February 25, 1997
12:20 a.m.
"My parents want you to come to dinner," Elisa said unexpectedly.
Goliath had just stuffed his mouth with lo mein noodles and was unable to respond.
Elisa had brought takeout for her break that night and shared it with him, and they took their meal in the ruins of the old clock tower. Construction crews were still working up here, slowly repairing it, and it hardly resembled the place Goliath and his clan had called home for nearly two years. It had only been a few months since the Hunters had attacked it, forcing Goliath and his clan to relocate, but it almost felt like another lifetime. There was no work being done currently since it was night, and all of the workers had gone home, and it was a convenient and private place out of the cold where they could meet while Elisa was at work, especially on a night when she was stuck inside doing paperwork instead of responding to calls or doing investigative work.
"I'd be happy to," Goliath said once he had cleared his mouth.
"This Sunday," Elisa clarified.
"That's fine, Elisa," Goliath reassured.
"Ok. I'll let them know," Elisa said as she stirred her carton of kung pao chicken with her chopsticks. She sounded like she was being led to her execution and not to a leisurely meal with her parents.
"Is something troubling you?" Goliath asked.
"I'm just a little nervous about it, that's all," Elisa said with a shrug.
"Why? Are you afraid I will do or say something to embarrass you?" Goliath teased her lightly.
Elisa smiled softly at him.
"No, of course not. I just want them to understand, to see what I see in you."
"This isn't something you can force, Elisa," Goliath said as he brushed her hair away from her face with his talons. "It's going to take time. Sharing a meal with your parents and having a chance for them to get to know me a little better in a setting where we aren't fighting giant spiders or trickster gods will be a good first start."
Elisa laughed and put her hand over his.
"You have a point," she said.
"They're trying, my love," Goliath reassured her. "And I promise I will be on my best behavior."
Elisa smiled and leaned in close, her hand on his thigh, and she looked up at him through her eyelashes.
"I prefer it when you're not," she said in a sultry tone that sent a shiver down Goliath's spine, and he growled softly in response.
"When do you need to be back on duty?" he said in a low voice.
"I should actually head out," Elisa replied as she glanced at her watch.
"I will see you at home after your shift?" he asked.
"Just as long as I don't encounter any giant spiders or trickster gods tonight," she teased.
"You should know better than to tempt fate like that," Goliath rumbled.
Elisa laughed and then she kissed him before standing up and clearing away the remnants of her meal.
"Now, don't do too much gliding. You don't want to overdo it," Elisa reminded him.
Goliath frowned slightly.
"I can glide just fine, thank you," he said somewhat petulantly.
Elisa gave him a dubious look.
"I'll be careful," he agreed begrudgingly.
"Good," Elisa said and kissed him once more, lingering a little. Then she left, waving to him as she exited down to the station.
Goliath watched her leave to go back to work as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Now that he thought about it, he was a little nervous to have dinner with Elisa's parents. He wasn't sure why exactly, it wasn't like the outcome would alter his relationship with Elisa, but it would make her life a lot easier if they weren't against it. Still, he didn't actually need their approval.
At least, that's what he told himself.
.
.
.
March 2, 1997
7:00 p.m.
Maza Residence, Long Island
Goliath quietly touched down in the backyard of Elisa's childhood home. The lights had purposefully been shut off in anticipation of their arrival, and they did not loiter long outside out of fear of being spotted by a nosy neighbor. Elisa did not bother knocking, and quickly entered the domicile. Goliath had to duck his head and tuck his wings as they entered.
"Mom! Dad! We're here!" Elisa announced as they walked in.
Goliath looked around. The exterior of the house was based on the English Tudor style and it was neatly maintained. The interior reflected the outside, and was clean and comfortable. The décor and furnishings were contemporary, if a little dated, but the artwork on the walls was heavily influenced by African and Native American styles. Diane was a professor of African studies at Columbia University, and it reflected heavily upon her home.
