More Than Darkness
27
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This is a crossover smutty story featuring the character of
Tess/Salida ie Tess' Voice in Neon
More Than Eyes Alone Can See, and More
Than Life, and Sands/Jeffrey from Merrie's OUATIM fic on ff.net, Darkness
Rising. This story will make some sense, probably, if you read it without
having read either of our stories, but it'll make a hell of a lot more if you
just read them. They're all worth reading, we promise. Anyway, on with the
show.
Rated for what has happened, and what might happen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Someone was calling him, of that he was certain. As to the
identity of that person . . . well, that was a little less clear.
up, but he was trying his best to ignore it.
his back, unwillingly coming awake. “What?”
he finally growled at whomever was trying to disturb him.
“Did you want to
join me for lunch?” came a quiet voice. “I’m
not even going to make you get up.
Sandwiches are relatively easy to eat in bed.”
“Oh, sorry,
spitfire. I’m>I’m awake.
a sigh, remembering he was still fully dressed in what he had had on yesterday.
He hadn’t even bothered to remove his
shoes or take out his wallet. “Wait, did
you take my knife last night?” he asked with a frown, trying to remember where
it was.
“Yes, it’s on the
other side of the bed,” she soo soothingly.
“Do you need any help?”
“No, I don’t think
so,” he said, sitting up on the bed. He
felt better – not back to normal – but better than he had.
after I get out of the shower though, sorry.
my bag.”
Aida made a
face. “I suppose I could do that.”
gotten hurt, she wouldn’t have to help him.
“Sorry.
paramedics said I could take thuckiucking thing off, did you?” he asked,
holding up Jeffrey’s broken hand.
“Six weeks.
than a statement.
“
akin to horror on his face. “That’s just
fucking perfect. And who says I don't
want to risk permanent damage? It’s
Jeffrey's fucking hand,” he grumbled resentfully.
“And you won’t feel
any pain from it?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.
alliance when we do.”
“You got that
right,” he muttered. “Fine.
before then, alright? Six weeks.
There was nothing
Aida could say to that. Taking a seat on
the bed, she leaned back and just watched him.
“I don’t want to sleep on the floor anymore,” she said out of the blue, “but
can we keep the mattress?”
“If you want,” he
said with a slight shrug. “Did sunrise
tell you what we were supposed to getting in this little . . .
“Dishes, towels,
silverware, pots and pans, and cleaning materials.
hit a department store. And I’m not
exactly picky as to what I want in my bedroom – other than you of course,” she
winked.
“
“Sex toy.
wickedly.
“There are worse
ways to make a living,” he answered with his own wicked smirk.
“And pajamas,” she
said, suddenly off topic. “You owe me
three pairs of totally innocent pajamas that wouldn’t make you want to kill
anyone who saw me in them.”
Sands sighed,
hoping she had forgotten about that. “You’re
no fun, spitfire.”
the days I feel too tired to actually put on clothes?” she asked, knowing what
his answer would be.
He frowned.
But since it’s not. . .” he sighed.
get your pajamas.”
“Thank you.”
cheek. “Now get going.
so we can come home and make dinner.”
“Whoa, wait a
second. Did you just say we?
“That would be why
I said ‘we’. I’m going to teach you how
to cook. And don’t give me that look of
utter fear – we’ll make something simple.
Macaroni and cheese or something.”
“Why do I need to
learn how to cook? What’s the point?” he
asked with a frown.
“So when I’m really
sick and I ask you to make me cream of wheat, you won’t freeze and give me that
deer in the headlights look. Besides, it’s
good to know how to at least make toast.”
Sands sighed.
learn how to fucking cook. For you,” he
grumbled, not wanting to admit at this point that he hadn’t the slightest clue
what cream of wheat was. “I’ll be in the
shower. Save me a sandwich.”
******************************
“What about these?” Aida asked, holding up a set of butcher
knives for Sands to inspect. “I’m afraid
I don’t know much about choosing knives.”
“They’re cheap
crap. You want a good set, grab the
looked at him curiously and he explained with a roll of his eyes.
“Are you sure?” she
asked, looking at the set to her left. “They
seem kinda expensive. And by that I mean
that they’re about two month’s rent by the way I measure expensive.”
He just looked at
her. “Have I ever shown you one of my
bank statements, spitfire? If not,
remind me sometimes. You want the best,
I can pay for the best. That’s all there
is to it.”
She shrugged and
picked up the box, grunting in effort.
purposes, she thought to herself, practically dropping the box into the
cart. There was nothing but li and and
towels in it, so she simply ignored the crash.
“Have I ever mentioned how much I like Lowes?”
she asked, shaking her head when Sands shot her what almost amounted to a dirty
look. “I promised this wouldn’t take
long, remember? All we need to do is
pick up a set of dishes, silverware, and a few cups and we’re halfway
done. We can leave this store at least.”
“Well that’s
something, I suppose,” Sands said with a sigh, feeling a bit lost within the
huge store filled with things he didn’t think he could ever possibly want or
need. “So where to next?
“Umm, well, what do
you want to get for our room?” she asked.
“I assume we’re going to need a dresser or two, hangers, a bedstead.
wanting a new mattress. I want one that
I can honestly say only belongs to us.”
“Well, to be honest
I haven’t really thought about it. It’s
not carpeted though, so a nice rug would probably be a good idea.
She cocked her head
and looked at him. “You’re more of a
modern guy, aren’t you? You like things
plain, right?”
“There’s another
way to like things?” he asked wryly. “No,
I don’t like a lot of frills. I may like to spend money, but not on things like
that. My extravagances tend toward
clothes and cars. Not furniture.”
“Okay, I’ve never
been a lace curtain girl myself. I don’t
really like my surroundings to be complicated.
I just wanted to make sure that I didn’t start picking out things that
you were going to hate right off the back.”As they talked, she placed a set of cobalt blue dishes in the cart.
several glasses and coffee mugs as well.
“All we’re missing are the pots and pans . . . but now that I think
about it, mine work just fine. So I
suppose we really don’t have to look at any.
