Chapter 31 - August #2
I remove my boots and line them up neatly out of sight under her armchair for my neat freak girl.
Helmet off and bare to her, I’m giving her the opportunity to take me all in if she chooses to, sins and all.
She stays where she is, telling me that she doesn’t want the fairytale to end any more than I do.
I slide behind Kate, snuggle up behind her, and pull her back to my chest.
“Mmm,” she moans into me.
Josh claims my lap and my attention.
I laugh. “Not tonight, boy. Tonight’s all about Mommy.”
He groans and stomps off to sulk on the opposite pillow.
“I think I lost favor with him,” I say.
She cuddles her water bottle. “You’re definitely getting the cold shoulder.”
I lift Kate’s second surprise from the tray I carried it on. “Drink this, baby. It’ll help calm the dragon.”
She lifts the mug to her nose and inhales deeply. “Hazelnut hot chocolate. My favorite.” She pats my thigh. “Good stalker.”
Being called that gives me a thrill when I should hate the label. The thrill gives way to a sting that scrapes away at my conscience. I’m not the bright orange she calls me. I’m cut from the same black rot as the Romans, and she should run instead of leaning into the comfort I bring.
“Good girl,” I praise as she sips, swallowing down my guilt.
Her drink’s laced with magnesium, cinnamon, and ginger to ease her cramps without the strong taste. Menstrual cramps took my sister out for a day or two, and I won’t have my diamond suffer the same.
“Did you get these?” She glances at the chocolate box.
“Do I need to eliminate competition sending you gifts?” I brush her nape.
She giggles, then groans and presses a hand to the water bottle over her stomach. “I’m not courting other stalkers.”
“Good. No one’s dying tonight, then.” I rub her leg through her flannel pajamas. “I hear chocolate calms dragons.”
Phase Two complete.
She blows on the steaming liquid in her mug. “Can you get any more perfect?”
Fuck. Every time she says that, it hammers another nail in my coffin.
“As a matter of fact, I can,” I croak, alluding to Phase Three. “You have to finish your drink first.”
She pouts and slowly consumes her drink.
When she’s done, I start massaging her shoulders, working my way lower. Every groan, every little tilt of her head, every slackening muscle sings to me. My cock is painfully hard, but this isn’t about me.
“I love being pampered, Daddy,” she murmurs.
“Get used to it, Glitter Bomb.” I undo knots in her arms from sitting at her computer all day. I used to get them too from hunching over case files and reviewing evidence to crack a case.
She hums again, and I think I permanently dent my zipper.
“Alright. I can’t take all this perfection. It’s giving me small dick syndrome.” She smacks my thigh. “Confess your darkest secrets. Do you have a criminal record?”
I laugh. “Not officially.”
“Sex scandals?”
I snort. “Just this one.”
She pats my leg. “Good answer. That’s a green flag I’ll accept.”
I kiss along her neck and reach for the buttons of her top. “Glad you think so.” I flick open the flannel and slide my fingers over her belly.
“You’re distracting me,” she whispers.
I pull a small bottle of almond oil from the tray, squirt it on my palms, and warm it between my hands.
“The lady in the aromatherapy shop said it’s good for menstrual cramps,” I tell her, pressing it to her skin.
She hisses and flinches. I start gently, working in circles on her stomach.
“Oh, that’s good,” she breathes. “Don’t stop under penalty of death!”
I won’t. Not until she’s comfortable and asleep. And maybe not then.
She falls asleep in my arms. I hold her, brushing her hair, her arms, her belly. An hour later, I slide out from beneath her, remove my clothes, and jump into bed with her, wrapping myself around her.
I wake at sunrise as I always do, and brush the hair from her temples, and press a kiss to her hair. She rouses and gives me a sleepy groan.
“Morning, Glitter Bomb.” I smile into her hair.
“You didn’t just call me that before sunrise,” she sasses.
I crush her to me, smirking into her silky hair. “For someone who’s so full of color, you’re grumpy when it comes to sunlight.”
She yawns and blinks back heavy eyes. “You’re lucky I love that nickname.
I have reason to be grumpy, working three jobs for the last six weeks and getting little sleep.
” She pokes me in the stomach. “And your dick needs to take responsibility for keeping me awake until the early hours of the morning.”
“I’ll give you that.” I rub her hip. “You’ve got more reason to be grumpy than me.”
I smile, not feeling as lonely now that there are two grumps first thing in the morning. She’s dropped the performance and isn’t trying to dazzle me with sequins.
I trace her collarbone. “Is that your way of saying you won’t breathe dragon fire on me?”
She snaps a sassy eye open. “I’ll hold off on digging your glittery grave only because I love you, and you look sexy in my apron and make tasty pancakes.”
Those three words hit harder than any bullet can. Maybe I’m not completely damned after all.
I huff out a laugh. “Glad to know you only view me as eye candy who can cook.”
She brushes her fingers along the ridges of my stomach, appreciating her protective piece of stalker meat.
I nip her jaw. “I’m going to pour fairy stalker mother glitter into your panties so you don’t wake up grumpy.”
She laughs and props herself on her elbow, hair a glorious disaster that I sink my fingers into. “I’m awake now and twenty percent less grumpy.”
“I know something to boost your sunshine by fifty percent.” I roll her onto her back and lean over her to capture her lips in a morning kiss. She sighs into my mouth.
PJ3 stretches, yawns, and shoves his paw into my face, his version of scolding me for moving.
“Just fifty?” Her nails trace lazy circles on my back.
“Sixty percent.” I kiss the column of her throat, showing her just what kind of pleasure the percentage entails.