Desire becomes Her

Chapter 3

3 

She felt a warm hand on her face, brushing hair from her forehead, a hot body pressed against her back as he spooned against her, hugged her close.  She felt a bit like a doll at the moment.

"You left last night..."  She stared into the darkness of early morning, felt his hot breath on the back of her neck, his heart beating in his chest. He had a heart...

"Yes.  Levi came by to see me."  His words were so blunt they took her by surprise and she pulled away from him.   He just laughed a little and let her pull away from his grasp.  Lucian rolled over on his back and put his hands behind his head.  "You're Jealous."

"I'm not."

"You are; you're jealous.   She does that to people. You didn’t think you were the only one I did this to, did you?"  He laughed again, his body shaking the bed as he heaved his chuckles.

"It certainly feels that way sometimes.”  She lay quietly with her back to him for a while and then an audible sigh escaped, she had been thinking.  "Why do your hands burn me so much, Why are you so different."  Looking over her shoulder at him, he had shifted and sat up with his legs over the edge of the bed.  She saw the marks on his back that ran from his shoulder blades to just past his hips.  His wings had been torn from his body as he fell from grace, leaving thick ropey scars.

He was quiet a moment, angry at the thought. "Lust burns, Addison.  It burns in every part of my body. It's what I am... It comes as Passion in some, love in others.  But Lust...it takes over a person, and it burns a hole into their soul until they are just a hollow husk. I burn for my sin, Addison, and I burn for you."

She still had no idea why.  Why she was so coveted by this man.  He could have anyone, but he had taken her, "I see..." 

"I had some clients ask about you last night, they want to meet you.   Be ready to go out tonight..."  He changed the subject quickly and he got up and got ready for...whatever it was he did. Tear souls apart, collect on the surface.  She never knew.  He left her alone in the Pit most of the day.

.....

She sat at a dressing table, mirror in front of her, bright lights surrounding it to make sure every flaw was seen as she put her make up on and brushed out her hair.  They were in a hotel in Boston, she was wrapped in a towel and Lucian was drying himself, having just stepped out of a shower.  "So, why do they want to meet me?"  She feared he had promised her to someone and that she was not going to come back with him tonight.

"They are just interested, that's all.  They didn't get a chance to meet you and they are...intrigued."  He let the towel drop and he walked into the next room, where a suit was laid out and started to dress.   She didn't even know where they were going.  A restaurant, a club, a Country Club? She had no idea.  But knowing the people she had seen in New Orleans, she doubted a club.

"I need a drink..." she mumbled the words to herself and continued getting ready.  When she had dressed, got her jewelry in place, perfume sprayed and hair done, she opened a drawer where she had stored the gauze that wrapped her wrists and started to slowly cover the holes.  She stared almost blindly as she did it, so used to the routine to keep them covered.  She could smell the oil they were leaking and her stomach turned.  The floral scent that was so pleasant and uplifting to others often made her nauseous.

Lucky for her they were not actually leaving the hotel that night.  They had dinner in the restaurant before moving to a private lounge where cigars were lit and brandy was poured. She sat quietly, enjoying herself.  So far, nothing funny had happened.  She had met the man and his wife.  They were a nice couple; middle aged and wealthy.  He was very interested in Christian history and so the wounds on her body were what interested him.  He had asked her questions, but never actually asked her to uncover them.

“What was it like, Miss Giovanni, when you first experienced the passion? Was it euphoric?” Mr. Caringer was at the edge of his seat, waiting for her to answer him.

“No, it was not.  It was painful, excruciating.  It was the worst day of my life.  Every time it happens, is the worst day of my life.  Do you know what it feels like to have nails driven through your limbs? To have a metal flail drawn across your back?”  She was getting upset as she answered and she felt Lucian’s hand grasp hers, a check on her emotions. “To feel as he felt when that spear punctured his chest.  It was not euphoric Mr. Caringer, it was horrible.”  She looked down at her lap, squeezing Lucian’s hand to control herself a little.  She was angry, and upset.  This was a part of her life she did not like to discuss.  It was enough that she had to deal with them, but to actually discuss what it feels like, that was a whole other story.

Mr. Caringer nodded slowly and sat back against his chair again.  He knew enough to drop the subject, to change it all together and not let his enthusiasm ruin the night they were having.  And after a while, the tension settled, and things were back to normal.

She was having a good time, sitting on some fancy over stuffed couch with Lucian, his arm around the back of it, fingers resting on her shoulder.  She enjoyed the smell of the Cuban cigars as the rich smoke filled the room.  She laughed and had conversation; surprised with how well she was fitting into this world she was so unfamiliar with.

When the big clock that stood in the room bonged, Lucian looked at his watch and stood up. "It's been a wonderful evening Mr. Caringer, Mrs. Caringer.  Shall we?"  He motioned for them to walk ahead of him, and he took Addison's hand and they followed them to the lobby where the elevators were.   The Caringer's got on one elevator, Lucian and herself another.  

When the doors shut, his hands were on her waist, pushing her against the corner of the elevator, he hit the stop button, stopping the lift between floors.  Hands moved from her hips to mingle with her hair and he kissed her, hard, fingers grasping strands of hair in a fist, she kissed him back. She felt his knee press between her legs, and between breaths, a smile appeared on her face.  Just as he had sunk to his knees, fingers creeping up her legs a voice came over the intercom.  "This is building maintenance, the emergency stop button was pressed, is everything okay in there?"

“f**k…” He stood up and pushed the intercom button. "We're fine, it was an accident."  The elevator dinged and continued to move upward.   He pulled his jacket straight, buttoning it and looked to her with a sideways grin.  She pulled her fingers through her hair, making the disheveled mess tidy again and smoothed her dress out.  When the doors opened on the 15th floor she looked at him funny; they were on the 20th.  Feeling his hand on her back he nudged her out the door where Mr. Caringer was waiting. "Be good." 

The doors closed behind her as she looked over her shoulder. "You’ve got to be kidding me..."