by Ann Raina
"Always out for a new challenge?"
"He peed his pants just seeing me get up."
"And you enjoyed it. Fine. You had your fun." She put her hands on his chest. His eyes went all dreamy and his mouth soft when he looked at her. "But you know that fighting's not an option, right?" He nodded then stooped to kiss her lightly, chaste, but the moment their lips touched she wanted more. Why is it that just touching leads to so much more? That longing and urging down low in her center? She knew she could have him, right now, right that very moment and he would be okay with it. She put her hands around his head, pressing him close to her. He pulled her to his body, cupping her butt so he could lift her off the ground. She wanted to chuckle, but it was impossible while kissing him at the same time. He scooted her an inch higher so she hugged her legs around his waist. Now kissing was comfortable, and her hands ran through his hair. She smelled the shampoo and also the faint scent of cologne.
"You taste so sweet," he whispered. "I want more."
"Oliver will be back with the candles."
"Send him to hell."
"You're demanding, Mr. Bithrell."
"I'm in terrible need of education."
"Hmm, some things you know already."
"Maybe kissing?" He did it again, proving his point.
"Hmm, like kissing," she nodded and smoothed his brows with her thumbs. He gave her a serious look suddenly. "What's up?"
"What would you have done if we had met under different circumstances? Maybe in a mall where you go shopping?"
"I would have sent you a longing glance. A very longing glance. Tell me, which woman could not turn her head seeing you pass by?"
"That's it?" Julian shook his head in utter disbelief. "You're the old fashioned type who wants to be spoken to?"
She nodded slowly, caressing his temples before running her fingers through his hair again. The sides were much shorter than before, but the barber had not cut much of the top. There was enough long hair for strands to fall down his brow. It was tousled now, the way she liked it best. "Pleasantly and politely, yes. We would never have shared a mattress if we had not met like this."
"Oh, my…" He embraced her tighter as if to never let go again. "That would've been a pity."
"Indeed."
"How did you meet that shithead Chris?"
"He was a customer's assistant. Now he's a manager. Sort of."
"And he talked with you and you…"
"I was stupid enough to believe his pretty lies, yes. I'll never be that credulous again."
"You don't have to." He put her down gently and looked up the tree. Some angels hung like hapless people trying to climb a tree and more than a few stars had fallen. "Let's see if we can save what's left of the tree."
CHAPTER 22
Kyra roused Julian from sleep, impatient to see his eyes open. With a groan he turned on his back, one arm across his forehead. His eyes were mere slits. He wet his lips and let out a sigh. "Get up!" she urged. "You need to see your gifts."
"You wake me at…" He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. "Seven thirty in the morning to unwrap my gifts? Girl, you're crazy." He closed his eyes again and turned back on the side.
"No, no, you can't go back to sleep." She nuzzled his arm and when he lowered it turned to his face. "It's Christmas morning. You have to be up."
"All bright-eyed and bushytailed," he moaned, and his hand eased under her pajama shirt. "I can think of better things to do right now."
"Don't get too forthright with me, Julian."
"But I want to." His eyes opened a bit more and his lips curled to a sleepy smile. "It's always tempting to have you this close."
"I can always sleep upstairs in my room."
"Perish the thought." His hand traveled along her ribcage, touching her back and coming to rest on it. "Merry Christmas, Kyra," he said with feeling and pulled her close to kiss her hair. "Have a very Merry Christmas. You earned it."
"I gladly give back the compliment. You made it through four months of heavy toil." He drew back to look into her eyes, sparkling with mockery. "Whipping, chaining, restricting your freedom. Well, yes, I suppose, praise is earned for such a strong and persistent man."
"You don't get mushy on me now, do you?"
She laughed. "I'll tell you before I do. But, honestly…" She caressed his chest, avoiding a look into his eyes. "You did a lot I would never have thought you would do."
"Like not getting killed by a hitman?" She grimaced. "Sorry, forget what I said. I know what you mean."
"I prefer to think of better days."
