Petaloudes

Lyra led the way and I had the benefit of following her and also the delightful sight of her gorgeous bottom to guide me. I couldn't say how far we walked, probably about half an hour in mostly silence, just concentrating on the path and avoiding tripping on the tree roots and other obstacles. I think the clearing where we stopped was about half way toward the end of the valley where the butterflies were. Lyra turned off the main path to an area clear of trees which was ground covered with thick soft moss.

We were both breathing quite heavily by then and stood in the warm night air while we got our breath back. Lyra opened her rucksack and took out a thick blanket which she spread on the ground. A swig of water each to quench our thirst after the trek and we sat in the quiet and peaceful forest in this magical place where everything seemed untouchable by the world outside. Just me and her, nothing else mattered.

A little cough from Lyra indicated she was nervous, something I hadn't seen in her before. What was this, was she going to dump me? If so, a rather extreme way to do it. 'I'm not very good at saying things like this Mandy, usually confident and all that.' I listened to her curiously, slightly nervously but mostly with patient expectation. 'I like you and you know I like me, but it's more than that. I'm...' she hesitated. 'I'm falling in love with you.'

It hit me like a hammer, a wonderful hammer made of fairy dust and angel's songs and soft fluffy things only girls understand. All I could say was: 'Awwww...' as I took her face in my hands and kissed her whilst trying to say: 'I love you too' through a mouthful of Lyra and sloppy kisses and fumbling embraces.

We lay on the blanket and stared up at the sky, I knew the stars were shining for us tonight and the big one next to the tall tree was winking at me and telling me not to forget this night. Sometimes you do things without knowing why, this one one of those times. I held Lyra's hands and said to her: 'Make love to me darling. Make love to me like you've never done before.'

I could see her smile in the dim leaf filtered moonlight: 'I'm glad you said that honey' and lifted me to me feet. 'Just stand there love, don't move' and she slowly removed my clothes and then hers. Laying me down on the blanket again she repeated what we had done when we first made love, just a week ago. Slowly moving her fingers all over my body she brought me to the point where I was so sensitive I tingled at even the slightest of her touches and could swear the air itself was caressing me. I then pushed her on to her back and did the same with her.

'I brought you here darling because I love this place, I love butterflies and because you are like a butterfly. Put your hands behind your head love.' I wasn't sure why she wanted me to do this but at this point I would have done anything she asked me. She slowly stroked my tummy: 'Keep them there and lift your knees up to your chest.' Lyra continued to stroke my tummy and tickle my belly button as I slowly raised by knees. 'Put your feet on the floor and I'll do the rest.'

Placing her hands between my legs Lyra slowly moved them apart till my knees were touching the ground. I was splayed out like...a butterfly. For the first time I realised what she was doing and I could only pant gently and make my little mewling sounds which Lyra knew by now meant I was aroused to the point where she could do whatever she wanted with me.

She lifted herself off the blanket and lay on top of me and when her pussy pressed against mine I cried out in ecstasy as a sort of mini climax flowed through me. I hadn't experienced anything like that before but then again neither had I ever been in a position like this.

Lyra whispered in my ear: 'Cover me in your wings my darling butterfly' and I wrapped my legs round hers and my arms round her neck. Pressing our bodies and mouths together we let the pleasure build up inside us. We climaxed at the same time, not strongly but a slow wave that I could also feel in Lyra as her abdominal muscles contracted in and out and rippled against mine.

I didn't lose it this time, usually I go somewhere I'm neither conscious or unconscious but this time I just floated with Lyra in a sea of me and her. The same happened to her I think as she lay on top of me. The stars serenaded us and the moonlight bathed us in her pure white midnight light.

Without moving Lyra whispered again in my ear: 'You're mine now Mandy, my darling butterfly. I know we live in different countries but I'm not going to let you go. I'm yours and you are mine.'

My heart knew what I didn't, that this is what I've wanted to hear all my life: 'I'm yours, I'm yours, I'm yours...' all I could do was repeat that over and again.

Lyra got up and fetched another blanket from her rucksack. Placing it over us she lay next to me with her leg over mine and arm across my body. We didn't say anything and fell asleep to the infinitesimally audible sound of the insects resting and the trees breathing.

I awoke to the sensation of Lyra lifting herself off me and slipping out from under the blanket. She disappeared behind a tree and realised I needed to do the same. After attending to nature's needs we stood facing each other without speaking, but this wasn't possible for long and the valley witnessed our first embrace of the day and I cried a little: 'I'll go wherever you want, do whatever you want, as long as I'm with you.'

