Elemental Fear (30 page)

The imposing grandeur of Notre Dame made me stop and stare, watching the stained glass glitter and shine with the winter sun. Even in the cold people flocked to take pictures and bask in the beauty of the timeless construction. Dominic smiled every time I stopped to stare at something, he stood beside me with his arm either around my waist or around my shoulders holding me close, letting me take in my surroundings.

“It’s so beautiful Dominic, everywhere you look...” I mused, glancing around me.

“I’m enjoying seeing it through your eyes, watching you enjoy it. Loving I’m with you for your first experience
.” He smiled, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to my lips.

“Do you really think we will come back here?”

“I promise.” He pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around my waist “To prove I’m serious when we get back tonight I will load the laptop up and book it there and then, I’ll even check with Alistair if the apartment will be available.”

I lifted my hand to stroke along his cheek “I don’t deserve you
.” I whispered.

“Yes you do. We were made for each other; I’ve believed that for as long as I can remember. You know how you feel like you’re going to miss something here, that we don’t have enough time
.” He paused looking at me so I nodded “well I feel like that with you, I’m trying not to rush everything, because I feel like you’re going to disappear into thin air. I feel like I need to hold tight to keep you grounded to me, but by doing that I’m terrified I’ll scare you away.” He let out a loud puff of air.

“Dominic, I don’t know how to answer that
.” I pressed my cheek against his chest “I love being in your arms, being here with you. I’m just as scared as you are that it will be taken away from me. It’s like we’ve transferred to a perfect alternate universe where our dreams have finally come true.” I laughed and snuggled closer to him.

“I swear if you’ll have me, I am yours forever. I’m really not joking when I say I’d take you to a church now and marry you. It sounds ridiculously fast, but I’ve loved you my entire life and I see no one making me as happy as you can. We are two halves, incomplete and unfulfilled alone, but put us together and we become magical and beautiful. You are my other half, you make me special, you make me whole
.”

“I like that
.” I smiled lifting my face to look up at the beautiful man before me.

“I love you
.” He muttered before pressing his lips to mine.

“Eve,
you’re buzzing woman... I can feel your body shaking with excitement.” He laughed hugging me tightly. He stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist.

“I’m at the top of the bloody Eiffel Tower, at the top Dominic. I am st
anding at. The. Top.” I boasted

pressing my hand to my chest as I looked out at the Parisian skyline. It was dark now; the sun set over an hour ago and Paris was an astounding sight of twinkling lights and exquisite magical streets.

“You’re not quite at the top –“

“Don’t you dare be pedantic at a moment like this Dominic
!” I said nudging him with my elbow. He pressed his face into my neck and laughed. I shivered as his breath tickled my neck. “Watching you, all glassy eyed and completely happy is better than any periodic building babe.”

“It’s just so...so...wonderful. I’m at the top of the Eiffel Tower with my...my...boyfriend.” I let out a

relieved sigh and smile

“I like the sound of that
.” Dominic whispered pressing his lips to my warm neck.

“It’s perfect. I’ve never felt so happy
.” I said out into the darkness. I turned my head slightly and Dominic lifted his to look at me. “Thank you, for everything. I’ll never forget this as long as I live.”

His eyes darkened, the intensity with which he regards me takes my breath away. He turned me to face him and walked us back toward the railing and pressed me against the cold metal. “I’m going
to kiss you now because I can’t go another minute without your taste in my mouth” his lips covered mine in a hot searing kiss. I held onto his shoulders anchoring myself to him.

“Vous enlevez mon souffle, mon coeur bat pour vous et vous seul. Je déclare mon amour pour
vous et vous seul, Je t'aime Evelyn, pour toujours.”

I whimpered at the sexy breathy way he spoke, but before I have the chance to ask what he said his lips took mine again. His hard body pressing against mine to envelope me in a ravishing embrace. I gasped and pulled my mouth away when he rolled his hips into my sacred place. A desperate longing awakened and I craved something, something I couldn’t grasp, like an itch I couldn’t scratch. He flexed his hips again and pressed his hard jean clad thigh against my sensitive core and I moaned again.

