I wondered then, the thought creeping through my mind like a fawn discovering a new meadow at the birth of spring, if his hands might have a similar effect if placed elsewhere on my body. After a moment or two or seven, I could no longer ignore this thought about Alexander and his hands, and so I brought myself closer to him so that my chest was against his and my legs, by necessity of the most basic physics, would have to be draped over his own.

He drew me closer in response and trailed his lips away from my mouth and down the side of my neck, then to my shoulders and to my chest, tracing the skin above the fabric of my bodice.

His hands moved, circling around to my sides and gripping the flesh just above my hips. I could have no other thought about this other than the realization that it was very right and correct and that he should continue in this manner so that the chain of events could proceed unhindered.

Alexander paused, however, long enough to take my hand and to draw my fingers to his lips. He kissed each one and intended to me, <<You must touch me as well>>.

At these instructions, a shiver ran through my being that both embarrassed and delighted me, for never had I wandered so far into any forest, and never had I allowed myself to get so completely lost in any wilderness. I did not know for certain where I was going as I studied the angles of his jaw with my fingertips, tracing the bridge of his nose in the moonlight, the arch of his eyebrows, the perfect fullness of his lips, the strength of his neck, and the slopes of the muscles of his shoulders just beneath his linen shirt.

I did not know where I was going, but I was in the lap of a rather fantastic guide.

Episode 73: A Forested Endeavor And The Secrets Of Pyres

I was never renowned for my restraint. When I wanted to walk long distances on cold nights, I went until I could not bear it any longer. If I wanted to ride my horse, Vagabond, when I should have been safe in my bed, I defied the rules and mounted him anyway.

And alas, my lack of restraint showed itself once more, for the more my hands explored the skin beneath the shirt of the pyre, Alexander, the more my hands wanted. I was entirely unsure whether we were caught in the late night dew or a light rain, or if he was becoming slick with sweat, but I did not mind it and in fact was overcome with the burning urge to taste his skin.