Agent finds a Warrior

by Guy Stanton III

  “What! I’ve had two babies and the doctors never told me that!”

  “That’s because modern doctors like to be sitting comfortablely on a stool ready to involve themselves in the process of childbirth needlessly, because they see the presence of themselves as more important to the process than anything else, when in reality what really would be for the best was if the female body was allowed to do what it was perfectly created to do.”

  “You’re doing all my deliveries from now on Elon! So help me I’m going to murder those doctors!”

  “Lisa put that emotion into accomplishing something and push!”

  Ten minutes later a strapping boy was born, and thirty five minutes later a little girl came out just as healthy. Lisa was very proud and held both of them in her arms overcome with emotion.

  Looking up to her husband she said, “Elon James and Maria Candace?”

  Both Zora and I started to object, but Flint said, “It’s done.” And that was that.

  I slipped away when it was safe to, leaving mother and father alone to appreciate the new life that had been born into the world this day. I felt like I was about to pass out because I was so tired.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Zora watched Elon go and started to follow, but Lisa caught her hand. Zora looked down to see Lisa blushing, “I’m sorry about what I said earlier! It was terribly crude of me.”

  Zora smiled and shrugged before leaning closer and whispering so as not to wake the babies or for Flint to hear, “It was close enough to the truth anyway most likely.”

  Lisa chuckled knowingly before her face went suddenly serious, “You’re a very lucky girl Maria to have him.”

  Zora glanced back the way Elon had just gone, “That is being made very clear to me.”

  She left the new mom and her devoted husband then to fawn over their new babies. She herself was on the point of dropping to the floor in exhaustion.

  Zora stepped into the bedroom that she had shared with Elon only to see him sprawled across the bed fast asleep. She pulled a blanket out and spread it over top of Elon’s sprawled out form.

  He hadn’t left much room, but Zora managed to slip onto the edge of the bed and find enough space to keep from falling off. She tucked herself under the blanket careful not to awaken Elon, as she draped his widespread arm across her hip.

  She lay there on her side facing Elon watching him as he slept deeply. It was an overwhelming desire she had to fight against not to reach out and touch his face. She wanted to touch him. All of him.

  His lips were full and inviting and she had to close her eyes against the urge to kiss him in his sleep. She was so ready for this man’s possession of her.

  She’d never thought this day would come that she would ever want much less crave one man’s touch, but she did.

  She drifted off to sleep as both of them slept through the early hours of the day in a deeply peaceful rest as a heavenly calm settled over them for a job well done.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I enjoyed driving. The modern car was definitely one of my most favored inventions to come along down through the years. Who didn’t like to go fast and feel a precision instrument respond intuitively beneath you to your every command and request for more power?

  It had been awfully nice of Lisa to loan us the car. The top of the convertible was down and the afternoon sun was warm and for the first time in my life I had a hot date.

  My eyes drifted over to Zora and took in the vision that she was. Her black hair gusted out behind her as the wind caught it. She lounged in her seat looking completely at ease in my company. It was a seductive sight to behold.

  She’d unbuttoned the top several buttons of her blouse and she was giving me quite a view and I knew it was entirely intentional on her part. She was telling me she was ready for more and I wasn’t going to disappoint her, but first we would have one last date together.

  It had been beyond hard to resist taking advantage of her, when I had woken up around lunch time to find her snuggled up against me in the bed. I had resisted the temptation of her then though and caused what felt like bodily harm to myself in the process.

  I couldn’t go on much longer denying myself though.

  Each new side road we came across was a temptation to divert down and find a place to park put the convertible’s cover back up and tear her clothes off. I gripped the wheel hard. Tonight! Tonight she would be mine.

  She turned her head to me and smiled, “How long will it be before we reach wherever your taking me.”

  My grip on the wheel tightened. Did she have any idea what that sounded like?

  I glanced over to her only to find that her eyes were laughing at me. Again I was reminded of the fact that this was a completely different side of this woman that I had never seen, while she had worked for the Agency.

  “You’re cruel!” I said shaking my head as I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

  I’d expected her to laugh at her accomplishment of making me cry uncle, but her answer wasn’t what I had expected.

  “I’m sorry!”

  My gaze darted over to her to see her buttoning up her shirt.

  My hand closed over top of hers, “Please don’t take my view away. I’ve waited a long time for the privilege to enjoy such a view and while it and you are utterly tormenting to me I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  I let my hand fall away and her fingers re-undid the buttons only she went several buttons down farther.

  I glanced away from the sight that she had afforded me and asked, “What’s changed about you Zora? All the years that I’ve known of you since you were at the Agency you’ve gone around with this big invisible sign plastered to you that read, ‘Men beware, if you so much as touch me I’ll nail your family jewels to the wall and use the rest of you for target practice’.”

  I glanced over to her to see her biting her full lower lip tellingly.

  She tried to bite back a wry smile before asking, “It was that bad?”

  “It was that bad.” I affirmed.

