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No Easy Way	By : secretlysecretly Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 7568 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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A/N: We would like to thank those who took the time to leave us a review! Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Warning: Again, minors step away! What do you think you are reading! And as far as the rest of you is concerned, enjoy!

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Chapter 18

Tiredly standing from the stool that lay before his organ, Erik ran his hands through his hair. He adjusted the mask on his face and walked out of the music room, silently closing the door behind him. Walking over to his bedroom, he yanked the soaked white shirt that clung to his torso from his pants and, stepping into the room, rang the bell that would summon Vincent to his quarters. A short while later, the butler had drawn a bath for him and Erik was relaxing in the scalding hot water.

His mind wandered back to his neighbor and what she could be doing at that very moment. Had she woken up, already preparing herself for the day that lay ahead or was she still fast asleep, her relaxed form lying on her bed? He imagined what she would be like in slumber, her long lashes brushing against her rosy cheeks, her lips slightly parted, her chestnut hair sprawled on the white linen.

He shut his eyes allowing his imagination to wander free. He fantasized about lying in the same bed with Marianne, her head resting on his chest, his fingers running soothingly through her silky mane. He would raise a hand and run it over the contours of her sweet face, then gently caress her neck until he would find her pulse. Bending his head to kiss that spot, he would then lift the covers to reveal her smooth skin inch by agonizing inch.

In his mind’s eye, he could see himself raining kisses on her shoulders and then, careful not to wake her, parting the cleavage of her night gown to touch her breasts with his quivering lips. He imagined her moaning in her sleep at the feathery light touch and then relaxing once more in slumber. He would take his time exploring her body, laving his tongue over her pink nipples and then sucking them gently so that she would not feel any pain.

He felt himself grow hard at his scandalous thoughts but didn’t do anything to relieve the tension from his throbbing member. For once, he wanted to drag out this pleasure that could be had as he fantasized over the object of his desire. He sunk his muscular body further into the water and closed his eyes again, fantasizing he was hovering above Marianne’s body, able to do whatever he wished to her sleeping form.

He imagined himself moving down on her body, kissing every expanse of skin exposed to his hungry eyes, occasionally flicking his tongue out to taste her tantalizing flesh. Once he reached her navel, he would dart out his tongue to tease her and that’s when she would wake from her peaceful slumber. Would she moan out his name when she awoke or would she chastise him for disturbing her rest? In his fantasy, Marianne sighed and purred in ecstasy from his ministrations. She raised her head searching his eyes and saw the raw passion reflecting in his gaze before closing her eyes again and let herself get lost in the raging fire that would soon consume her.

He saw himself parting her nightgown further still to reveal her belly and toned thighs and brought his hand to his aching cock. As his fantasy progressed and the Erik from his mental image parted Marianne’s legs and buried his head in the juncture of her thighs to inhale her intoxicating scent, the man lying in the tub of steaming water started rubbing his painfully hard flesh slowly, desperate to prolong this pleasure for as long as he could.

He imagined raining light kisses on her moist mound and then darting out his tongue to taste her sweetness. He could almost taste her on his lips as he pumped himself and neared a precipice but tried to hold on a little longer as he imagined hearing Marianne’s frantic moans at his ministrations. When his tongue would flick upon the bundle of nerves that would give her imminent pleasure, she would buck her hips and finally scream his name, begging him to let her come. He would torture her just for a few seconds, keeping her on the edge with his mouth and then take that pebble of flesh between his teeth and suck on it as hard as he could, granting her body release from this sweet torment. Imagining Marianne screaming his name, as her world became a kaleidoscope of light and color, he jerked his hand one last time, finally letting himself come.

He sat there in a state of euphoria until the water around him started getting cold and he finally stood and toweled himself dry, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. As he dressed, he tried to keep his mind vacant of any thoughts of Marianne for he knew that it would not take much to make him hard again and he surely needed to remain in control of his body and mind for he planned on seeing her again real soon.

With a glance at the clock, which hung opposite the staircase, Erik realized that he had spent far too much time preparing himself. ‘So much the better’ he thought to himself. ‘It is now 9:40 which gives me plenty of time to prepare my horse and then drop by my neighbor’s estate to see if she had a good night’s rest and probably have some tea.’ He headed over to the stables and had James prepare his mare for some light riding. Normally he would have done so himself, but today he wished for his appearance to remain immaculate.

No more than a half of an hour later, he was trotting his horse through the fields, approaching the grand mansion that rested on the opposite side of the lake. Once he reached the house, he handed the reins of his horse to an awaiting stable boy and soon he was seated in a small salon, waiting for the butler to announce his arrival to the lady of the house. Unfortunately though, Erik spent quite a long while in attendance for Marianne, time that allowed all of his insecurities to resurface before he heard Marianne’s timid voice bidding him welcome.

“Good morning Erik. I was quite surprised to hear Gerard announce your arrival this morning.”

