Chris
My whole body ached with pleasure and excitement as he pushed my legs open, trailing kisses up my calf. My teeth sunk into my lower lip to suppress my loud moans.
I writhed on the bed, and my hips gently bucked higher. He paused just before my thighs and looked up at me. His eyes were fiery, and he looked like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
His lips twitched and kinked to the side in a cocky grin before he continued his delicious torture. I reached down to dig my hand in his full thick hair as he worked his way up my thighs in his trail of kisses.
My core ached with anticipation as he drew closer, his kisses becoming more impatient. My other hand grasped the satin bedsheets, and I threw my head back in a desperate attempt to brace myself for the wave of ecstasy that coursed through me the second his lips touched my center.
"Oh god..." I gasped, unable to hold back my moans any longer "Please...". My panties were soaking wet from minutes of anticipation, and my center was throbbing.
"Please what Chris?" he asked, raising his head to look at me.
"Please don't stop." I pleaded.
He put his arms around my waist and pulled me closer abruptly, then he resumed his kisses, past my dripping sex to my torso, up to my chest. Now the length of his body was against mine.
"I must say this interview is going a lot better than I expected," he said with a grin, his face hovering over mine and his hands trailing across my breasts.
My nipple hardened to beads at the contact, and more quickly than expected, his fingers closed over the right nipple, twisting it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Oh my god," I gasped and squirmed in his arms, but he held me still with his other hand as his mouth replaced his fingers on my nipples.
His hand focused on the other nipple, and he flicked his tongue up and down the one that was in his mouth.
I whimpered and grabbed him by his shoulder. He sucked and bit softly, and I cried out, feeling a mixture of pleasure and pain.
My eyes were closed shut, but even if they were open, I knew I would not see a thing beyond this blurry and dizzy vision caused by his mouth and hands.
"I want you," I whispered, unable to catch my breath at the overwhelming sensation I felt.
He continued his mouth assault on my other breast, and when he was done, they felt hot and heavy and they glistened in the low lighting of the room. Cupping my ass, he brought his lips to mine in a passionate kiss that renewed the fire blazing through my body.
In a bit of a second, he flipped me over, so I was straddling him—and just as the wave was about to break, my alarm rang.
Beep...beep...beep.
I bolted upright in my bed, gasping for breath. Although the details of the dream faded slowly, I could still feel the physical effects. My skin was sticky with sweat, and my heart was pounding heavily in my chest. And God the tension between my legs was palpable.
"Oh my God, that felt so real." I breathed. "I can't believe I'm this nervous about this job." Or maybe you just need to get laid. A voice in my head advised.
I grabbed my laptop from the bed stand. The page open was on Lucas Maxwell, CEO of Binarid, a multi-billion dollar biotech company.
Last night, I had done a little research on Binarid, and the first hit on the g****e search list was a Forbes article on Lucas Maxwell. The article painted him to be an asshole but also a genius who used his pain to bring his company to the top 10 in the world and save lives. And he was freaking hot.
At the top of the article was a picture of him, "I guess you would be my new boss soon," I said to the picture. "I can't believe I just had an erotic dream about him," I muttered this time to myself.
I had to put the thoughts about my dream behind me, or I would never be able to work with him without making a fool of myself.
I shut my laptop close and climbed down the bed, heading to the shower.
Less than an hour later, I was in a black dress and a yellow and black striped jacket with my hair down, ready to leave. I picked up my bag and took a deep breath, then headed out for the first part of my interview.
The house was on the other side of town, quite a distance from my house, and it took me about two hours to get there. When I got there, I put the address I was given on the g****e map. A few minutes later, I was in front of the house.
I rang the doorbell once, and a man spoke from the monitor above me. "Name,"
I was surprised at how simple and straight to the point he sounded. "Christine Channing," I replied, looking up.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asked again.
"Yes, with Miss Mia, for the job of the nanny."
"Give me a minute."
A few minutes later, the door unlocked, and the voice came back, "Come in."
I turned the knob and entered the house. A tall and beautiful woman that looked a little older than me stood at the doorway. She was wearing a yellow summer dress, and her hair was pushed backward. She gave me a small smile as I walked in.
