I Will Happily Take Whatever This Man Offers......

Rockies Christmas - Day 5

Warnings:  Shameless product placement plugs, NSFW, Sex, high speed driving.

I slide off James’ chest to my back.  Our legs are a tangle in the sheets.  He grunts and rolls toward me, his arm flopping over my ribs.  “Morning” he whispers.

“Morning.”

His lips pucker and his head rolls into mine pressing his puckered lips to my temple.  I rub his head, scrubbing his silver locks and scalp.  His puckered lips plant a million tiny little fish kisses to my temple.  I chuckle softly.

James suddenly sits up, “Let’s go shopping.”  He looks at me.  I nod.  “In Denver.”

I cock a look at him, “Denver?”

“Sure.  You haven’t been there yet.  And I still need to find something for Castor.”

I grin up at him, “What’s the weather today?”

“Cloudy, windy and cold.”  He looks at me, “Why?”

I scrunch my fingers on his chest, “Would you like .. to drive …. the Shelby?” I purr slowly.

Flipping the covers off us, he scoops me up – I start laughing - and carries me into the bathroom, “Yes please!” 

Within the hour, we are showered, dressed and have one duffle packed to spend the night in Denver. James had sent a text to the band's travel guru to book us a hotel room. About three minutes later, James' phone buzzes with the confirmation.  I head into the kitchen toward the coffee maker, but James grabs me and pulls me to the garage.  “We’ll get coffee on the way!”  He’s almost giddy.

I had bought the Shelby shortly after moving in with him over the summer.  We teased each other about our vehicles.  I couldn’t drive his truck, and he couldn’t drive my Shelby.  I teased him that he’d end up sitting in the back seat so that his long legs would fit in the Shelby’s driver’s side.  He teased me that I’d never be able to see over the hood in his truck.  I knew that he really wanted to drive my little sports car.  With the huge engine under the hood.  Even though I am a big city girl, I do like a powerful car.

James grabs my key fob, the duffle and is shooing me towards the garage door.  I am barely able to grab my purse and phone.  He opens the garage door.  Wearing his big Cheshire cat grin, he did open the car door for me and helps me step over the long poles he’d made to bring the tree down the hill to the house.  He plops the duffle behind my seat and is quickly in the driver's seat.  Then he looks at me with a pleading look.  “Go ahead” I say pulling out the hat I’d managed to snag from the garage shelf in passing.  He hits the button.  I did buy the convertible after all.  He’s almost bouncing with joy.  He backs the speedster out, hits the button on the remote and watches the overhead door close.  He’s grinning like a psycho at me.  On the city streets getting to the freeway, he kinda obeys the laws of the road.  There’s a quick stop at his favorite coffee hut.  Once we got up on the freeway however, he gives me a psycho grin and punches the gas.  I don’t dare look at the speedometer.  I have to admit, it is a smooth ride.  I am completely comfortable with his driving.  As we round a bend in the freeway, we fly past a Highway Patrol officer whose got his speed gun out.  The Trooper flashes his lights at us as he pulls out on the pavement – well behind us.  James looks at me, still grinning like a maniac, as he pulls the car to the side of the road.  The trooper pulls up behind us with the lights flashing.  I just give James a look as the officer approaches the Shelby.

“Registration and … James?  Did you trade in the truck?” the officer really looks at my car.

“Hey Chuck!  No, this is Kira’s car.”  He nods towards me.

The officer tips his hat at me, “Ma’am.”  He looks back to James, “A warning this time.  But pull it back to below 100 please James?”

“I’ll see what I can do Chuck.”

“Hey, I know this is a great speed car, but c’mon James.”  Chuck grins.

Extending his hand, “Just for you Chuck.”  They shake hands, “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas to you both!”  Chuck turns to get into his vehicle.

James checks the traffic - then looks at me.  “You pay the tickets” I give James a look, shrugging.  Another psycho grin and he punches the gas.  Chuck flashes his lights twice at James.  Holding up his hand, James waves.

What should have taken us more than two hours, James does in ninety minutes.  He did pull the speed way down as the traffic got thicker closer to the big city.  Pulling up to the hotel valet, James guns the engine a little giving me a look as the roar of the engine echoes off the buildings before turning it off.  Handing the key fob to the Valet, “Be careful with her baby” he nods at me.  “Oh yeah, I know the mileage” he grins.  The valet just nods laughing.  “One more thing, we’ll be right back down so don’t put it away just yet.  Thanks!”  We check in and go up to the room.  James dumps the duffle on the bed as I head into the bathroom.  Not only do I have to pee, I’m a little wet.  Should have used a tampon.  James follows me on the toilet.  I go to the duffle bag and find my brush.  I’m working on my hair when James comes out of the bathroom.  “Ready?” his eyes glinting.  As I nod, he grabs my hand, and we head back to the valet stand.  James holds the door for me, then he is quickly back in the driver’s seat.  I smile at him as he obeys the laws on the city streets but needlessly revving the engine.  I just laugh at him.

He finds a garage that has valet parking, again telling them to take care of the car and that he knows the mileage.  As we walk away, he tucks my hand into his elbow.  When I know that we’re out of earshot, “Do you really know the mileage?”

He smiles, “Nope.  But they don’t know that!”  He kisses my temple.

James drove us to the 16th Street Mall.  It’s just over a mile of stores, restaurants and – because of the holidays – carolers.  We spend several hours just wandering around the shops.  James finds a cool travel backpack for Castor.  He helps me find bracelets for his girls and a necklace for Castor.  Since his kids are bringing their significant others, we decide that Denver sweatshirts would work for them.  I manage to purchase a silver chain mail looking necklace for James while he is looking at the sweatshirts.  I think he picked up something for me while I was looking at some cute purses.  In the middle of the shopping, we stop for lunch.  Leaving the restaurant, we stop and listen to a group of carolers dressed in old fashioned clothes.  I could tell that one of them recognized James, who just smiled at the woman pulling me a little closer to him.  In a store with tons of Christmas decorations, I purchase a set of cookie cutters and a stocking.  We work our way back to the parking garage.  They had parked my Shelby close to the stand saying that they wanted to keep an eye on it.  James tips them well.  Putting our purchases into the trunk, James drives us to a steakhouse for dinner.  It was good, but his grilling is better.  I slip off one boot and play footsie with his calves during dinner.  He grins wickedly at me.

It's dark as we leave the restaurant.  James drives me through a couple of neighborhoods that decorate for the holiday.  Some of the houses are extreme.  “I wouldn’t want their electric bill” James laughs towards me.  I nod in agreement.

Returning to our hotel, James hands the key to the valet and gives me a hand out of the car.  Collecting our purchases from the trunk, we make it up to our room.  The shopping bags get left on the desk by the TV.  James gently pulls my jacket off, with the rest of my clothes quickly following.  I rotate in his arms and add his clothes to the pile on the floor.  Our lips gently work on each other.  He finds that special spot on my neck making my knees buckle and drawing a moan from me.  He lifts me and kneeling on the bed, lays me out under him.  His lips roam my neck, face, shoulders, chest.  My hands run over his head, neck, shoulders, arms.  Shifting my legs, I wrap them around his waist, rocking my hips up into his.  He groans into my neck.  Reaching between our bodies, I guide his dripping erection to my sopping wet entrance making him groan even louder.  His blue eyes sparkle as he almost painfully slowly pushes into me.  My body arches up into his. “gawdsss you ..are … so thiiiick” I whimper out. 

His lips tenderly kiss my ear “You are so wet … and tight” he growls.  He nibbles my ear and neck.  I whine, digging my heels into his butt trying to urge him deeper.  He resists, snickering into my ear, “Not yet my tiny little treasure.”  He slowly withdraws watching me writhe.  Again, he slides into me bit by bit making me groan and tighten my legs around his waist.  My fingers dig into his arms pulling hard.  In a swift motion, he collects both my wrists into one of his large hands and pins them to the bed above my head.  I whine and squirm more under him as I grin at him.  He snickers at me and kisses me deeply as he slowly plows into me again.  My hips buck up begging for more of him.  I get a Cheshire grin in response.  “Not yet” his lips find that spot on my neck again, “not yet.”  His teeth nibble my collarbone.  I gasp at the attention.  His knees knock up against my ass.  Using one hand he flops both my legs over his shoulders basically folding me in half with my hands still pinned over my head.  I gasp as he thumps into me hard once.  I desperately try to reach his neck with my lips, but he’s just out of reach making me whimper and writhe.  His grin gets bigger.  His eyes drink in my predicament happily.  I am totally at his mercy and enjoying every second.  His slow workings in and out of me are slowly driving me mad.  I jerk and tug my arms.  James grins and easily separates my hands – one into each of his hands and pins them wide.  Smiling at him I tug more.  His lips find my nipple, “I can make these uncomfortable again” as his grin becomes totally devilish.  I can only pant up at him smiling like a fool.  “There’s my treasure!” he thrusts into me.  I arch and moan.  He withdraws watching me squirming.  He kisses me.  His hips crash into mine.  I cry out in pure pleasure my eyes lock with his.  I lose track of how many times he repeats this process of slowly withdrawing, a pause – some longer than others - then slamming into me.  I can feel him struggle to keep his wicked pace. 

The tension inside me builds.  Hard.  So close.  But so far.  “Jaaammes … pah .. pahleze.”

His lips nibble my neck, “I love to hear you beg.” 

Whimpering I manage “Jahaames … pahleze … gawds … pahleze … make me cum.”  I pant a few breathes while he withdraws slowly again, “Jahammes … make me yours.”  That is his undoing.  He pounds harshly into me with a furious pace.  His teeth sink into my shoulder as he unloads deep in me tossing me over the crest of my own orgasm.  I clench my teeth not wanting to scream not knowing if the adjacent room is occupied.  My legs drop from his shoulders as he collapses on my still jerking body.  His hands gently release my wrists.  I can’t move them.  I can’t move anything.  He wraps an arm around my head, his fingers gently play with my hair, his lips gently caressing my cheek.  I can only whimper and grin.  He leans up on his elbow, gently fingering my shoulder where his teeth left their mark.  “oops” he grins.

My arms finally respond – sort of – allowing me to grab his upper arms, “Thank you.”

“For what?” his eyes still sparkling.

I sigh out a smile, “Everything.”  My fingers gently caress his cheek.  His neck.  The tattoos there.

His lips find mine.  Deeply.  Tenderly.  Lovingly.  Finally parting with a million little tiny kisses, he looks deeply into my eyes.  He shifts his legs, putting one between mine.  He looks down at the bed under his knee.  Then at me.

“Wet spot?” I barely squeak out, trying to keep the laughter back.

“Pond.”

I laugh, “Remember half that is you!”

He helps me sit up laughing softly, “Well, maybe a little more than half tonight” his fingers lift my chin his lips pecking mine. 

“I will agree with that!”

He tugs me from the bed, “Let’s clean up.”  He looks at the bed, “Might need a second blanket from housekeeping.”

I snort a laugh, “Ya think?”

Making it into the bathroom, James helps me get into the shower.  We take just quick body washes.  James is very tender in washing between my legs.  A whimper still escapes my lips as I lean into his body.  He just chuckles at me.  After cleaning up and wrapping up in the hotel provided robes, James leads me out of the bathroom.  We look at the bed.  I check the dresser, “Ta da!” as I pull out the spare blanket.

“That will work” James kisses my hair.

Pulling the messy blanket off, we spread the clean one out.  James sits on the bed, “I could do with a snack.”

“I’m peckish too.”

James locates the room service menu by the TV.  He orders a burger.  I order the loaded baked potato.  Since the room is booked under James’ name and not his tour pseudonym, he is ‘indisposed’ in the bathroom when the knock comes on the door.  I sign for the service and thank the bellhop.  Making sure that the door is deadbolted, I stick my head in the bathroom.  James is perched on the counter with the water running in the sink.  “Foods here!”  He turns off the water and joins me on the bed.  Turning on the TV, he starts a movie.  When done with our ‘snack’, James puts the tray in the hallway, again making sure that the deadbolt is in place.  Tossing the robe in the general direction of the bathroom, he streaks to the bed tackling me.  We are both giggling as he tugs the robe off me.  Maneuvering a bit, we manage to get under the covers.  “Uhmmm, James?”

“mmhummm?” comes from the back of my neck.

“The lights?”

“Fuk”

“I’ll get them.”  I wiggle in his arms.  “If you’ll let me up.”

“Let’s just sleep with them on.”

“Ok.”  I grab his arm and wrap myself around it.

Ten minutes later, “Yeah.  Not gonna work.”  James unsnarls me from his arm, gets up and turns off the lights.  I feel the bed shake as he finds it in the dark with his knee and a choked “fuk” from him.  Crawling across the bed and me, he re-inserts himself into bed, tugging me into his body.

I reach down to his legs – only getting to his hip, “You ok?”

“Yeah.”  He shifts some.  “Just remind me next time to turn off the lights sooner.”

Re-curling myself around his arm, “mmmk”

His fingers gently caress my ribs before they still in slumber.  I am not far behind him.

Rockies Christmas - Day 10

Warnings: Some angst, Hospital stay, Shameless product placement

Guide: CBF = Cali’s Boyfriend / CGF = Castor’s Girlfriend / MBF = Marcella’s Boyfriend {I didn’t want to give them names}

A hand on my shoulder is gently shaking me, “Kira.”  It’s a hand much smaller than James’.  “Kira.”

I roll over scrubbing my eyes, “mmmyeah.”  I look up and there stands Cali.

“It’s six fifteen.  Thought you’d like some breakfast before going to see Dad.”

Yesterday slams into my brain.  “Thanks.  I’ll be out in a minute.”  She nods, smiling softly, and closes the door on her way out.  I swim to the side of the massive bed.  Scrubbing my eyes again, I get up and go to the bathroom.  After flushing, I wash my hands and splash water on my face.  I change clothes quickly back into what I’d worn yesterday.  Returning to the bedroom, I pull out my brush, do a quick raking on my hair and bun it up again as I open the door.

Timothy is there with a couple large bags from McDonald’s.  I just huff a smile.  Cali comes up to me, “We may have ordered too much.”  There’s concern in her eyes.

“We’ll leave a note for the cleaning staff.  They’ll appreciate it” I console her.  Finding an Egg McMuffin, I pull out a chair and sit.

“What do you want to drink?” Cali asks.

“Oh wait!” Timothy speaks up.  “Jordan told me.  Here.”  He hands me a SB cup.

I chug part of it.  “Bless you both!”  I hear a phone ringing in my room.  I quickly find that it’s mine.  “Hi Lars.”  I walk back out to the table.

“Hey.  How you holding up?”

Sighing, “I’ve been better.  Sorry for the crappy Birthday present yesterday.”

