Take Me To Church Hozier Cover - Ellie Goulding
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Waking up that morning, the first thing I noticed was the empty room. The ray of light peeking through the curtains warmed my arms and legs. I gazed out and squinted through the early morning sunlight. It was barely daylight, probably only eight in the morning. Christian's whereabouts wasn't that much of a mystery. He'd left a note on the bedside table saying he was going to feed and to meet him at check-out at 9.
It was a blatant lie, we'd only fed the night before the last there was no way he was even a little bit thirsty. But I shrugged it away. I shrugged away every stupid thought I had because to be honest I couldn't afford to be thinking like this. We were on the run. He was helping me get from point A to B safely.
I undressed and stood under the jets of the hot, almost scolding water. Rolling my neck and shoulders, I shrugged and actually chuckled. The past twenty-four hours had been a game really. Everything between us was for show. He's a man, I'm a woman. We'd been lugged together for more than forty-eight hours, we've slept in the same bed - one of those times we were spooning for crying out loud - it was only natural for sexual awareness to stir.
Braiding my hair, I glanced at my tired reflection in the mirror just as I did last night and sighed. Doesn't matter if people describe vampires as inhumanly beautiful. I still looked like a cat dragged me out of bed and used me as a scratching pole.
I packed my bag after I threw on my shorts and t-shirt and made my way downstairs with ten minutes to spare. I didn't have a clue what the plan was today. I didn't know whether Christian managed to get that ride like Kate said we would. To be honest, right now I didn't care that much. All I wanted was to curl up and hibernate for year, I mean I had the time. What's one year to an eternity. Maybe reflect on the events of the past few days. Reflect and realise that maybe I should take up some form of martial arts. Take a few years out of work and go somewhere secluded where some Sendai can karate kid me or something. Lord knows it would have helped me now.
The reception area was quite lively for 9am. People were checking in and out, kids running through and outside, it was nice. I spotted Christian standing out, as per usual, by the reception desk searching the crowd. When he spotted me, I looked away and made my way toward him without taking my eyes off my own shoes which by the way were completely ruined.
"Are we checking out now?" I said when he opened his mouth. "I assume we're safe today, I'm sure Kate would have written a note or something. I'm also kind of hungry so food before we head out would be ideal. Any trouble feeding?"
Lifting his hand from his side, he handed me a paper bag with a logo I didn't recognise and said, "Yeah, I've already checked us out. We are safe and last night I did manage to secure us a ride with Jed and Helen. The bus leaves in fifteen. We'll be in Arish in two hours. And I didn't have any trouble feeding thank you for asking. You okay?"
I glanced inside the bag and examined all of the sweet, sticky breads. Close proximity for over forty-eight hours and he'd already picked up on my sweet tooth in the morning. I closed the bag and turned on my heel. "I'm fantastic. Where's the bus, I'm ready to head out."
Even if he did want to talk about anything that occurred yesterday I honestly didn't give him that much of a chance to. I'll take a page out of Rafiki's book and quote that whatever happened yesterday, "it didn't matter. It was in the past."
Outside, I was engulfed into two very affectionate hugs by Helen and Jed. I pasted on a smile. "Thank you so much for this, really. We'll pay you back, we promise-"
"No, no, sh." Helen silenced me. "This is not a worry at all. You two are so wonderful, so pure. You don't deserve the bad luck you've been getting. Come on! Get on, we run a tight schedule kids."
Shining them one more grateful smile, I made my way to the middle of the bus and settled by the window. Christian lingered up front as I shoved the muddy cap over my head. Who knows if this bus will be checked like the last?
Everyone that boarded were tourists. Everyone spoke English, everyone had friendly smiles on their faces, it was such a contrast to last few days that I was almost scared to relax. Sure, I was a little jumpy. I didn't miss a single face that sat on the bus, not a single scent.
And when Christian sat beside me, I was so into my own world I'd actually jumped. Thankfully, he said not a word. Not even a little poke at my startled jump. So I ate in silence. And pretty much remained silent throughout the first hour so I easily drifted in and out of sleep. Only when he moved did I wake up and realise we'd stopped at a rest stop in a town between Al Mazar and Arish.
I stepped off the bus, stretched and made my way toward the bathroom in the small quaint restaurant across from the bus stop. I didn't have a clue where Christian wandered off to and for now I didn't care. I washed my hands and face and fixed my braid. Another hour. Just one more and then we'll meet the others. To be in familiar company other than Christian's will be... Refreshing.
