by D. A. Young
“I talk to her about you constantly so she’ll be ready.”
“How’s Bailey and your parents doing? I can’t believe she’s all grown up!” Annabelle had often seen Kenya’s younger sister in fashion magazines, all grown up and strutting her stuff. Once Bailey and a couple of other super models had vacationed here inFurla, and had shut the place down. People were going crazy following them around. It was the one and only time, Annabelle had called out of work and stayed around the house that weekend keeping a low profile.
“Mama and Daddy are good. They’re thinking of getting a time share in Key West and Bailey is great. She comes home between shoots. I think she’s finally over being dumped by NFL star and über douche canoe supreme, Hendrix Mason,” Kenya said victoriously.
It was evident to Annabelle that Kenya still blamed the talented quarterback of the Miami Destroyer’s for breaking her baby sister’s heart when he graduated from high school with Annabelle and Kenya. Hendrix had left Baymoor and never looked back. Bailey who was a year behind them and a bit shy, had been devastated. Personally, Annabelle had liked Hendrix. He’d never struck her as a villain of any sorts, but it wasn’t like she had the best track record when it came to men or demons disguised as them.
“That’s great to hear everyone is happy.” Annabelle tried to stifle her yawn, but couldn’t. “I hate to say this but I have to go.” Rory would be up soon and she always went to mummy’s room after going potty. Annabelle didn’t want her to become worried if she didn’t see her. “Don’t worry, Kenny. I’ll be in touch soon. I love you, girly.”
Kenny immediately became emotional. “I love you so much, Annabelle! Promise me that you’ll keep in touch!”
“I promise, Kenny. I swear I will.”
When she logged off, Annabelle went to the sofa, bent down and pressed her lips to Graham’s. “Wake up, Mr. Carlton. It’s time for us to go to bed.”
“It’s wrong to send mixed signals like that, woman,” he replied without opening his eyes. He held open his arms for her. “Does something to a man’s libido. Come here.”
“Are you crazy? I’m way too heavy—”
“Doc, promise to God if you say something about your weight…” Graham left the sentence hanging as he fixed her in his sights with a disapproving frown. He grabbed her hand and tugged her down.
Annabelle allowed Graham to pull her on top of him. He wrapped her in his arms and buried his face in her neck. They fit perfectly like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Her eyelids began to droop as she curled into him, breathing in his fragrance. “Thank you for tonight. It was perfect.”
“I was just glad to see your pretty smile back in place.” Graham smiled to himself when he felt her smiling against his chest.
“You’re the reason it looks like that,” Annabelle mumbled into his arm pit, embarrassed to admit it aloud. “Don’t pat yourself on the back too hard, Captain Dimples.”
“Are you sure? I thought I was the reason you bared your teeth like a rabid animal.” He inhaled sharply when she bit his pec through the tank top. “Now that was on my list.”
“Sooo silly. When will you leave?” Annabelle turned to look up at Graham who tightened his arms around her but was staring up at the ceiling. Melancholy settled over her like a fog knowing it didn’t matter if he said tomorrow or a year from now. Both scenarios depressed her.
“In four days.” Knowing he had to go was killing Graham but it was better this way. The sooner he got back and went to work, the sooner they would be reunited.
“I’m going to miss you. Will you at least call me and let me know you made it back?”
“You ain’t getting rid of me that easily, doc. I’ll call, but we’ll Skype too on my laptop. I’m leaving it here with you. It’s not my main one and it’s untraceable.” Graham sat up and picked her up in his arms. “Now it’s time for bed. I’d say you’ve got about three hours before babygirl wakes up.”
Annabelle wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head to his chest. It was nice to be with a man who didn’t scream at her about her weight. They got to the top of the stairs and she pointed him to the door at the end of the hallway on the left. Despite the fact that he was carrying another person, Graham moved quietly but swiftly. He opened the door to her room and deposited her at the door.
She caught his hand as she opened the door. “Stay with me.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to confuse or upset Rory.”
“I just don’t want to let you out of my sight…stay with me, Mr. Carlton,” Annabelle pulled him into her room. And because he was on the same wavelength, Graham walked into her bedroom that was decorated in abstract black and white with gold accents. He allowed Annabelle to push him down on her queen-sized bed and caught her as she fell into his arms.