“Dominic...” I panted grabbing at his coat pulling him towards me or pushing him away I wasn’t quite sure. My mind was on sensation overload and I couldn’t grasp a coherent thought. Involuntarily I pressed my hips against him, at contact he growled low in his throat.

“If I don’t stop now, I think I may be arrested for deflowering a Parisian landmark
.” He grumbled into my neck.

I nodded because that was all my body could accomplish.

He feathered kisses along my sensitised jaw and neck. “We need to go. Are you hungry?”

I made a strange noise in the back of my throat to which he laughed and lifted his head. He stared at me, his eyes dancing with desire. “God you’re beautiful. I can’t wait to see what you look like
when you come for me.”

At my scandalised intake of breath he smiled and put his lips near my ear “I want to see you come around my fingers, in my mouth and watch when you finally come with me deep inside you
.” He nipped my ear lobe with his teeth and I whimpered again, my heart took off on an erratic gallop.

“Does that sound like something you want?” I garbled an embarrassing sound of pleasure.

He pulled away from me and took my hand. “Come on, let’s eat.” He laughed at my gawping face.

“Bonsoir, pourrions-nous avoir pour commencer la Royale de cèpes et morilles et poireaux tendres dans une sauce crémeuse, la principale j'aurai poché loup de mer en sauce à la truffe, ma copine aimerait le Filet de bœuf rôti à la sauce Chateaubriand, pourrait-elle avoir que bien fait s'il vous plaît. Et nous allons décider sur les déserts plus tard. Merci
.” Dominic folded his menu and held it out to the waiter.

Is it wrong that even ordering our dinner I wanted to dive across the table and devour him? My cheeks heated at the thought and I smiled feeling for once in a very long time, free and normal, in my desires for the man opposite me.

"Bon monsieur, je reviendrai sous peu avec vos boissons." The waiter turned from our table and approached the bar.

“How do you know French Dominic? You sound beautiful
.” I said feeling lame.

“I wouldn’t say that, I still get a lot of things wrong, but I pick it up the more I come here. I took a night course with Vanessa, she also enrolled in the Italian class too, but I only had time for one
.” He looked off into the distance and a small smile played across his lips.

My heart flipped and dropped leaving a hollow ache in my chest at the wistful look on his face. I reached out a shaky hand to grasp my water glass.

“I miss those classes.” He sighed.

I fought back a wave of emotion. It would be so easy to crumble right now under my insecurities.

“The tutor we had, Eric, was so laid back. He reminded me so much of my dad I used to love Tuesday nights. He looked nothing like dad; it was just his mannerisms and dry sense of humour. He wasn’t French, his wife was though. He used to tell us stories about how they met when he was teaching third year French in high school, and she was a student teacher. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him and they argued constantly because she believed his teaching methods were seriously lacking.” His shoulders shake with silent laughter “She used to meet him at the end of our class and sometimes we would go for drinks afterwards. They constantly bickered, interchanging between the two languages, but the love they had for one another was so evident. The entire time they argued, she would hold his hand or he’d have his arm around her, there was no malice between

them. They had a true love for their work and each other. It was never awkward to be with them, it was fun and I miss seeing them
.” He placed his elbow on the table and pressed his chin on his fist, staring out of the boat window. He had insisted we dine on the Bateaux Parisians.

“Have you not seen them since you graduated?”

“Hmm? Oh, not in person. I occasionally text him. The last time I heard they had just had their third son, Isaac. At least I have some news to share when I contact him again.” He smiles looking over at me. “He said I would eventually impress the ladies with my linguistic abilities.” He waggled his eyebrows and smiled. “I always said I only had one woman to impress...and here you are.” He reached across the table for my hand. “Are you impressed?”

“I’d probably be more impressed if I knew what you were saying, as far as I know you could be
telling me I look like a toad and smell like a pig’s trotter.”

He lets out a loud laugh “Babe you are the furthest thing from a toad.”

I smiled but avert my eyes when a burning question threatens to break free. I looked away from him out of the window at the lights from the Eiffel Tower.

“What’s wrong? You look...upset
.”