When I stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway, arms circled around my waist and yanked me backward. Not now. Anytime but now. So close to Arish, so so close. I opened my mouth to scream but he held his hand over my mouth before he could. But then I recognised the scent, and even the embrace from the many times he'd done so before.
I turned in Christian's hold and exhaled an anxious breath before giving him a nice whack against the shoulder. "You frightened the crap out of me..."
His arms tightened around my waist which effectively pressed me firmly against his chest. "What are you doing, nobody's around."
"Exactly."
He eyed me with his smoky eyes before he possessed my lips. There was no challenge in his eyes. Not one ounce of hesitation in his movements. There wasn't anybody around, it was just the two of us. He urged me to the tips of my toes and I wrapped my arms around his neck as our tongues met and touched as if the times before were just a warm up.
It wasn't like the first time. Or even the second time where I'd known he was playing me like a fiddle, no. I actually wanted this. I wanted him to possess every inch of me with his mouth, his hands... I wanted everything. His palms moved over my hips, behind my back and over my ass and behind my thighs. He lifted. I obliged by twisting my legs around his waist. He tasted like... well, was there any other way to describe Christian Beaumont as anything other than sin? Especially when he nipped and sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, have mercy.
"More?" He growled moving from my mouth to my neck balancing me against the wall and manoeuvring a hand beneath my vest.
"Much more." I exhaled, my head as light as a cloud as his palm cupped and massaged my breast through my bra.
His teeth skimmed along my collar bone as he whispered, "Later then."
I froze and leaned away from his lips and his very talented hands. Later then? Is he... joking? The hard steel like bulge against my thigh didn't say later. His black eyes didn't say later and my blush and arousal didn't say later did it?
"Then why did you do this now?" I gritted out trying to wiggle away from his body and the wall.
He laughed but he didn't move an inch. "To show you that I intend on carrying on, kitten. But only if you don't feel guilty afterwards."
I eyed him carefully and thought about it.
"You're angry. Your eyebrow twitched."
I was angry but only because of this, because he'd kissed me in the completely wrong place at the completely wrong time not because I may feel guilty about a little bit - or most likely a lot - of sex in the near future. Albeit it's with a guy I hated four days ago but as I said. Sexual attraction, sexual awareness, it stirs whether you want it to or not.
Very slowly, I unwrapped my legs from his waist forcing him to put me down although his hands remained on my hips. "I'm not angry and I'm an adult, Chris. I'm capable of 'bedding' a male without feeling 'guilty' afterward thank you. Don't challenge me if you aren't prepared to lose." I smiled a little too smugly. I probably looked crazed. "Anyway thank you but I heard Helen call everyone back three minutes ago."
Picking up my hat, I left him there to ponder and sent a twitchy wink Helen's way as I made my way back onto the bus. Christian didn't come return for a solid twenty seconds and I couldn't blame him. I needed my own minute to think straight. Between us the air was thick with tension, a different type of tension compared to the first hour. Later? What type of foolishness was that? Regardless he'd caught me off guard, but... later?!
"Why do this now, hm?" I reiterated twisting in my seat because I just couldn't help myself. "Think I'm that easy? Kiss me outside a bathroom and I'll melt into a puddle by your feet? You're used that type of thing, I know that much."
Christian smiled. "I was right."
"What?"
"You will feel guilty."
"And you won't?" I countered narrowing my eyes at my poor attempt to build some form of defence because frankly I couldn't' decide whether I would feel a tiny bit guilty or not. "This pretty much came out of nowhere."
"Pretty much being the operative words here. Being sexually attracted to someone doesn't just come out of nowhere, Chelsea. It's either there or it isn't. It's there to begin with or it isn't there at all. I don't believe in that stupid myth that the opposite sexes can't be friends without wanting to fuck each other."
"See you just contradicted yourself." I argued.
"You're going to sit there and tell me even after I heard you say it seven years ago that you aren't attracted to me?"
"I'm going to sit here and explain how you just basically said you've been sexually attracted to me since the beginning."
He crossed his arms and faced me. "Enlighten me."
"You said that being sexually attracted to someone doesn't just come out of nowhere, so that effectively means you've seen me as, let's say, a piece of meat-"
"Hold on."
"-Since you've met me."
"No, that's not-"
"But oh, wait Christian it is. You say you don't believe in the myth and yet we've just proven it's true. I'd considered us friends and now look. You couldn't even wait until we made it to Arish before grinding me into oblivion against that wall."
