HELLO LOVLIES! So, lately I have received a few messages requesting that I keep going with this and not give up. I am INCREDIBLY flattered that people still think about this enough to message me and request more haha! You know who you are and I thank you for the encouragement. I am awful at updating, so I would like to sincerely apologize for the wait here. But I want to thank everyone that is still sticking with me! This go-round I actually had a beta, and I want to give a huge s/o to CSotA for going through this with a fine-tooth comb and helping make it so much better! Now, some housekeeping: squicks in here include discussion of rape, child loss, and murder. Also, this chapter is a hard M. And I hate to say it, but this will probably be the late true M chapter in this fic! In addition, this version of the chapter that has earned the M rating is a LIMITED TIME OFFFER! I will be editing this down to a K+ before April 7th. SO read it while you can folks! I love you all for sticking with me! Enjoy!
Chapter 9
"Elsie!"
Beryl.
Elsie groaned aloud and dropped her face into her hands. It was Tuesday, and she had successfully avoided Beryl's interrogation all day prior. She knew it was too good to be true.
"Yes, Mother?" Elsie lifted her face to see her tiny red-headed friend bop into the room with palpable joy.
"I see the dragoness has not had her morning java. You're welcome." Beryl sat a large cup of coffee on the desk and slid it towards Elsie. It smelled heavenly.
"Oh Beryl, I take back my grumpiness. Bless you." Elsie took a sip and groaned aloud. Triple shot hazelnut white mocha latte with whip. Her guilty pleasure.
"Beryl, I realize that you are plying me with coffee in order to get details of my date."
"Good. Then this should be easy as we are on the same page. Spill please. And not the coffee. That wasn't cheap, you know."
Elsie sighed in mock irritation and relaxed back into her chair. It actually felt wonderful to have someone she trusted to share her giddiness with. She thought she might burst from it all sooner or later. She told Beryl all about the range and paintball. Beryl squealed in delight in all the right places. But Elsie knew there was something her friend was holding back.
"Ok, out with it."
"Out with what? I am very happy you had such a lovely date."
"Beryl, do not patronize me. I have not consumed enough coffee for that, even if this is delicious. There's something you want to say; I can see it. So just say it."
Beryl leaned forward in her chair and set her coffee cup on the desk.
"Elsie love, I cannot tell you how happy I am that you are enjoying your time with Charles. It's about damn time you let a man appreciate you the way you deserve. But the look I see in your eyes when you talk about him- it's more than that, isn't it? If it is, then I want you to know I believe Charles is a truly good man. But I don't want you to rush into anything that you'll regret later."
Elsie took a slow sip of her coffee, relishing in the sweetness and warmth of it while she considered her answer.
"Have you ever seen The Bridges of Madison County?" Elsie looked pensively at Beryl.
"That flick with sex-on-legs Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep?"
Elsie shook her head in laughter.
"Yes, that one. There's this line in it, Robert is telling Francesca of his love for her, the depth and breadth of it that makes it so incredibly real to him- like nothing he has ever felt before. He says something to the effect of 'This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime.' I finally understand that line, Beryl."
Beryl gulped audibly, and then sat her coffee down with a shaking hand.
Elsie lifted her eyes and looked Beryl directly in the face. Beryl's mouth was held in an "o" of shock.
Elsie immediately regretted her utterly melodramatic statement and couldn't stop herself from snorting out a very unladylike laugh. Beryl's face immediately crunched into a pout.
"Elspeth Hughes, are you putting one over on me right now, because this is not a laughing matter!" Beryl was so serious Elsie had no choice but to stop laughing.
"Beryl, he's wonderful. Beyond interesting, kind, handsome, intelligent, respectful- he's… I feel safe with him."
At her statement, Beryl couldn't help but notice Elsie's eyes cloud over. There were moments like this that Beryl knew Elsie had more to her story than she had ever shared, but Beryl didn't pry. Sometimes being a true friend meant choosing to care for someone without knowing the profound secrets of their lives because they were worth more than whatever sadness they concealed.
"Oh my dear. I am so happy for you. So deeply happy."
Elsie couldn't help the tears that welled in her eyes. She looked at Beryl again and noticed she had become misty-eyed as well.
"Oh look at the sentimental pair of us! All weepy in our old age!" Beryl exclaimed, the two of them laughing.
From the office door Elsie could see groups of students begin to shuffle into the hall. Class commenced in less than ten minutes. Elsie and Beryl hugged before Beryl tottered off down the hall.
Back in her classroom, Elsie began her lecture in a slightly new way. Invigorated by her happiness, her students looked at her, puzzled and slightly afraid as she left her podium and flipped off the projector she had planned to use for the day. She stopped in the front of the hall, her hands loosely clasped together in front of her, and she did something she hadn't done in a long time. She smiled wholeheartedly.
