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To Live is to Die
Topic Started: March 5, 2008, 12:49 am (59,975 Views)
maisy blue
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Some Kind Of Monster
[ * ]
YIKES!! That was hot. *fans herself* My husband asked what I was staring at on my computer screen and I lied.

I'd say more but I have to go get the fire extinguisher to spray the smoke off my laptop.
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Lucifer's Angel
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Heavy Metal Seanchai
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Ooooh, that was hot! :heart: :drool
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Mina
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Morgenstern
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WOW! WOW! That was so goddamn hot! :drool :drool :drool

I'm even MORE hooked right now, if that's possible! :drool

Can't wait for more! :)
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PurpleRose
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Frantic
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:o I couldn't believe it when I saw this fic had been posted

I'm looking forward to reading this again :)
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Metalicious
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Blackened
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Thanks girls! You're all being so great with the feedback and I am sucking ass at getting caught up with my own! I will remedy that soon. :P

************************************************************

I smelled coffee before I even opened my eyes. I could hear James singing in the kitchen. Rolling over to look out the window I noticed the dull ache between my legs and smiled. I’d have to remember to thank James for that later. Pulling back the curtains, I was dismayed to see rain pouring down. Hunting would have to wait.

I picked up James’ shirt from where I’d thrown it, put it on and grabbed a towel. Moving to the doorway I stood still, watching James simultaneously flip pancakes and play air guitar, wearing just his jeans. Daaaaaamn. My stomach lurched slightly. He certainly looked happy but I was still nervous to see how we’d both deal with the morning after.

“You gonna stand there all morning or are you gonna come help?” He asked without turning around.

I walked over slowly, putting the towel on the couch. “What would you like me to do?”

“Um…pour the coffee, grab the juice out of the fridge, come over here and kiss me, and get a couple of plates.”

I found two mugs and filled them, put the juice on the table, placed the plates next to them and then stood beside him, handing him the coffee. “I’m sorry, what was the other thing?”

He took the mug from me and put it on the counter. “Morning, baby.” Leaning down he kissed me softly. “Shirt looks good on you.” He took a sip of coffee and tilted his head at me. “You feeling okay?”

“Uh huh. No hangover.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, running a hand over my back.

I smiled up at him. “Actually, I feel pretty good about that. No guilt, no fear, no nausea. Just…satisfied. And happy. How are you?”

“Same, happy and satisfied. Woke up once to find this little sleeping beauty beside me. That was pretty cool,” he smiled. “But you got up too soon, I was gonna bring this to you in bed. Think we’ll have to hold on with the outdoor stuff for a while. It’s coming down pretty hard out there,” he glanced out the window.

“That’s fine. I’m cool to hang out in here. Do I have time to shower before breakfast or is it almost ready?”

“Nah, go shower. I can put these in the oven to keep ‘em warm. Take your time.”

I stood for a moment, watching him.

“Y’alright? Need something? There are more towels in the bathroom cupboard,” he slid the pancakes into the oven and turned the dial to its lowest setting.

I shook my head quickly. “No, I was just…I’m fine. I won’t be long.”

I got halfway across the room when his arm snaked out and caught my hand. He spun me around and lifted me off the floor with a tight hug. “This what you were after?”

I nodded against his chest and slid my arms around him as he set me back down. “I don’t wanna be clingy, Het. I just needed the contact.” I stared straight ahead, not daring to look at him. “Last night, this morning, whatever, it was amazing, but I lied when I said I didn’t feel any fear. I’m terrified.” Aaaaaaaaand…look up. Oh shit. Serious face. “No no no! Not terrified OF you, just…ah fuck. Nevermind. I’m fine, I’ll deal.” Once again the arm got me and I was picked up and deposited on the couch.

“Talk. Now.”

“I’ll scare you.”

“The hell you will.”

“James, please.”

“Charlie, it’s early. Don’t make me get the Cuervo.”

I sighed. “Last night was incredible. The way you took care of me, let me talk about everything, held me, all of it. And I woke up this morning, and you were still sleeping, and I felt…”

“Terrified.”

“No, comfortable. Happy. Relaxed. And you looked so sweet, with your hair all messy and the blankets pushed down around you, and I snuggled up to you and you smelled so good, like sweat and cologne and sex and…well, like a guy.”

“And that’s when you felt terrified?”

“No. Dude, seriously, let me finish.”

He grinned. “Sorry.”

“So I was lying next to you, and you felt me cuddling so you slung your arm around me and draped your leg over mine. And it felt so nice, and so right. And my only thought was, man, I could get used this.” Pause. Okay, James, clue in please. “James?”

He screwed up his face. “I don’t get it.”

I laughed. “Fine. See if it sinks in later. I really need to shower.” I hopped off the couch and went into the bathroom. I took longer than anticipated and half expected a bang on the door telling me to hurry up. None came though, and I toweled off, opening the bathroom door to find James building a fire. Walking past him I rumpled his hair and he glanced up.

“I still don’t get it.”

“Yeah, that’s fine, Het. Probably for the best.” I shut the bedroom door and rummaged through my bag for something to wear. The door opened again and James moved past me to sit on the bed.

“Whatcha doin’?”

I giggled as his voice, he sounded like a five year old. “Getting dressed.”

“Can I help?” Not waiting for an answer he yanked the bag off the floor and hauled it up to the bed, rifling through it and strewing clothes over the bed. “Ooooh la la!” He laughed as he held up the tangled evening dress/army coat combo. “This is quite the outfit. Were you gonna wear this hunting? That’s your strategy? Blind Bambi with sequins and then shoot her?” He rolled back on the bed, clutching at his stomach as he laughed.

I scowled at him. “Jackass. I needed the coat but it was all caught up with the dress, and I didn’t wanna make us late so I just grabbed it all. Now quit it, or I’ll make you wear it!”

“Oh no, no, I think you’re the one who’s gonna wear it.” He shot me an evil grin. He worked quickly, separating the garments and held up the dress with a triumphant cry. Holding it at arm’s length he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Fine. But I’m not wearing it all day. Go…get the pancakes, finish making the fire, something. I’ll be out in a minute,” I tried not to laugh at the pure glee on his face.

Pinning my hair up, I stepped into the dress. I’d only worn it twice before, both times to ridiculously fancy work functions, and both times I’d fallen asleep in it after too much Veuve Cliquot. Silver, with sequins adorning the bottom half in random patterns, it had tiny straps and basically no back. And a slit up each side that meant I could never wear stockings with it. Giving myself the once over in the mirror, I giggled. If eating pancakes in a cocktail dress didn’t make me a lady…well, it probably made me slightly crazy.

Turning the stereo on, I cranked up the Beyonce mix of 50 Cent’s In Da Club. James would kill me for tainting his cabin with R&B. I threw open the door.

“You can find me in da club
Sipping on some bud
Daddy I got whatcha need
My sexy little thug
Don’t wanna be your girl
I ain’t lookin for no love
So come gimme a hug,
Ya sexy little thug”

I strode over to where James was standing and wrapped an arm around his waist, moving to the song. Winding my body around his, I slithered to the floor and shimmied back up slowly, rubbing against him and licking a straight line from his stomach to his neck. Using him as my pole, I danced around him, watching his expression change from amused to aroused. Pulling him to the couch, I shoved him down and straddled his legs. Leaning forward I kissed him and swatted away his hands. “No touching, baby. Not yet.” Backing up, I kept dancing, mentally calling up moves I’d learned in the hilarious Strip-aerobics classes at my gym.

The song ended, and the IPod switched to random play. ‘Jungle Boogie’ started up and I grabbed James’ hand, pulling him off the couch. He grinned and spun me around, and then went into a little solo of breakdance moves. I was near the point of collapsing with laughter when he came up behind me and moved my hips in time with his. I leaned back against him and slid an arm up around his neck. The song ended, and Dido’s ‘Here With Me’ came on. James turned me gently and folded me into his arms, rocking me back and forth. He let go of me to lay a blanket from the couch on the floor, and sat on it, holding up his hand for me to join him.

I did so, laying alongside him, and ran my fingers over his chest. Drawing him down for a kiss, I pulled at his jeans. Once they were off, he slipped my dress down, kissing my shoulders, my neck, looking up at me every so often to make sure I was okay with what he was doing. As the dress finally came off, he worked his way up again and kissed me softly. Raising a questioning eyebrow, his gaze traveled down the length of my body, and back up to my eyes. I nodded and put my hands on his back, pulling him into me. Every movement was unhurried, intense in its slowness. His eyes never leaving mine, he stroked my face, smiling as I bit my lip at a particularly deep thrust. He shot me a look when the song ended and ‘Silence’ came on. More of a chant than anything, it’s only perked up with vocals by Sarah McLaughlin. Had I known my little dance session was gonna turn into fireside antics, I might have made an actual playlist. Still, I liked the song. James could learn to deal. I pressed down on the small of his back and lifted my hips. He got the message.

