TABU - EXCERPT
His attention was focused on Holly.
She was about to say something when he suddenly, against his will, closed the gap between them so he was standing directly in front of her. She was looking into his eyes, so kindly, so trusting, so vulnerable, so desirable. Another force had control of him as he gently placed one hand on her shoulder. With his other hand, he lifted her chin to his face and he closed his eyes as their lips met; so softly, so lovingly, so perfectly. He was lost in time as he kissed her, as his tongue so delicately sought hers. The moment lasted a lifetime while they were together. After a moment short of eternity, he so slowly closed his lips, still pressing them softly but firmly on her sweet, tender lips and he ended the kiss. Through nearly-closed eyelids, he could see that her eyes were closed as she moved in slow motion, one millimeter at a time, away from him. His arms were around her as they realized what was happening to them, between them, his hands resting so gently on her. She was not going to vanish into thin air, like she always did in his dreams; she was really and truly here, alone with him, in the same place at the same time. He was filled with warmth and satisfaction; at the same time, excitement and anticipation. She stepped back one tiny step, two little steps. She had been here forever; she would be here with him forever; they were becoming one, together. She looked at him with an unusual look in her eyes; was she confused? Her eyes locked on his. What was the matter?
Oh, no; oh, no, no, no! What had he done? He had just kissed his pastor’s wife, and not with a holy kiss, but with a kiss that was most definitely unholy. He could still feel her soft lips on his – his lips that could no longer speak. He could not tell another lie with lips that had touched her lips. His lips were tingling! A warm sensation was pouring from the top of his head to the back of his head, down his neck, through his back, into his inner being. He slowly brought his hands away from her body, back to himself, creating a space between them; a space, but not an empty space.
Was she expecting him to say something? His hearing was filled with a loud noise. Her lips were moving – was she saying something? His heart was pounding – could she hear it? His sweater must be pulsating with each heartbeat. He was so close to her, he could feel her body heat, radiating, leaping the distance from her to him. His mind was racing around a racetrack, so fast, in circles, not stopping to make any sense. The two of them were worlds away from the drab apartment, standing together on a disk at the edge of the universe, at the end of time. They could take each other’s hands and jump off the edge of reality into a world of their own. A ticking sound had become wedding bells, the air a blanket around them, the atmosphere charged with something more powerful than electricity.
What had he done? Had they really kissed, or had he imagined it? As he let his arms fall to his sides, he realized Holly had been hugging him, ever so slightly. Why wasn’t she saying anything? She looked more beautiful than ever, now that she was a part of him, part of his real world, not just his fantasy.