I felt a complete traitor to Lukas, but I loved this man more than anything in the world, and he needed to know that. So I told him the absolute truth: 'Dear Paul, you are not second best to me, never have been, never will be. I will not ever love someone like I love you, and I know you feel the same about me.
When you touch me, I feel a thrill. When you look at me like this, my heart skips a beat.'
It did, for he now looked at me in that intense way. I swallowed a big lump in my throat: 'I totally took you on face value, thought you didn't want or dare share a bed yet. I only realized just now how lonely you must have been.'
I felt awful, I didn't dare mention Lukas, but I thought of what Paul had done for him, never showing his pain. But my confession had lifted Paul's spirits, and though his look was still intense, it was also happier, and he didn't hesitate mentioning Lukas at all: 'I'm so happy to hear you say you love me.
But it also makes me feel for Lukas, I know that he loves you as exclusively as he can. I don't want him to feel left out, or lonely.'
Convinced it was true, I replied: 'It would kill him. He needs love to live, and more than one person can give him.' Paul now had his usual composure back, but with an added glow.
He said: 'I love him too, I really do, and now I know I have a place in your life, I will be able to show him my love much more openly. I know he cannot live without you, I don't want him to pine away. Let's go find him.'
He got up and helped me up, but I still wanted something from him: 'Promise to tell me, if something I do hurts you.' He bowed his head against me as if he were humble, but since this meant his face ended up between my breasts I wondered how serious his gesture was. Inhaling deeply, then looking up at me he said: 'I promise I'll share my feelings with you in the future.'
And with that, he took my hand and we walked home. In front of his house he turned to me and asked: 'Will you sleep with me tonight?' I answered: 'I will.'
Chapter 17
When we came in, Lukas was sitting on the stairs, waiting. He was clearly upset, he knew something was wrong when Paul had reacted so strongly, but he had no idea what. I felt for him, he was an alien in our culture, always trying to figure out how to act properly, how to keep the people he depended on happy.
Fortunately, Paul was now back to his stable self, and he kissed Lukas lovingly, hugged him, then offered him a hand and led him up the stairs. I followed. We ended up on Paul's sofa, with a cup of tea and an evening snack, mainly for Lukas. But he didn't eat, he knew something was afoot, and he wanted to understand.
He said: 'I did something wrong, didn't I? Was it those girls? They wanted to dance, and make love, and I didn't undress, or let them touch my hair.' I told him: 'It was my problem, Lukas, I knew you'd make love to other girls, but it made me jealous anyway and when I had managed to stop myself from feeling like that, I said something to Paul that made him really unhappy.'
Lukas replied: 'I know what jealousy is now, but I didn't love those girls, I just had sex with them. And what did that have to do with Paul?' This was not going well.
Now Paul tried to make it easier: 'Melissa got jealous against her will, it happened to her unexpectedly. She didn't think she'd mind if you had sex casually, but she did, and she felt lonely. So she came to me for comfort.
Then she remembered she loved two people as well, you and me. And she realized I might feel lonely too, and I didn't have someone to comfort me.
She told me she realized she might have hurt me without meaning to. That was very true, I've been very lonely at night, not knowing whether she really loved me or not, knowing you two were together.'
Lukas asked: 'But why didn't you come to us then?' Paul replied: 'In our culture, people have only one lover. I wouldn't share.'
Lukas was stunned: 'You wanted her to yourself? You didn't want me? I thought you loved me', and Paul told him: 'Of course I love you, I never said
our way was the best way, I really want to learn how to share love, and I want you to teach me. Not being able to share was very painful. But I'm afraid that seeing the two of you make love would also be very painful.'
Then Paul got his first lesson in sharing, for Lukas observed: 'I like seeing people make love, but I'd rather join them.' Then he looked at me and asked:
'What do you want, Melissa?'
So far, I hadn't contributed much, but I knew exactly what I wanted: 'I want us all to be happy. I want to spend the nights with Paul, I love him and I want to hold him when he sleeps, but I want to be with you as well, you are so sweet and I want to give you the love you need.'
