I have as many chapters as reviews again! Yay!
Of Houses and Stubborness
Sphinx and Atley shared a look as the black Escalade tore into the parking lot of the Coroner's Office.
Apparently, lunch hadn't gone well.
Atley huffed, leaning back against the Malibu as they waited for the idiot to get out of the car . . . and was shocked to see Toby among the siblings.
He turned, looking to see Sphinx's eyes narrow and his jaw set. Judging from that look, he seemed to be thinking the same thing Atley was.
Whatever had happened before the trio got here wasn't good . . . and definitely boost related.
He sighed, turning to look back at his friend.
The vein over Sphinx's left temple was actually beginning to throb visibly and Atley swore he could hear the man's teeth grinding down to nothing as he clenched his jaw.
This was going to get messy.
Chaosia straightened her attire before flipping her curls over her shoulder and out of her face. She was still reasonably upset with Mikhail but seeing Sphinx made it a little better . . . until she noticed he was giving her- correction: Mikhail and Toby one the darkest looks she'd ever seen. She stopped, momentarily wondering if it was safe to approach him at all.
She'd seen his temper, heard him let loose on the few occasions they'd argued and she'd never actually doubted his control. But with the way he was practically trying to set her brother ablaze by glare . . . she was beginning to wonder if it was safe to approach him with them.
She sighed, shaking her head before continuing forward. She walked right up to him, stepping into the arm he held out for her and buried her nose into his chest before looking up to him. As he held her, the glare softened minutely but not enough to give her any confidence in her idiotic brother's safety. She was going to have to do something to keep this from becoming another brawl . . . Maybe she could convince them that fist fights were only holiday worthy . . .
She leaned up on her toes, because even with the three inch heels he still towered over her, and kissed the underside of his jaw, bringing his eyes down to hers. As soon as she had his undivided attention, she crooked her finger at him.
Chaosia waited, praying to God that this actually worked.
Sphinx just rolled his eyes at his fiancé's antics . . . but dipped his head level with hers anyway. He didn't care what she had to say, that boy knew he didn't want her involved in anything boost related. Period. And there would be hell to pay for involving her in it. And if she couldn't understand that then they needed to have a very serious conversation about her safety and-
The rest of Sphinx's thoughts were cut off as her glossy lips slanted against his, moving in an almost frenzied rhythm as she pulled him closer by the lapels of the pea coat she'd gotten him for Christmas. He momentarily forgot their audience and gripped her to him, tightly. As one her hands left the lapel and traveled to tangle itself in his short hair, he had trouble remembering just why he'd been so angry a few seconds before . . . He knew it was important . . . but with her here like this and the taste of her vanilla lip gloss on his tongue . . . he'd remember eventually.
A throat clearing brought Sphinx back to the present.
He, although unwillingly, pulled himself from Chaosia's lips, turning to see their friends. Atley just looked amused, shaking his head as he leaned against the side panel of the Malibu while Toby was blushing bright enough to match Chaosia's Aston . . . and Mikhail looked torn between being embarrassed and ill.
Sphinx felt his anger return, glaring at the boy hard enough to make him squirm. When he went to step forward, Chaos pushed herself against him, holding him in place. He looked down at her as she shook her head.
"Leave it alone for now, okay? Settle whatever latter. We have houses to go look at . . . unless you want to continue to live in separate apartments after we're married."
He snorted, shooting the paling boost a look that promised he would settle it later before nodding.
He turned, stepping away from Chaos to speak with Atley.
"Ride with the kids. Me and the girl have to have a nice little chat."
Atley chuckled, nodding as he leaned in to whisper.
"Sure, sure. I know all about what kind of chat you're gonna have. Just remember . . . We have to be at the realtors by one. No quickies in the back seat."
Sphinx growled, causing Atley to move quickly towards the younger boosts, laughing all the way while the others just looked at him puzzled. Sphinx shook his head, opening the door for Chaos as he grumbled to himself.
"Should've never asked 'im to be the best man. He'll be full o' 'imself for years."
As soon as Sphinx was in the car, Chaosia found herself drug across the center console and into a bruising kiss. One of his hands knotted itself in her curls at the base of her skull as the other cupped her cheek . . . successfully pinning her lips against his as he literally ravished her mouth. Eventually the kiss became less fierce . . . but no less passionate as she got as close to him as possible. When they parted, both were breathless.
Chaosia looked at him awed as she sat back, watching him bring the Malibu roaring to life and put her into gear. When they went to pull out into traffic, he reached across and got her hand, playing with the rings on her fingers as shot into the flow of cars, leaving their followers to find their own exit.
She shook her head, smiling up at him.
"what was that about?"
