Standing By: A Knight's Tale #2 (31 page)

Instead of waiting for her to say something, I head to the kitchen, wash my hands and then go back to the living room to eat close to Hayley, both of us sprawled out.

“Your place is empty,” I mention as I’m about to take the first bite. “There’s no furniture. Want to tell me the story?”

“I’ll buy something soon,” she turns her eyes from her food back on me. “I moved back with the idea of picking up my life, you know. I found them there.” She points at the window.

I’m anxious to know what she found there. The food creatures that came out of her containers?

“Kevin’s bare ass flashed—live porn inside the comfort of my own home. Ever since, coming home became a reminder of my sister’s betrayal.” She eats some food and then continues. “Staying at Dad’s wasn’t an option anymore; I’m too old for that. Also, as you know, he sold the penthouse, and he’s moving to Seattle with Parker after Christmas. The new owner hasn’t kicked him out… but he can’t stay there forever.”

“So what you’re saying is that this doesn’t feel like home?” I ask, wondering if that’s really why she’s having trouble buying furniture or hopeful that I’m her home.

“Yep, not homey at all,” she licks her lips, retracts her legs and places her forehead on her knees. “I’m not the same person I was, I can’t pick up that same life I left a year ago. Then there’s the view—just another building, nothing green or watery to look at. Seattle spoiled me, and I hate it because usually I’m a simple person who doesn’t require much.”

“Do you want to move there? To Seattle.” I hope not because that’s a hell of a move for the two of us—and the café; we’re opening it soon, well she is, I’m just helping her.

“No, not really,” she answers. “Maybe I’ll visit Parks often and enjoy his outdoorsy landscape—at least twice a year. But I do want to move back to central park.” She mumbles, then bites her lip. “Crazy, expensive and stupid.”

“But a great area,” I tell her. “Not far away from the café, if you find the right one.”

“Like Dad’s old penthouse.” She snickers and finally lifts her gaze. “I wish I had the money to buy it, more for the sentimental value. It doesn’t matter, right… it’s gone. Where are you going to move, by the way?”

“For now I’m fine staying at my parent’s place,” I shrug my shoulders, after the
Jake Incident
, I chose to sell my apartment. “A few more months and… we’ll see.”

“Part of the plan, Knight,” Hayley grins. “I’ll make it simple. Do you want to move in here? I’ll lease it to you or better yet sell it and then I can buy myself a tiny studio across form the park.”

“That’s sounds like a great plan, not,” I start cleaning the trash. “I’m heading out, tomorrow I have a full day including fixing the restaurant schedules. It appears my girlfriend is trying to ruin my dating life.”

“You don’t have a girlfriend or a dating life, Mitchel Knight.”

I smirk at her, give her a quick peck and decide to leave before I take the easy road by showing her that I, in fact, have a girl to make beautiful music together with.

“You’re my girlfriend, precious girl,” I claim her lips, drinking her sweet nectar before I leave. “That dating life started in full gear today, dinner and handsome guy right in the comfort of your home.”

“Look,” she says excited pointing at me. “The ego reappeared.”

“Sweet dreams, beautiful.” I kiss her one more time.

Hayley

S
aturday night, one
of the busiest nights in
Frida & Diego
and I’m working. Parker tricked me by swapping my shift at the sushi bars for his complete shift at the Mexican restaurant. Now he’s at the Knight’s place playing poker and where am I? Listening to this woman complaining about our poor service because the salsa is too hot and her chile relleno, inedible. Her diabolical cold blue eyes are about to pop out of the sockets, and I’m about to kick her out of the restaurant.

“We can serve you a different dish,
ma’am
,” I emphasize the last word since she was nasty with Nora the waitress for calling her ma’am. “Our menu specifies that the dish is one of the hottest, there’s nothing we can do to serve you a habanero chile relleno without the habanero.”

“Call the owner, he’ll make it happen,” she slams her hand on the table. Her girlfriends give me a slight close-lipped smile, while picky bitch raises an eyebrow and taps her fingers on the table. “I’m waiting, I know him personally and he’ll put your ass out on the streets.”

