A Jewel in the Sun (5 page)

He had seen himself in a flash as he watched them interacting earlier. All of his life he had been groomed to shoulder the responsibility of the Etienne Publishing ; moving from traditional publishing to E- publishing and developing the marketing aspect. He had thought that he was
connected,
he had found a resurgence of his former self when he took it on. In watching
Azolee
suffer, he realized that he was constrained by something greater than a publishing dynasty, greater than sex….he couldn’t put a name on it, but this was a
mandate and a challenge that transcend all else.
He realized that every experience, every savor faire he had amassed, was done to bring him to this point. He was fashioned just for her. She was important. He was so aware of that he knew as soon as he called her name, it was acknowledge that she was his. His responsibility, his ….
his
. He smiled wryly to tell her this, will set her hackles up, so he refrained.

Uncaring that his costly clothing were getting wet,
Gastron
walked out to her with his arm beckoning.
Azolee
looked into his eyes, for how long? Nobody knew. Then slowly she raised up out of
the  water
, her sad eyes taking on the fiery glow of a challenge.

Gastron’s
eyes praised her stunning beauty, made more ethereal by the fading light. He used his left hand, stripped himself of his shirt, ready to cover and protect her. Instinct told him not to. This was her initiation. She had to reach out. She had to know that life was still to be had. He slowly,
boldy
perused her loveliness
. She was easily the
most lovely
woman he had ever known. Not physically, but it was her context, her sub-context, her depth, her strength, her affinity with nature, her natural unaffected manner and then her physical beauty.

Azolee
looked at
Gastron
, really looked. He
look
different somehow. His face was unguarded, letting her read as much as she was capable. His eyes, made darker by the setting sun, were telling her she was desirable and wanted.
His aquiline nose hung over sweetly sensuous lips that had a widening smile.
  Lord, he was a piece of
at
.
She needed to feel. Maybe doing something outrageous would help. Her lips smiled and then her eyes traveled slowly from his sexy full bottom lip down his powerfully built body. She saw what he didn’t try to hide. He was painfully aroused. She knew that he wanted her, had known
it
from the beginning.
What
she didn’t
know
about were
the
many nights he had lain
awake wanting her, needing her.
She had given him no encouragement. He thought of the many women who
had thrown themselves at him.  H
e
had
refused. He liked to be the chaser. He liked catching the prey.
He liked to want the prey, except that
Azolee
was nobody’s prey.

He knew this was different. Initially, h
e had denied it, but this was more than sex. She was under his skin. Their lives were somehow connected – his and this extraordinarily beautiful woman. He wanted her more than he
remembered wanting
any other woman. He knew that maybe this
was not the best decision, but
he wanted her now
, tonight
and from the look of her
face
, she wanted
the same thing.
He wasn’t stupid, he knew that she needed to connect, needed someone. He wanted more, but he would bide his time.
She walked hesitantly to where he was standing,
“Make love with me. I need you
Gastron
”.

He froze.
His mind reeled. Something greater was at work her. In the mention
ing
of each other names
for the first time, it seemed as if a contract was acknowledge.
None of the negotiation tactics could hel
p him now. This was unchartered
terr
itory. Neither did he want any help. She was his.

His body was twisted wit
h a need so painful that he became powerless to move. His eyes were burning, his face flush
ed
and his breathing pattern was labored, dangerously so. Seeing this and reading this situation albeit correctly,
Azolee
wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled his head down and kissed him with all of the
fervor in her soul. He became unglued, wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her close to his
hotly
arou
sed body with a
trembling
agonized groan. “I want
you,
Azolee
”. This was the second
time he had called her name. The
sexy timbre of his voice sent
her thrill
s
down the center of her back. His calling her name pulled
invisibly
on her internal cords.

“
Im
yours this night, take me!”
Gastron
  needed
no further
encouragement. He bent his dark head and pressed his sensuous lips to hers, outlining them. He then pushed his tongue into the
sweet cavern of her mouth and
close
d his eyes to the burst of golden
sweet tropical fruit
. She felt his arousal juxta
po
sed against her womb and moved slowly,
gyrating
against it.

Gastron
was mind blown, but he knew their first time should be done in a more private environment so he reigned in himself.
Azolee
, embolden
and heady by his reaction
, took his hand and led the way back to the cottage and into the room with the glass door facing the s
ea. The sun had long set
and the distractions and the horrors would be kept out. This

was
one night she didn’t want to be alone. This would be one night to create memori
es for those long lonely nights ahead of her.