Entwining his fingers with mine, he began to move faster, eyes still locked on mine. His breathing quickened, and I knew he was close. Lifting my hips more, I arched against him and met each thrust. He moaned into my mouth and closed his eyes briefly as he panted my name. I raised my arm and patted the couch trying to find a pillow. Another blanket was the only thing in my reach, so I pulled it down and shoved it under James’ head, then curled up against him, wrapping the other blanket around us.

“I get it,” he said quietly.

I pressed my face against his side. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not.” I looked up and he was smiling. “You like me.” Ah, no, that wasn’t a smile, that was a huge grin. “You think I’m hot.” More grinning. “You like waking up with me.” Shifting so he was facing me, he kissed my forehead. “Got news for you, babe.” More kissing, my cheeks, my nose, my lips, my neck… “I like you, too. So let’s have a little nap and then we can wake up next to each other and be really happy.”

I laughed. “Twit. I am really happy, though.”

“Me too.” He pulled me tighter against him and stroked my hair, lulling me to sleep.

I woke up to find I’d been moved to the couch. The fire was blazing and James was sitting, reading a novel, with my feet propped up in his lap. A plate of silver dollar pancakes was on the little table in front of us, and I saw him lean down to grab one.

“Aren’t they cold by now?” I mumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

“Hey…you’re alive. I wondered there when I picked you up. You sleep through everything. Moving to the couch, oven doors falling off, flaming log rolling out of the fire…” he grinned and passed me a pancake. It was surprisingly hot.

“All that happened while I was sleeping? Are you secretly mainlining me more tequila? I’m usually a pretty light sleeper.”

“You must have been pretty tired. I wore you out,” he winked and returned to his book. I laughed and swung around so I was against his shoulder.

“Stephen King? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a horror fan.”

“Kirk said this one was good. I like it so far. It’s about a little girl who gets lost in the woods. She’s a baseball fan, too…and then something starts chasing her,” he leered at me.

“Spooky,” I whispered. “But I’ve read it, so I know what happens. And she’s a Boston fan, not the Yankees. Although, ironically, Tom Gordon’s a relief pitcher for New York now.”

“Awww, dammit.” He closed the book and sat up, about to say something else when his phone started ringing.

“You get reception out here? Wow.” I grabbed a handful of pancakes and went to sit in front of the fire as he got up and searched for the phone. Locating it, he checked the number and looked at me.

“Lars.”

“Ah. I’ll be in there,” I motioned to the bedroom. “You go ahead and tell him what you like. Up to you.” Closing the door behind me, I resisted the urge to lean against the door and eavesdrop. Instead, I turned on the stereo and pressed the play button. Anything James was saying was drowned out by Our Lady Peace. I dropped the blanket I’d been wrapped in and got dressed, pulling on faded jeans and a pink sweater. Sifting through the books that were on the shelves, I found a tattered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, one of my favorites. I curled up on the bed and began reading.

“You can come out now,” James stuck his head in. “You didn’t actually have to leave in the first place. And that was Kirk, using Lars’ phone.”

I hopped down off the bed and went back to my spot in front of the fire. “Everything okay, then? Kirk missing you? Band stuff?”

“Um…actually, no. Not band stuff. Cliff stuff.” He shot me a guilty look. “Stuff with his parents.”

“Do they wanna meet me? Or do they not want to meet me and that’s what this is about? James? What’s wrong?”

He sighed and sat beside me, wincing as his knees cracked. Taking my hand in his, he took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly.

“James…are you gonna talk? Or just breathe.”

He sighed again. “Cliff’s dad is sick. Kirk’s known for a while, he still keeps in touch with Jan, Cliff’s mom, and she told him a few months ago. Ray’s got leukemia.”

I squeezed his hand. “God, James. I’m sorry. Are you just finding this out?”

He shook his head. “Kirk told us, all of us, a couple of weeks ago. When our lawyers got your birthmother’s letter.” He fell silent.

I wasn’t entirely sure what he was having such a hard time with, or what this had to do with me.

“They’re wondering, now that the test results are a match, and we know you’re related - they wanna do a transplant. Bone marrow.” His eyes briefly met mine and then lowered again.

I let go of his hand. “Is that why…why everything happened so fast? The meeting with your lawyers? The test results in a day?” I stood up and backed away from him. “Is that why you’re all being so sweet to me? Because of this? The stuff from Lars, the coming over to spend time with me? Coming here?”

He stood up and started towards me. I kept backing up. “Charlie, no, calm down. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Ray brought it up after we got the results back. He knows it’s a lot to ask. And you’re two generations apart, the bone marrow might not even be a close enough match to his to work.”

I blinked back tears and sped past him to get to the bedroom. Grabbing my coat off the floor I threw it on and hunted for my boots. Lacing them up quickly, I came back out to find James standing in front of the door. “Charlie, please don’t leave. It’s pissing down out there, you’ll just get soaked and freezing.”

“Move.” It was whispered, but an order nonetheless. He stayed where he was.

“Charlie…”

“Now.”

He came towards me and carefully put his arms around me. “Okay. I understand the need to get out for a bit. But please don’t stay out long. We need to talk about this.”

I nodded and he held my arm for a moment as he grabbed something from the cupboard beside the door. “Here. Just in case.” I looked down and saw he’d placed a compass in my hand. “Know how to use it?” I nodded again and opened the door. Zipping up my coat I stepped outside and finally let the tears fall, mingling with the rainwater that immediately soaked my face. I checked the compass and headed due north.

**********************************************************
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Lucifer's Angel
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Heavy Metal Seanchai
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Wow, poor Ray :( I hope it all works out with James and Charlie :(
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Verity
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The Story Girl
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damn you write so good girl. This is way better than some cheesy soap opera. It rocks all ass.

You truly do have a gift for dialogue.

“And that’s when you felt terrified?”

“No. Dude, seriously, let me finish.”

He grinned. “Sorry.”


Just that little bit is so natural, and makes everyone in this seem so real.

I would be soooo extremely pissed if I were Charlie though. I would feel very very very used. I would have wanted to leave too, and I'd be very confused and upset. And I'd be much too selfish to give bone marrow to some dude that I've never met.

I would write more but I have to get to a rehearsal. Maybe more when I get home???? please?? :dance
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maisy blue
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Some Kind Of Monster
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Wow. That was a powerful chapter.

I feel so bad for Charlie. She can't catch a break. She just learns about her connection to Cliff, she's become close to two men close to her father, shares her deepest fears with one of them, and then learns her grandfather is dying and she might be the only one who can save him. Way too much for her to digest.

Way too much.

You write the sex stuff so well. I think if and when I get back to that point in my fiction, I'm going to just type "imagine hotness here" because there's no possible way I can even hope to do it remotely as well as you do. You and the rest of these girls are just knocking me out with all this amazing writing!

:heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:
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Metalicious
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Blackened
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My eyeballs are on fire. Too much computer time at work today, and then a movie, and now...yes...smoke is coming out from under my lashes.

Little more.

And Maisy? I have no doubt in your ability to write smokin' hot action.I look forward to reading it, because it'll be awesome.

I love to make Charlie suffer. I'm totally a glutton for her punishment. Angst is my favourite storyline, lol. So bear with me while I jab another pin in her. ;)

*************************************************************

Three hours later and I was nowhere near the cabin. Rocks and trees and rain, yes. Cabin, no. I’d meant to go in a straight line but had been so upset about what James had said that I’d forgotten to keep checking the compass. I didn’t recognize anything around me from our walk the previous day, and it was raining so hard that I couldn’t see more than fifty yards ahead of me. My jeans were soaked through, my hands were raw and my feet felt like blocks of ice.

“Damn you, Hetfield. Couldn’t break the news to me on a nice sunny day, when I could get lost on a hot afternoon. Had to tell me on the coldest day of the season.”

I moved over to a boulder and sat down in a huff. Bone marrow transplant. Cliff’s dad. My grandfather. Why hadn’t they just asked me straight out? I didn’t need a whole room in Lars’ house and a hunting/shagging vacation with James to say yes. I wasn’t that selfish. Is that what they thought?

My self-pity party was jolted to a halt when I heard a noise to my left. Looking up, I saw a doe, not more than five feet away. She was looking straight at me, nostrils flared and eyes bright. I held up my hands slowly. “Easy there, beautiful. James has all the guns, and he’s not here. You’re safe.” A sudden movement at her side alerted me to the fawn that was with her. “Awww…and you’ve got your little guy. Hey Bambi-” I was interrupted by a shot that whizzed past the doe’s head. Diving to the ground, I watched the mother and son take off, with two shots following them.

“Ouch! Motherfuck!” A sharp, stinging pain in my calf had me sitting up quickly. Pulling up my jeans I saw blood trickling down my leg.

“Holy shit.”

I looked up and saw two men in hunting jackets and orange hats staring down at me.

“Looks like you’ve got a nice little ricochet wound, honey.” The bigger of the two men dropped to the ground beside me and carefully touched my leg. I clenched my jaw as he wiped it gently with a cloth from his bag. “You might wanna consider wearing brighter colors if you’re gonna be in the woods in hunting season.”

“You might wanna consider improving your aim.” I said through gritted teeth. He laughed and helped me up, putting his arm under me so I could lean on him.

