by Mary Abshire
“I’m going.”
He rushed to the dresser and opened it. His cock continued to stiffen as he searched for clean underwear and a shirt. Her response had created a vision in his head, one where their bodies were tangled together in the shower. The image of her naked and wet strengthened his erection. He had to hurry and get away before she noticed his wood. He snatched his clothes and then darted into the bathroom. He’d let the pictures in his mind run wild once he made into the bath.
Chapter Six
“I’m excited about this,” Andrew said in a cheerful tone. He wore a white t-shirt and jeans. The thin plaid long-sleeved shirt he’d brought to hide his tattoo lay across his lap.
Emily leaned back in her seat with her foot pressed on the brake. She tapped the underside of the rings on her finger against the steering wheel. They were stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to change. The windows were down and a gentle breeze blew through the Jeep. Back at the hotel, she’d tied her long hair up behind her head in an effort to avoid overheating. The temperature had risen and with the sun beating down on her dark locks, she was starting to perspire. She really needed a different color, especially since her natural one had started to appear in the roots. And a haircut since her bangs continued to fall into her eyes. Her list of things to do kept growing.
“It’s better to have low expectations instead of high ones. That way you can’t get too disappointed,” she said.
“How bad can this place be? It’s in a great neighborhood. It looked well maintained. Three bedrooms are perfect for us. Maybe we can start thinking about having kids in the future.”
A chuckle leaped from her. “Seriously? I did not hear you say that.”
The light flashed green and the cars in front of her started to move. She accelerated, but within seconds her frustration grew. The driver in the beige sedan ahead of her seemed to think it was okay to drive twenty miles per hour while everyone else drove the regular speed. Why were people like this on the road and who was the dumb butt who gave them a license?
“Come on, Carrie,” he said playfully, using her fake name. “We’ve been married a couple years now. Your parents are twenty minutes away. They could help out if we had a baby.”
She couldn’t stop grinning. The humor helped keep her from cursing at the driver in front of her. The sparkle in his eyes and smile on his face indicated he enjoyed playing his new role.
“Spencer, we just moved here. We need to take things slow for a bit. You haven’t even secured a job yet. That should be your first priority,” she said, sounding much like a modern day wife.
“Speaking of which, did you check to see if Troy had sent anything back to you?”
“I sent him an email after you went to clean up. I woke up late from my nap, so I didn’t get a chance to see if he’d responded before we left. I’ll check after this meeting.”
While Andrew had been taking his sweet time in the shower, Emily had lay down to sleep for a little bit. She hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours since they’d stayed up all night watching the demon’s house. After she’d turned on the television and closed her eyes, she’d dozed off. She had completely forgot to set the alarm on her phone.
“Sorry I didn’t wake you sooner, but you needed the rest,” he said.
“Yeah, well that two hour and forty-five minute nap didn’t help. I feel more tired than I had earlier.”
“You should try to get to bed early tonight.”
“Is that a demand from my dear husband?”
“Yes. If you don’t, I’ll make sure to drag you to bed and chain you to it. What happens after that will be your fault.”
“My fault?” she asked in an elevated voice. “Why’s that?”
“Because I will be forced to do things that will keep you awake and make you want more.”
Warmth spread through her, especially between her legs. His innuendos had been arousing her frequently. It had to be because they spent so much time together.
“Nobody will be forcing you to do anything,” she said as she switched on her signal, preparing to turn into the demon’s neighborhood.
“There’s a force. I’m sure you’d feel it too if I were naked and tied down to a bed.”
Her nipples hardened as she imagined his bare, hard body strapped to a mattress. Every solid muscle, including the stiff one from his groin, would require her touch and the grace of her tongue. Damn him for awakening her sexual cravings.
“Okay Jedi master, it’s time to put the force away and return to Earth to focus on our meeting,” she said as she steered off the main street. She had to change the subject before she got too hot and bothered.
“Sure thing, sweet wife of mine.”
A shiny black sedan sat idle on the driveway of the house for lease. Emily could’ve pulled up behind it or to the side since there was plenty of room, but she parked near the curb instead.
“Ready to do this?” Andrew slid one arm after the other through the long sleeves of the multi-colored shirt that had been lying on his lap.
“If I can pretend to be a hooker, I sure as hell can act like your wife. This will be a breeze.”
She grabbed her purse before she shoved her door open. Andrew waited for her in front of the Jeep. He held his arm out from his side slightly and palm twisted up as if he were silently saying he wanted her hand. She wondered if he wanted to be close because of his role as a married man or just to do it. A beam of sunlight reflected off the band on his finger. She slid her fingers between his. Purse hanging on her shoulder, they walked together toward the entrance of the ranch home.
“What’s the realtor’s name?” Andrew asked.
“Kimberly Blackwell.”
They followed the sidewalk from the driveway to the front door. Four small bushes had been planted in front of the home. Red mulch surrounded them. The thick lawn had been kept in good shape with only a few dandelions. They stepped onto the concrete before reaching the entrance. Andrew lifted his arm to knock. He glanced at her as if waiting for her approval. She gave a nod and he brought his knuckles down on the door a few times. While they waited, she removed the sunglasses covering her eyes.
