Open Your Eyes (29 page)

Epilogue

Gabriel

Sometimes I would wake up in the night, hearing you call out a name. Except that the name was never mine. It was always ‘
Nick
’. And tears would be streaming down your face, even in your sleep.

When it happened first, I wanted to wake you and demand to know why you dreamed of Nick when I was within arm’s reach.

Other times I had to suppress the urge to take you there and then, to fuck you senseless to show you that you were mine. I wanted to erase his memory from your mind, cover every inch of you where I knew he’d been. Mark you as
mine
.

I never did, because I knew you would hate me for doing that to you.

Sometimes you called out his name when you climaxed. You didn’t even realize you’d done it, not even when I punched the pillow beside your head in anger.

You never, ever opened your eyes when we made love
. Not once. You would screw your eyes shut when we started and keep them closed until I got up to go to the bathroom afterwards. I always thought it so strange.

I was a good husband
the second time around. Life had given me a
second chance
with you and you had chosen me over
him
. That made me a happy man. Even if I wanted to hunt him down and kill him with my bare hands whenever you drifted from me with a faraway look in your eyes. I knew you were thinking of him.

All this time I had been distracted by what I wanted so desperately to see, hampering me to see what was really there in front of me. I learned to open my eyes and really see you. To listen to what you wanted. And I tried so hard to give you all of what you needed.

Even though you tried to hide it, he was always there, between us.

It broke my heart, little by little.

Then tonight the familiar pain in my chest returned. It squeezed the life out of me. I knew what it was, I’d felt it before. The doctor said I may not be lucky to survive the second time, especially if I didn’t act fast enough.

It hurt even more than the first time. The long cold fingers of death gripped my heart with stealth, ripping
me open and tearing my heart to shreds. The pain was unbearable. It shot through me with lightning force. Yet it was nothing compared to the pain I felt when you called his name.

Should I wake you to help me?
You were in the middle of a dream. You called his name. ‘
Nick
.’ The word hung in the air, thick with meaning.

I knew I finally had to let you go.

I loved you, Natalie, with everything in me. From the first moment I laid eyes on you. I just didn’t always know the right way to show you. Please forgive me.

You opened my eyes
. You showed me how to be selfless, to love unconditionally.

I tried really hard to be a better man.
For you.

I wanted to be the man you needed me to
be. Goodbye, my love. Finally I can give you what you need. I can set you free.

Lost in France

An excerpt

I ate with gusto; French food was famous for a reason. Alain cocked his head, his one eyebrow lifted as he gazed at me - I couldn’t place his expression.
Was it amusement?

“Another thing I really like about you…” he chuckled as he leaned over slightly to wipe the sauce from my chin.
There was more than one thing he liked about me?

He saw the question on my face. “French women don’t eat much,” he explained, “it is such a waste of time spending hours in the kitchen cooking and then they just pick at it. I would love to cook for you at my chateau and watch you enjoy every morsel.” 

It was a very tempting invitation indeed. 

In a lower voice he continued, “Watching you eat with such joy is very sensual, Mademoiselle Clarke, it really turns me on.”

What?
How could my eating have that kind of effect on him?  He really
was
easy to please.
My previous boyfriends had always frowned at my appetite, worried that I may add a few pounds to my already full and buxom frame.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

He leaned over and brushed his lips over mine, his tongue rimming my lips as he went. “I could just eat YOU now,” he whispered at the corner of my mouth as I spluttered, fully comprehending his innuendo. I quickly took a gulp of wine to hide my embarrassment; people in the restaurant were staring at us, smiling openly.

“Alain! Not here in public!” I could have saved my breath. He threw his head back and a really deep guttural laugh escaped his lips, creasing the corners of his eyes.

“Oh Mademoiselle, it is not possible - to
not
touch you. You are really going to enjoy our sightseeing this afternoon, I am going to delight you in ways you have never experienced before.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to understand that last comment, so I returned my focus back to my delicious food, feeling an awkward warmth spread up from my chest to my cheeks.
For goodness sake, I really had to stop this blushing thing.
My cheeks were permanently flushed lately…

As if he read my thoughts, Alain gently brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. How could the simple act of eating – in a public place – be so damn erotic? He had me all hot and flustered and we hadn’t even begun sightseeing yet. A swarm of butterflies were doing a jig in my stomach, my appetite for food suddenly gone.

After paying the bill, Alain took hold of my hand and lead me outside. “Dessert will be served in there.” He indicated by tilting his head towards the limo.

Once we settled inside, Alain poured cognac from the small bar into a crystal glass. He swirled the amber liquid around, taking a deep sniff, his nostrils flaring slightly. My French self-appointed tour guide looked so hot, my eyes devoured him.

Gazing into my eyes, he took a sip from the glass as I held my breath. Then he leaned over and gently parted my lips with his tongue, squirting the warm liquid into my mouth. My senses went into overdrive. It was the most sensual way I had ever tasted such ambrosia. I swallowed the fiery liquid eagerly - it warmed me all the way to my belly as it slipped down my throat. My eyelids grew heavy and fluttered closed.

He kissed my neck, his breath warm on my skin. I moaned softly as his weight pushed me further into the very comfortable leather seat. His erection throbbed against me, causing an equal throbbing ache between my legs. I was completely lost to this man’s lips. I wanted him badly; my sex pulsed wildly, increasing the dampness between my legs, ready for what was to come.

Just as suddenly Alain pulled away.
No!
Don’t stop now.
Please.

The driver pulled over as my eyes flew opened - we were at the Eiffel Tower.  “Our first stop this afternoon,” Gaston, the chauffeur, smiled.

“We will continue this up there,” Alain promised; his voice low and husky.

Release date:  Early 2014

About Jani Kay

Ever since she can remember, Jani wanted to write stories about people, about their lives and loves. Relationships and Happiness – arguably the most difficult things to master in life and yet exactly what everyone ultimately desires (in her humble opinion).

Jani has been married for a long time, and her two children are the sunshine in her life. She is a voracious reader and would spend her last dollar on a book – always fascinated that for the mere price of a book, she can escape her world for a while and see through someone else’s eyes.

Her ‘thing’ is traveling – she has traveled the world, learning about the ways people live and has come to the realization that no matter where we live, we all ultimately want the same things. Her hobby – Scrapbooking – takes place till way after midnight and her usual subjects are her family and her travels.

Check out her website and blog
: 
www.janikay.com

She would love to hear from you, please
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her at
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