by Eden Elgabri
"Hey, Miss Victoria. Aren't you coming? I expected you to call earlier."
This man would drive me to a loony bin. I hadn't showered and I looked like shit. “No, I think you're right. It's a crappy night to be out. We should get together tomorrow night instead.” I hoped his cock planned on me and ached the rest of the night.
"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to get together?"
I had wanted to see him, but it would take a good hour to get ready and at that point I had worked myself into such a state I might end up asking him point blank how he felt about me which wouldn't be wise since I probably wouldn't like his answer. “I do want to see you, but I can see you tomorrow. I really just wanted that midnight kiss."
"I wouldn't have done that anyway. I'm not into that kind of symbolism."
No, you're just not into me, I wanted to say. I bit my tongue and held in the tears. If I had to, I'd choke on them. At least he wasn't with anyone else.
When I hung up, I polished off the container of ice cream and shivered. Stupid to be eating ice cream for supper, but making it the first dinner of the year when it was about fifteen degrees out added to my stupidity. I shivered again, put on my bathrobe, and checked the thermostat. An ice cold sensation started down at my feet and worked its way up my body. This wasn't a chill from the ice cream. A chill like this meant only one thing. I headed for the bathroom and searched for the thermometer.
A hundred and two.
Couldn't be. I grabbed my glasses and checked again. No, my eyes were right. I stuck it back in my mouth and tried again. Same temperature. Great, just what I needed to start the New Year right. If this wasn't an omen of doom and gloom, what was?
I'm not sure when I noticed the phone was ringing, but I did notice it wasn't stopping. Dragging my ass out of bed I reached for it.
"Hello?"
"You sound like shit. Are you okay?"
Michael. That's right. I was supposed to see Michael. I wanted to cry, but for the first time since I'd met him, I didn't care if I saw him or not. I just wanted to sleep. “I feel like shit.” I'd spent last night, and part of the day I was pseudo-awake for, shaking uncontrollably under two heavy blankets. And the fever reducer I had in the house wasn't touching the fever. “I think I have the flu."
Michael paused, dead air on the line. “That's too bad. I was looking forward to fucking you."
His voice had a little edge to it, served him right for not having solid plans with me the night before. “I can't."
"Of course not. You need to rest. Maybe you'll feel better tomorrow. If not, we'll get together as soon as you do. I'll call and check on you tomorrow."
He did. My fever hung around like a bad party guest. I managed to get myself to the doctor on Monday. Since more than forty-eight hours had gone by, she didn't think traditional flu medicine would help. Just mega doses of fever reducer. To this day I don't know how I drove myself there and I collapsed when I managed to get back home.
Michael had called everyday. He'd offered to bring me soup but my vanity prevented it. I was afraid he'd take one look at me and run for the hills. By Wednesday I felt a little better and had high hopes for the weekend. The entire vacation was getting messed up and classes were starting again the next week.
My hopes for seeing Michael were dashed when the fever returned with a vengeance on Thursday. I pretended the recovery was going well and that we'd be better off to wait until Saturday to see each other, just so he wouldn't catch it.
When he called on Saturday and I didn't feel any better, I knew I had to risk him seeing me. It all remains a little foggy, but I think I remember opening the door. And that was it.
Everything hurt and I wasn't sure why. I could hear Michael's voice. It seemed far away and I had to struggle to hear him. Huck Finn? Why would Michael be reading aloud? Was he reading to me? And what was that beeping sound? It didn't sound like a phone. No word existed that could explain how tired I felt.
I fought sleep knowing that the slumber that beckoned was eternal. His voice started to become softer and pull away. I floated not wanting to leave but not having the strength to stay.
"Miss Victoria, your master loves you."
I heard that loud and clear. Was it a dream? I needed to find out. I battled and opened my eyes. Michael had pulled me into his arms and a nurse hustled into the room and stopped abruptly when she reached the monitor. So that was the beeping.
"Don't leave me, Victoria,” he whispered. His eyes looked wet like he was close to tears. Holy shit. Was I that sick?
"Michael.” Saying his name took all the energy I had, but I knew I had to reassure him.
When my head cleared a few days later I found out I'd been dehydrated and my flu had turned into pneumonia. I sat propped up in Michael's bed with the phone and the TV remote lined up beside me and a big glass of some nasty tasting electrolyte drink sitting on the nightstand. I'd have to drink it. Michael would check and if I didn't, I'd have to go back on the IV. I made a face and took a few gulps.
"Good. I see you're behaving.” Michael smiled at me from the doorway.
"Go to work, Michael. You can't stay here and play nursemaid. I shouldn't even be here."
"Just this week, then you can go back to the apartment and to school."
"I've missed so much. Thanks for helping me catch up."
He looked down and just stood there. “I care for you. I really care for you, but. . . . “
Oh shit. I knew there'd be a but. I didn't say anything. To be honest, I'm not sure I even took a breath.
"Victoria, I'll never be the fairytale."
He was telling me he'd never marry me. Is that what he thought I wanted? I shrugged. “No biggie. As long as you're not the nightmare."
He raised his eyebrows like he wasn't exactly sure what I was talking about.
"Michael, I'm not looking for a fairytale. I want the real you. We entered the contract for a reason. We're both busy."
"Our relationship has changed."
"I know and I like the direction it's going, but it's just a direction, there's no destination. I'll admit I want to spend more time with you and I'd like to do more together, not just sex."
"So you don't want to move in or anything?"
"God, no. I'm still recently divorced. I'm not in any kind of a rush. I just want to be able to say ‘I love you’ because that's how I feel, but I don't want anything from you except your love in return."
"Done.” He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. “I'm still not a good boyfriend."
"I heard you say you loved me. That's a win in my book.” I sat up and leaned against him. “Master, let me please you."
He bent me back down on the bed and lie down next to me, his hand rubbing along my side down past my ass and then all the way back up to my breast. His touch, softer than it had ever been, was a treat. Part of me knew it was because I was sick and the other part knew that the sickness was the excuse he was using to make love to me in a vanilla way. He tested the waters.
My body responded immediately. He needed to know I responded to him not because he was a Dom, but because he was Michael, the man I loved. A man who just happened to be a Dom. His mouth found mine and we kissed, a gentle kiss that heated quickly. His hands and mouth roamed my body making it come alive with want. He reached over to the nightstand and opened the drawer for a condom. The sound of the foil ripping brought me joy.
It seemed like forever since he'd been inside me and I needed him. He sheathed his cock and nudged my legs open so he could settle between them. He eased inside me and I sighed contentedly before he even started to move. I breathed in the scent of him like comfort food. He filled me and there was something amazing in that feat alone, a sense of security, trust, and fulfillment.
He started moving and as usual I lost my ability to think. Sensations flooded me and our bodies moved as one. He held off until I came and he followed right after. We held each other and basked in the moment. Nothing needed to be said.
/> Perhaps for the first time we knew it wasn't about making it work forever, but about allowing love, sex, and companionship to join us on our voyage.
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About The Author
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Eden Elgabri has a BA in Secondary Education from Arizona State University and an MA in English from the University of Rhode Island. She works full time teaching writing. A student once complained about the length of an assignment to which Eden replied with her normal catch phrase, “You could write a book about that.” His reply, “Why don't you,” changed her life. By the end of the school year Eden completed her first work of fiction and joined Rhode Island Romance Writers. She now cannot imagine a life without the characters that are her constant companions. Eden resides in Rhode Island with her two wonderful teenage children and two lunatic cats.
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Table of Contents
My Dates with the Dom
TO MY READER:
Dedication:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
About The Author
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