But is there anything else you want?
Waffle iron? Coffee maker?
Blender?” Her smile got bigger
and bigger with each item she listed.
“You’re enjoying
torturing me, aren’t you?” he asked with a sigh.
to make you waffles? I make good
waffles. Or at least I did until my last
roommate took the waffle iron with her,” she mused.
“Get whatever you
fucking want. I don’t care any longer.
stop you.”
Aida rolled her
eyes, but did indeed get a coffee maker and a waffle iron.
complaining that your feet are tired.”
“My feet are tired,”
he said with a playful grin.
She shook her head,
but rose up on her toes and gave him a kiss anyway.
back to the soles of her feet.
“Oh?
asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking down at her with a smirk.
“Insist that we
turn the lights out tonight,” she grinned back.
“Oh, I think I’ll
manage,” he said, refusing to be daunted.
“Then perhaps I’ll
get a headache and need those Tylenol PM.”
“You play dirty,”
he commented with a raised eyebrow. “Fine.
No more complaints.”
“Good.”
******************************
******************************
“Hmm, I suppose I like that one, but I think it needs a
practice run. See how it holds up under
pressure,” Sands said, smiling wickedly as he looked over the mattress she had
chosen.
She k hek her
tongue out at him, then clambered on, laying back with her arms outspread.
but I prefer it not be in my mattress.”
“Oh really,” Sands
drawled, his grin widening. “Where do
you like your hardness then?” He moved
to lie down next to her.
“We’re not going
there,” she whispered, trying not to laugh.
“Especially not in public.”
He moved in closer,
leaning over to kiss the side of her neck.
“I do,” she
breathed. “In public, but out of sight
is one thing. In a showroom is another
matter entirely . . . and I think the nice salesperson agrees with me.”
looked over his shoulder slowly. Aida
moved to roll away as long as he was distracted, which wasn’t as long as she’d
been hoping. “I’m serious, Sands,” she
said as he wrapped his good arm around her waist.
“You’re no fun,
spitfire,” he said with a sigh. “Fine. n
sn
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We’ll keep looking.”
“Ooh!
glance around the showroom. She pointed
out a very simple bed. Its headboard was
three horizontal slats, and two vertical.
It sat fairly close to the ground and was painted with a dark, walnut
stain.
“That’s the one you
like, huh? Well, I suppose it’s not too
bad. I’d say I didn’t care, but if I had
my way I’d spend more time in bed with you than anything else, so I suppose it
should be a nice one.”
“You’re incorrigible,”
she informed him, wal ove over to flop down on the bed.
“Yeah, well you
love me anyway,” he said with a smirk. “Fine,
is this the one you want?”
“Is there one you
like better?” She propped herself up on
her elbows and looked at him. “Because
if there isn’t, this one comes with a set . . .” she said temptingly, gesturing
towards the dresser sets and bedside tables that were painted the same walnut color
as the bed. “ be be done.”
“Done?
done?”
“Done . . . except
for a brief stop at the grocery store that I promise won’t take more than
fifteen minutes and you can even wait in the car if you want.”
“Then by all means,
order two,” he said with a nod, happy to be finally done.
“I can see you’re
happy to get back . . . and cook,” she teased.
“Fuck.
said, slumping slightly.
“Let me put it this
way, husband of mine. You let me teach
you how to cook, I let you act out another of your fantasies.
“Hmm,” he said,
fingering his chin thoughtfully. “Fine.
“Good, and in case
you wanted to know, we’re making Mexican tonight.
to get a bottle of tequila or something, I won’t mind.
good on my end of the deal.”
“I think I just
might. If you’re sure you don’t –”
She met his gaze
with her own serious one. “I don’t
mind. If I did, I wouldn’t have
suggested it. I trust you.”
“Alright,” he said
with a small smile. “Then lets find
someone to buy this stuff from and get the hell out of here.”
******************************
The piercing ring of the telephone roused Salida from her
unplanned nap. One moment she’d been
watching some old western, the next she was groaning.
Wiping the sleep
from her eyes, she reached for the phone, wincing as she knocked the receiver
to the floor. Cursing under her breath,
she picked it up. “Hello?” she asked,
checking the time as she did so. “Is
that you, lover?”
“Hello, vixen.
night. But that doesn’t matter.
“Tired.
sleep rather than too little. But the
good news is that I haven’t had to rush to the bathroom yet today.
short walk.”
Jeffrey sighed.
“Kinda.
would recommend as a private physician, and then I made an appointment with the
one that could get me in the soonest, which happens to be tomorrow afternoon.”
“What time?”
“Two-thirty.”
“Alright.
“Jeffrey, you can’t
just say that.
leave Aida? Or that the moment the
doctor takes a look at you that he won’t blow me off to stitch you up whether
you need it or not?”
“Fuck what Sands
and kitty say. I’m coming with you.”
“Jeffrey,” she
sighed. “I thought we weren’t going to
try to provoke any more fights for the time being.”
“You can’t ask me
not to come, vixen. Don’t even try.
him if I can help it, but I’m going.”
“I’ll be fine,” she
promised. “I know exactly what to
expect, what questions to ask, which ones to avoid, what the medical
mumbo-jumbo that gets thrown around will mean . . . not to mention that I don’t
look like I got into a fight with Edward Scissorhands
and lost.”
Jeffrey slumped
down in the leather seat of the Porsche where Sands was apparently waiting for
Aida to come out. “I want to be there
for you,” he said with a sigh. “I
fucking worry, alright? I fucking know
about kitty. What’s wrong with her.
. . I don’t know what I’d do, Salida.”
“That’s not what’s
wrong with me,” she assured him. “It’s
not. If it’s anything, it’s an ulcer
caused by all the fighting between you and Sands,” she teased, trying to make
him feel better.
“And that’s
supposed to make me feel better?” he asked with a frown.
with you? That hearing a fucking doctor
say you’re alright would make me feel a hell of a lot better than I’m feeling
right now.”
