Chapter Twenty: Cognac With A Friend

Mirielle giggled. "Am I going to make it to a cab this time?"

Erik ran a hand down the outside of her thigh. "We really should get you home. Your room mates have probably called out the gendarmes by now."

"Goodness! They will have a fit until I tell them what happened."

Erik stilled his hand's journey passed her knee. "Little rogue, you aren't to tell them anything." Was she?

"They want to hear about how romantic it was." She turned her head towards him. His hand began moving again. He was new at this.

Thinking she teased him, he moved his hand to swirl lightly behind her knee, garnering a shiver from her. He leaned over her back and placed a kiss upon her cheek. "Hmmm. Little houri.."

She stilled. "What did you just call me?"

"It's from the Muslims. A houri is a beautiful young woman that attends men in paradise."

"Oh," she sounded rather dejected. "I though you were going to talk dirty to me."

It was his turn to stop, and then burst out laughing.

Mirielle hung on to the pillow under her head while he rolled onto his back. The bed was shaking as he roared with laughter. She smiled until he finally subsided. She sat up, clutching the edge of the sheet across her bosom. Pursing her lips she looked down at him. "Really, darling man. You'll have to learn pillow talk."

He sat up, close at her back and took a locket of her hair in his fingers. And then, he began to sing.

She floated somewhere along the rising and falling sound of his voice. Feeling as if her skin had caught fire, she leaned backwards, into his arms. Melting like candle wax, she lay back as he moved her across his lap. He rocked her gently as the song wound on, her eyes refused to stay open. She lost the power to lift a hand, but with a change in his voice she followed it, rising until she twisted to face him. He stopped. She realized she sat facing him with his hands on her face. She inhaled deeply and sighed.

Erik watched her face. Although she was not as immersed in music as Christine had been, his voice still wove its spell around her. "I won't sing unless you want me to," he said very softly. He wouldn't cheat her of it if she wanted it, but he wouldn't use it to coerce her either. It was too important that she came to him willingly.

"Will you have dinner with me again?" he asked.

"Yes." He might have asked her to dance naked in the street, and she would have agreed. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

He gave her shoulder a shake. "I'll bring your clothes to the water closet. You can have a bath, and then we'll get you home."

She blinked rapidly. "Of course, dear man." She slid off the edge of the bed and wandered down the hall.

"There is a gentleman here to see you," Darius announced. "It is Erik."

Nadir looked up so quickly from his papers he had to make a grab for the glasses that slid off of his nose. "Erik?" Darius nodded. "Well, show him in."

Nadir put his glasses on the desk and went to stand before the door. As it opened, the tall figure of Erik moved silently inside the room.

"What has happened?"

"Good morning to you as well, Abd al-Majiid Junaibi Nadir Khan."

Nadir motioned towards a chair. "Sit down." He gazed at the man and made an open handed gesture, "Would you care for some refreshment?"

"Is it too early for a Cognac?"

Nadir called for Darius, "Bring me two glasses and the Cognac."

Waiting for his manservant to return, he took the tray from him and pushed the door closed in the younger man's face. Setting the tray on a small table, he poured the drink and handed it to Erik who appeared content to wait until he had a glass of his own. "What has happened?"

Erik glanced at him with speculation in his golden eyes. "Why do you always assume the worst?"

Nadir gave a small laugh. "Well, the last time you were here you insisted you were dying."

"Hmm, yes, well. It's not death this time. I need your advice."

"My advice," the Persian repeated.

Erik tilted his head back so the drink would not touch his mask. "I took Madame Montalais home last night."

Nadir waited. "And…?"

Erik's head swiveled quickly. "To my home, you ninny." The Persian's face was almost comical. "Did you understand me?" Erik tried again. "I took her home to my home."

Nadir looked down at his glass as if it had appeared by magic. Lifting it to his lips he took a careful sip. "She's..ah..is she?"

"Oh for God's sake, don't attempt any witticisms, just pay attention daroga." Erik sat his glass down and steepled his fingers, recounting the evening as his swarthy companion sat absorbing every word. Drawing to a close, he said, "I rowed her across the lake to the house."

