Princes of Mannsborough, Part 8

by Vulgar Argot

(MF, rom, D/s)

Marigold's parents did not ask about her weekend. They never asked anything that would require a discussion of Aunt Vera. They were torn between their desire to pretend the woman didn't exist and their equally strong desire that Marigold know her father's family. She felt bad about using that conflict to deceive them, but she didn't feel like she had much of a choice. They never would have let her go to New York with Thule if she'd just asked. Thule would never had let her say no.

Marigold hated the conflict. She hated lying to her parents, hated the facility with which she did it, hated how good she was becoming at it. Stripped of her ability to moralize, she had discovered underneath it an actual morality. She felt drained and numb. She went upstairs, got dressed for bed, and fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was just after eleven p.m. The house was quiet. Jonas liked to leave for work as early as six AM some days and often turned in early. Her mother went when he went.

After weighing the thought in her head, Marigold decided it was worth the risk of calling Thule at home. There were plenty of legitimate reasons for her to do so if she was caught. It rang once, twice, three times. Marigold almost lost her nerve and hung up, but there was a click and Thule 's voice, "Hello?"

" Thule ," Marigold whispered, "it's me."

"Oh," said Thule , "oh, hey. Is something wrong?"

"No," said Marigold, "Nothing's wrong. I just couldn't sleep."

"And you wanted to talk?"

"Yes," said Marigold.

"What about?" asked Thule .

"I don't know that I had a specific topic in mind," said Marigold, "I just missed you."

Thule laughed, "I dropped you off four hours ago."

"Well," said Marigold, "I guess I'm just being foolish then."

"No," said Thule quickly, "It's okay. I just have a lot to do before I can sleep. I had some code fixes I promised to do this weekend and I still need to study for this physics test. Are you ready for it?"

"No," admitted Marigold, "I thought I'd get up early tomorrow. I think I've got most of it."

"I can never get up early in the morning and study. I'm always too brain fried."

Marigold tsked, "If you went to bed earlier, that wouldn't happen."

"I know," said Thule , "but if I did that, I wouldn't get as much done at night."

Marigold sighed, "Do you really have to go?"

"No," said Thule , "There are things that I can do while we talk."

There was a long silence.

"Marigold," Thule asked, "are you still there?"

"I was just thinking," said Marigold, "about why I went with Adam to his room."

"Okay," said Thule . "Why did you go with Adam to his room?"

"I thought it was just because I wanted revenge on you for sleeping with Maya," she answered. "But, it was more than that. I wanted to know that I could be...free, I guess...when it was my choice. I went too far in the opposite direction, but I don't want to be who I've been up until now. It's too...limiting."

"Do you feel less limited now?"

"I don't know," said Marigold. "I did find out that there were some limits I didn't want lifted. All of a sudden, I'm afraid that I'm going to regret the things I didn't do in high school and college. But, I still don't want to regret the things I did do, either. I know it sounds confusing. It makes more sense when I'm with you. I hate being away from you."

"So, come over," he said, "I'll pick you up."

Marigold sat up in bed, looking around for her clothes, planning out her escape route. To Thule , she said, "I can't. My parents would never forgive me if I got caught sneaking out."

"Okay," said Thule , "It's only seven and a half hours until I'll pick you up for school anyway."

Marigold, now hanging upside down, looking for shoes under her bed said, "You mean it's my choice, right? I can refuse to come and live with the consequences. All right. I'll..."

"No," said Thule , "I mean that it was a suggestion. I really need to get some sleep tonight, but it would be nice to see you."

"Oh," said Marigold disappointed, "I see." Before he could interrupt, she asked, " Thule , what are you up to? I know it's bigger than revenge on me. I was thinking about who else you might want revenge on and..."

"Don't say any more on the phone, please," Thule said abruptly. "I don't want to sound super paranoid, but I do want to be hyper-paranoid. We can talk about it later."

"All right, Thule ," said Marigold. "When can you tell me what you're talking about?"

Thule sighed, "If I have anything to say about it, this week is going to be an oasis, a chance to catch our breath. I haven't decided how much to involve you in what's coming." Marigold gave a sharp intake of breath, but Thule went on, "I won't say more this week. Try not to dwell on it. I'd like to just have a week to enjoy..." he trailed off.