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, shrugging.
"Oh, so I need a reason to kiss you now?"
She shook her head, blushing as he brought their joined hands to his lips as they slowed for a light. He'd been doing small things like this in private since she'd said yes . . . each small thing leaving her a smoldering mess every time. If she'd known agreeing to marry him would've brought this new level of intimacy between them . . . she would've forced Memphis to purchase Sway a ring months before he did at gun point.
She smiled at him, forcing herself to focus on the question she'd asked and he'd dodged. Just because she'd used the force of their physical chemistry against him didn't mean she was going to fall into the same trap . . . until they got home and they could act on it anyway.
"Not that, though it was definitely appreciated. The death glare for Mikhail and Toby. I thought you were trying to make them spontaneously combust or something."
His face darkened and he squeezed her hand lightly, still playing with his rings on her hand.
She'd noticed that when he had an issue with something, he'd taken to playing with her rings just like she fiddled with the necklace he'd given her. If she was nervous or upset, she would start to fidget and her hands sought the dark key around her throat every time. It was an odd habit they had both picked up in London . . . and it had traveled back to Long Beach with them. Though she wasn't delusional enough to believe his was from the same doubts she carried. She knew Sphinx was using the rings as a physical anchor to help tie his anger and keep himself in check . . . for her.
His voice brought her from her thoughts.
"I don't want you having anything to do with boosts and the boy knows it."
His eyes cut to her as he pulled into the realtor's lot.
"You get in enough trouble on your own, girlie. I don't want any more to find you if possible."
Sphinx fought to keep from grinding his teeth again as Chaosia rolled her eyes at him and giggled, patting his hand.
He hated it when she did that . . . She leaned over as he parked, kissing from his cheek to the corner of his lips. Now she could do that all damn day . . .
"Silly bear. Who do you think used to help Mikhail shop? I'm a big girl, Sphinx . . . and I'll be honest, your world does interest me . . . but not enough to learn or get too involved. Besides, I got to test drive the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport . . . and I think I know what we're going to tell my Gram we want for a wedding present."
Sphinx turned, looking at her like she was crazy until a thought hit him . . . She'd been behind the wheel of a 16 cylinder street legal race car before she came to see him?
"Any tickets to pay? Is the car still in one piece?"
Her smile turned sour as she smacked him, eying him cynically.
"Ass. Yes the car is fine and I did close to the speed limit. Like you would be able to with a car that'll do over 170 without breaking a sweat or nos."
He chuckled, leaning into her. His lips ghosted over hers as he spoke, "No more shops, girlie. No exceptions."
She pouted, almost kissing him as she asked, "Even for you?"
Sphinx snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Girl, I'm never going to take you on a shop or a boost . . . but if I did, then it would be the only time. Privilege of matrimony, as it were."
It was Chaosia's turn to roll her eyes before she closed the tiny space between them.
He was so full of himself today . . . She pulled back, opening her door and getting out. As they went to walk inside to wait, she stopped, realizing they'd left out a detail in their house planning.
"Uh, honey? How much do you want to spend?"
Mikhail and the others pulled into the realtor's parking lot, amazed to see Chaosia and Sphinx still outside . . . and arguing from their stance and facial expressions. Sphinx looked like a placating parent while Chaosia looked furious.
Mikhail and Atley shared a look as Toby paled.
What were they arguing over now?
Mikhail snorted.
"Five hundred bucks says its over the money for whatever they get. And how she wants to contribute."
Atley grinned, nodding.
"Or how he won't let her contribute."
As Chaosia stood on her tiptoes, clearly whispering some threat to Sphinx by the shocked look on the man's face, Toby shuddered.
"From that look, its probably both."
Mikhail and Atley nodded, agreeing with Toby's assessment . . . then groaned when Chaosia brought her foot down on Sphinx's toe, stiletto first.
And from the look on Sphinx's face, hard.
Chaosia spun on her heel, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she marched into the real estate office. Her hard headed fiancé had another thing coming if he thought she wasn't going to let her put forth anything for their house. She had more than enough to help . . . hell, fuck help-purchase the biggest house the realtor could possibly show them. She had never touched her inheritance from her mother . . . always vowing to use it for something worthwhile than some triviality she'd regret later. And this was as worthwhile as it got . . .
Why couldn't he just let her be an equal in this?
He'd flipped, closing down completely when she'd offered to split the cost of the house with him, only saying that he would purchase whatever she wanted . . . and that was that. She huffed. She should deliberately pick the biggest, ugliest house and want to renovate everything on his dime . . .
She shook herself then shrugged, stalking up to the receptionist.
By God, they were buying a house and if he didn't like, she'd build him a doghouse.
