Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Luka
L.O.K.I.’s gotten used to having Scout to entertain him all day, so needless to say, after spending the whole day alone, we both came home to a very needy AI.
And since I was feeling generous, I agreed to watch Thor: The
Dark World with him but only if Scout agreed to watch with us.
I’m not sure what’s gotten into me, or what I’m thinking, pushing the lines like this. I think the best explanation is that I’m not thinking at all. And fuck, it feels good.
I forgot how much I missed hanging out with this girl. How easy it is to fully be myself when I’m with her. How our conversation just flows, ranging from our theories about the universe to arguing over which superpower is superior. It’s teleportation for the record.
After the credits roll, I sneak a glance at Scout, half expecting her to look like she’s ready to turn in and make an excuse to go to bed, but she doesn’t. If anything, she looks like the last thing she wants right now is to be alone.
That makes two of us.
So against my better judgment, I decide to shoot my shot. “I’m actually having a good time. I can’t remember the last time I let loose like this.” I nod my head toward the back door. “I’m going to go sit outside and watch the storm. Care to join me?”
She hesitates for a moment, biting her lip in contemplation, but I can tell by the way her eyes just lit up at my suggestion that she doesn’t want this night to end yet either.
She nods with a shrug. Then casually says, “Yeah. Sure.”
We make our way outside to the back patio, where I light the decorative propane fire pit, taking a seat on the modern gray sofa. Scout sits across from me in one of the swiveling armchairs, pulling her feet up and criss-crossing them as she makes herself comfortable.
I think back to the way she was acting at Hardware Store… how she seemed upset about something. I can’t be sure, but my intuition tells me there’s more going on in that head of hers that she isn’t telling me, and tonight, I plan on finding out.
“I like what you’ve done out here…” Scout’s words trail off, her eyes widening when my lighter sparks into a flame. My lips pull into a grin as I suck in a lungful of warm smoke, blowing it out before offering it to her.
“No way. Uh uh.” She holds up her hand and shakes her head.
Rain falls hard against the rooftop, falling all around us in heavy sheets as the lingering sexual tension fizzles in the air between us. Our little detour to Adult Store was supposed to solve this problem, but all I can think about is what she’ll look like using her new vibrator…
Get your head out of your ass, Kingsley. Just because she’s technically your wife, doesn’t mean it’s okay to fantasize about her… Even if the feelings seem to be mutual…
Fucking hell. I know I’m playing with fire here, and I should stop while I’m ahead, but my nerves could use a little help relaxing after the day we’ve had.
“Oh, come on. What’s wrong? You scared you’re going to enjoy yourself too much and realize you’ve been doing life the hard way all this time?
” I tease, watching her rigid posture slowly begin to relax.
Something about knowing that I can slice through all her bullshit in only a matter of seconds fills me with so much pride.
“Do you not remember the last and only time you talked me into smoking weed? Was my mother’s freakout not enough to deter you from ever offering me drugs again?”
I can’t help my grin as I take another drag and blow a circle of smoke on my exhale. “You’re too uptight, you need to learn how to relax.”
She rolls her eyes, tucking her legs up to her chest. “Yeah, well, maybe relaxing doesn’t come so easy for everyone.”
I flick the ashes from the tip before taking another puff of smoke, the warm tingling already starting to wash away all my pent-up tension.
“Yeah, I get that, but sometimes, I think you get off on being a martyr or something. I hate to break it to you, but there’s no award for being miserable your whole life.
The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll stop putting everyone else’s needs above your own. ”
There’s a tendril of satisfaction that warms my icy heart when I notice the flush in her cheeks, this time from annoyance rather than embarrassment. Every time I succeed in getting a rise out of her, feels like winning a trophy.
Good. Get angry. Say something. Fight back. Give me something real.
“That’s not what I’m doing,” she retorts, but judging by her cracking voice, I’m not sure even she believes that.
I know it’s stupid, and I really don’t fucking care whether she smokes or not, but I find myself growing more irritated by her nonchalance. Why can’t she stop pretending to be something she’s not? Why can’t she just tell me what she wants and stop hiding behind this whole facade?
