{M} Wicked game [open]

Shortly after she had placed both her children to bed, she met up with her husband in the hallway, both putting on their coats. Not even looking at each other, as the nanny helped her with her own coat. He opened the door, and Dolores quickly followed him out onto the cold night's street. The start of the new season was certainly noticeable, as the temperature was already starting to change. Not that it was much colder during the days, but the nights were beginning to cool down a bit.

They stepped into a wagon he arranged for them to bring them to a small little birthday party hosted by some ‘friends’ of his, and ofcourse, she was expected to go with him, because she was his wife. It would have been weird if he were to show up there alone, without her, since people might suggest that something was wrong with their marriage. Which was something they - he - didn’t want to happen, so they kept on pretending that they still loved each other, even if that was certainly not the case anymore.

When they eventually stepped in the room together, they both quickly scattered, trying to find drinks on their own. Dolores didn’t have many real friends within his circle, which was why she mostly relied on herself to keep herself entertained. Her observing nature made it easy, and she picked out a place where she was able to oversee everything going on inside the room. Sometimes focusing on conversations the people were having. Trying her best not to focus too much on her own husband flirting well within her sights with other women. Shortly her eyes moved to the ring around her finger as she gently moved her fingers over the edge of her wine glass, for a moment, completely lost in her own mind.

[open]

The art of eye contact

He couldn't help but notice her as she walked into the party with her husband. Surprisingly, he also noticed how she and her husband didn't act quite as married as most couples would. She went her own way, while her husband walked towards the group of guests Frederick was a part of. Of course he would, since his military friend and the birthday boy of the day was standing right next to him. While the newest guest was introduced to him and some of the others, Frederick's gaze slowly found its way back to the now lonely woman, wondering why she wasn't being introduced by her husband. The whole evening, his attention had been focused on pleasant conversations and jokes going around. You know, the normal way at these casual birthday parties. But from the moment she walked in, his gaze kept finding her again and again. He couldn't help it. Like a moth to a flame. Wondering why she didn't mingle. Or why none of the other guests paid much attention to her. But mostly, why she had married a man as ignorant as her husband, ignoring such a beautiful creature.

It didn't take long before he excused himself, leaving the group to go and refill his glass. Leaning on his cane, he casually made his way towards her. She seemed lost in thought as he passed her. Leaning against the wall behind her, he tilted his head slightly to give himself the best view of her beauty. His grey-blue eyes, now a dark stoney gray in the dimmed lights of the candles, followed every line, shape, and corner of her gracious face and silhouette. Beautiful but, he noticed, also quite sorrowful. Her fingers, feminine and slender, gently caressed the wine glass she was holding. He couldn't stop the corners of his mouth forming a handsome grin. He took out a little sketchbook and a pencil, something he always carried with him, and started to sketch out different details of this woman. Quietly studying her. Suddenly, a loud and way too enthusiastic cackle disrupted the peaceful murmorings of the party. Frederick looked up to see it was her husband, standing across the room, bold-faced flirting with other women. "If you want, you can flirt with me. I promise I'll laugh even harder at your jokes than your husband." That handsome grin, once again on his face, as he continued sketching

(C) Ross

Dolores was rather used to being alone at parties, she barely knew a lot of people from the upperring, even if she had started living there ever since she got married. Most of the people she did know were her husband’s friends, but she couldn’t say he always had the best taste in friends.. In times like this she often missed her home, and the stables. Where she could have just taken out one of her favorite mares, and rode away from all her troubles, or at least for a little bit. But no, instead, she was standing with a glass of wine in her hand, watching her husband having conversations with a few of his friends, and some other ladies.

There was one man, however, in the company of the men around her husband, who kept gazing at her. She pretended she didn’t quite notice it, but she did. Yet, by the time he excused himself and made way over to a different place, much closer to her, she had been too lost in thought to notice it. Her mind had begun to twist and turn again, over seeing her husband clearly flirting with another woman. No matter how much he already had done that to her, she still felt betrayed. And deep down, she wished that she could one day hurt him just as bad as he hurt her many times over

His laughter filled the room as Dolores her eyes were almost fixated on the two of them, barely noticing that the man next to her spoke some words. With some delay, she turned her head, looking at the handsome man. He was certainly dressed up nicely, just like her husband was. After her eyes shortly went over him, she gave him a smile, one that turned into a soft grin afterwards, a late reaction to his words. Looking back at her husband. ”Well, I can promise you, my jokes are much funnier than his are.” She hinted in a sarcastic tone, but eyes were telling him the truth of her words. After all, she felt like the biggest joke in the room, standing there with a wedding ring on her finger, all while her husband was evidently more interested in every other woman in the room.

Then she turned her head back to the other man, her blue eyes glancing down at the piece of paper he had been drawing on. ”What are you drawing?” She asked him in a sweet voice, one that sounded rather interested. Dolores often liked to paint, which was why she was always curious about all sorts of art.

The art of eye contact

Frederick had his eyes on the little sketchbook, focused on the drawing, when the woman eventually turned her head. So when he did look up, he was pleasantly surprised with a lovely smile as the two locked eyes for a brief moment. His gaze lingered a little longer than hers, as she turned back towards the man she once married. He chuckled at her comment, softly affirming it with a "No doubt about that." His grin faded into an expression of distaste and disappointment, seeing a married man acting like that. His father had acted similarly the few times he had seen his parents together at social events, as a boy. Back then, he didn't fully understand the disrespect and shame, but now he was fully aware.

It was his turn for a delayed response as his mind wandered a bit into childhood memories. He looked at her, and his smile returned. "You." He merely stated "Or, to be more specific, your hands." He showed her the sketches. "You have an air of elegance about you. It's captivating, really." He kept drawing while speaking, pausing abruptly to look at her with an apologetic grin. "I hope you don't mind, Missus Waiser?"

