Love For Hire

Nicholas’ throat was dry. He slowly opened his eyes. He saw nothing but light. It must have been daytime. He did not know how long he had been out of it. His mind was foggy. He sighed and closed his eyes again. He was still alive. God damn Octavius and his timing. He’d had such a wonderful dream; He had dreamt that Kinsley had come to him. God, how he missed her.

Nicholas opened his eyes. Did he hear the shower? Nicholas sat up and listened. Yes, he heard running water. There was someone in his washroom.

Seconds later, the water stopped, and he could hear movement in the next room. A few minutes later, the door opened, and whoever was in his washroom stepped out into the bedroom. Nicholas smiled; he smelled… peaches. “Well, it is good to see you up,” he heard Kinsley’s sweet voice. It had not been a dream. She really had come to him; he could not fight the smile that brightened his face. She should not be here. He did not want her watching him waste away. He knew every reason she should not be there, but he was happy she was.

“Kinsley,” he grinned and stood up. He reached out blindly until he found her and pulled her in his arms. He held her so close, moulding this wonderful woman to his body. He buried his face in her wet hair and inhaled him deeply. God, she smelled like heaven.

He heard her giggle as she held him. “I get the feeling you missed me?”

The words just did not come to him. He turned his face to hers and kissed her, his tongue slipping past her lips and sweeping her over hers. She tasted minty and clean. She must have just brushed. His lips lifted from hers as his hand caressed her face. “It is so good to see you,” he said. “So, to speak,” he could not actually see her, but he could picture in his mind what she looked like. His fingers grazed over the contours of her face. He could picture that button nose, those full plump lips, her big brown eyes, and that soft, flawless toffee skin. He dragged his hand down her hair, letting the strands glide through his fingers like silk.

No, he could not see her, but he could picture her in his mind’s eye, and she was beautiful. An angel, flesh and blood. The image of her the night they met was permanently burned into his mind. He was not grateful for much in this life, but he was grateful he had the chance to see her splendour before he lost his vision. She was perfect that night, and, in his mind, she would always be perfect.

He felt her hand touch his face, and he instinctively nuzzled his face against her palm. As happy as he was that she was there, nothing had changed. “You should not be here,” he said quietly.

“I could not stay away.”

to the bed, and they both sat down. He reached up to touch her face once more, and she caught his hand in

name with such sadness and disappointment. He felt her kiss the bandage right where the wounds would be. It was slight pressure

have nothing to live for,” he said, doing his best to keep the

me? Live for

should not be

and we both know it,” he could hear soft footsteps cross the floor, and then her hand slid up his bare back and over his broad shoulders. She lay her head against his back,

me die. I do not want your last memory of me to be that withered corpus in some hospital bed hooked up to life support,” he placed

hold your hand while you pass away so that you go into the next life knowing you were loved,” he could not stop a tear from

her hands in his. He was facing her; he could only make out shapes and colours. If he had to guess, she

the surprise in

“Marry me,” he repeated.

have only known each other a

fast, but it is not like I have a

felt her take a step back. “I want something to leave behind. Up until now, my life has been meaningless. If I die tomorrow, I leave no legacy. I will have been nothing more than a momentary blip in time. I will have made

“Nicholas, a child is….”