Chapter 7
Knox
“No coming until you finish your work.”
“Hands off your dick until you solve the murder.”
“No humping the desk until you finish your to-do list.”
Mumbling to myself as I saved the document I’d been working on, I glared at the computer screen. “Serves him right. I’m already done.”
Pushing away from my desk, I marched out of my office and stomped into the kitchen since that was the last place I’d heard Rohan.
No Rohan.
“Were my countertops always that color?” As my feet instinctively started moving farther into the kitchen, I took in everything in pieces. “Wow. That’s.”
I had pretty countertops and there was food on the stove.
“That smells good.” I inched closer to the pot, not sure if I could lift the lid or not. “No peeking. It might be rice or something temperamental.”
Rice was the extent of my the pot is covered for a reason knowledge, but it seemed smart to leave it alone so I didn’t accidentally piss off Rohan.
“It’s soup.” The sound of him coming into the room hit me right as he chuckled. “And thank you.”
“It’s amazing.” The food. The kitchen. The blow job. “Thank you.”
Leaning against the wall by the fridge, he lifted one eyebrow. “Not so frustrated anymore?”
“Me? Frustrated?” I was not going to admit that. “No, I’m very grateful.”
And horny again.
And productive.
And I had a clean kitchen.
The smirk on his face said he’d guessed at least some of those thoughts, but since he didn’t seem to mind, I didn’t feel guilty about bouncing over. “Hi. I got a lot of work done.”
That meant I got a reward.
I waited to be fucked or forced to my knees, but he chuckled and kissed my forehead. “No orgasms yet. We’ve got to get a few things done and you need food in your stomach, not just cum.”
I had every intention of at least pouting, but my stomach took that moment to grumble.
Shit.
“Fine.” I realized how that sounded right after it came out, so I smiled and tried to fix it. “Thank you for feeding me and remembering I like soup.”
Shaking his head, Rohan didn’t bother trying to look frustrated with me. “You’re welcome. But while we’re on things you like and don’t...have you started eating cereal?”
I couldn’t hold back the shudder that went through me as I gagged.
“I thought so.”
When I got the visceral reaction under control, I shook my head. “No.”
Rohan was trying not to laugh but it looked painful for him. “Then can you explain why you had a bowl of leftover Cocoa Puffs in your sink?”
Huh?
“Um, no, I can’t.” Automatically looking toward the sink that I could actually see for the first time in ages, I frowned.
“I haven’t used a bowl in at least a week and that was for canned soup to tide me over until my Chinese food arrived.
And I rinsed and washed it right away because I was scared of what would happen if I left it there. ”
Things kept multiplying and it was getting overwhelming.
I wasn’t going to explain that, though, because I knew it sounded nuts.
“What color are your dishes?” Rohan’s question should’ve been stupid since he’d just spent God only knew how many hours finding the bottom of my kitchen, but the expression on his face said it was a good one.
“Um, blue, right? Several shades of blue?” Rohan was smarter than I was about nearly everything practical, so I was starting to question my memory. “I like blue.”
Didn’t I?
“Come let me show you something.” Taking my hand, Rohan led me over to a box on the counter I’d thought was recycling or something like that. “Do these dishes look familiar?”
“They’re flowered.” In at least a dozen different patterns. “Dishes should be solid colors so people don’t get distracted.”
Rohan was still for a moment before nodding. “I can see your point. But my concern is that I found them in your sink.”
Did I have ghosts?
Poltergeists?
I’d read a story once about monsters that lived under the bed.
Oh.
Looking up at the ceiling, I was relieved when Rohan started shaking his head. “Nope, no one is living upstairs. I checked in your attic and in the other rooms upstairs. You also don’t seem to have a basement, but you do have several randomly empty closets.”
“I kept forgetting what I put in them, so I just stopped using them.” It was either that or start labeling the doors...and that seemed like a lot of work since my label maker had died.
“I should’ve expected that answer.” Rohan’s grin said he was thinking about shaking his head again but had restrained himself. “I did expect the answer about the plates, though.”
The plates thing was weird.
“Do ghosts bring their own dishes?” I’d thought they were incorporeal but maybe not. “Is that where the random statues have come from? Do ghosts like roosters?”
Those were terrible and I couldn’t figure out where they’d come from.
Maybe I wasn’t going nuts?
“Someone is fucking with you.” Frowning, Rohan looked around the kitchen. “I have no idea what to do about that, though.”
At least I wasn’t stealing shit from the neighbors like a klepto cat on weird meds.
“I’m really glad it’s not me being a fuckup.” Maybe I wasn’t as dirty as I’d thought?
“Don’t look so hopeful. You’re still a mess.” Rohan glared at me as I sighed. “I’ve seen your office and don’t forget the state of your laundry room.”
Yeah, most of that was my problem and not a magical shit appearing everywhere problem.
“I don’t think all of that’s mine, though.” I did not have nearly that many sweaters but Rohan looked skeptical. “Honest. I don’t like sweaters that touch my neck and now I have five.”
Five.
Rohan finally laughed as he wrapped his arms around me.
