"Hey, what happened? I've been calling you since ten? I thought Carson came back, I was about to break into your house, the key was not back in its spot." Brian came rushing over to us as we headed up the front stairs.
He quickly scans me over, looking me over for any signs of stress.
"What's going on? Did something happen?" He asks noticing our shoulders that are drooping in a defeated manner.
"Let's go inside, I need a drink." I mutter, fighting back tears at hearing Carson's name again.
I was done with him, why am I letting this affect me so much?
I ask myself, as we enter the house, me heading straight for my whiskey and pouring them a glass each and just dragging the bottle with me to the living room.
I take a nice long swig from the bottle, a satisfied gasp of air leaving me as I set the bottle down.
"Okay, seriously. Please tell me why are you both so solemn." Brian insists, eyes darting back and forth between the both of us.
I wanted him to move on, not die.....
"Carson... Carson... will no longer be a concern to worry about. He..He.. fuck.. he's dead." I spit out and pick up my bottle again, taking another long drink.
Lance informs Brian of our trip down to the station and what we were told. Afterwards, Brian shakes his head in disbelief.
"Wow, that's unexpected. I'm sorry, Lirael." Brian comes to kneel in front of my chair. "Hey, we are here for you. You don't need to drown your sorrow in alcohol. You know it is merely snake oil for your pain."
He goes to take the bottle from me and I clutch it to me. "At least let me make myself a glass, first." I pout.
I stand and wobble on my legs, Brian is quick to catch me before my world spins.
"Sorry, I stood up to fast." I wince, clutching my spinning head.
"Here, I'll go make you that drink." Lance takes the bottle and heads to the kitchen.
"Why did you leave earlier?" I ask him quietly, still clutching my face with one hand to avoid his eyes.
"I had to get back to work, I had my scheduled clients that can't make it in during regular hours come in." I can feel his shoulder shrug in his voice, making me glance up at him. He still sits on one knee by my chair, but is leaned back, looking away from me.
"What does the note say at the bottom of my evaluation?" I ask as Lance comes back with my drink.
"Thank you." I mumble, taking a sip.
Brian gets up and sits down on the sofa, ignoring my question.
"Brian? Are you not going to answer me?" I ask with a mixture of a scoff and chuckle directed towards him.
He sighs, "Just an observation, it was meant for my notes, and I wrote it on your evaluation." He downs his drink. "Well, it's late and you are in good hands, so I'm going to go and get some much needed rest. Night you two." He stands and nods to Lance and bends down, giving me a quick hug, before dropping his glass off in the kitchen.
"Bye." I wave as he heads out the door.
Lance stands and approaches me, "Come on, he's right it's late, let me get you upstairs."
"I need to wash my face..." I say my thoughts out loud.
"I think I can help with that." He swoops me up in his arms and proceeds to carry me to the stairs.
Startled, I jump in his arms, but he has a firm grip on me. "No Lance, I don't want you to hurt yourself if you lose your footing on the stairs!"
"Trust me." He states it so calmly, patiently, that I clam up with wide eyes.
He doesn't take his eyes off of mine.
Not that I could even if I tried. His beautiful eyes have entranced me with warmth that spreads over my body.
I do trust you.
My eyes widen as my weight shifts as he places me down on my bed.
When the fuck did we get up the stairs?
The sound of my bath filling up jolts me from my thoughts, trying to remember coming up the stairs.
Lance is bent over the tub, pouring my lavender bubble bath into the water.
When did he become so sweet? Has he always been like this and I'm just now seeing it?
He walks over to me, getting down on his knees in front of me, and gently begins to remove my shoes.
"What are you doing?" I laugh, dazed from the torrent of vastly contrasting emotions running through me.
"I'm taking care of my mistress's needs." He says matter of fact, causing my toes to visibly curl.
Fuck, when he says it so casually...
My hairs stand on end, my body sending a current of confidence straight through my heart.
"Well then," I raise my hands above my head, "take care."
He chuckles and pulls my top off with ease, sliding back to rest on his knees. He takes the waist of my pants, sliding them over my hips slowly, keeping eye contact with me.
My body tingles and tenses every time I feel the skin of his fingers brush against mine. He swoops me back up into his arms, making me gasp.
He rocks me gently as he walks, carrying me to the tub, placing me gently into the warm water. His shirt becomes wet and covered in bubbles, but he pays it no mind. He grabs a wash cloth, wetting it, and gently dabs at my still swollen face.
My face! Oh I must look a mess right now!
I avoid his eyes and look away, feeling the crimson blush that spreads across my skin, one that I can not blame on the heat of the bath.
"You're blushing..." Lance's laugh is stifled behind his smile, "What is the matter? You're acting like this is the first time I have ever bathed you."
His words only make me blush even more.
"Oh.. how do I put this..?" I still avoid his intense, amused gaze that I can feel drilling into me. "You've never been so... considerate? Sweet?" I throw the first few words that come to mind.
"Does it make you uncomfortable?" He asks, running his hand up my leg, stopping just about my knee on my thigh.
"A little.." I mumble, feeling my breath catch as his fingers start moving in circles on my thighs.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable..." His bottom lip puffs out lightly in a pout, slowly sliding his hand away from my thigh.
I clap my legs together, trapping his hand, sending bubbles up in the air.
Giggling, I inform him, "I did not say you could stop." I lean over and blow the bubbles that landed on his cheek off, releasing his hand in the process.
"Why would my mistress think I was stopping?" His question rolls across his tongue that I can see move as he speaks, making me think of how it moves across my clit...
I chuckle wickedly as I watch those eyes of his follow my lips movements as I lick them, "You can be a naughty thing sometimes."
His quick bark of laughter cuts through the air, "My mistress forgets, I'm rather fond of punishment though."
My tongue plays with the upper inside of my mouth as I think of what he's up to.
"What's the matter?" Lance asks innocently, as he continues to wipe my body down.
"You are up to something, I can see it in your eyes." I close my eyes, letting him place the cloth across them before beginning to knead and massage my neck and shoulders.
"Oh...yes..." I moan as he finds a knot and begins to work on it.
"Well, your assumption is correct. I am UP to something... However, I don't think you'll mind it, too much." He purrs into my ear, nipping at my lobe, letting his breath tickle my skin.
"Mmmm... Oh and what are you up to?" I hum in delight, letting the pulsing waves of tingling pleasure sweep over my body with each touch of his lips.
His lips and hands leave my skin, leaving me tense as he moves away. I relax when I hear him pull the drain plug and turn the shower head attachment on. I can tell he's testing it before he sprays my rapidly exposing body.
I remove the wash cloth and stand so he can spray the bubbles from my backside. He turns the water off and grabs a towel, wrapping me up in it, pulling me from the tub to gently pat and dry my body off.
"Are you really going to ignore your mistress and not answer my question?" I inquire again as he finishes drying me off.
"I thought that the answer was obvious, mistress." He grins knowingly, before swooping me up in his arms, once again taking the breath from my lungs in surprise.