by K. Marie
I shook my head over her audacity; but loved that I could always count on Marie to be herself. Saying inappropriate things was par for the course with her.
However, eyeing Stack, I admitted that he is attractive. He couldn’t be any older than thirty, and was tall and lean, but bulky with muscles. His face was clean-shaven, his hair light brown, and eyes bluish-gray in color. You could tell by the way he carried himself he’s ex-military; he’d served in the Marines.
“You can put those there,” I told him, indicating Marie’s luggage he was still holding.
Stack entered the foyer, placed the bags in the spot I’d indicated, then quickly exited back through the front door.
“You know you just embarrassed him, right?” I said to Marie, shutting the door behind him.
“Please, he was just putting on an act in front of you, Mrs. Vidov, he knows he wants this,” she said with a dismissive snort.
“Come on crazy, I’ll show you to your room,” I told her on a laugh, turning towards the stairs.
She’d tried protesting staying with us because she didn’t want to intrude, but I wasn’t having it. Marie would be staying with us for the next week and a half.
“Wow, Cam, this house is huge. I can’t believe Mr. Hotness actually lived here by himself,” she said with disbelief in her voice. She still referred to Garland by the name she’d dubbed the day they met.
“Garland seems to have a need for space, though he certainly has no need to overcompensate for size,” I replied, needling her.
I heard Marie gasp behind me as we neared the top of the stairs. “Oh my God, Cam, I can’t believe you just said that!” she said with a girlish giggle.
I threw her a smile over my shoulder. “Your bad influence is rubbing off on me already,” I told her.
“Don’t blame me, you’ve changed since being with Mr. Hotness, he brought out your inner-freak,” Marie said in defense.
My mind went immediately back to a couple of weeks ago, when Garland seduced me in front of the bedroom mirror.
He certainly has. I thought with a satisfied smile.
That was one of the most erotic things I’d ever experienced, and I’d like to experience it again. “You’ve no idea…” I said mysteriously, giving Marie a coy look.
“You’ve been with him long enough to know most of his flaws by now, so tell me what’s wrong with him; he can’t be as perfect as he seems,” Marie said.
“My husband is perfect, he has no flaws,” I said haughtily.
Marie gave me a disbelieving look. “Seriously, Marie, no one’s perfect—including Garland, as much as it pains me to admit,” I laughed.
My husband definitely had his flaws.
“Garland’s got his quirks, but he’s still perfect in my eyes,” I concluded with a shrug.
“Wow, spoken just like a woman in love, can’t see the forest for the trees,” Marie said.
“Hardly, I recognize all of Garland’s flaws. He’s domineering and likes his own way, and controls everyone and everything around him. And don’t even get me started with his security obsession,” I told her, as we neared the guest room.
“I don’t see any of those things as being flaws,” Marie argued. “Money and power go together, you shouldn’t be surprised your man likes control. Besides, a woman wants her man to be in control where it counts; you’re going to have to give me something better than that.”
I gave her a sidelong look. “Well in that case, I guess my hubby is in fact perfect.”
“Where is your baby-daddy, by the way?” Marie asked a short while later, once we were seated at the kitchen island with drinks in hand.
I rolled my eyes over her label for Garland. “He had business in New York yesterday and today, but he should be home in a few hours. He has plans of taking us out tonight in celebration of your visit,” I told her.
“Aww…that’s so sweet of him, but aren’t you too knocked-up to go partying?” she asked, eyeing my stomach doubtfully.
“Being pregnant doesn’t make me an invalid, Marie. I still like to have fun occasionally, my only problem is actually staying awake long enough to do it,” I told her with a rueful smile.
I’d been experiencing fatigue lately; it seemed no matter how much rest I got, I always felt sleepy and low on energy. Garland had playfully taken to calling me ‘Dopey’, like the dwarf character in “Snow White”.
“But it will suck for you—not being able to drink and all,” Marie insisted.
