Mariam Ayoife Olajide

CHAPTER FOUR William As the hours spent at the library gradually become days, I find that my favorite place in the town of Larkspur is the library where Emily works. Our conversations have gone to great lengths, and I now know quite a number of things about the current library keeper of Larkspur. Emily’s parents died when she was barely six years old, and ever since then, she has lived with her maternal grandmother, who used to be the library’s keeper until it was passed down to her. Emily went to school at Yale University and studied History and Literature. Her return to town was over three years ago, and she now shares a part of the living quarter above the library with her grandmother, who is currently on vacation at her Nephew’s home somewhere in town. My favorite time in the world is when I walk up to Emily’s desk and say ‘hi’ to her. I like the smile that melts her beautiful face and our conversations that roll into hours until we go for a lunch break. We are sitting on the sofa in Emily’s living quarters. There are two vintage leather armchairs off to one side and worn Persian rugs on the floorboards. An antique map and historical portraits adorn the walls, and on wooden shelves are meticulously arranged well-worn books. “These were my parents, soon after dad married Mom and he was inducted as the library’s bookkeeper,” Emily points at the dark-haired man in the family photo album she is showing me of the Langfords. “He looked well-versed in the field,” I observe as I stare at the man’s facial features. Emily’s father, the one death, had snatched away,, and she never got to know much of him. She nods thoughtfully. “Yes, he was. Grandma Justina told me he was a man of great literature, and he had gone to school at the Queen Mary University of London. That was where he met Mom, and the two fell in love.” I stare at her softly arched brows, and I want to take her into my arms and comfort her. “It would have been great to meet them. Your mother was so beautiful,” I say, gazing at the blond-haired woman in the picture. “Yes,” she agrees. “It would have been great.” For the hundredth time since I met her, I wonder if she has a boyfriend or a lover, and it surprises me that I hope she has neither. Emily chuckles at me. “A penny for your thoughts.” “I was wondering if you have a boyfriend,” I say before I could stop myself, not that I would’ve liked to stop. Her laughter fills my ears like musical notes. “That’s it? Really?” “I don’t mean to pry; I’m sorry.” She chuckles. “Of course not,” Emily sets the family album aside. “It’s a known thing, actually. My boyfriend found someone else and broke up with me some four months ago.” Good grief. “You had a boyfriend, and he broke up with you?” “You ask that like it’s a bad thing?” she chuckles once. I can’t believe whoever he was got a woman like Emily, and he let her go for another woman? The fool had someone like Emily and he broke up with her? “What do you mean by ‘it’s a known thing?” Emily’s eyes take on a sad countenance. “He broke up with me in a public space on seeing him with his new girlfriend and declared his intention for her to the ears of other townsfolk around.” Swearing under my breath, which I rarely do, I want to find the bastard and punch him in the face. He had not only cheated on Emily but hurt her feelings and where the whole world could see. “And where is the insensitive bastard now?” “Woah, easy there,” Emily laughs brightly. “You sound pretty pissed right there.” I am pissed as hell, and whoever the bastard is had better not cross my path, or he would be landing in the ER of the town’s hospital. I have never felt this violent ever, but the thought of some male hurting Emily doesn’t sit too well with me. “Lucas has probably left for NYC as we speak; he’s always wanted to have a fast and bustling city life.” Nodding, I get another angle to the story. Fucking Lucas is a City boy. We spent the next few minutes talking about her ex-boyfriend and how it always hurt her that he actually felt inferior to her all along their fourteen-month relationship. “His friends would make snide and teasing remarks about his girlfriend being a bookworm, and I guess he just couldn’t take it anymore. A lot of things went wrong before he eventually broke up with me.” The fool. “His loss then,” I tell her. Laughing, she turns fully to face me on the sofa. “Are you serious?” “Yes,” I assert. “I mean, he had a brilliant and beautiful woman like you, and he felt less? He has one hell of a crazy dumb ego.” Her laughter warms my heart, and I am glad to see her happy again. “Thanks, William. And you?” she prods. Do you have someone waiting for you?” I feel my heartbeat race at her question, but I answer as truthfully as I can. “No. No, I don’t have anyone in my life right now,” which is partly true. Lady Cecilia and I don’t share any romantic history together. Heck, we were not even friends. Damn, the arranged married to carry on the family’s legacy. And she had better not be waiting for me. “Oh. Okay,” she says, sounding pleased. I stare at her long and hard until she smiles shyly and ducks her head slightly. “I am really sorry your ex-boyfriend could be so cruel.” “It’s okay,” she beams. “I am past it now, and I no longer hurt over it.” I nod, glad she isn’t aching. Our gaze suddenly meets, and I feel the room heat up as feelings soar in the air. In a heartbeat, I have Emily in my arms, and her lemony-scented shampoo fills my nose as I hold her close. Our lips meet in a