Chapter 13
Lissa slowly applied her makeup, being very deliberate and careful with each stroke and line she made. She wanted to look absolutely irresistible when she told him her secret about them both. That's one reason why she'd gone on a shopping spree that day and was going to a restaurant that served Greek food just a few blocks away. It was walking distance, she mused, but not in the heels she would be wearing soon.
Glancing at the five-inch stiletto high heels, she grimaced. It hurt just thinking about walking five or more blocks to a restaurant. That's why she had a car on the lower level of the parking garage.
She grinned now as she dabbed on some of the perfume Delemir had found a smaller bottle of for her. She touched it just in the hollow between her breasts, at her wrists and on the skin below her ears. Those, she knew, were the best places for perfume, especially sweet, seductive scents. She'd talked to enough of her married friends and seen enough TV to know that.
Checking over herself in the mirror again, she grinned. She had her hair left now. That would be fun.
"Delemir, do you like one or two?" she called through the door warily.
"Two! Why?" he asked, obviously done changing into the slacks and dress shirt. She grinned and picked up the boar bristle hairbrush.
"Here, brush your hair and do something with it so it isn't just hanging there," Lissa said, thrusting the brush out to him, intentionally letting the scent out to tease him.
She shut the door and began to carefully braid the hair between the top of her ear and her crown. When she had two slim braids, she brought them back and literally tied them together. Deciding that they would come undone, she found a clip with a butterfly adorning it and secured the two braids together at the back of her head. She grinned at how it accented the red in her hair that was enhanced by the black dress.
Checking herself over once more, not wanting anything out of place, she picked off a little imaginary piece of lint from the fabric over her stomach. A sly, feminine smile crept over her face as she pulled on the high heels, fixing them on her foot carefully. When she was sure she could walk, she opened the door and whistled.
"Delemir," she said in a singsong voice. He turned from looking out of the window in the bedroom and saw her. His jaw dropped. "Do you like it?"
Dear Lord, his fantasies were coming true. She was in that black dress and she looked just as he'd pictured her to. He felt a sharp pang of desire deep within him, but he controlled it with effort as he watched her turn a slow circle.
"That's why you asked one or two," he said when he could move over to her. He lifted the braid in the back and grinned. "Yes, two does nicely."
"I thought so," Lissa agreed. "Shall we go?" Delemir was slowly moving in on her to kiss her, and that was exactly what Lissa wanted.
"Go where?" he murmured when his lips were a whisper away from hers.
"Out to eat. There's this great place I know—it has wonderful scallops and a Greek salad," Lissa said, finding she needed to help herself out with speaking as his arms encircled her waist.
"Hmm. Why don't we just say in?" Delemir asked, resisting the urge to kiss her but to rub his lips over her cheeks gently.
"Because, I readied myself to go out," Lissa murmured, leaning against him as she was unable to stand on her own. "We're going out. And I can't believe I'm going to drive in these heels." She tried to stand to accentuate her point, but fell, unintentionally, back against Delemir.
"Neither do I," he said and kissed her finally.
Her taste exploded in him, just as he'd imagined it, just as he'd known it would. And just as he'd hoped it would, he mused to himself as he changed the angle and deepened the kiss for only a moment before drawing back.
"You're wearing one of the scents you bought today," Delemir noted, kissing her lips again gently.
"Yes, the one you picked out," Lissa informed him, grinning. "Or at least found another bottle of."
"Yes, that one." Delemir grinned and moved to kiss her deeper again.
"Shall we go?" Lissa was going to leave him wanting her all night, and not let him have at least a kiss from her until later. That was her plan. She'd drive him insane until he was ready to corner her and plunder. Then she'd say it, just as that dangerous gleam came in his eyes. It'd be interesting to see his reaction. Very interesting, she mused. Laughing, she started off toward the door and the elevator to go downstairs.
Delemir knew Lissa had a plan in mind, and a devious one. He's seem the mischievous gleam in her eyes when she'd stared up at him, just before he kissed her. Just before he wrote the invitation to offer her his heart. That was what he was going to do tonight. He was going to offer her his heart, truly and forever. He knew it was dangerous—he could die should she reject him. He knew it was risky—he would die if he didn't take those risks. So, when they reached the bottom floor of the parking garage, he watched Lissa walk out of the elevator in the stiletto heels and over to the car she'd cleaned out and washed. It was white, they'd found out, much to Lissa's amazement. It was an old Neon, a '92 model. As they climbed in it, it took a minute to start the engine started before they were able to pull out.
"You look nice tonight," Delemir said, feeling strange and slightly uncomfortable. He glanced at her and saw a wicked grin on her face.
"Yeah? So do you. I'm glad you let me stuff that shirt in your bag," Lissa murmured, turning right. "Otherwise we'd be stopping at the mall again and going to another store."
Delemir shuddered slightly. "I have never seen so many people in one place before. It is slightly frightening to think there are that many strangers that exchange money for things. How do you know they did not trick you?" he wondered aloud.
Lissa laughed as she pulled into a parking lot. She parked the little jelly bean car and turned to face him, saying, "Delemir. Here in my world, there aren't many thieves in stores that are behind the counter. They have these little tag things on whatever you're going to buy, and they have something like a computer chip, I think, in them so when the little scanner thing goes over it, it picks up a signal and it says how much the item is. Like this—" She picked up her purse as they walked out and she fished out a bottle of perfume. "Here, on this, it has a bar code, the thing with the signal. So when the scanner thing goes over it, it picks up the signal and bing! It rings it up and says how much you have to pay."
"Sounds complicated," Delemir murmured as she took his hand.
"Of course. All things are complicated when I explain them," Lissa grinned at him. "That's the joy of being female."
When they stepped into the restaurant, they were immediately serviced and seated in a discrete corner. They both ordered water to drink, and bread to munch on until they had ordered the rest of their meal. Lissa looked confidently at the menu, whilst Delemir looked slightly confused at it.
"Melissa, I have not the faintest idea what some of these things are," he told her in her ear.
Something inside Lissa jumped then, with his lips so close to her ear, whispering. She giggled at herself and him. "I'll order for you. Actually, since there's this one plate that I had when I was last here a good few years ago, I couldn't eat it all by myself, so we'll share that," she said, leaning over him to point at something on the menu. Purposely, she brushed against his arm and shoulder to see the menu then licked her lips. "That one. Ktenia maratho, also known as Scallops fennel. Though the ones at Orleans House are better." She whispered the last part as the water came up to them.
"May I take your order?" he asked, his Greek accent thick.
"Yes, um, we'll take the Scallops fennel, please, for now." Lissa beamed up at him, then glanced back down at Delemir's menu, deciding for later things.
"Is that all?" the tall, pepper-and-salt haired man asked.
"Right now, it is. Thank you," Lissa said. "Remember the Tiramisouzo and the St. John Red, all right?" she whispered to Delemir, close to his ear this time.
"All right," he managed to say when he caught another strong whiff of her perfume. When she sat down again, she grinned at him, a sultry, feminine smile.
"So, what do you think so far?" she asked him quietly.