“Alright, we will fix the gremlin or ghost issue, but for the time being, I’m going to feed you and show you the progress I made.
Then we’re going to sort through the clothes on your bed and you’re going to tell me which are yours and which aren’t. ”
Ugh.
“Thank you for doing so much work.” That might’ve come out whinier than I’d intended, but Rohan’s smirk said he’d get his revenge later.
“You’re welcome...and so polite.” Looking a bit like he couldn’t decide if he was going to laugh or spank me, he nodded toward the stove. “Dinner first.”
Then work.
Then sex?
Crossing my fingers, I smiled. “Yes, Sir. Have I mentioned that I really like soup?”
I was hoping I wouldn’t end up sassing him out of wanting to give me another orgasm...but I wasn’t terribly confident about it.
Yep, fingers needed to stay crossed.
****
“No. I’m not crawling under the bed again.” Rohan looked like he meant it that time, so I tried not to pout since we’d been too distracted being real adults to let me have another orgasm.
He was right. I’d rather be writing another book.
“But the story—”
He cut me off before I could finish. “Is not real. Tell me that you understand.”
Ugh.
“It’s not real.” But it’d felt real at the time and now I knew I wasn’t crazy. “You have to remember the dishes and the books and the statues.”
There was probably other weird stuff I hadn’t noticed, but I didn’t think the list needed to be any longer to make my point.
Yep, he frowned.
And sighed.
“Alright, let’s pack a bag for you.” Rohan looked around the room. “I haven’t run into a suitcase yet and now I’m finding that weird.”
Huh?
“Did the monster under my bed steal it?” I knew I had at least one. “I went to a book convention a few months ago. I know I brought clothes to that and Lori wouldn’t have let me use garbage bags.”
Rohan cocked his head as his gaze turned back to me. “Your logic is fascinating.”
“Thanks?” That’d been a good thing, right?
“You’re welcome.” His expression was so neutral, I still couldn’t tell how to take it. “First question, is there a chance your suitcase is still in your car?”
Oh, that was a good one.
“No.” I could answer that. “Because I would’ve had my toiletries in the suitcase and I’ve used my toothbrush since then.”
Whew.
I wasn’t sure how long clothes could stay in a car trunk but it probably wasn’t as long as I thought.
“Knox.” Rohan shook his head but he was smiling, so I didn’t have to worry. “Okay, that’s one thing off the list.”
There were probably still a thousand options left, though.
Rohan knew how to ask really good questions. “Where have you put suitcases in the past?”
“Um.” I could do this. I’d put them in lots of places. “Under beds. In that weird closet under the stairs. In the attic. In the pantry, and oh, one time in the garage, but that didn’t work out because spiders live there.”
That’d been a fucking mess and I’d ended up throwing out that suitcase.
Rohan let out a deep breath. “I’m not handling spiders, Knox. Fair warning. But I will handle mice and other crawly bugs.”
Thank God.
“I don’t have bugs.” I paid through the nose numerous times a year to be able to say that confidently.
“I’m very glad to hear that.” Not quite laughing, Rohan was giving me a look like he thought I was ridiculous. “We’re going to start by you looking under the guest bed and I’m going to see if I can find the closet under the stairs because I haven’t seen what you’ve hidden in there.”
“Nothing.” I hadn’t been able to reach it with everything piled up in the foyer. “It should be empty. And since you’ve done an amazing job on the kitchen, we know it’s not there.”
I had very nice countertops.
Who knew?
Rohan looked like he was going to sigh. “I’m not holding my breath on that.”
“It has to be empty.”
I really hoped it was empty.
Wait.
Could the box of books be in there?
How long had it been since I’d seen what was down there?
Shoot. Maybe the monster under the bed actually lived under the stairs?
Rohan didn’t seem to have considered that as he headed out of my bedroom and downstairs, but I wasn’t sure if warning him would be a good idea. He’d been kind of testy after searching under my bed for the third time.
His patience with the mess was amazing...but we were going to have to work on it when it came to monsters.
“Go check the bed.” Rohan must’ve been psychic because he called out from downstairs without having even seen me.
“I’m looking.” Kind of.
His snort carried through the house louder than he probably thought.
Yep, he wasn’t being rude. He probably just had a cold.
“Don’t bullshit me if you want an orgasm and to be saved from the gremlins.” His threat had me quietly hurrying to the guest room and hoping he couldn’t hear me walking.
He wouldn’t do it, though.
Rohan wanted Teddy’s story too much to let me get eaten by monsters or die from a lack of orgasms.
“Found it.” Ha. I hadn’t lost it. “I have two. I didn’t know that.”
Wait.
Were there three under there?
Why did I have so many suitcases?
Deciding it was probably something I’d done instead of the gremlins since they were all black and looked exactly the same, I didn’t see a reason to tattle on myself about it to Rohan.
“I’ll get clothes.” And my computer and my mug and maybe a few notebooks.
Just in case.
There could never be too many notebooks, and if I was lucky, he’d keep me for a few days. It’d be like an erotic vacation. I just wouldn’t tell Lori in case she took that kidnapping fantasy a bit too seriously.
She sometimes didn’t understand the difference between reality and fiction.