Courted by Karma (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod)

by Ellen, Tracy

  Not used to dealing with jealous, possessive feelings and shaky from the depth of my emotions, maybe I sounded a little flippant when I answered, “It was a little slap between girls.” I tried to smile, but I failed miserably. “Listen, my Hero, I’ll be sure to let you know when I kick her ass. Then you can rush to Svettie’s rescue and carry her, and her fur…boots off into the sunset.”

  Luke has been disappointed in me for making him worry, maybe even a little jealous and possessive, but this was the first time he’s ever been pissed at me. Not liking the way any of this conversation was going, I stood up and went to walk by him.

  He stopped me with a large hand curved around my upper arm and a sharp, “Don’t go.”

  I didn’t look up at him, but motioned towards the kitchen and bar area. “I am just going to wash my hands. They’re all scraped up and muddy.”

  Luke tilted my head up with a finger under my chin and his face was harsh. “I don’t want to carry Svetlana anywhere, but you gave me your word.”

  “Yes, I did. If you don’t want to save her, then why did I need to? Besides, slapping her once is not kicking her ass.” I pushed his finger away and stepped closer. “What about your word not to chase each other around in your undies? Or should I have stipulated my happiness would be affected by nude chases, too?”

  He dropped his hand from my arm and crossed his over his chest. His eyes glittered like chips of green ice. “So you did come to the farm to work out and saw me with Svetlana.”

  It wasn’t a question, but hearing the mounting anger in his voice, I answered, “Yes.”

  “You didn’t say anything and just left me.” His fingers were drumming a staccato beat on his biceps.

  I wrenched my eyes away from those bulging muscles and met his. “Yes.”

  His eyebrows met, his frown was fierce and cruel. “You left because you thought something was going on. You don’t trust me.”

  I frowned, taken aback by the accusation and hurt in his raised, cold voice. “No and no.”

  He raised a skeptic brow. “Then why did you leave?”

  I looked at my scraped-up, dirty hands and asked softly. “Wouldn’t you rather know why I came back?”

  “Yes, after you tell me first why you left me.” He lowered his hands to his sides and spoke more calmly, but his fists were clenched.

  “I trust you, Luke.” After an uncomfortable moment, I went on honestly, “I left because I don’t trust me. I cannot be trusted. I seriously wanted to kill her and hurt you.”

  Forcing myself to gaze into those sharp, green eyes, I waited nervously. If he looked amused or disgusted, I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions.

  He didn’t. Instead, the anger disappeared from his face and he relaxed. Luke put his hands out and lightly skimmed them up and down my arms.

  “Anabel, my strange and different woman, that’s why I asked you not to kick Svetlana’s ass. I respect you’ll do what needs to be done. I love your ferociously passionate nature.” He cupped my cheek and his thumb stroked my cheek while his voice went soft. “I know that you will kill for me, as I will fucking destroy anyone trying to hurt you.” He shrugged a little. “It’s true, I feel for Svetlana. She’s been abused by men her entire life. She’s a sad case, but a nice woman. It’s not uncommon for women abused since childhood to not know any other way to express or accept affection, except sexually. I try to be gentle since I know her history, but her crush is a major pain in the ass. I saw clearly this morning, I can’t be patient anymore.”

  Perhaps saying he ‘saw it clearly this morning’ was not the best choice of words, but I was glad he would no longer patiently tolerate Svettie’s seduction attempts.

  Luke’s hands drifted down to my shoulders. “Anabel, the reason I asked for your word not to kick Svetlana’s ass was not to protect her, but to protect you.” His warm hands grasped mine. “I was a soldier for a long time. You can’t be involved in fighting battles without hurting people.” He met my eyes and said flatly, “I’ve killed many times. It’s hard at first, but gets too easy. Every kill can take away little pieces of your soul. I’ve seen it happen over the years to so many people, but I’m a very fortunate man. I have a father that specializes in souls and a mother that is tough and never takes no for an answer. I could have turned into a monster, but they’ve kept me human.” Luke’s mouth kicked up and he added, “Somewhat human.”