There were titters, little whispers she could hear flying around the room. She cleared her throat and began the lesson.
"Everyone please stand, leave your things."
The class stood, apprehensive at her abrupt change of teaching style. The normally stoic, stern Dr. Hughes was human? The students stared at her as she began to walk back and forth in front of the rows.
"With a show of hands, how many of you know another person in this classroom?"
About 70% of the students raised their hands.
"Alright, and of that group that just raised their hands, how many of you know someone in here well enough to order them a coffee exactly how they like it?"
All but maybe five of the hands dropped, and Elsie smirked.
"Today will be a simple lecture. The novelist Khaled Hosseini said, 'People find meaning and redemption in the most unusual human connections.' William James once wrote, 'We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.' And yet another author we know, Albert Schweitzer said, 'We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.' And then, 'I can't think of you and myself apart. You and I are the same to me.' Leo Tolstoy.
"Life," she paused, turning to stop at the center of the classroom, "is about making connections. I think E.M. Forster said it best: 'Only connect.'" She paused again. She had their full attention now.
"I want each of you to write down your favorite coffee beverage. If you don't drink coffee, then tea. If you don't drink tea, then what the hell are you doing in England?"
That got quite a few genuine laughs from the rows, and she smiled again. "Write it down the way you'd order it every time if you never had to worry about money or calories or time. Take that paper and trade it with someone. Then trade twice more. Then- " The class was staring intently at her. "- find the person who loves that triple shot non-fat mocha soy latte with extra whip. It might take the entire class to find the right person, but the goal isn't to be the first one to find your person. The goal is to…" She opened her arms and let them finish the sentence.
"Connect!" They all shouted at her simultaneously.
She laughed. "Exactly! And then, of course, I'll need a 5,000 word essay on what this exercise did for you. Along with literary references and citations."
Loud groans rippled through the room.
"Bonus points to the person who is brave enough to find out my favorite coffee. You have the class period." Elsie clapped her hands and they began shuffling around, excited for the unusual exercise.
She turned to leave the class to it, only to find Charles leaning against the door to her office, his smile melting her knees. She dazzled him with a smile of her own, shooing him into her office so as not to attract the attention of her entire class.
"Hello." He said quietly as she shut the office door behind her. He took her hands in his large paws and brushed his thumbs across her knuckles.
She pulled him into an embrace and reached up, burying her hands in his unruly, thick grey hair. He looked at her as though she was stitching his heart back together; she could sense he was in pain, but there was also an overwhelming feeling of completeness as the pieces laced into place. She was holding her breath and,as he searched her eyes for reciprocation, he saw the undulating warmth emanating from her gaze. He bent forward and captured her lips in a sweet, slow kiss. She hummed her pleasure against his lips and smiled into the kiss.
"Hello." She whispered back as she broke away gently. She rested her forehead against his chest and breathed in his scent.
"So what was happening in there? New lesson plans?" He wrapped her into his embrace even more.
"Yes. I was ... inspired. Sometimes Beryl's teasing is good for me. But only sometimes."
"Can I take you out tonight?" He asked.
Elsie whispered her answer into his neck, "Yes." He rocked her gently as they stood together in her office. She turned her face and relaxed into his embrace.
Charles breathed her soothing smell in and looked down at her cheek resting on his chest, her eyes closed.
Elsie smiled and Charles knew, in that simple moment, that he was dangerously close to being completely in love with this woman. He would end it soon. He knew he had to. It would kill him, but he could feel how things had begun to change between them, and he feared what might happen if someone found out about her. He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to her.
But, he thought- not just yet.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
He held her softly in the low light of the dance floor. Her face was buried in his neck and she took a deep breath, inhaling his smell that she loved so much. He ran his fingers gently down her back, drawing soft lines from her neck to her hips. It felt unbelievably comforting, and she felt herself relax even more deeply into his arms. The music was sweet and calm, and she could feel something stirring in her heart. He was so gentle, something so refreshing and addicting to her.
Lately, Elsie pondered as her eyes drifted open in the soft morning light, her dreams had vacillated between the violent memories of her past and the new, strangely wonderful moments she was spending with Charles. The dream she had just woken up from was, she could only assume, a recollection of the date they'd shared the evening before.
On Thursday evening, Charles picked Elsie up at 7pm, dressed to the nines in his finest suit and polished dress shoes. He was actually nervous, and the way he adjusted the silver-plated cufflinks had made Elsie smile as she put her lipstick into her purse. "I'm ready." He had opened all of the doors for her, pulled out her chair, casually ordered an expensive and delicious wine at dinner, and was overall an exceptionally charming dinner date.
