Page 70 of King of Deception

“I knew it.” Turning around, she placed down her glass and sat down on one of the stools, staring at my face. “You know I can’t be stifled.” She paused, widening her eyes as I dropped more chili. “Hey, careful with that!”

“It’s what the recipe calls for.”

“It’s gonna be hell to eat.”

I smirked, “Then it’s gonna have you drinking more...” Putting down the bowl, I slowly walked over to her, leaning over the counter between us. “Which will have you…” I tilted my head, gazing into her eyes.

“Will have me what?” she whispered.

“Less mad at me,” I admitted.

She sighed and didn’t say a word, but her eyes spoke volumes, and I wanted nothing more than to speak the truth.

“I know you can’t be stifled, Ella.” My eyes slowly scanned every inch of her face. “And I’m in so… much… trouble.”

“Oh, no,” she softly said while her eyebrows curved slightly. “What is it now?”

“As crazy as it sounds?”

“As crazy as it sounds.”

“I love you.”

Slowly shifting, she placed both hands on the edge of the counter, tracing a line down it as she unhurriedly made her way around it. My eyes followed her, eager… waiting in anticipation… burning with the desire to hear the words spoken back at me.

When she was finally standing a few inches away from me, she reached with her hand to touch my cheek. “You’re crazier than I thought,” she whispered.

I caught her hand under mine and pressed it against my skin. “I guess what they say is true. Truth can be stranger than fiction.”

“And what do you propose we do with all this craziness, Abel?”

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, reveling in the smell of her perfume. “Are you torturing me on purpose?”

“I’m here. At night. In a place I’ve never been before… brought here by you. I think it’s the only power I’ve got, don’t you agree?”

Keeping my eyes closed, I tried to think clearly. I attempted to come up with words to save my dignity. It was impossible. She was far too close, and the warmth radiating from her onto me had rendered me motionless. Her breath on my face was the only air my lungs craved. And then I felt her other hand on my chest, slowly crawling up to my heart.

“Open your eyes and look at me,” she softly demanded, and I did as she said. “Now’s your chance to take it back.”

Licking my lips, I bent down my head just an inch so that the tip of my nose was between her eyebrows. Slowly, I moved my hands around her waist, pulling her closer so that her breasts were pressed up against my chest.

“Take it back, Drakos,” she breathed, closing her eyes.

My right hand then moved upward, caressing her back and reaching her bare shoulder, pressing it lightly with my fingertips, “I can’t.”

“Say it isn’t so,” she whispered before biting her lower lip.

“Now… you want me to lie?”

And I began to kiss her. She kissed me back as the two of us sunk deeper into the moment. But then I pulled away, just enough to say, “I love you.”

Her hand clasped my wrist in a weak, dishonest attempt at pulling it away. But then she shifted gears, pushing it further inside her hair as my fingers gently tugged on her soft locks. Resuming our kiss, she mumbled into my mouth and all over my lips. “I love you.” I felt her breathing grow faster. Shallower. “I love you.”

This woman was all I’d ever wanted and more; I could see myself spending the rest of my life wrapped up in her, trusting her heart with mine. I could’ve admitted to myself that it was scary–loving someone so much that it consumed you, but with her, I didn’t care or mind taking the risk because I knew that no matter what happened, she would take care of me, just like I would take care of her.

Being able to love someone was the ultimate form of strength. Standing there in this kitchen, cooking for her, breathing her in, made me feel like I was the luckiest man in the world, like life could be simple and that one day I could go home and find her there, waiting for me with a glass of wine. It was refreshing having someone understand you like that.

We stood like that for a while, inhaling each other’s breaths and letting the warmth of our love envelop our hearts. I wanted to kiss her, claim her as officially mine, but I wanted to drown in the moment for a little while longer. Just look at her for a moment longer.

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