  I squeezed his hands hard, even though it hurt my scraped palms. I remained silent, my eyes on Luke’s serious face.

  “I saw how upset you were after beating up your cousin Candy. You’ve gone through a lot these last few days. These are things that take pieces out of your soul.” He laughed grimly and I smiled when he said, “The way you attract trouble, you need to be able to defend yourself. Hell, you may even need to protect me or save me, but you’ll never have to kick another woman’s ass over me.” His eyes bore into mine when he added, “Anabel, it’s pretty simple. If you trust me, there’s never a reason you have to worry over hurting, maiming, or killing.”

  “Luke, do you trust me to be able to control myself?” I asked tentatively.

  “Implicitly. Why do you think I was so pissed when you slapped Svetlana?”

  Pretending to be horrified, I threw up my hands. “You’re saying I can’t even slap women anymore? Surely a little slap here and there is good for the soul and can be overlooked?”

  My Protector’s eyes were hooded. “Yeah, if it’s me slapping your ass, Princess.”

  My soul was dancing around in my head and teasing me, but since my soul was sunny and shiny it was a happy teasing. ‘I told you he’s the man to love, and to think you wanted to part ways! Name me one other man on the planet with a body like his, who loves sex, will kill for you, and actually says the word implicitly! So, who loves you, baby? Your soul does, Anabel Axelrod, that’s who! Now go get your man!”

  I tried suppressing the smile that was growing from my heart and wanting to bloom across my face. This feeling always preludes me jumping into my Dark Prince’s arms. Then nothing ever gets talked about. For once, I was determined we talk and got some negotiating finished before I started chasing him around the barn.

  “Now tell me why you came back.” Luke shook his head and asked, “Or should I say tried to come back? I may have to insist you wear a helmet at all times.” As I laughed, he added, “Did you get over those feelings of wanting to kill,” He began to stroke my arms up and down, “or did you decide they were justifiable?”

  I smoothed my hands along his bare arms and we were bracketing each other, as if starting a slow dance. Standing in each other’s arms, there was a foot of space between us.

  ‘Ask him about his middle name! Please!’ begged the mean mommy voice.

  I stepped closer. “I came back to ask you what’s your full name?”

  Luke’s hands stilled on my shoulders and he was staring down into my face with fascination. “Lucas Benjamin Drake.”

  “Thank you,” I answered, saying his name under my breath and letting it roll on my tongue. It was a good name. “By the way, do you want to be my boyfriend?”

  “Your boyfriend?” he repeated blankly.

  “Yes. I think it’s time I had one. With that killing issue sorted out, I think I’ll make a fabulous girlfriend, don’t you?” Losing myself in his dark gaze, I stepped closer until my T-shirt brushed up against his T-shirt. Dreamily, I added, “I also want you to wear my ring.”

  Luke’s eyes widened, but his beautiful lips curved up at the corner. He picked me up so that our faces were at the same height. He repeated, “Your ring? Is this a proposal? Are you begging me to get engaged, Anabel?”

  Appalled, I laughed merrily at the thought of me engaged. Good god, I admit to loving Lucas Benjamin Drake, but my beliefs and convictions haven’t flown out the window. My Dream Plan included only one detail to be complete, and I was currently in his arms.

  Running my grass-stained fingers threw Luke’s hair; I touched my sore forehea
d to his.

  I kissed his bold, arrogant nose and replied, “I meant wear my ring through your nose, baby. I have a larger one the size of a hoop that you can jump through, too.”

  Luke’s crack of laughter echoed throughout the barn. My smile burst across my face at the deep, masculine sound. I’ll never get tired of hearing that laugh for at least a thousand years.

  “I was worried for a minute there you were talking marriage and a baby carriage, and the whole nine yards.”

  “A baby carriage! Don’t even tease about me having a baby!” Now I was genuinely appalled. “Quick, carry me over to the bar! It’s black walnut, right? I need to knock on wood, stat.”

  Luke twirled us around. “You’re right; I’d be the worst father with my history and lifestyle. I’m sure our kids would despise me.”