And then there was the dancing. He'd surprised her by pulling her out onto the dance floor and waltzing her on air. She could have sworn there were women gaping at them all over the room. But she hadn't cared. It had felt so delightful and exhilarating being in his arms, knowing how much he wanted her there. He had danced away with her heart, she thought, hating the cliché but feeling the truth of it each time he spun her back into his embrace. Charles had been sweet, gentle, intelligent, thoughtful, and most of all, he had looked at Elsie as though she'd hung the moon. She was beginning to think she remembered putting it there every time she was with him.
When the evening ended, Elsie found herself torn. She had wanted desperately for him to stay, to come inside and be in her personal space, to prove to her that he was real and invested. However, another(more realistic) part of her mind warned her of the dangers of trusting him.
At her door, she had turned and bid him goodnight. He'd smiled and lifted her hand to his lips, gently brushing a kiss across her knuckles.
She wished she had exquisite words to describe her feelings from the evening, but instead of looking for any she said what she needed to say with a deep, sensual kiss to his lips.
And then, for the millionth time - but maybe, she thought, for the last time - she'd gone to bed alone.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
There were times when he looked at her, sitting across from him at a table, when he glanced at her from across the room, or when her eyes met his as she felt his gaze gracing her face, that he felt an incredible pull he'd never experienced before. He was painfully aware of what this meant for his job, for the work he had been sent here to do. Every day he breathed in the danger that threatened everything his life had been for up to this point, and every day was another lost to her beauty, her kindness, her love.
He was becoming distracted, and he knew it. The entire operation had been turned on its head during his last meeting with Burns.
Charles had been sitting in his truck, gently tapping his thumb on the steering wheel to the tempo of the waltz he'd shared with Elsie the night before. He was lost in thought, reliving the feel of the silken skin of her bare back against his hand as he flowed with her across the dance floor.
He was just about to dip his daydream Elsie when a gunshot rang out in the small shack across the road from where he has parked, hidden in the trees. He was out of the truck and couched along the ground, gun out and ready for anything by the time the second shot rang. He slinked across the road in the darkness, moving silently and swiftly for a man of his size. Just like a butler might move through a house, he thought derisively as he slid into the shadows of the shack.
He sidled along the wall of the shabby wooden building until he reached a hole in the thin wood. Risking a glance inside, Charles could see Joe Burns standing above two men lying prone in pools of blood at his feet. One of the men was clearly Middle Eastern, and Charles groaned inwardly at the realization of what had just happened. He stood and pushed open the door to the shack, taking in the entire scene before him. Joe Burns held a 9mm at his side, smiling down at the bodies before him. One of Joe's thugs had another man bound at his side, his face a bloody mess. Charles looked at Joe.
"What? I've had a better offer."
Charles felt boiling anger seize him. He remembered himself seconds before he raised his gun to Burns.
Burns had seen the slight twitch of Charles's wrist, and his eyebrows shot up as he raised the 9mm to Charles' face.
"Do we have a problem, Charles?" He pulled the hammer back on the gun. Charles carefully set his .45 on the dirt floor.
"No. But I don't really appreciate walking into this. Why didn't you tell me plans had changed?" Charles refused to put his hands in the air, but he did his best to look calm. Burns lowered his gun.
"Carlisle." Burns called the name. From behind a stall situated in the rear left corner of the shack, Richard Carlisle emerged from the shadows.
September 2013
"What do you mean, she's dead?" Charles gasped in disbelief. Thomas, in a rare expression of empathy, pulled a chair out for Charles and he collapsed into it.
"It was Richard Carlisle, Charles. He knew more than we thought. He leaked her cover to Burns, who killed her that night. We didn't even know her cover was blown until we discovered her body the next day, floating in the river."
Charles felt he was going to be sick. He'd known Carlisle was venomous, but he'd never imagined the man would take things this far.
"How did she die?" Charles asked, coldly preparing himself for the facts.
"Burns raped her. Then he slit her throat." Charles slammed his fist into the table, cracking the wood and breaking at least two of his fingers. He hardly noticed.
The real Thomas emerged then. "Alice knew what she was getting into when she took the assignment, Charles. That's the long and short of it."
Charles looked up at him. "Doesn't life matter to you? Isn't there anything in this world that touches you? You cold bastard." Charles ran his hand down his face.
"I don't have that luxury, Charles. And you don't either, not if you want to get out of this alive."
"I hope you never lose someone that means something to you. I think if you ever allowed yourself to feel anything, it would kill you."
With that, Charles left the room.
Thomas stood, still and silent in the near darkness. He took a shuddering breath and sobbed quietly into his hands.
Charles stared at Carlisle, retaining his stoic butler-like mask despite the cacophony of emotions raging through him at the sight of a man he considered the worst of humankind.
"Charles. Mr. Burns here has told me so much about you. I do hope we can be friends." Carlisle purred in his oily voice, smiling devilishly.
Charles bit the inside of his cheek to keep from spewing his hatred out loud, and the salty, metallic tang of his blood cleared his head enough for him to respond.
