“Babe, got no time to read.”
“But you like his music.”
“What?”
“It was playing in your office when you, um… carried me in that first time.”
He studied me but I could tell he was harking back then his face got soft and he asked quietly, “You remember that?”
I felt my face get soft too and I whispered, “I remember everything.”
His hand slid up my side even as his arm got tight again. He murmured, “Baby.” I dropped closer and he finished, “But that was Bach.”
It was me who blinked then I giggled and asked, “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, whatever,” I muttered then offered, “If you don’t read, I will. Out loud. In bed. To you.” I grinned. “Naked.”
He grinned back and remarked, “Bet that’ll make Beethoven interesting.”
“I read the jacket cover. He’s already interesting. Or he was.”
“You can do it, babe, but you do it naked, I won’t hear a fuckin’ word no matter how interesting.”
“Then maybe I should put on a snowsuit,” I suggested, his arms again closed around me as he burst out laughing and rolled me to my back.
Then he lifted up, his hand coming to my face to trail lightly along my skin but his eyes didn’t leave mine.
“Best birthday ever,” he murmured.
My belly melted, my arms snaked around him and I whispered, “Oh, honey.”
His hand quit trailing, slid into my hair and he shared, “Even before Carl came into my life, Mom did her best, every year. Went all out. Got some of her girls to help. Carl was there, got even better. But this was the best.”
Suddenly, my nose started stinging, this meant so much to me I whispered in a fierce whisper, “Good. I’m glad. That’s what I wanted to give to you. That’s what I wanted for you. And since I found out Wednesday that today was your birthday, I’ve been in a panic because I had no idea what to do to make it special for you. So I’m glad I figured it out and could give it to you.”
“Jesus, fuck, fuck me,” he whispered back, his eyes blazing into mine.
“I love you, Knight.” I kept whispering then my lips quirked and went on, “And the good news is, it’s barely even your birthday. You have birthday breakfast, birthday lunch and birthday dinner to look forward to. I have it all planned and I did a whopper of a grocery shop so the food’s already here. And I’ll be making you a homemade cake, not that store bought thing I brought into your study. I got that just so the presentation would be good. And since it’s Sunday and I have you all day, you have me all day, wherever you want, whenever you want, whatever you want to do to me.”
I was so busy laying it out, I didn’t notice his reaction to it until his hand slid into my hair, fisted and his mouth came to mine.
“Shut up, Anya,” he rumbled.
“Okay,” I breathed, staring into his heated eyes.
“You need to sleep because I’m gonna eat your birthday breakfast, lunch, dinner and cake and I’m gonna do you in all the ways I can think of doin’ you and you need to be prepared.”
“Oh…” it was unsteady and remained unsteady when I finished, “kay.”
His fist in my hair relaxed and he went back half an inch.
“Love you, babe.”
“And I love you, honey.”
“No,” he stated firmly, his eyes locked to mine, “love you, babe.”
Oh God.
Oh God.
I sucked in breath to make my nose stop stinging (again!) and then I slid a hand to his chest, up, feeling the hair abrasive, yet awesome, against my skin until it was up with fingers curled around his jaw.
Then I whispered, “And I… love you… honey.”
He dropped his head and kissed me, wet and sweet. Then he lifted it up, reached across me to my nightstand to turn out my light. He rolled to his to turn that out. Then he rolled back to me and curved his body into mine, his arm wrapped tight around my belly, tucking me close.
I sighed, snuggled deeper and relaxed into him.
My eyelids were drooping when he called softly, “Babe?”
“Yeah?”
His hand slid up and curled tight around my breast. My eyelids drooped for a different reason.
“You go out again, don’t care where or with who, without a man on you, it’s the cane.”
Oh my.
“Get me?” he asked.
“Got you,” I whispered.
“No joke, babe.”
“Okay, Knight.”
His hand relaxed but didn’t move.
My body relaxed too.
Then I murmured, “’Night, honey. Happy birthday.”
“Shut up and go to sleep, babe,” was his reply.
I giggled.
Then about two minutes later, I did what I was told.
Chapter Fifteen
Fuck Monster
It was a sunny day but hazy. The bright green grass, fluttering insects, dripping willows and daisies dotting the lawn looked like they were seen through a filtered lens on a camera.
I lifted the delicate china cup and sipped my tea.
“You never pay attention.”
My head jerked and sitting with me at the table with an elaborate tea service on it, a tiered plate of perfectly decorated petit fours was my aunt. Her lined, sneering face was topped with a huge, wide brimmed, heavily decorated, absurd hat.
“What?” I asked.
“You never pay attention, Anya,” she snapped. “Look around. What do you see?”
I looked around then looked at her.
“Beauty,” I answered.
“Trash, Anya, it’s trash, you’re trash,” she leaned across the table, slamming her own tea cup down and hissed, “he’s trash.”
Then everything melted and she was sitting in her preposterous hat and all around her was tall, steaming, reeking piles of hideous trash.
* * * * *
I jerked awake, my eyes opening and I pulled in a breath thinking in that split second I hoped I didn’t wake Knight. He seriously hated it when I had a bad dream.