"Elisa," Diane said as she and Peter emerged from a side room that was likely the kitchen as the scent of cooking wafted in with them. She opened her arms wide for her daughter, and Elisa hugged her with genuine affection. Of all things, it was Elisa's relationship with Goliath that had brought the two women closer, but when Elisa hugged her father, there was some nearly imperceptible reservation that Goliath picked up on, and he suspected that perhaps, there was some lingering grievance that Elisa had confided in her mother first before her father whom she had been closer with.
"Diane, Peter, thank you for welcoming me into your home," Goliath said with a slight bow of his head.
Diane waved a dismissive hand at him.
"Oh, please. No need to be so formal," she said and she opened her arms up to him.
Amused, Goliath bent slightly at the waist and allowed Diane to put her arms around his neck and embrace him.
Her frame was much like Elisa's, he noticed, though softer and a little fuller, and Goliath decided that if Elisa wound up looking like her mother as she aged, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
Of course, that was something that he would never admit out loud.
"Oh…your wings…" Diane said, startling him, and she pulled back and put her hands on both sides of his face as she looked at him.
"Elisa told us, but…" she trailed off as tears filled her eyes, then she hiccuped and threw her arms around his neck again and sobbed.
"I am so sorry," she blubbered into his neck.
Goliath patted her awkwardly on the back and looked to Elisa for help.
She shrugged and held her palms up in a helpless gesture.
"I don't know how I can ever thank you for saving my daughter," she wailed and held him tighter.
"It was my honor to save Elisa," Goliath said gently as he comforted her mother.
Diane sniffled and finally pulled away.
"Oh dear, I've made a total mess of myself," she said as she dabbed at her watering eyes. "Please excuse me."
After Diane had hustled off to compose herself, there was an awkward moment as they stood with Elisa's father.
"Uh…so, Goliath. Elisa tells me you're a scotch man—er gargoyle?" he corrected.
"I enjoy a dram every now and then," Goliath replied.
"Good. I've got a bottle I've been saving. Why don't you come with me, and we can have a little chat."
Goliath gave Elisa a nervous glance.
"I'm going to see how dinner's coming along," Elisa said as she slipped her hand briefly into his and gave it a light squeeze before she kissed him on the cheek and walked off into the kitchen. Goliath followed Elisa's father into his study, but it felt like he was walking into a lion's den.
...
...
Elisa stepped into the kitchen and checked the pot on the stove. It had been set to simmer, and she lifted the lid to catch a whiff of what was cooking, then she took out a spoon from a drawer and gave it a taste.
"Does it need more salt?" Diane asked from the doorway. She was composed, but her eyes were still a little red from her earlier emotional outburst.
"No, it's excellent, as usual," Elisa said with a smile. "Could be a little spicier, though."
"You would want it to burn your tongue off, but the rest of us would still like the ability to taste our food," Diane scoffed. "Why don't you help me make the tortillas?"
In the Maza house, tortillas were not bought from the store, they were made from scratch.
Diane mixed the masa harina in a bowl with salt and water, and then the two of them made small balls of the mixture that they rolled out and set aside while the frying pan was warming up.
"So…how are things going between you and Goliath?" Diane said, trying to sound casual.
Elisa looked up from her work and met her eyes briefly.
"Things are great," she said, and Diane didn't miss the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth, and the unmistakable glow on her face as she said it.
"That good, huh?" Diane said.
"I thought being with him was going to be hard, but…loving him, being with him, is easy," Elisa said softly. "It's everything else that's hard."
"I'm guessing by the glow on your face, the sex isn't bad either," Diane said bluntly.
"Mom!" Elisa exclaimed, and she accidentally dropped a tortilla on the floor.
"I have to ask. Is it physically possible to—"
"Mom! Jesus!" Elisa said appalled by her question, but her face betrayed her as bright red spots bloomed in her cheeks.
"So, it is!" Diane said her eyes wide.
