded, is completely connected to every other sense as if she has suddenly been transformed into a new person that absorbs everything in her peripheral sensing range.   She is aware of Rigel’s position, his breathing patterns, his eyes, locked on her body, and his deep desire for her, in the entirety of her existence.  She thinks to herself – can I sense his complete and utter love for me and have no question that he is mine, above all others?”  And she answers her internal question with a wry smile. 

The music has now run its course, so the room is silenced, except for the breeze that carries its sea-fragranced notes, capturing and lifting the rose petals on the floor, and casting their scent around the entire room. 

Inga thinks that this is what she was dreaming of, before correcting herself and realizing it is far more than she has ever dreamed of, in her entire life.   And that realization resonates with her on a profoundly new level, as all of this begins to settle into her mind.  With her eyes still closed, her mind begins to recapture the evening as it plays once again via her perceptive awareness of seemingly everything.  The totality of her love is suddenly expressed as a tear, forming in one eye, yet hidden behind her mask. 

Inga senses that she just transitioned from a moment of reflection to suddenly becoming momentarily overwhelmed.  Yet, the mask ensures that she cannot reach her right eye, to clear the moisture developing in the corner. 

Rigel feels her emotion and lifts his head from her breast, to see a quivering lip.  He hesitates and studies her intently, as he places his right hand on her upper abdomen to comfort her.   

Inga, being acutely aware of his actions, does not need to open her eyes to confirm his eyes are locked on her. She feels vulnerable, very vulnerable right now, and her lip, once again, quivers, ever so softly. 

Rigel understands what has transpired as he leans in and kisses her softly on her quivering lips  "It is okay my love. This is what being in love does to you.  It makes everything else resonate on a much deeper level". 

She manages a one-word response “Okay” that comes out in the form of an audible quiver, to match the visual clue, on her lips. 

Inga has always shielded her emotions from everyone since she was a young girl transitioning into a woman.   

Tonight, she was already vulnerable with a mask on. And now, she was even more vulnerable, as he saw right through her.   

Rigel sensed this and slid her mask up and off of her face, placing his right hand on her left cheek and looking into her now watery eyes.   He smiled broadly to help relieve her tension, as she loved his smile. 

"So you thought joy was going to feel different, didn't you?" he says in a whisper.  She ponders this and in the sweetest voice says "Yes".   As she pushes an innocent and childlike smile across her face. 

Rigel shifts his position up to her, as he shifts her to her side. He then spoons her from behind and begins to comb his fingers through her hair.  "I love you, my precious girl," he says softly and she returns his thoughts "I love you so much" escapes her lips, as she pushes her backside into his lower region to close the almost non-existent gap between them.

He nestles up to her and decides to keep things innocent until she is ready.  Rigel uses his right hand to caress her right thigh again instead of choosing a more sensual area.  Inga is lost in his arms and loves every second.  She shifts her buttocks again, inviting him in, to play.    



Chapter 7

 

Preamble 

Whispers introduce subtle nuanced expressions that fill the void between what we desire, and our capacity to express those thoughts;

Whispers draw us closer together, for the gravity of love, is far greater than any other force we will experience in life;

Whispers are whimsical and carry our thoughts on clouds and lay them at our feet; 

A whisper is the beginning of something and the end of nothing.

And so, my whisper to you, from across the seas, is that on this day, I would be on my knees;

And the words now flow, as my thoughts shape and grow, for the place which you know, in my heart that I show, to only you;

For this day…

For every day…

Until my days are behind me…

I whisper to you; “My heart is yours”

----------------------------------------------------

As they both lay together, tightly in a spoon position, she could feel his warmth grow and begin to seek her out. Inga felt that the night had progressed at such a perfect pace and everything was just beautiful. But now, with the mood set impeccably, her passion was reaching a boiling point and it was time.

And so, she took the lead, as she was in front of him anyway and she was already robbed of her blindfolding plan by him earlier. So it was her turn to initiate. 

Slowly and ever so softly, she began to rock her hips and press her cheeks against his waking love. She didn’t say a word, she just continued at a very controlled pace and rhythm and allowed him to awaken fully to her mating calls.  

Rigel had deliberately paced himself all night long, even though he felt compelled to reach this same point much earlier, when they sat down on the settee, to zip up her dress. But now, this moment was upon them and it was most certainly time to move this to another level of love. Another level of commitment. Another level of ???? – - - 

He was lost on his final thought, as her last hip movement was more pervasive and carried his thoughts in another direction.  