frenzy, and it blows my mind away just to taste her delicately smooth lips. It’s an odd sensation to have something in your arms and still yearn for it. The kiss, unbearable and fragile, leaves my mind blank and my heart pumping wildly. A sensation upon sensation fills me as our tongues meet in a slow dance and stroke each other. Our kiss soon becomes fast, hard, deep, and frantic as we explore the depths of each other’s mouths. I put my palms to Emily’s face and gently rub against the supple softness of her cheeks. A sigh escapes her lips as she presses against me, and I draw her in at an awkward angle on the sofa. Unhurried, my hands find the helm of her blouse, and she makes no protest as I pull the garment up and over her head; she has no bra on. Sighing with pleasure, Emily reach for my shirt and pull it above my head, dumping it on the center table beside the sofa. Moving down to her breasts, I worship each soft mold with my eyes. Her pink nipples are hard, and the areola tightens even as my fingers graze over them. Caressing each wonderful swell, my palm fills up with her beautiful breasts, and I can’t hold back anymore as I capture one hardened peak in my mouth. A noise escapes Emily, an embarrassing deep sigh that fills my ears. She doesn’t stop me as I move to her second breast and worship its peak with my mouth. Emily moves restlessly against me as I enjoy sucking at her nipples, one after the other, until she cries out in pleasure. Slowly, I move up to her sumptuous and slightly swollen lips and kiss her deeply enjoying the sounds emanating from her. Slowly, I settle Emily down on the sofa as our lips lock around each other. When I raise my head again, we take a moment to catch our breath. A soft smile tugs at Emily’s lips, and I move lower to her belly, kissing every inch of her flat stomach and tonguing her belly button. Reaching up, I caress her breasts and she thrusts her upper body up to meet my palms. It happens so fast as Emily and I pull down her skirt, and I take a moment to draw back and pull off my pants. Emily’s desperate hands reach out for me as I swoop back down and take one nipple in my mouth. She writhes with pleasure as my mouth consumes her. Emily is lifting her hip restlessly, and I hold her waist in place as I transfer my mouth to hers. My hand snakes down and strokes the white lacy pants she is wearing, and I am amazed to feel her hot wetness. She cries out as I move down once again, and her hand makes a move to grab me back up. Chuckling, I settle her in place and slip between her thighs. With steady fingers, I shift Emily’s pants aside and expose her flowery-shaped pink sex. Her scent pulls me in as I rub gently against her clitoris. Slowly, I slip my tongue into her sex and taste her. Peaches. She tastes like a fruity blend of peaches and apples. “You taste so delicious, Emily,” I tell her. Her satisfied moan is her reply, and I continue stroking her with my tongue; every lick and flick sends an electric surge through her lithe body. Emily’s body seems to convulse with spams of sexual pleasure and I move back up and settle on my lower arms as I hover above her. With one slow, powerful move, I enter Emily with a sigh. She meets me halfway, and together,, we begin to move against each other. Pressure mounts within me as her tight vagina walls grab onto my penis, sending a smooth sensation down my spine, driving me mad. We are traveling through space as our bodies join in the mating dance. Trembling as we get to the peak of pure ecstasy, Emily wraps her leg around my waist as our release comes like a flood. CHAPTER FIVE Emily It’s been two days since our late afternoon rendezvous in my living room upstairs. And it’s been two days since I haven’t been able to get William out of my mind. All thoughts seem to lead back to him, and I have long given up on trying to stop thinking about him. No one has ever made me feel the way William did. No one has ever come that close to satisfying my body the way he had, and I can still feel his hands and mouth doing things to my body and my body responding the way I never knew it was capable of responding. Upon asking, I told him that I was in my safe period and wouldn’t need to worry about getting pregnant. It is a few minutes past ten p.m., and the library is silent save for the rustling of turned pages as William and I read through Larkspur's history. I help shed light on paragraphs an outsider wouldn’t understand on their own. Admiringly, I stare at his head bent over the oversized manuscript spread out in front of us. “I have been researching historical black magic all these years, and I still can’t believe that there has been rare text on the subject waiting to be explored right here in Larkspur,” William comments. I turn my attention back to the manuscript we have been studying together. “Larkspur boasts of intriguing volumes on the subject, but a larger population of the world may never know. The texts of the Middle Ages cover a time of superstition and mysticism. I would have recommended starting with ‘Grimoire of Shadows’ by Ambrose Blackthorn.” “I have read the book,” William nods. “It was both an enlightening and perilous experience,” he laughs gaily. Chuckling, I nod my head, agreeing with him. “I was a bit traumatized after reading through that book. I couldn’t sleep without the lights on for about a week.” His deep laughter fills the empty space between us, and I somewhat find peace in hearing the sound. “I wish I could say the same!” “What do you