“I can have a good time without booze…but only because I have to,” I said with a silly grin.
“I assume Autumn isn’t going partying, did you hire a nanny?” Marie asked.
“Our housekeeper, Theresa, will be doing double-duty as babysitter tonight. With Autumn dogging her every step and talking her ears off whenever she’s here, the two of them have become bff’s. She’ll just sleepover tonight, since she’s scheduled to work tomorrow morning anyway,” I answered.
The forty-something Brazilian woman had taken a shine to Autumn, and had even been teaching her Portuguese, Theresa’s native language.
“Will you be getting a nanny when the baby comes; isn’t that what rich folks do?” Marie questioned.
I laughed at her serious question. “I don’t intend to right away, but perhaps when I start back working. In the meantime, Theresa will start coming five days a week to help out more with Autumn.”
Having a newborn baby would demand a lot of time and attention, I feared Autumn feeling shortchanged in the attention department.
“So, when does my favorite five-year-old come home from school?” Marie asked.
“In about forty-five minutes, you can ride with us to pick her up,” I told her.
“Us?” she questioned. I’d told her about Garland’s obsession with security, but I hadn’t told her the full extent of it.
“Yes, my security detail…welcome to my new life.”
“Garland!” I heard Autumn shout from somewhere close by.
I was in my office, finally finishing up the work that I’d neglected earlier when Marie arrived. But, I perked-up instantly at the news of Garland having arrived home. He’d been gone only one day, but I guess I wasn’t the only one who’d missed him.
Pushing out of my chair, I followed Autumn’s excited squeals as I went in search of them. “There he is,” I said when I turned the corner and spotted the two of them walking towards me.
My husband looked scrumptiously disheveled in charcoal-gray trousers, and a white dress shirt with thin charcoal pinstripes running through it. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, and his tie and jacket were nowhere in sight. Garland had let his hair grow out some since we’d married, and now kept the sexy scruff because I liked it. He looked handsomely roguish.
“Mommy, look what Garland got me!” Autumn cried.
My attention had been so focused on Garland, that I hadn’t noticed the item clutched in her tiny little hands. It was a large snow globe. It contained the Manhattan skyline and the statue of liberty inside of it, and on top of what looked like the Empire State Building, were the words “I Heart New York” in red flashing lights.
“That’s awesome, Autumn. Pretty soon, you’ll run out of space to put your growing collection,” I told her. Autumn loved snow globes, and every time Garland traveled he brought her one back from wherever he’d been.
“I got you one too,” Garland said, drawing my attention back to him.
I gave him a humorous smile, knowing he’s only kidding. His souvenirs for me are typically exponentially more extravagant than a snow globe.
Stepping the few inches that it took to get to him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and touched my lips to his. “We already know your souvenirs for me are a bit more everlasting,” I said in reference to the baby, our own little joke. I always referred to the baby as my souvenir.
“Uh oh, it’s gross time, I’m going to show Marie my new snow globe,” Autumn announced, before pivoting in the opposite direc
tion and skipping off to do just that.
Garland and I grinned at each other. “Miss me?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me and resting his hands on my lower back.
I answered by standing on my toes to kiss him again, this time lingering a little longer than before. He responded in kind, moving his hands even lower. I gave a start when he lifted me suddenly by my ass. My legs wrapped automatically around his waist for support, my hands clasping onto his neck like a spider monkey as I held on for dear life.
“Garland!” I screeched in outrage, before beginning to laugh.
“I missed you,” he said in explanation, taking the opportunity to kiss my neck.
“I’m pregnant, you can’t just manhandle me!” I complained, smiling like a fool. I loved the carefree playful side of Garland that he reserved for only me.
“Don’t forget, it was me manhandling you that got you in this condition,” he reminded me, devilish eyes gleaming.
I gasped in mock appalment.
Chuckling, Garland started to move in the direction that he’d been heading; nuzzling my neck as he went. “Hey, put me down!” I said in alarm.