I shook my head “No, I’m not. I’m having a great time
.” I offer a weak smile and I can see in his eyes he’s not convinced. I let out a loud sigh “Can Vanessa speak as well, French I mean?”

“It was her idea but like most things she hated it; I think she dropped out after the second or third class. She didn’t like Eric, she thought he was rude and couldn’t deal with his sense of humour. But I continued, I enjoyed it and it got me out of the flat and away for an hour or two.”

I smiled then, genuinely.

“Eve, were you jealous
?” He asked his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

My cheeks heated, but I nodded. He laughed and reached out for my hand again.
After our tour to the of the tower, Dominic surprised me with reservations to dine upon the Bateaux Parisiens, a gorgeous river boat with glass sides and roof, so that the diners are gifted a panoramic view of the beauty of Paris by night. We were romanced by the serenity of a solo violinist, and a female singer who celebrated French and international classics. So far we had sailed past Notre Dame and under elegantly lit bridges. If it was possible surrounded by such a romantic atmosphere I fell even more in love with Dominic and prayed that nothing would end this and we could survive. Because after tonight there was no going back, Dominic had captured and filled my heart.

We returned to the apartment and after such a fantastic day sightseeing I was absolutely exhausted, we’d spent at least an hour kissing and trying to say goodnight, before eventually we parted and retired to our own rooms. I felt bereft without him, I liked being in his company, touching him and having him constantly touching me. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling smiling like an idiot, high on love. As far as first dates go, I believe I had just been on the world’s best. I smiled again and slid out of bed, and tiptoed silently towards his door to see if I could see him sleeping.

He must have been warm also, because the sheet was pushed down to his waist, unfortunately though he had on a long sleeved t-shirt tonight, hiding his glorious body. He was lying on his back with his hands behind his head, he wasn’t relaxed in sleep like I expected, in fact he looked pretty tense the way his jaw was clenched together. I leaned against the doorframe relishing in my secret perusal of my sleeping beauty.

“I’ll never sleep if you stand staring at me, it’s bad enough knowing you’re next door,” he said still with his eyes closed making me spring from the doorframe and yelp. His low chuckle made me realise he had been fully awake the entire time.

“Can’t sleep either
?” He said sitting up to rest on his elbows, pulling the t-shirt tight across his chest. I momentarily lost the ability to talk. “Eve?”

I continued to stare fixated on the muscles flexing under the tight material. Surely he had bought the wrong
size.

“Please stop looking at me that way, I only have so much control baby
,” he said with such a sexy

rasp I was shocked at my desire to jump onto the bed and straddle him.

I swallowed and cleared my throat, I was glad for the darkness because my cheeks were burning with embarrassment.

“Tell me what you’re thinking
.” He rasped. I shook my head.

“Trust me Eve,” he said
pleadingly.

I cleared my throat “I felt hot...in bed
.” I lifted my hand and pointed to my room “I couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t get comfortable, my body just feels...funny. I got up for a drink and saw your door open...I just wanted to watch you sleep...oh Christ that sounds super creepy sorry.” I pinched the bridge of my nose “I thought you were sleeping...you looked....good lying there and...and...why have you got a top on today? Yesterday you didn’t have a top on.” I snapped, my voice coming out more frustrated than I meant it to.

His low chuckle sent a shockwave of heat through me.

“Wow...someone is grouchy when she’s horny.” He laughed and I sucked in a breath. I swallowed the lump in my throat and clenched my hands into fists at my sides to control the sudden shaking.

“I...I’m not...I don’t get horny
.”

“Not to be a nerd, but you’re displaying physical reactions to sexual response...heightened temperature, I can see your chest rising so you have an increase in pulse too, besides your shirt hides nothing...chapel hat pegs comes to mind
.” his smile spread clean across his face.

I looked down at my chest and nearly died of mortification, my nipples were like...shit! I lifted my hands to hide my chest, but then looked up at him smirking at me. I watched him through my lashes and licked my lips as I lowered my arms to my sides and pulled my shoulders back in a defiant display I would not hide, not from him.

His smile faltered, he cleared his throat and shifted on the bed. I smiled at him tilting my head in acknowledgment of our little battle, a battle I believe I just won.