  She was the one to look away this time, while I continued to enjoy the view. Her words though brought me back to sharply focus on her face, “I saw things when I was a young girl that no one should ever see. Things done by men to women. It scared me for a long time. Still does actually. It was a good thing in many ways when I found the Agency. The Agency exposed me to truly good men like Chantry and Flint. They helped to redefine what it was to be a male and still be an entirely noble individual. You’re both caring and noble like they are. I know you won’t ever hurt me. I trust you like I have few individuals in my life. I even desire you, which is a miracle for me.”

  Her head spun to me and she quickly added, “I don’t mean that to sound as if you’re not desirable! It’s just……”

  “I know what you meant.” I said cutting in gently.

  “Zora I’ll never do anything to disappoint the confidence that you’ve put in me as a man of character. I may make you mad from time to time, but I’ll never betray your trust.”

  “I know.” She said with feeling.

  There was a question that needed to be asked, “Going along with the childhood situations that you mentioned I need to ask if you were abused as well? I only ask that because I don’t want to re-create bad memories for you in terms of how we take are relationship into a more intimate level.”

  “No I wasn’t. You’ll be the first man that I’ve ever been with.”

  I glanced over to her and lifted my hand up to her face. I stroked a finger down her cheek and over to her lower lip, which I caressed slowly, “It will be a first for both of us then.”

  She swallowed and her lips moved beneath my finger as she said, “I’m honored.”

  I blinked. It was an unbelievable feeling to experience the unbelievable intimacy that I already shared with this woman past any realm of fleshly desire.

  I refocused on my driving. I’d never had a harder time managing
to keep a vehicle within the lines not to mention the speed limit.

  Zora shifted in her seat and before I knew it she was sitting up against me.

  I swallowed and glanced to her face which was very near only to hear her say, “I like being with you. Would you put your arm around me?”

  My one arm came away from the steering wheel and folded around her shoulders, until my hand rested against her far side. The feel of her trustingly within the enclosure of my arm was a new emotional high in my life. The feel of her was amazing, but it was the knowledge that she liked being where she was that made me never want this moment to stop.

  Her head was tilted back as it rested against my shoulder and she was smiling at me.

  I wished I could smile back at her for truly she had made me happy, but I just felt to overcome by her.

  I searched for something to say. Something of value to return in exchange for what she was giving me.

  Clearing my throat of the husky emotion I was infused with I said “We should be in the city by early evening. We can have a nice dinner and then I’ve procured an invitation to a grand charity ball being held for a noble cause. There will be lots of dancing involved. Does that sound of interest to you?”

  She came away from my side to sit bolt upright and I knew that I’d scored big time. Her face was tense though as she said, “But I don’t have a dress!”

  “I looked at your clothes before we left and I had Lisa guess as to some measurements I wasn’t sure of. I called ahead to a dress shop and they should have something for you by the time we get into the city. We’ll go there first and let you try it on and then we’ll go to dinner, while they make whatever alterations to the dress that may be necessary. The ball doesn’t start until 9 o’clock and it’s in the same hotel where we’ll be staying so there’s plenty of time for you to get ready. The hotel has someone standing by to help you with your hair and anything else that you may need.”

  I glanced over to her to see what her reaction was, only to see tears coursing down her cheeks. What had I done wrong?

  She smiled radiantly at me then in the midst of the tears and I realized that I was experiencing the phenomena of happy tears. I’ve never understood the concept of it myself. The process of crying when you are happy just didn’t make sense, but I could see that was the case for Zora.

  She seemed to be speechless. All she could do was smile and cry. She leaned back against my side then, only this time her arm went around my back to hold me even as mine held her to me.

  Sometimes it was fun to give and this was definitely one of those times. It was so gratifying to know that I’d both surprised her and possibly made one of her dreams come true. I wanted to do that for her again and again.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Zora leaned against Elon side as her heart pounded within her chest. She was going to a ball!

  She was going to dance again! She wasn’t just going to be dancing though. She was going to be dancing with Elon!

  She shivered involuntarily, as she imagined what it would be like to be led in the moves of the dance by Elon.

  She had felt so brazen earlier in her attempt to please him visually by unbuttoning her shirt. Many men would set up an event like Elon had just as a reward for what she’d done, but that wasn’t the case with Elon. Before a button had come undone he had already been involved in a plan to surprise her with something he knew would please her.

  How many women could say they had a man who thought of their welfare ahead of any gain for themselves?

  She was going to a ball! She’d always dreamed of this, but out on her own and distant from any man she’d never had the ability to go to one much less enjoy it like she knew she was going to with Elon.

  “I know the hearts of man and there is nothing hidden from Me. I see the secret desires and it pleases Me to grant those to whom I will.”

  The infilling of heavenly thought overwhelmed Zora.

  Oh! She was going to cry again! She’d never been so happy in her life before!

  Chapter Nine

  She’s a Lady

  She’d been in there for two hours surely she was about done?