“Because the doctor
isn’t going to say I’m alright.
of blood tests, and probably make me pee in a cup, and he’ll call me in a few
days with the results. And in the mean
time he’ll probably prescribe me some antibiotic ‘just in case’ that I won’t
take anyway because it’s stupid to take medicine just for the sake of being
medicated.” Salida stopped and took a breath.
there won’t be a whole lot you can do for me.
But if you still insist, at least talk to Sands about it – talk, don’t
demand – and see if he understands. He
should, what with Grant and all.”
“Alright, I’ll do
that. < sty style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Well, I’ll at least try about the
not demandiart,art,” he said with a slight sigh, annoyed that he couldn’t just
tell Sands that he was going and fuck what he thought, but somewhat relieved
that Salida was letting him go with her.
though, vixen,” he reminded her.
“I’ll be waiting
here,” she said. “If it’s really what
you want.”
“I fucking do.
what a fucking pussy I am over worrying about this,” he said with a light
laugh. “But until then, you’re just
going to have to deal with it. And me.”
“I don’t think you’re
a pussy,” she muttered. “Fucking
overprotective, yes. Pussy, no.”
“Overprotective . .
. yeah, you’re fucking right about that.
he said with a laugh to let her know that he was joking about considering her a
thing at least. “And yes, I tend to
worry about you more than I probably shoulut Iut I know what I’m like, I know
the people I’ve killed, and I know that there are others out there like me.
enough to take care.”
“I’m not going to
get killed on my way to the doctor’s office,” she said, rolling eye eyes.
“Not with me there
to tear apart anyone who even thinks about trying you won’t.
“Even if you’re
“Oh, I believe you
can do someone quite a lot of damage when properly motivated, vixen, don’t get
me wrong, but I’m going to be at your side regardless,” he said just as firmly.
“You know, most
people wouldn’t say that stubbornness is a virtue, lover.
“So sue me.
. . . quirks. Love’s a fucking funny
thing,” he said with a smirk, humor in his voice.
“I’ve noticed,” she
drawlspanspan style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then switching the topic she
asked, “Where are you?”
“In the car waiting
for kitty to come out of the grocery, apparently,” he said looking out the
window to judge where he was.
Salida didn’t
really like the sound of that. “Been
cooking up a storm, has she?” They’d
been living in a hotel fo lon long that she hadn’t had the chance to cook
yet. She wasn’t very good at it, but she
could.
“Hell if I know.
at least was drinking enough so that I still have a fucking headache even now,”
he grumbled, moving the heel of his Sands’ hand to rub at his right temple as
he held the phone before moving it back to his ear.
“Tell Sands to take
some aspirin when you get back,” she said.
“There’s not much I can do for you at the moment.”
“It’s alright.
windshield and seeing a familiar figure being accosted by a not so familiar
one. “I have to go.
noticed yet. But when he does – never
mind. Love you –”
“Love you,” she
managed to reply before he hung up on her.
******************************
***>******************************
Aida walked out of the store, purchases in hand.
here. Trit’dit’d been on the way back to
her apartment, but it was in a rotten part of town.
like this, but that didn’tn shn she liked it.
soft smile as she paid for her purchases and walked out the door.
she was going, she bumped into someone on her way out.
saw who it was.
“Hey there, baby
girl. Didn’t think I’d ever see you in
this part of town again. I thought
we
were too good for those of us who live around here.”
Aida held back a
wince and tilted her head back, refusing to show any discomfort.
need to get home and start dinner.” She
moved to step around him, but he shadowed her.
“Now, is that any
way to treat an old lover?” he asked, an unpleasant smile on his face.
you when you broke up with me, but you moved before I could say them.”
tightly. “Funny how that worked out, isn’t
it?” They both knew it wasn’t a
coincidence.
“It was behavior
like this that made me break up with you, Derek.
“Aww, you really
are an actress. I almost believed you.”
fill his bed and his starring role?” Her
eyes darted to Sands’ car where she could see him on the phone.
tightened enough to bruise. “I see.
around your finger?” She didn’t say
anything. “Why don’t we go say
hello. You can introduce us.”
When he started to
pull her towards Sands’ car, Aida broke free.
“That’s not really a good idea, Derek.”
Sands wouldn’t hesitate to employ violence to protect her or to teach
Derek a lesson, and she loved him too much to let him do that on her account.
“Who do we have
here? Some piece of gutter trash that’s
crawled out in the light of day to bother those of us who don’t have time for
him? Aida, are you alright?” Sands
asked, moving to stand near her.
“Kitty?
bastard for you?” Jeffrey asked with a slight frown.
not in the same way Sands did – but he did care somewhat about what happened to
her.
Aida looked from
her husband to her former boyfriend. “No.
“Oh I don’t know, I
think we should all have a cozy chat.
Perhaps your new pimp and I can exchange notes on –”
Sands didn’t even
bother hesitating. His fist connected
with Derek’s jaw with a sickening crunch.
you pathetic son of a bitch,” he seethed, as Derek fell to the ground.
Jeffrey, for his
part, was counting down the seconds until this waste of fucking space in front
of him would be nothing more than an obituary.
knew and lived to tell about it. He may
not like Aida – hell, he probably fucking hated her if he was honest with
himself – but that didn’t mean he would let anyone else but him treat her this
way.
“Sands,
please. Let’s just go.”
scared her. With her groceries in one
hand, she touched his arm with the other.
“He’s not worth it. He’s not even
worth remembering. Please.”
While she’d been
talking, Derek had risen to his feet.
'>
Instead of doing the smart thing and taking off, he stayed.
front of him, pressing her back against his chest.
With her standing in front of him, he was temporarily safe.
You reallouldould – you were always good at it.”
the things she’d never planned on telling her husband, that she’d dated cretins
like this in the past.
“You’re a fucking
cockroach. Why they don’t fucking drown
bastards like you at birth I will never understand,” Jeffrey said with a scowl.
“Kitty, go wait in the fucking car.
If Sands minded
Jeffrey being there with him at the moment he made no sign.