The door swung open and a tall and thin woman with wavy dark hair smiled at them. “Hello.”
“Ms. Blackwell?” Emily asked.
“That’s me,” she said, cheery.
“I’m Carrie Reynolds. This is my husband, Spencer.” Emily tilted her head toward him.
“Yes, come in.” She stepped back and to the side. “And please, call me Kimberly.”
She moved away from the door but remained in the entryway. Her white shoes matched the white buttons and belt on her blue dress. She had wrinkled skin and it seemed darker than most in Missouri. Maybe she’d spent too much time at a tanning bed.
Emily entered the home, still holding onto Andrew’s hand. He stayed close by when she stopped. Past Kimberly, the hall led to what Emily guessed was the garage. Bi-fold doors were on Kimberly’s side. The walls were white and the smell of paint lingered. The hardwood floors appeared to continue throughout the house.
“Are you new to the area?” Kimberly asked.
“Yes, well, I grew up here and moved away when I went to college. Spencer is new to the area. We recently moved here from Chicago,” Emily said.
“I see. Well, welcome back,” Kimberly said before shifting her gaze to Andrew. “And welcome to Springfield.
“Thank you.” He smiled and swung Emily’s hand gently.
“Have you been looking at houses much?” Kimberly asked.
Emily looked at Andrew to see if he’d answer. When he didn’t right away, she said, “We checked out a few.”
“Are you looking to buy?” Kimberly asked.
“No,” Emily and Andrew answered together.
“That was easy.” Kimberly chuckled. “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“Three bedrooms minimum,” Andrew said.
“Okay, good. You k
now what you want. That’s good,” she said, still holding a smile. Emily began to think realtors had to take classes to maintain a joyful expression so long and sound so pleasant.
“We don’t need anything fancy, but we do need something soon,” Emily said.
“Do you have any children or pets?” Kimberly asked.
“No,” Andrew and Emily said in unison. “No kids yet,” Andrew added.
“Okay, well, as you know from the flyer this is three bedroom, two bath, and it sits on roughly half an acre. It was built in 1989 and has had a few modifications since then. The back yard is fenced in so if you did have a dog or small children, you wouldn’t have to worry about them running loose outside. And the school system around here is good.”
Emily nodded as she slowly shifted her gaze to Andrew. She found it interesting the year the home had been built was also the year he’d died in a car crash with his parents in Chicago.
Kimberly gestured toward the first open door to the right of the entrance. “Why don’t we check out the first bedroom?”
Andrew headed toward the room and let Emily’s fingers slip from his grasp. She followed him inside. A large king-size bed faced them. A tall dresser stood near the window on the side, the one overlooking the front yard. A flat screen television rested on another dresser that faced the bed. Two open doors were on the left.
“The owners of this house are going through a divorce. They had two small children. The mother took the kids and left, from what I heard. The furniture in the house can stay free of charge if you decide to lease,” Kimberly said.
“Where’s the husband?” Andrew asked.
“He’s living with his parents not far from here. He’s been working on painting and cleaning up the house,” Kimberly said.
“Why isn’t he living here?” Emily asked.
“He wanted this to be move-in ready, at least, that’s what he told me. He wanted someone to lease it quickly,” Kimberly said.
Andrew strolled to the open door furthest from them. He looked inside. “Closet.”
“Is that a bathroom?” Emily asked as she pointed to the open door closest to her.
“Yes, it’s a shared bathroom. You can walk through it to get to the other room if you wanted,” Kimberly said.
Emily followed Andrew into the bathroom. He switched on the light. A cloudy shower curtain hung over the bathtub. The commode wasn’t far from it. Behind the door and to the left, two sinks and a large mirror were between the walls separating the two rooms. The location for the vanities was perfect and out of the way.
Andrew continued and Emily walked behind him. Strong paint fumes lingered in the empty room connected to the bathroom.
“A little smaller from the master suite,” Emily said.
“I think this was the kids’ room,” Kimberly said.
A window faced the side of the yard. The open door at the end seemed to match the position of the closet in the bedroom they’d left. Andrew didn’t bother to check it. Emily trailed him into the hallway.
Curving right, they entered an open-floor format with the living area on the right, the dining room and oblong wood table near the patio in the back, and the kitchen to the left. Furniture filled both the living and dining rooms.
“I thought this was a three bedroom,” Emily said, standing near a brown cushioned chair in the living room.
“It’s on the other side of this wall,” Kimberly said.
Andrew continued around the corner. “Found it.”
Emily headed for the kitchen with Kimberly at her side.
“The first door in the back leads to the second bathroom. It only has a stand up shower,” Kimberly said as she pointed. “The door on the right leads to the pantry and washer and dryer. They’re located on the other side of the wall where the stove is.”
Emily peeked inside the room closest to them. Andrew stood near the window overlooking the other side of the yard. Like the second bedroom, this one was empty too.
“I think this is the smallest,” Andrew said.
“It can be my office,” Emily said.
Andrew smiled as he walked toward her. “Good idea. I like it.”