"I don't need any friends. I need to know what you're planning on doing now."
Carlisle sauntered forward, pulling on a pair of fine black leather gloves.
"Mr. Burns, may I?" Carlisle deferred to Burns with a flick of his wrist. Burns nodded and pulled a white rag out to wipe the blood spatter from his hands.
"Mr. Burns and I have come to an understanding. I was able to bring to light some issues he has been seeking to resolve. In exchange, he has offered me the contract that our friends here," Carlisle gestured to the bodies, "had previously laid claim to."
Charles knew there was something he had missed, but he played along. "What could you offer Burns that is worth more than the money he was guaranteed with their contract?"
When Carlisle turned to walk around the bodies, Charles took the opportunity to stoop and retrieve his gun from the floor. He placed it in his waistband at his back.
Carlisle turned to face Charles dramatically. "That, Mr. Carson, if for Mr. Burns to share when and if he chooses. In the meantime, we have new directions for you."
Charles knew he was not going to like what they had to say. "Look, I'm not doing anything unless I know I'm still getting paid what Burns offered me in the first place. This isn't the way I like to do things." Charles looked down at the men's bodies, bloody and lifeless.
Burns stuffed the handkerchief back in his lapel pocket. "Charles, old chap. You'll do whatever it is we tell you to do. Unless of course you'd like to join our friends here."
"Mr. Burns, while I respect your ability to frighten people, you do not frighten me. I am here to work; not to kill people, not to clean up a mess. I take care of the business end of things. If you don't want me to do what you hired me for, then cut me loose." Burns was completely unreadable, and Charles had no idea if he would explode.
"Very well. Carlisle, please share our plans with Mr. Carson."
Burns leant in to Charles and said in his ear, "Never, ever disrespect me like that again. Next time, I will kill you slowly … and painfully."
After Carlisle had filled him in, Charles left the shack feeling both exhausted and wired. He was sick of this game, this violent and secretive life he'd led for far too long. Eight years undercover was far more than enough, and each day he spent with Elsie just made his wish for it all to be over that much stronger.
He had listened to Carlisle detail a setup that would put the weapons into the hands of men far more dangerous than Burns. Charles knew the deal was headed south; he knew that one wrong move could get him killed, and he knew that, even if he didn't do anything wrong, the likelihood of getting out alive was slim at best. He was in the worst place he could be: stuck between a psychopath, a sociopath, and a violent group of men that would do anything in their power to advance their bloody goals.
His next meeting with Thomas couldn't come soon enough.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
"Hey! Haven't seen you hens in ages! Happy to have you back."
John smiled at Elsie and Beryl as they sat down at the bar. He had their usual drinks sat before them almost immediately, with a big smile lighting his face. His unusually cheery demeanor led Elsie to believe Anna had shared her news with him.
"So, what's new with you ladies?" John tossed a white bar towel over his shoulder and leaned towards them on the bar. There was a glint from a ring on his left hand, and Elsie gasped when she realized what had happened.
"You got married!" Elsie stood on the bar stool and leaned over the counter, engulfing John in a friendly hug.
Beryl choked on her drink. "What?! What am I missing here? Married? John!"
John, mid laugh, turned and grasped Beryl's hand. A rare but genuine smile lit his features, making him look ten years younger.
"Anna and I, we've tied the knot. We wanted to keep it a quiet affair, no fuss. So we went to the courthouse and then had a nice little weekend away."
"Why, you sly devil!" Beryl exclaimed. She patted his hands clasped in hers. "Congratulations sir, I am very happy for you."
John looked at Elsie, who had tears in her eyes. He smiled and turned back to Beryl. "And," he began, "we are expecting."
Beryl's squeal of delight caused at least a few heads to turn their way. Elsie and John had a good laugh at her histrionics. Beryl shouted to the entire bar, "Drinks on me, in honor of this wonderful chap!" Then she looked panicked for moment and grabbed John's arm as the bar cheered. "Cheap, cheap drinks John. Cheap!" He laughed and left to serve his patrons.
"Well, that was quite generous of you!" Elsie said, settling back into her seat.
"Yes, well, my kids are grown and I can afford to celebrate good news once in a while, and John is a good man. I don't mind my money going to him. And besides, it's really going to support their little family!"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. Anna hadn't told John yet and-"
"Oh don't you fret, I understand. Anna's the quiet sort, she trusts you. She doesn't know me nearly as well, and you two have always had a special bond. I'm just thrilled her luck is turning for the better. "
"As am I."
Beryl noticed that look on Elsie's face again, the one that made Beryl think maybe Anna had more in common with Elsie than a love of books.
Beryl slid her empty glass toward John and smirked as he came to fill it again. She smiled. "In answer to your earlier question, my life is same old, but Elsie here, she's on fire! She's been seeing that new professor, Charles Carson."