enjoy doing other than being a Horseman and a fencer?” I ask him out of the blue, surprising even myself. William chuckles softly. “I didn’t see that coming,” one brow shoots up as he holds my gaze. “I enjoy carpentry work.” Oh. Who would have thought those beautiful wide hands of his actually do carpentry work as a hobby? “That’s wonderful, I never would’ve guessed.” “Right,” he chuckles. “And what do you fancy other than being a Historian?” Smiling, “I dream of being an author someday; I have read one too many books not to have one or a collection of mine. And yeah, I play the piano.” “How long were you going to hold back on this vital information?” he smiles back at me. “We could make music together, and I could help proofread your works.” Laughing, I try not to think about how much I have come to like Williams Wormwood. From the way he walks to the way he talks to how he makes me feel in his presence and absence. I try not to think about how familiar I have become with him, seeing that it’s only been a little over a week since I first met him. “Thank you, William.” I tell him, “I will let you know about those two great projects in due time. For now, I must focus on being the library’s bookkeeper and Historian.” His smile is beautiful, and his eyes seem to glow softly. “Of course, I will be there.” It grows quiet all around us as we stare silently at the pages of the manuscript. “Do you sometimes wonder what the future holds?” Williams suddenly asks. I turn to look at him, and I am perplexed by his serious expression. Is that a pained expression I read in his eyes? “Yes, I do. The world seems so unpredictable, but I comfort myself knowing that the future soon becomes the past, and I will live through each passing moment as it comes.” His eyes turn on me,, and what I see in their depths melts my soul. “You should be a rabbi,” he smiles at me, his teeth showing. “You have a very brilliant wisdom to dish out, and your words suddenly put me at ease.” “Huh, huh,” I chuckle at him. His expression gets thoughtful. “I do mean it,” he says solemnly. Oh. “Thanks,” I grin at him. “Who knows, I just might become a teacher of life’s wisdom as time progresses.” Williams suddenly cocks his head to one side. “Do you hear that?” he angles his ears in the direction of the dark parts of the library. The candlelight’s reflection of the aisle casts dark shadows at the extreme end. “No, I don’t. What do you hear?” “Shhh,” he whispers. “I hear faint footsteps coming from the direction of the staircase.” I do not hear any unusual sounds,, but William’s serious expression makes me pay closer attention. After a brief moment of straining my ears to pick up the sound, I hear a soft scraping sound nearby, and fear fills me. “Has there been any recorded case of ghosts roaming the Larkspur library?” William asks, his voice hushed. I remember stories from my childhood about my ancestors who died in the living quarters. “I’m just messing with you!” William laughs out loud. “You!” glaring at him, I reach out to take a swipe at his arm but he dodges just in time. “How could you?” He raises his hand up in surrender. “I was trying to be spooky.” I lunge at him again, and this time, he catches my hand and pulls me into his arms. Falling against him, I look up at his face as our laughter slowly evaporates, and we stare into each other’s faces. Williams’ head slowly moves down, and our lips gently graze each other. As usual, I see flashes of light as my lips open up for his delicious kisses. Our kiss deepens, and I feel the dam between my thighs break as his hands caress my breasts through my cashmere sweater. With one deft move, Williams sweeps me off my feet, and I momentarily float in the air before I am balanced on the edge of my desk. Hungry for his kisses, I slid one palm into his hair and capture his lips, moaning as heat builds up deep inside me. William expertly pulls off my long silk skirt and already wet panties as we kiss. He breaks the kiss and moves downwards to rattle my world. Gently, he raises one of my legs up on the table’s edge and puts his head between my legs, finding the junction between my thighs. William’s beard is a little rough on the insides of my thighs; his lips and tongue stroke me gently. “I love tasting you, Emily,” he whispers just as he strikes fire. I cry out in astonishment, in sweet gratitude at being touched in the right places. Williams rises back up to his full length and buries his hands in my hair. “The quarters is way too far away,” he whispers gruffly against my ear. Thrusting my breasts against him, I agree wholeheartedly, I can’t wait to be consumed by him. My hands move down to his pants, and together, we pull down the band,, and he finishes it up and pulls up his fly as well. I spread my legs as wide as I can as William settles between my legs. Slowly, his length slides into my core, and I feel every inch of his full arousal as it stretches me to accommodate him. As Williams begins to move in and out of me, I throw my head in sexual ecstasy as his rhythmic movement washes over me. Slowly, his in and out movement becomes faster and I grab onto his back as I feel my body move closer to the edge. Our release comes almost at the same time, with mine racking all over my body with a deep,, satisfying gasp of pleasure. With a wild cry, William’s release rocks us both, and I hold onto him for dear life. Once again, as we float back to earth, I wonder if our shared sexual rendezvous won’t be the end of me and my once-broken heart.