In Love by Design (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod) (9 page)

I giggled
rather hysterically, too, at the mind-boggling concept of my masculine Dark Prince and this fussy, plump princess bride going at it. “Now that you ask, he is, but he’s taken.”

“Aren’t they always?”
Dickie pouted, his cherub lips comically turned down under the pencil mustache.

“
Anabel, Anabel,” a deep growl admonished from the shadows, “are you telling everyone in the county details of our sex life now? Is that any way for my girlfriend to behave?”

At the
voice coming from behind him in the darkened shadows of the kitchen doorway, Dickie’s shrill scream of startled fright pierced my eardrums. He threw up his hands and tottered back and forth in front of me on his heels. He resembled a chicken with his head cut off, clearly not knowing which way to turn.

“I beg forgiveness, my Devil, for I know not what I do.”
I tried to look suitably downcast, but that’s no easy feat when a girl’s bubbling over with relief and excitement.

“
My Boyfriend’s Back” by Paris Bennet

Thursday 12/06/12

11:25
PM

Luke stepped into the light and didn’t take his eyes off
Dickie, except for a brief glance in my direction that started my blood pounding. I’d be happy to see any friendly face at this point; but that it’s Luke’s hard face has me stunned.

He, too,
is dressed all in black, but the difference is amazing. My eyes drank in the sight of those broad shoulders in a leather jacket, those muscular legs in jeans, the boots, the tight gloves, and the deadly black gun. I’ve never seen him look so mean, so dangerous, and so unbelievably killer.

‘
Down, schoolgirl!’

I
am still tied up, but the weapon in Luke’s hand and the flames spreading like wildfire through my cold body make this a minor detail. All the voices cheered wildly in delight at this unexpected rescue by my Hero.

Luke
gestured with the gun. Dickie let out another shriek while pointing his hands higher in the air. The Fixer started loudly blustering that he was just about to untie me and to not hurt him or ruin his suit. Luke did his karate chop slicing move and Dickie’s words cut off instantly in mid squeal. Like always, I’m impressed how this move works like magic.

“Shut the fuck up
. Don’t talk unless I tell you to talk.” In the quiet of the freezing kitchen, Luke’s voice was deadly.

My view
was of the back of Dickie’s masked head bobbing in terrified obeisance and I couldn’t hold back my huge smile any longer.

Luke’s
black stare showed no response while he took a longer look at me tied to the chair, almost naked and shivering from the cold. Despite his calmness, when he turned that stare back on Dickie it’s obvious to me that he is going to hurt this guy. Luke was rarely out of control, but I’m learning to read the man beneath the tight leash he imposes on his emotions. Dickie’s in serious trouble.

“Is this true, Anabel? Was he about to let you go?”
Luke asked softly, not taking his cold gaze off the Fixer.

“Nope, he was leaving me to freeze
,” I said regretfully. Wisely, Dickie didn’t speak, but he’s shaking in his heels in frightened agitation. I exclaimed, “I’d never guess that was
you
that I heard walking around and making so much noise in the other room!”

A
n expression of anger flashed briefly across Luke’s bold features. “Good, because of course it wasn’t me.”

Earlier, I’d heard creaking noises
in the rooms beyond the kitchen doorway that sounded distinctly like footsteps. When nobody showed up to join Dickie to finish me off, I let myself hope that meant help was on the way. I made all the noise crying and shouting a few minutes ago to distract Dickie. There is no way I’d ever seriously break down and cry like such a namby-pamby coward.

Before I could ask him what he meant,
Luke spoke out of the side of his mouth, “Okay, it’s clear.”

My mouth dropped open in
complete shock when Candy MacKenzie sauntered on stiletto heels into the room from behind Luke. My eyes probably bulged at that moment as much as hers do.

