Elemental Fear

by Ada Frost

  ****

  “Morning beautiful.” a sensual voice whispered to the side of me. I moaned in my sleep and snuggled further into the covers. The same voice chuckled to the side of me.

  “Eve, wake up babe, I want to start our date.”

  I mumbled and pulled the cover further over my head, I was tired and I didn’t want to leave the warmth and softness of this glorious bed.

  “Eve...” his voice held a hint of warning.

  I grumbled a protest but didn’t move.

  “Okay, have it your way,” he said. I heard shuffling then a cold blast of air hit me as the cover was ripped away. I sat up and tried to grab for it.

  “No, it’s cold.” I whined as the warm bedding hit the floor in a fluffy pile.

  “I can keep you warm.” Dominic teased kneeling on the bed and crawling towards me. A sexy glint in his eye.

  “I haven’t brushed my teeth.” I protested as his crawled up my body, not touching me, simply hovering above me.

  “Don’t care, you look too frigging sexy not to kiss right now.” his hands rested at the sides of my hips, his long arms held him above me. I leaned back on my elbows, staring into his glittering eyes, sparkling with mischief.

  He leaned forward and I lifted slightly to meet his mouth but just at the last second he moved his head and dipped it to kiss the exposed flesh of my shoulder, he kissed across my collarbone, up the column of my neck, sucking and nibbling. I let my head fall back to give him better access. My synapses going off like fire rockets, what a way to wake up.

  “God you taste amazing.” He mumbled before sucking gently. A soft mewling sound left my lips before I could stop it. He lifted his head and pressed his lips to my mouth, finally searing a hot morning kiss to my desperate mouth. He pressed me down onto the bed and covered my body with his, and that’s when it all crumbled and crashed around me. My body tightened, my muscles locked and I stopped moving my mouth. Dominic noticed my reaction immediately and stopped his oral perusal; shame hit me for spoiling such a tender moment.

  Tears sprang to my eyes for spoiling a playful, normal moment between a man and woman. He maneuvered his body to the side of me and stretched his long legs out. I turned to face him, ready to apologies and plead with him to forgive me. But as I opened my mouth to offer said apology, his lips pressed against mine.

  “It’s just me Eve. We move on your timescale, remember,” he said gently before his lips teased my jaw. I sighed and my muscles relaxed. “Don’t be upset.”

  “I’m sorry, I spoilt –” I whispered and gasped as he sucked my pulse point.

  “Do you like that?” He asked. I nodded and closed my eyes as he did it again. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to him, we lay facing one another, pressed together and this way I didn’t feel quite so scared or trapped.

  Dominic lifted his face and stared at me, tracing my bottom lip with his finger. “So we know you don’t like me on top...” He held up his hand when I started to protest “I get it, I do. We can learn together okay...what you like and what you don’t.”

  My eyes filled with happy tears. “Thank you.”

  “No, thank you. One day you will realise what a gift it is to love and be loved by you...is that a song?” He frowned and I giggled. “And that sound...that I need to record because I love hearing it.”

  “You Dominic Layton are very...soppy.” I smiled.

  “Ah, but do you like it?” He asked smiling. I nodded.

  “Good because when we are old and grey and you’re fetching my slippers....” He stopped and laughed loudly when I smacked his chest. “Can I take you on that date now?”

  I smiled brightly and nodded.

  “Oh one more thing though,” he said seriously. I started to ask what was wrong before he grinned devilishly and pressed his lips back to mine. His tongue teased its way into my mouth and I pressed forward deepening the kiss, wanting more of him. He sucked in a deep breath, pulled away and jump from the bed. “Right my work here is done. I need to go get my glad rags on, I have a date with the sexiest woman you’ve ever seen and I don’t want to be late. Takes a while to make this ugly mug gawgus.” He laughed and sauntered out of the room.

  An hour later I’d showered, changed and had a delicious cup of French roast coffee. “So have you thought about what you would like to see?”

