Le Masquerade.

Cooper Evans felt the words slipping through his mind, slick like honey and somewhat intoxicating. As the Auror sat before the vanity mirror that had belonged to Bella Evans, tugging at the neck of his black cloak lined in gold, his green eyes fell from his reflection to the midnight blue invitation that lay on the reddish magnolia wood of the dresser. It had arrived a day before –and stayed in his mind, alluring and somewhat sensual. He was almost obsessed with the mystery of what this place might be. Letting his left hand smooth any wrinkles from his torso, the werewolf’s gaze slithered towards his wand –debating. Finally, his left hand rolled it along the wood and then stashed it inside one of his socks. Though he wasn’t sure he’d need it, constant vigilance was one of the primary rules every Auror first learnt. He wasn’t about to walk empty handed into what could easily be a trap. Pushing his chair back with a light scrap against the hardwood floor, Cooper stood and eyed his reflection once more: there was an empty hollowness to his gaze, dark smudges beneath his eyes and a certain yet barely existent slimness to his cheekbones; but his brown hair was tidy, for once, and the black and gold robes fit his body well. Slightly emotionless as he might look, he at least looked the part of power and money as well. He was a living embodiment of what his parents had always wanted him to be –of a present he’d fought hard to have no part in.

The staccato rhythm of his footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway as he crept to Gaspy’s bedroom first, and then Kat’s –checking that the twins were asleep. They both seemed like angels while existing in dreamscape, peace drawn across their faces that was no longer present in their waking hours. Leaning down in each bedroom, he kissed both of his children on the forehead before closing their bedroom doors behind himself. Without bothering to go downstairs, he knew Snooky was awake and alert on her charge of watching over the children –he could hear the house elf scrubbing away in the kitchen. With a sigh, Cooper checked for creases in his robes one last time, made sure his golden mask and the key were in his pockets, and apparated into Knockturn Alley.

It was dark, and only the sound of a soft rain splattering against pavement accompanied him in the empty alley. Glancing around, Cooper could see only shadows in doorways, surely up to illicit business. Yet he was no here on Auror business, and so he ignored it all and continued forward, his every sense alert and searching –searching for the right number, for the right place. It was long before he saw the two storey building, noticing the architectural style, and nodding despite himself: it was a building with an imposing yet pretty façade.  His eyebrows raised just slightly, for he had been expecting nothing like this, and he was certain he’d never spotted this building in his previous visits to Knockturn –something that seemed quite impossible, considering how obvious it was. Already, he was curiosity was perked further than it had been at the invitation.

The entrance was flanked by sculptures –exquisite statues of the nine muses-, and, as he approached, Cooper could feel his heart beating fiercely against his ribcage. Bella was on his mind, as were the twins, and the possibility that he was acting foolishly by heeding his hedonistic desires by accepting his invitation to the cabaret. But it was too late to turn back now, and the promises he’d read were an all too tempting delicatessen for the Auror to ignore. Reaching a sturdy hand forward, Cooper let his fingers curl around the golden doorknob and twisted –but it was locked. As if by impulse, the werewolf reached into his pocket for the key, and inserted it in the lock. With a soft click and a jerk of his wrist, the door was open and Coop was a step closer to discovering what this was all about.

With a tight breath, the Auror removed his mask and placed it over his face, before stepping into a small foyer decorated with midnight blue wallpaper.  His instincts in full alert, he quickly registered the room: the reception desk standing on a tall dais with a kind looking woman behind it, the coat check to the right and tall, golden door to the left –flanked by two strong looking guards. Instantly, it occurred to him that the establishment was cloaking its self in secrecy –and that was a custom left only to those who had something to hide. Chewing down on his bottom lip, his head jerked up at the sound of a somewhat hypnotizing voice that came from the receptionist, calling him forwards. Bella immediately jumped to his mind –but he suppressed her: he was here to forget, not to cry or be angry. And he was an Auror, sodding hell, nothing would happen to him.

He was unable to smile –his lips were yet to actually twist of their own avail-, but he tried to look as pleasant as possible as he approached the desk. In a wisp of words that made Cooper only less sure of this place, the Auror was requested to offer up his wand and his key. Feeling ever less sure about this entire plan, the werewolf presented both and, after a second, they were returned to him. He was slightly dazed by it all as the receptionist led him through the golden doors to the left, through a large room with a somewhat large amount of masked people, and up a flight of stairs, where she knocked on a door and, asking Cooper to wait, stepped inside. Frowning, the Auror leant back against the nearest wall, and waited to see what would happen next. So far, it was proving to be just as intriguing –and distracting- as he’d imagined –and hoped.

"Good evening and welcome to Le Masquerade" Alanna beamed at the the hottie that was surely hiding under the mask, and gave him a cheeky little wink. "You must be new, love" she whispered as he approached her desk and smiled this side of predatory. "Bit, o' advice, darling. Don't look so tense and nervous, they'll eat you alive in here" she leaned over the desk and masked her tiny bit of gossip with one perfectly manicured hand, before settling back in her seat and smiling genially.

"If I could have your wand and key, please" she asked in her professional tone, that never lasted that long with Miss Dearheart. She set them both on her desk and gave them a cursory inspection with her own hand. With another swish of her wand, a brightly colored pink quill settled on a piece of parchment and set to scribbling something. "Thank you, sir" she smiled and returned him the objects.

She extracted a dossier dressed in blue velvet from her desk and raised on her feet "Charles, dearie, I'm showing the gentleman to the office. Send Laura to the reception, will you? Thank you, lovely" she said to one of the guards, that gruffly acknowledged with a tight nod of his head. "If you would please follow me" she smiled at the man, and led the way making sure to add a bit more sway to her hips than usual. The doors opened for them, and she swiftly made her way around the dance floor, waving this way and that and stopping to blow one or two kisses. At the second checkpoint she stopped to wait for the tall hottie to fall into step, and nodded to the guards once he was near her. "This way, dear" she added as soon as the rope flew in the air. On the second floor, at the third and most severe checkpoint - namely the staff entrance - she winked at one of the guards while offering her wand to one of the others. "New arrival" she explained, pointing at the man behind her.

Once her wand was returned and passage had been granted, she went straight for the door at the end of the narrow hallway. "I'll be just a moment" she said before turning and knocking softly at the door. She exited a few moments later, bereft of the dossier and left the door open, beckoning for him to go inside. "Good luck, lovely. Be fierce" she said with a big grin, giggling as she blew him a kiss on her retreat back downstairs.

