by Gray, Kiska
Gideon lounged on the couch with a glass of soda and watched me try and untangle the unholy mess that was multiple strands of lights. I sat cross-legged on the floor and fought with them. Somehow, I got all wrapped up and when I tried to stand, I tumbled to a heap on the floor.
Gideon’s laugh was sharply amused. He leaned down and touched my chin with two fingers. “Need some help, buttercup?”
I batted my lashes at him, playing innocent. “Pretty please?”
“Here, let me just…” He looped his finger through the strand around my neck and dragged me closer, his eyes alight with the glow of the bulbs. I saw the kiss coming from a mile away, but it tickled me to the very tips of my toes. His lips closed over mine, his tongue sliding inside without so much as a sigh. I grasped the collar of his long-sleeved Henley and rose up on my knees so I could kiss him back.
Fifteen minutes of swollen lips and some light groping later, Gideon was on the floor beside me, his pupils blown out. I put a hand on his chest when he tried to swoop in for round two. “You need to behave yourself, Mr. Grey.”
He grunted at me. “Behave? Never.”
I planted a fingertip on his waiting lips with a smile. “We aren’t done yet.”
“The tree’s up.”
“It is, but we still have to hit the mall, remember?”
Gideon’s cheeks puffed out on a low growl. “Seriously? I thought you were joking.”
“If we don’t go now, we’ll regret it. Trust me, that place is gonna be busy. You don’t wanna see what happens if we wait till Christmas Eve to buy gifts. Besides, Bath and Body is having a huge sale and I want to get Ma and Maddie something nice.” I pecked him on the lips and stood. He held out his hands, so I helped haul him to his feet. “C’mon. It’ll be fun and it’s the last thing I’ll ask you to do, I promise.”
“Cross your heart?”
“Promise! Besides. If you want that massage, I’ve gotta pick up some of those fancy oils. Killing two birds with one stone, hmm?” I wiggled my eyebrows and pulled my winter coat back on. I rubbed the rabbit fur on the hood against my cheek, humming to myself.
“Alright, but when we get home, I want you naked in my bed. Understood?”
“There’s no where else I’d rather be.” I meant it, too.
Just as I expected, the mall was packed tighter than sardines in a can. The scents of perfume kiosks and greasy foodcourt food wafted together. All around us, cute couples wearing cozy sweaters went strolling past, hand in hand, and I couldn’t help but notice the happiness on their faces. It made me pause.
I was happy, wasn’t I? With Gideon? He made me smile, made me laugh. Maybe…
No. I knew the rules before I ever agreed to them. I shook it off and grabbed Gideon’s hand. “C’mon, let’s hit the record shop first, since it’s on the way. I wanna buy your newest album.”
“Thought you didn’t do mainstream music.”
“I don’t, but you’re like a fungus—you grow on me.” I elbowed him. “Besides, I’m kind of sleeping with this sexy rockstar drummer and maybe I’m hoping to get him to sign it, so I have something to always remember him by.”
“Oh, dollface, all you gotta do is ask.”
Gideon took one sniff of the fragrances that drifted through the doorway to Bath and Body Works and wrinkled his nose. “Get what you need. I’m gonna go browse a few things. Meet me at the foodcourt at, say… Six-fifteen?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Soon, bags dangled from both my arms, but I was determined to get my Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop. I didn’t wanna go back out after this.
On my way to meet Gideon, I lingered at the storefront of my favorite clothing shop. My boots were still there, on display behind the glass. Taunting me. I gazed in at them, reveling in the supple brown leather and the four-inch block heels, imagining how they’d feel on my feet. Imagining how sexy I’d look wearing nothing but those boots.
I’d been saving every last penny to buy them, but it just wasn’t written in the stars. Not when I wanted to get Gideon something nice. Something to remember me by whenever he looked at my gift. Something he’d use every day and maybe smile when he thought about us, about what we shared.
Exhaling softly, I tore my gaze away from my beautiful boots and kept walking. Maybe someday.
I found him at the food court, practically drooling over New York style pizzas. “Do you mind if we get one to go?” He pulled out his wallet, which told me he was already all-in, so I couldn’t exactly say no. Besides, he’d put up with my bullshit all day. He’d earned it.
