"See ya tomorrow! Thank you!"  Lily waved to the Gulfstream’s crew, at the end of the first leg of our trip.  I helped her into the waiting limousine.  "How long will it take to get to the hotel?"  She asked the driver.     "Less than ten minutes," was the answer.     "Cool, thanks," Lily replied.  I got in and closed the divider.  "Ah, honey!"  Lily exclaimed, and pounced onto me, first.  I held onto her too, and wouldn’t let her go.     We made out, for practically the whole drive.  But, there was no way to get past the girl’s extra-virgin underwear…  "I’ve got to get you out of these clothes," I whispered.     "We’re on the home-stretch," Lily reminded me.     "Yep, way past third base," I agreed.  Lily giggled, breathing heavily.  Our limousine pulled into the hotel drive, so Lily let go of me, to straighten her clothing, and calm her breathing.  She was still looking at me that way, though.  I straightened my own clothes, too.     We pulled up to the back door, where the hotelier met us.  She had the driver bring the bags, and she took us up to our suite.  "Your dinner will be served, presently," she informed us, as we got to the door.     "Thank you," we both answered.  She unlocked the door for us, and handed me the key.  I lifted Lily up, to carry her over the threshold, again.  The driver followed us in, with the bags.  "Thank you," I told them, again, as they left.  I shut the door after them.  Lily was hanging our coats up.  "You wanna eat dinner first or second?"  I asked.     "Hmm,"  Lily considered the question.   "What a dilemma."     I nodded and asked, "Are you hungry?"     "Yes," she answered.     "O.K., food first,"  I decided.  "I’ve got an idea: let’s make love all night, and sleep on the plane."     "Ooh, that’s not a bad idea, lover!"  Lily agreed.  She sat on the love seat, to take her shoes off.  I sat next to her and put her foot on my lap, to do it for her.     I was kicking my own shoes off, as we heard a knock at the door.  I got up and let the dinner in.  "I’ll be kinda glad when we get out of the country.  We won’t have to sneak around so much,"  I told Lily, after we were alone again.     "A clandestine affair?  Kind of exciting.  But, I’ll be glad too, since I don’t think I’ll feel compelled to wear makeup in China.  Speaking of which…"  Lily grabbed her purse, and went to the mirror.  I took the opportunity to put the food on the table.  "That smells wonderful!"  Lily said, as she joined me, face scrubbed, and her hair down.     I sat opposite her, and said, "to me, you look your most beautiful naked, and that most definitely includes your face."     "Wow, thank you!  I think, I think so, too…"  Lily replied.     I held Lily’s hand with one hand, and ate with the other.  Lily was taking her time, so I figured I might as well, too.  But, I must eat three times as much as she does.  Five bites and she’s full, it seems like.  Lily finished, and took one last sip of water.  She bent down to take her socks off.  "Let me!"  I exclaimed, and sprang over there.  I lifted her up, one sock on, on sock off.     "How can we do it, and not get our heart rates up?  We’re still digesting,"  Lily inquired, as I took her to the bed.  She removed her other sock on the way.     "How ‘bout if we sit, again?"  I offered.  "…Just for openers."     "Oh, yeah!  Brilliant, as usual!"  Lily kissed my mouth.  I put her on the bed and proceeded to unbutton her.  When I was done, Lily took my watch off.  "Although, I still think it’s going to be hard for me to keep calm, regardless,"  she added.     I grinned.  "Good," I advanced.     "Oh!"  Lily exclaimed, a little surprised at me, I think.  I had to remind myself that she’d only been an ex-virgin for less than twenty-four hours.  And, even though she’s the farthest thing from frigid, she was still not completely used to the whole concept of being sexually active.     "Well, it is good," I defended myself, as I stripped Lily of her underwear.     Lily giggled.  "Well, my stomach will just have to deal with it, then."  She laughed, again.     "Lemme kiss it better,"  I asked, as I finished stripping, myself. I bent and took hold of her waist.  "Kiss the babe, while you’re down there,"  Lily said, grinning.     "Oh, man!  Really?"  I responded, after I saw that she was serious.  "Parents already, huh?  Cool!"  I kissed her tummy twice, this time.  I laid on top of her, and asked, "Boy or girl?"  Doesn’t hurt to ask.     Lily smiled and answered, "boy."  This was exciting!     "Wow, wonderful," I replied.  "Does he have a name?"     "His name is your choice, Rick,"  Lily informed me.     "Not yours?"  I asked.     Lily shook her head.  "That’s one thing I don’t know ahead of time: the kid’s names.  Because you are supposed to choose, not me."     "Hmm.  I’ll get right on it.  Choosing a name, that is,"  I said.  "Can you tell me what he’s like?"  I asked, using the pretense of finding an appropriate name.     "Tomorrow,"  Lily restated.     I nodded, "I know.  Let’s get back to the business at hand!"  I kissed her once, then rolled us over.  Lily straddled me, and I sat up.  "You’re getting adept at this," I told her.     "Quick study," she replied.     "Lily," I started, "I want to introduce you to some more of the possibilities, as far as positions go.  We can get to a couple of them, tonight, at least!"  Lily nodded, too busy feeling, to talk.  "And, if you can, give me some feedback.  In words or sounds, either way!"  Lily raised her eyebrows, then nodded, again.  I was finished talking, myself.  We weren’t using our mouths for talking, so I figured we might as well use them for kissing...     