Mortal Desire (20 page)

‘Well then, while I am behaving, would you like to play cards? I’ve always wanted to play strip poker …’ she said with her head tilted to the side, her face deadpan.

I looked at the floor and laughed to myself before I had visions of her sitting naked opposite me, and lunging across the table for her, with the playing cards scattering everywhere. I took a deep breath, looked up at her and shook my head.

I took her hand in mine and led her back to the living room.

Her mother was there. She looked at me and raised her chin at me. ‘Tell me what you have to give my daughter Liam.’

‘Everything ... and nothing,’ I replied.

She frowned at me.

‘I will give her everything that I am, everything that I have and everything that I own. And then I will have nothing but my pure deep love for her, and that is everything,’ I explained.

She frowned at me again, and closed her eyes. When she opened them a smile spread across her face and her eyes softened. She nodded at me and blinked. ‘Welcome to our family!’

Sleep was not my friend tonight.

Was it the unfamiliar sofa that kept me awake, or Albert’s funeral? Perhaps it was the knitting needle on my bedside table, or my intense love for Sarah that I wanted to act upon. Maybe it was the exchange of envelopes between Mr. Bellini and the immortal one, or the vulnerability that I now felt that I was mortal?

During the night I had a visitor of the mortal kind.

Sarah kneeled beside me dressed in her satin pyjamas. She wore a white chemise that was almost see through. It pulled tightly over her generous breasts and the length of her nightwear barely covered to the top of her thighs.

‘Hi,’ I said.

‘Couldn’t sleep Mr. O’Connell,’ she whispered.

‘Me neither.’

She moved closer to me and placed her lips upon mine, gentle and teasing. She pressed her breasts to my bare chest and ran her hand down my stomach. I placed my hand over hers and stopped her from exploring further, and pulled away from her kiss.

‘Old fashioned remember,’ I whispered into her ear. She was torturing me. I was on fire and was battling to put out the flames of my desire.

She sighed. ‘I was hoping to find your weak spot,’ she whispered back.

‘You are my weak spot Sarah. You have no idea what I want to do with you right now,’ I said in a whisper. ‘Please go back to bed.’

‘Will you let me sleep next to you if I promise to be good?’ she asked, looking into my eyes seriously.

‘You know that if you make a promise, you must never break it don’t you?’ I said, trying to make sure that she was as good as her word.

‘Pinky promise,’ she replied. She nodded her head just a little and held up her pinky finger.

I smiled at her response before I kissed her, and pulled her up into my arms. She settled with her head on my chest and her fingers threaded through mine. I wrapped my free arm around her.

I kissed her head as she stilled, partly laying on top of me on the sofa, then closed my eyes relishing in the feel of her warm soft body against mine.

I had never slept an entire night with a human being before. I had always been alone in my bed.

‘Je t’aime Sarah,’ I whispered to her as I felt sleep descending upon me.

‘Je t’aime too Liam,’ she replied, making me chuckle at her attempt of I love you in French.

‘That would be—Je vous aime trop Liam,’ I said gently.

‘Je vous aime trop Liam. Thank-you for my first French lesson,’ she said.

‘Oh, I have many French lessons that I could teach you Miss Flynn,’ I replied.

‘Hmmmm, I promised to be good Liam. But you are making it very difficult for me. I am old fashioned you know, and I need to get my beauty sleep,’ she replied.

‘Sarah, have you ever made love before?’ I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

‘No. I am waiting for my husband,’ she replied. ‘You?’ she asked.

‘No. I am waiting for my wife,’ I answered before I kissed her with tenderness, enjoying her moan in pleasure at the sensation of my tongue caressing hers.

‘Now sleep my sweet,’ I whispered to her.

‘I love you Liam O’Connell,’ she replied.

‘I love you more Sarah Flynn,’ I said while she kissed my chest.