"Of what?" That scent she'd dabbed on was increasing and filling his senses, though he seemed to be the only one affected by it. Then, he saw her finger go just along the V-necked hem and linger at the inner most point. He swallowed hard and forced his gaze to her face, which was almost as tempting. Her lips were slightly parted—an invitation? Her eyes were dark, the amber flecks enhanced and almost glowing eerily. He just now noticed a slight downward slant in her eyes as the lids closed slowly and opened at just the same speed. Her cheeks were a deep rose blush that hinted that she knew something he didn't. He wondered what it was.
"The restaurant and the hotel. It's my fault we're having to stay at the hotel," she said, shifting slightly so she leaned comfortably in the corner between two walls.
"No, it isn't." Delemir cleared his throat and took a sip of his water as he felt a wave of heat go through his body. "It is perfectly fine that you would want to be out of your house with Onaumbar there. He is quite a frightening character."
Lissa winced slightly upon a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach and a quick clenching in her heart. She covered it up and watched Delemir intently. "Yes, he is," she said softly, her voice low and tantalizing.
"And he is after you, all things considered," Delemir pointed out.
"Thank you, Mr. Obvious," Lissa murmured, sipping her water and leaving a print of lipstick there.
Just how she moved, Delemir told himself, was driving him insane. Then, when you added her looks and how she was enunciating her words, he was surprised he wasn't half-mad and going on the brink of losing all sanity. He was much more surprised he hadn't leaned forward and kissed her yet.
"Delemir," she said quietly, flicking her hair over her shoulders. This was it, she knew. She saw that gleam in his eyes just veering on the edge of dangerous, but was still on the red warning bells.
Then, he leaned over close to her, ready to kiss her senseless and throwing gentleness aside. He cupped the back of her neck to bring her closer to him, firmly, and to see the look of thrill in her eyes, just behind the sense of secrets running through her. That's what stopped him a millisecond from kissing her and a whisper away from her lips.
"Melissa?" he said quietly, his lips slightly brushing hers as he spoke.
"Delemir," she said, leaning her head back a little more, "I have to tell you something."
Delemir drew back slightly to look at her. "Yes?" he asked upon her long silence.
"Delemir, I l—"
Lissa was cut off by a sudden call of her name—her full first name. She looked up and saw a tall, about 5'6", woman waving slightly. Her hair, going from light to dark brown, bounced slightly, causing the hints of natural auburn to become visible in the dim lighted restaurant. Her hazel/green eyes gleamed with irony at seeing her there. Her British accent was apparent as she called Lissa's name.
"Charlene?" Lissa said, sitting up straighter and bumping into Delemir. That went unnoticed as she stood up now and went to her friend. "Charli, what are you doing here? How long have you been in the U.S.?"
"About two days. I'm staying at a hotel," she said, glancing at Delemir. She grinned at Lissa.
"Which hotel?" Lissa asked, unintentionally ignoring the waiter. Charli said the name of her hotel and Lissa's eyes widened. "Really? Delemir and I are staying there, too!"
"Awesome," Charli said. "Delemir?" She finally caught that a second after her first response.
"Yes, Delemir," Lissa said, pointing at him. "Won't you have dinner with us here? You can munch off of our plate since it's horrendous. We ordered scallops, if that's fine."
"Um, sure," Charli answered hesitantly.
Lissa cleared the matter with the waiter and asked that another roll be brought out for Charli, then they all sat down. Lissa, finally remembering what she had set out to do before Charli had appeared, sighed and leaned against Delemir's shoulder as the scallops were served.
"Thank you," she said to the waiter.
"I will check on you three later," he said then disappeared.
Lissa grinned and unrolled her silverware from the napkin. Taking the first bite of the food, she had the joy of feeling the tastes explode inside of her mouth. The scallops were slightly tangy in the fennel sauce, probably from the lemon juice. Then, she had a taste of the garlicky part of it and felt her mouth begin to water.
"How is it?" Delemir murmured in her ear softly.
"Perfect, just as I remember it," she said. "Oh, if you're going to try the rice," she added aloud to both Delemir and Charli, "mix it with the fennel sauce first. The rice is a little bland."
"All right," Charli said and dug in. Delemir was a little hesitant, but tried the other half of Lissa's scallop and found he liked it.
About fifteen to twenty minutes later, the plate was only left with remnants of Scallops Fennel and forks piled over it. There were a few grains of rice left, and a lot of sauce there, but it was being dabbed up with bread chunks over conversation.
"Is there anything else you would like?" the waiter asked upon his return.
"Yes," Lissa said, sitting up. "Could you bring the dessert menu out for my friend please?"
"I'll just rely on the intuition that you'll order something good and I'll watch you in action," Charli said, grinning.
"All right. Then, we'll have two plates of the Tiramisouzo and three glasses of St. John Red wine, please," Lissa said and smiled.
"Are any of you above the age of twenty-one?" the waiter asked.
"We all are," Delemir said, grinning.
To show proof, Lissa pulled out her I.D. card.
"Of course," the waiter said and left to prepare the desserts.
"So, how did you two meet?" Charli asked.
Lissa cleared her throat and sat forward to lean on her elbows on the table. "It's actually an odd story," she said, glancing at Delemir. "A few weeks before Christmas, Delemir shows up at my house saying that he's thinking of staying in this area, but is looking out for a place to stay and wanted to know if he could stay at my place for a while. I said fine, but with some hesitation. We haven't quite found a place for him yet, but we almost have one."
"Ahh, so why are you two in a hotel right now?" Charli asked again, processing everything.
"Remodeling the kitchen," Lissa said as Delemir answered with, "Pest problem."
"Which is it?" Charli wanted to know, smirking. Her oval-shaped eyes glinted as the flutes of wine were presented to them.
"Your coffee will be coming with the Tiramisouzo." The waiter didn't stall for a comment, but left again to finish the preparation of the dessert.
"Well?" Charli pressed, sipping the red wine.
"Um, we're remodeling because of a pest problem in the floor. Termites, I think," Lissa said slowly and deliberately over the rim of her glass. She felt a chill go down her back as Delemir rested his hand at the base of her neck and kneaded there gently.
"Oh, okay. So, Delemir, what do you do?" Charli asked, leaning forward over the table.
"I am currently critiquing Lissa's writing in return for boarding and meals," Delemir said easily, continuing to knead the slight tense muscles in Lissa's neck. He wanted to kiss that spot gently, but felt it wouldn't be right in front of someone else that he was just meeting.
"And how is she doing with it?" Charli grinned, recognizing the look of wanting and longing in Delemir's eyes when he looked at Lissa.
"She's doing beautifully. She has recently been asked by her publisher to write a full-length novel aside from her children's stories. From what I have read of how much she has written, it is coming along perfectly," he said, eyeing Lissa smugly.
"And why didn't I hear tale of this?" Charli asked, directing her question to Lissa.
"Um, because," she began as the dessert was served with the coffee and cream cheese, "I haven't been able to go on my computer that much lately. Then, whenever I could it was late and you were already asleep. Then, you've also been here for two days, plus spending time on an airplane does put a dent in it."
Charli laughed as she took a bite of the dessert. "All right, enough explanations. I follow your reasons," she said.
