Page 93 of Spark

“Open,” he ordered.

I complied and parted my lips to take his offering. Even though the chicken was now lukewarm, it was still damn good. I chewed quickly while he began spearing a few vegetables with the fork.

“I can feed myself, you know,” I muttered, covering my mouth with my hand as I swallowed.

“Obviously not. Now open.”

Pursing my lips in protest, I let it go and opened them to accept the veggies. They were crunchy and a bit salty—just the way I liked them. Darren feeding me like this was strange. I almost felt pampered, like a precious thing to be cared for and cherished, and I didn’t know if I liked it. I was too independent for this kind of shit. But whatever; he was being nice to me, so I should accept it.

Darren held another forkful of potatoes to my lips, but I covered my mouth, swallowing the last bite I could muster before my stomach burst. I shook my head.

“I can’t take another bite. I’m so full,” I pleaded. Only a few bites were left on my plate, but I had already pushed myself past my limit. This chef overestimated how much I could eat.

“Please?” Darren pressed, but it was nice in his own way. His voice held concern, but there was a bit of humor in his plead.

“Only because you actually said please,” I said carefully and opened my mouth to close it around the fork.

“Good girl,” he praised, kissing me at the temple. “Now, it’s bath time.”

“Bath time?” I replied, looking at him confused.

“Yes,” he said and then stood, easily lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the bathroom.

I groaned again. “Ugh, you know, I can walk, too,” I complained.

Darren ignored my comment and set me down on the bathroom counter. “You’ll walk when I allow it,” he replied and then turned his back to turn the faucet of the Jacuzzi tub on.

The bathroom was another testament to the house. It kept up the same log cabin details, except for the brown stone tile that bordered the walls near the tub and shower stall. The tub sat in front of a large bay window while a skylight in the ceiling gave a perfect view of the night sky.

Opening one of the many cabinets, Darren grabbed some bath oil and poured it into the tub before returning it to the cabinet. When the bath was halfway full, I took the initiative of removing my robe and hopping off the counter while Darren removed his pants. I headed over to the bathtub, knowing I’d end up in it anyway. Might as well be on my terms. But the moment I took a single step forward, Darren stopped me, taking my body in his arms and blocking me.

“What did I just say?” he nearly growled. I felt my eyebrows shoot up.

“Seriously?”

Darren responded by picking me up, again, and cradled me against his chest as he strode over to the tub. “Seriously,” he replied and stepped into the tub. Gently easing us into the tub, Darren placed me between his legs and pulled my shoulders back to rest my head against his chest. I released a heavy breath and relaxed into his body. When the tub was filled, he turned it off and relaxed again. His hands trailed against my wet skin, his fingers tracing lines along my arms, creating little goose bumps in their wake. The water was warm and scented with lavender, the scent filling my nose and calming me immediately. I almost wanted to fall asleep right there, but then I felt him nudge me forward.

“Dunk your hair under the water,” he said. I did as he asked, inching myself forward so I could lay back and dunk my head in the warm water. After it was wet, Darren shampooed and conditioned my hair, his strong fingers massaging my scalp and nearly making me purr out loud. When he was done, and my hair was rinsed, he laid me back against him, resting on his chest once more. I hated to admit it, but it felt nice. He was so solid behind me, but somehow, just as comfortable. I found myself pressing my cheek into one of his pecs as he stroked my arm, his bare knuckles leaving soft lines against my skin. I closed my eyes just for a moment and realized if I gave in to the exhaustion taking over, I’d fall asleep in the damn tub.

“What time is it?” I asked, my voice low and sleepy.

“Just after midnight,” Darren said.

“Mmm… Merry Christmas,” I mumbled. Darren kissed me on the top of the head and then got out, pulling me up with him.

“Come on. It’s time for bed. I’ve kept you up too late to begin with.”

“Agreed,” I said with a yawn.

Darren pulled me out of the tub, dried my hair and body with fluffy white towels, and then naturally, carried my ass to bed. This time, I didn’t protest. Tucking me against his side and under the sheets, Darren reached over to turn off the lights, the only lights now coming from the dying fire in the fireplace and the Christmas tree. Darren’s warmth behind me, mixed with the softness of the sheets and the scent of lavender knocked me out in a matter of seconds. Tomorrow, I’d see how well Darren could celebrate Christmas. It would be an interesting day.

34

Christmas Morning

I woke up with a burst, my blood rushing through my veins and my breathing becoming uneven. And then I suddenly became very aware of the pleasure occurring between my legs. The soft wet strokes of Darren’s tongue lapping at my clit waking me up was one hell of an alarm clock. I went to pull my arms down, my hands intent on finding something to grasp, but I realized I couldn’t move them from above my head.

I was about to panic until Darren sucked my clit into his mouth, and I couldn’t help but moan, arching my back and tugging even harder against my restraints. In a matter of seconds, my orgasm took over, shattering my resolve and awakening my body to the fullest.

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