John smiled softly and chuckled a bit. Elsie was suddenly very warm and she removed her jacket.
"I'm happy for you, Els. It's nice to see you glow like that." John slid another tumbler of liquor her way and she threw it back happily.
"Thank you." Elsie mouthed to John as he walked away. He nodded his head and smiled at her.
Beryl smirked at Elsie and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, let's dance."
Elsie laughed, feeling the warmth of the alcohol as she followed Beryl to the tiny dance floor.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
Charles knew it was Beryl and Elsie's night out, but he needed to see her. He needed to be in her calming, loving presence. He pulled into Ruby's, parking next to Elsie's car. He made his way inside, the bar packed on a Friday night. He got inside, making his way to the bar to see John. He liked the man and, as he walked over, Charles noticed the glint of a shiny new wedding band. He smiled as John greeted him.
"Congratulations, chap." Charles gestured to the ring.
John smiled back. "Thank you. I am a very lucky man. But I'd say you know how that feels." John followed Charles' gaze where he had found Elsie swaying on the dance floor, slightly flushed and laughing.
Charles never took his eyes from Elsie as he answered John. " Yes, Yes I do." She was utterly flawless in his eyes.
Elsie was dancing like a fool with Beryl, and for the first time in so many years she felt carefree and weightless. Whether it had anything to do with Charles she wasn't ready to admit it, but she did know his presence in her life signaled that she finally trusted herself again. It was a blissful feeling.
Beryl pulled Elsie into a spin as the song ended, and they fell into a loose hug simply enjoying the fun they were having. Elsie looked up to see Charles watching her from the edge of the dance floor with a look on his face that took her breath away. He was smiling, just a bit at the corners of his mouth. His hair was tousled and his eyes were glued to hers. Looking at his expression, not a person in the room could deny his love for her. Beryl took one look at the man staring at her friend and left the floor.
He glanced over at John and nodded. The full, heady notes of a slow song began.
As Charles slid his arm around her waist, she said goodbye to her old demons and in the moment he gently pressed his lips to hers, she decided to trust him with her heart.
"Take me home." She whispered.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
In the darkness of her bedroom, Charles kissed her carefully, longingly. He held her close to him, and he swayed with her to a song only they could hear. Gently, slowly, they undressed one another. He replaced every article of clothing with whispered kisses and sweet words of love. When they were both completely undressed, Charles let his eyes linger over her beautiful body. He reached out and gently touched the scar across her abdomen, a silent question in his eyes.
"I was married, once. He was a violent man. It led to..." She gestured to her belly, a tear running down her cheek. Charles bent to his knees before her, pulling her to him with his large, gentle hands on her hips. He placed a soft kiss on her scar.
"I wish I could have been there for you." He left unspoken the words she knew he meant.
I wish I could have held you when you cried, when the loss tore at your heart like a jagged blade. I wish I could have saved you from the pain and the sadness. I wish I had met you sooner.
She pulled him to his feet and kissed him with fervor. He pulled her impossibly close, pressing every plane of her body to his. She melted into the hardness of his chest and shoulders. She brushed her lips across his heart.
"Take me to bed, Charles."
Charles laid her down on the bed. He spared a moment to revel in her beautiful presence. Her auburn hair spread out across the pillow, her flushed skin and rosy lips stole his breath. He knew, right then, he would never be able to leave her.
"I love you, Elsie. I love you."
Elsie reached for him. As he knelt over her, she pulled his ear down to her lips. "I love you too, you wonderful man."
Slowly, Charles and Elsie learned one another's bodies. Until the earliest hours of the morning they made love, imprinting their hearts and souls on one another until they couldn't remember ever having lived without the other.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
Elsie awoke the next morning to find Charles splayed across the bed on his stomach. He face was tucked into the soft swell of her stomach, and his snores tickled her as he rumbled against her side. She laughed, and he woke with a start.
"Elsie? What- where-"
"You were snoring. It tickled."
Charles, now taking in his surroundings, felt himself become painfully aware of the woman before him. His body responded to the sight of Elsie, naked and sleepy eyed, with such intensity that he felt lightheaded from the rush of blood to other extremities. Elsie sensed the change in his awareness and her eyes darkened in response.
"Wait." She said, gently pushing him away. He pouted. " I have a better idea," she said seductively. She led him into the bathroom and turned the shower on.
"Mmm, you were right, excellent idea." He murmured as he stepped into the shower with her.
The warm water caressed her back as he kneeled and ran his mouth across her stomach, sucking and kissing the places he had discovered the night before. Elsie ran her fingers through his silver and black hair, gently tugging at him and pulling him up to her mouth. He kissed her lips, and she nipped his bottom lip, then immediately sucked his tongue into her mouth. Charles moaned into her kiss. He groaned and grabbed her hips, thrusting upwards. But Elsie was having none of his impatience.
