Chapter 40 Christmas
?Azalea?
December twenty-fifth. It's motherfreaking Christmas.
And I'm ashamed of myself for still being in bed at the moment.
The shower in the bathroom turns off. I rub on Bear's belly who sits next to me, rolled over onto his back.
I'd been up for hours. Since about six. I already showered and did everything I needed to. Then I had laid back down with Grey because I needed a cuddle buddy.
I didn't even want to let him go this morning when he woke up. The little smile he had on his face when I wouldn't let him go was a sign that he liked that. He seems happy today and that makes me happy.
What also makes me happy is how juicy he looks. Oh yeah.
The bathroom door opens and I hear Grey's footsteps as he walks out.
I sit up slowly and admire him. His arms are raised as he dries his hair with a towel roughly.
His joggers hang low on his hips and I narrow my eyes at the defined top of a 'v' just above the waist of his pants.
His long sleeve shirt covers the rest of what I want to see.
He lowers the towel and tosses it into the hamper near the door. He raises his dark eyes to me and a slow smile pulls at his lips. He begins walking over to me and I raise my arms for him.
He leans into me and I hug him tightly. Sitting on the bed, he pulls me onto his lap gently. Bear lets out a soft whine.
"I know you're lookin' hard at my goodies," he uses the same term I use and my heart flutters.
I nod softly against him.
I pull away from the hug and place a long kiss on his lips.
"Merry Christmas," he pulls away, pecking my lips one more time. I smile.
"Merry Christmas you filthy animal."
"You gotta always be so mean to me?" he shakes his head but I know he's teasing.
"I'm never mean to you."
His eyes suddenly take on a certain look. I know that look. I've seen it too many times by now. His hands trail lower on my waist and he pulls my body closer to his.
"You hornish little buttnugge-" he cuts me off.
"Are you gonna give me my present now or later?" he leans down to me, uttering lowly.
"Right now," I whisper. His eyes flash excitedly. I raise my hands up to his booty and I slap that butt so hard.
"Merry Christmas, that was it," I smile and he looks more unamused than I've seen him look in quite a while.
"You're a little shit, you know that?" he squeezes my waist and I squirm a bit.
"Wanna know something?" I ask him and before he can answer, I continue anyway, "I don't give a fart."
"I got you something," he says and I perk up. He made me not get anything for him. Like, fully kept me from getting anything. He also said he'd be mad if I got anything which made me mad and I didn't talk to him for three minutes.
So then I said if I'm not allowed to get him anything, then he's not allowed to get me anything because that's not how this works.
"You did?"
"Fuck no, kiss my ass," he pulls away, smirking to himself and my mouth drops open. Then he comes back closer.
"I'm kidding," he shakes his head, rolling his eyes. So he did get me something? I swear he doesn't like to listen to me.
He reaches into the pocket of his joggers and when his hand comes back out, it's tightly closed. He brings his hand up, level to my face and I furrow my eyebrows. He extends out his pointer finger, all while still keeping the hand clenched shut.
He pushes his hand closer and his eyebrows furrow down at the neckline of my shirt and he points to it. I look down at what he's looking at and he opens his hand, running his monstrous hand up my face.
I give him an unamused look.
"Really, I did get you something," he nods, putting his hand into his other pocket. He brings his hand up and shows me his middle finger.
Someone has jokes today.
"I'm sorry," he pulls my head into his chest and he kisses the top of it. He reaches down and interlaces his hand with mine, pulling away.
"C'mon," he begins walking somewhere.
"I trust you as far as I can throw you. And you know what that means? That means I trust you zero percent," I explain.
"I'll pick your ass up so you ain't got a choice, Lilah," he gives my hand a tug.
I wish I was a freaking bodybuilder. One good time I just want to outpower him so bad. If I contact The Rock, I wonder what the chances are of him responding.
He brings me to the dresser.
"If you're about to open your underwear drawer and shove one over my head like you did that one time, I'm going to run away," I warn him.
"Like hell your lazy ass would run anywhere," he glances at me, a smile tugging at his lips.
"What is this? Make-fun-of-Azalea day?" I place my hands on my hips. I mean, even if my knee would allow me to run, he's right, I wouldn't but whatever.
"It's make-fun-of-Grey day every day for you, I think you can deal with this today," he nods.
"You're fixing to get got, you know that?" I roll up my invisible sleeves.
