Fantasyland: Midnight Soul Part 64

"Your mouth wasn't, but your body was."

I said nothing for this was true and there was no denying it.

"You gonna let me sleep?" Noc asked.

Him sleeping would mean him not annoying me.

Or exciting me.

"Yes," I answered.

"You gonna sleep?" he asked.

I had things on my mind, particularly the "s.h.i.+t" in Noc's life that had hit without fail, s.h.i.+t that was not his stepmother dying, something which quite clearly had wounded him deeply, a wound that had not healed, nor ever would.

"Yes," I lied.

"Sleep now and then mall tomorrow," he muttered. "Get you more clothes so you can leave some here."

This was an excellent plan.

I snuggled closer to him, saying softly, "That sounds good."

"Show you and Josette around the kitchen. How to use the stove, microwave, s.h.i.+t like that." He continued to plan, the drowsy beginning to permeate his tone. "She at least knows how to use a microwave, she won't have to eat popcorn from a bag if she's hungry."

"That also sounds good," I replied.

"We'll find out the schedule Valentine has set up for you to look at places and-"

I interrupted him. "Darling?"

"Yeah?"

Running a hand soothingly over his back I whispered, "Sleep. We can plan tomorrow, tomorrow."

"Right," he mumbled, his hand at my a.r.s.e curving around to bury itself between my hip and the bed, this pulling me even closer. "'Night, Frannie."

"Good night, my dearest."

"My dearest," he muttered. "My Frannie, so f.u.c.kin' cute."

I held him and stroked him and felt his big body loosen against me, his head falling forward so his forehead rested on mine, his hold relaxing but the tilt of his body in sleep meant I took on some of his weight.

And gloried in it.

I felt replete from a lovely dinner, delightful company, meaningful sharing, excellent whiskey and exquisite lovemaking. Much had happened in a short time and my body and mind were exhausted because of it.

Even so, it took me some time to find my own peace because, no longer wrestling with the many changes in life I'd endured, I could finally focus on something that wasn't me.

And what I focused on was that fact that the man whose bed I lay naked in, whose naked body lay rested against mine, the man who had stolen into my heart and captured a large portion for himself that I knew, no matter what the future might bring, would always be his...that man was still a mystery.

And that troubled me.

Deeply.

Chapter Seventeen.

Every Second Franka "I'll drop you off, do some s.h.i.+t," Noc declared. "Text me when you're almost done, I'll come back and get you. But, just to say, they cut off too much of your hair, I'll lose my mind. Be warned and make sure that doesn't happen, sugarlips, because that s.h.i.+t goes down, I promise you it won't be pretty."

Noc and my plans made over the breakfast he'd offered me that morning (he called it bagels and cream cheese I called it delicious) had been thwarted for the day.

This meant Josette and I now stood in the rather elegant entryway of an establishment where Noc had taken us due to the fact that Valentine had left a note with Josette. This note proclaimed she'd made an appointment for us to take care of our persons in a this-world way. This in the form of us going to a "spa" to have our hair "styled," our brows "shaped" and our nails "done."

They've been informed you're both new to these experiences so have been instructed to have a care with you, my cheries. They've also been paid and tipped. All you need to do is enjoy. She'd written.

Although I did understand the concept of having my hair styled, the rest of it was entirely foreign to me (and Josette). Even if Valentine had shared with the staff that we were "new to these experiences," we were, indeed, new to these experiences. I didn't want anyone near my hair (which Noc had just declared a rather healthy interest in), my nails (unless that person was Josette, she was quite talented with filing and shaping, not to mention taking care of my hair), but mostly my brows (what did one do to brows?) not knowing a thing about it thus having no choice but to appear just that way.

In other words, gauche and daft.

I was neither.

Nor was Josette.

This wouldn't do!

d.a.m.n Valentine. It was irritating in the extreme she'd brought us to this world, championed doing just that and disappeared after we'd arrived.

"I...well, Noc..." I got myself together and requested, "It would be most appreciated if you'd accompany us through our, erm, a.s.signations here."

Noc got closer, smiling encouragingly, saying, "You'll be good, sweetheart. And you'll like it. Women do this kind of s.h.i.+t in this world all the time and they love it. It's considered a treat."

"I'm certain it is," I mumbled. "It would still-"

He cut me off by taking my hand, tugging it and giving Josette a look as he moved us a few steps away.

