The Odor of Violet

by Ju Ephraime

  ***

  Damien couldn’t believe he wanted her again. He took her nipple into his mouth, pulling hard. She went crazy, pushing against him as she made that moaning sound that he so loved to hear.

  “This could be addictive,” he said against her skin as he inhaled her scent into his lungs.

  She gave him a slight nip as she licked the sweat from his slick skin. “I’ll risk it.”

  She didn’t need to say more. Lifting her leg, he angled his hip and thrust inside her slick channel. She cried out as the slick heat of her core welcomed him, stroking him as he locked himself deep inside. This time his movements were slow and grinding. He kept it up until they were both straining to get at the other. He flipped her over without missing a beat as she fitted her legs around his waist. His movements became more grinding, going deeper. With each downward stroke, he’d hit her on her clit, along with a slight grind before he withdrew ever so slightly only to return again to the same spot.

  ***

  She didn’t know how long he could keep this up, but she was ready to explode. Her teeth were on edge, and her throat was parched from breathing through her mouth. She was not able to keep her mouth closed. Just then he hit her on a spot that sent her spiraling into an abyss of bliss, so intense she had to scream out. Damien reached for her, covering her mouth with his to drown the sound.

  ***

  This brought his own release pulsing through him, which racked him until he felt wrung dry.

  He ventured to open his eyes and looked down at Lisa as she lay away from him, breathing hard. He knew where she was and could see the shadow, but there was still nothing. He closed his eyes and pulled his body from hers, reluctantly. She made a soft sigh, and he saw the shadow that was her body move. He couldn’t see what she was doing, but he could tell she was moving.

  “What are you doing, Lisa?” he asked.

  “I’m using the washcloth you brought me earlier, but I believe I have to take a trip to the bathroom. Oh my, it’s 3:30 A.M. I’ll have to return to my room before the house is awake. The last person I want to see me leaving your room at this late hour is Jake.”

  “What do you care if Jake sees you leaving my room? It’s none of his business,” he said abruptly.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it, Damien. I thought that’s what you’d want. After all, you were the one who was concerned about our boss-employee relationship.”

  “Was I? That seemed a long time ago. We’ve moved beyond that point. There is no going back to those days. I don’t know about you, but I know I can’t. But I understand if you want to return to your room. My bathroom is not equipped with a tub.”

  ***

  Caught between what she wanted to do and what she should do, she forced herself to slide slowly from the bed. The chill of the room began to sink into her consciousness.

  “Brrrr!” she said as she began searching for her clothes, which Damien had flung all over the place. Locating all the pieces of clothing, she wasted no time getting dressed. As she reached for the door, Damien was standing before her, his hand over hers as she was about to turn the knob to open the door.

  He pulled her unto his embrace, giving her a slow, thorough kiss. “Don’t stay too long in your room. You don’t want me coming to get you.”

  “You can’t get all the way over to my room without assistance, Damien,” she told him.

  “Want to bet?” he asked. “There’s no part of this house I can’t get to if I want to. And if you’re not back here in an hour, two at the most, I’ll be forced to come get you.”

  “You haven’t had any sleep, Damien. Don’t you feel the need for sleep?” she wanted to know.

  “I’ll sleep when you get back to me,” he replied, giving her a final kiss before releasing her.

  Sixteen

  Damien was trying to come to grips with the changes that were taking place in his life. He wanted Lisa with him, but he wanted, no, needed to be alone to test his vision. He wanted to ascertain he was indeed seeing shadows and not a figment of his imagination. He knew he wanted to be able to see Lisa, see what she looked like, her expression when she looked at him. Those are things a man needed, and he was no different. The past couple of hours with her, and making love to her with no knowledge of what she looked like, at times had threatened to unman him, but he believed he’d covered it up well. Granted, all he had to go on was her body’s reaction to him, and that could mean anything.

  He had convinced himself that a large part of his reaction to her had to be as a result of him not being with a woman in more than four years. But if tonight was any indication, it was not only physical because he could not get enough of her. He wanted her even now.

  He’d always had a voracious sexual appetite, one he thought he’d lost forever---apparently not. He was back with a vengeance. He did have four years to make up for. But he would have to try and control himself because he didn’t want to scare Lisa. She appeared able to handle him, if her reaction to him was real, but he had to see how this all played out. Speaking of playing out, he needed to get cleaned up.

  He walked into the shower, and he could see the shadows of the objects along the wall, but he couldn’t distinguish the items. He tried looking up to the ceiling, but he was still not able to see the lights he knew were there. He had no problem with his shower. It was a walk-in shower so there was nothing to impede his progress. He activated the release with his voice and the temperature was controlled the same way.

  Had he not been anxious to know if his eyes were playing tricks on him, he would have foregone the shower altogether. He hated having to wash Lisa’s scent off him. She was all over him, but he had to be realistic and get himself cleaned before she returned to his room.

