Bound in Love

Chapter 20

Some noise on the corridor got him disturbed and he flickered his eyes a couple of times as the fuzzy noises rapped his ears. Chris frowned and grunted low as the boys kept yelling and dragging things along. He turned on his stomach and buried his face on his pillow and closed it around his head, trying to cover his ears to muffle the sound. Then, he felt Ellie turning on the bed and her hand landed on his naked lower back and he opened his eyes to look at her through the poor light that pierced from under the blinders. She seemed so lost in her sleep and it made him smile. Ellie breathed slowly and steady and he brushed his fingers across her delicate face. He loved to wake up by her side and it rested him to have her with him. Part of his stress was to know Ellie was alone in Seattle while expecting a child and if something happened, he could not assist her or be there for her.

"Babe..." He whispered just to make sure Ellie was really asleep, but he got no response.

He then looked above the headboard to read the blue numbers that showed the time. 9 am. Chris turned on his back and stared at the ceiling knowing he would not sleep anymore. They had been sleeping for long hours, if he counted the nap when Ellie arrived. After dinner, they decided to watch a movie to have a quiet night, but Chris had fallen asleep shortly after the film began and he doesn't even know if Ellie watched it until the end. Feeling his bladder about to explode, Chris pulled the covers away and got out of the bed carefully. Barefoot, he walked to the bathroom and closed the door quietly, walking straight to the toilet and pulling his shorts down. He tried to be the least noisy possible, even when he tried to flush the toilet. After, he washed his hands and splashed some cold water over his face and then dried it with the white towel hanging beside the basin.

When he came back to the room, Ellie was sleeping in the exact same position. She didn't even move. Seeing her with her back uncovered, Chris pulled the covers over her and kissed her temple sweetly and then approached the window. Pulling the blinder to the side just enough so he could peek at the street and not disturb Ellie, he admired the view outside. The day was gray and it had snowed more during the night. The black asphalt had been replaced by a white lane. Times Square was busy as always though, crowded, and noisy. Hundreds of rushing people walking on the street back and forth. There were also amounts of people lining up to buy the Broadway show tickets. Around the Time Square Plaza were the high skyscrapers, fashionable and modern high skyscrapers. Next to the skyscraper is another skyscraper and so on and yet the urban escape was beautiful. Chris took a deep breath and pulled away from the window, leaving that inch of the blinder opened for some more light.

He came back to bed, laying down by her side. That time, he was not so discreet. He leaned over her and started kissing her cheek, inhaling her cocoa scent that drove him insane every time. An immense willingness to make love to her took care of him and he kissed her over and over and intoxicated himself in her fragrance. Ellie had the scent of every safe place he'd hid as a child. It was as soothing as her hugs and it made his heartbeat slow down to the rhythm reserved for the sweetest dreams. He related her aroma to music in the way that a song can be so poignant in all right ways that it leads you to a deep, quiet place in your soul and Ellie's scent was exactly the same. Her fragrance carried him to a place of placid love, a place he would always crave and come back for more.

"What are you doing?" She asked a little groggy, feeling his lips kissing the nape of her neck.

"You're awake?" Chris asked raising his face to look at hers. His palm rested on her cheek and he kissed her lips.

"Now, I am." She shyly smiled at him. "Good morning."

"I'm sorry, babe." He told her. "I just..." He stopped there and shrugged.

"It's ok." Ellie raised her head to kiss his lips. "It's a very nice way to wake up."

"Did you sleep well?" He asked her and Ellie nodded while stretching her body and raising her arms above her hands. "Still sleepy?" He asked right after, running a hand under her nightgown, and kissing her neck juicily.