"Enjoy being with me?" Marigold filled in.

Thule chuckled, "Yes. I would like a week to enjoy being with you," he admitted, "Don't make me get all mushy."

Marigold reveled in her victory, but said, "Perish the thought."

"One last question," said Thule , "then I really have to go."

"Okay," said Marigold, whose eyelids were getting heavy, "Shoot."

"Do you have a computer in your bedroom?" he asked.

"Yes," Marigold said.

"PC or Mac?"

"That's two questions," said Marigold.

"Don't get puckish with me," said Thule , growling and chuckling at the same time.

"PC," said Marigold.

"Okay," said Thule , "Good night, my tethered goddess."

"Good night, Thule ."

                          -=-

The next morning, when Thule came to the front door to pick Marigold up for school, Jonas answered the door. Marigold could see over her stepfather's shoulder as the smile on Thule 's face faded slightly. Then, Jonas stepped out the front door, joining Thule on the porch and closing the door behind him.

Panicked, Marigold ran out the back door of the house, looping around to the side yard and sliding in between the hedge and the house so that she could see and hear what was going on. By the time that she got there, the conversation was already started.

"So," Jonas asked sternly, "how long has this been going on?"

Thule leaned over the porch railing, looking off into the distance, "I've had a thing for Marigold for as long as I've known her. But, she's always been with Elliot, so I didn't say anything."

Jonas sat down as heavily as he could on the swinging bench without sending it into violent swinging motion, "You would make this much easier for me if you would consider coming to church."

"I know," said Thule , "I'm sorry, Jonas. I can't do that."

Jonas sighed, "Could you at least get a haircut?"

"Sure," said Thule .

Jonas looked startled, "You would?"

Thule turned around to face the older man, "Of course. It's just hair."

"You're a very strange young man, Bartholomew," Jonas said, "But young men are impulsive. I promised Marigold's father I would take good care of his family and I've done the best I know how to. I like you. I even like you for Marigold. But, what are you going to accomplish in the four months between now and when she leaves for college in September?"

Marigold knew how Thule would answer, but he seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time doing it. He paced up and down the length of the porch, not speaking. Finally, he said, "I can't promise things are going to work out between us."

"I'm not asking you to promise anything," Jonas said, "I just want to know what your plans are. I remember being your age well enough. I remember a lot of pretty speeches I made to a lot of fathers. I feel like I can talk to you man-to-man and I expect you to be frank with me. Marigold is a very sweet girl, too sweet to resist the charms of a determined young man, I'm afraid."

Thule leaned back against the railing, "So, why are you telling me that? If I am the sort of man you're afraid I might be..."

"Because if you are," said Jonas, "you know this already. Now that Elliot is out of the picture, I can already see the sharks circling. And the sharks in this town are of a particularly nasty variety. I never liked Elliot for her, but he kept her safe from that type sniffing around. Now," it was Jonas's turn to pace, "I'm worried that I'm doing more harm than good for this family by being here. A lot of young men would love to wriggle their way into my good graces through Marigold if they thought they could."

"Are you worried that I'm a gold digger?" Thule asked.

"No," said Jonas, "I may not know you well, but you've always struck me as a hard worker and a straight shooter. After you asked to take Marigold to the prom, I did some checking up on you. I called your boss and asked about you. He confirmed my initial impression. You'll make your own fortune one day. You don't need mine. If you're serious about Marigold, you're probably the best match in town for her, although you never would have occurred to me in a million years." He chuckled, "But, I want you to come clean with me. I promised I would take care of this family and I intend to, by whatever means I have available."

Thule kept eye contact with Jonas, "Are you threatening me?" Marigold recognized the sound of menace in his voice. She wanted to rush out and beg him to modulate his tone, to say what Jonas wanted to hear, promise him anything.

"A little," admitted Jonas, "If you thought someone were going to hurt Marigold, wouldn't you."

"Yes," said Thule immediately.

"That's a good start," said Jonas, "Tell me more."

"I'm probably going to MIT next year," said Thule , "I don't know where Marigold and I are going to be by then. We haven't had much time to see what we're like with each other when things are normal and I don't know how much we're going to get.  I'll try to keep things as normal as I can. I have...some business I have to deal with before I leave. It has to do with some of the nastiest sharks around. Marigold may hate me by the time it's all over."

