Midnight Cove

One moment I was sharing the world’s most amazing kiss and the next, it was like someone turned out the lights. I could hear Cove calling me, but everything sounded garbled and far away, like there was cotton stuck in my ears. He sounded wrong. I knew that voice, it was beautiful, smooth and deep; it wasn’t supposed to be full of worry. I blinked back the heaviness in my lids and looked for Cove’s face. Relief washed over his features, but his smile didn’t seem as bright.

“Bonnie,” he said my name softly. He was still worried.

“Hey,” I croaked the words. I tried to clear my throat and sit up but my head began to spin and I was forced to lie back down. I looked around, making sure to keep my head as still as possible my attempt to avoid any more dizziness. I realized I was in my apartment again, lying on my yellow sofa.

“Here,” Cove offered me the glass of water that sat next to him on the coffee table, “drink.” I braced myself upon my elbow and leaned over to take a sip. I already felt much better and the cool drink was a delightful sensation in my parched throat.

“What happened?” I could’ve sat up this time, but I thought better of it. It was best to not push my luck. I lied back, sinking into the plush cushions and draped my arm over my eyes. The darkness seemed to help.

“I’m not exactly sure. One moment you were kissing me and the next, you had swooned.” Cove said as he tried to hide the grimace that crept into his features, still slightly disturbed by the memory.

“Swooned?" I perked up a little at his choice of words. "You mean, I fainted?” His old-fashioned antics were rubbing off on me. It was an unmistakably remarkable kiss but all the same, it was quite embarrassing. I lifted my arm from off my eyes to peek at him. He was smiling, of course he was smiling.

“Ugh,” I groaned and rolled my eyes, throwing my arm back over my face. He was so cocky, and it didn’t help that he had every reason to be.

Cove chuckled lightly and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. The gesture was sweet and instantly, I forgave him for being such a stud.

“I have to leave, beautiful. Are you going to be alright?” He was hesitant to leave me there, but I knew he needed to get back to his other realm.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. How long was I out though? I need to be at work by six this morning.” I didn’t want to go but, Cove wasn’t the only one who had duties to attend.

“Why don’t you call in sick today? You need your rest and I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.” I was about to protest but then he said, “We can spend the day together. How does that sound?”

He knew just what to say to get me to give in. I looked into his eyes to make sure he was serious and then nodded. I couldn’t stand calling in sick unless I was on my deathbed but the temptation to spend more time with Cove was too great to pass up.

“Good,” he said, seeing I had conceded. “I will be back in no time. Just rest and I shall see you soon, alright?”

“Okay,” I said. There was no point to argue, the idea of sleep sounded like bliss after having been up all night. “Cove?” I asked just as he was headed out the door.

“Yes, Bonnie?” He turned around, probably thinking I needed something; I did too.

“Promise me something?”

He half smiled at the request, “That depends on what you want me to promise.”

“Promise me when you come back that you’ll kiss me inside the house,” I reciprocated his half-smile, “if I want you to?”

“If that is what the lady wishes.” Cove bowed and turned closing the french doors behind him.

I made an audible sigh. I felt exhausted by his good looks and charms and relieved to finally get some rest. Before I could succumb to sleep though, I had to call Jenna and tell her that I couldn’t make it in. It wasn’t a conversation I was looking forward to but she was pretty cool about it. Besides being a workaholic, Jenna was a decent person. I hadn’t called in sick more than once since I had started working for her and she was actually, pretty worried.

It took me a few minutes to reassure her that I just desperately needed rest. I ended up falling back on the excuse of me having a concussion from the car accident. Needless to say, she reprimanded me for working yesterday and promised to give me the paid day off. I tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary, but she wouldn’t hear of it. I thanked her profusely before hanging up the phone. She told me if I needed anything to call her, but I knew that the only thing I needed was sweet dreams of Cove.

With my work situation under control, I turned off my phone and went to lie on my bed. It was messy, but I was too tired to make it. I lazily pulled up the comforter and flopped down on my stomach to pass out. I fell into a dreamless sleep for a long time. I awoke to Cove’s cool arms wrapped around me.

Normally, when he held me, a cold chill seeped from him, but this time it felt better than usual, it felt good. I often get hot when I sleep. Cove’s body encompassing mine was a welcomed relief. Of course, his company was welcomed even if he was burning hot, but having him be the antidote was all the better.

At that moment, I knew I would always need Cove. He fit too perfectly in my life. He listened to my heart sing of him. He nuzzled his face into the back of my hair. He didn’t have to say it for me to know. Cove was Destiny, and he was mine.