  “No, no!” I rushed to assure him. “I meant me! I’d make the worst mother in the history of motherhood.” I hugged him close. “You’d be the best father ever. Geesh, with all your secret talents and hidden accomplishments, you have so much to offer…once the children discovered them!”

  Laughing, Luke squeezed me and twirled us again. “Yes, but we know you’re biased. You just swore you hate how you love everything about me in my bedroom test of endurance.”

  “This is true! Well, you can depend on me to slap those little bastard children to death, if they ever say a word against their father!”

  “How can you think you’d ever be anything but a wonderful, caring mother?”

  We grinned at each other. Luke sat us down in the same chair from the other night when he watched me perform His Turn. This was also where he sat while I performed my first blow job, too. It was very fun doing it to a real, living, breathing man, and not just practicing on a chocolate dipped frozen banana. Not that I told my Hero any of this. Since he didn’t ask, complain, or hold my ears, I have to pat myself on the back for a blow job well done.

  With me on his lap and straddling his thighs, Luke let out a deep breath. It hadn’t escaped my notice Luke hasn’t directly answered the invitation to be my boyfriend. At the sound of his sigh, I waited nervously. It sounded too much like a sigh I would make.

  “I’ll make you a deal, Anabel.”

  ‘Okay, this was better!’

  Smiling, I wriggled on his lap in excitement. If there’s anything I like next to presents, it’s when someone presents me with a deal.

  I made a “gimme” motion with my hands. “What’s your deal?”

  “I’m very skeptical of relationships…”

  “So am I! So am I!” I agreed happily, bouncing on his lap.

  He snorted and replied drily, “Yes, I know. Even though my parents have a great marriage, I propose we do things differently in our relationship.”

  I hugged him and fell against him for a moment before popping back up in apology when he winced at my head on his chest. I said encouragingly, “Yes! This sounds good. Go on, go on!”

  Torquemada smiled a little at my excitement and said, “I think a relationship should be measured like an athlete’s performance in a sport. In other words, you’re only as good as your last game. My deal is that I’ll be your boyfriend, as long as I’m having fun and you are giving me what I want from a woman.”

  I stilled and cocked my head, as I thought over what he proposed for a relationship.

  I paraphrased slowly while Luke started rubbing his hands up and down my back. “Let me get this straight. If you don’t like what I do today, you’ll break off our relationship, even if you’ve liked everything I’ve done for the last month?”

  His hands continued to stroke and distract me while he nodded that nose. “Basically, that’s the gist. It sounds a little harsh when you put it that way, but it’s subjective anyhow.” He smiled at me tenderly. “For example, since you love everything about me, you’ll probably put up with me delivering a subpar performance for longer in our relationship.” At my raised brows, he shrugged an arrogant shoulder. “Whereas I, having had much more experience with so many different women across the world and never wanting to commit to one for all these years, will have a higher standard. I’ll expect you to keep me interested and challenged. I’m afraid you will have to do all sorts of kinky things, Anabel. Some of them might be borderline painful, or sick.” His hands rubbed rhythmically over my hips and butt now. “Frankly, my sexual appetites being what they are, I’m concerned that you might stress too much meeting the challenge of being my girlfriend.”

  Dejected, I hung my head. I nodded silently and wiping quickly at my eyes, started to climb off his lap. Luke grabbed me and laughed. “But then again, maybe you can, you little actress!”

  I struck a pose with a backwards hand against my forehead, “Oh, what I won’t do for my country!”

  Luke pulled me down on him and kissed me. I finally had my answer. Luke doesn’t look different to me through the eyes of my love because I’ve always loved the way he looks. But Luke’s kisses? Knowing I’d found the man of my dreams, and he’s my boyfriend as long as I bring my A game to our every date, was the hottest, sexiest, filthiest feeling imaginable.

  We kissed forever sitting in that electric sex chair. Slow kisses, long heartfelt kisses, frenzied, heated, body-grinding kisses, and deep, deep soul-sucking kisses. All these kisses got me so creamy hot, I was beyond caring if I was sweaty, muddy, bloody, and hadn’t showered since dinnertime yesterday.