Inga, lying on her left side, reached her right hand back and placed it onto Rigel's right thigh, before sliding her hand forward and squeezing his right buttocks. 

Her mind commented that it was even tighter than she anticipated when seeing him through his shorts earlier and his black slacks tonight. But her mind also betrayed her thoughts as an audible expression of her delight escaped her thoughts and then her lips.  

At this point, Rigel had his right arm over her, but under her right arm, which had reached back to massage, or probe for anything in the range of her hand.  

When he heard her audible clue, he moved his right hand from its mostly dormant position on her belly, up to her breasts. The position of his arm removed her angle slightly and she could no longer stretch her right arm back far enough to find his glutes. So she changed her focus back to his hand on her breasts.  

Inga grabbed his hand softly at first and then with a little more command, as she held it and shifted his hand down to her lower region.  

Rigel expanded on the opportunity by pulling her hips into his and allowing her to know that his passion, was ready to seek out the pleasure she was offering.  

He began kissing her neck, shifting target areas until he found the precise location that gave him the best feedback that she could offer. The simple, but highly effective moan of delight, beckons one to continue on the same path.  

Rigel then stood up and walked over to his slacks lying on the side of the bed, where he reached into a pocket withdrew two black silk restraints, and asked Inga to move up to the headboard and lie on her back.  

She contemplated this for a mere few seconds before rushing to accommodate his request.  She is now lying on the bed, near the headboard, with her arms at her side. The mask that was removed moments earlier, is now being slid back into place, as she watches her lover intently with excitement and anticipation of what is to come.  

Rigel calls over to his speaker once again "Play Romantic Piano" as a soft and very romantic piano fills the room.  

Rigel studies the distance to the corner post of the bed as he looks at his hands and stretches out the silk restraints. After pondering it for a few seconds, he grabs two ends of the silk and ties them together, pulling tightly to ensure that they will not release.  

He then shifts off of the bed and over to the post. He ties one end around the top section and slides it down so it is level with the bed. He reaches out and asks: "May I have your left hand please" as he reaches to touch her hand. She simply follows his guided flow over toward the post where he softly ties the restraint around her wrist. He makes certain that she has enough play in the restraint to where she can lie her arm down on the bed and allow circulation to continue in a normal fashion.  

"Okay?" spills out of Rigel's thoughts first and then his lips. She acknowledges with a simple nod and Rigel senses that she is still holding back tears.  

"Honey, is this okay for you now?" He asks in a very tender tone. She nods again and then manages to share her thoughts in broken tones. "I am very happy and..."

The thought gets caught in her mind. "I just am very... pauses and tries to gather her voice. "I love you so much" trickles out, as the soft piano music seems to unite with her mood and sentiment, perfectly. 

Rigel is a bit overwhelmed himself, as he is very excited, but he is also deeply in love with this vulnerable flower, lying on the bed and trusting him completely.  

"I love you so much too sweetheart"...Rigel continues, "If you need me to pause or stop, you need only say 'Wait' and I will pause.  I guess that is your safe word…Okay?" 

Once again she nods her beautiful head, with the mask seemingly holding her beauty in place, allowing the moonlight and the moment to capture this second for Rigel, forever.    

He cannot resist any longer and leans forward to give her the softest and most romantic kiss he can muster. 

Her right hand, still free from restraint, finds his left cheek and she softly caresses his face.  

After 30 seconds of soft and sensual kissing, he sits back up and says "The other hand please?" and reaches for his slacks and into his other pocket to extract two more silk restraints.  

As he begins to tie her right wrist he looks in the direction of the piano music and internally compliments his song selections for the evening. They ended up being as impeccable as her tonight. The mood, tone, and flow were so very perfect. Everything is just as it could be. Just as it should be.  




Chapter 8

 

Prologue 

" Every single person in your life today, shall one day go their separate way, or forever be taken away. 

It’s all so precious. 

Only Now. "

 

Inga was now restrained gently to either bedpost with soft black silk restraints.  Her anticipation was now beginning to excite her greatly, as she pulled gently against each restraint, to measure its effectiveness.    This was going to be fun.  She started to fantasize about what he was going to do and felt very comfortable knowing that he was a master at his bedroom play.  This was perfect.  He was perfect. This night is perfect.  Everything was….

