The Monhagan Chronicles: Prelude

Chapter 12

Dean

I found myself downstairs, cooking, again. As Bain and his companion refused to leave I was now cooking for four and had only two guest rooms empty. I thanked whatever higher power was out there that I had the wherewithal to purchase such a large house. Grumbling to myself about unwanted guests I pushed the vegetables around the wok as they simmered.

 Audrey was still sleeping and I was cooking to relieve my nerves. Complaining to myself about Bain and the Mime was also to distract me from my current situation. Was it a situation? What would she think of me now? I scrubbed a hand over my face and through my hair. I was being ridiculous. She had gone to sleep with a smile on her face surely that meant something.

I had tried to hold back. I told her I wasn’t gentle but I tried to at least be softer than normal. I huffed at myself, feeling more than a little irritated that I couldn’t keep my mind off the situation. I turned back to the fridge to retrieve the soy sauce and sesame seed oil. My mind went back to earlier with Audrey. I really hadn’t been as rough as was usual for me. I combined all the sauce ingredients into a bowl and began whisking. Nearly spilling it when my mind wandered back to the way she had sounded as she came.

“Fuck.”

“Pretty sure you already took care of that.” A deep voice chuckled from the doorway.

I stiffened but went back to cooking. Trying my best to ignore Bain.

“Might want to invest in some sound proofing, that girl has a set of lungs on her.” His voice was getting closer.

“What do you want?” My rational brain knew that I shouldn’t provoke him but at this point I was so worked up with irritation and nerves I just could not find it in me to care.

“I would have thought you’d be in a better mood now. Maybe you should let me finish dinner and you can go take a nice bubble bath or something.”

“Why are you still here?” I ground out between my teeth.

“I told you, Joshua is in a mood and the other one isn’t ready yet.” Bain said as he picked at his nails.

“Who is this other person you keep referring to?” I actually found myself intrigued. I knew next to nothing about Bain. Not many did.

“Not important right now. But I have a feeling she might be nicer to me than you, not that that bar is very high.” He moved closer to the stove, pushing me away from it with his body. “Go, I’ll have dinner ready when you get back. And quit thinking so much, makes you look constipated.”

I shook my head as I walked out the door and headed to the stairs. I wasn’t going to take a bubble bath but perhaps a shower would relax me.

Audrey

I awoke to the smell of food. I stretched my body out under the covers. I expected to be pretty sore, it had been a while, but was a little disappointed to find I wasn’t. There is something to be said for the slight ache after really good s*x. Having that proof of passion. My body had healed away any soreness from our earlier escapade though. I couldn’t have been asleep long as the sun was only just falling below the horizon.

I rolled off the bed and headed into my bathroom to take a quick shower. As the hot water cascaded down my body I couldn’t help but remember my dream. In my mind I compared the dream to the reality. The experiences were oddly similar and left me wanting more. I craved him. Just thinking of our time together made certain parts of me tighten. No one had ever made me feel like this.

I was just pulling my shirt on when I heard a knock at the door. A part of me felt giddy at the thought that it might be Dean. That same thought brought a wash of nerves within me. What would he think of me now? I did practically throw myself at him. While our time together had been special to me he has been around for hundreds of years so there was a good chance it meant far less to him. I sucked in a deep breath and pushed those thoughts from my head. It wouldn’t do to dwell on such things.

I walked to the door and opened it, hoping and dreading to see Dean. All my worry was for nothing. Standing just outside my door, hands in his pockets, was Mime. He gave me a half smile and inclined his head to the stairs. 

“Foods ready.” He turned and walked away.

Sighing I shut my door and followed. The smell assaulted my nose before I could set foot on the stairs. It smelt amazing. I dashed down the stairs, earning a chuckle as I flew past Mime. I slid through the doorway to the kitchen and had to pause to let my brain take in the view. I had expected Dean to be standing at the stove as normal but that was not what I saw. Bain stood at the stove tossing the stir fry in the wok. He turned to me and winked without smiling.

“I’m just finishing this for Dean so he could shower. Have a seat.” His deep voice was almost a monotone.

The mention of Dean in the shower brought back the memories of my dream and I shivered. A part of me wanted to race back up the stairs and join him but that was far too forward. So instead I listened to my more rational side and sat at the table. Bain began dishing out the plates. 

We sat in silence for what seemed like forever. The only sound was that of eating. The stir fry was amazing. I ate slowly trying my best to savor the taste. It wasn't long before Dean walked into the room, his hair still wet from the shower. 

I might have been staring. Drool could have made an appearance too. The memory of him standing naked in the shower from my dream popped into my head. My breathing hitch only for a second and I licked my lips. It was as if he could sense the direction of my thoughts. Dean’s eyes met mine for a long moment. I really wished I was better at reading people. So many emotions seemed to swirl in his green eyes but I couldn’t decipher them. I only hoped he saw more than raw desire in mine.

“Alright you two, sit down and eat. We don’t need a show.” Bain’s words weren’t exactly surly but they weren’t exactly teasing either.

“Remind me why you are still here again?” Dean questioned curtly.

Bain rolled his eyes but continued forking mouthfuls of stir fry. Was he even breathing between bites? I shivered as I looked at him, remembering the moment earlier in the theater. I looked away quickly before he could catch my gaze. It was all I could do to banish the memory of that dark abyss from my mind.

Dean sighed but came to sit next to me at the table. He smiled at me briefly before picking up his fork and digging into his food. We settled back into silence. I found myself less interested in the food now that Dean was here and so close. I took a deep breath, pulling his scent into my lungs and holding it there. After what happened earlier you would think I would have been well satiated but I still found myself clenching my legs together. 

Bain groaned and glared at Dean and then Mime. “Christ. I’ll be in the breakfast nook.” Then he disappeared, plate and all.

Mime just chuckled then picked up his plate and walked out of the room. What was that about? I glanced at Dean again who was staring intently at his plate. He put the fork down and cleared his throat.

“We should probably discuss what happened.” he sighed. I almost thought I detected a hint of guilt. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that. I promise it will never happen again. You will be safe here.”

If I hadn’t been so livid I might have found his words endearing. Unfortunately they just really pissed me off. He really wasn’t kidding when he said my emotions could be heightened. I swept past annoyed in 0.2 seconds and my rage meter went into overdrive.

“What did I say earlier? I’m a f*****g adult. I know what I want. So you better stow your crap and listen. I was in no way inebriated and had full control of my mental facilities. I regret nothing. I wanted it, I’ve wanted it since I first saw you, and I will continue to want it because I am a woman and you are sexy as hell. I also can not believe I just said that but it’s out there now.” I huffed at myself then continued. “If you don’t feel the same just say so but don’t act like you did something wrong because you didn’t. I wasn’t drunk or high or whatever it is you keep saying. You didn’t take advantage and I definitely enjoyed myself.”

He looked a little taken aback by my outburst. To be honest I was a little embarrassed by it myself. I swallowed loudly and tried to compose myself. I had always been just a little outspoken and headstrong. Maybe I was also a little fiery. But I was also feeling more confident in what I wanted than I ever had before. After everything that happened with my ex I just wanted, no needed, to feel wanted. To know that someone out there desired me.

Dean cleared his throat again and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I… well, I just don’t want you to feel unsafe. I know I was a little… aggressive I guess would be the best word at the moment.”

I held up my hand to stop him, almost laughing as I realized what he meant. “I see where you’re going with that, don’t. I’m not going to break.” I stood up and walked around the table, letting my hand trail across his shoulders as I leaned over to whisper in his ear. “My safe word is red.”