I had never known that I could sleep so deeply. It must have been the effect of holding my soul mate in my arms during my unconsciousness …

CHAPTER THREE

A single finger drew a line of swirls and zigzags on my bare chest. It left a trail of fire on my skin, waking me from my sleep. I placed my hand over Sarah’s in a gentle touch, and smiled with my eyes closed.

‘Hi,’ she said in a voice that was soft and content.

‘Hi,’ I replied, and opened my eyes to look at her. I took in a sharp breath when I looked into her beautiful green eyes. Looking into her heart and soul caused my heart to skip a beat. I took a deep breath and moved her hand to my lips and kissed it with tenderness.

I closed my eyes when she moved her lips to mine in a long slow kiss, tasting me, caressing me. I soared to heights unknown to me for waking in the morning, and my desire ignited, deep and strong.

‘Morning!’

My eyes flew open. Sarah’s mother’s voice came from the kitchen.

I stood immediately and covered my nakedness. After I had zipped up my trousers and pulled on my long sleeved shirt, I turned to face Sarah.

She held an amused smile on her face, her finger stroking her bottom lip.

‘Enjoying the view?’ I asked, while I buttoned my shirt.

‘Mmmmm,’ she responded, before she stood and walked away.

I looked down and smiled to myself, and shook my head.

I made my way into the kitchen and apologized to Mrs. Flynn for being unable to stay for breakfast, before I knocked on Sarah’s closed bedroom door. ‘Hey ... je dois aller mon amour ... I have to go my love,’ I spoke with my forehead pressed again her oak door.

A moment later there was a faint click. The door opened and a hand reached out, grabbed me and pulled me in. Sarah stood before me wrapped in a towel. ‘Do you really think that I am going to let you go after you spoke to me in French ... my love?’ She released her white towel. It fell to the floor and she stood naked before me. I swallowed, and tried to control the yearning inside of me. She hooked her hand around my belt and pulled me to her. I lowered my lips to hers and she pressed into me, her warmth, her softness, her floral scent.

I moved my hands around her and caressed her, just for a moment.

I breathed her in, just for a moment.

I became lost in our passion, just for a moment.

‘Breakfast is ready,’ called Sarah’s mother, after a quiet knock on the door.

Sarah pulled away from me, looked into my eyes and smiled. ‘Have a nice day at work Liam. Tell Henry I said hi!’

I cleared my throat, and waited for my burning desire to cool. ‘Oui, mademoiselle,’ I said, kissed her forehead and left.

My head cleared of Sarah’s love potion on my brisk walk en route to work, and I organized for a locksmith to replace the door and window locks at my apartment. I arrived at work with a couple of minutes to spare and took over from the night shift guy earlier than usual, to his pleasure.

The day dragged on with less people to deliver in the elevator, now that they could independently drive their own elevator car. And many preferred that. They could keep their own business to themselves without at least one other person knowing where they went and at what time.

At 11am, Sarah appeared in the foyer with a painting in her hand. She waltzed over to me the moment the doors of my elevator opened, and entered. She leaned on the handrail opposite me.

‘Hi … Henry,’ she said with humour in her voice.

‘Hi yourself Miss Flynn. It is lovely to see you today. Where can I take you with your artwork?’

‘To the thirty-fourth floor please Mr. O’Connell .... Henry, do you think I should marry Liam?’ she asked.

I narrowed my eyes at her and took in a deep breath.

‘No Miss Flynn. I think you should marry me instead,’ I said in a serious voice. ‘Liam is much too dangerous for you,’ I added.

‘Why do you say that Henry?’

‘Well, he is not as controlled as me, nor polite. He is more likely to sweep you off your feet and take you to some exotic place to marry you on the beach, whereas, I would marry you here, in the elevator, with elevator music,’ I said, keeping my face straight.

Sarah burst out laughing. ‘Well ... that is very tempting Henry. But I would have to judge whether it is you or Liam to be my husband by a kiss. So I will reserve my decision for after you have kissed me in the elevator,’ she replied with a straight face, but broke into a gentle smile before the doors opened at the thirty-fourth floor, and left the elevator.

