Temple of Bacchus

Darkness in the daylight.

Slipping down the temple steps, the nymph evades the gaze of the guards, drifting through the shadows cast by the torches.   Bacchus’s shrine towers above her; painted walls, dark corners, lamps lit in alcoves, statues of the watching gods. Soft music filters through air that’s tinged with rich incense.

Her face veiled, wide-eyed, she searches the temple’s recesses, moving silently from column to column, wondering if she will find what she’s looking for today.

Then she sees him and smiles, her satyr is waiting.  He shares his wine with her and safe in their niche, she drops her veil, her eyes bright in the half-light. Folding her hand in his, he draws her near, back into the shadows and safe from the eyes of passing revellers.

More wine; they kiss, searching for each others’ souls with their lips, tender, wistful.  He takes her face in his hands and whispers her name as she sighs and melts further into his arms, oblivious to all but her love.

Her fingers lightly brush against his wrist as his fingers wind their way through her silky hair.  His lips find the nape of her neck and she shivers, surrendering herself to him with a soft moan.  Full of wanting, he pulls her against his hard body, feeling her flesh soft against him, itching to part her from her robes and take her. 

She looks into his eyes and smiles, knowing.  He passes her the wine goblet and she drinks from it without losing his gaze.  Their lips touch again, sharing the last droplets of Bacchus’s bounty, full of summer heat.

It’s time to find a darker corner, a more secret place and he urges her up the temple steps.  They run through a narrow alleyway, laughing, pausing only for him to kiss her suddenly, hard, making her see stars inside her head.  The sun peeks through the gaps between the buildings but they keep to the shadows.

He draws her through the doorway, taking both her hands.  Their eyes lock and she knows she has reached the point of no return; she will be his today. 

The sun drifts past the tiny window, scarcely casting any light inside.  Darkness in the daylight still.

Pushing her down on the soft cushions, they laugh before he kisses her urgently, pushing her robes from her shoulders to reveal her naked before him.  He drops his robe and she runs her fingers over the dense, curling hair on his body, down towards the rod that will possess her soon

His lips roam over her body; exploring, tasting, finding.  In ecstasy, she draws him down to her, wanton to be joined with him, nothing else in her mind now.  Satyr and nymph entwined for ever.

Darkness in the daylight.