“No,” he flatly refused.
“I’m too heavy, you can’t carry me through the house!” I protested.
“You insult my manhood, you’ve barely gained ten pounds,” he said in affront.
“Yeah, we’ll see how smug you are in a couple of months when you throw your back out, grandpa,” I teased, wedging my nose into the side of his neck.
Garland is nine years older than me, and I never let him forget it.
“Now that’s a challenge I welcome,” he said with a smile in his voice.
Thirty-Nine
C A M R Y
“I like your style, Garland,” Marie said, once we’d been seated on the plum colored sofas in the VIP section of the nightclub.
The line outside the club had been about a block long. But, with Joe behind the wheel of the Rover, we’d pulled up in front of the club, gotten out, and Garland walked us right to the front of the line and straight through the door. The two large security guys blocking the doors clearly knew him—as they’d given him only a cursory glance and a nod as he strolled by. Once inside, Garland said something to another man, who’d immediately escorted us through the crowded club and to the VIP area. Another thing I’ve learned about my husband is, he doesn’t do lines, ever.
“Whatever I did to earn your praise, Marie, I’m humbled,” I heard Garland respond, as I looked around in fascination.
The nightclub itself was massive, and spectacular. Its interior was unlike anything I’d ever seen at a nightclub before, even Garland’s nightclub. It had three levels, with a lighted stairway at its center, and all glass elevators off to either side of it. With all the cool décor and with everything sparkling, the place looked like a fancy opera house.
“This place is amazing, is it one of yours?” I asked, angling my body to get more comfortable on the sofa.
“No, it belongs to a friend,” he answered.
“Why not go to your own club?” I asked curiously. I thought it peculiar to not patronize one’s own establishment.
“Because I don’t mix business with pleasure, Camry, you were my one exception,” he answered, direct as ever.
I glanced at Marie in amusement, and she just gave me a goofy smile, for once not commenting.
A young Asian woman in black faux-leather pants and black mid-drift bearing tank top appeared; introducing herself as Miso. She’d be our personal attendant for the night. There were already two bottles of champagne chilling on the table, as well as glass bottles of cranberry juice when we arrived. Obviously, the cranberry juice was for me. Garland had planned ahead, from the ocean-front restaurant that we’d gone to, down to this nightclub.
Miso got to work pouring glasses of champagne, but I stopped her when she went to fill a third glass, pointing to my stomach. “I’ll have the cranberry juice,” I told her. She’d not noticed my pregnant stomach.
Her eyes grew wide. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize you were pregnant, your baby-bump is tiny,” she said in apology.
“Trust me, it only looks that way because I’m sitting down,” I said.
Added to that, I’d chosen my dress strategically. The red dress was short, flirty, and one-shouldered; it served to camouflage my bump. Garland had whistled his appreciation of the dress; but eyed the gold Gucci sandals doubtfully. Me wearing heels while pregnant made him nervous.
“We’ll have others joining us shortly,” Garland announced to Miso—whom he never even glanced up at. His attention stayed glued to his phone.
That’s another thing I’d noticed about my husband; he sometimes acted as if everyone was on his payroll. I knew he wasn’t being intentionally rude, his manners are impeccable, it just seemed an unconscious by-product of his bossy nature.
“Thank you,” I told Miso with a friendly smile, before she scurried off.
I glanced at Garland with a questioning look, that went completely wasted on him, as he tapped away on his phone, texting. I knew that his friend Greg was in town and planned to join us here, but the “others” part came as a surprise to me. However, I found out who the others were when Viktor arrived with Greg, and Leslie ‘The Bitch’, a few minutes later.
“Pregnancy agrees with you, Camry, you’re stunning,” Greg said, when I stood to embrace him in greeting.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” I told him, smile beaming.
“Let’s hope not everywhere,” Garland commented dryly.
Greg and I both laughed as I took my seat, sitting close enough to Garland that we touched. “You already have carte blanch on the most important kind of everywhere,” I said close to his ear.