  I shook my head because honestly my thoughts were still stuck on Dominic and all the kissing. “There are loads of things to see, too much for just one day but I can bring you back another time. Prioritise what you want to see most. Within walking distance around here there is the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc De Triomph, Champs-Elysees, The Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d’Orsey...erm...what else....” He paused when he noticed I was stood staring at him. “What?” He asked with a small frown.

  My cheeks flushed “nothing.” I shook my head then smiled “It’s just...you sound incredibly...sexy speaking French. I didn’t know you were so fluent, I don’t mean just now, I heard you yesterday talking on the phone and around H.Ealing and...” I closed my mouth when I saw a sensual smile cross his lips. He walked towards me slowly, his hands in his pockets. He stopped in front of me still with his hands in his pockets.

  “Mon amour, à vous voir sourire j'apprendrais mille langues.”

  I shivered at his softly spoken words whispering over my body like a lover’s gentle caress. “What did you say?” I sighed feeling my knees weaken.

  “My love, to see you smile I would learn a thousand languages.”

  “Kiss me.” I said grabbing a handful of his shirt and pulling him to me. “embrasse-moi.”

  “That too.” I smiled before pressing my lips firmly to his.

  “Oh my God, everywhere you look it’s just amazing. It’s beautiful. Look at it.” I gasped turning in a full circle staring at the magnificent architecture surrounding me.

  “Oh, trust me I see it,” he said and when I looked at him over my shoulder his eyes were fixed on my bottom “Dominic.” I laughed and turned to walk into his arms. I felt his chest rumble with laughter. “Sorry, but you do have a nice arse.”

  We stood on the Alexander bridge and every direction I turned I could see a breathtaking view of Paris, I frantically looked around not wanting to miss even a second of it. Dominic stood behind me, his chin resting on my shoulder, his arms wrapped around my waist hugging me to him.

  “I don’t know what to do first...” I lifted my hand and pointed to Notre Dame, then turned us to face the Eiffel Tower. “I feel like I’ve so much to do and no time at all to do it. Makes me sad to think I won’t have time to see everything.” I turned to look back down the river towards Notre Dame.

  “I promise to bring you back; we could have a week here if you wanted. What do you think? Come when the weather is a little warmer, because I’ve got to say babe it’s frigging freezing.” He chuckled.

  I nodded “I’d love that.”

  “When we get back, I’ll book it then.” I turned quickly in his arms.

  “Really?”

  “I promise. Do you want me to ask Alistair if we can have the apartment or do you want to go to a hotel?” his warm breath puffed out into the cold air. His nose and cheeks were red; I hadn’t felt the cold because he’d kept me so close to him the whole time.

  “I like the apartment...but...are you sure?”

  “I’ll ask Alistair then, and yes I’m positive. That way you can relax today and just explore without stressing over missing anything, make this a kind of planning day. You can get it in your mind what you want to see when we come next year.”

  I smiled and lifted onto my tip toes to press a soft kiss to his mouth. “Thank you.”

  “Vous êtes les bienvenus belle.”

  I shivered again and he laughed hugging me to his chest.

  “Over in that direction, there is a bridge called the Pont de l'Archevêché, or ‘the lock bridge’. Lovers are known to padlock a lock to the bridge as a symbol of their endless love for one another. Do you want to s
ee?”

  I nodded and smiled. When we started walking in the direction opposite, I turned to look over my shoulder with a wistful sign. Suddenly we turned around and starting heading back in that direction. “What are you doing?”

  “Eve, you’re dying to see the Eiffel Tower. We can go there first.” He laughed and nudged me forward.

  “What about the locks?”

  “They will still be there when we come again. And then I can bring a lock with us, a little piece of us will be here forever that way. The place where we began our life together.”

  A butterfly took flight in my stomach and I beamed up at him.

  We walked hand in hand along the river seine, the weather was brisk and every so often a cold wind blew and nipped at my face but I didn’t want today to end. The buildings were so gorgeously designed; the ornate gothic architecture was breathtaking. The old and new designs of The Louvre, were fascinating, I’m not an art fan per-se but I can admire the beauty and renaissance of a masterpiece.