"Oh, God, I don't want to talk about this," Elisa moaned.
"Elisa, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Every relationship requires a healthy sex life. Your father and I—"
"Nope! No, no, no, I definitely don't want to hear this," Elisa said as she covered her ears with her hands, inadvertently getting dough in her hair.
Diane rolled her eyes at her daughter and laughed.
"Fine honey…but I can see how it's easy to love him if he makes you blush like that."
Elisa moved over to the kitchen sink and washed the dough off her hands, and then she set to the task of removing the tortilla dough out of her hair.
"It's not just the sex, Mom…" Elisa said as Diane began cooking the tortillas on the stove.
"I would hope not," Diane said. "It's important, but it's not everything."
"It's the quiet moments, you know? When we're alone together, just making a meal or he reads me a poem or sonnet he found that reminds him of me. We can't go out on dates like normal couples, but he still tries to court me in some little way, every single day."
"He's surprisingly gentle and noble…and I suppose there is something kind of attractive about him. He's very…masculine," Diane mused.
"You have no idea," Elisa muttered under her breath.
"I know I had my reservations before, but after what he did for you…" Diane shook her head. "Well…how could I ever think poorly of him?"
"I only hope I can live up to what he did for me," Elisa said quietly her brows knitting together.
"What do you mean?"
Elisa sighed.
"I often feel guilty…about what happened to him."
Diane put a hand on her arm.
"By the way he looks at you, he doesn't regret it for a second."
"I just wish he never had to make that choice," Elisa said, her face crumpling.
"I think more than anyone, he understands the sacrifices required for the kind of life you live, and vice versa," Diane said sagely, her voice soft.
"I'm just glad he's still alive. It was a really close call, Mom."
"Me, too, honey," Diane said and she patted her gently. "Now, why don't you go tell the guys that dinner is ready."
"Okay," Elisa nodded and left.
...
...
Peter pulled a bottle of fifteen-year-old scotch from a liquor cabinet and poured them both a glass.
Goliath stood nervously nearby, his wings around his shoulders. The study was a modest room with a fireplace and a couple of leather chairs, but it was the book collection that impressed him the most. The walls had built-in shelves that were lined with them. He could see where Elisa's appreciation for literature had come from, and he was grateful for that influence as it was something he took immense pleasure from as well.
"Do you take ice?" Peter asked him.
"No, not usually," he answered, though he did recall one particular evening when Elisa had been sipping whiskey with ice, and then she had put an ice cube in her mouth before she—
"I feel I need to thank you for what you did for my daughter," Peter said jogging him out of his thoughts as he handed him a glass.
"No thanks are necessary. I was happy to do it," Goliath responded.
Peter nodded approvingly and eyed the scars on Goliath's wings. He recalled the words that he had said to him before.
That he would tear out his own wings before he allowed any harm to come to Elisa.
Apparently, he had actually meant it.
"When Elisa was born, I'd sometimes sneak into her room and watch her sleeping in her crib. I'd wonder what she would grow up to be like…what challenges she would face, what kind of life she would live," Peter said.
"I often had the same thoughts when I looked upon the unhatched eggs in the rookery…long ago," Goliath responded.
Peter nodded.
"The universal concerns of a parent, I suppose," he said. "Elisa has turned out better than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. She's courageous, compassionate, intelligent, not to mention beautiful."
"You don't need to sell me on her, I am fully aware of how incredible she is," Goliath concurred with a light smile. "You must be quite proud of her."
"Very," Peter said with genuine pride. "As a father yourself, I imagine you feel the same way about your own daughter."
Goliath nodded.
"Aye, though I did not have the privilege of raising her up as you did Elisa," Goliath said regretfully.
Peter nodded and looked at him as if sizing him up. It made Goliath immensely uncomfortable.
"Tell me, Goliath…if our roles were reversed, how would you feel if Angela decided to date a human?"
