Destiny Takes Time

Chapter 5 – Temptation

Erik began to come for Christine on a regular basis, in her dressing room or the chapel, sometimes leaving her notes beforehand telling her when she could expect him. After a couple of weeks of this, she had grown quite accustomed to his company and very much looked forward to seeing him every night. Raoul still had the feeling that something was not quite right, although he had no real proof of what was happening. Meg noticed that her friend had been unusually happy, but attributed it to her newfound success as the leading singer at the Opera Populaire. As the days turned into weeks and they saw each other almost every night, Christine found herself wishing that she could stay with him longer and protested the times that he wouldn’t let her sleep in his lair.

On one particular night about a month after she’d seen Erik for the first time, Christine was with him in his study, lying in his lap as he read to her. Not only could he sing beautifully, but also his speaking voice had a very lovely tone and rhythm, which she found to be most soothing. Before he realized it, she was falling asleep. Seeing how tired she was, he decided to let her stay in his home rather than make her endure the trip back to the upper level. He had just picked her up when she stirred.

“Do I have to go back?” she asked him sadly.

“No, you can sleep here, and I’ll make sure that you’re back in your dormitory before the other girls are awake,” he told her reassuringly.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the feel of being held by him. When they reached her bed, he gently laid her down. He had recently changed the sheets. Tonight they were white silk. Erik was still bent low over her, their faces nearly touching, when Christine, instead of letting go of him, looked deeply into his eyes and pulled him closer. The nearness of him and the sweet feel of his warm breath against her face were just too inviting. She raised a gentle hand to caress the perfection of his left cheek, the tenderness in her expression captivating him as she did so. Christine was almost breathless when Erik bent to kiss her. It was a soft kiss at first, and then she parted her lips for him, knowing that there was more and wanting to taste it. When the heat of his tongue met hers, she moaned into his mouth with such yearning that he thought his heart would pound out of his chest with joy and desire.

“Erik, stay with me,” she whispered, enticingly clasping her hands behind his neck as he looked down at her.