“Hey, that wasn’t on you!” Lars laughs.  “I just talked to him.  He sounds tired but good.”

“Who can sleep good in a hospital?”  I hear the Dane laugh.  “We’re just getting ready to go see him.”  Cali is bouncing, “Hey Lars, Cali wants to talk to you.”

“Put her on.”

“Hi Onkel Lars!” as she hits speaker.  “Is Auntie Jess there too?”

“Yeah, so are the boys.”  A chorus of Hi’s from the background.

“Uhm.  You’re going to be Store Onkel Lars.”

“Say what?” Lars’ voice says.

“Onkel Lars, I’m pregnant.”

“You’re making James … a Grandfather?!” there is happy cheering in the background.

The room on this side of the pond erupts in laughter.  “Yes.”

“Well, it’s about time one of you did!” he laughs.  “I’m … we’re very happy for you!!”

Cali hands the phone back to me.  I take it off speaker.  “Hey Lars.”

“Hey.  Tell that lunkhead to stop showboating.”

“The kids say that he wasn’t showboating.”

“Please tell me he was wearing a helmet.”

“Yes.”

“Thank god.”  I hear him chew on his toothpick.  “Ok, Jess is excited, she wants to go baby shopping for Cali.”

“Hey, I really hope that you did have a good day yesterday.”

I can almost see him nodding, “I did.  Until that lunkhead of yours took a spill!  But I’m grateful he’s going to be ok.”

“Oh!  So now he’s my lunkhead!”

“This time yes!” Lars laughs.

“I don’t know if the others know.”

“I’ll call them.  Kira, it’s all good.”

“Thanks Lars.  I’ll keep you posted.”

“Please do.  Farvel!”  He ends the call.

I chug more of my coffee and finish the sandwich.

Castor stands up and starts clearing away the garbage.  “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Cali finds a pen and paper and leaves a note for the cleaning staff.

I look up the number for the car service.  “The van will be downstairs in ten.”  That put a hustle in everyone.  Shirts are changed, coats grabbed, last bites of breakfast taken, shoes found and put on feet.  Grabbing both phones, my wallet and my jacket along with a key card, we all pile into the elevator.  Shortly after we get to the lobby the van arrives.  Same driver as the night before.  Piling in, I watch the Christmas decorations go by on the drive to the hospital.  The same ones that I’d been happy to see just a few days ago with James at my side.  Getting to the hospital, I lead the way to the nurses’ station.  After getting his room number, we make our way to the floor.  The elevator doors open and there stands the doctor.

“Wow, you are punctual” he smiles.  “He’s actually awake.  But please, don’t over tax him.”  Motioning with his hand, “This way.”  As we get to the door, he puts a hand on my arm as the kids all enter the room, “This might be a little much for him.”

“I’ll kick them out soon, but I’m not going to deny him his kids.”

The doctor nods as he walks away.

I enter the room.  There’s one IV bag hung and a heart monitor beeping.  The kids have all taken up space around the bed.  I can’t see him.  I can hear him.  Lars was right.  James sounds exhausted.  I wait patiently.  They are chattering about the hotel suite.  The helicopter ride.  That the other machines got back home ok.

“Is Kira here?” comes James’ voice.  Castor looks over his shoulder at me.  He steps aside.  James is pale but alive.  He looks like he’s been in the boxing ring with George Foreman.  The whole left side of his face is bruised.  That eye a little swollen.  He’s holding a cold pack in his right hand which looks a little puffy.  But those eyes.  Those big glacier blue eyes.  They are perfect.

“I’m here.”  He smiles and reaches out for my hand.  I take his left hand with my right.

Cali speaks up, “Hey, let’s go do some after Christmas sales shopping.”

“Then maybe hit up a movie” Marcella pitches in.

They all bid us goodbye and tumble out the door.  Then it’s quiet and just us.

“Hey” he says, his eyelids dropping.

“Hey.”

He tugs me, “Come here.”

I climb into bed beside him, making sure that all the tubes and wires are not being pinched, and stretch out beside him, my head cradled on his left shoulder.  His hand rests on my hip.

He looks at me, “I’m sorry.”

I press my fingers to his lips, “You didn’t do anything wrong.  The kids have assured everyone that you were not showboating.”  He barely shakes his head.  “I’m just grateful that you were wearing your helmet.”

“That bad?”

I lift my head up, “James.  It’s split in two.”

He sniffs out a smile, “Explains why my head hurts.”

I caress his chin, “Sleep.”

He snugs me in closer to him, “Ok.”

My eyes close shortly after his.

I hear the nurses coming in and checking monitors.  I hear other machines beeping down the hallway.  I hear his heartbeat in my ear.  I feel his hand resting on my hip.  I say a prayer and thank those in the great upstairs for watching over him.  I feel the tear leak from my closed eye warm my cheek before warming the hospital gown covering James.  I have no idea what time it is when my eyes finally crack open.  James’ hand is playing with my fingers resting on his chest.  I rock my head back.  His eyes slit open.  “Hey.”  I smile up at him.

“This bed sucks.”

I pat his chest, “Most hospital beds do.”  I wiggle a little.  He winces.  “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“Right now, everything hurts.”  He tightens his arm around my back.  “But, I do gotta piss.”

Snorfelling at him, I detangle myself from him, the wires, tubing and slide from the bed. 

A nurse walks in, “Ah.  You’re awake.”

“And I gotta piss.”

“Here, let me pop these off.  That will make it easier.”  She pops off all the heart monitor leads. 

He swings his legs off the bed, the sheet still wrapped around his legs and slowly stands.  Then sits quickly grabbing his left knee with a wince.  I lift his gown.  His left leg from mid shin to almost waist is black and blue.

“I think I know where the snowmobile landed on me” he grimaces.

The nurse hands over a plastic urinal bottle, “Use this right now.  I need to get your doctor in here.”

I help James get lined up in the bottle.  His head leans onto my shoulder.  I hear his pee hitting the plastic container.  He heaves a sigh.

“Better?”

“mmmmhmmm.”  He’s still leaning into me.  I lift his gown and remove the urinal.  Closing its lid, I set it on the floor.  Then I help him shift back into the bed.  I move the urinal into the bathroom by the toilet and wash my hands.

The doctor comes in the room as I exit the bathroom.  The doctor flips back the covers and hoists the hospital gown.  James’ left leg, hip and part of his torso look like a Jackson Pollock painting done in blues, purples and flesh tones.  The doctor runs his hands over the area watching James’ face.  “I know that you were seriously burned, but don’t let that pain tolerance hide if these hurt” the doctors’ words are kind.

“It hurts” is all James says.

“I don’t really want to give you a narcotic pain med.”  He pulls the covers back over James’ body.  The nurse reattaches the leads.

“Please don’t.”

“Okay.  I’m going to give you a high dose of naproxen.  But to do that, you’ll need to stay another night.”

James just nods.

“I would highly recommend that you” he looks at me, “sleep on his other side.”

“Alright.”

He writes up the order and hands it to the nurse.  As he walks out, “You both should have a sleep study done.”

We both just look at each other.  He looks at me.  “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For being a pain.”

“Turn around is fair game.”  He looks at me.  “Halloween?” I grin.

“Yeah, but you didn’t end up in the hospital.”

“True.  But I didn’t have a five hundred pound snowmobile land on me.”

“Seven hundred, but I concede the point.”  I look at him.

“What?  Dad concedes a point?” Castor says coming in the door grinning.  The other kids follow in.

They start talking about the bargains they’d found.  The movie that they went to see.

“Hey Dad” Marcella pipes up.  “We brought you two a late lunch.”

“Oh yeah” CGF pulls out a bag from her backpack.  The smell fills the room.  MBF closes the door.

“I know that Dad wants the meatball sub,” Cali says.  “I hope you’ll like the turkey one.”

“Thank you.”  I take the offered sandwich.  “This is huge!”

“Castor will finish whatever you don’t” says CGF.  “And something to wash them down.”  She pulls out a pair of Severed Lime cans.

James almost inhales his sub.  “Gee Dad, you weren’t hungry at all!” Castor teases him.

“Nope.”  James lets out a huge burp.  “Not at all.”  I smile at him as he looks at me.

The nurse comes in with a new IV bag loaded with the pain meds.  “Oh good, you’ve eaten.  This med might have upset your stomach without food.”  She quickly changes out the bags.  “Uhm, where is the…?” she looks at me.  I point to the bathroom.  “Thanks.  I’ll collect it later.”  She walks to the door, “Those really smell good!” as she leaves.

“You kids aren’t eating” James says.

“We ate there” MBF says.  “We thought that you two might be hungry and hospital food is horrid.”

“Yes, it is.  Almost as bad as the beds.”  James tries to shift some and winces.

“You need to move up the bed?” I ask.  He just nods.  “Castor, MBF will you two please help?  Grab under the arms.  Now.”  They pull James a good six inches up on the mattress while I hold the bottom sheet from sliding with him.  His eyes close for a minute.  I rest my hand on his chest.  He rests his hand over mine and opens his eyes.  I can tell he’s ready to drift back to sleep.

CGF speaks up, “I think we need to let him rest.”  She wraps an arm around Castor’s waist, “C’mon.”

Cali whispers to me, “You staying?”  I just nod.  Cali smiles at me, then leans over and kisses her Dad on the cheek.  “See ya later – Grandpa!”

He smiles and his eyes brighten some, “See you later little Mama.”

As the kids file out, I hand Castor the rest of my sub.  He smiles at me, his eyes lighting up.  Damn.  He has his Daddy’s eyes.

Once the door is closed, James pats the bed on his right side.  I climb in, again making sure that I’m not on any wires or tubes.  His hand curls around my head, playing with my bun.  I reach up and pull off the hair tie.  His fingers snarl into my hair, caressing my scalp.  Those fingers in my hair slow.  Then stop.  I grab the TV controller and start a long movie.  The nurse comes in a couple of times to check the IV flow.  She also collects the full – and leaves an empty – plastic urinal bottle.  She smiles at me each time.  The movie ends and I start another.  James shifts some in his sleep, groaning softly.  The next time the nurse comes in, I ask her quietly about using arnica oil on James.  She lifts her eyebrows and just as quietly says that she’ll ask his doctor.  About an hour later she comes back with a bottle and a towel.  She hands me the bottle and lays the towel over my hip.  “I guess you know how to use this.”  I just nod.  Memories of various aftermaths of being in bed with James flow through my brain.  I gently work the oil into the bruises on his body.  I can’t quite reach his leg, but the worst part on his hip and torso I am able to rub the oil in.  Again, I start another movie.  It’s getting dark out.  The nurse comes in again, this time changing the IV bags.  James shifts in his sleep while she’s there.  He again moans softly.  She pulls up his chart on the computer and makes notes.  She smiles at me as she leaves the room.  I hear my phone buzz.  It’s Cali.  She’s asking for an update on James.  I send her the snoring emoji.  She replies with a thumbs up.  About eleven, James wakes.  Sorta.

“I gotta piss.”

“Hang on.”  I climb out of bed, grab the urinal and put in place.  “Let ‘er rip” I say. 

He smiles at me, “I could get used to this.”

As he finishes, I cap the bottle, “Yeah, I don’t think so.”  I put the bottle in the bathroom, wash my hands and climb back in bed.  He’s already half asleep.

“Thanks for staying with me” he mumbles.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way” I kiss his chin.

His grin slowly slips as he surrenders to sleep again.  I curl up against him.  The nurse comes in again to check the IV.  She leaves and returns with a blanket for me.  “See you tomorrow” she says kindly before leaving the room.  I pull the blanket up over me, my head on his chest, my eyes close.

Life gets in the way ...

..... Of having fun.

I am going to have to step away from the writing for a bit. Life has thrown some massive curve balls at me and nailed me. I am ok. But I am finding it hard to concentrate on the writings. They have been fun and I hope y'all liked them! I will post photos from time to time.

Until the potholes in my life's road get filled, I wish all of you nothing but good!

~H4H

Rockies Christmas - Day 14

Warnings: Fluff, Marvel Universe Referenced, New Years celebrations, (Hang on!  It’s cumming!  {see what I did there}) Finger Fucking, NSFW

Guide: CBF = Cali’s Boyfriend / CGF = Castor’s Girlfriend / MBF = Marcella’s Boyfriend {I didn’t want to give them names}

The day dawns bright.  Right into my eyes.  Patting the bed, James’ side is empty.  Then I hear the toilet flush.  I slip out of my side and pad into the bathroom.  James scoops me into his arms, planting a kiss on me.  “Morning gorgeous!”

My hands find his shoulders, “Morning handsome!” and kiss him.  Then I sniff.  And look at him.

“Shower.”  He picks me up and carries me into the shower stall.  As I wash his body, I am amazed at how quickly he’s healing.  James sees the look on my face, “What?”

“Are you sure you’re not part Wolverine?” as I gently caress his bruised face.

“I might be.  I was back onstage 15 days after the fire.”

“How the hell where you able to do that?  You had to have been in serious pain.”

“Just stubborn idiocy.”  He rinses my hair.  “And I didn’t want to disappoint the fans after what happened.”  He gently kisses me.  “I promised myself after that happened, if at all possible, I’d get my ass on stage.”

“You should be proud of yourself.  You’ve done pretty good.”

He turns off the water, “It was because of me that the Australian dates had to be cancelled.”

I kiss his wet back, “That was needed.”  I turn him, “And I am proud of you.  That environment is tough to stay sober in.”

“Hey lovebirds!  Pancakes!” comes from downstairs.

I am almost dumped on the shower floor as James bolts to get dressed, “PANCAKES!”

“Go!” comes from downstairs.

It took me a little longer to get dressed before I could make my way to the kitchen.  I snort a laugh as I see James sitting at the table behind a stack of about eight cakes on his plate. 

Marcella is at the stove grinning.  As she flips another cake, “I made a whole batch just for Dad” she tells me.

When everyone is done, I kick the kids out of the kitchen and start with the clean-up.  James helps with the unload on the dishwasher.  He puts the big platters away in the high cupboard.  He smacks my ass when I bend over to put the cookie sheets in the drawer under the range.  I stand up rubbing my butt, “That one hurt.”

Pulling me to him, “I can kiss it and make it all better” he grins at me.

“Gross Dad!”  “Take it upstairs!”  “There’s kids here!” comes from the table.

We snort in laughter.

As we finish with loading the dishwasher and starting it, CBF comes into the kitchen.  “Out.”  We quickly depart the kitchen.  Cali sits on a stool and watches her man with a grin, hand on her belly.

“Hey Dad, are there still skis downstairs?” Castor asks.

“No.  I donated those to the ski school a couple of years ago.  Why?”

“I thought about doing a couple of runs.”

“You could call the run and see if they can help out.  You’d need them to be brought here and a tow to the lift.  I’m not driving today.”

