All of them?”
The
kid nodded.
“We’ll
talk.” Andrew looked around the table. “They’re out of control, Lucas. That’s what I won’t tolerate. I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll get kennels or something.”
Some
of the tension left the boys bodies. Their sister sat as straight as a martinet, her face a total mask. The rest of dinner passed smoothly,
even well. The boys relaxed, and seemed to get the basic idea: He, Andrew, was in charge, but life
would probably be a benevolent dictatorship. Denise, on the other hand, could have snagged an Oscar for
doing cool, aloof, and very polite.
The boys
left the restaurant in a noisy pack, William armed with the valet ticket. Andrew’s hand shot out, a slight
pressure keeping Denise in her seat at the table. He waited for her to look at him, the waiter to move away.
“You
have your bedroom and I’ve been sleeping in another one. Take your pick, but choose one for us
both and let me know before you go up tonight.” He slipped the signed receipt back into the leather folder
and reached for his wallet as he stood.
He
watched her as he placed the card back in the wallet and slid it into his
pants. Her eyes had widened
slightly and she’d nipped her lower lip with her teeth just slightly. Otherwise, not a
sign.
“Understood?” He eased her chair from the table and
reached out a hand to her. He
watched her long lashes sweep her cheek as she dropped her eyes. Her head ducked slightly. She dabbed her lips with her napkin and
then her tongue swept out and licked nervously. She placed her hand in his waiting palm and stood up.
Andrew
waited, possessing her hand, waiting for her to look at him again. She started
to turn away. Andrew stopped her,
his other hand moving to catch her chin and tip her face up to his. “Look at me, Denise.”
The
teeth caught at the lip again, but her eyes came up.
“Understood.”
Her voice was little more than a whisper.
Andrew
leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, nipping just lightly. He leaned to whisper in her ear. “Good girl.”
***
It
was that good girl that got her the
most. In another man it might not
have even registered, but oh, with him, it did. The desire to shoot him gave
her an actual, physical ache, as if the muscles in her arm tensed as she
brought a high caliber rifle to her shoulder. She didn’t want him in her room. Just inside the front door
she paused for a brief moment and looked at him. “I’ll come to you, please.”
His
lips had thinned slightly but he nodded. “I’ll expect you to stay. You can move
your things in tomorrow.” He moved
ahead of her, tossing comments after the boys.
In
her bathroom she opened the medicine cabinet and flicked the lid off a valium bottle without any hesitation. She swallowed two, and then went to
work removing make up, brushing teeth. She spent more time than normal flossing.
She
dressed in boxers and left her room, braiding her hair tightly as she walked
down the hall, focusing on bringing the strands tightly together. Her hand went out to knock and then she
stopped and opened the door because fuck it, if this was to be her room too…-
Andrew
lay on the bed, several pillows propped behind his head, the remote in his
hand. “Hey.” His voice was casual,
and he patted the bed beside him.
Denise
didn’t know what to do. What to expect. Sex between them had always been good. But now? All she wanted was to murder him. She climbed up onto the bed. Jeez. She’d
never realized how incredibly high off the ground it was. The TV was on, so staying as close to
the edge of the bed as she could, she fixed a look of
keen interest on her face, as though Amazing Animals really was amazing .
A
long, tanned, strong arm swept out and scooped, affixing itself to her hip and
dragging her closer. She couldn’t
help it -- she
The
kid nodded.
“We’ll
talk.” Andrew looked around the table. “They’re out of control, Lucas. That’s what I won’t tolerate. I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll get kennels or something.”
Some
of the tension left the boys bodies. Their sister sat as straight as a martinet, her face a total mask. The rest of dinner passed smoothly,
even well. The boys relaxed, and seemed to get the basic idea: He, Andrew, was in charge, but life
would probably be a benevolent dictatorship. Denise, on the other hand, could have snagged an Oscar for
doing cool, aloof, and very polite.
The boys
left the restaurant in a noisy pack, William armed with the valet ticket. Andrew’s hand shot out, a slight
pressure keeping Denise in her seat at the table. He waited for her to look at him, the waiter to move away.
“You
have your bedroom and I’ve been sleeping in another one. Take your pick, but choose one for us
both and let me know before you go up tonight.” He slipped the signed receipt back into the leather folder
and reached for his wallet as he stood.
He
watched her as he placed the card back in the wallet and slid it into his
pants. Her eyes had widened
slightly and she’d nipped her lower lip with her teeth just slightly. Otherwise, not a
sign.
“Understood?” He eased her chair from the table and
reached out a hand to her. He
watched her long lashes sweep her cheek as she dropped her eyes. Her head ducked slightly. She dabbed her lips with her napkin and
then her tongue swept out and licked nervously. She placed her hand in his waiting palm and stood up.
Andrew
waited, possessing her hand, waiting for her to look at him again. She started
to turn away. Andrew stopped her,
his other hand moving to catch her chin and tip her face up to his. “Look at me, Denise.”
The
teeth caught at the lip again, but her eyes came up.
“Understood.”
Her voice was little more than a whisper.
Andrew
leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, nipping just lightly. He leaned to whisper in her ear. “Good girl.”
***
It
was that good girl that got her the
most. In another man it might not
have even registered, but oh, with him, it did. The desire to shoot him gave
her an actual, physical ache, as if the muscles in her arm tensed as she
brought a high caliber rifle to her shoulder. She didn’t want him in her room. Just inside the front door
she paused for a brief moment and looked at him. “I’ll come to you, please.”
His
lips had thinned slightly but he nodded. “I’ll expect you to stay. You can move
your things in tomorrow.” He moved
ahead of her, tossing comments after the boys.
In
her bathroom she opened the medicine cabinet and flicked the lid off a valium bottle without any hesitation. She swallowed two, and then went to
work removing make up, brushing teeth. She spent more time than normal flossing.
She
dressed in boxers and left her room, braiding her hair tightly as she walked
down the hall, focusing on bringing the strands tightly together. Her hand went out to knock and then she
stopped and opened the door because fuck it, if this was to be her room too…-
Andrew
lay on the bed, several pillows propped behind his head, the remote in his
hand. “Hey.” His voice was casual,
and he patted the bed beside him.
Denise
didn’t know what to do. What to expect. Sex between them had always been good. But now? All she wanted was to murder him. She climbed up onto the bed. Jeez. She’d
never realized how incredibly high off the ground it was. The TV was on, so staying as close to
the edge of the bed as she could, she fixed a look of
keen interest on her face, as though Amazing Animals really was amazing .
A
long, tanned, strong arm swept out and scooped, affixing itself to her hip and
dragging her closer. She couldn’t
help it -- she
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