by P. M. Briede
“Do you really have to kiss her, or is that just a perk you concocted for yourself since we’d truly not know the difference?” Paige accused him.
I hadn’t thought of that. I’d blindly trusted his methods as being required. The discomfited fidgeting he was now doing with my fingers said that the kisses weren’t required. Damn, Paige was right! Maybe I needed to be better about protecting myself from Olivier. “Before you become overly critical, hear me out,” he finally answered. “No, to heal her, I don’t have to kiss her. But this is something based on connection and the more deeply I feel it the better the results. She should have sustained severe fourth degree burns from the fire that engulfed her; actually I’m flabbergasted she didn’t die. My belief is that didn’t happen because, first: burning her hadn’t been anyone’s intention, second: I was with her the millisecond it happened, and third: she fell into the fountain. I didn’t hesitate when I pulled her out before kissing her with every emotion I was feeling, love, sorrow, fear; pulling as much of the pain I could stand out of her and into me. I’d have gladly given up my life if it had been required to ensure hers, but I’m immortal. Luckily she responded quickly, the fire died, and the burns grew less severe. Unable to heal her completely, I drove her to the hospital and called you.”
When there was no snappy retort from Paige, I ripped my eyes from Olivier, who’d captured them during his revelation, to find Paige speechless. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Her jaw hung limply. Not saying a word, she got up, walked over to him, and collapsed in his lap, ensnaring him in a hug as she wept, thanking him for saving my life. It took a moment for Olivier to wrap his arms around her but when he did, tears began streaming down his face. As they built in my own eyes, I got up and retrieved a box of tissues for all of us.
Once we were all settled, Olivier and I on the couch, and Paige in the chair, she spoke up again. “Charlotte, if he really can heal you, I’m not going to object to his methods if you don’t. All I ask is let me be present to keep the two of you from getting carried away. We all owe this to you, since we all played a role that led you to that awful inferno. I know Wesley would agree with me, even though he wouldn’t like it, if we told him.” Olivier and I both opened our mouths to object to him finding out but said nothing when she held up her hands. “I’m not trying to use this as another argument for telling him, I just said it so you wouldn’t feel like you had to choose between him and yourself.”
While I wanted nothing more than to be back in my own, unburned flesh, I didn’t know if I could kiss Olivier to accomplish it without there being consequences. It wasn’t about choosing between Wesley and me, but between Wesley and Olivier. I’d already made my decision and Paige had been mostly right about being careful not to toy with Olivier’s emotions. I also need to be careful not to toy with my own. As much as I love and want Wesley, there is a deep connection to Olivier that I can no longer deny.
Olivier observed me intently while I thought all this through. “My dear, all you have to do is ask.”
Closing my eyes, I reviewed every angle out loud. “Your kiss will heal me the fastest?”
His deep voice resonated through the room with drawling eroticism. “Yes, if it’s on the lips and you don’t fight your own response. Otherwise, I have to kiss the injury directly.”
The thought stirred a burning sensation deep within my core. “But you don’t have to kiss me to heal me.”
“No, my touch will work also, but again I have to apply it directly and it’s not as effective and would require more ‘treatments,’ if you will.” He began carefully stroking a small portion of my arm. Paige and I watched in wonderment as the blister disappeared, leaving an angry red welt.
I dropped my head in my hands. “How many kisses do you think this would take?” My voice was breathy since the thought of kissing him had increased my heart rate.
“More than one, it’s not something I have a lot of experience with. However, there’s one other option available to you,” Olivier offered. I lifted my head to look at him and knew I was in danger of getting lost in his giddy smile, smoking eyes, and raspy plea. “Let me take you to bed.” In stereo, Paige and I responded with a resounding “NO!” He laughed before deflecting our indignation. “I only offer since it seems repetition is something that concerns you. I’m sure that would only have to be endured once, maybe twice. You did suffer a major trauma after all.”