"Me, too."
"And that includes that you play. Open-minded. Curious. You can't imagine what that means to me."
"Oh, but yes, I can." He kissed her hair again as she snuggled closer to him. They lay together, listening to the sounds on the street, the ticking of the clock and the humming of the snow plow passing by on the sidewalk. A dog barked and for a minute chatter rose up over the sounds.
Kyra exhaled. Her eyes were closed again. She had never felt better in her life. However, restlessness returned, and she patted his chest. "You need to look what you got for Christmas!" She jerked up fast enough that he let go of his breath.
"Hey, wait a minute!" He laughed. "First you cuddle up with me and now it's back to gifts? If you want you can have one." He twitched his brows while his thumb held the waistband of his boxers.
"Tempting, Julian, very, very tempting." She knelt on the mattress and quickly kissed his nose. "But it's Christmas and I so want to see your face when you unwrap the gifts." She stood and took his hand. "Come on, don't be so lazy!"
"Me? Lazy? My dearest employer, don't you forget that I keep your house in order?"
"Nope, I don't." She pulled him up. "You do that much better than I ever did so…" She cocked her head. "I might ask you if you would prolong your employment."
Her eyes held more than the simple sentence and Julian understood. "You need a man at home? Is that what you say?"
"Isn't that what all girls want?" She handed him a large box, wrapped with gold and blue paper and a golden ribbon.
"You're so not all girls, Kyra." He looked at the box and exhaled, hesitating. "You make a lot of gifts and I don't deserve one of them."
"Can the modesty, Julian. We both know better." She smiled impishly. "Please, go on, take it."
Julian put it on the coffee table and took off the lid. "Wow," was all he said then turned back to Kyra. He looked boyish and very content, reward enough for her.
"If it doesn't fit I'll beat up the shop seller," she said matter-of-factly, turning the awkward moment to her advantage.
Julian grinned. "It'll fit, I'm sure." He took out the dress shirt to see it unfolded. It was dark blue silk with a shining pattern that changed lighter or darker with the illumination. A fitting bow tie completed the outfit. "That's…I guess, that's the most valuable piece of clothing I ever possessed."
"Do you like the color?"
"Yes." He turned to her, all smiling happiness. "You've got good taste."
"In February you'll do your own shopping again so I just used the moment--"
"Hey, I like that you buy stuff for me. I'm always undecided what to choose and leave the shop without anything." He put it back to embrace Kyra. "Thank you."
"There's one more from Oliver and I ask you to open it before my parents get here."
Julian laughed at her squeamishness. "You think it's something they would not…understand?"
"Not understand might be playing down."
He laughed harder and took the box Kyra handed him. He shook it close to his ear. "No chains."
"He'd be clever enough to wrap every piece in cotton." He shook it again to the other side. "Julian…"
"Are you impatient? Don't say. What did you get?"
"I haven't yet opened it."
"I guess, you should. Or embarrassment gets a new definition. Why did Oliver deny your invitation?" He started unwrapping the paper.
/> "He said it's a family celebration and that he would be…superfluous. He didn't use the word exactly, but that's what he meant." She sighed. "So it's just us and my parents."
Julian opened the box. "Now that's…"
"Nifty," Kyra ended the sentence and they both laughed.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked, taking out the silver shining devices with a chain connecting them and a gem at its lowest point. As Kyra had predicted the chain had been wrapped and tied so that it would not jingle.
"Yeah…" Kyra let out her breath slowly. "My, Oliver's innovative."
"I give you that, but what is it?"
She could not take her eyes off it. "Nipple clamps."
"Nipple clamps? Meaning?"
"You fasten them on the nipples for…pressure, pain and the gem's to be either held between the teeth or dropped low for an extra…pull."
Julian swallowed loudly and put the device back, exhaling. "I don't know if it's fun or more pain than everything else."
"It's fun."
"Ah, yes?"
"Of course." She did not catch his amused expression. "Nipples recover quite quickly from every pressure applied to them. They're sensitive, but heal very fast."
