Dance with the Devil

Chapter Seven

   “Eve?” Luke asked in bewilderment, confirming my previous thought.

   I gathered the fabric back around myself quickly, hiding my nakedness from his traitorous gaze, “who else would it be?” to my embarrassment, my words sounded hurt and not angered as I wanted, “who else’s virtues have you attempted to ravage?”

   I didn’t really want to know the answer to that so I made for the door, not a step away though Luke grabbed my arm spinning back around. But I would not meet his eyes, would not let those brown depths pull me in again.

   “Eve wait, you misjudge me.”

   I jerked my arm trying to escape his grasp but he held firm, painfully so.

   “You’re hurting me,” I gritted through my teeth.

   “If I let go will you give me the chance to explain myself?” he pleaded.

   “There is nothing to explain, I was taken for a fool, so no, I will not stay to hear you tell me as such.”

   Again I jerked at my arm, but again he refused to let go, “I’m not going to let you run away Eve, not without telling you-”

   I cut off all sound from his mouth as I pressed my blade into his throat, my free hand having found and mastered it in the blink of an eye, “I will hear no more from you understood,” I said with venom, “now let go of me.”

   His expression turned hurt, his eyes closing slowly as he agreed, his hand releasing my arm before I turned for the door once again.

   “I thought I was dreaming,” he shouted as my bare foot found the rough wooden step, “I was surprised to find this reality and not a dream,” he continued when I stilled, his footsteps hurrying over to me, “Eve,” he said softly as he brought his hand to my arm once again, but this time gently, “do you know how many days I have dreamt of us being together in that way, how often I dream of…of being one with you in flesh if not in soul? I love you Eve; there is no greater gift you could give me.”

   I hefted a deep breath as I looked to the door not ten steps away, considering what Luke had said. His words sounded true, but were they just that, were they empty words without sentiment? Or was he being truthful, that he was not trying to dupe me and was, in fact, surprised to see fantasies fulfilled?

   “I would lay with you if only you’d ask,” I said quietly as I dropped my gaze to the stair in front of me, not turning to Luke as I spoke, “but not only do you not ask, but you do not give me the chance to offer you relief when it is I who arouses you.”

   “You do not love me,” he echoed my tone, “it is not my right to ask that of you.”

   “As if the other men expect love from those whores they lay with,” I turned to him incredulously, “they have no reservations, they take what they need and they go.”

   “Those are drastically different circumstances Eve,” Luke shook his head with disparagement, “you are not a whore, not a woman to be used and forgotten, not to me. When you lay with me I want it to be because you love me, not because you want to relieve me.”

   “Then what was that?” I pointed the blade I still held beside the fireplace, “you had no qualms then.” And neither did I apparently.

   “Again, I thought I was dreaming and nothing more,” he sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his face, “believe me that was not what I had come here for,” he mumbled as he wandered away from me, his gaze once again lost within himself.

   But this time it was because he was berating himself, he was mentally chastising himself for letting his fantasies get the better of his will.