When Alanna came in all big toothy grins and wagging her eyebrows, Éloi had been in the middle of entertaining himself with the party in the Louis XV, le bien aimé private room. Which was nothing spectacular, but still proved a better source of entertainment than actually having to go downstairs and do his job. It was another dreary Monday and nothing particularly interesting was anywhere on the horizon. Until Alanna came in, practically screeching "fresh meat" in that ghastly high pitched voice of hers. "Oh?" he smirked and steepled his fingers, coming to rest his chins on the tips of his index fingers. "Well, then, mon petit chérie, send him in" he gestured at the door with a tight movement of his head. He spared his employee no look as she left the contract on his desk and eyed the door intently, his mouth curled in anticipation. There was only one prospective masqueradian he'd be expecting at this time, and Éloi was practically brimming with excitement.

Once the young man was inside, and the door shut tightly behind him, Éloi took a moment to inspect him, the courtesies of playing host all but forgotten at slowly taking in his form and appearance. With a tight smirk, he rose to his feet and gave a small bow, his blonde hair cascading around his face. "Éloi Desrosiers, proprietor of Le Masque and your charming host for the evening" he drawled, still leaning forward and looking at Cooper Evans through his eyelash, a small, sly smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Monsieur Evans, please do take a seat" he gestured at the armchair in front of his desk, before leaning back in his own seat.

"I am both honored and overjoyed that you have decided to accept the invitation to our little venue" he smiled softly, still eying him intently. "For the duration of this interview you may remove your mask and you may still use your last name. This shall be the first and last time for the second, with the possibility of a repeat experience for the first. But, we're getting ahead of ourselves; VIP status is very far down the list of things to discuss tonight" he smiled charmingly and crossed his legs, settling comfortably with his hands on the armrests. "Before we start the actual interview, I'm afraid I'll have to inconvenience you with another security measure" he mused, sighing deeply in an overly dramatic expression of faux-remorse.

 "To ascertain that you are indeed Cooper Evans, and have not fraudulently came into possession of the Masque Key, I will have to ask you to either provide me with a memory of the moment you received our invitation, or let our highly trained Legilimens access your memory and view it for himself. I assure you, our employee is bound by wand oath to only look for the memory in question and will suffer severe consequences as a result of the oath if he were ever to disclose any other information that might somehow come into view" he explained the process politely, but swiftly. He had given this speech so many times, it practically poured itself out... Such a bore.

"Alors, Monsieur, which shall it be?" he asked, eyebrow cocked. He was waiting for that one time when someone would actually say yes to the Legillimency... That person was surely worth a closer look.

Silence.

Oddly enough, the second floor of the cabaret was almost quiet. There was a whisper of sound from below, but it was hardly enough to stop Cooper from hearing his own heart beating against his ribcage. The entire establishment seemed to have debauchery written through the air, heavy enough to smother the air out of a pair of healthy lungs. As the seconds ticked by, the Auror’s lack of comfort grew, and he became further certain he had no desire to be here. But running was surely not allowed –it could be mistaken for any number of other things, and he could only increment his danger. Closing his eyes tight, the werewolf inhaled, enjoyed the feeling as his lungs accepted clean particles of oxygen. Escape was not an option, so he opted instead to desire a cocktail. It was what he needed to calm himself –all thoughts of his day job were suddenly gone, as images of his children jumped to mind, and mentally kicked himself: he was being irresponsible and selfish, putting himself a situation that could be dangerous. Being who he was now come with fresh responsibilities he could not ignore.

…Unless he wasn’t himself for tonight.

His eyes popped open and the smallest of smiles spread like butter across his jaw. As an Auror, he’d had many cases that had forced him to go undercover: to create a new persona, a new identity, and follow it or risk being exposed and possibly killed. Each time he’d taken on such a task, Cooper Evans had not found it difficult to slip completely in to this new character his mind was forced to create. And that was what he would do this evening: for tonight, and tonight only, he was not Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two). Standing straight, it was as if he were transforming, his shoulders relaxing and his head snapping up, confidence taking its place in his eyes. Tonight, he was a man untouched by tragedy and extremely ready for whatever life tossed at him. Tonight he would be a man of power, and such lack of responsibility that he had no reason to fear for himself or any others.

The door the woman had gone through opened, and she stepped out, leaving the entry wide open. Be fierce. Her lips popped in a mock kiss as she left. Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) would have shrunk inside himself and immediately thought of Bella. But not the persona he was tonight. Although it made his inner self uncomfortable, the Auror winked in her direction. “I plan to,” He answered, as he stepped through the threshold and into the office. He felt disgusting inside, as if he was lacking respect to his wife’s memory –but he was here, and he was stuck, and leaving was not an option. This was the best way to stay out of danger –if, indeed, danger were around the corner.

Closing the door behind him, the werewolf allowed his attention to fall on his host: younger than him, the blonde bloke still held an air of imposing power to him; there was something mysterious and foreboding about the man Coop assumed was the owner of Le Masquerade. The Auror watched the man stand, and bow –and this time it was easy for his new persona to answer instantly: he cocked an eyebrow and gave the smallest of smirks, allowing a slightly dark aura to tickle his face. “No need to bow, Sir,” Éloi Desrosiers, as the owner of the cabaret had just introduced himself, might decide to play with French, but Cooper opted for complete English, as he sauntered towards the leather armchair offered for him. With each passing second, the mask he’d put up for the night became easier to control. “But I don’t mind if I do,” Sinuously letting his left hand trail along the back of the chair, the werewolf moved lithely around it and dropped down, crossing an ankle over the opposite knee and making sure his eyes were as cold as possible as he watched Desrosiers.

The man’s intense gaze made Coop slightly uncomfortable, but he forced himself not to show it –a polished eyebrow slightly popped on his forehead, his eyes just a tad bit narrow, he kept his face in complete control of the situation. “It was an honor to receive the invitation, Mister Desrosiers,” It wouldn’t do to mention how curious he’d become, and that this was the only reason he’d accepted to come. “I could hardly have answered by declining.” With a nod, the Auror lazily lifted both hands and pulled the black mask from his face, both arms falling to rest on the arms of the chair, the mask dangling from the fingers of his left palm, swinging slowly back and forth almost hypnotically. “Yet more security?” The werewolf rolled his eyes, as if bemused by how far the club went to keep its secret –not at all curious or questioning. “Are you hiding something, Mister Desrosiers, or am I simply being paranoid?” The owner’s sigh was as fake as the coldness on Cooper’s face, but it was best to continue playing along.