“You know the owner?” Bet she slept with him.

“Yes, and his family, call Mitchel Knight or I’ll call his mother.”

“You think I’m trembling by your little threat?” I shake with laughter. “Please call them, make sure to tell them that you want to put Hayley’s ass on the streets and be specific about it. Better yet, tell Mitch that his girlfriend is being a bitch to you. Oh, and that my staff isn’t going to wait on you.”

I turn away and head to the kitchen to check on Nora. Parker owes me and Mitch had better have a great surprise waiting for me. I have to give him credit for the past two weeks: flowers, chocolates, a replica of the Chinese wall—tiny so I can visit it daily. He even gave me plumerias, so I get use to the scent because in January we’re heading to Hawaii. Each day he stays at my apartment for hours; we talk, kiss and enjoy each other’s company. Of course, we make out and each day the heat factor increases—soon, it’ll happen. I shake Mitch out of my head for now; it won’t happen today—darn poker tournament.

When I enter the kitchen, I spot him, Mitch, entering through the back door and trying to go through the entire kitchen personnel while they work. He wears a grey coat with jeans, and he’s holding a bouquet of wild flowers.

“Hey handsome, what are you doing here?” he bends down and brushes my lips. “Thought you boys had a poker tournament.”

“We do,” he hands me the flowers. “In an hour, I wanted to make sure you ate before you forget—again.” He turns his head towards Nora, who is in the corner sobbing. “What happened?”

“A bitch, who knows you and will call your mother because I refuse to make her chile relleno mild.”

He takes one of my flowers out of the bouquet, heads to where Nora is. Mitch hands her the flower while speaking softly to her. She immediately heads out while scrubbing her tears away.

“I told her to go home for the night; we’ll cover for her and make sure to give her the tips for the night.”

I crease an eyebrow, does he remember its Saturday, and we have a full house? Plus, who’s going to share half of their tips?

“Now let’s deal with the bitch,” his face changes and so does his tone to a somber, in charge one.

He takes my hand, and he follows me to the booth where bitch plus four sat, however, it’s empty.

“Well, that took care of itself, I’m your waiter for the night, where do I start?”

“You have a tournament to win,” I chuckle, because they planned to stay until tomorrow at noon to see who won the most hands.

“Hmm, let’s see, girl, cards, girl, card… there’s no contest; you win. May I remind you that I’m working hard to earn my next badge.”
Sex
, he mouths. With a playful smirk, he takes off his coat and heads to his office.

Thank you, Parker!

*

At eleven o’clock,
we officially lock the door with only a few customers remaining inside finishing their meals. Mitchel helps clean the kitchen as I help clean the dining room. It took us only an hour and a half and now we are heading to my apartment.

“Are your parents in town?” They left a few days ago; Rachel left me a voicemail to call her if I needed anything from France for the café.

“No, they’ll be here after Halloween,” he smirks. “Mom doesn’t like the holiday and prefers to stay away in her village. Why?”

“Because my brothers and yours are invading their home until… later today.” I remind him. “Will they let you play?”

“Not sure, I was hoping you would shelter me for the night,” he puts his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. Two weeks and our relationship is not only back to that point where we are back to us but in addition, I feel something special that makes me want more at the end of each day. The combination of spontaneous, breathtaking moments not many people share has to mean something to him, I tell myself at nights, pondering on how much it transformed me. “Am I invited?”

The attendant opens my door and waves at us.

“Yes,” I respond as he walks beside me. “There is the couch, your best friend.”

“Evil minx,” he calls after me as I rush up the stairs. He runs right behind me, and I hurry to open the door of my apartment, which he closes immediately after we step in. He turns me around and pins me with those dark green eyes. “How far, baby?”

“I don’t know,” I feel my face heating up. My body trembles thinking about how far he can take me—all the way. “I do love you every day a little bit more than the day before.”