Jonas scowled, "I hate this fucking town." Marigold almost gasped then. It was the first time she'd ever heard her stepfather use even the mildest of profanities, "Is it anything I can help with?"

"No," said Thule , "but I appreciate the offer. I've got all of my ducks in a row, now. I'm just loath to get started. It's not going to be easy."

"One last question," said Jonas. Thule turned to face him. Jonas said, "I know Marigold wasn't at her aunt's place this weekend. Was she with you?"

Thule didn't answer at once. He seemed to be trying to read Jonas's face for the answer he wanted to hear. But, he said, "Yes. I took her to New York with me."

Jonas's face remained blank, "I wish you hadn't done that." He sighed, "She's out of my house in a few months. I can't protect her forever."

"I'll protect her," said Thule , "If I can, if she'll let me."

Jonas put a hand on Thule 's shoulder, "That's the best promise I can ask for." Then, he chuckled, "Are you sure I can't leverage this into a trip to church? It's done wonders for me."

Thule laughed, "I know it has. I'm glad it worked for you. Truth be told, you could leverage it into pretty much anything you wanted to ask for. But, I've been to church. It didn't take. I'd just be mouthing the words and singing the songs, but thinking how it was all hokum."

Jonas smiled, "See? You'd fit in just fine."

Marigold didn't hear the rest of the conversation. She backed out around the house, coming back in the back door. She grabbed her books off of the side table and headed out the front, where Thule and Jonas were still talking.

"Sorry I'm running a little late," she said, "Are you two talking about anything interesting?"

"No, dear," said Jonas, "Just passing the time."

                               -=-

Marigold and Thule rode in silence halfway to school. Finally, Thule turned to her, "Is something on your mind?"

"I don't know," said Marigold, "Did you and Jonas have a nice conversation?"

"You have broken pieces of thorn bush in your hair," said Thule .

Marigold almost reached up to find them, but noticed how carefully Thule was watching her to see if she would. Keeping her hands planted in her lap, she said, "That must be your imagination. I brushed it just before I came down."

"So," said Thule . "You didn't hear any of my conversation with Jonas?"

"None of it," lied Marigold, "I saw you from the top of the stairs. You seemed to be talking about something fairly intense."

Thule nodded, "I was making your life easier. You won't have to hide our relationship from your stepfather. He's pretty much okay with it."

"So, you told him you're blackmailing me into having sex with you and your ex-girlfriend?" Marigold asked, "That must have gone over well."

Thule laughed, "Nah. I stuck to the relevant facts. No man wants to hear too many details of their daughter's sex life. It would be unseemly."

One day, Marigold decided, I might realize how futile it is to try to pick a fight with Thule when he doesn't want to fight. She tried a more direct approach, "I just don't like the idea of being passed like chattel from father to hus....err," She flushed brightly.

Thule watched her squirm for a good minute before he spoke, "Are you sure?" he asked softly.

"Yes," said Marigold.

Thule slid Marigold's skirt up over her knee, his hand resting lightly on her bare thigh, "You don't like the idea of being my property?"

"No," said Marigold, undulating under his hand, "I'm nobody's property."

Thule slid his fingers up so that they rested on her panties. Marigold closed her eyes and rubbed herself up against him. Thule said reasonably, "I can make you do anything I want."

Marigold chuckled, "No," she said, "you can tell me to do what you want me to do. But, I am free to refuse and face the consequences."

"So," said Thule , sliding his finger underneath her panties and inside of her, "If I didn't hold the threat of exposure over your head, you wouldn't do what I told you?"

Marigold tried to impale herself on Thule 's finger, but he slid it away, "Hold still," he said, "You are not to move your hips."

Thule slid his finger inside of her again, teasing her clit. Marigold held perfectly still, even though she had to clench every muscle around her hips to stay in place. Soon, she was trembling with the effort.

"So," asked Thule , "if I were to tell you that I would keep your secrets no matter what you did, you would stop obeying me right now?"

Marigold moaned, "Please don't."

"Please don't what?" asked Thule , "Don't do what I'm doing? Don't promise to keep your secrets?"

"The latter," moaned Marigold as Thule 's finger slipped inside of her.

