ignition and made his way back home, back to Elenore, to the only good thing in his world.
****
Elenore lay on the sofa, a board across her knees as she wrote word for word out of the book, while also listening to the audio tape of how they were sounded out. She was able to spell a handful of words and recognize them.
For now, she’d put the idea of learning to tell time to another problem. She wanted to improve her English, or at least just the basics.
Removing the headphones, she lifted up her notebook and smiled. “Hello, my name is Elenore. I have no home but I want to be loved.” She placed her finger near the word loved. She liked this word. It reminded her how she felt about Raphael.
Looking toward the clock, she frowned. The one on the wall claimed it was close to nine, and it was dark out.
So confusing. She didn’t know what the time was, but at least she could count to twelve. Raphael had taught her that.
After the disaster with his teaching, he’d been the one to purchase her the English speaking and texts. This was her study time. She learned as much as she could, as fast as she could, hoping to improve daily.
Just as she was about to put the earphones in again, she heard the door open. Raphael was home.
Jumping over the sofa, she charged toward him, only to come to a stop when she saw his face. He looked … sad.
“Elenore,” he said.
“What is it, Raphael?” she asked.
He paused at the door, stepping toward her. She tensed up but not in fright. She couldn’t recall a time she’d ever seen him look so lost, as if something bad had happened to him since the last time he saw her, which was only that morning. They’d shared toast and coffee together. He made a couple of jokes. Things always sounded funny in the morning, at least to her.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” He cupped the back of her neck, drawing her close.
As his lips crashed against hers, she wrapped her arms around him.
He pressed her against the wall, taking hold of her hands and keeping her locked in place. She cried out his name, not wanting to stop. Desperate and begging for more.
“Please,” she said when his lips traveled down her neck, sucking on her throat.
Raphael didn’t stop there. He pushed the lace cup of the negligee out of the way. She didn’t wear any other protection. He stroked over her nipple and she begged him, hungry for more. The sounds echoed around the apartment, but she didn’t care how she sounded. All she craved was his touch.
With the snap of his wrist, he had the negligee out of his way. The scraps of fabric fell to the floor, exposing her to him.
His hand moved between her thighs. “Open them for me.”
She spread her legs as he stroked through her slit, touching her clit, moving down to plunge two fingers inside her. He stretched her out, and she asked him not to stop. She didn’t want to let him go.
In and out, he pressed.
His fingers widened.
“I need to taste you,” he said.
Releasing her pussy, he knelt on the floor. His hands tilted her at an angle to keep her upright but also to expose her pussy to him. He spread open her lips and she watched as he licked and sucked down her slit. He stuck his tongue in her, wriggling inside her, pulling out, pushing back in. He fucked her with his tongue and she felt the first shocks of her arousal as it rushed through her body.
She couldn’t think. Couldn’t focus. She melted against him, hungry for more. Desperate.
She didn’t know what he did to her, only that she had no power within herself to deny him.
When he pushed her over the edge, she didn’t think she was able to stand but Raphael took all the worry away. He picked her up in his arms, and she circled his waist, holding on tight to him, never wanting to let him go.
She never thought this would happen to her. How she’d feel about any man. Raphael was in her heart. She loved him more than anything and was willing to do whatever it took to keep him safe, to show him she was the woman for him, even if she was unsuitable.
Raphael carried her to the bed, dropping her down on the plush coverings. She giggled