Delemir, also listening to the conversation, had been staring at the coffee in front of him with a strange look. Lissa had made coffee before, but none like this. It smelled slightly strange—different from the coffee she made normally. It had a darker color to it as he hazarded to stir it. He sniffed it slightly and smelled something familiar, though he couldn't put his finger on it. He sipped it and finally figured out what it was. Chocolate. It was chocolate coffee.
Jerking his head back slightly upon seeing something right in front of his face, he saw that Lissa was holding out her fork with a little of the Tiramisouzo there. He took a bite and nodded his head. "Good," he mumbled, then leaned close to her ear. He whispered something to her quietly that made her eyes widen and make an effort to keep her mouth closed as she munched on the dessert.
"What?" Charli said, seeing the look exchanged between them.
"Nothing," Lissa said, still eyeing Delemir. "He's just being bad."
"Ooh," Charli murmured, taking another bite of the dessert.
And that was how the three spent their evening. They shared dinner and dessert, munching on this, sipping on that, then bid farewell about twenty minutes after they were finished. Lissa picked up the bill of $34.25, refusing any help on it, and then they left. The moment Lissa and Delemir were in her car, Delemir turned to her.
"What is it?" Lissa asked, reaching up to touch his cheek gently. He leaned forward, quicker than expected, but stopped a few inches from her face.
"I love you," he whispered. "How many times have I told you today?"
"About three, including now," Lissa whispered back, wanting to tell him the same thing.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," he said, kissing her at intervals between each time. "That's six, right?"
Lissa kissed him again before answering. "Yes, it is. Delemir," she murmured, breathlessly. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Delemir sighed to himself when she leaned back into her seat and cranked the car up again.
"I haven't been completely honest with you over everything lately. I'm sorry for that. But I can't tell you everything right now." She slowly pulled out of the restaurant parking lot, chewing on a stick of gum she'd pulled out of her purse.
"Why?" Delemir wanted to know, sitting back against the chair to watch the lights around them pass by.
"I guess I'm scared," Lissa murmured, stopping at a traffic light. "Come here." When Delemir leaned forward, she kissed him gently again. "But I do promise that I will tell you the second I can, whether it's three in the morning or we're crowded in an elevator," she vowed.
"All right." Delemir kissed her again just as the light turned green. He watched Lissa turn her attention back to driving and heard her sigh contently when their hotel came into view. She slowly pulled up in the front parking lot and around to the back of it. She went through the procedure of sticking the key in the slot and taking it out for the garage door to open. Slowly driving in, she went to the lower level of the garage and parked in the same spot they'd been in only an hour and a half earlier. They both stepped out as another car was pulling into the garage. Lissa waved in a neighborly manner then started off to the elevator to go to the lobby level.
"What are you doing?" Delemir asked when she'd hit the button and was now leaning over her shoe and working at the strap.
"Taking these shoes off," Lissa answered, fighting with them until she had them off as the elevator door opened. She hooked her fingers around the back strap and walked across to hit the button to go up again.
"Hi," a familiar voice said from behind Lissa. She turned to see Charli again.
"Hello. Twice in one night," she said, grinning. One of the doors opened and Lissa, Delemir, and Charli all walked onto it. "What floor are you on?"
"Three," Charli said, hitting the button on the other side.
"Lucky you. We're on twelve," Lissa murmured, leaning against Delemir's shoulder and taking his hand in hers. "All the way at the top."
"Hmm," Charli said as the elevator stopped. "Meet me for happy hour tomorrow night?"
"Sure!" Lissa said, waving. "See you there."
Then the doors closed and Delemir turned to face Lissa. He took her face in his hands gently and kissed her patiently, soft and coaxing.
"What was that for?" Lissa asked when Delemir let go of her.
"I love you," he told her when they walked out onto the hallway to go back to their room.
"Seven. Are you shooting for ten or fifteen?" she wanted to know, pleased with how the carpet felt under her feet.
"Whichever it ends up as," Delemir said quietly. When they reached the door, he suddenly felt a little strange.
"Are you all right?" Lissa asked when she noticed the look on his face and how he paled. She pressed her hand to his forehead and sighed. "Poor baby, you've a fever."
"What? Elves can't be sick!" Delemir exclaimed. He may be an Elf, but he surely knew what a fever was. "I—Hold that thought." He touched her cheek gently, then made it apparent he wasn't feeling well as he rushed to the bathroom. A hurling sound was heard and Lissa frowned.
He was right. Elves were immune to sickness. Why was he sick? Was it food poisoning? If it was, why wasn't she throwing up? Could it have been he had a bad scallop, or the scallops themselves on his system? No, they'd had them a few weeks before in Rosslyn. Was it the wine? Quite possibly, she mused, since Elves never really drank the human wine. Then it hit her—he'd had all of the other things they'd had for dinner except for chocolate in the coffee. This was his first time eating chocolate.
Sighing, she walked into the bathroom and saw him leaning over the toilet, trembling slightly.
"Ooh, poor thing," she cooed, wetting a peach washcloth and pressing it against his neck. She pulled his hair behind his shoulders and held it there for him.
"Thank you," he said quietly, slightly strained.
Lissa smiled at him before she nuzzled the back of his neck gently and pressing a kiss there. "I know why you're sick," she said close to his ear now.
"Why?" Delemir was no longer mesmerized by the scent and look of Lissa, but was being held captive by the sick, swirling feeling in his stomach.
"The chocolate coffee. I don't supposed there was chocolate in Middle- Earth, was there?" she asked, dabbing the cloth at his neck when he gagged slightly.
"No, not that I remember, but the memory of you and how beautiful you look and the feeling of sickness has pretty much impaired remembering anything," Delemir mumbled, closing his eyes. "Could I have spread this to you from kissing you earlier?"
"No, I don't think so. See, we have a lot of chocolate here so my system is used to it, but while they don't have any in Middle-Earth, your system isn't. So, unless it was a virus, which is impossible, I doubt I'll be sick." She looked around on the counter and saw a hair tie. She reached over Delemir, brushing against him slightly, until she could grab it. Carefully, wary of is ears, she confined his hair back so she didn't have to hold it.
"Thank you once again," Delemir said quietly, rubbing his forehead.
"No problem." Lissa wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Poor baby," she murmured. "It's no fun being sick."
"No, especially this being my first time," he said, feeling another gag coming.
Lissa, having felt it as well, let go of him and rubbed his back, pressing the wet cloth over his neck. 'I love you,' she thought to herself. 'I hate to see you like this. Feel better, my love.'
"I'm going to go stand out on the balcony," Lissa said after a minute. "I'll leave the door open, so holler if you need anything."
"All right," Delemir mumbled, leaning back against the counter. He began to unbutton the shirt slowly.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth or else you'll taste the nastiness of throw up later, still," she added, standing by the door. She took her black knee high stockings off and set them on the counter so she was now barefoot.