"You don't want me to release you from your obligation?" said Thule , "You wouldn't feel better knowing I would never betray you?"

Marigold threw an arm over her head, gripping the back of her seat. Her back arched, but her hips remained firmly glued to the seat. She was now perspiring lightly with the effort. Still, she kept her eyes closed, "I don't...believe...you would...betray me...now."

"If you really believe that," said Thule , "move your hips."

"I don't want to," protested Marigold.

"You don't want to move your hips?" asked Thule .

"No," said Marigold, "you told me not to. I don't want to disobey. Please don't make me."

"Come for me," said Thule .

Marigold wanted to laugh. The command was obviously absurd. If she could do that on cue, her life would be much easier. But, even before she could complete the thought, she realized that the effort of not moving her hips was also causing her to clench muscles that kept her from fully enjoying what Thule was doing to her. Without even knowing what she was doing, she had instinctively relaxed those muscles a little. Immediately, the pleasure pulsed out from her clitoris then, so strong it curled her toes. How she managed to keep her hips planted where they were, she never knew. She cried out at the pleasure, wrapping herself around Thule 's arm, sinking her teeth into the flesh of his bicep. Startled, he pulled away. Marigold took a few seconds to realize what she had done. When she did, she was immediately apologetic. But Thule only seemed amused.

Marigold looked around. They were no longer on the way to school. They seemed to be on a service road, surrounded by forest on either side.

" Thule ," Marigold asked, "What are you doing? We're going to be late for homeroom if we don't hurry."

"Actually," said Thule , "I imagine that we are going to miss homeroom all together. Listen to me carefully. I want you to take off your underwear, get out of the car, and lean over the hood so that I can fuck you. If you don't do this, there will be no consequences other than that you did not do what I wanted you to do. You will still go to Harvard. No one will see any of the blackmail material I've collected on you. You will have just disobeyed me."

"Don't do this, Thule ," Marigold begged.

Thule stopped the engine of the car and didn't answer.

"I won't do it, Thule ," she said.

"That's your final word on the matter?" asked Thule .

"Yes," said Marigold, "I want to, but I can't."

"Okay," said Thule , starting the car again, "fair enough."

Neither spoke until they were pulling into the senior parking lot. Marigold asked, "That's it? No dire consequences?"

Thule asked, "Would you like some?"

"I'm sorry, Thule ," Marigold sighed, "I just..."

Thule put a finger to her lips, then followed it with his own lips, kissing her gently, then more passionately, "Never apologize for what you are, Little Flower...or what you are not, at least not to me."

Marigold nodded. Thule got out of the car and came around to her side to let her out. When she stepped out, he retrieved both stacks of books and began carrying them away from the car.

"Wh--what are you doing?" asked Marigold, hurrying to follow behind him.

"I'm carrying your books to class," said Thule , "I remember Elliot doing this, back in the ninth grade or so."

"Yes," said Marigold, struggling to keep up, "but why are you doing it?"

"I'm trying to be a good boyfriend," said Thule , "I figure I should get some practice."

"Why?" asked Marigold, finally catching up enough to be able to wrap herself around his arm, forcing him to slow down so that they could walk together. She laid her head on his shoulder so that she could whisper, "Why? Why can't things stay the same as they've been?"

Thule smiled, "Have you asked yourself what things are going to be like in Boston ?"

Marigold thought about it. As they walked, more and more heads were turning to watch them go, obviously a couple. They would be the hot topic of conversation today. Marigold thought about it. Finally, she said, "I'm hoping we'll be together, away from this town."

"And what am I going to have to hold over your head?" Thule asked, "You'll already be in Harvard. And what about after Harvard?"

Marigold stopped to look at him, "Well," she said, "you can still threaten to expose me for stealing my essay. I could be expelled ex post facto for that. Or," she thought quickly, "you have pictures of me in compromising situations. You could threaten me with those."

"Fellatio in the newspaper office?" Thule asked, "pretty tame stuff."

"Well," asked Marigold, "why don't you just be my boyfriend, then?"

Thule nodded, "That's what I'm doing. Let's go to your locker first."

Marigold turned to face him. They were in the hallway where all the senior lockers were now and quite a crowd was pretending not to watch them. Marigold wrapped her arm around Thule 's neck and kissed him, "Where did you learn how to be a boyfriend? The 1950s?"