He swallowed clearly realising his mistake and a giant smirk stretched across my lips. "Have I won an argument? Really? A first for everything I suppose. Maybe that kiss fried your brain because that was the weakest argument I've ever heard from you."
I had to laugh. The tension dissipated somewhat but even with our back and forth nit picking, I could see his eyes darting from my eyes to my lips.
I was thankful when we finally made it into the city. It was similar to Cairo but so much more tourists because it was by the beach. The streets were busy, the roads were busy, and it was nice being back in a city even if it is for these circumstances.
At the drop off point I hugged Helen and Jed one more time before Christian compelled them to forget us. It was sad to see them go, but for their safety it was best they didn't know us.
"We have to find Kate, shouldn't she be here?" I frowned looking around the bus station.
"Kate left me a note this morning to meet her at the hotel, but I want to show you something first. Another addition to your little question game."
"A freebie? Well I'm not going to say no am I. You know, unless it includes our immanent capture because we're stupid enough to veer off from the original plan. Does it Christian?"
"Well, we've veered off before why not one more time."
"Because I'm not stupid enough to think that we're safe in Arish; we're still pretty much in danger, why are you being so... Blah about this. If Kate left you a note then the plan was-"
"I'm just going to continue ignoring you while I take you through the city I hope that's okay."
He dragged me through back roads, side roads and so on even though I was still complaining about how anything could happen to us now that we'd probably changed the future or how Feisal and Dante could be lurking the main areas and squares just waiting for one of our heads to pop up. But nope. Christian continued as if I was just a little annoying buzz in his ear.
We started to slow as we neared an old historic building. The architecture was immaculate on the museum, if Christian wasn't dragging me in, I would have liked to have dissected the structure of building a little bit longer. We walked through and around some of the ancient artefacts and I couldn't help the suspicion that grew as we walked. "Where are we going?"
"Right here."
He stopped in front of a large photograph in a glass case that was once black and white but had faded from time. I stared down at the ten men holding shovels and pickaxes beside what looked to be a shrine.
'The El-Arish granite shrine uncovered and found on a farm in 1887.' I read each and every name and paused on one. "Christian G. Beaumont on the far left." I read aloud looking at Christian in the white robes and a head scarf around his head. I smiled at the photograph and then at him. "Nice moustache."
"They were a thing of the past." He laughed.
His moustache was thick, curling upward at the ends. "Also what's your middle name?"
"Doesn't matter what my middle name is. Don't you have other questions?"
Another question to remember. "Oh I have a few. I'm jealous in fact." I said staring down at his face back in the nineteenth century. "What were you doing in Egypt?"
"Well, I've lived so long I needed hobbies. I've been to school so many times, received so many degrees, masters degrees and so on that going on an expedition back then wasn't really that hard to do. Whoever was willing to spend two months walking around the desert with the risk of not coming back signed up."
"Obviously to you that wasn't a big deal."
"Nope. To be fair, we did need some experience but not all that much."
I looked back down at the picture then back to him and rubbed a palm over the hair growing on his cheeks. "I think I prefer the moustache."
"You're kidding."
"Yeah I am, never ever grow anything like that." I laughed. "In what world will that moustache be a trend again? Where was your sister at the time?"
"She was around, we met up maybe twice a year to see how the other was doing. My brother however, I hadn't seen for at least fifty years before that picture."
That wasn't that much of a surprise. "Were you planning on showing me this before we got here?"
"No. But I thought you'd enjoy this."
"I do, thank you. I told you, I wanted to know things about you and it seems there is still so much to learn. This is amazing."
I moved along to the other glass cases where a pickaxe and a sign in book lay. Christian's signature included. It was surreal really, seeing him immortalised in this photograph. The people of today would never know that the man himself still lived over one hundred years later.
**
Christian and I made it to the hotel around one in the afternoon. We'd wandered around a little but not too far into the city just around the edges. It was probably a four star hotel. It was paradise compared to the hole in the wall hotels and hostels we'd been staying in the past few days. In fact everyone was looking at us as if we didn't belong which to be fair to them we didn't. We looked like we'd spent a week sleeping outside.
Chris led us to the front desk and took a shot in the dark and asked if there was a reservation under Beaumont. Kate must have already booked us a room because the receptionist happily handed us a key, asked us if we needed any help with baggage and told us where to go.
"I need new clothes." I complained when we walked into the beautiful room two floors up looking over the balcony. The bedroom was what I needed after sleeping on rock hard beds. The top sheet was satin, it felt heavenly against my fingers and the pillows. Lord, thank you for thick heavy pillows.
