Maliciously Obedient Part 11

Her hand in his felt like an electric wire. As she pulled him closer to whisper something in his ear, he lost all restraint and pushed her against the wall, leaning down, hands hot, her face tipped up to receive him. The kiss in the supply closet, their moment in the elevator, all of it flooded his head, his nerve endings, his overpowering sense of need.

Everything coalesced into a pinp.r.i.c.k of a second, of now.

Her body fired up against his, every inch of flesh seeking out his own, her hands multiplying and seeming to be everywhere at once, stroking his c.o.c.k through his trousers, his back muscles, trailing fingers down his biceps, one hand pressed against the bare skin at the neckline of his s.h.i.+rt. Soft curves met his own hands as he took in her hips, running up her waist and ribcage to find a handful of breast, his thumb tweaking a nipple that responded with a beaded hush, her breath hitching in her throat, a low purr like a gift as he kissed her, catching her lip between his teeth and breathing hard against her cheek. One hand slid down her leg to slither back up her thigh, seeking a "Ahem," a voice said, not even bothering to pretend to be discreet. Breaking away from Lydia, he turned to the left to find Krysta standing there, her hand in an "OK" gesture. "This is how you don't take advantage of her?"

"Then I want him not to have s.e.x with me. Not to go down on me, not a "

"I get it, I get it," Krysta said, annoyed as she stepped between the two of them.

"You're not getting any," Lydia snickered.

Mike stepped in. "Why don't we get something to eat? Lydia looks like she could use it."

Standing on tiptoe, she whispered in his ear, "I know something I'd love to have in my mouth." A rush of blood to his face a and c.o.c.k a made the nightclub's heat unbearable.

"Let's go to Jeddy's," Krysta suggested. Except it was an order; Mike could tell she was just about done with the two of them.

"Jeddy's? G.o.d, I haven't been there in...forever," he said. Jeddy's was a Boston icon, a hangout where everyone practically lived after bar crawling. More a college-crowd place this time of night, it was a ratty old diner that had recently changed chefs, giving the menu a new lift that he liked. As he recalled, their Boston Cream Pie was magnificent. Jeddy's was absolutely, positively not the kind of dive Mike Bournham went to.

Which made it perfect for Matt Jones.

"Jeddy's!" Lydia cried, sprinting for the stairs.

He guessed they were all going down.

"Touch the b.a.l.l.s, Lydia. Touch the b.a.l.l.s," the old waitress at Jeddy's croaked as he, Krysta and Lydia entered. The place smelled like maple and stale feet. Lydia did as instructed, cradling them in her hand and grinning like a fool.

"Grandma!" Lydia screamed, lunging at the woman, who looked like a raisin impersonating a human being. Mike did a double take. Hold on, Madge was Lydia's grandmother? Years of popping in to Jeddy's in college and beyond meant he knew exactly who Madge was a who didn't? She'd probably served him enough bacon waffles to last a lifetime.

As the old woman tenderly hugged her limp granddaughter, she pulled Lydia back, hands on her shoulders, and took two sniffs. "Ah, G.o.d, Lydia you smell like you're pickled." She glared at Mike. "What the h.e.l.l have you done to my granddaughter?"

"Nothing," he protested, hands up.

"She did it to herself, Madge," Krysta said. This was obviously a relations.h.i.+p that Mike didn't quite understand, but he was quickly putting two and two together.

"This," Lydia said, her hand slipping about his waist, making him hard instantly for the nineteenth time that night, "this is Matt. Matt Jones. He's my new boss."

Madge eyed him with suspicion, looking him up and down, surveying him in a way that women often did with his body. Sometimes he liked it, but right now it felt a bit like being looked over by Voldemort himself. She pursed her lips and c.o.c.ked them to one side, talking out the other side of her mouth. "I know you," she said.

"Yeah, I've been in here a million times. It's kind of a Boston inst.i.tution, you know?" he answered, hoping to G.o.d she didn't realize who he really was. Of all the times to have his cover blown, this sure wasn't it, and this sure wasn't the place.

