The Triple Goddess

by Stephanie Hudson

  He stripped right down until naked and I couldn’t help my head from travelling the full length of him in all his glory. His legs matched the strength of the rest of his body and given his height, seemed to go on forever. I must have blushed beetroot when I clocked his long hard length and it twitched its hello.

  “Finished?” He asked cocking his head to one side and crossing his arms, which didn’t help in stopping me from salivating. No it just made his muscles bunch together tighter and made him seem far too big for my parents modest bathroom.

  “Never!” I said honestly and he laughed before hiding himself in the shower cubical. I shook my head and opened the door to leave but he called me back.

  “Oh and Keira….” He opened the door clouding him in steam like he was in some tropical rainforest waterfall. I stopped to listen hoping, no praying to anyone that would listen, that he would invite me in there with him but instead of my wish, I received my challenge.

  “…bring it on!” He said and then closed the door laughing. So with a firm head nod, I walked down stairs, past Frank and Libby that were still at the kitchen table and went straight over to the sink.

  “What are you doing? I thought Dominic was in the shower.” My sister asked as I reached for the hot water tap. I looked over my head and said,

  “Oh, he is.” I then turned the tap full blast.

  “That was cruel” Libby said after I had given it enough time, while Frank was still laughing.

  “No Libs, that was payback.” I said smiling and made my way back up to my room to wait for my, now, cold hero.

  The rest of the day was spent battling the high street and a very different Demon hoard.

  “I definitely prefer fighting Demons to last minute Christmas shopping.” Draven comment dryly as we added yet another gift from the very last minute list Libby helped me construct.

  “It will be over soon, I promise and anyway you’re the one who said there was always time.”

  “I meant for a money transfer, then they could have bought their body weight in tools, bath products, spa vouchers and Belgian chocolates then.” He said grumbling and I laughed at Draven’s idea of a gift. The fact that he was like the rest of the 99% of the male population when going shopping with their girlfriends, didn’t really surprise me. I gathered Draven to be one of those men that just walked into an exclusive store, had them close it down while someone else looked for him and then just handed over a card at the end. This was confirmed when we walked in the St. John's Shopping Centre and he saw all the cheaper shops. He actually groaned in exasperation when we saw the 99p store.

  He told me I was being ridiculous coming here and that he refused to buy anything for my family in a place like this. I smiled up at him and then said,

  “You’re not buying them anything, I am.” At this he nearly exploded on the spot and I left him standing there dumbstruck while I walked into the 99p store just to make my point. In the end all I picked up in there was a couple of rolls of selotape and some bows for on presents. Draven caught up with me and looked around in disgust.

  “I will not let my woman buy anything in this place so put down the crap, Keira.” I laughed and when an old lady gave him evils I laughed harder. He tried to take the stuff from me but I giggled and dodged him. It was definitely the most fun I had ever had shopping. In the end I won, thanks to some tactical moves on my side and after doing something I would never have thought I would in public, I kissed the life out of him. After that he became more pliable.

  Of course, that was the only thing he let me get away with buying after he covertly made my card vanish and considering I didn’t know my account details by heart I was stuck on Christmas Eve with no other choice than to let him pay. But I got my way when it came to lunch as I promised him if I could choose then it would definitely be something that would add some needed padding to my weight.

  “Oh no, no way, come on lady, I am not going in there.” He said staring at the front of Burger King like it was where the devil ate…actually scrap that, he would have gone in there if that was the case!

  “Look, I chose this one ‘cause it must be fit for a King, with that name.” I giggled at his sour face.

  “Draven, don’t be a snob.” I reprimanded but he just looked like it was going to cause actual pain by walking in there.

  In the end I managed to get him through the door after some wide eyed ‘pleases’ and now we were sat in a booth, that was far too small for him, with our food and Draven looking down at his little cardboard box like he was waiting for it to snap his fingers off if he touched it.