Since I was pressed to his side, head resting on his chest and his arm was around me, this hope was dashed quickly and I knew it when his arm got tight.
“Anya,” he growled, sleepy, sexy, rough and annoyed.
“I’m okay,” I whispered.
Nothing.
Then, “I change my mind, I’m glad that motherfucker bled out in the yard.”
Oh boy.
“What was this one about?” he asked.
The room was dark. I knew it was late since it was summer so dawn kissed Knight’s apartment early. But Knight had told me weeks ago that he wanted me to talk out each dream, thinking if I let it go, they’d eventually let go of me.
So far, this wasn’t working.
“It’s still dark, let’s go back to sleep,” I whispered.
“I won’t ask again.”
I sighed then I told him quickly about tea, filtered lenses, my aunt, her hat and trash.
“That fuckin’ cunt,” he grumbled, “follows you in your dreams.”
“I’m okay.”
Nothing, but his arm was still tight.
“Honey, seriously. I’m used to this. I’ve been having them for years,” I assured.
“We’re gonna see about you stoppin’ having them.”
Finally I lifted my head and looked at his shadowed face. “I’m used to them, sweetheart. But it bugs me that I wake you. Maybe I should sleep –”
I didn’t finish.
Knight’s arm got super tight and he pulled me on him and up so my face was at his.
“Don’t finish that. Not gonna happen.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“We talk ‘em out.”
“Okay,” I repeated on a whisper.
“You had trash, her. Now you’re livin’ clean,” he informed me.
“Okay.”
“I had shit for a good whi
le then I had good, Anya, and you’re still the most beautiful thing that’s touched my life. Mark that ‘cause it’s true. Ask Viv. Ask Sandrine. Ask Rhash. Ask Kurt. They all think the fuckin’ world of you. Mark that. Take that into your dreams.”
God, my boyfriend was so awesome.
“Okay, honey.”
I felt his eyes on me through the dark.
“That fuckin’ cunt, followin’ you in your dreams,” he muttered.
He still sounded pissed.
I needed to do something about that.
So I did.
My hand trailed down his chest, down to his abs and I nearly got to my destination before his fingers wrapped around my wrist.
“Where’s that goin’?” he growled.
“Your voice is sexy, sleepy rough,” I said softly. “I wanna hear you groan like that.”
“Don’t want your hand,” he stated.
Damn.
“Want your mouth.”
Yay!
“Get between my legs, baby.”
Oh yeah.
“Okay,” I whispered and his arm squeezed.
“Okay what?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
His hand let me go as he muttered, “Good, baby, now position and take Daddy in your mouth.”
I shifted and kissed his chest. I shifted again and kissed his tight abs. I shifted again and got between his legs. He cocked his knees and I saw he was stroking himself, preparing for me.
I took over and made my Daddy groan sexy, sleepy, rough.
* * * * *
I was walking from the coffeepot with my fresh mug of joe when Knight rounded the corner into the kitchen wearing an AC/DC tee and faded jeans.
I smiled at him.
One side of his lips tipped up then his eyes dropped immediately to my tee that was his tee. He was clearly headed to coffee and I was about to pass him but stopped when his arm went out, hooking me around my belly.
He pulled me to his front and I adjusted my coffee so we didn’t have spillage and second degree burns.
Then his hand dipped down and up so it was cupped on the bare skin of my bottom.
I stared into his eyes.
“Scary, crazy, hot punishment followed by fuckin’ my baby hard notwithstanding, this is definitely my favorite birthday present.”
It was a week and a half after his birthday and I was in his Black Sabbath tee.
“Cool,” I whispered, his lips twitched then his head dropped and he touched them to mine.
Then he let me go and went to coffee. I watched his ass move in his jeans then when he stopped and grabbed the pot, I moved out of the kitchen, skirted the sunken living room and out the opened glass door to sit on a cushy, streamlined gray cushion on his wrought iron furniture.
Plans were in high gear for the grand opening party of my spa that was two and a half weeks away. Mahleena was planning that too. Knight’s marketing firm was advertising it. I had hired staff. Manicures, pedicures, facials, body scrubs, massages and hair, the whole shebang. We even had a small steam sauna, a Jacuzzi and a shower. All low lighting (except the hair stations). Relaxing. Tranquil. The minute you entered, you got in the mood to let it all go and indulge.
I couldn’t wait.
I was still riding the high of Knight’s birthday. Not only was he moved by what I’d done for him, the next day, he took a birthday call from his Mom and Dad and he talked about me with me right there. And all he said was good.
He was Knight so it wasn’t flowery compliments but he did tell his Dad, his eyes on me, “She’s beautiful, Dad. You see her, you won’t believe your eyes. You’ll think you’re dreamin’.”
And I thought that was pretty flowery or at least it did a number on me.
He told them they had to come out to meet me or we’d be going to Hawaii soon so I could meet them.
When he got off the phone, he said to me, “Mom says ‘hi’ and she’s lookin’ forward to meetin’ you.”
I stopped myself from twirling, giggling and shouting, “Squee!” and just grinned and kissed him.
Then he kissed me.
Life was good. Even if I expected things, I’d never expect it to be as good as this.
