Soldier for Love

"What were you doing before I woke up?" she asked to cover her confusion.

"Oh, just a little whittling. I find it helps pass the time." He rose and retrieved the object he had been working on. "Here, I did this for you," he said as he held the piece of wood out to her. "Hummingbirds are incredibly beautiful and delicate, yet also strong and independent," he explained. "Like you." His voice had become husky.

Julie looked down at the bird. Its face reminded her of the festival mask he had selected for her from Madame Lucie's collection. The vision of making love to him, the wolf, flooded back. At the time she had found the sense of anonymity the masks provided arousing. Had it only been two days ago?

Last night there had been no masks. For the first time they had come together honestly--two people, no more or no less than who they really were. Her body stirred with the memory.

Matt hadn't let go of the bird when she went to take it from him and his hands melded with the textures of the carving. She stroked the hummingbird's extended wings, feeling its feathers morph into gentle fingertips. Its head and neck were smooth, Matt's hands strong and hard.

"Did you know some hummingbirds' wings beat one hundred times per second?" he whispered. "Can you hear?

Julie nodded slowly. She had raised her gaze to his face and was losing herself in his eyes. They were questioning; she wasn't sure she had an answer. In her ears the hummingbird's wings beat one hundred times a second, keeping pace with her own heart. She couldn't breath and closed her eyes as Matt lowered his head.