Be My Queen

by RayeAnn Carter

She'd miss that after he left.

  *~*~*

  Diego carried the blanket up the hill. The grass in front of the observatory was soft and green. They had the choice of sitting under a light or in full darkness. Diego looked for somewhere with enough light to eat and for him to get a good look at her when he touched her, but not so much that anyone driving past could see her luscious skin.

  Lavender walked to some illuminated bushes and stopped on the far side from the road in a place with both light and privacy. Had she been here before? To neck? Her experience was Diego's gain.

  *~*~*

  Lavender gazed over the city. L.A. was beautiful at night. Diego stuffed their garbage into a takeout bag and lay next to her. He put his hand on her ankle and slowly slid it up. That felt wonderful, but he better not go higher than her knee. He did. She pushed at his hand. He sat up and removed her sandals. He was so very gentle about it. He would probably remove all her clothes that way.

  If she let him.

  He kissed the top of her foot.

  She pulled away. "Ew."

  He laughed. "Your foot has been in sandals all day. It's no dirtier than here." He kissed her ankle. "Or here." He kissed her knee. She was not about to let him get any higher. She pushed her dress back over her legs. He laughed and kissed her neck. "Or here."

  His kisses moved up her neck, to her cheek, then her lips. She floated on his kisses, free to just feel. As long as he kept his hands safely on her back.

  Diego moved his hands to her breasts, and she discovered why he bought this particular dress and bra. His mouth on her skin was fireworks. She had never felt the like, had never imagined it. She pushed at his shirt until he removed it, then she lifted his mouth to hers, so she could get a better taste of him. He was delicious and his chest against hers was magic.

  If only she could ignore the ever-increasing demands of her bits. They ached to be free and in his hands, in his mouth. But these were bits she didn't want, bits she hated about her body. She pushed him off and he lay beside her staring at the sky. "You're beautiful."

  Lavender's chest was still exposed, but she didn't have the breath to cover herself.

  Diego turned to her and set his palm on her breast. "You are perfection."

  He just thought that because he didn't know.

  He rolled her nipple in his fingers. "I want to take you home with me."

  Back to where he was staying? Or Portland? Both were dreams too painful to contemplate.

  His lips took hers again and he pressed his hard cock against her thigh. He desired her, at least the 'her' he thought she was. She should leave. Run and hide from the pain sure to follow.

  But she let herself dream for a little bit longer.

  Chapter Nine

  Diego walked around the car and opened the Lavender's door for her. "My queen."

  She met his gaze, the edges of her lips barely lifted. He stepped back so she could get out and wrapped his arm around her waist. She fit so well against him.

  He walked her to her front door. What did he and this beautiful girl have in common? Nothing besides shared languages and kisses. Did he care? No. His heart beat a strange rhythm. Lav-en-der, Lav-en-der, Lav-en-der.

  They had company on the sidewalk, so he couldn't say goodbye the way he wanted to. Really, he didn't want to say goodbye at all. He needed to wake up beside her, to smell her on his sheets. He needed her beside him for the rest of his life.

  He waited until she went inside, then got back in the car and drove back to Mrs. Raleigh's house. Luckily, no one was home. He didn't want to deal with people right now.

  Unless that person was Lavender.

  Was this love? The thing he'd been searching for all these years?

  He loved everything about Lavender. The way she looked at him. Her smile. Her pout. The roll of her eyes when he exasperated her. Her willingness to play along. The way she drew the line over what she wouldn't do or let him do. Her stubborn streak. Her love of the color that shared her name. He wouldn't mind a house decorated in shades of purple. He'd enjoy it, if it meant her by his side. Her pride. The way she said his name.

  They were physically compatible. He could tell just from those wonderful kisses. She'd come—he was sure she had. He certainly had: hard and painfully against his denim jeans. Lavender liked to touch and be touched. The little matter of where was of no consequence. She'd get over her shyness about sharing her body. If she didn't, he could work around it.