And Knight gave all of it to me.
He came out with his mug and did what he did every morning when we sat out on his balcony. Therefore my chair was already in position because I quit the hassle of moving it back which also saved Knight the hassle of adjusting it when he made it to me.
He sat in a chair facing the Plexiglas-sided railing, hefted his long, muscled legs up to the top and crossed his ankles. My chair was angled to his so it was easy for him to hook an arm around both my legs and that was what he did before tossing them over his thighs.
I held my coffee aloft in another effort to avoid spillage until he leaned back in his chair and sipped so I knew it was safe. Then I leaned back in mine and did the same.
“Decided what I want for my birthday,” he stated and I blinked.
“Your birthday was over a week ago, Knight,” I told him something he already knew and his neck twisted so his pure, vibrant blue eyes were on me.
I’d never get used to those eyes, ever. And I hoped I had eternity to prove that true.
“You kicked my birthday’s ass so good, baby, I’ve decided to celebrate all month.”
A smile curved big, but on the inside.
On the outside I gave him a false frown.
“I could barely walk for three days what with you ‘doin’ me all the ways you could do me’, Knight. I’m still recovering.”
His brows went up.
“I fuck you hard thirty minutes ago?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
“You suck me off in the middle of the night?” he pressed.
“Yes.”
“That last one, babe, your idea.” He looked back to the Front Range muttering, “You’re good.”
I so was.
“Whatever,” I muttered back, loving our banter, not about to tell him that and bringing my coffee to my lips. “What do you want for your birthday?”
“You’re movin’ in.”
I choked on coffee and his eyes came to me, brows drawn and he leaned toward me.
“You all right, baby?”
I patted my chest, swallowed and wheezed, “Yes,” then, “You want me to move in?”
He stared at me.
Then he said, “Babe, your ass has been in my bed every night for three months, you got a whole dresser to yourself and more than half the fuckin’ walk-in already. For a bitch who had no money, you got a fuckload of clothes.”
This was true. All of it. Though the last was partially his fault.
“How much is the rent?” I asked.
“Nothin’ considerin’ I own the place.”
“Okay, how much is the mortgage?” I amended.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because, if I move in, I need to know what my half is so I can budget,” I answered and instantly his head tipped back and he looked at the bottom of the balcony above us.
Then he chanted, “Jesus, fuck, fuck me. Jesus, fuck, fuck me.”
“Knight!” I snapped and his eyes sliced to me.
“You’re not paying half the mortgage,” he declared.
I opened my mouth but he moved quickly, his arm coming out, hand cupping my jaw, thumb pressing firm on my lips and I saw his eyes were deadly serious.
“This is not a discussion. On this you yield. You put in notice. You dump the shit from yard sales or that’s got rips in it or anything you bought on fuckin’ sale or anything anyone fuckin’ gave you unless it has special meaning. The rest of the shit, we’ll find places for it. You get me?”
He removed his thumb and I kept snapping, “That’ll take a box to move since everything is from yard sales, got rips in it, I bought it on sale or someone gave it to me.”
“Good, then it’ll take about an hour to move you in. We’ll do it today,” he returned immediately.
That was when I looked at the bottom of the balcony and asked, “Please, deliver me.”
“Anya, eyes,” he ordered and I cut my eyes to him but they were squinty. He ignored that and growled, “Yield.”
I didn’t yield.
I announced, “I can’t move in. The limited stuff I have that doesn’t fit in one of those categories is girlie and it won’t match your décor.”
“Babe, I live in a fuckin’ museum. Please, God, inject some personality in it.”
I blinked.
“Not flowers or pink,” he added then continued, “Or any of that white, chipped shit you got goin’ on.”
I stared at him.
Then I asked, “Anything else, Knight?”
He stared at me.
Then he answered, “Far’s I’m concerned, you can lose it all. The only thing I give a shit that you move permanently is you.”
That was a really good answer.
Still.
“You know, when you bring bossy into life and get so super generous I’ll be wracking my brains for a millennium for ways to be bad to give payback and it pisses me off, it then pisses me off more when you get sweet so I can’t be pissed anymore.”
“You know that didn’t make a fuckin’ lick of sense,” he told me.
I glared at him.
Then I turned my head and glared at the Front Range, muttering, “Whatever.”
Then I sipped coffee.
Then I heard, “Notice in and move your shit, Anya.”
“Okay, Knight.”
“Jesus, fuck, fuck me,” Knight muttered.
I took another sip of coffee. I did this calmly. But again, inside, I was twirling and screeching, “Squee!”
Then I announced to the mountains, “I feel a night out with Sandrine coming on.”
“Christ, she sucked me off in the middle of the night, I ate her and fucked her half an hour ago and she’s sittin’ in my tee, no panties, drinkin’ coffee, tryin’ to get me hard,” he griped.
My eyes went to him. “Your rule, honey. I can go put panties on.”
His eyes came to me. “You do, I get the strap.”
My legs shifted restlessly.
He stared at me.
Then he turned his head and muttered to the Range, “Fuck, I created a fuck monster.”
I felt my eyes bug out.
Then I burst out laughing.
* * * * *