Year of Amber

Amber looked across the room in anticipation, waiting to see if James would make an appearance. It was New Year’s Eve and she had been invited to a masquerade ball.

James was her best friend. At one time they were together, but the depth of her feelings for him scared her and she had pushed him away. By the time she built up the courage to succumb to her emotions he was with another.

Unable to let him go, Amber had continued the friendship. For two painful years she remained his closest friend but was unable to tell him that she was still in love with him. Resigning herself to her fate that he had moved on, Amber had also commenced seeing others. Still, none of them were James and she found that the rapid succession of men in her life was simply the unachievable goal of filling the hole he had left.

Recently she had found hope. Knowing her better than she knew herself, her feelings became realised and betrayed her. Unexpectedly, James also confessed to loving nobody apart from her despite the pain she had caused him. But, they were both with others and their guilt at being unfaithful with their emotions led them to concede they should not meet in person to avoid acting on desires.

Despite this agreement their closeness had grown and Amber at many times had found herself grabbing her car keys to just simply go and see him, stopping only because he was with another.

New Year’s Eve approached and she was invited to a masquerade ball. Amber knew this may be her only chance to see James who was also invited. Knowing she would be there, he may not come but still she attended in the vain hope he would not only arrive but also still recognise her despite her mask.

Scanning the crowd she brushed her red tresses from her face, the strands clinging briefly to the black satin gloves which adorned her arms. The cat mask itched at her face slightly; it was not the type of mask she was used to wearing. Her heart stopped as she spied him walking into the room. Despite his costume Amber knew it was James from the way he moved, cautiously looking at those around him. She wanted to go over to this dragon in the flesh, but her fear prevented her. The hesitation arose from many things, what if he left because he could not be near her, or he simply rejected her presence? Backing up against a wall she resigned herself to simply watching the man who still held her heart.

Time passed so slowly, men asked her to dance but she refused, not wanting to draw attention to herself and elicit his notice. James was enjoying himself, though she could tell from his body language that he felt nervous in his surroundings, groups of people always did that to him. Amber felt unsteady on her feet, acutely aware she had not consumed alcohol and it was his intoxicating effect on her that was making her feel weak.
Making her decision to leave, she played with the hotel room swipe which was held beneath her black corset. Once it was in her hand Amber walked towards the door quietly, resolving to simply return to her room upstairs and see in the New Year alone.

Pressing the button for her floor in the elevator doubt began to wrack her mind. She continued with her mission and opened the door to her dark empty room. A sigh escaped her lips as she unlaced the corset, allowing it to fall to the floor and slid off her long black velvet skirt over the stockings and heels. The clothing was replaced by the black baby doll which she had secretly hoped for James to see. 

A tear trickled down her cheek, under the mask which now clung to the wetness on her face. Curling on the couch, Amber was determined not to cry. Finding the phone in her hand and ice cream ordered from reception she gave her name and room numbly. The television became her solace and distraction while she waited and tried not to think about James being so close downstairs.

A knock broke her emotional stupor and the words of room service echoed in the hall. Pulling on a silk robe ad turning off the television, Amber opened the door and collected her order. The ice cream was put in the freezer while she looked through the room to find a bowl and spoon all the while cursing her desire for emotional eating.

A second knock was heard and Amber returned to the door opening it for room service again “Have I forgotten something?”

Her heart stopped as she saw it was not the hotel employee, but James in front of her. He still wore the suit and mask, but she knew those were his eyes. She had never forgotten the feeling the blue pools caused whenever he looked at her.

Pulling the robe tighter and covering herself, she took a step backwards trying to speak but finding no words coming out of her mouth.

“You didn’t say goodbye, but then you also didn’t say hello either” he said as he stepped up to the open door.

“We can’t see each other, you know that. It was better you enjoyed yourself and having me there would not have let you do that.”

“I was enjoying myself. But it was because you were there and once you left the joy went too.”

Amber turned and walked towards the bench, continuing her search of the kitchenette. “How did you know where I was?”

James entered the room, closing the door behind him. “I went to the front desk and was about to try and bribe the concierge into telling me where the feline had gone. Fate intervened when I heard him taking your name and room number.”

“You need a swipe to get onto this floor James, what did you do, stalk the other residents?” the frustration in her voice emphasised by the slamming of yet another cupboard door during her fruitless search.

“No, I caught a lift with room service and waited until he was gone.” Amber could tell he was smiling when he said this, remembering his vocal intonations all too well.

“Well, hello and goodbye. We both know it isn’t a wise idea you being in here with me. We have already crossed so many lines and we agreed not to cross this one. You should go before we do.”

Amber went to walk past him and open the door so he could leave. She paused when she got close, the familiar smell of him evoking so many memories and desires within her being. Years had passed and she still remembered every single thing about him.

James reached out to her, taking her hand. “It’s New Year’s Eve. Anything can happen and who knows what the future may bring.” His other hand went to her face, slowly removing the feline façade which covered her features and in turn removed his own. “You don’t need a mask with me; you never have to hide who you are.”

