Fear

Chapter 6

In normal circumstances, any girl would be thrilled to hear those words from someone who so obviously cared about her. This was not normal. I could feel he was as naked as I was, but I couldn't see him. I didn't know him, and yet I had come to trust him completely, even after only a day. Something deep inside me stirred and I relaxed against his hardness, and boy, was he hard! The light clicked off and darkness surrounded me...us. Before I realised what had happened, I had been scooped up into his arms and he carried me to my bed.

He set me down very gently and settled beside me. I could feel the heat from his body and the damp warmth of his breath against my face. I lifted my hands to his face, finding it without difficulty, my fingers tracing over his features. His breath caught with a hitch, but he allowed me to feel. I started from his hairline, continuing over his brow. His hair was thick and curly with an unruly shagginess. He had a broad brow line, slightly furrowed with frown lines, but not deeply ingrained. His eyebrows felt neat, not continuous, broken with a V line above his nose. His nose was straight, not fine but not broad and he was clean-shaven beneath it. His lips were full and sensuous and he kissed my fingertips as I traced the outline of his mouth. I felt his lips move as I heard his voice in my head.

Sholry...my love...do you know what your touch does to me?

I shushed him and moved to his chin. Again his skin was smooth and free from hair. It was a strong jawline with a small dip in the centre of the chin. I traced up the side to his ears and then gasped as I felt the sharp peak at the top. An elf?!

I'd prefer 'man', Eloisa. His voice sounded amused.

I rubbed the flesh of his ears between my thumb and fingers, marvelling at the similarity to my own...only I had no elongated tip on mine.

You do, sholry. They are not as pronounced as mine, but I see them. You do not?

"Of course not, silly. I see mine often, and they are like everyone else's ears."

You see only what you have been taught to see, Eloisa. You have such delicate features, including your ears. I love them.

I felt him touch my ear, gently tracing the outline of it with his fingers. It did feel like his finger rose to a peak at the top, and he flicked the tip gently with a chuckle.

I would like to fill this edge with jewels and precious metals. He stroked the back edge of my ear with a finger as he said it, his voice soft and reverent. Only to enhance your beauty, of course.

I dismissed the thought of such frivolous riches and continued with my exploration, moving down his neck to his shoulders. He was muscular, but not overly so. I had seen old pictures of muscular men who looked more grotesque than some church gargoyles. Grant was not that stacked. He had strength – he'd picked me up and carried me with ease - and each muscle was well defined without being overdone. I advanced down his arm and the muscles quivered beneath my fingers. He allowed his hand to relax as I traced his palm and knuckles, running my fingers over his nails and fingertips, separating the fingers to trace down each one in turn. He groaned and sighed deeply, pleasure obvious in the sound. He had strong hands, with long fingers, not thick or stubby as some men were. The tips were hard but not rough, as though he used them for working.

The pads are harder on my other hand.

"Why?"

This is my aiming hand, not the working hand.

My curiosity peaked. "What work do you do?"

This is not the moment to discuss that, sholry. But I will tell you after...