Once convinced he hadn’t been serious, I found myself laughing with him. I don’t think Paige agreed, but by now I’d made my decision. I wanted this ordeal behind me as quickly as possible, well almost as quickly. “We’ll start off with a kiss and see how that goes,” I announced. “If we need to ramp it back, then we will.” Standing, I grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet, before enveloping his neck in my arms. “Paige, you sure you’re comfortable monitoring this?”
“Nope,” she responded, “but I don’t really have a whole lot of options. Olivier, be aware I’m prepared to Taser you if I have too.”
One of his arms snaked around my waist, pressing me firmly against his body. Looking at me, he countered Paige’s threat. “Aren’t you concerned that doing so while kissing her will harm her as well?”
Olivier’s fingers ran along my jaw line to the back of my neck, tilting my head until our lips were aligned. As his lips parted, Paige’s voice stormed through the moment. “Nope. You both have me thoroughly convinced that your first instinct will always be to protect Charlotte. So I’m sure you’ll suffer and she won’t. By the way, I’ll wait until it seems that you’ve taken on as much as possible before doing it, and I’m turning it up to full blast.” Neither of us had seen where she’d gotten it from, but when she waved the Taser at him, he swallowed hard before returning his eyes to mine. They were decidedly less passionate than before. Great Paige, now you’ve just guaranteed this situation will have to be repeated, more than originally required!
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and tried to forget the schematics of what was about to happen. I felt Olivier straighten before putting his lips to my ear. Paige wouldn’t hear him; no one ever did. “Relax, my dear, and trust me.” It was an eternity I waited through as his nose slowly slid over my cheek bone until it encountered mine.
His kiss started sweetly enough, a peck here, a peck there, as he nudged my nose with his. But when one of his hands trailed up my spine, forcing me to arch into him, my gasp was the invitation he took to slip his tongue between my lips. Heat sped through me, curling my toes. I picked up my heels to better meet his height and shifted to trap his neck in one arm more tightly while the other slid down his chest to grip his shirt. Our hearts were pounding erratically, at a speed that was dangerously explosive. There was pressure on my arms but it was only for a second. Exploring the texture of his tongue with a caress from mine, I couldn’t get close enough to him. God, he tasted good!
My mind wandered to what I wanted next, and it wasn’t just the feel of his tongue inside me. A small voice, deep inside my head, called out saying this wasn’t right, he wasn’t right. But why? He felt more than right. It was as if I belonged to him. Somewhere in the distance, another voice swore, and then there was pain in both of my upper arms. Fighting against the force that was trying to pull me away from him, I gripped his shirt, arching and pressing my body closer to his. His arms ensconced me in their embrace as the voice swore again, but the pressure on my arms disappeared.
His tongue re-committed to interweaving itself with mine. My skin tingled and felt singed as the heat inside seeped out. I pushed all thoughts aside other than him and transferred my attention to how quickly I could get this man to understand my need. Teasing Olivier, I pulled my mouth away to nip at his lips. He gasped against mine as his hands dropped to clasp my legs and lift me up. As I brushed against him, I felt the satisfaction of knowing he desired me as much as I did him. I heard something break as I wrapped my legs around him. I rewarded him with a smile before sealing my lips to his. Olivier’s never got the
chance to part and grant me entry because we were doused in ice cold water.
Olivier stumbled and I slipped from his arms. I fell on top of someone, their arms coiling around me. Whoever it was, they had an iron grip and when forcing a way out didn’t work, I started fighting to get them to release me
The noise in the room penetrated my confused and muddled mind. “Olivier, shit!” Paige roared. “I can’t hold her much longer. You need to get out of the room! For God’s sake, Charlotte, stop fighting me! Ow!”
“Damn it, Paige,” I hollered, “let me go! I need him!” When my voice joined the fray, Olivier’s eyes blinked, like he was coming out of a trance, and he stumbled out the room. Suddenly, Paige’s arms broke open and I was instantly on my feet, intent on following him.