Castor uses the house phone.  By the look on his face, it’s not what he wanted to hear.  “They don’t have someone to do the tow.  I guess a bunch called in sick today.”

James pats Castor’s knees as he sits on the sofa, “Sorry about that buddy.”

“Mind if bang awhile?”

James gives his son a look, “When did you grow up?”

“When you did” Castor gives his Dad a look.

“Will you two please go bang away!” Marcella gives them both a look.

“Race ya!  First one gets the drums!” James is grinning broadly.

“Now!” Marcella yells and they bolt from the room.  Laughter is heard from the studio.  Quickly followed by drums being played.  “Castor won” Marcella states.

I go to the tree and start collecting the empty gift boxes and collapsing them.  Marcella joins me, flattening out the tissue paper.  We manage to manhandle the boxes to the bedroom I’ve set up as my office.

Seeing the monitors and computer, “Whose set up is this?” Marcella asks.

“Mine.”

“Those monitors are huge.”

“I have bigger ones on my desk at work.”  I open the closet door, and the wrapping paper bin falls out.  We both giggle as we wrangle the rolls back into the bin. 

“How often do you have to work?”

“You mean you haven’t seen me working?” I grin.  She nods.  “I got the top files done the first week of December.  If something gets pressing, my boss would have called me.” 

The boxes threaten to fall off the shelf, but Marcella gets them organized and closes the closet door.  I slid the bin of papers under the bed.

“Don’t let Dad see that.”

“I’ll move it later.  Thank you, I appreciate the help” I tell her on the way back upstairs.

“You’re welcome.”  She stops on the stairs and turns to me, “I have noticed a change in Dad.  A good change.  What happened?”

“I was ready to walk out the door, but didn’t get out before the snow in September.”

“What aren’t you telling me.”

“My boss edits my notes to the authors that I edit.  I can be a little blunt.  Sometimes harsh.”  I sigh, “I was downright mean in the letter I wrote to James.”  I heave a sigh, “He still says that my bluntness was what he needed to see that he was being a …” I hesitate.

“A jerk?”

“That’s a nicer word” I smile.

“Your ring.”

“This is not an engagement ring” I look at my diamond encrusted band.  “I told him that I could accept his apology.  But that he’d have to work on my forgiveness.”  I play with the ring, “He said that this is his promise ring to me that he will work for that forgiveness every day.”

“I like you” she states simply.

I grin at her.  “James has told me that he will never marry again.  I told him that I don’t need the blessing of an archaic theological institution to say that I can love someone.”

“Soooo, you love Dad.”

Patting her shoulder, “With every fiber of my being” I tell her from my soul.  Marcella nods and we continue up the stairs into the living room.

Father and son are still pounding out music in the studio – all songs from other artists.  Marcella, myself, CGF, Cali, CBF and MBF all sit around the living room.  We occasionally pause when the song from the studio changes.  We start to see who can name the song first.  The discussion then goes into the memories of the new song.

“We could help you take this stuff down” Cali offers.

“No thank you.  I’ll get it taken down later” as I snuggle into the sofa a little.

CBF stands, “I need to check the Jambalaya” as he goes into the kitchen.

CGF looks at Cali, “You are so lucky.  Castor can barely boil water.”

“Yeah, but he can order a mean pizza” Cali deadpans back.

Nodding to Cali, “He learned that from his Dad.”  I manage a straight face for about 30 seconds.  Then there’s outright laughter.  “CBF, that smells wonderful!” I smile at the young man as he returns to the living room.

“Thank you.  It still needs a little longer.”

James and Castor walk into the living room, arms around each other’s shoulders.  Both sweating.  “Bit of a workout?” I ask them.

Using the hem of his t-shirt – exposing his still bruised belly - James wipes his brow, “Little bit.”  He sinks into the sofa next to me dropping his hand on my knee.  I smile softly at him.  Castor picks CGF up, sits and plops her into his lap.

“Was that better than skiing?” James smiles at his boy.

Castor laughs, “Not nearly as messy.”  CGF gives him a look.  “Wet snowsuit, wet socks, snow covered boots …”

“Usually left in the middle of the hallway.  Skis dropped in the driveway” James smiles at his kids.

“Hey!  Those weren’t my skis!” Castor says pointing at Marcella, who smacks her brother’s leg.

“I never left my boots in the hallway” Cali says.

“No, you’d leave yours in the garage and then complain that they were frozen the next day” James points out with a grin.

Nodding, “Ok yeah, I did that all the time” she confesses with a grin.  Then she looks at her belly.  Total fear written on her face.  “Dad?”  She looks again, “It feels weird.”  CBF is ready to jump up and dial 911.

James is instantly sitting on the table in front of her.  “Show me.”  She puts his big hand on her bump.  James feels around a minute, then grins and kisses her forehead.  “That’s your baby moving.”

She works her fingers under his big hand, “Really?”

“Yup.  Right there.”  James smiles, “That’s probably a foot.  Too early to tell for certain.”

Cali’s eyes tear up, “That’s our baby” she leans into CBF’s shoulder.  His hand joins Cali’s, wonder etched on his face.

James returns to my side, draping his arm around my shoulders.  “You used to kick your Mom really hard” James tells Cali.  “Especially late at night.”  Looking to Marcella, “You had your butt out almost the whole time.”  He smiles at me, pulling me closer to him.  “I should have known that you’d be the drummer” he looks at his son.

“Why?” CGF asks.

“His hands were constantly playing a rhythm!”  Smiling at Cali, “Your child will only get more active as time goes on.  Sleep while you can.”

CBF, with his hand still on her belly, “I’ll see that she does.”

Pointing to the young man, “Good answer.”

“I remember the first time you took us skiing!” Marcella laughs.  “I think I spent more time sitting in the snow than standing on my skis!”

Cali points to her dad, “I remember the trip to Hawaii where you ended up carrying me because I lost a water shoe!”

James huffs a laugh “My favorite memory is the look on your faces when that elephant charged the jeep!”

They spend time dredging up memories of family trips, holidays, tours and school events.  I feel James flinch slightly at some of the school things the kids talked about.  Evidently he’d missed a few.

Castor looks at CBF, “When’s dinner?”

“About 40 minutes from now.”

Castor just looks at everyone with his own goofy grin smeared on his face.

“Hang on Castor.  I want Kira to see the Torchlight Parade and Fireworks” James says.  I look up at James.  “They ski down the main run with flares lit right after sunset” he looks at the clock on the shelf “in about 20 minutes.  Then there are fireworks lit.  Not as big a show as the Fourth, but still decent.”

I smile, “I like fireworks.”

MBF leans forward on his knees, “You should the ones in Vancouver BC.  It’s three nights.”

“Isn’t there a huge competition for fireworks?” CBF looks to MBF.

MBF thinks a second, “I think that’s the one in Finland.  There are a couple of others in the states, but not as big as Finland.”

Nodding, “We’ll have to see about getting to one of those” James hugs my shoulders.

“Can we see the skiers from the house?” I look up at James. 

“Yes.  But the best place is outside on the patio.  Which means, we’ll need coats and boots.”  He stands up and pulls me to my feet.  “I want to change shirts.  This one is a little damp” as he pulls it off. 

I toss him a look as he knows I love to see his body undressed.  Even bruised.

Everyone is searching for a coat and boots when Marcella yells from the living room, “There’s the warning shot!”  A small firework booms.

Wearing my big coat, I’m tugging on my mukluks when James comes up behind me bumping his hips into mine.  Putting a hand on the wall to keep from being knocked into it, I look over my shoulder at him.  He’s giving me a wicked grin.  Standing up, I turn to him caressing his face with both hands, “Later” I purr at him.

“It’s starting!” MBF calls.

James gets his boots on and follows me to the patio.  It’s quite the sight of all the skiers, each holding a flare, coming down the hill making a zig-zag pattern down the main run.  James wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.  I reach back and grab his pants and pull his hips closer to me.  He growls gently into my ear. 

The fireworks start almost as soon as the last skier gets to the bottom of the run.  James was correct that it was a relatively short show but still pretty.  I sigh as it ends.

“Dinner’s probably done” CBF says.  “Who’s hungry?” he grins.  CBF leads the way into the kitchen with coats and boots left by the patio door.

“I think I forgot something, but it turned out ok” he grins as he dishes out dinner. 

Taking my bowl, I sit with the others at the kitchen table.  I take a couple of bites.  “It’s delicious.”  Looking at Cali, she has a bowl of rice with a little of the Jambalaya in a separate bowl.  “Tum?”

“Don’t know yet.  I’m going to take it easy.”

“Good thinking” James smiles at her.

Marcella makes CBF sit as she, Castor and CGF clean up – which doesn’t take long.

“Ok.  There’s about six hours to midnight.  Six more episodes?” again Castor with the goofy grin.  For the win.  He almost skips leading the way into the media room. 

After four episodes, “I could use another bowl of Jambalaya” James declares.  He almost dumps me off the sofa as he stands up, barely catching me before I hit the floor, both of us laughing.  Even MBF reached out to help me.

As we walk to the kitchen, Castor drops an arm around my shoulders, “You might regret Dad having another bowl.”

CGF pat Castor’s stomach, “Yeah, you too.”

Nodding, “It might be a tie then” Castor grins.

Grabbing his hips from behind CGF chuckles, “You can’t talk!”

Pointing, “Dad is worse!”

Both his sisters shake their heads, “You can be worse!”

CBF dishes out bowls for those wanting more.  I, like Cali, go for just a bowl of rice.  Clean up was everyone putting their own dishes into the dishwasher.  CGF tosses in the pod and starts it.

“Hey, Kira.  Are there any more cookies left?” MBF asks.

As James pulls me down the hallway to the media room, “Check the pantry!” I laugh out.

Castor starts another episode after we’re all back in our places, some happily munching cookies.

Three more episodes under our belts, James stands up and stretches.  “Who wants pots and pans?”  He’s almost knocked over by his kids running to the kitchen.  James holds his hand out to me and hand in hand we follow the six kids.  They are all in the pantry pulling out the old pots and pans that I’d almost thrown out.  Donning coats and boots again, we pile out on to the patio.  James keeps an eye on the clock in the kitchen.  The kids are all bouncing around.  His velvet rumble starts the countdown, “Ten.  Nine.  Eight.  Seven. Six.  Five.”  He turns me to face him, “Four.  Three.  Two.  One.”  To the banging of pots and pans from more than just this patio and fireworks from the skir run, James leans in and kisses me.  I wrap my arms around his neck pulling him closer.  His hand cups the back of my head keeping me in our kiss.  He slowly lets me go, his blue eyes flaring with passion, happiness, a flash of darkness, then something deeper.  He gives me a quick follow up kiss.

“I’m freezing” Marcella says as she goes back inside.

“Me too” as CGF follows.

I caress James’ head to his neck, “I’m pretty warm.”  His smile goes a little wicked.  I wiggle out of his arms, take his hand and lead him inside.

Castor is coming back up the hallway from the media room, “I’m thinking we’re done in there tonight.”

“Morning, you dork” Marcella playfully shoves her brother.

As James gently pulls me upstairs, “Happy New Years, kids.”

A chorus of “Happy New Years” follows us the stairs.

“Hey Castor!”

“What Cali?”

“Close your bedroom door tonight.  We don’t want to hear you two again.”

James hangs his head, “I didn’t need to know that” he whines softly as I close the door on our bedroom.

I start the home device playing classical music.  Going to James, I slowly start undressing him.  His hands softly cover mine.  I run my hands over his body.  He’s still got some bad bruising.  Some are still a little tender.  Standnig behind him, I gently run my hands down his back and over his hips.  His hands grab my wrists and tug them to his belly pressing my face against his back, “Not sure I am ready yet.”

Kissing his back, I flatten my hands against his stomach and chest.  “I just want to touch you.”

Holding my left wrist, he pulls my hand to his mouth kissing my ring and finger.  Then he rotates in my arms.  He kisses my ring and finger again as a tear leaves a trail down his cheek. 

Using my thumb, I wipe it away.  I pull his head to me, kissing his lips tenderly, “You’re here.”  Another kiss.  “You’re alive.”  Another kiss.  “You’re whole.”

He kisses me deeply.  I can feel another tear fall.  Looking at me, “I will be.”  He kisses my hairline.  “If you’ll help me.”

I know what it took for him to say those four words.  “I’m in this for the long haul, James Alan Hetfield.”  I kiss him softly.  “I love you with every fiber of my being.”

He kisses me.  “Kira Elizabeth Mooreland, I love you with … every cell in my body.”  He grins at me before kissing me again. 

“You can say fiber.  I don’t mind” I smile at him. 

Another kiss.  His hands run up my back pulling my clothes from the waist up off me.  His hands softly run down my arms still over my head.  I just watch him.  His eyes slowly wander over my body as though he’s memorizing every pore of me.  My fingers gently run over his face, neck, shoulders.  His lips find my neck.  They find that one spot.  My knees buckle as he kisses, sucks, and nibbles on that one magic spot.  His arms lock around me, keeping me from falling to the floor. 

I don’t realize that he’s backing us to the bed until my bare back is laying on the cool sheet.  He’s pulled the duvet to the floor.  I arch up some into his chest.  He runs his hands down my back warming it as his lips work their way over my collar bone, across my chest, to the other side of my neck, finding that magic spots’ twin.  I whimper into his shoulder.  He rolls off the bed, moves to the end and slowly pulls off my pants, grinning wickedly at me once I am totally naked.  I slowly writhe under his gaze, my hands roaming my own stomach and breasts. 

