Eliezer’s Ange by Eden Auclair
XIII
cassiopeia is twenty
she is a senior in university
Cassiopeia smiled as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom and admired herself. She was dressed in a satin gold dress that accented her sun-kissed skin in a way that made it seem like she was glowing. Her makeup was natural with warm tones—shimmering gold highlighter, and a dusty rose blush—except for her bold matte red lipstick painted on her full lips. Her collarbone was prominent and a pearl-diamond choker with pink silk ribbon entangled between the beads rested on her neck. A pair of kate spade clay pave rose-gold square studs given to her by her parents complimented the choker and a signature 18k rose gold plated kate spade pave bow bracelet given to her as a gift from Eliezer was latched around her wrist. And on her feet were simple silky champagne ballet block heels. Gently, she pulled on her maroon gown and cords. Giving herself one last lingering look, she grabbed her cap, wristlet, and her phone before walking out of the room.
She was anxious yet excited, to say the least. Today she would finally have her baccalaureate degree and she was proud of herself for it, managing to pull through every struggle and welcome every blessing that came her way in the past few years. Though she worked unrelentingly, sometimes working herself to sheer exhaustion—which drove Eliezer insanely mad—she was ecstatic knowing her family was no longer struggling and she was able to take care of the unruly hospital bills in time. And Eliezer, Christ, just his namebrought a wide smile to her face. She didn’t know what it was about him, but he made her the happiest girl in the galaxy; with him, she felt as though she was the only girl in the swirling cosmos they lived in. Eliezer never failed to put a full-blown smile on the girl’s face, in turn putting a smile on his own; together they made quite the pair.
In the kitchen, Cassiopeia drank a glass of water in hopes of it calming her nerves, but to no avail. She couldn’t help it, these moments were all she dreamed about since her high school days—walking across the stage of Florida State University. Her heart danced numerous times knowing she had Eliezer, Starlie, Niccolò, and her family in spirit by her side. Her mind was running rampant—when she entered this world of harsh realities three years ago, she never expected to collide with Eliezer; when her world went spinning from her family’s downfall, she didn’t know if she could ever recover, she wanted to skip forward in time to when she’d have her doctorates and make her parents proud, but that changed after she met Eliezer. She wanted to live in every moment forever and soak in every passing second. She wanted Eliezer.
The doorbell ringing snapped Cassiopeia from her thoughts and she hurriedly made her way over.
“Niccolò!” She squealed happily, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him against her.
“Jesus, for a tiny girl, you give really tight hugs.” Niccolò grunted, bringing his arms around her waist. “Are you ready to do this?” She nodded and hummed in his neck and he chuckled, holding out his hand for her once they pulled away.
“Then shall we?”
“We shall.” She smiled blindingly, taking his hand and letting him lead the way. Cassiopeia felt bubbly with excitement and anxiety coursing through her veins and her heart beating wildly against her ribcage, ready to erupt into a thousand butterflies.
§
Cassiopeia and Niccolò were seated next to each other on stage, her bouncing leg occasionally brushing against his. The small gesture made him chuckle quietly when he realized it was unconscious since her attention was focused upon the crowd before them. Well, a certain someone in the crowd. Niccolò knew his best friend better than she thought he did and he knew very well that her eyes were locked with the smug bastard, Eliezer, who he had grown to like.
Niccolò might’ve taken a glance or two at the man moments ago when he spotted him amongst the crowd with his sexy receptionist of a best friend beside him. The smug grin on Eliezer’s face was enough to tell—he knew he had Cassiopeia’s attention in all divinity. Niccolò’s eyes flickered back and forth between the two, seeing her cheeks flushed deeply from the sweet words he was mouthing to her that Niccolò easily made out: my little ange, I am so proud of you. And he knew that devilish smile of Eliezer’s probably had her panties dampening—as she had once described the things his smile does to me and sighed dreamily. Niccolò nearly snorted at the memory.
