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With a quiet click I close the front door behind me, shutting out the golden glow of the streetlamp and the nighttime noises of the bustling city outside, shrouding the corridor in nothing but darkness. It is silent in the house except for the regular tick tock tick tock of the huge grandfather clock at the foot of the staircase. Smiling to myself, I turn on the light, bathing the long hallway in a turquoise glow from the lampshade at the ceiling, before I walk towards the door at the end, my heels clacking on the dark wooden floor underneath me. A quiet rustling from the living room tells me he has fallen asleep on the sofa again and I stop in the doorway as his dark, curly hair appears over the backrest of the burgundy piece of furniture in the middle of the room.
“Hey sleepyhead,” I smile lovingly, covering the few metres between him and me with gentle steps. With an embarrassed, lopsided grin on his curved lips he turns towards me. “Hey.” His voice, dark and a little husky from sleeping, sends a shiver down my spine. “Sorry, I must have fallen asleep. Did you just come in?,” he asks, his hand gliding through his hair, as he gets up. “Yes, I did. So you didn’t miss anything exciting, don’t worry.”
I smile as his hands find their way around my waist and he pulls me towards his slender yet muscular chest. “Well, I’ve missed you. That does count as ‘exciting’, doesn’t it?,” he whispers into my ear, his hot breath wafting along my exposed neck. “It might,” I breathe in reply, letting my hands glide up his toned chest until they come to rest behind his neck. “I’ve missed you, too,” I manage to add before his lips find mine in a gentle kiss. A quiet moan escapes my mouth as he nips on my bottom lip, tugging gently before soothing it with a soft flick of his tongue.
“It’s so good to have you back,” Benedict whispers as he presses a tender kiss onto my forehead, his fingers slowly gliding through my hair, removing the little pins that had held it up in a neat bun at the back of my head, causing my dark chocolate tresses to cascade down my back. I smile at his gesture and keep my eyes closed for a little longer, breathing in his scent which I have missed so much over the last two weeks abroad. “Have you eaten yet?,” he asks quietly and I open my eyes to look up at him, the dim light from the hallway causing his ocean-blue eyes to flicker. “No, I’m starving,” I mumble a little shyly and he nods with a smile. Dropping the hairpins on the side table by the door, he gently pulls me towards the kitchen.
“What do you feel like having?,” Benedict mumbles, opening the fridge at the same time, the white, cold light gleaming like a halo around his body. For a moment I can simply look at him, taking in his muscular back through the well-fitting white shirt and his sculptured backside accentuated by the tailored dark trousers. Waiting for an answer, he turns around slightly and I blush, being caught staring at him. “Like what you see?,” he grins mischievously and I blush even more as I drop my gaze to the brown marble floor underneath my black heels. I can hear the quiet thud of the fridge door being closed before his feet come into view. Slowly, he raises my chin with his forefinger and thumb, the gentle touch of his skin on mine causing goosebumps on my arms. I lean into his touch as his hand comes to rest on my cheek, still too ashamed to look into his eyes. “Maybe we should start with dessert,” he mumbles into my ear, pressing a soft kiss onto that spot just underneath, sucking on the tender skin ever so teasingly and I sigh, glad to be leaning against the kitchen island to have some support while my knees threaten to give way.
The rumbling of my stomach makes him stop and I can feel his smile against my skin. “Well, maybe we shouldn’t,” Benedict laughs quietly and I blush again. “You look adorable when you are embarrassed, my love,” he smiles and I glance up at him. “I’m just blushing because of you,” I defend myself, grinning slightly. “You are too...too gorgeous,” I add hastily and a quiet chuckle leaves his lips. “I doubt that but thank you, darling,” he smiles, kissing me softly once more before turning his attention back to the content of our refrigerator. “So, dinner...what shall we have?” Lifting myself up onto the kitchen counter, I try to gaze past him. “Pasta al Pesto?,” I suggest, letting my shoes drop onto the floor, relishing the newly gained freedom of my feet. “As you wish,” he smiles, assembling the necessary ingredients to prepare our dinner.
“So, how was your trip?” Stepping towards me with the water heating on the stove, his attentive eyes rest on mine. He genuinely wants to know. I love that about him. His sincerity, his interest in everything and everybody, his ability to make people feel as if they matter, maybe not to everyone but most definitely, and most importantly, to him. “Good, really good, actually. I had some really great meetings and got a lot of material. I just need to sort through everything now to see what I can use and if there’s still something missing,” I reply, remembering these past two weeks I had spent researching for my newest project. “That sounds excellent, I’m so happy for you,” Benedict smiles, his hands resting gently on my thighs, his thumbs stroking slowly across the dark fabric of my dress. “Thank you,” I whisper, gladly, leaning in once more to kiss him, hold him, breathe him in.
***
“Let’s go to bed.” His soft voice wakes me gently as I’m lying in his arms on the sofa, the credits of the film we’ve just watched running over the otherwise black screen. I simply nod and sit up, stretching my slightly stiff back as his hand glides over it. I yearn for the comfortable mattress upstairs and the smell of him, which I’ve missed so much, on the duvet and pillows. With him following behind me, I slowly ascend the stairs onto the top floor after he has turned off the light downstairs. It’s dark on the landing except for the faint moonlight shining through the rooflight and, getting used to the outline of our recently purchased home once more, my steps are slow and tentative.
“Dance with me,” he mumbles into my ear from behind as we’ve reached our bedroom and I turn around, a little surprised. “Please...dance with me,” he repeats just as quietly, biting his bottom lip gently in anticipation. A flutter in my stomach, I nod and he takes my hand lovingly in his, switching on the little lamp on my bedside table. “We need a dancefloor,” he winks and I chuckle quietly as he climbs onto the bed. Dropping my heels on the floor beside it, I follow him up, holding onto him for support. Our steps are small and a little wobbly, each move causing the duvet to ruffle quietly, every other breath a little hitched for fear of stumbling until we find our rhythm. Resting my head on his shoulder, I watch our shadows dance on the wall, joined as one just like our bodies. He hums a slow tune, his chest vibrating slightly with every note while his heart beats under the touch of our hands with each step and each sway. “Let’s never stop,” I whisper, raising my head to look up at him. “Let’s never stop dancing,” I repeat, my voice faltering as I look into his eyes so full of love and tenderness. “Never,” he smiles and as our shadows keep dancing on the wall, his lips find mine once again in a long and loving kiss.