I looked at Paul pleadingly: 'Can we at least try? We'll make love separately, but we can try sleeping together, can't we?' Paul looked at both of us, tired but quite happy, then said jokingly: 'If I can go in the middle tonight.'
Thinking of my morning surprises, I eyed Lukas severely, at which he defended himself: 'I can control myself, honestly!' It was now really late already, and I needed to be at work the next morning, so I asked Paul if he would lead us to his bed, which he did. We all undressed, and crawled into his large bed together, which felt totally right.
I snuggled up to Paul, blissfully happy to have him in my arms for a whole night. Too bad I fell asleep instantly, I would have liked to enjoy the feeling a little longer, but that would have to wait for another time.
The next morning, I awoke with a hand shaking me gently and a whispering voice in my ear: 'Melissa, it's time to wake. I'll be downstairs making coffee, you can stay in bed for another half hour, I'll call you. Enjoy.' It was Lukas.
He was always awake before dawn, even after such a night, and he had even thought of waking me a bit early so I could enjoy lying in bed with Paul for half an hour. How could I not love him?
I turned towards the middle of the bed, and snuggled against the still, warm shape lying there. It made a sleepy sound and turned towards me, feeling a bit, then taking me in its arms.
As it was already light outside, high summer was approaching fast, I could see Paul at his most disarming, still asleep, free of restraint and worry. Would I touch him and risk waking him, or would I let him sleep?
Lukas was coming with me, so Paul would wake up alone, which he probably wouldn't like. I decided to risk waking him, he'd have plenty of time to sleep it off, being his own boss. I started with his hair, running my hand through
his curls, and then I kissed his face.
My hand explored his whole body next, his neck, his shoulders, his muscled arms and chest. I had to smell that chest, it looked so tempting, and it did indeed smell good, smoke and etching fluid now losing from his own scent. I stroked his buttocks, I couldn't remember touching those before, they were firm, muscular too.
Deciding not to excite him too much so shortly before I left him, I just wanted him to remember he had not been alone tonight, I went back to stroking his upper body, watching his face all the time. He was really fast asleep, my caresses didn't wake him at all. I gave up and snuggled close to him, still feeling his arms around me.
I must admit I had gotten kind of used to waking up with sex, for I missed it now, feeling very heated. But it was a pleasant sort of heat, and I expected to be able to do something about it somewhere in the day.
So I stayed there for another ten minutes or so, close to my sleeping partner, then carefully loosened myself from his hold and got out of bed. Now he did wake, and sleepily said: 'Up already?' I bent over to kiss him, and replied:
'Working day my love.'
My breasts hung loose in a very tempting way, and he did reach out to touch them, but very lazily. 'Too bad,' he muttered. 'I'll be back before you know it.
Lukas is coming with me. See you at lunch?' I asked. He was asleep again already, and I kissed him once more, then put on his bathrobe, picked up my dress and my key, and left the bedroom. I left the necklace with the little horses on his night stand, he'd certainly find it there, and I saw that Lukas had left his necklace there already.
Door clos
ed behind me, I called out to Lukas: 'I'll be dressing in my own house, can't go to work in an evening dress!' And I went out the door and up the stairs. Once inside I checked the clock, and I decided I could take the time to have a nice hot shower before putting on a suit and doing my hair.
I worked my own hours after all, and there was not a lot to do today, except give Lukas a tour and check any new building materials for flaws. I hung the dress back neatly, then got a clean towel and went towards the little shower room.
To my surprise, Lukas was in the bedroom as well, putting away his flamboyant shirt. He was stark naked and as heated as I had been, I guess he missed our morning surprise as well. The sight of his erect penis gave me a
distinct flash of heat, and I decided there and then I wanted my relief. So I walked towards him, dropped the robe and rubbed myself against him.
'Do you want to take a shower together?' I asked, kissing his face and his lips.