His eyes flickered over to a certain receptionist—who was possibly the sexiest woman he’d ever come across in his life’s entirety—and saw her doing the same he had been moments before until her eyes locked with his and she gave him a knowing smile. They both couldn’t wait for this damned ceremony to end so they could pull the hands of their best friends and then push them together. An ardent fire sparked when Cassiopeia and Eliezer came together, it was something truly beautiful and pure.
Starlie winked at him and immediately he felt his throat parched and had sinful images running through his mind. Fuck if he didn’t want to ditch this damned ceremony right now and take her against- He grunted quietly, feeling his arousal stir and he cursed himself for having such unholy thoughts. His eyes met hers once again and her knowing smile was replaced with a smirk as if she just knew exactly what was running through his mind.
Cassiopeia felt as if she were in some sort of wonderland, she felt like she had everything she ever needed—between Eliezer, Starlie, and Niccolò and her mama, papa, and Slater’s warm voices in her head. The moments blurring in each other with each before felt surreal, she couldn’t believe she really made it.
From the moment she locked gazes with Eliezer sitting in the crowd, she knew she was absolutely done for. His dark sapphire irises pulled her and held her captive and the blush spreading across the apples of her cheeks was unstoppable as he kept mouthing sweet words to her. Her eyes left his, greedily drinking in his appearance—a neatly tailored black tux, a crisp white dress shirt, and his raven-colored hair a ruffled mess, giving him a sexy look. He stood out amongst everyone with his features that were striking and bold, drawing attention to himself and turning heads in his direction, and receiving desirous states from surrounding girls.
But Eliezer had his eyes locked with those mesmerizing gray ones and to him, she was the only one existing in their cosmos. And her irises were locked with his glinting ones once again and it was enough to block out the world around them and make her forget the icy nectar of jealousy threatening to flow through her veins.
§
Everything was not okay. Eliezer knew, Niccolò knew, and Starlie knew, and Cassiopeia, oh how she was trying her hardest to keep the smile on her face. She was trying her hardest to hide the melancholy threatening to mix with her happiness because on the inside, she felt her delicate heart shattering into tiny pieces. But like any other hopeless romantic, she was one to wear her heart on her sleeve, leaving her emotions on full display, and her friends could see straight past her façade.
As Cassiopeia and Niccolò strutted off the stage, hand in hand with their heads held high and their tassels pulled to the left, her eyes continued to hopelessly roam the flock of people in search of those familiar hazel eyes she wished so desperately to see. But it seemed he really was not here and she felt her heart plummet to her stomach once again.
“Cassiopeia!” Starlie screamed happily once the four of them came together. Her eyes sharply cut to Starlie and widened horrifically as Starlie lunged for her and threw her arms around her. Eliezer’s eyes had been glued to her since she’d been walking with Niccolò off the state and he felt the anger bubble inside him as he took in her disheartened expression with every step closer she took to him. Niccolò standing next to him felt nothing less and both men weren’t above killing a motherfucker at the moment—they knew the reason behind her frown even if she wouldn’t say it out loud.
“Too tight.” Cassiopeia gasped out at the feeling of Starlie crushing her bones.
“I’m sorry.” She offered sheepishly once they pulled away. “I’m just so proud of you, my little baby!”
“Hush! You’re not much older.” Cassiopeia giggled, feeling her heart lighten.
Starlie hummed. “Maybe, but Eliezer is the same age as me and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind calling him daddy,” she whispered teasingly and winked at a choking Cassiopeia.
“Starlie.” She shrieked seconds later, looking to Niccolò for help and avoiding Eliezer’s eyes because she knew her face was a burning crimson. Niccolò, however, only stared back at her with a subtle smirk on his face, telling her all she needed to know and causing her cheeks to flush, even more, he knew exactly what Starlie said.
“Ange?” Eliezer stepped forward, calling her with crinkled brows when she continued to elude his piercing blue eyes. Their friends stepped back with wicked grins plastered on their faces before they embraced in their own hug and Eliezer became the only thing in Cassiopeia’s sight.
“Cassiopeia, my dear.” His rich baritone stirred desire deep within her, making her want to clench her thighs together. Yes, daddy, a voice mocked in her head and she swore she burned even more. “I am so proud of you,” he said fiercely, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling her into his chest. I’m so in love with you, he wanted to say.