F
lipping open a small switchblade knife encased in hot pink metal, she glanced casually around the kitchen. Her knife accessorized perfectly with the hot pink suede shoe-boots and tight ski jacket that showcased her ginormous breasts. But not so much with the pastel lavender skinny jeans that actually bag on her stick legs. With her triangular-shaped face, rounded shoulders, and skinny limbs, she reminds me of a praying mantis. If a man stuck around Candy long enough, I’m sure she’d be happy to eat her mate, too.

Her
thin lips are outlined to appear fuller and shine with a purplish lipstick. They twisted in distaste when her gaze flicked over Dickie standing there with his arms up high and his double chin quivering. Seeing the flat expression in her protruding cow eyes when she passed him by, I didn’t blame Dickie one bit for his hum of distress. Candy doesn’t like anybody much, but she has a particular aversion to gays and cross-dressers. I wouldn’t put it past her to stick him like a pig. It gave me the willies to be helpless while she’s behind me with a knife. She started sawing on the thick rope that held me to the chair.

I shot
Luke a “what the fuck?” look of disbelief.

Luke held up a finger in a “
wait a second” gesture.

In a blur of coordinated motion,
Luke busted a move that resulted in Dickie stretched out on the floor before I could even blink. Dickie never knew what hit him.

Fascinated
to see this side of Luke in action, I watched him efficiently pat down Dickie for weapons. His hands paused briefly when he got a load of the black pumps on Dickie’s feet and I bit my lip, this time to stop a laugh. Moving on, Luke removed a wallet from inside Dickie’s suit jacket and quickly thumbed through the contents. He pulled something out that he tucked into his own jacket pocket and then put the wallet back.

Next,
Luke rolled the unconscious Dickie over face first against the floor. Taking single loop plastic restraints from his jacket pocket, Luke roughly jerked the Fixer’s arms behind his back. He ratcheted them tightly together at the wrist with Dickie’s palms out and thumbs up. He did the same to hobble his ankles.

The kidnapper secured,
Luke knelt at my feet next and made short work of the knots holding my ankles. Freed, I held my legs out straight and rotated my bare feet. I murmured my thanks on a groan of relief. Luke briskly rubbed my calves with his big warm hands and I groaned even more in gratitude. I was so cold and stiff.

Luke
’s eyes traveled upwards as he massaged, his unsmiling gaze running over my bare thighs before continuing slowly up over me to eventually meet my face.

Despite my shocked curiosity at what Candy and Luke
are doing here together, his sudden flash of white teeth and the sight of his dimple had me catching my breath. His magnetism struck deep within me to a place no man had awakened before and it felt great to no longer fight against it. Feeling vibrantly alive, I can almost see the sparking energy crackling in the air around us.

Luke nodded behind me. “Meet your guardian angel.”

He
was amused at the blank expression on my face which most likely mirrors the confusion in my brain. Behind my back there’s a grunt. With a last sharp tug, the ropes fell to the floor. My boyfriend got a load of my new jade green teddy. I didn’t need to look down to know the lace is sheer on top and I was very cold.

Luke
pulled me up into his arms. “Candy, go home.”

When she didn’t
immediately leave, Luke snarled under his breath--a man at the end of his rope. “Anabel, for Christ’s sake, tell her you’re safe with me.”

I was
trying to make sense of his words. After seeing the hunger pass over Luke’s face and the cold look still in his eyes, safe wasn’t the first word that came to my mind. Without understanding why I had to say it, I still obeyed without taking my eyes from his.

“
For fuck’s sake, go home.”

Candy
walked in front of us and snapped her knife closed. “Try not to piss anybody else off, Anabel,” she spat venomously. “I understand the urge to kill you, but I value my skin even if you don’t!”

Luke turned his head to watch Candy flounce from the room. H
e listened a while longer, but I didn’t acknowledge her, since she doesn’t exist. Pushing aside every question about tonight and the last two weeks, I simply relaxed for a peaceful moment in the circle of my boyfriend’s strong arms. I listened to Luke’s heartbeat steadily thumping against my ear. It was nice knowing I probably won’t die tonight.