  Stepping out of the shower, he walked into his room, and for a minute, he thought he was losing his mind because he could smell Lisa’s unique scent fresh and strong in the room. It was not combined with the undertones of sex, which was there before, but the clean fresh scent of violet. He tried focusing to detect the source. If she was there, he would be able to tell, so he took a deep breath in. In no specific place, and no stronger in one location over the next, the scent seemed to be all over the room. It had not been there before he’d gone into the shower. Why then was it there now? Why was he smelling her and his body reacting? “Lisa?” he called out softly. “Lisa, are you in here?”

  There was no answer. In times such as these, he felt like a blind fool, calling out like an idiot to someone who wasn’t there. Grabbing a fresh pair of pajamas, he pulled them on and sat down on the edge of the bed, letting his thoughts rest on Lisa and the way she made him feel. He closed his eyes and drew the mental picture of her that had sustained him over the months since she had been in his employ.

  He was usually able to be satisfied with the picture, but tonight it wasn’t working. He wanted more … he wanted the real thing.

  He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door open until the sound of the lock slipping into place brought him back to the present. The wave of violet assaulted him immediately, letting him know she had returned. His body was on alert. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the spot where the scent was strongest. There was most definitely an outline, but nothing distinguishable.

  “Lisa, did you come in here while I was in the shower?” he asked.

  “Yes, I did,” she replied. “I’d left my panties in here, and I didn’t want Jake coming in here and seeing them before I was through with my bath. So, I rushed in here to get them, and it was a good thing too. They were lying in front of the bed for anyone who entered the room to see.”

  “Why are you so worried about what Jake knows, sees, or thinks, Lisa?”

  “I have to maintain some modicum of professionalism in front of your staff, Damien, and Jake happens to be one of them. I don’t single him out particularly, but he’s the only one besides your housekeeper who comes in here. As a matter of fact, I want to change the bed linens and take them to the wash
myself. I don’t want the housekeeper seeing the evidence of our recent activities.”

  “Okay, I defer to you in that,” he told her, smiling. But you shouldn’t worry so much about Jake. He’ll soon be gone.”

  “I know. But until he is, I have to preserve my dignity, so humor me,” she told him. “Did something happen while I was gone? There’s something different about you, but I can’t seem to put my finger on it.”

  “Could it be because I’m freshly showered?” he asked.

  “No, I like you, showered or not. No, there’s something else. I’ll let you know if I discover it, what it is about you that is different somehow.”

  “Please don’t make me wait too long,” he said.

  “I promise I’ll tell you the minute I find out; however, I do have a question for you. How did you know I was in here, Damien? I could hear the shower running when I came in.”

  “I just do,” he responded. “You said you came in here before your bath?” If she’d not taken a bath, how had she managed to give off such a fresh scent? The scent in here was different. It was as it is now.

  “How is that possible?” he said, not realizing he was voicing his thought aloud until she answered him.

  “How is what possible?” she asked.

  “How is it possible you came in here before your bath? You were gone for at least forty-five minutes before I left the room to shower.”

  “Funny you should ask. I had taken a shower before my bath and was about to step into the bath when I remembered the panties. I was so petrified of someone finding them, I couldn’t wait. I had to get them right away. You see I wanted to soak in the tub for a bit, so I donned my sweats and raced over here. But that does not explain how you knew I was in here.”

  “Maybe I will tell you some day, but for now, I’ll keep it a secret. Come here.” He reached for her, pulling her into him.

  “I do have to say, Damien, you are acting very strangely, almost like Sherlock Holmes. Is everything all right?”

  “Are you going to get into bed with me? I’ll tell you if everything is all right then, or better yet, you’ll be able to see for yourself.”

  “You do have a one-track mind,” she replied. “I’ll stay for a bit, but I have to get back to my room before dawn. I believe we should handle this thing between us very slowly. What do you think?”

  “What do you care what I think? You have already made up your mind. But I aim to work on getting you to change it and see things my way,” he replied.

  “And what is your way?” she asked. “Sneaking around?”

  “On the contrary, I don’t want to sneak around. I don’t believe it’s anyone’s business what we do. Get into bed, I just want to hold you,” he told her.

  “You are holding me now,” she reminded him.

  “Yes, I am,” he agreed as he scooted up the bed with her in his arms.

  “Damien, I need to change the bed linens,” she reminded him.

  Damien stood with her without putting her down. When he was standing at the foot of the bed, he released her.

  “Let me get your chair so you can sit,” she told him.

  “I don’t need my chair. I am perfectly content to wait until you are finished with the bed. Do you know where the linens are?”

  “They should be in the closet labeled linen closet, right?” she asked him laughing.

  He loved to hear the sound of her laughter. She should laugh more often. Her laugh had a tinkling sound to it. He had heard her laugh when she was fooling around with Jake, but she had almost never gifted him with her laugh. He guessed they were too busy circling each other, trying to decipher the attraction that seemed to spark every time they were together. They had evidently made some progress now that the edge had been taken off the hunger that had been riding them hard.

  “Hello, Damien. Damien, did you hear me?” she was saying. “Are you still here with me?”

  “Sorry, what?” Damien shook himself into focus. “What did you say? What do you mean? I’m standing here right next to you in the very same spot.”