“Aww, didn’t she
tell you? Get her drunk enough and she’ll
agree to anything. Even a threesome.”
Aida had had
enough. She stomped down on Derek’s foot
and broke free, launching herself at Sands.
Sands caught her
and handed her the car keys without looking at her.
“We’ll be back
soon, if not, call vixen,” Jeffrey said, handing her his cell phone.
“Bitch,” Derek
managed to utter before she could say anything.
She shuddered at the use of the word, and silently took the keys.
persuade Sands to come with her and trying not to break into a run.
opened the car door with shaking hands. “Are
you sure you’re not her pim–” he was cut off, both by
the repeated fist to the face and by the car door closing.
collect herself; she didn’t look out the windshield.
“You’re a real
prick you know that? Kitty’s not even
half your size. Why don’t you try
fucking taking on a man for a change? Or
are you too much of a fucking chickenshit to even
try?” Jeffrey taunted him with a sneer.
“Let’s take this in
the back alley, shall we? Wouldn’t want
to cause a scene,” Sands said, his voice cold and emotionless.
Derek looked Sands
up and down, not especially impressed with what he saw; the man in front of him
was short and lean, and had one arm in a cast.
How much damage could he do?
Unfortunately, in his pride Derek didn’t take into account the
strangeness of the voices coming from the man or the aura of danger around
him.
“Sure.”
out of the corner of his eye. He was no
stranger to knife or fist fights, but he didn’t want this guy to get the drop
on him either. “So what’d the
gold-digger do to get you to marry her?
She’s good in the sack, but not that good.”
“How would you
know? She told me she faked it with you
every single time. Said you were the
worst lay she’d ever had. We had a nice
laugh about you,” Sands said evenly, stopping when they had reached the alley
and were out of sight. Jeffrey
snickered.
Derek’s eyes
narrowed. “And what makes you think she
wasn’t just trying to make you feel better?
She’s not only a whore, but a liar as well.”
Sands just laughed,
and it was a cold sound. “If you say so,
Derek. Is it true that you screech like
a little girl when you come? Aida told
me it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard in her life.
betting I can get you to make that very same sound with only one flick of my
wrist. What’s say we find out?”
his knife and flipped it in his hand before brandishing it in Derek’s
direction, waiting for him to make the first move.
Derek shook his
head and pulled out his own knife. It
was a bit smaller than Sands’, but it’d inflicted its fair share of damage over
the years. “Since she was always a freak
and liked blood, I suppose she’s going to love you tonight.
while he swung at Sands’ face with his left.
Sands let the punch
come, but refused to react as Derek’s fist connected with the long cut along
his jaw and sent a hot bolt of pain through his face.
legs and pulled upwards with a vicious jerk, cutting through clothing and flesh
alike. He felt Derek’s blood spill onto
his hand as the man's femoral artery was severed, but he didn’t stop pulling.
man’s limp hand that he let up, smiling widely with a mouth full of blood from
a split lip. “I’ve killed far better
people than you. You’re not worth my
time. Fucking lie there and bleed to
death. You’ll be long dead before any
help can get to you.” He let the man
slump to the ground before spitting a glob of saliva and blood into the man’s
face with a sneer. Derek sneered and
cursed at him, but Sands could see the ever widening pool of blood soaking
through the man’s jeans. He leaned down
and wiped his hand and the knife on the Derek’s shirt, easily blocking his
feeble attempts to bat his hand away. Once
the blade and his hand were as clean as they were going to get he leaned
against the wall and watched the man die with cold detachment before heading
back out to Aida.
Aida saw Sands
coming back, and she unlocked the doors to the car even if she didn’t get
out. She was still a bit too shaky to do
that, and the look on her husband’s face didn’t encourage her.
“Are you alright,
spitfire?” Sands asked, sitting down in the car next to her, trying to will
some emotion back into his face.
She shook her head
and leaned towards him, still shivering.
“Tell me you don’t hold my bad taste against me,” she whispered.
“Don’t even fucking
think that. I would never,” he said,
pulling her against his chest and tucking her head against his chin, cursing
softy to see that he hadn’t gotten all the blood off of his hand and hoping she
wouldn’t notice as he held it slightly away from her, trying not to touch her
lest he get blood in her hair or on her shirt.
“I-I think this is
one instance when I might condone a drink,” she breathed, moving closer to
him. “Sands, some of the things he said –”
“Don’t.
small smile. “Forget him.
ordered her softly.
“Alright.”
husband’s arms, Aida sat back up and gave him a trembling smile.
she whispered. “Still want to get that
bottle of tequila for dinner tonight?”
“Sure.
small smile before frowning as Jeffrey interrupted.
“Sorry to intrude,”
he actually sounded as if he meant it, “but I have two fucking things to talk
about before leaving you two lovebirds alone.
my head’s killing me. And if you wake up
with a hangover tomorrow I’ll fucking strangle you.
appointment tomorrow at two. Well the
appointment’s at two-thirty, but I wanted to be there early.”
Aida looked up at
her husband. “Well, I don’t mind if you
don’t, Sands.”
Sands sighed.
I’ll take some aspirin when we get back to Aida’s, alright?”
“Good enough.
hesitation before leaving without a further word.
“That was nice of
you,” Aida whispered, leaning her head on Sands’ shoulder again.
“I didn’t do it to
be nice. I did it because if I hadn’t he’d
make me pay for it later after going anyway,” he said slowly.
“But you could have
made more of a fuss, and you didn’t,” she murmured.
He shrugged with
his free shoulder. “It wasn’t worth
arguing over. It was easier to just
agree.”
“I’m still proud of
you,” she insisted. With a sigh, she
reached over and buckled her seatbelt. “Can
we head home now? The chicken I bought
will go bad if we don’t either refrigerate or cook it.”
“Alright. I’ll just make a quick
stop at the liquor store and we’ll be on our way.”
before speeding out of the grocery parking lot over to the liquor store, happy
to be on his way home. Finally.