Exactly where they both wanted to be, Annabelle and Graham drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
***
The small pats on Annabelle’s cheek were Rory’s signature move of waking her up. “Mummy? Time to get up! We making breakfast! Come on, Mummy!”
Annabelle opened her eyes to see Rory kneeling next to her in the spot that Graham had lain in. Her hair was redone in the bun from the night before, which let Annabelle know Edith was also up. The alarm clock on her nightstand said eight-thirty. She sat up with a big yawn. “Give Mummy one second. Let me brush my teeth and I’ll be down.”
“’Kay but hurry! Sometimes you take too long!” Rory hopped down from the bed and ran out of the room.
“How long did it take for you to master potty training, missy-poo?” Annabelle called after her as she headed to the master bathroom. She smiled at Rory’s giggles. “Exactly, so yeah, you’d better run!”
As Annabelle left her bedroom, she could now smell bacon. There was also another aroma wafting through the air. Something sweet that was making her tummy rumble. When she entered the kitchen, Annabelle found Graham holding Rory and a stainless-steel bowl as she painstakingly whisked the bowl’s contents.
“Look at me, Mr. Ram! I’m doing a good job!” Rory beamed going faster and causing liquid to splatter on Graham’s arms. “Uh-oh! I got you, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, babygirl. Hold on, for a second. Just let me add a little salt and pepper.”
She looked up at Annabelle. “Mummy, I’m a wish king! Come look!”
For a man running on barely any sleep, Graham looked good in his black tee-shirt and dark gray sweat pants. He winked at Annabelle as she approached with a dish towel. “Hey, sleepyhead.”
“Good morning, everyone. What are you whisking, Rory?” Annabelle ran it under the faucet and wiped his arm clean, deliberately lingering to run her fingers over his damp skin as she pressed a kiss to his bicep.
Her daughter squinted at Graham. “Uhhhh…it’s called holy days? Did I get it right, Mr. Ram?”
“Close enough. It’s holl-an-daise sauce,” Graham explained to her patiently. “Breakfast is just about done. Can you please go and wake your Gigi?”
“Yes, I’m so hungry!”
Graham waited until Rory left the room to pull Annabelle into his arms and lift her on the counter. “I think I just bought us five minutes and plan to use them wisely.”
He kissed her softly and held her to him. Graham didn’t need to say a word to convey what he was feeling. Time was running out. Annabelle wrapped her arms around his middle and held on for dear life. “If Edith is asleep, then that means you did Rory’s hair.”
“I was leaving your room when she came out of hers. She was upset that her bun had to be taken down last night. So instead of her waking you, I grabbed the hair products from the bathroom and redid it. It wasn’t that hard. I’ve done my niece Camille’s hair in a similar style,” Graham pushed her braids back and kissed her neck. “Then she said she was hungry so we decided to make breakfast and let you and Edith sleep a little longer. Today you’re getting my specialty, Eggs Florentine Benedict, potatoes roasted in duck fat, and apple-cinnamon rolls.”
&nbs
p; She was going to wife him so hard, Annabelle thought to herself as she reached up and kissed his jawline. “Thank you. What am I supposed to do when you leave me, Mr. Carlton? I’ll have to go crawl and beg for boxed cereal and crappy instant coffee to take me back.”
“If you do, I’m going to put you over my knee and spank you,” he warned her.
“I’ll make sure to send you pics then.” His chuckle against her neck made Annabelle’s toes curl. “You’re very big on eating well, aren’t you? I don’t mean health-wise, but good food. No quick breakfasts or processed foods.”
“I like good quality food and prefer making it to dining out. That challenge in the Marines really hooked me. There’s something about being in the kitchen that relaxes me. To know that the end result is going to be so satisfying makes the entire experience rewarding.”
Graham released her and began plating food while Annabelle set the table. He continued speaking as she grabbed the plates and brought them over while he made cappuccinos. “When I was growing up, drugs were a priority to have in the house instead of food. Hot dogs were a fancy meal until Eliza got a job. After that it was always fast food meals. Quick easy food that could be eaten on the go. We’d smuggle it into the bedroom we shared with Georgie and then toss the trash into the dumpster below our window. There wasn’t time to savor meals with Ingrid sniffing around looking for money. We were trying to save money to get out.”