Delemir made an incoherent mumble as he pulled his shirt off and set it beside him. Lissa had the joy and pleasure of seeing a bare Elf chest again before she left to go outside to think in the crisp January air. Outside, she leaned against the rail and let the wind blow around her, picking her hair up off of her back gently and letting it fall again. She felt so content right now, as if nothing would dampen her spirits, much less try to. Albeit if they did, she would have something to say about it. 'Poor Delemir,' she thought suddenly. 'He's never been sick before in his life, and here he is, sick because he had chocolate coffee with his dessert. I should go back to him.' But, even as she thought that, she felt Delemir's presence behind her. "I'm going to take a quick shower," he told her. "All right. Do you feel better?" she asked, turning. He was still bare- chested in the slacks only, but he was still handsome with his lithe body and firm muscles under his skin. She longed to reach out to touch him, but kept her itching hands behind her back. "Yes, a little." He knew what she was thinking. He'd hazarded to dip inside her mind for only a moment, and had been slightly embarrassed when he'd found where her thoughts were. "Thank you," he murmured, extending his hands to her. She slowly put her hands in his and he held them tight.
"For what?" she asked. She looked up into his blue eyes and saw that they were slightly dimmed. He was hurting. Why? What was on his mind that made him think as he was about whatever was going through him?
"For sitting there a minute ago when I was throwing up," Delemir explained. He saw the offered sympathy in her eyes, but knew it wasn't because he was sick. She knew he had to tell her something, to give her something. How long had she known?
"Oh, well, you sat with me that one time before Christmas when Connor was there and I was slightly hung over. It's only right I should do the same with you. Well, save for the hangover," she murmured, her pulse jumping as he rubbed his fingers over her knuckles.
"I love you," he told her quietly. "I always will, I swear that to you."
"I know," Lissa murmured, falling against him and wrapping her arms around him. "So do I," she whispered inaudibly, mostly in her mind.
Delemir jolted slightly from that thought he read, but didn't know what it applied to. She could have been thinking of something completely off the subject when he dipped in her mind to see what she thought when he told her his feelings, but he doubted it.
"I need to take that shower," he said suddenly.
"All right," Lissa said, rising on her toes to kiss his brow gently. "No fever anymore. Have fun, love." She ran her hands over his back gently, causing his muscles to tremble, before he walked away from her hastily. What was wrong with him? Why did he leave so suddenly when they were having a moment? A soft, gentle, romantic moment, she mused.
'Moron, sure, go ahead and leave me here to think about the feelings you awake in me,' Lissa thought, the endearment playful. She turned and leaned against the balcony rail again and sighed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lissa stood out on the terrace in her new black dress, still, the sheer, gauzy, black outer layers whipping around her legs in the windy night air. She sighed, feeling perfectly content. Her hair, wispy and slightly curly from how it dried from her daily shower, blew around her and created a halo- like image around her head.
That's how Delemir saw her after his shower. He was still toweling off his chest and hair, wearing only the jeans he'd put on again. But when he saw her now, he didn't think of a strong woman able to take care of herself now. He saw her and thought of a fragile woman that was pampered every day. He thought of a goddess the way her hair blew around her and how her dress added to the darkness and let her skin, still lightly tanned but showing pale now, be seen in the dark.
That's how he went to her. With the thought of her being a fragile thing that could and would break in his hands and with the means of being as gentle as he would with a pressure bomb. When he shut the screen door, she didn't turn, though she knew he was out there now. He knew she felt him there, and would feel him more.
When she did turn, Lissa was taken aback by what she saw. Instead of seeing Delemir in jeans and a bare chest, rather she saw him in a formal suit. She knew her mind was playing a trick on her, and that it was her fantasy alone, but she would enjoy herself and indulge in it.
A smile flitted across her face as Delemir held her close. He let one hand rest on her waist and the other take one of her hands. Then they began to dance to their own tune. When the hand at her waist snaked up her back to her neck, Lissa's hand at his shoulder began to tremble. His hand found that point on her neck that caused her to throw her head back on a slight moan.
Delemir was being as careful and gentle with this piece of work, glass almost, as he could. He knew that it could break in his arms if he wasn't careful with it. But when he felt her carefully trimmed nails dig against his flesh, he also felt the blood in his veins become fire and blaze. But he beat the beast back down and cupped his hand against her waist, bringing her closer.
He offered her his heart then and there, knowing that she could break it at any given moment. He waited patiently for her response. Her hands glided over his back slowly, causing his muscles to tremble and quiver. Her nails dug into his flesh again when they stayed in one place, causing his blood to run hot in his veins. She sighed into him, causing his heart to flutter and quiver worse than his muscles. His entire body felt his heart shake as it was held in the hands of another, waiting to see if it would be dropped or cherished.
"I love you," he said against her lips. "I will always love you." Then he kissed her gently again, feeling intoxicated by her taste.
Lissa sighed again, knowing everything she did to him only in a way a woman could. Here she was, twenty-two, kissing a man with about twenty-five hundred years under his belt. He offered her his heart. She had to be careful with her decisions now. Did she want his heart? Did she want his love? One word came to mind.
"Yes," she said. And she took his heart and set it next to hers. She would always remember he loved her now, and what place he held in her life. 'I love you too,' she wanted to say, but found herself drowned again as Delemir changed the angle and the level of the kiss. Instead of saying it out loud, she thought it over and over again to herself, loving how the words sounded in her mind.
When she drew away, she rested her head on the curve of his shoulder. She sighed quietly, wondering what she'd put herself into now. She loved him, yes, but why did it seem so strange now that she had his heart placed next to hers? She knew that he loved her. He'd told her about ten times that day. That was what scared her. Didn't he ever feel tired of saying that? She doubted it, but it still scared her when someone could say something so little yet so meaningful so many times in one day.
Stifling a yawn, Lissa brought her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. She was too tired to think now. It was what, eleven? Midnight? It was late, and that was all she needed and wanted to know. So, she went limp in Delemir's arms, so tired she didn't even know it.
"Melissa," Delemir said by her ear.
"Mmm," she mumbled softly, smiling as they swayed lightly still.
"Come, you are tired," he said, lifting his hand from her waist to stroke her cheek gently. "I'll take you inside." When she didn't respond, or try to move, he shifted slightly so he could slip his arm under her knees and his other arm under her neck to bring her in. He had a little trouble with the door he'd shut, but he made it in.
Gently setting Lissa on the bed, he realized she was still in the black dress. He wondered if he should wake her and let her know, or risk something happening to the dress with her sleeping in it. Deciding on the latter, he would make the transition easy for her so he moved to the dresser and pulled out a nightgown for her to wear.
"Melissa," he murmured to her. "You need to change out of that dress." He was acknowledged with another inaudible mumbled, but she sat up slowly, surprisingly coordinated.
"Zipper...in the back," she said, reaching behind her. Delemir undid it and reached around her to place the nightgown in her lap. He turned, figuring she could dress herself half-asleep. When he heard scuffling and strange woman grunts as she fought her way into the nightdress, he wondered if he should help her.
When he turned, she was laying back down on the bed slowly, her hair mussed slightly. He smiled and lay down behind her, hooking his arm around her waist and kissing the skin behind her ear gently. "I love you," he murmured.
"Eleven," Lissa mumbled, slightly coherent. "Eleven times."
Delemir grinned when he heard her breathing adjust to that of sleeping before he could respond. He sighed and held Lissa close against him so he would be there for her when she woke. He needed that feeling. That was his last thought before jumping into the void sleep provided for nightly escape to wistful dreamers.
