Mirage Beyond Flames (Coriola) (6 page)

Remembering the way he’
d kissed her the night before, of how incredibly sexy he’d looked sitting at his desk - unshaven, his shirt nearly unbuttoned - she became aware of her own need and desperate craving for a decadent
dessert
.

Bypassing the fantastic way
he was built, she had to admit he was a special man.
Noble
, that’s how she’d called him and meant it.

“Why do I have to complicate stuff?” she demanded
again of Pirata, who was washing his paws, satiated. “I’m just gonna go with it, not sit around analyzing every little thing. Giovanni was right, not all men are a pain in the ass, some of them are worth the trouble.”

A
t the end of this monologue, during which she had been moving like an efficient robot, she discovered amazed the meal was almost ready. She made the final touches, arranged everything in expensive formal plates and, consulting her watch, exclaimed in panic:

“It’s a qua
rter to eight! Gerard has to be here at eight sharp!”

So saying
, she ran up the stairs to her bedroom, while the cat was watching her placidly.

She quickly applied some basic makeup. Afterward, she pulled on
a white backless dress that reached her knees, splendid by simplicity and elegance.

Her only jewelry was
the ring she never took off and a pair of delicate pearl earrings.

Precisely when she descended the stairs, she hear
d the intercom’s buzz. She pressed the button to unlock the gates, opening the front door in time to see a black Jeep advancing on her driveway.

Gerard parked in front of the garage and got out of his
car. He opened the passenger door, revealing an enormous flowers bouquet, then headed toward her. He wore midnight blue pants and a white shirt, opened at the neck. The white cotton created a delicious contrast with his tanned chest. She felt her entire body reacting like a metallic splinter attracted by a huge magnet.

When h
e reached her, she noticed he’d shaved.

My God, he is completely magnificent!
she thought, while his mesmerizing green gaze was drilling into her, as if intuiting all her thoughts and sensations.

He handed her the bouquet -
a combination of white roses and white lilac, spreading a divine perfume. He took in her white dress, the thin material which seemed to flow down her body, subtly emphasizing every curve.

“I can see I chose the flowers very well, they perfectly match you and
your attire. You are splendid,” he said and bent to kiss her cheek. She involuntarily turned her head and his lips touched the corner of her mouth.

Linda felt h
is hot breath next to her lips. Entranced by his nearness and the dizzying smell of his perfume, she turned her head another fraction. Their mouths touched in a kiss that would have been as chaste as the white flowers between them, if it weren’t for the explosive sensuality each felt in the other’s presence.

Gerard touched her lips with his once more, then slowly traced them with one finger,
as if caressing an exotic flower’s petals.

He slightly stepped back from her, noticing Pirata, who h
ad come to inspect the intruder. Amused, he bent to scratch the cat’s chin, being repaid with a generous purring sound.

She
invited him inside, then prompted him to have a seat on the living room sofa, while she put the flowers in a water vase from the kitchen.

“Would you rather we ate in a more formal ambient or in the kit
chen?” she asked, aware her dress wasn’t suited for a kitchen meal.

“Definitely in the kitchen. You don’t ha
ve to be formal with me, Linda,” he replied. “Do you need me to help you with anything?”

“Just with ea
ting,” she joked. “Come into the kitchen then.”

Wh
ile he sat at the counter, she mentally congratulated herself for being such a tidy cook. Because she immediately cleaned all surfaces while she was cooking, her kitchen always looked as new. She secretly took pride in that.

She arranged the dishes, then brought the spaghetti.

“Hmm, they look almost as good as you!”

“Thanks, but I can assure yo
u they taste a lot better!”

“I seriously doubt that,”
he replied, watching her in that particular way which never failed to incite her.

After he had his first taste, Gerard remarked:

“It’s absolutely delicious! Where’d you learn to cook this stuff?”

“Back home, when I was a child, we had an excellent cook. Sophia taught me ever
ything I know. Unfortunately, lately I became pretty lazy and I rarely cook.”

“I’ve always loved Italian food the most. It’s got… something special, just like Italian women. My mother always prompted me to find an Italian girl.”

“And you didn’t succeed?” she asked jokingly.

“I did now,”
he answered in a serious tone, his eyes resting on hers.

They looked at each other for a long moment, i
n silence. She was the first to break that intense visual contact. She resumed the conversation, changing the subject as if nothing had happened.

They went on with their meal, making small talk, while Pirata was twirling around their feet, meow-ing conversationally.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t had time to prepare dessert,” she apologized while cleaning the table. “However, I’ve ordered something delicious.”

Gerard stood
, putting his dishes in the sink.

“What? So far, dinner was great.”

Linda went to the fridge and produced an ornate bowl emanating an appetizing smell. After generously filling two dessert bowls, she put them on the table.

“Caramel cream. Haven’t you ever had this before?”

He studied it curiously, then used his spoon to test and taste the creamy surface.

“Hmm, I’
ve never tasted something this good in my whole life!” he exclaimed, his eyes closed in delight. “Would you like to go in the living room? A good movie in your company is all that’s missing.”

She
smiled, taking her own cream bowl and spoon.

“You’ll have to watch that crea
m at all times! Pirata loves it.”

