|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 18:03:49 GMT -5
She noticed he had some financial magazines there also, but that didn't particularly appeal to her, and she didn't want to give the appearance of prying. She looked back at him with something of a smile, momentarily forgetting, in the loss of momentum, what she had come to do.
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 18:22:35 GMT -5
He sat down, a little stiffly, and with a brief cringe.
"Never get old, my dear, it's wretched on the constitution," he groaned. "Now, where were we?"
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 18:27:31 GMT -5
She leaned against the desk edge of the desk and looked back at him (he was still taller than she was, even sitting), casting about in her thoughts for the right way to word what she meant to say. Her mind kept returning to Herbert's admonition that she would break his heart no matter what she did, and she dropped her eyes from his own.
They followed the line of his jaw down the exposed throat and bit of collarbone in his dressing gown. Candlelight flattered even his pallid complexion, and faintly illuminated the bare skin contrasted with the black robe, the grey hair at the hollow of the throat, at the center of the chest. She turned around abruptly, putting her arms around herself.
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 18:33:04 GMT -5
"Are you cold?" he asked suddenly.
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 18:33:40 GMT -5
"No, no-"
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 18:40:58 GMT -5
"Would you like a fire? I prefer the cold, but with company here..."
He gestured at the fireplace.
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 18:43:32 GMT -5
"I... that might be nice," she admitted.
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 18:46:50 GMT -5
He pushed himself up again, with another small gasp, and knelt down by the fireplace to start it.
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 18:48:47 GMT -5
She busied herself looking around. The room was largely unfurnished, but as Sarah had already told her, the furnishings there were were pretty luxurious and very old. She saw what he meant about having things he could conceivably donate to any happy museum.
"Thank you," she said when he'd finished, lowering herself to the rug and taking off her cardigan.
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 18:53:00 GMT -5
He glanced up at her from the ground and grinned, his hair dangerously close to the fire. His eyes tracked from her face down to her bare collarbone, and he abruptly looked away and stood again.
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 18:54:47 GMT -5
She looked up after him, only to watch him walk away.
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 18:57:36 GMT -5
"Now, you were saying...?"
He sat down.
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 19:05:33 GMT -5
She looked down at the cardigan in her lap, having a sudden, unbidden thought of throwing it into the fire. She pulled her hair off her neck and smoothed it back uncomfortably.
"...I had thought that today would be the last time we saw each other," she said finally. "I told Herbert as much last night... I think it would be best for the both of us..."
|
|
|
Post by Graf von Krolock on Sept 14, 2015 19:13:44 GMT -5
"Because of my... behavior... last night," he said, smiling grimly. "Of course. You must pardon me, I was not... sated... at the time. I can assure you, it will not happen again."
|
|
|
Post by Teja on Sept 14, 2015 19:15:18 GMT -5
She stood up, leaving the cardigan behind. "There are other reasons- Please, don't think this is easy for me- It would be a lie to say that I don't care about you-"
|
|