Merely Lust

chapter 2

"I don't want anything from you."

"How about eternal life?"

Iris breathed in sharply. She knew there were rules against what he was saying. It was illegal to change a human without reason. Nikolas could get in big trouble if he was overheard. When he started  to repeat himself she gasped and covered his mouth with her hand. She craned her neck to look around but from the position she was in, it was impossible to tell if anyone was near.

"Nik, not so loud. You're talking nonsense."

"No," he moved her hand and smiled, "it's not. You want to live forever or not?"

Iris bit her lip. Of course she wanted to live forever. Of course she wanted to stay 22. However, there was only one way to accomplish that legally and there was no way Nikolas would ever consider it.

"You know it's illegal."

"Not for a couple."

Iris started to reply but he had literally stunned her. It was as if her brain literally could not compute what he was saying. 

Nikolas grinned down at her. He knew how she would react to his next words, and it was amusing to think about.

"Marry me."

Iris was sure she blacked out for a second. Had the impossibly sexy, the impossibly unattainable Nikolas just told her to marry him? Oh god he had. She was sure she looked like an idiot mouth agape and eyes wide. Nikolas was just not the type to marry. He was...

"This silence is not very flattering I must say."

Nikolas looked at her eyes as they blinked over and over, as if she were trying to wake up from some dream... or nightmare. He had anticipated the shock. Hell, he'd looked forward to seeing it on her pretty face. But he had expected her to answer much faster than this.

"Excuse me if I don't immediately jump at the proposal but I know it's utter bullshit Nikolas. You don't make that kind of commitment."

"Of course not, and I'm not making one now. It's one thing to be married on paper and another to be in a marriage. The way I see it, we stay married for the required time, I change you legally, then we ask for a divorce. Simple as that."

"Yeah... simple..."

Iris closed her eyes. She wanted to make a logical decision. She knew exactly what he was asking her- A false marriage, with very real sex, and the offer was immortality. It was a question of morals... could she lower herself to having sex for immortality? Then again, what human in their right mind would turn such a proposal down? Sure, her life would forever change but the chance to live long enough to see the world change? To experience not one but two or more lifetimes? 

Nikolas shifted above her to a sitting position, allowing her to sit up as well. They weren't quite eye level but she got a good look at his expression and she liked that she saw uncertainty. If she had seen cockiness it would have been impossible to agree to his proposal. 

"Alright, I'll marry you."

Nikolas grinned.

"Don't look so tense darling, you won't regret this," he pulled her into his arms and stopped any response with a scorching kiss.

For the moment, her thoughts in disarray, it didn't seem like regret was even possible.