The elevator returned to the ground floor then. The doors opened and a familiar person stepped in to accompany me—an immortal. It was Pedro; the nervous one who left the warehouse with Sarah before Albert made his appearance.

‘Good morning,’ he said to me, and nodded his head once.

‘Which floor sir?’ I asked, keeping my eyes on his the entire time, reading his body language.

He looked up at the floor numbers, and then chose the thirty-ninth floor—the viewing deck.

‘Very good sir. It is a superb day to look out over the city,’ I replied and pushed the button, keeping my eye on him. Adrenalin started to surge through my veins. He was the one whom took the envelope from Mr. Bellini. I wondered if I was on his hit list.

Pedro moved to stand opposite me in the lift. I chose to be offensive instead of defensive.

‘Albert has passed away Pedro,’ I said in a voice that implied weakness, remembering the conversation with Albert about his perceived fragility being a weapon.

‘Yes I know. It was quite quick. He did not suffer a torturous death like Evan wanted him to,’ he said.

‘Yes, thank-you for that. He was a good man,’ I added, trying to keep check of my emotions at his confession of the killing. I cleared my throat. The doors pinged and opened at the viewing deck, and Pedro exited my car.

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief, closed the elevator doors, and returned to the ground floor, still breathing heavily. I closed my fist, put it against my mouth and leaned forward, reeling at the revelation from Pedro.

I was a mortal now, and I was in mortal danger. Pedro was nervous about something. His body language was his downfall. He would never make a successful hit man.

The doors closed and the elevator returned to the thirty-ninth floor.

Pedro was waiting to re-enter the elevator. Sweat beaded on his face in the cool weather.

‘Pedro, are you okay?’ I asked. I made eye contact to try to read his intentions.

He did not answer me, but stepped into the elevator opposite me. I waited for thirty-five seconds with the elevator doors open, and waited for his to say something.

‘Close the doors Henry,’ he commanded me.

‘As you wish Pedro,’ I said.

His right arm was straightened beside his leg. His hand gripped something long and thin, and the end of a cream coloured knitting needle was visible.

‘You do know that I can stop the elevator and put a lock on its movements and doors, preventing them from ever being opened except by a bomb. If you choose to kill me, you will be imprisoned in here with my body as it goes through the process of decomposition after death. At first I will urinate and defecate because I have no muscles stopping me from doing that. My body will bloat as bacteria begins to multiply and feed off my internal organs. I will smell strongly of rotting meat, and fluid will leak from every possible orifice of my body. It will not be pleasant for you, the survivor, to see what will happen to your body when you die either of thirst, probably, hunger, or from inhaling deadly bacteria from me. Or … I can take you to a man named Mr. Milani. He is a master of helping people out of seemingly impossibly situations, erasing old memories and creating a new life for you. You will remember nothing of your present life or situation.’

Pedro stared at me. He paled while I held my hand over the stop button. He was sweating profusely, and his nervous energy caused him to shift from foot to foot.

‘Your choice Pedro … what do you choose?’

He dropped to his knees and pointed the knitting needle at his own heart, his hand uncontrollable with a strong tremor.

‘Pedro ... this will not solve the problem. What if you get the knitting needle stuck a little of the way in and it does not pierce the heart as you wish for it to? Or, what if you miss your heart entirely? What then? What sort of suffering do you want to inflict on yourself? Painless, like Albert really is the best way to go if that is what you desire—but then, I thought you couldn’t be killed—you are immortal aren’t you?’ I said without emotion in my voice.

He remained kneeling, whimpering like a scared dog. His eyes were screwed shut and his mouth drawn downwards as saliva dribbled from the corner.

I breathed in deeply, rolled my eyes and bent down to remove the knitting needle from his hand and to help him to his feet.

