Eliezer’s Ange by Eden Auclair

XVI

cassiopeia is twenty

she is a first-year masters in university

—a few months later—

“‘Cause it feelslike falling in love, yeah it feels like fallin-” Cassiopeia’s eyes shot open hearing her alarm. She jolted forward in a sitting position on her bed and blindly reached across her nightstand in search of her phone.

“And it feels like I wanna jump, baby every time we tou-” She fell back on her pillow after a few moments of jabbing her phone angrily and shutting off her alarm. Groaning, she threw her arm across her eyes and begged her mind and body to fall back asleep for just five more minutes. But her body was already awake and her mind was already going through her checklist for today and it wasn’t much longer before she was rolling off her bed and lazily making it.

Half an hour later, Cassiopeia had finished showering and getting dressed for her nine am lecture. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, she wrapped her arms around herself feeling at her utmost comfort with the comfiest clothes on—a crew neck and her Adidas Tiro pants with trainers. The past two days had been suffocating as it had been uncomfortable, having to dress up in elegant and extravagant gowns and terrifyingly high Louboutins. She forgot what breathing felt like until now.

Entering the kitchen, she threw her backpack on the counter and slid her laptop and a worn-out copy of Jane Eyre next to it. As she pondered on what to make for breakfast, she leaned on the bar on the pass-through wall between the kitchen and living room. A small smile graced her lips seeing Eliezer’s sleeping form and hearing his light snores. They had gotten back late last night from France, in the early hours of this morning in fact, and after he brought her suitcase and bag in for her, he collapsed on her sofa and fell asleep. She was thankful he changed out of his suit and into sweaters and a sweatshirt on his jet; she couldn’t even begin to think of what it would have been like to unbutton his crisp dress shirt and slide it off his shoulders, down his arms without blushing beet red.

Before her mind could wander too far, imagining how delectable he could be underneath his layers, Cassiopeia decided on making a hearty breakfast, rolling up the sleeves of her crew neck, and quietly getting out the ingredients she needed. She planned to make green shakshuka, chocolate chip scones, and a mermaid smoothie bowl for herself knowing she’d get hungry during her lecture. Turning on the coffee maker, she began brewing his coffee that she’d grown so used to making every morning, along with a cup of peach tea for herself.

Half an hour passed and she was finished with the shakshuka and the smooth bowl. Eliezer’s coffee only had to be poured into a glass but the brute was still asleep. She decided if he wasn’t awake by the time she was finished eating, she’d leave his coffee and breakfast on the counter with a note and leave on her own.

Turning to the sink and rinsing her hands, she dried them on the towelette and got out the flour, milk, butter, chocolate chips, and other ingredients she needed for the scones. Humming softly to herself, she began whisking the sweet chocolate mix.

“Good morning, ange.” Eliezer’s voice came from behind her and she slightly tensed, startled. She let out a small yelp feeling his hands rest on her hips.

“Eliezer hi,” she greeted in a breathless whisper. A low moan left her mouth as he pressed his body completely against hers and she felt his hardness against her ass. He nuzzled his face in her neck and placed feathery kisses on her flesh, causing her head to fall back on his shoulder and soft moans fell from her lips.

“Why didn’t you wake me up to help you?” Cassiopeia opened her mouth to reply but all that slipped past her lips was another moan as he bit and sucked harshly on the sweet spot of her neck.

“Eliezer,” she pleaded; what she was begging for, she had no idea, but she knew she didn’t want him to stop.

“You like that?” Eliezer hummed as his lips skimmed the column of her neck and her eyes closed as she pulled his hands around her tightly.

“Mhm,” she mustered out. Her hands reached behind her, wrapping around his neck and keeping his head buried in her neck. His hands slipped under her sweatshirt, skimming the soft skin of her stomach delicately—as if he thought, as if he knew she was a fragile doll that could shatter—and she melted against him. His lips quirked at the indescribable feeling.

The oven went off, telling her it was preheated and she froze. Eliezer pulled away almost immediately, leaving a whimper to fall from her soft lips and her knees weak, she nearly stumbled into him.

“Cassiopeia.” Her name came out as a growl and her eyes snapped open as he spun her around in a split second and caged her between his body and the counter. She stared up at him with an indignant glare as if to ask, ‘why did you stop?’ Eliezer smirked, wanting to answer her unspoken question and laugh, “sweet girl, I don’t think you want your kitchen to burn with us in it.”

At his silence, Cassiopeia huffed and turned away from him, practically stomping around her kitchen and getting her pan of scones to put in the oven. Eliezer wanted to laugh, really.

“I can feel you staring, what do you want, Eliezer?” She grated and he bit his lip, shaking his head.

“Nothing, ange.”

She met his stare over the kitchen sink as she cleaned up and cocked an eyebrow. “Okay well, the shower’s that way,” she nodded in the direction of the bathroom, “and you know where the towels are.” This girl, Eliezer couldn’t help his cheeky grin as she dismissed him, glancing away indifferently.