Annabelle couldn’t fathom living like that. Yes, the Gaines struggled with finances but her grandparents had often invited them over to eat and sent them home, arms laden with leftovers. “What about the holidays?”
“Before Eliza got her job, we went to a local shelter for a meal and then spent time taking Georgie to the park. Most people do ‘Black Friday’ and shopping, but it’s actually ‘Family Day’ so we emphasized that aspect instead. After Eliza got her job we upgraded to buffets with our downstairs neighbor Paula and her kids, then we’d go to the movies, bowling, or Circus Circus. We just wanted to give Georgie as much normalcy as possible with what we had. I like to think it paid off. We’ve come a long way from those times, but ‘Family Day’ is what we still emphasize with Camille.”
Graham was such an enigma. Like Annabelle, he had been molded from his experiences. Instead of being anything like his parents, he was a loving family man that championed those not in a position to do it for themselves. Yet he had a ruthless side. One he planned to unleash wholly on Davis. Annabelle could see the icy violence in his eyes last night at dinner, but it didn’t frighten her. Nothing about Graham frightened her because she knew his heart and loved him all the more for it.
“Taste this.” Graham held out a perfectly browned potato bite for her and Annabelle swooned as the rich taste of the duck, garlic, and rosemary danced on her taste buds. “Thought you’d like that. Stick with me, Doc. I’ll take you places.”
Rory re-entered the kitchen holding Edith’s hand. “Now can we eat? I’m hungry!”
***
They spent the remainder of the morning on a glass bottom boat Graham rented. Rory sat with Graham to watch stingrays, eels, sea turtles, assorted schools of fish, and a pod of dolphin swimming. While Annabelle and Edith lounged and listened to them discuss their findings in great detail. They even spotted a few whales before returning to shore where they decided to go to the beach that was crowded as usual on the weekend.
“Why do I have to wear the vest, Mummy?” Rory pouted as Annabelle slipped it on her and secured it. “I’m a good swimmer!”
“You know the rules, baby. If you want to get in the water, you have to wear the vest. Now let’s put some more sunscreen on because everyone is waiting for us to have fun!”
It was a perfect afternoon and Graham, Rory, and Annabelle spent most of the time in the clear water. They only emerged to eat the pizza Edith bought then rest. Rory played with a beach ball with some other children while Annabelle watched as Graham and Edith played spades and talked smack to each other. Soon Rory stumbled tiredly into Annabelle’s lap for a cuddle and story. Her eyes drifted closed before Annabelle reached the end of the book and soon her light snores filled the air.
Carefully Annabelle removed the swim cap and wiped the sand from Rory’s little body before cuddling her daughter, breathing in her special fragrance. Her skin was sun-kissed and warm and she smelled like baby and sunshine. Annabelle smoothed Rory’s curly lashes which tended to clump together and traced the curves of her plump cheeks. She leaned back in her chair with Rory and took a nap as well, unaware of Graham stopping the fast-paced card game to pick his phone up and take pictures of them.
***
He was all packed. Tonight, Annabelle let him put Rory to bed. She’d listened from the doorway as Graham explained that he was leaving in the morning.
“Where are you going, Mr. Ram? You coming back?” Rory asked sleepily.
“I have to take care of some things, but yes, I’m coming back, babygirl. I promise.” Life was funny in the way it tested you. He was leaving to kill her father in order to keep her mother safe.
“’Kay you gotta keep it. Mummy says promises are important,” she muttered. Suddenly her eyes popped open and her words were crystal clear. “I love you, Mr. Ram. You love me?”
Graham was fucking undone. He was trying to man up and hold it in, but crashed and burned severely with those sparkling eyes looking up at him hopefully. He opened his arms and Rory scrambled into them. As a kid, he’d perfected the art of crying in silence. The need to be strong for his sisters surpassed his own hurt. But he had no defenses against this slip of a girl. The tears gathered in his eyes and his shoulders shook as she settled her head on his shoulder. “I do love you, Rory. Be good for your mummy and Gigi.”
“I will. What do you call a fake noodle?”
