OUT OF THE ASHES
Chapter Nine
New Allies
In the course of the night, after she had nodded off, Gold had easily been able to strip off Belle's delicate, lacy feminine little nightdress, so that she spent the night cradled up against him clad only in her plain cotton white granny panties. He'd regarded them with some amusement and guessed that she'd probably bought them at Walmart.
She was restless. He assumed she was in some pain. She felt warm to his touch as if she was running a slight fever.
He had placed his hand over her stomach and she, in her sleep, had wiggled her desirable little tush up against his aroused member, snuggling into him. His other hand, well, this he managed to close onto one of her plump little breasts, enjoying how it fit so very nicely into his palm. He had spent part of the night, on and off, teasing the nipple, sometimes pulling on it, a few times pinching it until she gasped, teasing the softness all around it. He was able to spend time on each one of her breasts, sharing his efforts on first one, then the other. At times he would kiss her along the back of her neck and down onto her shoulder. She would shiver and give out a soft cry. He could feel her shifting her legs, as if she was opening herself for his use. At one point she caught his hand and began to suck on his forefinger, using her tongue against it, pulling up and going down on it. He could not help but mentally transfer her efforts and imagine what the same actions would feel like on his rock hard cock. He couldn't stop himself from wondering how much she would be able to take through her precious rosebud mouth and take down her throat before gagging and having to pull back.
He needed to stop thinking those thoughts.
Soon, soon enough.
At times she shifted. At one point she was lying on top of him, her head turned sideways and her breathing coming in pants, burning a moist spot onto his chest as if she had collapsed on top of him after a hard ride.
At another time, after he had drifted off, he realized that he had pulled her beneath him, pinning her to the bed with his weight and she had opened herself up to him, one of her legs wrapped around him. It was as if they could not get close enough to each other.
Belle enjoyed the warmth of the man holding her to him. She felt enormously safe with his arms around her. She knew he had well and truly felt her up, running his hands, tracing his fingers over her entire body. When he had begun to tease her, playing with her overly sensitive breasts, kissing her neck, she had trembled. She knew he was preparing her for his most earnest, most intense, most sincere attentions, for penetration, for possession. Perhaps not for tonight, but soon, as soon as she was comfortable enough.
She was scared. Her high school boyfriend had taken quite a bit of time, on several occasions, to make sure she had understood that she was a completely inadequate and clumsy girlfriend, not really worth his valuable time. Gaston had had problems with actually managing penetration and he would typically spend himself before he could engage with her, something that he had always been sure to let her know was entirely her fault. And Belle was now afraid that this worldly, sensual man, more experienced than herself, would also find her sub-par and would reject her after finding her so inexperienced and . . .not. good. enough.
They both woke at six. Belle was snuggled against him with her head on his arm, lying on her side facing him while he lay on his back. Her arm was draped across his chest and one of her legs had been lifted to lay across his stomach. She pulled back off of him and lay back onto her back.
She realized her nightdress was gone. Had she taken it off or had he?
She also now realized that he had shifted to his side and he was now looking at her, his head propped in his hand, his eyes dark and glinting in the early morning light.
"I guess it's time to get up," she murmured.
He didn't respond with words, but let his hand trace down the side of her face.
"I really need to be getting up. I'll need to get a quick shower, water the plants, and get on down to the store," she said hurriedly.
He still hadn't said anything. Which made her nervous.
"I'm sorry if I was moving around a lot last night. I wasn't feeling well and I. . ." What, I was so completely turned on that I was hoping you would just go ahead and ignore what I had said and totally jackhammer me into the mattress? Was hoping maybe you'd demand I'd go down on you and give you a little relief? "I didn't sleep well," she finished awkwardly.
He nearly smiled. He'd remembered that his first impression of the woman was that she was like a little chipmunk in the morning, chipper, chatty and far too happy. It didn't bother him now.
"Best night's sleep I've had in a very long time, my dear," he told her honestly. Not that he'd actually slept much.
He watched her get up, quickly finding the nightdress and slipping it on as if what he had so thoroughly explored with his hands was forbidden to his sight.
