First Kiss!

My goodness…*fans self* I think in my various works I’m trying to invent the hot nerd. 🙂

“When I am gone, if you would take the time to visit with my father every once in a while? He is lonely on occasion, and he is right. As the weather changes, he will be inside more.”

“Edmond,” I said, “I believe I can fit him into my social calendar.” I walked away from the dock. “You don’t think that it’s socially improper?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s one thing for you to know me. It’s another for me to visit a home like your father’s. It makes me look like a bit of a gold digger.”

“No one who knows me or my father, and who matters to us will think anything of it. Anyone who knows you can not doubt your character, regardless of whether you have money or not. We are honored to know you.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly. I started to walk on, but he placed a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

He was the stern man I had met on that first day, the one who had stripped his crew to immediate obedience. “I don’t think you understand your own character and worth. We very seldom do understand our own. You, Mercedes Mondego, would be a princess, regardless of what you wore, or whether you ate peasant bread or a fine loaf from a bakery. You have a fine sense of what is right and wrong, and what is most important in a woman, a generous and giving nature, a warm and forgiving heart. At first, I thought I could be of use to you, in the way that anyone who is fortunate enough to be better off should be of use to someone. What I didn’t realize is that you would be of use to me, with your humor, your giving nature, your warmth, and your presence. I am already a better man because I know you, and I thank you for your friendship.”

I was speechless. No man had ever said the like to me. Part of me didn’t believe half of what he said, and the other part of me felt like someone had finally seen inside of my soul and understood what was there. My God, did this man make everyone he felt feel like this? I tiptoed up to his cheek and I kissed him lightly there, his bristles making my lips tingle. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I—I’m a little overwhelmed.”

“Mercedes,” he said, his voice like a steel trap, “I admire and respect you. I don’t think we should take this any farther tonight. May I have the honor of seeing you tomorrow?”

I stepped back. “I—I’m sorry I kissed you.”

“By thunder, I’m not! Not at all! I hope you’ll do it again.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We need to think about if this is what we really want,” he said.

“Think? You want to think at a time like this?”

“I would assume that would be the prudent and appropriate course.”

“Hopeless! Look at me! I am a beautiful woman by the water. There would be moonlight if there were no clouds. You talk to me of love as if it were spinning! No wonder you’re single.”

“I only meant to treat you with the respect you deserve.”

“You can still respect me and kiss me, Edmond.” I slipped my arms around his neck. He smelled musky, and his coat smelled like cold wool. His breath smelled faintly of pepper and onions. I stood on tip toe. “I demand that you kiss me. If you want a future with me, you best show that you do. We can sort out all of the respect later. Do you love me?”

“Do you love me?”

“I asked you first.”

“I do. I love your wit, your smile, you—”

I put my finger to his lips. “That’s enough. I’ve decided. I think I could be happy with you. Kiss me.”

His lips pressed over mine and tilted my head backwards. I almost suffocated. He tasted delicious, and his lips were firm and eager. I felt hungry for him, for more of him, and I ran my hands through his hair. His arms pulled me closer and I pressed my body to his, more of that solidity that I wanted to sink into. He pulled his lips away and my lips ached where his had been. I swallowed.

Huskily, he said, “We’d better get you home.”

“I’m in no hurry,” I said. I brought my lips to his, hungrily. This time, he kissed my eyelids, my cheeks, and I could hear him breathing.

“No,” he said. “We have to stop and sort out all of the respect, remember?”

It took us a while to get to my house. We kept stopping and discovering things. I discovered that he liked it when I kissed his temples. I discovered I liked it when he brushed his lips across my ears. When we reached the door of my house, I invited him in, but he declined. I desperately wanted him to. His kissed my hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said. “We both need to see how all this looks in the light of morning.”

I locked him out, and lit a candle. The man seemed made of stone! In all fairness, I realized, he wasn’t made of stone, but the Edmond who had kissed me was kept safe deep inside the one he wore for the rest of the world. He was right, of course. I wanted him tonight, but I wanted him for longer than that.

I spun all night. I couldn’t sleep.