"And the chain?"
"Extra weight. You can ease it if you put the gem in your mouth."
"Which means it's like an extra gag."
"Yes. Or you have to hold it between your teeth so you can't open your mouth at all."
"Okay and if I scream…"
"The gem drops."
"Ouch."
"Right." Kyra looked up, a dreamlike expression mixed with a very devilish smile. "So?"
"Don't say you want me now…"
"No. But I assume you'll need some distraction in the evening, right?"
He put back the clamps. His tone was annoyed. "It wasn't necessary to order your parents to come here. I told you, I'm not interested in Christmas. I would have stayed here. No big deal."
"Maybe it would have been a big deal for me."
Julian gazed at her, closing the box.
"I told my mom that I won't accept her being so stubborn about her home and that it's a family day etcetera. It's my life. And if my parents are so strict about whom they accept as my boyfriend they have to meet halfway."
"I don't want you to undergo trouble just because of me."
Kyra frowned. "This is not about trouble, Julian, this is about you and me." His eyes locked with hers, but he was cautious, and she did not understand his reaction. She touched his arm. "I told my mom that you're no longer a convict in my care. That you're more now."
"You told her that we…"
"I didn't go into details, but, yes, I told her that I share a mattress with you."
"Fuck! Do you think this was necessary?" He looked embarrassed. "I thought that's something between you and me."
"It still is."
"Not if you made it public."
"My parents are not public. But I had to stop my mom from being a total jerk. She stressed so hard on you being a criminal that I had to say something."
"Are you always that drastic?"
"She was close to fainting, so, yes, I guess, I am like that."
"My…" He shook his head slowly. "You put me in quite a position."
"What's wrong with being my boyfriend?"
He gazed back at the tree. "You know I chose the program to avoid prison at all costs. I would have done a lot to not be forced to share a building with four hundred men and a fence around so I would not get away. I never thought about…what we share now. And it's unexpected that you talk with your parents about us."
"It's normal," she shrugged. "Usually I don't have secrets."
"Great." He hunched his shoulders as if feeling uneasy. "But now it's done and I have to…accommodate to the situation, hmm?"
Kyra frowned harder and stared at him. "I ask you again, what's wrong with being considered my boyfriend?"
Julian pocketed his hands, hunching hard enough that he looked like a boxer close to the fight. "Well, a lot can be said about Chris, but at least you played in the same league."
"Pardon?"
"I'm a nobody, Kyra. I don't have a regular job, no money, nothing. You're a rich woman, a business owner. Jesus, you employ fifty people! You've come far up the ladder of success and I--"
"Does that matter?"
"To me, yes, it does. I don't want to live off you."
"You won't. You have a job and if you're qualified for another, better job, I'll see that you get it."
"See? You take care that I get a job. Don't you think I can do that alone?"
She lifted her hands. "All right, Julian, don't play on semantics. If you're qualified for more than driving a loader prove it, see that you get a job and do it well. I won't help you if you don't want me to. But to me your position, your job or your money don't mean anything."
"That's easily said."
"No, it's not. But I will always cherish the person for the person. For character. For knowledge, behavior. But not for his riches."
"You mean that."
"I do," she nodded, putting a hand on his forearm, trying to convey sincerity so that he would stop bickering. "I've known happy times in my life, but the time with you is truly the best I've lived through for years. I want you to stay."
Julian nodded, took a deep breath and turned to the piles of gifts beneath the Christmas tree. "Which one's for you from Oliver?"
"That one with the rose."
"A lover of flowers?"
"He's always kinda awkward when it comes to women."
"I'll remember that." He handed her the gift. "Now it's your turn."
Kyra inhaled deeply and stared at the wrapping. "Do I want to know?"
"Yes."
"Will I be embarrassed?"
"Yes." She gave him a look. Julian grinned. "Open it!"
"Okay." Kyra put the lid to the side.