James moves to the side of the bed and lays down on my right side, making sure to trap my right arm under him, his left arm snakes under my neck.  I slowly make lazy patterns on his back with my right hand.  His right-hand cups my chin tilting my head up and kissing me.  He tenderly encircles my left wrist and slowly pulls it to my left shoulder where his left hand securely holds it.  He looks at me.  I suck in a shuddering breath.  His right fingers slowly drag across my arm, my shoulders, caress my neck, palm my breasts – giving each a tender squeeze.  His eyes still drinking my naked form in.  Then his fingers trace tender patterns down my stomach.  They slow as they reach my pubic bone where they stop.  His eyes slowly make their way back to my face.  I’m panting slightly.  I know that I’m soaking wet.  His eyes lock on mine, he places his right palm on my abdomen just above my pubic bone, his fingertips right at the crest of my folds.  I suck in a sharp breath.  His right leg wraps around my right leg pulling it between his, trapping it between his thighs, then his right toes press against my left knee keeping me from closing my legs.  I know that I’m now totally trapped by his body and completely at his mercy.  I take several stuttering breaths.  He kisses me tenderly.  Then his right hand slowly starts exploring my folds.  I arch up slightly.  “I haven’t even started and you’re soaking wet” he grins at me.  I can only pant and smile at him.  “Already beyond words?” he purrs at me.  Again, I can only nod.  He kisses me as his fingers tease my clit making me shudder.  “Good!”  His eyes never leave mine.  His fingers are torturously slowly working my cunt.  Rubbing, then spreading my vulva, then fingertips making lazy patterns around me.  He lays his whole hand over my core, his fingertips wiggling softly.  He kisses me.  Smiling like a cheshire cat, “Ready?” as he slowly presses one digit into me.  I groan loudly just before his mouth covers mine, the fingers on my right hand digging into his back.  He’s snickering into the kiss.  Then his lips are right beside my ear as he slowly adds a digit inside me, “I love to watch you” as those digits reach deep inside me.  I arch up into his hold clawing at his back.  “So wet” he purrs at me as his hand slowly starts to fuck me.  Each thrust a little deeper.  Each deep thrust includes a wiggle from his fingers.  Each thrust making me a mewling mess.  He slows his actions watching me writhe, then adds another digit.  My hips rise on their own accord.  He grins at me as he starts thrusting his hand into me.  I’m panting, clawing at his back, my breaths coming in shorter gasps.  He kisses the end of my nose, “Should I be mean?”  I’m trying to buck my hips so his fingers go deeper into me.  “Should I make you beg?” his grin so lovingly wicked.  I whine, my right hand smacking the bed.  “Not tonight” he grins as his thumb finds my clit.  His mouth covers mine as I cum all over his fingers, my hips bucking hard against his hand.  He slows the actions with his right hand as he releases the hold on my left wrist.  I am incapable of moving, my left arm flopping to the bed.  My hips give one last lift as he tenderly withdraws his fingers.  I watch panting as he slowly sucks my wet mess from his fingers grinning at me, “Better than Jambalaya.”  I laugh softly panting still.  He withdraws his arm from under me.  He slips off the bed to recover the duvet which he flips up over my still slightly quivering body.  Dropping his pants, he slides into bed, spooning me into his body.  I curl up around his arm.  His nose buries into my hair at the back of my neck.  “Happy New Year Kira” he breathes softly.

As my eyes close, “Happy New Year James.”

Rockies Christmas - Day 1

Oops! This should have gone up yesterday!

Here goes:

Warnings: NSFW, Sex, Shameless Product Placement

The flight from NY to Vail was a little bumpy.  I held James’ hand a little tightly.  I still am not used to the smaller planes.  James had insisted on the private flight as commercial airlines would have to make a couple of stops and take about twice as long.  He just smiles and let me cling.

Once landed, our luggage is shifted from the plane to his big ass truck.  I gladly climb into the passenger seat.  James climbs in and the big truck rumbles to life.  After getting us on the main road, he drops his hand on my thigh, “You ok?”

“Better.”

“We’ll be home in about 40 minutes.”  His fingers gently pat my thigh, “You want to stop on the way for dinner?”

“Did we leave anything in the fridge that will still be good?”

James considers a moment, “Probably not.”

“Then we should kill two birds with one stone.”

He cocks a smile at me, “Sounds like a plan.”  I interlace my fingers with his on my thigh.  “What are we serving for Christmas Day dinner?” he asks.

Shaking my head, “I have no clue.”

“I’d like to do a prime rib.”

Smiling up at him, “I’ll leave the meats to you.”  He grins and pats my thigh.

We’ve spent the last month in my apartment in NYC for Thanksgiving.  James had never seen the Parade live.  Using my Grandmother’s tickets, I’d taken him to the Rockettes Gala performance and used her seats at the Parade.  We’d quickly become the top fodder on all the gossip pages in the NY papers.  I’d given one of the bedrooms in my apartment to James to make into a studio.  He’d already put together three songs in it.  When I thought about it, it still blew my mind that with his bandmates scattered all over the world – California to Hawaii to New York to Denmark – they could work together on their music.  And what I could hear, it is amazing!

It had been James’ decision to spend Thanksgiving in NYC.  It is mine to spend Christmas in Colorado.  I am slightly nervous as his kids will be coming to visit.  They’d spent Thanksgiving with their Mom.  At least in James’ place in Colorado, there’ll be enough beds.

James pulls into the shopping center and parks his truck.  As we met at the front of the massive rig James holds his hand out to me.  I have grown to like shopping with James.  He’d gotten used to having groceries delivered – especially during lock down - so wandering the aisles with him is fun.  He makes a stop at the butcher’s counter to place his order for Christmas dinner.  We select some sliced meats and cheeses for sandwiches.  Then wandering the aisles filling the cart.  I was glad that I’d selected the larger cart as he stocked up on the Liquid Death tallboys.  A quick run through the deli counter and we each selected something to go for dinner.  Checking out, we deposit the bags into the bed of the truck.  James holds the passenger door for me as I clamber into the big vehicle.  Moving quickly to the driver’s door, he steps easily in.

“What?” he asked, seeing the look on my face.

“You and those damned long legs.”

“I don’t hear you complaining when we’re in bed” he chuckles.

“I’m not complaining.”  I give him a sidelong look, “Just jealous.”

He just laughs with me.  “But you’d look funny with long legs.  I rather like your height.”

“Why?” a grin still lifting my lips.

“It makes it easy flipping you over in bed.”  His grin becomes wicked, his fingers grip my thigh a little tighter.

All I can do is whimper softly and smile at him.

A short time later, the truck rumbles into his garage.  He kills the engine and opens the door.  He’s careful to not clip my parked Shelby.  I carefully open my door making sure to not ding it against the wall.  “Kind of a tight fit in here” he grins. 

I go to help grab bags from the bed, and he grabs me around the waist, “Speaking of tight fits!”

I grind back against him, “I can still feel you from this morning!” I purr at him.  He rumbles into my neck.  I giggle, “There’s no doorman here to help unload the groceries.”  He sinks into my shoulder mumbling.  “C’mon.  This won’t take long.” 

He grabs several bags and unlocks the door entering the house.  I hear the security system beep off as James enters his code.  I collect as many bags as I can and head inside.  James passes me in the hallway.  I put my bags on the counter and head back to the garage.  “That the last of them?” I ask him as he kicks the garage door closed.

“Yes.”

I go collect several from him.  It takes us a few minutes to at least put away the cold things.  He wraps his arms around my waist, “I can’t wait any longer!” 

He pulls me from the kitchen up to our bedroom.  I giggle the whole way as his fingers gently work my sides, his mustache tickling my neck.  We barely make it into the bathroom before he’s stripping our clothes off.  He picks me up and puts me into the shower.  The hot water coming from the multiple heads feels wonderful.  His hands roaming my body feel better.  My hands roam his arms, chest, shoulders, neck, face.  His lips find mine in a gentle deep kiss that weakens my knees.  His strong arms wrap around my body, one around my shoulders, one around my waist, one of his long legs slowly presses between mine, spreading them.  I groan into his lips, my right hand pulling his head closer to my body, my left grabbing his hip.  The water pouring over us adds a sensual slick to our bodies.  He grunts into me.  I can feel his erection growing into my hip.  His fingers tangle into my wet long hair, tugging gently.  I pull back slightly.  He knows I don’t like my hair being pulled.  His fingers loosen their grip, but his hand still holds my head keeping my lips locked with his.  His other hand grabs my ass cheek tightly as he pushes me up his thigh.  My head rocks back as a loud moan escapes my lips.  His lips find my neck.  His arm around my shoulders keeps me locked to his body.  I grab his head tightly to me.  I whimper as he leaves his love marks on my neck and shoulder as I grind into his thigh.  Moving us, he pins me to the wall.  He lowers his shoulders a moment and hooks my right knee with his arm.  I gasp as he stands.  He widens his stance.  I wrap my left leg around his waist.  Reaching between us, I manage to position his cockhead at my entrance.  With one slow thrust, he seats himself balls deep into me.  My mewlings only make him grow inside me.  He pulls his face from my neck, the water pouring over his face.  He looks totally feral at me.  I grab his head and kiss him passionately.  He starts thrusting into me.  Hard.  My weight dropping down his length forcing him deeper into me.  My vocalizations get louder.  It’s a vicious cycle that I adore.  The louder I get, the harder he thrusts into me, his own grunts urging me to be louder.  Panting into his ear, “You feel so big in me.”  He bucks his hips harder.  “don stawhp … don stawhp” I lay my head on his shoulder.  He slowly lowers us to the stall floor.  Leaning over me, he goes totally beast on me.  I can only lie on my back and enjoy him ravaging my body.  My hands clinging to his arms, his hands on the floor over my shoulders, my legs wrapping around his waist pulling him impossibly deeper into me.  He finds that one magic spot deep inside me that makes stars burst behind my eyelids.  I cry out as I fall over the edge into my orgasm.  He chases his release with several powerful thrusts pushing us across the tile floor.  Our voices echo around the tiled stall loudly for a moment.  Then he collapses on top of me panting.  I wrap my arms around his head and shoulders panting myself.  I kiss his soaking wet hair, his temple, his ear.

He slowly raises himself to his elbows, “That felt good!” he purrs at me.

“mmmhhmmm” is all I can answer.

He gently slides out of me and kneels up between my legs.  His hands slowly run over my body from my breasts to my hips.  Gently pressing my thighs wider, he gives me a look.

“What?”

“I love making a mess of your pussy!”

I hook a foot around his neck and topple him onto me, “I love that you make a mess of my pussy!” as I wrap an arm around his neck.  He kisses me deeply.  I can feel him wince, “You ok?”

He slowly shifts and sits on the floor, “I really need to put bigger tiles on the floor in here.”

Looking at him, his knees are red with imprints of the little one inch square tiles that make up the shower floor.  “Ohhh!” I reach out to cup them gently.  He pulls me up to sit next to him and wraps his arms around me.  I can feel our mixed fluids seeping out of me. 

James stands and pulls me to my feet, “I suppose we should actually shower now” he laughs out softly. 

My legs are still a little wibbly as I put a hand on the wall, “You might have to hold me a bit.”

Keeping me close to his body, “Sure thing” he rumbles into my ear.  He tenderly washes and rinses my hair.  He gently washes my body as I get steadier on my legs.  I grab the scrubbie and use it on his body.  He rests his arms on the wall of the shower as I scrub his back, “Aww man, that feels so good.”  Then I wash his hair.  He rinses the conditioner from my hair and I rinse his.  He turns off the water and reaches for towels.  I wring as much water from my long hair as possible, then take a towel from him and wrap up my hair.  He wraps a bath sheet around me.  He’s already got a towel wrapped around his waist.  As I step out of the shower, my stomach gurgles.  He huffs a smile at me, “I guess we haven’t eaten yet, have we?”  He pulls me into his body.

I kiss his chin, “Not yet.”

He pats my towel covered ass as his stomach rumbles, “Maybe we need to get that taken care of!”

Minutes later, we are dressed in comfy jams grabbing our deli meals.  Collecting our plates, we make our way to the table.  James pops on the TV.  The local news is just starting.  The usual items – Parking lot car prowls where gifts have been stolen from vehicles, Christmas lights start a house fire, local store sued by customer who slipped on ice.  The weather report is a mixed bag.  The only common factor: COLD.  James turns it off.  I stretch and yawn.  He yawns, “Stahp dat.”

“Sorry, the alarm went off a little early this morning.”

He stands and collects some of the plates, “Yeah it did.”  He kisses the top of my head.  I collect what’s left on the table.

After tidying up the kitchen, he laces an arm around me, “C’mon.  Bed.”

“Yes, please.”  I let him lead me to his bedroom.  Our bedroom.  We both shed our clothes.  He flips back the covers, almost tackles me into the bed while rolling over me yanking the covers over us both.  His arms wrap around me, pulling my body into his.  I curl up around his arm.  I have become used to his arm being my pillow.  His nose is buries in my hair.  His breath warming the back of my neck.  “Good night, James” I breath out.

“Good night, Kira” he kisses my shoulder.  “Welcome home.”  He snuggles up a little closer, “Home Colorado home.”

I just snort in soft laughter.  His arms wrap tighter around me. 

We are both snoring minutes later.

Everybody Loves a Parade - Part 2

Warnings: Parts NSFW, Smut, Full on slightly rough sex, shameless product placement, slight angst

Tuesday

Blinking in the morning light, I groan awake flat on my back.  My left arm up over my head.  James’ left arm is wrapped over my ribs.  He’s on his stomach, but his face is buried in my side.  He snorfels some as I stretch, his mustache tickling my side making me giggle.  He blows a mouth fart on my side.  I laugh out right at the vibrations in my chest.  He tightens his hold on me and blows another.  I can feel his smile as I squeal in laughter.  He blows yet another, laughing himself.  “No more!  I gotta pee!” I squeak.

James lifts his arm from my ribs, “I concede the point to peeage!”

I almost leap from the bed and run to the bathroom.  Washing up after, James pads in and gently scoops my 5 foot 2 frame into his 6 foot 1 body, kissing me.  “Morning.”

I kiss him right back, “Morning.”  I pad out naked to the kitchen and start the coffee pot.

“Aren’t you afraid people can look in your windows?” James asks.  He’s put on a pair of basketball shorts and a tank top.

Shaking my head, “Nope.  Tinted windows.  As long as the lights aren’t on inside, I can’t be seen from outside.  Besides, this window overlooks the park.”  As I pad back to my bedroom, “Who’s gonna peep on me?  A squirrel?” 

“Never know!” he says loudly.  “Those little buggers can’t be trusted!”

Digging into my closet, I pull out a pair of yoga pants and a tank top.  Stopping in the bathroom, I pull up my hair.  I get back to the kitchen just as the coffee pot beeps that it’s done.  I hand James a mug, “Here ya go.  I’ll be right back.”  Going to the front door, I collect the newspaper.  Carl will make sure that I get one in the mornings.  Stopping at the dining table, I plop the newspaper down and do a quick glance through.  The usual pre-holiday sales inserts take up most of it.  Leaving it there, I walk toward the kitchen.

“I have yours here” James says from the living room.  He’s on the sofa, sipping his coffee.  My mug is on the table.

I make the turn and go into the living room.  “Thanks” I breath, picking up the mug and taking a big slug. 

“Did I get it right this time?” he smiles.

“Yes.  It’s perfect!”  I lean over and kiss him deeply.  His hand cups the back of my head, holding me in the kiss.  When we part, we are both breathing a little harder.  “What time are you planning on going to the office?” I ask him. 