It was mid-morning when I finally decided to get up. Cove noticed me jostling and loosened his hold. I stretched out my arms and legs like a rope being pulled from both ends. Then, with a loud satisfied yawn, I rolled over to look at my faerie’s beauty. He was watching me, an odd smile on his face.

“What?” I raised an eyebrow at him, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You are so adorable,” he said. His smile grew bigger.

“Whatever,” I scoffed, “you’re ridiculous,” and rolled away from him.

I sat up and stretched my arms once more before pushing off of the bed. Cove reclined against the headboard, putting his hands behind his head, and continued to watch me as I tried to assemble an outfit for the day.

“What are we going to do today?” Unsure of what the day had in store was making it exceedingly difficult to decide what to wear. I had a pair of cutoff jean shorts in one hand and a summer dress in the other. The marine layer was gone by now, so the rest of the day would be warm and sunny.

“Do you have any pants?” Cove asked. Immediately, I was skeptical.

“Why?” I shifted my weight, placing my hands on my hips. I waited for him to say whatever it was he had to say. I knew he had something in mind already. That ever playful and mysterious look twinkled from behind a full frame of his dark lashes.

“I don’t want you to get cold. It would be best for you bring a jacket, as well.” He wasn’t joking, but I turned to look out the windows anyhow.

It was a sunny day, hardly a cloud in the sky. I looked back at Cove in question and then shrugged. If he wanted to go do something then I was game for whatever. I picked out my favorite pair of dark skinny jeans and a long-sleeved shirt with a deep scoop neck. I wanted to look like I deserved to be with Cove. Like his perfect match.

I went to the top drawer of my dresser where I kept all of my undergarments and picked out a black thong and matching bra. I pulled them out and held them up to my body, feigning uncertainty on whether to wear them or not. Cove’s eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch even though he was trying to be nonchalant. I flung my panties straight into his face. I couldn't help but laugh. The expression on his face was too much. I had taken him by surprise. Without warning, like a predator, he pounced on me, snatching me up and pulling me close.

“You really shouldn’t tease me, Bonnie,” his voice was deep and assertive, but I wasn’t afraid. He was only playing. It was easy to tell his playfulness by the desire that danced in his eyes.

“Well, I probably shouldn’t have done a lot of things. Namely, kissing a faerie, but if you can’t tell yet Cove, I do whatever I want,” I quipped. “Furthermore, if you want to continue on with your secretive plan for today, you will have to let me go.” I leaned into him and whispered, “Otherwise, I can’t take my clothes off.”

Cove’s mouth fell open and his arms dropped, allowing me to move away. I stood there a moment more relishing my victory. My sly smile widened.

“You’re going to have to wait in the living room though. That is, if you want me to continue thinking you’re a gentleman?”

Cove smirked and rolled his eyes before leaving the room. To have such self-restraint was the ultimate turn on. A lesser man would have taken advantage of the situation, or made advances that weren’t warranted. Not Cove. He would never pressure me. He would never force himself on me. Everything could stay playful until the moment I decided that I wanted it to go further. As I got into the shower, I began to wonder when that moment might possibly be.

Twenty minutes later, I was dressed and ready to go. I walked around the partition to my living room and saw Cove relaxing on my couch. He seemed so normal. He was just sitting there on my yellow sofa watching television. It was odd to see him act average when he was anything but.

“Ready?” I tried to sound excited but I was starting to feel terrified at the idea of what Cove could possibly have planned. He turned off the t.v. and walked over to me, his beautiful smile beaming out at me. He grabbed my hand and proceeded to lead me out the door. All I could do was follow. The butterflies felt more like condors in my stomach and I was glad I hadn’t eaten. I was certain it would’ve come back up by now. Cove rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand and I tried to relax. He would keep me safe, I told myself, everything was going to be okay.

We went to our spot in the garden, by the bench underneath the angel’s trumpets. This time when we shrank, I wasn’t afraid. Still, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the possibility of being a spider’s snack, but it was an amazing experience. We were tiny, smaller than a doll. I couldn’t help but feel like Thumbelina traipsing around with the King of the Flower Fairies.

“Do you believe in magick, Bonnie?” Cove looked me, his smile securely in place. He had been watching me take in our surroundings. Everything was enormous. The flowers were the size of apartment buildings, I could easily move into one. It was easy to see how faeries lived in such close proximity to humans and yet slip by never noticed. I could hide anywhere; no one would ever find me.

“I believe in you, don’t I?” I smiled. He was magical and I loved him.

“Good, close your eyes now.” He laid his soft, warm palm over my eyes holding them shut. I grinned with anticipation.

“Okay, now open.” Slowly, he pulled his hand away. I had to blink a couple of times to get my sight back. Then, I had to blink a few more times to make sure what I was seeing was real. There on Cove’s back were wings, real wings.