Chapter 1: Introduction
As Niels walked through the door of their cozy home, he was greeted by the welcoming aroma of tonight's dinner - a fancy lasagna Eline was trying to perfect - balancing sharp scents of garlic, tangy tomato sauce, and the hearty heaviness of his favorite melted cheeses. The scent lingered in the hallway and snuck around the corner into the living room, blending with the faint, citrus freshness of the scented candle she always lit at exactly six o'clock.
The evening had finally arrived, the moment he looked forward to all day as the minutes ticked by slower than molasses at work.
Niels took off his shoes and glanced at the mirror on the wall. The shoulder-length brown hair that had delighted Eline so when they first met had faded somewhat into a more modest, work-appropriate style, and the laugh lines around his green eyes had increased too - but that was life, wasn't it?
A constant process of subtly shifting realities, each one leaving its mark subtly on their appearance, like a river slowly carving out a canyon in the landscape.
He made his way into the kitchen, acknowledging the soft, veiled kiss Eline offered as he found her mid-preparation over the stove. He whispered his appreciation for the girl of his dreams and subtly pressed his hips against her firm backside, playfully signaling his intentions.
Eline's lips curved upwards at the corners while she expertly appropriated a slight shimmy, hey eyes sparkling with curiosity and desire.
Eline turned around to face Niels, her hands tinkering around the lapels of his work shirt uneasily.
"How do you want it, baby?" she murmured, her voice dripping with promise.
The words rolled off her tongue with such ease it took Niels aback, a stark contrast to her usual business-like demeanor.
Her blonde hair cascaded around her face in loose curls which fell into her deep-blue eyes. She brushed it back impatiently, a soft pink blush coloring her pale cheeks. Eline's slender figure swayed gently by the stove, as if she couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect that awaited them both behind closed doors.
Niels never failed to feel weak in the knees when she seduced him like this.
It was a side of Eline he discovered by accident, the same side that gave him a glimpse into the depths of her boundless desires.
He watched as she laughed lightly at her own playful question, her fingers fidgeting with the button of his shirt. The magnetic pull between them had always been strong, but it wasn't until her health started deteriorating that he felt like they were truly rediscovering each other's bodies.
Eline's long fingers moved to the next button, tenderly undoing it to reveal the light smattering of chest hair underneath.