Couldn't resist the idea of Carla in this kind of mood. Hope you enjoy…
The sound of the buzzer startled Peter, but he kept still, not wanting to disturb her sleep.
"Si?" he whispered over to his son, playing a computer game at the table. "Can you let your granddad up?"
And Simon rushed downstairs to meet Ken.
Once he'd gone, Peter looked fondly down at Carla. Her head lay against his shoulder, her left arm draped around his neck, her right arm curled into her chest. He couldn't quite see her expression, but she looked like she might be smiling.
Then hearing Ken and Simon's arrival, he looked over to the door.
"I won't stay long" Ken said softly, seeing Carla's sleeping form. "We'll drop Simon off in the morning."
"Thanks dad" Peter whispered. "Not really our kinda film was it?" he said to Simon, his hand on his shoulder.
Seeing Ken's puzzled expression, Peter explained. "The DVD she picked turned out to be some soppy comedy."
"Boring" Simon said, rolling his eyes.
"Ah" Ken laughed, as Peter continued.
"She's not as tough as everyone makes out you know. She's got a soft side." he said confidentially. Then winking to his dad and Simon, he added "Don't tell her I told you though."
Ken smiled, picking up Simon's rucksack.
"Well you look cosy enough anyway. We'd best be off." And the two of them headed out of the flat.
Bored with the film and feeling tired himself, Peter switched off the DVD player. He briefly considered carrying Carla to the bedroom so they could sleep properly. But yawning slightly, he decided just to doze here for a while.
He leaned back, wrapping his arm around her. As she stirred slightly, he drew her closer to him so that she wouldn't get cold, then he lay his head on the sofa beside hers. Comforted by her gentle breathing, he fell asleep almost immediately.
.x.x.
It seemed like no time had passed when he woke up, gradually becoming aware of a weight upon his knees and a tickling sensation against his cheek.
He opened his eyes slowly, surprised to find Carla kneeling over him, her face only inches from his, her dark hair hanging down upon his face.
She looked breathtaking but there was something different about her mood.
"Is this a dream?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep.
"No" she said sharply, then after a pause she added. "Unless it's a nightmare."
"What?" He was immediately alarmed.
Rubbing his eyes in confusion, he noticed the sternness of her expression for the first time. It was hard to reconcile her with the woman he'd fallen asleep against only a few minutes ago.
"I hear you've been spreading rumours about me" she said coldly.
He looked at her, baffled, until she continued.
"You've been tellin' your dad and son that I'm all soft and soppy."
As the memory of his conversation with Ken returned, he realised what she meant. His heart lurched as he frantically searched his memory, hoping he'd not said anything out of line.
"You've got some explainin' to do, darlin'…"
She put her arms down on either side of his shoulders. As her weight on his legs pinned him down against the sofa, he suddenly felt completely at her mercy. He found he almost liked it.
"Do you often eavesdrop on my private conversations then?" he said, trying to turn the accusation against her.
She glared down at him, her face pale and forbidding in the dim light.
"Hardly espionage was it…You practically shouted it down my ear."
She looked so severe, but as his senses became more alert, he noticed her eyes dancing, and a slight flicker at the corner of her mouth.
"I thought you were asleep." he protested, his words feeble even to himself.
She smiled darkly.
"Unfortunately for you, I wasn't…"
She was enjoying this, and as his body began to respond, he realised he was too.
"I've got an image to keep up here." Her voice lowered even more, immensely sexy as she leaned over him.
"Dad and Si won't give you away." he whispered.
But ignoring him, she carried on, her dominance unquestionable, even as the humour darted in her eyes.
"I employ nearly half this street, you know…" she caught his eye sharply. "Can't have everyone thinkin' I'm all domesticated."
"No chance of…." he tried to interrupt but she talked right over him.
"Next thing, you'll be makin' me out as some Stepford wife, and my career might as well be finished…"
Biting his lip, he tried desperately to keep a straight face. But as a vivid image came to him of her in a pinafore, a basket of cupcakes over her arm, he couldn't hold back his laughter.
As she fixed him with her most intense glare. he felt his heart pounding, his mouth dry. God she was intimidating.
He understood now why people was so scared of her. But he wasn't scared, he just wanted her. Desperately.
"I'm sorry" he said, once he'd recovered his composure, unable to take his eyes off her glossy lips, only a few inches from his.
"Oh, I hope you are.." she snapped back immediately.
Then leaning down over him, her eyes right against his, she spoke softly, over-enunciating every word.
"This is my reputation at stake here."
It was all he could do not to laugh again.
He couldn't work out if he was more afraid, amused or aroused. But whichever it was, she gave him no choice but to play along.