It started with a mutual hatred
and ended in desire
that only her cobweb lashes
and his jaded embrace
could curb.

It started with a pact, a business
arrangement where both would
gain and no organs
would need stitching.
It ended with her levitating
above his bed, her spirit
watching herself
sleep folded between
the Gyspy sheets and his
weathered limbs.

It started with a sneer and
a confident grin, a lie
mixed with the truth
foreshadowing the beginning
of the end.
Or was it the end of the beginning?
Steal the gods' scroll. It
was easy enough. All that
was required was
sashaying hips and the
coaxing of a seductive
smirk. It wasn't
supposed to attract
his attention.
It ended with a kiss.
A kiss that flowed through
her body like the ocean
waves near her
birthplace. He tasted
of sea salt and
Caribbean delicacies
and when she opened her
eyes they were pleading
to let her kiss him
just one more time.
It ended with another kiss.
And another.
And another.

It started with abusive
phrases, snappy retorts,
stern orders (as though
he could truly order her
to do anything), and
foolish banters that
ended in her tears
soaking her bed sheets.
It ended in tenderness
outlining his sentences,
a silent humming
in their bodies as
they came together
when the door was
locked and the
waves caressed the
side of his boat.
It ended in hushed
confessions against her
velvet shoulder blades,
dipping his nose into the
valley that singed her neck
to the rest of her mesmeric flesh.
It ended in I love you.
It ended in I love you too.

But that was only the beginning.