“Touché
.” He choked out. “I wore my pyjamas because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” He added out of nowhere.

“I like you without
.” I said aloud, shocking myself and by the look on Dominic’s face, I had shocked him also.

He cleared his throat.

“Do you...shall I take my top off?” He asked quietly.

I bit the inside of my lip nervously and nodded. He sat up fully, never taking his eyes from mine. He
stretched both hands over his head grasping at the material behind his neck and pulled at the shirt bringing it over his head. He balled it up and threw it across the room; I have no idea where it landed because I couldn’t take my eyes away from the glorious body in front of me.

“Eve?”

“You...you’re gorgeous.” I whispered. I stepped forward towards the bed; I stopped when my knees pressed against the foot of the bed. Dominic never moved he remained in his seated position on the bed. His chest rose and fell, his abdomen tensed and squeezed, causing parts of my anatomy to copy. I tentatively lifted my knee onto the bed, I pressed my hands against the mattress either side of his feet, I moved one towards him as I lifted my other knee onto the bed. He sat up quickly and reached for me, I sucked in a startled breath and jump back from the bed.

His face flashed with agony then he quickly recovered and offered me a reassuring smile. “It’s just me Eve, I’ll keep my hands here
.” He patted the bed either side of his hips. “I’ll touch when you say I can. Okay?”

“Dominic I –“

“Your timescale babe. It’s all you, you decided.” his voice was soft and soothing.

I paused, taking in his submissive posture; he truly did mean to lay there while I explored his body. I stepped forward. I knelt back on the bed shuffling my knees closer to him. My hands straddling his knees, my knees either side of his feet. I looked up at his shadowed face. He swallowed harshly and his breathing picked up a notch, but he made no move towards me.

I took a deep breath and slowly crawled towards him. As my face came within touching distance of his defined abdomen he expelled a shuddering breath and leant back on his elbows. I remained suspended above him. My chin hovering above his navel, he watched me silently as I moved my eyes down his body. His hands gripped the bedding in tight fists, the tendons in his arms bulging with the force of his grasp.

“Can I kiss you?” I asked quietly.

“Yes.” He rasped.

I bent forward and ever so gently licked his navel with the tip of my tongue. He let out a loud curse and threw his head back. He still didn’t reach for me. I placed an open mouthed kiss to his stomach, when his muscles flexed under my mouth I felt a surge of confidence pulse through me. He still hadn’t reached for me. I placed another open mouth kiss above the other; I trailed wet kisses up his chest, across his ribs, under his pecs, around his nipples loving the tight beading of the puckered flesh. As I reached the tight pulse point on his neck his arms started shaking and he slowly lowered himself to the mattress. I followed him down, sucking at his beating pulse. One of my hands was acting as my support against his head as my other pressed against his chest, I could feel his heart pounding under my touch.“Oh Jesus, that..
.” He let out a low groan as I sucked harder against his neck. I knew this is how hickeys were made but I wanted to mark him, I wanted him to remember I had been here, kissing him, touching him.

I heard the sheets rustle and stretch with the force of his grasp. He still kept his hands away from me. My heart swelled with the knowledge he was giving me control.

In my crawl position I had kept the lower half of my body suspended above him, careful not to touch him. I pulled my mouth away from him, staring at the darkened skin near his neck and sat back on my haunches. I watched as his body flexed and tensed under me and relished in the effect I had on him.

“I...want to feel you, but...I...I’m not...” my voice was low and husky.

“Whatever pace you want baby.” He whispered back.

I crawled in reverse back down his body, taking the quilt with me to slowly reveal the
prize underneath. Dominic was wearing lounge pants, I smiled and tucked my fingers in the waistband and slowly pulled them down. His erection sprang free pointing at me as if beckoning me forward. Dominic’s toes were curled showing a sign of how tense his body was. He let his head fall to the bed with a huff and I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

I crawled back up his body positioning myself over him so when I lay fully on him my mouth connected with his and my covered breast pressed beautifully to his naked chest, his hard length pressed insistently against my thigh.

I pressed a gentle kiss to Dominic’s mouth, I tilted my head and opened my mouth urging him to do the same, I licked at his lips and his tongue poked out stroking mine. I curled my arms around his neck and pressed my body harder into him.