I couldn’t tell if we had spent enough time digesting, since my watch was elsewhere.  Probably not.  But, I had more urgent concerns.  "Are you ready to go?"  I finally asked.     "Ready when you are, lover,"  Lily whispered.     I laid her back, onto the bed.  "Put your knees against my ribs and rest your heels on my rear, Lily," I instructed.     We started, but I couldn’t keep myself from gazing too long, into her eyes.  I had always looked away after a few seconds, before.  And, Lily had been closing her eyes, periodically, during our previous encounters.  But, this time, after our souls had communed so deeply on the plane, I felt more of a need to look, than to look away.  Also, Lily had apparently stopped having mercy on me, by looking away herself, once in a while.  I was so glad we were able to continue lovemaking.  A miracle, since it seemed like I was a deer caught in headlights.  About to be run over, by the unstoppable force of her love.     But then, as I continued looking into Lily’s eyes, I found that it changed… Or actually, I changed.  Before, she always initiated it, and I always looked away first.  Because, it had been something that was too much for me to bear.  It felt like Lily was doing it to me.  Then, during our time on the plane, it was almost like Lily was doing it with me.  But, as we were making love, I started to get the feeling that gazing straight into the sun like this, is something I can handle.  Her intense light has blinded me to everything else, and if it kills me, to gaze too long…  What a way to go.     It occurred to me that if I were to look at Lily the same way she looks at me, exuding the same force of Love in return, I would be able to take everything she gave.  As long as a matched her, instead of running for cover, she wouldn’t have to hold back.  I smiled.  The best defense is a good offense, I told myself.   So, I stopped trying to just desperately hold my own, against her strong love, and started giving her mine.  All of it.  I had had my own encounter with Love, on the plane.  I recognized that it was inside me, ready to come out.  I didn’t hold myself back.  Could Lily take it?  If not, she’d look away, I decided.     I think my eyes let Lily know that I had gone on the offensive, with my love for her.  Because, her eyes got wider.  It seemed that she was in shock, again.  I imagined that what I was doing to her, was reminding her of the ravishing she underwent, when Love first fell on her.  And this time, it was human and physical, as well as spiritual.  Lily came, and my tigress roared.  I’ve never heard anything like it.     Lily’s yell shook me, and I came, too.  I took one breath, and let out my own sound.  And when it was over, I rested my forehead against Lily’s.  I took another breath, and found that there were tears in my eyes!  What was happening to me?  I closed my eyes, which squeezed them out.  They fell on Lily’s face.  She reached up, to put her hand on my face, and when her tears fell, they mingled with mine.     Lily’s right.  What is there to say, at such a moment?  All I could do, is lay to her side, and hold her near.  I had so much to express to her, but words seemed wholly inadequate.     After our breathing slowed, I feared that Lily might get cold.  So, I let her go, and pulled the covers down.  I pulled them up again, after we got underneath.  Lily spoke first.  "I love you."  She shrugged, as she said it, as if she also thought the words weren’t good enough.     I stroked her face, and replied, "I love you, too," with a shrug.     We both smiled.  "I know," Lily responded.  She put her hand on her forehead, then on her chest.  I think she was still trying to calm herself, and comprehend what just happened.  Then, she put her hand back on her head, and uttered, "Rick…  Oh, my."     "What is it?"  I whispered, hoping she’d be able to articulate something.     "The immeasurable pain I had suffered, in the first twenty-nine years of my life-- the pain that made me tell God to please kill me-- has all been made up for, in this one moment, with you."  Lily shook her head in amazement.  "All that pain means nothing at all.  It’s like it never happened.  I view it-- all of it, together-- as no more serious than bumped funny-bone.  It was nothing.  My past…"  Lily started laughing, "fascinating."     I got a tear in my eye, again.  I was so happy for her.  And for myself, that I was able to really, truly help her.  Heal her, like she heals me.  "Love is a life-giving force," I repeated back to her.     Lily nodded.  "Yes.  And eternal, as you said.  It can affect the past, as well as the future.  Amazing."  She hugged me.  "And, you are amazing!"  She added.     "I am absolutely amazed by you.  And, I get more amazed with every passing moment, at what is happening to us, Lily!"  I informed her.  "Why us, for Heaven’s sake?"     "A great question."  Lily thought for a while, then offered, "maybe the answer can be found in the eyes of Love."     "Yeah, I think that’s where we should look," I answered.  "‘Cause knowing our futures would let us know our purpose, right?"     "Yes…" Lily whispered, as she started gazing into my eyes again.  Since I had become Love Incarnate to her, she could look into my eyes, to see the reflection of what Love saw.  She could look and receive from me, not just give to me, now.

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  "Love Among The Ruins" by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, courtesy of CGFA.
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