“You better hitch a ride back with us to wherever you came from.” Walking out to a clearing, I saw they’d brought two all-terrain vehicles. Lifting me onto one of them, the bigger man got on ahead of me and turned around. “Where to?”

“Um…I don’t really know how to get there. I got a little bit lost.”

He laughed. “You got a lot lost, honey, you’re about six miles from the nearest house. Who’re you staying with?”

“James Hetfield. He’s got a cabin…off a dirt road…don’t suppose that sets it apart from anybody else’s cabin, does it?” I sighed and looked up. The man had suddenly gone very pale.

“You’re staying with Het? Oh, shit. He’s gonna kick my ass for shooting you.” He started the engine and I held on to the back of the seat. “Just…back me up when I tell him it was an accident, okay?”

The second guy took off in a different direction, but big guy and I reached the cabin in about ten minutes, and James threw open the door as we approached it. Racing up to us he hauled me off the little ATV and shook me. Hard.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been on the phone with the rangers, the neighbors, the…Randy?” He stared at the man who’d driven me back. I limped past both of them into the cabin.

“Afternoon, Het. Mind if I come in for a bit?” He followed behind me, James coming last and closing the door.

“Charlie, hold on. Sit down. Wait.”

Lots of orders. All I wanted to do was crawl into the shower again and stay there for about a week, or until I’d thawed out, whichever came first. Oh, and clean up my gunshot wound.

“James, uh, you might wanna just let her do whatever she needs to do…” Randy trailed off, looking down at his feet. I dropped my coat on the floor and unlaced my boots, tossing them by the door. James started to reach out for me but I dodged him.

“Yell at me later, I’m sure it can wait.” I mumbled and went into the bathroom. “Thanks for the lift, Randy,” I called over my shoulder as I shut the door. Peeling off my jeans, I left them in a heap on the floor. My leg was still bleeding steadily, but not enough to worry me. Adding the rest of my clothes to the soggy pile, I sat on the edge of the tub in a towel and ran the hot water. I could hear James yelling on the other side of the door, and Randy’s lower, calmer voice interjecting every few seconds.

Climbing gingerly into the water, I winced as I immersed my leg, but the rest of me was so happy to be
warm that it outweighed the other pain.

“Charlie?” The voice on the other side of the door wasn’t James, had to be Randy.

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna take off, but I might see you tomorrow if you and Het join us for a hunt. Sorry about the ricochet. I’m sure it’ll heal fast.” He sounded less than sure.

“No worries, buddy. Next time maybe try to find the daddy deer though. The doe had a fawn with her.”

“Um, yeah. I’ll do that. See ya.”

I heard the cabin door slam a moment before James knocked on the bathroom door. “Stay out, Hetfield. I’m cold, I got lost, I got shot, and that guy is totally gonna try to kill Bambi’s mom tomorrow.” I was growling with as much force as I could muster.

“You sound like me,” James chuckled as he swung the door open.

I sighed. “What did I just say?” He sat down on edge of the bath and peered into the tub. I flicked water at him. “Hey, pervert? Bleeding here. Gunshot wound. Wanna maybe cobble together some first aid supplies? Sort me out when I’m done warming up? Hmmm?”

He looked at me and ran a hand over my hair. Then he got up and left. “Oh. Maybe not.” Geez. Maybe stop running your mouth, Charlie.

“Here,” he returned with a bunch of dry clothes from my bag. “Warm up, get dressed and I’ll make some coffee. And then we’ll talk. Or, I’ll talk, and you’ll listen, instead of running off and getting shot.” He dropped the clothes, gathered up my wet ones, and slammed the door.

I soaked a little longer and then dried off. Yanking my sock as far up as it would go, I stuffed a ball of toilet paper down it, against the wound. Buttoning up my jeans, I hastily pulled my hoodie on and opened the door. James was reading again, and didn’t look up as I went to pour the coffee. I placed a mug in front of him and sat on the floor by the fire.

He put the book down. “C’mere,” he patted the space beside him on the couch. I sat, and he reached for my leg. Pushing up the leg of my jeans, he carefully took out the toilet paper and pulled off my sock. “Hurt?”

I shook my head. Hurt like hell, but I wasn’t going to admit it. Not while he was still angry at me. He pulled a little bag from beside the couch and rifled through it. Antiseptic, cotton wool, gauze and bandages all appeared from within. Opening the little bottle, he dabbed some on a piece of cotton wool and swiped it over the little gash in my leg.

It hurt more than the actual ricochet had. I bit the inside of my cheek and hoped he wouldn’t notice the tears welling up. Fuck, that stung. He poured more antiseptic on the cotton and rubbed harder on my leg. I bit my cheek harder. One tear escaped. I folded my arms and wiped quickly at my eyes. He looked up and narrowed his eyes at me. “Thought you said it didn’t hurt.”

I could handle sad James, angry James, horny James, those were all fine. Nasty James scared me. I grabbed the bandage from him and went into the bedroom, taking care not to slam the door behind me. I hit the play button on the stereo and sat on the edge of the bed, taking shallow breaths as Our Lady Peace’s ‘Thief’ kicked off. The door opened, and I could feel James’ eyes on me. Ignoring him, I continued taking little breaths and closed my eyes. I felt the bed dip as he sat beside me, and kept my eyes closed, also ignoring the tears that had begun falling steadily. He took the bandage from my hand and shifted me gently so my leg was on the bed. Placing it over the cut, he patted the bandage carefully so it would stick and rolled my pantleg down.

“I’ll do it,” I said quietly as the song finished.

“Do what?” his voice equally quiet.

“The transplant. For Cliff’s dad. I’ll do it. You can call Kirk and tell him. May as well call him now.” I got up and limped out to the fireplace, retrieving James’ phone and tossing it to him. “Then we can head back and you won’t have to spend the next two days with me.”

He stood in the doorway, eyes wide. “You wanna go back?” He moved to stand in front of me and tilted my face up. “Charlie, whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong. Do you…do you really want to leave?”

I closed my eyes as his thumb brushed over my lips. Did I want to leave? Hell no. Did I want to stay here with a guy who took pleasure in pouring what felt like battery acid over my leg? Not really. If only he would stop rubbing his thumb over my mouth so I could tell him that. “Charlie…” he whispered my name before his lips were on mine and I felt my resolve weakening along with my knees.

“James…wait. Please.” I mumbled against his mouth. He stepped back. “I don’t want to leave, Het, but could you just take a few minutes and try to put yourself in my shoes? Imagine all of the events of this past week, up to and including last night and this morning,” I gave him a pointed look, “have happened to you, and then somebody asks you for a massive favor. What would you think?”

He was quiet for a minute and then sighed. “I’d think that someone was setting me up from the start. Shit.” He kissed my forehead and went over to the kitchen counter, emptying the coffee pot and starting a new one.

“Can I borrow your phone for a second?”

He nodded and I went into the bedroom. Dialing my home number, I waited four rings before it was answered.

“’lo?”

“Pep?”

“Hey, sugar! How’s the hunting? Kill anything yet?” He chuckled.

“I’m reconsidering our agreement about me not shooting James.”

“Uh oh. What’s boy wonder gone and done now?”

I hesitated. He’d find out soon enough anyway. “Me.” I said it quietly, hoping he’d let it pass. No deal.

“WHAT?” Not quite yelling, just loud and shocked.

“Pep, quiet. Gimme a sec, okay? Did you know about Cliff’s dad?”

“What? Did I know what about him?”

“He’s got cancer, apparently, and they wanna do a bone marrow transplant…with me. You didn’t know?” I found this hard to believe, James confided in Pepper more often than I did.

There was a huge sigh on the other end of the phone. “No, baby girl, I didn’t know. I’m guessing James didn’t know either, not until recently anyway. He would have told me. You’re gonna do it, aren’t ya.”

“Course I am. How could I not? I just…I feel shitty about the timing. I mean, last night, James and I had this huge talk…”

“Tequila?” I could picture the grin on his face.

“Yes, thanks very much. So we talked, and then…”

“And then you knocked his socks off. Atta girl.”

I giggled. “A couple times. But now I feel like I’ve been set up, like this was a plan from the start. It doesn’t seem like something he’d do, Keenan, but I don’t like the way it’s come about. And all the stuff with Lars, did you know he decorated a whole room in his house for me?”

“Well darlin’, I do recall doing the very same thing for you a couple of years back in my living room. Seems you have that effect on men. They wanna take care of you and…organize home furnishings in ways that are pleasing to the eye.” He drawled out the last sentence and I laughed. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. James isn’t a dick, he wouldn’t sleep with you just to get you to do something. He’d ask you straight up, and then sleep with you anyway regardless of your answer. Now, what else are you not telling me?”

Dammit. “Um, not much. Just that…I think I might really like James, and I’m not sure what to do about that, and I also kind of got shot this afternoon. I gotta go. Bye!” I hung up quickly and went back out to the kitchen, handing the phone to James. It rang as he took it from me.

“Yeah?” He answered and I could hear Pepper yelling on the other end. James immediately passed the phone back to me.