"Chris?" she asked
"Yes, nice to meet you." I held out my hand for a shake, returning her smile with a tentative smile.
She took my hand and gave it a friendly squeeze, "Mia, nice to meet you too." I liked her already, "Come on in."
She turned and led the way, the click-clack sound of her stiletto making a rhythm as we walked. She walked elegantly and confidently, and I could not help but wonder what her role was to the family. The article had said that Lucas was a single father, so she could not be his wife, maybe his sister.
I stared at her trying to find a resemblance between her and Lucas, but since I had not met him in person, that was difficult.
We walked past the Living room and a few other rooms until we got to the study. She opened the door and let me in before coming in and shutting the door.
The room was wide and spacious, and filled with so many books. Almost everything in the room had a shade of brown in it. Only a few books and the throw pillow had different colors. There were three sitting areas, I in the middle with a large brown office chair snd a desk and two sofas on the left and right.
"Please, sit." She gestured to the sofa on the right.
I sat as she took her seat opposite me on the left sofa. "Would you like something to drink? Water, Coffee, Tea?"
"Oh no, I'm fine thanks." I was too nervous to drink anything now.
"Okay, so I'm guessing you must have a few questions about the position."
"Yes, I do." The only thing I knew about the job was that the kids were twins, six years old each, and they needed a nanny.
"Okay," she crossed one leg over the other gracefully. "The first thing you should know is that they are fraternal twins, Aiden and Abigail, so you won't have an issue identifying who's who as is common with identical twins."
"So a boy and a girl, that's beautiful," I said, smiling. "I've always loved twins."
"I'm glad to know that. The kids have never had another nanny before. I have been taking care of them since their mom left."
"Wow, so you've been their nanny since they were born?" I had to get the question off my chest, and I could not think of a better way to ask without sounding nosy.
"Oh no, dear," she gave a small laugh, "I'm their aunt, Lucas' younger sister."
Shit, the interview had just started, and I was already blowing it. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
"It's okay, it's not like it's something we're hiding, you ought to know." She straightened in her seat, and her face changed to a sober expression "It pains me to leave them, but I have to, I'm getting married in just a few months, and after that, I'll be moving to another continent. So that's why it is important for me to leave them in the most capable hands."
I nodded, allowing her to finish.
"As you probably know, they have been through so much, and that includes my brother. The last thing I want is for the kids to ever feel the pain of not having a mother. I don't want someone who is only going to do this halfway and just let them go when it pleases them, do you understand me, Chris?"
"I understand, I have to commit full time to them. I can assure you that I have no other engagements so that would not be a problem." The only engagements I had were my paintings, my best friend Celine, and her cat. My whole life revolved around only those, every other thing left the same way they came. Like the asshole who had only been my boyfriend for one week and broke up with me because he found out he still loved his ex. Celine and I had a good laugh about him last week.
"No Chris," Mia's voice brought me back to the present. "You're not just committing to them physically, you have to give them your love, your emotion, and care. I'm not asking you to be too soft or sensitive, you would not last a week with them if you are. What they need is someone who would always be there for them, and can help them survive all the shit this world would put them through, or at least most of them." she looked at me with pleading eyes, and I could see the pain in them, she really did love them like her own.
I could understand better than most what it felt like to not have a mother —or a father — there for you when you need them the most. I had been abandoned all my life and forced to face the world on my own, and I had seen how shitty the world could be. It made me feel a connection to the kids, and an unyielding desire to protect them.
"Can you handle that?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"I've gone through a lot more in my life Mia, and I can assure you that nothing is too hard for me to handle," I assured her.
If you had to watch your mothers overdosed, lifeless body on the bathroom floor, had to watch your father turn his back to you at the shitties foster care the world had to offer, had to stand for long long hours just to get a dollar to feed and had to be physically abused almost every other day, and you still did not break, I'm sure nothing would be too hard for you to handle either.
"Are you sure about that?" she asked.
"Most definitely."
She released a sigh and clasped her hands, "Perfect." She got up from the chair. Let's go meet the kids, if they like you, then you would have only one step left to be hired."