  “The food’s inside.” I said around my Whopper.

  “Yes I gathered, thank you.” He replied frowning and I couldn’t help but smile around my mouthful of bun and burger. When he still hadn’t opened it I dropped my burger and said,

  “Oh for heaven’s sake…here, I do this.” I opened it up and poured his fries into the other side of the lid and then even added a squeeze of ketchup and mayo in little mounds at the corners. Then I lifted one of his fries and dipped it in his mayo and popped it in my mouth. He stared at me like I was a recently escaped mental patient.

  “Yum, here, try it.” I said doing the same for him and I saw him reluctantly open his mouth for me to plonk in a fry. I saw him chew as if I had just feed him a slice of lemon and I laughed.

  “Bloody hell Draven, it’s only a potato not poison!”

  “That’s debatable. Keira this food looks like stepped on rubber and you shouldn’t be filling my delectable body with it.”

  “Bighead!” I said causing him to scowl.

  “I was, of course, referring to your delectable body, the one that belongs to me.” I dropped a fry and then looked down.

  “Oh!” My cheeks flamed and I took a long swig of my diet coke to cool it down.

  “No wonder it was so cheap, what meat is this …dog?” Draven said flicking his bun lid off in disgust.

  “Draven, don’t be daft. I know it’s not exactly a la carte but I do love a whopper.” His head snapped up.

  “You have eaten this shit before and yet you still come back?” He was shocked.

  “I happen to like this shit, thank you very much, so you can sit there and sulk for all I care, I am enjoying my meal.” I said and I could see the cogs working and trying to come up with a payback of his own. He hadn’t mentioned the shower incident but he must have known it was me, thanks to the massive smirk he was welcomed with when he got out of the shower.

  Once I was finished and Draven didn’t eat any more than the one fry I forced on him, we went back to shopping. I rubbed my belly through my warm coat and said,

  “Mmm, nice and full!”

  “Must have been all those lovely preservatives, incomprehensible cuts of some form of meat and watery veg that had not one single shred of nutrients left.” I laughed at his usual moody tone when not getting his own way and replied,

  “Yep, sure was filling and delicious I might add…tell me, are you hungry?”

  “Funny, little rabbit but just so you know, this is all being noted and added to the list of punishments I will be dishing out when I get you back to our home.”

  “Umm...mm, whatever you say there Mr Moody Pants, now let’s get this finished.” I said putting an arm in his to tackle the rest of the shops. This time I had no choice in the matter as it was Draven’s turn to play it his way of shopping. He took me into the Metquarter where all the designer shops were situated and he even complained that these weren’t even expensive enough for what he had in mind. We walked around and now instead of just everyday ordinary women to contend with drooling after Draven, here I had the city’s elite and females dripping in designer clothes. But for once I didn’t care and was just basking in the glow of what having Draven’s arm around me did to my insides, along with my self-confidence. Well at least he looked more at ease inside this expensive cocoon.

  The rest of the day was filled with Draven having the car brought around to load our bag
s into and then off we would go again. I refused absolutely everything Draven tried to buy for me, including a gorgeous red dress that I stared at in awe for a while.

  “That would be a beautiful colour on you.” He hummed in my ear from behind but I just shook it off and wrapped my arms round his neck, telling him that the effect of him kissing me would be an even better colour on me…he had to agree.

  The one thing I did see that I wanted to buy without Draven knowing about was something in a window we passed on the high street earlier but I had to wait until I was in the ladies bathroom to ring Sophia. Luckily I found my mobile in my luggage and quickly rang her to ask for her help. She laughed and told me it wouldn’t be a problem. She swore her secrecy to me like last time I had bought sexy lingerie and when I said the name Ann Summers she whistled and said,

  “I would offer to buy some other toys for you but I think Dom would have my head if anything but him was to satisfy you.” This made me nearly trip up on the way out of the ladies getting me a few snooty looks. When I said goodbye to Sophia before Draven could see, I found one lady asking him the time, although it was obvious she was wearing a watch and then there was another group of girls staring at him as though he was the elixir of life…which I guess for me he was!