“…and then you let her get fucking shot? Fuck’s sake, Hetfield, you either take better care of her or you bring her the fuck back here where I can do it.”

“Pep? It’s me, not James.”

“Oh. Well, you tell him what I said.”

“I will.”

“And don’t get shot again.”

“I won’t.”

“And I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you, too.” I saw James’ eyebrows go up and ignored him.

“Okay. Cause you hung up without saying it, that’s against our deal, remember?”

“I remember, I’m sorry. I’ll see you Wednesday, okay?”

“Okay. Bye doll.”

I hung up and put the phone on the counter. James handed me a steaming mug of coffee and went to sit on the couch. I sat beside him.

“How’s Pep?”

“Fine. He sends his regards.” I smiled into my mug.

“Gonna kick my ass for letting you get hurt?” He raised a hand and stroked my cheek. I leaned into his touch and looked at him.

“No. Anyway, I’m not hurt. Mostly my pride that’s wounded.”

“Charlie, I was digging at the cut to get all the dirt out. It wasn’t to cause you pain. Bullets get dirty. Specially Randy’s bullets. Guy spends all day in the mud.” He flashed me a little smile. “So…Pep’s pretty lucky, having a beautiful woman declaring her love for him down the phone.”

I raised my eyebrows and took another sip of coffee.

“That’s a regular thing then? I heard him say it the other night by the fire. I figured he was just being silly.”

Setting the mug down I curled my feet under me and leaned against the back of the couch. “We say it a lot. Always when we say goodbye, and pretty frequently even if we’re just hanging out. Started when I stayed with him. Even later, when I’d visit and we’d argue, he’d always remember to yell it at me right before storming out. ‘Love you! BANG!’.” I mimicked a door slamming with my hand. James smiled. “Now he gets mad at me if I forget it, and calls back, like he just did.”

I closed my eyes and relaxed into the hand that had moved up to play with my hair.

“Sounds like you both take it pretty seriously, then.” His voice was quiet and low, and a little bit wistful.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Life is short, James. You don’t always know what’s gonna happen. You could scream something awful at someone before they drive away, and six hours later you’re at the hospital identifying their body.” I closed my eyes again. “You could wave goodbye to someone in a skeezy bar and then not see them for four days because you’ve been raped and beaten unconscious. Or you could get angry at someone, stalk off into the rain and get soaked, lost and hit with a stray bullet.” I sighed. “I’m sorry I walked out. I should have stayed and talked. I was just afraid of what I’d say.”

“Still afraid?”

“Not so much. It’s all happening a little fast, that’s all. It’s hard for me to tell you this, because I know you’re not, um, evil, but my first thought when you told me about Cliff’s dad was that you’d set all this up. That you’d known about it from the start and figured this way I’d feel like I had to say yes.” I looked over at him. “I know you wouldn’t do that, James, you’re far too kind and honest for that. But it was easier to believe that you were out to gain something than to believe you might actually care for me.”

“I am out to gain something,” he said softly, pulling me close to him and wrapping his arms around me. “Your trust, your friendship, I want that. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me instead of feeling like you’d rather run out into a storm than sit down and chat.” His fingers tugged on the strings of my hoodie. “And I do actually care for you. I was kinda hoping that was obvious by now.”

I smiled and snuggled back against him.

“You hungry? You only ate about three pancakes, and they were tiny.”

“I could eat. Whatcha thinking?” I stretched my arms out slowly.

“Pasta, maybe some garlic bread, little bit of salad…yeah. Sound good?”

“Sounds great. What part would you like me to do?”

He got up and draped a blanket over me. “The part where you sit here and relax, read a little, maybe tell me a story while I make dinner. No getting up, you should stay off that leg, give the wound time to close.”

I stayed on the couch for the rest of the evening, reading aloud from James’ book as he made dinner. Once in a while I’d add in my own sentences to throw him off (‘and then out of nowhere a coyote appeared and ripped her leg off’) until he finally came over and took the book from my hands, saying he was getting too stressed from guessing which parts were real and which I’d made up. After dinner, he hauled out an archaic-looking Scrabble board and set it up on the little table in front of the couch.

“Now, just cause you’re a lawyer, and you know all kinds of fancy five dollar words, doesn’t automatically mean you’re gonna win,” he warned me as he arranged his tiles.

“Antidisestablishmentarianism,” I replied.

“Huh?”

“Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious,” I tried to keep a straight face.

“That’s not even a real-”

“Acanthocephalan.”

“Stop it.”

“Hyperaesthesias.”

“Seriously, stop it.”

“Honorificabilitudinitatibus.”

“I can see the headlines now: ‘Woman Beaten to Death with Scrabble Board.’”

I giggled. “Sorry. I’ll stop. I don’t even know what they all mean.”

I won the first game, and James won the second. There was much debate about made-up words, and after I threatened to throw the board into the fire, we decided two games were enough.

“Want some tea?” He’d put away the game and was standing by the stove.

“Yes please. Hey, are we supposed to be hunting with your friend tomorrow? Randy?”

“The one that shot you? Yeah, he wants us to come with him. I said I’d ask you.”

“I’m up for it if you are.” I laughed as he shot me a wary look. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay well out of the line of fire.”

He sat beside me, handing me a mug. “It’s not that, it’s just…his buddy Mike would probably be coming, I’m not a big fan of his. He’s got awful aim. Last time we went out with him he got a buck in the hindquarters and we had to track it for about three hours.”

I bit my lip. “Was it dead when you found it?”

He looked at me and sighed. “No, but it was exhausted and obviously in a world of pain. I hate…I hate a slow kill. I don’t do this to torture animals. It should be fast, and accurate, and over immediately for whatever is being hunted. Once the bullet leaves the gun, that should be it.”

“And how’s your aim, Papa Het?”

He smirked at me. “Not bad. Not amazing, but not bad.”

“Well, then, I think we should go. With them. Cause if Mike pulls another shoddy shot off, one of us can finish the job. And, you know, contrary to how it might seem, I did NOT come all the way to freakin’ Montana just to hang out with you and get naked a lot,” I grinned at him. “Although that has turned out to be a nice little bonus.”

He leaned over and narrowed his eyes. “Little bonus? LITTLE?”

“Sorry!” I laughed. “Big bonus. Huge! Enormous monstrosity of a bonus. Gargantuan even.”

“Nooo, we’re back on the big words!” He moaned, putting his head in his hands.

I kept laughing, and got up to put our mugs in the sink. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and James followed me in. I raised my eyebrows at him in the mirror.

“You sure you’re okay with tomorrow? I mean…I just…I’ve never hunted with a chick before. I wanna make sure you’re alright with it. The blood and the dead animal and all that.”

I sighed. “I won’t lie, Het. There’ll probably be some whining, some moaning, little bit of sobbing maybe.” He started to look anxious. “Yeah…course that’ll all be coming from you when you realize this chick is a better shot than you are,” I grinned and started brushing. He chuckled and left the bathroom.

“We’ll see about that, sweetheart,” he called over his shoulder.

When I came into the bedroom, I saw he’d lit a bunch of candles and put on my RainyDay playlist. Mostly blues and a few ballads, even some Jeff Buckley. ‘Hallelujah’ was playing and James was seated on the bed.

“Ahhh…music to slit your wrists by,” I smiled at him.

He laughed. “How come you’ve got his music if you don’t like it?”

“I do like it, I just find it awfully melancholy. But in a nice way.”

I went to sit beside him and he kissed me gently. “Get undressed, and under the sheets. I’ll be back in a sec.”

I took off everything but my bra and underwear. A pretty purple lace set, it seemed a shame to take them off without James seeing them for a little bit.

He came back in the room and grinned when he saw me. “That’s not undressed.”

“It’s mostly undressed. It’s no fun if I leave you with nothing to do!”

He turned me and pushed me gently onto the bed, face down, and carefully undid my bra. “Okay, these,” he tugged at my little lacey shorts, “can stay on. But if I get oil on them it’s your fault.”

I laid my head on my arms and closed my eyes. Moments later, two warm, slicked up hands were rubbing over my back. I moaned softly and heard James chuckle.

“Nice?”

“Amazing. What’s the oil scented with? I can’t figure it out.”

He stopped moving his hands. “Is it bad? Do you not like it?”

I tried to look at him but couldn’t quite crane my neck around. “No, I love it. It’s familiar but I can’t place it, that’s all.”

He started the massage again. “I mixed in a few drops of my cologne with some unscented oil. Stupid, I know. But you smelled so good in my shirt this morning, all female but with a whiff of guy mixed in.”

I giggled. “Are you sure it was the cologne you were smelling? Cause that whiff of ‘guy’ might have been something else.”

He laughed and ran his fingers up my neck, sending shivers down my back. “Pretty sure it was the cologne.” I felt him lean down and he sniffed me just under my ear. The shivers intensified. “Yup,” he confirmed in a low growl. “That’s the scent.” He nipped at my earlobe and I jumped.

He sat up again and traced his fingers lightly over my tattoos. “How long did this one take?” He ran one finger over the design above my hips.

“Couple of hours. I got her to take a few breaks when it got really painful.”

