Merely Lust

chapter 4

**** 

Although it was an hour before midnight, the airport was incredibly busy. They were waiting in the terminal for boarding call and with every passing minute, Iris got more and more nervous. She disliked flying. Well, actually, dislike was an understatement; she was seriously afraid of heights. The mere thought of flying made her skin grow pale. Still, frightened as she was, she refused to allow Nik to notice. Iris sneaked a look at him. He was staring off into space, deep in thoughts. Her eyes studied the lines of his beautifully sculpted face- the sexy jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones. There must have been some Greek in him, she thought, for he looked like one of those sculptures, only broader; Where their shoulders were still that of a boys, Nik had the breadth of a warrior. She felt silly for imagining him as a Greek soldier and quickly looked away before he could notice her staring. Nikolas had noticed however. He was acutely aware of her every movement and he knew she was anxious about the flight. Being a vampire made his senses especially sensitive and he could smell the worry as if it were a perfume she was wearing. It smelled of lilacs to him. Nikolas shifted in his seat, barely able to conceal a smile when she jerked slightly. It was an almost imperceptible movement but he had seen it clearly; how she reacted when his body moved closer to hers. Feeling mischievous, he let his thigh touch hers and looked away to hide the smile when he heard the soft intake of her breath.

Not ready to let the game end, Nikolas placed his arm over her shoulders and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Jumpy today aren't we." 

He knew he was teasing her, but it was such a delight to watch her reactions that he simply couldn't help himself. He had never met such a responsive woman.

"I... I'm only a bit nervous. I haven't been on a plane in years." 

"No need to worry darling, it is far more likely to die on the way to the airport than it is to die on a plane. Besides, you may squeeze my hand as hard as you like, I'll feel no pain."

Iris shook her head in dismay. 

"We could have gone anywhere nearby and taken a train. Why Cuba?"

"Because it has been about a century since I've been there and I'd rather like to see how the new home I've designed there has turned out."

"But I don't know a lick of Spanish."

"Pero yo si, mi bella esposa," he placed a kiss on the curve of her shoulder to add flair to his words.

When he translated for her, Iris couldn't help but smile. She should have expected him to

know Spanish; a man can't be alive for hundreds of years and not learn a few languages, especially one so commonly used nowadays. 

An impish remark was at the tip of her tongue when the call for boarding sounded over the intercom. All playfulness forgotten, Iris rose from the chair and took three quick breaths. Instead of calming her, they made her lightheaded and woozy; just what she needed when she was about to endure a 2 hour plane ride without interruption. She didn't mind that Nikolas took her by the arm as if she were a child because she knew she might have tried to make a run for it if he hadn't. He led the way onto the plane and found their seats. They had only two carry-on's and he took care of them both. Iris slumped in her chair, her eyes closed. She heard more than felt him fasten her seatbelt and couldn't muster the strength to thank him.  

It was a while before the pilot came on over the intercom. To Iris he was talking gibberish but she knew very well that he was preparing the passengers for take-off. He said something about, "have a nice flight", that she laughed sarcastically at. When the plane started down the runway, she reached for Nik's hand. She held it as tight as she could and turned her face into his shoulder. The instant the plane took flight her stomach dropped. It was a feeling of weightlessness and vertigo that clutched tightly at her heart and wouldn't let go minutes after they were in the air. Iris was sure she was sitting rigid as a rock but didn't care. It wasn't till Nikolas stroked her hair back that she was able to look up.

"The worst is over, from here on, you wont even know you're on a plane," he assured her.  

Iris nodded but she didn't entirely believe him. Once again the pilot came over the intercom and announced that the usage of electronics was now allowed. All around them, people pulled out laptops and audio devices and plugged themselves in so that the rest of the world faded away. Iris wished she had brought a book or something to keep her mind off the flight. Of course, she did have Nikolas.  

"So tell me something about your previous life's. Where have you lived?" she asked. 

Nikolas leaned back in his chair before answering. His eyes were faraway when he began

to speak.  

"I've lived in many places: England, Scotland, Greece, Canada, Brazil, and the Japan. Many more places but those were the ones where I stayed for more than a lifetime." 

"How interesting..." 

"What is?" 

"How someone can live so long, see so much." 

Nikolas chuckled, "Yes I've seen a lot and experienced a lot. By human standards I'm ancient. So it must be true." 

"What must be true?" 

"That women go for older men." 

Iris laughed, her worries forgotten. She found herself curling her legs up in the seat andleaning toward Nikolas. She was completely engrossed in his story. When he told her about the 60s she gasped and laughed and imagined, perfectly, what he had seen. He painted such a vivid picture with words alone that she could see in her mind's eye what he saw when he first tried LSD. Of course, for a vampire, psychedelic drugs have no danger. His body could destroy even the worst toxin. That was why the myth that vampires couldn't ingest regular food was so ridiculous. He could still enjoy human food, it lost none of its appeal, but it didn't satisfy his hunger. His hunger was a thirst that could be lessened but not eliminated; It was always there in the background. Iris listened intently to every word because she knew that it would one day be important to her. She was so caught up in his words that she didn't notice his hand tracing patterns onto the exposed skin of her thigh. Nikolas was telling her about the power of suggestion a vampire held and how easily it was to glamour someone. Both were illegal now but it had once been a strong, deciding power in war and legislation.  

"How do you do it?" she asked. 

Nikolas tilted her chin up so he could look deep into her eyes and let his own dilate.  

Iris watched, transfixed by the change. He smiled ever so slightly and started to whisper.  

"You're lips are tingling and your body feels hot. There's no one around us, it's alright to have what you want," his words kindled a fire inside her, "Your breasts feel tight, you're becoming aroused. You want to lean forward, you want me to touch you." 

Iris moaned softly, her hands on either side of his hips. She started forward, was an inch from his lips, but he stopped her. He held her back and waited for reason to return. When she realized what had happened, her cheeks flushed. 

"Oh my god! That's one powerful skill. You say it's illegal now?" 

"Yes so you mustn't tell anyone I showed you."  

"I won't, I promise." 

Nikolas grinned, "If you're a good girl I'll teach it to you." 

"Oh yeah?" 

"Most certainly." 

Iris saw his eyes trail away. At first she thought he was staring at the flight attendant, and

was ashamed that she felt jealous for even a second, but he didn't look away once she was gone. He was looking at the restrooms with a wicked smile on his face. She knew where his thoughts had taken him and shook her head when he turned to her. 

"Oh no, no way, not gonna' happen," she waved her hands to ward him off, "We could get caught!" 

"Come on Iris," he urged, lips curved into a seductive smile, "live a little."

*pero yo si, mi bella esposa means but i do, my beautiful wife