“Thank you.” She smiled in his chest, feeling him cloud over her senses. His heartbeat wildly in his chest from just holding her and his mind became a blurry mess—Christ, how he longed to feel her writhing underneath him, to see her bask in the moonlight.
“You’re magnificent, you know that?” He returned the smile once they pulled away and they were left staring into each other’s eyes. Her smile only widened, her eyes crinkling in the corners as she felt the heat trailing up her neck to her cheeks under his hooded stare.
§
“I’m leaving.” Starlie and Niccolò said at the same time—the former standing up from the chesterfield while the latter came from the kitchen. Cassiopeia’s eyes narrowed, flickering between them as if she was trying to figure out the most unfathomable paradox. Eliezer merely grinned. Over the past year, Niccolò had become just as much of family to Eliezer and Starlie as Cassiopeia had. Except Starlie and Niccolò played around much more and thought they hid it well. Except Cassiopeia and Eliezer weren’t blind—or deaf—and they certainly never missed their flushed cheeks and swollen lips in the office. The two were like flame to wick, yet it seemed they didn’t want to dance with the flames so they stayed away from each other.
Guess I’m left to play matchmaker, Cassiopeia sighed to herself, cuddling closer into Eliezer on the love seat where they sat with his arm around her shoulder.
“Will you see us out, Cass, Eli?” Niccolò grinned and Cassiopeia immediately nodded and started to get up. Eliezer followed suit, keeping his arm around her waist. They exchanged goodbyes and watched as the two got into their own cars.
“Close the door for me, Eliezer,” Cassiopeia said softly, leaving his side and making her way to her bedroom.
Once there, she stood in front of her vanity, her eyes tracing over all of her features before she looked down with a smile on her face. She began taking off her jewelry when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist.
“Eliezer.” She breathed, meeting his eyes in the mirror. He smirked at her. She was about to reply, but a thought suddenly hit her, stilling her momentarily and a frown tugged at her lips.
“He never came,” she whispered brokenly. Eliezer immediately tensed behind her and he clenched and unclenched his jaw.
“I know. He isn’t worth it.”
“He knew it was today, I sent him the invitation and we talked about this day on the phone.” She quietly cried in his arms.
“I’m sorry, Cassiopeia,” he said softly, feeling utterly hopeless as he stared into her teary eyes.
“He knew how important this day was to me, he knew how excited I was. I have always been there for him, and this, this one time I asked him to be here for me, he doesn’t even- urgh!” She threw her hands up, crying frustratedly whilst he gently wiped her tears away. “How could Ansel do this to me?” She rambled on as she cried harder saying his name and Eliezer felt his blood boil. He was nowhere above punching something and he certainly wasn’t above killing the bastard.
“I wish you didn’t see me like this,” she said softly when he spun her around. His head merely came down on hers and she gasped as she felt him kissing away the tears streaming down her face.
“Tears or no tears, you’re still my beautiful girl,” he whispered with his lips hovering over hers.
“Don’t you ever apologize, not to me.” Her gaze was fixed on his lips, their breaths mingling together being much more fascinating than meeting his eyes. Silence settled between them, their foreheads leaning against each other’s and their lips grazing each other’s just barely. Until she turned around again and looked at herself and Eliezer in the mirror.
“I’m so tired,” she finally said sleepily with a tired smile that Eliezer found breathtakingly beautiful. After the ceremony and reception, Eliezer and Starlie had taken Cassiopeia and Niccolò out for dinner. And then the four came to Cassiopeia’s and talked over glasses of rosé.
“You had a long day.” He chuckled as he swept her hair to one side and unlatched her necklace. He wasn’t entirely sure what he thought she would say, but her next words had him completely at her mercy.
“It’s late, Eliezer, maybe you should stay tonight,” she said softly in that pure-toned voice of hers. Though he knew she meant it innocently, he couldn’t stop the dirty images running through his mind at his idea of staying the night, the dirty images of stripping her of her dress and ravishing her on her bed.
