We sat for a some time snuggled up on the sofa before the fire, Avani reading a volume of history while I worked on the volume I'd been translating for Arthur. Clorica came in at one point late in the morning to whisk around tidying and dusting, then she let me know that it would be a while longer but that she'd bring me my clothes as soon as they were dry. I thanked her, and she turned to Avani to ask if she would like lunch to be brought to her today. Avani asked for her to please order lunch for both of us from Porcoline's —a salted rainbow trout set meal for me and a large bowl of stew for her. She returned a while later with the requested meals, and we sat in front of the fire and enjoyed our meal.

As we ate, Avani asked, "So tell me, besides 'exciting' foods like that poisonous fish you're eating, what else do you most enjoy?"

I thought about it as I nibbled at my fish, then replied, "I like things that amuse me and keep me from getting bored. And I enjoy reading, though perhaps not as much as Kiel does. I love to travel, as well—seeing new places and people and trying new foods."

"I wonder if I traveled, before I lost my memory?" Avani mused as she absentmindedly tore a piece off her roll and nibbled at it.

"Well, you must have done some traveling, or you wouldn't be here. Right?" I replied.

"True..." she trailed off, still lost in thought.

After a moment, I said, "Now it's my turn to ask some questions. I know you like chocolate and shrimp and smoothies, you love your pets, you apparently have a fondness for men with tails, and you love adventure. What else do you like most?"

Avani began to rattle off a list of things she liked: "I love this town and the people here, I love mountains and sunsets and sunrises. I love to fish and swim and to make things and grow things. I enjoy cooking, especially for others, and I love to soak in hot baths. I love flowers and music and poetry and reading books in front of a roaring fire on a chilly day, like today."

I just looked at her for a minute, trying to process all that. Then I looked sternly at her, saying, "That's too much—I said what do you like most? So I want you to tell me what is your single absolute favorite thing? If I were looking to give you a gift, for example, what would be your first choice?"

She thought for a minute, then said, "I'm tempted to say food or maybe flowers..."

"Nice, honest, straightforward answers, both of them—just what I'd expect from you," I said with a smile as she paused.

"...but," she continued with a mischievous look in her eyes, "I'd have to say that my favorite thing is you, Leo."

"Ah-ha," I replied, with a wicked grin, "then if I give myself to you, would you accept me?"

She set her empty bowl down and looked me straight in the eyes as she said, "With pleasure."

I nearly choked, feeling my cheeks turn hot at her frank reply—it wasn't at all what I'd expected. "O-okay...." I said, stammering slightly in my confusion.

She smiled at me, her eyes dancing with amusement at my momentary discomposure, and picked up her book, saying as she flipped through to find her place again, "Don't worry. I know you were just teasing, like always. You wouldn't make a suggestion like that seriously."

"So does that mean that your real answer would be no?" I asked her, curiously.

"Not at all," she replied as she found her place and began to read again. "I meant what I said. I'm just saying, I know you didn't really mean it. You just tease me to get a rise out of me. I'm wise to your ways, mister."

My ear twitched in irritation as I looked down at the petite figure curled up next to me, reading so calmly. So she thought she had me figured out, did she? Little did she know just how much I meant what I said—what lay hidden behind my jokes and teasing. I'd been restricting myself to nothing more than embraces or little kisses on her cheek or forehead, reluctant to take a step from which there could be no turning back. But perhaps, after all....

I set my plate down, then gently pulled the book from her hands and placed it on the table, too. I turned her towards me and gently caressed her cheek and her hair. Usually she wore it tied back, but today she had left it loose and it cascaded over her shoulders in gentle waves. It was so fine and silky—a pleasure to touch. I leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, then I pulled her to me and kissed her more firmly. I felt her stiffen momentarily in surprise, then she relaxed and her lips parted willingly at my insistence. I explored every corner of her mouth, caressing her tongue with mine.

As I felt the heat rising within me, I pulled her even closer, and she placed her arms around my neck as she pressed herself firmly against me. My sense of taste had been heightened, as indeed had all my senses, since becoming a Guardian, so I pulled back and began to nibble and lick down her neck, savoring the saltiness of her warm, soft skin. I gently scooped her up in my arms and carried her over to her bed, leaving her for a moment while I locked the doors and drew the curtains.

Discarding my robe as I returned, I sat on the edge of the bed and began to slowly unbutton her blouse. As I did so, I leaned down and again began to kiss and nibble and nip at her neck, working my way down her slender throat to her jugular notch. I paused there, tickling her sensitive skin with the tip of my tongue and enjoying the small moans that my kisses elicited before continuing downwards with tiny little teasing caresses of my tongue.

Soon I had her blouse completely unbuttoned and opened, revealing her firm, ample breasts cradled in a lacy bra. I nuzzled her breasts with my cheek as I slid my hands underneath her, then returned to her mouth to kiss her passionately as I unfastened her bra. I slid her blouse off her shoulders, then her bra straps. Removing her bra entirely, I dropped it onto the table next to the bed.

Still kissing her, I stretched out so that I lay alongside her, propped up on one arm while my free hand wandered over her smooth skin, exploring the curves of her ribs and belly before gently caressing her breasts. A small gasp escaped her lips, and I gently remonstrated with her for breaking our kiss by nipping softly at her lip, sucking on her upper lip slightly before I resumed kissing her. I continued to caress her breast, then rubbed the hard tip of her nipple between my fingertips. She moaned and wriggled a little under my touch, her back arching as she eagerly pressed up into my hand.