Gastron
knew that
he had to make this special for her. He rested her in the center of the queen-sized bed and took off his clothing.
He knew that he had a fit
body and was aware that in stripping it would be foreplay for her.
His woman.
She was so sensuous.
She hungered to touch his hard flat stomach, his muscled arms, h
is muscular thighs and oh
my
.....
he was
huge. Her desire for him
overshadowed all of the pain she had experienced with other men.

Gastron
moved closer and encouraged her to touch him. As she took him into her hands and tenderly caressed him, he groan
ed
and moved
jerkily toward the bed. He thought he could have prolonged this time, but maybe next time. His hand moved to st
rip her of the
wrapped print
that
she’d put on to return to the cottage
.
He
re
moved the three - stringed
underwear. Then, he stood back. He knew that the sight of her would forever be with him. She was long and slender and
wore a burnish gold tan that was continuous and even toned. Her breasts were fully, firm and resembled the brown firm mangoes that were one of the delights of the tropics. Her stomach was firm and flat and her waist narrow. It flared out to luscious rounded hip and then tapered down to long beautifully shaped limbs.
The only thing she wore was the fine
golden anklet with the dolphin clasp.
She was a jewel of th
e sun.
His jewel
.
How often had he dr
eamt of her hair spread over a
pillow.
He had a sudden vision of her in the princess room at home in France, but banished the thought quickly.

Gastron
ran his finger lightly down her bod
y, gen
tly pinching her nipples
. He continued down to her private mound and gently opened her
vaginal
folds.
Azolee
writhed in a kind of sweet
,
intense pain.
Gastron
used his tongue and mouth and spent the next thirty minutes sucking, licking, kissing and
laving
her body. Her cries of passion were doing the same to his body and his mind. This was combined with her lon
g tapering fingers that caressed
him frantically.

When he could bear no more,
Gastron
entered her gently and sank himself to th
e hilt. He waited for about twenty five seconds

to
get his bearing. Even this wait was stir
r
ing because his first launched after he withdrew thrust them over into a galaxy of sparkling pleasures, shouts and
dynamites.
How long he spent thrusting, he couldn’t recall.
He was so spent that he rolled boneless beside her as he tried to get his
bearing.
He tugged her close to his side. Her leg instinctively wrapped over his as her head found purchase on his chest. He felt a surge of tenderness unlike he’d ever known.
He was going to help fight her battles. He knew she was a loner, like him and fiercely independent, so his methods had to be cognizant of this.

CHAPTER
NINE

Azolee
woke at her usual time to watch the sunrise. She
knew she was alone and
accepted it. Life was like this.
Alone.

She got up and ran outside as like old times and watch the sun emerge. Life was good. She felt rejuvenated. She felt strong and vibrant. She knew that Mr. Saunders expected her to come in today, but she also knew that she had questions. She had had time to think and she realized that had she not be
en
preoccupied, she would have noticed how solicitous Nana was with her. She reflected back to the nigh when Nana had become an avenging angel on the night that Sam had hurt her Nana had hurt more because she relived it. As she had been Nana’s healing,
Gastron
had been hers. She had turned to him thrice during the night to keep the pain at bay. Never once had h
e spurn her, in fact he patiently
obliged.
She heard him whispering to her in French during lovemaking and even after.

On instinct, she went into Nana’s office and
booted the computer. When prompted, she
put in the name Anne Marie. She settled herself to read. How much time passed? She couldn’t say. Afterwards, she looked into Nana’s draw, pulling out the lower one, but it was locked. Sh
e searched until she found a key
taped to the inside of a file. She opened the draw and inside she found a file. It was equipped with news paper clipping –from 1970s to the very recent.
Azolee
read. She read and read and read.

She knew it was time to see John Saunders. She showered and was heading out of the door when she slammed into a wall.
Gastron
.
“What are you doing here?”
she stammered, looking directly into his eyes.

He looked self assured.
“I went to the suite to place a call due to the difference in
time zones. I brought you
cuppa
chino
.” She was confused. This was messing with the pattern in her head. She knew that people love and leave. He came back.
Maybe.
Just temporary.
Ok.