  That's what made her different from everyone he'd dated before. One of the things that made her different. He could deal with whatever she threw his way. He didn't have to be patient about it. He enjoyed it. Even something like her paying for dinner. When she had her reasons, she followed through, even when it flouted tradition. That would be good when she met his mother.

  Mom worked best with stubborn people who couldn't be cowed. They'd get along. Lavender would be great at Mom's parties.

  Dad wouldn't give Lavender much attention, at least at first. He'd stopped noticing who Diego dated years ago. No one stayed around long enough, as a boy- or girlfriend at least, for Dad to bother to get to know. Lavender would, though. By this time next year, she'd be living with him. Or he'd earn a lot a frequent flier miles coming down to see her every long weekend.

  This relationship was going to work. He'd use their time apart getting the people closest to him ready for her in his life. He'd spend less money and save more, so they could have their little house sooner.

  If she wanted a little house. He'd have to ask. If she wanted to live in a high-rise, he could work with that, too. His job was downtown. They could live close by. Or anywhere. He'd unfold the mystery of what she liked and wanted. That would be fun in itself. But whatever the answers were, he'd still love her.

  The affection he had for her wasn't from having the same friends or taste in movies or music. It was feelings for the person, no matter who she turned out to be.

  *~*~*

  Lavender buried her head in her pillow. She'd come. He had to have noticed the vile stink her bits emitted. Tears spilled into her pillow. And he'd been so gentle when he took her home afterward.

  She cried harder.

  Maybe Ariel was right about the gentle ones.

  Diego had been polite, but distracted. He'd hardly said a word to her and when he left her at the door, he'd just kissed her hand. A sob ripped from her raw, exhausted throat. They were over. Her lost week was just a lost weekend.

  At least she'd had that. At least she had a few bright hours in her otherwise bleak life.

  But she craved so much more.

  Diego's friend would be on vacation tomorrow, and he'd keep Diego busy. Diego wouldn't think of her at all. And if he did, only as someone who scammed him into believing she was a real girl.

  Lavender ached to be real. She yearned to be the girl Diego had thought she was, but she'd never be, no matter how much she wished and tried. The sobs came so hard that she didn't know she wasn't alone until a warm hand rubbed her back. She cried harder. She didn't deserve sympathy. She had broken her own heart by forgetting for one short moment she wasn't real.

  *~*~*

  Diego woke alone. The dream had been so vivid that he'd almost expected the sheets to be warm beside him.

  He rolled over and looked at the clock. Travis must be getting ready for school. Had Diego made that much noise as a teenager?

  Since he was awake, with his beautiful girl on his mind, he made use of the privacy that a shower afforded. He didn't quite use up all Mrs. Raleigh's hot water.

  He carried the towel with him to the kitchen and finished drying his hair. Mrs. Raleigh glanced toward the laundry room door and he made sure she saw him put the towel in the proper receptacle. Following house rules always paid off.

  She smiled. "Patrick called this morning."

  Diego poured a bowl of cereal. "Is he finally off?"

  "As of six forty-five, but he's going to need several hours of sleep to catch up on all he missed thi
s last week."

  Diego nodded. He was glad he hadn't let Patrick talk him into working for the same company. He liked his easygoing bosses much better. "I'll find something to keep myself busy. Are the tar pits a date spot?"

  Mrs. Raleigh wrinkled her nose. "Stinky. You could try the zoo."

  "Disneyland?"

  "Or another amusement park, but you might check with Patrick. I think he planned on going with you."

  "I can't imagine Patrick in Disneyland."

  Mrs. Raleigh laughed. "Not since he got 'too old' for it at twelve."

  "So I could take Lavender."

  She touched his shoulder. "Are you sure she'd appreciate that?"

  "Well, I want to go to Disneyland. Who else would come with me?"

  "You could always ask."

  Diego would.

  After breakfast, he rinsed his bowl and spoon, put his dirty clothes in the laundry room, and tidied the spare room, so Mrs. Raleigh wouldn't feel he was a burden. He checked his phone. He had a dozen texts. Patrick's said he was going to sleep and to plan on a late lunch together. Jessica's said to make that an early dinner, as Patrick hadn't stayed awake long enough to remove his shoes before passing out on the couch.