Lissa slowly applied her makeup, being very deliberate and careful with each stroke and line she made. She wanted to look absolutely irresistible when she told him her secret about them both. That's one reason why she'd gone on a shopping spree that day and was going to a restaurant that served Greek food just a few blocks away. It was walking distance, she mused, but not in the heels she would be wearing soon.
Glancing at the five-inch stiletto high heels, she grimaced. It hurt just thinking about walking five or more blocks to a restaurant. That's why she had a car on the lower level of the parking garage.
She grinned now as she dabbed on some of the perfume Delemir had found a smaller bottle of for her. She touched it just in the hollow between her breasts, at her wrists and on the skin below her ears. Those, she knew, were the best places for perfume, especially sweet, seductive scents. She'd talked to enough of her married friends and seen enough TV to know that.
Checking over herself in the mirror again, she grinned. She had her hair left now. That would be fun.
"Delemir, do you like one or two?" she called through the door warily.
"Two! Why?" he asked, obviously done changing into the slacks and dress shirt. She grinned and picked up the boar bristle hairbrush.
"Here, brush your hair and do something with it so it isn't just hanging there," Lissa said, thrusting the brush out to him, intentionally letting the scent out to tease him.
She shut the door and began to carefully braid the hair between the top of her ear and her crown. When she had two slim braids, she brought them back and literally tied them together. Deciding that they would come undone, she found a clip with a butterfly adorning it and secured the two braids together at the back of her head. She grinned at how it accented the red in her hair that was enhanced by the black dress.
Checking herself over once more, not wanting anything out of place, she picked off a little imaginary piece of lint from the fabric over her stomach. A sly, feminine smile crept over her face as she pulled on the high heels, fixing them on her foot carefully. When she was sure she could walk, she opened the door and whistled.
"Delemir," she said in a singsong voice. He turned from looking out of the window in the bedroom and saw her. His jaw dropped. "Do you like it?"
Dear Lord, his fantasies were coming true. She was in that black dress and she looked just as he'd pictured her to. He felt a sharp pang of desire deep within him, but he controlled it with effort as he watched her turn a slow circle.
"That's why you asked one or two," he said when he could move over to her. He lifted the braid in the back and grinned. "Yes, two does nicely."
"I thought so," Lissa agreed. "Shall we go?" Delemir was slowly moving in on her to kiss her, and that was exactly what Lissa wanted.
"Go where?" he murmured when his lips were a whisper away from hers.
"Out to eat. There's this great place I know—it has wonderful scallops and a Greek salad," Lissa said, finding she needed to help herself out with speaking as his arms encircled her waist.
"Hmm. Why don't we just say in?" Delemir asked, resisting the urge to kiss her but to rub his lips over her cheeks gently.
"Because, I readied myself to go out," Lissa murmured, leaning against him as she was unable to stand on her own. "We're going out. And I can't believe I'm going to drive in these heels." She tried to stand to accentuate her point, but fell, unintentionally, back against Delemir.
"Neither do I," he said and kissed her finally.
Her taste exploded in him, just as he'd imagined it, just as he'd known it would. And just as he'd hoped it would, he mused to himself as he changed the angle and deepened the kiss for only a moment before drawing back.
"You're wearing one of the scents you bought today," Delemir noted, kissing her lips again gently.
"Yes, the one you picked out," Lissa informed him, grinning. "Or at least found another bottle of."
"Yes, that one." Delemir grinned and moved to kiss her deeper again.
"Shall we go?" Lissa was going to leave him wanting her all night, and not let him have at least a kiss from her until later. That was her plan. She'd drive him insane until he was ready to corner her and plunder. Then she'd say it, just as that dangerous gleam came in his eyes. It'd be interesting to see his reaction. Very interesting, she mused. Laughing, she started off toward the door and the elevator to go downstairs.
Delemir knew Lissa had a plan in mind, and a devious one. He's seem the mischievous gleam in her eyes when she'd stared up at him, just before he kissed her. Just before he wrote the invitation to offer her his heart. That was what he was going to do tonight. He was going to offer her his heart, truly and forever. He knew it was dangerous—he could die should she reject him. He knew it was risky—he would die if he didn't take those risks. So, when they reached the bottom floor of the parking garage, he watched Lissa walk out of the elevator in the stiletto heels and over to the car she'd cleaned out and washed. It was white, they'd found out, much to Lissa's amazement. It was an old Neon, a '92 model. As they climbed in it, it took a minute to start the engine started before they were able to pull out.
"You look nice tonight," Delemir said, feeling strange and slightly uncomfortable. He glanced at her and saw a wicked grin on her face.
"Yeah? So do you. I'm glad you let me stuff that shirt in your bag," Lissa murmured, turning right. "Otherwise we'd be stopping at the mall again and going to another store."
Delemir shuddered slightly. "I have never seen so many people in one place before. It is slightly frightening to think there are that many strangers that exchange money for things. How do you know they did not trick you?" he wondered aloud.
Lissa laughed as she pulled into a parking lot. She parked the little jelly bean car and turned to face him, saying, "Delemir. Here in my world, there aren't many thieves in stores that are behind the counter. They have these little tag things on whatever you're going to buy, and they have something like a computer chip, I think, in them so when the little scanner thing goes over it, it picks up a signal and it says how much the item is. Like this—" She picked up her purse as they walked out and she fished out a bottle of perfume. "Here, on this, it has a bar code, the thing with the signal. So when the scanner thing goes over it, it picks up the signal and bing! It rings it up and says how much you have to pay."
"Sounds complicated," Delemir murmured as she took his hand.
"Of course. All things are complicated when I explain them," Lissa grinned at him. "That's the joy of being female."
When they stepped into the restaurant, they were immediately serviced and seated in a discrete corner. They both ordered water to drink, and bread to munch on until they had ordered the rest of their meal. Lissa looked confidently at the menu, whilst Delemir looked slightly confused at it.
"Melissa, I have not the faintest idea what some of these things are," he told her in her ear.
Something inside Lissa jumped then, with his lips so close to her ear, whispering. She giggled at herself and him. "I'll order for you. Actually, since there's this one plate that I had when I was last here a good few years ago, I couldn't eat it all by myself, so we'll share that," she said, leaning over him to point at something on the menu. Purposely, she brushed against his arm and shoulder to see the menu then licked her lips. "That one. Ktenia maratho, also known as Scallops fennel. Though the ones at Orleans House are better." She whispered the last part as the water came up to them.
"May I take your order?" he asked, his Greek accent thick.
"Yes, um, we'll take the Scallops fennel, please, for now." Lissa beamed up at him, then glanced back down at Delemir's menu, deciding for later things.
"Is that all?" the tall, pepper-and-salt haired man asked.
"Right now, it is. Thank you," Lissa said. "Remember the Tiramisouzo and the St. John Red, all right?" she whispered to Delemir, close to his ear this time.
"All right," he managed to say when he caught another strong whiff of her perfume. When she sat down again, she grinned at him, a sultry, feminine smile.
"So, what do you think so far?" she asked him quietly.