The speech that came from the bloke’s lips next seemed almost to be part of a play, spoken from memory yet convincingly. As soon as the words were out, Cooper went into overdrive, trying to think of the correct answer to give. What would tonight’s persona do? Leaning slightly forward, the Auror pressed both open palms upon the desk before him, pushing himself into a standing position with his shoulders just a bit over the boundary of the wood, so as to allow his green eyes to give Desrosiers a more thorough examination. “I have nothing to hide, Sir,” His voice held a sinful tune to it, playful and alluring, as his eyes shone slightly. “So,” He stepped back and tossed his arms into the air in mock drama. “Bring in your best –they can search my mind all they want.” Of course, there were limits, though. “However,” His arms fell back to his side, and there was now a challenging glint to his eyes as he stared at the man. “As you’re no doubt aware, my job requires secrecy –so if they dare touch any memories they shouldn’t, you might find yourself regretting it.” The hint of threat hung in the room for an instant, as Cooper settled back down in the armchair and crossed his legs, cocking his eyebrow up at the man once again. “So? Bring them in, by all means.”

The second the man's mask was off his face,  Éloi 's breath came to a halt for just the fraction of a second. My, but he was awfully handsome, indeed. He recovered quickly at Monsieur Evans' next words and his eyes closed just a a little bit, a sly smile tugging at his lips. Well, if he was playing cold and unimpressed, Éloi would just make sure he caught his attention in other ways.

"Why of course, Monsieur Evans, of course we are hiding something. However, at Le Masque we hide everything in plain sight" he chuckled softly, lifting his arms off the chair to support them on his elbows on the desk, steepling his fingers. He leaned his head forward, pressing his lips to the tips of his index fingers and eyed the man intently as he pushed himself closer and for a moment, the young blond was awfully grateful for having a desk between them. His eyes were positively entrancing and the way he had so shamefully lied about not having anything to hide, made Éloi want to resort to his personal, specialized skills of ripping information from others. Skills, that more often than not were rather pleasant to both himself and his victims.

However, the moment was over too soon, as the man pulled back to dare him to bring in his best, but not before warning him - or better said, threaten him over the sensitivity of some of the memories found inside his beautiful, beautiful head. And Éloi's breath hitched again, and he gave a small nervous laugh, hoping Evans would not immediately notice his rather glazed eyes. Well, well, Monsieur Evans was proving more and more of a surprise. A pleasant one at that. He mentally applauded him for his gall and nerve, but given his occupation Éloi couldn't help but wonder if it was all a rather well played role. Ah, well, role or not, Monsieur Evans was awfully interesting, consequences be damned. "Very well then, Monsieur" he drawled, giving him a curious look as he waved his wand once.

No sooner than later, a wizard of about 50 years, with mask on, came into the room smiling brightly at Éloi. The young blond raised on his feet and saluted politely with a nod of his head, the man was one of their three collaborating Legillimens. He might've not been Éloi's favorite but he was efficient nonetheless. He exited his own office to give the two the privacy needed to conduct the check and as soon as the Legillimens was out and Monsieur Cooper's identity evaluated he entered back and sat swiftly a bright smile on his face. He was definitely rather grateful for the break... anymore and he'd have trouble containing himself. "Now that is done and over with, and you have been verified as being Cooper Evans, thirty of age, employed at the Aurory and born and raised in London, I believe" he said disinterested, opening the dossier containing the contract and annexes. He would've bragged with his information gathering skills more, but he wouldn't want to put the both of them in an awkward situation when the death of his late wife would come into conversation, so he merely smiled at him before placing the necessary papers in front of him.

"If you have not yet had time to peruse the flyers at the reception that explain all that is Le Masque, please do so now.  The Code of Conduct and first annex[1] are of interest to you right now"  he said raising to his feet to take the decanter from its stand and place it on the desk. "While you read the materials, might I interest you in some absinthe, Monsieur?" he continued going back to the small cupboard to extract two small crystal glasses.

1.	Bienvenue à "Le Masquerade"

Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) was a slightly quivering mess within him, a bumbling coward who was presently doing nothing but scream that he was making the wrong decision and that there were consequences to be pondered about between making choices; no longer did he have a wife who could look after the twins if something were to happen to him: Gaspar and Katherine now depended entirely on him. But, as Éloi Desrosiers agreed and gave a swift jerk of his wand, the irresponsible, cocky beast that had taken over him felt rather comfortable being in power. There was something comforting about being a different persona –if even for a night-, and he suddenly found himself detesting who he’d become after Bella’s death. Pull yourself together, you sodding idiot, he growled to himself, as his eyebrow fell and a cocky smile controlled his face. Cooper’s arms found comfort in their place on the chair, his back straight and the entire situation was simply intoxicating and beautiful.

Not a few seconds later, the click of a lock and the hiss of a door’s hinges, and a third party entered the room: older than him, there was a mask over the bloke’s face, hiding his identity like everyone else in the room. Again, Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) quivered, but outwardly he regained in control, a cold sense of lack of preoccupation emanating from his presence. His green eyes followed Desrosiers as the owner of the cabaret left the room; gaze returning to the man who was obviously here to read his mind, his eyebrow rose once again on his forehead, questioning. “Are you just going to stand there, or can we get on with this?” He snapped, as apparently tonight’s persona was rather impatient and ready to get to the sodding point.

Auror received a certain amount of training against legillimens –and even if they didn’t, it was never easy to allow access to one’s mind: the brain was the most private part of any person, one’s thoughts were sacred and hallow. Still, Cooper ordered himself to remain calm, and a second later there was an uncomfortable –though not painful- poking within his mind. Gritting his teeth together, the werewolf managed to remain calm throughout the entire process, and after only a few minutes the pressure withdrew, and with the clacking of heels and the whisper of the door the Legillimens was gone from the room –having not spoken a word.

But the Auror was allowed no time alone in the office, as a second later Desrosiers was entering once again and settling down with a large smile on his face. “Glad to see you’re so peachy,” He muttered, unsure if he’d be heard or not, as Éloi spoke. The truth was, the bloke had the type of voice that was entirely alluring and hypnotic, yet neither of Cooper’s current persona’s trusted the man one single bit. “Glad to see we both agree that I am me,” The Auror shrugged nonchalantly, keeping his face impassively  cold, as Desrosiers gathered some files and placed them down on the desk between them. Cooper folded his arms on his lap, a chilly hint of curiosity in his green eyes. As Éloi stood, Coop reached for the papers indicated and glance through them –but he wasn’t all too interested in hearing what they had to say, considering he intended on signing whatever the sod he had to sign anyways.