(C) Ross

Dolores meant what she said to the man, for she knew for a fact that she held more humor than her husband ever did. Everything he had ever owned in life had been gifted to him, he never had to do anything for it, whereas she always had to work hard. People laughed at his jokes because they were expected to laugh, not because they were actually funny. But the blonde knew what it was like to live with hardships, and what it was like to feel pain. Something that had surely given her a slightly darker sense of humor that she preferred, usually.

Her comment clearly worked, since he chuckled for a moment at her words. Though, on the other hand, he had also promised to laugh at her jokes so she wasn’t sure if he was being sincere or not, or just keeping the promise he made to her. Either way, she was able to raise one corner of her mouth slowly into a grin as well, until her eyes were caught by her husband putting her to shame, like always. In the corner of her eyes she could tell that his grin faded as well, looking at the man openly flirting with another woman, instead of his own wife. And then, Dolores decided not to pay her husband anymore attention, for she had already given him too much of it. Besides, the man next was already proving to be much better company. He had already given her more attention then her husband had done for months, even though they only knew each other for a couple of seconds.

When she asked him a question, it was this time he gave her a delayed response. Not that she minded, she was in no such haste. After all, she still had to spend the entire evening at the party. She had time. Her eyes shortly moved down to her hands when he told her he had been drawing her hands, showing a soft frown because she had not expected that. But somewhere it did struck her. Being an artist herself, she understood a thing or two about beauty, and it appeared that he had his own taste of things that he found beautiful. She saw it as a compliment. Her blue eyes moved back to look up at him, slowly, clearly impressed by his words as one corner of her mouth only softly raised. ”Oh no, I surely do not.” She told him, smiling wider and looking back at her hand. ”I’m already glad there is at least someone who’s able to appreciate my company here, even if it’s just for my hands.” A joke.

The art of eye contact

For a moment he shared a look with her, and it seemed like he wanted to add something, but he kept quiet, his mouth still curled up in a handsome smile. He finished up the drawings and carefully ripped out the page to offer it to her. Secretly using that moment to move a bit closer to the woman. "Oh, I don't just appreciate your hands, miss." His eyes followed the details of her face again. Now that she looked at him, he could admire her properly. From her dark but refined eyebrows all the way to her lush lips, smiling at him. "I'd love to properly paint you, if you are comfortable with that?" His gaze quickly shot up towards her husband who, he noticed, was looking at the two of them now. His expression was a lot less happy than before. Which made Frederick's smile even bigger. "Don't look up." He spoke more quietly now as he met her gaze again. "I think your husband has noticed us." He grinned, as if she had just said something very flirty. "How about we give him a taste of his own medicine?" He reached out his hand, gently stroking a blonde curl out of her face. His thump softly caressed her cheek in the process. "There," he said quietly, without breaking eye contact "That should do the trick,"
"How about a refill, madame?" He held his hand up so she could give him her wine glass if she so desired.

(C) Ross

Dolores certainly did not mind being the subject in another one’s drawing for once, because most of the time, she was the artist herself who painted other people. And she was curious to see how well he was able to catch the details of her hands, since she knew that the lines could possibly tell a much more intimate story between the artist and his subject, if he was any good at what he did. Her eyes moved down to his hands, ripping out the page, before he offered it to her, taking advantage of the situation to move a bit closer to her. Not that she minded it much, but her curiosity was now mainly focused on the drawing, showing how her hand had been caressing the edge around her wine glass. Her blue eyes, looking back up at him, hinted at the fact that she was impressed. There was really no need for words to show him how she felt about it.

He did not just appreciate her hands, he told her, after which she gave him a slight smirk, because that had been the answer she expected to hear from him. She was simply playing a game with him, one they both seemed to enjoy. For a moment, she even caught him looking down at her lips as he inspected her face, asking her permission to properly paint her. As the corners of her mouth curled more upwards she smiled down, looking at her glass. ”I don’t believe I would mind..” She began to speak, but her voice died down near the end before she was able to fully finish her sentence, since he told her not to look, alerting her to the fact that her husband had noticed them together. Her eyes looked back, directly at him, without granting her husband even one look. That alone, told him that she did not care much about what her husband would think. Instead, she kept looking him in the eyes when he brushed a blonde lock of hair away from her face, caressing her cheek in that same movement with his thumb. And in that moment, she was the one who shortly aimed her eyes a bit lower, at his lips, before looking back up.

Her husband probably would have noticed it as well, and Dolores knew that she would be in for a whole lot of trouble when she would get home tonight, but she did not care, for her heart very much desired to be touched like this. And, since her husband had all but abandoned her, she needed to look for affection in different ways. ”I’m sure it does.” She said, still not granting her husband a look, pretending like he wasn’t there in the room, just like always did to her. Her hand moved up to give him the glass of wine for the refill. ”Do you like to read? I know there is a library in his house.” She eventually said, but she was not actually interested in the books. It was simply a place with less people in the room.

The art of eye contact

The air around them was positively crackling with tension. A playful suspense and anticipation game that they both seem to master. He hadn't expected to play it this evening but felt pleasantly surprised that he could. Especially with the divine woman in front of him. Without a word he could see she was impressed with the sketches he gave her, looking into her striking blue eyes. She had no idea what that look did to his ego, polishing it like expensive silver.

Frederick had asked her if he could paint her, a question that could trigger an array of different responses - he even received a slap in the face once. Because she was married, it was always difficult to predict how the other would interpret the question. But it was something he wanted, and she had triggered a desire and inspiration in him, so it was always worth the risk. As she answered in his favor he interrupted her, not entirely on purpose, it just happened, but he was pleased with her answer nonetheless.

The moment that followed was entirely on purpose. A stab towards her despicable husband. A taste of his own medicine, as Frederick had proposed. When she locked eyes with him, however, it didn't just feel like an attempt to make the husband jealous. A natural attraction pulled him ever so slightly closer to her, before he stopped and smiled down at the woman. Frederick wasn't very interested in the husband's reaction anymore after that.

She handed him her glass, but before he hobbled away with it to get the offered refill, she asked him a question. He stopped in the middle of his step, looked at her again, and tilted his head a bit. "I love to read," he said as the corners of his mouth curled up into a handsome grin once more. He knew exactly why she asked, which didn't really surprise him anymore. Her forwardness did quite amaze him, though. "I'll meet you there," he said while holding up her empty glass "With your refill." He still smiled as he turned around and walked away.