I was always told how well I worked with kids, but I could help but wonder what would happen if they did not like me. "And if they don't?"
She shrugged and I knew what that meant. If they did not like me I would not get the job.
"But hey," she said, "since I like you, I'll give you a hint, just be yourself. It may not seem like so, but they have a gift for knowing when you're trying too hard to impress them, and they don't like that at all."
I simply nodded. We left the room, and she closed the door.
Inside the elevator, I could not help but think about her words.
"Okay, be natural, be yourself" I muttered to myself, breathing in and out. It's not like your job now rests in the hand of these two kids right? I smoothed my hand over my dress, preparing my mind for them. Thankfully candy always did the trick if things did not go well.
Mia watched me with an amused smile as I took in and released deep breaths. " I assure you, they are well behaved, so you don't have to be so scared of them,"
I smiled back at her, and the elevator dinged open.
She led the way to a large playground room. The kids were on the floor, trying to build something with their Lego toys.
Although they were fraternal twins, they had a striking resemblance, the same brown hair, the same sparkling blue eyes, and the same height. They looked like the male and female versions of each other, with their skin as the only physical difference between them.
"It's so hard, I'm not doing this anymore," Abigail said with a defeated frown.
They had not noticed that we were standing at the door.
"Abbie, you can't give up so quickly, let's try it one last time please?" Aiden looked at Abigail with pleading eyes.
Mia nudged my ribs, and I took it as my hint to join them.
I took a few steps toward them and knelt beside them. I picked up the instruction manual on the floor next to Abigail.
This caught their attention, and they both looked at me, almost terrified. The sight of their aunt behind me seemed to reassure them.
"What if we use the manual," I lifted the manual with a smile.
"But it's hard to understand," Abigail whined, "its for boys, I want to go and play in my dollhouse,"
"What if we make a dollhouse?" I suggested.
"Can we make that? They chorused together, excitement flashing in their eyes.
"Of course, we can, it's all here in the manual." I moved closer to them on my knees and laid out the instruction guide on the floor.
For the next 30 minutes, we all worked together to make the dollhouse. I read the instructions to them, Abigail searched for the pieces, and Aiden did most of the building.
Mia, who was now leaning on the slide, watched us with a smile.
"Aunt Mia," Abigail called, "Come and see our dollhouse."
Mia joined us on the ground and looked at the house with admiration. "It's beautiful guys, you did this?"
"She helped us," Aiden said pointing at me.
"We all did it," I pointed out with a smile, I decided to take the chance to tell them my name. "I'm Christine, but you can call me Chris."
"Thank you for helping us, Chris," Aiden said, looking down. He seemed to be the shy one among them.
"You're welcome," I replied, trying to meet his eyes.
"Would you like to see my book about a princess called Christine?" Abigail asked excitedly.
"Yes, please show me," I said with a smile, and we both went to the study table, while Mia helped Aiden pick the rest of the Lego set up.
She picked up a book that looked like a history book for children and flipped the pages. She flipped them so quickly that I thought the pages were going to tear off.
When she finally got to the page she was searching for, she stopped and showed me. "See you're a princess,"
"Well, thank you," I said, unsure of what to say. I felt oddly terrified around them. "She was a very beautiful princess."
"Daddy said I'm his little princess too, so we're all princesses." her smile deepened as she spoke.
"Well, daddy is right, I think you're a very beautiful princess too," I said with a saucy smile.
"And I'm his little genius," Aiden added as he and Mia joined us at the table.
"Because you like science," Abigail said
"Chris, would you like to see my toy science lab in my room?" Aiden asked.
"I would love to, but I can't go to your room yet," I explained.
"Why?" They both asked in unison.
"Because this is part of Chris' interview." Mia chipped in.
"But I thought she was our nanny already?" Aiden asked.
"No Aiden, your father has to approve of her first," Mia answered.
"What is approve?" Abigail asked, her eyes flicking between me and Mia.
"It means that your father has to agree to have me as your nanny," I answered.
"But we want you to be our nanny," Abigail whined.
"Yes, can't you just call daddy aunt Mia?" Aiden added.