“My, my, absinthe?” Cooper dropped the papers on the desk, as he pushed into a standing position and walked towards where Desrosiers stood. Closing the distance so that there was barely an inch between the two, enough to feel the warmth of the bloke’s breath on his chin and the uncomfortable sensation of being so close to another man, Cooper took the crystal glasses from Éloi’s hands, letting them hang loosely between his fingers, just as his mask had until he’d let it fall to the floor. He curiously inched a bit further forwards, so that their chests grazed together for but an instant, before stepping back and walking back to the desk. “I hope you don’t mind, Mister Desrosiers,” He said, as he placed them down on the wooden surface, his shoulder to the bloke, his fingers lightly curling around the neck of the decanter. “I tend to prefer pouring my own alcohol.” Tempted as he was to simply carry on without a word, he kept his fingers around the cool glass and waited for permission.

The blond couldn't help give Monsieur Evans a curious look, seeing as he was obviously not very interested in the contents of the contract like—well, everyone else. It was rather suspicious, Éloi thought... The man was either very anxious tojoin or had ulterior reasons to become a masqueradian. Truth, be told, however, Monsieur Desrosiers could not be arsed with the reason of why he'd like to join. He'd deal with that when the time came, but right now, Éloi was rather anxious himself to see the man a full fledged member of Le Masque.

Things were getting more and more interesting, as Evans joined him near the small cupboard, pushing well past what polite boundaries could be called. And, muses be damned, Éloi was reacting as sensitively as ever. Their chests barely touched, but surely Monsieur Evans could feel his heavier, faster breath, and his nostrils flared slightly as he let out a shaky breath. Well, then, two could play at this game. "Not at all, Monsieur, I can certainly see how someone in your profession would want to oversee such proceedings" he smiled slyly as he leaned to open the door to the cupboard and extract his absinthiana tray, containing all the accoutrements surrounding the preparation ritual. He placed it softly on the desk, right next to the glasses, causing him to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other man.

"However, I'm afraid my absinthe reserve is of the purest stock and so it must be diluted and sweetened" he said as he moved the water carafe in front of the glasses and extracted two perforated spoons, placing one over the rim of each of the glasses. The fact that he might've brushed his hand rather closely to Evans' could surely be attributed to their current proximity. Next, he dropped one sugar cube over each perforated slot in the spoons and turned his head to look at Evans, a small smile and an arched eyebrow etched on his face. The fact that his gaze had lingered for a moment on the man's lips was inevitable, of course, given their proximity and height. He smiled slyly and took a step sideways.

"I hope you won't mind. I am rather possessive of my absinthiana. The spoons are French, late nineteenth century, straight from the bohemian period" he explained, playing with the handle of one spoon still on the tray. "All you need to do now, is pour two fingers worth of absinthe, then delicately add two fingers of water, drop by drop. Finally we'll burn the sugar, by matches—any other flame source ruins the taste. Et voilà, the perfect glass of absinthe" he said gesticulating, as if revealing some magic trick, taking a sit on the free corner of the desk, and crossing his arms, watching the man intently. He was ready to intervene at any point. A mediocre glass of absinthe, was something  Éloi would not stand for.

"And, s'il-vous-plaît, call me Éloi" he added, eyes still on the tray. "You'll be losing your last name soon, at least inside Le Masque. We might as well get used to it" he said raising his eyes slightly to watch him from behind his long eyelashes.

There was an itching in him to simply carry on without agreement from his host, to simply throw caution to the wind and forget all sense of respect and manners. Tonight, he wanted to push the limits on everything, to pull and tug until the line broke in half and there was no longer any boundary between what was allowed, and what wasn’t. However, as his fingers sinfully moved around the throat of the decanter, enjoying the mixture between the warmth of the room and the stark coldness of the glass, he forced himself to be patient, for Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) kept poking his way through not-so-carefully built barriers to remind him that there were still twins back at home, who needed him now more than ever before. He couldn’t be certain if he kept himself slightly in check due to preoccupations weathering through tonight’s persona or if he did so simply to keep Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) quiet.

But Desrosiers did not take long to answer, his voice a slithering creation that sent the softest of chills dancing down Cooper’s spine. His shoulders tensed, but then he nodded and, with his back still to the bloke, let his fingers trail to the top of the decanter, really to pull it free. His ears perked to the sound of Éloi moving around, and the general danger of the consideration that the man might be preparing to stab him in the back came short of scaring him, and instead made him feel elated with adrenaline. A second later, the blonde was by his side, setting a try down on the top of the desk, their shoulders actually brushing together with a strange sense of electricity. Cooper chewed on his bottom lip in a stance that was almost innocent, as he turned his head and his green eyes narrowed in on Desrosier’s swiftly moving lips.

It wasn’t physical attraction, and he was quite aware: Éloi Desrosiers was a man, and that simply wasn’t his thing. No, what made Cooper Evans want to reach out and plaster himself against the blonde was sheer envy: here was a bloke that was a direct example of what he wanted to be, a sinful creature without a care in the world and his secrets well hidden. And, lo-and-behold, tonight was a one of a kind special performance of a Cooper Evans that was not Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two). The werewolf tried to pay attention to what was being done, but instead focused on the way the other bloke’s hand lightly brushed against his own as he went through the preparations –and was quite content with the notion that what he’d felt was nothing physical, but plain and simply mental.

A second later, however, Desrosiers was taking a step back and their shoulders were no longer pressing together, and suddenly Cooper Evans was able to think once again of anything but his desire to be Éloi Desrosiers, and instead focus on regaining control of the entire situation. The Auror placed one hip against the carefully constructed edge of the desk, as he let his hands slip into the folds of his cloak, as he moved his body in such a way that it tightened over his abdomen. “I’m rather certain whether I mind or not doesn’t quite matter any more,” He commented absentmindedly as, with a sudden idea –and if Desrosiers was going to play harder then so could he-, he turned his body and leant forwards. With a foot now between himself and the desk, Cooper leant his torso in an almost 90 degrees angle, so that his eyes were now level with the man’s preparations. “It’s quite a task,” His voice was almost as a whisper, as he nodded. “And you may feel free to call me Cooper,” He let the last letter of his name roll of his tongue as if he were a Spaniard, and then had to control the feeling the slap himself on the head for sounding so stupid.