I tried to roll over to face him but he gently pinned me to the bed. “No, babes. You gotta stay like that. I’m trying to get you to relax, and if you turn over, we’re gonna have to work on getting ME relaxed.”

I turned my head to the side and grinned. “I know how to get you to relax…”

Another growl. “Quit it. You want your leg to be okay for lots of walking tomorrow, you gotta lay off it tonight.”

I pouted. “I don’t have to move…I can be still.”

He leaned down again until his mouth was beside my ear. “Darlin’, it’s no fun if you stay still. Now relax, and enjoy the massage, and stop squirming under me, or I’ll forget all my good intentions and we’ll have to skip the hunt tomorrow.”

I nodded and put my head back on my arms. “Fine, but tomorrow, post-hunting, you’re all mine.”

He laughed and planted a kiss on my shoulder. “Looking forward to it.”

“James?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna fall asleep soon. Can you…I want…” Damn. I’m normally so demanding and good at asking for what I want. “Could you finish up so you can fall asleep with me? Please?”

He slid off the bed and wiped his hands off, then lay down beside me. “Better?”

I turned slightly and he slid an arm under me. “Yup.”

He hitched up the blankets and kissed my forehead. “Sleep well, babe. And there’s no way you’re a better shot than me.”

“Wanna bet?” I wiggled over more so I was pressed against his side.

“Charlie…”

“Right. Sleeping. Night,” I kissed his chest and closed my eyes.
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Lucifer's Angel
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Heavy Metal Seanchai
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Wow :o I can't imagine getting shot in the leg :o That's got to really hurt, poor Charlie. And Nasty James :( At least they seem to have patched it up, keep going :tu:
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Mina
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Morgenstern
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I'm so glad that everything's alright with them again..and poor Charlie, I hope her leg stops hurting soon
And is it just me or does it seem like the both of them are falling in love with each other?

Awesome chapter, as always :)

Can't wait for more :)
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Metalicious
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Blackened
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A rather lengthy posting. Please excuse my unwillingness to break this into a few posts. :)

*************************************************************

Dawn came far too early, and I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of leaving the warmth of the bed. I’d been kissed awake, by a smiling James who insisted I was his Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Cranky was more like it. I refrained from speaking until I’d showered and inhaled my first cup of coffee. Feeling slightly more human after the caffeine kicked in, I wandered back into the bedroom to find James all suited up.

“I’m like the Invisible Man,” he grinned, glancing down at his head to toe camouflage gear.

I giggled. “Don’t wander off, babes, we’ll never find you.” I put on black jeans and a black sweater, and caught James staring at me as I came out to the main room, a smile playing on his lips. “What.”

“We’re…hunting. Not breaking into the deer’s house.”

I laughed. “Not all of us dress up like it’s Desert Storm for this, pal.” I pulled on my orange trucker’s hat and my coat, and bent down to lace up my boots.

Standing up I came face to face with James. “You look ridiculously sexy in this,” he pulled at the brim of my hat.

“Don’t even think about it.” I pushed his hand away and opened the door. “You’re just trying to distract me so I’ll be a poor shot today. Nice try, buddy.”

He followed me out and we got in the truck. Randy’s property was a ten minute drive away, and he and Mike were waiting outside when we pulled up.

“Morning Het, Charlie. How’s the leg?” Randy walked over and gave James a manly hug, and looped an arm around my shoulder.

“Not bad. You gonna do the other one today to match?” I looked up at him and he blushed.

“I’ll try not to, darlin’. You all ready?”

I nodded and climbed onto one of three ATVs in the yard. James started to get on in front of me and I shook my head. “No way, buddy. You’re on the back or you’re on your own.”

He shot me a look and then got on behind me. “Just be careful, okay? These aren’t exactly top of the line. They flip easy.”

“Relax, babycakes,” I yelled at him as the engine turned over. “I leaned to drive on one of these bad boys!”

He wrapped his arms around my waist as I cranked the steering wheel to follow Randy and Mike. We motored along for a good twenty minutes, and stopped in a clearing. I killed the engine and felt James’ breath on my ear. “Babycakes?”

I pretended not to know what he meant. “Yes, pumpkin?”

He laughed and pulled my hat off. “I’m keeping this until you come up with something better.”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist. Doesn’t really suit you, does it. I’ll stick to Papa Het, shall I?”

He shook his head. “Nope. That’s not new. Everybody calls me that.”

“Um…Sexy Beast? Hottie McCutie? Crap. Keep the hat, my imagination hasn’t woken up yet.” I walked over to Mike and Randy, who were loading the guns.

“You gonna be packin’ today Charlie?” Randy looked over at me as he made sure the safety was engaged.

“Nah, I’ll let James handle the hardware. You know, wait til he misses and then show him how it’s done.”

“Big talker, aren’t ya,” James grinned and handed me my hat.

“Just tellin’ it like it is, big guy.” I smiled back at him. He shook his head and mouthed ‘no’ at me. Guess ‘big guy’ was out.

I let the guys go ahead, since I’d no idea where we were headed. The pace was steady, but not so fast that it was hard to keep up. We’d only been walking for a few minutes when I saw Randy hold up his fist and we all stopped. Two bucks were about fifty yards away. I saw Mike step ahead of Randy and raise his rifle. He barely took time to aim before the gun went off, and both deer bolted, unharmed. James turned and rolled his eyes. I said nothing but made a mental note to stay the hell behind Mike. We walked on, and James fell back to take my hand. I looked up at him. “Awww…this is romantic. Holding hands and killing things. I feel all warm and fuzzy,” I grinned.

“‘Holding hands and killing things’. I like it. Could be the next ‘Nothing Else Matters’.” He grinned at me.

“I’m gonna want royalties.”

Randy held up his fist again and I let go of James’ hand, taking the gun from him. I took the safety off and watched as Mike lifted his gun and aimed. I felt James’ hand on my shoulder and shrugged it off. I had a bad feeling about this.

The deer was a female, and pretty small. I’d have preferred a buck but it looked like Mike didn’t care either way. He pulled the trigger and got her just left of her tail. She started to run but couldn’t do more than hobble. I shoved Mike out of the way and aimed. I took a breath, and let it out as I fired. The doe went down immediately, and Randy and Mike took off running to where she’d fallen.

“Holy shit! Nice shot! Right behind her ear,” Randy yelled.

I felt an arm wrap around my waist. “You okay?” James murmured in my ear.

“Yep. But if he shoots another doe I’m gonna kick his ass.”

“Fine by me,” he said quietly and kissed my temple.

We hung around and waited for Randy and Mike to drag the deer back to where we’d left the ATVs. I may have shot it, but the deer was for them. They’d promised to give James some of the meat, but most of it would be for those two. Randy returned alone, saying that Mike wanted to take the carcass back to the trucks and get it tagged.

The three of us walked on, stopping finally at a little platform in the woods. James hoisted me up and told me to stay put for a bit and rest. He and Randy stood below, talking quietly. I was about to call down for some water when I noticed a gorgeous buck about a hundred yards off. I knocked softly on the platform to get James’ attention and looked down. He hadn’t heard me. I stood up slowly and lifted the gun to my shoulder. Glancing down to make sure neither of them had moved, I raised the rifle and took aim. I leaned forward slightly against the railing of the platform, and took a deep breath. Letting it out, I lowered the gun. Mike was standing directly in front of me, waving his hands at me. Fucker.

“Can’t let you get all the shots in, missy,” he chuckled.

I gave him what I hoped looked like a sincere smile and sat back down. James appeared at my feet. “Don’t shoot Mike. I haven’t got tags for him,” he said with a straight face and I coughed to cover mylaugh. “Could you have got that one? From this far away?” He turned to look at the buck, who had barely moved.

“Yup. If asshat hadn’t come into my sights.”

“Damn. Hey Mike,” he called softly. Mike turned, annoyed at the distraction.

“S’up?”

“I just bet Charlie a hundred dollars she can’t hit that buck from here. You want in?”

Mike grinned. “Hell yeah. Double or nothing?” he looked up at me. I nodded and stood up.

“Better stand to the side, Mike, I’d hate to accidentally shoot you instead.”

“Liar,” James muttered.

“Shh, baby. I’m concentrating,” I grinned as I took aim. The buck turned slightly and almost looked as if he’d seen me. “Sorry dude, but I’m at the top of the food chain, and you’re not.” I breathed in and exhaled, firing at the same time. I heard Randy let out a long whistle as the buck crumpled to the ground.

“Shit.” Mike stomped his foot and raced after Randy.

“James?”

“…yeah?”

“I don’t want to shoot anything else today.”

He looked up at me and smiled. “That’s fine.” He looked over at the guys briefly and then back at me. “Do I have to pay you two hundred dollars?”

“Nah, we didn’t actually make a bet. Don’t tell Mike though,” I said as I climbed down.

“I’m gonna tell them we’re taking off, I’m not really in the mood to stay out here either. They can drop off the meat later. Be right back, okay?”

I waited as he jogged over and chatted briefly with Randy. Mike was busy trussing the deer.

“All set?” I asked as he returned.