"Of what?" That scent she'd dabbed on was increasing and filling his senses, though he seemed to be the only one affected by it. Then, he saw her finger go just along the V-necked hem and linger at the inner most point. He swallowed hard and forced his gaze to her face, which was almost as tempting. Her lips were slightly parted—an invitation? Her eyes were dark, the amber flecks enhanced and almost glowing eerily. He just now noticed a slight downward slant in her eyes as the lids closed slowly and opened at just the same speed. Her cheeks were a deep rose blush that hinted that she knew something he didn't. He wondered what it was.
"The restaurant and the hotel. It's my fault we're having to stay at the hotel," she said, shifting slightly so she leaned comfortably in the corner between two walls.
"No, it isn't." Delemir cleared his throat and took a sip of his water as he felt a wave of heat go through his body. "It is perfectly fine that you would want to be out of your house with Onaumbar there. He is quite a frightening character."
Lissa winced slightly upon a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach and a quick clenching in her heart. She covered it up and watched Delemir intently. "Yes, he is," she said softly, her voice low and tantalizing.
"And he is after you, all things considered," Delemir pointed out.
"Thank you, Mr. Obvious," Lissa murmured, sipping her water and leaving a print of lipstick there.
Just how she moved, Delemir told himself, was driving him insane. Then, when you added her looks and how she was enunciating her words, he was surprised he wasn't half-mad and going on the brink of losing all sanity. He was much more surprised he hadn't leaned forward and kissed her yet.
"Delemir," she said quietly, flicking her hair over her shoulders. This was it, she knew. She saw that gleam in his eyes just veering on the edge of dangerous, but was still on the red warning bells.
Then, he leaned over close to her, ready to kiss her senseless and throwing gentleness aside. He cupped the back of her neck to bring her closer to him, firmly, and to see the look of thrill in her eyes, just behind the sense of secrets running through her. That's what stopped him a millisecond from kissing her and a whisper away from her lips.
"Melissa?" he said quietly, his lips slightly brushing hers as he spoke.
"Delemir," she said, leaning her head back a little more, "I have to tell you something."
Delemir drew back slightly to look at her. "Yes?" he asked upon her long silence.
"Delemir, I l—"
Lissa was cut off by a sudden call of her name—her full first name. She looked up and saw a tall, about 5'6", woman waving slightly. Her hair, going from light to dark brown, bounced slightly, causing the hints of natural auburn to become visible in the dim lighted restaurant. Her hazel/green eyes gleamed with irony at seeing her there. Her British accent was apparent as she called Lissa's name.
"Charlene?" Lissa said, sitting up straighter and bumping into Delemir. That went unnoticed as she stood up now and went to her friend. "Charli, what are you doing here? How long have you been in the U.S.?"
"About two days. I'm staying at a hotel," she said, glancing at Delemir. She grinned at Lissa.
"Which hotel?" Lissa asked, unintentionally ignoring the waiter. Charli said the name of her hotel and Lissa's eyes widened. "Really? Delemir and I are staying there, too!"
"Awesome," Charli said. "Delemir?" She finally caught that a second after her first response.
"Yes, Delemir," Lissa said, pointing at him. "Won't you have dinner with us here? You can munch off of our plate since it's horrendous. We ordered scallops, if that's fine."
"Um, sure," Charli answered hesitantly.
Lissa cleared the matter with the waiter and asked that another roll be brought out for Charli, then they all sat down. Lissa, finally remembering what she had set out to do before Charli had appeared, sighed and leaned against Delemir's shoulder as the scallops were served.
"Thank you," she said to the waiter.
"I will check on you three later," he said then disappeared.
Lissa grinned and unrolled her silverware from the napkin. Taking the first bite of the food, she had the joy of feeling the tastes explode inside of her mouth. The scallops were slightly tangy in the fennel sauce, probably from the lemon juice. Then, she had a taste of the garlicky part of it and felt her mouth begin to water.
"How is it?" Delemir murmured in her ear softly.
"Perfect, just as I remember it," she said. "Oh, if you're going to try the rice," she added aloud to both Delemir and Charli, "mix it with the fennel sauce first. The rice is a little bland."
"All right," Charli said and dug in. Delemir was a little hesitant, but tried the other half of Lissa's scallop and found he liked it.
About fifteen to twenty minutes later, the plate was only left with remnants of Scallops Fennel and forks piled over it. There were a few grains of rice left, and a lot of sauce there, but it was being dabbed up with bread chunks over conversation.
"Is there anything else you would like?" the waiter asked upon his return.
"Yes," Lissa said, sitting up. "Could you bring the dessert menu out for my friend please?"
"I'll just rely on the intuition that you'll order something good and I'll watch you in action," Charli said, grinning.
"All right. Then, we'll have two plates of the Tiramisouzo and three glasses of St. John Red wine, please," Lissa said and smiled.
"Are any of you above the age of twenty-one?" the waiter asked.
"We all are," Delemir said, grinning.
To show proof, Lissa pulled out her I.D. card.
"Of course," the waiter said and left to prepare the desserts.
"So, how did you two meet?" Charli asked.
Lissa cleared her throat and sat forward to lean on her elbows on the table. "It's actually an odd story," she said, glancing at Delemir. "A few weeks before Christmas, Delemir shows up at my house saying that he's thinking of staying in this area, but is looking out for a place to stay and wanted to know if he could stay at my place for a while. I said fine, but with some hesitation. We haven't quite found a place for him yet, but we almost have one."
"Ahh, so why are you two in a hotel right now?" Charli asked again, processing everything.
"Remodeling the kitchen," Lissa said as Delemir answered with, "Pest problem."
"Which is it?" Charli wanted to know, smirking. Her oval-shaped eyes glinted as the flutes of wine were presented to them.
"Your coffee will be coming with the Tiramisouzo." The waiter didn't stall for a comment, but left again to finish the preparation of the dessert.
"Well?" Charli pressed, sipping the red wine.
"Um, we're remodeling because of a pest problem in the floor. Termites, I think," Lissa said slowly and deliberately over the rim of her glass. She felt a chill go down her back as Delemir rested his hand at the base of her neck and kneaded there gently.
"Oh, okay. So, Delemir, what do you do?" Charli asked, leaning forward over the table.
"I am currently critiquing Lissa's writing in return for boarding and meals," Delemir said easily, continuing to knead the slight tense muscles in Lissa's neck. He wanted to kiss that spot gently, but felt it wouldn't be right in front of someone else that he was just meeting.
"And how is she doing with it?" Charli grinned, recognizing the look of wanting and longing in Delemir's eyes when he looked at Lissa.
"She's doing beautifully. She has recently been asked by her publisher to write a full-length novel aside from her children's stories. From what I have read of how much she has written, it is coming along perfectly," he said, eyeing Lissa smugly.
"And why didn't I hear tale of this?" Charli asked, directing her question to Lissa.
"Um, because," she began as the dessert was served with the coffee and cream cheese, "I haven't been able to go on my computer that much lately. Then, whenever I could it was late and you were already asleep. Then, you've also been here for two days, plus spending time on an airplane does put a dent in it."
Charli laughed as she took a bite of the dessert. "All right, enough explanations. I follow your reasons," she said.
