Page 100 of Spark

“Because she’s fast like one,” I replied.

He chuckled. “There are faster cars, you know.”

I almost rolled my eyes. “I’m aware, but I don’t think Lamborghini or Bugatti have the same ring to it.”

That wasn’t the real reason. It was really because my grandma had an old 1969 Camaro ZL-1 that she and my grandpa had bought together as an anniversary present for each other. My grandpa passed away two years ago, and my grandma knew how much I loved that car. On occasion, my grandpa and my dad would let me help tweak the engine when I was younger. I had fond memories of that car, and my grandma knew it. So it was going to be a wedding present to me whenever Jason and I finally planned to get married. We were gonna drive off in the old thing, dragging cans and shit behind us. So much for that.

Darren shrugged. “Whatever you want. I like Camaro.”

Maybe that was the approval I needed… Camaro it is, then.

“Can I take her outside?” I asked.

It took Darren only a second to think about it as he pushed his now empty plate away from him. “Sure, as long as you take your guards with you, and you stay within the lining of the trees. No going beyond them.”

“Okay,” I promised.

Darren stood from his chair and kissed the top of my head. “I have work to do. I’ll see you at dinner.”

When he was gone, I slid out from my chair and headed back to my room to get Camaro and change. She was sleeping in her crate next to her slightly empty dog bowl when I came in, but she quickly woke when she heard me rustling around in the closet. I put on a pair of snow pants and boots, my coat, hat, and gloves then grabbed one of the leashes and snow coats. Camaro yipped and whined as I came toward her crate, pulling her out and wrestling with her to get the coat on. Once I had it zipped up, she continued to bite at it while I wrapped the leash around her neck and clipped the end.

Why hadn’t Darren gotten her a collar? I forgot to ask him that at lunch.

Picking her up, I carried her out of the room and out into the hall, Romero and Alex trailing behind automatically. They actually had their coats on this time, so they were prepared when I headed for the sliding doors downstairs. Stepping onto the patio, I set Camaro in the snow, and she immediately started to run and play in the snow. I kept a good hold on the leash but still tried to keep up with her, so I didn’t tug too hard. I didn’t want to lose her in the trees.

We spent a good hour and a half out there, playing and exploring. She was a curious and energetic puppy, and the longer I played with her, the more the name seemed to fit. She was so damn cute and feisty. I loved it.

“Miss Jaden,” Romero called. “It’s time to go in. You need to get ready for dinner.”

“Booooo,” I whined but complied. I picked Camaro up and carried her back into the house and up to the bedroom. Placing her on the ground, I took off her coat and leash and let her run around the room for a while. I then glanced over to find clothes had been laid out on the bed. I walked over to find a lacy tight looking red dress that would likely stop just before my knees and a pair of sparkly red stilettos. When I lifted the dress to examine the material, noticing just how low the neckline was, I found Darren’s Christmas present to himself hiding underneath. Fire engine red lace lingerie. It was a matching bra and thong set with a matching garter belt and nude thigh highs. The bra contained strings at the front, tying the two cups together and inevitably forming a bow. Ha-ha.

Merry Christmas to him…

I left the clothes where they were and headed for the bathroom for a shower. Afterward, I curled my hair and did my makeup, giving myself a soft smoky eye and dark red lip. Slipping into the lingerie and clipping on the nude stockings, I checked myself out in the bathroom mirror. Fuck, I looked hot, like stripper hot. Maybe I’d play this to my advantage. Maybe I’d be the one to bring Darren to his knees for once.

Heading over to the bed, I slipped the dress and heels on and went to put Camaro back in her crate with a few of her toys, food, and water. I didn’t want her running around biting shit and pissing Darren off. I didn’t need that kind of heat. When she settled, I put on some of the new jewelry he’d gotten me that I knew would match nicely

When it was 5:30 p.m., I opened the door to be escorted back down to the dining room, but when I got there, I froze in my tracks. Soft Christmas jazz played in the background while the dining table stood not only decked out with several plates of food, but it was also decorated with more Christmas trimmings and flickering tall red candles, giving it a lovely, warm ambience. It was a feast fit for Whoville. And standing at the head of it all was Darren, his hands resting on the top of his chair as he smiled at me.

“Wow,” I said as I walked toward the table, my heels clicking behind me.

“Wow is right,” Darren agreed, but his eyes weren’t on the table; they were too busy gazing up and down my body. I couldn’t help but notice his too. He was in a black suit, white dress shirt, and a red tie that matched my dress almost exactly. I instantly wondered where he’d gotten ready. Maybe he had a separate room somewhere else. After a moment, he walked around to my chair and pulled it out for me. “Have a seat,” he said. I didn’t argue and allowed him to push my chair in for me.

What the fuck is going on?

“This is a lot of food for just two people,” I told Darren as he sat down in his own seat.

“That’s because once we’re done, the rest will go to the guards.”

“Really?” I asked. I didn’t know he even gave a shit about them, especially if they still worked on the holidays, but maybe he did?

“Of course. I may pay them very well for what they do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate their loyalty. I try to reward them when I can.”

“Well, that’s… nice of you, I guess.”

Darren gave me a quick wink before we started our dinner. Everything was fantastic. From the turkey to the vegetables and potatoes, salad, roast beef, and cranberries, I’d had more than my fill. I even got to indulge in dessert, which almost never happened. The conversation revolved mostly about Camaro and my fun with her outside. I mentioned to Darren that she didn’t have a collar in her bag of things, and he said he wanted me to pick it out myself, which again, threw me off.

“You want me to pick it out myself?”

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