She backed up and spun to view the kitchen. A center island took up some of the large space. The dark cabinetry went well with the black and brown countertops. The colors were outdated and not what Emily liked, but everything appeared in good condition. A window above the sink allowed a view of the back yard.
“Do all the appliances work?” Andrew asked as he came to stand near Emily.
“Yes,” Kimberly said. “Everything works and the appliances would stay. If you need to move in tomorrow, it’s ready.”
Emily ambled toward the dining room. Vertical blinds hung in front of the sliding glass door. She set her purse on the oblong wood table. There were six chairs pushed up it, two on each side and one at the ends.
“Is there anything in the mini barn?” Emily asked before she stopped in front of the patio door. The beige barn faced the house.
“The lawn mower and other equipment. It’s a riding lawn mower since the yard is so large,” Kimberly said.
“Would it stay too?” Andrew asked.
“Yes, and if you decide later to purchase the house, he’s willing to negotiate if you’d also like to buy any of the equipment or furniture,” Kimberly said.
Emily stared at the back of the neighbor’s two-story home with the bluish-gray vinyl siding. She and Andrew had driven by the front a couple times. The backyard had a swing set, slide, and bars to dangle from. Toys were left strewn about in the grass near a sandbox. Their mini barn had vinyl matching the color of their house and was located at the same side as the beige barn. They had a large gas grill, a black metal table and chairs set up on the wide concrete slab. Instead of a sliding glass door, they had a set of regular patio doors with horizontal and vertical trim on the glass. Curtains were drawn from the double window on the other side of the house. Inside, the thin man with dark hair and glasses walked in front of the television, cradling a baby. They’d seen him before driving the dinge-up blue Toyota. What were the odds the house for lease bumped up against the demon’s property?
Andrew snaked his arms around her waist as he came to stand behind her. “What do you think?” His voice was soft as his lips were close to her ear.
She rubbed her hand over his as she stared outside. If they were truly married and looking to settle down and start a family, the house would’ve suited their needs. The size of the property was a bit big, but the space between neighbors was nice. Any normal woman would’ve been more than happy to claim the home and eager to bear children for her spouse. The dream seemed like a good one, but for reasons she couldn’t explain, she couldn’t see herself as a wife or a mother.
“Do you have any questions?” Kimberly asked.
Emily turned her head. “How much is the lease?”
“Twelve hundred and fifty per month and that does not include utilities,” Kimberly said.
The rent seemed high, but considering the location, neither one of them would turn down the price.
“Can we have a few minutes to talk?” Andrew asked from over his shoulder.
“Certainly. I’ll step outside and check for messages,” she said.
Andrew squeezed Emily closer to his body. Although she’d only known him about a month, she felt safe in his arms. The world seemed right in his embrace. In the distance behind them, she heard the soft click from the front door.
“What are the chances Susan Williamson’s house is on the other side of this one?” Emily asked.
“A trillion to one,” he said. “We have to lease this.”
“And the house was built in 1989.”
“Some things are meant to be.”
Emily didn’t believe in fate. People made choices and had to deal with the consequences. The concept of an outside force predetermining anything seemed too unbelievable. No one had that kind of power, not even Darth Vader. Yet, here she stood with
a man who’d died and had been sent from heaven to destroy demons, and his third one lived behind a recently vacated house. It seemed too unreal to be a coincidence, which meant someone upstairs had to be pulling the puppet strings.
“We know this one will be difficult because she has a family. Whoever is in charge in heaven must know that too,” Emily said.
“If we agree to lease, I can get close to her at work and we can also watch her from here. I’m sure there will be times I will have to work and she will be at home.”
“Then I can monitor her.”
Andrew released her from his hold and then stepped to her side. “I don’t want you doing anything, even if she’s alone. I have to kill her, not you.”
The sternness of his tone made it clear he would not negotiate. She’d never killed anyone before anyway. Could she in self-defense? The answer came easy. But after she’d watched demons jump out of dead human bodies, there was no way she would risk one coming near her.
“I’m not going to touch her,” Emily said.
“Then we agree we should lease this house?”
“Yes, and I will play the dutiful wife for all to see.”
His brows rose. “You mean … you’re going to love, honor, and obey me?”
She pressed her lips to his. He stood frozen. She backed away and placed her palm in the center of his chest. His heart thumped rapidly.
“By appearance, of course.” She gave him a sly grin. “I get the bed. You can have the sofa or use one of the inflatable mattresses in one of the other rooms.”
“Why does this sound like a typical marriage?” he asked in a grim tone.
She chuckled. “Exactly.”
The front door clicked. Light clacks on the hardwood floor indicated Kimberly had returned. As the footsteps drew nearer, Emily walked away from Andrew.
“We’ve decided we’d like to lease the home,” Emily said, gathering her bag.
Andrew remained by the patio. Hands in his pockets, he faced the outside.
“Great,” Kimberly said with a little too much enthusiasm. “I do want to mention there is a first month security deposit of six hundred dollars. I would need that plus the first month’s rent. The utilities won’t be switched over for a month because of the billing cycles.”