“I’ll take the couch.” He found himself whispering in the crook of her neck instead of his wishes. A comfortable silence settled between them and her eyes fluttered close as she felt his hot breath on her neck.
“Are you ready for our trip to Portugal, ange?”
“As long as I’m with you.” The words slipped past her lips and she gasped not even a moment later, realizing the words she involuntarily said. His hands tightened their grip on her waist and he inhaled sharply.
“Christ.” He hissed when she leaned back into him and his erection pressed against her ass. “You and your words... they’re going to be the death of me.” He grunted and a low moan left her lips when he slowly moved against her.
“See what you do to me, Cassiopeia?” He growled and she threw her head against his shoulder, letting out a loud moan when he ground against her once again. “And this dress...” His hand trailed between the valley of her breasts through the satin material and rested on her stomach. “I love it. You are enthralling.”
“Eliezer.” His name left her lips in a breathy moan as she started to sway her hips, grinding slowly against him.
“Fuck!” He growled when he cupped her breasts through her dress and caressed them gently. Another moan slipped past her lips, a melodious moan that was music to his ears. He hissed, biting her earlobe gently and feeling his control slip through his fingers.
“No.” He let out a strangled breath when she whimpered in need and want which took as a whimper in pain. In a split second, he spun her around and she stared at him with wide, wild eyes and flushed cheeks. His eyes focused on the erratic rise and fall of her breasts before his eyes met hers.
“I’m so sorry if I hurt you,” he said quietly and her brows crinkled.
“But we can’t do this,” he said, pain-stricken, “yet.” He was conflicted—he wanted her, desperately wanted her to pull him against her once more and let their desires take control, but he wanted her to understand because he knew she wasn’t ready for what he’d bring her way. The pad of his thumb traced soft circles on her cheek tenderly. “You’re not ready for me yet, but when that time comes, I promise I will ruin you,” he said in a tone that had her toes curling. Her eyes glinted with excitement hearing the unspoken promise of later in his words and instead of feeling hurt, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders since Eliezer could easily tell she wasn’t ready, not tonight.
“Eliezer!” She exclaimed when he picked her up bridal style in his arms. He didn’t reply and instead placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her lips.
“Let’s get you a duvet and pillow.” She giggled and he nodded with a full-blown smile, walking them out of her room.
§
—the next day—
The atmosphere was comfortably quiet, only the soft hum of the jet’s engine to be heard. Cassiopeia was cuddled in a window seat reading a classic while Eliezer was on the other side with his attention focused on his laptop. This was much like every other time they went on a business trip—they’d take his private jet and stay in their own little worlds, in their own corners, until he broke first and had enough.
“Cassiopeia, come here, please,” he called for her in his deep voice. Her gaze flickered from her copy of Jane Eyre to him. He set his laptop on the trace and stared at her. She put her novel down and stood up and made her way over to him. His hands gripped her waist and he pulled her in between his legs. Staring down at her, a genuine smile curled the ends of his lips.
“Here.” One of his hands left her waist and patted the cushioned seat next to his. She giggled, knowing this ritual between them all too well. She stepped around his legs and took a seat and only then did his hand leave her waist. He opened his laptop once again, typing away as if nothing happened.
“Did you need me for something, Eliezer?” She smiled and her tone was knowing as she rested her head on his shoulder and peered at his laptop.
“I just wanted you next to me.” He smiled boyishly.
“Sleep, mon petit ange,” he whispered when he saw her eyes fluttering closed.
§
Cassiopeia’s eyebrows crinkled seeing the receptionist give Eliezer only one key and he merely shrugged it off, thinking Starlie had booked them a double bed suite.
But oh, how he was so wrong. Upon entering the presidential suite of the Crest Hotel, his eyes widened horrifically and she giggled as their eyes fell on the king-sized bed in the middle of the room. Eliezer nearly choked taking in the candlelit room and the rose petals that dusted the bed, jacuzzi, and the whole suite.