“It’s not?” I lean forward, propping my elbows on my knees as I meet her gaze. “Tell me then, before the other day, when was the last time you painted?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just answer the question,” I fire back, my brow lifting in challenge as she blows out a shallow exhale and fidgets in her seat.
“You already know the answer. It was that night… when you got arrested.”
I sit back in my seat, pleased that she knew that I needed her to say that last part.
I’m tired of dancing around it, pretending like that moment didn’t change the course of both of our lives.
“Exactly my point. You stopped doing something you loved simply because someone else didn’t approve of it.
Don’t you see how weak that makes you? It’s pathetic. ”
She sucks in a gasp of surprise at my harsh words, her eyes shiny like she’s holding back tears. But I catch a flicker of something else in them too, a heat that I haven’t seen in a very long time.
Does she like the way I’m talking to her right now? Am I reading her wrong, or have I mistaken her arousal for annoyance?
“What? Does that turn you on, when I’m mean to you? Because I’m not afraid to hurt your feelings or call you out on your bullshit?” I find myself holding my breath, waiting to see how she’ll respond. Will she fight back? Or is she going to shut down like she always does?
Her breath is shaky as she lets out a long exhale, then finally says, “Okay, so I’m a coward and I’m weak, but I have my own reasons for not painting that I’d rather not get into right now.
” She holds her hand out for the joint. “Now give me some of that before you smoke it all, and I have to listen to any more of your philosophical ramblings while I’m sober. ”
I almost choke on my laugh as I pass her the joint, because as much as I’d love to actually hear her explanation, I’m just happy she finally stood up for herself. I feel my walls slowly start to come down and my mood lightening back to the way it was before.
Scout’s cheeks hollow as she sucks the small joint, and I can’t help the direction my mind goes at the visual.
She chokes and coughs as she exhales, waving her hand to clear the smoke as she fights to catch her breath. The sight has my cock growing hard again, and I don’t even try to hide my smile. There’s something so fucking hot knowing she’s breaking her rules, simply because I asked her to.
It makes me wonder what else I could get her to do. Oh, the ways I could corrupt her.
And that’s definitely the weed talking, bringing my most honest thoughts out to play. Rein it in, Kingsley. She’s the amateur here, not you.
She passes the joint back to me and I take another long drag, eyeing her through the thin cloud of smoke.
I see the instant she starts to feel it because she falls back in her chair in a lazy lean, her heavy-lidded eyes narrowing to a squint.
A hint of a smile pulls at her lips as she takes a deep breath, like she’s finding pleasure in the simple act of breathing.
“You feel the tingles yet?” I ask as I pass the joint back to her, to which she immediately takes another hit, this time managing to hold back her cough.
That’s my girl.
She nods, looking down at herself. “My nipples feel really… awake .” She shivers enthusiastically, then crosses her arms over her chest. “And the seam of these shorts keeps rubbing me inappropriately…”
I can’t say I was expecting that little confession, but I’m not mad about it either. Clearly, my inhibitions are also a little cloudy, because when the image of her fucking herself with her new pink vibrator pops in my mind, I don’t even try to push it away.
There’s no denying I’m attracted to her, but I’m also starting to sense it isn’t one-sided. I start to feel that annoying curiosity sneak back up, but this time I’m not quick to push it away.
I just need more information , I tell myself.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I watch as she wiggles in her seat, oblivious of the fact that I’m aware of what she’s doing.
“Holy… Oh wow,” she says, her eyes drifting closed as she bites her bottom lip and rolls her hips in a circle.
“Fuck,” I whisper under my breath as my cock strains beneath the hem of my sweatpants, as I watch her rub herself against the seat cushion. My hands are longing to reach out and touch her and I have to sit on them for extra precaution.
“I’m serious, Luka, this feels incredible. Have you tried this?” Scout’s voice is raspy now, and there’s an edge to it, probably from the smoke, but my cock seems to think it’s directed at me.
I bite my cheek to hold back my laugh. She’s so out of her mind right now, she’s grinding on the chair right in front of me. I should stop her before she embarrasses herself any further… But where would the fun be in that?
I think I’ll play with her a little more first.