Love Bird. by Emily. Z. (story read aloud TXT) 📕

I watched his face as he wrapped an arm around me, and dragged me into him. 

"The only way he'll back off is to see that you've made your decision. To see that you belong to me." He murmured, and my eyes fluttered closed as he leaned down. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and then my nose, and the my cheeks. Slow, soft kisses littered my face.

"Jane," He murmured again, and this time his voice had that desperate edge to it as his lips rested on my forehead yet again, "I've waited too long to do this with you again. Stay with me tonight?"

My arms drifted around his waist, as I melted in his hold.

"Mn," Was all I could murmur, with a tiny nod.

With a small smile, he pulled my chin up with a gentle hand, and finally pressed his lips to mine. My heart fluttered, and a weight lifted from my shoulders. I was finally home.

The kiss began gentle, but quickly turned hot and urgent as his arms tightened around me, and he pulled me even closer to him. My hands clutched at his back as he picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

My scalp tingled as one of his hands slipped into my hair. I didn't register that I had been moving until my back hit something hard - by the indentions I felt, I assumed it was his door, but I wasn't about to open my eyes to check.

My hands slid up to his neck, and began playing with his nape, as his hand slipped from my hair to fumble with the door knob. 

He broke away to laugh as he couldn't find the knob in the first try, and I couldn't help but grin as well.

"Need some help?" I asked breathlessly, reaching down to grab the knob in his place. 

He let out a breathy laugh, and used his knee to bump the door open. It hit the wall with a thump, and I barely had time to think as he walked us into the room, because his lips attacked mine again. I couldn't help but admire his strength. He treated me like I weighed nothing, which was pretty damn sexy to me. 

I broke away in a breathless giggle as I was suddenly thrown down. I bounced on the bed, and looked up at him, blinking as I watched him stare at me with a small grin.

"You have no clue...absolutely no clue how aggrevated you make me," He rumbled as he slid onto the bed, strattling me for a moment, before dropping on all fours above me.

"What did I do?" I asked, my voice quiet with excitement.

The fact that he was here with me was like being on a sugar high. My blood zinged with energy, and my hands shook with antiscipation as they pressed to his broad chest. My eyes were wide with happiness, and I knew I probably looked crazed, but neither of us seemed to care.

He let out a scoff, and my attention was pulled from admiring the fact that he existed. "Do you know how long I've waited to have you like this? With me?"

I moved my hand to my chin, a single finger pressing to my lip in thought. "Hmm...nope!" I replied, blinking at him with innocent eyes.

He grinned, and it was fierce and bright. I had never seen such a beautiful expression before, and I couldn't help but grin back.

"God, I've missed you," He rumbled, putting his weight on one arm as he reached up and ran his fingertips across my cheeks, fiddling with my hair.

"Really? I had no-," My remark was cut off when he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

Damn, he figured out the only way to shut me up.

Slowly, my eyes opened. My face was pressed into a pillow, and it smelled familiar. I blinked a few times as I idly wondered why my bed smelled so heavily of Victor, but then I realized as I became more aware of my surroundings, that I was, in fact, in Victor's bed.

I wrapped my arms around my pillow and smashed my face more fully into the down softness, inhaling through my nose to catch his scent once again. I had never felt so peaceful.

As I became more awake, I noticed what sounded like a constant flow of water through a tap. Lifting my head from the pillow, I listened harder, hearing a soft Pop! every few seconds, and my consciousness finally put together the sound of a sizzling pan.

Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes with a heavy sigh. My pajamas were haphazardly on my body from rolling around all night. I briefly wondered if I'd kept Victor up. I adjusted my shirt so my bra wasn't hanging out, and stretched myself out to maximum capacity, pointing my toes. It had been a long time since I'd slept so deeply. Normally nightmares about Ike and his escapades kept me tossing. For me to sleep deep enough that Victor could slide out of bed without me noticing was a rarity for me.

I stood up, forgetting about my slippers as I padded barefoot over to the door. When I swung it open, the smell of bacon wafted over me, and I followed my nose to the kitchen.