"Kate sorted us out, have a look in the drawers."
I peeked over his shoulder and almost cried with relief at the brand new pair of khaki shorts, a fresh white t-shirt as well as underwear and another few outfits. I almost forgot what white looked like, my vest was the colour of sand now. "Thank you Kate." I sighed.
There was a knock on the door and Christian was at my side in an instant. But then I recognised a heartbeat. It was Joe's. It was a little faster than an average humans. I circled around the wall that was Christian and swung the door open.
"You look like you lay down in the desert and waited for a sandstorm." Which were Katherine's first words to me.
I didn't care how dirty I was, I embraced her. I held onto her for dear life as I held in my tears. She hugged me just as shakily back. Whatever façade she portrays it's all for show. She was just as scared and relieved as I was.
Leaning back, I gave her a once over and my smile shifted to a scowl. "And you look like you've been lying in the sun every day for the past four days."
"I can see the future so I knew for a fact we were safe, I'm not going to sit indoors worrying about the both of you am I."
I sneered playfully and moved onto Callum. "I'm still so sorry about this, Cal."
"Why the hell are you sorry?" He chuckled. "I've enjoyed it here. I know it was to your expense but..."
"Yeah, yeah. But." I smiled then looked to Joe standing behind them.
All six feet of him, he still looked as shy as the day I met him. He smiled his brilliant crooked smile that contrasted against his olive skin and shined those gorgeous brown eyes at me before I jumped on him. "I'm so sorry Joe-"
"Quiet down." He murmured giving me a squeeze. His accent, I remembered how thick it was when we met but he'd learnt so much more English from then that it was barely a problem now. "You're safe now."
Joe released me but as I stepped back Christian was right there, hand at the small of my back and a manly scowl of interest adorned his face. I rolled my eyes. "Christian, this is Joe. Joe, Christian. You've met now, Joe is harmless."
Joe offered a hand to him. Christian actually hesitated before he took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Joe."
"A pleasure to finally meet you." Joe smiled. I knew he wasn't completely oblivious to Christian being a bit of a dick but I thanked the stars Joe simply brushed it off and dropped his hand.
"Both of you change, we'll meet you downstairs. We have a lot to catch up on." Kate winked at me and I once again rolled my eyes. I hoped to God she didn't see earlier. But judging by her smirk she probably did. Cheeky witch.
The three of them walked out and already Christian had disappeared to the bathroom to change. I grabbed the underwear, shorts and t-shirt and changed swiftly before he came out. I felt like a new person already. Christian came out in a pale blue short sleeved shirt and a pair of cargo shorts still buttoning up the remaining four on his shirt.
"What is it between Joe and you?" He asked me all of a sudden as I released my hair from its braid.
"He's my friend." I snorted. "Has been for a few years. Why? Think we'd make a smashing couple? A vampire and a werepanther?"
"The idea of a werepanther and a vampire being together doesn't bode well with me let alone you and him."
He stepped behind me at the vanity mirror and I frowned at his reflection. "Why not?"
"It just doesn't."
Without tearing my eyes from his, I repeated his words from last night: "Green isn't a good colour on you." I spun around and glared up at him. "How do you know we haven't already had a tumble in the sheets?"
"Because I'm not stupid."
"Oh?"
His pupils twitched and I had to smile because really, having the upper hand couldn't get any better. But of course I knew it wouldn't last long. Once again that cloud of tension bubbled above us. I could almost read his mind, and I barely had enough time to slip out from between the table and him when he made a grab for me.
"You said later, Christian." I noted walking toward the door. "So later it is."
"That a promise?"
Again he was behind me with his inhuman speed. But I was just as fast. I held my palm up and grabbed his face when he began to lower his mouth to meet mine. "That's a promise." I pecked his lips and smirked. "Unless, you know. You feel guilty afterwards."
And like that I slid my way out of the door with a vixen like grin on my face. Only it fell a little when the elevator doors shut. Was this a mistake? To submit to this... stupid attraction to him? I wasn't naïve enough to believe that stupid wives' tale of, "Bang him out of your system." Already, I craved more than his lips, what would it be like if we surrender to more?
On one hand, I knew I would feel... something more than guilt after the deed was said and done and on the other... you know, we get to see if all this arguing, all this hostility and tension from the last few years between us was just because we wanted to relieve it all with sex - sex I probably won't be able to stand up from.
Am I overthinking this? Maybe.
I said it to him myself, don't challenge me if you aren't prepared to lose. And trust me when I say I wasn't prepared to lose.
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