“Good morrow Marianne. I hope I am not disturbing you?” he hesitated. The clock on the mantelpiece informed him that he had been waiting for a little less than thirty minutes. What could possible have taken her so long? Perhaps she was trying to avoid him?

“Oh no Erik, do not worry. It was quite a pleasurable surprise, I assure you. Would you care to join me for some tea?”

“I would be delighted, thank you.”

Silence… Erik hated these uncomfortable silences; they filled him with dreaded certainty that he was not welcome. Why though? Why was she avoiding his eyes after what had transpired between them last night? Had Marianne regretted kissing him after the way she had molded herself into his arms? Had the fiery passion they had shared last night been a product of his overactive imagination?

They sat sipping their tea in silence, Marianne looking away every time he tried to meet her gaze. Erik was fuming with anger. Anger at himself for not being worthy enough of her, anger at Marianne for not giving their …relationship a chance to flourish into something more than… this! Suddenly he couldn’t take this deafening silence any longer. He abruptly put down the cup and saucer he was holding, spilling some of the tea it held and stood up hastily.

“I can see that I am embarrassing you and since it is quite clear that you are preoccupied over what happened last night, perhaps it would be better for me to leave. However, before I go, I should inform you that it was never my intention to frighten you or take advantage of your state; I just… well, I missed you terribly and wanted to leave something for you to find upon your return, which I thought would occur today. Anyway, I came here today to see you and perhaps take you for a little horseback riding but I see now that you do not wish to consort with me and I assure you that I fully understand that.” Judging by the astonished look in her eyes, he realized that he had said too much, so putting an end to his foolish blabbering, he gave her a curt nod and turned on his heel to leave her in peace.

He was almost out the door when he heard footsteps running after him and, seconds later, he felt a warm hand on his arm, seizing his movements. Turning to look at her, he was shocked to see a timid smile drawn on Marianne’s full lips. He didn’t think he could have been more surprised but when she spoke, he knew that this woman could always find a way to pull the rug out from under him.

“No Erik, you are mistaken. You didn’t frighten me last night; I was just stunned to see you so… unexpectedly. Anyhow, please forgive me for the awkwardness in which I regarded you this morning. However, I am sure you can understand why I behaved like this. I’m pretty sure it is quite… radical of me to admit it, but I missed you too while I was away.”

‘Could this really be happening of all people to me? Should I press my luck any further?’ he thought to himself before blurting out “Would you consider taking a stroll with me then, to make up for lost time?”

Marianne couldn’t believe her eyes. Was this dark mysterious man really… beaming with joy before her, simply because she had admitted she too had missed him during her absence? Smiling to herself, she nodded her head in response and placed her hand on Erik’s arm, walking out the door.

A short while later, as they were walking side by side, Erik turned to her and softly spoke. “I trust you found your aunt in good health?”

“Yes actually. She is quite well. Thank you for asking.”

“I hope you enjoyed yourself during your visit there.”

“It was quite … interesting to say the least.” she smiled in response.

“Interesting?” he raised his brow puzzled.

“Well, she had a relative of ours visiting, whom I had never been acquainted with before.”

“How so?” came his disinterested inquiry.

“She is the wife of a cousin of mine from France; the Viscountess de Chagny.” As she spoke the words, Marianne saw Erik blanch in reaction but since he did not say anything, she carried on.

“My cousin, Raoul De Chagny and his wife Christine, the visitor I told you about, have been married for a little over three years now but although Raoul and I were quite close when we were children and his family resided in Britain, we have not seen each other in quite a long while now.” Noticing that Erik’s expression now seemed to be curved in stone, she leaned over and touched her hand to his.

“Erik, are you feeling alright?” she asked him with concern.

His sole reaction was to nod his head as if in a daze. As an afterthought he spoke. “So, this … Christine de Chagny? Did you find her company agreeable?” he asked Marianne, his voice quivering.

“She appears to be quite nice but, to be absolutely frank, she seems to be … how shall I put it? Distant. I honestly don’t think she is very happy in her marriage with my cousin, although she speaks of him dearly whenever the occasion arises. I believe it has something to do with his frequent business travels. Of course he could… Erik? Are you alright?” she asked him worriedly as beads of sweat made their appearance on his forehead. “Are you sure you are feeling quite well?”

“Actually Marianne, I fear I may have taken ill. Perhaps something I ate during breakfast.” he lied.

“Oh Erik, I’m so sorry. And you let me go on and on with idle conversation all this time…” She truly seemed concerned about his state and although Erik hated to make her worry over this sudden “illness” of his, he simply could not take another moment of this. He needed to be alone, to think!

“Marianne, I am truly sorry but would you please excuse me? I feel I should rest for a while.”

“Of course Erik. Shall I fetch for my carriage to take you home?”