He collects my mug, sets both on the table.  “Later” he purrs at me as he carries me back to the bedroom, kissing me the whole way there.  He lays me down under his body.  Kneeling over me, his hands on either side of my ribs.  My right hand reaches up and snarls into his silvered locks.  My left hand grabs his right bicep.  My legs are trapped between his.  Our lips have yet to break from each other.  He shifts his knees up closer to my ribs, freeing his arms.  Still kissing me, he tugs my tank top up exposing my breasts.  His big hands gently cup, message, palm and squeeze them.  His fingers start to tease my nipples.  I groan against his lips, my back arching into his chest, my fingers in his hair tighten making him sigh.  He finally breaks our kiss and tugs his tank top off.  He helps me pull mine all the way off.  My hands wander over his chest and stomach.  His tattoos and downy silver chest hairs get traced and tugged by my fingers.  Moving backward on his knees, he tugs my yoga pants off as he gets off the bed and his shorts add to the pile of clothes on the floor.  His eyes drink in my body.  I’m outright panting at the sight of his naked frame at the foot of my bed.  His erection bouncing off his belly.  A wicked grin spreads across his face, “Up or down?”

I slowly run my hands up my body from my hips to my breasts, “You are the guest” I sigh out.  “You get to pick.”

Leaning over, he grabs my ankles, “You are wicked this morning!” he flips me to my stomach.  Before I can move, he’s between my legs, lifting my hips up on his thighs, his strong hands holding me tight, my back arched deeply, cheek pressed into the bedding.  I can feel his cock pressed up against my dripping cunt.  I groan loudly.  I can feel his hand move between our bodies and position his head against my entrance.  He tugs on my hips forcing just his cockhead into me.  I gasp.  “You are tight and wet” he groans.

“You are so damned thick” I whimper.

He chuckles wickedly at me.  I can feel his legs shift.  I know what he’s going to do.  I can’t help myself, my walls grip his cockhead tightly.  He groans loudly.  “Fuk, that feels good!” as his fingers dig sharply into my hips.  He patiently waits for me to relax.  It’s hard to do with him just barely in me knowing what’s next.  He runs his hands up my back from my ass to my neck and back down again, several times.  I slowly relax, which eases the hold my gummy walls have on his dickhead.  With one more run up my back with his hands, in one swift motion he grabs my upper arms, lifts his hips and completely impales me on his raging cock.  I bury my face into the mattress with the primal noises that escape my mouth.  He holds me there, cock buried balls deep into me, grunting.  Then he slowly starts rocking his hips, slowly drawing in and out of my core.  He begins to pick up the rhythm of his strokes.  Each one a little harder than the one before.  Deeper.  Impossibly deeper.  Harder.  More primal.  Neither one of us capable of forming a coherent word.  The tension in my belly begins building fast.  My breathing becomes ragged.  I struggle in his hold which makes him tug me harder.  I can feel his cock twitching inside me.  His strokes becoming sloppy.  Suddenly, he drops my arms, his body pressing me down into the mattress, his arms on either side of me, his lips next to my ear, “Mine” he growls as he reaches his pinnacle.  My hips lift in to his as my orgasm slams into me.  I scream into the mattress again.  My gummy walls squeeze every last drop out of him as he makes a couple more thrusts into me.  Then he collapses onto my body.  Neither one of us can move.  Both of us panting.  His cock gently slides out of me.  After a moment, he turns my head pulling my face out of the mattress.  He kisses my temple.  I huff out a laugh.  He slowly rolls off my body, but pulls me to him, stroking my hair.  I flop an arm over his ribs.  “Now” he pants out, “that is a great way to start the day!”

“Yes”  I kiss his ribs.  “Yes it is.”

We both doze.

His chest hairs tickling my nose wake me.  I roll slightly off his body.  He’s sound asleep.  His dark blonde eyelashes lay against his cheeks.  They have just begun to show the silver that covers the rest of his body.  I lay there watching him.  Enjoying the shared warmth of our bodies intertwined.  His penis flaccid and pressed against my thigh.  Just a short time ago it had almost split me in two.  I could still feel the inner stretch it had caused in me.  I heave out a sigh.  His eyes flutter open.  Those glacier blue pools take me in and his face lights up in a smile.  One hand he runs over my back, the other gently rubs my hip.  “How you doing?” he mumbles.

I smile at him.  “I’m excellent.”

His head lolls back on to the pillow.  “I bet our coffees are cold.”

I bust out laughing.   He looks at me and joins the laughter.  Patting my hip, “Let’s get cleaned up.”

I shift out of his arms.  He climbs out of the bed and holds a hand out to help me.  Arms wrapped around each other, we head into the bathroom.  A quick body shower revives me.  James does the whole shebang.  But then, he does have plans for the day.  I wrap a towel around me, giving his back a kiss, I let him have the bathroom.  Picking up my discarded yoga pants and top, I quickly get dressed.  Then I tidy the bed.  Damn, but we made a mess of it!  I pick up his shorts and tank, fold them and put them on the foot of the bed.  I pull on a sweater as my shoulders are getting chilled.  James’ arms snake around my body, he buries his face into my neck.  His freshly shaven cheeks are smooth.  His cologne subtle but arousing.  His mustache tickles my neck.  I twist in his arms, wrapping mine around his neck.  He leans down and kisses me.  Then he looks at me and heaves a sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just happy” he says quietly.

I run my hands down the back of his head to his neck to his shoulders “That makes me happy.”  I stand on tip toe to kiss him. 

Sighing again, he hugs me.  Then gently eases his grip.  He goes to his suitcase, “Do you know what today’s weather is supposed to be?”

“Depends on where you’re going.”

“uhm, Midtown I think is where the office is.”

“It’ll be windy there.”  Sitting down on the bed, “Mid 30’s for the high today.”

James pulls out a pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt and a black sweater.  His underwear has the only bright spot with its red stripe and lettering in the waistband.  I kiss his bare back and let him get dressed.  If I’d stayed, the bed would not only need to be remade, again, but the sheets would definitely have to be washed today.  Actually, I should probably wash the ones we just used.  But that can wait.  Moving into the living room, I collect our coffee mugs.  Going into the kitchen, I dump the contents out.  I remake my mug.  I still have three articles to crank out today.  Going to the dining table, I re-start looking at the newspaper again.  I pull out a couple of holiday shopping ads that pique my curiosity. 

“Anything interesting?”

“Just a couple of ads so far.”  I push them closer to James.  “Otherwise, nope.”

Placing both his hands on the sides of my face, James kisses me.  “Do you think I’ll need the big coat?”

Nodding, “I’d suggest you take it.  It’s better to have it and not need it than to not have it and want it.”

Kissing my forehead, “Sage advise.”  He pats his pockets.  “Phone.”

“Charging on my office desk.”

“Oh yeah.”  He goes into my office and returns checking it.  “Management says that they’ll send a car service to pick me up.”

“Do you want to be incognito or get the hoopla?”  James looks at me.  “Towncar service will always draw attention in this town.”

“Incognito.”

“Let me ring Carl.  He’ll get you in touch with Rudy.”  I go into my office, setting my coffee down by my computer – which I power on - and call downstairs.  A few minutes later, “James, give me your phone please.”  He hands it to me.  I enter a couple of numbers into it.  Handing it back to James, “You now have Carl’s number.  You also have listed under ‘Taxi’ Rudy’s number.  Rudy has been the go to cabbie for years.  And I added my address to my contact info.”  I take a sip of coffee and pick up my phone sending a quick text.  His phone buzzes.  “That’s the grocery store from last night.”

James puts his phone in his pants pocket, “You are amazing.”  He leans over and plants a solid kiss on me.  Standing up, he looks at his watch.  “I better get going.”

“Carl will ring you when Rudy gets here” I smile at him.  James again plants a kiss on me, his hand cupping the back of my head.  His phone buzzes.  “Car’s here” I say against his lips.

He chuckles but stands up.  As we walk to the front door, James collects his big coat.  A thought suddenly hits me.  “Wait wait wait” I say scampering to the kitchen.  I pull from the front of a drawer a key ring.  It only has one key on it.  I hand it to James.

“What’s this?”

I smirk at him, “The key to my front door.”

He looks at me.  “Really?”

I nod.  “Please don’t lose that key ring.  Grandmother gave it to me.”

Clutching the item in his hand to his heart, “I promise.”  His phone buzzes again.

I kiss him, “Better get going.”  We walk to the front door.  “Have a great day!”

He kisses me, “You too!”

Then he’s out the door and it clicks closed behind him.  I stand there a moment.  I haven’t been alone since our fight three months ago.  But this is different.  I feel secure.  Grabbing the morning paper, I return to my office and log into work.

I am two paragraphs from finishing the last article when I hear, “Honey!  I’m home!”

“I’m in the office” I call out giggling.  James wanders in and smiles at me.  “What?”

“You didn’t eat lunch, did you?”

“Uhm no.”  I giggle slightly.  “Two more paragraphs and I’m done for the week!”

James kisses the top of my head, “Hurry up!”

Five minutes later, I complete the article.  Saving it and my notes file, I send the links to both author and my boss.  I exit out of my work server and power down my machine.  Collecting my long cold coffee mug, I leave my office.  I find James again standing at the living room window.  I wrap my arms around his waist from behind.

“Come here” he says pulling me around in front of him.  He cups my face and kisses me deeply.

I sniff, “You found a cigar bar.”

A smirk lifts his lips, “I did.”

“How’d things go with the managers?”

His hands begin working on my back, “Good.  They insisted on taking me to Tavern on the Green for lunch.  Then to a cigar bar.”  He kissed my hair.  “They wanted to take me out to dinner, but I begged off.”  He again kisses me deeply.  “I wanted to be with you.”  His hands run down my arms and I wince.  With concerned filled eyes, James tugs my sweater open.  My upper arms are very black and blue where he’d grabbed them earlier this morning.  His face pales.

I reach up to his face cupping it with both hands, “Don’t.”  My fingers gently stroke his face.  He’d been served papers, shortly after our argument, being charged with rape.  The claimant saying that her evidence were old photos showing that he’d bruised her.  The case was thrown out when it was brought to light that she’d tried to accuse several other stars of the same thing using the same photos.  But it had unnerved James.  Because he’s a big man and – I’m not complaining – likes things a little on the rough side in bed.  “Don’t you go down that path.  We both know what put these on my arms.”  I pull his forehead to mine.  “I completely enjoyed this morning.”  I kiss his lips, chin, neck.  He shudders a sigh.  “Look at me.”  His blue eyes find my brown ones.  “I’m ok.”  I kiss him again.  “Nothing a little arnica oil can’t fix.”

His hands press against my back, “But not before tomorrow night.”

I smile up at him, “That gown is long sleeved.”  I can see him digging into his memories and then smiles at me.  I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

He kisses my forehead again sighing.  “I brought back dinner.”  His eyes light up, “And I got a really good looking set of ribs for Sunday!”  He grabs my hand and pulls me to the kitchen.  Again, kid with the key to the candy shop.  He pulls out the ribs and unwraps them.  They really do look great.  He’d also gotten corn bread mix and some beans.  He rewraps the ribs and stows them in the fridge.  Then he pulls up a large bag from Tavern on The Green.  He’d ordered us each a Rack of Lamb.  They smell wonderful.

“James … wow.”

“You’ve never been there?”

I just shake my head.  He moves me to the dining table and begins setting out our dinner, talking the whole time about the experience.  I just smile at him.  After putting out everything, he finally takes a chair.  He smiles at me, “Dinner’s served madam” using his really lousy French accent.

It was amazing.  Then he pulls out the four desserts he’d ordered.  “I couldn’t decide on just one.”  We share the Bing Cherry Crème Brule, the Key Lime Tart, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie and the classic New York Cheesecake slice.  Neither of us could finish them.  I lean back in my chair, patting a very full belly, “I think I over did.”

He pats his, “Me too.”  And belches loudly.

Together we clean up, then sink into the sofa.  I curl up into him.  He wraps an arm around me, the other he strokes my hair.  We just sit there, enjoying being together.  No need to talk.  I lay a hand on his chest, gently messaging him.  He lifts my chin.  His glorious blue eyes sparkling.  I smile.  He kisses me.  Tenderly.  Softly.  Then he tucks me close to him.  I sigh into his chest.  The next thing I know, he’s pulling the sheets up over us both in bed.  I kiss his bare chest and let sleep reclaim me.

Need this! But hold on to your wallets ....

LOAD FANS ALERT 🗣🗣🗣

Tricks or Sweets

I am having so much fun writing these!  Here is the October offering.

The one for November is in the wings!

Link to the September post:

Warnings: The end is NSFW. Strip Joints mentioned.

Damn this man can be frustrating.  I suppose any man can be frustrating.  I’ve had relationships before.  But none of them worked out.  The last serious one that I’d had ended a couple of years ago and it broke my heart.  Ok.  Shredded it.  This one came damned close to doing it again.  Although the last month, we have both been working on it.  Together.  We’ve had some heated discussions.  No yelling.  Some discussions have ended with the agreement to disagree.  Some he’s changed my mind.  Some I’ve changed his.  But here it is, close to Halloween and I’m sick.  I have kept him at a distance because I don’t want him getting sick.  Hell, Lars would skin me alive if I get the mighty James Hetfield sick when they are working on new songs.  James and I had closed up his Colorado house to stay in his NorCal place so he could go into HQ with the rest of the band.

James is a little hurt that I’m pushing him away.  Even after explaining to him that I don’t want him to get sick.  He still curls up with me in bed.  He’s been keeping his kisses to any part of my body except my mouth.  I’m not going to complain.  He’s excellent at kissing body parts.  I also think he’s hoping that I’ll get better in time to go to Kirk’s big shindig on Halloween.

“James, I really don’t like to be scared.” I mumble, then cough.  It feels like I’m hacking up a lung. 

Patting my back, “But Kirk’s parties are really good.”  He’s almost whining.  “Will you at least consider going?”

I know that this party is a big deal, “I will consider.”  More coughing, “If I get over this.”  I blow my nose, which is sore and red.  I untwist the Hawaiian print dress I’m wearing.

He pulls me into his side, cupping my head, “I’m sorry you don’ feel good.”  His fingers feel cool on my forehead.  He grabs the digital thermometer and presses it to my forehead.  It double beeps.  “100.2.  Do you want more tea?”

I can only nod as I cough some more.  I watch from the sofa as he sets the kettle to boil.  I had moved to the living room sofa – for a change of scenery from our bedroom.  I slowly sink back into the sofa.  My eyes flutter open as I feel his fingers on my forehead.  My mug is sitting on the table.  I sit up and he hands it to me.  It’s the perfect temperature, which means that I’ve been asleep.  I chug most of it.  It feels good on my throat.  It hits my stomach like a ton of bricks.  It’s the only thing I have consumed all day.  I curl into a ball against him as he takes my mug.  He gently urges my head into his lap, tucking the blanket in around me.  I close my eyes as he plays with my hair. 

