Page 9

Talk of Tight Spaces and Historic Places

T he following morning

When Randy awoke with a start, he immediately lifted himself onto an elbow and blinked at the candle lamp on the nightstand. From the lack of light bleeding around the edges of the room’s only window, he knew it was still dark outside.

“Apologies. I didn’t mean to wake you,” Diana said. She was sitting up in bed, an open book resting in the crook of her arm. Reaching out, she smoothed her free hand over his sleep tousled hair.

Randy furrowed a brow. “Have you been reading all night?” The last he could remember, she had fallen asleep with her head in the small of his shoulder, her legs tangled with his and one of her hands pressed to his chest. The thought of what she had been doing a few minutes before made his morning tumescence even more apparent, his member tenting the bed linens.

“No, darling,” she whispered. “But it’s nearly dawn. I wished to finish the entry in this book about the Great Pyramid of Khufu before we go there.”

“That’s today,” he said, sitting up straighter. He glanced over, noticing the page she was studying included a drawing. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to a double line that appeared as if it was inside the structure.

“The passage into the pyramid,” she replied, tracing a finger from the entrance to where the corridor intersected with another that led up to an open chamber.

The initial passage continued downward until it was completely under the ground and beyond the footprint of the pyramid.

“I’m going in there,” she stated, pointing to the Grand Gallery.

“What?”

She glanced over at him, her expression blank.

“Would you like to join me? The passage is a bit tight, I think. Only a little over three feet by three feet, and it’s at a fairly steep angle, but many have done it,” she went on, not aware of how his face had paled at hearing her description of the tunnel into the pyramid.

“Just a few years ago, some additional chambers were discovered,” she added.

“They are apparently covered in red-painted hieroglyphs, and there is graffiti left from the builders. Can you imagine?” she asked rhetorically.

“They wrote their names as well as the various names of Khufu, and did it over forty-four hundred years ago.” This last was said with a good deal of excitement.

Although he tried to show enthusiasm, Randy remained reserved in his reaction. “It sounds very interesting,” he replied.

Diana set the book aside and stared at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Randy replied, pulling the bed linens from his body as if he intended to get out of bed.

Despite his nakedness, Diana’s attention remained on his face. She reached out and captured his arm. “Randy, what is it?”

For a moment, he looked as if he wouldn’t respond, but he finally settled back onto the bed and allowed a long sigh. “I... I don’t think I can go in there.” He waved a hand in the direction of the book.

She displayed a look of disappointment followed by worry. “You needn’t be frightened. There isn’t anything in there,” she said. “Everything of value was looted long ago and?—”

“It’s not that,” he said.

She dipped her head. “Will you tell me what has you hesitating so?”

He clamped his mouth shut so hard, she could see a muscle jumping along his jaw line. She leaned over and placed a kiss there.

“I don’t wish for you to... to think me a coward,” he whispered hoarsely.

She scoffed. “I would never think that,” she countered. “Randy, darling, please tell me what’s troubling you.”

Wrapping an arm around the back of her shoulders so he could pull her closer, he said, “I cannot abide small places. Being inside them. It drives me mad.”

“Oh,” she said, her mouth dropping open as understanding dawned. She turned in his arms and lifted a finger to stroke his cheek. “Were you trapped in a cupboard when you were very young?”

He blinked. “How... how did you know?”

She shrugged in his arms. “I did it to Michael once,” she said, referring to her oldest brother. “Locked him in a wardrobe when we were playing hide and seek?—”

“Tom did it to me. I think I was four at the time.”

“He was so angry when I opened the door, he chased me out of the house,” she went on, her attention on her mind’s eye.

“I had to run all the way down to my father’s dig site in the Greco-Roman quarter, over a half-mile away,” she continued.

“Of course I was in trouble once Father learned the truth of the matter.”

Randy didn’t try hiding his smirk. “Serves you right,” he murmured.

“So I suppose I shouldn’t suggest we try anything in a small alcove or a box-bed,” she said, one blonde brow arching suggestively.

He blinked as he stared at her. “You mean... sexual congress?” he asked in a whisper. “In an alcove?”

She lifted a shoulder. “You just never know. But should I feel so inclined whilst in the vicinity of an alcove or one of those bed cupboards, I’ll be sure to control myself.”

Randy’s mouth dropped open. “You minx,” he accused. “If it’s large enough in which to engage in sexual congress, then I shan’t have any trouble. But that...” He pointed to the drawing of the internal passage of the pyramid. “That is too small.”

Diana sighed. “All right. But please don’t tell me I can’t go,” she said softly.

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t dare,” he said. “But I would feel better if someone went in with you. Just in case something is in there... or something happens.” He considered who would be in their party that day. “I don’t know if Tom would want to?—”

“David will,” she interrupted. “He talked about it last night at dinner.”

Randy nodded. “All right. Will you do a drawing whilst you’re inside that chamber?”

“I rather doubt I’ll be in there long enough,” she replied. “Besides, I’ll have to take a lantern. I expect it will be pitch black inside.”

Not having thought about the lack of light, Randy visibly shuddered. “Perhaps our guide will know more.”

“I expect so,” she agreed. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. “What sort of husband would I be if I didn’t let my archaeologist of a wife go inside the largest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?” he countered.

“The very worst,” she replied, grinning.

“Speaking of wonders,” she added, readjusting herself so she was straddling his hips.

Reaching down, she grasped his member, her long fingers sliding down the length of him as she touched the wet tip with her thumb.

She smoothed the pearlescent bead to the edge of his ridge with the pad of her thumb while she used the finger of her other hand to lift his ball sac.

Randy inhaled sharply and groaned as she continued stroking him. When he begged to be inside her, she lifted her hips and guided his turgid manhood to her entrance. Slowly settling onto him, she took him in inch by inch until he completely filled her.

Although he would have liked her to ride him slowly, to take her time and shift her hips and tease him until he couldn’t take it anymore, Randy knew from the light showing around the drapes that they were running out of time.

He placed his thumb where their bodies met and rubbed her womanhood, delighting in her cry of surprise and pleasure.

Twisting their bodies so she was beneath him, her knees pressed to his thighs, he thrust into her over and over and allowed his release much sooner than usual.

Diana blinked several times as he collapsed atop her, the last of her orgasm leaving her boneless. “A wonder, indeed,” she whispered.

Randy chuckled as he rolled off her and announced they had to get dressed. “If we’re not at breakfast, they’ll wonder what’s become of us.”

Diana tittered. “ I rather doubt that.”