Frederick found the wine she was drinking and decided to take the whole bottle and two new glasses. Passing the husband without even acknowledging him, he walked towards the hall that led to many different rooms. It was already quieter there because all of the guests had remained in the other room. Frederick had been in this house before and vaguely remembered the library. He softly knocked on the door, stepped in and looked around the room. That handsome smile still adorned his face. Only the fireplace and several spaced-out candles were burning, casting several shadows behind the furniture and tall bookcases. He found the perfect spot for the wine, a small side table near the fire place, and filled both glasses. The fire place casting a warm glow on his face.

(C) Ross

The handsome man standing next to her probably didn’t realize that Dolores was playing this game for her own personal interest as well, even if this became perfectly visible when he eventually tried to give her husband a little taste of his own medicine. He now seemed to notice this too, and it didn’t take long before he stopped paying attention to her husband, just like she did, keeping his attention on her as he stroked away a piece of her blonde hair. Almost as if they were now the only two people in the room.

Handing him the glass of wine, she could see that he was already planning to leave, but before he could, she asked him a simple question. Though, he probably knew there was more behind it. Her husband was still staring at them with suspicion, but she wasn’t able to notice the look upon his face because she was too distracted by the man in front of her, telling her he loved to read. She softly nodded when he got her message, and smiled when he left to get her a refill. Then she turned around, in an attempt to deceive her husband into thinking they had simply said goodbye to each other. Mixing in with another group of housewives, waiting for the right moment to sneak away from under his nose.

There was only a bit of small talk, and she kept her eye on her husband as he moved into another room with the woman he was with after her former companion walked past him towards the hall. He looked at her, as if he was the one betraying her for possibly the hundred time. But little did he know that his knife was beginning to hurt less and less each time. And now that she had found a little distraction for herself, she actually didn’t mind it that much. The man even gave her the best opportunity to sneak herself away towards the library, without his knowledge.

The door was already standing open when she finally came into the room, and he was already filling up two glasses of wine on a little side table standing next to the fireplace. With them being the only two people in the room, one could hear the soft cracking of the fire burning away the pieces of wood perfectly. Taking very slow steps, she looked around the room for a moment, until her blue eyes found the other person in the room again. Her dress was flowing gracefully around her as if it were made to fit only her. ”You are a pretty good artist, do you know that?” She asked him to break the ice between them, and disrupt the silence in the room. ”I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone capture something as simple as hands in such a beautiful way.” He decided on being honest with him, looking at him with an intrigued expression.

The art of eye contact

Frederick was a hypocrite. Judging a married man who flirted in front of his wife, almost hating him for it, and then turning around to take that same wife into another room for some privacy. Without even knowing her first name, which made it that much more exciting. He didn't even realize anymore how wicked he had become in his pursuit of the other sex. To him, it was all a game, and there was no true malice behind it. He would never force anyone into something they didn't want to do. But if they were committing adultery in their game with him, he wouldn't stop them. Why would he? He wasn't the one who had made vows or worn a ring to prove it. Besides, these women were adults. Often beautiful or intriguing. It was rare for him to find a woman who was both, so he was very curious where she would take this situation.

The smell of her perfume still lingered in his nostrils, as his thoughts drove him back to only moments ago. It had sparked something inside that he wanted to explore further. The fact that she had agreed to his invitation and that he could paint her would give him the chance to take his time and hopefully explore fully. Earlier that night, when she had walked in with her husband, he had seen a certain sadness or unhappiness in her. Something he seemed to take away by just interacting with her, even if it was just a little bit. Something like that triggered one of his biggest and most selfish motivations in life. He thrived on making people feel good. In any way possible. He would seek it out. It was probably the reason why he was so drawn to her in the first place. She seemed to be needing something, and he was willing to give it to her, purely to fill his own selfish need of being wanted.

The clicking of her heels echoed from the hall into the library as she finally came into the room. No doubt she had to wait for the right moment. Frederick was still standing with his back slightly turned towards her, filling up the second glass, but he already had his handsome smile at the ready. He took the two glasses in hand and looked up at the woman, gracefully exploring the room while he patiently waited for her to come to him. Once again, his eyes followed every line, shape, and curve of her body, covered by her elegant dress. Noticing little details like only he could do with the eye of a painter. A freckle here and there, perhaps a small scar from long ago that had still left its mark, the color of her eyes in the light of the fire, the sharp line of her jaw, or how the corner of her womanly lips curled up ever so slightly. It made his hands itch to work on her in his atelier.

For a short moment, he seemed to be in a trance, looking at her, but when she locked eyes with him, he greeted her with a smile. Holding out the glass of wine for her. As she started to speak, he too started to slowly walk around the room, his cane tapping gently on the floor with every other step. The smile on his face turned into a grin, almost amused by her choice of words. ”Only pretty good?” He asked, feigning an almost disappointment in his voice, tilting his head a little as he looked at her from the corners of his eyes. ”Hmmm, maybe I should have tried a bit harder.” He mused almost teasingly with a grin, before taking a sip of his drink. All jokes aside, he did appreciate her compliment. Bowing his head to her as a token of that appreciation. ”It sounds like you have some knowledge about the subject? Do you draw yourself?” He asked with genuine curiosity.

”An artist is nothing without the subject of his art, though.” He said as he gently took one of her hands into his. He spread her fingers a bit with his thumb as he inspected them once again, fighting the urge to press his lips on them. ”Captivating,” He said with a soft smile before looking up with a slight frown, noticing how cold her hand felt. ”Are you cold?” Wrapping his hands around hers to warm them.

(C) Ross

There's trouble on the river
And whispers in the trees

Dolores knew she was supposed to feel guilty about what she was doing, but by now her heart had been broken so many times that she didn’t care much about what her husband would think of her. She had always been a good wife to him but he never returned her the favor. If anything, it would be quite his fault if she were to be led astray from his bed at some point, not her own. If he would have ever given her as much attention as the man who sat next to her was giving her, he might have kept her. But he didn’t.. Instead, he was giving his attention to other women, which made it only fair for her to do the same thing because after all, she still felt that need to be loved as well.

