Chapter 32

I woke up late. And I felt guilty. My conclusion? It must be Sunday.

I stretched out and I heard a giggle next to me. I opened my eyes and twisted to the right. Aly and Ric were lying in the bed; both of them were fast asleep. Uh huh, sure – and it was the bed that giggled.

I stretched again, making the same weird cat noises that I made before, whilst keeping an eye to the right of me. Sure enough. Giggle.

'Hmm…'I said 'I wonder how I can wake up Aly and Daddy? It's quite late really, I bet they wish they were up and ready to face the day!'

Undeniably the bed said, 'Nuh uh.' I burst out laughing and started jumping up and down on the bed, 'get up sleepyheads!' Aly 'woke up' and started jumping up and down with me, Ric gave up and, throwing dignity aside for a second, joined in on the mad jumping. Eventually we collapsed in a heap in the bed. Who knew that jumping up and down like a crazy thing was so tiring?

'Bugsy first shower!' said Aly, leaping up and stealing our shower.

'Dammit.' I said.

Ric grinned at me, 'Don't worry Baby, I'll help you shower later.' The he leaned over and kissed me. Mmm. I stroked my hand across the breadth of his chest, and teased his taut nipples with my fingertips. He let out a low growl and pulled me to him, easing my legs apart and forcing me to straddle him. Not that I objected. I dipped my tongue lower and ran it along his collarbone. 'I love you.' Ric murmured. I whispered it back and kissed him passionately, taking his mouth and plundering it, stealing it for my own.

I realised abruptly that the shower had stopped. Aly hadn't been that quick, surely?

'No Querida, we were kissing that long!'

'Oh.' I said, blushing.

Ric laughed softly, 'need to be –'

'-more aware of my surroundings! I know! It's just you-'

'-muck up your radar! I know.' Ric smiled sexily at me and kissed my throat. 'Probably best she doesn't walk in on you straddling me.'

'Like it's my fault!' I said, mock indignantly. But I rolled off him. Ric buried himself under the covers and bent his knee so that the sheets made a tent…thereby avoiding the sheets clinging to anything that might be a little inappropriate for Aly to see.

Aly came bounding out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, 'I'm going to my room to get dressed and dry my hair, so can we do breakfast in half an hour Stephie?'

'Sure thing, Kitten.'

'Do breakfast?' Ric asked.

Ric was always up earlier than Aly and I, so he hadn't seen us 'doing breakfast' before.

'Ah yes, you haven't seen our breakfast routine yet have you? I'll show you later, but I only have half an hour to shower and if you don't want to miss the breakfast routine then you should probably shower with me.'

'If you insist Babe.' Rico said with a grin. He twisted out of bed and pulled off his pants. I licked my lips and pushed him towards the bathroom.

I managed to keep my hands to myself until we reached the shower, but just barely. We stepped into the hot shower and our mouths sought the warmth of the other's. Our hands tangled in each other's hair with a need that still surprised me. My hands stroked down his delicious abs, wishing I could sell the feel of it in a bottle – I'd get millions. Then my tongue left Ric's and joined my hands, outlining the muscles that flexed and groaned as I teased him with my tongue.

Then I knelt down properly and cupped his balls in my hand, kneading them softly. Ric groaned again, but his groan turned into a gasp as I ran my tongue across that little slit at the top of his cock. I sucked off the pre-cum that was gathering there and Ric's hand tightened in my hair.

I opened my mouth wider and took him deeper. I waited till my throat adjusted to his wide girth and took more of him. I sucked and tugged lightly on his balls and his breathing became harsh and ragged.

Then I was pulled up by my arms and my mouth was crushed by his. Ric's hand slid down my wet body and stroked my aching clit. He slipped a finger inside me and he gasped into my mouth, surprised at how ready I was for him. His thumb massaged my clit and he inserted another finger inside me. I pulled back from his torturous tongue and bit him hard on the shoulder. Like any soldier, he knows how to take a command. He lifted me easily and spread my legs before easing me down on his stiff cock. My body thrummed in readiness and it wasn't long before we came together, our shouts echoed in the shower stall.

'Christ Querida.' He said. I nodded. I didn't need to say anything.

We got down to breakfast a few minutes late and Aly was hopping up and down. Her hair was dry and gleamed. I took her brush form her and sat on the bar stool behind her. I brushed her hair and started to French plait her hair.

'All done.' I said.

'Thanks Stephie!'

I fetched Aly's normal drink for her; orange juice and pineapple juice mixed, personally I thought it was disgusting, but each to her own.

I set it in front of her whilst I made her toast. Alysha ate that whilst I ate my breakfast. Then Aly ate an apple, and I filed my nails. What? I'm still a girl from the burg!

Then we sat on the floor together and read a few pages of 'Charlotte's web'. I read a paragraph, then she did, then I did, and so on. I helped her with the words she couldn't pronounce, but I never out and out told her what they were. She liked challenges, rather than defeating her, they spurred her on, and when she finally succeeded the triumph shone in her dark eyes.

'All done for this morning,' I said, kissing her on the forehead.

'Thanks Stephie!' she said. Then she kissed me on the cheek.

'You're welcome sweetheart.' I looked up to see Ranger and Tank talking to each other, facing away from us and muttering about dust. I mentally shrugged. Men are weird.

'I'm going after my FTA today.' I told Ranger.

He cleared his throat and turned around, 'Ok Babe, sounds good. Take Danny with you today, ok? Aly and I are going to go shopping.'

'We are?' said Aly with a squeal of delight.

'Yeah.' Ranger confirmed.

'Wohoo!' Aly said, then she started leaping up and down.

'Didn't you do enough of that this morning?' Ric asked.

Aly paused between jumps and cocked her head to the side, clearly thinking about it; 'nope.' She concluded. Then she started leaping again.

'What bodyguards are you taking?' I asked. I might not want to discuss the Pedral situation, but I knew it was still very much in the picture, and when I was alone I could almost feel him looming over me, threatening my future with the man I love.

'I'll take Tank and Jeanne Ellen.' I nodded. Jeanne Ellen had pretty much been in the wind she got here, mostly working at Haywood, but on the few occasions that our paths crossed I managed not to yell at her for moving my car to the deli when I was looking for Evelyn, and she didn't boast that she'd been able to move my car to the deli. So we got on ok.

Ric and I moved round the corner so that we could have some privacy, 'I love you.' I said.

'I love you more.' He replied. He won RPS. Damn.

I kissed him goodbye thoroughly and went off to find Mr Ffordastognista. I mean honestly, what kind of a name is that? And how in God's name do you pronounce it?

Danny and I leapt into his trusty Bronco (why do no one else's cars blow up?) and we motored off to the nicer end of town.

'Who we after?' my bro asked.

'Mr…uh.'

'Mr Uh?'

'Wiseass. Mr F-f-o-r-d-a-s-t-o-g-n-I-s-t-a.' I said, spelling it out for him.

'You're joking.' He said.

'I wish.' I replied.

'How the hell do we pronounce that?'

I thought about it. 'Hey you!' I said.

'Works for me,' said Danny, flashing me a grin.

'How's things with Nick?' I asked.

'Perfect.' He said, getting this soft smile on his face that he only ever got when he was thinking about Nick.

'Aww.' I said, 'you're all gooey.'

'I am NOT gooey.'

'Are so. Jeez, why do guys deny being gooey so vehemently? It's obvious you're gooey, why deny it? Sometime's Ranger's gooey.' I confided to Danny.

Danny burst out laughing. 'I won't tell him you said that.'

I considered that. 'Probably a good thing. He might send me to Saudi Arabia.'