Looking back, I can't believe it's been over a year(!) since I posted chapter two. Fortunately, I have good friends who have kept after me to continue writing. Thanks to my editor, the very patient stevieraygovan, for not giving up on me.
I hope readers enjoy this. If you're new to it, no worries, it isn't entirely necessary to run and find the first two chapters, although I invite you to do so when you've finished here.
(c) 2012, All rights reserved
"There's a chip truck out there with our name on it. You haven't been to Montreal until you've tasted poutine!" Or so the redhead had stated confidently. Van looked at the gloppy, gravy-covered mess before him and wondered what he'd agreed to.
They'd spent much of their time exploring the city. Once in the traditional
Vieille Ville
, they walked for a while doing some window-shopping before getting lunch. They wandered about, checking out some of the shops, at last ending up in the park Anna had discovered a few days earlier. Finding the chip truck had been easy, but he really wasn't sure when he saw the final product, no matter how much he might find her pronunciation of "Montréal" sexy.
"So, what do you think?"
She watched him carefully consider the flavors and textures of the strange food.
He swallowed and said, "I think I need one more bite."
Knowing that he'd obviously decided he liked the unique dish, her laugh was a clear, light sound that tickled his ears. "Fine, honey, one more taste, then you need to tell me what you think of it."
Reaching into the small paper bowl, she selected a good-sized fry to swirl in the cheese curds, making sure it had plenty of gravy before raising it for her lover to take. With a laugh of his own, he accepted the fry, sucking her fingers into his mouth at the same time.
"Mmm," he sighed before declaring, "yeah, it's definitely better this way. They should always sell Anna-flavored poutine."
~*~*~
They left the hotel in high spirits. Exchanging a knowing glance with Marcel in the lobby, Van pulled Anna close for a lingering kiss. He teasingly reached for her skirt, raising the hem just enough to reveal the beginning curves of her smooth bottom.
Understanding what her man was doing, and why, she wiggled her hips before gently nipping at his lips. "You're so mean," she giggle-whispered.
Excusing herself, she made her way to the front desk where she spoke for several minutes with the clerk. While the young woman checked her computer, Anna turned and flashed a bright smile at her bewildered companion. Five minutes later, her business seemingly complete, she skipped across the lobby and hopped into his arms.
"Ready?"
"I am," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.
Walking along Boulevard Levesque, it was already apparent it was going to be a beautiful, late spring day, perfectly suited for their full slate of plans. She wanted to show him around
La Vielle Ville
, sit in the park, and introduce him to poutine. He wanted to look around and do a little shopping, and he still had it in mind to get her a manicure.
Passing the Place d'Armes, a breeze kicked up, ruffling the hem of her light skirt. It didn't lift high enough to show anything to passersby, yet he was excited to note that she didn't react in panic, such as by using her arms to hold her skirt down. Instead, she continued walking, swinging their clasped hands happily; he thought she was almost singing.
Even in the early afternoon, there exists a magical charm on the narrow, cobbled streets of Old Montreal. Having once visited with some of her family, Anna wanted to share the quainter corners of the city with her lover. Steering him away from the tackier souvenir shops, she watched him discover the beauty of the centuries-old stone buildings.
She pulled out her camera, snapping random angles of ivy streamers, arched entryways and shuttered windows. A couple times, she managed to get glimpses of Van in her shots while he examined the architecture. She wanted to capture the intensity of his expression since she suspected he wasn't likely to be that serious about anything which didn't involve making her scream passionately for the rest of their stay.
"What do you think?"
"This is... amazing," he breathed.
Spring was in full bloom in the French-tinged city, and he was deeply moved by the beauty around him. He spent a few minutes drinking it in, looking for the words to best describe what he was seeing and thinking, knowing that he would fall short.
"It isn't Paris," he finally decided, "but I get the feeling it isn't trying to be, either."
"You're right about that." Her smile said she knew exactly what he meant. "Part of the thing with Montreal is that the French were originally here to trade, then after the British took it over and a bunch of fires, it became considerably less... French. They've done a lot in the last twenty or thirty years to bring that back."
"Well, I love it anyway. Thanks again for asking me to come up here with you." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. "This has been an incredible trip, even after only one night, and I can't wait to see what you've got planned for me today."
Leaning in for a kiss, he teased her lips for a moment before pressing his tongue into her mouth to play. She responded fully, melding her body to his and smiling when she felt him stiffening between their bodies.
"Baby," she purred, walking her fingers over the button on the waistband of his jeans, "I thought you said you wanted to see the city."
"I did say that." He rubbed himself against her while reaching to squeeze her ass. "However, this isn't an either/or situation."
He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. Just walking down the street, knowing Anna was beside him made him feel ten feet tall. He took her hand, and she twined her fingers through his without missing a step.
His mood was infectious; she reached across her body to wrap her free hand around his arm just above his elbow. She pulled herself to his side and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder. "Have I told you how happy I am that we're here together?"
"You may have mentioned it."
"Really, it's a great city and I love being here, but... when you arrived at the gallery last night... it got immeasurably better."
"Did it?" He stopped, pulling her into another warm embrace. "Everything last night got better?"
A warm, teasing grin began to play on the corners of her mouth. "Well, I don't know about
everything
." Her voice was a low purr.
He saw a fire in her eyes and met it with a flash in his own. '
Damn
,' he thought to himself, wondering whether she knew what she was capable of doing to him. Dropping his hands from her lower back to the upper curve of her ass, he held her hips to his.