"Honey, your father has to meet her in person to know if he likes her or not," Mia explained as she leaned down to brush the hair from his face.
"But we like her already," they complained. Their uniform thoughts and speech would take some getting used to, but it was so adorable.
I felt a flicker of hope that they felt that way about me, but I was not going to get hired unless their dad approved.
I left my seat and dropped on one knee, bringing them closer to me. They were both frowning, and Abigail had her hand wrapped around her body.
"Kids," I started carefully, "I'm so glad you like me, and I want you to know that I wouldn't want anything more than for your dad to approve, but we have to wait and hear what he says okay?" They nodded, but their expression did not change.
"If he approves of me, I'll come to your room to say goodbye to you before I leave." This earned me a smile from both of them.
"Will you look at my lab when you come?" Aiden asked, his eyes widened expectantly.
"Will you build another dollhouse with us?" Abigail asked too, her hand was no longer wrapped around her body.
"Yes, we will do all of that and more, but only if your dad approves."
They turned to Mia, "Aunt Mia, will daddy let Chris be our nanny?" Abigail asked.
She stroked her hair with her hand as she spoke, "We'll just have to wait, sweetie. But I don't see any reason why he would not. For now, Chris and I have to go back downstairs, so she can meet your dad?"
They both nodded, and I was happy to see that the smile was back on their faces as we left.
"That went better than I expected," Mia said in the elevator as we went back to the study.
"I know right. I was nervous for no reason." Abigail and Aiden were adorable, and I just loved the fact that we bonded really quickly. I looked forward with anticipation to being their nanny, and the thought of it made me smile.
"My brother will be landing in 10 minutes, so we'll wait in the study."
"He's landing?" I didn't know he was out of town.
"Yes, the helicopter. He had a meeting in Berkeley." Now the flat roof made more sense.
"Okay," I had a feeling winning him over would be more difficult.
"You don't have to be scared of my brother," She said as if she could read my mind "he can be an asshole sometimes, but he's a good man that loves his children, and he can never say no to those little angels."
"Good thing the kids liked me then, right," I said.
"Yes, and I like you too. It would not be hard to convince him. So relax."
I sat in the study waiting patiently while Mia went out for a while to take a call. I took the chance to admire the library further. I had to pee, and I clenched my legs shut to hold the pee for as long as possible.
A few minutes later, I heard the loud sound of the helicopter landing on the rooftop. I closed my eyes, praying everything would go well. Apart from the fact that I had fallen in love with the kids overnight—I had a thing for kids and pets— I also needed to get this job to get Gordon and his men off my back.
As I was thinking about Gordon and how to pay back the loan I had taken from him, I was distracted by the clicking heel of Mia's shoe. And from the sound of her voice, she was not alone.
My body erupted into pins and needles as they came closer to the door, and I took a deep breath. Before plastering a bold smile across my face. The last thing I needed was to show any sign of uncertainty or weakness.
I shifted in my seat and tilted my legs to the side then crossed them at the ankles. I had read on a website that the posture made females look more professional.
Mia walked in first, and next to her, the most beautiful man I had ever seen walked in.
I was taken aback by his beauty, despite the fact that I had seen countless pictures of him. I had even had a sex dream of him just this morning. Maybe it was the fact that he looked even hotter in person.
Apart from his handsome face complimented by sparkling blue eyes and a chiseled jaw, he had an imposing figure. If I thought Mia was tall, it was because I had not met her brother. He made Mia look like she was an average height woman, and I imagined how a 5ft7 like me would look next to him.
He looked at me with cold eyes, almost void of emotion, and I was tempted to look down, but I didn't. I managed to get to my feet and offered a half weak, half-bold smile.
"Christine, this is my brother Lucas. Abigail, and Aiden's dad." Mia said, breaking the silence. With the way she was looking at me with her brows raised, I was pretty sure I had drool all over me from gaping at my would-be boss.
"Lucas," she continued, "this is Christine."
"Hello, Mr. Lucas," I said, stretching my hand out to shake his.
He did not take my hand, and after a brief moment, I put my hand back at my side feeling slightly offended. "Okay, so no shaking," I said nervously, "I would like to say your kids are really adorable."