Goliath's immediate thought was that he could not see what Angela would find appealing about a human male, but then realized that line of thought was prejudicial, and Peter had a fair point.
"My daughter has already found a mate. Broadway, if you recall him,"
"The, uh, large aqua one?" Peter said, and he brought his hand out in front of him to mimic a portly stomach.
"The same," Goliath said amused. "But I understand where you are coming from, Peter. I would have similar reservations if our roles were reversed. I never expected to have your cheerful blessing, but I appreciate the grace you and Diane have extended towards me in regards to my relationship with Elisa."
Peter eyed him intensely and took a sip of his drink. Goliath could feel his palms sweating under the man's scrutiny and realized that he had been fooling himself when he thought that he had not come tonight seeking Peter's approval. It was true that he did not need it, but he desperately wanted it.
Gargoyle relationships were so much easier, in that regard. There was no need to seek the approval of your intended partner's parents when you grew up sharing the same mothers and fathers.
"You are not who I expected or wanted, to be perfectly honest…" Peter said, and Goliath tried very hard to keep his face neutral at his words as he worried where this conversation was headed.
"But I think you are who she needs."
Goliath was startled by that, and he tilted his head to the side in surprise.
"Elisa can be passionate and impulsive in a lot of ways, and her choices have often landed her in hot water. I always thought she needed someone who was stable, and quite frankly, boring to balance her, but I think that's where her other relationships have gone wrong. She dated men who couldn't keep up with her. They couldn't match her. As much as I wish she could live a safe and normal life, I don't think she's destined for that, and she needs someone who can be there for her to protect her when the chips are down…and you are clearly suited for the job," Peter said, and he sipped his scotch.
Goliath was speechless. It wasn't exactly a glowing approval, but it was more than he expected.
"I have blamed you for the recent dangers in Elisa's life, but even if you weren't a part of it, she'd still be throwing herself into one crisis after another. It's just…" Peter sighed. "It's who she is, but with you around…I think she may have half a chance of surviving."
"It is certainly a challenge to keep her out of trouble," Goliath said affectionately as he recalled the night he had first met Elisa. Peter laughed and nodded.
"That being said…I have to ask. What do you get out of a relationship with Elisa? I mean, aside from the obvious. I'm not naive," Peter said, his eyes narrowing.
Goliath tried not to cough or splutter on the scotch he had just sipped and barely managed to do so.
"Wouldn't you be happier in the long run with one of your own kind? You have options, right? It's not like you're the last of your species like you once thought."
Goliath took a deep breath before he answered.
...
...
Elisa walked down the familiar hallway to her father's study, and as she did, she heard her father speaking. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she heard her name, and she paused just outside the open doorway.
"Wouldn't you be happier with one of your own kind? You have options, right? It's not like you're the last of your species like you once thought."
Elisa frowned, disappointed. She had hoped her father would be past this now.
"I have had…opportunities to seek companionship with females of my own species," Goliath admitted.
Elisa startled at that.
Opportunities? Was he talking about Demona or Delilah…or someone else?
Oh, she was definitely going to grill him about that little admission later.
"But there is only one Elisa," Goliath continued, and his voice had taken on a nearly reverent tone as he spoke her name. "You say that I saved her, that I protect her…but she saved me, and I don't mean the dozens of times she has literally saved my life, I mean she saved my soul."
Peter waited patiently for him to continue.
"I know Elisa has told you of what happened to my clan, where we came from originally. I don't speak often of this as it shames me, but…when I voluntarily asked the Magus to cast his sleep spell on me all those years ago, I never expected to wake up again. I thought I was ending my life. My clan, my whole world, was gone, and I could not…" Goliath paused. "I was alone, and I could not bear it."
Elisa hazarded to peek inside the room, and as she did she saw an expression on her father's face that she had never seen him use towards Goliath. It was a mix of pity and empathy.