“Pizza sounds good. No olives, please and thank you.”
“Olives on half,” he countered, to which I shrugged. No fucks given.
I carried all our bags while Gideon balanced the box of a super-supreme pizza in his arms. We walked through the doors and a gust of wind tried to yank the box right out of his hands. He yelped and made a grab for the lid. “Not today, Old Man Winter,” he crowed at the sky. “I ain’t sharing.”
“You’re a dork. Hurry up, it’s cold as balls out here.”
Sexy massage all but forgotten, we spent the rest of the evening stuffing our faces full of pizza and Dr. Pepper while a random documentary on Ancient Egypt played in the background. I wiped my greasy hands on a paper towel and grabbed the remote.
“Oh! The Santa Clause is on,” I said, bouncing in my seat.
“And your point?”
“We’re watching it. It’s classic Tim Allen. One of my favorites, if not the ultimate Christmas movie. Go pop us some popcorn, would you?”
“You just ate half a fucking pizza,” Gideon griped, but he was smiling. I could hear it in his voice.
“Pretty please?” I nuzzled my nose along his cheek. “For me?”
“You’re a pain in my ass.”
“Last I checked, I’m not the one who tops.” I cackled and he swatted at me, but stomped off into the kitchen. A minute later, I heard the telltale sounds of popping kernels in the microwave and I smiled, even as sadness tugged at my heartstrings.
Why did he have to be so damn perfect for me?
21
Mika
Lost in a mire of endless thoughts, I yelped in surprise when Gideon came sliding up behind me to grab my ass. I twisted around to smack him, but the scruff of his facial hair rasped against the nape of my neck where Gideon started planting kisses. Ugh. He knew exactly what to do to turn my knees to jelly.
He chuckled low in his throat. “Jumpy.”
“You scared me!”
“You were thinking pretty hard, huh?” He nuzzled his nose behind the shell of my ear, then gently nibbled on my earlobe. A little shiver trickled through me. Gideon laughed again, softer now. “You nearly jumped out of your skin. Penny for your thoughts?”
“I’m a little nervous about tonight, that’s all,” I murmured, wiping my sweaty hands off on the apron I’d donned earlier this morning when I began my baking extravaganza. Over dinner last night, Gideon had invited me to his friends’ Christmas get-together and I knew I couldn’t go empty-handed. My Ma had taught me better than that.
I’d already made a big batch of peanut butter buckeyes, and a dozen thumbprint cookies were in the oven, making the whole apartment smell like warm brown sugar. That wasn’t even counting the from-scratch chocolate chip cookie dough—with Ghiradelli chocolate, thank you very much—resting on the counter, ready to be rolled into balls and popped onto a baking sheet.
“Nervous about what? Because it can’t possibly be your cooking.” He leaned in and snatched a buckeye off the plate before I could swat his hand away. He popped the entire thing into his mouth and began to chew. “Mmm. So good.”
“It’s not every day I get invited to dinner with a bunch of rockstars,” I pointed out.
Gideon only shrugged, as if it were really no big deal. “So what? You have dinner with me every night, yeah? No diff. They’ll love you and your cooking. I know I do.”
My stupid heart st
uttered at his choice of words. I knew he didn’t mean what I heard, but a boy could dream. Maybe in an alternate reality, Gideon could love me, but in this one? He loved my baked goods, that’s all. Wishing for more would only make it hurt worse when we did go our separate ways.
I breathed in deeply and centered myself. Not today. That was a problem for future-me. Present-me was gonna finish baking these bomb-ass cookies, then dress to impress.
And wasn’t that the truth? I wanted to impress Gideon’s friends. I wanted them to approve of me even though their approval wouldn’t mean shit in the end, but still. It mattered.
With goodies in tow, Gideon drove us out to Lazarus Knight’s house. Scratch that—Lazarus Knight’s mansion. “Holy shit,” I uttered. The place was gorgeous and massive, at least three times bigger than Ma’s place, and she had one hell of a house. I could only imagine what was on the inside. A guy like this could probably afford a chef to cook him dinner and a maid to clean his messes. Damn. I was a little bit jealous, not gonna lie.
