Object of My Affection (18 page)

When I stepped into the kitchen his back was turned to me. I could tell by the rigid set of his broad shoulders that he was upset about something. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn’t been home when he’d arrived. But, something kept me from running to him. Something was not right.

“Hello, Alfred.”

As he turned to me I watched all the anger drain from his features. Damn he looked good. Alfred was dressed all in black. The mock turtle neck he wore fit him well, complementing curves and muscles his usual attire did not reveal. The black slacks he wore were not tight, but they fit well enough that I wanted to see more. Alfred always dressed nice, but he also wore a lab coat to cover it up. I had to get him out of that lab coat more often.

He took a cloth from underneath the sink and dampened it. I anticipated his touch as I watched Alfred walk over and begin to wipe the small cut on my left cheek. I wanted to wrap myself around him and say how glad I was to see him, but there was something in his eyes that held me back.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” I said softly.

I could tell something was wrong, but I couldn’t imagine what. I’d expected to be embraced, not this sort of medical detachment while he treated my wounds.

“Richard was kidnapped,” I explained.

“What happened?” his voice was cold.

I recounted the story for Alfred, leaving out only that Bade had helped me and that consequently everything was his fault. Especially since Alfred knew nothing of what had happened between Marco and myself.

“So, he’s alright?”

“Yes.”

“What about you?” he asked more softly.

“I’ll live.”

He turned around unexpectedly and went back to his coffee.

“I had a visitor this morning.”

“Kat?”

“Marcy.”

The instant he said her name I felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle.
That’s
what wasn’t right. Marcy Johnson was our new neighbor, and I’d just as soon eat dirt as to look at her. The moment I’d first walked into the kitchen and found her flirting with Alfred, I’d developed an immediate hatred.

“I don’t ever want that woman in my house again,” I said coldly.

Alfred looked at me, but otherwise didn’t respond for a moment.

“That woman
had some interesting things to share with me.”

Just the thought of Marcy sharing oxygen with Alfred set my blood on fire.

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that you’ve been dating officer Jasper in my absence. It seems she was very surprised to see me here at all. Apparently everyone thinks you’ve kicked me out and moved on to him.” His voice remained calm, but Alfred’s eyes burned with emotion.

“I cannot control people’s mouths. You know how bad this town gossips.”

“I do,” he cut in. “That’s why I’m asking you. Have you been seeing Elijah while I was gone?”

“Not like that, no.”

He put the coffee cup down and his hand shook. “Like how?” he growled.

“Like we spent some time together.”

“It’s true!” he yelled.

“We’re friends, Alfred. Kat even went out with us!”

Alfred turned his back on me again and I couldn’t stand it.

“How the hell did she even know you were back?”

“She saw me in town,” he answered quietly. “I went to buy some cherries.”

I loved cherries and I knew without being told he’d bought them for me.

“She asked me to go out with her tonight, and I’m going,”

he blurted out.

Alfred might as well have stabbed me. It would have had the same effect as those words. I gripped the doorframe and bent forward slightly, placing a hand over my heart. I was glad Alfred’s back was turned. I didn’t want him to see how much he’d hurt me.

Before he could speak again, I took off up the stairs. As I closed the bathroom door I began to tear the catsuit away from my throat. I couldn’t breathe and I shredded the material as I stumbled and sprawled myself across the floor. I had to get a grip. But the room spun and as I pressed my face against the cool wood floor, I knew I was having a panic attack. Of all the things that could have happened, losing Alfred before he was ever really mine was not something I’d expected.
And to that bitch?!

I had a vision of him touching her and I didn’t make it to the toilet. For at least ten minutes I threw up into the bathtub.

—

After the waves of nausea had passed I decided Alfred would never know how much he’d just hurt me, because I would never let him see. And at the first opportunity Marcy would have an ‘accident’. But as soon as I thought it, I knew I couldn’t just kill her because I hated her. For the first time in my life I wished that I truly was a monster. Monsters have no conscience.