Goliath had admitted to her before why he voluntarily asked the Magus to cast the spell on him. It was after Avalon had sent them to Paris and Angela had learned that Demona was her mother. Goliath had been particularly sullen and broody that night, and the two of them had spent some time alone together, walking along the beach of Avalon as he spoke of things to her that he had never admitted aloud. Things about his relationship with Demona, of his regrets, and the torment and guilt he had felt for abandoning his children to be raised by humans. It had been a very poignant and raw conversation. One that had exposed the still broken parts of his heart and soul to her, and that had only increased the depths of her feelings for him.
"Considering the circumstances, I doubt many of us would have done differently," Peter said quietly his voice compassionate.
"When I woke up, I was a broken shell of what I once was. I was drowning in my grief and trying to lead a fractured clan in a world I did not recognize. Elisa was my lifeline then. Her friendship eased my sorrow and healed my aching heart. She lifted me out of the darkness and helped me to find joy and purpose once more. I owe her more than my life, Peter. I owe her my very heart and soul, and I have joyfully given them both up to her. I cannot claim to deserve her, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to."
Peter said nothing in response, but stood in silent approval.
Elisa stood outside for a few moments, stunned into speechlessness. Goliath always had a way with words that took her breath away, but she remembered dinner and, after composing herself, she walked in.
"Hey…I hate to interrupt male bonding time, but dinner's ready," she said.
The two males finished their drinks, then Peter clapped Goliath on the back, and they all walked out to the dining room.
...
...
Diane had made chicken molé. A Maza family favorite. Elisa had made it before, but Goliath honestly did not care for it all that much. It was too spicy for his tastes. Although his palate had expanded greatly since they awoke in Manhattan, mostly due in part to Elisa's fine cooking and her love of exotic cuisine, there were some things he still couldn't get used to. Especially anything spicy. Elisa loved spicy food, but Goliath did not have the constitution for it.
Still, he ate it gratefully. He did not want to offend Diane, and he thanked her for the meal.
The conversation over dinner had been light, comfortable even, without strife or awkwardness. When the meal was over, Goliath graciously offered to clean up, to which Diane insisted he was a guest, and the two argued good-naturedly over who would clean up until they both wound up in the kitchen. Peter and Elisa sat next to each other and enjoyed cups of coffee in their absence.
"So, Dad…what do you think?" Elisa asked her father hesitantly.
"Wouldn't you prefer a nice dentist or something?" Peter teased.
"Dad!" Elisa said and bumped him with her elbow.
"He's obviously not my first choice…but he makes you happy?"
Elisa nodded.
"He makes me deliriously happy," she sighed.
There was laughter from the kitchen from both Diane and Goliath, and they both chuckled lightly at their laughter and the rather pleasantly mundane evening they'd had.
"Then that's enough," Peter said, and he put his arm around Elisa. She leaned into him, and he kissed the top of her head.
A little while later, Goliath and Diane emerged from the kitchen.
"I'll just go get the photo album that I promised I'd show you, Goliath, just sit tight," Diane said and she hurried off down the hall towards the study to retrieve it.
"Photo album?" Elisa perked up concerned. "Oh, there's no way I'm letting this happen!" Elisa said, and she bolted down the hall after her mother.
Goliath and Peter both laughed heartily.
...
...
On the way home, Goliath held Elisa tightly in his arms as they traveled back to Elisa's loft in SoHo.
"I noticed that you did not mention our plans to your parents," Goliath said.
"What?" Elisa asked confused.
"Our commitment ceremony," Goliath clarified.
"Oh," Elisa said and she was quiet for a moment.
"I just wanted to give them one night to spend with us as a couple. They haven't really had any opportunities to see us together like that. My sister will be in town in a few weeks for spring break though, and we can tell them then when we're all together."
"I suppose that makes sense," Goliath said.
"Speaking of opportunities…what did you mean when you told my dad that you'd had a few with the ladies?" Elisa teased.
Goliath scowled in puzzlement.