After a second of inspecting the glasses, Cooper stood, his heart a drum against his ribcage, as if everything that wasn’t indeed allowed came to his mind as if it were suddenly permitted. The facts of who he was seemed to no longer count tonight, and for an instant he wondered if the place might not have some strange enchantment. An instant later, as he moved towards the desk and picked up the decanter, he decided he didn’t quite care. Holding the neck of it, in one hand, Cooper acted as if his motions were quite random and unplanned as he lazily placed his other palm against Éloi’s upper thigh. As soon as the absinthe was added as had been instructed, Cooper placed the decanter back on the desk’s surface and pulled his hand away from Desrosiers’ leg –though not without dragging one final finger along the length of the man’s calf, all done in such a way that it didn’t seem playful or seductive at all –at the same time as Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) screamed at him to quit with this strange bullshit. “Absinthe added,” He said, brow furrowing as if he’d forgotten something quite important and lips partially pouting. “What went next?”

This was a dangerous little game they were playing and Éloi was all for it. It wasn't often he got to play cat and mouse with one such as Cooper Evans. And whether Cooper was deliberately playing to Éloi's... interests with a set goal in mind, or he simply had no idea of the effects of his actions on him, he couldn't really be bothered anymore. Game or not game, Evans would be getting more than he bargained for from this little rendezvous. There was only so much Éloi was willing to reign in... Especially with such blatant disregard to the rules of polite flirtation.

Éloi Desrosiers was in a position where he did not often find himself. Yes, he was a greedy man, usually, but with this particular individual he truly wanted. And it was burning throughout all his barriers and constraints. He eyed Evans carefully as he leaned forward, nostrils flaring at such a... particularly attractive and rather inviting position. If anything, that particular action bordered on obscene, and Éloi was so done with attempting to find reasons for himself and excuses for the other man. It was indeed quite a task, but Desrosiers was pretty sure they were talking, and respectively thinking of completely different things. But the view was suddenly ruined, as Cooper straightened his body and Éloi suddenly felt as a five year old robbed of his favorite toy.

It definitely came as a shock, pleasant, yes, but outrageously distracting, when not a moment later Cooper's hand was seemingly innocently placed on his thigh. Innocent or not, Éloi felt the light pressure as a searing burn and he knew that he was not supposed to react so powerfully to such a simple touch. And yet, he'd felt his palm as if it was searing into his skin, through his clothes, burning a mark into his thigh and Éloi -Éloi who was normally the one inflicting such torments on others; never the other way around- was practically screaming inside his own head. His breath just stopped as the hand slid away. He took one shaky breath and mentally berated himself for acting like a fool. He was Éloi Desrosiers. He was the predator in this room, on his territory, nonetheless.

Slipping slowly off the desk, he circled Cooper settling close behind him. He waited a moment, to give Cooper's mind enough time to wonder and maybe panic as to what was going on. Smirking intimately, he took the last step, draping himself over the man's figure and almost settling his chin on his shoulder. Quickly, as to not arouse too much suspicion, he placed his palm over Cooper's hand and placed it on the handle of the carafe. "Now, Cooper, we add the water" he said as he nudged him to raise the water container. "But it must be done, slowly, almost teasingly" he continued in a soft, low voice closer to his ear. He helped him angle the carafe over one of the glasses and with silent instructions, move it slowly in up and down motions. "The flavor must be coaxed to the surface" he continued explaining, drawling the words carefully. "This way, we're also making sure the water softly mixes with the alcohol. Doing it forcefully would disturb the fragrance and overdoing it would just make it a rather poor drink" he almost chuckled at his own words.

Once the ritual had been repeated with the other glass he lifted his hand off his and retreated, but not before subtly angling his face towards his neck, and exhaling on a delicate patch of skin right under his ear. He came around the desk, smiling as politely as ever and extracted a match box from the drawer of his desk. He lit one match and carefully placed it over each sugar cube, watching them instantly burst into flames. He placed the burnt matchstick in the ashtray and lifted himself back on the corner of the desk. "Now we wait for the cubes to melt completely" he mused, focused on the slow drip of the almost liquefied sugar. "Once that is finished, we'll mix everything and finally be rewarded with that enthralling bitter-sweet anise flavor" he continued, finally raising his eyes to meet Cooper's.

Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) might have been feeling quite out of place in these strange circumstances he found himself in this evening, but tonight’s version of Cooper Evans had already decided that this was quite a new playground he was playing on and the swings no longer swayed in the same direction. As he kept all sense of satisfaction from his face, lips still pursed and eyes full of a sense of amnesia, he caught a hint of that single shaky breath that pressed past Éloi’s lips and felt a deep satisfaction in the pit of his stomach. His arms hung lose at his sides, and his head was slightly downcast as if he felt rather ashamed of his inability to remember simple steps and directions –all while, deep down he felt the alluring intoxication of the unknown, all present in a rush of adrenaline running through his blood vessels. But the club’s owner was out of control for only an instant, before he dropped from the desk and moved, and it was all Cooper could do to keep his shoulders from tensing at the anticipation of seeing what the next move would be. He fought the urge to glance over his shoulder and see what Éloi was doing behind him, ignored the temptation to shudder at the tickling sensation that the blonde was actually not too far away from him.

He couldn’t help the soft gasp that pressed its way past his lips as he felt Desrosiers’ body press against his own, felt arms crawl around his torso and a hand gently come to rest over his own. A certain heat that certainly shouldn’t have been present considering who this game was being played with crept into his cheeks, but the lycanthrope managed to regain his control, head held high, eyes narrowed wickedly and lips spread in a smirk of satisfaction as he shifted his stance and pressed his shoulders harder into Éloi’s collarbone, moved his head just the slightest best so as to let his brown hair dangle against the blonde’s jaw. Cooper kept silent as he raised the carafe as indicated, and let Desrosiers lead the way as he fought against the two natural instincts that had taken hold of him: the desire to run from this awkward situation he couldn’t wrap his mind around, and the temptation to simply let his human nature lead the way towards oblivion. He’d come to Le Masquerade out of curiosity, had allowed himself to change out of pure survival instinct, and now he wanted to go further due mostly to desires that were as old as man on this earth. Desires that he didn’t understand, nor had any inclination towards understanding, as there was one simple fact that was far more important than any else: Éloi was so mesmerizing that not only was Cooper quickly forgetting the many strange facts about this venue, but also the fact that his life outside was an utter mess.