He seemed surprised, but very willing, following me into the shower room.
Once there, I turned on the taps, checked the temperature and stepped under the shower.
Lukas was not as forward as usual, but I ignored that and took one of his hands to pull him in. Now he took me in his arms and kissed me, wanting to speak but thinking the better of it. Good. I wanted him, right now, and very firmly.
It was as if he knew, for he did not hesitate anymore, but manoeuvred himself between my legs and penetrated me. Pushed against the wall with every thrust I gloried in the feeling, heat intensifying each time he touched me inside, his hips working frantically, his expression only slightly less feverish than his movement.
Soon I just felt my passion climbing higher and higher, and I came forcefully.
He pulled himself out of me, and kneeled before me, much calmer now, and determined to take his time. 'Will you lie down for me?' he asked, and when I did lay down under the shower he lifted my legs over his shoulders and proceeded to lick my heated clitoris until I came again with shuddering force.
I now got up and presented myself to him buttocks first, which he couldn't resist, entering me from behind, holding on to my hips and energetically thrusting until he also had a intense climax. I turned towards him and held him tightly, the water still warm. We stood together for some time, then turned off the shower, dried off and dressed in more regular clothes. Doing my hair took only a few minutes, my severe style was also very efficient, and soon I was as ready as he was.
I got my bag and coat and we walked down the stairs again in silence. I took the robe back to Paul's bedroom, where he was still fast asleep, and we had really strong coffee and some buns in the kitchen. We then went up the stairs again to the front door, for a day at the building site. When we left the house, Lukas' mood became sunny again.
He loved the sun in his face, and I ruffled his hair and kissed his warm lips, he was so adorable in his ecstasy over being outside again. Soon he was laughing, and he suddenly said: 'I was going to check the trees, let's not forget that.' So we looked at every tree we passed, noting any that were not thriving,
planning to visit them for a closer look on our way back.
'Was it any different?' he asked me. I replied: 'No it wasn't Lukas, it was as good as always, you are a fabulous lover. I know it was my problem, getting jealous, please don't beat yourself up over it.' But he didn't go for it as easily as that: 'I can't help thinking that if Paul wants to learn to share more, maybe I should learn to share a little less.
I'm in your culture now, and maybe I should share only if my heart is really in it. Yesterday was just exercise, like dancing, I did it because they asked and because we were all hot and giddy.' I was impressed, but also worried:
'Please don't mind our morals too much Lukas, you have a right to be different, you need the love more than we do.'
He beamed at me, took my hands and spun me around, saying: 'You give me plenty of love, you and Paul. I know you will be more intimate with each other from now on, but feeling love around me feeds me too. And who knows, maybe he will let me join you some day. And I'll keep sharing love, just not like that, not as a sport. It will only get me in trouble.'
I looked at him in amazement, and took his hands: 'Good for you! That reminds me, Lukas, as long as we're on the site we cannot be intimate. It is my work, and I need to be seen as a professional. So let's not touch more than necessary, we'll make up for it later.'
We had only three more blocks to go, and then Lukas would see the most beautiful building in all the city, the construction of which I had the privilege to be part of. It was a smaller version of the Crystal Palace, designed by a real architect, and much more ornate, the cast iron shaped like floral stalks, decorated with gargoyles and dragons.
It was to be used as a winter garden, planted with lush evergreen vegetation, heated with a modern boiler like Paul's designs, and strewn with little seats and shelters, giving the owner a feeling of being outside in winter. They'd probably have all kinds of parties and meetings there, for all their high-born or well-to-do friends. Of course it cost a fortune to build, and it would cost a fortune to maintain, but that was not unheard of in these days of technology, when people were making several fortunes exploiting mills and factories.
We turned another corner, and then the gate was right before us. Lukas walked close to me, as I passed through it, waving at the man watching it today. I went straight to the little cabin, getting my helmet and an extra for Lukas. He tried the largest size, but still his horn stumps didn't fit too well, so
it hung a bit to one side, until he managed to use his stiff curls to pad it and it seemed firmly placed. No-one would notice.