  The imposing grandeur of Notre Dame made me stop and stare, watching the stained glass glitter and shine with the winter sun. Even in the cold people flocked to take pictures and bask in the beauty of the timeless construction. Dominic smiled every time I stopped to stare at something, he stood beside me with his arm either around my waist or around my shoulders holding me close, letting me take in my surroundings.

  “It’s so beautiful Dominic, everywhere you look...” I mused, glancing around me.

  “I’m enjoying seeing it through your eyes, watching you enjoy it. Loving I’m with you for your first experience.” He smiled, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to my lips.

  “Do you really think we will come back here?”

  “I promise.” He pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around my waist “To prove I’m serious when we get back tonight I will load the laptop up and book it there and then, I’ll even check with Alistair if the apartment will be available.”

  I lifted my hand to stroke along his cheek “I don’t deserve you.” I whispered.

  “Yes you do. We were made for each other; I’ve believed that for as long as I can remember. You know how you feel like you’re going to miss something here, that we don’t have enough time.” He paused looking at me so I nodded “well I feel like that with you, I’m trying not to rush everything, because I feel like you’re going to disappear into thin air. I feel like I need to hold tight to keep you grounded to me, but by doing that I’m terrified I’ll scare you away.” He let out a loud puff of air.

  “Dominic, I don’t know how to answer that.” I pressed my cheek against his chest “I love being in your arms, being here with you. I’m just as scared as you are that it will be taken away from me. It’s like we’ve transferred to a perfect alternate universe where our dreams have finally come true.” I laughed and snuggled closer to him.

  “I swear if you’ll have me, I am yours forever. I’m really not joking when I say I’d take you to a church now and marry you. It sounds ridiculously fast, but I’ve loved you my entire life and I see no one making me as happy as you can. We are two halves, incomplete and unfulfilled alone, but put us together and we become magical and beautiful. You are my other half, you make me special, you make me whole.”

  “I like that.” I smiled lifting my face to look up at the beautiful man before me.

  “I love you.” He muttered before pressing his lips to mine.

  “Eve, you’re buzzing woman... I can feel your body shaking with excitement.” He laughed hugging me tightly. He stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist.

  “I’m at the top of the bloody Eiffel Tower, at the top Dominic. I am standing at. The. Top.” I boasted

  pressing my hand to my chest as I looked out at the Parisian skyline. It was dark now; the sun set over an hour ago and Paris was an astounding sight of twinkling lights and exquisite magical streets.

  “You’re not quite at the top –“

  “Don’t you dare be pedantic at a moment like this Dominic!” I said nudging him with my elbow. He pressed his face into my neck and laughed. I shivered as his breath tickled my neck. “Watching you, all glassy eyed and completely happy is better than any periodic building babe.”

  “It’s just so...so...wonderful. I’m at the top of the Eiffel Tower with my...my...boyfriend.” I let out a

  relieved sigh and smile

  “I like the sound of that.” Dominic whispered pressing his lips to my warm neck.

  “It’s perfect. I’ve never felt so happy.” I said out into the darkness. I turned my head slightly and Dominic lifted his to look at me. “Thank you, for everything. I’ll never forget this as long as I live.”

  His eyes darkened, the intensity with which he regards me takes my breath away. He turned me to face him and walked us back toward the railing and pressed me against the cold metal. “I’m going to kiss you now because I can’t go another minute without your taste in my mouth” his lips covered mine in a hot searing kiss. I held onto his shoulders anchoring myself to him.

  “Vous enlevez mon souffle, mon coeur bat pour vous et vous seul. Je déclare mon amour pour vous et vous seul, Je t'aime Evelyn, pour toujours.”

  I whimpered at the sexy breathy way he spoke, but before I have the chance to ask what he said his lips took mine again. His hard body pressing against mine to envelope me in a ravishing embrace. I gasped and pulled my mouth away when he rolled his hips into my sacred place. A desperate longing awakened and I craved something, something I couldn’t grasp, like an itch I couldn’t scratch. He flexed his hips again and pressed his hard jean clad thigh against my sensitive core and I moaned again.