"I'm going to grab a shower. I'll be quick," she smiled and ducked into the bathroom.
He considered joining her but thought he wouldn't be welcome. She was so shy, even embarrassed about her bleeding, something he thought of as a normal, if somewhat inconvenient, bodily function.
Oh well, it would only be a few days. He could wait.
He took his shower after she'd completed hers and by the time he had gotten out and dressed, she had watered the plants and was gone.
He went on down the stairs and on into the store. Ruby was there, wearing an apron that looked like a wolf's face with strings that looked like a tail. Ruby looked at him closely, then looked over at Belle. Belle blushed.
"Something's changed," Ruby said. She didn't say anything else as Gold caught Belle and kissed her on the mouth, lingering a moment longer than necessary.
Belle brought him his coffee and something called a frog scone, which she explained was made only with the youngest and most tender of frogs. He regarded her with some skepticism and she quickly giggled and told him that it was frog jam which was made with figs, raspberry, oranges and ginger.
He sighed. That did make more sense. He took hold of her hand and told her quietly, before leaving his usual twenty, "You'll come for supper and stay."
She locked eyes with him. She realized that he wasn't actually asking her. "Yes," she told him.
He went out for his usual walk, this time taking careful note of the different street performers. There was one that stuck out to him, not only because they were actually talented, but because they fit the description Emma had given him of what he had labeled in his own mind, 'The Bakery Street Irregulars' (combining Emma's cover job with Sherlock Holmes' s street urchin group that had been used for similar purposes). The girl, in particular was quite talented, both for singing and dancing. A pretty little thing with dark blond hair and fair features. And if she was eighteen, so was he. One of the boys (or young men) hung back a bit from the group, watching out for them. Gold pegged him as Peter Banning. He was tall and while he didn't give any direct orders, the others would look to him from time to time. The young man also watched the girl as if she was something too precious, too wonderful. Gold watched them awhile and, catching the eye of the tall young man, he dropped a twenty into the hat in front of them. The young man smiled and nodded at him. It was the same look that the black cat would sometimes give him when that smug little bastard approved of his behavior.
He found some lunch at Mayfel's, getting their BLFGT sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, Fried Green Tomatoes) and picking up two Sloppy Janes (these, as it was explained to him, were vegetarian sloppy joes) sandwiches for Ruby and Belle. He brought those back to the store.
He'd found another book, this one by Anthony Bourdain and the restaurant business. He was quietly reading this, when, by the mid-afternoon, Emma dropped by.
"You're being followed," she told him shortly.
"I assume by someone other than Peter and his little friends," he glanced up at her, mostly disinterested.
"Someone taking pictures. Seems especially interested in you and Belle."
He sucked in his breath. He didn't like this. What happened to him was one thing, but when the target was Belle. . . well, he didn't like it.
"Peter wanted to know if you might appreciate them. . . taking care of things?"
"I don't want the guy killed," Gold clarified quickly, not sure of what "taking care of things" might mean.
"Roughed up some or should they just take his camera?" Emma asked.
"Maybe just take the little card in the camera where he stores the pictures."
Emma nodded, "That could be arranged." Emma sat a moment.
When he realized that she wasn't going anywhere, he finally cleared his throat. "Yes?"
"Peter wanted to thank you for the additional payment. Apparently, you made contact with them this morning."
"I was pretty sure I had found the group and wanted to let them know that. . . I knew."
"Well that worked. Let me have your phone," Emma directed him.
He handed it over, somewhat suspiciously.
She messed with it a while and handed it back. "OK, you've got my number on speed dial under Emma and Peter's under Bakery. If anything comes up and you need help, we're both available."
Before she left she caught him by the shoulder, "I hear Belle spent the night with you, but you both still seem a little. . . tense. Not relaxed like I would expect."
"I don't know that this is your business. . ." he began.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. Nothing happened. It's all right, Belle will tell me what's up," she smiled at him.