The architect was not present, but the contractor of the iron construction was there. He greeted me and nodded at Lukas, asking: 'Apprentice?' I replied:
'Craft-master's apprentice, in cast iron and metal ornamentation, copper, bronze, brass for now. His master's a superb crafter of fine boilers, copper based mostly, high output, safety guarantee, but also very, very beautifully made.'
He looked interested, and approvingly said: 'That's a beautiful craft, boy, and with a future, mind you study hard and listen to your master, and you'll always have a way to make a living.' Lukas answered very politely: 'I will, sir, thank you.'
The contractor added: 'You'll be wanting to see the construction then, and the ornamentation. Boiler is not delivered yet, the whole heating system is made to order and only the pipes have been delivered so far. I don't think the boiler will be all copper, or ornamented. They'll probably hide it behind a tropical bush. Enjoy the tour!'
Lukas bowed in acknowledgement, a polite and very elegant gesture that reminded me I had had the impression before that he was from a good family.
I certainly hadn't learned fine manners like that at home, and I made a mental note to ask him about his family and his youth soon.
I started our tour by showing Lukas the building, climbing on the scaffolding still in place. Most of the building was covered in glass now, and the ornaments had been added to the outside of the iron construction. Lukas studied everything minutely, often touching a bit of metalwork, looking at the way the glass was set in the frame.
We rounded the building, ending where we had started, where the support had been replaced. I asked Lukas: 'Do you feel the emanations of the iron?'
He replied: 'I do, and touching it makes me uncomfortable. I think we are relatives to the faeries, I can imagine them disliking such quantities of cold hard iron.' He handed me down from the scaffolding, and then we were allowed to go inside the building for an inspection.
There was a lot going on in here already in preparation for the building being finished from the outside, ditches were dug for the pipes of the heating, pipes were attached to the beams overhead, for the watering of the lush vegetation that would thrive here in the artificial heat. Some landscaping was already
being done, a little hill was raised in the middle of the space, with a grotto inside made out of brick an
d sandstone.
'Do you think I should 'feel' the piping and the boiler before they are installed?' I asked Lukas, and he replied: 'Certainly, think of all the pressure that will build up inside, a boiler with a casting error might explode any moment, same for the pipes, they'll have to handle a lot of pressure and heat.
They'll be buried, so digging them up from under the landscaping if they develop leaks will be very costly.'
I decided he was right, and I took him to the pile of pipes straight away: 'Let's make ourselves useful then, I feel, and you keep me upright afterwards, to the cabin for a cup of coffee.'
No expense had been spared, for the piping was all made of copper. I sat down next to a pile, concentrated, then felt each pipe, one by one. There was a whole stack of them, and though I had progressed a lot in my magic, this was still very tiring.
When I was through, I went to the next stack, made up of larger pipes. I checked those as well, and when that was done I really was staggering with fatigue. Lukas helped me up, then gave me his arm to lean on, and with his help I managed to reach the cabin without tripping or showing my weakness.
Fortunately the pipes were all well-made.
I wanted to check the parts that would be used to make the connections as well, but that was not going to succeed today, my energy for magic was spent. In front of the cabin were wooden benches for the workers to sit on during breaks, and Lukas left me on one of these, then set off in search for a cup of coffee for me.
He returned with two cups, black for me, and laden with cream for himself.
With a bit of rest and some coffee I soon felt much better, and we set out to explore the grounds around the building site.
It was a nice park, with a beautiful lake in the middle, and winding paths around it. There was a little romantic ruin set on a hill, which tempted us to sit down for a moment and enjoy the view on the building.
We didn't dare to kiss, though the place did ask for it, but it was too close to my work. We checked out every clump of trees that didn't look thriving, and found four that showed the same symptoms as the ones in the little park near us. They were not the same species, and they were not in the same environment, some were on high ground, and some beside the lake.
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