Positioning her so that the lockers were behind her back, Thule gently kneaded the flesh of her ass, then leaned in next to her ear, "I've updated it a little, but my track record as a boyfriend is none too good. I much prefer being able to order you around. I'd rather be able to do so without constantly blackmailing you."

"So," asked Marigold, "why don't you just make me your wife?"

Thule dropped the double pile of textbooks on the floor with a great clatter. The hall got deadly quiet, then filled with laughter. Someone commented, "Dork."

"Ahem," said a passing teacher, "Public displays of affection, Mr. Roemer."

Thule detached himself from Marigold, "My apologies, Miss Delgado." Then, he turned to Marigold, "This conversation is not over."

Marigold almost danced to homeroom. As they passed in the hallway, Brianne glared at her. Marigold gave her a bright, genuine smile. In homeroom, Thule appeared preoccupied with his notes. Dawn, however, sidled over to Marigold as soon as she entered the room. She was carrying a small shopping bag and grinning.

"You look like the cat who swallowed the canary," Dawn opined. "Having a good day?"

"I am having a great day," said Marigold, "You're smiling, too. What's up with you?"

Dawn's smile softened, "I just wanted to come over and thank you for lending me the blouse. It's in the bag. There's also a little present in there, to say thank you." She wrinkled her nose as if laughing, the freckles on it standing out in exaggerated relief.

"Thank you," said Marigold, "but that wasn't necessary. I was glad to help."

"I know," said Dawn, "that's why I was glad to get you a little something to say thank you. Hey, it's all over the school that Brianne made a move on Elliot this weekend, right in front of her boyfriend. It was supposedly really blatant."

"That's too funny," said Marigold, "Those two have more interest in each other than in her."

Suddenly, Marigold realized that people were listening to the conversation. She had always hated to gossip and was embarrassed to catch herself doing so now.

Dawn seemed to have no such compunctions, "Wait," she asked, "are you saying Brianne's boyfriend is gay?"

Marigold glanced around furtively, then said, "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm just mad at Elliot."

Dawn looked disappointed, "Oh," she said, "that would have been some juicy gossip."

Marigold looked up at Dawn. She would have thought that the younger girl would have some sensitivity about gossip relating to people's orientation. But, she was practically salivating over passing on the news.

Of course, such a rumor would be devastating to Brianne. And the more she thought about Elliot's behavior towards his teammates over the last three years, two names kept coming up as possible lovers for him. The first was Randy Vandevoort. Elliot talked about him like he was a god. But, plenty of people talked about him like he was a god. The other name that kept coming up was Ian Kelley, Brianne's boyfriend. Randy talked about him constantly, even though they weren't even in the same squad. And, while football was a hotbed of homoerotic possibility, some of their actions together on-field had caused even the old Marigold to think they were odd.

She had come to this conclusion in the shower this morning and come down the stairs, eager to tell Thule her reasoning. Then, she saw Thule and Jonas talking and forgot everything else.

Thule gave Marigold some distance during the day. To anyone watching, they seemed to be together constantly. They were arm-in-arm between classes. Thule even made a fairly public display of affection, kissing Marigold passionately before English class. But, they didn't talk.

At lunch, they sat together at their regular table. But, he seemed to talk to everyone but her. For Marigold's part, she wound up in a conversation with Oksana and Dawn regarding Xena: Warrior Princess, which she had never seen. The other two girls thought it amazing and went on to explain the show in great detail.

"Wait," asked Marigold, "the show ended. Why is it still such a big deal?"

Oksana laughed, "There's never more than a handful of good shows on at any one time. If you don't keep touch with the ones that have ended."

"But, you've seen all of them, right?" asked Marigold.

"No," said Oksana, just as Dawn said, "yes."

Dawn lowered her eyes, "It was one of my all-time favorite shows."

"I usually watched it after Hercules," said Oksana, "I kind of had a crush on Kevin Sorbo."

And that, thought Marigold, is the heart of the problem.

The afternoon was more of the same. Thule 's kiss after lunch was deep and lingering. When he kissed her before calculus, his breathing was ragged, his eyes gleaming with barely-controlled lust. Marigold, in comparison, felt rather serene. The kiss had been pleasant and mildly arousing, but Thule looked one step away from forgetting they were in public and having his way with her. Marigold realized that she had him off-kilter. It was such a rare feeling of that Marigold was practically walking on clouds.