“Shit!” Paige exclaimed. I heard the feet behind me. I shifted to deflect her grasp only to unexpectedly find myself on the ground, with her on top of me. She’d tackled me! We struggled on the floor until she flipped me onto my back. She then straddled my hips, pinned my thighs, and threw her weight against my arms which were locked in her grip on my wrists. “Charlotte, look at me! This isn’t you.”
“Get off me, now!” I spat as I glared at her. But my commitment to fight was subsiding.
Nothing about Paige slackened, but when she spoke it was in a soothing tone. “It’s alright. It’s going to be alright. He’s not gone, but you need to let him be for a minute. Catch your breath. You both need to cool down.” She started deliberately breathing, encouraging me to join her.
Matching her rhythm, my mind began to clear and this time the heat I felt was from embarrassment. “Oh, my God!” I was mortified. I would have taken Olivier right there in front of Paige and not thought twice about it.
“And she’s back,” Paige said. She released my wrists and fell off me to lean back against the wall. We were both breathing heavily from the exertion.
The memory of what happened replayed in my head. “How bad was it?” The question came out muffled since I’d covered my face with my hands as I cringed.
She answered me through labored breaths. “Pretty bad, but hey, now we know what can happen and we’ll all be better prepared next time.”
“Next time!” I rolled onto my side to look at her and noticed she was cradling her hands. Scrambling up next to her, I took them in mine. They looked like she’d burned them on a hot stove. “What happened?”
“You did,” Paige answered, “or maybe Olivier. I’m honestly not sure. But when you two started getting super hot and heavy, I tried to grab you and pull you apart. Problem was your skin had taken on a greenish hue. I didn’t think anything of it at first. My guess, the healing process must be fairly close to the burning process.”
“I thought you were going to Tase him.” My voice was small. I felt so guilty.
Paige giggled. “I fully intended on doing so, but apparently your first instinct is to protect him too. Every time I lifted the Taser, you’d get between us. By the way, once this becomes water under the bridge, I will tease you relentlessly about it.”
Giggling myself, I stood and helped her up. “You okay?” I asked one last time. When she nodded, I continued. “I think Olivier went into the kitchen. Let’s go check on him and get you an ice pack.”
Actually he’d gone out onto my patio. I left Paige in the kitchen and went to join him. He jumped at the sound of the door opening and spun around. “Well that was definitely something,” I admitted.
He refused to meet my gaze and when I took a step towards him, he took two back. “Stay back, Charlotte.” He was skittish and scared but when he stumbled and fell, I rushed him, encircling my arms around him to cradle him in my lap. “Charlotte, please.”
“Olivier, what’s wrong? Did I do this to you?” I was frightened for him. He’d always been so strong. But up close I saw how pale he was. There were sweat beads around his brow and on his upper lip. Seeing him weak was an image that was hard to reconcile.
“Yes and no,” he responded. “Paige was yelling at us to separate, but I’d already determined I couldn’t take anymore. Trouble was, you ensnared me and at that moment you were the stronger of us. Paige was right, I’m not sure I can protect you from myself. I gave into my desires fully prepared to pay whatever consequences to give you what you wanted; to give into what I wanted.” His voice was hoarse adding truth to the words he spoke.
“You can’t do that again,” I insisted, “do you understand me? Crap, are you going to be alright?”
“I’ll be fine. I just need to rest.” With his head in my lap he closed his eyes as his breathing grew shallower.
Fear spread through me and I hollered, “Olivier!”
His eyes popped open. “Don’t worry, my dear. I’m immortal, remember?” He took a deep breath. “You look amazing.” His statement baffled me at first, but when I looked at my arms, the blisters were gone and all of my skin was that raging red. He trailed a finger along my jaw line.
“No, you’re the one who is amazing. But you did too much,” I chastised him.
“I thought you’d like for Breaux to be able to touch you tonight,” he lied. He’d just told me he wanted me. Plus it’s not going to happen. Holding Olivier was actually painful but he’d done so much for me, I wasn’t going to not try and comfort him.