He still does not say anything, and I looked from the corner of my eye at Mia, who was looking more uncomfortable than me.
He stared me down in an assessing manner, from my hair to my shoes. The way he looked at me made me feel like an alien that just dropped from another planet.
"I don't like her. Get someone else." he finally said.
My mouth dropped, and my eyes widened. The thrumming in my cheek increased, mirroring the way my heart was pounding in my chest. I did not need a mirror to know how red my cheeks were with embarrassment.
"Lucas," Mia admonished.
"I said I do not want her, and that's final." Then he turned back toward the door with his hand in his pocket.
Mia shot me an apologetic look and muttered a quick "I'll be back," before going out after him.
I stood there in the study, trying to endure one of the most embarrassing moments. This was even more embarrassing than the time a dog had chased me all around the hotel where I worked before taking the job. At least, then it was an animal, and the owner apologized profusely after I had fallen into the pool and was drenched.This jerk did not even bother giving me a second glance before dismissing me so coldly. Who the hell did he think he was? From the study, I could hear the muffled noises of their argument from down the hallway. I leaned into the door to hear better."What the hell is wrong with you Lucas? It took me so long to find someone so perfect for the kids, and now you're about to screw it up." Mia yelled at h
It had only been a day since I promised Mia that I would think about her offer. I had not gotten the chance to talk to Celine since then, and I planned to talk to her as we worked in the hotel tonight.It was almost 6 pm when my shift ended at the cafe. I stood at the counter, wiping spilled coffee off it. There were fewer customers at this time on weekdays. And most of the customers that came around this time sat outside, So I was a little surprised when I heard the doorbell ring, signaling a customer's entry.I looked up to see the person and was immediately taken aback by him. The moment I set my eyes on him, the energy in the room changed. The same tall and imposing presence and the same cold eyes that betrayed no emotion.
"Baron?" I almost screamed at the sight of him as I pushed my door open. The broken lock explained how they got in.He was sitting on my favorite couch in a black jean and black shirt—the only color I had ever seen him wear—, legs crossed, cigarette in one hand, and the other hand flexing a gun carefully.Baron was a tall and big man. He was not fat per se, but all those large muscles and heavy-looking chest made him look bigger than most guys—Lucas excluded. He had chestnut brown curly hair, and otherwise his mean and murderous personality, he was a very handsome man with black eyes and a very pointed nose.When we had first met, we were both really a
"Oh my God, what happened here?" Celine gasped as she walked into the living room.I was still on the floor where I was when Baron left. Following their boss's orders, the goons completely brought the house down. There was not a single item in the room that was not destroyed. The table had been broken, the contents of the almost empty fridge poured out, all the dishes in the kitchen were broken and turned upside down.In the sitting room, the couch was turned upside down and broken, the table at the center was broken to pieces and some of the shreds of glass had even splattered on me. I had not gone to my bedroom to see the extent of the destruction, but I knew there would not be much left to use.
The Red Ferrari drove into the parking lot sometime around Five. From the cafe counter where I stood taking orders, I could see him inside the car, through the glass. Lucas kept yanking his hand through his hair, and I could tell that he was nervous, which was weird because I only saw the asshole side of him, and it was hard for me to believe he ever got nervous too.As usual, we had only a few customers to attend to before my shift was over. At 6 pm, my shift was over, and I was replaced by one of the new girls that had joined the cafe recently. I changed my clothes quickly and headed out through the back door.Just like the last time, he leaned on the car, waiting for me like a creepy stalker. I tried to push my dislik
Early the next morning, Celine and I headed back to my place to pick up whatever had not been destroyed by Baron's men. The landlord had estimated everything that was destroyed, and it amounted to a lot of money. Thankfully I still had enough money left.By the time we finished cleaning the house, it was already noon. We had to throw almost everything away as they were either broken or badly destroyed. Thankfully they had not destroyed all of my clothes, so I still had a few stuff to pack."Ughhh, I'm so hungry," Celine said, slumping on the bed. We had come here as early as 7 am and had only had coffee since then. So it was expected that she was hungry."Now that you s
After savoring the beauty of the room, I put my clothes in the closet, took a bath, and put on some fresh clothes. I called Celine to let her know I had arrived safely, before heading downstairs as Mia had asked.As I stepped out of the elevator, I could hear the loud excited voices of Aiden and Abigail, coming from the other side of the hallway. It was my first day and I would still need a few days to be able to find my way without getting lost.Following the sound, I walked down to the source and was led to one of the largest kitchens I had ever seen. The space between the island in the middle and the refrigerator alone was enough to fit my entire kitchen back at home.