******************************
******************************
“Ok, just brown the meat,” Aida said over her shoulder as
she concentrated on slicing the onion, peppers, and mushrooms for the fajitas
they were making. She’d calmed down some
on the ride home, and was busy taking her mind off the afternoon’s
confrontation.
“I still can’t
believe you’ve got me fucking cooking,” Sands muttered under his breath as he
did what she had asked. So far he hadn’t
had any troubles, but that didn’t mean that he liked it.
“Oh hush,” she
said, a bit of a smile coming to her face.
“It won’t kill you.” Turning from
the cutting board, she dumped several handfuls of veggies into the
skillet. “Besides, doesn’t it smell
good?” Reaching into a cabinet that was
practically over her head, she pulled out several jars of spices and added them
to the mix without bothering to measure.
“How do you know it
won’t?” he muttered. “Fine, yes.
the moment, so keep that in mind when trusting my opinions,” he said with a
smirk to let her know he was joking.
“Won’t it be nice
to eat something you actually got to help make?” she asked.
than trouble?” She took the wrapping off
the top of the bottle of tequila, then unscrewed the cap.
she turned away to find her can opener.
“Eh, not really.
playful.
“I’m sure you think
so.” The spice jars rattled a little as
she put them away. Even almost an hour
later, she was a little shaky from her run in with Derek.
happened to the man, but didn’t really want to know.
bliss.
“Oh, I do,
spitfire,” he said with a short laugh before refocusing on what he was doing.
“Put that lid on
it,” she pointed towards said lid with a spatula.
get the salsa from the fridge. And the
package of tortillas that should be in there.”
She looked at the can opener she’d gotten out and couldn’t remember why
she’d wanted it. “We’ll let the veggies
steam for a bit longer and then we can go ahead and eat.”
large bowl and stuck them in the oven, which was set for 200 degrees.
Sands once more did
as he was told and put the lid on top of the meat before leaving it to get a
bowl and setting it on the table. He
didn’t even complain as he got the salsa and tortillas out of the refrigerator,
but he didn’t exactly cheer for joy either.
“You can tell me how
thick you want this lime sliced,” she said, hiding a smile.
that took less time than he used to shower.
Sands smirked and
walked up behind her, wrapping his arrounround her waist and setting his chin
down on her shoulder. “I think I like
seeing you with that knife, spitfire,” he said wickedly before holding his
fingers about two centimeters apart. “That
should be fine.”
Aida closed her
eyes at the comment and swallowed, but did as he asked.
going to fall apart now. “I think the
blade is getting a bit dull.”
“Oh I don’t know,
spitfire. It still seems sharp enough to
do some . . . damage,” he breathed into her ear before kissing the side of her
neck softly.
The knife dropped
from her fingers as his words brought unpleasant images to mind.
Sands frowned at
her reaction. “What’s wrong, Aida?”
“Just a little
shaky still,” she whispered. “Derek had
a knife on him. I felt it through his
jacket.”
“I know he did.
tone and pulling her even closer to him.
“I know.”
around his neck. “I don’t know what I
would have done if you hadn’t been there.”
“I was, so it doesn’t
matter,” he insisted, leaning into to place a soft kiss on her lips before
pulling away to look at her. “You’re
safe now, Aida. I would never let anyone
hurt you.”
“I know,” she
repeated. “I know.”
“Take my mind off it. Tell me what
fantasy we’re making come true tonight?”
her smile. coulcould definitely go for
what he had in mind. She even had the
right clothes to wear.
She’d been on the
verge of replying when the oven timer went off.
“Oops, dinner’s ready,” she murmured, placing a kiss on his neck.
after dinner.”
“We’d fucking
better,” he said with a small sigh. He
wasn’t that upset though. He wasn’t
lying when he had said he was hungry enough to eat a horse.
starved for some reason. “Fine, dinner
it is. I guess I’ll have to try this and
see if it tastes any better knowing I helped make it,” he said wryly.
Aida got out
several plates, setting warmed tortillas on one and the meat and veggies on
another. She grabbed two small glasses –
a bit bigger than shot glasses, but too small to use every day – and brought
them to the table along with the food.
Sands got the tequila while she got the chips and salsa, and they sat
down to eat.
Sands poured her a
glass of tequila before filling his own.
“Well, then I suppose
I’ve managed to do something right. Or
you did,” she teased.
“Uh huh,” he said
dryly lifting his glass. “Tequila’s not
the best drink for toasting, but if the situation warrants it. . .”
other in a horrible kitchen accident,” he said with a wide grin.
She laughed freely
at that. “To my Sands.
“I’ll drink to
that,” he said with a laugh, taking a large drink of tequila as she did the
same.
n stn style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The amber liquid
burned going down, and Aida didn’t manage to swallow without coughing.
got up. In the kitchen, she poured
herself some iced tea and came back to the table.
Sands just leaned
back in his chair a little, watching her with an amused grin.
“Yes.
strong.” Using her fingers, she quickly
piled chicken, peppers, and mushrooms in her tortilla, religiously avoiding the
onions. She then set the fajita in front
of her. “I think you need to take the
first bite, my love.” e wae was a wry
smile on her face.
“You think so, huh?
So if I keel over dead, you’ll know not
to eat it, right?” He shook his head and
laughed, making himself a fajita as well, but forgoing the mushrooms and going
for the onions she had passed up. He
took a small bite of the rolled product, chewed a little, and nodded.
swallowing. “Not too bad either.”
She smiled, and
took a bite of her own. Finding herself
hungrier than she’d thought, she managed to eat her first and start making her
second before saying, “Well, I think it’s safe to say that you didn’t ruin
them. Just think of what else I’ll have
you not ruining in the weeks to come.”
“I can’t wait,” he
said dryly after echoing her movements and making his own second fajita the
same as the last but for the added line of salsa.
himself that they were pretty good. And
he could taste the added tequila which made them even better.
“Com’on, you have
to admit that the experience wasn’t that
horrible.”
“I admit nothing,”
he said with a smirk.