  As soon as he saw me he beamed above the beautiful girl’s head and she turned to see were his gaze was concentrated. When she saw it was just plain old me, not a supermodel she smiled and then turned back to him to touch his arm and whisper in his ear.

  “Excuse me madam, but that is highly inappropriate and disrespectful of the woman I love. I suggest you take your hand off me and run along now to your husband while I indulge myself in a real woman…my real woman! Now excuse me!” Draven snapped cutting her down with a lethal look, shocking not only the woman but also everyone that had heard his booming voice. He shamelessly removed her hand like it was dripping in filth and came over to me and kissed me deeply making some women gasp at the intensity, me included. I looked up when Draven had finished with me and saw the woman storm past us to the ladies room wiping angry tears from her eyes.

  “What did she say to you?” His eyes flashed purple at the memory and then cooled when they looked down at me.

  “It is not worth repeating but know this, nobody and I mean NOBODY disrespects you. She deserved far worse than my harsh words.”

  “Hey, it’s ok. It can’t have been that bad.” He softened as I touched his face and turned it from the toilet door that was getting the death look.

  “It was not nice. Come on, I want to spoil you, it is the only way to clear my sour mood.” I rolled my eyes but let him have his way.

  Once we finished shopping, the day then consisted of me sat on the floor of my room, wrapping presents with Draven assisting in holding the paper down when I needed a strong finger. My favourite Christmas movie, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, played in the background on my little TV screen and I would giggle every now and again at the bits I found the funniest. Draven had complained in the car ride home because I wouldn’t let him pay to get them professionally wrapped but I told him it was all part of the fun, and now, watching me grinning, I think he was getting the point.

  My mum came up later with white chocolate and raspberry cookies that I love, from a bakery near the butchers she picked the turkey up from this morning, with a pint of milk. Draven looked at me in fascination as I ran to the door and shouted the trade mark ‘don’t come in’ whenever one is wrapping presents. The rest of the night consisted of him keep telling me how adorable I was, especially with a milk moustache that I kept teasing him with…very virginal and all and I noticed him adjust his jeans more than once.

  I ended the night by asking him if he enjoyed his shower that morning and if it would help with his problem, nodding to his pants. That just got me a firm,

  “Right, you asked for it!” and then a punishing tickle round on the floor, which ended in kissing in the middle of ribbon, tape and Christmas wrapping paper that didn’t survive Draven’s stealth attack.

  Christmas day came and went in a flurry of activity of mad family traditions that Draven was still trying to get his head round. Like the fact that my dad still left out a brandy and a carrot for ‘Father Christmas’ even though it had been quite a few years since Libby and I had believed. I explained to Draven it was because my dad liked the excuse for a brandy before bed. This then ended up one of the reasons for Draven’s gift to my father. He gave him a very expensive bottle of something called Hennessy Richard Extra Cognac that came in a handmade glass decanter that my mother cooed over. I asked how much but Draven refused to tell me and reminded me that I really didn’t want to know.

  All gifts from Draven, that I knew nothing about, were along the same lines, all very expensive but also personal to what each member of my family would like. For example, he noticed my mother liked the colour green, so he gave her a Jade coloured scarf from a designer none of us had heard of but was no doubt one of a kind. My sister received the same treatment with a cherry red Louis Vuitton handbag, because her favourite colour was red. Even my Grandparents got a gift in the form of a mini cruise that already had my Nan on the phone to her neighbour boasting about.

  Frank was soon jumping around like a mad man when Draven presented him with a driving experience like no other, which turned out to be a trip for the family to one of his holiday homes near his personal race track. The Spa nearby was also booked for full treatments for my mum and Libby for anytime his guests were to be staying…after the baby was born of course.