When I reached the doorway, I peered in to see that Victor had his bare back to me. His hair was a mess, more so than usual, and like me, he was barefoot. With a spatula in one hand, he pushed around the bacon that sizzled crisply in the pan, flipping it every once in a while. I was brought back to Florida once again, when I'd wake up to my mom making breakfast, and Kent sitting at the table. I looked around for a moment, thinking that they had to be somewhere - lurking around the corners to pounce on me and lecture me about sleeping in bed with a man.

But they were nowhere to be found. The house was empty save for us.

"Did I keep you awake?" I asked after a moment of admiring his back. It was muscular, and I was a sucker for pretty backs.

He turned his head at my voice, glancing back at me with a smile. "Yes and no. It's not every day I have you in my bed, so I kept waiting for you to disappear."

Not exactly sure how to reply to that, I approached him and asked, "What's for breakfast?"

I slid my arms around his waist as I settled my forehead on his shoulder blade.

He let out a hum that reverberated through my body, and slid his own hand over mine as he replied, "Bacon, eggs and toast. I can't do much else."

I let out a light laugh. "Fine with me."

I heard the sound of him pushing the pan to the back burner, and when then the click of the switch as he turned the stove off.

He turned around in my arms, wrapping his own around my waist as he pulled me close to him. I set my chin on his chest, gazing up at him through tired eyes.

"How did you sleep?" He murmured, his voice soft as he lifted one of his hands to my hair, running his fingers gently through as he untangled a few parts.

I let my eyes close for a moment, before replying, "Good. Better than I have in a long time."

"Good," He murmured, and I opened my eyes to see that he was smiling down at me, his expression soft.

We stood there for a long time, enjoying each other's presence as I closed my eyes yet again, burying my face in his chest. I was on the verge of falling asleep in the comfort of his embrace, when he let out a big sigh.

"Breakfast is going to get cold."

Blinking my eyes open, I reluctantly pulled away. "Let's eat!" I announced through a yawn.

We ate in silence for the most part. Mostly because I was too busy shoving food into my mouth to speak, and he was too busy watching me, which would have made me self-conscious if I was more of a girl. As it was, I figured, he fell in love with me, so he has to deal with the good and the bad. I was preparing him.

I was pushing my eggs around in the maple syrup that I'd poured to dip my bacon in, when Victor spoke.

"Are you going to tell me where you planned to end the game?" He asked, taking a bite of his toast.

His enigmatic eyes were soft, studying my face as if it were his first time seeing it. As if he were taking in every detail. I shrugged as I wiped my mouth off with my napkin.

"No. You're still going to play the game," I murmured, smiling to myself as I reached over and sliced off some butter to put on my toast.

He was silent for a moment, before he leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

I laughed, leaning forward to meet him halfway as I pressed a kiss to his lips. Despite his shock, he immediately responded.

When I pulled away, I grinned at him, "The game is still on."

"But isn't the point a little moot now?" He said, his voice desperate.

"Afraid I'll make you crawl into the sewers next?" I asked, food forgotten as I leaned back with crossed arms, enjoying the expressions on his face.

"You wouldn't-," He cut off as he blinked, "Actually, yes, you would."

I winked, picking up my toast and taking a big bite. Through my food I murmured, "You know me too well."

He narrowed his eyes. "So where will the next clue be?"

I blinked as I realized that I had never told him. Logan had cut me off before I could.

"Ah, right," I murmured. "3535 Mary Jane Lane. Under the weeping statue."

He rolled his eyes. "What weeping statue?"

My smile was mischievous as I forked a big bite of eggs. "You'll know it when you see it."

***

I left Victor with the assurance that I'd come back. I felt bare without my leather jacket, and wondered why I didn't bring it with me. Despite it being my dad's, and the jury being out on his innocence, I couldn't find it in myself to throw it away, or stop wearing it. It was special to me. It held special memories of good times. Times that were bearable to think about.

I drove back to the hotel, and parked in the closest spot to the entrance of the parking garage so I wouldn't have far to walk. People stared when I entered the lobby with nothing but pajamas and slippers on, but I ignored them. I was once brought into jail in nothing but a swim suit because I'd broken into a closed YMCA drunk and tried to swim laps.

I was a really stupid drunk.

I entered the elevator, and waited, humming softly to myself, as the doors closed. I