And at that last minute, her mind took her away.  
And she asked herself a slow and deliberate question “Too perfect? 

How any woman would ever, could ever, risk losing such a man? She pondered this, as the room was completely silent and that silence was reinforced by the darkness that surrounded her and the mask that prevented her from reaching her mind out into the darkness.  She pulled her hands towards her head. 
But the restraints kept her hands from removing the mask and allowing her to search for clues. 

Everything was dead still.   Even the mattress did not indicate her man was on the bed any longer.   

As she pondered reaching out with a question, her mind wandered.  She asked the internal question again “How could any woman allow this man to leave? He is too perfect to be available to anyone, even to her.  Perhaps there was a scarier side to him.  Perhaps that was something she was about to discover.  Perhaps everything on the surface was too perfect, too ideal for him to be anything more than a well-polished and charismatic fraud.”   And then she began to ask herself more questions, for the silence and the darkness allowed her thoughts to waiver and seek another outcome. 

The internal dialogue continued. “Was he possibly a professional escort who knows how to please and seduce women and all of this was a story to find a normal life?  Or was it worse?  Did anyone even know that she was here with him at this moment?  The mask, the moment, all of it, was creating and quickly reinforcing doubt in her mind and she suddenly started to feel extremely vulnerable.  And that vulnerability began to scare her…

And then it began to excite her. 

Rigel was in the bathroom looking through a backpack for four more silk restraints, which he was certain he packed, but could not find.  He then seemed to recall something, but instead, picked up her phone, swiped through it, typed a few things, smiled, and set it back down on the counter. 

Suddenly, he experienced a chill and quickly stood from his squatted position and quickly rounded the corner to see her on the bed.  He sensed doubt and nervousness and it was the opposite of her mood, only seconds earlier. 

He immediately knew that his words were required at this minute.  He reached out to her with a warm and comforting tone to soothe her mind. 
“My love, everything you know of me, is me, but there is also another side that is going to give you everything you desire. You are just going to receive it at the pace I determine is needed, and if and when I feel you deserve it.” 

Inga was pulled back from her thoughts like a firework exploded nearby and called for all of her focus and attention.   The words washed over her, providing comfort and excitement at the same time.  It was mesmerizing.  It was also impossible.   “Was he so connected that he was just reading my mind?” She asked internally. And she answered her question and the answer made her more comfortable than she has ever been in her life.  “Yes, we are that connected,” she said internally. But the thought betrayed her and escaped into the moonlit room, reaching toward her lover. He smiled and began to walk toward the bed.    

Rigel commented as he watched her in the soft light “It is fine my Luna Princess.  If you listen to my voice, feel my energy, and follow my lead” – When he reached the end of the bed, he bent down and grabbed her right foot, in a loving and supportive way and massaged it just enough, to allow her to relax and so he could find her pulse, near her ankle to gauge his effectiveness at calming her. 

He would listen and watch for clues tonight, but he was also capable of gauging micro feedback by incorporating every single nuanced expression she could offer. 

And if he was going to give her everything she wanted and needed, this touchpoint was going to assist in that endeavor. 

He continued in a very soft and measured cadence. 

“And you will know that you are safe, protected, and loved dearly.”

He slowly massaged her foot and allowed his index finger to stop on the posterior tibial area and sensed her heart accept his words. 

And when he was satisfied that she was comfortable, he began again. 

“And no, I am not other men.  But I am your man. And your man is precisely the man you know and desire and love. And he is going to be EVERYTHING you had hoped for” 

His words carried across the darkness and comforted her soul, and all doubt left her, more swiftly than it found her. She smiled and laughed at her suspicion and asked “What are you doing over there?” 

Rigel considered his response and began.
“I was looking for the other silk” and his words trailed off and were replaced with light laughter, as he sat down on the edge of the bed and grabbed her other foot, and began to massage both feet, as he recalled the story in a tone that denoted fun and playfulness. 

“ You know…You would think that luggage manufacturers would create marked compartments that said ‘Sexual Restraints’ so people were not forced to look for where they hid them, while their lover was partially tied to the bed”.  

That hung in the air for about a second, before they both started laughing at the same moment.   The tone quickly shifted back to their playful atmosphere. 

And Rigel noticed that seemed pleased with his distraction-based foot massage and decided he would simply continue from there.   

Rigel cleared his throat; “Are you ready?”