“Stubborn snob,”
she muttered, smiling at him as she polished off her second fajita and moved on
to her third. “These are better than I usually
make,” she said casually. “But then
again . . . it’s probably just the alcohol.”
The smirk on her face was filled with wicked humor.
“Right, my wicked
little spitfire. Eat up.
inhibitions,” he said with a grin. He
was matching her fajita for fajita, and the food was quickly disappearing.
After finishing her
third, Aida got up from the table. Sands
moved to copy her, either out of respect or eagerness for the rest of the
evening – but she waved him down. “Enjoy
your meal. I’ll be right back.
Sands regained his
seat slowly, but didn’t take his eyes off of her.
before disappearing into the bedroom.
When she came back five
minutes later, Sands’ jaw literally dropped.
She was dressed in something very much like the first outfit he’d
pointed out the night before. Her slim
legs were covered by opaque black thigh-highs that were held up by
garters. The garters ran up into a
scandalously short black skirt. The
skirt’s material was sheer, and the bottom was hemmed in an inch or so of black
lace. It was tight, and vaguely transparent
in the right light. Her chest was
covered by a thin, white silk shirt that allowed him to see the black push-up
bra underneath it. Her hair was flowing
loose down her back, and her feet were shod in six inch heels.
She meandered over
to him, allowing him time to recover from the image she made before seating
herself on his lap. “What was it again
that the thought of seeing me in something like this made you want to do?”
Sands swallowed,
his throat suddenly dry. “I believe
fucking you on the closest piece of furniture is good enough.
“Hmm, not much of a
fantasy, my love. Perhaps I should try?”
she asked softly, tilting her head to press a gentle kiss against the skin
right in front of his ear.
“Perhaps,” he
almost croaked before clearing his throat gently.
that?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she
murmured, moving her lips to his earlobe.
“You know what else I want?” He
shook his head in a jemotimotion. “I’ve
always wanted a sex slave. Got any
recommendations for me?” Her teeth scraped
against his ear.
“A sex slave, you
say? Well, since I’d kill any other man
who touched you, I guess it’ll have to be me,” he said with more bravado than
he currently felt.
“I suppose so.”
it gently, smirking at the shiver this produced.
his neck to take away some of the sting from her words.
“I suppose so,” he
said, intentionally echoing her words. He
didn’t smirk, but he was close. He
leaned his head slightly to allow her better access to his neck.
She kissed him
slowly for another minute or two before pulling her head away.
love. Help me get ready.”
Sands didn’t have
to be told twice. He claimed her mouth
in his with a ferocity based solely on desire, his right hand moving under the
shirt she wore to cup her breast and finger her nipple through the bra she
wore. “I’ll make you ready,” he promised
in a breathy voice.
“A man with
confidence,” she breathed. “I like
that. But I don’t think I asked you to
touch me yet.” She gently took a hold of
his hand and pulled it away.
Sands frowned but
did as she asked. “Fine.
wryly.
“I already told
you,e sae said, a small, wicked smile on her lips.
kissed him, breaking away before he could deepen it.
“How could I
possibly do otherwise?” he asked with a smirk, rising to his feet but not
attempting to kiss her agfor for now. “Lead
the way, spitfire?”
Aida crooked her
finger at him, slowly walking backwards until she ran into the wall.
lips as she watched him move.
He gave her a
half-grin and stalked over to her slowly, bracing his hands on either side of
her against the wall so that he was trapped in his arms.
“Just about.”
almost without her direction. Tugging
gently, she brought his lips to her neck.
“There, I think that’s about right.”
“Oh, you think so,
huh?” he drawled, tilting his head slightly to both give her better access to
his neck and to kiss her own. “How about
this?” he asked, kissing her neck gently.
“You’re definitely
getting closer,” she murmured. Without
thinking about it, her fingers started to caress and massage his skull.
skin, her legs fell apart slightly, and he stepped closer to her.
against hers, and she didn’t bothedingding her reaction from him.
lips.
Sands let out his
own soft moan as her fingernails massaged his skull but didn’t stop kissing
her. He hooked one finger in her shirt
collar and pulled it to the side slowly to give him better access to her neck
and shoulder. The more he kissed her
however, the most needful his kisses grew until he began nipping at her
slightly with one one, his body pressed close to his.
Aida groaned,
feeling his body straining against hers.
He was being so good, leaving his hands on the wall and not touching
her. She knew he wanted to simply
because it was getting harder and harder for her to keep her own hands still.
with hers. Not giving him the chance to
respond, she immediately thrust her tongue into his mouth as her hands floated
down his body. They hovered on his hips
for several seconds as he let her kiss him, but eventually moved on.
settled on his ass and forcibly pulled him against her.
Sands let out a
little mix between a gasp and a grunt at her sudden movement, muffled around
her lips. It was all he could do not to
pull his hands away from their places at the wall and rip the clothes from each
of their bodies and take her right there against the wall.
from in between her legs through the thin fabric that separated them.
than that, actually. Without any other
option he did his best to arouse her through the kiss hat hat she would take
the next step and stop teasing him. Some
cynical part of his mind didn’t think she was done playing with him yet, but he
did his best to ignore it.
Shifting and
rubbing her lower body against his, Aida broke the kiss with a gasp.
up into eyes gone black with desire. “If
you make me come without removing any of our clothes, I’ll let you show me who’s
the boss around here,” she murmured, placing sucking kisses on his jaw.
clothing. That has to stay.”
“Patient . . . yeah,”
he said wryly. “Does that mean I can
touch you now?”
“As much as you
want,” she said, her voice soft and rough with her own arousal.
hips. “And I know exactly how much you
want.”
“Just . . . keep
that in mind when you have me play out this little . . . game,” he said in a
slightly breathless voice. “Fine, I can
do this,” he muttered as if he was trying to convince himself.
wall and grabbed her own hips, lifting her up in his arms and simultaneously
pulling her even closer and kissing her again, but taking control of the kiss
this time, thrusting his tongue into her mouth the same way she had earlier.
held her in his arms. It wasn’t as good
as the real thing – the friction on some of his more delicate body parts would eventually become uncomfortable – but he
could manage for now.