Gideon smirked. “Nice, ain’t it? It’s too much house for one guy, but Laz is a special snowflake. He took one look and had to buy it, but this is where the magic takes place. Gravitation’s hub. All of our new music is brought to life in this fancy little abode. We’ve even got a recording studio down in the basement for b-sides and demos. C’mon, grab your cookies and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
I gulped and followed him inside.
At first glance, Lazarus was kind of intimidating, dwarfing me by at least two foot, easy, and built like a linebacker. His golden hair fell in shower-damp waves to the edge of his jaw, wild and unruly, but when he shot me a smile as radiant as the sun, I decided it fit him. He waved us in, clapping Gideon on the back as we passed.
“You must be Mika. Come on in, guys, and happy holidays.”
“Bah humbug,” Gideon retorted, followed by an “oof” as I elbowed him in the side. “I mean… Ho-ho-ho. Merry fucking Christmas.” He stalked off into what I presumed was the kitchen, leaving me alone with his friends.
“He’s such a Grinch,” Lazarus stage-whispered to me.
I laughed, my nerves fluttering away. I liked this guy. “So I’ve noticed. Hi. Mika Wolfram.” I offered a hand. When he took it, he drew me into a quick hug. “Your house is amazing…and is that fried chicken?” I sniffed the air. It smelled amazing, but not what I’d pictured coming into this.
Laz made a face. “Please don’t tell me you’re vegan or something.”
“Yeah, no. I love chicken, I’m just surprised your place smells like a KFC joint.”
“What, were you expecting something a little more extravagant?” he teased. “Baked fried chicken is a tradition in our little family. It’s my own special recipe. Not even my boyfriend knows my secret ingredient, and he knows everything.”
“Sounds intriguing.”
“Don’t let him fool you,” crowed another voice. A red-headed guy with an ample sprinkling of freckles across his cheeks and nose came ambling into the room. He slung his arms over the back of the leather couch and winked at me. “His so-called secret ingredient is chili powder. Boom. Myth debunked, you’re welcome. I’m here till Tuesday.”
“Wrong again, my friend,” Laz replied easily.
I tilted my head. “Izzy, right?”
Izzy looked shocked. “Wow, Gideon talks about me? Probably shit, right? He’s such a pain in the ass. Yep, I’m Izzy and you must be the boy wonder. Gideon’s never brought anyone to our little family gatherings and I’ve known him basically forever. Consider yourself special. Hey sis, come meet Gideon’s boyfriend!”
His voice boomed through the house and my insides clenched up. I half-expected Gideon to shout something back. I wasn’t his boyfriend and we both knew it, but he kept his silence.
Instead, a girl with hair the same gingery color as Izzy’s strode into the room. Izzy threw his arm around her shoulders. “This is Ivy. She’s my other half—ouch!”
She stomped on his foot, then turned shrewd eyes on me. “Hey,” is all she said. I got the feeling that she didn’t approve. Then again, if first impressions were anything to go by, I was pretty confident that she was the type of chick to judge first and ask questions later. She shook her head and patted the crumpled Marlboro box out of her back pocket. She offered it to me. “Smoke?”
“Ah. No. Ma’s a surgeon. She’s been preaching the whole cancer thing since I was a kid.” It felt as lame as it sounded, but I’d made a promise. We all had promised her we’d never touch a cigarette, and I was a man of my word. “Thanks, though.”
Ivy shrugged and kept walking. The door snapped shut behind her and Izzy patted my shoulder. “She’s in a mood. She and her boyfriend have been fighting like cats and dogs since they got here. He’s really not good for her, but she’s too proud to see it.”
Gideon showed up again with a cookie in his mouth. He leaned against the doorframe. “Ivy’s a bitch. Don’t take it personal. I don’t. Man, these cookies are great. Iz, come over here and try one.”
“We’ll spoil our dinners and Papa Laz will get mad.” Izzy snickered.
“I heard that,” came Laz’s disembodied voice from somewhere down the hall.
“Fuck it, you only live once. Check out this kitchen, Mika, you’re gonna love it.” Gideon waved me over, but I never got the chance.
The doorbell rang, but it must’ve only been a courtesy because two college-aged kids came pushing through the front door, their arms filled with gifts. “Merry Friendsmas!” The guy was short and cute with floppy brown hair and square-framed glasses, while his girlfriend was a perky blonde.