He turned his attention to me and lifted both hands to either side of my neck before dropping his face to mine and saying only for my ears, "Okay, baby, first, hair. When they get you in the chair, they're gonna ask you what you wanna do with it, maybe recommend things you might wanna try. Be firm you want it trimmed only. They'll do that. They might wash it, blow it dry with a handheld, electric blow dryer and style it. When they get to your brows, they're gonna..."

He then patiently, and rather thoroughly, explained all that was to happen to Josette and myself at that "spa."

"To end," he concluded. "I'm a dude. Dudes these days do this kinda thing. Have pedicures. Get s.h.i.+t shaped. I am not that kind of dude. I'm also not the kind of dude that hangs with his woman while she has it done. If you're anxious, I'm here, won't step a foot out that door if you need me to stay. But if I didn't think it would all be good, I wouldn't even consider leaving. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I nodded. "I understand, Noc."

"So you want me to stay or can I go?"

I stared into his eyes as his words tumbled in my head.

I am not that kind of dude.

You want me to stay or can I go?

Can I go?

But he would stay.

For me, he would stay.

"I'm exceptionally fond of you, Noctorno Hawthorne," I blurted.

His face blanked momentarily in surprise before the blank vanished and his gaze took on a heat I'd only thus far felt from him during loveplay.

"For future reference," he rumbled, "you look at me like that while you say s.h.i.+t to me like that, you do it in a place that at the very least has a relatively private broom closet so I can take you there and f.u.c.k you against the wall."

I swayed into him, lifting a hand to clutch his s.h.i.+rt to help hold me up as his words coursed up my legs to target the area between them.

This they did.

With precision.

"Yeah?" he pushed on a growl.

"Yes, Noc."

"Now, do you want me to stay?"

"No, darling. I think Josette and I can manage."

"Right," he muttered, sounding perturbed, looking stimulated, and dropping his mouth to mine for a hard, closed-mouth kiss before he lifted an inch away. "Text me when you're almost done, I'll come get you, take you both to lunch then the mall. Good?"

I nodded. "Good."

He looked over my head and then at me. "You'll love it, sweetheart. Just relax and have fun."

I nodded again.

His heated gaze s.h.i.+fted just to warmth. "I can go but only if you let go of my s.h.i.+rt."

"Oh!" I cried, letting him go and watching my hand smooth his attractive s.h.i.+rt against his chest.

This was a mistake, seeing as his chest under his s.h.i.+rt was so warm...and so hard.

I pulled my hand away.

"Late lunch, early dinner, we tuck Josette away, back to my place for another marathon," he stated roughly and again I lifted my eyes to his.

Warmth gone, heat back.

"Marathon?" I asked, fighting against melting from his heat.

"Do you have those in your world?" he queried in return.

"Running? Yes, there are games in Hawkvale where athletes from all over the Northlands-"

"Our marathon will not be running," he promised.

My "Oh," that time was much softer.

"f.u.c.k, she says 'oh' and I'm in danger of coming in my pants," he groused, looking annoyed.

I felt my eyes round before I felt my lids get heavy and my mouth get soft.

I watched as Noc took in my look and appeared to grow even more annoyed.

"Gone," he grunted abruptly. Lifting a hand to s.n.a.t.c.h me around the back of the head, he bent it down, kissed the top, tangled his fingers in my hair and pulled it back. He bent in again to brush his lips against mine. "Text me," he demanded, let me go and then he sauntered rather aggressively to and out the door without even glancing at Josette in farewell.

This was rude but I didn't have it in me to consider that as I was at that moment memorizing his aggressive gait because it was such an agreeable sight, I never wanted to forget it.

Once I realized I was staring longingly at the door, I shook myself out of it, turned and saw the woman behind the desk who had greeted us as we'd walked in, as well as Josette, were both staring at the door.

Longingly.

This made me smile.

Exultantly.

I moved toward Josette.

The sooner we had our this-world treat, the sooner we'd again be with Noc.

So it was time to get started.

"Look at this. Look...at...this!" Josette demanded, striding into the lounge with its comfortable furnis.h.i.+ngs that was the waiting area of the spa.

I looked at this, "this" being her flipping her hair out at both sides with her hands then shaking it with her head tipped back.

She did not have a man who demanded her hair stay long so it had been cut to be just longer than her shoulders and styled in soft curls that were most becoming. Not to mention, as if by magic, blonde streaks had been added changing the color but a nuance, but that nuance was most appealing.

She righted her head and smiled hugely at me.