Cooper could almost feel Éloi’s lips grazing against the soft skin of his ear as the blonde spoke, but he forced himself to remain in control of his body’s need to shiver at the awakening sensations. Still, he was so caught up in his thoughts, that when he reacted, it was only to the fact that warm breath had just caressed his skin –and his sole response was for a low moan to press past his lips. Immediately embarrassed at it, Cooper suddenly stood straight and glanced down to see that, apparently, the drinks were nearly prepared. Éloi made his way around the desk, brought out a box of matches, and set them to burning on the sugar cubes before settling back on the desk. The lycanthrope felt like he was losing –and that was something he really rather not do. Taking control of his breathing –which had turned rather hurried in the last few seconds-, he swiftly switched his stance into one rather more confident, leaning one hand against the edge of the desk so that he was at a curve angle, head cocking to the side. “Rewards are what this life is all about,” He whispered –before realizing exactly what he had to do in order to gain the upper hand all over again.

Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) was complaining deeply at this new train of thought, but he locked it all away as he swiftly pushed away from the desk and moved to stand before Éloi, standing still for a beat, simply staring into the man’s dark gaze. “So, tell me, Éloi,” He could smell the faint scent of burning sugar in the room, but ignored it as he placed a hand of each of Éloi’s knees and spread them in order to step closer. He stopped when their chests and faces were less than an inch apart, closer even than he’d been by the cabinet. His green gaze simulated a fire, and he was rather certain he was about to succeed, to beat Desrosiers. “Are you married?” His tone was innocent, as he curled one hand over the bloke’s thigh until it rested against the desk on the other side and he cocked his head to the side once again. They were so close it was rather imposing, but he wouldn’t allow himself to back away, no matter how fast his blood was flowing. As a matter of fact, he chuckled. “I feel like a teenager,” His next bout of laughter was rather intoxicating, although close to a giggle. “Look,” Cooper allowed his palm to drape over Éloi’s hand and pulled up the man’s arm so as to press Desrosiers’ fingers against his torso. “My heart is running faster than it might ever have –indeed more than it ever did for Bella,” Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) roared loudly at the exclamation, pulling out his wand and wanting nothing more than to beat himself up to a bloody pulp for the persona that had over taken him. Instead, he let his lips twist sinfully and the fire in his eyes toy with Éloi’s lips. “I wonder why that is,” He whispered, taking one step closer –one step that meant there was no further ahead he could go unless he passed through Desrosiers.

Éloi had a lot of trouble containing his need to laugh satisfied at having coaxed a response from Cooper, and in the form of a most delicious little moan. But he had appearances to keep up, so he settled for a subtle curl of his lips as he lowered his head to see to the sugar cubes. It only got better when he realized said response had been completely impulsive, judging by the sudden jerk of the man's body. This was the most fun he'd had in weeks and he would relieve and retell this story for as many times as Éloi felt it would keep fresh in his mind. Until he'd have more. Much more.

"Are they, really?" he asked in a soft amused voice. Rewards? No... not really. Éloi was more interested in the means to get said rewards, the games, the acting, the carefully planned actions. But, he supposed, one could see a reward from different points of view. But the young proprietor's thoughts were cut shortly as soon as he realized Cooper was on the move. He watched him intrigued, with an amused little smile at the corner of his lips as the brunette moved in front of him, but all brain activity ceased the instance Cooper's arms were on his knees. He held his breath, letting his knees be spread apart easily, watching Evans' face intently, as it only got closer. His mind short circuited back to reality when he heard his question, and he couldn't help let out a shaky little laugh. "Do I look like the marrying type to you, chéri?" he asked amused, drawing in air through his nose as Cooper's hand migrated to the desk behind him, watching the man's profile with half-lidded eyes.

He watched their hands press together on the Auror's chest with a worried sort of fascination. This was a bit close for comfort as far as Éloi thought. Not in the physical sense, of course. He raised his eyes alarmed at the man's next words however, and Éloi's lips hung loosely in a strange little shocked expression before closing them quickly to set them in a tight disapproving line. He might not know much of family, his own was such an abomination there was no way the blond would ever have any sort of healthy views on the concept of family, but this was too much. He would've liked to get up and judge him for his words just there, but there was a game to play, and truth be told Éloi could not give a damn about his dead wife and how much or whether or not Cooper had felt for her. But there was a certain sort of complete displeasure in having been compared to one's recently deceased wife. Or... just wife, in general. Éloi might not give a damn about marital boundaries generally, but just as there was a difference between knowing yourself to be the lover or paramour and being called so, there was a moment to bring up one's past wife and a moment when not to. This was definitely the latter.

He smiled dangerously and waved off his current displeasure as he slowly moved his hand from Cooper's chest upwards, settling it to barely just touch the hair pooling at the nape of his neck. "Your heart..." he said the words with an amused arch of his right eyebrow. "It's because you both want me—" he lowered his eyes to look at Evans' lips as he slowly rolled his tongue over his own, only to look back at him, right into his lively green eyes "and fear me." He finished with a tentative slow roll of his hips, raising one hand to grip at Cooper's hip, and burying the one at his neck into his hair, softly dragging his nails against his scalp. Your move, Éloi thought to himself with a dazed little smile

Cooper Evans (Auror, Widower and Father of Two) was still seething, his breath coming in heavy pants and his muscles tensed with displeasure; but there was not a single sign of this on the outside: his hips hooked sideways, his smirk lazy, his heart still beating through his ribcage, meat and skin and against Éloi’s palm –and the dance still going about its sinuous composition. Cooper couldn’t quite recall what he hoped to get from all of this anymore, but nor did he care as he softly sucked in his bottom lip and worried it with the tip of his tongue, eyelids heavy as his gaze waved from Desrosiers’ lips to his eyes and back again –and his blood beat faster. It was easy to fall into this tango, and forget who he was, for the power of it all was the most alluring sensation he’d felt ever since he’d been young and dollied in illegal substances. Or since he’d fallen in love with Bella. Cooper inhaled, let his lip pop out from the grasp his teeth had upon it, the skin slowly swelling from pale to deep red.