  I’d dropped her off earlier at the dress shop before checking in at the Grand Imperial. I’d even picked up my tux for the evening and I’d done all of that within an hour. Now I’d been sitting here for over an hour. What was taking her so long?

  The possibilities of what could have gone wrong were starting to plague me, when she abruptly appeared coming from the dress shop. She still wore a smile so everything must be all right, at least I hoped so.

  I got out and opened her door for her, “Everything okay?”

  “Perfectly fine honey.” She said before leaning up on her toes to kiss me on the cheek.

  I blinked a couple times to clear my thoughts or better put regain order to them.

  “Don’t we need to take your dress with us?” I asked thickly, but she shook her head no.

  “They’re delivering it to the hotel. Can we go to dinner now? I’m starving!” She was smiling, but her smile had a predatory cast to it and her eyes were sparkling like a tigress on the hunt in search of prey. I’d had woman look at me in a predatory light before, but this was the first time that I’d ever wanted to be caught.

  I parked the car along the rundown looking street in an even more rundown looking part of the ancient Italian city. Disappointment was written all over Zora’s face and I had to bite back a smile. Appearances could be so deceiving.

  “Well this is it.” I said exuberantly and she gave me a dumbfounded look of puzzlement. I had to get out of the car before I burst out laughing.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Zora couldn’t believe it. His idea of a romantic dinner was a rundown looking bar, whose patrons were likely rats from the looks of the place!

  Why would he bring her to such a place?

  This couldn’t be happening! He was ruining the evening!

  Her door opened and Elon said, “Mon cherie if you would please?”

  The happy tone of his voice alerted her to something going on behind the scenes. She glanced at his eyes and saw that they were full of mirth directed at her. He was up to something!

  Well she could play along at that game too. She got out and he took her hand and led her into the rundown bar.

  The place did not disappoint her low expectations of it. Upon entering she saw not one, not two, but three rats scurry for cover. Elon called out hearty hellos in Italian to the extremely disreputable denizens of the place, who heartily responded in kind.

  Zora couldn’t help but think this was all a big mistake somehow. Elon kept leading her through the bar to the far end and opened an old door that creaked hard with protest. He gestured down the dark corridor that was dimly revealed before her by old incandescent light bulbs.

  The lights gave off more darkness than usable light and the ceiling was strewn with cobwebs. She gave Elon a look that told him to go fly a kite.

  He laughed and grabbed a hold of her hand and tugged her into the dim corridor after him. The corridor ended at another door, which Elon kicked open and then they stepped out onto a deserted alleyway.

  The odor of backed up sewage wafted up to permeate the air. This night was going from bad to worse in a hurry.

  They came to a sturdy looking wooden door and Elon rang an old bell that was there. An old woman stuck her head out of a window up above in the building next to the door. She called out a greeting upon apparently recognizing Elon and he responded in kind. The old woman pulled on a cable and the door unlocked and swung wide.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  I stood for a moment enjoying Zora’s shocked face before I gently pushed her on through the open doorway.

  “What is this place?” She exclaimed.

  “No one quite knows why, but this street was blocked off from the city grid many years ago. Few know of it other than the local residents and they keep it a se
cret for fear of the place being mobbed by tourists. It truly is an excellent example of late Roman architecture at its finest.”

  The street was like a time capsule of the past and its residents helped to keep it that way. It was a cultural treasure to them and I could tell as we walked by massive stone pillars with artfully crafted stone chapters and bases that I’d surprised Zora all over again.

  She was looking all around in amazement. I pulled her around a corner of an old marketplace and gestured to something ahead of us, “Now this is perhaps one of the worlds hardest to find hole in the wall restaurants.” I said smugly reveling in my second success of the day of completely overwhelming my woman with surprise and delight. This dating thing really was fun.

  I watched as her eyes took in what I had gestured to. Before us lay a pillared grape arbor from which lanterns hung down casting their warm light into the richly entrenched mood of antiquity all around us. Little wooden tables dotted the veranda beneath the arbor, each table bearing its own candle and checkered tablecloth.

  “It’s perfect! You’re perfect!” She said on a breathless exclamation of emotion.

  I chuckled in good pleasure. I was far from perfect, but if she wanted to think so of me well, I was fine with that.

  I led her towards the idealic setting loving the way that she sort of melted against my side as we walked. I pulled out a chair at one of the tables near a large pillar and she sat down smiling.

  “Well aren’t you the gentlemen.” She said coyly in as playful a mood as I had ever seen her.

  I leaned down to her ear and said, “On the contrar mon cherie. In this setting I am but the tramp in the presence of a lady.”

  The smell of her skin was just too much and my lips pressed deeply against the side of her neck in a kiss for a long moment. I felt a quiver course through her whole body and I drew back from the kiss. I hadn’t left a mark, but I had left an impression.

  I walked around the table and her eyes followed me. Her eyes seemed to be on fire and I relished their heated intensity that I had helped spark to an open blaze.