"Now, now ... patience." She pushed him against the shower wall. He had never been taken charge of like this. She was dragging her teeth gently along his neckline now, and he was struggling for breath. With every nibble of her delectable mouth he was one step closer to losing it. Watching her teasing him and pleasuring him while barely touching him drove him wild. Like a madman, he was close to an edge he didn't want to cross alone, so he grabbed Elsie and slid down to the floor of the shower.
He slid her down to sit on his lap, and she took him inside of her, tightening around him as he pressed into her softness.
"Elsie, Elsie, Elsie, I love you. You are beautiful. I love you." The soft, heartfelt words spilled from his mouth as she slid up and down. She swirled her hips over his and he was lost, burning up, inside and out, yelling her name as he soared into oblivion.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
An hour later they sat in the kitchen together eating a pleasant breakfast of omelets, bacon and toast. Willa gazed lovingly at the platter of bacon, and when Elsie turned to grab the teakettle from the stove Charles surreptitiously tossed the dog a slice of meat. Without turning her back, Elsie scolded him.
"She shouldn't be eating people food!"
Charles laughed, realizing in that moment he was happier than he could ever remember being in his life. Elsie turned and set a mug of tea in front of him.
"What's that look for?" Elsie asked. Charles just leaned over to her for a kiss.
"I am a happy man, that's all."
Elsie smiled and gently perched herself on his lap. "And I am a happy woman." She pulled Charles in for another kiss. Willa stole half of the bacon from the platter, but neither Elsie nor Charles noticed a thing.
ECECECECECECECECECECE
The next few days were bliss. Elsie and Charles were never apart for more than an hour or two, and then only by necessity to teach a class or complete some grading or attend a meeting. Their insatiable appetites had almost gotten the better of them more than once. A student had walked in on Charles with his hand on its way up Elsie's skirt in his classroom the day prior. Thankfully, the student was clearly not paying attention and they were able to put enough distance between them before they were officially caught.
But that had only marked the beginning of their recklessness. Charles would sneak into Else's office whenever his schedule permitted and kiss her senseless. At one such moment, Beryl had burst into Elsie's office in a tizzy.
Charles had Elsie pinned against the wall, her right leg help wrapped around his waist and his hand inside her blouse. He was making his way down Elsie's neck, his mouth hot against her skin, her breathing ragged and loud, when Beryl slammed the door to Elsie's office open.
"Elspeth, do you know what that idiot Mrs. Bird di- Oh, bloody hell, you two!"
Charles had dropped Elsie's leg in his surprise and Elsie's shirt had fallen open. She quickly grabbed both sides of the blouse and held them together, but she couldn't hide her flaming face or the guilty look it now wore.
"You two are like bloody rabbits!" With that exclamation, Beryl stormed right back out the door she had entered only moments before. Elsie dissolved into laughter at the absurd situation.
"I'm sorry. But she's right. We'll have to be more careful." Elsie buttoned her shirt up.
"Yes, we will. Next time we will have to hide in my closet!" Charles laughed and kissed her once more before departing for his classroom.
Elsie was amazed at her voracious excitement, but she was truly astonished at her reckless behavior during one regular Wednesday afternoon. She had not seen Charles the evening before, their first away from one another since Friday. She was having lunch with him but as it was still an hour until his class was finished, she didn't expect to see him. Her History of European Literature class had just ended, and the students were filing out. Elsie was at her office door when Charles walked in just as the last student was leaving. Elsie was happy to see him, but surprised.
"Charles I thought you had class until one?"
Elsie got a good look at his face as he practically barreled toward her. Her breath stopped in her throat as he reached her. He put his hands on her face and held her softly.
"Elsie," Charles breathed the word like a prayer into her neck and then nuzzled her, placing gentle, warm kisses below her ear and in a line down her neck. Elsie shuddered and attempted to gather her wits, pushing against his hold on her. He moved then and pinned her arms above her head against the door and clasped her hands firmly in his own, making it nearly impossible to struggle without hurting herself. And it was becoming harder and harder to make her body listen; he had graduated from her neck to the tops of her breasts, and his hot lips grazed the line of the shirt where it impeded his sensual progress. He paused, clearly thinking something over, and she seized the moment to scold him.
"Charles, stop."
And he did, just like that. He dropped her hands and stepped away so quickly she wasn't even certain he had moved. She felt the loss of his heat like a slap. Taking a deep breath, Elsie readjusted the purple shirt so it covered her more discreetly and she brushed the loose pieces of hair away from her face. Clearing her throat, she dared to look at him.
His deep hazel eyes were absolutely on fire, and her knees gave slightly at the heat in his gaze. Steadying herself, Elsie secured her thoughts and said, "This is not right. I will not do this, not here." Her piece said, she closed her mouth and waited for him to speak.