“I take it you won’t dare tell me the truth? You know you can trust me.” Olivier’s eyes widened as he heard his words pass my lips. “Why?”
His lips curled in a shrewd smile. “Truth? You wanted me, and not just to heal you. I know you’ve picked the whelp. I know a ‘we’ is impractical. But I want it, desperately. Part of me hoped my kiss would convince you I’m the better man. That by choosing me, I’d become the better man. You couldn’t kiss me like that if there wasn’t a spark for me somewhere. I took advantage of it and I hope it haunts you as I know it will haunt me.”
It already was. Being this close to him, listening to him voice the passion I stirred in him, I longed to silence his lips with mine. “Olivier, I don’t know what to say. I am attracted to you, but I love Wesley. I don’t think we should try this again; it’d be too cruel for both of us. If I have some scarring, so be it.”
Olivier pushed me away to sit up and ran his hands through his hair. “Well, time will only tell whether this was a fool’s errand or not. But don’t let fear keep you from letting me heal you completely. The offer is forever on the table, whenever you choose to take me up on it.” He took a deep breath, stood, and then offered his hand to help me up. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think I should be going.” We walked back inside the house, his steps slower than normal but he already looked better than before. The color was returning to his face. Paige was back in the den, her hands swathed in damp washcloths. Olivier leveled an examining stare at her. “What happened to you?” he asked.
“She said I burned her,” I answered. Saying it reminded me of a dream I’d had of him. “Actually Wesley said the same thing after the Valentine’s fundraiser.”
His shocked eyes turned to me as he walked over to kneel in front of her and remove the washcloths. “How?” He studied her hands while he waited for an answer.
I didn’t know what to say so finally Paige spoke up. “Her skin was green, I’m assuming like the fire you two keep referring to.” She winced when Olivier sighed and started massaging her hands. “What are you doing?”
“Same as I did for Charlotte,” he explained, “as best as I can anyway.” When he finished, her blistered skin was a pale pink.
Now that we’d all somewhat recovered from the earlier excitement, I wanted to understand why I’d burned Paige. “Is that typical in a healing?”
Olivier didn’t answer right away. Sitting back on his heels as he thought, he seemed unsure. “I don’t think so, and I don’t know why or how it happened, especially if you’re saying it happened before when I wasn’t here.” He stood to come over and put both his hands on my elbows. “I’ll figure it out.” Glancing over his shoulder, he
asked, “I’m assuming she doesn’t burn you now.” When Paige agreed he turned back to me and captured my eyes in his loving gaze. “Don’t worry, my dear, it might be completely normal. I said I don’t have much experience with this. What I should have told you, is that I don’t have any, but I’ll dig into it. I’ll get us an answer.” As he approached the door, so did Paige and they walked out together.
Chapter 4
The door opened and closed followed by “Charlotte?” hollered in Wesley’s voice when he got home. I called back letting him know I was in the kitchen. I’d just thrown the towels I’d used to clean up the water mess in the dryer from my “treatment” with Olivier. The shattering glass had been a vase I’d kicked over. The microwave was beeping, so headed that way to retrieve my meal.
“Love, what are you doing?” Wesley demanded with arms of a pizza box from Reginelli’s and a couple grocery bags. His eyes took me in, I’d re-bandaged my arms but left my face uncovered because honestly they just bothered me, and he froze with remorse overtaking his visage and tears springing to his eyes. “Oh, my God!”
I knew what I looked like, and regardless of Olivier saying I looked amazing, that wasn’t the case. I’d peeked in the mirror after Paige and he had left. My long, brunette hair had burned away leaving Medusa-ish strands that were a few inches long, flying in haphazard directions. As for my skin, I’d only seen my face and arms, but they were a boiled lobster red, with large welts where the scars would probably be if I left my healing to modern medicine. Topping that beautiful picture off, I had no eyebrows or eyelashes and to say my lips were chapped would be an understatement. But Olivier had told me what I’d looked like before, so I considered all of this an improvement.