"Touch the b.a.l.l.s," she said and reflexively he reached over and fondled the warlock's b.a.l.l.s. "There you go. Now come in and have some pie."

Krysta laughed and she, too, reached over and fondled the most over-touched piece of plastic on the planet other than, perhaps, the letters on Perez Hilton's keyboard.

His mouth started to water as he inhaled. "Pie night?"he asked. Madge nodded curtly. She didn't even bother to grab menus and threw three gla.s.ses of water down on the chipped, Formica table top. The gla.s.ses were pebbly, beige plastic contraptions that somehow managed to persist well into the twenty-first century but that looked like something out of 1960.

Then again, so did Madge.

"We've got six kinds of pie. And all of it can come out nice and warm, with a big scoop of ice cream or a hunk of cheese, depending on what you want."

"I want both," Lydia demanded, chugging down her gla.s.s of water, banging the empty on the table, and moving on to steal Mike's. He didn't argue. She needed the hydration. Tomorrow morning she would have one h.e.l.l of a headache. Too bad he couldn't wake up next to her to make it all better.

And now he was hard again, imagining her between fine, cotton sheets, her nude body pressed against his, hands a "You can have both, Lydia," Madge said, patting her on the head as if she were nine. It made Mike laugh; the easy familiarity between the two was cute to watch. He was still reeling from the fact that Madge a cranky old, bitter, dried-up Madge a was tender and sweet with Lydia, of all people.

"So...you guys a "

"Hold on there. I'm taking your order. Order first, chit chat later. We've got Peanut b.u.t.ter Toffee Coffee Crunch Pie." Mike groaned. "We've got Coconut Cream Banana Lime Fennel Pie."

"Ooh," said Krysta.

"We've got boring, old Apple Pie with Cranberries and Lemon Glaze on top. Boston Cream Pie, of course. And then finally, we have a Key Lime Pie made with a crushed, flaked coconut crust."

"That's five, Grandma," Lydia said, chugging back Krysta's gla.s.s of water.

"You're right. I can't do math at two in the morning, so there you go. Five kinds of pie."

She took their orders, Mike opting for boring old Boston Cream, Lydia going for the Key Lime, and Krysta indulging in two pieces, one of the Chocolate Toffee Coffee thing and one Key Lime Pie.

As they waited, Krysta began to pepper him with questions. "Why are your eyes so green?" she asked.

"Yeah, why are your eyes so green?" When Lydia said it still sounded a little boozy, but when Krysta said it it sounded like an accusation from an NSA agent.

"They just...are," he fumbled. This was a question he wasn't prepared to answer. "Why are yours so brown?" he asked Krysta.

"That's a stupid question." He just stared at her, silent, his own volley obvious. She made a sour face and turned away. Having her like him wasn't top on his list of priorities a getting Lydia home safe was, and this detour through Jeddy's was really unexpected.

Madge brought the pie, covered in more ice cream than he could eat in three days; he found himself unloading the scoops off to the side so he could tackle it. Besides, ice cream with Boston Cream Pie? That was an odd one.

When he took a bite he understood. This was no regular ice cream. This was a Toffee Salted Caramel ice cream, and the flavor matched perfectly with some element in the pie. Was it a special kind of vanilla? Something exotic and spicy and just strangely unique enough to set his taste buds alight.

Madge flew past in a flurry of legs and arms and ap.r.o.n, and her little electronic ordering thing that was half iPhone, half magic wand. "Pie any good?" she asked.

"Yeah," Lydia answered through a mouthful. "You 'ave a oo-ah a ee?"

"Lydia, chew your cud, swallow and then say it again." Madge stood, tapping her toe. Mike's stomach clenched. This was not good pie eating karma.

Lydia swallowed hard, wiped her mouth and said, "Grandma, I forgot my keys. Do you have yours?"

"Oh...oh, yeah." The older woman handed the younger one a set of keys, which puzzled Mike.

"Keys?"

Krysta gave him a withering look. "They live together. Lydia and her grandma are roommates."