Charles looked her up and down. He licked his lips. Elsie's breath caught as she met his gaze. He never said a word.
Pinning her against the wall behind them, Charles lifted her up and forced her legs open. She gripped his waist with her legs and he ground his groin between at the junction of her thighs.
In that moment, it was as though Elsie's instincts took over, all thoughts of propriety gone. She threw her head back and moaned at the feel of him, strong and driving as he gripped her backside in his hands. He braced her body against the wall and his hands continued upward. He lingered at her waist pulling her tighter to him and fusing their bodies tighter where the fire burned the hottest. Elsie couldn't think or feel or hear anything beyond what Charles was doing to her, and she didn't even care. It was too late to go back now and she found she didn't want to. This felt so good, so delicious, and she wanted it so badly.
Elsie put forth her maximum effort to gather her thoughts and say, "Ok! I give in! You win Charles, but not here. In-in my office " And he lowered her to the floor, grabbed her hand, and all but dragged her into the office. Once inside, Charles turned and slammed the door, managing to growl out, "Lock?"
Elsie brushed against him and he shivered as she flipped the ancient gold lock on the handle. Before she could turn around, Charles came up behind her and pressed her into the door. He slid his hands up the front of her body, indecently and sexily touching all of the most sensitive areas before finding her breasts.
"Do you like this shirt?" He asked her in a strained voice. She had bought the fake purple silk thing at a yard sale, so she shook her head no, anticipating with quivering delight what he was planning. In the moment after she answered, Charles grabbed the edge of the shirt and ripped it from her body, exposing her left breast just hidden behind a transparent white lace bra.
Now he whirled Elsie around, running his hands down the front of her. Taking her lips, he kissed her carefully before resuming his fevered pace. Grabbing both sides of the ruined shirt in either hand, he tore the thing from her with such force her breasts swayed as he dropped the shirt. His next move made her gasp, as he bent and took an inflamed nipple into his mouth, sucking on her breast right through the lace of her bra. Somehow, the lace enhanced the already intense sensation, making the feel of his tongue grazing her nipple almost unbearable. She whimpered and grabbed his thick hair, and he abandoned her breasts and moved lower. Planting a kiss on her lower belly, he stood and guided her quickly to the flowered love seat she had in her office. Pushing her gently into a sitting position, Charles shoved the small coffee table in front of the loveseat out of his way and bent in front of Elsie. His wicked grin knotted things low in her belly and she unconsciously grabbed at the seat cushions, her fingers flexing and unflexing in anticipation of the promise of great pleasure in his eyes. Pulling her legs apart, Charles slid his hands up the insides of her thighs until he reached their apex. He ran his fingers down the length of her sex, feeling the ready wetness through her panties. She shuddered, and he chuckled, low and deep. Reaching up, he slid her panties down her legs as she gave him a blazing look of desire that was nearly his undoing.
Bending between her legs and looking into her eyes, he grabbed the tops of her legs and pulled her closer to his body. She shivered, and he watched her face as he lowered his mouth to her sex and began his ministrations. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she moaned, which he took as an invitation to intensify his efforts. He put his hands around her bottom and secured his grasp before going down on her once again. Her legs were spread wide for him now, and he could feel her shudder as he flicked her with his tongue. Her breathing came fast and shallow, and she reached up to bury her fingers in his unruly thick hair. Right before she toppled over the edge, Charles stopped and stood up. She cried out at the severed connection, wanting him back between her thighs immediately.
Standing, Charles pulled her up with him. Unstable on her legs, she swayed a bit until he steadied her. He sat then, and divested himself of his jeans and boxers. Her mouth formed a small "o" at the sight of him. Lifting her by the waist and placing her on his lap, she shocked him by reaching down and trying to guide him in. He stopped her progress by lifting her body up and gently teasing her down onto him once, twice, three times before he allowed himself to plunge inside her.
She gasped with the stretching, the pure energy of his thrust. Her body clung to him, held on as he gyrated his hips and drove into her once more. Her head snapped back, and her chest thrust forward. The wet spots on the lace of her white bra showed her dark nipples, so he reached around and unclipped her bra. Her breasts were gorgeous, her nipples sweet and pert and extremely dusky and taut. He flicked one with his thumb and then pulled her forward so he could take them into his mouth. Him inside of her and her nipple in his mouth made him shudder, and he thrust harder and faster. She returned his thrusts, bracing herself by gripping the back of the loveseat. The force of their combined efforts rocked the little settee quite literally, and he was soon lost in the feel and smell of her.