"Yeah?" he teases, rolling up his actual sleeves. I catch sight of a patch on his arm that looks like it's covered in saran wrap.
"What's that?" I question, looking up at him. He gives me one of his baby smiles. He removes the patch and I look at the new edition to his sleeve.
My heart beats wildly and my eyes automatically get watery.
A single beautifully detailed azalea sits in the previously blankish space.
Around the flower lies the leaves to it that go up and begin to wrap around the dead tree beside it.
Where the leaves have wrapped around the dead tree, there have been lighter highlights added.
Where the leaves of the azalea touch the dead tree, the tree seems to come back to life.
"What're you crying for?" his voice questions softly.
"It's like you actually love me or something," I joke, wiping under my eyes.
"Well, you like it?" he asks, "I mean, that shit's permanent so even if you don't you're still gonna have to look at it, but do you like it?"
I love it.
I love him.
I love those Colby Jack cheese squares too- stop.
"I mean it's a commitment," he shrugs, looking down at his arm. His eyes remain happy. He loves the tattoo too.
"But shit, an even bigger commitment is dealing with your ass every day and guess what? I do that," he adds. I throw my head back and laugh at his ridiculousness.
"I love it," I smile at him happily, "I really do."
"Good. I have another thing for you," he winces back because he knows I'm about to slap his boob.
"Grey Alexander Kingston. This isn't fair," I cross my arms.
"I already have everything I want, I don't need anything," he shakes his head.
"Does it look like I care?" I raise my eyebrows. I grab his wallet off the top of the dresser. I bring it in front of me.
"Merry Christmas you butt," I hand his wallet to him. I'm such a great last-minute gift giver.
He opens the drawer that he keeps his freaking guns in.
"Your nosy ass. This is the only damn place that you wouldn't stumble upon it," he rolls his eyes and I watch him pull out a pretty large flat box.
I recognize the brand name on the box to be one I cannot pronounce because it's foreign and obviously expensive.
"No," I deadpan.
"Yes sir," he tells me. He's stealing my phrases but it tickles my pickle.
"That's too much. Thank you, Sugar, but I can't take it-"
"You don't even know what the hell is in the box," he interrupts me.
"I can't even pronounce the name on the front of that velvet box. That's too expensive," I hold my heart.
"It cost me two bucks," he lies straight to my face.
He opens it and an absolutely gorgeous necklace lays inside it perfectly.
I gasp softly. The chain of the necklace is the cleanest platinum silver I'll probably ever see.
The part that makes my eyes water again is the solitaire diamond pendant that rests against the dark blue velvet padding of the case.
It's perfect. It's simple and absolutely gorgeous.
"Grey this is too much," I keep my hand on my heart. He sits the case on the top of the dresser and he picks the necklace up gently.
"Turn around," he tells me. I point my finger at him.
"I cannot."
"You don't like it?" he asks.
"I love it. Oh my gosh, I love it but-"
"Then turn your ass around," he tells me again. I give him the I'm-about-to-make-a-run-for-it look and he narrows his eyes. He picks up on that look.
I'm tackled by my third step onto the bed. He leans me up against the backboard and straddles me, but keeping his weight off me. He unclasps the necklace and there's no point in me struggling.
"It's too expensive, Grey," I whisper and he only flits his eyes up to mine for a quick enough second to give me a little smile.
"Your ass deserves the world; this isn't anything," he reaches around my neck. It takes him a few seconds but he finally gets it clasped back.
I love how his compliments are always so him.
"If I can't put a diamond on your finger yet, then one's going to be one around your neck," he tells me sternly before leaning down and giving my lips a soft kiss.
"I love you, Sugar."
"I love you, Lilah."
"Oh!" I suddenly remember, "We have to wake up Bear to give him his toys!"
"He can wait," he grumbles.
"Nuh-uh, he's a Santa Claus enthusiast, he needs his presents asap," I nod and Grey only rolls his eyes, moving off of me.
~~~
? Grey ?
Bear lays on the floor, all the toys and bones Azalea says Santa Claus got for him surrounding him.
From beside me, Azalea sits with her eyes trained on Bear. She loves that damn dog more than she loves me.
Her hand fiddles with the necklace that sits around her neck.
Abby was half behind the necklace. I wanted to get her something.
I've been wanting to get her something but I didn't know what.
She deserves more than just a couple thousand dollar necklace.
But I know if I got her anything bigger, she'd not talk to me for at least ten minutes.