That little dry spell cost me some reviews, but I shall post this next chapter in hopes of making them up.
The number of hits shows that people did read the last chapter, I hope it was well taken.
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Enjoy my lovlies.
I realized that I had put no disclaimer on this story – so I will go back to chapter one and post that. It is the usual – the plot is mine and all the characters not in the original story.
BEYOND THE SHADOWS
CHAPTER 18
The next morning
"So he said he loved you, did he?" Meg teased.
They had just finished cleaning up after breakfast and Christine had told the women about their admitted love for each other.
Rebekah and Rachel could not stop smiling as their dreams for their brother were finally coming to fruition.
"Christine, I am so happy for you…no two people are more perfect for each other than you two are." Rachel stated with tears in her eyes.
Christine was overwhelmed with joy as the truth of her love finally sank in. "Do you think he will ask me to marry him?"
The sisters looked at each other and squealed. They ran to Christine and pulled her in for a big hug.
"So, have you decided on a costume yet?" Rebekah inquired.
Christine smiled impishly, "Actually, I have. I ordered the costumes last night and we are to pick them up today, in Glasgow."
"Costumes?" Meg asked. "You ordered Erik's too?"
She nodded.
"So…tell us!" They all demanded in unison.
"Erik is Don Juan and I am hisAminta – I can't wait to see him in the costume!" Christine purred.
"Does Erik know you got his costume?" Rebekah asked.
"Yes, he asked me to." Christine assured her.
The party was tomorrow night, and Christine was having a blast getting everything ready. Erik had summoned the helicopter to take her and Meg into to Glasgow and pick up the costumes.
They had left right after breakfast and were currently sitting in the park having a cool drink, having just finished getting the costumes.
"Christine, I finished the editing on the article and I think it's marvelous." Meg stated. "Do you want Erik to read it before we submit it?"
Christine took another sip of her Dr. Pepper and smiled, "No, he trusts us, I'll read it tonight." Her features grew very serious and she looked deeply into Meg's eyes, "I will not be staying in New York, Meg."
Tears immediately shot into Meg's eyes. "I know…I had already figured that out." She wiped her tears and smiled, "That's why I applied for several jobs in Glasgow…and I got a call today for an interview at Glasgow University….they need an Assistant to the Professor of the Journalism Department."
"Meg! You don't have to move on my account." Christine emphasized.
She was so pleased to know that her best friend wanted to move to Scotland; but she never would have asked her to do so.
"I'm moving for me too, Christine…there is nothing holding me in New York." She chuckled, "I want a chance at a new life in a new place…a slower pace and a better place to raise the family I so desire to have."
They both nodded and agreed on that. "I don't know how quickly Erik is going to want to move with this relationship, but if he doesn't ask me to marry him pretty quickly, I'll be the one doing the asking." Christine stated with determination.
They both had a good laugh and returned to the helicopter, it was 11 am time to get back.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
They got back to the house about 12 noon and found everyone lounging on the portico eating sandwiches and drinking Coke. She went up to Erik and playfully swatted him on the arm, immediately waking him. Erik smiled and could see that she had some devious plan forming in her brilliant mind.
"I want to go horseback riding…just the two of us." She whispered, as she grabbed a sandwich.
He was still trying to recover from yesterdays afternoon delight, but he could not pass up the opportunity to be with her.
"Excuse us." Erik politely stated to the others. "Christine would like to take a tour of the island on horseback. I think I'll take her over to the lighthouse."
Her face lit up with joy, "I have so wanted to go there!"
She bounded up the stairs and changed into a mid-thigh skirt, a pair of tennis shoes, and a sleeveless, cotton blouse.
Erik was already at the stables, so she made her way toward him. He had just finished brushing Goliath and was pulling Xena out of her stall, when Christine entered.
He had changed into a pair of shorts and a muscle shirt. She stood and admired his Adonis-like physique, noting the way the muscles in his arms rippled as he brushed the horses coat; he was magnificent to watch.
"Oh no ya don't." She teased, as she came up behind Erik and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Oh no I don't what?" He asked, enjoying her arms around him.
"I am riding atop Goliath…" he began to protest before she completed her sentence, "…with you."
He startled for a minute, "You want to ride on Goliath with me?"
She walked over to the large horse and motioned for Erik to help her onto the horses back.
He hesitated and then smiled, "Whatever the lady wants."
He put his hands on her waist, bent and placed a kiss at the juncture of her neck, and hoisted her onto the back of Goliath.
He pulled himself up to set behind her and she scooted back to rest between his legs with her backside strategically settled against his alert shaft.
Erik groaned and Christine smiled, "You're doing this on purpose." He growled.
"Who? Me?" She coyly stated.
Erik rolled his eyes and indicated for Goliath to start a slow canter toward the lighthouse.