“Yup. He’s gonna come by tomorrow morning before we leave.” We turned and walked back the way we’d come, James slightly ahead of me. When we reached the four-wheelers I held out the keys and smiled.

“Your turn."

I got on behind him and hugged him tightly, pressing my face against his back. We rode in silence, parked the ATV by Randy’s house and James drove us to the cabin. I followed him inside and took off my boots, then flopped beside him on the couch.

“So…your uncle taught you how to shoot?” He shot me sideways glance that said he didn’t quite believe me.

“My uncle was the first person to teach me to shoot. I started hunting with him when I was fifteen. His daughters hate it, and my dad wasn’t a fan either, so the two of us kinda bonded over it.”

“Fifteen, that’s pretty young.”

“Yup. Not sure how smart it is to put a loaded gun in the hands of an adolescent girl. I liked it though. Good remedy for teenage angst.”

“And that’s the reason you’re so good? Cause you’ve been at it for more than a decade? Cause I’ve been shooting since I was a kid, and I couldn’t have hit the buck. Not from where you were standing.”

I sighed and got up from the couch. “Coffee?” I shrugged off my coat and went to brew a pot. Pushing up my sleeves, I leaned against the counter, facing James. “My uncle was the only person in my family who I told about the rape. Everybody else thinks I spent six months down there working for a law firm called Pepper & Keenan.” James laughed. “Tim’s the person listed as my emergency contact, so Pepper called him as soon as it happened, and he flew down about a month after, to help me sort out the insurance stuff. When I’d recovered, he asked me to go stay with him for a bit, and he introduced me to one of his buddies. The guy’s a retired cop, and we spent about a month in the local gun range, just trying out different firearms.” I poured the coffee and went over to the couch again. “He spent ages with me on technique, breathing, aim, and how all of that can change with each gun. I took lessons from a few of the instructors, and when I moved to California, I signed up with a couple of gun ranges.” I sipped at my coffee, giving James a chance to talk.

“So how often do you shoot?”

“I’m still taking lessons. Every two weeks, for a few hours on Wednesday nights.”

He looked thoughtful. “Do you own a gun? Cause I snooped all over your house and didn’t see any,” he grinned at me.

I smiled. “I have one. And its location is a secret to everyone but me, and the guy who gave it to me. It’s safely hidden where nobody can find it unless they have several keys and a combination.”

He shifted slightly so we were facing. “You don’t even have a security code on your door, just locks. I know you live in a nice neighborhood, sweetie, but crime doesn’t limit itself to the bad areas of town. Aren’t you a little worried…I mean, if the one gun you have is that well hidden, are you gonna be able to get to it if you need to?”

I looked down. I wasn’t keen on telling him the truth.

“Charlie?” He took my face in his hands. “Maybe when we get back I can have a buddy come over and hook you up with something? I hate the idea of you all alone in that house with no security system.”

“I have one,” I said quietly.

“Oh. Good.” He sat back and lifted his mug. “What kind?”

“It’s not very common. I don’t think you’ll have heard of it.”

He smirked at me. “Try me.”

“It’s called V.I.S.T.A. Visual Intelligence System Technology Associates.” I looked at him and laughed at the shock on his face.

“I’ve heard of them. Jesus, Charlie, that’s some serious protection.”

I nodded. “Yup. And I love it.”

“You don’t mind that it’s so intrusive? All the cameras? And the drive-bys?”

I slid down the couch and rested my feet in his lap. “There are only three cameras. One for the front porch, one out back, and one in the main hallway. Motion detectors all over the house, and the drive-bys are actually kinda comforting, as are the random drop-ins.”

James jaw dropped. “They visit you?”

“Yeah. I know all the guys who work there, it’s like having them over for coffee. Except we have code words and hand signals.”

A smile crept across his face. “You have code words?”

I giggled. I knew how silly it sounded. “Yes. So if someone was in the house holding me captive and they stopped by, I’d be able to tell them without alerting the bad guys.”

“And then they could go all SWAT team and smoke bomb the house and get you out safely?” He looked excited at the prospect of this happening.

“Something like that. I know it sounds over the top, James, but I’m all by myself in a big house, with two dogs who are more likely to lick a burglar to death than actually defend me. I wanted to feel safe. And now I do. Anyway, the director of the company is a friend of the managing partner at my firm, and we had a couple of lengthy chats before everything was set up. They’re totally professional, and I like knowing that if a big van of masked men pulls up outside my house, a bigger van full of bigger masked men will be there in thirty seconds, to kick some ass.”

“Thirty seconds? Where are they located, around the corner?” James snorted. I raised an eyebrow and sipped my coffee. “They’re actually located around the corner? God, woman, I’m moving in with you. Your security’s better than mine.”

I giggled and tried not to think about how nice it would be if he actually moved in with me.

“So when I came over the other day and was hanging out on your porch for twenty minutes waiting for you, how come nobody pulled up to kick MY ass?”

I finished the last of my coffee and set the mug on the floor. “Because I’m in contact with the company all the time, adding names and pictures of people who they can expect to see. I faxed over some pictures of you guys, said you might be in the area and that I was okay with that, so they shouldn’t freak out. I also told them about Lars having a spare key, and then mentioned that you might be using it as well.”

“What about stuff like the barbecue? Did they have pictures of all those people?”

I sighed, knowing my reply would sound ridiculous. “No. But you know the big guy who arrived after you started cooking? Shaved head and tattoo on his neck?”

“Yeah…”

“Yeah.”

“He works for them? Wow. I gotta say, that does seem a bit much. Not that I don’t want you to be safe…”

“I know. I normally don’t invite them to my parties. But you guys were gonna be there, and the guest list got a little out of control, so I just wanted to be extra cautious. You know, in case Dave Mustaine caught wind of it and showed up,” I shot him a grin and he laughed. “I realize I have the equivalent of twelve Gios working for me, James, but it’s difficult for me to explain how very terrified I felt for months and months. Hiring these guys made me feel safe and secure. I sleep a lot better knowing there’s a bunch of thugs watching over me. Smart thugs, too.”

James rubbed my leg and tilted his head to the side. “Have you ever actually needed them?”

“Once. Guy tried to break in through the garage. I’d fallen asleep in the library, and woke up to six very large uniformed men standing in the room, looking nervous and trying not to break anything.”

“But they caught him?”

I nodded. “Yup. He had two guns, a rope and a knife on him. They picked him up about twenty seconds after he’d entered the garage, and they doubled the drive-bys for the next month.”

“Sounds like they’re worth their fees.”

“Every penny. I’d pay more if I had to. Anything, really, to feel safe.”

He pulled me forward so I was in his lap and stroked my hair. “Do you feel safe now?”

I snuggled against him and lifted my head to kiss his cheek. “Very.”

“Good.” He hugged me tighter. “I’m gonna go run a bath, my back’s a little stiff.” He got up and went into the bathroom, and poked his head around the door a minute later. “You’re welcome to join me,” he winked.

I got up and winced as my leg and my shoulder ached with the movement. “Y’alright?”

“Recoil’s a bitch. Not used to such a heavy gun, I guess. And the leg’s a little sore. A bath with a sexy man should sort me out, though,” I grinned as I reached the bathroom.

He undressed me, held my hand as I eased into the water and then climbed into the tub behind me, pulling me back against his chest.

“I haven’t shared a bath with anybody in ages,” I said, closing my eyes as he cupped water in his hands and let it fall over me.

“Me either. This is nice, though. You’re a good fit,” he squeezed his legs against mine and his hand slid over my stomach. We both fell quiet as his fingers traced little circles over my abdomen. I let my head fall back on his shoulder as his hand traveled lower. Sliding my own hand behind me, I gripped him firmly and heard a moan escape his lips. Turning on my side to allow us both better access, I licked and kissed at his neck, increasing the speed of my strokes. He moaned louder and lifted his head to kiss me. Taking his hand from between my legs, I slowly lifted it to his mouth and watched as he licked his fingers clean. Sliding his arm around me he pulled me against him and slid his tongue between my lips, letting me taste myself in his mouth. I sucked in a breath and ran my other hand over his chest. He jerked as I brushed his nipple, and I felt a warm slickness on my hand. He flashed me a wicked smile. “Evening the score, are we?”

“Working on it.” I wiped my hand on a towel and leaned back against him again.

When the water started to get cold, James got out, and I ran more hot water. “You gonna stay in here all night?” He asked as he dried off.

“I might. It’s nice and warm again now,” I swirled my hands around in the water as the tub kept filling.

“Hungry at all? I can start dinner while you overheat in here,” he smiled at me.

“You’re cooking again? I feel so spoiled. I’ll do clean-up, okay?” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, and felt James’ lips on my forehead.

A few minutes later he reappeared with a bunch of candles, a lighter and a small bottle of sparkling apple juice. “Sorry there’s no wine, babes. But in the theme of spoiling you…” he lit the candles and opened the bottle for me, pouring it into a little glass beside the sink.

I pulled him down for a kiss. “This is lovely, James, thank you. Sure you don’t wanna get back in here with me?”