“Jesus Christ, Starlie.” Eliezer hissed under his breath. This was certainly different from every other hotel we’ve stayed at, a voice muttered dryly in his head. Cassiopeia pulled away from his arm around her waist and wandered over to the panoramic floor-to-ceiling window giving the breathtaking view of the sunset in the city of Lisbon. She immediately fell in love—the suite, the view, and maybe the brute she happened to be here with. It was all she could ask for and it felt immaculate.
“Cassiopeia,” his deep baritone broke her out of her thoughts, “is this okay with you? We can go downstairs and get a second suite?” He asked hesitantly, slowly coming up behind her and resting his hands on either side of her waist. “Why am I even asking, let’s go.” He tugged her hand softly, though it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“It’s okay,” she said softly, still staring off in the gold, cotton candy skies overlooking the city. Her words almost made him choke—she spoke the words so innocently, having not the slightest idea what they did to him.
“W-what?”
“It’s okay, Eliezer.” She giggled. “We’re only here for two nights, I trust that you won’t kill me.”
“That’s a lot of trust you’ve got for me there,” he teased. Her brows still crinkled.
“I trust you with my whole heart, Eliezer.” Her voice had that pure tone that he loved and it had him wanting to kiss the life out of her.
“Vous êtes vraiment mon ange.”
You really are my angel.
He sighed and spun her around, pressing a chaste kiss on her forehead. Cassiopeia only smiled in response, keeping her gaze fixated on her ballet flats as she felt a blush bloom on the apples of her cheeks. She didn’t understand a word he said, but she certainly loved hearing him speak the foreign language.
“Are you sure about this, Cassiopeia?” He asked quietly after a few moments.
“As long as you stay on your side of the bed.” She teased and a foolish grin broke out on his face.
“Of course.”
§
“Ange.” Eliezer chuckled, rolling over on his side to face a cozy-looking Cassiopeia. She batted her lashes innocently.
“Yes?”
“If you take all of the duvet, I’ll be shivering for the rest of the night.”
She giggled. “I am not sharing the duvet with you, you sleep naked.” Her flushed cheeks glowered from the moonlight streaming through the window. It was just about half-past one in the morning and they fell into a sort of pillow talk for the past hour and a half. They had to be up in just four hours to get ready for their conference at seven am, but they didn’t seem like they were falling asleep anytime soon.
“I have on boxers!” He laughed.
“You’re naked,” she said in a high-pitched voice, falling into laughter of her own.
“Cassiopeia,” he whined.
“Mhmn.” She hummed as her eyes drank in his inked skin and perfectly carved body. He felt himself harden and grunted lowly as he watched her eyes darken. In a split second, he was on top of her, balancing himself on his arms on either side of her and she gasped, staring up at him with softly parted lips.
“E-Eliezer,” she stuttered. He smirked at her and slowly trailed his hand down her body through the velvet duvet and seconds later, she was shrieking and laughing uncontrollably.
“Eliezer, will you… s-stop!” She laughed.
“Will you share the duvet, sweetheart?” His voice was husky.
“N-No!” She shrieked again as his fingers dug into her sides, tickling her for dear life. Amidst her squirming, he managed to unravel the duvet that wrapped around her and smiled smugly knowing she was so caught in her laughter to realize. Rolling over on her side, her jaw dropped seeing him comfortably nestled under the blanket she was under before with a Cheshire grin on his face.
“Eliezer!”
“Cassiopeia!”
“But that was mine.” She suddenly pouted and rounded her eyes and his jaw dropped.
“Are you really pulling those eyes on me?”
“Depends... is it working?”
“Yes,” he grumbled. “Come here, darling.” He lifted the blanket and patted the space next to him. A brilliant smile broke out on her face as she rolled over and nestled against his body happily. Their playful banter continued until it dulled with both of them becoming thick with sleep.
Cassiopeia was lulled asleep more than she was awake at 03:36 in the morning when her phone went off, letting her know she had just received a text. Blindly picking up her phone from the nightstand and reading it, she felt her heart plummet to her stomach and ice fill her veins.
hey baby girl, i’m flying you out to madrid this weekend.
In an indignant moment, she rolled her eyes and shot a simple text back to him.
no.