They installed themselves comfortably on the living room sofa. Following a short debate regarding her DVD movie collection, they decided to watch
Far and Away
, a sort of romantic comedy, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

The movie had barely beg
un and Gerard’s bowl was empty. Linda laughed when she saw him placing it on the table.

“Do you want some more?” she asked, putting
her half-eaten dessert next to his empty bowl.

“No, thanks. I
t was delicious, but I’m full. At least, for now.”

“Let me
know if you change your mind.”

“I will.”

He sank deeply between the cushions and, with almost studied nonchalance, put an arm around her, on the sofa’s backrest.

On the sc
reen, Tom and Nicole were exchanging witty lines. The tasteful humor made both spectators laugh out loud.

“I would love to visit
Ireland one day,” she confessed, referring to the country where the movie’s action was taking place. “And another thing on my to-see list is Stonehenge. Though I’ve been in England for months now, I’ve never taken the time to visit it yet. But I plan to.”

Gerard watched her curiously.

“You too?”

“I guess tha
t means we have a common goal?”

When he nodded, she went on:

“Ever since I was in high school, when we learned about Stonehenge during History classes, I was fascinated by the pictures of that place, by all the legends going around about the origin and purpose of those megaliths, about druids. I’m fascinated by everything tied to Celtic culture, although I don’t know much about it.”

“Frankly speaking,”
he said, “I believe no one knows anything for sure. They all make speculations based on some research or facts and the hypotheses of the ones who invent opinions. But you’re right, places like Stonehenge are spectacular. It’s incredible to simply admire them, to imagine the efforts of the people or any other entities that have built them, driven by ideas or purposes known only by them. I intend to visit it too, one day.”

“Maybe we’ll go toge
ther,” she suggested.

Gerard looked at her s
miling.

“I would like that.
Perhaps when I get back from Romania.”

She
absently scratched Pirata’s ears, as he was rubbing against her feet.

“When
do you plan to leave? And how will you get there?”

“Well, as soon as possible I’ll reserv
e a plane ticket. When I’ll get there, I’ll rent a car or something.”

He slowly rubbed his chin, watching her meditatively.

“Why don’t you come with me?” he asked her, so suddenly it had probably been a potentially crazy impulse.

She
stared at him, stunned.

“Me? In Romania?”

He shrugged.

“What’s the problem?”

“W-well, in two days I have the opening of my art exhibit, I have to be there,” she stuttered.

“I
hope you plan to invite me too. I can’t wait to see what you can do,” he replied, his white teeth gleaming in the playful light beams coming from the TV screen – the only source of light in the dark room. “But we could leave next week. Or do you have something against Romania?”

Linda massaged her forehead with two fingers. The guy demolished her every argument like a
wrecking ball.

“I don’t have anything against it, but I can’t just leave. What do I do with Pirata?” she asked with renewed hope.

He thought it over for a moment.

“Didn’t you say you have a housekeeper? She could take care of him. We won’t stay longer than two
or three days. Or don’t you wanna come with me?”

She sighed profoundly.

“It’s not about that…”

Under his steady gaze, she felt herself weakening.

“I’ll think about it, I promise. And I’ll try to find a way to organize my stuff. Now let’s watch the movie, okay? I didn’t even pay attention.”

Meanwhile, the movie’s action had moved from Ireland to America and the adventures of the two
protagonists oscillated between amusing and tragic.

“I’ve al
ways wanted to have curly hair,” she said dreamily, admiring Nicole Kidman’s thick wavy hair. “Look at her, she’s gorgeous with that hair.”

Gerard ran his hands softly thro
ugh her hair, thoughtfully analyzing a long strand.

“Your hai
r is lovely just the way it is,” he told her and she turned her face to his. “Ever since I first saw you I admired it. And after last night, its scent has remained ingrained into my memory.
You
remained ingrained into my head.”

She
looked at him, speechless. The games of light and shadow coming from the screen reflected on his face. In one moment, they emphasized only his deep eyes watching her with their unmoving spark. Then the light fell over his lips, sensual and so alluring, capable of offering the most skilful kisses. Those lips were getting increasingly closer to hers, his warm breath making her whole body tremble with desire.

An almost imperceptive shiver ran through her from head to toe at the first touch of his
lips. When the kiss intensified, passion seized them both, engulfing them in thousands of sensations, nameless, but of a crushing profoundness.

When Gerard drew
her against him, running his hands over her soft skin, she was lost in his touch, in the masculine scent stirring her senses. She felt his lips and steamy breath on her neck, turning all her previous doubts into imaginary ashes. She wanted this man with every particle of her being and his every gesture proved he was as lost as she in the intensity of those same feelings.

Gerard slowly drew back from her, stood and turned off the TV.
They both remained in darkness - two silhouettes outlined in the weak light sneaking through one of the huge living room windows.

He enfolded her in his arms again, whispering with his lips on
hers:

“Where’s the bedroom? Show me.”

Without a word, she took his hand and headed toward the stairs, then they were lost in silence and blackness.

In the bedroom floated the same diffuse lunar light, filtered through the windows and a vague lavender smell perfumed the air.

He embraced her, kissing her deeply,
exploring her naked back with rough palms. Under her curtain of hair, he found the strap which held her dress in place, knotted at her nape. He slowly untied it, causing the white dress to slide on the floor with a sensual rustle.