It's dark when I wake up.  Still on the sofa.  I cough hard.  Grabbing some tissues I spit out what I’ve hacked up.  At least it’s beginning to break up.  I hope.  I sit up slowly.  I can hear James in his studio.  He’s putting lyrics to a new tune.  I just sit and listen.  Damn!  It’s going to be a hit!  Standing up slowly, I make it to the bathroom.  Washing up after, I splash some water on my face.  It feels so good that I lean on the counter.  I feel his hand on my lower back.  “You good?”

“Yeah.”  I slowly stand up and lean into him.  “Just had to pee.” 

He presses his hand to my forehead.  Before I can protest, he’s scooped me up and carries me back to our bedroom.  Grabbing the thermometer, he presses it to my forehead.  “101.3.  If this gets any higher, I’m taking you in.”

I can’t argue.  I sink back into the pillows.  I feel him get off the bed.  My eyes close.  Then I feel the mattress sink as he sits on it.  A cool cloth is pressed to my forehead.  Another he presses to the back of my neck.  I whimper softly.  “Shhh.  Just sleep.”  I drift away again.

I hear voices.  Speaking softly.  I feel James’ hand cupping my head. 

“Doc, she’s been down for at least a whole day.”

“Temp?”

“101 to 102 consistently.”  I can hear the concern in his voice.

“Is she drinking or eating anything?”

“It’s been awhile.  I got some tea in her yesterday afternoon.”

I hear a deep sigh.  “She needs some electrolytes.  Let me set up an IV for her.”

I try to squirm.  “Shhh.”  His fingers cup my face.  “I got you.”  I manage to pull his fingers to my neck, leaning into the coolness.  The bed sinks on my left side.  I wince as the band is tightened around my arm.  “Hang on Kira.  It’s only for a moment.”  Then there’s a stinging in my left arm.  I manage to kick out with a leg.  “Almost done.”  His lips press cooly to my forehead, his fingers play with my hair.  The sting eases and there’s a cool sensation running up my arm.  The band is removed.

“Ok.  I have this one wide open.  Keep an eye on this arm.  It’ll need to stay pretty straight for this bag to get in her.”

“Got it, Doc.”

“I’ll leave a couple of bags in your fridge.  Pull the next bag back to about half.”

“Doc, thanks a million.”  The bed shakes gently.  I can only guess that they are shaking hands.  I whimper and try to curl around him.  “Shhh.  You’ll feel better soon.”  His hand caresses my hair.

“Call me if anything looks wonky.  I’m only doing this cause I know you can handle the IV port.  You’ve had enough in your life.”

“Thanks again.”

“I’ll see myself out, James.”  I hear footsteps.  “I’ll check in with you later.”

“Thanks.”  James rolls me to his side, draping my left arm over his chest.  His fingers make gentle lazy patterns on my arm and shoulder.  The darkness reaches up and pulls me under.

It’s pitch black outside when I float awake.  I’m flat on my back.  James is on my right side, his arm and leg keeping me pinned.  I struggle a little to move.  “Hey.  What’s wrong?”

“Gotta pee” I cough out.

I have never seen him move this fast, he’s standing on my side of the bed, one hand holding my left hand, the other under my right arm pulling me gently to my feet.  “Hang on a sec.”  He reaches behind me.  The IV bag hits my back.

“That’s cold” I flinch slightly.

“Sorry.  It’s still attached to you” he gives me a small smile. 

I wobble to the bathroom.  He stands holding the IV bag while I use the toilet.  He did have to help me stand after I cleaned up.  He squirts some hand sanitizer on my right hand and works it in.  “Faster than washing just the one hand.”  I snorfel a smile.  He almost carries me back to bed.  Tucking me back into the sheets, he rehangs the IV bag.  I look up.  He’s jerry rigged a mic stand to hold the bag.  I laugh softly.  “What?”

Pointing with my right hand, “Very creative.”

“I didn’t want to put a hole in the wall” he smiles at me.  I wiggle to get comfy.  He checks the bag.  “I’ll be right back” he kisses my forehead.  “Don’t go anywhere.”  He pats my stomach as he leaves.  I blink and he’s back, a new IV bag in his hands.  “Let’s go ahead and change this one out.”  Like a trained nurse, he quickly gets the bags changed.  He adjusts the flow on the line.  I just look at him.  “You don’t want to know how many IV ports I’ve yanked out of my own arms.”  My fingers gently rub his arm as he sits.  “A night nurse in Montreal took pity on me and showed me what to do.”

“That had to be horrid.” 

“Honestly, I was terrified.”  He gently stretches out next to me.  “I still double check the setlist and where I am on stage.”  I can see the memories in his eyes.

“You were very lucky that those flames didn’t sear your lungs.”

Nodding, “That would have ended me.”  I gently caress his cheek.  “The year it took to be able to pick up a guitar again was torture.”

“I’m sure it was.”  My fingers linger on his face, “I heard what you were creating earlier.  It sounds great!”

He smiles at me, “That was two days ago.  But thanks!”  He kisses my forehead.

“Two days?”

“Yeah, you’ve been a little out of it” his fingers caress my face.  He grabs the digital thermometer.  “Look at that!  99.8!”

I smile softly.  “I do feel better.”  A coughing fit hits me.  He just rubs my back. 

“Actually, you did cough in your sleep.”  He brushes stray hairs from my forehead.

“Have you slept at all?”

“Some.  But I’m good.  Let’s get you out of the weeds first.”  He pulls me to him, making sure that the IV tube isn’t being crushed, and curls an arm around my head.  “I’m not going anywhere.  Sleep.”  I wrap my right arm around his and let sleep pull me back under.

My eyes squint open to a room filled with bright sunlight.  The IV port is still in my arm, but the tubing has been removed.  I sit up and cough hard.  I hear the toilet flush, then water in the bathroom.

“It lives!” James smiles at me.  He’s wearing just a pair of boxers.  And damn he looks good.  Another coughing fit hits me.  James slides onto the bed, patting my back.  “Doc stopped by this morning.  He gave you a shot of B12.  That should give you the boost you need to get over the cough.”

“That explains why my ass hurts.”

Nodding, “Yeah, that’s one of those shots that can’t go thru an IV.”  He kisses my shoulder, “I want to leave the port in for a bit.  I can take them out, but can’t put them in.”

“I understand that.”  I squirm to the side of the bed, “I gotta pee again.”

He helps me from the bed to the toilet and then the sink.  “Let’s shift you to the family room.”  He snakes an arm around me, “Change of scenery.”

“A change of sheets please?”

He snickers a laugh, “You read my mind.”  He helps me sit back into the sofa in the family room and covers me with a big fuzzy blanket.  “Need anything?” as he hands me the TV remote.

“A Severed Lime please?”

He kisses my forehead.  “Be right back.”

I power up the TV and start looking through the guide.  His hand comes over my shoulder, “Here.  Careful it’s open.”  His voice soft.

“Thank you.”  I look into his blue eyes, “For taking care of me.”  Another coughing fit.  This one hurts my chest.  His hands gently hold my shoulders and rub my back.  I pull his hand from my shoulder to my chest, “It hurts here.”  He rubs my chest gently.  His hand warm on my skin.  And deeper.  I cough again.  James uses the heel of his other hand to pound on my back.  I grab some tissues and spit out the phlegm.  It’s green.

“That’s not good.”

“Better out than in” I manage, spitting out more.

“I’ll call Doc again.  Get his opinion.”  He kisses my hair, “In the mean time, I’ll go change the sheets.”

“Please spray the pillows and mattress with Lysol.”

He kisses my hair again, “Good idea.”  He takes my left hand, “I think we’re done with this.”  He deftly pulls out the IV port from my arm.  Then he holds the spot for a minute waiting for my blood to congeal.  “There.  All better.”  I cough hard.  “Well, getting there” he chuffs at me. 

I find a movie and start it as another fit hits me.  More phlegm comes up.  I drop the messy tissues to the floor with the other ones.  I curl into the corner of the sofa, tugging the blanket tighter.  I blink awake as the movie is ending.  Music floats from James’ studio.  I cough again, bringing up more phlegm.  I chug some of the Severed Lime.  The bubbles actually feel good on my sore throat.  I start another movie and I recurl into the blanket.  It’s dark when I sit up, coughing again.

“Hey,” his hands on my shoulders again.  He reaches out and grabs the Severed Lime can, “Here, sip.”  I take a couple of sips.  “Doc stopped by while you were sleeping.  He looked at what you’ve coughed up.  He didn’t want to give you an antibiotic shot without knowing if you have any medical allergies.”

Shaking my head, “None that I know of.”  I cough again.  I take another drink.

“He left the shot, if you’ll let me.”  I look into his big blue eyes.  He’s concerned.  Very concerned.  And torn.  Being brought up Christian Scientist, medicines were frowned on.  But modern medicine saved him when he was so badly burned.  I nod at him, holding tissues to my mouth as another cough hits me.  Once he knows I’m ok, he goes to the fridge and pulls out the syringe.  He picks up the alcohol wipe packet from the counter as he returns.  “Doc said the best place for me to jab you is in the ass.”  He sits on the sofa.  I slowly roll to him, draping myself over his lap.  “If you felt better, this would be interesting!”  He opens the wipe packet, pulls up the Hawaiian dress I’m wearing and rubs my ass with the wipe, then his fingers grab that cheek and the other stabs.  I wince.  He pulls the dress back down and rubs the spot, “All done.”  I just hang there.  “You better shift off my lap, or I might just let my evil thoughts take over” he growls gently into my ear. 

“Maybe later” I grin up at him as I push myself back into the corner, another cough hits me.

“My poor little Kira.”  He tucks me in, kissing my forehead.  He goes into the kitchen.  I hear him puttering around in it.  I’m still a little too far gone to pay attention.  He comes back carrying a bowl, “Here, sip this.”  It’s miso.

“That tastes so good.”  I drink more.  “Thank you.”

He returns to the kitchen and comes back with his own bowl.  A much bigger bowl.  He puts my feet into his lap and I start another movie.

I don’t remember falling asleep.  My feet are still in his lap.  Our soup bowls on the coffee table.  He’s curled up on his side, several pillows under his head.  I gently extract my feet.  “You ok?”

“I gotta pee.”

He stands up and helps me stand, “Well you do have about three IV bags of fluids in you.”

As we move toward the bathroom, “I do feel better.”  I cough again.

“Yeah.  Uh huh.”  He gives me a look.

“I do” I protest while using the toilet.  He stands behind me while I wash up.  I take a good look at my reflection.  I grimace.

"What?"

“I need a shower.”

“Not at 2am.  C'mon.  Back to the sofa with you.”

He sinks into the sofa with me.  “You go to bed.”  I cough again.  “I’ll be fine.”

Pulling my feet back into his lap, “Yes, you will be fine.”  He reaches up and tucks the blanket back around me.  He takes the remote and starts another movie.  He gently rubs my ankles and calves.  I slide back into sleep.

The morning sun shines in on my face.  I struggle to shift.  My feet are still trapped in James’ lap and hands.  His warmth feels good on my feet.  I watch him sleep.  His eyelashes curl against his cheeks hiding his bluer than blue eyes.  His lips slightly open under his graying mustache.  Oh, the joys that mouth has given me.  His fingers curled around my ankles that make such magic on his guitar.  The magic they work on me.  Inside me.  I whimper slightly.  And cough.  Hard.  His hands tighten around my ankles.  “I’m ok.”  I drop the tissue.  “Not as green.”

His eyebrows rise, “That’s good.”  I cough again.  “Better out than in.”  He grins at me, shifting my feet out of his lap.  “How about some breakfast?”

“Yes, please.”  I look up into his eyes as he stands.  “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain.”

“I’m glad I was able to take care of you.”  He kisses the top of my head.  “Then maybe a shower.”

“That bad?”

“I have smelled better after a show.”

“Yikes.”  I kick out of the blanket.  I change the channel to local news.  The weather is on.  Nothing new.  Clouds, fog, spotty rain.

“Ahh.  San Fran in late fall” James sighs as he hands me a plate.  He sinks into the sofa next to me.

His scrambled eggs are smothered in cheese.  There’s sliced tomato and avocado on my plate.  “mmmm.”

“Good?”

“Yeth” I say around a mouthful.

He takes the remote and finds the NFL Network.  We finish eating while getting the latest updates on the teams.  Well, he finishes our breakfast.  I could only eat about half of what he’d put on my plate.  Once the updates are done, James collects the plates and dumps them in the sink.  He comes back, turns off the tv, pulls me to my feet, pulls the blanket off the sofa and unloads about half a can of Lysol where I’ve been sleeping.  Then he leads me to our bathroom.  Pulling off my dress and dropping his boxers, he pulls me into the shower.  I lean against the back wall as he washes my hair, my back, my body - being very tender between my legs.  I know he’s horny as hell, but I’m so not horny.  It pinches my heart that I can’t be sexy for him right now.  The steam from the hot water puts me into a serious coughing fit.  James wraps an arm around my waist and holds my head with his other hand.  I hack out the biggest chunk of phlegm ever.  It’s yellow, green and brown all at once.  Using a spray wand, James washes it down the drain.  I slowly stand up.  “Well, there’s that” I whisper.

“Maybe that’s the core and you’ll get better now” James cups my head and pulls me into his body.  He releases me gently, rinses us both off and after turning off the water, wraps me up in a towel.  I waddle to the bed and sit.  That last hack hurt.  James sits behind me and using a towel, dries my hair.  I almost fall asleep sitting there.  He tugs the clean sheets and blankets down, “In you go.”  He pulls the towel from my body and tucks me into bed.  I’m asleep before the covers are tucked around me.

The next couple of days, I slowly recover.  Still hacking a cough, but not as bad.  I start putzing around the house taking care of little things.  I still crash out almost every time I sit down.

Knowing that I’m out of the weeds – as he put it - he’s been working a lot lately at HQ.  He didn’t get home until about 11pm a few days ago.  It’s 10:12pm.  I cough again.  I had tried his phone but it went directly to voice mail.  I figure that he’s doing vocal work.  I decided to call the HQ main line.  I almost hung up. 

“Hello.”

“Hi, this is Kira.”

“Hey!  It’s Avi.  How you feeling?  James told us that you were super sick.”

My eyebrows are in my hairline, “I’m doing ok, thanks for asking.  Uhmmm, this is kinda embarrassing, but would you please give James a note to pick up some cough drops?”

“Uhm, sure.  But he and Jacob left for the club.  I probably won’t see him before you do.”

The club?  THE club.  “Oh.  Ok.  Thanks.”

“Do you want me to run some up to you?”

“That’s very kind Avi, but I think I have enough to get through tonight.”

“Well, feel better!”

“Thanks!”  I end the call. 

Curling up tighter in bed as I cough, a million thoughts are going through my head.  There’s only one place that men refer to as The Club.  He went to a strip joint.  I’m surprisingly not mad at him that he went to a club.  I’m more upset that he didn’t let me know.  My eyes close.