I cleaned out the tub, disposed of my shredded catsuit, and put away my weapons. A sort of numbness settled over me as I peeled off the bandages on my left arm and stepped into the shower. My wounds had already healed dramatically since I’d been attacked late the night before. There was only minor bruising and the punctures had closed over. By the evening they would shrink in size and within a week or so be gone without a trace.

But for the time being my arm hurt. However it was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. It all hurt, but I was too numb to cry. I was in shock.

After cleaning and redressing my already healing wounds, I dried my hair. As I stood before the mirror I noticed that the scratch on my cheek was only the faintest line. It might be gone before noon. It surprised me that I had the strength of will to put on makeup, but I’d be damned if he saw me without it. Not only did I want to look composed, but I wanted Alfred to get a good look at what he’d be missing.

After a few minutes thought I decided I needed to thrash something. My black vinyl catsuit and an hour or so in the training room sounded like just the thing. It wasn’t like I could go to sleep after what I’d seen the night before anyway.

I’d go beat the shit out of my punching bag until I collapsed.

Food was the last thing on my mind, but if I didn’t eat I’d be sick again. As I walked into the kitchen I saw the spare key to Alfred’s lab on the counter and snatched it up. He was still in my house, and no matter how I tried to hide it, I’d love Alfred until I dropped dead.

He was mine and he’d be mine before he would ever be Marcy’s. Alfred would spend the night with me ... even if I had to seduce him.

—

I found the door to the lab unlocked. As I walked in Alfred’s back was once again turned and I took the opportunity to say my piece without having to look him in the eye. If he was going to turn me away, he was going to know how I felt first. My heart was in my throat, but I did my best to speak around it.

“You can leave if you want to ... but I’ve loved you for too long to let you go without a fight.”

Alfred turned to face me and the surprise on his face was plain to see. As I looked into his dark eyes I knew that my powers of seduction were of no use here. I wanted Alfred to stay because he wanted to, not because he’d been tricked into doing so.

“Do you care for her?” I pressed. My heart pounded in anticipation of his response. I wasn’t used to putting myself on the line so blatantly. But I had to know. If he cared for Marcy, as much as I despised her, I’d leave them alone.

He looked stunned but answered,
“Non potrei mai amare
una donna.”
(I could never love a woman like her.) “Then why go out with her? If you had feelings for me ...

why would you do that?”

“I’m not having this argument with you, Lilith. Why do you think I stay here? Why do you think I never go out?” He ran a hand through his dark hair and as it fell back against his forehead, I longed to lose myself in the silken feel of it between my fingers.

“I can’t pretend I’ve never noticed that you’re beautiful, but if you can’t see how much I care ... why stick around?”

I took a step forward as I said firmly, “You can’t go out tonight, Alfred.”

“And why not?”

I walked over to the desk where he stood, but could not yet meet his eyes again. I reached out and took his big hand in both of mine, lightly rubbing the calluses on his knuckles.

“Because I won’t have these hands on anyone else,” I said as I looked up into his eyes.

“And where would you have them?” he asked, his face blank and unreadable.

I made a bold move and placed his hand on my left breast.

“I would have your hands on me,” I breathed.

I felt my nipple harden under the warmth of his touch. He smiled at me with that lazy half smile of his.

“You might want me to wash my hands first.” The smile got wider. “I was in Jacob’s lab all day before coming here.”

I watched as Alfred washed and dried his hands before walking back to where I stood behind his desk. I noticed he had put the lab coat back on, and I wanted to snatch it off.

“If you’re planning on screwing my brains out, I’m a genius you know.” He smiled. “This might take quite a while.”

“You talk like you think you’re good.”

He took another step toward me as he replied, “I am good.”

“I thought you were too involved with your work to have time for women.”

He smiled gently. “I’m a scientist, not a monk.”

Alfred stepped closer and began rubbing the nape of my neck and running his fingers through my hair. As he bent down to kiss my neck I pulled back to take a breath.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“My heart, it’s beating so fast.”

He smiled. “Are you afraid?”

“Maybe a little,” I admitted.

“But not of me.” He made it a statement.