  All the other ones were from Lavender's friends. He opened one from Vishva first. What did she mean what had he done to Lavender? Had something happened? Was she hurt? He called Vishva, but the call went to voicemail. He asked after Lavender and said he'd planned to take her to Disneyland today, but he hadn't formulated those plans last night. In fact, he hadn't scheduled another date with her at all. He apologized to Vishva for being a dumbass and then hung up and texted Lavender, Beautiful, I've never been to Disneyland. Come with me.

  He hadn't said when. He rolled his eyes at himself. He was a dumbass squared. No, cubed.

  Diego called her. It went right to voicemail. Was she avoiding him or only asleep? She must have been in a sorry state for him to receive that many hate-texts. He repeated his request and explained how he'd missed his chance to go as a child when his older sister came down with chicken pox because she'd refused the vaccination, how something always seemed to come up when his parents tried to reschedule, and generally rambled on until he realized that yet again, he'd forgot to say when. "Today, please. Patrick thinks he's too old for a little childlike fun and he's planning to meet us for dinner. Sorry. Will you come to dinner with me, too? I want to spend the day, every day, with you. Or do you have class? If so, I'm flexible. Please call me. Your friends seem to think you are in a bad way and if it's my fault… I'm sorry."

  He paced the floor with his phone in his hand. Distraction. He needed to distract himself. He started a load of laundry, put the clean dishes away, refilled the dishwasher, took the clothes from the dryer, and folded them on the dining room table. If only Mrs. Raleigh hadn't had to work this morning. He could have used her advice.

  He dared a look at his phone. Still no calls or texts. She was avoiding him. That had to be it. Had she decided that he was wrong for her? Did she want to break up? Were they even going out yet? Yes. Did she agree? He needed to have some small place in her heart.

  Diego had to go to Lavender's house and find out what was really up. He'd apologize. He'd beg and grovel if that's what it took.

  He locked the house and set out. The streets looked different during the day, but he eventually found the right one. He squared his shoulders and rang the doorbell. No sounds. He tried again. The house was still silent. Maybe no one was home. She was probably at school and unaware of his worry.

  Or maybe the doorbell didn't work.

  He knocked this time and heard slippers across a hard floor. The door opened to the biggest woman Diego had ever seen. She was at least his height and her shoulders were wider. Her hair was in curlers under a bed cap and her terrycloth robe could have covered Diego and Lavender with room to spare. He nodded his head. "Hello, ma'am. Is Lavender home?"

  She looked down her nose at him. "Young man, do you have any idea what time it is?"

  He looked at his phone. "Half past nine."

  She humphed. "A good two hours before any decent person gets up."

  Oops. No wonder no one had answered his texts. "Sorry, ma'am."

  A vision appeared at the top of the stairs: his beautiful girl in a ruffled nightgown. She was the heroine of a gothic novel.

  He stepped forward. The lady in the doorway stopped him. He'd forgotten she was there.

  The woman turned. "Lavender, go back in your room, and don't come down until you're dressed properly." She turned to Diego. "And you, young man, should come back at a decent hour."

  She closed the door in his face.

  Now, that hadn't gone as well as he'd have liked. Still, Lavender was home. She'd have to come out sooner or later.

  *~*~*

  Lavender hurried into her room, ignoring all the questions. "Someone run out and tell him to wait."

  "I'm not dressed."

  "My makeup's only half done."

  "I thought you hated him."

  Lavender pulled on the first skirt she found. "He asked me to marry him."

  "What?" chorused her friends, who could have been doing something more constructive, like keeping Diego from driving off.

  Vish crossed her arms. "Then what made you cry?"

  She turned to their expectant faces, and then away, to put on her bra and a new shirt. "I can't marry him, can I?"

  "Civil union, domestic partnership. That kind of thing."

  Lavender sighed. "I don't want that and neither does he. He wants a wife that can give him children as much as I want to be that woman."