  “Dominic...” I panted grabbing at his coat pulling him towards me or pushing him away I wasn’t quite sure. My mind was on sensation overload and I couldn’t grasp a coherent thought. Involuntarily I pressed my hips against him, at contact he growled low in his throat.

  “If I don’t stop now, I think I may be arrested for deflowering a Parisian landmark.” He grumbled into my neck.

  I nodded because that was all my body could accomplish.

  He feathered kisses along my sensitised jaw and neck. “We need to go. Are you hungry?”

  I made a strange noise in the back of my throat to which he laughed and lifted his head. He stared at me, his eyes dancing with desire. “God you’re beautiful. I can’t wait to see what you look like when you come for me.”

  At my scandalised intake of breath he smiled and put his lips near my ear “I want to see you come around my fingers, in my mouth and watch when you finally come with me deep inside you.” He nipped my ear lobe with his teeth and I whimpered again, my heart took off on an erratic gallop.

  “Does that sound like something you want?” I garbled an embarrassing sound of pleasure.

  He pulled away from me and took my hand. “Come on, let’s eat.” He laughed at my gawping face.

  “Bonsoir, pourrions-nous avoir pour commencer la Royale de cèpes et morilles et poireaux tendres dans une sauce crémeuse, la principale j'aurai poché loup de mer en sauce à la truffe, ma copine aimerait le Filet de bœuf rôti à la sauce Chateaubriand, pourrait-elle avoir que bien fait s'il vous plaît. Et nous allons décider sur les déserts plus tard. Merci.” Dominic folded his menu and held it out to the waiter.

  Is it wrong that even ordering our dinner I wanted to dive across the table and devour him? My cheeks heated at the thought and I smiled feeling for once in a very long time, free and normal, in my desires for the man opposite me.

  "Bon monsieur, je reviendrai sous peu avec vos boissons." The waiter turned from our table and approached the bar.

  “How do you know French Dominic? You sound beautiful.” I said feeling lame.

  “I wouldn’t say that, I still get a lot of things wrong, but I pick it up the more I come here. I took a night course with Vanessa, she also enrolled in the Italian class too, but I only had time for one.” He looked off into the distance and a small smile played across h
is lips.

  My heart flipped and dropped leaving a hollow ache in my chest at the wistful look on his face. I reached out a shaky hand to grasp my water glass.

  “I miss those classes.” He sighed.

  I fought back a wave of emotion. It would be so easy to crumble right now under my insecurities.

  “The tutor we had, Eric, was so laid back. He reminded me so much of my dad I used to love Tuesday nights. He looked nothing like dad; it was just his mannerisms and dry sense of humour. He wasn’t French, his wife was though. He used to tell us stories about how they met when he was teaching third year French in high school, and she was a student teacher. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him and they argued constantly because she believed his teaching methods were seriously lacking.” His shoulders shake with silent laughter “She used to meet him at the end of our class and sometimes we would go for drinks afterwards. They constantly bickered, interchanging between the two languages, but the love they had for one another was so evident. The entire time they argued, she would hold his hand or he’d have his arm around her, there was no malice between

  them. They had a true love for their work and each other. It was never awkward to be with them, it was fun and I miss seeing them.” He placed his elbow on the table and pressed his chin on his fist, staring out of the boat window. He had insisted we dine on the Bateaux Parisians.

  “Have you not seen them since you graduated?”

  “Hmm? Oh, not in person. I occasionally text him. The last time I heard they had just had their third son, Isaac. At least I have some news to share when I contact him again.” He smiles looking over at me. “He said I would eventually impress the ladies with my linguistic abilities.” He waggled his eyebrows and smiled. “I always said I only had one woman to impress...and here you are.” He reached across the table for my hand. “Are you impressed?”

  “I’d probably be more impressed if I knew what you were saying, as far as I know you could be telling me I look like a toad and smell like a pig’s trotter.”