Kate blew into the steaming cup of hot cocoa as she padded out of the kitchen in her pink, fluffy slippers. As she passed through the foyer, the cold of the winter night seeped through the cracks and crevices of the front door making her shiver. Walking into the living room, she saw Julian on his knees in front of the fireplace. His broad back was hunched over as he poked at the wood, grumbling too low for her to make out.
“It’s so sweet of you to make a fire for me, Julian.” She watched as he prodded the still unlit wood with the poker, and blew onto the starting embers under the grate. “I haven’t had a real, wood fire since I moved in here. I always used the gas. You know, the click and start? But, I love the smell of natural wood burning. Don’t you?”
He blew out another soft breath as the flames started to grow, and then fell away cold.
“Do you have any more newspaper?” He twisted, looking around, his hands reaching out to the now empty place where the stack of a month’s worth of the local Sunday papers had been.
“You already went through it all?” She sat on the couch and curled her legs under her, sitting the cup on the side-table.
“Yeah.” He craned his neck into the fireplace looking up in it. “I think there’s something wrong with your flue. There must be a draft coming in somewhere extinguishing the flame.”
“Oh?” She reached for a magazine on the coffee table still keeping her eyes on him, deciding not to tell him she had her fireplace serviced a month before he arrived on her doorstep. “Maybe we just use the gas then. It’s okay, baby.”
“I promised you real fire, and I am going to give you real fire, beauty.” He stood and pondered the demonic fireplace tormenting his manly intentions. Yes, it had been at least a century since he had even thought of making a fire. True, flames and vampires don’t generally get along, but it shouldn’t be this difficult getting a flame going. He worried it was costing him “points” with his love. He knew all about this “point system” from Kate and Mazzie’s conversations he’d overheard.
Sleet hit against the roof harder, and Kate wrapped a blanket around her, tucking it in at the top before standing.
“I should light some candles in case the power goes out.”
Julian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as he watched her move through the room preparing for the worst. First, as she lit candles, and then as she went to the laundry room, bringing with her a stack of thick blankets so tall he couldn’t see her. The last thing he wanted was Kate covered up even more. He’d had plans for tonight, and those plans called for unwrapping her, not the opposite.
Turning back to the nuisance of a fireplace, he murmured, “Fine. We’ll do this another way.”
“Did you say something? Why are you taking the wood out of the fireplace?”
“Your man is going to provide what he said he would.”
He picked up two of the smaller pieces of wood, and rubbed them together until they began to smoke. When the flame ignited, he tossed them into the fireplace, and grabbed another two. He continued until the fire burned bright and the room was filled with warmth.
Kate approached, wrapping her arms around him from the back, and squeezed him to her. “I knew you would - ”
Just then, a loud pop and crash sounded outside, and Kate shrieked as the lights inside the house went bright and then out completely. The house fell silent except for the sound of the crackling wood.
Julian turned, pulling her into his arms. He didn’t want this small disaster to distract her attention from him.
Tilting her chin up, he said, “The weather outside may be frightful, but inside will be so delightful. Fire. Candles. A very romantic setting. Don’t you agree?”
His head descended, meeting her lips with his. Running his tongue over hers, he tasted the remnants of chocolate from her drink. “Mmmm. So sweet you are, and all mine for the tasting.”
She shivered in his arms, and he knew it wasn’t from being cold. She was warm, and getting warmer at the touches of his roaming hands on her.
His lips moved against hers, grazing them lightly as he spoke, “Never had anything better on my tongue.”
“Baby…”
His fingers plunged into her curls, and he pulled her head back, forcing her breasts against his chest. Trailing kisses on her neck, her breaths were coming out in shaky gasps.
Sucking her ear lobe into his mouth for a moment before releasing it, he whispered, “I already stoked one fire. Shall I stroke another aflame?”
This work of fiction is protected by copyright: Author, Elaine Barris
“It’s so sweet of you to make a fire for me, Julian.” She watched as he prodded the still unlit wood with the poker, and blew onto the starting embers under the grate. “I haven’t had a real, wood fire since I moved in here. I always used the gas. You know, the click and start? But, I love the smell of natural wood burning. Don’t you?”
He blew out another soft breath as the flames started to grow, and then fell away cold.
“Do you have any more newspaper?” He twisted, looking around, his hands reaching out to the now empty place where the stack of a month’s worth of the local Sunday papers had been.
“You already went through it all?” She sat on the couch and curled her legs under her, sitting the cup on the side-table.
“Yeah.” He craned his neck into the fireplace looking up in it. “I think there’s something wrong with your flue. There must be a draft coming in somewhere extinguishing the flame.”
“Oh?” She reached for a magazine on the coffee table still keeping her eyes on him, deciding not to tell him she had her fireplace serviced a month before he arrived on her doorstep. “Maybe we just use the gas then. It’s okay, baby.”
“I promised you real fire, and I am going to give you real fire, beauty.” He stood and pondered the demonic fireplace tormenting his manly intentions. Yes, it had been at least a century since he had even thought of making a fire. True, flames and vampires don’t generally get along, but it shouldn’t be this difficult getting a flame going. He worried it was costing him “points” with his love. He knew all about this “point system” from Kate and Mazzie’s conversations he’d overheard.
Sleet hit against the roof harder, and Kate wrapped a blanket around her, tucking it in at the top before standing.
“I should light some candles in case the power goes out.”
Julian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as he watched her move through the room preparing for the worst. First, as she lit candles, and then as she went to the laundry room, bringing with her a stack of thick blankets so tall he couldn’t see her. The last thing he wanted was Kate covered up even more. He’d had plans for tonight, and those plans called for unwrapping her, not the opposite.
Turning back to the nuisance of a fireplace, he murmured, “Fine. We’ll do this another way.”
“Did you say something? Why are you taking the wood out of the fireplace?”
“Your man is going to provide what he said he would.”
He picked up two of the smaller pieces of wood, and rubbed them together until they began to smoke. When the flame ignited, he tossed them into the fireplace, and grabbed another two. He continued until the fire burned bright and the room was filled with warmth.
Kate approached, wrapping her arms around him from the back, and squeezed him to her. “I knew you would - ”
Just then, a loud pop and crash sounded outside, and Kate shrieked as the lights inside the house went bright and then out completely. The house fell silent except for the sound of the crackling wood.
Julian turned, pulling her into his arms. He didn’t want this small disaster to distract her attention from him.
Tilting her chin up, he said, “The weather outside may be frightful, but inside will be so delightful. Fire. Candles. A very romantic setting. Don’t you agree?”
His head descended, meeting her lips with his. Running his tongue over hers, he tasted the remnants of chocolate from her drink. “Mmmm. So sweet you are, and all mine for the tasting.”
She shivered in his arms, and he knew it wasn’t from being cold. She was warm, and getting warmer at the touches of his roaming hands on her.
His lips moved against hers, grazing them lightly as he spoke, “Never had anything better on my tongue.”
“Baby…”
His fingers plunged into her curls, and he pulled her head back, forcing her breasts against his chest. Trailing kisses on her neck, her breaths were coming out in shaky gasps.
Sucking her ear lobe into his mouth for a moment before releasing it, he whispered, “I already stoked one fire. Shall I stroke another aflame?”
This work of fiction is protected by copyright: Author, Elaine Barris