"What do you mean—oh. That," he said.
"Yeah," Elisa said drawing out the word.
"You heard that?"
"I eavesdropped a little. Sorry."
Goliath knew she wasn't really sorry.
"Back in Japan…" Goliath began uncomfortably. "The clan there has a disproportionate number of females to males, which means there are several females who are of age but are unmated. I was propositioned a few times. That's all."
"A few? How many is a few?" Elisa asked intrigued.
Goliath coughed.
"Eight," he said hurriedly.
Elisa's jaw fell open.
"You're telling me, in the short period of time we were there, you had eight female gargoyles try to seduce you?" Elisa said incredulously.
"Yes," Goliath said quietly embarrassed.
Elisa laughed.
"My God! Goliath! I can't imagine the temptation," she laughed.
"I was never tempted, not even a little," Goliath said seriously.
"Oh, come on," Elisa scoffed.
"I'm serious Elisa. My heart already belonged to another," he said gently as he looked at her.
Elisa stopped teasing him and caressed his jaw before she kissed him on the cheek.
"Have you thought about sending Lexington to Japan?" Elisa suggested. "The poor guy is the only single adult in the clan now, aside from Hudson."
"I fear Lexington finds more enjoyment tinkering with his computers and electronics than he does with the company of females. I was rather disappointed that he did not meet a female in the London clan that he could potentially court. Still, these things cannot be forced."
"Oh, God, can you imagine if he decided to just build himself a companion?" Elisa laughed.
"That's very disturbing, Elisa," Goliath scowled.
Elisa laughed wickedly at his discomfiture.
...
...
When they reached Elisa's apartment, Goliath landed somewhat roughly on her roof. Though his stumble concerned her, Elisa didn't want to make a big deal out of it, and she refrained from mentioning it.
But once inside her warm apartment, she noticed him roll his shoulders and wince.
"You alright?" Elisa asked concerned.
"Just sore. I've taken for granted how easy gliding once was for me. The trip to and from your parents' home has tired me," he admitted.
Elisa watched him as he settled his wings back around his shoulders.
"Do you want me to rub them for you?" she asked.
Goliath eyed her hungrily. She had massaged his wings several times over the past month to help aid his healing and recovery, but more often than not, it ended with them naked together.
"Perhaps we should just forgo the effort, and get straight to…other things," he said as he dragged his talons slowly through a lock of her hair.
Elisa wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes before she lightly kissed him.
"I'm offering you both," she said affectionately. "If you're up for it."
Goliath pulled her in tightly.
"How could I say no," he said softly and ran a hand slowly through her hair.
Elisa took him by the hand and led him into her bedroom. When they stepped inside her personal sanctuary, the place they had spent many nights in each other's arms, she turned to him and uncinched his belt. His loincloth fell to the ground and he stepped out of it, taking Elisa in his arms as he did. He bent down to kiss her, but she slipped out of his arms just before he could.
"I'll be back in a moment," she said and disappeared into her bathroom.
Goliath flicked his tail back and forth a few times as he picked up on Elisa's playful mood. Then he reclined on her bed. He casually put his arms behind his head and waited for her to come out.
A few moments later she emerged, holding a bottle of massage oil, and with significantly fewer clothes on.
She wore a matching set of delicate underwear in a dusky shade of blue that reminded him of the sky at night right after he woke up, and the light had not completely faded. Goliath loved blue on her. It brought out the warm tone of her skin and the deep highlights of her dark hair. The flimsy material of her lingerie left little to the imagination, and yet made her semi-naked form somehow even more alluring than if she had stood there completely unfettered.
Most of the time, Elisa wore practical underwear, garments she could move easily in and be comfortable wearing for long hours on the job. What she wore now had no practical application other than to be used as pretty packaging that was promptly removed. Goliath had never realized before how alluring undergarments could be, but on her, he understood their appeal. It was more likely the anticipation of taking them off of her, but either way, he heartily approved.