His warm body is spooned up behind me.  My clock shows 3am.  Just that he’s back safely is all I care about.  I press up against his warmth and drift back to sleep.

“Hey sleepy head.”  His voice rumbles in my ear.  His big warm hand is slowly rubbing between my shoulder blades.

“That feels really good” I murmur into the pillow.

His lips press against the back of my neck.  “You feeling any better?”

“Let me wake up first, then I’ll let you know” I smirk at him.  I turn my head looking up at him, “How was the club?”  All the color drains from his face.  His hands freeze on my body.  I pull myself up and sit cross legged in bed.  “James, why wouldn’t you tell me?”  I’m not shouting.  I’m not accusing.  It’s more statement than question.

He rolls to his back, his left arm rests on his forehead, his right hand resting against my calf.  “I thought you’d get mad.”

I cock a smile at him, “Let me surprise you.”  He looks at me.  “I really don’t care if you go to strip clubs.”  He blinks.  “I really don’t.  Some of those women are gorgeous.”  He blinks again.  “Hell, I’d fuk some of those women.”  That got his attention.  “All I ask is that you let me know.  And bring this” I run my hand over his boxers where his erection is growing, “home to me.  I’ll be more than happy to take care of it.  I just want to know when to expect you home.”  I can tell he’s gobsmacked.  “What?” I smile at him.  “Have I rendered the great wordsmith silent?”

“Kinda.”  He sits up, holding my hand with his on his crotch.  “You’re serious.”

“Very.”  I feel him get harder.  “James, there’s nothing wrong with watching them dance.  For some, that’s how they are putting themselves through school.  Or taking care of sick kids or parents.  But this” I gently squeeze him, “comes home to me.”  He bowls into me laying me out flat on the bed, his lips kissing my face and neck.  I try to push him back, “If I get you sick, Lars is going to kill me!”

With both hands planted on either side of me, he rises up, “Lars is sick.  Probably got it when he went to Jessica’s shoot on the beach last week.”  He almost drops on to me, planting a toe curling kiss on me.  I wrap my arms around his neck.  Parting the kiss, “I’ve missed this.”  His blue eyes sparkling at me.  “I am sorry that I didn’t tell you.  It won’t happen again.”

“What won’t happen again?” I ask cheekily.

“I will tell you from now on where I’m going.  You’re right.  You should know when to expect me home.”

I caress his head from forehead to the nape of his neck, “Thank you.”  I twist my head into the nearest pillow and cough.

“Well, that is sounding better.”  He grabs the thermometer and presses it to my forehead.  It beeps.  “Hey look at that!  Normal.”

“yay!”  I play with his hair, “I could really use a shower.”  I sniff his chest, “So could you.”

“What?”

“You smell like cigarettes.”  We both sit up, “I don’t mind your cigars, but cigarettes just stink.”

“Noted.  I will shower after coming home.”

I grab his boxers, “Maybe I can help you” as I slid off the bed pulling him with me.

I was still a little anxious over the next couple of days about going to Kirk’s Halloween party.  I really do hate spooky stuff.  Spiders top of the list.  Halloween and being scared next.  I’m standing in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher when my phone rings.  By the ring tone, it’s James.  “Hi!”

“Hey.  I’ll be home a little early tonight.”

“What’s going on?”

I can hear him snicker, “Kirk is sick.”

“Well damn.”

“Yeah, he’s bummed that he’s gotta cancel the party.  Sooo, I’ll be home early tonight.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

I hear him chuckle as he ends the call.  Well, this is a curve ball.  A wicked idea comes to me.  I set up the stereo and put the remote on the landing.  I dash upstairs and dig through my things in the closet.  There.  The little plaid skirt.  Don’t know why I’ve kept it.  Don’t know why I packed it, but here it is.  I find a pair of scissors and cut about 6 inches off the hem.  It now barely hides my pussy and my ass cheeks peek out beneath it.  I almost run into the bathroom.  Fifteen minutes later, I’m hairless.  And wet.  I pull on a pair of black knee high socks.  My clunky white sneakers will have to do.  Then the skirt.  My heavy duty pushup bra is next.  My tits are almost hitting my chin.  I take a white t-shirt of his and sacrifice it.  I cut the neckline super low.  Then I twist the hem up and knot it right below my bra showing off my stomach.  Running back into the bathroom, I pull my hair up into a super messy bun.  I’m putting on bright red lipgloss when I hear the garage door open.  My heart is pounding and I’m a sopping wet mess between my legs.  I grab a towel and give a wipe as I hear him come in the house.

“I’m home.”

“Hi!  Sit on the sofa.  I’ll be down in a moment.”  I watch him from behind a corner.  I grin happily as he sits in the middle of the sofa.  I get to the landing and hit play on the stereo remote.  His own song – Devil’s Dance - blares to life.  He spins and sees me.  I chew on my lower lip as I try to move down the stairs in a sultry manner.  Hard to do in bulky sneakers.  But the look on his face is worth it.  He’s almost drooling at the sight of me.  When his song gets to the line “I’ve got what you need,” I squat, and quickly spread my knees flashing him with my cleaned and sopping wet core, then snap my knees together.  He actually grunts.  I slink around the living room trying to dance like a stripper – which I’ve never done before in my life.  I finally crawl across the wooden coffee table.  I can feel the strip of fabric I called a skirt slide up my rump – which I wiggle slowly as I crawl.  Putting my hands on his thighs – which are shaking – I get a couple of inches from his face and in the dirtiest voice I could, sing his own words to him, “Let’s dance.”

He doesn’t just grab me.  He tackles me.  His mouth crashing into mine.  His arms wrap around me as we crash to the floor between the sofa and the coffee table.  He shoves the table aside.  He’s grabbing at the shirt I’ve tied up and my bra.  I’m undoing and tugging off his belt.  His hands grab his jeans and about pops off the metal buttons on his 501’s.  I help him yank down both his jeans and boxers.  He grabs my hips and lifts while I point his dripping cock at my sopping cunt.  With one thrust he roars into me balls deep.  I cry out.  Not in pain.  I was so wet the Titanic could have slid into me.  The pleasure of his girth filling me made me cry out.  He grabs my left wrist and pins it to the ground by my shoulder as he starts thrusting.  Hard.  The look in his eyes, on his face.  Hunger.  Wild.  Feral.  I moan loudly.  My legs wrap around his waist, the heels of my sneakers dig into his hips forcing him deeper still into me.  Again, my voice cries out in sheer pleasure.  He lets go of my wrist to grab my hip again.  He’s slamming into me.  My hands grabbing his arms pulling him closer to me.  His balls slapping my taint.  His fingers dig deep into my hips keeping me from moving away.  We are both reduced to primal grunts and growls.  I feel his strokes getting sloppy.  His thumb finds my clit.  We both scream in release.  Not your normal orgasm vocalization.   It was an If the neighbors were any closer, the cops would have been called scream.  We are both panting, he slowly lowers his weight onto my body, his hands cupping my head.  I kiss his arms, neck, chin, chest. 

Then I cough.  Hard.  We both start laughing.  He gently withdraws from me.  I reach around to find the ruined t-shirt and shove it between my legs, which makes him give me a look.  “I’m leaking on the carpet!” I manage to squeak out.  Still laughing, he tucks the fabric under me.  He rests his head between my well lifted boobs as he never did get the bra off.

“I’ll never be able to play that song live again!” he pants out.  My laughter just redoubles.  “I’ll never be able to explain to Lars why not!” he laughs into my chest.  My fingers just play in his hair.

We lay there a tangle of arms, legs and clothes for a bit recovering.  I push the hair from his sweat covered brow, “Now tell me, wasn’t this better than a spooky Halloween party?”

His face still buried in my boobs, “It’s pretty close!”

if only those shorts were ... well ... shorter........

Snow Way to Escape

First time writing. Hope it doesn't suck!

Hetfield fluff - Angst - Sex Suggested

Why did I ever fall for this man?!  Is he talented?  Yes.  Is he good looking?  Damn yes.  Is he great in bed?  Fuck yes.  Is he being a dick?  All holy hell yes.  Has been since he got home from the road.  Am I regretting moving to his place in Colorado?  Right now.  Yes.  His last dig at me has me packing my carry on and putting my computer into my backpack while wiping away the tears I swore I wouldn’t shed.  I can walk away from anything I can’t fit into these two bags.  I looked over at the smart home device for the time.  The notification bar was flashing yellow.  “Computer, what’s the notification?”  The robotic voice answered, “For the Vail Colorado area, the National Weather Service has issued the following weather warning.  A severe winter storm is forecast to begin snowing heavily at 2pm local time with heavy snow levels accumulating to 3 to 4 feet, drifting 6 to 8 feet.”  The rest of the warning went unheard as I grabbed my two bags, the note I’d written, and ran to the front door.  I dropped the bags on the floor, still clutching the note, as I saw my plans end.  Opening the front door I slowly walked outside, the snow had already been falling.  Big fat fluffy flakes so thick I couldn’t see the end of the driveway.  Looking over to the garage door, “No, no no no, no!”  The drift was already a good 2 feet tall.  For split second I thought about taking his damned truck.  It would easily clear that drift.

“What the hell are you doing?” James yelled from the front door, looking between me and the bags on the floor.

Taking one last glance at the pile of snow blocking the garage door, I turned back to the house, “Well, I was going to leave you.”  I slapped my note into his chest.  Pushing past him, I collected my bags and slowly made my way back to the room that I had claimed as my own three weeks before.

“What the fuck!?” James yelled just before slamming the front door.

I kept walking dejectedly.  Making it back to the room, I tossed the backpack onto the bed and just stood there clutching the carry on.  I could hear James come storming down the stairs.  “What the fuck?  You are leaving me?”  I turned.  His usually glacier blue eyes now a threatening dark blue filled with rage.

“Well, mother nature said no” as I motioned to the now dark window.  “Not tonight anyway.”

I heard the paper flutter to the floor.  “Why?”  The pain in his voice was natural, not forced.  It pinched my heart.

I turned to him but couldn’t look him in the eye.  “What was the one thing I asked of you when we started dating?”  He just stood there.  Then I did look at his face.  He was obviously thinking.  “I asked you to not compare me to the exes.”  He nodded slowly.  “I am not them and the exes are not me” I raged at him.  The rage fading from his eyes.  “But ever since you got home from the tour, you have been … well …”

“A dick” he finished my sentence.

“Yes” I snapped.  I put the carryon I was still holding on the bed.  “You have done nothing but compare me to them for months.”  I turned back to him, “The final straw was when you started counting your cash.”  His eyebrows knitted together.  “Every night before you go to bed, you count the cash in your pocket, put it in your wallet which you put on your nightstand.  Then in the morning after you shower and get dressed, you count it again.”  His fingers twitched as he processed what I said.  “I don’t need your money.”  He looked at me, shocked.  “I have my own career and my own bank account.”  He continued to stare at me.  “I could have taken your damned $90 thousand dollar truck and left you the car that I paid $125 thousand for.”  He cocked his head but didn’t ask.  I answered anyway.  “Taking your truck I would have gotten pulled over by your state trooper friends in a heart beat.  That would be a felony.  And you would have no say if I got arrested or not.”  I turned away from him.  “Right now, you are not worth a felony on my record.”  I moved to the desk and sank into the chair.

He looked around the room.  The realization hit him, “When did your stuff get down here?”

I huffed a smile, “James, I moved down here three weeks ago.”  He turned to me.  “You didn’t notice that I wasn’t sleeping in your bed?”

His hands kinda flapped uselessly, “I thought you were coming to bed after me and getting up before…”

“Thanks for noticing” I said sorta like Eeyore.

His eyebrows knitted together again, “But the sheets got changed.”

“Yes they did” I just looked up at him.

“And the kitchen … the dishes … the laundry …”

“The grocery shopping, collecting the mail, dusting” I looked down at my hands. 

“Why?”

“Who else was gonna do it?” I dug back at him.  “It’s not like you’d do any of those things.”  He huffed a moment but didn’t say anything.  “I wanted to hire a cleaning team, but you went almost mental on me about that.”

“I don’t want someone just rummaging through my shit” he flared.

“I understand that” I tried to stay calm.  “But there are teams that specialize in people of your status.  Plus” I pointed to the monitors on the desk, “I have a job!  One that I enjoy!” my temper trying to flare.  I leaned my elbow on the desk rubbing my eyes. 

He was quiet for a minute.  “Look, this storm is going to blow for a couple of days” he said.  “Let’s get some sleep.”  I just nodded.  He stepped backwards out of the room, “We can talk in the morning.”  He softly closed the door.

I looked at the closed door.  His cologne lingered.  More than just his cologne.  Him.  The tears started to fall.  I let them.  Sniffling, I decided to take a soak in the tub.  Starting the water, I dumped in some salts from the cupboard, then sank into the hot water.  I mulled over the past 8 months.  The good, the bad.  More tears.  When the water turned cool, I got out, drained the tub and climbed into the bed.  The heat from the soak worked a charm and I was asleep in minutes.

I woke up still wrapped in the towel from the tub soak.  I slipped out of the bed, pulling on a robe.  I opened the room door.  I could hear that James was in his studio.  It was a super crunchy riff floating through the house.  Smiling to myself, I went into the kitchen.  Pulling out what I needed to make a breakfast sandwich, I looked at the items on the counter.  It’s just as easy to make three as just one.  I left two on a plate in the fridge covered with a paper towel, with “Zap for 30 seconds” written on it.  I left another note on the counter, “Breakfast in fridge.”  Collecting my sandwich, a granola bar and a couple of Severed Lime cans from the fridge, I returned to my room.  Pulling my computer out of my backpack, I logged into work.

My chat window opened:

Boss:  You make the flight?

Me: No.  Got snowed in.

Boss:  You ok?

Me:  Meh

Boss:  Wanna talk?

Me:  Not right now.

Me:  I’m going Marinas Trench.  I need to get the last three chapters done.  They’re late.

Boss:  Understood.  Don’t worry about being late.  I’ll put in a good word for ya!

Me:  Thanks.

I clicked on the Out of Office option.  Then opened the files I needed from the New York servers and ate my sandwich waiting for the computers to synch.  Once done, I launched into where I’d left off.

I had no idea how long I’d been working until there was a soft knock on the door.  “Hey?” came James’ voice.

I turned to the door, “Yeah?”

“May I come in?”

Stretching, “Yeah.”

James came in and leaned against the wall.  “You sleep ok?”

Uncurling my legs from the chair, “Yes, thank you.”  Looking over at him.  “You?”

“Yeah, ok” he said.  He looked like shit.

I cocked a smile at him, “Liar.”

He huffed a laugh, “I don’t think I slept at all.”  He scrubbed his fingers through his silvered hair.  “Thanks for the breakfast sandwiches.”