His eyebrows shot up. That's a combo he'd never seen in all of his dating years. Plenty of women he saw had roommates, some of them even men he didn't know about, but a grandma?

Krysta leaned forward and cupped her hand to cover her mouth and said with a conspirator's smile, "Madge isn't around that much. She actually spends most nights with her boyfriend."

"She has a boyfriend?" he said loudly in surprise.

Another glare from Madge. "What? I probably get more than you do. When's the last time you had a threesome?" Whatever desire he'd had a moment ago vanished, the pie turning to garbage in his mouth.

A year ago, he wanted to say. But not to her.

Lydia erupted into peals of laughter. "Matt's a really good kisser, but I don't know about him in bed." And then her hand made its way up his thigh and he realized how drunk she still was. "Yet," she added."

He stifled a growl.

Krysta's phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket, read the text, and alarm splashed across her face. "Excuse me," she said and stepped out of the booth, going over to the back of the busy restaurant, covering one ear and smas.h.i.+ng the phone against the other. Mike watched, curious, as she spoke in hushed tones, clearly agitated. Within a minute she was off the phone, came back and said, "I'm sorry, guys. I've gotta go."

"At two in the morning?" he asked, appalled. Booty calls were one thing, but this took the cake.

"Well, yeah. Pretty much. Madge!" Krysta seemed incredibly distracted. She scratched her head, running one hand through her curly hair. "Madge, can you take Lydia home?"

"I'm not off s.h.i.+ft until 7 a.m. Krysta, I can't. Sally called off, so we're already short a waitress. You hit me at busy time a the bars all just closed."

"Oh, man." Krysta was on the verge of tears, panic brewing.

"I'll take her home," Mike interrupted, aware that something deeper than a drunk dial was going on, but respectful enough not to pry.

"Right." Krysta rolled her eyes. "You'll take her home and I know exactly what you'll do, Matt." She formed an "OK" sign that converted to a middle finger salute.

"I'll take her home, I'll put her to bed, I'll take her shoes off so she's comfortable and I'll leave her safe and sound," he promised.

"Right," Madge said. "I know your type."

"What's my type?"

She just stared him down. Oh, he knew her type alright, and he met her eyes, staring back. It went on for over a minute until, finally, Krysta broke it all off and said, "I gotta go. You guys figure it out. No matter what, I want Lydia home safe a but I don't have a choice on this." She pointed to the text on her phone, and off she ran.

"What was that about?" Mike asked. Madge left to grab an order and Lydia slid her hand up higher along his thigh. High enough for her to feel exactly what it was doing to him.

"That was probably Krysta's sister," Lydia said, her speech a little clearer, her demeanor a little calmer. Hopefully she was sobering up. He noticed Madge had surrept.i.tiously delivered a cup of coffee and a small pitcher of cream and he motioned to it. Lydia's face lit up. She poured in about half the pitcher of cream and started to sip it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Her sister?"

"Yeah, her sister has a son who's autistic and sometimes he has a really rough time at night and she needs help. So Krysta goes and helps her."

"Oh," Mike said, unable to think of the right words. And really, what could he say? It made him flashback on the ball he'd taken Diane to. The money for autism research. Lydia at the registration table. Jeremy's strange appearance. And for some reason the circle, the full circle, of all that gave him pause.

"So, it's you and me," she said, starting to rub her hand slowly and firmly up his leg. "How 'bout it, Matt? You want to take me home? Be the decent guy. Make sure," she leaned in, put her hot mouth right up against his earlobe, "I'm safe and warm in bed."

He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, tightened his solar plexus and suppressed a groan, grabbing his fork and shoving half the pie in his mouth so that it would be occupied with something other than what he wanted to do with it. Which, he was pretty sure, was illegal in all 50 states in public.

Lydia made her way through her pie, quickly, and her cup of coffee. Madge seamlessly delivering yet another refill and he motioned for one himself. This would be a very long night, and he'd need every drop of liquid alertness he could drink. She finally came back and just left a pot and a giant pitcher of cream, which Lydia devoured within three cups.