After waiting for the right moment she made it into the library, where the man she met only a couple of moments ago was already filling up two glasses of wine, his back slightly turned to her. But she supposed he would have already noticed her entering the room from the clicking of her heels on the wooden floors. With a gentle smile on her lips, she explored the room while she could see him turning to her in the corner of her eyes, watching her intently. And she pretended not to notice, allowing him this moment to take everything in before her eyes fell back on him.

She was met with a charming smile as he held out her glass of wine for her. For a moment, her eyes traced the lines of his posture before she took it, curling up one corner of her mouth. But when she started to speak, he began to move around the room, and she slowly turned herself to keep her body facing toward him. Softly noticing the tapping of his cane against the wood and the amusement in his smile. His response managed to have the same effect on her because as expected, he did voice some disappointment at the way she used her words. Stating that maybe he should have tried harder. However, when he said that, she wilfully kept quiet because she couldn’t admit that it was already perfect the way it was, even if her smile already told him the truth. ”I do. But most of the time I paint.” She did tell him after he asked her another question, leaning with her free hand on one of the chairs in the room while her other hand moved the glass up to her lips. Showing some confidence.

When he moved back to her though, she removed the hand from the chair again, allowing him to take her hand in his after he spoke. Watching him with her eyes as he did, not once breaking contact and showing little to no fear. ”Very much true.” She admitted, secretly enjoying the feeling of his thumb moving her fingers around as if he was a sculptor, and she was his clay. When she eventually felt the need to close her eyes at the sensation, she let out a soft shivery breath. But as she noticed him looking back up at her, she opened her eyes again. ”Not really.” She told him with a soft look in her eyes, because even though her hands felt cold - they almost always did, she did not feel that much of the cold on the inside. Not in the way she usually did.

Perhaps she had never quite noticed how much she needed someone to hold her hand and she quite liked the way he seemed to admire even the smaller parts of her. It made her feel seen where usually she felt rather unsees. Her eyes carefully moved down while she placed her glass of wine next to her on the table, to free up her other hand before she looked back up and placed that hand on his upper arm. Suddenly having some emotions visible in her eyes as he managed to reach a part of her that felt utterly lonely. Without even thinking twice about it she leaned in to press her lips on his, tightening the grip on his arm to pull him closer to her. She already knew this was going to happen at some point and there was no need to wait before she would start getting more emotional.

I'm gonna stand here in the ache
Until the levee,
Until the levee on my heart breaks

The art of eye contact

They shared their little conversational dance, opposite one another, as they moved through the room. Eventually leading up to him, in a way, pinning her against a chair. Without even sharing a touch. As if they were two magnets with the same poles, repelling and attracting each other at the same time. His eyebrows raised a bit in pleasant surprise. "A fellow painter?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue, as if he were doubting what he had asked before. "I may have put myself in a precarious situation, than. Colleagues are the harshest critics. I'm not sure if my ego can handle a blow like that from you." He joked, of course, but the confidence she oozed, damn. This woman could surely bring his ego to its knees. Even with all his own inflated confidence. Though, the thought of being on his knees in front of her wasn't exactly a punishment.

In conversation, his comment made sense. He did pick out certain types of people for his art. Inspiring, fascinating, and beautiful. Like she. Sparking that muse quality in his creative mind. But in truth, his comment had been a mere excuse to touch her. Taking her hand into his and sensually exploring that which had started this whole interaction. He had noticed her answers had gotten shorter. Not for lack of interest, oh no. That tension, that spark they had shared before, was still there and was only growing now that they had privacy from prying eyes. He could feel it as her scent, her skin under his fingertips, and her complete being prickled all of his senses. Her shivering breath, besides being an unexpected but very welcome reaction, was entertaining, making him even a little proudly smug that he could call up such a reaction with a simple touch. It made the hair in his neck stand straight up in the most pleasurable way. Unable to look away from her thoroughly enjoying it. It made him wonder how she would react to other touches. But he had to hold back. He couldn't just take what he wanted, from her. Not yet, at least. He had too many incidents—slaps in the face, kicks in the groin—going down that route of seduction. He could wait. Take his time. So he tried to distract both himself and her by noticing how cold her hands were. It didn't work, however, as she simply waved it away with her reply.

There was something else, though. Something in her eyes. He watched as she placed her glass of wine on the table, and when she looked back up again, he saw it. Something vulnerable and dark. Striking something deep inside him. Completely unexpectedly. Before he could even process what he saw in her eyes and why it struck him so deeply, she leaned in and kissed him. He froze for a moment, as if struck by lightning. Letting the cane in his hand drop to the carpet with a dull pop. He took her face in his hands, breaking up the kiss, to prevent her from pulling him deeper into that place of no return. A place she could get him in with ease if he let her. Something he absolutely would've let her do if it weren't for that brief hint of emotion in her eyes. It didn't frighten him. It didn't make him want to push her away. It was, in fact, the opposite. As he held her face inches away from his, gently cupped in his hands as his thumb stroked down her cheek toward her jaw, he looked deep into her eyes. A serious expression on his face, searching for something in those deep pools of blue. Until he found what he was looking for. Recognition. As if she reached out a cord from within that fitted exactly with a cord from deep within him. Linking together. And for a moment, he shared that loneliness with her. A loneliness he always hid deep inside. It perplexed him, but only for a second. To hell with waiting. To hell with her husband or anyone else. In this moment, he had to have her. He had to heal that pain that was reflected in her eyes. Be the one thing she needed at this very moment, and with it, sooth his own aching heart.

