Question

Her head rested on his chest. They were both naked and sweaty after sharing their bodies with each other. She lay there, pensive; thinking about the answer to the question he had just asked. She didn’t really want to reply, but she knew she couldn’t hold quiet. He would get restless and ask her again. “What is it that you want?” He had inquired. A question in nature so simple... and yet, so damn difficult to answer...

“I guess” she finally said “I want the simple things in life: joy, happiness, freedom...”

“And how are those things simple?” he asked with a cheeky smile. He felt philosophical and ready to pick her brain.

“Well...” she started, returning the smile “... they are within us to accomplish. Therefore, the only thing standing in our way is ourselves.” She blinked an eye at him. He noticed she was being slightly coy.

“Now you are just going around the bushes. Why don’t you say what you really want to say?” He asked, looking at her with his penetrating brown eyes.

She felt as if he was studying her soul, reading into her eyes and discovering the truth that lay beneath them. She didn’t like it when he knew more than she wanted to tell, although she loved that he knew her so well.

She knew what she wanted. Or did she? She thought she did. She didn’t want to utter the words because that meant expressing what was in her heart and she wasn’t ready for that. Furthermore, she knew HE wasn’t ready for it. He enjoyed her company, but to what point?, she wasn’t sure. He was hard to decipher.

“I want you” She wanted to say, but the thought of the words leaving her lips dried her mouth and created a knot in her stomach. She just couldn’t.

She smiled instead.

“Why do you have to be so fastidious? Wants come and go. What I want today might not necessarily be the same I’ll want tomorrow or a week from today. What do you want?”

She stroked his bare chest, his skin soft under her touch.

He closed his eyes, lived the moment, thought of nothing but the question. He knew what he wanted, but did she want to hear it?

“No, no, pretty lady. You don’t get to do that.” He said, held her by the wrists and sat on her, looking deep into her green eyes. His stare was so intimidating she had to look away.

“Do what?” She asked, perfectly aware of what he meant.

“Return the question before answering it.” He said, letting lose one of her wrists, and passing his fingers through her chest and stomach. She felt slightly aroused and moved her neck up to kiss him. He moved away, teasing and punishing her.

“Nope. Not before you answer. What do you want?”

“Why do you want to know so bad?”

“Because I am a curious person and it’s a simple question. Why do you have to make it more complicated than it really is?”

“That’s a matter of perception.” She replied, slightly annoyed.

“So it is. But you are still evading the question, and the more you do, the more I wonder why.” He said, playful, aware of her displeasure.

“Let’s make a deal. Let’s leave the question on the table and I’ll answer it when it feels right for me to answer it, whatever it is that I want.”

“Fair enough.” He said, smiling, drawing her closer to him, kissing her neck, folding his fingers with hers, his breath in her ear, softly, he whispers.

“I know what I want. I want you.” She sighs as a mild smile grows on her face. He kisses her lips.