After losing my way only two times, I finally ended up at the door Mia described to be Lucas' office. Only a matter of time before I would be able to know my way around here without getting lost. I took a deep breath, and gave myself a few seconds to clear my head, then knocked on one of the large double doors. I expected that he would be here since I took a damn long time to find it.His deep voice boomed from inside, "Come in."Well, here goes nothing, I thought as I pushed the door open.As I walked in, my eyes quickly took in the surrounding. Like every other room I had been to in this house, it was large, with a desk covered in stacks of folders, and a lap
Mia got married at the Terranea Resort. It was one of those places in California I had heard of but never so much as dreamt of being in. The ceremony took place by the beach cove overlooking the rolling mountains that gave way to a panoramic view of the sea. I was even more awed to see how they had turned it into the fairytale every girl dreamed of.The four pillar altar was decorated in red roses all around the roof—a befitting color for the month—with green branches curling around each pillar to the root. Red rose petals arranged in large cursive hearts littered the aisle leading to the altar, and golden candle lanterns were lit on either side. Even the seats were dressed in pink fabrics and red bows attached behind. It was like an early valentine's day, only more magical.The day became even more magical when Mia arrived in a carriage, yes a frigging carriage. As I got to my feet along with everyone else in attendance, I watched with the same awe and fascination with which I had wa
Christmas had never been anything special for me. I had spent my last two Christmas' before this working an all-day shift at work, wiping vomit off tables and getting yelled at by unhappy customers taking their anger and frustrations on me. Afterward, C and I would spend the morning drinking on a rooftop and dancing to Fuck Christmas by Eric Idle. It was not exactly like I was the grinch or that I forbade the holiday spirit, there really was just nothing to celebrate or be happy for. After spending most of my childhood holidays hoping I would escape some beating or screaming from the matron on duty at the foster care that day who would rather be drinking her guts out on her day off, it was not exactly my favorite time of the year, so I said a big fuck you to it every year.This year though, it was a whole different story. Like I had stepped into this perfect, in your dreams life belonging to someone else. And for the first time in my life, the reality was the more preferable option. T
Where do I begin? From our awkward first meeting to having bad guys and crazy exes thrown in jail, Lucas and I had been through one hell of a journey. The longest one I had ever been through my adulthood, I would dare to say. It was amazing to think how much my life had changed in the months I had known Lucas and the twins. I had gone from independent and never needing anyone besides my best friend to this woman who could not even do so much as breathe without them."Are you okay?" Celine asked, tilting her face to meet mine in the mirror."Nervous," I said, going for honesty as I tugged on the hem of the white fitted dress clinging to my body."'Oh bess," she cooed, adjusting my veil, "you have every right to be, it's your big day."I smiled sheepishly at the thought, staring down at the ring on my finger that would be joined by another in a few minutes, "It is my big day. Oh my God, I'm getting married bess." The words slammed a fresh dose of unrestrained happiness against my heart
Every story I'd hard about the afterlife was a big fat lie. There were no angels in white robes, no opera waiting to usher me into the gates of heaven but then again who said I was going to heaven. The pain shooting up my body felt everything like hell, or at least I knew the one coming would. I clamp my eyes closed tighter as I lay on the floor in what I know is my pool of blood, waiting for the pain I hope to come. She succeeded and I let her win, I let Sarah shoot me. There was no longer going to be the amazing sex with Lucas, no spending afternoons with the kids, no harmless gossips disguised as Sunday lunch dates with my best friend. No more of Lucas's family, all of that was now simply gone, just gone.The thought left a hot burning scar on my throat and I gasped, fighting to take in the air that was not coming. This really was it, I had lost and she had won. But the arms suddenly wrapping me in a warm embrace felt too familiar to be related to the icy feeling of dying."Chris?!