With a sudden fire, he pressed his lips on hers. Making hers belong to him in exchange for his own. Tasting that sweet wine on them as he deepened the kiss quickly. His hand reached around her waist and up towards her neck, gently but firmly grabbing a hold of her in his arms. The other, still cupped around the side of her face, caressed downward along her elegant neck, towards her shoulder, where his finger hooked underneath the shoulder strap of her dress, pulling it down, laying it bare. He pushed her up against the chair as he trailed his lips down her chin into her neck, hungry for the soft skin his fingers just briefly explored. Tasting the new tastes of a woman uncharted. Leaving a trail of teasing kisses down her neck and bare shoulder.

(C) Ross

There's trouble on the river
And whispers in the trees

Dolores softly nodded when he asked if she was a fellow painter, smiling at him to add more weight to her words. For almost the longest time, she had been the best actress, always able to conjure up a smile out of nowhere, even when her heart was secretly breaking on the inside. And the blonde was still pretending not to feel the pain. The only place where she truly allowed herself to feel was inside her paintings. ”Not to worry then. I am not a professional.. I see it more as like a hobby.” She followed up on his words with a certain calmness in her expression, mainly because she had not been out to get him on his work. Instead, she secretly admired it, just like she secretly admired him as well.

From the moment he started taking her hand, she could feel some of the air escape from her lungs, leaving her only able to breathe with a minimum supply of oxygen. The woman could not help but crave more of it, because, truth be told, she had not been touched like that in a very, very long time, and it was doing something to her. Deep down, this was exactly how she longed to be touched, even if he might not have been able to notice this. Or maybe he did. It seemed, after all, that he was very good at picking up even the slightest signals she gave off to him. Instead of continuing, however, he asked her whether she was cold. But she was not.

That was also when it started to hit her, and she supposed they both knew from this moment where this was going to lead them. She placed her wine on the table next to her, but when she looked back up at him, there was a sudden hint of emotion in her eyes. Only before he was able to respond to it, she had already kissed him. And when she tried to pull him closer, he seemed to freeze up in his reactions, even going as far as to drop his cane. But then he took her face in his hands, slightly pulling himself back to look into her eyes, letting his fingers glide over her cheek down to her jaw, she saw some of that same emotion reflected back at her. That loneliness she felt deep down inside of her. He felt it too. The only thing he did not know was that she had kissed him to prevent herself from breaking any further. And now, her tears were finally able to reach her eyes, even if she did not let them fall. She was still at least strong enough to keep that from happening.

Looking into his eyes, it was almost as if he understood, as if he knew exactly what she needed when his lips came crashing down on hers, deepening that very kiss while Dolores eagerly welcomed him, parting her lips to give him a full taste. Placing her hands on his chest before they moved up to his neck, keeping him close to her, almost in the same way he tried to pull her closer with the hand that reached behind her back towards her neck. Slowly getting entangled with her and her golden blonde hair as she curved herself backward, allowing him to invade her personal space as he hooked one of his fingers behind the shoulder strap of her dress, pulling it down while he kept pushing her back against the chair. And when his lips started to train down her neck, she kept giving him all the space he needed to explore her skin, craning her head backward while her breath became rather unsteady.

It had been far too long since she last felt like this, and because she wanted to help him, ~~but also she needed to prevent anyone from catching them out in the open~~, she removed her hands from his neck. Moving them back to his chest before she began pushing him back until she was able to close the door with his back pressed against it. Catching his lips again while she tried to keep him entertained in the meantime as her hands moved back over him, towards his neck. Taking only a little bit of control before he would be able to take it back from her, knowing she would easily let him take over from here.

I'm gonna stand here in the ache
Until the levee,
Until the levee on my heart breaks

The art of eye contact

There had been a push and pull between him and the beautiful blonde, which, to him, had started the moment she walked in with her husband. Teasing and playing with the tension of the invisible strings that attached them in such a seductive way. But it wasn't those strings that made him eagerly explore her sweet and welcoming lips and mouth, or ravish her soft and hot skin. No, unbeknownst to him, the true connection to those strings was something deeper and more raw. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, the young baron had uncovered it in her tear-filled eyes. His intentions from before didn't matter anymore. This was purely a deep-rooted instinct of two souls recognizing each other in that most carnal way. Everything else fell away in a blur. All that was left were her hungry lips, her warm breath, her eager hands, and her divine body for him to worship.

It was as if a switch went off, and the two of them were entwined with each other in seconds. A grin curled on his lips, pressed against her skin, as she allowed him, with no hesitation whatsoever, to explore. It was as if he couldn't choose where to start first. As if he wanted to taste and feel every inch at the same time. He had been admiring her from afar, and now that she let him close, he felt like a child in a candy store. Frederick wanted all her candy. Taking samples as he went along her shoulder, alongside her collarbone, to that little dimple at the base of her throat, back up the sensitive parts of her neck again. Right before his lips could take hold of her earlobe, she took him by surprise. With her hands on his chest, he felt her push him backwards, which normally would've been perfectly fine if it weren't for his injured leg. Without his cane, he was a lot less elegant, as he more or less stumbled rather than walked backwards with her in his grasp. He felt that familiar sharp pain whenever he misstepped, which made him hiss between his teeth, followed by a low grunt. He didn't stop her, however, as it wouldn't stop him either from pursuing their desire for one another. In fact, it aroused him in a strange way, with her taking control without any regard to his injury. Bumping against the door with his back as it closed behind him, he grinned, now realizing what her plan had been. He was quickly enraptured by her lips again while she pinned him against the wooden door, which was softly creaking under their weight. One arm embraced her, pulling her closer in their kiss, while his other hand felt for the key in the door. A satisfying metal click echoed through the room, but he didn't even hear it anymore. Too engulfed in deepening the kiss, tasting her once more, while her hands teased over his body. His long piano fingers stroked tenderly across her skin. Down her neck and arm, up into his own neck, until he found her wrist. Plucking her hand from the embrace to intertwine their fingers, without ever ending their dance of lips and tongues. His other hand did the same with her other arm, softly stroking up and back down again towards her bare shoulder and back.