I nodded, “You’re welcome.”  He kept trying to look at my computer monitors.  “What are you doing?”

“I guess I don’t know exactly what your job is.”

Patting the end of the bed, “Sit” I said.  He sat and leaned forward.  “I’m an editor.”  I rotated back to face the monitors.  “This screen is the book I’m working on” pointing to the monitor on the right.  “This screen” motioning to the one on my left, “are my notes.  The laptop in the middle just keeps me awake.”

“Why the notes?” his curiosity was genuine.

“Well .. here” I pointed to a block of text highlighted on the right screen.  “The author has brought in a new character that has no backstory.  If this character was just in this paragraph it wouldn’t matter, but it shows up several more times.”  Pointing to the text on the left monitor with matching highlighting, “These are my notes back to the author asking about a backstory for this character.” 

James shifted to lean to my left so see the screen.  “And how many notes does this author have from you?”

“On this book” I looked to the page count in the lower left corner of the window, “92.”

“Really?” he seemed shocked.

Stretching out my back, “Yeah, this guy tends to get lost in his own words.  So, I have to try to get him back out of the woods.”  I turned back towards James.  “You have never asked about my job before.  Why now?”

He sat back and looked at me.  “Because your note is correct.”  He rubbed his hands nervously on his thighs, “I haven’t taken any interest in you … outside of the bedroom.”

I heaved a sigh, “I probably should have edited my own writing.”

“No” his eyes popped up to my face.  “No.  You were right.  You were probably pissed as hell when you wrote that note.”  He ran his hands through his hair – which he did when he was nervous.  “But every word was true.  I have treated you like a whore.  I have compared you to the exes.  I have not discovered you … about you.”  His shoulders slumped some.  “I am sorry.”

That hit my heart.  Hard.  I rested my fingers on his knees.  “James.  I can accept your apology.”  His glacier blue eyes found mine.  “I can see that you mean it.”  Those gloriously blue pools now filled with doubt.  “But you will have to work on the forgiveness.”  I withdrew my fingers from his knees slowly.

Nodding, “I completely understand.”  His smile slightly lopsided.  “Will you please give me the chance to earn that forgiveness?”

I watched him a moment.  Then, smiling back at him, “Yes” I said softly.  His eyes brightened along with his smile as he stood.  “By the way” I looked up at him.  “I really liked that crunch you had going this morning.  It sounded amazing!”

Incredibly, his eyes lit up even more, “You really liked that?”

“Yes” I smiled up at him.

“Thanks.”  He fidgeted.  “Uhmm, what would you like for dinner?”

“What time is it?” I asked looking at my computer screen.

“It’s like 3pm.  But since you made breakfast, I thought I’d make dinner.”

Nodding at him, “I will leave that to the chef.”

Nodding as he moved towards the door, “You like your steak …?”

Smiling at him, “Medium Rare.”  He closed the door with a grin.  My head was laughing Of course it would be steak!  My laptop pinged.

Boss:  Surface to Marianas Trench…. (I love my boss!)

Me:  evening.

Boss:  How’s it going?

Me:  half way through last chapter.

Boss:  And the other thing…..?

Me:  Perhaps there is a chance there.

Boss:  ????

Me:  He just invited me to dinner.

Boss:  I thought it was snowing there still.

I took a picture out the window and attached it to the chat.

Boss:  So?

Me:  He’s making me a steak.

Boss:  Ahh.  Well, then you need to go get ready!

Me:  Right after I finish this chapter.  Then I’m all caught up on this book.

Boss:  Fine. 

Boss:  Hope it goes well!

Me:  Thanks!

It took me about 90 minutes to finish the last chapter since it was not a complete chapter.  Saving both files to the servers and sending the links to the author – with the boss cc’d on that email – I closed down my computer.  Standing up and stretching, I moved to the bathroom.  I decided to take a shower and wash my hair.  If James was going to put in the effort to change, so could I.  No more being a slob.  I sat on the bed drying my hair when there was a tap on the door.  I popped up and grabbed the robe.  “Yes?”  No answer.  I opened the door.  There hanging on the light fixture in the hallway was a garment bag.  A postit note stuck to it.  Dinner at 6pm.   Smiling, I collected the bag and closed the door.  Laying the bag on the bed I opened it.  I only got about 6 inches open when I gasped.  Inside was a dark green velvet gown with beaded trim around the scoop neckline.  It was the dress I’d told him about.  I’d even made him watch the movie.  James had it made.  He’d threatened to have it made for me to wear to the next awards show.  But I’d never thought he’d do it.  That was just a month or so after we’d started dating.  I looked at the clock.  5pm.  I had time.  I went back into the bathroom and did some tidying up.  Did my makeup and pinned up the hair.  I knew that he loved my long hair, but this gown … The hair had to be up.  Going back to the bed, I pulled the gown from the bag.  I slipped into it.  With the plunging back to just above my ass, I was commando beneath it.  I went to move the garment bag and it felt heavy.  Patting it down, I discovered a pair of heels.  They glittered with the same rhinestones as the trim.  Just as I slipped them on, there was a single tap at the door.  I opened the door.  The hallway empty.  But there was a pink post it note on the floor.  Squatting down – if I’d bent over the gown would have slipped off me – I picked it up.  There was a doodle on it.  I couldn’t figure it out.  But looking up the hallway was another post it.  Another doodle.  As I walked to the stairs, there were more postit notes.  Each with a doodle.  I climbed the stairs and turned into the living room.  There stood James.  In his Brioni tux.  The sight took my breath.  Damn!  He looked good!  And he was holding another postit note.  He held it out to me.  The doodle on this one was a rose.

“Oh!”  I held out the ones I’d collected, “These are rose petals!”

Blushing, “Yeah, I couldn’t go get a real rose, so I improvised.”

I gently collected the one he held, “It’s lovely.”  I looked up into his eyes, “Thank you.”

James held out his hand to me – which I took – and he slowly spun me.  “I should have given this to you ages ago.”  He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.  “You look stunning.”  I just blushed.  James tucked my hand into his elbow and gently led me down the hallway away from the kitchen and into the formal dining room.  He’d set the table.  There were candles on it and two place settings.  He pulled out the chair for me and scooched it in when I sat.  “The staff seems to have not reported to work this evening, so I will have to substitute” he said in a really bad French accent.  I giggled.  His eyes lit up.  “I shall return madam.”  I giggled even more.  James disappeared into the kitchen.  I put the pile of post it notes on the table.  He returned with two plates.  Each bore a steak, a pile of green beans and a large slice of bread smothered in butter.  I smiled.  He was trying.  I cut into the steak and took a bite.

“How is it?” James asked.

Swallowing, “Perfection” I said.  He dug into his own.  I took a bite of the green beans.  A couple were still pretty frosty.  I didn’t say a word, but just smiled.  The bread was a garlic sourdough that I loved.  The butter was a bit much, but again, I wasn’t going to complain.  James had obviously put some thought into making dinner and I wasn’t going to ruin it.  I’d had worse meals. 

“The weather is forecasting that this snow will last another 36 hours or so” James said.

The weather.  A safe place to start.  “I haven’t listened to the weather or news today.”

“Did you get your book done?” James leaned towards me.

“I did.”

“How many do you edit?” his blue eyes clear and piercing.

“Uhm.  I have about 20 in the wings to work on.”  I took a sip of the Squashed Orange in my glass.  He’d used champagne flutes for the bubbly water.

“Why so many?” James looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“Some are just articles.”  I put my fork down,  “It all depends on release dates.  The one I worked on today is supposed to release right after the New Year.  The others have release dates after that one.”

“It has nothing to do with whom the author is?”

Pushing my plate away and leaning on the table, “Sometimes.  All depends on the author and release dates.”  I looked at him.  He was genuinely interested.  “If it’s big wig author and the release date is close, then that file gets bumped to the top of the pile.”

“Who is the biggest author you have edited?”  His smile was slightly crooked.

“I don’t get the Mitchell’s or the King’s”  I grinned.

“Why not?”

“My boss says that I’m too brutal with my notes” I slow blinked him.

James sat up.  “Yeah, you can be.”  He used his napkin on his lips.  “But perhaps they need those brutal notes.”  He smiled at me.  “As a recipient, I can attest that it kicked my ass into changing how I think.”  He held out a hand to me.  I laid my fingers into it.  “And I thank you.”  I didn’t know what to say.  He simply laid his other hand over my fingers and smiled at me.  Then he popped up, “Dessert” he said collecting our plates.  I squirmed in my seat.  My thoughts ranging all over the place.  He had totally messed me up.  Again.  Just like he had when we’d met.  He returned with two small plates.  Piled creatively on each were four sandwich cookies held in place with cake frosting and topped with whipped cream.  He set them down with great flourish, “Tah dah!”

Trying my best to not snort out a laugh, “I’m sure that the patisserie chef labored all day to create these delicacies.”  James did snort out a laugh.  Which made me burst out in laughter.  I picked up one of the cookies and happily munched it.  James retook his seat and tucked into his plate.  “Seriously, these turned out pretty good” I said licking whipped cream from my fingers.

“The frosting isn’t too much?” James asked seriously.

“No.  It’s just the right amount” I said scooping the last bit up on my finger.

James grabbed my hand and gently sucked the frosting from my finger.  I didn’t retract my hand but did go a little stiff.  He kissed the back of my hand before pushing it back towards my body, smiling at me.  “I’m sorry” he said kindly.  “Just a little too soon.”

Looking down at my now empty dessert plate, “Maybe not” I said softly.  I knew he couldn’t see it, but my thighs squeezed together tightly.

“Perhaps I should escort the lady back to her room” he said looking down at his plate, “before I make a compete fool of myself.  Again.”  He smiled at me as he stood, offering me his hand.

I took his offered hand, collected the postit notes and stood.  He tenderly tucked my hand into his elbow and walked me back to the room I’d claimed as mine.  I turned at the door, “That was lovely James.”  I again slow blinked him, “Thank you.”

He gently cupped my face and kissed my forehead.  “Thank you” he said softly.  His hands gently ran down my shoulders and arms to my hands, “I can’t wait to see you in this gown again.”  He lifted both my hands to his lips and kissed them.  “Good Night.”  He took several steps backwards before turning.  I turned and opened the bedroom door.  I kicked off the heels and then let the gown slip off.  I stood there naked.  My desires wanted to race up to his room and let him have his way with me.  My integrity said no.  My curiosity wanted to know what James would do next.  Hanging the gown up, I decided another soak was in order.  I unpacked my water proof vibrator on the way into the bathroom.

I was sound asleep.  I felt his hand on my shoulder, “Y/N” he said softly.  He shook me slightly, “Y/N, wake up.”  I opened my eyes to find James standing by the bed holding my robe.  “There’s something I want to show you.”  I fumbled out of the bed.  James helped me into the robe and then tucked me into his side, his left arm draping from my right shoulder down to my waist on the left side.  He guided me to the big sliding doors to the upper patio.  “Here, put these on.”  He guided my feet into a pair of fuzzy boots, then put on his own mukluks.  He opened the door and led me outside.  It was bitterly cold, trying to suck the air from my lungs.  James lifted the collar of the robe to cover my mouth, “Here this will help.”  It did make breathing easier.  I looked up and he had a scarf wrapped around his own mouth.  Then he pointed.  I followed his finger. 

The clouds had parted and the sky was filled with stars.  The landscape was a blanket of white snow as far as I could see. The bitterly cold temperatures had crystalized the top of the snow.  The moon was rising.  It was reflecting on the frozen crystals making them glitter.  It looked like diamonds had been scattered over the ground.  “Here it comes!” he whispered excitedly into my ear, his breath warming my ear and neck.  I shivered.  My nipples hardened painfully.  Then the Aurora flared into life.  An undulating ribbon of greens, blues and purples rose into the sky.  I gasped.  The frozen snow below reflected the colors of the Aurora.  James wrapped his arms around me, one around my shoulders the other around my waist.  I leaned back into him watching the magic of nature unfold in front of me.  I have no idea how long we stood there speechless at the beauty.  As quickly as it started, it ended.  “Wow” was all James said.

I leaned back into him, looking up at his chin, “Thank you for waking me.”  He hugged me tighter.  “That was stunning.”

His hands patted my body, “I am glad I shared it with you.”  He nodded towards the distant pass “And here comes the next round of snow.”  The clouds looked black and nasty in the now darkened sky since the Aurora had faded.

James kissed the top of my head.  “Now, you are shivering.  Let’s get back inside.”  He rotated us, his arms still wrapped around me.  We walked – a little awkwardly – back into the house closing the big glass door behind him.  We both kicked off the boots.  He backed us into the sofa, pulling me down into his lap.  He reached over and pulled up another blanket.  He wrapped it around us.  I curled up into his arms, my head resting on his chest.  His fingers gently stroked my hair.  Sleep reached up and grabbed me.

I woke up on the sofa with the blankets tucked in around me still wrapped up in my robe.  I could hear James in the kitchen.  I sat up.  “Morning sleepy head!” he chimed cheerily.  “Coffee?”  All I could do was nod.  He brought over my favorite mug filled with coffee.  I took a sip.  I was super sweet.  “Too much sugar?”  I nodded.  He went to pull the mug from my hands but I wouldn’t let it go. 

Instead I took a couple of huge slugs from it, “Now, just put more coffee into it and it will be fine.”  James went to the kitchen and grabbed the coffee pot bringing it back to me.  He filled my mug.  I swirled the mug and took a drink.  Smiling, “Yum” I beamed.  I looked out the window.  More snow had fallen over night.  The sky was still filled with clouds, but not snowing.  At the moment.

James collected his mug and sank into the sofa with me.  He flipped on the TV and tuned in the local news.  There were the stories about roofs collapsing under the weight of the snow, power lines down, cars sliding off the roads – one accident ending in a death.  “I’m glad you were smart enough to not drive that night” James whispered to me.

“Me too.”

I looked into his eyes.  The passion I saw there made my knees weak.  I reached up and wrapped my fingers around his head, pulling him to me.  I kissed him gently.  His eyes widened.  He cupped my head and kissed me back just as tenderly.  “So how are we going to spend the next week or so?” I asked teasingly.

James tightened his arm around my waist pinning me to his body, “I can think of a way” he rubbed his hips into mine, “or two.”  He gently pushed me back, “Only if you want to.” 

I could tell he that although his voice was joking, his eyes said that he’d changed.  I was no longer just a fuck buddy.  I was a woman that he wanted to spend time with.  In more ways than one.

“I’d like that” I purred.  “Just remember, you are still working on my forgiveness.”

He showered kisses all over my face, slowly pulling me towards his bedroom, “I know a way to start working on that” he growled at me.

I just smiled and willingly let him lead me.