Delemir, also listening to the conversation, had been staring at the coffee in front of him with a strange look. Lissa had made coffee before, but none like this. It smelled slightly strange—different from the coffee she made normally. It had a darker color to it as he hazarded to stir it. He sniffed it slightly and smelled something familiar, though he couldn't put his finger on it. He sipped it and finally figured out what it was. Chocolate. It was chocolate coffee.
Jerking his head back slightly upon seeing something right in front of his face, he saw that Lissa was holding out her fork with a little of the Tiramisouzo there. He took a bite and nodded his head. "Good," he mumbled, then leaned close to her ear. He whispered something to her quietly that made her eyes widen and make an effort to keep her mouth closed as she munched on the dessert.
"What?" Charli said, seeing the look exchanged between them.
"Nothing," Lissa said, still eyeing Delemir. "He's just being bad."
"Ooh," Charli murmured, taking another bite of the dessert.
And that was how the three spent their evening. They shared dinner and dessert, munching on this, sipping on that, then bid farewell about twenty minutes after they were finished. Lissa picked up the bill of $34.25, refusing any help on it, and then they left. The moment Lissa and Delemir were in her car, Delemir turned to her.
"What is it?" Lissa asked, reaching up to touch his cheek gently. He leaned forward, quicker than expected, but stopped a few inches from her face.
"I love you," he whispered. "How many times have I told you today?"
"About three, including now," Lissa whispered back, wanting to tell him the same thing.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," he said, kissing her at intervals between each time. "That's six, right?"
Lissa kissed him again before answering. "Yes, it is. Delemir," she murmured, breathlessly. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Delemir sighed to himself when she leaned back into her seat and cranked the car up again.
"I haven't been completely honest with you over everything lately. I'm sorry for that. But I can't tell you everything right now." She slowly pulled out of the restaurant parking lot, chewing on a stick of gum she'd pulled out of her purse.
"Why?" Delemir wanted to know, sitting back against the chair to watch the lights around them pass by.
"I guess I'm scared," Lissa murmured, stopping at a traffic light. "Come here." When Delemir leaned forward, she kissed him gently again. "But I do promise that I will tell you the second I can, whether it's three in the morning or we're crowded in an elevator," she vowed.
"All right." Delemir kissed her again just as the light turned green. He watched Lissa turn her attention back to driving and heard her sigh contently when their hotel came into view. She slowly pulled up in the front parking lot and around to the back of it. She went through the procedure of sticking the key in the slot and taking it out for the garage door to open. Slowly driving in, she went to the lower level of the garage and parked in the same spot they'd been in only an hour and a half earlier. They both stepped out as another car was pulling into the garage. Lissa waved in a neighborly manner then started off to the elevator to go to the lobby level.
"What are you doing?" Delemir asked when she'd hit the button and was now leaning over her shoe and working at the strap.
"Taking these shoes off," Lissa answered, fighting with them until she had them off as the elevator door opened. She hooked her fingers around the back strap and walked across to hit the button to go up again.
"Hi," a familiar voice said from behind Lissa. She turned to see Charli again.
"Hello. Twice in one night," she said, grinning. One of the doors opened and Lissa, Delemir, and Charli all walked onto it. "What floor are you on?"
"Three," Charli said, hitting the button on the other side.
"Lucky you. We're on twelve," Lissa murmured, leaning against Delemir's shoulder and taking his hand in hers. "All the way at the top."
"Hmm," Charli said as the elevator stopped. "Meet me for happy hour tomorrow night?"
"Sure!" Lissa said, waving. "See you there."
Then the doors closed and Delemir turned to face Lissa. He took her face in his hands gently and kissed her patiently, soft and coaxing.
"What was that for?" Lissa asked when Delemir let go of her.
"I love you," he told her when they walked out onto the hallway to go back to their room.
"Seven. Are you shooting for ten or fifteen?" she wanted to know, pleased with how the carpet felt under her feet.
"Whichever it ends up as," Delemir said quietly. When they reached the door, he suddenly felt a little strange.
"Are you all right?" Lissa asked when she noticed the look on his face and how he paled. She pressed her hand to his forehead and sighed. "Poor baby, you've a fever."
"What? Elves can't be sick!" Delemir exclaimed. He may be an Elf, but he surely knew what a fever was. "I—Hold that thought." He touched her cheek gently, then made it apparent he wasn't feeling well as he rushed to the bathroom. A hurling sound was heard and Lissa frowned.
He was right. Elves were immune to sickness. Why was he sick? Was it food poisoning? If it was, why wasn't she throwing up? Could it have been he had a bad scallop, or the scallops themselves on his system? No, they'd had them a few weeks before in Rosslyn. Was it the wine? Quite possibly, she mused, since Elves never really drank the human wine. Then it hit her—he'd had all of the other things they'd had for dinner except for chocolate in the coffee. This was his first time eating chocolate.
Sighing, she walked into the bathroom and saw him leaning over the toilet, trembling slightly.
"Ooh, poor thing," she cooed, wetting a peach washcloth and pressing it against his neck. She pulled his hair behind his shoulders and held it there for him.
"Thank you," he said quietly, slightly strained.
Lissa smiled at him before she nuzzled the back of his neck gently and pressing a kiss there. "I know why you're sick," she said close to his ear now.
"Why?" Delemir was no longer mesmerized by the scent and look of Lissa, but was being held captive by the sick, swirling feeling in his stomach.
"The chocolate coffee. I don't supposed there was chocolate in Middle- Earth, was there?" she asked, dabbing the cloth at his neck when he gagged slightly.
"No, not that I remember, but the memory of you and how beautiful you look and the feeling of sickness has pretty much impaired remembering anything," Delemir mumbled, closing his eyes. "Could I have spread this to you from kissing you earlier?"
"No, I don't think so. See, we have a lot of chocolate here so my system is used to it, but while they don't have any in Middle-Earth, your system isn't. So, unless it was a virus, which is impossible, I doubt I'll be sick." She looked around on the counter and saw a hair tie. She reached over Delemir, brushing against him slightly, until she could grab it. Carefully, wary of is ears, she confined his hair back so she didn't have to hold it.
"Thank you once again," Delemir said quietly, rubbing his forehead.
"No problem." Lissa wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Poor baby," she murmured. "It's no fun being sick."
"No, especially this being my first time," he said, feeling another gag coming.
Lissa, having felt it as well, let go of him and rubbed his back, pressing the wet cloth over his neck. 'I love you,' she thought to herself. 'I hate to see you like this. Feel better, my love.'
"I'm going to go stand out on the balcony," Lissa said after a minute. "I'll leave the door open, so holler if you need anything."
"All right," Delemir mumbled, leaning back against the counter. He began to unbutton the shirt slowly.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth or else you'll taste the nastiness of throw up later, still," she added, standing by the door. She took her black knee high stockings off and set them on the counter so she was now barefoot.