He stood back up and grinned. “Honestly, do you think dinner will make itself? I’m working my ass off out there,” he jerked a thumb behind him at the kitchen, “while you’re in here lazing around, playing with bubbles and having candlelit apple juice.”

“Hey!” I pretended to pout. “I worked really hard today. Had to hang out with a bunch of guys, drive around on a four-wheeler, fiddle around with guns, shoot some stuff – I feel very tired, and…testosteroney.”

He smirked. “Testosteroney? That’s what, the other San Francisco treat?”

I giggled. “No baby, you’re the other San Francisco treat. Now go make me some dinner!” I took another sip of juice and noticed my toes were actually starting to wrinkle from being immersed so long. I closed my eyes again and wondered how long I had before my entire body shriveled up into a prune.

Twenty minutes later, James shook me awake gently and mumbled something about almost drowning in my sleep. “Maybe you should be tested for narcolepsy.” He held out a towel and wrapped me in it as I stood up.

“I’m fine. Just really relaxed. More than I have been in a long time.” I stood on tiptoes and still came short of reaching his face, and settled for placing a kiss on his neck.

“Relaxed and hungry, I hope?”

“Ravenous.” I assured him, and dressed quickly.

Stepping into the kitchen I saw that the fire was blazing, and on the floor beside it lay a bunch of pillows, and dinner. The only other light was from candles that had been placed around the room.

I felt James’ hand slip into mine and leaned back against him. He hugged me and then led me over to the fireplace. Three kinds of cheese, various meats, strawberries, crusty baguettes, leftover pasta from the night before, and another bottle of the apple juice were set up on a little blanket. “Floor picnic,” he said, standing across from me.

I smiled. “Looks amazing.” Settling on the floor across from him, I watched as he opened the juice and poured a glass for each of us. He held it up to clink his glass with mine.

“What should we toast to?”

I thought for a moment. “Cliff? Is that too weird?”

He smiled. “It’s perfect. To Cliff. Who I’m sure will be haunting me for the rest of my days for banging his daughter.”

I burst out laughing. “Cheers to that.” I took a drink and looked at James again. “I don’t wish anything were different, James, I love how the band is now, how close you all are and how perfectly Rob fits in, but…I hate that I’ll never meet him.”

“Doesn’t matter than you’ll never meet him. He knows who you are. I’m sure he’s watching over you, your own guardian angel. Looking out for you.” It was a sweet thought, but I thought about that night in Louisiana. No guardian angels there. James saw the look on my face and caught on. “Um…maybe he was stoned that day.” I giggled.

“There’s weed in heaven?”

He smiled. “Oh yeah. If there wasn’t before, I’m sure Cliff’s cultivated it since he arrived.” He was quiet for a while, concentrating on his food, and then looked over at me. “I bet he’s really proud of you. The lawyer stuff, overcoming what you have, the way you’ve dealt with all of the shit that’s happened…”

“I bet he’s really proud of you, too.” I met his gaze and reached for his hand. “All you guys. The men you’ve become, not just the band. You’re all such sweethearts, and the way you care about each other…it’s just awesome to watch. And the changes you’ve gone through, Het, at least the ones everybody got to see on SKOM, I swear, anybody who was ever a fan of the band is proud of you. From being a kind of scary, drunk, overbearing guy to becoming a sweet, considerate man who can still write killer songs, that’s pretty admirable.” I paused and lifted the juice bottle, squinting at the writing. “What the hell is in this, truth serum?”

James smiled and moved to sit beside me. “Thank you,” he kissed me softly.

“No, no, thank you,” I grinned, kissing him back. “For bringing me here, and spoiling me rotten, and letting me play with guns. I’ve had a really great time, James.”

He leaned back against the couch, resting his arm on my shoulder. “Me too,” he sighed. “Don’t really wanna go back just yet.”

“Hey now, we don’t have to leave until morning, do we? That gives us…” I looked at his watch, “about twelve hours. Eight of which should probably be used for sleep, or at least something involving the bed.” He laughed and ruffled my hair. “But that leaves us with four whole hours! Do you know how many games of Scrabble we can play in four hours?”

He groaned. “None, Charlie. Please can we play something different?”

“Guess so. My choice?

“Your choice. Long as it’s not Scrabble.”

“Okay. Truth or dare! Yay!” I clapped my hands and he laughed.

“You are such a girl. Truth or dare. Jesus. Fine, then, go ahead.”

“Truth.”

He thought for a bit. “Got it. Tell me about this plan you had when you were little, regarding Metallica, and you. Your buddy mentioned it briefly at the barbecue.”

I gasped. I was going to kill Trish. James laughed at the shock on my face. “Not fair, Hetfield.”

“Answer the question, Tyler,” he kept laughing.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, but it’s stupid. When I was ten, I had it all worked out that I was going to marry you – all four of you – and we were gonna live in a big house in San Francisco, and I would cook and take care of the house while you guys put out albums. But when you weren’t working, we’d all hang out and you could teach me how to play the guitar, Lars could teach me drums…stop laughing. I was ten! It was a brilliant plan back then!”

“Like Snow White and the Four Horsemen,” he grinned and I couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s sweet. Weird, but sweet.”

“Ass. Your turn.”

“Uh, dare.”

“Take off your shirt.”

He shot me a sideways glance. “That’s a dare?”

“Bet your ass. Take it off.” He complied and I moved so I was on the couch and he was sitting between my knees. “Truth,” I said, and began massaging his shoulders.

“Ahhh…um…I can ask anything?”

“Yup.”

“’kay. How many men…ouch!” he turned and glared at me as I worked at a particularly stubborn knot.

“Sorry baby, I didn’t do that on purpose. The answer’s 21.”

His eyes widened. “Wow. How old were you when you, um…started? Or do I have to save that for another question?”

“I was 20. Third year of university. I figured I waited long enough, I should make up for lost time,” I grinned at him. “Your turn.”

“Dare.”

I leaned down and whispered into his ear. “Kiss me. Kiss me until I can’t breathe, or see straight, or remember my own name.”

He smiled and stood up, and then lifted me so I was standing on the couch, sinking into the cushions but almost reaching his height. He slid his hands into my jeans pockets and gripped my butt through the denim, pulling me towards him. Soft lips touched against mine, gently at first and then more demanding. One hand roamed up under my shirt and his fingertips danced over my back. I opened my mouth and met his tongue with my own, and the kiss lost all softness. A growl escaped his mouth and he pressed himself hard against me, both hands now digging into my back. I moaned in response and raked my nails across the back of his neck. This caused another growl, and I wrapped my legs around him as he lifted me off the couch. Hands supporting me, he took a few steps until my back was against the wall beside the fireplace. Biting and sucking at my neck, he started grinding against me.

“Harder,” I whispered and was rewarded with more growling as he rubbed himself against me almost violently. “Mmmm, just like that, baby,” I moaned against his neck, and he murmured my name, and shuddered against me. I unhooked my legs and slid down the wall slightly, arms still around his neck.

Looking down at me with half-closed eyes he gave me a tired grin. “You evened the score.” He glanced down and I followed his eye line to the wet patch on his jeans.

“Tiebreaker later?” I smiled and kissed his chest.

He put his arms around me, still breathing heavily. “Bet your ass.”

I patted his butt and gathered up the dishes on the floor as he went into the bedroom to change. Wrapping up what was left of the food, I jumped slightly as James came up behind me. “Man, you’re quiet! I always thought Kirk was the catlike one, but you prowl around without making any noise.”

He put both arms around me and looked at my reflection in the kitchen window. “Got a dare for ya.”

“Oh really? I’m more of a truth girl.”

He smiled. “It’s a good one, I think you’ll like it.”

I leaned my head back and looked up at him. “Okay. Dare.”

“I dare you,” he kissed the top of my head, “to go to dinner with me on Saturday. And I double dare you to wear that dress again.”

“Two dares? Oh my. Tell you what, Hetfield, I accept your dares. The only thing is, I have a rugby match on Saturday afternoon, and that’ll go until about six. Think we could do dinner around eight?”

“Sounds good. Need a cheerleader at the game? Or maybe four cheerleaders?” He grinned at me in the window.

“Ummm…no. But thanks. I doubt Lars would be keen on attending anyway.”

He tightened his hold on me. “Don’t worry about Lars, he’ll be fine.”

“Will he, James? Especially when he finds out we’ve been at your cabin for the past few days?” I turned around and looked up. “Have you seen my face? I look as satisfied as I feel! I’m practically glowing from all the amazing sex!” I was almost shouting but James was just smiling down at me.

“Amazing, hmm? And satisfied. I like those words.” He dipped his head and rubbed his nose against mine. “Relax. He can get worked up but he always calms down. Anyway, you both decided to just be friends, and he went home with someone else at your party, remember?”

“I know, I just…I’d hate to lose his friendship over this. I’ll call him tomorrow, see if he’ll meet up for a chat.” I felt a knot beginning to tie itself in my stomach.

“Babes?” James lifted my chin. “How about we pack most of the stuff and then call it a night, yeah? Then we don’t have to rush in the morning. You can call Lars when we get up and maybe meet him for lunch or something.”