It was his turn to push back. Taking their intertwined hands to her back and locking her in his arm, he supported her as he gently pushed her backwards towards the bookshelves until he had pressed her against the bookshelf ladder. There, he took her hand upwards and had her grab one of the rungs above her head, all the while looking deep into her blue eyes with a hunger only she could satiate. His wondering fingers found their way down her chest, along her waist, and ended up by her thigh, where he quickly gathered the fabric of her dress. With a playful but seductive grin, he placed a finger over her lips with a soft "Sssh." just before he bend down on his knees in front of her and disappeared underneath her dress. Knowing very well that he was going to try his absolute best to make her break that silence.

(C) Ross

There's trouble on the river
And whispers in the trees

Dolores usually did not mind playing games with people, even if she already knew where this would lead, but that recognition she found in his eyes made her respond more on impulse now. It seemed they were both two lonely souls looking for someone to hold at night, which made this an understanding. Though she had been the first to act, he had allowed her to delve deeper into the feeling of passion, knowing he felt somewhat the same. And without hesitation, she granted him more space to do as he pleased while she closed her eyes, breathing heavily underneath his exploring lips.

And yet, there was still a part of her that was aware that anyone could walk into the room, catching them during their heated moment and possibly ending what was happening between them. This made her move her hands to the man’s chest, pushing him further back towards the door, during which she noticed him stumbling a bit without his cane supporting his weight. And, for a short moment, she felt a bit guilty about this, certainly when she heard him hiss from what Dolores supposed was pain from his leg. Knowing she would have allowed him to lean on her if she had known about it. But then, he never tried to stop her, as he had let her push him around, grinning at her when he realized her plan. It quickly made her forget about it as she pressed her lips back on him with a need while he reached for the key in the lock. Turning it and making it click as they were now locked in the room together, making it impossible for anyone to disturb them. Allowing them to continue.

His hands gently stroked her skin as he moved them over her arms, and one of them moved up to her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers while they both kept deepening their kiss. But she was too distracted with his mouth, and exploring him with her own hands as well, so much so that she barely noticed what he was planning to do until he suddenly pushed her back against the bookshelves, supporting her as he had locked her arm, pressing her hand back. It managed to pull out a sharp breath from her lungs as she looked at him, clearly unbothered by his bold moves, not even resisting him when he brought her hand up to make her grab the bookshelf ladder. Watching him as she awaited his next move patiently while his hands moved down over her dress until he started gathering the fabric, uncovering her legs from underneath her skirt. Her breathing was still rather unsteady, but then, she had not felt like this for a long time.

A grin moved onto her lips when he told her to keep quiet, just right before he moved down to his knees, disappearing underneath her dress. Trying her best to hide her surprise when he did, but gripping the rail above her head more tightly when he moved closer to her center of pleasure, keeping herself steady. Then the room slowly began to fill itself with the soft sounds of her moans as he made it rather impossible for her to remain silent. And, once again, she allowed him more room as she could not help herself from letting the sounds grow louder with each passing moment until he eventually managed to topple her over the edge, her other hand grabbing the side of the bookshelf ladder.

I'm gonna stand here in the ache
Until the levee,
Until the levee on my heart breaks

The art of eye contact

Every breath of surprise and pleasure that left her lips was like honey to his ears. She allowed him, with that same hunger in her eyes, to explore. She laid herself bare for him, if not physically—and believe me, it took a lot of him not to rip her dress off right then and there—most definitely on a spiritual and maybe even a primal level. A soft growl vibrated in the back of his throat, followed by a warm breath through his nose, as her hands and lips explored their deepened kiss. Building on that tension that had started from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Finding themselves in the throes of passion seemed like something that had been inevitable from the start, but it had surprised him nonetheless. How eager and willing she was. It didn't matter that they had only met briefly or that they didn't know anything about each other. He didn't even know her first name. But that wasn't important. He knew what he needed to know. With one look into her heavenly blue eyes, he knew it all. And that all she was going to get from him.

With a smooth motion of his practiced fingers, he exposed her leg, allowing him to stroke the soft skin of her inner thigh. His gray eyes, filled with confidence and dedication to his actions, watched her every reaction, from the look in her expressive eyes to every slight twinge of uncontrolled muscle in her body, before he delved downward. She allowed him to explore her like a buffet, tasting everything he could get his hands on, touching, licking, nibbling, squeezing, and sucking every inch his lips, tongue, and hands could reach. She was an unknown and a new flavor that he wanted to make his own. Pushing and pulling on the inner strings that would bring her to ecstasy. Higher and higher, while his own heartbeat rose with every whimper and moan, she slowly but surely exclaimed louder and louder. He pulled up her previously exposed leg, resting it on his shoulder. Completely focused on every reaction she gave him, every sharp or deep breath, every sound leaving her lips, and every movement, controlled or not, guided him in his teasing exploration of this beautiful woman and her deep need for the pleasure he tried to give her. Making him almost struggle with his own needs, tightening and tingling his heated body.

With the door locked, it is easy to imagine yourself completely undisturbed and even alone. With every moan that rang into his ears and her sweet taste on his tongue, hidden underneath her dress, she made everything outside the library fade away. He had only one goal in mind now. A goal he was surely reaching with every passing moment that he put his skilled hands and mouth to the test. A satisfying, smug grin on his lips when she reached it as she grabbed onto the ladder. A rather victorious and pleasing moment for the both of them if it weren't for the sudden, loud knock on the locked door behind them. In the heat of the moment, he didn't hear the soft rumbling on the doorknob. And honestly, if he had heard it, it wouldn't have stopped him from getting her over that edge. But the knocking made him freeze in place, placing his arm around the leg, still resting on his shoulder as if to hold her in silence. His heart was beating so loudly in his chest, he was almost scared they could hear it. Whoever they were, behind that door. The doorknob rumbled again, followed by someone cursing behind the door in frustration. Reminding him they were locked in and safe. For now. Nobody could get to them. All they could do was listen. And in the moment, that idea greatly pleased him. That idea made him turn back to the woman on his face. She might have reached the top of her first wave, but Frederick certainly wasn't done with her yet. His hands and tongue were like the ocean, making waves after waves on her waters. And he did ask her to be quiet. Let's see how quiet she can really be for him.