Nadir sat blinking. "Well. Go on man."

"We threw propriety to the wind, and went to bed."

"Yes?"

"Yes." Erik took in the look on Nadir's face and cleared his throat. "Several times."

Nadir let out a startled "oh" in the precise pitch of a pubescent school girl. He downed the liquor, sat the glass down and grabbed one of Erik's hands, pumping it furiously up and down. "Congratulations."

Erik nodded in response to the effusive hand shake. "Yes, but you see, it leaves me with a problem."

Nadir slowed, his brows drawn down in concern.

"I always believed being intimate with a woman would be the one accomplishment that would truly make me a man as other men were. I didn't ever think about the morning after."

"You want to be rid of her?" Nadir gasped.

"No! No, no, no, no, no." Erik held his glass out for the Persian to re-fill. "Precisely the opposite, I want to keep her."

The lip of the decanter tipped slightly, a slow drop plopped in the glass. "Keep her?"

Erik lowered his glass so that more of the liquor poured, "Yes." The decanter tipped back more, stopping the flow. Tired of this game, Erik snatched the bottle from the Persian and finished topping off the glass. "You know, keep her."

Nadir sat back with a shrug. "Marry her."

"I don't love her."

Nadir tsked.

"What?" Erik drew the word out.

"I'm surprised at you." Nadir pursed his lips and got to his feet pacing before Erik's chair. "No," he held up a finger. "I am thoroughly disappointed in you." He turned and held his hands in the air. "How could you?"

Erik sat back in the chair. "What are you accusing me of?"

"Don't take that tone with me, Monsieur. You should be ashamed of yourself. Taking advantage of that woman that way!"

Erik had the distinct feeling of ants running up his neck and pulled at his collar. "Did not," he muttered.

Nadir stopped, looking down his fine Persian nose. "You didn't attempt to restrain yourself did you? Hmmm?"

Damn, these must be fire ants, his neck burned. "I…thought about it...a lot."

"Yela'an sabe'a jad lak! What if she had gotten pregnant?"

"Leave my seventh grandfather out of this, daroga." He took a sip of the liquor. "We discussed that. There won't be any children."

"But what if she did, would you do the proper thing and marry her?"

"Of course," Erik growled. "What sort of man do you think I am? I berated myself for nearly two hours over it."

Nadir stilled. "What do you mean 'berated yourself'?" He sat down heavily in his chair, closing his eyes. "Erik. You didn't!"

Heaving a sigh, Erik replied, "No. I didn't."

"Yakhreb beytak! The ruin of your house," Nadir wailed.

"She didn't bring it up because she knew we didn't need anything," he protested.

"Hmmph." Nadir eyes narrowed. "You pleaded innocent of the chandelier as well.

"Nadir." Erik raised his hands. "I swear I only wanted to touch her. She was there, standing there so beautiful in the light of the lantern. And she sighed when I kissed her. I daroga, I kissed her as a man kisses a woman.."

"So, now she's the temptress? It's all her fault?"

"No, good God no. She said we were both adults, there should be no embarrassment."

"Did you let her finish the sentence before you dragged her off to your cave?"

Erik bristled. "I happen to have a proper house.."

"But not proper manners to go with it, you booby!"

The ants seemed to be marching happy little circles all over his back. "I need your help. I don't know what to do next." When Nadir made no reply he asked, "I want to be near her, but I don't know how to ask her."

He got to his feet and walked towards the window. "I want to be around her, but I'm not sure if I ask her to come home with me again if that is being rude. Or is it expected every time we are together now? Will she be offended if I don't try to charm her into bed?"

He returned to his chair, perching on the edge. "Help me. You had a wife. What is it women expect?"

Nadir sat pushing his lips in and out before answering. "My dear fellow, if I could tell you that I would be the richest man on earth. I can tell you one thing for certain, though. A woman wants to be loved. If you cannot find it in your heart to love her, you must let her go. She deserves better than that from you."

Erik closed his eyes. A sharp pain lanced his chest.

Nadir sat forward. "Love takes time. Until it happens, you will have to pursue her."

"What? You mean woo her?"

Nadir nodded. "Yes, my friend. You must join the chase."