I nodded and went into the bedroom. Hitting shuffle on my IPod, I started packing up my bag with Jeff Buckley strumming. I loved this song. Slightly less tear-inducing than some of his other stuff, ‘Lover, You Should Have Come Over’, was wistful and sweet. I sang along in a low voice and laid out jeans and a grey cashmere sweater for the morning. Finished with my own bag, I pondered folding up James’ stuff and thought better of it. I pulled the covers down on the bed and tidied the shelves instead. Hearing him clear his throat, I looked up to see James leaning against the doorframe. “You were singing.”

“You were listening?” I raised an eyebrow.

He stepped towards me and pulled me close, singing softly in my ear. “It’s never over…my kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder…” he rocked me slowly. “It’s never over…all my blood for the sweetness of her laughter.” I turned and pressed my face against his chest as we danced.

The song ended and Norah Jones came on. James sighed and looked down at me. “Okay, that’s it. As soon as we land tomorrow I’m taking you to HMV and we’re buying you some decent music. I may not even wait until we land. I might push you out of the plane over the store.”

I laughed and pushed him away. As I started brushing my teeth, I heard ‘Die, Die My Darling’ come on and called out, “You’re right, Het, I do listen to a lot of crap.” I heard him laugh and change the song to COC. He came into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.

“You gonna keep Pepper with you while he’s around?”

I spat into the sink and turned around. “I’d like to spend more time with him, but he doesn’t have to stay with me. He’s supposed to be staying with you. Long as you lend him out from time to time, that’s cool. Alright with you?” He nodded.

“Can’t let him spend too much time with you, he’ll drag you back to his swamp in a heartbeat,” he winked at me.

“Ah yes. Gator babies,” I giggled. “Tell you what, how ‘bout he stays with me tomorrow night and he’s all yours for the rest of the week.”

“Cool.” He stood up.

“Think we should ask his input about any of this?” I asked as I wound dental floss around my fingers.

“Nah. It’s Pep. He won’t care either way. Where you takin’ him tomorrow?”

“Not sure. Benny – the guy at the garage – has a rib place, might take him there. Course, the waitresses are pretty hot, I probably wouldn’t be able to keep his attention for long,” I smiled.

James brushed a hand over my hair. “I’ve never seen him look at any girl the way he looks at you. Guess I’ve never really seen him care for anybody this way. The way he spoke about you the other night after you’d gone to bed, I couldn’t believe it was him talking. I doubt you’ll have to compete for his attention.”

I pressed a kiss to his back when he moved in front of me. “Thank you.”

Turning off the stereo as I returned to the bedroom, I undressed and slipped under the covers. James came in shortly after and I watched as he packed and set his alarm for seven. “Shoot…I forgot to call Randy and tell him when we were leaving. I’ll call him now and say we’ll pick up the meat on our way out. Be right back.”

I pulled the covers up to my neck and closed my eyes. I heard James’ low voice in the other room and several minutes later he came back in. He turned off the overhead light and I opened one eye a tiny bit to see him creeping around the room gathering the last of his things. His phone rang and he jumped to answer it.

“Hello?” His voice was a near whisper but he didn’t leave the room. “Hey buddy, we were just talking about you.” He listened to the caller, and laughed quietly. “Yeah, arguing over who’s house you’ll be staying at. She’s got you for tomorrow and then I get custody of you. Sound good?” He leaned against the desk and I heard him chuckle again. “Yeah man, it’s been awesome. You were right about her aim, holy shit. Knocked off two deer this morning, one of them at a distance that I couldn’t have made.” He paused. “Yeah, she mentioned you made her promise not to shoot me. Thanks buddy.” He was silent for a long time, as Pepper rambled on, and I heard him sigh. “Look, you’re welcome to kick my ass, but I think you should talk to her first. We’ve had a really good time together. I think…I think this could be something pretty cool. I’m taking her out on Saturday after her game.” He stood and went to close the bedroom door. “What? How come you get to go to the game? That’s not fair,” he laughed softly. “Okay, man, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll stop in when I drop her off.” He was quiet again as Pepper spoke. “Yeah, I’ll tell her. She’s sleeping, but I’ll tell her …what? Really?” He walked over to the bed and put the phone beside my ear and I heard Pepper’s voice.

“Love you, baby girl,” he drawled softly. I kept my eyes closed and smiled slightly.

“Love you, Keenan.”

James took the phone back. “That’s pretty damn cool. You have a good night, buddy. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He laughed again at something Pepper said and then hung up, putting the phone on the desk.

Climbing in beside me he slipped his arms around me and I rolled over to snuggle against his chest. He ran a hand over my hair and kissed my forehead. “Hey Charlie. Pep says you can carry on a conversation pretty well in your sleep, but that you don’t always remember stuff in the morning. Think we should try that?”

I tried not to smile. Pepper had told me I did that, and I always laughed, but he could usually quote me on things that I couldn’t remember saying, but knew to be true. I murmured incoherently against James’ skin. This could be fun.

“Have you had a good time?”

“Mmm hmm. S’fun.” I snuggled up closer.

“What was your favorite part?”

I thought about it briefly. “You,” I mumbled.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “Good answer.” He ran his hands down my back, and then lower. “You’re naked.”

“Nope.”

“Yes, you are. I can tell, there’s all this…skin,” he slid his leg between mine and pressed his thigh against me. I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my lips. “Charlie?”

“Mmmm?” Still feigning sleep.

His breath was hot on my ear as he whispered, “Tell me what you want me to do to you.” His fingers traced a path down my neck, over my breasts, down to my stomach and played lightly just above my waist. “Tell me,” he whispered again.

Ohhhhhh my. This could take all night. “Touch,” I murmured, moving my hips slightly. He slid his hand between my legs and moaned at the wetness he found there. “Taste,” I whispered, and shivered as he lowered the blankets and moved down the bed. His tongue swirled around me, and I struggled not to open my eyes to watch. I clutched at the sheets instead and tried not to buck my hips. He slid his hands under me and I bit my lip to keep from crying out as he nibbled and sucked and licked. “James…” I moaned and he lifted his head.

“You’re awake,” he sounded surprised.

“Who could sleep through this kind of torture?” I smiled down at him. “C’mere.” He crept back up my body and kissed me softly.

“Do you want me to stop? This was kind of your idea,” he said, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek. “You were giving instructions.”

“How bossy of me,” I laughed.

“I liked it,” his eyes narrowed and I felt my stomach jump. “So far we’d done ‘touch’ and ‘taste’. Why don’t you tell me what’s next?” He lowered his head and all my thoughts flew out of my head as his mouth latched on to my breast.

“Um…continue?” I writhed under his touch and arched against him. “Scratch that, want you in me. Now. Please.”

He lifted his head and grinned at me. “So polite, baby.” He moved so he was above me, and sheathed himself inside me, kissing me hard as he did so. As our mouths parted, he looked down at me and panted. “This what you want?”

I moaned and nodded. “More baby, please. So good…please don’t stop…” He kissed me again and then reached above me to grab a pillow. Slipping it under my hips, he angled his thrusts slightly and I just about passed out from the pleasure of it. “Please…James…baby, harder, want more, don’t stop…” He increased his speed and I cried out, calling his name. It felt like my entire body was on fire, and I was quite happy to burn. I barely noticed when he collapsed on top of me, and it was several minutes before I realized I was having trouble breathing.

“Off, please…” I wheezed slightly and he laughed as I gasped for air when he rolled over. “Congratulations, James. You’ve just ruined me for all other men.” He pulled me close and wiped the hair off my face.

“Good. Cause you’re all mine,” he whispered. I smiled and curled up against him, slinging an arm over his sweaty chest. “Still a tie game,” he murmured.

“Rematch Saturday?”

“’kay. Night bossy.”

“Night James.”

**************************************************************
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maisy blue
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Some Kind Of Monster
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I totally understand why you didn't want to break this up.

Quote:
 
His breath was hot on my ear as he whispered, “Tell me what you want me to do to you.” His fingers traced a path down my neck, over my breasts, down to my stomach and played lightly just above my waist. “Tell me,” he whispered again.


*fans herself* Okay, wow. My husband is wondering why I'm panting ;)

And the bath scene? Now *I* need a cold shower.

I do wish Charlie had asked him how many women... seriously, I'd love to know. Do you think he even knows?

So Charlie... shoots guns, wears bikinis, plays basketball, plays freakin' RUGBY, and is a Burton? No fucking fair is all I got to say. No fucking fair.

Oh, and this?

Quote:
 
“Man, you’re quiet! I always thought Kirk was the catlike one, but you prowl around without making any noise.”


That's an awesome description of Kirk. He's got a feline thing going on.

I love this story. I'd type more now but my husband is trying to see what i am typing. :wink :heart: :heart:
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Lucifer's Angel
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Heavy Metal Seanchai
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That was so great. And so hot :drool :heart: And like Maisy said, Charlie is so cool, and she's a Burton :horns2 Can't wait to read more.
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Mina
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Morgenstern
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This chapter, no, the entire fiction is SO goddamn great, I hardly can live without it anymore :)

Can't wait for more :)
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