by Cerys du Lys
I scanned the front page trying to find some-thing interesting to watch before buckling down and studying. Nothing, nothing, nothing. My finger twitched, accidentally clicking on a video. On the screen, wearing a crisp dark suit with a silver tie stood Lucent Storme.
Lucent, the description of the video said, was the newest Director of Public Relations for Landseer Enterprises. He had taken over for Solomon Royce who was involved in some severe scandals during the middle of last year. The description went on to describe all this, then more, and I gave up reading and just watched the video after that.
Lucent Storme talked about the future of Landseer Enterprises and how he'd do his best to keep everything crystal clear. Public relations should be about the public and continually fostering positive regard, not the archaic practice of diffusing bad situations when they arose and acting oblivious to general interest otherwise.
Lucent Storme sure could talk, I thought. He said a lot of words and they sounded nice, but was that really it?
I didn't like him. Not just because of the shady look he had. Yes, he wore dressy clothes and looked nice. And, yes, he looked really nice. Lucent was handsome, alright? I knew this, and I also knew he'd never look twice at someone like me, so I didn't know how he could talk about continually fostering positive regard. It sounded great in theory, but it just didn't work. People like him never associated with people like me.
The library was only a few blocks away from Landseer Tower and I never saw him or Asher Landseer, or anyone like them. I saw Jessika once, Asher's new wife after his mutually agreed upon divorce(My God what a disaster that sounded like! The tabloids were abuzz after it happened. Mutually agreed upon after the man she was having an affair with tried to kill her husband? I really hope he never considered staying with her afterwards, anyways).
Jessika was supposedly normal, but I doubted it. She looked nothing like any normal person I'd seen. What had she done before marrying Asher? Well, nothing. She graduated from college, took on small jobs, and then met him, and that's it.
Fairytales and fantasies, really. Except what use would someone like Asher Landseer have with a girl like that?
There were rumors about what Lucent Storme looked for in a woman, though. He was into the darker sides of sexuality. At least according to the common gossip of the day. I shouldn't involve myself in that, but I currently had little social life to speak of(quite evident by my situation during this record-breaking snow-storm), and I enjoyed thinking about it.
For creative reasons. I was majoring in Creative Writing afterall.
The video finished and a list of other recommended videos popped up. I clicked out of the internet browser, forcing myself to begin committing to my studies. Grabbing my book bag from behind the library counter, I hefted it up and pulled out one of my books. I needed to read chapters 3 through 8 by Monday, then write a five page paper.
Why read behind the counter, though? That's what I usually did just in case someone came in and needed help. Rob hated people using the computers, but he loved for us to read back here. It made us seem more bookish, he said. Librarians reading books? Who knew?
I decided not to spend more time back here than necessary, though. I had the entire library at my disposal, and while it wasn't the most up to date place ever, I liked it here.
I loved it, actually. I knew this was kind of dumb, and the job didn't even pay very well, but I loved it here. Margaret probably thought I didn't want to leave in case Rob found out, but that wasn't it. I didn't want to leave because I didn't want to leave.
I wanted a library one day, some massive, expansive affair of my own. In my giant house. Or maybe the library was my house? I'd set up a dining table in the center and put my bedroom on the second floor in between squared off shelves. The bathroom could be the only regular room in the house, and everything else should be creatively crafted using bookshelves and ladders, scaffolding, steps, nooks, crannies, hideaways, this and that, books. Everything.
I waltzed through the library, imagining this was that. My feet danced lightly across the thick carpets and I scurried over to the children's section. The children's section had beanbags around a small stage area where local authors came and read stories now and again. Or librarians did otherwise. I never read a story. I liked children, but I got nervous speaking in groups.
Silly, really, because right now I was dancing through the library as if I were some elegant lady of well-renown, social and graceful and witty beyond belief. I'd say some cunning joke and the entire room around me would laugh. Oh, yes.
Not really.
I plopped into a bean bag and opened my book to chapter 3. Skimming through the introduction, I settled into the meat of it. This wasn't a fun book, though. There were no dashing heroes and ladies of well-renown. No social grace and ballroom dances or fancy dinners. No romance, no high adventure. No love; lost, forgotten, or otherwise.
No, it was a school book, and on any other day I'd read it and study and force myself into it no matter what, but on this snowy, lonely day, I soon found myself drifting off to sleep.
...
I awoke, or I thought I did, and saw a man. He stood in front of me wearing a dark, crisp suit with black shoes and a grey tie. Smirking, he looked down at me. He stared at me, into me, and for a moment I felt anxious.
Then I realized I must not have woken up, because he was definitely Lucent Storme and why would he be in the library? Or, for that matter, why was I dreaming of Lucent Storme? A nightmare, probably. Some dismal addition to my dreamworld meant to scare me awake. I'd find myself in a cold sweat upon returning to reality. Was it snowing outside still?
Lazily, I turned to peer out one of the windows, ignoring the dream man in front of me. Why I looked out a dream window, I didn't know, but, yes, it was still snowing. The snow reached halfway up the windows now, and showed no signs of stopping.
The man in front of me cleared his throat. "Hello," he said. "Am I interrupting your nap?"