“Oh no, that won’t be necessary. It will be much quicker if I ride myself back to my house. Perhaps the air will do me some good.”

“Are you positive?” she pressed on.

“Yes my dear. Do not worry. I am sure that I shall be alright soon. Now, if you would excuse me…” he said as he swiftly turned on his heel and walked away, never turning to cast another glance at her as she looked after his retreating form and furrowed her brow in a worried manner.

Erik was a mess.

He stood at the window of his music room, the heavy drapes pulled back, staring with unseeing eyes at the silvery twilight that quickly descended upon the earth. He held a glass of brandy in his hand, the decanter with the amber liquid resting upon the table a few feet away from him, nearly drained.

His eyes were blurry with unshed tears and the mask that usually adorned the right side of his face was now resting on the window lattice before him. He lowered his gaze upon the white porcelain surface and finally felt a lonely tear trail down his cheek.

‘Why?’ it was the only word running through his head. It had been echoing in his brain since he had heard Marianne speak of her new acquaintance; the Viscountess de Chagny.

At first, he had thought his mind was playing tricks on him. Now that he was finally putting the past behind him, his agitated brain would not let him rest and he finally snapped as the light of happiness was slowly starting to dawn in his heart. He had truly thought he misheard her, so he had asked Marianne again. When she confirmed that indeed, her cousin was the esteemed Viscount de Chagny, Raoul, and his bride of three years was but a few miles away in Marianne’s aunt’s estate, Erik had finally accepted the cruel reality of the matter. His weary mind had not given in; it was merely fate that wouldn’t let him rest.

Just as he had thought that he had managed to make a life for himself, with a house to call his own, loneliness finally drifting away giving way to hope for companionship in the face of the sweet Marianne Pinon, he was being cruelly reminded that he was not fit for human companionship. He had been denied love all through his life, but still he allowed himself to hope.

Hope that someday he would find someone to share his passion, his music, his dreams for a quiet life with a family he could call his own, a child to whom he could offer all the love that had been denied of him by his own parents. For once, he had thought he’d found the person that would stand by his side to consummate his dreams with him in the face of Marianne.

Now, he had to finally come to terms with the bitter truth; his dreams of a quiet, normal life could never be. Obviously, fate had found this twisted way of proving to him that he was never meant to find peace. Here he was, having traveled for three years to end up thousands of miles away from his homeland, and when he had finally started to come to terms with his condition and warm over a refreshing presence in his life, Christine was coming back to haunt him like a ghost from his past that would never let him rest.

No! The simple truth of the matter was that Erik was being served a reminder that not only was he incapable of love; he simply wasn’t worth it, nor would ever be.

Marianne had been sitting in the library for the better part of the day, trying to take her mind off the day’s occurrences by delving into one of her favorite books. After having read the same passage for what seemed like the hundredth time not being able to make any sense out of it, she finally gave up and cast the book aside.

What was it that had made Erik storm away from her presence like that? Everything had been going so well between them… Last night he had been so romantic, so kind to her when he had offered her that rose; she had been sure that he was starting to warm to her; she had started to believe that the two of them could become something more than friends.

She had actually started dreaming of what it would be like to commit herself to another; a man who would be strong enough to stand by her side through thick and thin, not because of her stature in society but in spite of it. A man who would accept her for an equal and challenge her spirit instead of trying to suppress her will to his male ego.

It was quite apparent to her from the very beginning of their acquaintance that Erik Destler had a most volatile temper, but instead of filling her with fear, the thought only served to excite her interest for him even more. Never before in her life had she encountered a person, male or female, who instead of matching her stubbornness with condescending laughter met her with equal tenacity. He quarreled with her openly, unwilling to take any nonsense from her when she was being silly but he didn’t brush her off as an imbecile solely on the grounds of her femininity either.

She remembered how safe she had felt tucked in his embrace and could not help but blush at the wantonness in which she had responded to his advances the night before. ‘I have always conducted myself properly before I met Erik; what makes him so special that I feel a shiver run down my spine every time he accidentally touches me or looks at me with those soul-searching eyes of his? He certainly is attractive but so are so many other suitors I have turned down before. What is it about him that makes me melt with longing every time his eyes meet mine?’

Again she let her mind wander back to the night before and she couldn’t help but giggle at the way he had frozen when he thought that she was rejecting him. Had he been able to read her mind, he would understand that the only reason behind her embarrassment was social propriety. If he had not pulled back from her when he did, she really thought she would not have been able to refrain from willfully surrendering to his alluring touch.

‘Am I smitten with him?’ The overwhelming realization froze her. For a moment, she simply sat there, staring into space, trying to comprehend when she had fallen in love with the ravishing, brooding and infuriating Erik Destler.

‘Breathe Marianne. Breathe!’ she reminded herself.

‘In love? With Erik? How did that happen?’

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A/N: We are waiting! What do you think?
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No Easy Way