My love smiled and reassured me: 'I'm very good at sorting things out honey, don't worry about that.' Her confidence was wonderful 'cos at this moment I was as vulnerable and helpless in the face of love as it is possible to be. 'We need to get back to the car though before the first tour starts and the key has to be returned before the other stewards arrive.

Without breakfast the trek back was rather tiring but nothing mattered that morning besides Lyra and I. Fortunately we reached the car in time to see the supervisor arriving and she smiled in understanding as Lyra gave her the key and thanked her.

The drive back was interrupted by a long stop at a taverna for a breakfast of Greek yoghurt, honey and orange juice and it was there I started babbling: 'We could buy a house together and I'm a trained insurance executive so I can work anywhere and we can travel all over the world and see different countries and get married and have children and a family and...'

Lyra laughed and took my hand: 'We can do anything we want, there's no hurry and in this world anything is possible.' I stopped my mouth working although my brain was still running at full speed. 'But I do need to return the car as the lease runs out at midday.'

She dropped me off at my inn and left to return the car to the loan firm. Mrs Cirillo stood staring at me and I caught sight of myself in the long hall mirror: 'Looks like you've had a quiet a night Mandy' she said with another one of her wicked looks and naughty grins. What had happened was between Lyra and myself but I was bursting with emotion and just had to tell someone so over a glass of very welcome iced tea I told her the whole story. Well, most of it except the very intimate details and I'm sure she could fill those in for herself.

'You have found someone special and that happens rarely in this world. Lyra is an extremely capable girl and you seem very adaptable. I know you both come from different countries and that makes things difficult but I also know you can both work together to make this possible for you. And you know you are welcome to stay here anytime you wish, just let me know and I'll make sure you have a room ready whenever you need.'

I hugged her and she beamed with pleasure as I gave her a big kiss with genuine gratitude and affection. She left me to enjoy the afternoon sun as she attended to another guest who had just arrived.

We were due to meet for our last dinner together before I flew back tomorrow but Lyra was almost an hour late. She kissed me and sat down, rather breathless. I asked what was the matter. She smiled, reached into her handbag and placed a small velvet box on the table. Opening it I saw two silver rings with the traditional Greek meandros design etched onto the outside. I gasped as she took one and placed it on my finger, holding the other out for me. I looked at the inside of the ring, Lyra confirmed they were both the same. On one side of the ring was written Lyra and on the other Mandy and in between each name was a picture of a butterfly.

Sometimes you are so happy you cry and I soaked Lyra's blouse as I hugged and kissed her. I took the ring she had shown me and placed it onto her finger: 'A promise for the future darling till we can be together permanently' she explained. 'The design and sizing took longer than I anticipated, that's why I was late.'

I could only sit and gaze speechless into her eyes, cry a little, then sit and stare again. But I soon recovered and my laughter returned helped by a glass of the annoyingly named Aegean Fizz, I seemed to be getting used to them. Not wanting the evening to ever end we sat and talked till it began to get chilly then strolled back to Lyra's hotel and spent the night in each other's arms, aware this might be the last time together for a while.

Wisely Lyra had set the alarm for the next morning and a shower followed by the rush back to my inn to pack. Mrs Cirillo gave me one final hug and said something in Greek that I think was a traditional blessing. I promised to be back soon and she waved goodbye as the taxi drove me away and to the airport.

We both sat in the back seat, holding hands like we didn't want to let each other go, which we didn't. I checked into my flight and started crying as I held Lyra again in the departure lounge. I stopped when she told me she had arranged a meeting for next week with her aunt back on the Greek mainland who is something big in the country's immigration department. At this point it was probably the only thing which stopped me from refusing to let Lyra go and board the plane. Her last kiss remained on my lips and the touch of her hand on my cheek as I walked down the umbilical to the aircraft.

I looked out the window as we were taxiing and saw Lyra as she was standing as close to the runway as possible. She took a scarf out of her handbag and placed it round her shoulders, as she turned round I could see it had a picture of a butterfly and the crying started again. I waved as she turned back and she blew me a kiss. Then the engines throttled and the plane accelerated for take off as this butterfly took to the air. I was only kept from undoing my seatbelt and screaming at the stewardess to turn back by the ring on my finger and the knowledge I would be with my love again soon...