I yawned and stretched my arms above my head. My book rested against my chest, pushing into my breasts as I arched my back. When I brought my hands down, the book ended up resting just beneath my breasts, holding them up and putting on a show. What did I care, though? I was dreaming.
"Quiet little one, are you?" Lucent stared at my breasts. This, I thought, was how I should know he wasn't real. "What if I were looking for a book?"
"I hardly think it necessary," I said, yawning once more, "to deal with figments of my imagination."
"Is that what I am?" he asked, raising one brow. "I daresay this is news to me."
"I'm dreaming," I added. "I fell asleep in the library and I'm sure it's time to leave soon."
"Yes, well, don't count on that," he said. "I was trying to leave, too, except there's no way out. The subway system is shut down, my car is snowed in at the garage, and the taxi company laughed at me when I called for a cab. I would've stayed where I was, but the damnable building has an automatic power shut off for the weekends and I don't relish wandering around in a dark office for the evening."
"What?" I asked, sleep drifting away from me. Now that I thought about it, I didn't really feel like I was asleep. And, while mostly clean, this man's suit had a few telltale signs of an outdoor snow adventure. Damp, disheveled hair, too.
Tousled and handsome, close-cropped. Lucent glared at me, eyes glimmering with some devilish recognition. What did he see in me and why?
And...
"Oh my God," I said. "You're Lucent Storme."
"A pleasure," he said, offering me a curt bow. "And you are?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I just told you..."
"I don't understand. I..." My brain overloaded, forgetting how to function.
"We're surrounded by storefronts and office buildings, that, if you hadn't noticed, shut down for the day hours ago. This was the only, and nearest, place with a light on, and the door was open. There's nowhere else."
"We're trapped?" I asked.<
br />
He nodded. "Quite."
"You're Lucent Storme," I muttered again.
I realized then that I was sitting on a bean bag in the children's section of the library, a book beneath my breasts, propping them up for prime viewing pleasure, with my skirt... with my skirt...
I jumped up and away from him, bouncing to my feet. Pulling my skirt back down to my knees from its previous lascivious spot hiked high up my thigh, I tried to present myself with some appropriate appearance.
Lucent merely smirked at me. "You know who I am, but who, might I ask, are you?"
"Elise," I murmured, affectedly shy all of a sudden. "Elise Tanner."
"A pleasure, Miss Tanner," he said, holding out his hand.
I took it, thinking he meant to shake my hand by way of introduction, but instead he grasped my fingertips and brought the back of my hand to his lips, kissing me lightly.
I froze, staring at him in shock. His hand felt so warm and soft, almost sharp, like I shouldn't touch it for fear of hurting myself. And his kiss on the back of my hand sent a sting running through my skin, a jolt like a static electric shock.
Which it probably was, I told myself. Calm down, Elise! The carpets in the library were thick and anyone walking through them could inadvertently shock someone if they dragged their feet just a little bit. This made perfect sense except for the fact that Lucent wore shoes, which no doubt had rubber soles.
I pulled my hand away fast as if he were the burner atop a stove and I'd touched him while hot. While he was hot or I was hot? Was I hot? He was staring at my breasts, but I thought he was a dream, so did that count? What the hell? I didn't even want him to think I was hot! This wasn't about that! Ugh. Snap out of it, Elise.
In all honesty, I still didn't like Lucent Storme, and this was my first time meeting him, but I doubted that'd change much.
"So," I said. "We're stuck here, I guess."
"Yes," Lucent said. "It seems so. You work here, I assume?"
I nodded. "I'm the only one here right now."
He grinned. What was that look in his eyes? I remembered the rumors of a darker sexuality, but... no, that wasn't true, was it? Would he force himself on me, right here and now? What could I do if he did? We were trapped in a library, snow surrounding us. Isolated and alone. Together.
"Give me a tour," he said. "I've never been here, but I like the looks of it."
"What?" I stammered.
"You work here, don't you? Give me a tour."
"I'm not a tour guide," I said, meek.
"And?"
"I don't give tours. I'm a librarian. I work at the front counter and help people find books."
"Then let's pretend I've asked for every book and you're going to show them to me," he said. "Except skip the part about the books and give me a tour."
"Are you always this demanding?" I asked, the words slipping out of my mouth, surprising me.
"You have no idea," he said with a smirk.
...
I gave Lucent Storme a tour. I was giving one to him. I didn't give tours! Rob gave the elementary school kids a tour once a year or so, but that was it. We didn't have tour guides. It was a nice library, but not that nice. Not the kind of place with a gift shop or anything. Nowhere near as fancy as some libraries out there.
Still, I brought Lucent Storme on a tour and he admired everything with a certain sense of indignance. Outwardly, he appeared interested and curious, but I doubted it. He hummed, staring at things, listening to me talk about this and that. Occasionally he asked a question, but otherwise he treated me like hired help.
And this still made no sense to me. Lucent Storme, upper class businessman, the Director of Public Relations for the entirety of Landseer Enterprises. He had money. More money than me and more money than I'd make in a lifetime, probably. I should be swooning at his feet, I thought, acting like some smitten little girl. That's likely what he intended for me, but no, I wouldn't.