Inga responded with excitement in her voice “Yes, I am ready”.

Rigel, already sitting on the bed, continued massaging her feet, one hand on each foot.  Slowly but firmly massaging them with the same pressure and movements.  More pressure, than he had used all night, for any of his other games. 

As his hands worked their way over the perfect curves in her feet, she relaxed her arms, restraints in place, and let her arms drop to the bed for support.  But she was already slightly working against the restraints, perhaps in the delight of anticipation of what was to come. 

Rigel studied her intently and knew that every move he had leveraged until this time, would elicit an even greater response with her bound and sightless.  He knew what needed to be done, or at least he thought he knew.  He was also very willing to follow her clues. 

He looked at her feet and pondered using a soft leather belt to secure her ankles together, but decided against it when he realized it would thwart his view and access to her. 

At this minute her feet were straight out, thighs together, as he massaged both feet. 

But it was time to change the game and he moved into action. 

Rigel hopped off the end of the bed, went into the bathroom, grabbed his backpack, and returned. He reached for the zippered computer sleeve, unzipped it, and pulled out a feather.  It was about 10 inches long and pure white.  He walked back into the room and looked at the speaker still playing the subtle piano music, pondered that for a second felt it was appropriate, and continued. 

My dear, you once told me that you despised being tickled, so I am not going to tickle you. However, I am going to use a feather to help you discover where the lightest touch, means the most to you.  Once I discover those areas, we can use that information to enhance your experiences forever. 

She considers this and is amazed at how thorough he seems to be in everything he does. It makes her feel very special and it makes her smile, which is not covered by the mask. He notices her reaction, smiles, and quips “Good” 

He gets back on the bed, legs crossed Indian style and faces her legs. 

He reaches down below her knees and pulls them upward, creating a natural and comfortable bent-knee position for her.   This new position kept her legs together while exposing the underside of her calves and thighs. 

Rigel grabs the feather in his right hand, his dominant hand, and looks for areas that present the most obvious tactual sensation energy returns.  He begins by brushing the feather down her left inner thigh, starting behind the knee and progressing toward his final objective for the night. 

She responds both audibly and physically, as the feather dances from the inside of her thigh down, finally stopping right at her pubic region.  And then he returns the stroke up to its point of origination. 

He pauses and watches her reaction.  She is raising her chest with each slow inhalation of the night air, which is beginning to become a little chillier now. Rigel notices the goosebumps on her legs and wonders if it is the night air or the feather disrupting her skin.  He decides to continue and if it is the night air, he can always close the sliding glass door. 

And he continues now, shifting the feather to the side of her leg, but follows the same tracing pattern, beginning at the knee area and moving upward until reaching the adjacent area to her vagina. She responds again seemingly enjoying both touches, yet the first being a greater erogenous effect. 

Rigel then decided to escalate and withdraw again and determined a plan and pull her bent knees apart, and create space between her foot positions, to allow him better access. 

She is now spread for him to see all of her.  And he reminds himself that this is a game that needs to be tempered and move at pace, as his heart was telling him to accelerate, accelerate, accelerate. 

And this time he brushes the feather on the inside of her right thigh, from his seated position between her legs.  He begins the same tracing pattern, starting inside the knee.  But this time when he reaches her pubic area, he brushes across her area and continues to the other side and up the left inner thigh and toward that knee. 

Inga is shifting her position and unsure of what to do with her arms that are wanting to reach out and pull him in but are forced to remain tethered to the silk restraints and the bed. 

He continues by retracing the pattern in the reverse direction. And slowly, methodically repeats this over and over, saying nothing, but studying her reactions intently. 

Rigel knows that subtle changes will elicit less subtle responses, so he changes the pressure of the feather's touch.   Sometimes lifting it completely and re-engaging inches down the traceroute… and other times, lifting it so the feather barely glides off of her skin, making almost no contact, other than a flicker of sensation. 

Each nuance of pressure and pace brings a reaction from his love, as she shifts against her restraints. The audible delight has now persisted since this pattern began and he knows things are heading in the right direction. 

Rigel calls out “Siri play Now!” 

Rigel stops everything and lets the music dictate the pace moving forward. 

He lifts the feather off of her skin, just as she begins to become completely immersed and aroused.  He stops completely and is utterly silent.

He then takes the feather moves it down lower, and begins delicately shifting it back and forth tracking the flicks of notes in the song.  At the lower end of her vagina where her skin touches the bed. 