The up and down motion of the horse did nothing to appease Erik's hard-on. He may have never made love to a woman, but he knew the motions involved, and the thrusting action of his hips on the horse was indicative of those motions.
Christine, sensing his thoughts, leaned back into his chest, allowing him a whiff of her scented body soap and the shampoo she used. He raised his hand to her hair and moved it to one side, exposing her neck to his hungry mouth.
He barely whispered his lips along the flesh of her neck, sending goose pimples up her spine. She moaned and Erik skimmed over the sensitive skin of her ear and tickled it with his tongue.
His hands wrapped around her waist and he moved them over her thighs. He inched her skirt up as his deft fingers gently explored her soft skin.
He looked up and saw the most magnificent colorfest as the sun was setting over the water.
"Look." He whispered, pointing toward the sky.
Christine sighed at the beauty before her; she had never seen anything more beautiful.
He returned his lips to her neck and pushed her blouse down on her shoulder, exposing that flesh to his ravenousness mouth. Christine had placed her hands on his thighs and was scooting into his erection, begging him for release.
"Erik, please rid me of this ache you cause in me." She murmured.
They approached the lighthouse and the sun was finished setting. Erik hopped down off the back of the horse and reached up for Christine, bringing her down into his arms.
He carried her in his arms as he kissed her tenderly, loving the way she perfectly molded against his body. When they reached the edge of the water, he placed her on her feet and cupped her face in his hands.
"I love you…" he murmured as he placed tender kisses on her face. "…I can't imagine how I have managed to live without you in my life."
"Erik, I…."
He took her lips in a passionate kiss to silence her, "Let me finish or I may lose the nerve…" his smile was weary, and Christine sensed his unease.
"I know we've only known each other a week, but I cannot allow you to walk out of my life…" he swallowed deeply, lifted her chin to bring her eyes to his, and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Will you marry me?" He dropped his eyes as soon as he asked, not wanting to see the doubt in her eyes.
It had taken more courage than he thought he possessed to gather up the nerve to ask another woman to marry him; but he was no coward, and he had to give it one last try. He had no desire to live out his life without this woman by his side.
Christine lifted his face, brought his hand to her cheek, and allowed him to feel the wetness that rested there. It was all she could do to keep from shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Yes, my love…I will marry you." She whispered. Her voice was far more steady than she had thought it would be.
He lifted her into the air and twirled her around, reigning kisses over her face as he sat her back on the ground. He didn't trust himself to say anything, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. He opened it to reveal a platinum setting with a 2-carat, heart-shaped diamond mount with .50 carat ideal-cut diamond accents down the band.
Erik watched the tears of joy run down her face, as she openly adored the ring. He took her left hand, lifted it to his lips and kissed her ring finger; then, he slid the ring perfectly over her finger.
"This is what I sent Nadeesh into London for yesterday…I designed it and faxed it to my jeweler in London. He rushed it for me, considering I needed it the next day." Erik loved how it looked on her; perfect, just as he had envisioned it.
Christine propelled herself into his strong arms and claimed his mouth in a hungry kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth in a greedy dance, deeply caressing her as she moaned into him.
She stared at him with wonder on her face as he pulled out of the kiss, "How did you know my ring size?"
He shrugged his shoulders and grinned, "I snuck into your room while you were sleeping and measured for it…you never even knew I was there."
She smiled and hugged his neck again, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.
"I want to be married immediately." Christine announced, as she admired the ring. "I have no family, except Meg and Cheshire…I have no reason to want a big wedding." She knew he didn't want a big wedding either.
"I want to be your wife when we attend that witches wedding." Christine purred, a slight hiss evident in her voice when she alluded to the woman whose name she could not bring herself to say.
Finally, for the first time since she had known him, Erik truly laughed; it was a deep, full, ethereal sound, that Christine would never tire of hearing.
"Why do I sense she is going to regret ever inviting me to this wedding?" Erik teased.
Christine lifted a beautiful brow, "She will not only regret inviting you to her wedding, but she will regret ever saying one derogatory word to you."
Erik chuckled and pulled her to him for another deep kiss, "My love, you are a formidable foe….remind me to never get on your bad side." He jested, pulling his cell phone from his belt and dialing. "Nadeesh, go get the minister and the papers that I had you put in the safety deposit box yesterday…the wedding will be at 7:00 pm tonight."
He heard Nadeesh repeat the news to the avid listeners in the background. Rebekah, Rachel, and Meg all squealed joyfully and Nadeesh could only grin into the phone.
Erik laughed again and hung up the phone, "Tonight my love…tonight I will take care of that ache you mentioned…" He placed his lips to her neck and relished the feel of her arms going around his neck as she exposed her throat to his ardent kisses, "… and any other needs you may have."
He led her back to Goliath and they rode home, wrapped around and completely engulfed in each another.
TBC