"Jalapeña," he said breathlessly.
"On your stomach," Elisa ordered with an amused smile.
As he reluctantly obeyed her and rolled over into a prostrate position with his arms folded beneath his head, Elisa set the bottle of massage oil on the side table, and then she straddled his lower back. Her thighs bracketed his waist, and he waited with barely contained anticipation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reach for the bottle on the table and heard the top pop open, then she set it back down, and he heard her hands rubbing together. Then she was gliding her marvelously soft and dexterous hands over the sore arms of his wings and the muscles of his back, and he turned into a purring puddle of gargoyle.
"Oh…stars," he moaned, his voice muffled.
Elisa laughed lightly and increased the pressure she applied to his sore muscles, and he made low, rumbling sounds of approval.
He'd recovered most of the feeling in his wings, though he couldn't quite feel as much as he could before, but it was enough to glide safely again, and enough for Elisa's massage to be exceptionally pleasurable.
Elisa smiled to herself and continued to rub and work the stiff muscles and scars on the arms of his wings for several minutes, but after a while, his groans of pleasure took on a very aroused quality.
He was growling softly now, and she could feel it in her thighs, and up through her body.
"Elisa…" her name on his tongue was a plea.
She stopped rubbing his wings and raked her nails down his back.
Goliath snarled and his tail wrapped around her waist, holding her in place as he rolled beneath her, mindful not to hit her with his wings. He sat up and kissed her hungrily as his arms came around her. His hands roamed over her body, gliding over her silken skin. Elisa gripped the back of his head, caressing his hair and scalp roughly as she kissed him back.
He slid one bra strap off her shoulder and kissed the skin beneath, his teeth lightly grazed her skin causing her to shiver. He repeated the move with the other side, then he undid the clasp of her bra and pulled it away from her body, releasing her breasts from their confines. He kissed her mouth, and she moaned and ground against him as he fondled her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers.
Goliath flipped her onto her back and moved over her before he started to kiss his way down her neck and chest. Elisa groaned deeply as the pull of his mouth on her breast shot straight down her spine like electricity and settled low in her belly and between her legs.
He worked his way down her stomach and to the top of her panties before he slid them down her hips and legs and off her feet. Then he spread her thighs and hungrily devoured her. Elisa sighed with pleasure as his mouth found her. His tongue was firm but soft like velvet as he caressed her with it.
He kept up his efforts, and in a short while, Elisa was close.
So very close.
She arched her back and gasped, gripping his hair tightly as she anticipated climax, but then he stopped abruptly leaving her teetering on the edge. He pulled back and kissed her stomach and then back up to her breasts again.
"Wha—Why did you stop?" Elisa said perplexed, and a little frustrated.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were dark and liquid with need.
"Be patient," Goliath purred.
Elisa whimpered, her body was howling for release, but he just smiled devilishly at her and continued to kiss her breasts before moving up to her neck. His hands skimmed over her body, touching her everywhere except for where she really wanted him to touch her. When he finally slid his hand between her legs, and his fingers deftly caressed her in just the right spot, she almost sobbed incoherently with need.
"I could die from want of you, Elisa," Goliath groaned as he touched her.
"Please," Elisa begged. "I need you."
Goliath shuddered at her words, and she gasped as she felt herself coming to the edge again. She grabbed at him, begging and pleading for him with her body, and once more, he denied her.
"Not yet," he purred into her ear, then he captured her mouth with his. Elisa's lips and tongue warred with his in a none-too-gentle kiss. Then she reached between his legs and grasped him firmly, stroking and pumping him with her hand, and as she did she took his bottom lip between her teeth, biting him lightly.
He groaned and flexed his hips against her hand. Then she wrapped one leg around his waist and guided him to her.
He took her this time, unable to resist any longer, and he slid into her, his entry eased by his near-torturous foreplay. It amazed him that she could fit him so well, that she could take what he gave her and still want more.