Elsie was equally entranced. The initial entry had almost been too much. She had shuddered with the effort of holding off her orgasm. But she knew it was coming like a runaway train, and the moment he had taken her nipple into his mouth she reached behind him and gripped the loveseat, relishing in the feel of control as she drove him deeper and deeper into her. The moans, she realized, were coming from her. His shaft was very thick and hit her at a deeper point from this angle, and the feel of that much man within her was like a dull razor, riding the point between intense pleasure and pain. When she could not hold back anymore, she tightened hard around his shaft as he thrust one last time before reaching his own climax. She sat then, with him still inside of her, and savored the feel of his heartbeat throbbing against the most intimate part of her.
Just to see what it would do, Elsie tightened around his spent member, and he moaned aloud, involuntarily thrusting into her again. The sensation, so soon after the earth shattering orgasm, grated her senses and she cried out with pleasure, pitching her upper body forward into his embrace. He chuckled again, enjoying the power to make her moan. He thrust again, then once more, and continued while she practically cried with the intensity of it. He was too much within her and the feeling of him thrusting made her breathless and inflamed. It took him less than a minute to bring her to her second climax, and she collapsed against him then, utterly and completely spent. They kissed each other tenderly while exploring each other's bodies. Sooner than she expected, he began to grow hard inside of her. She gasped at the sensation of it, and they wasted no time in utilizing his condition.
An hour and a half later, Elsie glanced at the clock and swore. "Oh, I have a lecture in twenty minutes!"
Charles laughed. "Well, you can always skip. You know, a sick day."
She considered it for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I really can't. I would absolutely love to, but I am giving a test today. An oral test and I must be there."
"Are you sure?" he said. She sighed and nodded, so he kissed her again, and then helped untangle their bodies. He groaned as he watched her try to tidy herself, deliciously pleased just to gaze at her. Elsie blushed and the dark red of it spread from her neck to her knees. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, and then disappeared into the small storage closet at the back of the room. A few moments later she emerged with a packet of wet wipes. She handed him some then returned to the closet while they each cleaned up. Charles was not about to be shut out, however, so he followed her into the closet and stole kisses every chance he could, much to her apparent embarrassment. He also ran his fingers in soft trails down her back, between her shoulders and across her collarbone, relishing every moment of connection. She continued to blush, but her soft sighs told him she enjoyed the contact as much as he did.
Elsie was almost dressed when she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. In her hand were the shredded remains of her yard-sale shirt. Looking at Charles, half smiling, half panicking, Elsie asked, "What am I going to do?"
Charles said, facetiously, "Go like that? There wouldn't be a male in the class who could speak; hell, the women too. You'd be done in half the time." Elsie waved her hand at him, playfully dismissive as her cheeks tinged pink, and then resumed her worries.
"Really, Charles, what I am going to wear? I'm not particularly picky, but having a shirt is something of a necessity. I'm certain I would be breaking the dress code with this outfit." She gestured to the ivory dress skirt, ivory pumps, and see-through white lace bra that currently made up her wardrobe. Charles swallowed and looked away, entirely tempted to start the entire last hour all over again. But he knew how dedicated she was to her work, so he attempted to form rational thought.
"Could you ask Beryl? I mean, she is your best friend, right? She wouldn't ask too many questions if you gave her an excuse?"
Elsie smirked and then said, " No questions? Not likely. Actually, not possible. She would be all over this. It would take her thirty seconds to figure out the truth and then I would be embarrassed and forced to confess!"
Charles sauntered over to Elsie, already aching for her again but knowing he would have to keep himself in check. "What we did, mmm? More like what I plan to do again" Charles kissed her neck and put his hands on her hips, "and again," He moved his hands to her bottom and continued to kiss a line down her throat, "and again ,and again, and again." After a few seconds, when the kisses began to get too hot and heavy and he could feel himself losing control, he stepped away and took a deep breath of air.
"I'm sorry. You are so damn irresistible."
Elsie blushed and unconsciously covered her chest with her arms. Quietly in her thick Scottish brogue she said, "Charles, please. I am under no illusions about my level of irresistibility. And besides that, I am in desperate need of a shirt." She turned away from him and gazed out the window of her office, gasping audibly when she realized the curtains weren't drawn all the way closed. Thankfully, the window faced an empty wheat field, so it was unlikely that anyone had been able to see them in their haste of passion. Even so, Elsie drew the curtains closed. Charles came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He turned her around and pulled her into him.
His deep voice rumbled as he brushed his hands down her arms. "Don't ever think you are undesirable. You are a beautiful, passionate woman that I cannot believe I am lucky enough to know." He held her away for just a moment to look into her eyes, eyes that were silently accusing him of lying, and then he gently kissed her lips. "Now, let's find you a shirt."
ECECECECECECECECECECE
Click. Click. Click. Click. The shutter snapped at a steady pace. Carlisle flicked his cigarette onto the ground, crushing a handful of the willowy wheat stalks as he smashed the glowing end into the dirt.