  My family all came through and got Draven gifts in the form of a scarf set knitted by my Nan, some aftershave from my folks, that I would never let him use…but they didn’t need to know that and what I thought was his favourite gift, Libby and Frank had got him a personalised Ferrari gun metal phone case for his expensive smartphone and they told him I had mentioned how he likes Ferraris. He ran his finger over his name engraved at the back and seemed genuinely touched by not only my family’s gifts but also their easy acceptance of him.

  I felt like a big kid again when giving and receiving my gifts and Draven watched with a constant grin every time I tore into one of my brightly wrapped presents. I soon had everyone laughing at me when I did my ritual of trying to get on everything at once but found it too hard to open my next gift with mittens on. So I took off my hat, headband, two pairs of gloves, a new jumper, woolly sock slippers, sequined belt and rubbed the hand cream lump Libby had added to my nose, to carry on opening my new things. Draven had laughed the whole time.

  Later on when dinner was finished, crackers had been pulled, silly hats worn and all bad jokes told, Draven and I both declined Christmas pudding until later, as most people do after the biggest meal of the year and left to go up to my room, to be alone. There were just two gifts left that we wanted to open in private and I was very nervous about what Draven would make of my gift to him.

  “This is the reason we stopped at Switzerland.” He said, surprising me.

  “I didn’t know where we stopped.” I replied and let him hand me a beautifully gift wrapped box, in swirled black paper and a thick purple ribbon which was Draven’s colour of choice.

  “Yes well, I wanted this to be a surprise and I have been planning to give it to you since we first met, but Sophia advised I waited until the time was right.” I smiled up at him after playing with the satin ribbon that I was going to keep, just like the one that had been tied to the rose he left me on my pillow.

  “The ribbon is nice Keira, but it isn’t your gift.” He said bringing me out of my happy place and putting me in a different one entirely with the handsome look he gave me. I took a deep breath and carefully this time opened the gift so that the paper didn’t tear. I gasped when I took the box lid off and found a blue velvet jewellery box. Draven looked over and saw that I was only at the next box stage and when I wouldn’t open it, he sighed and took it from me.

  “You’re not very good at putting me out of my misery Keira,
here allow me.” He said and then he opened the lid back and my hands flew to my mouth. After giving me enough time to process the beauty before me, I still hadn’t said anything.

  “Say something Keira. Do you not like it?” His voice sounded so vulnerable and when I looked up I found the uncertainty in his eyes.

  “It’s…it’s utterly breathtaking Dominic.” I said and I think at this minute I was witnessing the biggest grin I had ever seen to date on Draven.

  “Thank you Katherine, you have made me incredible happy to hear you say that.” He looked so relieved and I felt guilty saying the next words out of my mouth.

  “But Draven, I can’t…this is too much…I…” Thankfully he was still smiling.

  “This has been waiting for you for a very long time, sweetheart, and has never been worn by another living person on earth.”

  “Oh God, you didn’t get it from a dead guy did you?” I asked tactlessly but Draven just threw his head back to laugh out load.

  “No, in fact I found this stone at a very important point in my life and I had it made into this necklace by a master craftsman. It was always intended to be for you.” I had tears forming in my eyes at the thought.

  “Oh Draven!”

  “Can I put it on you? I have been waiting a small forever for this day…along with another day I will be experiencing soon.” He added and I flushed, knowing what he was referring too.

  “Please.” I said lifting my loose hair to one side. He got off my bed and came to stand behind me. He then raised the necklace before me and then stopped before placing it on me.

  “I have another request” I waited for him to continue and I heard him exhale.

  “Do have any objections to wearing this all the time?” I looked in the mirror on my wall that was positioned just right to show me both our reflections and Draven, unbelievably, looking as nervous as hell. It was obvious how much this meant to him and in turn, it meant a lot to me.

  “None whatsoever.” I answered on a whisper and he closed his eyes as if every wish he ever asked for had all come true.