He was still in the bookstore when he saw the little troupe arrive and, in the shade of the store front they began performing. The girl, Wendolyn?, sang while the young men played. It was at the time of the third song when he saw Peter move across the street and collar a squeegee little guy with a camera. Peter was yelling at the man about hiding and taking pictures of his girl. How it looked smarmy, an older guy taking pictures of a young girl, sneaking around to do it, like he was up to something. Peter was ranting, quickly moving in on the man. The man seemed startled and didn't move fast enough to stop Peter from grabbing his camera.
The man began to protest but then Peter and his group began to toss the camera around, back and forth between each other, taunting and teasing the photographer. Gold never saw who it was, how or when it happened, but he knew that one of them had opened the camera's compartment and removed the memory card. He knew it had happened, because after Peter had relinquished the camera, giving it back to the photographer, the group trailed into Belle's for Italian sodas and Wendolyn (who was even prettier up close) 'accidently' leaned against his table and, gasping out "sorry" she lifted her hand . . . and the card was on the table in front of him.
Gold quickly pocketed the card.
He got up to leave and went by Ashley, who was working as the barista, to let her know that anything the group ordered should be billed to him. And to let Ruby know this also.
He went back up to his own apartment, put the camera card aside, fixed himself another carrot, apple, ginger smoothie and attempted to hook up the Xbox and the Wii but got stymied. He could figure out how to have one at a time connected but not all three. It would take unplugging and plugging to be able to go from one system to another. He didn't like that. He glanced at the camera card. Now there were two computer things to be resolved.
He made a call.
And then he played one of the games he had picked up for the PS3, Assassin's Creed. He poked around, hitting buttons, slowly learning the game and apparently made some progress towards saving civilization, when he realized it was getting near supper. He called down to Jefferson's and ordered supper for two, then asked Jefferson if it would be possible to get some kind of chocolate dessert. He heard Jefferson laugh, but was told it wouldn't be a problem.
He lit a couple of candles and found a few flowers in the rooftop garden that looked reasonably attractive together and put them in a vase on the table. Supper was vegan lasagna with tofu ricotta and tvp 'meat' sauce with a garden salad and buttered bread (Jefferson shared that he usually included garlic bread with this meal but had made an exception for them tonight). Dessert was some version of vegan chocolate pudding. He was told to stick it in the fridge until he was ready for it.
When Belle showed up she was frazzled. It had been a long, hard day and she was discombobulated, not thinking clearly at all. She collapsed in his Ekornes chair.
"I hope you don't mind. It's been a brutal day and I've felt icky on top of everything else."
"Here," he handed her a glass of merlot. She downed it and handed him back the glass. He refilled it. This one she sipped.
"Can I do anything for you?" he asked attentively.
She sighed. "No, but aren't you a sweetie for asking. Is that Jefferson's lasagna I smell?" she asked. "That's one of the best things he makes!" She managed to get herself up and come over to the table
"Flowers and candles. Mr. Cash. . . uh. . .Bobby, are you trying to seduce me?" she asked him smiling.
"I suspect, Miss Belle, that I already have. This is just to keep you interested." He helped her into her seat, leaned down and lightly kissed her by the ear lobe and down the side of her neck. She turned her head and, as he was about to stand up, she touched his cheek and urged him to her lips, which he quickly responded to.
"Maybe we should pass up the garlic bread," she said breathlessly.
"Jefferson substituted vegan 'buttered' bread."
"Perceptive of him," Belle said quietly.
"I thought so. I gave him an extra tip," Gold confessed. He managed to release her and turned to his own seat.
The two ate quietly, Belle downing two more glasses of wine.
"This is really good wine," she told him.
"This did not come from Jefferson's. This is one that had been stocked here for me," he shared.
The two shared their meal, which even Gold had to agree was one of Jefferson's best. They ate in silence each occasionally stealing a glance at the other. When Gold brought out the chocolate pudding, he thought that Belle might cry.
"How sweet!" she told him and dove into the pudding. "I guess you know that I have a thing for chocolate?" she told him.
"No, but I have lived long enough to know that many, many women like chocolate at. . .uh. . . this time of the month."