I wasn't smitten, first off. I didn't even like him. Yes, he was handsome, and, yes, I found myself staring at his jawline more than once, wondering what it'd be like to kiss him there, but that was normal. People did these things. If I saw an attractive man, I could admire him without fawning over him, couldn't I?
"Show me this room," he said.
I stared at him. He kept demanding things of me, not even asking. "That's the lounge," I said. "It's for people who work here."
"Show it to me."
"Look, Lucent..." I don't know why I called him by his first name. I shouldn't have called him by his first name. He glared at me with fiery eyes that could melt a path through the snow outside in an instant.
"Mr. Storme," I said, correcting myself. "You don't work here. That room is for employees only."
"Miss Tanner," he said. "We're the only two in here, and it's possible we'll be stuck here for awhile, so I would appreciate it if you showed me this room."
"I hope we're not stuck here for awhile," I muttered. "I don't think I can deal with you for that long."
"What?" he asked, his expression smoldering.
"I'm not going to," I said. I needed to put my foot down and show him he couldn't boss me around. "It's not allowed."
Lucent ignored me, walked past me, and traipsed into the employee lounge. Finding a switch on the inside wall, he flipped it and surveyed his surroundings.
"Was that so difficult?" he asked, turning about face and staring at me. He sounded angry, looked angry. Why was he angry?
I should be angry! "You're a visitor," I said, exasperated. "We have rules here."
"Extenuating circumstances call for drastic measures," he said. "Also, I don't see what the huff is about. The room contains a table, some chairs, a sink, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a television."
"Thanks for keeping track of inventory," I said.
He gave me a stern glare, his dark eyes gleam-ing like nightmares personified. "I am going to turn on the TV," he said, his voice measured. "Is that alright, Miss Tanner?"
"I don't care anymore," I said. "Can you please call me Elise?"
"Elise," he said, tasting my name; not calling me it, but saying it. The way he said it made me feel dirty and sexual and debased all at once. Maybe I should've let him continue calling me Miss Tanner.
Lucent flipped on the TV with a push of the power button, then switched to the local news station. The news reporters warned everyone of a snow emergency and cautioned people to stay inside. The governor had called a statewide emergency ban on road travel, too, and urged companies to allow their employees to work from home this weekend if they could.
He frowned at the TV, looking petulant and naughty, like some boy in need of a spanking. I found myself staring at his backside and wondering what it looked like without pants. And maybe without anything else, either? Did he keep in shape? He looked fit, but it was hard to tell with the suit on.
Not that I should care, really. If I wasn't fit, why should I expect him to be? I was thin enough, but not by any real effort on my part. I should go to the gym or run, but I had school and I didn't want to, and...
Lucent turned around and saw me staring at his lower half while I daydreamed and made excuses in my head for not exercising more often.
"Like what you see?" he asked.
I snapped my head up, looking him in the eyes for a second before averting my gaze. "Sorry," I said.
He stepped forward and took my chin in his hand, tilting my head up so he could look at me. Our eyes connected, gazing into one another. He furrowed his brow, considering me.
I jerked my head away and slapped at his hand. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," he said. "I thought I saw something."
"What?"
"Nothing."
And that was that. He refused to elaborate.
~*~
(You can find the rest of this story here: His Absolute Obsession )
Sample (Sweet)
Please enjoy this sample from the medieval fantasy erotic romance,
"Spark of Hope," the first in the Monster Within series, by Cerys du Lys
~*~
Solace was a cook and a scullion maid, a seamstress and a servant. She waited on tables at the local inn when they let her, and she went out and picked herbs to sell to anyone who would buy them. She knew the very basics of alchemy and herbalism and could mix up medicine to cure most basic ailments. She liked animals and the woods and reading, though not in any particular order She was a little strange, but not too much, and overall her life would have been wonderful except for one thing.
Everyone hated Solace.
When she cooked, even if she tested what she made and did her best to ensure it tasted nice, everyone complained about the flavor. She could never seem to clean as good as anyone else, no matter how hard she tried. Her sewing was impeccable, without a stitch out of place, but most everyone always criticized her about this or that and no one offered her more than a copper coin for any of the work she did.
Men tripped her when she waited on their tables at the local tavern or made lewd comments about her and told her she was only good for one thing. Except, of course, they added that she wasn't good enough for them no matter what, but they had a horse in the stables she could spread her legs for if she liked.
She tried to ignore them, she really did. She wanted to be happy. Solace put on a front, smiling and humming to herself whenever anyone else was around, because she wanted to show them that she was just like anyone else. She wouldn't get angry or be upset or disappoint anyone or give them any reason to dislike her.
But still, they hated her.
They hated her when she was younger and when she grew up. When she was fourteen, a traveling man came into town and treated her nicely for the first time in her life, but only for a little while. In the evening when the man rented a room at the inn, she helped him and tended to his needs, cleaning his dusty clothes and doing a bit of mending in exchange for a warm place to stay that night. Later, he left for an hour to take a walk around town. When he returned he looked at her with a blank expression on his face and asked her to leave.