This area seems to excite her even more and he makes a mental note. 

Slow and methodical strokes allow her to anticipate the cadence and she responds with timed breaths and moans of delight. 

----The haunting vocals begin on the music ---  

Rigel determines that it is time to change again and shifts his weight forward, lifts and places his knees on either side of her waist, keeping his weight off of her stomach by keeping the pressure on his knees.  He then leans forward, sitting straight up, and allows his organ to lie on her stomach. 

He feels her bent knees against his back and tells her “You can straighten your legs if it is more comfortable”. 

She doesn’t move or acknowledge his instructions.  He looks down at her face and she is lost in the moment.  His penis is lying flat on her belly, only partially aroused at this point.  Since she kept her knees bent, Rigel reaches back around with the feather in his right hand and gracefully sweeps it up her inner left thigh, by keeping his wrist bent to accommodate the perfect angles. 

Inga responds against the restraints, which halt her hand's progress toward his member.  She lets out a loud audible sigh and then begins moving her hips to create a rocking motion in her core, to engage his manhood by lowering and raising her abdomen to meet and release it.  She continues, as his organ acknowledges her efforts and begins to awaken. 

Inga thinks to herself that she has just wrestled control back from him and is delighted in her composure and cleverness in her compromised position. 

But as she is internally complimenting herself, she is also unknowingly reaching out against the restraints, trying to pull him in.  Rigel sees this and realizes what she is doing, as her smirk gives her away. 

But he allows her to continue until his erection reaches a point where he can proceed in a new direction.  A direction where he will regain even more control. 

Rigel, in one smooth motion, launches himself in the air and backward, landing back on his knees and placing his hands together to spread her legs in one perfect motion.  He then leans forward and slides into position. 

Inga, not seeing any of this is completely unsure of what just happened.  She felt the bed compress, then release, and then felt him land and spread her legs.  But it happened so fast that there was no time to try and decipher what had transpired. 

And now, she felt it. 

He had positioned himself quickly, but correctly and she could feel the tip of his now erect penis on her clitoris.  But he was not trying to penetrate her with it.  He was teasing her instead.   She could feel his shaft slide from just above her anus, up to the top of her vagina.  His manhood was very hard, yet his touches were very soft, as it glided up and down her vagina slowly and deliberately. 

But she wanted more and she reached her hips out to try and coax him inside, instead of playing by the front door.  But he ignored her invitation and continued with his dance, in her doorway. 

And so, she reached with her hands to pull him in and the restraints, though soft, dismissed her request.   

Rigel changed the game again by reintroducing the feather reaching around the side of her left thigh and tracing it up her inner thigh and down to where her perfect skin disappeared into the bedspread.  The tracing pattern followed his hip movements, with his shaft and the feather tracing up and down her intimate areas in a synchronized fashion. 

Inga continued her hip movements, inviting him into her, as he made sure his tip was never positioned to achieve penetration, just placed perfectly to tease and beckon her. 

While keeping the feather in his right hand, he shifted his weight forward and onto his elbows, positioning himself, so his abdomen was now over her vagina and so he could focus on her breasts, with his eyes and mouth. 

And she delighted in having his abdomen against her clitoris and lifted and pressed her hips into him. Rigel flexed his abdominal muscles so she had a measure of a washboard to press against. 

Rigel pressed up, in a pushup position, to watch her face and her reactions while allowing her to continue shifting her hips into him. 

He called to the left “Siri play Now” and a beautiful rendition of Now We Are Free began playing in the background. 

Inga had her mask in place.  Her hips had found a rhythm to press and release into him perfectly.  The rocking flow was very evident in her upper body as well.  The restraints would not allow her the normal leverage of pulling in her arms to press against the bed for influence over the movement.  So she was forced to be more exaggerated in the assistance from her back to create support for her hip movements.   

He observed her exaggerated movements with great joy.  It was very erotic seeing her in the mask, hands strapped by silk and bound to the bed.  She was deeply immersed in the experience.  The evidence was written everywhere and it was exhilarating. 

Rigel kept his abdominals tight and flexed while shifting his torso into each of her slow-pressing movements.  He matched her flow and synchronized his movements to match the cadence of the song, and she followed his lead. 

He moved his mouth over her right nipple and brought the feather in his right hand up to her left side and then brushed it from her ear down to her breast, as he suckled her right nipple. 