"Well, you got that right," she told him and downed her fifth glass of wine while digging into the pudding. She ate her share. Gold, after catching several wistful glances, pushed his own pudding over to her. She downed it, too.
She stood and wavered. "I'm kinda dizzy," she told him.
"I shouldn't wonder," he let her know. "Here take a seat." He'd led her over to the sofa.
"Cool. You got one of the video games hooked up." She was a little woozy. She picked up the controller. "It won't turn on." She began to randomly punch buttons.
"Here," he tried to help her but before he could get things started, there was a knock at the door.
"Let me get that." se left her on the sofa, pushing buttons without any plan, trying to get the game going.
It was Nurse Lucas. "Random visit, Mr. Gold."
He held up his hand to stop her. "Call me, Mr. Cash. Please," he told her quickly. He looked back at Belle but she had not seemed to have heard anything.
"Whatever," she shrugged and came on into the apartment. "I see you have company."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Belle hopped up. "I'll go in the back and wait. No problems," she smiled and managed to walk back to his bedroom.
"I seem to be interrupting something," the nurse apologized.
He shook his head, "Not really. Nothing is scheduled for tonight." He sat down in one of the dining room chairs. "You need the usual?"
"Yes. Just as before."
And as before, Nurse Lucas worked quickly and efficiently. She frowned when she was taking his blood pressure. "Let me try this in the other arm."
"Problem?"
"It registered a bit low. Let me try it again."
He sat quietly while she pumped up the mechanism. She shook her head. "You are running a bit low. I'm going to let Dr. Hopper know. He may want to adjust your blood pressure medication. You've been exercising?"
"A lot and relaxing, mostly."
"Well, it may already be having an effect. Now how much are you smoking?"
"I'm down a couple of cigarettes a day. Less than a pack, but more than half a pack," he confessed. "I'm drinking about once or twice a week. Tonight, I had a glass a wine."
"With your guest?"
"Yeah, with my guest," he confirmed. He waited, sitting still, while Ms. Lucas took some blood. As before, he took a little jar back to the bathroom, provided a sample and deposited it into the bag.
"How's your stress level?" the nurse asked him before she left out.
"Probably lower than what it was. Still some things coming down on me, but I'm working on the relaxing part. Tell Archie, Dr. Hopper, that I've signed up for a yoga class. That should give him a chuckle."
The nurse smiled at him. "Will do, Mr. Go . . . Cash. I'll see you sometime next week."
He let her out.
He went back to check on Belle and she was laid out crossways on his bed, sound asleep (or was it passed out?). He nearly smiled but instead just shook his head. He saw she had already kicked off her sandals. He pulled off her skirt and tank top and relieved her of her bra and jewelry. He shifted her position so that he could put her under the top sheet.
He went back out to the dining area and cleaned up the supper dishes. He then went out to the rooftop garden and watered the damn plants.
He checked his cigarettes. There were five left.
Then he made a second call for the day. As he was hosting the coven tomorrow evening, he decided that he wanted some extra special things for Girls' Night In. He figured that Belle would probably not be the only female bleeding and he sure as hell didn't want to upset a room full of witches.
Day nine down, thirty-three more to go.
A.N. Ruby's apron idea came (more or less) from Hermitess
Of course I want to thank the faithful readers and awesome reviewers: Girlyemma96, The Prince's Phoenix, DruidKitty, cheesyteal'c, The Auburn Girl, Esmy (Guest), TeamTHEFT, Attracted2Insanity, Vacumatic, Leafena, thedoctorsgirl42, Mini Nicka, juju0268, makaem, Grace5231973, Estrany, Hermitess, Lili (Guest), NicoleMuenchSeidel, TcEm, and AlexandraBelleRose.
FYI: The vegan meals come from the facebook page of an amazing vegan restaurant, Sluggo's in Chattanooga, Tennessee (I don't own them either – I've eaten there a few times and I just borrow their daily special for Jefferson).
NEXT: What else? Girls' Night In (at Gold's)
