I love you people!

MAN OF SORROWS

CHAPTER 18

The carriage rolled to a stop and Erik moved to the sidewalk. He helped her down and allowed his hands to linger at her waist a little longer than was probably considered proper.

He was delighted to have her smile at him with something close to affection in her eyes, as he took her hand in one of his and carried the picnic basket in the other. He had a strange looking package tucked snuggly under his arm, and Christine wondered what other activities he had planned for the day.

I still can't believe I'm with him…he's everything I want in a man…and so much more.

Christine could not get over the fact that Erik Argeneau had waltzed into her life; and now, she couldn't imagine him not being there.

I can't let him know that I have fallen head over heals in love with him, he may think I've taken leave of my senses…we've only known each other for two weeks.

Erik couldn't figure out why she was so silent. She had talked pleasantly during the carriage ride. She missed her parents a great deal, and spoke of her childhood. Her father had been especially important to her.

They found a wonderful, open area and spread the blanket on the ground. There weren't a great many people around, and Christine loved the warmth of the afternoon sun on her back.

"This is so great Erik, thank you."

He smiled and inclined his head toward her, "You're very welcome…but you made the lunch, so I must thank you, too."

"Don't thank me until you taste it."

She squinted while looking at him; the sun had bathed his face in light and all she could see of him was a bright outline. She giggled and cupped her hand over her eyes, and then smiled warmly into his amused face.

Once the food was displayed, they ate leisurely; enjoying what remained of summer and the warmth of the sun.

"This chicken salad is fantastic, the deli where I order mine from doesn't even compare."

Erik was so intrigued by the chicken salad, that he didn't see the look of bliss on Christine's face as he complimented her cooking.

"Thank you." She breathed. "I enjoy cooking, it relaxes me."

He chuckled lightly at that information and commented, before he could stop himself.

"I haven't had a woman cook for me since…"

He stopped immediately, as though he had broken some sacred promise.

"Tell me Erik, I want to know about her."

His smile was sad, as he looked deep into her eyes for confirmation that she really did want to know about him and her interest was genuine.

At that point, he didn't think that he had ever seen a beautiful woman. He knew that Christine didn't think she was beautiful, but he knew that she was.

The thought hit him, quite bluntly, that his dreams of late had been filled with copper tresses and dancing green eyes. Christine had wandered into his nights on the silk chords of his dreams, and he was powerless to stop her.

"It's a long, ugly story; and one that I don't want to spend all afternoon talking about…" he responded. "…besides, I didn't tote this kite all the way over here for nothing."

He produced the strange package he had been carrying and proceeded to put the kite together with expert hands.

Christine could not suppress the laugh that made him look at her with a roguish grin on his face and a lift of his dark, shapely brow.

"I haven't flown a kite in years!"

She had already slipped her shoes off, and she had opted not to wear hose, so she was ready to take on anything.

"I knew that, my dear; I read minds..."

He held his stare for the briefest of moments – and the look on her face indicated she might believe what he had said; that thought made him chuckle.

"…no I don't, it was a lucky guess."

Christine laughed pleasantly and playfully swatted him on his forearm.

They both stood up and Erik wound the string around the rod.

"I am going to need some help; I am not sure what I'm doing." Christine confessed.

Erik nodded and finished winding.

He handed Christine the string, placed the kite on the ground behind her, and motioned for her to run in the opposite direction.

Which she did…a total of six times. The blasted kite refused to obey orders and remained grounded.

Of course, Erik kept urging her on with words of encouragement, but she finally threw her hands up in the air and collapsed onto the blanket in an exhausted huff.

Erik, trying valiantly to keep from laughing, decided to take matters into this own, very capable, hands. Once he did, the kite was in the air in a matter of minutes.

Christine watched in fascination as the kite soared in the air, but the muscles playing on Erik's back were far more enticing.

She watched his strong arms feed the string and work the torque on it, keeping the kite a hundred or so feet in the air.

"You've done this before." She murmured, as she came up behind him.

"I used to do it all the time while at boarding school in France."

"Boarding school?" Christine scoffed, "People still send their kids to boarding school in this day and age?"

A look of pure loathing crossed his features and Christine could feel that he was about to let her see a tiny bit of what had made him who he was.

"My parents wanted me as far away from them as they could get me." He said, bitterly.

Christine didn't pursue the subject, but knew that he would open up to her about his past; and when he did, she would tell him how she felt about him.

The kite was still flying high and Erik suddenly turned toward her. He pulled her to him and placed the string in her small hands; then, he wound his arms around her, forcing her back into this chest, and placing his hands over hers.

The intimate feel of his muscled torso pushed against her back made her tingle all over, and it took every ounce of will power that she had, not to lift her face and put her lips against the smoothness of his neck.

Her face lit up with glee as she realized she was flying the kite by herself; as he had released her hands, rested his hands on her shoulders, and now watched as she maneuvered the kite like a pro.

The heat of his hands on her shoulders was very pleasurable, and Christine could not help but lose concentration as the warmth spread through her and her mind wandered to another place.

Erik helped her keep it in the air for a little longer, but they finally wound it up and allowed it to come to the ground.

They packed the kite away, along with the few remaining remnants of the picnic, and headed toward the carriage. The afternoon had flown by, and they had talked about a great many things, but Erik had still avoided talking about himself.

The ride back to Christine's apartment was silent, but she had rested her head on his shoulder and filled her head with his manly scent during the whole ride.

"Erik, will you come up and watch a movie with me…" she turned her head toward his, and lifted her chin to look into his eyes. "…I have some pork tenderloin thawed, I could make dinner."

In truth, she had taken the tenderloin out in hopes of luring him up to her apartment after spending the afternoon together…of course; he didn't need to know that.

Are you ready, Erik... ready to explore your feelings for this woman? Erik asked himself.

"Do I get to pick the movie?" He asked, with caution lights flashing in his head and a fleeting moment of panic.

You're already in too deep, Erik…if she isn't as in to this as you are, it's going to hurt.

Christine nodded with an impish grin and a furtive glint in her eyes.

"I'd love to." His mouth stated without his permission.

Too late.

TBC