"Oh, God!" Elisa exclaimed as he thrust into her, filling her to her absolute limit.
"At least give me some of the credit," Goliath muttered wryly.
Elisa had her eyes closed, but she opened them and looked at him then.
Their eyes locked as he moved in and out of her, her movements matching his. He touched her cheek gently, caressing her, and the ferocity in her eyes vanished, replaced with tenderness. She looked at him with desire but also deep and nearly overwhelming love.
"Elisa," Goliath said her name softly, with tender affection.
"Oh, Goliath," Elisa moaned, his name almost a sob, and then she came undone. She gripped his back, her fingernails pressed into his flesh. She screamed, and he growled and wanted nothing more than to find his own release, but he knew that if he slowed down, he could get a second orgasm out of her. He slowed his movements as she recovered, and then he rolled over so Elisa was on top. He held her hips and guided her with his hands. He slipped his tail between them, teasing her with the tip, and she sighed and increased her efforts. He could feel himself growing closer, but he grit his teeth and held off. He was growling constantly at this point, a low purring rumble, and Elisa thought that it was almost like making love on the hood of a muscle car. Goliath ran his hands up her chest, teasing her breasts and their hardened tips. Then he moved one hand higher, gliding up her throat until he cupped the side of her face. He brushed her lips with his thumb, and she opened her mouth and slipped her lips over it, sucking viciously.
Goliath breathed sharply through his gritted teeth and thrust up into her. She moaned, the pitch of her voice going higher as she got closer. He couldn't hold off any longer and after he thrust into her a few more times he came hard, the hand on her hip flexed and his talons bit into her flesh. Elisa cried out with pleasure at the orgasm that ripped through her, and she tossed her head back wildly as she came.
She collapsed on top of him, her head rested on his chest, and he dragged his hands through her hair as their hearts slowed, and their bodies cooled.
Elisa was always amazed by how he matched her needs perfectly, as if he anticipated them. He seemed to know what she wanted before she knew it herself. Tonight, she had been tightly wound over her nerves about dinner with her parents, and she needed sex that matched her stress level, and he had more than delivered.
"'At the touch of you, as if you were an archer with your swift hand at the bow, the arrows of delight shot through my body.'" Goliath murmured, and Elisa lifted her head up off his chest to look at him as he spoke. "'You were spring, and I the edge of a cliff, and a shining waterfall rushed over me.'"
"Did you come up with that?" Elisa asked.
"No. They are not my words, I simply borrowed them, but it is the best description I have found of what it is like when we are together like this," Goliath said softly, and he took her hand in his, lightly playing his fingers along her palm, and then he drew her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"It's beautiful," Elisa said.
Goliath caressed her cheek and then kissed her.
"As are you," he said.
Elisa gave him a crooked smile as she put her hands on the bed on both sides of his head and pushed herself up so that she leaned over him, her hair fell forward like a curtain, blocking out the room.
"By the way…I heard some of what you said to my dad…about me," she said.
"Oh?" Goliath said as he lightly ran his hands up and down her arms.
"I love you, Goliath, but I fear you've put me up on a pedestal when I don't deserve it."
"I will love you and worship you as long as there is breath in my body to do so, Elisa Maza," Goliath vowed as he cupped the side of her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb.
"You're incorrigible," Elisa sighed. "But there's no help for it, because I need you, and just as I have your heart and soul, you will always have mine in return," Elisa said with quiet intensity.
Goliath pulled her down to him and kissed her. He was still inside her, and as they embraced, he came to life, filling her again. Elisa sighed with pleasure, and she rocked her hips against him. He groaned softly and rolled, moving her beneath him once more. Elisa wrapped her legs around his waist as he flexed his hips rhythmically, moving in and out of her in a slow, languid way as they made love once more.
They spent the rest of the night like that, in each other's arms, questing to find the end of their need and hunger for each other, and never quite finding it.