I ran my hands inside Alfred’s coat and leaned into him, pressing my breasts against him.

“No,” I whispered, “not of you.”

I held him tightly as I sighed, “This is nice. But it’s not ringing my bell.”

I turned Alfred around and pushed him back into the large chair behind the desk. He smiled and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Ringing my bell,” I replied as I walked over to the corner where Alfred’s stereo sat.

If there’s one thing we’ve always had in common, it’s our taste in music. A mix of Marvin Gaye’s greatest hits wasn’t hard to find. And it’s a good thing, because getting it on was exactly what I had in mind. As Marvin’s mellow voice began to sing, I turned back to Alfred. I would say that I walked toward him, but that would not do justice to this ‘walk’. If a tigress walks toward her prey, then I walked toward Alfred.

He pushed back from the desk as I approached. Without missing a beat, I reached one slender leg across him. I stood straddling his legs, looking down at him as I unzipped my suit to reveal my throat ... and went lower, partially exposing my breasts and upper abdomen.

I sat down on him and kissed his lower lip only. Alfred put his hands on my thighs, almost touching my butt and lifted me up as he stood. He sat me on the desk behind him with my legs still wrapped around his hips. We kissed for what seemed both a moment and an hour. Nothing pornographic, just a lot of nice gentle kisses. I slid the lab coat off his shoulders. He gave a shrug and let it fall to the floor.

I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed the feel of his powerful body near mine, his eyes, his lips, his face. I longed to drown in the deep caramel of his skin.

He reached out to touch the left side of my face and I brushed against his hand, the way a cat does if you pet it. As I did this I closed my eyes. I realized after a moment that when I closed my eyes, I saw through his. I was beautiful with my eyes closed, face pressed against his hand. My skin looked lighter against the contrast of the black I was wearing.

My hair was so red, it was like a living flame. My lips were full and half parted, awaiting his next touch. My abs and breasts looked so firm and my skin appeared as cream beneath his gaze.

Then I opened my eyes and saw from my own perspective again.

“Stay,” I whispered.

“Non ti lascero mai,”
he whispered as his lips met mine once more. (I will never leave you.) Alfred kissed me with a hunger that he had kept in check before and I felt my self-control begin to shatter. I’d wanted to take my time, but I’d waited for so long that that might not be an option.

I reached for Alfred’s belt and he stopped me.

“Wait,” he panted.

“What’s wrong?”

“Not yet,” he pleaded.

The look in his eyes said clearly that if I touched him he would lose what little control he still had. It was that pleading look that convinced me to keep my hands to myself.

Alfred rested his forehead against mine as he whispered softly, “Take me to bed,
cara mia.
I don’t want our first time to be in my laboratory.”

He had a point, and I thought the suggestion that we move to the bedroom was very sweet. Most men didn’t care where you had sex, just so long as there was sex involved.

I slid off the desk, deliberately brushing against him as I did so. “Alright,” I said. Even though I had not intended to use the voice of seduction on Alfred I found that when I was extremely aroused, it just naturally happened sometimes.

He gasped in response and I decided we should hurry.

Alfred followed me upstairs and as we passed the kitchen he said, “Wait a minute. What time is it?”

I stuck my head around the corner and read the clock on the microwave, “It’s ten after eight. Why?”

He walked into the kitchen and snatched up the phone. I watched as he dialed Kat’s number and could barely contain the urge to giggle. I knew what this was about and unfortunately, I could only hear one side of the conversation.

“Kathryn? Hi, it’s Alfred. I just wanted to be sure to let you know that breakfast will not be served this morning.” He paused and I couldn’t wipe the smirk off my face. “Yeah. You might want to give us a few ... days.”

He hung up before she had time to respond, and I burst out laughing.

“That was mean.” I chuckled.

He swept me against him dramatically as he replied, “I’ll have no more interruptions.”

“Your place or mine?” I teased as he carried me out of the kitchen.

Alfred looked up the stairs as if a mountain stood before him and said, “I don’t think I can wait that long. How’s my room sound?”