Delemir made an incoherent mumble as he pulled his shirt off and set it beside him. Lissa had the joy and pleasure of seeing a bare Elf chest again before she left to go outside to think in the crisp January air. Outside, she leaned against the rail and let the wind blow around her, picking her hair up off of her back gently and letting it fall again. She felt so content right now, as if nothing would dampen her spirits, much less try to. Albeit if they did, she would have something to say about it. 'Poor Delemir,' she thought suddenly. 'He's never been sick before in his life, and here he is, sick because he had chocolate coffee with his dessert. I should go back to him.' But, even as she thought that, she felt Delemir's presence behind her. "I'm going to take a quick shower," he told her. "All right. Do you feel better?" she asked, turning. He was still bare- chested in the slacks only, but he was still handsome with his lithe body and firm muscles under his skin. She longed to reach out to touch him, but kept her itching hands behind her back. "Yes, a little." He knew what she was thinking. He'd hazarded to dip inside her mind for only a moment, and had been slightly embarrassed when he'd found where her thoughts were. "Thank you," he murmured, extending his hands to her. She slowly put her hands in his and he held them tight.
"For what?" she asked. She looked up into his blue eyes and saw that they were slightly dimmed. He was hurting. Why? What was on his mind that made him think as he was about whatever was going through him?
"For sitting there a minute ago when I was throwing up," Delemir explained. He saw the offered sympathy in her eyes, but knew it wasn't because he was sick. She knew he had to tell her something, to give her something. How long had she known?
"Oh, well, you sat with me that one time before Christmas when Connor was there and I was slightly hung over. It's only right I should do the same with you. Well, save for the hangover," she murmured, her pulse jumping as he rubbed his fingers over her knuckles.
"I love you," he told her quietly. "I always will, I swear that to you."
"I know," Lissa murmured, falling against him and wrapping her arms around him. "So do I," she whispered inaudibly, mostly in her mind.
Delemir jolted slightly from that thought he read, but didn't know what it applied to. She could have been thinking of something completely off the subject when he dipped in her mind to see what she thought when he told her his feelings, but he doubted it.
"I need to take that shower," he said suddenly.
"All right," Lissa said, rising on her toes to kiss his brow gently. "No fever anymore. Have fun, love." She ran her hands over his back gently, causing his muscles to tremble, before he walked away from her hastily. What was wrong with him? Why did he leave so suddenly when they were having a moment? A soft, gentle, romantic moment, she mused.
'Moron, sure, go ahead and leave me here to think about the feelings you awake in me,' Lissa thought, the endearment playful. She turned and leaned against the balcony rail again and sighed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lissa stood out on the terrace in her new black dress, still, the sheer, gauzy, black outer layers whipping around her legs in the windy night air. She sighed, feeling perfectly content. Her hair, wispy and slightly curly from how it dried from her daily shower, blew around her and created a halo- like image around her head.
That's how Delemir saw her after his shower. He was still toweling off his chest and hair, wearing only the jeans he'd put on again. But when he saw her now, he didn't think of a strong woman able to take care of herself now. He saw her and thought of a fragile woman that was pampered every day. He thought of a goddess the way her hair blew around her and how her dress added to the darkness and let her skin, still lightly tanned but showing pale now, be seen in the dark.
That's how he went to her. With the thought of her being a fragile thing that could and would break in his hands and with the means of being as gentle as he would with a pressure bomb. When he shut the screen door, she didn't turn, though she knew he was out there now. He knew she felt him there, and would feel him more.
When she did turn, Lissa was taken aback by what she saw. Instead of seeing Delemir in jeans and a bare chest, rather she saw him in a formal suit. She knew her mind was playing a trick on her, and that it was her fantasy alone, but she would enjoy herself and indulge in it.
A smile flitted across her face as Delemir held her close. He let one hand rest on her waist and the other take one of her hands. Then they began to dance to their own tune. When the hand at her waist snaked up her back to her neck, Lissa's hand at his shoulder began to tremble. His hand found that point on her neck that caused her to throw her head back on a slight moan.
Delemir was being as careful and gentle with this piece of work, glass almost, as he could. He knew that it could break in his arms if he wasn't careful with it. But when he felt her carefully trimmed nails dig against his flesh, he also felt the blood in his veins become fire and blaze. But he beat the beast back down and cupped his hand against her waist, bringing her closer.
He offered her his heart then and there, knowing that she could break it at any given moment. He waited patiently for her response. Her hands glided over his back slowly, causing his muscles to tremble and quiver. Her nails dug into his flesh again when they stayed in one place, causing his blood to run hot in his veins. She sighed into him, causing his heart to flutter and quiver worse than his muscles. His entire body felt his heart shake as it was held in the hands of another, waiting to see if it would be dropped or cherished.
"I love you," he said against her lips. "I will always love you." Then he kissed her gently again, feeling intoxicated by her taste.
Lissa sighed again, knowing everything she did to him only in a way a woman could. Here she was, twenty-two, kissing a man with about twenty-five hundred years under his belt. He offered her his heart. She had to be careful with her decisions now. Did she want his heart? Did she want his love? One word came to mind.
"Yes," she said. And she took his heart and set it next to hers. She would always remember he loved her now, and what place he held in her life. 'I love you too,' she wanted to say, but found herself drowned again as Delemir changed the angle and the level of the kiss. Instead of saying it out loud, she thought it over and over again to herself, loving how the words sounded in her mind.
When she drew away, she rested her head on the curve of his shoulder. She sighed quietly, wondering what she'd put herself into now. She loved him, yes, but why did it seem so strange now that she had his heart placed next to hers? She knew that he loved her. He'd told her about ten times that day. That was what scared her. Didn't he ever feel tired of saying that? She doubted it, but it still scared her when someone could say something so little yet so meaningful so many times in one day.
Stifling a yawn, Lissa brought her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. She was too tired to think now. It was what, eleven? Midnight? It was late, and that was all she needed and wanted to know. So, she went limp in Delemir's arms, so tired she didn't even know it.
"Melissa," Delemir said by her ear.
"Mmm," she mumbled softly, smiling as they swayed lightly still.
"Come, you are tired," he said, lifting his hand from her waist to stroke her cheek gently. "I'll take you inside." When she didn't respond, or try to move, he shifted slightly so he could slip his arm under her knees and his other arm under her neck to bring her in. He had a little trouble with the door he'd shut, but he made it in.
Gently setting Lissa on the bed, he realized she was still in the black dress. He wondered if he should wake her and let her know, or risk something happening to the dress with her sleeping in it. Deciding on the latter, he would make the transition easy for her so he moved to the dresser and pulled out a nightgown for her to wear.
"Melissa," he murmured to her. "You need to change out of that dress." He was acknowledged with another inaudible mumbled, but she sat up slowly, surprisingly coordinated.
"Zipper...in the back," she said, reaching behind her. Delemir undid it and reached around her to place the nightgown in her lap. He turned, figuring she could dress herself half-asleep. When he heard scuffling and strange woman grunts as she fought her way into the nightdress, he wondered if he should help her.
When he turned, she was laying back down on the bed slowly, her hair mussed slightly. He smiled and lay down behind her, hooking his arm around her waist and kissing the skin behind her ear gently. "I love you," he murmured.
"Eleven," Lissa mumbled, slightly coherent. "Eleven times."
Delemir grinned when he heard her breathing adjust to that of sleeping before he could respond. He sighed and held Lissa close against him so he would be there for her when she woke. He needed that feeling. That was his last thought before jumping into the void sleep provided for nightly escape to wistful dreamers.