“Ahem.” I heard Marie clear her throat theatrically. “I hope the two of you aren’t about to start making out again, she’s already knocked-up for God’s sake!” she exclaimed.
Everyone chuckled, except for ‘The Bitch’, of course. Not a fan of hers, I’d simply given her a nod in greeting because being somewhat polite is so ingrained in me. But it was pretty much established that she and I did not care for one another. The woman’s a sleaze-bag, and I could barely abide being around her.
What kind of woman made a play for her man’s best friend?
She hadn’t accompanied Greg to our wedding, and I idly wondered why, but was damn grateful for small favors. The Gods had been smiling down in my favor, because hers was the last face I’d wanted to see on my wedding day.
I smiled and winked at Viktor, not seeing the point of a formal greeting, when he had to see my face almost daily. He was wearing an expensive looking gray suit tonight; and didn’t look like he was here in his official capacity. If he wasn’t, good for him. But I somehow doubted he was ever truly off duty.
Having previously met him at the wedding, Marie greeted Viktor with a hug. But, likely followed it up with inappropriate words in his ear, if his amused look was any indication.
Marie flirted with most men, though the majority of it was just friendly flirting rather than real interest. But I knew she found Viktor both intriguing and attractive. As first cousins, he and Garland shared a similar height, build, and coloring. Though Viktor’s eyes were a steely-gray in color; rather than jewel green, and his hair was more brown than black. And whereas Garland’s facial features were more chiseled and model-worthy, Viktor’s were a bit more rugged. He reminded me of Gerard Butler, the much younger version. I knew that Viktor’s tough demeanor and bad boy vibe was a draw for Marie, not to mention the man carried a gun for a living, a definite draw.
Miso returned with another bottle of champagne and to take drink orders. And though she blushed at Greg’s friendly flirting, she seemed competent and professional. I could only imagine the amount of inappropriate comments and behavior she had to endure from intoxicated men in the club. I sneaked a surreptitious look at ‘The Bitch’—to see if she’d been paying attention to Greg’s flirting, only to find h
er attention focused on me instead.
Her gaze followed the movement of my left hand; where my fingers had been absently stroking through the condensation blanketing my champagne flute. Considering the bottles on the table, she must know I’m drinking straight cranberry juice, not alcohol. So, I concluded she’d actually been looking at the ring on my finger. Granted, the huge sparkler was rather eye-catching.
The engagement ring, an eight-carat solitaire, was set upon a diamond band and was beautiful in its simplicity. It was accompanied by a diamond and emerald infinity wedding band. I typically wore only the wedding band; because I tended to knock the large diamond around on everything, but I always wore both when Garland and I were out together.
Catching me watching her, Leslie quickly squelched the look of interest in her eyes and gave me a snide smile. I gave her a smug, satisfied smile in return. Slowly bringing my glass up to my lips, I took a sip, while taping my ring finger against the glass to deliberately taunt her with it. I hated being catty, but she was such a bitch, and only a true bitch could appreciate my actions for what they were.
I’d won the game, and I had the trophy to prove it.
I never ever played the petty game, but I knew how it was played. Taking my eyes off of her, my gaze landed on Marie; who’d not missed one second of our exchange.
“Bitch,” she mouthed with a roll of her eyes.
Garland draped an arm around my shoulders, and I leaned my head back to rest upon it. “Are you alright, wife?” he asked, looking down at me.
“I’m perfect, husband,” I answered with a loving smile.
His lips quirked as he lowered his head to kiss me. “That goes without saying,” he stated. “You look tired; we can leave whenever you want, Viktor will drive Marie home if she’d like to stay,” he told me.
“But we just got here,” I said in objection, “Besides, we haven’t even danced yet. I won’t pass out on you, I promise,” I assured him.
Garland gave me a look that said he’s skeptical. “Do you want to dance right now?” he asked.
