A Noble Marriage - Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – Intoxicated (2)

She let Karenin sit in an easy chair while she washed her hands. She began the massage by kneading her hands at his neck, quite skilfully.

He closed his eyes as if in bliss.

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“There is no engagement yet. Why? What’s wrong?”

“I want to go shopping. Would you like to go with me?”

“What do you want to buy?”

“Nothing really. Just wanted to look around.”

Anna waited curiously for Karenin’s response. Silence prevailed for a while as if he were deep in thought. He finally spoke.

“Sometimes I don’t quite understand why women don’t have a planned out list when they go shopping. I think they go shopping without any purpose.”

“Well, I can’t blame you for not understanding, for sometimes we don’t understand ourselves too.” Anna said, smiling good-naturedly. She then began to tell Karenin about some funny things the children said or did that day.

“Lucia really is very clever. And Andre is somewhat arrogant but very cute. As for Charlie, you don’t know how funny he is when he talks …”

“Do you like children?” Karenin suddenly asked, interrupting her.

“Love them.” Anna answered instinctively, then as if she suddenly realized something, her face turned red with embarrassment.

“Well…” She mumbled something incoherently, as her hands stopped moving.

She wanted to say something, but Karenin suddenly raised his right hand to take Anna’s right hand, presently on his neck, and brought it forward gently.

Looking up at her with his indiscernible eyes, he pulled Anna down towards himself, seating her on his lap.

“You can hold me.” Karenin said.

Anna couldn’t stop herself blushing; her earlobe was completely red. She raised her hands and wrapped them around Karenin’s neck gently. Karenin’s hand lifted again and landed under Anna’s earlobe, tracing her delicate jawline to the sharp chin, and finally his thumb gently brushed her lips.

“Are you drunk?” Anna asked hesitantly in a low, trembling voice.

“No.”

Anna wanted to say something, but found that she couldn’t. She suspected that Karenin was a little drunk.

“Breathe.” Karenin whispered, his voice low and cool like the October wind, carrying with it the golden fragrance of wheat fields.

Anna obeyed. She hadn’t ever kissed a person deeply and she knew neither had Karenin. Anna was aware that if he had, her heart would burn with jealousy.

Karenin’s body moved underneath her, to stand as he picked Anna up. One of her slippers fell on the luxurious velvet carpet, the other was taken off by Karenin and discarded carelessly on the carpeted floor.

Anna blushed scarlet as she was put on the bed and kissed very carefully. Shyness overcame her and she closed her eyes tightly, Karenin’s finger stopped tracing her shoulder, as he dropped a gentle kiss at the end of her clavicle.

Anna opened her eyes to see the blue eyes staring at her, less than six inches apart.

She had never been so close to another person. If she moved just a little closer, there would be no distance between them at all.

Then, all of a sudden, he backed away.

Surprised, Anna stuttered, “What?”

“I’ve been drinking, and you don’t like it.”

Karenin spoke calmly, his fingers gently combing Anna’s hair.

Anna felt the excitement exit her the way air leaves a balloon when pricked.

Then, suddenly inspired, she looked at him in the eye and smiling, got up, pushed him down and climbed on top of him. She outlined his faces with her fingertips, finally resting them against his lips when she was suddenly caught by Karenin and kissed thoroughly.

Her smile didn’t disappear as they kissed nor did it diminish when she laid on top of his chest afterwards.

Vodka smells a little strong. On smelling it carefully, it’s more like Karenin himself. The scent of her husband.