You know that feeling when you wake up to a day that just feels off right from the moment you open your eyes? It could be the harsh rays of the sun nearly blinding and forcing you to wake up early on a Saturday morning or the annoying sound of your alarm reminding you that it's a Monday Morning again after you spent Sunday evening drinking your guts out. That small, seemingly unimportant detail in your morning that makes sure you have a bad rest of your day. I was having one of those mornings, but unlike most, I knew exactly why it was going to be a bad day.After laying motionless in the same spot for what felt like an eternity, body unwilling to move and mind refusing to come alive, I finally found a reason to get up, thanks to my pressing bladder. I walked back into the room after finishing my business and realized for the first time this morning, that Lucas was not here and the kids had not come to barge down my door in search of me.I knew Lucas would leave early for what he had
It was sweet effing relief. After almost two months here, we were finally making the trip back home. While there were less than relieving reasons involved, it still brought a wide grin to my face when the sound of the wheels scraping the runway of Lindbergh field reached my ears.Martha and Calvin were the first to welcome us home, with Calvin giving the usual manly hugs and pats on the back to his two sons and Martha going through a long streak of teary hugs and sobbing her thanks that her grandbabies were okay. She had insisted all three of them rode in their car with them as we came home from the airport. I realized it had probably been a wise choice to keep them oblivious to my pregnancy. Martha, for one, would have thrown a fit if her hopes of having a new grandchild were suddenly crushed by my miscarriage.After almost two months away, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be normal. My usual routine, the one I had when my life was still a simple cycle of getting Abby and
What happened to the curious cat again? Ah yes, she got her neck snapped by her fiance's supposed best friend because she would not simply stay out of trouble. I was fairly sure, no most certainly positive that was what Adrian would do to me as his eyes bored into me with something that looked rather far from the friendliness I had seen when we first met. Maybe my body would be found in a nearby dumpster in a week or more.And then it hit me. Lucas had told me he was coming here to check on security hours ago and as I stood there scanning the room briefly, he was absolutely nowhere in sight. Oh, my God! Maybe he hurt Lucas and was now taking out whatever anger was left in him on Baron. I thought they were supposed to be best friends.The thought had not completely settled in my mind when a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, wiping his hand on a towel stained in crimson. It was Lucas. He halted in his steps as his eyes landed on me, shock and a slightly less version of anger f
It was hard to tell how long we lay there, with me half-naked and asleep in Lucas' arms. But when I woke up to the light scruff of grass against my knee, the red-orange of the sky told me we had been there in that position for quite a while."I'm sorry," Lucas rasped, and I realized we had shifted from the position we were in when I fell asleep. Lucas sat with his back against the wall of the maze, holding me to himself. It was the closest we had been to each other, with the obvious exemption of how intimate we had been before I drifted asleep. "I didn't mean to wake you up,""How long did I sleep?" I asked, with quite an idea in mind."Not long enough, you needed the rest." he stroked my head as he spoke."You should have woken me," I gave a brief chuckle, followed by a wince at the numbness in my hands as I attempted to pull myself away from him and sit up.Lucas held on to me tighter though, tutting and shaking his head as he did. "I don't want you to leave just yet, stay here in m
I had not realized just how much I needed to breathe fresh air that was not sullied by a mixture of stale air, pills from the doctor, and a large dose of my sadness. For what first like the first time in forever, the sight of food did not make my stomach churn, or at least it did in the right way. The scent of freshly made orange juice and blueberry danishes set out on the picnic table only made my mouth water and my empty stomach growl. I turned to my best friend the closest thing I had to a sister with a smile. "You planned this?" Of course, she did. I had to be the luckiest human on the planet to have everyone I had in my life now. She rounded the table, taking her seat with a knowing smile. "I was hopeful that today would be a good day." I tilted my head, a fresh wave of guilt pulling at my chest. I had been so drowned in my sadness that I had completely neglected everyone, myself included. "I'm so sorry for shutting you out too, Bess." She shook her head tersely, "Nope, we ar