I yelped when his hand stroked a gentle path up my thigh.

“Sorry...sorry.” He pleaded and returned his hand back to the bed. My heart beat wildly in my chest. I stared into his beautiful, loving eyes. I needed to get past this, Dominic loved me, and I needed to do this.

“Touch me
.” I whispered.

“You sure? I don’t have to –“

“Touch me.” I pleaded.

“Thank fuck for that
.” He gasped and his hands fisted possessively into my hair. He let out a low groan and pulled my mouth hungrily against him. I thought for sure he would take possession and change our position but he didn’t he still let me explore him.

“Where do you want me to touch you
?” He asked quietly, peppering my mouth with light kisses. He sucked gently at my neck and tilted my head back to give him better access. No wonder he made such delicious noises when I was doing it to him, it felt amazing. I gasped when he sucked harder and he immediately stopped, pulling away to look at me.

“Don’t stop...it feels...amazing.” I sighed

He growled low in his throat and went back to my neck. My hands clawed at his chest, the softness of his skin and coarse hair was a luscious sensation under my fingertips.

“Where? Baby tell me where I can touch you
.” He murmured against my skin.

“Here
.” I pointed to my collarbone and he immediately shifted pressing gentle kisses against my skin, goose bumps spread across my skin heightening the sensation.

“Where
?” He choked out.

“Everywhere
.” I whispered not wanting him to speak, I just wanted his mouth to continue to do what it was doing.

He kissed along my collarbone, to the base of my throat, sucking and nipping. I moaned loving the tingling feeling spreading through my body. I shifted on his body, rubbing myself against him like a purring cat.

His hands stroked down my back, his index finger trailing the line of my spine and back up again. “Can I take your shirt off?” He asked quietly.

I swallowed and stared into lust filled eyes. My hands started shaking as I moved them to the
hem of my shirt; shakily I pulled it over my head and threw it behind me. Dominic swallowed audibly, I heard his loud gulp.

“Incredible
.” He revered.

I shimmied out of my shorts, not daring to break eye contact with Dominic in fear of losing this connection. His hands stroked up my spine and his mouth returned it’s perusal of my clavicle.

I shivered and threw my head back which brought my aching breasts closer to his mouth. He put gentle pressure to my back and urged me forward, his mouth latched beautifully onto my aching nipple. I cried out as a fevered sensation pulsed through my core.

“Oh Dominic
.” I gasped, pressing forward against him. He hummed deep in his throat creating a devilishly good feeling as he sucked and nipped at me.

“Fucking perfect
,” he said as he paid the same attention to my other breast. I rocked against him, trapping his engorged cock between us, I rocked against him and the sensation was deliriously amazing. My breaths increased as I rocked harder and faster against him, needing...more.

His hands slid down my back and his large palms cupped my buttocks pressing me against him.  He lifted his hips causing deeper friction. A foreign pressure started low in my stomach and I ached desperately, with each rock of my hips and his added pressure I needed more, I felt like I was chasing something I couldn’t quite grasp. The sensation of his hard cock pressing against the silk of my knickers caused a delirious sensation. He claimed my mouth again and moaned loudly tilting his hips hard against me. I pulled away from his mouth a cried out.

“Oh...Dominic...I need...oh, it...make it stop.”

“I’m with you baby
.” He groaned and pressed me down as he thrust up and suddenly I lost all conscious thought as my entire body went into euphoric spasm. I closed my eyes, my jaw tensed, my limbs locked and then a wonderful freedom claimed me; I cried out and succumbed to sensation.

“That’s it
.” He growled as he shuddered underneath me, his hands tightened on my bottom. He gently rocked me against him as he cried out calling my name. I felt a warm, wet sensation against my stomach. I rocked against him as his grip loosened and his body relaxed.

I smiled down at him.

“I never thought you could be any more beautiful but looking at you now I know I was wrong. Watching you come baby is the best thing I have ever experienced, you are beautiful.” He pressed a kiss to my mouth pulling me against his chest. I lay on top of him with the biggest grin on my face.