At first he would not let me take the knitting needle, clenching in his fist with strength. But then his body went limp as if he had given in, and I relaxed too, in compassion.

That is when he lunged at me with a ferocity that I had not expected from such a coward of a man. I fell back against the wall of the elevator, causing it to rock to and fro in the elevator shaft. He made a low pitched growling noise as he tried to stab the knitting needle through the thickness of my uniform.

His first attempt hit a brass button.

By the second attempt, I held out my right arm towards him and clenched him by the throat. He was short of statue and his arms were not long enough to touch me. I squeezed his throat with my fingers.

‘I will kill you if you continue,’ I growled at him, piercing him with a stare of death.

His eyes grew wide, and he grabbed my arm with both of his hands, dropping the knitting needle to the floor. I stood on it. With my left hand, I put in a swift hook to his head, knocking him out cold. As I shook the pain away from my clenched fist, I pressed floor number thirteen.

Mr. Bellini, you will be pleased with this fine specimen for Mr. Milani ...

When the doors opened at the thirteenth floor, I looked to see if Mr. Bellini was within view. He wasn’t. I locked the elevator car in position and proceeded to drag Pedro to Mr. Milani’s office, and slumped him in the chair.

Mr. Milani entered from a back room almost the instant that our presence was made.

‘Mr. O’Connell, nice to see you again. You have brought me an immortal I smell,’ he said with a smile on his face. He clamped his hands together in front of him.

‘I have?’ I responded, pretending to know nothing about immortals being in this world.

‘You know very well that you have Mr. O’Connell. You are an immortal, I smell it every time that you enter my room,’ he said, still looking at Pedro who sat unconscious in the chair.

‘He will complete my collection. Thank-you, thank-you Mr. O’Connell! May I get you a cup of tea or coffee?’ he asked.

‘Thank-you, but no Mr. Milani ... I must get back to work. Perhaps another time I will be able to share coffee with you,’ I delivered as per request as the cue to leave his office. I nodded my head slightly at him, and turned to leave his office. I walked at a brisk pace back to the elevator.

I closed the doors, sent the elevator down two floors and pushed the stop button. I retrieved a rose fragrance from the secret compartment in the elevator and eradicated the stale odour of the immortal, and the negative energy that remained a menace in the pod. Once I was happy with the interior ambience of my office, I re-engaged Elevator Thirteen to the ground floor, with relief surging through me that I had survived my first mortal combat.

Thirteen minutes later, the elevator doors closed and I ascended to the thirty-fourth floor.

‘Miss Flynn, nice to see you. Are you wishing to travel to the ground floor?’ I asked in my formal elevator operator voice.

She stood opposite me in the elevator and nodded. The doors closed and we started to descend—until she pushed the stop button.

‘Mr. O’Connell, it seems that you have information that I seek,’ she said to me, and stepped into the centre of the car.

‘I do?’

‘Yes you do. When does Liam plan on taking me to the exotic destination to marry me?’ she said, and shifted closer to me.

‘Oh … Miss Flynn, I cannot answer that. It is privileged information,’ I stated.

‘What if I exchange something with you?’ she suggested.

‘And what would that be?’ I said, mesmerized by her persuasiveness.

‘A kiss. You know that I do not know whether to marry you in the elevator with elevator music, or Liam, whom you have declared a dangerous person,’ she said, and tilted her head to the side.

I looked to the floor and then into her eyes. ‘Alright. That sounds fair. Will you please sign this waiver before our lips meet?’ I pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket and handed it to her.

I love you Sarah,

To the ends of the Earth,

To the depths of the sea,

And beyond the blue sky that holds the Earth in a bubble.

A smile grew across her face. She signed it and handed it back to me. I placed it back into my pocket, then held my hand out to her and pulled her against me.

I lowered my lips to hers and sucked her bottom lip lightly. I pulled away from her momentarily before I kissed her deeply. She moaned and placed her fingers into my hair, and pressed her body into me before she pulled away from me.