“Therefore take good heed unto time, how that thou dispendest it: for nothing is omore precious than time. In one little time, as little as it is, may heaven be won and lost. A token it is that time is precious: for God, that is given of time, giveth never two times together, but each one after other. And this He doth, for He will not reverse the order of the ordinal course in the cause of His creation. For time is made for man, and not man for time. And therefore God, that is the ruler of nature, will not in His giving of time go before the stirring of nature in man’s soul; to which is even according to one time only.”—The Cloud of Unknowing
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He stared at the fire’s burn, clean and pure, and in its heat and closeness came the rise and overwhelm of long from the yellow light. Dark of sky, clear of night—the close of her beside—pang of a wanting grew; cross of her legs in fit of jeans, loose of a flannel, open collared, and sight of shirt, tight and white beneath through free of flannel’s buttons; oval opalescent ring catching and changing color in fire’s light; his gaze to her then back to hearth—yellow-pure in heat.
He wanted her upon his lap, to draw her body back and tight to his; to hold her high, caress her low while kissing to her neck and shoulder’s slope in draw of collar and undershirt to side.
All his mood was changed; his energy and aware. From the hearth, eyes back to hers—then in fix and study back, reading of his change and a smile where before was none; soft beginning of high-crossed foot and ankle’s stir in circle-move.
He breathed deep, enduring of the draw, not forcing or pressing more than what was, but composed in last of longing’s keep.
Hush-sound of the hearth in draw of air into the flame and funnel of heat’s rise, strongest sound in speak through their quiet of between; fire’s building in the draw.
He stared at her again, his eyes and spirit unhiding of their feel and, like opal ring upon her hand, her eyes were changed in color and mood, insinuation of meaning in catch of the fire’s yellow cast.
She knew, soft panged and wanting too; rising, moving, bringing self upon his resting; fir of her back upon his chest, high hold from behind and both in breathe and easing into become of match in strong-felt settle; right hand’s rise, draw of shirts to side, his kiss upon her skin; soft arc in low of back, open space of in between as hips rolled and she felt stronger over settle; keep of his kiss, return of high hand back to forward cradle, hold, and draw of her body back into; continue of hips’ slow roll and pressure to the sense.
Hand’s fall. Hand’s find, stirred nature of their souls; stronger rock, heavier of her body’s settle, sound of his voice in of her feel; her smile he could not see as she stayed in slow and steady motions as he kept in kiss to open skin until shift and rise, her press of his hands away—wanting him inside.
He followed into home. Door closed behind. Heaven found, they made the most of time.