Aida whimpered at
the ferocity of his kiss and at the unexpected sensation of being lifted.
to take some of her weight off his arms and put it on his shoulders
instead. Her hands wandered as her hips
responded to the motion of his. This was
ever so nice, but she felt like there was a bit of information that he needed
to know.
Managing to break
away from their kiss, she took a deep breath before whispering in her husband's
ear, “By the way . . . I didn’t bother to put any underwear on.”
herself along the ridge of flesh she could feel trapped inside his pants.
“I know,” he said
with a wicked grin, shifting her weight slightly in his arms so that he could
move a hand between her legs. It was
hard to navigate without seeing what he was touching, but from the soft gaps
that starting coming from her mouth he was on the right track.
terms said he had to make her come without removing any of her clothes.
do this. And as fast as he could.
now. But he would.
Aida gasped as his
fingers circled around her slit, teasing her mercilessly.
to get closer to him. The power he’d
given her over him was an amazing aphrodisiac.
And what was even a bigger turn on was the way he was responding to
her. murmured, looking at him, her eyes explaining just what she wanted.
“More kisses, huh?”
he asked wryly. “I suppose I can do
that.” He wasted no time in pressing her
up against the wall with an even more forceful kiss that its predecessors.
whole. Which, given the way she was
currently affecting him, wasn’t too far from his current frame of mind.
Aida whimpered as
she felt Sands’ fingers tease and dance around her center.
the edge. Trying to relay what she
needed, she arched her back, pressing even closer against him, and her fingers
dug into his back.
Spurred on by her
whimper, Sands slid a single finger inside of her as deep inside of her as he
could manage, flattening his palm against her wet heat.
was exquisite, but it paled in comparison to feeling their bodies joined in
such an intimate way as to be thrust deep inside of her, their bodies touching
on every surface they could, rubbing and sliding in and off of one another.
up and give in to your release soon, I’m going to start getting fucking pissed
with you,” he said breathlessly, only half joking.
“M-maybe I want you
. . . pissed off,” she gasped, moving against his hand. “"But if . . . if
you keep that up . . . y-you won’t have to worry.”
second finger inside her, and then curled them.
Keeping them curled, he pulled his fingers out ever so slowly.
was too much, and she cried out and shuddered again her husband as release
washed over her.
“You get a choice.
the wall, on the bed, on the loveseat, on the floor – I wouldn’t recommend
that, it doesn’t look very comfortable – or on the table?
mind, I’m all ears,” he breathed into her ear, kissing her neck gently as she
came back to herself.
“Here,” she breathed.
his body, loved having no real leverage to move against him.
Sands’ grin was
wide. “That’s just what I wanted to
hear, spitfire.” He shifted her in his
arms a little. “I’m going to have to set
you down for a minute. It won’t last
long, I promise.” He returned her to her
feet and awkwardly removed his pants. He
had removed his shoes while he had been waiting for her, anticipating this very
difficulty sooner or later. He was
thankful for his foresight now. Once he
was clad in nothing but his black long sleeved silk shirt – a perfect opposite
to hers, he picked her up in his arms again and thrust into her decisively,
gasping slightly in pleasure as their bodies were finally joined how they were
meant to be.
“Oh god,” she
whimpered. The sensation of having him
inside her nearly blew her mind away.
She was pinned by his body in more ways than one, and she loved it.
as she felt him shift inside her. “Love
you so much,” she breathed, her lips placing trembling, openmouthed kisses on
his neck and face. “My wonderful
husband. My heart.
My Sheldon.”
Sands let out a
little sigh at her insistent use of his first name, but it was neither nor the
time nor the place to argue about it, so he let it go.
both his arousal deep inside of her – which wasn’t all that difficult as
gravity was working in his favor – and his face in the crook of her neck.
before sucking on her neck hard. He
wanted to mark her, and he knew how sensitive her neck was.
As Sands started
sucking on the sensitive skin of her neck, Aida had to gasp.
suddenly appeared inside of her, connecting the lips on her neck to the
rock-hard length buried inside her. The
slightest move of either one sent sparkles of sensation shooting through her
body until she was whimpering and crying out softly and incoherently almost
constantly.
Sands for his part
would have been making qui bit bit more noise himself if his mouth had been
free. As it was, he kept sucking at Aida’s
neck and began pounding her into the wall, his own release beckoning.
to break free of her neck and moan, unable to keep it from clawing out of his
throat. He was very close, and each time
she slid back down his length he got even closer.
fucking . . . beautiful,” he managed to gasp, pulling away from her neckantianting to look at her. He could only
hold her gaze long enough to be somewhat stunned by the vast amount of desire
and love he saw reflected in her eyes before his own eyes fluttered shut and he
moaned again, his thrusts’ pace increasing even more as he grunted now with
each one.
It was too much for
her. The pace he was setting was brutal,
the desire building inside her was overwhelming, and the emotions he was
stirring up were awe-inspiring. With a
soft gasp, she felt her body tense, then jerk, her muscles no longer under her
control. She came hard and long, gasping
for breath as one wave of pleasure receded and another swamped her.
Sometime while Aida
was lost in her own climax, Sands’ own snuck up on him and took him completely
by surprise, causing him to arch his body toward her, every muscle tense.
curse tore its way out of his throat in that instant before he was able to stop
it. With his yell still echoing around
in the room, he buried his face in her neck again as he rode out the rest of
his almost painfully long climax. “Well
that . . . was fun. . .” he murmured once his orgasm had finally subsided.
let you go.”
“No, don’t,” she
murmured, having only heard the part about letting her go.
her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
yawn. The ordeals of the day had drained
more from her than she’d thought they had, and she was now extremely sleepy.
Sands gave her a
small smile before kissing her on the cheek and walking in the direction of the
bedroom, trying to ignore as his legs came alive again painfully from being in
one locked position for so long. “You
can let go now, spitfire,” he said, standing in front of her bed.