“I love you too; I didn’t know there was anything missing in my life until I lost you. I won’t touch you until you’re sure, until you ask me.” His suggestive low voice turns me into a puddle of want. “But I hope that you will, soon—tonight-before I combust with need, the need of you.”

Though he licks his lips, he doesn’t approach me. “I want to move to what you call the next step the one when you decide we’re ready to make love, and I make you mine. I want you forever, Hayes.”

He takes off his coat and rolls up his sleeve to show me his tattoo.

“I’m your anchor and I’m solid.” His eyes are unmoving and clearly, he’s telling the truth. “And the last thing I’d ever do is hurt you at least not consciously—after all, I’m only human. You’re the guide, Hay. We go wherever you want.”

I stand on my tiptoes, touch his jaw and he lowers his face. Mitch pulls me toward him. One of his arms loops around my waist, the other behind my head. The anticipation is searing my insides and the tiny tingles become tremors. Mitch’s eyes brim with tenderness and passion. His lips brush mine a few times, setting my mouth on fire. Playful, as he always is, he approaches my mouth again and then as if he’s a magnet and I’m some kind of metal, he pulls them toward his. I try to pull back, feeling as if this is only a game, but instead of letting me go he presses his lips to mine and kisses me. It’s a warm, sweet, slow drugging kiss, and I’m left craving more.

The arm around my waist tightens and my feet are suddenly leaving the floor; without unhinging our mouths, we make it to our bedroom. He smoothly eases me down onto the bed and pulls back to look at me. His hands, like mine, touch everywhere he can. I run my hands over his torso, caress those abs I couldn’t stop staring at during the middle of
tree pose
in yoga class. One moment we’re fully clothed, the next we’re ripping each other’s shirts and shorts off. There are no words, only caresses, kisses and desires lingering in the room. My heart pounds at an irregular tempo when his mouth begins to suck the hollow at the base of my throat. Then he continues with butterfly kisses over my shoulder until he reaches my breasts, which are aching and heavy.

He traps one breast with his mouth and slips one hand between my thighs, moving it slowly all the way, until he slides it against my already wet flesh. He circles, teases and brushes my clit repeatedly causing my breathing not only to act erratically but also to stop all together. I’m only a few inches from losing consciousness and being sent into the next realm. I can’t take it anymore; I grasp his biceps as I scream his name while I let loose an earth shattering orgasm.

“Not to break the moment, Hayes, but are we safe?”

“Yes,” I reply. We went to the doctor and got tested for STD’s, I’ve been on the pill since the age of seventeen… Mom expected me to be active since then. For my benefit, I kept taking it to regulate my period. We wanted to do it without any barriers, only us, ready to take everything… except making a baby.

Mitch guides himself inside me taking each inch slowly; he’s thicker, longer and different from any toy I ever had inside. A moan escapes me as he fills me all the way up. The tension inside begins to build again, his pumping and thrusting creating a volcano of pleasure.

“You feel great,” he says and I can’t respond because his touch combined with the sensation of having him plunging in and out doesn’t give me a chance to think at all. I meet his every move. “Let it go, come on Hayes, come for me.”

All my muscles spasm in a release of pleasure.

“Hayes,” he hisses my name, groans, and pushes himself deeper inside me. “I love you, baby.” Then he kisses my forehead and holds me tight.

I trace his muscles with my hand, touch the scar on his left shoulder and kiss it, then the one on his arms and realize he has a tattoo there… two black inked doves.

“Like them?” He kisses my nose; I scrunch it. “It’s us… I plan to fill it with a few more to complete our flock.”

“You’re a mix between a sappy romantic and a charming, easy going kind of guy,” I kiss his other wound. “This flock you mention… how many baby birds are we talking about?”

“As many as mama bird wants,” he plays with my bottom lip. “One, a bunch… not sure. Let me clean you up so we can get some sleep.” He heads to the bathroom. “Tomorrow we’re not leaving the apartment; I want to get my fill of you. I waited a lifetime to finally be with my soul-mate.”