Inga kept up her slow hip-rocking movements against his abdomen, but her focus was now shifting to his other touches, and once again, she tried to reach out and pull him in. And once again, she was reminded of her limitations. 

Everything was now following the flow of the music, which completely enhanced the feel of the room. It lifted everything and carried the erotic nature of the experience to new heights, as the musical score was very haunting, romantic, and dramatic, matching the tone of the experience perfectly. 

Rigel allowed the moment to simmer until it lost the slightest bit of feedback from his love and then he changed again.  His changes coincided with music shifting to subtle piano notes, as he dismounted and used only the feather to trace from her toes, up her inner thighs across her private area, and up to her lips.  He stopped at her lips and reached in to kiss her softly, released his lips, and allowed the feather to trace back down.  This time he rounded her breasts with delicate flicks of the feather. 

Inga was completely enjoying this light feather touching, as the mood and music in the room made it so intoxicating that she thought she could reach the point of no return, much sooner than anticipated. 

Rigel’s left hand found its way to her belly, as he sat on the bed beside her.  He was now allowing the music to dictate his pace and even his pressure on her skin.

His fingers expanded slowly, rubbing her abdomen most sensually. 

He allowed his hand to venture southward and reach her pubic hair where it danced delicately down to her lips. 

And then he would bring his hand back up, gliding softly and sensually across her skin and up between her breasts.

Inga was captivated by the touches, constantly trying to calculate what was next, early on, but now, simply allowing her mind to follow his lead and anticipate nothing. Releasing all of that control was allowing her to truly experience the joy of this sensual moment. 

And the music shifted to Elysium, Lisa Gerard performing Now We Are Free. 

He Shifted to a place between her legs and paused.

He was allowing the music to set the tone. 

As the haunting vocals increased, he traced strong massaging fingers spread like a claw, so they would penetrate her muscles and release her tension into the night air.  He began at her feet and followed the musical pace slowly and powerfully up her legs.

His hands kept even, with powerful pressure that was completely intoxicating for Inga, as she let her mind be carried away by the clouds created by the music and the moment. 

And suddenly, Rigel recalls where he hid the other silk restraints, slides off the bed reaches into his suitcase, pulls out a grey suede shoe and the folded socks in the shoe, and then smiles as he grabs long black restraints.  He then repeats that with the other shoe and turns to Inga “I found the leg restraints, dear….” 

And she smiles. 

Rigel considers the newly found restraints and looks at his favorite girl, studying the mood, timing, and opportunity. 

And then, he remembers his vow to keep her intrigued and guessing and so he does the unthinkable for all men and most women.  Rigel walks over to the bed and unties the satin restraints holding his love to the bed.  

Inga, unaware of his plans, is excited to change positions and accept something new, as her heart rate increases, blindfold still intact. 

Suddenly, the blindfold is lifted from her face in one fluid movement.  Inga looks for his eyes to discover his intentions or anything that might give away his next move.  Her eyes drop from her search for his eyes and onto his manhood, which is partially stimulated, but only enough to keep her focus there for a few seconds. 

Her focus comes back to his face, as he sits down next to her and tells her to put on something comfortable, like sweats on, as they were going outside.  He then walks over to the deck door and out on the balcony, where he studies the moonlit sky intently. 

At this point, she is completely puzzled as they were so rapidly building up to an incredible crescendo of their love and he is now stopping and asking her to get dressed.  “Are you kidding me?” spills out into the room accidentally.  She realizes her expression has escaped, withdraws the comment, in her head, realizes by his gaze, that it did not work, and anxiously awaits his retort. 

He comes back from his suitcase where he has pulled out a tracksuit, in all black, like soccer warmups. He approaches the bed and sits down.  He doesn’t say anything, he just sits right in front of her and looks into her eyes lovingly for what seems like forever, but the clock whispers into the night that only 11 seconds had passed before he spoke “The moon is in a wonderful and influential position right now, and we are obstructing its energy and light by being behind this wall” as he gestures toward the door.   So we are going out to where the moon can find us and provide the illumination necessary to bring us both to the place we are destined to be on this night.   

Inga is trying to accept this, despite her reluctance to believe that any man can go down the road of desire that far with her and turn back.   She is not aware that she is playing this line of questioning in her head long enough for him to study her blank stare and reluctance to accept his request.   Rigel studies her for a couple of seconds and leans in to offer her a very tender, but sensual kiss.  She immediately responds with soft reassurance that she is deeply in love. After a few seconds, she enhances the pressure to try and pull him back to where they were two minutes ago to entice him to release his control and let her bring him to the place he wishes to be. 