Krysta had abandoned her two pieces of pie so they made their way slowly through them until he was so full he wished he could pop open the top b.u.t.ton on his jeans and just sit there in a sugar coma of bliss. Instead, though, he had to fight to hold himself back from being the indecent guy, from being the not-so-gentlemanly man, from taking her home and having his way with her and having his fun with her. And giving her as much as he would get, of course.

He knew that he would regret it in the morning. She would, too. He'd always wonder whether it was the alcohol or Lydia talking. So, it was better to wait. To wait until he knew that whatever response he got, whatever sighs and moans and touches and tickles, caresses and twitches and groans and releases a they were all from Lydia and only Lydia. Not a Cosmo or three.

For now, any desires he had needed to be quenched with five kinds of pie and a cup of coffee.

It turned out Madge and Lydia lived less than a block away. No surprise there; Madge practically lived at the joint. As he walked her home in the wee hours between three and four, he found her yammering on, something about how Grandma didn't just work there, she owned it and he stopped cold in the street. "Madge owns Jeddy's?"

She covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh, that's a secret. I'm not supposed to tell." And then laughter. "But a yeah. Promise me you'll keep the secret?"

"I promise," he said. "I'm really good at keeping secrets."

"You are. I'll bet you're Batman, aren't you?"

"Yes," he said, suddenly serious. "I'm Batman."

Aglow from the streetlight, cute and innocent and loose but no longer unfocused, Lydia's face beckoned. While he could be good and respectful and decent, there was nothing wrong with letting off a little bit of steam and so he reached out and pressed his lips against hers to steal a kiss. They had reached her building, and she responded with such pa.s.sion that he regretted his promise to Madge and Krysta, their tongues exploring and yearning for more.

Pulling away, she fumbled for the key, led him up two flights of stairs, and soon they were in the apartment, her body rushed, dragging him to the couch. Hot hands untucked his s.h.i.+rt, moaning at the touch of her fingers on his warm flesh, the moan his or hers or both; it was getting hard to tell, and he didn't much care as her hands caressed his neck, running through his hair, mouth hungry and demanding.

Leaning her back on the couch, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pushed up and his hand found it, groaning as her nipples responded instantly, her hands reaching for his pants b.u.t.ton. Their breath mingled in the silent room, the sound of her gasps like happy laughter, joyful and enjoying this in a way that he fell into so easily.

As one hand played with her full, voluptuous b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the other sought out her hot core, finding uncovered thighs leading to a Ah.

No panties.

Throwing her head back, she laughed loosely. "You can't get another pair from me tonight," she teased. "I'm not wearing any." Searching fingers slipped below his waistband, and when she found what she sought, she sighed, pus.h.i.+ng her hips into his hand. "And you're not, either."

"I don't wear panties," he murmured in her ear, her hand closing over his thick rod.

"Oh," she pouted, playacting. "That's too bad." Her mouth took his with a boldness that made him need her so achingly, then pulled back, leaving cold air to torture his lips. "We could have fun with that."

Bzzzz.

Why was he pulling away? And did he have a vibrator in his pocket? Something was buzzing like crazy and her s.e.x toys were in a completely different room.

"Phone," he said, scrambling off her and standing. Brow furrowed, he read a text.

Then he closed his eyes, took two deep breaths, and began tucking in his s.h.i.+rt.

Huh? This was not the direction this moment should be going in. Migrating to her bedroom was next. Not this. Her loose, happy feeling turned into sudden thirst. As if he read her mind, he walked out of the room and toward the kitchen. A rush of water, then he re-appeared, gla.s.s in hand.

"Drink this," he said kindly, not sitting next to her as she'd hoped. What had gone wrong? What had she said?

"Who texted you?" she asked after gulping down the water. Exhaustion began to seep in, but she fought it. Not now!

"Krysta."

Oh, she was going to kill that woman.

"What did she say?" Lydia's voice came out like a menacing growl, and Matt flinched. Good. If Krysta had just c.o.c.kblocked them, she was a He slid his phone out of his pocket and flashed it at her.