  “You may be in the same spot, but you were not there. This is the third time I called out to you, trying to get your attention, and you did not respond,” she said.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “Do you have a preference in bed linens? I was thinking of putting on the flannel sheets. It gets cold in the evenings.”

  “Put on whichever one that will make you happy. I intend to have you in my bed every night, so your comfort is my primary concern,” he informed her boldly.

  “Is that so? Don’t I have any say in the matter?” she asked.

  “I intend to work on convincing you that you want the same thing,” he replied confidently.

  “Hmmm,” was all she said.

  ***

  Lisa stood back to admire her handiwork. She did not tell Damien that she did intend to spend as much time as she possibly could in his bed, but she didn’t want to overdo and rush things. Thus far, he was taken with her, but what would happen if, and when, he gained his sight back? She was not a coward, but she was no belle of the ball, and Damien was a handsome man with steel, focused eyes and a gorgeous body, not to mention he was an incredible lover, not that she had any to compare him to, but she was not a child. She could tell by the way he handled her body. Any man so familiar with the female body and all the little nuances it took to have her climbing a wall evidently had a lot of practice.

  For now, she would be content to be with him anyway he wanted because she had no choice in the matter. Her body wanted him, needed him, and her heart wanted him. There was no denying that fact. But she would not sleep the entire night in his bed. She had to keep up appearances, despite what he said or what he wanted. She had to be the voice of reason for the both of them.

  “Can we get into bed now so we could get some sleep?” he asked her sheepishly.

  “Is that all we are going to do?” she answered, just as sheepishly. “If that’s all we’re going to do, then let’s get on with it.”

  “Don’t use words like, ‘let’s get on with it’ to me, Lisa. I have a one-track mind that doesn’t need much encouragement.”

  “Well, you are welcomed to interpret that any way you like, Damien. I am getting into this bed to sleep. Are you coming?”

  “There you go again with the double entendre. Yes, I’m coming,” he responded, laughing quietly.

  He lifted her bodily and got into the bed with his arms wrapped around her. As he settled in the bed, he spooned her with his body and gave her a kiss on her ear. In no time he was asleep, judging by the gentle snoring sounds that floated up to her.

  She had a more difficult time succumbing to sleep. For one thing, she’d never shared a bed with a man before, and the sound of Damien’s breathing and snoring took some getting used to. But eventually, as exhaustion from the night’s activities caught up with her, she pulled the blanket over her head and gave herself up to sleep.

  Seventeen

  Damien awoke suddenly. One moment he was asleep, and the next, he was awake. He became aware of a source of heat and warm female flesh next to him, and his favorite scent—violet—enveloping him. This potent combination had him at attention immediately.

  He could definitely see lighter shadows. He could tell light was streaming into the room because the shadows were no longer dark, but more on the fuzzy side. He looked down at Lisa. She was still not visible to him, but he could see her outline clearer now. They had reached for each other several times when they’d awakened during the last few hours, and he still wanted her. Knowing that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her was so wonderful he was still trying to accept that it was real.

  He looked towards the digital clock on the nightstand to see it clearly. He was only able to see a slight green glow from the digits on the face of the clock. He was reluctant to wake Lisa, but he could tell the house was coming awake. He heard a door open and close. He was sorry there was no time for a last go at it. C
aught between what he should do and what he wanted to do, he forced himself to slide quietly out of bed and got his watch off the nightstand. Rubbing his fingers over the face, he knew it was 7:30 A.M. He had to wake Lisa, but first he had to visit the bathroom.

  When he got back to the bedroom, she was still lying in the same spot he’d left her. He leaned over and gave her a kiss. He hit her nose and not the mouth he was aiming for, but she didn’t seem to notice because she kissed him back, making no move to get up.

  “You have to get up, sweetheart,” he said.

  “Do I have to? You didn’t allow me much time to sleep. Go away and let me have twenty more minutes,” she replied.

  “Do you want Jake to walk in and find you in here?” he asked, wickedly, knowing this would get her out of the bed.

  He didn’t have long to wait. She shot out of the bed like a bullet from a gun. Had he not been standing next to the bed to catch her, she would have fallen off.

  “You don’t have to hurt yourself to avoid Jake seeing you in here. I still have need of you,” he told her, openly laughing at her.

  “You are just plain mean, Damien. Is this what I have to look forward to every morning?” she asked as she stretched against him like a well-fed cat.

  ***

  Lisa slowly surfaced from the sleep and desire that had her in its grip. She was not a morning person, and it would take a good cup of coffee before she was awake enough to function. She guessed she’d have to do this without her usual cup if she had to get going and give an intelligent answer to anyone she ran into on the way to her room. I have to be more careful next time.

  “I have to have some coffee. I’m going to the kitchen before going to my room. Cook is used to seeing me first thing in the morning. As a matter of fact, she’ll be expecting me. I’ll bring you back a cup before I return to my room to prepare to start the day,” she offered.

  “You don’t have to do that, Lisa. All I have to do is ring for a cup.”