  But for once, I was happy to stop when my cell phone alarm buzzed loudly.

  Jumping off Luke’s lap, he swore and tried to grab me, but I was an expert at escaping men’s hands.

  Luke’s roar of disbelief echoed off the rafters. “You timed us again?”

  Before he could stop me, I blew him a kiss and started running out of the barn. I had to get home to my Thanksgiving and hostess duties. Besides, just because I’m in love was no reason to be too easy.

  I called over my shoulder, “See you later, my Real Boyfriend! We’ll have our commitment ceremony tonight at midnight, after we play games with our families and you kick some pedophile ass! You bring the sharp knife and I’ll supply the bandages!” I paused and shouted back, “Just teasing about the knife!”

  Chapter XXII

  “Love Hurts” by Incubus

  Thanksgiving 11/22/12

  11:59 PM

  Lying in my bed in a sweet white nightgown and surrounded by fluffy pillows, I was trying to finish the zombie book I started last Friday night. My eyes keep darting between the clock and the small black gift bag sitting beside me on the bedside table. The bag was staring impudently back at me. My nerves were getting stressed tonight from waiting. Not for Luke to return safely from beating up a gang of thugs, but from wondering excitedly what my present could be in the bag. Shaking the damn thing revealed no clues.

  Luke and John left the party tonight after we received Maria’s text around 7:30 p.m. To say a private goodbye, Luke pulled me quickly into my bedroom. I thought he wanted to tell me his plans, but couldn’t be more wrong.

  He didn’t say one word. Luke started kissing me before the door was even closed behind us. Pressing me against the wall, he held my arms up over my head. One of his large hands held both of my wrists while the other yanked down the front zipper of my sweater. During a kiss that was as melting hot as it was short, he pulled down the cups of my black lace tank top. Then he bent his head and sucked hard on each nipple once while cupping and squeezing my breasts. I arched and twisted against him for more, but he only kissed the erect tips lightly and then stood back. He still held my wrists while looking down at my pointed, dark pink nipples glistening from the assault of his mouth.

  As I leaned boneless against the wall, Torquemada lifted his head and slowly smiled. He let me go and pulled the present out of his jacket pocket.

  He frowned. “Do I need to remind you of the rules, Anabel?”

  “Oh no,” I breathed in delight, accepting the gift and cuddling it to my breasts. “I’m an expert on rules.”

  I tipt
oed and kissed him softly on his lush mouth while running my hand along his cheek. “Be safe.”

  He stared down at me a moment longer and then left.

  I don’t know their plans for the pedophile enforcer, but I was sure the man’s life was going to be taking a decided turn for the worst, and rightly so. Of course I didn’t ask to go along. Until I have some serious training under my belt, I’d only be a pain. There was no way I’d put Luke at risk by worrying over me when he was going after some bad guys. Me needing to make a split-second decision to take some action was one thing, but running around and acting like a pint-sized Lara Croft? That was plain idiotic. Besides, my knees were sore from my tumble into the ditch. I sighed and wished Mr. Tricky would get back here and kiss my boo-boos.

  My brother was wrong. I do have one or two romantic bones in my body. I was waiting until tonight when we were alone to tell Luke that I love him. Call me odd, but being bloody and grass-stained wasn’t the memory I wanted to recall when I’m old and telling Stella’s brood all about their great auntie Bel’s adventures.

  Was it wrong to have the desire to be pretty, smelling good, and dressed in something ultra-feminine the first time I told Luke that I loved him?

  I believe you’re absolutely right to agree with me on this one.

  My mind drifted over the day. Thanksgiving afternoon had been chaotic and fun. Everyone arrived throughout the afternoon and the apartment was full of people having a good time.

  My good time was instantly guaranteed when I heard Svettie chose to stay back and sulk on the farm. I removed the iron maiden from the Corner of Correction, but I was happy because I could still slip the ground up castor beans seeds into her food. I had a special plate of Thanksgiving delicacies I’d prepared for Damaris to take home to her.

  ‘Oh okay. Geesh, I know I gave my word, but you can’t stop a girl from daydreaming!’