Trembling, Amber leant forward into him, wanting to feel him hold her. A longing began inside her loins, but the aching of her soul was a more incessant need. Just to feel his touch on her skin would be enough. No kissing, no sex, just a touch. That wouldn’t cross boundaries surely she though to herself.

As if reading her mind James ran a finger over her cheek, drying the dampness that remained from her earlier tears. “Don’t cry my sweetness and light, don’t ever cry.” He moved up to her and his full lips brushed against where his fingertips had just been. Amber looked down to the floor, ashamed at her vulnerability.

He removed his mask and lifted her chin so their eyes met, their lips meeting shortly after. Amber drowned in his kiss, the memories flooding back as if they had never been parted for so long. Pressing against him she felt his pulse quicken as he in turn lost himself in her. The guilt of crossing this last boundary left her mind being replaced by the completeness she was now feeling again.

After what felt like both an eternity and yet not long enough, their embrace parted. Her head rested on his shoulder “Are you sure you want to stay?” she asked, fearing he would say he had to leave.

“I want to stay, I want to make love to you again, I want to hold you and wake up with you and” Amber broke his words with another kiss, this time more passionate and forceful than before.

Her soul was torn between wanting this kiss to last forever and the longing of experiencing all of him before the night had to end. The physical needs of their connection won and she found herself walking backwards towards the bedroom, the entanglement of their bodies necessitating him to follow.

James felt the bed at the back of his legs and moved his hands over her body, opening the robe and sliding it off her form to reveal what was underneath. Seeing the baby doll he reached forward to undo the bow at the front which held it together. Amber stopped his hand before he could pull on the end, raising his fingers to her lips. Taking one into her mouth she twirled her tongue around it gently, implying for him what was to come.

She withdrew the digit and a moan of protest escaped him. Sliding his hand back to his side, Amber slipped her fingers under his jacket and carefully peeled it from his body. Grinning at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, he found himself tortured. Knowing this woman, he was all too keenly aware that she wanted him to remain still but he felt the familiar stirring that made him want to ravage her. Clothing was slowly separated from his skin, falling to the floor around him. Standing naked before her James was cognizant of the fact that his hardening member conveyed his desire and anticipation of what was to come.

Moving her body up against his, she kissed him deeply again, the kiss being broken by her hands pushing him onto the bed. Emitting a playful giggle, Amber straddled James, her stockings rubbing against his legs. Her fingers explored his contours and shape, the softness of the gloves amplifying the sensuality of her journey of re-familiarising herself with his body.

Feeling the wetness over his member, he realised that true to form she was not wearing panties and pushed his hips up into her sightly, evoking a moan. Moving hands over the skin that he could barely see through the lace of the baby doll, he touched the curves that had haunted his dreams since they parted. Arriving at the black ribbon, he pulled slowly on each end causing the baby doll to fall open before him. James sat up, cradling Amber in his lap as he flicked the tip of his tongue over the hardened nipples of her white breasts. She leaned back, pushing herself into his mouth while he kneaded the other softly with his hand. 

Fingertips traced over his cheekbones and he lifted his head to see her staring into his eyes. Watching the pleasure sparkle through her grey irises he recalled all the things he had done to her before to inspire that look which seemed to come from her very soul. While the list of things they had engaged in together was prolific, some of down right dirty, tonight was not about their physical pleasure; it was about something more ethereal. He wanted to join with her completely once more.

Sensing his agenda almost intuitively, Amber removed the baby doll and leant in close to James, pulling her arms into her torso. With one swift movement he rolled them over and then leaned up, looking at his love and wondering how he lived without her. James lifted each of her legs in turn onto his shoulder, slowly removing the stockings before kissing the exposed skin and returning it gently to the bed.

As he lowered himself she raised her hips to meet him. Her drenching wetness caused James’ hardened cock to slide in without effort and utterances to deities escaped her lips. Moving inside of this woman who was everything to him, it was all he could manage not to finish, but he remained focussed on ensuring the joining of their beings again.

Looking into his eyes, she could discern the urgency of the task and changed the angle of her hips so that every long slow thrust rubbed against her clit. Her body shuddered and she knew that she too could not last much longer. The past few months had been one long period of emotional foreplay and her body already wanted to explode.

Entwining their fingers together, she wrapped her legs around him. It felt as if every part of them was touching the other and that they were one. This mutual realisation brought their lips together as they both erupted jointly, their mingling fluids flowing between them.

For what seemed an eternity afterwards, they simply lay there in each other’s arms, James still inside her. Neither had tried to move and both knew it was not the exhaustion but the unwillingness to be parted. His head rested on her chest and she stroked his face.

“They say the experiences that bring in the year are a reflection of what that year will bring” Ambers head motioning towards the clock which told them it was now 2012.

“I need to tell you something. We didn’t cross any boundaries. I ended with her because she was not you.” He moved his lips up to her face “And from what just happened I’m quite fine if the heavens above want to say this is the Year of the Amber”. Kissing her again he wrapped his arms around his one true love. This time they would never part.