The kiss is beginning to gain momentum and influence, as it becomes more sensual.  Their head positioning is changing, tongues are darting, probing, and swirling and suddenly, she realizes it is working. She was winning back control. 

Inga realizes this has heated back up to where she was a few minutes earlier and is unwilling to relinquish her hold on the outcome.  She reaches out for his shoulders, grabs them firmly, and falls onto her back, pulling him along with her to continue their passionate kissing. 

Rigel does not resist her but leans into the moment with more aggressive passionate nudging, that compliments the enthusiasm of the kissing perfectly. 

He pulls his knee up along her side and presses his thigh into her side. 

Rigel catches himself and reprimands his actions. He must remain composed as if he is not fully focused, he has no chance of resisting her and she is quickly wrestling control back from him. 

And then, the other side of his brain intervenes and questions his intentions “Why are you resisting her again?  You have waited this long to be together, you are in love, and the moment and both enjoying it immensely” 

At that moment, Inga senses his hesitation and vulnerability and shifts sideways slightly to bring her thigh up and rub it along his manhood, which has already reawakened, thanks to her initiative. 

Inga realizes she has to act now, or he may regain control and delay her moment.  And then she shifts quickly, counter-clockwise, pulling him down at the same time.   Rigel realizes what she is doing, even though it is happening in a second. His mind works rapidly and he has time to consider resisting or rolling into her pull and allowing the momentum to continue. Allowing their positions to be returned to where they are now.  Finally, only one second later, he relents and she is on top now. 

She then sits up on her knees, with her butt over his crotch. She shifts her hips a bit, applies pressure to his penis, and then smiles like a Cheshire cat and says “You are not getting away from me that easily.  I let you go once before and I will not let you go again.”   She looked deeply into his eyes and smiled.   Her eyes revealed her desire, love, passion, and poised pleasure, all waiting to pounce.  He was transfixed on her beauty and also pretty certain that she might bite him if he tried to escape. 

She just stared down into his eyes, then across his body, where her hands were now permitted to explore, being free of her restraints.   She reached with her buttocks to feel the places that she could bring back to her mind's eye, with the tactility and pressure of her touch. 

She could see that by studying his face, he was still holding on to some idea that they needed to be in the moonlight right now.   But she knew that they could make that the next chapter on their night. 

After all, he was writing this story all by himself, until now. 

And then she looked at him intently and said “You asked me to fight for you, let me fight for you” And those words, at that moment, made him release all pretense of control. 

She closed her eyes and adjusted her position, as his manhood was now ready to explore her.  Without the use of her hands, she allowed her hips to align their love and when he found the entrance to her cave, she coaxed him in with one simple gesture. 

He was timid at the entrance to her love and entered in a slow methodical fashion, as the walls were closing in around him and the space to maneuver was not present.   As he entered her eyes were closed. But then he ventured into her a little more, slowly, almost timidly, and she opened her eyes and studied his eyes. 

They both had the same look of love, coupled with desire and something else, that escaped both of them, at the moment. 

Inga coaxed him in by allowing her hips to invite him a little more with each measured, but subtle thrust. 

As they continued this slow and pleasurable dance, the moon shifted its position in the night sky and found itself gazing in, across the top of the bed.   

She invited him in a little more with each hip movement, as the moonlight washed across her legs, back, and bottom.    They were both so immersed in the moment that they wanted to close their eyes and allow the ocean breeze to take them away. 

Yet, for some reason, their eyes were fixed on each other, as if they were perhaps capable of seeing each other's souls. 

The moon had discovered its calling for tonight, as the music that beckoned it, long ago, was calling it once again, for another role.   

And somehow, the moonlight that was washing over them, was also now warming their skin, as Rigel was now fully committed and inside. 

And he smiled up at her, as the warmed moonlight made them both more comfortable than either had been before.  He finally spoke without breaking eye contact.  “My Moonlight Princess, we have arrived at the doorway of the rest of our lives” 

And she smiled, continued her hip movements, and allowed her gaze to be shuttered by her eyelids, as her mind escaped into the moment, with the music, the moon, the memories, and the man she loved. 





The End

 
 

 

 

 

 

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