She let go and fell
backwards onto the mattress, bouncing a little from the force of her fall.
akimbo, and looked up at him. “We didn’t
get pajamas,” she pouted.
He laughed a little
at her action before frowning thoughtfully.
that. Even if I’t n’t necessarily want
to,” he said with a smirk, unbuttoning his shirt slowly – he was getting better
at it – and moving to lay down next to her after throwing the shirt across the
room. “You’re overdressed,” he enteented
with a grin. “Not that I particularly
mind in this case, but it might be a little uncomfortable to sleep in.
those heels.”
She made a
face. “Don’t want to sleep naked.
Sands sighed,
rolling over on his back and running his right hand over his face in a weary
gesture that he had been missing for the past few days.
can compromise.”
“Don’t want to wear
this to bed,” she continued. Her mind
was still hazy with endorphins, and her body was still tingling softly.
“What do you want
me to do, spitfire?” he asked, rolling over on his side again to look at her.
“I dunno,” she
sighed. Shaking her head a bit to clear
it, she sat up and slowly unbuttoned her shirt, tossing it to the floor once
she had it open. Next she unclasped her
front closure bra, and then wiggled out of her skirt.
shoes off before she could get skirt, garters, and stockings off, she sighed.
her shoes and the rest of her clothes off in short order.
onto her other side and pick up her discarded sleepshirt
from the previous night. It smelled
faintly of alcohol, but she didn’t particularly care at the moment.
Finally done, she
turned back to Sands, once again noticing his many tattoos in the dim light
that came in her bedroom window.
Settling against his side, she started drawing formless shapes on his
chest. “Will you tell me about your
tattoos?” she asked, finally content in the fading warmth of afterglow and the
constant warmth of Sands' arms.
“If you like,” he
said with a slight shrug. “Which ones do
you want to know about? And don’t say
all of them. Pick one and we’ll work
from there, savvy?”
She looked over his
body, trying to decide which one to pick first.
“How about this one?” she asked, taking his hand in both of hers and
running her thumb over the number ‘3’ she found there.
“I don’t remember
why I got it,” he said, lifting his hand up to look at it with a frown.
when I first got it, but fuck me if I can remember what that was now.”
her the tattoos he had on his index finger.
lines of ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time.’”
“You’re not doing
much to sate my curiosity, my love,” she murmured, propping herself up on an
elbow. “Fine.
name on your shoulder?” she asked, fingering the tattoo.
Sands paused,
trying to decide how much to tell her about the tattoo.
was the name of the first woman he’d killed – after his mother of course – but
he didn’t think she’d appreciate that. “Yvette
. . . was an old girlfriend. I got it
when I was drunk,” he said with a sigh.
on, spitfire, I've got thirteen tattoos, fourteen if you c Jef Jeffrey’s.
“Well, you’re the
one that said I couldn’t simply say ‘all,’ so don’t blame me.”
over his abdomen. “Ok, how about
explaining why you have a butterfly here.”
“I woke up with it a vicious hangover and it
one delightful fucking morning. I tend
to believe I lost a bet. I have no idea
how it got there.”
“I give up,” Aida
said, throwing up her hands. “If you can
think of an interesting story about at least one of them, feel free to wake me.”
and closed her eyes.
“Fine you want a
fucking interesting story, I’ll tell you one.
figure in the middle of his chest. “Two
questions. Number one, do you know who
this is, and number two, can you guess when I got it?”
“Umm . . . I’ve seen
it before but I don’t know who it is. I’m
sure we learned it in lit class or something, but I was probably running over
lines for drama or something.”
“It’s
Roman god of beginnings, entrances, and exits.
college and I guess I wanted something to commemorate the occasion.
I got it before Jeffrey first showed up to make my life miserable and it’s in
the exact middle of my chest.” He paused
for her to absorb this before continuing.
into unconsciousness?” he asked wryly.
She teasingly
checked her pulse. “Nope, still
awake. Keep talking.”
“How about this
one?” He rolled over on his stomach and
pointed in the vague direction of a medium sized Harley Davidson logo.
as I could stand.”
“And do you
actually own a motorcycle?” she
asked, seriously doubting that he did.
“No, but that’s
besides the point,” he said, speaking into the mattress as he was still lying
on his stomach. “I got the tattoo
because I wanted to . . . rebel I guess.
I got the one I knew would have pissed them off the most.”
“And these?”
a smoking gun, and the other a smiley face with a bullet hole in its forehead.
Though he couldn’t
see them, he knew what tattoos she was talking about by the feeling of her
fingers. “I got that in the hopes that
that will be the only one I ever get caught with,” he said about the smoking
gun. “As for the smiley?
said with a laugh.
“And this one?” she
asked, tracing the rose and flame tattoo on his right shoulder blade.
it was rather pretty.
Sands didn’t need
to see it to know what tattoo her fingers had found.
tense. “That’s the one vivid image I
still have after . . . after the fire.
blood red rose in my mother’s garden framed by fire.
Aida told herself
that he’d been in shock when he’d seen that.
That getting this tattoo was his way of mourning the death of his
parents. That he’d even gotten it while
drunk . . . but she didn’t really believe herself.
She shifted as he
rolled back over onto his back, not quite meeting his eyes as he looked up at
her. Instead, she focused on the words
etched into his right shoulder. “What
does this say?” she asked, once again trailing her fingers along the ink.
“
he repeated slowly, looking up at her, his face devoid of all humor. “It’s
Latin. It means ‘Evil is relative.’”
Her hands
froze. She nervously wet her lips,
trying to think of something to say. She
couldn’t just sit here, so completely silent.
She’d hurt him. “I . . . I
suppose that’s true,” she whispered. “Because
I love you.”
“You’ve still got
three more,” he said softly, looking but not pulling away from her.
“Let’s save them
for another day,” she murmured, sinking down into the bed.
“Alright,” he said,
pulling her down gently to lean her head upon his shoulder.
fell asleep. Sands stayed awake far
longer, lost within his own thoughts, but even he finally gave in and fell into
a troubled sleep.