After calculus, Thule came to her at her locker. He loomed over Marigold, whose own breathing caught a little. For a few seconds, she wondered if Thule wasn't just going to lift her skirt and take her right there. The thought made her knees go weak. She never knew what Thule was going to do.

"Do you have any activities planned this afternoon?" he asked.

"I have student government," said Marigold.

"You're going to miss it," said Thule , "You're coming home with me. Do you need to let anyone know?"

"No," said Marigold, her voice unsteady.

"All right," said Thule , "Let's go." He took her hand, almost dragging her to the car. Marigold wondered if she would make it as far as Thule 's house with her virtue intact.

As they headed out the front door of the school, Dawn waved to them, "Hey, Thule ," she called, "Can I ask you a favor?"

Thule looked up, "What can I do for you, Dawn?"

Dawn tilted her head, "My ride flaked out on me. I'd rather not take the bus. I live like three blocks from you. Could you drop me off?"

Thule looked at Marigold accusingly, although she didn't know why. She turned to Dawn, "Sure," she said, "that shouldn't be a problem, should it, Thule ?"

"No problem at all," said Thule , not entirely masking his frustration, "Come on."

In the car, Dawn asked from the back seat, " Thule , is it true that you used to date Oksana?"

"Briefly," said Thule , "Why?"

"I don't know," asked Dawn, "Did she seem a little boy-crazy to you?"

"What?" asked Thule , "Do you mean, like, slutty?"

"No, no, no," said Dawn, "How do I put this?"

Marigold turned to face Dawn, "Hon, you can speak pretty freely here."

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked.

" Thule 's pretty open-minded," Marigold opined, "You're not going to shock him."

"Well," asked Dawn, "I guess my question is this: Would you have any reason to think that she might be interested in girls...romantically?"

Thule 's answer was a growl, "I would damned well hope not?"

"What?" asked Dawn, shocked, "Why not?"

"I've already had one girlfriend decide she was a lesbian," Thule answered, "Two might give me a complex."

Marigold laughed, " Thule , you're in no danger of turning a woman off to men. I've got no complaints."

Thule , having stopped at a traffic light, leaned over the seat to face Dawn, "Sure," he said, "now she has no complaints. I think I want you to ride with us every day. It makes her so sweet and reasonable."

Dawn laughed, "It's a deal."

Thule looked startled, "I...that is, I thought you had a regular ride."

"I did," said Dawn, "June Kane. She didn't show up this morning and informed me today that I am persona non gratis as far as she is concerned. Apparently, she's better friends with Brianne than she is with me."

Thule sighed, pulling through the now-green light, "I don't see why not," he said finally, "It's only me and Marigold in the car most of the time. Plenty of room back there."

"Thank you," said Dawn, "that's my house on the right--the big, white one."

Thule pulled up in front of it. Dawn came around his side after getting out, "What time do you usually leave in the morning?"

"I have to take care of the computer systems in the newspaper," said Thule , "so I leave at five am."

"I, uh," said Dawn, "That's a little early for me."

Thule smiled, letting Dawn know she'd been tricked, "Actually, I leave at about ten minutes to eight. I can be here about two minutes after that."

"Great," said Dawn, "thanks again."

"That was very nice of you," said Marigold, "but I'm going to miss our morning conversations a little."

"After this morning," said Thule , "I'll be just as glad to have a chaperone."

"I've got you rattled," crowed Marigold.

"Damned straight," said Thule , "I freely admit it. Were you serious?"

They were pulling into Thule 's driveway. Marigold said, "I was. I don't want to get married right away. But, you were already talking about what we would do after Harvard. If you're going to look that far forward, why not talk about the whole way? Wouldn't you like to make an honest woman of me Thule ?"

Thule got out of the car, circled around and opened Marigold's door, "I'm not ready to start thinking about marriage," he said, "I'm eighteen years old. And, I'm still not sure what I'm doing next year."

Marigold waited at the front door for him, leaning her back against it, stretching a little, "It's not the sort of decision you need to make quickly. But, I've had it planned out for a long time. I'm expected to have already decided what I want to do career-wise. I think I want to be a doctor, but I know I want to be a wife and mother."