Or at least I assumed she was his girlfriend, up until he open-mouth kissed Laz in front of everyone. Laz looped an arm around his waist to tug him closer. “Bex, Mika. Mika, this is my boyfriend, Bex and his friend, Savannah—and here come Apollo and Sebby. Just saw them pull into the drive. We’ve got a full house today.”
His smile was bright. “The chicken should be done any minute. I’m gonna go check on that. Oh, and there’s wine in the fridge if you want some. Help yourselves, what’s mine is yours, yada-yada.”
I grinned. “I like him.”
“Me too,” Bex said happily. “Best boyfriend ever.”
“Bex, can you set the table?” Laz called over his shoulder and with a laugh, Bex hurried off to lend a hand. I stood off to the side, a little shell-shocked by all the commotion going on. Despite the house’s sheer size, it still felt small and homey with everyone bustling about.
“Smells like Christmas,” sang the man coming through the front door.
I recognized him immediately. Small world. “Hey, you’re that guy from Little Infinities. I didn’t know you were a rockstar.”
Apollo threw his head back and laughed like that was the funniest thing in the world. “Nah, I’m just engaged to one. Did you get your ink? Let me see.” He set the stack of gift boxes down on the couch, so I rolled up my sleeves to show off Joriah’s work. His fingers skimmed over my wrists. “Wow. They turned out amazing.”
“Thanks, I love them. He’s totally doing my next tattoo.”
“Mine, too.” Gideon popped up behind me. “Hey. Long time, no see.”
“Merry Christmas, Gideon,” Apollo said. He glanced between us, no doubt wondering where I fit in in this equation, so I made it easy on him.
“I’m Mika, by the way.” I chin-nodded to Gideon. “I’m with him.”
“Oh, you’re in for a treat then.” Apollo’s gray eyes glittered with mischief. “These guys can get pretty rowdy when they get a bit of booze in them, and lucky us, I brought a couple of bottles. Let’s get this party started.”
The dining room was soon filled with chatter as everyone sat down and began to hand dishes around the table, starting with Lazarus and going counter-clockwise. I took a little bit of everything—mashed potatoes, corn casserole, some sort of green jello salad, a dinner roll, and a couple of chicken thighs—then passed them on down the line.
/> “How are you not a chef?” I blurted after taking a bite of the most tender and juicy chicken I’d ever tasted. The skin was perfectly crunchy with the right blend of seasonings, with just enough spice to make my tongue tingle. “This is amazing.”
Laz grinned. “I could say the same about you,” he said. “These cookies. Damn.”
“Gideon was right. The boy can bake,” Izzy agreed. He pointed his fork at me. “You’ve got a talent, man. Use it!”
“Told you,” Gideon said smugly. “He’s destined for greatness. Give it a couple of years and he’ll be opening a bakery so sweet it’ll knock your damn socks off, I’m sure of it.”
“I will not,” I grumbled, my cheeks burning hotter than an inferno.
“Why not? It’s a solid plan,” Laz said. “Might be something to think about.”
After dinner, I lingered in the dining room till it was only me and Laz. “Want some help?” I stood and stacked a couple of plates, carrying them into the kitchen. “I don’t mind.”
“That would be nice.” The two of us busied ourselves with clearing the table and putting leftovers away so Laz could run the pots and pans through his fancy-ass dishwasher. By the time we’d finished up, the place was spotless. Laz wiped his face with a towel and tossed it onto the countertop. “Whew. Thanks, Mika.”
“No problem.” Hoots of laughter could be heard from the living room. I rolled my eyes. “We should probably join them, huh? How drunk do you think Gideon’s gonna get. Should we be taking bets?”
Laz chuckled. “Nah, he’s actually done really well this year. Usually he’s shitfaced up past January. He doesn’t handle the holiday season very well, as you might’ve already noticed, but this year it’s been different.”
“I think you’re good for him, Mika. To be completely honest, I’ve never seen him so enamored with someone before, not like he is with you, and that’s good. It’s real good. He needs someone to keep him in line, keep him on his toes.” He patted me on the shoulder. “I think you’re a keeper. Stick around for awhile, kid.”