  Caiside frowned. "Did he mention kids?"

  "No, but…"

  "You didn't tell him, did you?" Alana rolled her eyes.

  "Well, it's not like girls like us ever get 'happily ever afters'." Lavender pushed past them to the stairs.

  Vish stopped her. "You can't go down, hanging out like that. If he's still here, I'll make sure he doesn't leave."

  Lavender sighed and turned toward the bathroom. Ariel leaned against the door. "I don't believe that."

  "Believe what?"

  "That we can't have an 'ever after'. One of those boys from Saturday…"

  Lavender froze.

  Ariel pouted. "One of them likes me and we've been texting."

  Lavender's gut sank.

  "I haven't told him yet, and I won't until your week is up, if you don't want me to."

  "Please."

  "But you shouldn't let Miss Magnolia feed you lies. Her body has less to do with why she's single than her personality does."

  True. Who would fall for drunken sob stories and lectures?

  Lavender flicked her fingers through her hair. She didn't have time to give it a proper brushing or put her makeup on. Diego was outside. At least, he better be. Or these next tears would be in anger.

  Chapter Ten

  Diego looked up as Lavender stepped out of the front door. She was fresh-faced, with the slightest bit of puffiness at the eyes. If those tears had been his fault, he deserved hell. He kissed her hands. "Beautiful."

  She smiled.

  "I came to invite you out for the day. I didn't know you slept late."

  Vishva hopped up the stairs until she was standing by Lavender. "When did you get up?"

  "I'm staying with a family who has a high-schooler, and I woke up when he complained that he couldn't find his other shoe with the orange stripe, and his mother said why not wear the black ones, and he said that he couldn't, and she asked where he last saw it, and on and on. All this before seven."

  Vishva grinned. "Sometimes we don't go to bed until dawn."

  Lavender stepped down a step. He set his hands on her waist. "Can I take you out for breakfast? Now that you're up and all."

  She was taller than him on the step above. He took advantage of her position to kiss her.

  The door opened. The lady of the house grabbed Vishva's arm. "The three of you: inside this instant. We are n
ot a sideshow to be gawked at on our front stoop. For shame!"

  Lavender's hand clapped around Diego's. He transferred her hand over, so he'd have a free one to wrap around her waist. He wasn't going anywhere without her.

  *~*~*

  Lavender sat on the hard loveseat as close to Diego as she could without being so close that Miss Magnolia would force her to move. Why did Miss Magnolia want to know everything about Diego? She'd been questioning him about his family, his job, his assets, and his living arrangement for close to an hour. Lavender's belly rumbled. She needed breakfast.

  But more than that, she needed Miss Magnolia not to give her secret away. Why did everyone want to wreck her perfect week?

  Miss Magnolia looked Diego over and opened her mouth in what was sure to be a proclamation. Lavender stood up. Miss Magnolia glared at her, but she didn't care. She was going to have her week, even if she had hell to pay afterward. "Diego is taking me to breakfast."

  She pulled him to his feet. "We'll be back later."

  She tugged him outside while he was still saying goodbye. As they got in the car, Ariel ran down the front steps. Lavender wished Diego would just drive away, but of course, he didn't. Ariel held out Lavender's new purse. "You'll need this."

  Lavender took the purse and thanked her. It weighed more than it had last night. She waited until Diego pulled into traffic to look inside. Her friends had added her phone, a tube of lipstick, an eyeliner pencil… and three condoms and a tube of lube. She pulled down the visor and used the little mirror to apply her makeup. The rest wasn't worth the bother. She could survive a day without her phone, and she had no need for one condom, let alone three.

  *~*~*

  Diego enjoyed watching Lavender eat. She was beautiful whatever she did. He ate a second breakfast while she ate her pancakes. "Did you hear my voicemail?"

  She looked at her plate. "Should I?"

  "Maybe not. I got a text that you were in a bad way and I kind of freaked out."

  She glanced up through her eyelashes. "Did you?"

  He shrugged. "You could listen to it for your own amusement."

  She put her hand on his. "Did you say anything important?"