There was a mixture of emotions that came along when Éloi’s hand moved away from beneath his: disappointment at the lack of contact, and anticipation at what might come next. His own hand fell slowly back to rest upon the blonde’s knee, knuckle kneading a soft pattern at the spot almost absentmindedly, as he felt warm fingers traveling up his chest and around his throat, to curl against the nape of his neck. Cooper breathed in, then out, then pressed his lips together as he found himself nodding at Éloi’s words. He wasn’t sure if they were wrong or if they were right, but he found he truly didn’t care as a few things happened at once: hips rolled against his own, a hand gripped his thigh, a hand tugged at his hair as nails clashed against his scalp and Cooper couldn’t help a soft moan pressing past his lips. When he managed to open his eyes and focus his gaze on Éloi, he was almost feverish: cheeks tinted pink, eyelids heavier than ever, lips spread. “Is that so?” He managed to whisper.

And then he was falling forwards: where a second before there had been an inch between them, there was no longer any room as his chest cleaved against the blonde’s, as one of his hands came to rest against Éloi’s chest and the other found purchase against the man’s thigh. He breathed in, and he smelt the proprietor of Le Masquerade, a scent that was both masculine and elegant at once, an aroma that teased his nostrils almost painfully. The palm against the blonde’s chest trailing towards Éloi’s arm, fingers clenching at a bicep as his lips fell forwards and pressed against the soft skin of the bloke’s throat. He settled there for an instant, trying to collect himself –and only half managing it.

After an instant, he slowly lifted his head until his lips were against Desrosiers’ earlobe, his breath puffing out against the sensitive skin, the hand on the blonde’s bicep moving towards his jaw and trailing lower, a thumb clawing out to drag at the hard skin just below Éloi’s lips. Cooper closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. “You’re probably right,” He whispered, voice husky, as his thumb cocked higher and tugged down on the blonde’s lower lip –and suddenly, he pushed away, just enough to stare down at Éloi Desrosiers for an instant, to consider the handsome face and the odd feelings he definitely shouldn’t be feeling, before tossing everything to hell. In a split instant, he made a decision that might change everything –but he also decided not to care. With a deep breath, he closed the distance once again…

…And pressed his lips against Éloi’s.

When another small moan escaped Cooper's lips and he turned his gaze at him, Éloi's eyes darkened and he opened his lips slightly, hoping to better control his breathing, because the sight before him was beautiful. His face was fascinating, enthralling, even—flushed, destroyed almost and wanting. Éloi truly wanted to see him break apart completely. In that moment, he wanted to ruin him for everybody else. He wanted to own him completely, have him agonize over this for weeks, only to come back for more. And he'd welcome him, gladly.

He watched him curiously as he leaned forward, excited for his next move, but wary of it, nonetheless. He tightened his hold on Cooper's hip, as his hand came to rest on his own thigh and waited silently as Cooper took his fill of him. He was painfully aware of the loud beat of his heart and the almost brimming sensation that vibrated through his entire body. Would he play the game? Would he give in? He had his answer as soon as Cooper's lips were upon his throat, and he let out a small hiss and threw his head back, eyes closed.

After a moment, Cooper's breath was coming out loud and fast on the sensitive skin of his earlobe, and while he'd never admit it, Éloi shivered and gave a small whimper. He opened his eyes just a fraction and leaned into his touch as his thumb traced his jaw, then climbed to his lips to tug on them. He would've liked for Cooper to hold it there, he would've liked to dart the tip of his tongue out to taste the finger, but it was gone too soon, and the man was pulling away. Before he'd had time to realize what was going on, Éloi moaned shortly, aching for the feel of Evans' chest pressed back against his own.

But, then, as if in a flash, Cooper's lips were pressed against his own, and Éloi let out a small muffled gasp, lost in the press of their lips. The hand at Cooper's hip came to settle against the curve of his spine, curling at the back of his shirt with a sort of desperation, while the other tightened its hold on Evan's hair, tilting his head just so. Hid lips were soft, and his touch still rather tentative, but it made Éloi hot all over, and whatever restraint he might've had until this point it was all obliterated in that moment.

He was done playing games, so when he caught Cooper with his lips spread slightly, he quickly turned the kiss into something more, much more—open-mouthed and filthy, licking into his mouth as if his own life depended on it. He brusquely pulled Cooper's head back, hand still fisted into his hair and set to lay out small bruises into his throat, while he moved his hand under his shirt, softly raking his nails along the auror's spine. He laid out a short route, dragging his teeth from his collarbone to his ear and settled there for a second to regain his senses. "I know I'm right" he said roughly, in a low voice, in between heavy pants. "The question is: have you stopped being afraid?" he drawled just as lowly. He slowly grazed Cooper's earlobe with his teeth, suckling on it before letting it fall out of his mouth with a small pop.

He tilted his head back to watch Cooper through glazed eyes, eyes scanning his face in a wild pattern, before slowly leaning forward to lay a small chaste kiss at the corner of his lips, as he raised his thighs off the desk and locked his legs around the brunette's middle, pulling him as close as possible as he did so. "Merde" he muttered softly then chuckled just as subtly. "You're beautiful" he mused with a barely-there smile, caressing the soft skin of his back with the tips of his fingers. And he was, he really was. But he'd be truly spectacular in his rawest state—begging, preferably.

He dipped his head forward, rubbing his own cheek against Cooper's, letting out a small laugh next to his ear. "And your mouth is positively obscene" he drawled slowly, tightening the hold of his legs around him to grind their bodies together slowly.

Bubbles of adrenaline popped throughout Cooper’s body, his mind swirling and a groan rumbling at the base of his throat as he tried to find purchase in the kiss; his shoulders slumped slightly and his body felt weak –perhaps exhausted-, yet everything about the moment was entirely exhilarating. The sinful nature of what was occurring, the prohibition of his actions, pushed him forwards, and the moan that pressed out from Éloi’s mouth and against the base of his tongue. As a hand tugged at his spine forcefully and another dragged through his hair and twisted his head, Cooper Evans realized he wasn’t in control. Not anymore: he was nothing more than a puppet that had walked into a game he hadn’t been able to play. Emotions whirled within him, a certain voice screamed and complained in his mind. But one fact over threw it all: he was enjoying this. It was liberation and debauchery, peace and sin, heaven and hell all wrapped into one ball of complacency. And he found he didn’t mind.