Julian whistled through his teeth and she scolded him. "I…stop…no sweat. I got too much spit in my mouth anyway, now. Oh, hell, couldn't you put that on right now? Just for half an hour?"
"Julian!"
"Honestly." He was almost whining, something she had never heard before and it made her wonder if she had missed a method of seduction. "Just for a few minutes?"
"Later, okay? Wow, I never had something like that." She unfolded the garter belt--black lace--and held the black corsage above it. "It's cool."
"You never wore a corsage?"
"No." She put the clothing down. There were stockings to go with it and she could only marvel at Oliver's geniality. "Chris wanted me to, but I was already at the point where I didn't want to do anything he wanted so…go figure."
"But you'll wear it for me?"
She frowned. "Men are so…desirous about lingerie."
"Yes, why not? A long legged woman in stockings and garter belt… A tight corsage, which lifts her breasts and brings them out the best? Yeah, I vote for that."
"Men!"
"I take that as a compliment. I really, really want to see you wear this. Do you have high heels?"
Kyra laughed until tears trickled down her cheeks.
Thoughts about nipple clamps, chains, high heels and garter belts kept Kyra and Julian from listening too closely to Lara's lament about the inadequate decoration of house and tree and some other things she thought unfitting for Christmas Day. Milton soothed the statements as best as he could, but it was quite obvious that Lara tried to provoke Julian and Kyra with guns blazing. She took most of her mother's comments lying down, thinking of the two men present, who made an effort to remain kind and friendly. But there was no doubt that it would have been better if Kyra had visited her parents --Lara made sure of that.
Milton let out a deep sigh when he accompanied Kyra into the kitchen. "Sorry, Ky, she's too upset to think." He ogled her. "Did you have to be so blunt about Mr. Bithrell and you?"
"I'm sorry. I apologized, but I won't do more than that. It's just another
five weeks until Julian will be a free man."
"I know that, and still…she doesn't understand. She wants you to meet someone nice, maybe even ordinary."
Kyra held his gaze. "Honestly, dad, we both know that she wants me to marry Chris. That's a fact. Other men, no matter how handsome and nice, won't stand a chance."
Julian brought a tray with empty glasses and Milton turned to him. "Let me tell you that I don't share my wife's opinion." Julian put the glasses in the dishwasher, glancing at both father and daughter, insecure what to say. "I honor that you've worked and lived with my daughter for four months by now. And that you haven't caused any trouble. Tells me that you're truly willing to serve and make amends. By what I heard, I suppose, you're going to stay around?"
"If Kyra wants me to." He closed the dishwasher and took a wash cloth to clean the tray.
"That's the idea, isn't it?" Milton asked, puzzled and looked back to Kyra. "You both together?"
Kyra and Julian exchanged a knowing glance. "I want him to stay, dad." Kyra smiled.
Milton nodded, slowly and returned his scrutiny to Julian. "Let me tell you this, Mr. Bithrell, I am honestly not fond of you. Not only because I like Chris, that would be a moot point. But I have a tendency to only accept the best for my daughter, and I don't know if that can be you." He paused. Julian bit his lips, but held the stare. "Nevertheless, I accept her choice for she will live with you, not us. And there's one more thing, no, two to be precise. One, I was involved in the development of this program so seeing you stirs a string of pride in me. Two, if you both had met under different circumstances and you would not be a convict she took in her care, I wouldn't have had the right to reject you. Isn't that so?" He turned to his daughter who felt tears rise up. She fought them, but only nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. "Fine. Then that's settled." Milton emptied his glass with egg nog and put it on the counter. "Don't take my wife's mood too personal, please. She's a good woman, but she thought that Mr. Balfour would become her son-in-law. I don't blame her for it," he added with a lopsided grin. "He's one handsome fellow. And I really like him. But Kyra must know what she wants." He glanced from Julian to Kyra and back. "And obviously she made her choice. Oh, and one more before we leave," he added, already turning back to the living room. "Watch the news tomorrow or read the papers. It's worth it. I'll tell Lara that we'll drive back."