She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me tightly to her, but I pulled back and once again left a trail of kisses and nibbles down her neck and breast, stopping when I reached the tip of her nipple. I flicked the tip of my tongue across it, then gave it a gentle nip. She gasped, and I took her nipple into my mouth, sucking and gently nipping it. She moaned softly and dug her nails into my back, pulling me firmly to her. With my free hand, I toyed with her other nipple, alternating between caressing it, flicking my finger over the tip, and lightly rolling it between my fingertips.

After a few minutes, I moved my hand slowly down her side, my fingers lightly brushing over her skin. She wore a wrap skirt that tied at the waist, so when my fingers reached the top of her skirt, I easily untied the simple knot. I flipped both sides of her skirt aside, leaving her lying on the fabric in only her panties. I ran my hand over her hip and down her thigh, then began to kiss and lick her skin as I moved down her sides and belly. I gently stroked her between her legs, delighted to feel her underwear already wet from her eagerness.

I knelt on the bed next to her and slowly slipped them off, leaning down to kiss her belly as I did so, then dropped the bit of silky fabric to the floor, running my fingertips lightly over the soft, pale green hair of her pubic mound. She moaned as she opened her legs a little wider and pushed up against my hand. I ran my fingers down her slit, exploring the warm wetness before moving down to kiss her. My tongue tasted the piquancy of her wetness, finding the small, hard nub at the top of her slit and flicking over it as she gasped and whimpered with the intensity of her pleasure.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold back now, so I stood up, first slipping her clothing out from beneath her and then sliding my boxers off. She watched me do so, her eyes heavy-lidded and her lips slightly parted. She reached out her hand to the tip of my erection, tracing a delicate fingertip around it and through the drops of fluid pooling there before sliding her hand down the shaft. I closed my eyes and shivered with pleasure at the sensation; it had been a very long time since I'd last felt a woman's touch.

Not wanting to lose control, I gently removed her hand, then I climbed on top of her and began kissing her again. She returned my kiss hungrily, then she kissed and gently bit my neck. I felt a surge of heat as her caresses intensified, and again I pulled back. She entwined her legs with mine, attempting to hold me down against her, but I reached down and moved them aside as I leaned in and kissed and nipped at her neck, a little harder than before.

She squirmed beneath me, her breathing ragged as I held myself up over her, looking down at her face. Her eyes were unfocused, her lips parted as she breathed heavily, her hands gripping my wrists tightly. I smiled and moved in a little closer, so that the tip of my erection just brushed against the wetness of her fine hair. She cried out and arched her back up to meet me, but I pulled back just enough so that I only teased her with my tip.

Looking into her eyes, I asked, "Tell me again, My Lady, if I give myself to you, will you accept me?"

"Yes, Leo, please," she gasped in reply, digging her nails into my lower back in an attempt to draw me into her.

I resisted, shaking my head at her. "No, no. I want you to tell me exactly what you told me before. So once more: if I give myself to you, My Lady, will you accept me?"

She whimpered a little, then replied huskily, "With pleasure."

I smiled down at her and said, "Then here I am." With a firm thrust, I pushed into her warm, eager wetness. She cried out, her hips lifting to meet mine as she clutched my back. I drew myself out slowly, then thrust in firmly again, over and over, very slowly at first, then increasing the pace as her breathing became increasingly ragged and gasping. As I plunged in and out ever more rapidly, I kissed her, then bit and sucked at the spot just above where her shoulder met her neck. She cried out, digging her nails into my back, gasping my name over and over as she reached her climax. That was as much as I could take, and with a few rapid, deep thrusts, I reached my own release, hoarsely crying out her name.

Spent and exhausted, I slipped down on top of her, lying on her and still in her, her legs and arms wrapped lightly around me as we both lay panting and breathless. I nuzzled her neck, and she rubbed her cheek against me. We fell asleep lying like that, each of us reluctant to part from the other.

************

After a while, we were awakened by a knock on her door. By then, the storm was finally breaking up and the afternoon sun was shining low and golden through the south windows. I lifted myself up and looked down at her, feeling a warm tenderness spreading through my chest as I gazed into her sea-green eyes. I kissed her, then rolled over and off of her, pulling her bed sheet partway up over me as she sighed and rose. She grabbed my robe and pulled it around her before going to answer the door. It was Clorica, returning my dry clothes to me. Avani thanked her as she took the stack of folded clothing, ignoring the girl's curious glances at her disheveled appearance, and closed and locked the door again.

She set my clothing on a chair, slipped my robe off and lay it across the back of the sofa, and returned to bed. Sliding under the sheet next to me, she put her arms around my neck and pulled me to her for another kiss. "I love you," she whispered as she rubbed her cheek against me.

"I know," I replied with a broad smile. "I'm pretty fond of you myself."

She grinned up at me, then threw the sheet off of us and bounced up. "I don't know about you," she said, "but I'm famished! Want to go to Porcoline's? I'd cook you dinner, but I desperately need to do some shopping and go fishing—my refrigerator is pretty bare."

"Sounds fine," I replied, stretching languidly, "but what if Dylas is working? You said you didn't want to see him."

"Well..." she said slowly, "that's true... but it's not like he can do or say much to me while he's working. Even if Porcoline let it slide, I'm almost positive Meg wouldn't. So if he's waiting tables, I'll just ignore him when I can and be polite when I can't. After all, it's pretty hard to completely avoid him in a small town like this."

"Well, if you're sure you'll be okay.... I am pretty hungry. But," I said, lying back down and pulling her to me with a grin, "let's first enjoy an appetizer here."