“I don’t know, babygirl, what?”
“An impasta!” Rory giggled, pointing a finger at Annabelle. “Mummy’s zoozles are impastas’!”
Graham stayed with her, listening and laughing as she told joke after joke. They sat in the rocking chair until she finally fell asleep.
There was a knock at the door before Annabelle opened it and entered the casita. She wore a strapless bronze maxi dress, sympathetic grin and was carrying a small picnic basket, bottle of wine and two glasses. “I come bearing gifts. How are you doing, babe?”
Graham scowled at her as he rubbed his chest. Annabelle bit her lips in an effort to suppress her amusement as he accused her, “You should have warned me, Doc! I’m feeling like I can’t breathe right now.”
Her laughter warmed his bruised heart. “My poor baby! I promise it doesn’t get easier. The first time I left her was for a convention in Melbourne three weeks ago. For two days, I felt like my heart had been ripped out.”
Annabelle held the bottle up. “I found a bottle of wine Edith bought last week. It’s a perfectly chilled sauvignon blanc. She gave us her blessings to enjoy and told me I better not show my face in the house again tonight.” She produced a wine opener and poured the wine into the glasses. Graham came up behind her, his lips trailing along her bare back and shoulders as he took a glass. Annabelle was so on the edge and about to teeter off, her body was vibrating uncontrollably for his attention. She leaned into him, warning, “Don’t start something you can’t finish, sir.”
“Challenge accepted, Doc.” Graham set the glass back down, then took Annabelle’s as well and set it aside. He cupped her throat and tilted her head back to mold his lips to hers.
Annabelle absorbed his clean minty taste, loving the way his tongue danced with hers. They were lost in the taste of each other, but it was nowhere near enough and there was nothing stopping them tonight. Against her lips Graham rasped, “You have no idea what you do to me, Doc. I need you so bad…”
“I think I have a clue,” Annabelle’s voice was rife with her desire for him. “Don’t make me wait any longer, Mr. Carlton…”
His head dropped to her shoulder and his hands wrapped tightly around her wa
ist, fingers reaching up to brush against her rigid nipples causing an intense ripple of desire to wind through Annabelle. “Are you sure, baby? I need you to be sure because right now I’m fucking delirious with wanting you. I need you to be on the same page.”
Annabelle broke away from him to walk to stand by the side of the bed. She tugged her dress down her body and it floated around her legs to the floor, then removed her skimpy thong and strapless bra. She stood still and proud, allowing Graham to look his fill of her body.
His mouth was bone dry as he drank in her abundant curves. Annabelle’s large breasts were topped by onyx nipples that were tightly puckered and begging for his attention. The soft curve of her belly and the stretchmarks crisscrossing across the lower part, flared hips, and thick full thighs that Graham knew would cushion him perfectly as he rode her body. She was exquisite.
“Sex ain’t for looking pretty. It’s messy, dirty, fun and can get a little kinky with me, but I promise you’ll have a good time if you trust me. If you still want to do this, get on the bed.” Annabelle spun around, rushing to do his bidding and Graham muttered, “Jesus Christ!”
Her ass was flawless but it was no less than Graham expected, and the bountiful globes were giving him all kinds of kinky ideas. He hurriedly stripped out of his clothes as Annabelle lay in the middle of the bed.
Words failed her as she took in Graham Carlton in his full glory. Magnificent. That was the only word to describe him. His body was lean with muscle evenly distributed on his tall frame. The black ink of his tribal tattoos in no way detracted from his form or gorgeous face. Her eyes dipped from his bold stare to the work of art proudly jutting from a short nest of curls between his powerful thighs. “WOW.”
The praise and appreciation in her eyes and the way her mouth dropped open made a normally confident Graham flush. “Right back ‘atcha, Doc.”
He grabbed his toiletry case on the dresser and opened it, grabbing a couple of condoms and tossing them on the nightstand before coming to the bed. It dipped as he put his knee on it and Annabelle spread her legs to make room for him to nestle between her thighs. Graham braced himself on his elbows to look down at her and they smiled at each other in mutual agreement that it felt so right for him to be there. But Annabelle could still see the briefest flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. That she might have doubt that it was too soon.