After a second, the werewolf’s lips spread and suddenly the kiss became deeper; the blonde’s tongue searched his mouth with something akin to desperation, and Cooper found his own reciprocating. His knees weak, he let Éloi hold him up, let the man control it all and found himself enjoying the dirty turn the kiss had taken somewhere down the road. An instant later, their lips separated, and Cooper’s groan was half complaint and half pleasure, a lustful noise that was so obscene he would have been shocked to hear it from his lips had he still had the ability of coherent thought. The blonde tugged his head back, pulling his hair and making each strand jerk painfully; the Auror gritted his teeth together to keep the wanton groan from being born, but heard it anyways as Éloi’s hands searched under his shirt, as nails leaved their scorching marks down his spine, as lips bruised their way up his throat.

Cooper was panting and quite certain he had lost the ability to speak by the time he felt lips against his earlobes, words being spoken and teeth grazing his skin. He wanted to speak, to say he’d never feared, but a voice within him reminded him it would be a lie. But he was no longer even certain of who he was tonight, nor did he truly care: all that mattered was this moment, this instant, and the need that was running through him almost as if he were a swimmer under water in need of fresh oxygen. The fact that this was a bloke he was getting so raunchy with did not escape his mind, but somehow it didn’t feel wrong; somehow he felt attracted to this man and this made so very much little sense that he decided he simply didn’t want to ponder on the fact that it was a man who was provoking all of this on him.

Before he honestly had any time to ponder further, sinful legs were around his waist and he suddenly wasn’t so weak anymore as he found his hands instinctively curling around to grip Èloi’s midsection. The heat of another body against his own, of their hips pressing against each other, made another lustful growl escape Coop’s lips, and the blonde’s words finished blowing his mind. Nothing mattered anymore, not for the next few seconds, as he quickly twisted his jaw and captured the bloke’s lips. It was violent this time, his teeth chewing, his tongue violating, his hands gripping at every piece of available body until he finally had to come out for air. Leaning his mouth against Éloi’s jawline, Cooper panted heavily as, with one swift motion of his hips, he was pressing the blonde back against the desk so he could free his hands for a second. In a single swift move, his own shirt was pulled over the top of his head and tossed to the ground, leaving him bare chested. But again he didn’t allow himself to ponder, as he leant back into Éloi, teeth tugging at sensitive skin, tongue crawling out to map his earlobe, before whispering. “I can be obscene as you want.”

For a quick instant, he felt doubt at what he was doing. But it was a flash he quickly pushed out of his mind for thinking was a task he rather not partake in this evening. Impulse was much better. “I’m not afraid,” He growled, his jaw somehow coming to rest against the bridge of Éloi’s nose, his eyes closing, his breath coming in heavy pants. “I want you.”

The man's responsiveness was nothing if not absolutely enthralling, and the way their lips fit together, as if they were part of a puzzle was a little bit terrifying. When he'd gotten rough, Cooper only got more wanting, more into it, just more and Éloi knew this was going to get addictive, because he just couldn't get enough of the sounds the Auror made... The grunts, the little moans, the panting—usually he was the more vocal one, but this time... He wouldn't stop until he had him whimpering.

The blond felt the change in Cooper instantly. The second his legs had gone around him, he felt Cooper loosen up and he knew he had him, knew he'd stopped fighting whatever moral battle was going on inside his head and just let go. Éloi let out a sound that was between a moan and something pained, immediately muffled by the Auror's lips upon his, just as needy and violent as he needed it.

He was so high on the heat of the moment that he didn't even have time to express his protestations at the lack of pressure and contact as Cooper disentangled himself from their embrace, but when he came back, and Éloi's fingers found bare skin as they quickly took their place back around his midsection, he just had time to gasp softly, before it turned into a full fledged moan at feeling his mouth on his ear and hearing his words. His hands quickly came to Cooper's front, mapping out his abdomen, feeling the ridges between muscles, hungrily discovering new skin, only to stop at the edge of his pants, fingers curling under the belt to pull him flush against him.

"Hmmm" he said drowsily, stopping to take a breath, eyes closed. "And how would you want me?" he asked, tucking his head under his, to lick a stripe from his collarbone to his throat, biting softly into the flesh. In a moment he regained his control, clearing his head of everything, Éloi quickly reversed their positions, pressing Cooper against the desk. He kissed him fiercely for just a moment, then smirked watching him intently with glazed eyes as he slid downwards against his body, hands on his hips to anchor himself. Never breaking eye contact he slowly, almost teasingly, unbuckled his belt and just as he was popping open the button of his pants, with one last look as his face, he chuckled softly, "I'm going to break you, Cooper Evans" he said, and zipped his trousers open, pulling them down brusquely.

Some time later...

It wasn’t bad, being broken.

With one leg curved up to let his bare foot rest against a chair, and the other spread out across the floor, Cooper Evans felt his head waver between heaven and hell, consciousness and unconsciousness; his breathing was cut up, coming in short pants that barely managed their job of getting oxygen into his system, but the man was only vaguely aware of where he was and what he was doing. He ached, but the sense of satisfaction was of a far greater magnitude, as he let his torso fall back and his head lightly smash the ground. His muscles, apparently, were unwilling to work any further –and his speech capabilities were limited to the soft nonsense of pants and moans that were all too naughty to actually be remembered. It was bliss, he felt, and nothing other than bliss, as his green eyes settled on the ceiling above for an instant, and he ignored the beads of sweats that matted his hair to his skull and stained his naked body.

He was broken, and he knew it –he knew it because all he wanted was to keep going, to lose himself in these sensations until there was nothing else, to let go of any prior conceptions of the world and just shag Éloi Desrosiers until nothing else existed. The proprietor of  Le Masquerade had broken him, but in every way that was right; or at least, so he felt now, even if he was aware that there was a chance he would regret it all later. He’d passed limits that had, before tonight, been unbreakable. But did it matter? Life was all about today, the past and the future should not be considered. Bella was somewhere on the borders of his mind, but he forced such notions away –they would bring only pain, and he was unwilling to ruin this moment of bliss.

Turning on his side, his body displayed perversely, his eyes were dark as he glanced at Éloi, licking across his bottom lip sinfully. He wanted more, felt like he could never be satiated, but he would let Desrosiers decide if they would go on. For now, he simply stared, heart beating quickly as he breathed in the alluring, cold beauty that was the man, until he finally sighed, rubbed a hand against his lower abdomen to draw attention to that zone of his body, and slowly smiled. “So now what?” He asked, innocence and a sense of mischief battling to control his voice. “Do we cuddle?”