(C) Ross

There's trouble on the river
And whispers in the trees

Dolores had learned to place other people’s needs above her own, but after everything that had happened to her throughout the years, she was not able to live like that anymore. Slowly, she had started to unravel her own needs, and right now, she was simply taking care of them. Because if her own husband was unable to grant her the pleasure of his company, she had to seek it elsewhere. But with this man, there was something else about him that made her more drawn to him, as she could feel that he was trying to fill a hole as well, just like she did.

The soft strokes of his fingers tracing her inner thigh already made her breathe a lot faster, as she could feel some of that anticipation growing. And she could not help it when her muscles began to twitch, making uncontrollable movements. But he kept looking at her, rather boldly, watching her come undone under his touches. Not once straying with his eyes until he disappeared beneath her dress, continuing on his path, using his mouth with expertise she had never experienced before. Her husband had never attempted such a thing before, nor anyone else she had ever allowed into her bed. This made her all the more surprised, but when he moved one of her legs over his shoulders, she did not resist, and with the sounds she made, it became clear she was enjoying every single part of it.

Almost right after he toppled her over the edge, she looked back at him, smirking. Her breaths were still going fast, but they began to slow down, making them sound deeper. But then another sound startled her as someone knocked on the door. Her eyes moved to look at the doorknob, even if the lock kept this person from entering the room. It had caught the attention of the stranger she was now enjoying as well, but he kept his arm wrapped around her leg. The both of them were suddenly extremely silent, and she did not know whether the person standing by the door had heard them, but he was now cursing. When she eventually heard footsteps moving away from the door again, she looked back at the man locked in between her legs. Apparently, he did not think this to be reason enough to stop this either, as it did not take him long to continue.

And Dolores allowed him a bit more time to make sure she would remember him as a good lover before she decided to take back some control. One of her hands moved down, sliding through his hair while he reached for another peak. After which, she lowered her hand further to grab his tie, to pull him back up to her own level. This time pushing him back with more care, taking hold of his elbow to grant him a bit of support while she guided him toward the couch in the room. Pressing her lips back on his, passionately, tasting herself as she moved on top of him, placing her knees on either side of him while her hands eagerly started unbuttoning his vest.

I'm gonna stand here in the ache
Until the levee,
Until the levee on my heart breaks

The art of eye contact

Everything about this very moment was beyond thrilling to the young Baron. This wasn't the first time he'd had an encounter like this. Nor was it the first time with a stranger. Or even a married stranger. Yet, something about all this, what they were doing. Locked away in the privacy of a home that wasn't theirs. What she allowed him and what he granted her. Treading the edge of wickedness and wisdom while an unknown audience attempted to interfere. Exploring some kind of deeper connection within the other that felt simultaneously unknown and, to him, quite staggering but also necessary and deeply arousing. It was like he had been starving, and the only way to end his starvation was to take a bite of this forbidden fruit. The choice was easy. Even if he wanted to stop right now, he wasn't sure if he would be able to. Yielding himself to that natural carnal instinct felt too damn good.

The satisfaction of her every response, every sound, and every movement as he feasted on her once more started to get to him. The heat that had been building within started to pull and burn right into his core. It made his heart race as muscles in his lower abdomen tightened, almost letting his focus slip. The touch of her fingers sliding through his hair encouraged him, and it wasn't long before she reached another crescendo on his tongue. Pleasing him thoroughly as he grinned. “Good girl.” His words were a mere rumble against her skin as they left his lips with a warm breath, before pressing tender kisses against her inner thigh and giving her a moment to recover. She didn't grant him or herself a long time to savor the moment, pulling him up by his tie until their eyes met on the same level again.

All he could do was let her take control of him. He was both curious and captivated by her actions as she pushed him back with care, onto a couch. His heavy breathing and the soft, low rumbles weren't in pain this time. Far from it. He answered her kiss eagerly, making her taste herself on his lips and tongue as he opened his mouth to her. He couldn't repress a moan as she placed herself on his lap. His hands hungrily caressed down her waist, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer against him. If they continued this, he would soon lose the ability to think, as everything she did was so mind-numbingly good. Fighting to regain some of his rationality about the situation, he wanted to ask her if she truly wanted to go down this path with him, right here and now. He wanted to tell her that they could stop here and let it be what it had been up to this point if she so desired. He felt like he had to remind her of her husband in the other room. The other guests and the host. As her fingers made swift work of his vest, he wanted to point out the fact that they had to return to them eventually. Preferably fully clothed and without a hint of what they've been doing, as he did not want her to get into any sort of trouble. But all he managed in between their heated kiss, as she quickly rendered him spellbound by her touch and desire, was a "Are you sure?".

(C) Ross

There's trouble on the river
And whispers in the trees

This thing had quickly escalated into something that had them both craving for more in mere seconds. Dolores did not care that there was an audience behind that closed door, as they could not get inside. They were away from prying eyes, and that was all that mattered to her. Deep down, she would not mind for her husband to find out, knowing very well he was doing the same thing to her right now. But, how in the world was he allowed to enjoy the company of others while she was rusting away in her own solitude. Quite frankly, she was done with feeling like she only existed to take off their children, even if she loved them endlessly and would do everything for them. Right now, what she was doing now, it was the most selfish thing she had done in a long time, but it felt like a necessity.

His words sounded while she was breathing heavily in the aftermath of what he had done, right before she pulled him to his feet. It had left her longing for more, and she wanted him to give it to her, right here and right now. This was why she pushed him towards the couch, but this time with a bit more care, as she was trying very hard not to hurt him. She could hear his heavy breathing competing with hers before she seated herself on his lap where she heard his breathing turn into a moan. His hands quickly found their way towards her hips, pulling her further against him while she moved along with him in a grinding motion. But when he managed to pull back, she looked at him tenderly when he asked her one last question. If she was sure. The corners of her mouth softly curled up into a smile, continuing her work on his vest and shirt in silence, brushing them over to reveal his bare chest.