Thule took her elbow and led her to his room, "You're serious?"

Marigold nodded, "I am. I thought I wanted to do it as soon as possible, but now I'm not sure."

Thule came up behind her, his arms gliding around her waist and up her ribs, cupping her breasts, "What's changed?"

"I told you," said Marigold as she shifted her arms to let Thule unbutton her blouse and slide it off her shoulders. "This weekend raised a lot of questions about who I am and what I want. I know what my gut tells me and don't expect that to change. But, it's too important a decision to make without knowing my alternatives. After all, doesn't the Bible say that the road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.

Thule undid her bra. When she turned to face him, he lowered his head to kiss each nipple gently. Marigold shivered and gasped a little. Then, he raised his head, "That's not the Bible. That's William Blake."

Marigold laughed, "Okay. Not everything has to come from the Bible, I guess." She unbuttoned his shirt, kissing him just above the solar plexus. Then, she kissed lower, a line of kisses until she was kneeling in front of him, unbuckling his belt.

Stroking her long, blonde hair, Thule said, "Marigold, I can't plan that far ahead. I can't even promise that you're not going to hate me before the summer is over."

Marigold undid Thule 's fly, stripping him of pants and underpants. His erect cock sprung out. Playfully, Marigold leaned forward and licked it. Thule gasped, his knees giving away a little bit. A moment later, his hands pushed her forward gently and Marigold complied, taking him into her mouth.

After a couple of minutes, Marigold pulled back, letting him slide out of her mouth. "Thule," she said, "I swear on everything that I hold holy that I will not hate you for what you have to do before we go to Boston ." She licked him, "Let me help you with it. I want to be your partner...in everything."

Marigold moved to take his cock into her mouth again, but Thule caught her by her hair, forced her to her feet, then threw her face-down on the bed. A second later, he was on top of and inside of her. He pounded away at her with an urgency that was a new experience to Marigold. She bucked against him, reveling in his savagery.

"Don't make promises you don't know all the facts about. I...I can't think about this right now," said Thule , jackhammering away at her. "I haven't been able to think all day. You drive me nuts, Marigold."

Marigold said nothing, moaning under the onslaught. At this rate, Thule wouldn't last very long, but she was already pushing towards climax. Finally, she managed to say, "We don't have to discuss it now," she gasped, "Just fuck me."

Thule did, not talking, just pounding away at her. All of the technique and subtlety he'd shown over the weekend was gone. He kept his hands on her hips and drove into Marigold again and again. It was an act of the rawest sort of possession. It made Marigold feel loved and violated at the same time. She came violently, like a wild animal. Thule 's climax followed hers so closely that they overlapped. As he exploded inside of her, Thule 's whole body went rigid. Then, he slowly collapsed next to her on the bed, drawing her over by the should so that she lay, facing him, head resting against his chest. They lay there, breathing heavily and not speaking for a long time.

Finally, he kissed the top of her head, stroked her back with his fingertips, and said, "Give me this week. On Sunday, I'll tell you everything I have planned. If you still want to be my partner in this after that, so be it. I won't hold you to a promise made with my cock balanced on your nose."

Marigold giggled, "You're so charmingly vulgar."

Thule laughed, kissing her on the mouth, "And you're maddening." Already, his cock was stirring to life again. Marigold stroked it gently with her fingertips, coaxing it to full extension. She was feeling powerful and wanton. She wanted to feel him inside of her again, lingering this time. Smiling to herself, she kissed his downy chest. Thule may not hold her to her promise, but she would hold herself to it. She was starting to get a feeling for what his plan might be and, as tough as it was going to be, she would help him get it done. It may have started as Maya's revenge, but it had become a final reckoning for a lot of evil she'd come to take for granted.

Thule 's hands began to roam freely over her body again, stroking, pinching, exploring. Marigold slid down his body, taking him into her mouth again. She ached with wanting Thule , now and forever. It was probably crazy to bring up marriage at this point, but she had planted the germ of an idea in his head. She'd moved the debate from whether he would keep her after they left for Boston to whether he would marry her. That gave him more time to realize that he couldn't live without her any more than she could live without him.