“Are you angry, little girl?It’s quite cute.” His voice shook with laughter and her face reddened.

“Cute?”She shrieked. “I’ll show you cute,” she growled and the dom inside of him laughed wholeheartedly.

“Alright, princesse.” His voice shook with laughter as he pressed a light kiss to her cheek and left the kitchen.

§

“Eliezer!” Her bubbly laughter echoed throughout her loft as they sat at the marble island counter eating breakfast and drinking their iced coffee and tea. He was in the middle of telling the story of his nine-year-old self pouring confetti cake batter on his fourteen-year-old sister, Halley. Her eyes twinkled as his deep baritone voice reverberated through the kitchen.

“Let me get those.” He paused his reminiscing to move around and get the pan of scones that had been getting crisp in the oven with her favorite glaze. His heart warmed as a Cheshire smile curled her lips when he placed one on her plate before taking one himself and sitting in his chair. Sitting there, in her kitchen, and laughing over breakfast wasn’t unusual—they’d return from a trip and he would end up falling asleep in her living room and they’d spend the next morning talking over breakfast. And it felt like home.

“So, Halley screeched when she felt it and I remember just smiling cheekily, but she wiped it right off my face in seconds when I felt covered in powder. She threw fucking flour on me!” He whined. “I returned the favor by throwing two eggs at her and between screeches and my cries, our mother’s worry brought her to the kitchen. Her eyes widened and her face was priceless.” Eliezer laughed wholeheartedly, leaning back in his chair and clutching at his chest. Cassiopeia has listened, but she was far too taken up by his beauty to laugh along. She was wholly and utterly enticed and she felt, dare she say, love, bloom in her chest. Taking the last bit of his shakshuka, a throaty groan left his lips and she stared at him with an amused expression and an arched brow.

“Mon chérie,you are a divine goddess,” he pointed the fork in her direction and a sweet blush rose on her cheeks and neck.

§

“But Eli-” Cassiopeia shut her mouth abruptly, pouting as she watched the brute stand up and stack all their dishes in his hand and walk into the kitchen.

“Eliezer!” She yelled, her voice coming out as a whine rather than the angry tone that she was going for.

“Cassiopeia!” He mocked.

“I have to go to class. In half an hour,” she huffed, hugging herself and frowning. Silence followed and her frown deepened as she mulled over Eliezer’s stubborn attitude.

“Christ, my girl is fucking perfect.” His raspy voice made her jolt violently in her seat. He was behind her—coming out of nowhere—and was bent low where his lips grazed the shell of her ear.

“Eliezer,” she murmured, placing a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart. Her breathing grew erratic, feeling his searing breath down the column of her neck, and her face flushed as she took in his words. His girl. She racked through her mind of what to say when the thought of the previous matter at hand hit her.

“I have to go to class,” she said adamantly.

“No, you don’t,” he whispered. His hands found their way under her sweatshirt once again, moving slowly—carefully—and resting on the flesh above her hip bone.

“Do you trust me, ange?” He asked quietly, gently caressing her soft skin.

Cassiopeia’s mind blanked for a moment before she leaned her head back against his body and closed her eyes. “With all my heart, Eliezer,” she answered honestly. Those five words were the very truth of her being, she felt entirely safe and secure with Eliezer Badeaux—far more than she had ever felt with anyone else.

“I love you, angel,” he whispered in Persian, sounding pained as he buried his face in her neck for what seemed the millionth time this morning.

A small giggle left her lips before she huffed again. “Eliezer, I really have to go.”

“Can’t you stay home,” he whined like a little boy. He was merely teasing her, but she didn’t need to know that. He knew he couldn’t hold onto her but it wouldn’t stop him from keeping her in his arms until the very last second.

“I have class, Eliezer!” She gave a half-suppressed laugh feeling the frown tugging at his lips on her skin. Their banter continued, turning playful within seconds until Eliezer gave in.

“Fine, fuck, fine!” He exaggerated. “I’ll get your bag with your laptop and phone, just get in the car.” He sounded like he genuinely dreaded the idea of taking her to class and she only laughed at his expense.

“Thank you, Eliezer.” She snickered, standing up and pressing a light kiss to his cheek before happily making her way to the front door. He stared at her figure even after she disappeared out the door and felt the slight blush on his cheeks as he grabbed her things. He locked the door to her loft with the spare key she had given him before walking to his Audi R8.

“After I drop you off, I’ll head home and change and then I’ll go into the office. I’ve got some paperwork to look at,” Eliezer said after he put her things in the backseat and got into the driver’s seat. “But as soon as you’re done, I swear to God, Cassiopeia, call me so I can pick you up.” He looked over at her pointedly. “If you don’t, God so help me I-”

“I know, I know, you’ll make sure I never go to class again,” she teased him back, “but I promise I’ll call you. I’ll even text you fifteen minutes before it ends to let you know so you can pick me up, okay?”

“Perfect, ange.” He grinned cheekily, cruising down the nearly empty streets with one hand resting on her thigh.