”You think I would have come all this way to stop right now?” She asked him, making his question seem almost silly, giving him a determined look, even if she did forsake the hurry for a little longer to emphasize her need for contact with another human being. She showed a bit of that loneliness again, that dark empty hole in her heart that she was trying to fill. But, at the same time, her hands moved down to remove his belt. Ofcourse, they did not need to remove their clothes entirely to continue. They could leave that part open to when he would decide to paint her somewhere more private. ”I want this.” She continued, looking down at her hands and what they were doing. ”I need this.” Her eyes fluttered back up to him, taking away the uncertainty about this not being mutual.

I'm gonna stand here in the ache
Until the levee,
Until the levee on my heart breaks

The art of eye contact

For a moment, she left him without an answer, his grey eyes locked on the lips he wanted to make his again so badly that he had to bite down on his own. He was hunkering for an answer because he knew he wasn't able to stop himself if they kept going like this. He mimicked her expression with a grin when she granted him that most attractive smile. Which all but answered his question.
His hand reached up to her face, unable to control the urge to stroke his thump over her lips. As if he needed to make sure those perfect peddles of crimson were real, feeling the softness and warmth from her breathing. She laid his chest bare as he took a deep breath. Revealing the privacy of his inked skin, he glanced down at the lily flowers tattooed over his heart. For evermore, the harsh reminder of a deep pain, he quickly pushed aside. His tattoos often prompted surprised reactions, especially from upper-class women, even from women who knew who he was. His tattoos were mainly a combination of art and rebelliousness in his younger years. But to most people, tattoos were a sign of a lower ring status, which made him wonder how she would react to them. She didn't even know his name, let alone his status in Alderrath High Society.

He could only smile that crooked, handsome smile when she finally answered. "You have come pretty far, yes. And pretty loudly too" He teased her, but the look of determination that she gave him whipped away his grin and made his breath stumble in his throat. He was hypnotised by her eyes, as blue as a spring sky. She couldn't control it before, but this time she allowed him to see it again. That same emotion that had fueled him, thus ending up in this situation in the first place. She knew exactly what she was doing, she knew exactly what she wanted, and she knew exactly who she wanted it from. In that moment, he recognised her plea. This wasn't just ordinary lust for a stranger. This went much, much deeper. His eyes fell shut for a moment because, fuck, her hands... Taking in a shuttering breath before opening his eyes again to look at her as she spoke those magical words to him. Words that were like music to his ears. She had no idea how much power she had over him now. Oh, he was going to give it to her. He was going to give it all to her. He wanted to be the one who would make her feel alive. Fill the void that he had seen in her eyes and witness a rebirth in her that she longed for so much. As her eyes fluttered up at him, he took her face in both his hands, forcing her beautiful eyes to watch him and the promise he was about to make. "Than you shall have it." His lips finally claimed hers again after the maddeningly slow pace she tortured him with, if only for a moment.

She had no idea how selfish this all was of him. Yes, she was getting exactly what she wanted out of him, which was evident as he pulled her against him. Helping her on him, right where she wanted to be. Letting the blood rush through them, their lips, tongues, and heavy breaths warmed against their skin as they met in a whirlpool of two bodies melting into one. He wanted to explore her. Truly explore her. Not like this, not hidden away, hastily clawing at each other, or covered under layers of clothing. He wanted to see, touch, and taste every inch of her porcelain skin. It almost frustrated him that he wasn't able to. His hands, who now found their way underneath to make her shiver under his touch, were itching to rip her dress apart so he could claim her fully. He wanted to claim her fully and completely. He wanted her in a way she had never been wanted before. He wanted her more than her husband could want her. He wanted her like he had wanted Rosslyn. Perfectly fitting the mold that his ex-fiancée had left in his broken heart. While he let her take advantage of him and his weak spots, he simply used her and her weak spots to fill a void that, up until this very moment, had felt unfillable.

(C) Ross

There's trouble on the river
And whispers in the trees

Her silent continuation of gently removing his clothes for him, showing him a smile on her face, was answer enough for him. She watched his hand go up to her face from the side of her eyes, feeling his thumb brush over her lips rather sensually, allowing her to look away from what she was doing to meet his eyes. This man did know how to make a woman feel seen and appreciated, first by noticing the fine details of her hands and now with her lips, taking in all the lovely details of his masterpiece as only a true artist would. Ofcourse, she knew what this felt like, being one herself.

What she had not expected, however, was to see his many tattoos carefully hidden beneath his clothes. And while she did show a hint of surprise, no distaste was visible in her light blue eyes. Her hand softly moved over them, admiring them in the same way he had just admired every part of her body. But she knew well enough that he was not from the lower ring because her eyes did not betray her. His clothes were too fine, which meant that this spoke to some other part of him that he kept hidden, perhaps a hint of rebellion or something deeper she did not yet understand. However, she was unafraid to find out, meeting his eyes after her exploration, showing nothing but dedication to their cause. After all, she was not fond of their society either.

His teasing comment made her glance at him, blaming him with one look, as he was the one who made her release those sounds. But she knew well enough that people liked to talk, and some people had certainly heard. She could only hope those people had not seen them go in here, for she knew her husband would not be too happy if he heard about this. And yet, she would not take this back since she was a bit rebellious as well, just like he was. ”Let's hope they enjoyed it.” She told him, her grin widening while he would know she spoke about those people at the door. In the meantime, her hands had started loosening his pants. The looks in both their eyes reflected a loneliness that could only be filled by this shared moment with each other.

He took her face into his hands to keep her from looking away when he made his promise to her, her light blue eyes once again showing a hint of emotion in them. The emotion that made her crave him, coming from a need deep inside of her bones that had not been fulfilled in ages, made him claim her lips again. The man pulled her against him, guiding her to the right position and releasing a moan from her mouth. Her hand softly glided over the side of his face, moving her hips in a soft motion. She wanted him to feel that connection between them growing as she fully surrendered herself to him, allowing him to fill that void that had been there for so long.

I'm gonna stand here in the ache
Until the levee,
Until the levee on my heart breaks