Satisfied she’d left the house, Luke turned back to me. Without a word, he
put a finger under my chin and raised my face to his. Still not speaking, he stared down at me. His face appeared etched from stone, but his green eyes are no longer cold. They’re intensely alive and burning with unspoken emotions.

Sometimes, the toughest
, cruelest boyfriends are the men with the capacity to feel the deepest.

Sometimes, the smartest, greatest girlfriends are the women with the ability to draw these feelings to the surface.

Sometimes, these incredibly hot men need a little push in the right direction, even if they are number one on your current shit list.

So
I gazed back and gave him my heart. “I love you.”

I
n another blur of motion, I was lifted up higher and being passionately kissed. Luke ran his hands possessively over my body in ways that ignited me and comforted me at the same time. He murmured angry words in his deep voice against my lips. He threatened to kill me if I ever scared him like this again. He made a face, and told me that I stunk like rotten garbage, but he never stopped his kisses or his stroking hands. Not until they skimmed my butt and I winced on an indrawn hiss of pain.

Frowning,
Luke pulled away slightly and held his hand up to the light. He asked, almost idly, “Do I kill him?”

Still distracted from being thoroughly kissed, I mumbled
an intelligent, “Umm.” Then I asked incredulously, “Hey, wait a minute! Did what’s-her-name actually mean she’s appointed herself my freakin’ watchdog?”

Black eyebrows met and Luke’s voice
was hard. “Answer me, did he hurt you? What’s wrong with your ass? I have blood on my fingers!”

Hearing his harsh tone
and realizing his cold manner seems to be directed at me, and not just the circumstances, I answered slowly, “Yes, he hurt me a little when he grabbed me and he stuck me with a needle, damn him, but I’m bloody because of my attempt to escape. My butt has been bedazzled with splinters from this stupid chair.” I frowned. “Now please, answer me!”

After a pause,
Luke relaxed slightly. Pushing my hair back off my face, he replied in his normal, cool tone of voice, “When you put the fear of God in Candy that day in the parking lot, she took you at your word. Your cousin is petrified something will happen to you and she will be maimed.”

“
Ex-cousin,” I murmured under my breath, and then laughed at this unpredicted and bizarre twist of fate. “Good, she should be petrified. Did you happen to hear anything of what Dickie, that’s the kidnapper’s name, said tonight?”

G
lancing down at the still figure on the floor, Luke smirked in derision at that name. There was something definitely off with my boyfriend’s attitude. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with his not calling for the last two weeks or the puzzling things I have learned about his life.

‘But he just kissed the bejesus out of you
like he couldn’t stop himself!’
protested several voices at once.

‘That’s it on the nose! Why should he want to stop himself?’
I pointed out reasonably, stumping us all.
‘And why didn’t he say he loves me back?’

That really shut everyone up.

I put it on my list to stew over later when Luke replied, “I heard your accurate description about what a relentless badass your boyfriend is.” I grinned a little, although Luke went on with a straight face, “I couldn’t miss hearing when you were pretending to cry and scream, but that’s about all.” Impatient disgust still evident in his voice, he added in further explanation, “Candy would not shut up her whining.”

Relieved to know that Candy hadn’t
overheard my deal with Dickie, I asked, “Yeah, how the heck did you end up with her tonight?”

Luke concisely
related the facts leading up to my rescue. He was waiting for me to get home, saw a man throw me in a van, chased after the van, and saw my ex-cousin chasing the van, too. It was smart thinking for him to get Candy’s cell number from Stella, but I can only imagine the conversation of Luke trying to get Candy to listen and cooperate while they were both tailing the van. Working as a team was not a concept in Candy’s world. She wouldn’t fall into place like most adoring women Luke dealt with that experienced his commanding presence and take-charge attitude. I’m actually surprised that Luke didn’t put her in a sleeper hold and gag her once they arrived at this house. However, his storytelling was sadly brief with no frills. He will need prompting to give up the juicier details later, but important things first.