Kathleen Tessaro

He could see her smell; it glowed against the backs of his eyelids, pure shimmering gold to deep undulating amber. And he could taste each note; savour the melting progression on his tongue, the shocking, perfect combination of contrasts, underpinned by a creamy, intensely carnal core of raw sexuality. He wanted to bury himself deep in her flesh; to consume each molecule of her, one breath at a time.

he trembled, ecstasy surging, shuddering through him.

he reminded her of a human exclamation mark, with the same emphatic energy.

vivid conversation neither of us understood

It was a perfume balanced precariously between unfolding layers of pure white flowers, spring green herbs and something darker, more knowing.

His perfume highlighted her youthful freshness and yet blended naturally with her rich, musky undertones. It ‘finished’ her, gave her a polished elegance, joining the fractured sides of her together

how the very fact of her fuelled his imagination

It was impossible to put into words the way her natural scent had inspired him; driven him, in fact, to devise a fragrance that would match the complexity of her skin.

An accord is a mixture of two or more ingredients which produce a new scent, quite different from any of its individual parts.

The complexity and juxtaposition of the accords involved makes the difference between a truly revolutionary perfume and a merely pleasant-smelling scent.